Monday, April 02, 2012
Had enough war yet? The Neocons think not.
Here we go again. Their seems to be no end to the Neocon appetite for Middle Eastern wars fought by the United States. The rebels in Syria are fighting to set up a Sunni Islamic theocracy and they are of course backed in their aims by Al Qaeda, but pay no attention to that.
A rebel win in Syria will destabilise the Middle East, cause massive numbers of refugees as Alawites and Christians flee and probably give rise rise to another civil war in Lebanon. Pay no attention to that. None of that is in the interests of the West and certainly not in the interest of the people of The USA who will pay the consequences. (see above) Victory for the rebels will end the freedoms Syrians enjoy like rights for women and religious freedom. See Egypt and Libya. However the Neocon march moves on. Hey, they are not doing the fighting or paying for it.
This is a layup to an attack on Iran and is going to blowup in our faces.
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In the Arab world, and more generally Muslim majority countries, everything the US does in the Middle East is regarded as an elaborate conspiracy theory, making Sunnis fight Shias and so on. But it's much more likely just a mixture of incompetence and short-term special interests at work. The relations with the Middle East countries is based too much on the military industry, that's one glaring problem. The other problem is supporting the family regimes which in this day and age makes zero sense and are unsustainable. If left on their own, these family regimes will be replaced by the peaceful majorities in the population. Al-Qaeda will be left with nothing to hang a hat on - they exploit the society outliers and brainwash the poor, underprivileged. There must be intelligent people in the intelligence agencies who get this but it seems like they just aren't allowed to rise up the ladder. So the ideas of Ron Paul are spot on, rather than making a further mess out of it for short-term interests or other reasons, staying out of this region apart from economic trade (not just weapons-centric) will make it stablilise much quicker. Human nature is the same everywhere and a quicker transition to democratic countries will take place.
ReplyDeletethese family regimes will be replaced by the peaceful majorities in the population.
DeleteDIME - Diplomacy, Intelligence, Military, and Economics
THE MILITARIZATION OF AMERICAN POLICY:
The United States national security strategy and policy formulation since the end of World War II has clearly been militarized. This trend is understandable and the rational logical. The continuation of such a heavily laden militarized policy however, is an issue that must be addressed. Whether or not a long-term policy formulation, using all instruments of power, is rebalanced will be a leadership issue and challenge that can not be postponed or escaped. A rebalancing of national strategy will occur in one of two forms: a reactive or proactive.
A reactive path is the most likely and will occur based on resourcing issues such as a national economic downturn, or an over stretched military. This will have a significant and deleterious impact on the ability of the United States to remain a world leader. A proactive approach requires true leadership, an in-depth analysis of the current world situation, an honest assessment of the present posture of American forces and tough decision making. This can only be achieved by a concerted, comprehensive national strategy formulation process that provides direction for the use of each of the instruments of power.
Essential elements include managing expectations and providing a “truth in lending” declaration of what is and is not possible given the resources and time available. The irrational exuberance of new administrations must be tempered with reality and a non-partisan view of long term strategy. Between the various groups reviewed above, it is clear that one group, the senior military officers, have the education, experience, prestige and responsibility to support and guide this process better.
.............
The author is more right than wrong, with the general caveat that the DIME approach to foreign policy is out of balance, and increased cooperation between the military and DoS is likely to remain contentious regardless of which entity is judged to have the education, experience, prestige and responsibility to support and guide this process better.
But the notion of indigenous 'peaceful' populations self-correcting is iffy. The extended Saudi family is fully corrupt. That self-correction will come with a huge payment in 'blood and treasure' not to mention the need for a couple or ten more generations to educate the people. Governance is neither self-defining nor intuitive. "Big Man" rule doesn't roll over until a critical mass of the public desires and is capable of articulating institutional forms of freedoms, justice, and commerce. Not to even get into the religious problem with Islam as an effective theocratic barrier to implementing the alleged desires of ME populations for "freedom and democracy". Both of which are more than mere words.
I just got up to take a piss but this is all non-sense. Maybe WiO will have dissected it before I have to go again.
