Interesting posting. Go read.
Category: Foreign Policy
Ed Husain: US must stay out of Syria
A very reasonable argument:
In reality, this would mean the United States would once again carry the heavy burden of war. In NATO’s recent operation in Libya, the United States provided 75% of the reconnaissance data, surveillance, intelligence and refueling planes. Syria is not Libya, and NATO without the United States is not up to the job.
The Arab League is no match for a brutal Syrian regime backed by Russia, China and Iran.
In essence, therefore, we must stop pretending about NATO or the Arab League intervening and accept that it is not “international intervention,” but U.S. military intervention that is being sought in yet another Muslim-majority country. The Muslim dimension is important because the lessons of Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan are that, invariably, intervention leads to occupation, which leads to varying degrees of Islamist radicalization
I would suggest you go read the rest of that, as it is a very well-reasoned argument against the United States getting involved in the Syria conflict. Now watch the Trotskyite Wilsonian Conservative war hawks tear this man to shreds for daring to say that we should not get involved.
The truth is folks; we are broke as a Nation. We just checked out of one Country and we are trying like heck to get out of another one. Going into this conflict would be, quite bluntly, crazy. Here is hoping that Obama listens to this reason and does not get involved. Syria is not Libya; and it damned sure is not Iraq. Different Nations, Different battles and a bunch of different issues here. Because of this, it would be in our best interest to stay out of it.
FBI says that “sovereign citizens” are a threat.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm….:
(Reuters) – Anti-government extremists opposed to taxes and regulations pose a growing threat to local law enforcement officers in the United States, the FBI warned on Monday.
These extremists, sometimes known as “sovereign citizens,” believe they can live outside any type of government authority, FBI agents said at a news conference.
The extremists may refuse to pay taxes, defy government environmental regulations and believe the United States went bankrupt by going off the gold standard.
Routine encounters with police can turn violent “at the drop of a hat,” said Stuart McArthur, deputy assistant director in the FBI’s counterterrorism division.
“We thought it was important to increase the visibility of the threat with state and local law enforcement,” he said.
via FBI warns of threat from anti-government extremists | Reuters.
I said this over at another blog’s comment section and I will say it here; A Government that watches it’s citizens and considers them a threat; fears those people and that is because they are doing wrong. This is nothing more than a police state action; and the American people should vote accordingly in 2012.
Further more, I find it most insulting that the United States Government would rather hunt down its own citizens, rather than hunt down and capture the real terrorists, who truly hate this Country and want to see it destroyed. That would be the radical Islamic Jihad Terrorists; you know like the ones that slammed those planes into the Trade Center, the Pentegon, and the field near Shanksville, Pa? — or people like these here? But no, our Government, see people like me; citizens who disagree with the policies of the socialist President to be a threat.
Having said that, I have an open message to the United States Government, Federal Bureau of Investigation, President Barack Hussein Obama, The United Nations and the rest of the Big Government morass:
Go Fuck Yourselves Sirs!
Which is all the more reason to go here and get armed with one of these:
That is all….
Others: Blogcritics, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, Scared Monkeys, Atlas Shrugs, The PJ Tatler
Update: Like this posting? Please vote it up over at Reddit, please.
Why are Conservatives having dinner with Bill Ayers?
This bothers me and I will explain under the video: (H/T BreitBart via HotAir.com’s Headlines)
As I mentioned in my previous posting and in the related video; that the only difference between an internationalist Democrat and a Neoconservative is, quite frankly, the R and the D. Not to mention the fact that both take funding from special interest groups. Well, the more I want to believe that these current crop of Conservatives are truly Conservatives, the more that these current crop of Conservatives want to prove my suspicions, that they are nothing more than Trotskyite Conservatives who have much more in common with the far leftists than they would want us to really believe.
Video: Open Message to Michelle Malkin and Karl Rove
First of all, before you watch my video; Go read this article here, it will open in a new window — then come back here.
