Politics, Everyday, All day... morning, noon and night....II

[DVD Burner]

Finding Ways to Stay in Iraq

by Scott Horton

http://www.antiwar.com/horton/

Those who bought into the slogans "Hope" and "Change" last fall should have read the fine print. We were warned. Over and over during the campaign for the presidency Barack Obama made it clear that "withdrawal" from Iraq on his flexible 16-month timetable meant only the removal of "combat forces." He has also made it clear all along that "combat forces" means whatever he wants it to mean – until he decides to change his mind.

At least he's honest.

On Friday, Obama announced in a speech at Camp Lejeune that 16 months have become 18, and that 50,000 soldiers and Marines will be continuing the occupation until 2012 under the guise of training Iraqi army and police forces, "counter-terrorism," and force protection.

No mention was made of the largest embassy one nation has ever built in another, the future use of air power, or the 100,000-plus contractors and mercenaries still inside the country.

These glaring omissions, along with the announced intention to maintain 50,000-plus troops in the country after the summer of 2010, add up to nothing but a ruse, a loophole for mission creep right back to full-blown occupation. Since many of the troops scheduled to leave the country will only be headed off to another war zone in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the entire exercise may end up amounting to nothing but an escalation of the Afghanistan occupation while the door is left wide open for more troops to be sent back into Iraq.

The alleged need to leave "counter-terrorism" forces in country is a farce. "Al-Qaeda in Iraq" only came into existence in opposition to the U.S. invasion and occupation, and it never amounted to anything but the smallest percentage of the Sunni insurgency, which tolerated them only as allies against the occupation. Long before the "surge" of 2007-2008 and the so-called Awakening movement surrounding those insurgents eventually put on the payroll by Gen. Petraeus, Iraqi Sunnis had decided they had had enough and marginalized al-Qaeda in Iraq virtually out of existence. The idea that without U.S. troops there, foreign jihadists would be able to take over and use their land as a safe haven to provoke the United States into invading again is beyond far-fetched. Worse is the belief that leaving "counter-terrorism" forces inside the country will make terrorism less likely. It was, of course, in part, the blockade and ritual bombing of Iraq from Saudi Arabia in the 1990s that provoked the 9/11 attacks on America in the first place, and it has been the occupation that has provoked the hundreds of suicide bombings in Iraq over the last six years.

Obama's claim that the mission is now changing from combat to training the Iraqi military to take our soldiers' place ought to be considered no different from George W. Bush's claim, when debuting his "Strategy for Victory" in December 2005, that "as they stand up, we'll stand down." It was a sham to delay leaving then, and it remains so.

The U.S. "embassy" in Baghdad – a monument to the hubris that gripped America's imperial court as it rushed to launch this war, and a symbol of their contempt for the democracy they proclaim so loudly to uphold and deliver to the world – is now the size of a small city-state within the heart of Baghdad. Its construction alone is proof of the widely held belief in the American establishment that they have stolen Iraq fair and square and intend to hold onto it until the last helicopter leaves the roof.

Which brings us to "force protection." This is the most obvious excuse to leave infantry divisions in the country beyond the summer of 2010. In the speech, the president said he remained committed to the status of forces agreement (SOFA) and its mandate for the withdrawal of the entire U.S. military presence by the end of 2011, but if the withdrawal agreement remains the law up to 2012 and all forces are removed, it will have been at the insistence of the Iraqi people and government despite all of the best efforts of the empire to find a reason to stay.

Gareth Porter's recent series for IPS News has examined the push by Secretary of Defense Gates and Generals Petraeus and Odierno to convince President Obama to extend the timetable for the combat troops' withdrawal and begin renaming infantry divisions as "force protection" for the long haul. He doesn't seem to have required too much convincing.

The generals seem to be betting that the SOFA can be renegotiated indefinitely, as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will certainly, they believe, ask them to stay and help him maintain his grip on power.

