Reasons Why USA's Fed Government = World's Biggest Bully

In this essay, I'm not claiming these reasons are the only ones or necessarily the most egregious ones.  Nor are they equal in magnitude.  Nevertheless, taken together they do show a pattern of self-righteous bullying, and sometimes outright illegality.  The items in the list below are not in any order of importance.
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1.  Not long ago and undoubtedly at the direction of the White House, Nikki Haley (no relation to me) threatened countries with consequences if they didn't go along with the policies of the current anti-Science Administration.  Thank heaven she'll be resigning her post, but I imagine she'll be replaced by someone else who, like Trump, thinks the USA is King of the World.  Threatening allies and others is bullying; doing it in public is egregious, political claptrap.

2.  At the same time that the White House and Congress are braying about Russia, and now China, interfering in our elections, John Bolton is talking about overthrowing the government of Iran.  Is not overthrowing a gov't the ultimate example of interference?  Not only bullying, but the word "hypocrisy" comes to mind...big-time.  [Then there's the fact that the USA's & Britain's governments, back in the 1950's, participated in the coup that overthrew Iran's democratically elected gov't.  Why?  Because the new leader wanted Iran's oil to be for Iran... what audacity.  Then, too, there's the fact that the USA's gov't engineered coups in other countries, such as Guatemala and Chili.  More bullying and hypocrisy.]

3.  Starting with Obama and continuing with Trump, the Executive Branch is developing so-called tactical (low-yield) nuclear weapons.  Some of the Fed policy makers apparently believe that the use of such weapons will not have any serious, long-term, detrimental effects on life on Earth.  In other words, they seem to think that nuclear weapons can be used without much harm to the planet and its ecosystems.

No one knows any such thing.  That use would be a most dangerous experiment.  So far, evidence regarding radiation indicates any such use would be a disaster.  The point here is that development of these weapons is bald-faced bullying.  Do what we say, or we'll nuke you.

4.  The idea of "Preemptive War" probably didn't start with the Dubya Bush Administration, but that Admin claimed that the execution of the concept was legal...hence, the disastrous Iraq War.  In the simplest terms, Preemptive War means:  we are going to attack you because you might be planning to attack us.  Furthermore, we're so special that we're positive you are planning that.  We can predict the future.

Preemptive War is not only unconstitutional, it's also immoral, unethical, and in defiance of common sense.  It bespeaks a gross distortion and subversion of "American Exceptionalism".  As far as I can determine, every fairly recent Administration at the Fed level has believed in it.  There's no doubt at all that Trump embraces it.  This is bullying to the max.

5.  Regarding recent Fed treatment of Native Americans/American Indians---
when it comes to oil pipelines (such as DAPL), the Executive Branch seems to be saying:  we don't care about the risk to your water, or the desecration of your burial grounds, or the desecration of other holy sites.  We are issuing the permit for this, no matter what you say or do.

Furthermore, we are going to bypass the Fed Law requirement for an Environmental Impact Statement on this project.  We can do that because we claim that each section of the pipeline is like a "spur line", which has no such requirement.  Plus, we now have an autocrat-wannabe President who thinks he's above the Law.  Finally, oil is "National Security".  When it comes to that, we can ignore any Law we choose.  More bullying.

6.  Since the Supreme Court's Kelo v. City of New London decision, Fed Eminent Domain applies to taking land for economic development.  That means your land can be (after just compensation) seized and then sold or given to a company for private development.  That's now considered "Public Use"... because of the taxes generated.  This Court decision was/is outrageous.

Our Fed Gov't doesn't bully only other countries and American Indians.  It does so to all of us.

7.  The tactics of the IRS sometimes are Gestapo-like.  I've experienced something like that personally.  They don't mind being bullies at all.
[SIDE NOTE:  By the way, the first permanent Income Tax (1913) applied only to about the top 2% of the population, and did not include taxation of wages.  Only passive income was taxed under that Law.]

8.  Regarding treatment of asylum seekers and other immigrants, separation of 6,000 family members, caging kids, misleading parents, etc.---
This current Administration has acted horribly, immorally, and in an unchristian manner.  It's truly incredible, and all just to make a political point.  Shabby bullying for political gain.  Inexcusable.
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Why We the People enable politicians such as these to "represent" us is beyond my comprehension.  As I've said before, massive boycotting could correct the situation and bring down the whole House of Cards.  Unfortunately, that probably never will happen.  Oligarchs/Plutocrats will continue to rule.  The root blame for that is Edward Bernays style Propaganda.  C'est la vie.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

A Review of Some of the Craziness in the Authoritarian, Nonconstitutional USA

The craziness referred to in the title above covers a very broad range.  The text below displays only a few examples of some of it.  I'm calling the USA Gov't "nonconstitutional" (as opposed to unconstitutional) because for many years our leaders have ignored large parts of the Constitution.  It's as though the document doesn't even exist.  Here's some of the craziness, as follows.

1.  Our politicians appear to believe that this also is in the Fourth Amendment:  "...none of the provisions of this Amendment apply if there's a national crisis or any threat to national security...or if Congress passes any Law that contradicts any part of this Amendment...".  Of course, none of that is in the Fourth Amendment, but that fact seems to matter not at all.  Certain parts of the PATRIOT Act and a few other Laws are in direct conflict with the Fourth Amendment.  Crazy.

2.  Once a week (or so), the President meets with others in the Executive Branch to decide which people in other countries are to be murdered with Hellfire missiles from weaponized drones.  Anyone so killed is automatically designated as an EKIA---enemy killed in action.  It doesn't matter if the person is Joe Suspect's grandmother ("collateral" damage) or Joe's ten-year-old son (more "collateral" damage).  They are all EKIA as far as our Gov't is concerned.  This all happens despite the fact that the Executive Branch has no Constitutional authority whatsoever to issue assassination orders.  That authority belongs only to Congress.  The only exception to that is during a war officially declared by Congress.  [We haven't had one of those since WW II.]  Crazy.

3.  According to a portion of the National Defense Authorization Act, our rights to "due process" and "innocent until proven guilty in a Court of Law" are negated if we are suspected of any kind of "terrorism".  [You would be surprised how little it takes to be a suspect in such a case.]  Crazy.

4.  Too many of our militarized Law Enforcement people now do not treat suspects properly.  Instead of innocent until proven guilty, suspects are demeaned, lied to, denied access to rest rooms, or much worse--- sexually abused, shot in the back, beaten or TASED after being handcuffed, or flat-out killed.  No, that isn't rampant in our society, but it's happening way too often.  Here's what's much more common:  nonviolent protesters are pepper-sprayed in the face with no warning, no "order to disperse"...or sometimes their eyelids are held open by one or two officers while another one sprays directly into their eyes... all of this while peacefully exercising their Right to Assembly.  Crazy.

5.  While it isn't yet widespread, small drones have been used by Law Enforcement in lieu of a proper Search Warrant...another violation of our rights supposedly protected by the Fourth Amendment.  Crazy.

6.  Our Executive Branch now bombs other countries, puts combat troops into action in other countries, and in Syria shoots down one of their aircraft...all with no approval of Congress, no involvement of Congress at all, and certainly no declaration of war.  Crazy.

7.  As reported on Democracy Now, since March of this year, U.S.-led airstrikes in Iraq have killed about 700 civilians.  All this in a completely unconstitutional war.  Crazy.