After reading that article, I went to twitter and really spoke my mind:
I am the type of person, if I make a mistake; I will admit it. I am also the type of person, that when I feel that I am right, I will back it up. So, I made this video:
I will simply end this blog posting with this; as I said in the video. To Michelle Malkin and Karl Rove; clean up the crap in your own party, before you unleash on my home town. The Republican Party is just as evil, just as screwed up and just hypocritical about many things, including foreign policy. I agree on Terrorism, it is a problem. But the Republican Party’s nominee for 2000 and 2004, who won those elections handled 9/11 in a wrong-headed way. Because of this, we are now having the problems in the middle east that we are having now. Maybe you should work to fix the problems with your party’s foreign policy and let Detroit sort out its own problems.
Thank You.
-Patrick
…and of course, Michelle Malkin’s resident useful idiot agrees with her.
Update: ….and if this isn’t bad enough, we have Andrew Breitbart meeting with Bill Ayers. You see now why I don’t want anything to do with the Republican Party and the majority of the Conservatives; or those who call themselves Conservative? 🙄
Update #2: In my video, I made a reference to Michelle Malkin using Frankfort School tactics, this is what I was referring to here:
Others: Alan Colmes’ Liberaland, The Atlantic Wire, New York Magazine, The Nation, Wonkette, Hollywood Reporter, nation.foxnews.com, The Hill, The Moderate Voice, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, National Review, PopWatch, emptywheel, Poynter, ABCNEWS, Taylor Marsh, Outside the Beltway, The Raw Story, The Daily Caller, Hullabaloo and Daily Kos (via Memeornadum)
Religion of Peace?: Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “Kill all Jews, annihilate Israel”
Hmmmmm:
The Iranian government, through a website proxy, has laid out the legal and religious justification for the destruction of Israel and the slaughter of its people.
The doctrine includes wiping out Israeli assets and Jewish people worldwide.
Calling Israel a danger to Islam, the conservative website Alef, with ties to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the opportunity must not be lost to remove “this corrupting material. It is a “‘jurisprudential justification” to kill all the Jews and annihilate Israel, and in that, the Islamic government of Iran must take the helm.”
The article, written by Alireza Forghani, an analyst and a strategy specialist in Khamenei’s camp, now is being run on most state-owned conservative sites, including the Revolutionary Guards’ Fars News Agency, showing that the regime endorses this doctrine.
But…..but…..but…. they’re peaceful Muslims!!!!!! 🙄
Why are they saying this?:
Because Israel is going to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, Iran is justified in launching a pre-emptive, cataclysmic attack against the Jewish state, the doctrine argues.
On Friday, in a major speech at prayers, Khamenei announced that Iran will support any nation or group that attacks the “cancerous tumor” of Israel. Though his statement was seen by some in the West as fluff, there is substance behind it.
Iran’s Defense Ministry announced this weekend that it test-fired an advanced two-stage, solid-fuel ballistic missile and boasted about successfully putting a new satellite into orbit, reminding the West that its engineers have mastered the technology for intercontinental ballistic missiles even as the Islamic state pushes its nuclear weapons program.
The commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Brig. Gen. Seyyed Mehdi Farahi, stated in August that the Safir missile, which is capable of transporting a satellite into space, can easily be launched parallel to the earth’s orbit, which will transform it into an intercontinental ballistic missile. Western analysts didn’t believe this would happen until 2015. Historically, orbiting a satellite is the criterion for crediting a nation with ICBM capability.
Forghani details the Islamic duty of jihad as laid out in the Quran for the sake of Allah and states that “primary jihad,” according to some Shiite jurists, can only occur when the Hidden Imam, the Shiites’ 12th Imam Mahdi, returns. Shiites believe Mahdi’’s return will usher in Armageddon.
In the absence of the hidden Imam, Forghani says, “defensive jihad” could certainly take place when Islam is threatened, and Muslims must defend Islam and kill their enemies. To justify such action, Alef quotes the Shiites’ first imam, Ali, who stated “Waging war against the enemies with whom war is inevitable and there is a strong possibility that in near future they will attack Muslims is a must and the duty of Muslims.” In this regard, Ayatollah Khamenei has issued a fatwa in which he has even authorized carrying out primary jihad in the age of the absence of the Hidden imam under the authorization of Vali Faghih.
