COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Thursday, August 29, 2013

2135: UK Prime Minister David Cameron tells MPs: "It's clear to me that the British parliament and the British people do not wish to see military action; I get that, and I will act accordingly." 2133: The UK government has lost the vote on Syria by 285 votes to 272.

Syrian Girl:



OOps, The Slamdunk Muthfukas and the Redline Muthafukas must be having a pagination error with their scripts.



Not a ‘slam dunk’: US intelligence can’t prove Assad used chemical weapons
Published time: August 29, 2013 15:45
RT

Only days after the White House suggested it was all but certain Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons to gas hundreds of civilians, United States intelligence officials briefed on the situation say the evidence isn’t all there.
Despite recent remarks from US President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry and other top administration officials, sources within the intelligence community are disputing the certainty that Assad ordered the use of chemical gas last week on innocent civilians outside of Damascus, Syria.
Four US officials — including one senior member of the intelligence community — told the Associated Press this week that there’s confusion over where the reported chemical warheads are currently being held and who exactly possesses them. Citing a lapse in both signals and human intelligence reports, the officials all told the AP on condition of anonymity that US and allied spies “have lost track of who controls some of the country's chemical weapons supplies,” according to reporters Kimberly Dozier and Matt Apuzzo.
Multiple officials, the AP reported Thursday morning, used the phrase “not a slam dunk” to discuss the credibility of intelligence linking chemical weapon use directly to Pres. Assad. In 2002, then-Central Intelligence Agency Director George Tenet infamously said Washington scored a “slam dunk” with regards to confirming Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. Now more than a decade down the road, US officials hesitant to rush off to war are again questioning the credibility of the White House’s own report.
According to an Office of the Director for National Intelligence report cited by the AP, the evidence against Syria “is thick with caveats” and contains gaps that are getting in the way of putting the chemical weapon use directly in the hands of Assad.
But Carney, the administration’s press secretary, said earlier this week that the White House “established with a high degree of confidence that the Syria regime has used chemical weapons already in this conflict.”
It is our firm conviction that the Assad regime is responsible” for gassing civilians on August 21, Carney added. “Logic dictates that conclusion, as well as the hard facts. And the president is working with his national security team to evaluate the options available to him to respond, as well as consulting with international allies and consulting with members of Congress.”
Those remarks echoed a statement made by Sec. Kerry this week as well in which he said the White House was certain Assad’s regime maintains custody of the chemical weapons used, and that the regime “has been determined to clear the opposition from those very places where the attacks took place.”
Kerry fell short of directly saying Assad ordered the attack, but Pres. Obama made that allegation during an interview with PBS’ NewsHour on Wednesday. 

"We have concluded that the Syrian government in fact carried these out," Obama said of the assault. "And if that's so, then there need to be international consequences."
Earlier this week, Foreign Policy reporter Noah Shachtman wrote that the US intelligence community recently intercepted conversations in Syria that suggested the Aug. 21 assault could have been not necessarily ordered by Assad, but perhaps “the work of a Syrian officer overstepping his bounds.”
"It's unclear where control lies," one US intelligence official told Foreign Policy. "Is there just some sort of general blessing to use these things? Or are there explicit orders for each attack?"
"We don't know exactly why it happened," the official added. "We just know it was pretty fucking stupid."
Pres. Obama is briefing members of Congress on the Syrian situation on Thursday using conclusions made by US intelligence, after which a declassified report is expected to be released to the public.

61 comments:

  1. Actually, I had a video of Janet Napolitano having lunch with Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar that I was going to share with you. I’ll reschedule it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What she wearing a mohawk and have tattoos and did she have a shirt that said "GIRL CRAZY" ?

      Delete
  2. I do recall commenting that John Kerry was almost pretty sure.

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    1. All part of the dither.

      Intentional noise, signifies not much at all.

      No talk of Egypt, not a shot fired.
      The UK, will the vote sffect US access to their base in Cyprus?

      Much ado, about not much at all

      Delete
  3. Yesterday we were told that it was too late to rage against the machine. It was unstoppable.

    Then I saw the President with the info babes who looked perplexed.

    Ok Barack, we all shoot our mouth off, fuck em if they can’t take a joke.

    Relax.

    Have a couple of cold ones and just forget it. Be creative.

    Get one of the cooler secret service guys to get you some confiscated
    good shit, roll a big doobie and follow with a Camel menthol. You be fine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think he prefers a champagne cocktail or some Yak.

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    2. Have some Molly by golly.