8.  Our Military gurus want to send another 5,000 or so ground troops to Afghanistan...to a war with no end in sight...in a land deservedly known as the Graveyard of Empires.  Trump essentially said to Mattis:  go for it.  All ISIS (or the Taliban) has to do is fade back into the woodwork until we leave.  Trump wants to fulfill a campaign promise that's impossible:  "We will exterminate ISIS.".  The Russians couldn't do something similar with 500,000 troops there.  Crazy.
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To any of you reading this who believe you are genuine "Conservatives" (not NeoCons), where is your outrage?  Our country is being destroyed by Militarists, Authoritarians, Corporatists, and Empire thugs...and you appear to be supporting the whole shebang.  Please stop drinking the Edward Bernays style Propaganda Kool Aid.  What will it take for you to wake up?  To those of you who believe you are genuine "Progressives", what are you doing in the Democratic Party?  Ever since 1992, that Party is firmly in the Land of Corporatism.  Please wake up.  We need organized, opposing political forces in this country so a Middle Way can be determined...instead of the Corporatist Dem v. Repub sham that we have now.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Fed Gov't and Corporate Media Propaganda + Lies by Omission Accelerate

I say this often, but it's true in every case:  if this situation weren't so tragic, it would be comical.  The highest levels of the Fed Gov't and Corporate Media keep pushing this narrative:  our intelligence agencies have proof that the Russian Gov't (now including Putin personally) have hacked our cyber infrastructure and interfered with the recent election.  This claim apparently refers to the hacking of emails and subsequent release of same, not the hacking of voting machines.  Let's examine the two parts of this distraction from what's really important---the content of those emails.

Hacking Our Cyber Infrastructure---
Even if true (& it probably is), here's what our Powers-That-Be are leaving out--- our intelligence agencies hack any institution or person they so desire, at will.  WikiLeaks, The Intercept, The Guardian, the Washington Post, the New York Times, Der Spiegel, and a few others have revealed that (via the Snowden documents) over and over.  Our Gov't even has hacked our allies.  They've even hacked Angela Merkel's cell phone.  Do you think for one minute our Gov't has not hacked Russia, Iran, and China?  Please.  The implied self-righteousness and holier-than-thou attitude of our high-ranking politicians is downright sickening.

Interfering With Our Election---
IF it did "interfere with" or "influence" the recent election, how?  Was it by revealing scurrilous, hidden truths about the Democratic Party Machine and/or Hillary Clinton?  If so, I have no problem with that.  Here's what I do have a problem with:  the hypocrisy and lies-by-omission of the highest levels of the USA Gov't and the Corporate Media.  Over and over in our history, the Fed Gov't has not only interfered with elections in country after country, but also has covertly and overtly overthrown governments... some of those governments were democratically elected.  Let's not forget what our Gov't did in Guatemala, Iran, and Iraq in the 1950's... and what it did at other times in Italy (1948), Laos ('57-'73), Haiti (1959), Cuba (1902-04 & 1961), Ecuador (1961), Congo/Zaire (1961), Dominican Republic (1963), Brazil (1964), Indonesia (1965), Greece (1965 & 1967), Uruguay (1969), Cambodia (1970), Bolivia (1971), Chile (1973), Australia (1975), El Salvador (1979), Haiti (1986 & 1993), and after 9-11, Afghanistan and Iraq.  The previous list represents cases where our Fed Gov't interfered with elections and/or overthrew governments, most of which were democratically elected.  The list is incomplete.  The holier-than-thou attitude of our politicians does nothing but make enemies around the world.  The hypocrisy of our high-ranking representatives surely must be legendary in foreign countries.

I love this Land with great fervor, but despise the (in general) hypocrisy displayed by too many Higher-Ups in our Gov't... both Republicans and Democrats.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Hey, National Politicians - One More Time

1.  Even the New York Times Editorial Board has stated (paraphrased):  the ISIS-Syria-Iraq War that Obama is waging is unconstitutional.  That's because it is...it's illegal under our system of government.  It's not even properly authorized under the War Powers Act.  You high-level DC politicians keep claiming you're all for the Rule of Law.  Talk is cheap...prove it.

2.  A retired combat veteran and Professor Emeritus of History at Boston University, Colonel Andrew Bacevich, has stated:  "America's war for the greater Middle East cannot be won.".  Using Iraq as an example, for a quarter century we've been hearing the following from three different Presidents:  "We shall prevail.".  Isn't it obvious by now--- this is nothing but Perpetual War for the benefit of a few, and we are not going to prevail.  Who benefits?  Follow the money.  You politicians are serving your primary constituency--- the Super-Rich Oligarchs, the Mega Bankers, the War contractors (facetiously referred to as Defense contractors), and a few others who profit from constant war.  This is so glaringly obvious that it's painful.  Yes, we all know:  "It's complicated."...nevertheless, it's still obvious.  You are not serving We the People.

3.  The U.S. economy is not "recovering"; neither is that of the world in general.  We still are in a Recession, and it's worsening every day; furthermore, we're only a hair's breadth away from a full-blown Depression.  Stop your lying, half-truths, and Propaganda.  We know better than to believe any of it...that's because we live in the world, not in an Ivory Tower.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

A Few More Lies and/or Propaganda From Public and Private Institutions

1.  NBC News recently stated that the Fed interest rate hike (.25%) "...is a sign that the economy is improving.".  Nothing could be further from the truth.  That action is a sign that:  the Fed Reserve is recognizing it is increasingly losing credibility... and it is desperate.  For decades, Fed central planners have been facilitating a massive transfer of wealth from the common people to the Upper Crust.  As a result, the economic situation has been improving overwhelmingly only for the Rich and Powerful.  At the same time, Fed interference in the Money Market has caused the rest of us to struggle mightily simply to keep our heads above water.  The outright falsehoods put out by the Fed Gov't (at the highest levels) and regurgitated by the Corporate Media---regarding the unemployment rate, the price inflation rate, the jobs numbers, etc.---cannot belie the fact that we still are in a deep Recession, and heading for a Depression.  [I've detailed why that's true in several previous posts.]

2.  President Obama claims his ISIS Strategy is working, and that we will eventually "defeat ISIS".  About 9,000 U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria (never mind the airstrikes by other members of the "coalition") seem to have had little effect on ISIS, but plenty of negative effects on others--- the killing of innocent civilians, the creation of both refugees and more terrorists, and the destruction of civilian buildings.  Chaos prevails.  As to attacking ISIS sources of funding, good luck with that.  ISIS is funded primarily by Arab billionaires... billionaires.  If ISIS ever faces imminent "defeat", all they have to do is fade back into the woodwork... and live to fight another day.  Military actions are not the solution to the problem, but they are a great distraction from our imploding economy at home.  That has been done by governments for centuries.  Manipulating a population in this way is nothing new.

3.  A high Gov't official (can't recall who) recently stated that ISIS "has declared war on us".  That may be true, but we should keep this fact in mind:  "we" (i.e., our Gov't) attacked ISIS first, well before they did anything to anyone in the West...and that includes the brutal beheadings of Westerners.  I'm not defending ISIS in any way...but facts are facts.  Our Gov't once again stuck its nose into what basically is a civil war; "we" attacked ISIS in Iraq because they were getting close to some U.S. oil company operations there in the northern part of that country.

4.  Our Gov't is not providing an SS COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) for next year because "according to the Consumer Price Index [CPI], there was no price inflation this year"...so say SSA Officials.  I guess those same officials did no grocery shopping or renting of housing this year...never mind the increase in the cost of OTC meds and various other commodities.  It's true we're in a deflationary period now (e.g., crude oil, most metals, & some other commodities have gone down in price), but that doesn't apply across the board.
A side note regarding Social Security---
Since retirement from wage slavery in 2004, my primary source of income has been SS Retirement.  Unlike some Americans (hopefully not a majority), I don't consider SS to be any type of "welfare".  That money was taken out of every one of my paychecks for over 40 years for the express purpose of helping to provide for my retirement; I want it all back...every penny, and I don't want it stolen from me via inflation of the money supply (which results in commodity price inflation).
Some politicians claim there is no SS Trust Fund.  Not true, there is one...since LBJ first did it, every Administration since then has raided that Fund & used the money for other purposes.  Consequently, the SS Trust Fund is full of U.S. Gov't IOUs.  That's why SS supposedly is in financial difficulty... no other reason.
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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Several Insanities in the Western World, Especially the USA

Remember reading about the Age of Enlightenment, often cited as running from the late 1600's to about 1800, and sometimes called the Age of Reason?  It would appear that we humans are in need of a Second Age of Enlightenment.  Following are some of the things supporting such an assertion.  Let's begin with a somewhat trivial (compared to the others) example.