So, because Israel wants to protect itself from a insane regime, that is dedicated to the destruction of Israel and the Jews; that justifies their desire to destroy Israel and America? Then, to justify this; they use a false, throwback religion to justify it? Oh brother… 🙄 I believe that Israel and United States of America ought to give these turban wearing pieces of human excrement what they really desire to have. Which is all out war and the destruction of their Nation. I mean the international community has bent over backwards for these people and yet they still will not work with the U.N. So, I say, give them what they want — and crush the Islamic Republic of Iran to powder and be done with them.
Also, before anyone comes to my comment section and accuses me of not being a libertarian or a Constitutionalist; allow me to say this — on this issue of Jihad, radical Islam and American defense. I do not agree with Ron Paul’s idiotic assumptions that these are peaceful people. I am afraid that this is a misconception. These leaders and most of the people in the Nation of Iran; are NOT peaceful people. They have the same mentality that the hijackers that flew those planes into a World Trade Center Buildings in Manhattan, The Pentagon and into the field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The mentality is that the United States of America is the great Satan of the World and that they are the supporter of Israel and of the Jew. This is the very same mentality of the Nazi Party of Germany and it is one that the United States of America crushed during World War II, along with the imperialistic empire of Japan. We did it once and we can do it again. We just have to elect a President who sees this threat for what it really is and decides to act accordingly.
That is what this Nation needs in 2012.
Others: Jihad Watch, Weasel Zippers and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS
The obligatory Israel might attack Iran posting
I swear, if I had a nice, crisp, one hundred dollar bill for every time I saw this question or headline — I could retire early.
The story:
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has a lot on his mind these days, from cutting the defense budget to managing the drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. But his biggest worry is the growing possibility that Israel will attack Iran over the next few months.
Panetta believes there is a strong likelihood that Israel will strike Iran in April, May or June — before Iran enters what Israelis described as a “zone of immunity” to commence building a nuclear bomb. Very soon, the Israelis fear, the Iranians will have stored enough enriched uranium in deep underground facilities to make a weapon — and only the United States could then stop them militarily.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t want to leave the fate of Israel dependent on American action, which would be triggered by intelligence that Iran is building a bomb, which it hasn’t done yet.
via Is Israel preparing to attack Iran? – The Washington Post.
AllahPundit over at HotAir.com tosses cold water on this rather hyped headline or opinion piece.
Between you and me; I highly doubt Israel would do something like that. I could be wrong, but something tells me that Israel is just not going to risk “upsetting the apple cart,” as my grandmother used to call it. This is not to say that I do not think that Israel has the right to defend themselves, I do believe that fully. What I fear is, that Israel will pick a fight with Iran and get in over their heads; and want the United States to pull their butts out of fire. As much as I am sympathetic to the cause of Israel and how much I know the history of Israel and the Biblical connection to the land and the people — I just do not believe that the United States of America is obligated to come to rescue of a Nation, like Israel, that decides to pick a fight with another Nation. We would not do that for any other Nation, so why should we do it for Israel?
Realistically speaking, I believe this little conflict will be resolved via diplomacy, rather than war. Because again, I believe the United States and its allies learned their lessons from the last time that they tried a foolhardy mission of occupation of a Country. I believe that a fiasco of that magnitude will not be repeated anytime soon. Again, I could be wrong; but I really just do not see this happening again, at least not this soon.
Others: Guardian, Politico, CNN, Pat Dollard, Weasel Zippers, msnbc.com, Jerusalem Post, Associated Press, War in Context, Israel Matzav, The Enterprise Blog and Chicago Boyz
Video: Friday Evening Thoughts
Just a video of my thoughts.