ReplyDeleteWe wait for your constructive analysis. The last time you licked Alan’s and Wio’s boots they played you. Take your piss. Try and keep it off your shoes.
ReplyDeletewow now that was a reasoned response...
Deletedeuce: Here we go again. Their seems to be no end to the Neocon appetite for Middle Eastern wars fought by the United States.
ReplyDeleteMore Appeasing nonsense... The United States has done almost nothing in the decades the Assad's have been murdering Americans, why start now? After all the "Deuces" of the world have no issue with Assad and Iran blowing up AMericans by the score for year after year without doing anything about except blame Israel and the neocons.
Deuce: The rebels in Syria are fighting to set up a Sunni Islamic theocracy and they are of course backed in their aims by Al Qaeda, but pay no attention to that.
The Rebels are in part islamic assholes. The same Islamic assholes that America has supported in the past, however the Neocons wanted the west to support the NON-islamic rebels, to which Obama has said no.
Obama and company has made it a policy to support the islamic brotherhood to the EXCLUSION of the secular arabs (and others) in iran and the arab world... remember the American support of the opposition in Iran? NO? We labeled them a terrorist group.... ( not to worry Iran's mullahs thanked obama)
Deuce: A rebel win in Syria will destabilise the Middle East, cause massive numbers of refugees as Alawites and Christians flee and probably give rise rise to another civil war in Lebanon
true, that is why israel is setting up areas to house thousands of druze and christians, But let us not forget the WMD that syria already has, both it's own and the iraqis! It will be important to seize/destroy them. As for a destabilize middle east, does not syria by supporting and funneling 100,000 of thousands of rockets into lebanon cause a destabilize middle east ? Does syria's exporting of fighters and ied's into iraq cause a destabilized middle east?
Deuce: Pay no attention to that. None of that is in the interests of the West and certainly not in the interest of the people of The USA who will pay the consequences. (see above)
Yeah Assad is meaningless, leave him alone, it's his right to murder 10's of thousands of his own, export rockets for terror groups, supply support and train palestinians /hamas for terror... leave him alone, deuce likes assad... or maybe deuce likes assad's wife?
deuce: Victory for the rebels will end the freedoms Syrians enjoy like rights for women and religious freedom. See Egypt and Libya. However the Neocon march moves on. Hey, they are not doing the fighting or paying for it.
LOL... Syrians enjoy freedom? Are you on crack?
Deuce: This is a layup to an attack on Iran and is going to blowup in our faces.
Everything is a layup to an attack in Iran according to you. As for blowing up in our faces? APPEASING EVIL will blow up in our faces...
But Deuce's New America is a ball-less, scared, afraid timid new nation of appeasing cowards.
Dont piss off Iran... They will hurt us...
Get some knee pads for you and your friends deuce you will be sucking alot of iranian cock before it's over...
Lebanon NEEDS a hot civil war, hezbollah, syria and iran need to be destroyed and driven OUT of Lebanon...
ReplyDeleteSyrian needs to stop occupying the Kurds lands...
ReplyDeletemaybe a nice war would help the Kurds....
Deuce: This is a layup to an attack on Iran and is going to blowup in our faces.
ReplyDeleteAppeasing Iran will blow up in our faces....
deuce: "of the people of The USA who will pay the consequences"
ReplyDeleteHow will the 300 million people of the USA pay anything for syria being over thrown?
Will Syria disrupt the oil flow? naw...
Will Syria now supply arms and terrorists to fight against israel?
Syrian already does that...
What is the cost is Syria implodes?
Women's rights will suffer?
LOL
tell that to the gals that have been raped by Syrian forces...
There are no "rights' for anyone in Syria it was and is a POLICE state.
It's like saying hitler was good for women's rights..
The best thing for the middle east?
Syria going to shit.
Destroys a major highway for terror.
The best solution for Syria?
Chaos.... As long as Syria's weapons of mass destruction are destroyed.
Either way? they are a threat that needs to be taken out.
Assad staying? Helps Iran destabize the region and go nuclear. Assad going? undercuts iran, russia, hezbollah, hamas and the palestinian terror groups...
So as an American? I pop popcorn and hope the entire nation of Syria? BURNS
Just talk. Obammie ain't comin'.