1.  Trump recently stated that "wages [in the USA] are too high".  What planet is The Don on?  Wages here essentially have stagnated for the last thirty years.  The cost of living has not.

2.  Our Fed Gov't and those of Russia & France are bombing ISIS in Syria...but, mostly thanks to the US,  they're not all cooperating with each other.  Is that a good plan?

3.  The Fed Gov't here denigrates Russia for sticking it's nose into Syria (a Russian ally) and for trying to increase its influence in the Middle East.  Are you kidding me?...talk about the pot calling the kettle black.  The US Gov't's primary foreign policy component is to stick its nose into just about every civil war in the world...especially in the Middle East and/or southern Central Asia.  Good grief!

4.  The US Gov't continues to kowtow to Saudi Arabia...not entirely, but significantly.  That's a troublesome issue because of the following.  Wahhabism, the Saudi State-sponsored extremist Sunni Sect, spreads its poison all around the world.  Radical, extremist terrorists are greatly encouraged by the Wahhabis; the roots of ISIS are in Wahhabism.  The DC Powers-That-Be know that...and yet they continue to support the House of Saud.

5.  The situation in Syria and Iraq is a complete mess.  [Over 7,000 airstrikes by the US Gov't haven't helped much at all...but they have pissed off a whole bunch of terrorists.]  In addition to the points above, the Gov't of Turkey is fighting ISIS...and fighting the Kurds, too...who happen to be fighting ISIS.  Certain leaders in the world seem to have lost their minds.

6.  The Taliban in Afghanistan now control more territory than they ever have since the US invasion.  So much for interfering in a civil war...and so much for "nation-building".

7.  Iraq now essentially is a failed State.  Ditto the last sentence above.

8.  The General in charge of the US program to train "moderates" to fight ISIS in Syria either has been or is going to be promoted.  The program was a complete failure.  About 5,000 were to be trained and equipped.  Five or so were put into battle; in short order they all were killed or captured...along with their weapons.

9.  Obama and most Republicans continue to push for approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).  Most Americans appear to be either oblivious to the Agreement/Treaty or against it.  The smallest bit of research should reveal to anyone that the TPP is bad news for average people.  It benefits only the Rich and Powerful.  For any politician to claim that it will make us more competitive and increase the number of jobs here is utter nonsense at best, and a bald-faced lie at worst.

10.  The War on Cash is well underway.  Under Civil Asset Forfeiture Laws here, any significant amount of cash on you now can be seized by Law Enforcement...without you being charged with anything.  The reason?  It's "suspicious".  In addition, the Powers-That-Be are pushing for a move to a cashless society.  One of the reasons is to prevent bank runs in the case of an economic/financial collapse.  Another reason:  those same Powers then will know, because of the National Surveillance State, every single purchase you make...or at least, they will have access to those records.  Consumer privacy will be gone.  I foresee a day when, if you use any cash at all, you'll most likely be deemed a "financial terrorist" or a run-of-the-mill criminal.

11.  The Police State in the USA continues.  Examples:  the Civil Asset Forfeiture Laws cited above; FBI Agents now writing their own Search Warrants (euphemistically titled "National Security Letters")...our Constitution is clear---a Judge must sign a Search Warrant; monitoring of people not even under investigation (the National Surveillance State); the militarization of local Police [a problem because the Police then act as though all citizens are their enemy...they have to, it's policy, it's "safe" procedure]; the almost unrestrained use of TASERs...which have killed people; shooting people in the back...for minor infractions [e.g., a homeless guy in New Mexico was camping outside of town...he turned to walk away from the cops & they killed him]; and many other examples.

12.  The Mega Banks, Mega Hedge Funds, and Mega Insurance Corporations have created, bought, and sold "Swaps" (Credit Default Swaps) to the tune of $550 trillion.  [The entire world's annual GDP is about $75 trillion.]  These Swaps do not make up all of the bizarre financial derivatives out in the Market (that total is about $1.25 quadrillion), but they are the ones that supposedly act as "insurance" against defaults on various contracts.  Should that Swap Bubble burst, as many reputable economists all across the political spectrum say it will, the whole world will be plunged into a Great Depression.  Who benefitted from the sale of these Swaps?  Oligarchs did...in the billions and billions...and billions.

13.  About 95% of world commerce is conducted either in dollars, the Pound, the Euro, or the Yen.  Every one of those currencies purposely is being debased (devalued).  That causes inflation in countries that don't have those as their currency...the emerging Markets, such as China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, etc.  Because of that, China is engaged in a Currency War with us...and because of that (and other reasons), the dollar's status as the world's reserve currency most likely will not last much longer.  Our Gov't tends to denigrate and blame China for all this.  The fact is, China is only protecting itself and its economy.  The U.S. is doing what many countries historically have done when they have way too much debt:  our Gov't, in a de facto way, is purposely debasing the dollar in order to cope with a massive debt...a debt that never will be repaid in full.  All gov'ts know that's what's happening.  My point here is this:  inflation is a currency event, not a price event.  In 1961, I bought a pair of Levi jeans for $3.95; the price of jeans now is anywhere from about $25 to $40.  In 1961, cigarettes were 25 cents a pack; now they're anywhere from $4 to $8 a pack.  That's because the U.S. dollar is worth less; it has been debased for decades via creating "money" out of thin air.  The chickens are finally coming home to roost, and the Fed Reserve is out of ammunition.

14.  Whether Democrats or Republicans are in power in the United States, Edward Bernays style Propaganda reigns supreme regarding war, the economy, and the "value" of the Rich and Powerful.  Again, please heed the words of Warren Buffett:  "We are in a Class War in this country, and unfortunately, my Class is winning.".  A big Amen to that, Warren.
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Yes, I would say Humankind is in dire need of a Second Age of Enlightenment.
Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Quagmires and Plain Craziness, in the USA and Abroad

1.  Our Gov't continues its two and a half decade war in Iraq.  If I recall correctly, that war started in 1990.  There were a few brief respites between then & now, but not many.  [I count "sanctions" as acts of war... because History does as well.]  Just prior to 1990, Saddam & our Gov't Oligarchs were best buddies.  He was taken OFF the Terrorist Watch List by Reagan, I think it was, because Iraq was in a war with Iran.  We continue on in Iraq not because of "spreading democracy" or "fighting terrorism" or whatever the current excuse may be, but rather because our access to Iraq's oil is not yet secure.

2.  Similarly, our Gov't continues to wage war (Gov't Oligarchs call it "counter-terrorism") in Afghanistan because geologists estimate that a one trillion dollar bonanza in minerals lies under the ground there.  [Some of those minerals are rare and just about mined-out everywhere else.]  The U.S. Gov't wants to secure access to that bonanza.

3.  Our President continues to meet every Tuesday with some number of other Executive Branch outlaws in order to choose which people to murder in "counter-terrorism" drone attacks.  [In most cases, such people are SUSPECTS.]  Again, I point out that such action by the Executive Branch is a direct violation of the U.S. Constitution.  One of the clauses in Article I, Section 8 clearly states that Letters of Marque and Reprisal (assassination orders) are to be issued by the Congress.  The Executive has no authority in that area.  Being Commander-in-Chief never has meant that the President gets to ignore some parts of the Supreme Law of the Land.

4.  Our Govt's Terrorist Watch List (or whatever the hack politicians call it) is completely illegal.  Admittedly, I'm not an attorney...thank Buddha-Mind (or "God", if you prefer); however, I do have a fairly good grasp of Logic and I'm very familiar with the Constitution.  I say that List is illegal because it accuses and harms people without them knowing about it until it's too late.  Plus, there's no appeal, no recourse, no chance to defend oneself.  You are deemed guilty until the Gov't changes its mind.  That whole scenario is not fair, just, or legal.  It's one more piece of evidence that we are in a Soft Fascist State.