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    3. WiO's gonna shit, because this means the President won't help the IDF take out the Iranian centrifuges either.

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    4. Obama saw J McCain, then decided to pull the rug out from under his 'Obama said...'

      What 'they' say is meaningless ...
      It's all in what they do, or don't, that matters.

      Let's the GOP climb out on the War Party limb, then Obama dithers, does much of nothing. Leaves McCain and the GOP sputtering, calling for action, in the face of unfavorable public opinion.

      When Obama 'Got the Facts' he stands down, not a prisoner of his own rhetoric or ego.

      Plays well in Peoria, it does

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    5. .

      Good lord, rat, get serious.

      .

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    6. Why?

      It is not a serious issue.

      Whether or not the US fires off a dozen cruise missiles ...

      Runs strong to not.

      Even if the US does, it will be a repeat of Reagan in Lebanon. Fire a few salvoss and sail away.
      Scenes we've all seen before.

      It is all about the dither, Q

      Delete
    7. Now Obama can say he, like Colin Powell, was misinformed by the 'Intelligence' community.

      He can move, dribble, pass or shoot.

      The policy is to buy time, B2's could have hit Syria and been back home in the time it takes the boats to form the 'Black Fleet'

      Delete
    8. .

      Geez, rat, your credulity amazes.

      Of course, Mr. Dithers dithers. It's what he does.

      But dithering isn't what got him into trouble this time, it was his big mouth an lack of any idea of what consequences might flow from them.

      Yet, you tell us we are where we are today due to Obama' brilliance. Right.

      Rat's view of Obama:

      http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/president-reagan-mastermind/n9509/

      .

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    9. Not Obama's brilliance, except in changing the subject.

      Not a word abouut Egypt, that issue has faded away.

      I would say it was well done, changing the noise

      Delete
  4. The Syrian Regime stockpiled the weapons. They 'own' the suckers and are responsible for their deployment regardless of whether Assad placed the order or not. It was their gas thus their responsibility.

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    1. .

      And will you be signing up with the Canadian contingent of the 'coalition of the willing'?

      Oh, wait, that's right, there won't be a Canadian contingent.


      :)


      .

      Delete
    2. Damn fucking straight, Ash-O!

      The fuckers own the suckers.

      Ownership is 9/10ths of the law!

      Delete
    3. Damn straight Quirk - we'll leave playing cop to you Americans who relish the role (and the costs and the consequences :o )

      Delete
    4. I'll put up $100 towards your equipment costs and air fare when you join al-Qaeda, Ash.

      Those suckers are owned by those Assad fuckers.

      This can't stand!

      Delete
    5. Agrgh, I knew it, all talk and no enlistment.

      Delete
    6. All a bunch of Canadian prancing, when it comes down to it they pass up the dancing.

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    7. Looks like in Syria we go it alone in the 'Coalition of the Only One Willing', supported by 9% of the American population, and one Crazy President.

      Delete
    8. Maybe the Canadians can provide some Molsons so Assad and Obama can have a beer summit. Do Alawites drink?

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    9. Bobbo: Looks like in Syria we go it alone in the 'Coalition of the Only One Willing', supported by 9% of the American population, and one Crazy President.

      And don't forget the all-important J Street Lobby.

      Delete
  5. Defense Secretary Philip Hammond confirmed that British forces would not be involved in any potential strike, something he said would doubtless upset Washington — and please Assad.

    "It is certainly going to place some strain on the special relationship," Hammond told BBC radio. "The Americans do understand the parliamentary process that we have to go through....

    Common sense must tell us that the Assad regime is going to be a little bit less uncomfortable tonight as a result of this decision in Parliament."

    ReplyDelete


  6. Paddy and Mick were walking along a street in London.

    Paddy looked in one of the shop windows and saw a sign that caught his eye.


    The sign read, "Suits £5.00 each, Shirts £2.00 each, Trousers £2.50 per pair".


    Paddy said to his pal, "Mick look at the prices! We could buy a whole lot of those and when we get back to Ireland we could make a fortune. Now when we go in you stay quiet, okay? Let me do all da talking 'cause if they hear our accents, they might think we're thicko's from Ireland and try to screw us. I'll put on me best English accent."


    "Roight y'are Paddy, I'll keep me mouth shut, so I will. You do all da business" said Mick.

    They go in and Paddy said in a posh voice, "Hello my good man. I'll take 50 suits at £5.00 each, 100 shirts at £2.00 each, and 50 pairs of trousers at £2.50 each. I'll back up me truck ready to load 'em on, so I will."

    The owner of the shop said quietly, "You're from Ireland, aren't you?"