However, the War Party's ability to count on Maliki to backtrack on the withdrawal agreement in favor of prolonging the occupation may be in real doubt. Middle East corespondent Patrick Cockburn of England's Independent newspaper reports that Maliki and his Da'wa Party's position has increased relative to other major Shi'ite factions led by the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army, and that the day when the Green Zone government is able to maintain itself in power without U.S. help may have already come. When Cockburn first broke the story of the negotiations over the SOFA early last summer, the Bush administration was pushing to keep 58 bases in Iraq indefinitely, but over the course of the rest of the year, Maliki stuck to his position and forced Bush to agree to the 2011 timeline for complete withdrawal of all forces.

As Iraqi public opinion remains in opposition to the occupation by supermajorities, whatever legitimacy Maliki does have among them is mostly a function of his resistance to U.S. demands. There seems to be little incentive for him to back down now, though NBC News is reporting that the Pentagon wants to stay for another 15-20 years and is already negotiating the option of retaining a permanent airbase near Kirkuk, an idea floated by Secretary of State Clinton during the presidential campaign last year, as though the SOFA never existed.

Despite all the propaganda about how "the surge worked," no one seems to notice that most of the political benchmarks the surge was supposed to accomplish by October 2007 have yet to be achieved, and that a temporary strategy of buying off – and arming up – every faction can only be temporary.

Whether the Sunni tribal councils and the Shi'ite-dominated Iraqi government can work out a long-term power-sharing deal remains to be seen, as does the fate of Kirkuk and many other parts of Iraq that are still in dispute. The "surge" has done nothing to resolve these problems.

Any violence over these outstanding issues will undoubtedly serve as an excuse to abandon the withdrawal and continue the war indefinitely.

Many Iraqis watching Obama's speech may have been surprised to hear what a great favor the U.S. has done them by invading and destroying their country. They may be sorry to find out there's more help where that came from.

[DVD Burner]

Tea party protesters use racial epithet against Georgia's John Lewis

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/3457015

By William Douglas, McClatchy Newspapers William Douglas, Mcclatchy Newspapers – Sat Mar 20, 7:21 pm ET

WASHINGTON — Demonstrators outside the U.S. Capitol , angry over the proposed health care bill, shouted "nigger" Saturday at U.S. Rep. John Lewis , a Georgia congressman and civil rights icon who was nearly beaten to death during an Alabama march in the 1960s.

The protesters also shouted obscenities at other members of the Congressional Black Caucus , lawmakers said.

"They were shouting, sort of harassing," Lewis said. "But, it's okay, I've faced this before. It reminded me of the 60s. It was a lot of downright hate and anger and people being downright mean."

Lewis said he was leaving the Cannon office building across from the Capitol when protesters shouted "Kill the bill, kill the bill," Lewis said.

"I said 'I'm for the bill, I support the bill, I'm voting for the bill'," Lewis said.

A colleague who was accompanying Lewis said people in the crowd responded by saying "Kill the bill, then the n-word."

"It surprised me that people are so mean and we can't engage in a civil dialogue and debate," Lewis said.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver , D- Mo. , said he was a few yards behind Lewis and distinctly heard "nigger."

"It was a chorus," Cleaver said. "In a way, I feel sorry for those people who are doing this nasty stuff - they're being whipped up. I decided I wouldn't be angry with any of them."

Protestors also used a slur as they confronted Rep. Barney Frank , D- Mass. , an openly gay member of Congress . A writer for Huffington Post said the crowd called Frank a "faggot."

Frank told the Boston Globe that the incident happened as he was walking from the Longworth office building to the Rayburn office building, both a short distance from the Capitol. Frank said the crowd consisted of a couple of hundred of people and that they referred to him as 'homo.'

"I'm disappointed with the unwillingness to be civil," Frank told the Globe. "I was, I guess, surprised by the rancor. What it means is obviously the health care bill is proxy for a lot of other sentiments, some of which are perfectly reasonable, but some of which are not."

"People out there today, on the whole, were really hateful," Frank said. "The leaders of this movement have a responsibility to speak out more."

Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the Capitol on Saturday as the House Democratic leadership worked to gather enough votes to enact a health care overhaul proposal that has become the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's domestic agenda. Most were affiliated with so-called tea party organizations that originally sprang up during last summer's protests of the health care proposals.