5.  The Gov't of Turkey is now bombing both ISIS and the Kurds in northern Iraq, the same Kurds who are fighting ISIS.  Institutional idiocy.

6.  The Gov't of Germany (the richest country in Europe), along with the European Central Bank and others (including Hedge Funds), have refused to write-down Greece's debt to a point where it can be repaid.  After WW I, that's exactly the break that Germany got relative to its debt.  That's why, prior to Hitler, Germany was at the pinnacle of European culture and productivity.  The Germans were able to recover from WW I because their debt was reduced by their creditors.  [By the way, some portion of Greece's debt has been purchased at discounted prices by Hedge Funds, which stand to benefit greatly from the "Austerity" being imposed upon Greece.]  So now, pensions in Greece are being reduced to about $94 per month.  Public infrastructure will be sold to mega corporations.  Taxes will be raised in an already devastated economy.  Way to go, Germany, et. al.  Save the rich creditors, ruin Greece.  Great plan.

7.  The Police State in the USA continues on.  Read the headlines.  Plus, because cities & counties have lost so much tax revenue (due to Oligarchs moving manufacturing out of our country), in some places a driver can be ticketed & fined for having anything hanging from the rear view mirror...such as a deodorizer or a chain.  Then, too, there is Civil Asset Forfeiture.  With no charge, no indictment, no trial, nothing, your cash and other property can be seized by police because it's "suspicious".  For example, a significant amount of cash can be taken from you because the cop suspects that you may buy drugs with it...probable cause is not required.  Another example:  if you have certain tools in your car, they can be taken with no due process... because the cop thinks you're going to commit a burglary with them.  Have mercy.

8.  Saudi Arabia continues to behead people for "crimes" such as sorcery and blasphemy.  These barbarians are our allies, folks.  Again, have mercy.  Never mind that the State there sponsors the most radical form of Sunni Islam (Wahhabism) in existence... they behead people for "crimes" such as blasphemy and adultery.  Wake up, DC politicos.

9.  Obama continues to deny that his wars are war at all.  Instead, they are deemed "counter-terrorism".  Orwell would be proud.  The Constitution is clear about who can put this country at war... and it's not the President.  It appears, though, that very few Americans care whether or not our "leader" is violating the Supreme Law of the Land.  Amazing.

10.  It looks as though most Americans are gearing up for the phony national election next year.  For eight years, I've used this blog to detail why our whole political scene is a farce... so I won't repeat myself now.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well

Malcolm Nance Comments on the Iraq-ISIS Crisis

Who is Malcolm Nance?  He's a retired combat veteran and U.S. Counter-Terrorism Officer who was in Iraq as far back as 1987.  He's Arabic-speaking and a recognized expert on Jihadist tactics, the Iraq insurgency, and Al Qaida's worldwide structure.

He had a good deal to say about the Iraq quagmire today on DemocracyNow.org, Democracy Now!, the War and Peace Report, with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzales.  To me, his most cogent statement was this:  "Invading Iraq after 9-11 made about as much sense as if we would have invaded Mexico after Pearl Harbor...the Intelligence just wasn't there [meaning, Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11].".  Amen to that.

Going way back to the 1950s, a U.S. Government Strategy Report (can't recall the exact title) stated that one of the U.S. Government's primary strategic goals was to secure access to Mid-East oil.  As recently as a few years ago, in an interview with Henry Kissinger, he stated, "Although it's not politically correct to say so, the Iraq invasion was about the oil.".  Most people recognize that today, and yet even now, the highest levels of our Gov't still say we're there for another reason or reasons---now it's the Boogie Man, ISIS.  When the White House spokesmen or Pentagon spokesmen claim that ISIS is a threat to our National Security, what they mean is:  we can't let them control that OIL.

Our President is now in Desperation Mode relative to all the above.  Our recent "support" of the Iraqi Army started out with about 300 "trainers and advisors"; presently, that number has jumped to about 3,000.  Obama today is considering moving the number up by another 500 or so.  It seems logical that the number will continue to rise.  He knows that the public here will not stand for sending in 100,000 troops (or some such number) all at once, so he's doing it incrementally.  He knows full well that an air war and "training" the Iraqi Army will not "defeat ISIS" (which is his stated objective).  In order to secure access to that oil, he must utilize U.S. combat ground forces.  That, of course, is beyond stupid...because we would have to occupy that country forever.  ISIS always can fade back into the population and reappear whenever it wishes.  So, once again the highest levels of our Gov't have stuck their noses into another civil war for reasons they refuse to acknowledge.   And the propaganda rolls on.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well
p.s.  Keep in mind that all our military adventurism overseas is paid for by borrowing more & more money from foreign countries.  That's the only way we can afford it.

The Neoimperialism & Neoliberalism of the Fed Government Oligarchs

Gooooood Morning, Iraaaaaaaaaaq!

How bizarre.  Is there no end to the gullibility of We the People?  Really?

Hermann Goering stated the following during the Nuremberg Trials:
"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY COUNTRY." (emphasis added)

"...drag the people along...", indeed.  Apparently it's especially easy in the USA.

Some observations and questions for the Oligarchs in DC---
1.  Syria is in a civil war.  Iraq is in a civil war.  Vietnam was in a civil war.  Do you really expect us to believe that you haven't learned the lessons of Vietnam?  Of course there are differences amongst these wars, but the similarities ---especially with Iraq and Vietnam--- are very significant.
2.  After more than a decade of "training Iraqi troops" & police, we're back there ONLY to do that again.  Are we supposed to believe that?  What happens if & when Iraqi troops on the ground can't ever complete the job of defending their country?
3.  Several U.S. transnational oil companies currently are operating in Northern Iraq (Kurdistan), but that has little or nothing to do with the current escalation of U.S. involvement.  Do you really expect us to believe that?
4.  "There are no combat troops in Iraq...only trainers and advisors."  Really?  ALL troops are potential combat troops.  
5.  What happens when one or more of these "trainers" gets killed by a mortar round, or a suicide bomber, or a roadside bomb, or a rifle bullet?  Will that be an excuse for even more U.S. involvement?  And then more?
6.  After you "degrade" or "suppress" or defeat ISIS, do you think they might simply fade back into the woodwork only to reappear later...again and again?  If you recognize that, is that a dandy excuse for Perpetual War?
7.  I missed it.  When/where was it that the Constitution allowed Congress to abrogate its war-making authority...and that became the purview of the President?  Exactly in which clause in the Supreme Law of the Land is that found?  I've studied the Constitution for over half a century, and I can't find that clause.
8.  Are the War Contractors (facetiously named "Defense" contractors) happy with the almost 800 U.S. air strikes and the recent doubling down of U.S. troops in Iraq?  Perhaps they need more.
9.  How many innocent civilians have been killed or maimed by our strikes lately?
10.  What happens if a U.S. plane gets shot down?  Will that be an excuse for even more U.S. involvement?  And then more?
11.  Are you aware that in the last few years 8,000 (probably more) combat vets per year have committed suicide either during or after their service?  [That means more have died by suicide than by combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.]
12.  Do you really believe that we don't know that all this actually is about Transnational BIG Business?  You're not fooling many of us.  How could you?  It's right out in the open.  For the most part, you don't even try to hide it.
...............................................................
There is a better way.  Oligarchs can be peacefully dethroned.  Step One:  stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid.  Keep in mind that with Neoimperialism and Neoliberalism, Oligarchs don't have to permanently occupy a land in order to control the government of that land.  If you haven't yet, please read Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins and Dirty Wars by Jeremy Scahill...both New York Times bestsellers...or search for those fellows on YouTube.  You'll get an education on the phony politics of today.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well

Obama's Wars = NeoCon, Kabuki Theater

On Democracy Now!, Jeremy Scahill (author of the NYT bestseller, Dirty Wars) described Obama's drone wars as "Kabuki Theater".  He implicitly referred to the Iraqi-Syrian ISIS War as the same.  Mr. Scahill is right on the money.  Let's also include the War in Afghanistan, the present purpose of which is unclear to just about everyone.  Any group having anything to do with 9-11 has left Afghanistan long ago.