    "Well yes," said a surprised Paddy. "What gave it away?"

    The owner replied, "This is a dry-cleaners."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How do you catch an Irishman while he is drinking water?

      Slam the toilet seat on his head.

      Delete
    2. How do we know Adam and Eve were Irish? Adam looked down at Eve and said, "Oh, Hair!" Eve looked back and said, "Oh, tool!"

      Delete
  7. On this day in 1966, the Beatles played their last concert. The performance was held at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After that they started using the studio itself as an instrument, all for the Benefit of Mr. Kite.

      Delete
    2. This day in 1966 was a hushed holy sacred blessed day.

      The concert nightmare was over.

      Delete
    3. The boys couldn't even hear themselves think, let alone play. You know how fourteen year old girls are.

      Delete
  8. SUNNY COMES OUT AGAINST SYRIAN INTERVENTION BY US OF A!!!!

    http://houseofsunny.tv/2013/08/29/sunny-tv-news-episode-4-is-out/

    'bunch of medieval motherfuckers'

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amend that to:

      'mindless medieval motherfuckers fighting mindless medieval motherfuckers'

      sorry

      Delete
    2. Careless Carousing Camelfuckers

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    3. Dangerous Degenerate DNA Damaged Dicks

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  9. Obama Armada adds additional ship making five sailing on to folly.

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  10. Great Black Fleet indeed.

    It really is possible that O'blunder, to assuage his vanity, may touch off a major war here. If Syria or Iran should retaliate against Israel, as they say they will do, Israel will respond in a big way. Israel might well use the occasion to attack Iran and its nuclear weapons programs. The Israeli response to rockets from Iran and/or Syria is unlikely to be 'proportional'. Not a little tit for tat.

    A "Guns of August" or Guns of September scenario is not out of the question.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Tzipi" Livni is not the Prime Minister.

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    2. Guns of August scenario? Syria? Who are they going to mobilize, when they got a hot war going on along the home front? Iran could close the Strait of Hormuz, sure, but that will just hurt the Arab League (that shot down the idea of retaliating against Assad), Europe (same thing), and China.

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    3. Iran is making bluster about missiles to Israel. Syria the same. Missiles to Israel might mean nuclear missiles to Iran. They are not going to just sit there and take that. They don't have to mobilize much of anybody. The ghetto is now nuclear armed and Livni is not Prime Minister.

      Delete
    4. this entire affair in syria shows why Israel will not ask for anyone to defend it's self

      America? the Europeans?

      If, as we speak, the arabs had seized control of 1/2 of Israel, executing let's say 11,000 a month for a year? Not a single nation would do anything to stop the slaughter.

      Delete
    5. Do you really believe that Israel would commit a suicide pact and use nuclear weapons?

      Delete

    6. Re: Do you really believe that Israel would commit a suicide pact and use nuclear weapons?

      Do you seriously believe there is a difference between genocide and genocide?

      Since you have clearly not gotten the memo, "Never again!"

      Delete
  11. A lot of the Washington swells think Obama's going, anyway.

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    1. I think they are right.

      A swelled head, a massive ego, is one type of tragic flaw.

      Nemesis reigns.

      Retributive justice is one of her names.

      If I played stocks I would have been looking how to possibly make some money out of this situation.

      Delete
  12. Another Neo-Con S.O.B. who thinks going into Syria is folly is John Bolton.

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  13. If Obama does go after all this, he needs a psychiatrist.

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  14. Russia withdrawing personnel from Syrian naval base.

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  15. .

    Hell hath no fury like a warmonger scorned.

    From the Daily Beast,


    Embarrassed by his failure, Cameron’s team lashed out at opponents of the intervention. A government source told The Times of London that Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, was “a f*****• c**• and a copper-bottomed s***” for withdrawing support for military action.


    Liberals across the MSM still demand the US attack Syria and, though they have been calling for US 'action' for two years, most of our 'allies' seem to be folding like cheap suits. The UK, France, Italy, Canada, the Arab League, Germany. Haven't heard where Turkey stands but Erdogen is probably looking for anything that will get the spotlight off his own domestic problems. Italy has refused to allow its airspace be used for any military action. Most countries are saying they need the UN to approve any action before they will discuss it, and empty gesture when everyone knows the Security Council will never approve it.

    .

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  16. .

    Droppings from the liberal mind.

    You are a bad person if you send your children to private school. Not bad like murderer bad—but bad like ruining-one-of-our-nation’s-most-essential-institutions-in-order-to-get-what’s-best-for-your-kid bad. So, pretty bad.