Heated debate has surrounded what role race plays in the motivations of the tea party demonstrators. During protests last summer, demonstrators displayed a poster depicting Obama as an African witch doctor complete with headdress, above the words "OBAMACARE coming to a clinic near you." Former President Jimmy Carter asserted in September that racism was a major factor behind the hostility that Obama's proposals had faced.

The claim brought angry rebuttals from Republicans.

On Saturday, Frank, however, said he was sorry Republican leaders didn't do more to disown the protesters.

Some Republicans "think they are benefiting from this rancor," he said.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D- S.C. , said Saturday's ugliness underscored for him that the health care overhaul isn't the only motivation for many protesters.

"I heard people saying things today I've not heard since March 15th, 1960 , when I was marching to try and get off the back of the bus," Clyburn said. "This is incredible, shocking to me."

He added, "A lot of us have said for a long time that none of this is about healthcare at all. It's about extending a basic fundamental right to people who are less powerful."

( James Rosen contributed to this story.)

















Why am I not surprised?

[DVD Burner]

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[can't sit still]

We all know that carbon energy has fueled lots of wars.
I got a paper that seems to show that there is so much natural gas in the world that, just a new area in Iran has a 300 year supply. I suspect that the Oil-Powers would have a hard time keeping high prices if the world was in a huge glut. The fact that, that glut was in a Muslim country would undoubtedly make israel very nervous.

The push to invade Iran may be connected to this discovery. Once the Sino-Soviet have made big investments in Iran Gas infrastructure, it would be more than a little bit risky to attack.
China just kicked israel negotiators in the teeth when they insisted in sanctions for Iran. China has little fear of the results of a nuclear war.
Reportedly the U.S. has 700 bases of all sizes in Iraq. It would appear that America wants a huge military presence there to control the resources of Central Asia. Reportedly, the U.S. embassy in Iraq is large enough to hold 20,000 CIA agitators.
Why does this seem like a prelude to war?