Please note: In this video, I mistakenly refer to the Washington Times; I meant Washington Post. Oops. 😳
References:
Quinnipiac University: Romney Pulls Ahead In See-Saw Florida Gop Primary, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Men Shift From Gingrich To Romney — Memeorandum thread
Washington Post: Ron Paul signed off on racist newsletters in the 1990s, associates say
Ta-Nehisi Coates / The Atlantic Online: No One Left to Lie To
Jeffrey Lord / American Spectator: Elliott Abrams Caught Misleading on Newt
Roundups: Washington Wire, Outside the Beltway, NationalJournal.com, The Caucus, M.JOSEPH SHEPPARD’S …, Sunshine State News, Washington Post, Firedoglake, Don Surber, Florida Times Union, The Strata-Sphere, The Moderate Voice, The Other McCain, American Spectator, Presidential Power, Hot Air, Mail Online, Reuters, GOP 12 and Post on Politics, The Atlantic Online, The Hill, Little Green Footballs, The Political Carnival, US Politics, Hit & Run, Boing Boing, Gawker, Daily Kos, Hot Air, YID With LID, Outside the Beltway, The Daily Dish, The PJ Tatler, GOP 12, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Political Mojo and Shakesville, National Review, Riehl World View, Guardian, Big Journalism, The Atlantic Online, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Eunomia, RedState, Power Line, The Reality-Based Community, The Daily Caller, JOSHUAPUNDIT and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS
Breaking News — Senator Rand Paul detained by TSA
Rand Paul has been detained by the TSA for refusing a pat-down, after a x-ray showed an anomaly”
The Daily Caller has the story:
Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul’s press secretary Moira Bagley tweeted on Monday that Transportation Security Administration officials were detaining her boss in Nashville, Tenn.
“Just got a call from @senrandpaul,” Bagley tweeted at about 10 a.m. on Monday. “He’s currently being detained by TSA in Nashville.”
Texas Congressman and current Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul – Sen. Rand Paul’s father – placed a post on Facebook about the news as well. “My son Rand is currently being detained by the TSA at the Nashville Airport,” Ron Paul posted. “I’ll share more details as the situation unfolds.”
Ron Paul adds, via Twitter, that the TSA detained his son “for refusing full body pat-down after anomaly in body scanner.”
Sen. Rand Paul’s Facebook page has a post about the incident too. “Senator Paul is being detained at the Nashville Airport by the TSA,” Sen. Rand Paul’s Facebook post reads. “We will update you as the situation develops.”
Sen. Rand Paul’s chief of staff Doug Stafford told The Daily Caller the Senator “was detained by the TSA after their scanner had an ‘anomaly’ on the first scan.”
via The Daily Caller.
To my libertarian and Ron Paul fans, please, do not freak out over this; the TSA were simply doing their jobs, I believe Rand Paul was released, but they would not let him fly on the plane he did try to board.
My friend, Ed Morrissey, who I do trust, weighs in:
No one thinks a Senator should get different treatment than anyone else, but that proves that the security theater we experience at airports isn’t designed with flight security as its primary goal. Besides, let’s not forget that TSA is already working on programs for clearing frequent travelers on an expedited basis who they know through prior investigation won’t pose a security risk on commercial flights. Who in their right mind thinks that Senator Rand Paul represented any kind of real security risk on board an aircraft? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Now, it might look like it was intentional, but I very much highly doubt that was even remotely intentional at all. I simply believe that the TSA wanted to do their jobs and Rand Paul refused to let them, and for this, he was detained and released and not allowed to fly. Let us not forget why the TSA put these regulations in place, on Christmas Day in 2009, an idiot kid from Nigeria blow himself up on a plane from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan; which by the way is my hometown and the airport that this almost happened at, is less than 10 miles from my HOUSE!
Anyhow, again, this might look bad, but I seriously doubt it is anything but Senator Rand Paul grandstanding against something that he feels is against his rights as a citizen. I personally disagree with that; I believe that safety of those flying here in America and abroad, should come first. Then again, I have never flown, nor will I ever. Too many planes crashing for this old man. 😯
Related:
- Rand Paul refused patdown...
- On way to Senate, March For Life...
- Constitution: 'Privileged From Arrest'...
- Standoff in Nashville...
- A.Killough / CNN: BREAKING: Spokeswoman: TSA turns away Sen. Rand Paul
- Tim Mak / The Politico: Rand Paul detained by TSA
- ABCNEWS: Rand Paul in Pat-Down Standoff With TSA in Nashville
Others: Hot Air, The Gateway Pundit, Big Government, Outside the Beltway, Mediaite, Michelle Malkin, The Raw Story, Gothamist, LewRockwell.com Blog, Campaign 2012, National Review
Update: Now a huge Memeorandum thread.
