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."

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Iran



105 comments:

  1. Is this Iran's Mikhail Gorbachev?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When a twitter follower, responding to the Defense Minister's "Happy Rosh Hoshanah" tweet, tweeted back, "okay, but why doesn't your government quit denying the holocaust," the Defense Minister tweeted

      "Our Government doesn't deny the holocaust; there was a guy, here, that did, but he's Gone, Now."

      Delete
    2. This could get Really interesting.

      Delete
    3. Iran aint going to change. That's why they have supported the murder of over 100,000 syrians.

      To think otherwise?

      delusional

      Delete
    4. tell ya what, when the top Islamic cleric in the Iranian Islamic Republic FLYS to israel, go to jerusalem and standing on the Temple Mount announce that Jews have JUST as much rights to Jerusalem and the West Bank as do the Arabs I will be impressed. Til then he's a racist.

      Delete
    5. What proof have we seen of the militarization of a nuclear program? All I’ve heard is bluster from the US and Israel. Nobody has any evidence that Iran has a nuclear weapons program. Israel wants a war between US and Iran. They will throw a fit, Netanyahu will unleash his army of AIPAC lobbyist onto the US congress to make sure any deal will be scuttled before it is even negotiated.

      Delete
    6. What proof do you have that Iran accepts ALL nations of the UN as members INCLUDING Israel?

      Iran has diverted BILLIONS of dollars to it's nuke program, has been caught hiding and lying time after time about what it is and is not doing, inviolation of the treaty it has SIGNED, NPT.

      As signors, they got benefits and requirements.

      They have lied and cheated.

      Let's see them bring to the table a plan for peace, not with the arabs or palestinians, but a peace plan with Israel.

      Delete
  2. The last major action of the Iranian government was shooting down Iranian people on the streets.

    Delusions.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The last major action of the US against Iran was shooting down a civilian commercial jet liner

      To think the US should be considered less a terrorist than Osama Bin Laden, delusional

      Delete
  3. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said that before the U.S. engages the new Iranian government, officials should, in consultation with the Israelis, quietly propose several steps Tehran would have to take before direct U.S.-Iran negotiations could take place.

    "If I were President Obama I wouldn't elevate this guy until I had a good reason to do so. He'd have to show me something other than words and releasing a few prisoners," Mr. Graham said.

    "The president would make a huge mistake if he started talking to the Iranian regime without something verifiable."

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  4. This guy is the President of Iran, and he has the backing of Ayatolla Khameini.

    There are some of us that think Obama would be nuts not to sit down with him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Of course we should talk to them. Right now, the US gets played and manipulated by the Saudis and the Israelis. The US has nothing to lose by talking with Iran.

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    2. Any bets on which of the two gets more hysterical when it happens?

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    3. America has talked to Iran for years.

      they stall and spin more uranium, we pat ourselves on the back and tell ourselves we are "doing" something.

      But the only people being fooled? You and our leaders.

      The arab world? is shitting their pants.

      The Israelis? See the appeasement from Obama (and Bush) and understand that the Iranians are not going to be stopped because folks like Obama, kerry and Hagel say "pretty please"

      YOu call Israel "enemy" and embrace Iran as a natural ally.

      You're delusional

      Delete
    4. The delusion is thinking Israel is an ally of the US.

      The delusion is claiming Israel is democratic

      The delusion is thinking Israel is a 'Western' nation

      The delusion is claiming Israel is not a shitty little country that the US has an obligation to 'consult'

      Delete
  5. Replies
    1. Ken Norton, a Championship Fighter Who Broke Ali's Jaw, Is Dead at 70
      New York Times

      Mr. Norton fought three memorable fights with Muhammad Ali and went on to become the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion.

      Delete
  6. Where was Obama when the Iranians were being shot down on the streets?

    He could have at least SAID something.

    All this talk about talks is just more talks.

    Obama might show up though. He loves that limelight.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Obama was in the US.

      Why did the US shoot down a civilian airliner and not prosecute the man responsible for the mass murder?

      The Israeli lie, cheat and kill US citizens that stand in their way

      Delete
  7. TEHRAN — On the eve of a visit by Iran’s moderate president, Hassan Rouhani, to the United States, the Iranian authorities on Wednesday unexpectedly freed 11 of Iran’s most prominent political prisoners, including Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human rights lawyer.

    Analysts said the prisoner release was a significant step in Mr. Rouhani’s efforts to repair Iran’s relationship with the West, mired in a dispute over Iran’s nuclear program and criticism of its human rights policies. His visit to New York to attend the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly is part of a diplomatic offensive he began after his election in June.

    Ms. Sotoudeh was serving six years in prison for endangering national security and misusing her profession as a lawyer. In a telephone interview after her release, she said: “I don’t know why they released me. I don’t know under what legal basis they released me. But I am free.”

    Her husband, Reza Khandan, said: “I just drove her home. My wife is freed.”

    Of the prisoners freed on Wednesday, eight are women and three are men. They include a journalist, Mahsa Amrabadi, whose husband and fellow journalist, Masoud Bastani, remains in prison. Some of them were taking part in Iran’s prison leave system, in which some prisoners are allowed to live at home but remain under the threat of imprisonment if they cross the authorities. But dozens of people remain in prison, especially those who have been sentenced for their roles in an antigovernment protest after the disputed 2009 election results.