China starts drilling for NG in Iran this month



Iran’s Natural Gas Riches: US Knife to the Heart of World Future Energy
Average:
5
The scheduled start of drilling this month by China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) in Iran’s South Pars gas field could be both a harbinger and explanation of much wider geopolitical developments.
Finian Cunningham, Global Research, 18 March 2010
First of all, the $5 billion project – signed last year after years of foot dragging by western energy giants Total and Shell under the shadow of US-led sanctions – reveals the main arterial system for future world energy supply and demand.
Critics have long suspected that the real reason for US and other western military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan is to control the Central Asian energy corridor. So far, the focus seems to be mainly on oil. For example, there have been claims that a planned oil pipeline from the Caspian Sea via Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Arabian Sea is the main prize behind the US’s seemingly futile military campaign in those countries.
But what the CNPC-Iranian partnership shows is that natural gas is the bigger prize that will be pivotal to the world economy, and specifically the dual flow of this fuel westwards and eastwards from Central Asia to Europe and China.
Michael Economides, editor of the Houston-based Energy Tribune, is one of a growing number of industry observers who is convinced that natural gas will supplant oil as the primary energy source, not only in the coming decades but over the next several centuries.
He points to the recent forecast by the International Energy Agency (IEA), based in Paris, which has dramatically revised its estimates of recoverable global natural gas reserves by 100 per cent. Economides ascribes this huge upgrade to rapid technological improvements in tapping hitherto inaccessible gas fields. He says that the IEA estimates of natural gas amount to 300 years of supply at current world demand. "If one only just fantasises any future contributions from the orders-of-magnitude larger resource in the form of natural gas hydrates, it is easy to see how natural gas is almost certainly to evolve into the premier fuel of the world economy," he adds.
The rising importance of natural gas as an energy source has been steady and inexorable over many years. Between 1973 and 2007, oil’s contribution to world energy supply dropped from 46.1 per cent to 34.0 per cent, with the increasing use of natural gas accounting for that decline, according to the IEA. Other sources, such as the US-based Energy Information Administration (EIA), predict that global natural gas consumption will treble between 1980 and 2030, by which date it will mostly likely become the primary energy source of choice for industrial and public needs.
There are sound scientific reasons why natural gas (methane) is becoming the kingpin of fossil fuels. Firstly, it has a much greater calorific value than either oil or coal. That is, more heat is produced per unit of fuel. Secondly, it is a cleaner fuel, emitting 30 per cent less carbon dioxide when burned compared with oil and 45 per cent less compared with coal. Thirdly, gas is more efficient for transport, both as a raw material in compressed form along land-based pipelines, and as a fuel to drive transport.
All energy industry agencies recognize that far and above the premier sources of future natural gas are the Middle East and Eurasia, including Russia. The US-based EIA puts the natural gas reserves in these regions as nine and seven times those of North America’s total – the latter itself being one of the world’s top sources for that fuel.
Within the Middle East, Iran is the undisputed top holder of gas reserves. Its South Pars gas field is the world’s largest. If converted to barrel-of-oil equivalents, Iran’s South Pars would dwarf the reserves of Saudi Arabia’s giant Ghawar oilfield. The latter is the world’s largest oilfield and since it came into operation in 1948, Ghawar has effectively been the world’s beating heart for raw energy supply. In the soon-to-come era of natural gas dominance over oil, Iran will oust Saudi Arabia as the world’s beating heart for energy.
Both Europe and China stand to be arterial routes for Iranian and Central Asian gas generally. Already, the infrastructure is shaping up to reflect this. The Nabucco pipeline is planned to supply gas from Iran (and Azerbaijan) via Turkey and Bulgaria all the way to Western Europe (signaling an end to Russian dominance). Iran also exports gas via pipelines separately to Turkey and Armenia and it is also following up export deals with other Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Another major arterial route is the so-called peace pipeline from Iran to Pakistan and on to India, through which Iran will export this fuel to two of the region’s most populous countries. But perhaps the most tantalizing prospect for Iran is the 1,865-kilometre pipeline that supplies natural gas from Turkmenistan through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan into China and is due to operate at full capacity in 2012. Turkmenistan shares a 300-kilometre border with Iran to its south and already has a gas export deal with Tehran. If the Iranian-Chinese South Pars gas field development can be incorporated into the above transnational pipelines that would confirm Iran as the beating heart of a world economy in which gas is the primary energy source. This is amplified further by rapidly growing demand for gas by China which the EIA predicts could be dependent on imports for over a third of its natural gas consumption by 2030.
In this context of a major realignment in the world’s energy economy – one where there will be a continuing diminished role for the US – Washington’s blustering rhetoric about democracy and peace and war on terror or alleged Iranian nuclear weapons can be seen as a desperate attempt to conceal its fear that it stands to be a big loser. Encircling Iran with wars and threatening gas supplies to possibly the world’s top future gas customer – China – is the real deal. US actions are more accurately seen as putting a knife to the energy arteries of a world economy that it will no longer be able to dominate.
A further twist in this tale is the position of Russia. With its own vast reserves of natural gas, it can be seen as a competitor to Iran. Arguably less well positioned than Iran to supply both Europe and China, Russia is nevertheless a major player and has been assiduously courting China with an export deal since 2006. However, as Economides observes, "negotiations between the two countries have been on and off and, especially, the pipeline construction has been painfully slow".
But Russia’s ambitions to expand its natural gas exports may explain why it has shown itself to be such a mercurial ally to Iran. Moscow’s ambivalent position towards US-led sanctions against Iran, suggests that Russia has its own agenda for hampering the Islamic republic as a regional energy rival.
[email protected]

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[can't sit still]

The world is polarizing into new power groups. The Sino-Soviets are held together by their mistrust of Anglo-American desires for Asian resources. The West is collapsing like an old rotten tree that no longer produces fruit. New groups are forming to take advantage of the power-vacuum. There is much talk about a Sunni-Shia war. Who knows how much longer the Sauds can protect their oil infrastructure?
The Turkish military has always been the guardian of secular GOV in Turkey. The religious leaders in Turkey have managed to get rid of the generals who tried to maintain a GOV in Turkey that was NOT a theocracy.
Turkey has rapidly pulled away from the West and plans to re-institute the composition of the Ottoman Empire.
http://www.balkanstudies.org/articles/n ... amic-power
That would put Islam in control of many oil-exporting areas. The "style" of Islam that is most prevalent in uneducated populations could easily be stirred up to a "popular" grab for power reminiscent of the early days of Islam.
Since the Islamic countries don't make much effort at birth control, they will ALL need LOTS of resources to support their growing populations. Read; OIL. They may hate the west but, their own lands can't support their population.
So, we will see a huge Sunni-Shia rivalry for oil,,, pushed as a religious battle.
Imagine,, warring theocracies armed with millions of stupid followers AND nukes.
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/colum ... apons.html
If there is any kind of food crisis in the West, this will light a fire under nations that are resource poor to go out and grab either oil or arable land.
I won't even add israel to the equation