ReplyDeleteIt is not our business to overthrow Arab dictators. That may suit your agenda but it does nothing for ordinary Americans. Carry your own water.
ReplyDeleteIsrael does carry it's own water....
DeleteI carry my own as well...
Now America? It carries the water for many in the world that do nothing in return. ANd not israel is not one of them.
But you are so far gone you cannot see anything besides your bias/illness about Israel.
Iran is a real threat to America.
You choose to ignore it.
To minimize it and to say to others that point it out that we are not loyal Americans.
That is the crime...
I thought of you the other day in DC, when I was pencilling my UNcle's name off the vietnam wall...
I wish there was a way to reach that clouded sick thing you call a mind.
but there is not.
.
ReplyDeleteBut Deuce's New America is a ball-less, scared, afraid timid new nation of appeasing cowards.
Dont piss off Iran... They will hurt us...
Get some knee pads for you and your friends deuce you will be sucking alot of iranian cock before it's over...
With today's diatribe, you once again have proven that it is you, not us, that hasn't a clue as to what is going on in the ME. You are brainwashed by parochial tribal interests like much of the ME. It has skewed your perspective.
I could go down the list of drivel you put up, from secular Arabs to Syrian Kurds to refugees, and counter them all; but your's is a long list and I have rebutted them before.
Enjoy your popcorn. But allow us to skip this movie.
.
Deuce continue to take your meds and change the time to eastern standard, it's driving me crazy.
ReplyDeleteWho didn't see That coming? Romney is getting slaughtered in the female vote (registered voters) in the Swing States. Has lost 17% among women since the "birth control" idiocy.
ReplyDeletePoll
A post menopausal Hillary doesn't seem to care. I read she, at least, isn't going to join the Obama campaign. Heh.
DeleteHere's a project Ruf would like, with his love of trains, and subsidies.
DeleteChoo-Choo To Nowhere
And, Look!, the price is dropping.
Go Governor Moonbeam!
Choo-Choo To Nowhere
DeleteAnd, Look!, the price is dropping.
Go Governor Moonbeam!
Deuce does need his meds and he doesn't know what time it is.
ReplyDeleteI quit taking the prostate drug cause it made me dizzy. I thought you'd like to know.
He was talking the other day as to how all of Congress, Senate and House, was licking the ass of Aipac.
I had to laugh.
How many Jews are there in Idaho? I don't know for sure but it ain't many, and , I almost feel that, like the wolves, (before the introduction of the grey) I've seen them all.
The idea that Aipac is buying our politicians here is nuts. It's laughable.
What is true is that most people here, gentiles and Mormons alike, have a great deal of respect for Israel, and don't much like the muzzies, for all sorts of reasons.
I heard an interesting statement the other day - Israel is the tip of the Sunni spear aimed at Iran.
Heh, lot of truth in that maybe. Those sunni states might make some statements but they would be happy to have Iran tamed down.
Deuce: This is a layup to an attack on Iran and is going to blowup in our faces.
ReplyDeleteThe tactical goal of the Ardennes Offensive was to drive the Wehrmacht Seventh Army to Antwerp and divide the Brits from the Americans, but the strategic goal was to convince the western Allies that the real enemy was Russia, and join forces with Germany, and say "okay this first part of the war is over, now we need to start a brand new war with the Bolsheviks." And Hitler was as foolish as Bibi, because no one had the stomach for it.
deep thoughts from our lady of perpetual lies...
Deletedid you think that up or did you steal it from someone else's site?
Ah yes good ole wikipedia...
not the exact words, but close enough to see where he/she/it lifted it...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge
Now the hitler was as foolish as bibi comment?
that we can attribute to our own anti-semite Ms t, aka the wasp, aka, teresita, aka zena..
You go girl/guy/it!
Never let a day go by without insulting a Jew...
Your Christ should be proud of you... If he is real? I hope he pees on your head....
What a stupid Philippino, knitting similarities where none exist
ReplyDeleteBut, Deuce will appreciate this, she did manage to slime Netanyahu by comparing him to Hitler.