Almost three years ago, Democracy Now! ran a clip of General Wesley Clark relating a story of his visit to the Pentagon just after 9-11.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8YtF76s-yM  An old colleague of his, another General, pulled him into his office and said that we were going to invade Iraq.  Clark asked "Why?", and his friend replied, "I don't know."...sometime later, General Clark was back visiting his friend and learned that the NeoCons at the highest levels had plans to invade seven Muslim countries and institute regime change.  Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Somalia were on that list.  So was Iran.  Such plans violate both the U.S. Constitution and International Law.

Enter Barack Obama, the Peace candidate in 2008...the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.  The guy  was going to protect whistleblowers, close Guantanamo, institute a transparent Administration, restore credibility to the Executive Branch, and end wars.  This 2009 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize has bombed and/or launched missiles into Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, and Syria.  [You couldn't make up this stuff if you tried.]  His war activities aren't that much different from those of the previous NeoCons...the guys who say he's a "socialist".  Obama, the fellow who protects mega bankers from prosecution, is the best friend of the private defense industry, and expands war to the point where it's perpetual...supposedly is a socialist.  Looks to me as though he's closer to being a NeoCon than anything else.  He's a lover of Crony Capitalism.  [His vaunted Obamacare is nothing more or less than a bailout of mega health insurance companies.  The "Leftist" Roosevelt Institute said exactly that in one of their analyses.]

Meanwhile, the Constitution is being violated, war "authorizations" either nonexistent ["...as Commander-in-Chief..."] or long expired ["...the Iraq War Resolution..."] are used to wage Perpetual War, the meanings of key terms (such as "imminent" and "war") are totally changed, innocent people are being killed, and phony threats are manufactured.  Jeremy Scahill thinks no one in Syria even has heard of the "Khorasan" Group.  If it does exist, best estimates are that the very few members are leaders of Al-Qaida...hardly a NEW threat, and no more of an "imminent" danger than they've been for years.

Kabuki Theater for sure.  Not just my opinion.  Be Well

Obama, George Orwell, Propaganda, and War

If I didn't know better, I'd say that Barack Obama is channeling the spirit of George Orwell.  Remember Orwell's classic, 1984?  That book easily could be re-issued with the title, 2014.  In the dystopian 1984, we have "doublethink", the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously... and accepting both of them.  In 2014, we have the Obama Administration one day announcing, "Make no mistake, we are at war with ISIS"; a week or so later, the President claims that it's not really a war.  We the People appear to accept both those propositions as true.

Also in 1984, we have "newspeak", a language with constantly shifting meanings of words, invented by the Totalitarian State in order to limit freedom of thought and any threats to the Regime.  Concepts opposing the policies of the State are "thoughtcrime".  In 2014, as just one example, we have the following.  During the nomination hearings for John Brennan as CIA Honcho, an official Justice Department document surfaced indicating that "imminent"---as in "imminent threat"---no longer means "immediate" or "liable to happen very soon"; the definition was changed to something like "may occur sometime in the future".  That's why the new Boogie-Man threat, the Khorasan Group, could be called an imminent threat.  Another example--- war is no longer war; instead, it's "counter-terrorism".  As to "thoughtcrime", we have the Feds banning Gov't employees from reading anything on the website, https://firstlook.org/theintercept/ .  Apparently if a Fed employee reads anything there, he/she is guilty of thoughtcrime.

In relation to Obama's drone wars, here's why the Feds claim there are almost no civilian casualties--- ANYONE killed by a Hellfire missile fired from a weaponized drone automatically is designated as an EKIA, enemy killed in action. The only way to change that designation is for someone to prove the victim's innocence.  In other words, if you're near the SUSPECTS, then you're guilty until proven innocent.  If that isn't Orwellian, I don't know what is.  [This info came from a Democracy Now! interview today with Jeremy Scahill, author of the book, Dirty Wars.]

Obama not only says one thing and then does the opposite, he also says one thing and means another.  Example of the first--- During his 2008 campaign, "Guantanamo, that's easy... just close it!", followed by cheers from the audience.  The Gitmo prison complex still is open.  Example of the second--- "ISIL consists of brutal terrorists who are attacking Iraq.".  What he means is this:  In large part, ISIS consists of former Baathist Generals & other high-ranking officers who were under Saddam and are trying to re-take their country.  They were, of course, referred to as "terrorists" by our Feds.  Bremer, the Iraq Occupation Czar under Bush, fired all 250,000 Iraqi Army personnel in 2003; by that action, he created a quarter of a million enemies of the USA.  Then the al-Maliki puppet government began discriminating against the Sunnis, further inflaming the former Baathist Generals.  They launched a civil war years & years ago.  It's called Blowback.  ISIS is not new.
[A bit of trivia:  I find it curious that the Obama Administration insists on referring to the rebels as "ISIL" when everyone else calls them ISIS.  The term "Levant" (the L in ISIL) must be especially important to the Administration for some unknown reason.]

Orwell quotes relevant to the current mess---
1.  "In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."  [by a "potential terrorist"]
2.  "Big Brother is watching you."  [and today, largely accepted by a propagandized public]
3.  "...politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred, and schizophrenia."  [enough said]
4.  "All the war propaganda...comes invariably from the people who are not fighting."  [Amen]
5.  "War against a foreign country only happens when the moneyed classes think they are going to profit from it."  [a tough sell, but true]
6.  "If everybody believes it, does that make it true?"  [today... apparently so]

It would be unfair to blame only Obama for all this--- the lies, the half-truths, the propaganda, the Gov't-Speak, the policies benefitting primarily the Oligarchy, the killing of innocent civilians (including children), the deceit, the ignorance of foreign cultures, the creation of enemies, the hubris, the failure to abide by the Constitution, etc.  This all has been going on for decades.  That, however, in no way excuses Obama... or the rest of the highest levels of our government.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well

Federal Organized Crime and War - A Partial History

1.  Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution directs Congress to regulate the value of our money.  A cabal of mega bankers managed to ram through the Federal Reserve Act in 1913.  Under that Act, the Fed Board of Governors assumes the task of regulation of our money's value; essentially, the Constitution was changed without the use of an Amendment or a Constitutional Convention.  This is an example of Legislative Absolutism (a term coined by Justice Harlan in, I think, 1901)--- passing laws without regard for the constraints placed upon the Feds by the Constitution.  The primary result of the Fed Reserve Act has been the debasement of the dollar.  Compared to 1913, the dollar is now worth three or four cents.  Meanwhile, mega bankers have become super-rich... "how" is too long a story for this post.

2.  President Clinton bailed out Mexico with about $20 billion without the authorization of Congress.  He did so to rescue a bunch of mega bankers here in the USA, bankers who were about to lose billions because of investments south of the border.  Essentially, U.S. taxpayers bailed out mega bankers.  In our system of gov't, spending bills must originate in the Congress, not in the Executive Branch.  Clinton didn't bother with having Congress involved at all.  This is an example of Executive Absolutism.

3.  Clinton also committed our Armed Forces to both Haiti and Bosnia...without the approval of Congress.  That also was a violation of Article I, Section 8... the portion tasking Congress with the duty of declaring war.  Ever since the end of WW II, presidents have ignored the fact that Congress must declare war before the Commander-in-Chief is allowed to send our Armed Forces into battle.  Congress was not in favor of either of those military commitments in 1993 and 1994.  So, one might ask, why would Clinton do such a thing?  Possibly it was for humanitarian reasons.  Possibly it was due to a combination of reasons.  Possibly it was because War is BIG Business.  After all, "Aw, shucks" Bill is a Corporatist, not a Populist... despite public opinion and propaganda to the contrary.  Ditto Hillary.