[DVD Burner]

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[can't sit still]

Well the actions of the West show that it expects to have a war with the Muslim countries sooner or later. Chenney said that we would have war for the rest of our lives. Our wars don't have an exit strategy because we don't want to stop killing the people. We built huge bases in Iraq and Afghanistan to control resources there. They should do just fine to continue mass killings.
Recently, the West lost a strong ally. Turkey is a majority Muslim and has lots of resources. They can just look at our history and see that there is no reason to trust us. They booted our israel and turned their backs on us.

Now, Kharzai is all buddy-buddy with Iran and China. He wants to pull Afghanistan away from the U.S.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/LC30Df01.html
The US / UK have a history of causing fragmentation in any country that might unite the Muslim world. . Iran is next on the hit-list. Kharzai saw what happened to Saddam Hussein. We set him up to knock him down. We won't allow anybody to bring about Pan-Arabism.
China is a lot more pragmatic. As long as China can offer an alternative to American imperialism, the Muslim countries will slip away from Washington,,, if they can.

[Rabbi Dali Rick]

THIS THREAD HAS BEEN LABELED AS SEDITIOUS AND YOU ARE ALL BEING WATCHED, LOGGED, AND CATALOGED.





All Post Will Be Held Against You In A Court Of Law.







heir rebbi

[can't sit still]

Here's an interview between a congressman and an admiral. TOO funny;
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/04/01/c ... more-18094

[DVD Burner]

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[DVD Burner]

THIS THREAD HAS BEEN LABELED AS SEDITIOUS AND YOU ARE ALL BEING WATCHED, LOGGED, AND CATALOGED.





All Post Will Be Held Against You In A Court Of Law.







heir rebbi

Good! Hop[e that database is accurate cause I have the best stuff on here.

Well there are a few others that have good material on here like CSS.

But, HELL YEAH!

[DVD Burner]

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The creator of wikileaks and the interview he did speaking about how the vidoe came to be.





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This video is on the coverage of the video on AMERICAN MEDIA.

[can't sit still]

The U.S. is going down the tubes financially. They are trying to lock up Asian oil to keep supplies flowing. But, locking up central Asian oil away from Russian and Chinese control is proving to be impossible. As various states see America weakening, they shift away from American influence. Turkey was the last state to change over. They are a huge loss to pox Americana. Kharzi in Afghanistan is trying to pull away.
Now, Kyrgyzstan is re-aligning with Russia. Russia loudly complained about all the drugs flowing out of Afghanistan and into Russia. Much of it was trans-shipped from the U.S. controlled Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan. 5 years ago, the U.S. installed a puppet in Kyrgyzstan. The Russians just tossed him out and the base will fall out of U.S. control.
http://fpfcaresse5.blogspot.com/2010/04 ... sh-in.html

Eur Asia is catching on to the machinations of the CIA. Ukraine serves as a good example. They got their butts kicked by aggravating the Great Bear at the behest of israel.. The U.S. will continue to lose traction worldwide. China offers good trade deals where the U.S. offers bribes and bases.,, and the IMF. The Anglo-American business model for empire is a bad deal and many states see a viable alternative in China.
The Chinese figured out that the American military empire model was far too expensive in the long run. We've been underbid.

[DVD Burner]

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[DVD Burner]

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The truth about the right wing Christians and Israel.

Yep, they all are a bunch of sick fucks.