Do you understand the concept of a rebuttal, a coherent well thought-out argument that reflects some thoughtful analysis, or are you fastened to your usual infantile ad hominem spit balls?
DeleteWhat a stupid Philippino, knitting similarities where none exist
ReplyDeleteBut, Deuce will appreciate this, she did manage to slime Netanyahu by comparing him to Hitler.
Hitler was much too smart to come to America, and diss the President in front of his own people.
ReplyDeleteThat's almost as dumb as insulting the Supreme Ct. in the State of the Union Address when you have your signature legislation coming in front of it.
ReplyDeleteChina Sees U.S. as Competitor and Declining Power, Insider Says:
ReplyDeleteThe United States is no longer seen as “that awesome, nor is it trustworthy, and its example to the world and admonitions to China should therefore be much discounted,” Mr. Wang writes of the general view of China’s leadership.
In contrast, China has mounting self-confidence in its own economic and military strides, particularly the closing power gap since the start of the Iraq war. In 2003, he argues, America’s gross domestic product was eight times as large as China’s, but today it is less than three times larger.
...
He does not address head on the far superior strength of the United States in military weaponry. But he notes that Beijing has developed advanced rocketry and space technology and sophisticated weapons systems without the “United States or the U.S.-led world order.”
I'm not sure that last statement is true.
Some pretty good comments.
Why are they being called neocons?
ReplyDeleteNothing new or conservative about any of them.
Had enough war yet? The Neocons think not.
ReplyDeleteHow about?
Had enough war yet? The Iranians think not.
N-E-W-S--F-L-A-S-H
ReplyDeleteRising gas prices and violent crime rates are more of a threat than Bibi Netanyahu.
HERE
ReplyDeleteis a good, and quite long, article about what a war with Iran might look like. There are so many variables and unknowns it is really hard to say.
Hillary is not a neocon, and neither is her husband, and they both have said Iran should not be allowed to get the bomb.
Obama is not a neocon, and he has said the same thing, but no one, and with good reason, believes a word he says.
xxx
I don't understand.
When did Hillary become a "NeoCon"?
I thought she said there was "a vast right wing conspiracy" out to get her.
A "neocon" is someone going to prison for the first time?
I've always thought she, or, well, at least her husband, should have been in prison, and I'm certain Obama should be in prison.
For a couple reasons, I like this quote from the article -
Delete"All this is subject to interpretation by experts employing various explicit or implicit models, the most prominent of which casts the regime as a “rational actor” that calculates risks and rewards like any Western state. In this model the highest goal is regime survival, a notion that doesn’t necessarily apply to the Iranian clerical regime. Clerics, even Christian ones from an earlier age, have been known to take their otherworldly prerogatives seriously."
This is good too -
DeleteThe second conclusion we should take from this discussion is that, in attacking Iran, we would be trading one set of risks for another. Any option we choose, even choosing not to choose, will have political as well as military-strategic consequences. As hard as it is to know the consequences of war, it is just as hard to know the consequences of a decision to “learn to live” with a nuclear-armed Iran. Both courses are fraught and logically open-ended. Thus the fear of potentially negative consequences from a war should not necessarily rule one out. Winston Churchill, reflecting on British policy before World War II, wrote:
If the circumstances are such as to warrant it, force may be used. And if this be so, it should be used under the conditions which are most favourable. There is no merit in putting off a war for a year if, when it comes, it is a far worse war or one much harder to win.17
One could rightly say that Bibi is really the master of US Mid-East Foreign Policy. In fact, there are so many Israeli dual-nationals in Washington, i.e., both Houses of Congress, the Pentagon, CIA, etc., that there is an "Israel First" policy for the US: Israel demands and America obliges. That seems wrong to me. Just saying...
ReplyDeleteJust saying...
DeleteYou are an asshole
Just saying...
Americans that love America and see the wisdom of supporting Israel are not "Israel 1sters" rather they are smart Americans
Just saying..
Thanks for making my point Mr. Israel. The American interest is too often and too greatly influenced by Israeli interest. You are the one trick hyphenated pony and on the wrong side of the hyphen with opinions which appear to move from opinionated to hysterical.. Just out of curiosity, will you be volunteering to join the IDF to do your good deeds?