    Mr. Rouhani is scheduled to speak next Tuesday before the General Assembly, where he is expected to portray an Iran ready to engage with the West.

    Analysts said the prisoner release could soften some of the criticisms over Iran’s human rights policies and allow for Mr. Rouhani to focus on finding a diplomatic solution to the standoff over Iran’s disputed nuclear program.

    “Clearly these releases are related to Mr. Rouhani’s trip to New York,” said Farshad Ghorbanpour, a political analyst close to the new president. “Iran wants to make a good impression on the eve of his trip.”

    The release of Ms. Sotoudeh, 50, is especially significant. For a long time, she was the only lawyer in Iran taking on high-profile cases, defending children, activists and minorities. Unlike some activists, Ms. Sotoudeh never chose to leave Iran, despite constant pressure on her by Iran’s intelligence services, which arrested her in 2010. In addition to her jail sentence, she had been banned from practicing law for 20 years; it was unclear Wednesday whether the ban had been lifted.

    In his annual message for Iranian New Year in 2011, President Obama specifically singled out Ms. Sotoudeh. “We have seen Nasrin Sotoudeh jailed for defending human rights,” he said.

    Iranian officials deny that there are any political prisoners in Iran, saying that all those behind bars have been tried according to the country’s laws.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They didnt release the Americans they are still holding did they?

      iran takes hostages and then releases them to make themselves look humane...

      broken record and gullible folks with memories of just a few years dont see how they are being played..

      Delete
    2. The Israeli released Rachel Corrie ...

      Well, they released the body.

      Delete
    3. The Israeli would have eventually released Furkan Dogan, US citizen, but they killed him instead.

      Delete
  8. Netanyahu to Focus on Iranian Nuclear Threat at U.N.
    By JODI RUDOREN

    Published: September 17, 2013

    JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said Tuesday that he would focus on halting Iran’s nuclear program in a meeting with President Obama in Washington at the end of the month and in his annual speech before the United Nations General Assembly, using the Syria situation to increase pressure for a “credible military threat.”
    ------

    Obama should tell Netanyahu, “Don’t even think about it.”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Israel is it's own nation.

      Obama is only allowed to destroy one nation at a time. When Obama is elected president of the world? then maybe Israel should listen.

      Meanwhile America is embracing it's appeasement profile.

      Not to worry Iran will help murder millions using bullets and bombs..

      Delete
    2. Israel is a ward of the United states

      It is a shitty little country.

      So said our oldest and best of allies, in France

      Delete
  9. Netanyahu’s deceptive tactics obscure strategic success
    Rather than being bad news for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Iranian strategy, the agreement to disarm Syria of its chemical weapons is proof of its success.


    By Avi Shilon | Sep. 18, 2013 | 2:15 AM |

    The prevailing argument regarding the U.S.-Russian agreement to disarm Syria of its chemical weapons is that it's a bad development, even a failure, for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Iranian strategy. Since Israel behaved as though it was hoping for a U.S. attack – both behind the scenes and in the dissemination of reports to the effect that Military Intelligence had intercepted conversations confirming that Syrian President Bashar Assad had deliberately used chemical weapons – the natural conclusion is that the cancellation of the operation is a blow to Israeli policy. A policy that hoped that an attack would send a signal to Iran and undermine its ally.

    Even Netanyahu's "If I am not for myself, then who will be for me" speeches early in the week and anonymous statements by ministers reinforce the sense of Israeli disappointment. And in fact, Iran is presumably watching the behavior of U.S. President Barack Obama and concluding that it won't be attacked either. Netanyahu therefore remains alone. It is tempting to mock him, as many are doing.

    This point of view confuses the prime minister's tactics and his strategy, which is now in its optimal and most promising stage. The truth is that Israel, in contradiction to Netanyahu's belligerent declarations, does not want to attack Iran, not alone and not with the help of the United States. That is a last option, whose effectiveness is not guaranteed, even in the opinion of those who favor a military strike. Israel – also in contradiction to Netanyahu's declarations - does not really fear a second Holocaust, but rather the very fact that Iran possesses nuclear weapons, which weakens Israel strategically and is liable to cause the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

    In order to prevent that, Netanyahu is threatening an attack. In order to strengthen the threat, he is using the card of Holocaust awareness. That, in effect, is a deceptive tactic: to create a sense of horrifying danger to the country, which will require the U.S. to defend its ally, or require Israel to embark on a preventive action.

    The strategic objective is different: to carry out in Iran what will happen in Syria. Because it's clear to everyone that Iran's nuclear program, like the chemical weapons in Syria, cannot be destroyed completely in a military attack. The disarmament agreement in Syria produces a result more effective than any bomb – even if it is not implemented in its entirety. Netanyahu is now at the peak of implementing his strategy – precisely because of the reasons that ostensibly prove that it is weakening.