[can't sit still]

History is repetitious because we never seem to learn from it. I got an article in mail from a guy who has a PHD in history from Harvard. I imagine that they have pretty good teachers. He's written 15 books so, I imagine that he has a good grasp of history. When one has a good grasp of the past, it makes it easier to project a future. His views are not happy ones;

David Kaiser is a respected historian whose published works have covered a broad range of topics, from European Warfare to American League Baseball. Born in 1947, the son of a diplomat, Kaiser spent his childhood in three capital cities: Washington D.C. , Albany , New York and Dakar , Senegal .. He attended Harvard University , graduating there in 1969 with a B.A. in history. He then spent several years more at Harvard, gaining a PhD in history, which he obtained in 1976. He served in the Army Reserve from 1970 to 1976.

He is a professor in the Strategy and Policy Department of the United States Naval War College . He has previously taught at Carnegie Mellon, Williams College and Harvard University . Kaiser's latest book, The Road to Dallas, about the Kennedy assassination, was just published by Harvard University Press.


Dr. David Kaiser


History Unfolding

I am a student of history. Professionally, I have written 15 books on history that have been published in six languages, and I have studied history all my life. I have come to think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is simply a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus.

Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it.. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten to fifteen years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.

We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back? Why?

We learned just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine. And that is three times the $700 billion we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought this was a government of "we the people," who loaned our powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not.

We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy. Why?

We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why?

We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it simply wants marriage to remain defined as between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?) We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose?

Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, social security is nearly bankrupt, as is Medicare and our entire government. Our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and I know precisely what I am talking about) - the list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth.. It is potentially 1929 x ten...And we are at war with an enemy we cannot even name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who, in turn, cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so.

And finally, we have elected a man that no one really knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla , Alaska . All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe are more important.)

Mr. Obama's winning platform can be boiled down to one word: Change. Why?

I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now..

This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again.

And that is only the beginning..

As a serious student of history, I thought I would never come to experience what the ordinary, moral German must have felt in the mid-1930s In those times, the "savior" was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they should have known was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory. Conservative "losers" read it right now.

And there were the promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and frowned and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his "brown shirts" would bully and beat them into submission. Which they did - regularly. And then, he was duly elected to office, while a full-throttled economic crisis bloomed at hand - the Great Depression. Slowly, but surely he seized the controls of government power, person by person, department by department, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The children of German citizens were at first, encouraged to join a Youth Movement in his name where they were taught exactly what to think. Later, they were required to do so. No Jews of course,

How did he get people on his side? He did it by promising jobs to the jobless, money to the money-less, and rewards for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe , and across the world. He did it with a compliant media - did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and .... . .. change. And the people surely got what they voted for.

If you think I am exaggerating, look it up. It's all there in the history books.

So read your history books. Many people of conscience objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and ridiculed. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though. And the world came to regret that he was not listened to.

Do not forget that Germany was the most educated, the most cultured country in Europe . It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And yet, in less than six years (a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency) it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors.. All with the best of intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved with them.

As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me..

I choose to believe the evidence. No doubt some people will scoff at me, others laugh, or think I am foolish, naive, or both. To some degree, perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe-and why I believe it.

I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am. Perhaps the only hope is our vote in the next elections.

David Kaiser
Jamestown , Rhode Island
United States

[ygmir]

very thought provoking, thanks CSS

[can't sit still]

Well, it seems that our elected representatives are somewhat worried about what we may do this summer. We may get a bit restless. So, JIC they're going to have 80,000 troops at the beck and call of fearless leader, obummer.
http://www.examiner.com/x-37620-Conserv ... -elections
"They may be called upon to help with civil unrest" Hmmmm, one wonders what GOV is planning to do to cause civil unrest. Election campaigning shouldn't be violent. What might they have in mind?
CNN mentions the deployment; http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/03/army.unit/
It really isn't anything new. Just the same, one wonders what they expect to happen,,, other than Burning Man.

[Trishntek]

CSS, could you please provide the source for this Dr. Kaiser? Thanks!

[DVD Burner]

been thing about your friend Dr. David Kaiser all night and I believe he has a few things wrong as far as his opinion goes.

Sure he may be a Dr. but that does not make him correct in his opinion.