DeleteWhat the hell is wrong with our Western Leaders? As an American, we have a Constitution to uphold and common sense must prevail in the Middle East. We can bow down to no country who forces us into their wars - and must pay attention to our allies without getting directly involved if they have religious wars going on. We have to avoid religious wars, for religious wars are unconstitutional. In Syria's case, military force must come with a declaration of war, and nothing less. We are not the world police or the puppet for any nation in the world. We are a peaceful folk, just don't anger us. Americans do not understand simple concepts like this and this is why they have been lead to the slaughter in illegal wars since the end of WWII.
ReplyDeleteDon't they know that were fed up with invading/interfering in other countrys, and wasting Billions. We have bigger problems at home.
We don't need anymore Bush, Obamas, vote the scumbags out.
To Ash's previous question regarding the Supremes committing Judicial Activism if they rule against Obamascare. Would it not be Judicial Activism if they deem the 2700 page mess unconstitutional and rule in favor of it anyway?
ReplyDeleteThat gate swings both ways.
ReplyDeleteOn Monday, a number of social media users suggested the government's own lack of transparency was to blame for the political rumors that prompted the crackdown.
ReplyDelete"All societies have rumors," wrote Ran Wang, chief executive of private investment bank China eCapital, who boasts 1.5 million followers on Sina Weibo. "There is a very simple question; I don't know whether it has been considered: Why are the United States, the U.K., Japan—and now even Taiwan and Hong Kong—not so afraid of rumors?"
Internet executive and former Google China chief Kai-Fu Lee responded on his Sina Weibo microblog with a joke written partially in English referencing the Chinese government's traditional reluctance to answer questions from reporters: "Foreign media: 'How will you harmonize the weibo?' Answer: 'No Comment.' And then there were no comments."
We’ve seen this breathtaking double standard before. When conservatives join a liberal ruling, they’re applauded for rising above their political leanings.
ReplyDelete...
If Obamacare is invalidated, we’ll hear far worse. Chief Justice John Roberts will be blamed for letting politics reign on the Court.
But hypocrisy this thick will crumble under its own weight. And if the Court does the right thing, America will be fully justified in rejoicing.
Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, said he would call Ms May and Charles Farr, head of the office of security and counter-terrorism at the Home Office.
ReplyDeleteThey would be asked to "answer questions as to how information-sharing in real time between internet service providers and GCHQ will operate and how it is different from what the Labour government suggested which was so strongly opposed by both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties".
Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, said he was "totally opposed" to the idea of governments reading people's emails at will. He said: "All we are doing is updating the rules which currently apply to mobile telephone calls to allow the police and security services to go after terrorists and serious criminals, and updating that to apply to technology like Skype."
If Obamscare fails to pass, 20 million poor people, mostly children, will die in the streets, according to Rufus, a self proclaimed neo liberal.
ReplyDeleteThey will all be dead within a week. 20 million of them. And that is the RufusTruth.
ReplyDeleteI scanned the news regarding the new poll the liberal news media conducted claiming women are falling in behind Obama instead of Romney. No where was it mentioned which "swing states" were polled. I suspect they were New York, California, RI, CT, and those few zip codes covering Boulder CO and Madison, WS. Swing states for sure.
ReplyDeleteI put a link up to the "USA Today/Gallup Poll."
ReplyDeleteThe Swing States were Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, N. Carolina, New Hampshire, Iowa, Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, and New Mexico.
USA Today/Gallup Poll
When my flight back to New York City landed late at night, there was a line out in the cold rain at the taxi dispatch stand. There were plenty of taxis lined up—the delay came when the dispatcher handed each passenger the government-issued piece of paper explaining the regulations and rates of taxi riding.
ReplyDeleteOn an ordinary night I would have had a flicker of annoyance at the way in which the state was slowing my way home. Maybe if we had more politicians in New York who were outspoken advocates of lower taxes and small government, we’d be better off.
Or maybe we’d just be something like Texas.
On this day in 1917, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany.
ReplyDelete"I want free birth control pills!" screamed the tatooed, multi pierced, pink haired, goth young woman at the Romney rally. "if you want free stuff, vote for the other guy." said Romney. I laughted my ass off.