4.  President Dubya Bush, the failed oil entrepreneur, greatly expanded upon Clinton's usurpation of power for the Executive Branch by having his underlings come up with an unconstitutional, crazy theory supporting the idea of pre-emptive war.  Forget the Constitution--- we'll just attack and invade a country because its leader is a really bad man and might attack Israel or even the USA.  Iraq's oil, of course, had nothing to do with this decision.  Also having nothing to do with the decision was the fact that Saddam was on the verge of accepting Euros for oil instead of dollars.  That would not bode well for the continuation of the dollar as the world's reserve currency.  But it had nothing to do with the decision to invade.  Right.  Also, once again, War is BIG Biz...especially that war.

5.  I won't even get into the greatest heist in American history--- the Bush-Bernanke-Paulson-Obama "Too Big to Fail" fiasco.  The total benefit to mega bankers was a bit over $13 trillion...yes, trillion with a T.  Now those banks are bigger and richer than they were before the fiasco.  Plus, the regulatory "reforms" put in place after the fiasco were not much more than window dressing.  Amazing.

6.  Finally, we come to King Barack... the greatest violator of the Constitution in our history.  He's also the best friend that mega bankers ever had.  Yes, it's true that he has fined mega banks billions of dollars.  They didn't even blink because that surely beats being prosecuted (which should have happened) and sent to prison.  Everyone, including our King, knows that super-rich people rarely ever go to prison in this land of equality.  As to the BIG Business of war under Obama, every one of his military actions has been unconstitutional... and a few violate International Law.  [Example:  attacking inside the borders of a country not at war with us, firing Hellfire missiles from drones at SUSPECTS, with the disapproval of the invaded country (Pakistan) is not only unconstitutional, but a violation of International Law as well.]  These thoughts are not original with me, but most Americans may be unaware of opinion in other parts of the world because of the molding of the public mind by the Corporate Media in the USA.

I'm an old dog, and I never thought I'd live to see the day in this land when the Executive Branch could bamboozle We the People into believing that the "Commander-in-Chief" can do pretty much whatever and whenever with American Armed Forces... or the day when Congress convinced the People that laws supercede the Constitution... or the day when the Fed Courts supported soft Fascism here.  I was wrong.

Partly just my opinion.  Be Well

Obama Says He's Using "Existing Authority" for...

sending war planes into Syria.  Really, Mr. Obama?  What exactly is that existing authority?  The military cannot be used legally to avenge the murders of journalists; that's a matter for Law Enforcement.  In a previous post, I've explained the Constitutionally permitted uses of our armed forces, and the current scenario definitely is NOT included.  The War Powers Act does not supercede the Constitution, so that law is not applicable; no other law trumps the Supreme Law of the Land either.  Being "Commander-in-Chief" does not permit you to ignore other parts of the Constitution, so that's no good as your "authority" to, as you put it, "ignore borders".  [You really have some HUBRIS, eh?]

That leaves only Treaties as a source of authorization.  Do we have such a Treaty with Syria?  I doubt it very seriously.  If we do, perhaps you could show it to We the People.  Perhaps our Treaty with Iraq comes into play; but then, Syria is not attacking Iraq.  Perhaps you could show us that Treaty anyway.  On second thought, forget it.  I've never seen you use a Treaty for any similar "authorization" or scenario.  By the way, in case you've forgotten, a Treaty must be approved by a minimum of 67 Senators; any "Agreement" signed by the highest levels of our Gov't that doesn't have that approval is NOT a Treaty.  So, for example, NAFTA is not a Treaty; only 64 Senators approved it.  It's mere policy.  It does not have the approval of the People.

You stated (paraphrased) that anyone who harms Americans will be hunted down...there will be no safe haven anywhere for them.  Good for you.  If, however, you were talking about the murdered journalists, you have a big problem regarding your propagandizing rhetoric.  See the first paragraph above.  If you were talking about the 5,000 Americans working at our Embassy in Iraq, I don't believe any of them have been harmed at this point.

You announced that we won't bother the Syrian Gov't when we [illegally] bomb their land...that we're simply going to support the "moderate" rebels who supposedly are fighting ISIS.  These are the same rebels our Gov't has been covertly arming for some time now.  Also, as reported on Democracy Now, these are the same rebels who sold one of the murdered journalists to ISIS for about $50,000.  The poor man's parents announced that at a recent Press conference.  I imagine you were hoping that not too many Americans saw that one.  Ooops.

Mr. President, a studied look into your eyes while you made your latest announcement seemed to me to reveal nothing but oligarchical double-talk, Gov't-Speak, and Edward Bernays style Propaganda.  I only can conclude that you apparently believe We the People are either dumb as a post, completely ignorant, or propagandized to the point where we no longer can exercise critical thinking.

What you are doing in Iraq, and proposing to do in Syria, is illegal, definitely unconstitutional, unethical, and bordering on immoral.  Among other things, it violates International Law.  Oh, I forgot, the Fed Gov't has exempted itself from International Law many, many times.  After all, you guys are "exceptional".  Yes, you should protect Americans.  That doesn't mean, however, you are allowed to go beyond the bounds of the U. S. Constitution.  It doesn't mean you legally can invade another country just because it's convenient.  I'm aware that many other Presidents have done so in the past.  You may believe so, but that's no justifiable excuse.

Like other "Peace candidates"---LBJ, Nixon, Clinton---you've turned out to be a fraud, a puppet of the mega transnational corporations...as John Pilger characterized you, "Brand Obama".  As Noam Chomsky stated, "He's much worse than Bush."...he was referring to your peace v. war stance.  Basically, you're a sellout.  Shame on you.

Partly just my opinion... after over 50 years of keenly observing and studying American politics... and the U.S. Constitution.
Be Well

The CURRENT WARS of Obama's Fed Government

The USA's Fed Gov't is involved in the following wars.  They are wars because Obama is having the U.S. Military (not Law Enforcement personnel) shoot at people and kill them.  That's war.  These all belong to Obama now.

1.  The Third Iraq War, the one launched just recently.

2.  The ongoing War in Pakistan, the one where the highest levels of our Gov't order Hellfire missiles to be shot (from drones) at SUSPECTS.

3.  Ditto the War in Yemen.

4.  Ditto the War in Somalia.

5.  The War in Afghanistan, our longest war, and the one nobody is quite sure anymore why it is that we're still there.  Obviously, the Carlyle Group, Halliburton, Raytheon, CACI, GE, Boeing, McDonnell-Douglas, and several other transnational mega corporations are enjoying tremendous benefits from that never-ending war, but surely that's not a good enough reason to STILL be there.  Is it?  Well, yes, if you are a member of the Plutocracy in a soft Fascist State such as the USA---where the public constantly is being bombarded with Edward Bernays style propaganda---then it is a good enough reason.  Follow the money; war is Big Business...very big.

Those are the wars of which I am aware and/or can remember at the moment.  Perhaps there are others as well.  Some may attempt to argue that those five wars really are all one war--- the War on Terrorism.  It's a tempting argument, and we certainly have been propagandized enough to believe it.  If, however, we engage in some critical thinking, that argument quickly falls apart.  Consider the following.
1.  The fanatics we're fighting are all in separate entities; there is no "central command".  There is no group with the title, "Terrorism".  So, for example, the Taliban (whose leaders we hosted here in 1997 in order to negotiate a pipeline in Afghanistan) have completely different objectives as compared to ISIS.  They only want to run Afghanistan, as they were doing in 1997 when we invited them here for a business deal.  [Query:  did our Gov't consider them nasty brutes then?  If so, why were we treating them as potential business partners?]
2.  The propaganda is this (especially amongst so-called "Conservatives"):  there is one group we're fighting; it's "the Muslims", in particular, the fanatical element of the Muslims.  Really?  So, are they Sunnis or Shiites?  The fanatics, the extremists in Islam (not the mainstream) are at each other's throats.  They are not one group.  They appear to be worried more about each other than about us.  Plus, from what I can see, the Taliban don't give a damn about anything except Afghanistan.  Us still being in that country is complete nonsense.  To think of "the Muslims" as a monolithic, homogeneous entity also is nonsense.
3.  Specifically, whose military are we fighting in this supposed "War on Terrorism"?  The people we're fighting are not in an Army; they are a bunch of heterogeneous criminal gangs (of a sort).  They each have their own agenda.  Should any of them ever attack the USA again, it is a matter for Law Enforcement, not our Military.  Most all of the plots against our country have been thwarted by LAW ENFORCEMENT Agencies, not our Armed Forces.  Soldiers are not cops, and shouldn't be expected to fulfill that function.