    Nore does the fact that Russia prevented an attack prove the other side of the coin. In effect, Russian President Vladimir Putin has joined the effort against non-conventional weapons. Since Russia’s status in the world has been strengthened as a result of the agreement, it is likely to join a similar move against Iran. Because even Russia is not interested in the proliferation of non-conventional weapons, but in strengthening its diplomatic power.

    In addition, Obama's foot-dragging before the attack also reinforces the threat against Iran. Had the U.S. attacked in Syria - after the tiring process leading up to a vote in Congress and in light of the collapse of his international support – we can reasonably assume that the administration would have been too exhausted to embark on another campaign. In Iran, they are probably concluding that Obama can't threaten twice and give in both times. Next time, he'll shoot. That is why the chances that Iran is willing to compromise have increased.
    {…]

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Newsflash, scores in iraq, syria, Egypt, yemen, libya and lebanon were killed last night, not news.

      Delete
    2. Newsflash, the Israeli murdered 20,000 Jews in 2012, as reported by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

      Oh ...
      Wait one ...

      The Israeli have been doing that every year of the 21st Century...

      The mass murder is endemic to Israel.

      It may be the water.

      Delete

  10. {…}

    The trap in which Netanyahu finds himself lies in his inability to boast of an achievement. If he declares that he is satisfied, he will lose, He must continue to threaten, and through his ministers to convey ostensible disappointment in the Americans. If the cooperation with the U.S. administration continues to be conducted clandestinely, until in the end Iraq's nuclear projects are dismantled, the newspapers will continue to mock Netanyahu's lack of proportion in connection with the Iranian threat – but historians will judge his Iranian policy positively

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The trap?

      iran is building more and more nuclear instillations for processing uranium and plutonium, not to build one bomb, but to have the ability to get right up to the break out point with the components to make 16-25 bombs.

      Yeah Iran has no intention of building a wmd. that's why they divert billions and billions of dollars, time and energy to create hundreds of nuclear instillations to spin, collect, test missiles, warheads uranium AND plutonium stockpiles.

      Yeah... Right...

      Delete
    2. If the Iranians had any intention of building a bomb, they'd have been nuked up in 1998.
      That is when Bibi wrote that they'd have the capability to build one on their own.

      They did not build one in 1998, when according to Bibi they could have.
      They did not build one in 2002, when according to Bibi they could have.
      They did not build one in 2006, when according to Bibi they could have.
      They did not build one in 2012, when according to Bibi they could have.

      Now the Israeli says they are going to build dozens of them ...
      ... someday.

      The Iranians are really building nuclear reactors, to generate electricity.
      The Iranians are going to go into the nuclear fuel business.
      The Iranians have clients ready in Venezuela and Nicaragua.

      Capitalism rules!

      Delete
  11. “Heroic Flexibility Different from Retreat”, Says Analyst
    Tasnim

    Wednesday, September 18, 2013
    Document Type: OSC Transcribed Text

    TEHRAN (Tasnim) An analyst says Iran’s new administration has adopted a new approach in its foreign policy and is after improvement of ties with the West, but that this changed tack should not be confused with a retreat from the principles of the Islamic Revolution.

    The heroic flexibility approach in diplomacy does not mean retreating from the known paradigms of the Islamic Revolution, but means artistic diplomacy in dealing with the existing situations, Hassan Hanizadeh said of the latest remarks by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.

    Hanizadeh also added that the Leader has valuable experiences in various fields, and that the new administration can take advantage of such experiences in dealing with other countries.
    Ayatollah Khamenei stated on Tuesday that he approved of the policy of “heroic flexibility” in dealing with other countries.
    Addressing a gathering of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) commanders and veterans here in Tehran on Tuesday, the Leader said that he endorses wise and correct measures in domestic and foreign policies, adding, “I agree with what I called a few years ago ‘heroic flexibility’ because this move is very good on some occasions and is necessary, but only with commitment to a main condition.”

    The main condition is to thoroughly understand the nature of the other side and its objectives, the Leader added.

    Hanizadeh said given the current situations, the administration of President Rouhani wants to improve ties with the West — which is quite different from the approach of the previous government — and settle the problems through dialogue and interaction.

    The heroic flexibility approach can have positive economic results for the country and help ease western sanctions against Iran, Hanizadeh concluded.

    (Description of Source: Tehran Tasnim in Persian — Conservative news agency; http://tasnimnews.com)

    ReplyDelete
  12. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LU-7Vcs-QE
    Remember Neda?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We should remember Rachel Corrie.

      She was one of US, murdered by the Israeli when she stood in their way.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3JI-axaRF4

      Delete
  13. We should all be for "the heroic flexibility approach".

    Quirk over at ComicsRUs has always used this approach when plea bargaining.

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  14. http://houseofsunny.tv/2013/09/18/breaking-sunny-sells-out-to-corporate-interests/

    Even Sunny has sold out to corporate interests.

    Probably that bastard Lester.

    She probably rationalizes as the heroic flexibility approach.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I heard somewhere, yesterday, that Iran has not enriched any uranium beyond the 20% level, and that half of that has been processed into Fuel Rods.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Doyle's?

      Meanwhile John McCain has heard that Syria has a high literacy rate, and can be trusted.

      Delete
    2. Maybe you saw it on a cartoon from Quirk's ComicsRUs.