Condi Rice also is a Dr. and we all know she is an idiot. Heck, Dr. Henry Kissinger is an idiot.

I'll try to finish this thought later when I get more time.

Just wanted to put this out there while I could real quick.

but here is the thing most anti-Obama folk seem to forget. Obama is smarter than Bush and Cheney and was the best option for the time. Would this world be better off with McCain and Palin?

I not only think not, I know the world is better off with him.

That said, I have just proven from my opinion that I have not made this a race issue but an issue of intelligence.

I mentioned 2 black people in this same post and did not compliment either.

[DVD Burner]

And to top it off, the rest of the world likes Obama:

[youtube][/youtube]

Seems the only ones that dont like Obama are extremists such as OBL and specific Americans.


Hmmmmm......

Also seems like the ones that dont like him much are of lesser intelligence. Wonder why that is?

[dr.placebo]

Kaiser's thesis it that the situation in the US today is similar to that of Germany during the Weimar Republic, and that Obama is analogous to Hitler.

There are many errors in this thesis, but I want to focus on one in particular. Hitler's focus was on Hate, while Obama's is on Hope. Hitler used fear as a motivator, especially against jews, communists, homosexuals, and other minority groups. Obama is inclusive, and has reached out to groups that are the current hate targets in the US.

If an analogy is to be made with the aims of Hitler, then it should be with those who preach and practice hate and fear in the US. It should be with those who can't tolerate homosexuality, or immigrants, or racial minorities, or intellectuals.

[Trishntek]

It really does not matter who does or doesn't like him. What does matter is with whom he surrounds himself in the White House. Engaging in class warfare, defining people as lower class, middle class and upper class is by nature divisive and serves no other purpose than to anti-unite. Portraying the government as the answer to all problems creates an ambivalence toward those who cherish independence while embracing the slavery of dependence. What was the Declaration of Independence declaring independence from if not an all consuming government?

[DVD Burner]

Kaiser's thesis it that the situation in the US today is similar to that of Germany during the Weimar Republic, and that Obama is analogous to Hitler.

There are many errors in this thesis, but I want to focus on one in particular. Hitler's focus was on Hate, while Obama's is on Hope. Hitler used fear as a motivator, especially against jews, communists, homosexuals, and other minority groups. Obama is inclusive, and has reached out to groups that are the current hate targets in the US.

If an analogy is to be made with the aims of Hitler, then it should be with those who preach and practice hate and fear in the US. It should be with those who can't tolerate homosexuality, or immigrants, or racial minorities, or intellectuals.

Thanks Doc. I could not have said it any better.

In fact, what Kaiser describes is how it was for the last 8 years. Seems his Thesis is flawed in the sense that it seems America has passed that point of fear.

Well the majority of Americans have anyway.

[DVD Burner]

[youtube][/youtube]

The truth about the right wing Christians and Israel.

Yep, they all are a bunch of sick fucks.

I really really hope people are checking this video out.

This is accurate and what America is dealing with.

These folks are nut cases and so are the folks that are running Israel. It all goes hand in had.

They all really want the world to end and they will do whatever it takes to make it happen.

These are the folks that think Obama is Hitler. Pretty fuckin dumb.

[can't sit still]

Snopes does not attribute this composition to the doctor;
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/proportions.asp
While I don't normally post stuff that came in mail, the body of information was more important than the author.
The best thing that we could do would be to verify the true parts and toss the rest. Like any info, net or otherwise, one has to be judicial on what one accepts.
Hitler did not appeal primarily to hate,, he appealed to pride.
The allies had saddled Germany with a load of reparations to punish them and keep them weak. It wasn't a big surprise that they were beat down. It wasn't a big surprise that they broke out.
After the next war, they were watched even closer. I do not know if they were saddled with as much war debt as in WW I.
Our unpayable debts are self-imposed not externally imposed like war debt.
There are other parts of the comparison that aren't applicable. I'm not going tor refrain from posting an article because it isn't 100 % accurate. You're all smart enough to have a backlog of info to compare to new info. The parallels are what is important.
Historically, when a country crashes like we are in the process of doing, It becomes autocratic or dictatorial.