Finally, the five wars listed above are all illegal, unconstitutional wars.  Three uses of the military are permitted by the Constitution:  to repel invasions (of this country); to quell insurrections (in this country); and to enforce the laws of the land (in this country) when minor rebellions make that necessary---for example, the Whisky Rebellion of the late 1700s, or the refusal to integrate schools in the South in the mid-sixties.  No law trumps the Constitution, so the War Powers Act cannot be used legally to justify going to war for some reason other than the three scenarios listed above.

That leaves only TREATIES to justify wars outside the USA (if we haven't been attacked at home).  Treaties do trump the Constitution.  IF that's what's being used to justify the five wars above, I'd like to see those Treaties...especially the one with Somalia or any of its neighbors.  [As to Afghanistan, it wasn't the Taliban who attacked us on 9-11-01.  Their refusal to turn over Osama supposedly justified us going to war with Afghanistan.  The truth is:  the Taliban replied to our Fed Govt's request by saying essentially this:  show us some proof of his guilt and we'll turn him over to you.  Our Gov't refused.  Being a guest of an Afghan tribal society is a really big deal in their culture.  I think the Taliban's request for proof was reasonable.]  The funny thing is, I've never heard the DC Plutocrats use any Treaty to justify the wars in question.  Usually they claim the right to go to war based on the War Powers Act and/or the duties of Commander-in-Chief.  They certainly couldn't use a Treaty to justify invading Iraq in 2003; Saddam hadn't attacked any other country then, whether our ally or not.  The Bush Administration's justification was that Saddam was guilty of PRE-Crime.  [Explained in a previous post on this Blog.]  As Bush put it, "If we wait for the smoking gun, it will be too late."...sounds good, but that's a completely illegal reason to attack and invade another country.

Any way you examine supposed justifications for the above-listed wars, they turn out to be illegal, unconstitutional, unethical, and even immoral.  Welcome to the Soft Fascist States of America, a land I love, but sincerely regret the fact that we no longer have a representative government...and that's been true for decades.  Carroll Quigley was right in 1966.

It's a genuine shame.

Be Well

Obama's Trial Balloon, RE: Syria

Brand Obama recently sent up a trial balloon regarding bombing inside Syria... to see the reaction of the U.S. public.  This type of thing is done often by sitting politicians.  Even in dictatorships, but especially in a soft Fascist State such as the USA (where we still have considerable freedoms), public opinion does matter.  The DC Cronies, mostly via the Corporate Media, put forth an idea that is illegal and unconstitutional to see if the "meddlesome outsiders", the "bewildered herd", the "ignorant masses" (that's you and me) will raise any sort of objection or protest.

There appears to be little or no doubt that ISIS members are vicious, brutal fanatics.  But that's not the issue regarding attacking inside Syria.  The issue is this:  what are the permitted and Constitutional uses of the U.S. military?  So-called Conservatives (which now means NeoCons) and so-called "Liberals" (which now means Moderate Republicans) in our Fed Gov't apparently believe that the phrase "Commander-in-Chief" means that the President can do whatever he pleases with our Armed Forces.  They also appear to believe that the War Powers Act trumps the Constitution.  None of that is true.

What is being proposed relative to Syria is somewhat similar to Nixon's illegal and secret bombing of Cambodia during the Vietnam Conflict.  [It was first called a "Conflict" by the DC Cronies because they knew that the Constitution required a Declaration of War...which they hadn't bothered with, just as with the Korean "Conflict".]  The primary difference with Obama's Syrian proposal (trial balloon) is that it's not SECRET.  Oligarchs don't much feel the need for a lot of secrecy anymore [there are many exceptions to that] because they figure that the "bewildered herd" (that's us) is so thoroughly propagandized and distracted that secrecy mostly is no longer needed...in some subject areas.

Let's be clear:  bombing, attacking, shooting missiles into another country without a Declaration of War by the Congress is illegal and unconstitutional.  Anyone who can read and has an IQ of at least 100 knows that... unless they are so propagandized by the Oligarchy that they no longer can think critically.  It doesn't matter how vicious the enemy is, it doesn't matter that the President is Commander-in-Chief.  What matters is:  what are the requirements and limitations imposed by the U.S. Constitution?  They are stated CLEARLY in the document.  Parts of it are long-winded, but it's written with clarity.

It appears that both Liberals AND NeoCons have adopted the belief that the Constitution must be adapted to modern times...without the use of Amendments.  We'll just read into it what we must in order to conform to modern-day life.  That belief is not only tragic, but downright comical as well.  There is no such provision in the Constitution.  To change it, it must be formally amended or completely re-written.  No other ways are permitted.  It also appears that both Liberals AND NeoCons do not understand that our Gov't is one of Enumerated Powers (Google it).

I, of course, am convinced that all the DC Cronies (the Gang of 535) know better.  They understand the limitations imposed by the Supreme Law of the Land on the Fed Gov't perfectly well.  They simply ignore those limitations... and get away with it.  Because of that, the U.S. Fed Gov't (at the highest levels) has become the largest terrorist operation in the world.  You don't think so?  Perhaps you should ask Pakistan, a country which is not at war with the USA but one where Hellfire missiles are fired from U.S. drones at SUSPECTS.  Or perhaps you should ask the Gazans, civilians who were bombed by U.S. equipment (stamped "Israel" on the side, or something similar).  Your tax dollars helped kill about 500 children just recently.  Perhaps you should ask Sunni civilians in Iraq?  Perhaps you should ask the democratically elected governments around the world that were overthrown by covert U.S. help.  [Just prior to Allende being overthrown on 9-11-73, Kissinger told Nixon (two crazy people in a conference) that Chile---because it had elected Allende---was "a virus that could spread throughout Latin America".  The coup was then engineered.]  Perhaps you should ask the countries that were placed under "sanction" by the U.S. Gov't, in some cases resulting in the deaths of children.  Madeline Albright once essentially stated that "it [punishing Iraq with sanctions] was worth the price" [the death of hundreds of thousands of children in Iraq].  Killing children, either directly or indirectly, is terrorism in my book.

ISIS was founded as a direct result of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, the years-long occupation by the U.S., and the so-called "collateral damage" inflicted upon Iraqis.  Whenever we do such things, it's not terrorism...but when they do it, it is terrorism.  Hypocrisy.  According to all our Presidents, other countries must abide by International Law; but our Gov't has exempted itself time and again from any prosecution by the International Criminal Court.  Finally, ISIS is a threat primarily to other Muslims, especially Shiites; the only reason it threatened the USA is because we attacked them FIRST (with the start of America's Third Iraq War a short while ago).

It would be great if Americans would deflate Obama's Syrian trial balloon.

Be Well

The U.S. Gov't and the Middle East

Again, below is an email I sent to a "Conservative" (nowadays that means Neoconservative, a horse of a different color) friend of mine.

HERE IS THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM RE: the U.S. Gov't and the Middle East---

From the article you sent, toward the end of it:

"But only a fool would believe weapons of mass destruction were the only reason for the war. The U.S.-led invasion, or liberation, was in fact part of a vision to remake the Middle East..."

Show me ANY portion of the Constitution (the Supreme Law of the Land) which delegates authority from We the People to the Fed Gov't to undertake any such task anywhere in the world.  Seriously.