      Delete
    3. Just joking.

      I think you dreamed it.

      Delete
    4. Did you read that Iran has increased it's stock pile by 500% in the last 5 years?

      leaving enough for a dozen bombs?

      Delete
    5. "I heard somewhere, yesterday...."

      Voices in the head?

      Delete
    6. Iran needs enough fuel rods to build 22 reactors to geenerate electricity. General Electric was going to sell those reactors to them.
      Dick Cheney approved it, the Iranians require the electrical capacity.
      The Iranians decided, rightfully, that dependency on foreign sources was detrimental to their national interests and independence.
      They will become nuclear self-sufficent, an exporter of energy.
      That is their business

      Delete
  16. .


    Comics-R-Us, a non-profit, was developed in cooperation with Disney/Pixar to aid children with dyslexia, English Majors that can't read, and hicks from the sticks.


    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are right in this, it was non profit, because when I picked it up it was dead broke, chains on the doors and the CEO facing charges.

      Mrs. Disney was born in Lapwai, Idaho, home of butterflies.

      I see Rufus has begun to embrace the meaninglessness again today.

      Delete
    2. .

      More moonbeams and lollipops from our pixie of the west.

      .

      Delete
    3. .


      Born in the land of the butterflies, he sips on nectar and dreams of what can never be.


      .

      Delete
  17. Replies
    1. .

      As with everything about Boehner, the add is stupid.

      You don't negotiate on the debt limit. All the increased debt limit does is pay for the sins of the past. You don't negotiate, you pay your bills. The same with Obamacare. You don't use Obamacare to shut down the government.

      These are the same assholes who passed Obamacare and gave us the legislation and the cost they are now complaining about.

      The GOP can do the right thing. If they don't like Obamacare repeal it. If they want to cut the budget, negotiate a reduction. Don't threaten to stop paying our bills.

      The GOP is in the strongest position they have been in in years based on Obama's performance or lack thereof, failure on the economy, a foreign policy in disarray, his being tone deaf and disassociated, the scandals. Yet, to use a phrase meant for others, the GOP seems intent on grasping defeat from the jaws of victory by talking of debt limits.

      .

      Delete
    2. That is why rufus calls the GOP the Party of Stupid.

      We all know that and do not care.
      They are our kind of stupid!

      My niece assures me that it will come out in the wash.

      Delete
    3. .


      We all know that and do not care.
      They are our kind of stupid!


      Our kind of stupid?

      Are you assuming the pluralis majestatis here or do you want to name names?
      Nitwits anonymous?
      Do you have a gerbil in your pocket?
      Are you speaking for Idahoweenians in general?
      As the spokesman for your trailer park association?
      Sugar Daddies United?
      English majors?
      Ex Mustang owners?
      Faux farmers of the world?
      The casino t-shirt associations?
      Lobbyists for the The Dork and Dimwit Society for the Promotion and Aggrandizement of Nitwit, Blockheads, and Cretins

      Do you want to out any others here that think the GOP is the party of stupid but do not really give a shit? Or, is that particular insight reserved for hayseeds from Idaho?

      .


      .

      Delete
  18. The Old Doug would have nailed Jenny with the C word.

    ...but I have changed!

    Hallefallujah.

    PBUMe

    ReplyDelete
  19. Are we headed toward "Maunder Minimum" in Solar activity, or are we in the midst of a Gleissberg cycle, wrt likely Global Cooling?

    Defend your conclusions w/data gleaned from original research.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I think the way we sabotaged Fallujah I, and executed Fallujah II match or exceed many Vietnam Clusterfucks.

    ReplyDelete
  21. http://frontpagemag.com/2013/arnold-ahlert/obamas-move-to-arm-al-qaeda-in-syria/

    In the brave new world of arming our enemies.

    One might see a little sense in this if the aim was not to overthrow Assad but that seems to be the aim.

    Obama's behavior seems to make no sense but it does if he is a sunni sympathizer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    2. http://www.chicagojewishnews.com/story.htm?id=252218&sid=212226

      OBAMA AND THE JEWS: A look at why some Jews love him and some don't trust him; and at the key role Chicago Jews played in getting him to where he is

      Abner Mikva, the former Chicago congressman, federal judge and White House counsel to President Bill Clinton, puts a 21st-century twist on the notion that Clinton was "the nation's first black president."

      "I think when this is all over, people are going to say that Barack Obama is the first Jewish president," he said.

      Mikva, a powerful figure in local and national Democratic politics for decades, was one of Sen. Obama's early admirers, beginning in 1990 when he tried to hire the brilliant student and first black president of the Harvard Law Review for a coveted clerkship. (Obama turned him down, saying he was going to move to Chicago and run for public office. "I thought that showed a lot of chutzpah on his part," Mikva says with a laugh.)


      The facts and the endorsements speak louder than the Libertarians blog administrators knife.

      Delete
    3. Another longtime Chicago supporter, philanthropist, community leader and member of one of Chicago's Jewish royal families, Lester Crown, has known Obama since his first days in Chicago, when Minow called Crown and "said we have in our office a young man who I think is really going places, and I'd like you to meet him." Crown has been a supporter ever since; his son James heads Obama's Illinois financial campaign.