ReplyDeleteIf enough numb idiots vote for Obama and he wins, thank God for term limits. I for one will be glad I live in the heartland. The break off areas will be in big trouble
Al Sharptongue's 'Trayvon March' fizzled deader than a dead hoodie.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how many votes Romney will get, but he won't get mine. No Republican will ever, again, get my vote from now until the day I die.
ReplyDeleteWE know that Rufus.
ReplyDeleteWe know that Rufus.
ReplyDeleteNot ever, ever again.
Kentucky up in the Final now. Wife is a big fan. Went to school there.
Thanks for reminding us AGAIN Rufus. I am sure you will tell us again tomorrow. Don't eat too much corn tonite. :-)
ReplyDeleteA mathematician, an accountant and an economist apply for the same
ReplyDeletejob.
The interviewer calls in the mathematician and asks "What do two plus two equal?" The mathematician replies "Four." The interviewer asks "Four, exactly?" The mathematician looks at the interviewer incredulously and says "Yes, four, exactly."
Then the interviewer calls in the accountant and asks the same question "What do two plus two equal?" The accountant says "On average, four - give or take ten percent, but on average, four."
Then the interviewer calls in the economist and poses the same question "What do two plus two equal?" The economist gets up, locks the door, closes the shade, sits down next to the interviewer and says "What do you want it to equal?"
Which three states have a deficit as percent of spending greater than California?
ReplyDeleteNevada
New Jersey
Texas
Which three states have the lowest total spending per capita?
Nevada
Florida
Texas
Which three states have the lowest health spending per capita?
Utah
Arizona
Georgia
followed by:
Idaho
Nevada
Texas
Idaho Klan leader Shaun Winkler announced he will run for Bonner County sheriff in May. Talk about hoodies.
ReplyDeleteA guy walks into a bar with a piano entertainer, sits down and orders a beer.
ReplyDeleteThe piano player's monkey soon jumps on the bar and urinates in the guy's beer.
The guy yells to the piano player, "Hey, do you know your monkey just peed in my beer?"
The piano player says, "No, but if you hum a few bars, I might remember it!"
No Republican will ever, again, get my vote from now until the day I die.
ReplyDeleteDepending on what I find when I cross over, I fully intend to haunt/stalk/scare the crap out of selected Republicans for as long as I can. What are they gonna do?
A little boy asks his dad: what’s between mom’s legs?
ReplyDeleteThe father answers: paradise, my son
The kid asks again: what’s between your legs?
The father replies: the key to the paradise
The son says: piece of advice dad,
change the lock, the neighbour has a duplicate key.
What's busting the state budgets?
ReplyDeleteTwo years ago, Medicaid eclipsed K-12 education as the most expensive item in state budgets. Since then, it has only kept growing. Medicaid now comprises 24 percent of state budgets, when federal funds are counted. That’s up from 22 percent last year, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers. The upward spiral seems to be continuing. Even as states get ready to write their budgets for fiscal year 2013, which starts in July in most states, half of them expect to be wrestling with Medicaid shortfalls in their 2012 budgets, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
How are health care expenses distributed?
The answer is not surprising. We know where the money is going. Who should pay is another matter.
Two "interesting" places to start would be prevention and criminal prosecution. Both have well established linkages to cost - and cost escalation.
"I view this as growing pains," said one Groupon investor who declined to be named. "This is like a high school kid who is a five-foot sophomore and becomes seven feet by the time he's a senior."
ReplyDeleteAt the heart of Groupon's most recent problem is something known as the "Groupon Promise" which allows customers to return one of its coupons. The company has no plans to change its policy, said a person familiar with the matter, since it uses it to compete with rivals like LivingSocial Inc.
...
Executives decided to hold off on filing their annual 10K financial report with the SEC until they could sort out what was going on, said this person. The deadline for the 10K was Friday, which is why Groupon filed at the last minute with the revision, this person added.
Imagination is important.
ReplyDeleteDo you know what your grocery store thinks about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Do you care? If you don’t, you’re probably not a member of the Park Slope Food Coop, located in a yuppie-hipster (yipster?) enclave in western Brooklyn. Coop members do care: For more than three years there has been a fierce debate about whether the member-owned-and-operated grocery should boycott Israeli products.