That quote has the footprint of an unelected Oligarchy all over it.  Who appointed the U.S. Gov't to "remake the Middle East"?  No country has the legitimate right to remake any region.

Think about that; I don't see how any person could disagree, especially one who considers himself a Conservative.

The very concept of remaking a region such as the Middle East fits right in with Bush's apparent belief in some sort of Divine Right to "spread democracy" by force.  I'm sorry, but that's totally un-American.  It's blatant hegemony.  We have no such Right.  No government does.  Our motto should be Zero Aggression; self-defense only.

Be Well

The Third Iraq War for America, & the Constitution

Here we go again.  The first Iraq War was in the early '90s.  Just prior to that one, the Fed Gov't supplied weapons to Saddam for his war against Iran.  The second Iraq War started in 2003, I believe, and went on seemingly forever; however, it did eventually end (for the U.S.).  Now we're beginning the third Iraq War for America.  [For those who may not know, when one country drops bombs or shoots missiles from aircraft into another country, that's war.  Even if you're not bombing, say, the forces of Iraq, it's still war.]

My point here is this:  apparently I missed the preludes to those three wars---  the part where the U.S. Congress, as mandated by the U.S. Constitution, issues a Declaration of War.  Some time ago, John McCain in response to a question from Congressman  Jesse Jackson Jr. on this very subject, essentially stated that such a Declaration of War was not necessary because the War Powers Act gave the President (with the approval of Congress) the authority to go to war at his discretion.  In his defense, McCain is not the only DC Crony who uses that reasoning.  What they all appear to be ignoring is that no law supercedes the Constitution.  That means, despite what McCain and others tell us, Congress must declare war before troops (or war planes, or war ships) are sent into battle against some enemy.  I challenge any politician (or anyone) to disprove that.

For decades now, the Fed Gov't has been ignoring the restraints of the Constitution whenever it suits politicians or their Mega Business Cronies.  They use Laws to justify their war actions; there is nary a peep about the requirements and restraints imposed on the Fed Gov't by the Supreme Law of the Land regarding war and the proper use of the military.  I find it exceptionally strange that the U.S. public appears to accept this scenario.  Perhaps that is due to propaganda, or disinterest, or poverty, or being super-rich, or being too busy, or feeling helpless, or something else.  Maybe people don't believe that the Constitution does require a Declaration of War; or perhaps they believe that Laws actually can alter the requirements stated in the Constitution.  It especially puzzles me that "Conservatives" (nowadays that means Neoconservatives) accept this travesty against Constitutional Gov't.

Perhaps we as a People have forgotten the primary purpose of the Constitution:  it is to restrain the Fed Gov't.  For that to work, the requirements of the document cannot be ignored.  Simple logic.

Be Well

How Bush and Obama Botched Iraq

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/losing-iraq/

This is one of the best and most revealing Frontline pieces ever constructed.  Key Generals, Diplomats, reporters, etc. give very frank accounts of the fiasco, and the accompanying film segments are outstanding.  The story shows not only the hubris of politicians, but also their utter ignorance.  If they aren't ignorant, then a very good case is made for the purposeful creation of perpetual war by both Republicans and Democrats. Given recent developments in Iraq and the U.S. response, this really is a MUST-SEE.

Goooood morning, Iraaaaaq.

The Arms manufacturers must be very pleased.  I just hope they haven't exported their factories to Mexico or Indonesia or somewhere else.  Unemployment here is higher than the Fed Gov't purports it to be.  :)

Be Well

Ignorance Abides

I posted the following on the online Corporate Media outlet,
 CBS News, for 6-30-14---

RE:  More troops to Iraq (again)---

"Goooood morning, Vietnammmmm!"

Here's a thought---  Close the world's largest U.S. Embassy
 (that has thousands of U.S. citizens running it), get out of
Iraq, and let them settle their CIVIL WAR by themselves.
 Oh, that's right, too much common sense in that proposal.
:)
.....................................................
[p.s.  About 5,000 people are on the U.S. Embassy Staff in Baghdad.  That's not an embassy; it's a small town.]

.....................................................

There's a huge difference between Isolationism and Non-interventionism.

I wonder, is it ignorance on the part of the Fed Gov't... or something more nefarious?

Be Well

Lessons for Clinton, Bush, and Obama

1.  Exactly where in the Constitution (C.) does it give the 

Feds the power to use our military as the world's police 

force?  The War Powers Act does not supercede the C., 

nor does any other law.  The phrase, "Commander-in-

Chief" does not negate the rest of the C.  Using our blood 

& treasure to quell insurrections around the world may 

be commonly accepted in this country, but it's blatantly unconstitutional.

2.  RE:  the Justice Dept. memo authorizing the killing of 

an American citizen without a formal charge or a trial---  

The Constitution does permit "Letters of Marque and 

Reprisal" (assassination orders) against enemies, BUT 

THEY MUST BE ISSUED BY THE CONGRESS.  

There are good reasons for that, but that's another story.

3.  Fed Law and Judges often are used to subvert/pervert 

the Fed Justice System.  For a case in point, see the 

excellent documentary Bidder 70, the story of Tim DeChristopher's 

battle over an oil & gas leasing auction.  In the court trial, 

the Judge instructed the jury that they were not to judge 

the law...he would explain the law to them.  (All judges say 

that.)  Here's a quote from John Jay, the very first Chief 

Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court:  "The jury has the right 

to judge both the law and the facts in controversy.".  From

 Samuel Chase, Supreme Court Justice:  "The jury has the 

right to determine both the law and the facts.".  From 

Harlan F. Stone, the 12th Chief Justice of the Supreme 

Court:  "The law itself is on trial quite as much as the cause

 which is to be decided.".  There are many others of a similar

 nature.  The last civilian bastion of freedom in this country is 

the right of a jury to nullify a bad law, but judges usually 

claim 

that jury nullification is illegal.  Let's not forget that we once 

had the following laws in this land:  The Fugitive Slave Act, 

The Indian Removal Act, and the Chinese Exclusion Act.

4.  Supporting the dictatorship in Egypt is as wrong as wrong 

can be.  That regime has demonstrated over and over that it 

does not believe in freedom.

5.  The Office of President has been converted, especially by

 Clinton, both Bush Boys, and Obama, into a virtual Kingship.  

The Head of our Gov't (whoever it is) now thinks that the

 Presidency is superior to Congress and the Courts.  In actual 

fact, it is co-equal.  Unfortunately, recent Presidents have by-

passed the other two branches with impunity.  [One 

example:

Even though Congress was not in favor of it, Clinton sent 

troops 

to 

Bosnia.  Another example:  in 1993, he gave Mexico $20

billion to bail out Wall Street banks... without the 

approval of Congress.]

6.  Iraq, again?  Don't we ever learn?  No matter what is 

done, 

as soon as we leave (again), the civil war will continue.  How 

many years have we "aided" the Iraq Gov't?  How many 

years have we "trained" the Iraq security forces?  How 

many?

  I'm sorry, but enough is enough.  It should be obvious that 

there's another agenda going on.  I leave it to you to figure it 

out.

..................................................

Ours is a Gov't of "Enumerated Powers" [Google it]; if the 

power isn't listed, the Feds don't have it.  Furthermore, the

 Constitution enumerates...it does not "imply".  The 

Executive Branch is out-of-control...especially because of 

Clinton, Bush, and Obama, with their despotic concept of 

the "Unitary Executive".  The "updating" of the Constitution 

must be done by the formal Amendment process or the 

holding of a Constitutional Convention...no other way is legal.

If we're going to ignore the U.S. Constitution because the 

document is not convenient, then I suggest we just throw 

it out.  Ignoring it, as has been done for decades, has the

 same effect.

p.s.  I'm not a Democrat or a Republican, nor a so-called 

"Liberal" or so-called "Conservative".  Those outdated 

labels essentially are meaningless in this time of the 

Oligarchy.

Be Well