As far as obummer reaching out and being inclusive,, that's quite true. By sending enormous amounts of money to the military and the banks, he has FUCKED ALL of us.

[dr.placebo]

I'm glad to see that Dr. Kaiser is not the author. Whoever originally posted this then was incorrect. If this attribution was deliberately incorrect then it is a lie, and I suspect that to be the case. Props to CSS for doing the Snopes lookup.

The way that the victorious allies treated the defeated is instructive. After WW1 the allies (without sufficient resistance from the US) imposed punitive reparation debt on Germany, which became one of the many levers that Hitler used to rise to power. After WW2 the allies, strongly lead by the US, gave assistance to West Germany and Japan, who then became strong partners for the US in both economic and military matters.

CSS said "Hitler did not appeal primarily to hate, he appealed to pride." I must respectfully disagree. Essentially all politicians appeal to national pride; they would not be politicians for long if they did not. What distinguished Hitler from the rest of the pack was his demonization of the less powerful, the people already in disfavor. Since Hitler so strongly linked hate and pride then assigning a fraction is most likely a matter of opinion, but he was a twisted genius at using hate and resentment.

Trishnek implied that the Obama administration is using class warfare. I also respectfully disagree here. My thesis is that class warfare is happening, the ultra-rich against every one else, and they have been winning. Also, portraying the government as being either the source of all problems or the solution for all problems is equally incorrect. I happen to like a balance of powers, and I don't like corruption. Right now we have too little balance, and too much corruption.

I also fault Obama for his handling of the banks, for lack of transparency, and for other reasons. But what worries me most these days is not that he's a tyrant, but that he's better than we deserve.

[can't sit still]

Dr Placebo, I'm sure that you saw my post on cost over-runs. We already know what the prevailing opinion on the prescription drug plan is. What is your opinion on the feasibility of the health care bill being executed with it's projected funding?

[DVD Burner]

Our unpayable debts are self-imposed not externally imposed like war debt.
There are other parts of the comparison that aren't applicable. I'm not going tor refrain from posting an article because it isn't 100 % accurate. You're all smart enough to have a backlog of info to compare to new info. The parallels are what is important.
Historically, when a country crashes like we are in the process of doing, It becomes autocratic or dictatorial.

As far as obummer reaching out and being inclusive,, that's quite true. By sending enormous amounts of money to the military and the banks, he has FUCKED ALL of us.

Ok, i agree with you about the "enormous amounts of money to the military and the banks, he has FUCKED ALL of us" but if you back track, this is left over bullshit from the previous admin.

This was already in place just before this admin got into office.

I posted about this in the last "politics thread".

[ygmir]

I'm glad to see that Dr. Kaiser is not the author. Whoever originally posted this then was incorrect. If this attribution was deliberately incorrect then it is a lie, and I suspect that to be the case. Props to CSS for doing the Snopes lookup.

The way that the victorious allies treated the defeated is instructive. After WW1 the allies (without sufficient resistance from the US) imposed punitive reparation debt on Germany, which became one of the many levers that Hitler used to rise to power. After WW2 the allies, strongly lead by the US, gave assistance to West Germany and Japan, who then became strong partners for the US in both economic and military matters.

CSS said "Hitler did not appeal primarily to hate, he appealed to pride." I must respectfully disagree. Essentially all politicians appeal to national pride; they would not be politicians for long if they did not. What distinguished Hitler from the rest of the pack was his demonization of the less powerful, the people already in disfavor. Since Hitler so strongly linked hate and pride then assigning a fraction is most likely a matter of opinion, but he was a twisted genius at using hate and resentment.

Trishnek implied that the Obama administration is using class warfare. I also respectfully disagree here. My thesis is that class warfare is happening, the ultra-rich against every one else, and they have been winning. Also, portraying the government as being either the source of all problems or the solution for all problems is equally incorrect. I happen to like a balance of powers, and I don't like corruption. Right now we have too little balance, and too much corruption.

I also fault Obama for his handling of the banks, for lack of transparency, and for other reasons. But what worries me most these days is not that he's a tyrant, but that he's better than we deserve.

yeah, we don't deserve the best...........

*chuckling*


**edit to add rolling eyes**