      Crown said that despite Obama's "rock-star, amazing popularity," he has not changed fundamentally in all the years they have known each other. "He's the same person, even though there are tremendous pressures on him. In the last six or eight months, he hasn't gotten a swelled head. If he ever got a little bit of one, his wife would bring him back in two minutes." Michelle Obama, he said, is "absolutely brilliant."

      Crown said he is "bothered" by portions of the Jewish community that express concerns, particularly, about Obama's position on Israel. "From the time I met him, the times we talked about Israel, and we talked about it several times, he has been an ardent backer of Israel's defense position, Israel's security position," he said. "He has been a proponent of the two-state solution, but only on the hopes that you will have a demilitarized peaceful Palestinian entity, which you do not have now."

      Most important, Crown said, is that "knowing him long before he got into politics, I know he is completely supportive, without any question or equivocation, of Israel's security. He is only interested (in a two-state solution) if Israel's security is absolutely assured, and that was his position long before he ever went into politics. His speeches to AIPAC are not new positions, merely the vocalization of what he has always believed," he said.

      Delete
    4. Also in The Jerusalem Post, Chicago Jewish philanthropist (and longtime Obama backer) Lester Crown testifies that the president’s kishkes are kosher:

      Four years ago, then-senator Obama was subject to unfounded attacks from Republicans attempting to prove that he was anti- Israel. In a desperate attempt to attract Jewish voters to the GOP, the presidential campaign of the Republican Party grossly exaggerated and distorted stories about Obama’s background. Their intention was to scare voters about his commitment to Israel were he to become president.

      

In response, I wrote a letter to my fellow Jewish leaders imploring them to understand that Barack had already passed the gut test. I explained that I had been sure that he was a strong friend of Israel ever since the day we met.



      Again today, with elections near, the attacks on the president’s Israel record are on the rise. While governor Mitt Romney has made the economy the focal point of his campaign, his critiques of president Obama’s positions on Israel’s security have been wholly unwarranted. Under the theme of promising to do “the opposite” of Obama on Israel, Romney has attacked a president who has done more for Israel than any recent predecessor.



      Read more: http://www.jta.org/2012/09/10/news-opinion/the-telegraph/the-presidents-parade-of-israel-testimonials#ixzz2fMi6RT26

      Barack Hussein Obama, the first Jewish President of the United States.


      Delete
    5. .

      One wonders at Crown's success when his insight proves so lacking. Perhaps, he like Obama is merely mouthing the words his audience wants to here or that further his own agenda. Of course, this was written back in 2008 and people have had time to reflect.

      Although

      "He's the same person, even though there are tremendous pressures on him. In the last six or eight months, he hasn't gotten a swelled head.

      I think this would still apply today but not for the same reasons as those in the heady times of 2008.

      .

      Delete
    6. The idea that the President of the United States is some sort of Muslim, that is delusional.

      That he is sympathetic to the Saudi and their issues, mirrors the position of George W Bush.

      That Mr Obama draws massive financial and electoral support from the Jewish community in the United States, undeniable.

      The early supporters claim...
      Barack Hussein Obama is the first Jewish President of the United States.
      Lester Crown and his family ranking high amongst those supporters.

      To claim that Obama is some type of Muslim is delusional.

      That Obama is now Jewish, really pretty clear.
      Crystal clear actually.

      Delete
    7. Mr Quirk, while the letters and writings of 2008 do indicate that Mr Obama is the first Jewish President of the United States, those that supported him then, still do.


      100 American Jewish leaders urge Netanyahu to show readiness to make 'painful territorial sacrifices'

      In the wake of U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Israel and on the eve of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s return, 100 prominent American Jews have sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urging him to “work closely” with Kerry “to devise pragmatic initiatives, consistent with Israel’s security needs, which would represent Israel’s readiness to make painful territorial sacrifices for the sake of peace.” ...
      ...
      The signatories to the letter include well-know philanthropists such as Charles Bronfman, Danny Abraham, Lester Crown and Stanley Gold; former U.S. Undersecretary of Defense Dov Zakheim; former U.S. Congressman Mel Levine; former AIPAC executive director Tom Dine; Holocaust scholar Deborah Lipstadt; President of United Reform Judaism Rabbi Rick Jacobs and his predecessor Rabbi Eric Yoffie; Atlanta Hawks owner Bruce Levenson; Warner Eisenberg co-founder of Bed, Bath and Beyond; Peter Joseph, Chairman of IPF; former UJA Chairman Marvin Lender; Richard Pearlstone, former chairman of the Jewish Agency and Marcia Riklis, Campaign Chair of the UJA Federation of New York.

      ...
      http://www.israelpolicyforum.org/news/100-american-jewish-leaders-urge-netanyahu-show-readiness-make-painful-territorial-sacrifices

      When one delves deeper ...
      http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/100-american-jewish-leaders-urge-netanyahu-to-show-readiness-to-make-painful-territorial-sacrifices-1.513313

      Mr Crown is amongst the 100 signatories to the letter dated April 3, 2013.

      Delete
    8. Mr Obama is on the same page as his Jewish congregation.