Update #2: Smitty, who I consider to be a friend; makes some good points.
Newt in the lead in South Carolina polling
Looks like the attacks on Newt from his ex-wife did not do a thing to diminish his chances. Either that or Chuck Norris has more power and influence than I thought. 😉
Quote:
Newt Gingrich heads into South Carolina election day as the clear front runner in the state: he’s now polling at 37% to 28% for Mitt Romney, 16% for Rick Santorum, and 14% for Ron Paul.
Gingrich’s lead has actually increased in the wake of his ex-wife’s controversial interview with ABC. Although one night poll results should always be interpreted with caution, he led the final night of the field period by a 40-26 margin. One thing that continues to work to his advantage are the debates. 60% of primary voters report having watched the one last night, and Gingrich has a 46-23 lead with those folks.
The other reason his ex-wife’s interview isn’t causing him much trouble is that there’s a lot of skepticism about it. Only 31% of voters say they think her accusations are true while 35% think they are false and 34% are unsure. 51% of voters say that they have ‘no concerns’ about what came out in the interview.
The skepticism of Republican voters toward the media is helping Gingrich as well. Just 14% of likely voters have a generally favorable opinion of the media, while 77% view it negatively. Gingrich’s attacks on the media have clearly played well with the party base.
Gingrich is leading with pretty much every key segment of the Republican electorate. He’s up 41-21 on Romney and Santorum with Evangelicals, he has a 52-18 advantage on Romney with Tea Partiers, he leads Santorum 44-21 with ‘very conservative’ voters with Romney at 20%, and he’s up 39-26 with men.
In the final week of the campaign Gingrich rose from 24% to 37% in PPP’s polling while Romney basically stayed in place, going from 29% to 28%. Romney saw a 15 point decline in his net favorability in the closing stretch from +24 (57/33) to just +9 (51/42). Gingrich saw a modest increase in his numbers over the final week from +14 (51/37) to +17 (54/37).
via Newt expands South Carolina lead – Public Policy Polling.
Best thing about all that up there? Ron Paul is a 14%; which is where that Jew-Hating, Racist bigot jerk belongs in this race. 😡 Like I told my commenter, “John V” the man allowed his name to be lent to a bunch of newsletters that contained some of the most vile, nasty stuff ever written; much more than anything that I ever written here or on my old blog. That alone brings into question his judgement as a leader; not to mention as a congressmen.
Furthermore, the worst thing that ever happened to me, during my tenure as a blogger; is the fact that I actually got associated with that idiot man and his followers. For the record, I have never, ever agreed with any of the garbage that was contained in those newsletters, ever. Furthermore, the most idiotic, tone-deaf thing I ever have done was when I thought that I could call myself a Paleoconservative/paleolibertarian and could actually disagree with that tripe. The truth is everyone and I mean every darned last one of them agree with that garbage that was published in those newsletters. Because of that, I prefer to call myself simply, “Right of Center.” I do not agree with Wilsonian foreign policy, but I sure as heck do not agree with those who seem to harbor the ugliness in those newsletters.
If there is anything that I ever hope to accomplish as a writer; it is that I can finally shake off the association with those who are of the Ron Paul, anti-black, anti-Jew mentality. I do not think that way, nor have I ever, nor will I ever. I might not like the liberal left’s idea of racial resentment and “Multiculturalism;” But I am not a bigot, not like those people.
As for Newt and Mitt’s race; I believe sooner or later, one of them will win the primary and the Republican Party will get behind one of them. The sooner the better, if you ask me.
Others: Gretawire, Don Surber, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Mashable!, Christian Science Monitor, Yahoo! News, Scared Monkeys, today.yougov.com News, American Spectator, Political Insider, Telegraph, Daily Kos, New York Times, ABCNEWS, Hot Air, Ricochet Conversations Feed, The Reaction, M.JOSEPH SHEPPARD’S …, Guardian, Gallup and Clemson University