    From Slate,

    http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/08/private_school_vs_public_school_only_bad_people_send_their_kids_to_private.html

    .

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  17. Tensions were high in some parts of the city that are home to several military and security facilities. At one busy intersection, a soldier was seen shouting and firing his weapon in the air to disperse a traffic jam.

    Later on Thursday, regime supporters drove around the city honking horns and waving large Syrian flags from their vehicles as show of support for Mr. Assad against what they see as a foreign invasion.

    Some flags were emblazoned with a portrait of the president. A popular patriotic song, "Assad You Are Loved by Millions" blared from some car stereos.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Every day is an Israeli first day

    Israeli Lobby Looks to 2008 Law To Justify Request for More US Aid
    by Mitchell Plitnick, August 29, 2013


    Israel and its domestic U.S. lobby are already in the early stages of the next 10-year aid package, which would not go into effect until 2017 and will be the first since Congress passed the Naval Vessel Transfer Act of 2008, which requires in part that US military aid to Israel ensure that Israel maintains its “Qualitative Military Edge” (QME) over any combination of states and non-state actors.

    QME has long been an understood negotiating principle between the United States and Israel, but now that it has been made law, the president is required to report to Congress every four years on Israel’s QME.

    That requirement could be an important tool in the lobbying effort around renewing US military aid to Israel, for while that aid is as certain as anything can be in Washington, increasing it currently faces some new obstacles.

    “We’re looking at a holistic Mideastern picture, which includes growth of missile arsenals in Lebanon and Gaza,” Michael Oren, the outgoing Israeli Ambassador to the United States, told Defense News. He also pointed to the situations in the Sinai and Syria.

    Israel does not oppose US arms sales to “moderate” Arab states but insists that these sales be offset by higher quality sales to Israel. “If America doesn’t sell these weapons, others will,” Oren said. “We also understand the fact that each of these sales contributes to hundreds or thousands of American jobs. And we have an interest in a strong and vital American economy.”

    Yet the fact that the US economy remains depressed and its recovery slow has already affected aid to Israel. The sequester, or mandatory budget cuts effective earlier this year, sparked debate within pro-Israel lobbying groups about whether to push for Israel’s aid package to be exempted from the cuts.

    The debate highlighted the concern American pro-Israel groups feel about balancing their mission to advocate for a foreign country while not wishing to appear more concerned for that country than their own.

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  19. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll has finally found something that Americans like even less than Congress: the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Syria. Only 9 percent of respondents said that the Obama administration should intervene militarily in Syria; a RealClearPolitics poll average finds Congress has a 15 percent approval rating, making the country’s most hated political body almost twice as popular.

    The Reuters/Ipsos poll was taken Aug.19-23, the very same week that horrific reports emerged strongly suggesting that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has used chemical weapons against his own people, potentially killing hundreds or even thousands of civilians. If there were ever a time that Americans would support some sort of action, you’d think this would be it. But this is the lowest support for intervention since the poll began tracking opinion on the issue. The survey also found that 60 percent oppose intervention outright, with the rest, perhaps sagely, saying that they don’t know.

    Strangely, 25 percent said that they support intervention if Assad uses chemical weapons. I say strangely because the United States announced way back in June that it believed Assad had done exactly this. A large share of people who answered that the United States should intervene if Assad uses chemical weapons are apparently unaware that this line has already been crossed. Presumably, some number of these people would drop their support if they realized the question was no longer hypothetical.

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  20. "Liberals across the MSM still demand the US attack Syria and, though they have been calling for US 'action' for two years, most of our 'allies' seem to be folding like cheap suits."

    Quirk

    Hey, just a moment here. This can't be right. LIBERALS still demand the US attack Syria?

    I thought this was a Neo-Con con, that's what I've been reading here everyday.

    Quirk, are you on that drank and molly sauce again?

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    Replies
    1. Good Lord! Quirk may be right - it may be a liberal war acoming --


      >>>>The liberal case for President Obama to strike the Syrian regime


      Michael Cohen
      theguardian.com, Thursday 29 August 2013 11.45 EDT

      Taking action against Assad will help to further deter others from using chemical weapons or violating international law<<<<

      http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/29/liberal-case-for-striking-syria

      Delete
    2. This would mean it's actually the LIBERALS here like Ash and Rufus who voted for Dumb-Bo and still support him now who are behind this folly, and not the paleolithic neo-cons like, say, Doug and Bob.

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    3. The scales fall from the eyes as the mind rises to enlightenment.

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