      They still support him in 2013, at least 100 well known and respected members of his congregation support him 100%.

      Delete
    9. The Jewish leadership in the United States support the First Jewish President of the United States

      The secular government in Israel, not as much.

      Delete
    10. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not represent Judaism.
      He represents a secular state in the Middle East.

      The Chief Rabbinate of Israel does represent Judaism.
      The Chief Rabbinate of Israel deplores the actions of the government of the secular state of Israel and its Prime Minister.

      Barack Hussein Obama, the First Jewish President of the United States!
      Learn it, Live it, Love it!

      Delete

    11. The conversion occurred while Mr Obama ....

      ... served in the Illinois Senate, he shared an office with an Orthodox Jew and fanatical Israel-Firster, Ira Silverstein, who boasts of his role in ‘educating’ Obama about Jewish Orthodoxy and more important “shared pro-Israel feelings” to the point that … “When Silverstein sponsored numerous resolutions condemning PLO bombings Obama eagerly signed on as a co-sponsor.”

      Delete
    12. One of Obama’s longest supporters, Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf, provides a clue to Obama’s affinity for Zionist appointments. According to Rabbi Wolf, “Obama is embedded in the Jewish world.”

      Delete
    13. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    14. .

      From the bifurcated mind of the rat, the man who accuses others of being nothing because they log on as anonymous, the man who a few weeks ago said he never logs on as anonymous, a man who comes to us today draped in 'anonymity' and bores us with his silly arguments.

      If you want to prove Jews love Obama, that he is in fact Jewish (pardon my smile) give us some statistics from 2008 and today. Provide them for both Israel and the US since their world is pretty much divided between those two places. Break the numbers down and provide some analysis if you like. Give us the trends. Give us some facts instead of your silly propaganda. Make your case.

      No one gives a shit about Lester Crown. No one gives a shit about 20,000 abortions in Israel each year, not when we have 1.2 million here. No one gives a flying fuck about the chief Rabbi in Israel and his views on the things we discuss here. He has as much influence on these matters as the Pope does, not much.

      As far as Obama being Jewish, if you were to ask Obama if he were the first Jewish president, I'm sure he would agree. After all he is already black and white, Kenyan and American, and Irish. Why not Jewish too. But only an idiot would take it literally. Just like only an idiot would actually believe Bill Clinton was the first black president.

      Come back when you have a point to make that you can back up with facts.

      .

      Delete


    15. What in the world are you ranting about now, Q.

      You do not believe that General Dynamics largest shareholder has an impact upon the President and the policies that are implemented?

      You do not believe that money influences politics in OZ?

      Or is it that reality does not fit your preferred meme?

      No one cares who influences the President and the policies he pursues?
      No one cares?

      It may be that you do not care.
      But to say that no one does, may just be a sign of dementia.

      As to whom posted the article from the Chicago Jewish News, or who posted the letter from 3APR13 that cemented the leadership of the Jewish community of the United States in support of Obama's "Two State Solution" ...

      What difference does it make?

      Those 100 Jewish Leaders from the United States stand united and shoulder to shoulder with Barack Hussein Obama and JFKerry on the way forward in Israel/Palestine.

      They supported Obama in 2008, 2012 and were willing to tell Bibi to toe the line on 3APR2013.
      At least publicly.

      Is it kabuki or is it real?

      A case can be made either way, but that Mr Obama is described in the Chicago Jewish News as the first Jewish President, a verified fact.

      If no one cared about 20,000 dead Jews in Israel in 2012, the Chief Rabbinate would not have written his annual letter and quot would not become so apoplectic when it is mentioned.

      I certainly care more about those 20,000 dead Israelis then I do about the people killed in the Syrian civil war. Those Israelis were innocent souls, the Syrian dead, mostly supporters of Islamic radicals or Christian NAZIs. quot has told us that, often, and you never disputed him, so there you must be.

      Delete
    16. As for Mr Obama being Jewish, judge it by the company he keeps, rather than the words he speaks.

      As I have said previously, judge 'em by their actions and outcomes, not their the words.

      The Libyan episode stands in example.

      A long term enemy of the US and tyrant, a sponsor of international terrorism is dead.
      The country that he ruled is in turmoil, with one million barrels of oil off the world market each day that it is. Our foremost allies in Arabia are taking in an extra 100 million dollars a day because of it.


      That, amigo, is protecting US interests from the perspective of those in OZ.

      But, perhaps, no one care about that, either.

      Delete
    17. If the writers and editors of the Chicago Jewish News don't know what it takes to be a Jew, who does?

      Delete
    18. More than probable that would be the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, aye.

      Delete
    19. .

      You do not believe that money influences politics in OZ?

      Of course, but you're Lester Crown meme is silly and tiresome.

      Crown represents nothing more than a poster boy for a class, the 1% who are willing to offer money in exchange for the hope they will get more in return as part of the quid pro quo game whether that is future contracts or a favorite cause, in Crown's case, Israel. From the quick look I took neither Crown nor his family nor even General Dynamics were among the leading contributors to Obama in either 2008 or 2012.