ReplyDelete...
The result of the vote was “No,” by a margin of 1,005 to 653. No to holding a referendum on joining the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, no to banning Israeli goods, no to grocery store foreign policy.
I guess sometimes reason does prevail, even in a place that sells vegan marshmallows.
Miss T must be corrected: Winkler is running in the Republican primary. The Idaho Republican Party has apologized to all for this but really had no way to keep him off the ballot. The chance he will be the nominee is zero.
ReplyDeletexxxxx
Obama/RufusCare is doomed, doomed, and here is why--Americans LIKE freedom of choice, and Obama/RufusCare takes it away.
April 2, 2012
Even If It Survives the Court, the Health Care Law Is Doomed
By Scott Rasmussen
Media coverage now implies that the U.S. Supreme Court will determine the fate of President Obama's health care law. But nothing the court decides will keep the law alive for more than a brief period of time.
There are three ways the health care law could meet its end. The first, obviously, is the Supreme Court could declare some or all of it unconstitutional in June.
If it gets past that hurdle, the law also could be ended by Election 2012. If a Republican president is elected, the GOP will almost certainly also win control of the Senate and retain control of the House. While the details might take time, a Republican sweep in November would ultimately end the Obama experiment.
But even if the law survives the Supreme Court and the next election, the clock will be ticking. Recent estimates suggest that the law would cause 11 million people to lose their employer-provided insurance and be forced onto a government-backed insurance plan. That's a problem because 77 percent of those who now have insurance rate their current coverage as good or excellent. Only 3 percent rate their coverage as poor. For most of the 11 million forced to change their insurance coverage then, it will be received as bad news and create a pool of vocally unhappy voters.
Additionally, the cost estimates for funding the program are likely to keep going up. Eighty-one percent of voters expect it to cost more than projected, and recent Congressional Budget Office estimates indicate voters are probably right. But it's not the narrow specifics and cost estimates that guarantee the ultimate demise of the president's health care plan. It's the fact that the law runs contrary to basic American values and perceptions.
This, then, is the third hurdle the law faces: Individual Americans recognize that they have more power as consumers than they do as voters. Their choices in a free market give them more control over the economic world than choosing one politician or another.
Seventy-six percent think they should have the right to choose between expensive insurance plans with low deductibles and low-cost plans with higher deductibles. A similar majority believes everyone should be allowed to choose between expensive plans that cover just about every imaginable medical procedure and lower-cost plans that cover a smaller number of procedures. All such choices would be banned under the current health care law.
Americans want to be empowered as health care consumers. Eighty-two percent believe that if an employer pays for health insurance, the worker should be able to use that money and select an insurance product that meets his or her individual needs. If the plan they select costs less than the company plan, most believe the worker should get to keep the change.
It's not just the idea of making the choice that drives these numbers, it's the belief held by most Americans that competition will do more than government regulation to reduce the cost of health care. For something as fundamental as medical care, government policy must be consistent with deeply held American values. That's why an approach that increases consumer choice has solid support and a plan that relies on mandates and trusting the government cannot survive.
Lord Parkinson also dispelled one of the myths of the war, that Britain relied heavily on surveillance from US satellites. The system was so slow that the US only supplied the photographs of the Argentine navy back in port the day after the conflict ended.
ReplyDeleteHis disclosure that Britain received vital intelligence reports directly from Chile explains why Lady Thatcher supported General Pinochet when he was arrested in Britain for alleged war crimes, when he later came for treatment in a private London clinic. She said at the time that Britain owed a debt of gratitude to the Chilean leader for helping it win the war.
It became known later that General Pinochet had permitted a secret SAS surveillance team to use a long-range radar facility in Chile to monitor movements by the Argentine air force from its Comodoro Rivadavia air base – but until now, it was not known that Lady Thatcher was also supplied by the Pinochet regime with more vital raw intercept data revealing the orders to the Argentine commanders in action around the Falklands. The Cabinet records, which may confirm these details, are not due to be released under the 30-year secrecy rule until December.