      Now if you had made the argument that Jews made some of the largest contributions to the Obama campaign I couldn't argue with you. Kattzenberg, Jacobs, Eyckoner (spelling?) all contributed millions but even these whales, when combined, were dwarfed by another Jew, Sheldon Adelson who ponied up for Romney. Crown didn't even make the cut. Not in the same ball park if you are talking money. Same thing with General Dynamics. They might impress the boys on the military appropriations committees who are hoping for a lobbying job after Congress but I'd bet Obama is more impressed by the CEOs of General Electric and Goldman Sachs, more impressed and open to Bill Gates and Jamie Dimon.


      No one cares who influences the President and the policies he pursues?

      Once again (sorry for the repetition), of course, but you're Lester Crown meme is silly and tiresome. You make it seem he is the man behind the curtains pulling the strings. He may have been an early supporter of Obama but it was the big money guys that got him over the hump and to which he is likely listening to most closely now. In your first question which I posted above you asked was it money that influenced politics. Even going back to the 2008 primaries, it was guys like Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, Alan Solomont, and Mark Gorenberg that did the hard lifting in raising the needed funds.

      .

      Delete
    20. .

      As to whom posted the article from the Chicago Jewish News, or who posted the letter from 3APR13 that cemented the leadership of the Jewish community of the United States in support of Obama's "Two State Solution" ...

      Cemented the 'leadership' of the Jewish community?

      I see a hundred American Jewish names on the list including Lester Crown. I notice that the list does not contain names like Adelson, Koch, Katzenberg, Jacobs, Eyckoner. How representative of Jewish 'leadership' can it be?


      A case can be made either way, but that Mr Obama is described in the Chicago Jewish News as the first Jewish President, a verified fact.

      Nitwit. The Chicago Jewish news didn't say that. They quoted some jerk named Abner Mikva who said "I think when this is all over, people are going to say that Barack Obama is the first Jewish president." I think? When this is all over? Get a clue, rat.


      If the writers and editors of the Chicago Jewish News don't know what it takes to be a Jew, who does?

      I assume this refers to Obama being Jewish. As I just pointed out, that is just plain silly.

      In Detroit, we have two papers the News and the Free Press, the former hates Obama and the latter loves him. We've seen the different editorial policies of the JP, Ynet, and Haartz. In the US, the three main Jewish Denominations are Conservative, Orthodox, and Reform. But a full 20% are from smaller 'denominations' or sects. In Israel, if I understand it correctly, they identify more by the strength of their belief, ranging from traditional to secular. Whether the Chicago Jewish News represents the views of most American Jews, well, I'll have to leave that up to someone who might know like WiO or Allen.


      If no one cared about 20,000 dead Jews in Israel in 2012, the Chief Rabbinate would not have written his annual letter and quot would not become so apoplectic when it is mentioned.

      I'm sure the Chief Rabbinate is a very moral man. Good on him for his position on abortion. However, his position on abortion has nothing to do with the deaths in Syria. The Rabbi's opinions on abortion mean little when it comes to influencing geopolitical decisions in Israel. They mean even less for Jews in the US. Please don't insult us by continuing to bring this up as if you give a shit. You have previously admitted you didn't. It's a straw man. A red herring. Something to change the conversation when you have nothing more to offer. After a short while it became tiresome.

      The rest of you little speech is just bullshit not worth responding to. Libya? Who he hangs with? Leading up to the last election, he spent a lot more time meeting with his IRS Director than with the Lester Crowns of the world.

      .














      Delete
    21. Lester Crown personifies General Dynamics which exemplifies the Military Industrial Complex.

      But make no mistake about who Mr Obama owes his political position to.
      Mae no mistake about who Mr Obama owes for his personal fortune.

      In both cases it is Lester Crown.
      No some boggy man, not a faceless conglomerate, but a flesh and blood human being.
      He has a name, a family and the Obama family vacation at his home in Aspen every summer that they do not visit Africa.

      That is another of the verifiable facts that you wish to dismiss.

      Happy sailing

      ;-)

      Delete
    22. Obama spent much more time with the Crowns than with the head of the IRS. And the time he spends with the Crowns in Chi-town and in Aspen, that is "quality" time. Not office hours.

      But the big Q does not want to reform the tax code to end the opportunity for the Federals to abuse the power. He does not want to limit the authority of the Federals, just "manage" that power and authority more effectively.

      Happy days!

      Delete
    23. .

      But the big Q does not want to reform the tax code to end the opportunity for the Federals to abuse the power. He does not want to limit the authority of the Federals, just "manage" that power and authority more effectively.

      Lord, rat, where do you come up with this bullshit. I assume you just pull it out of your ass.

      First, this issue never came up in your latest little Google run above. Tax code? I assume this non-sequitur is just another attempt to obscure the obvious speciousness of your arguments that I pointed out above.

      Second, I posted here numerous times on this blog my opinion that the worst SCOTUS decision in the last half century next to Roe v Wade was Citizens United.

      Try and keep up.

      .

      Delete
  22. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillian_Disney

    The church there is one I know well.

    She had a good reputation.

    Whether she ever 'looked back' or not I don't know, but she always said -

    "I don't want to have anything ever to do withdetyroit."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's the way she pronounced it - detyroit -- as with looking down in compassion.

      She'd often add - 'those poor people'.

      And that was back in the day when all of Detroit was wealthy.

      Delete
    2. .


      From the pop-up children's book Musings from a Double-Wide by Anonymous.


      .

      Delete
    3. Double-wide?

      She never moved up to a double.

      Delete
    4. We have double anons again, so this one is signing out for a while.

      'Never trust an anon when you don't know who it is....'

      Sayings of Quirk

      (known in used paperback circles as the 'Double Dumb Sayings')

      Delete
    5. She was talkin out of her double wide ass from the back of her Chevy Camper.

      Delete
    6. Quirk was never known not to double down on double dumb.

      Delete
  23. Replies
    1. I tried but can't make it work, think I need a new mouse.

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

      Fox had news about a guy always drunk but never drinking.

      ABS - Auto Brewery Syndone

      Fellow had gotten some brewer's yeast in his stomach, and it took off, so to speak.

      5x the allowed limit.

      Budweiser is desperately trying to suppress the news as I type because of the obvious market effect.

      Sell Bud stock now if you have any until the situation becomes clearer.....

      Delete
    2. Mine was making dough in my breadbasket.

      Put me in a real jam behind the wheel.

      Thot about changing my name to Dough.

      Delete
    3. A new mouse didn't do the trick.
      Guess a new brain is in order.

      Brains-R-Us has a princely assortment available.

      Could get me a little slice of Einstein, implanting a piece of Einstein's brain could double or triple my current cognitive capacity...

      My niece says one slice should suffice for that.

      Delete
    4. A new anon and a new rat is the ticket.

      Delete
    5. Anon is as Anon does.
      rats are good eating, if you are really hungry.

      We have meal tickets available at ...

      Rats-R-Us
      All You Can Eat Buffet

      Delete
  24. Al-Qaeda linked group takes over Syrian border town

    Militants affiliated with al-Qaeda have stormed and seized a key town from rebels in northern Syria, sparking war on Turkey's border between jihadist extremists and western-backed opposition factions.


    Fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have taken control of Azaz, on a crucial rebel supply route located near the border post with Turkey, killing opposing rebel fighters, arresting pro-western opposition activists and setting up sniper positions on rooftops, eye witnesses have reported.

    “They have controlled Azaz and the surrounding area since Wednesday,” said Hussein Halabi, a Syrian media activist speaking from the Turkish border crossing of Bab al-Salameh, adding that rebels of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) had begun fighting back.

    Gunfire and artillery rattled and boomed in the near distance as he spoke.

    The seizure of the town puts al-Qaeda in control of territory immediately adjoining a Nato country for the first time, a development that will heighten fears in the West about the rapidly growing power of jihadist groups within the rebellion against the Syrian regime.

    It signals a new chapter in the Syrian war, one where western aligned, more moderate, rebel factions and al-Qaeda openly battle one another for power and control of rebel-held parts of the country.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous is an example of this growing global trend

    Dementia to drive global leap in number of elderly needing care


    Half of all older people who need personal care have dementia, the report by Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) said, and governments should make dementia a priority by implementing national plans and starting urgent debate on how to ensure long-term care for future generations.

    Alzheimer's is a fatal brain disease that has no cure and few effective treatments. It affects memory, thinking and behaviour and is placing an increasingly heavy burden on societies and economies across the world.

    Even now, the worldwide cost of dementia care is more than $600 billion, or around 1.0 percent of global gross domestic product, and that can only increase, ADI's report said.

    As the world population ages, the traditional system in the United States, Europe and around the world of "informal" care by family, friends, and community will require much greater support, it said.

    Globally, 13 percent of people aged 60 or over currently require long-term care. But between 2010 and 2050, the total number of older people with care needs will nearly treble from 101 to 277 million, according to the report.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Proving once again a new anon and a new rat is in order.

      Most of the voting age population in the United States is already demented. Look who they voted for, look at their theories about Lester Crown.

      Delete
    2. Theories?

      We have facts, reality and proven financial ties.

      Are you a denier of reality, anonymous?
      Do you deny the Holocaust, too?

      Delete
    3. You deny dementia and its effects on the elderly?
      Anonymous has claimed to be one of the elderly.

      Anonymous would bask in the glory of his past, but he's forgotten who he was.

      Delete
  26. Some say Obama is a Moslem
    Others that he is a Jew
    Someone even said
    No, no,
    The boy's a Christian
    Just like you
    Of those who favor the Moslem theme
    The question still remains
    A Shiite or a sunni?
    Neither seems to quite fit
    So most conclude he is
    Simply a shit

    anon

    ReplyDelete
  27. Replies
    1. Obama willing to sell out to Rouhani at the U.N.

      Delete
    2. More importantly Rouhani is willing to sell out to the US at the UN.

      That Obama represents the US makes it easier for Rouhani to do so.

      Delete
  28. Sales of previously owned homes rose unexpectedly in August to the highest level since 2007 as buyers rushed to lock in deals before mortgage rates increased further.

    ...

    Existing-home sales rose 1.7% in August from a month earlier to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.48 million, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. That was the best month of sales since February 2007, when home values were just beginning to decline from the housing bubble.

    ReplyDelete