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."

Saturday, January 11, 2014

With due respect, there are no U.S. “vital interests” in the Levant.


THE ENEMY OF OUR ENEMY


By: Patrick J. Buchanan
1/10/2014 06:00 AM


In the wars she has fought, America has often allied with regimes that represented the antithesis of the cause for which we were fighting.
In our Revolutionary War for freedom and independence from the tyrant King of England, our indispensable ally was the King of France.
In World War I, Woodrow Wilson said we were fighting to “make the world safe for democracy.” Yet our foremost allies were five avaricious empires: the British, French, Italian, Japanese and Russian.
In World War II, the ally who did most of the fighting against Hitler was Josef Stalin.
Enough said. In America’s wars, cold and hot, the enemy of our enemy has often been our ally, if not our friend.
And that is the question of the hour in the Middle East.
The region seems to be descending step by step into a war of all against all. And at its heart is the civil-sectarian war to overthrow the Syrian Alawite regime of Bashar Assad.
Now that war has spilled over into Lebanon and Iraq.
And in Syria and Iraq our principal enemies are the jihadists of the al-Nusra Front and ISIS, the Islamic State of Syria and the Levant.
Implacably anti-American, these Islamist fighters control enclaves in northern Syria and appear to have captured Fallujah and perhaps Ramadi, crucial cities of Iraq’s Anbar province for which hundreds of Americans died.
And who are the foremost fighting foes of the Nusra Front and ISIS?
In Syria it is Bashar al Assad, whom Obama said two years ago must leave, and a Syrian army, which Obama was about to attack in August, until the American people rose up to tell him to stay out.
Who are Assad’s allies against the al Nusra Front and ISIS?
Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah whose forces helped turn the tide back last year against the rebels.
In Iraq and Syria, al-Qaida jihadists and Sunni terrorists, our enemies, are also the enemies of Iran, Hezbollah and Assad. Indeed, Iran has offered to join us in sending military assistance to Baghdad in its fight against the al-Qaida-backed rebellion in Anbar.
Yet, there are other vantage points from which this widening war is being seen, and one is Riyadh.
While Saudi Arabia has come to recognize the menace of ISIS and sent aid to rival rebel factions in Syria, the larger and longer-term threat Riyadh sees is Tehran. And understandably so.
Saudi Arabia is the Sunni and Arab power in the Persian Gulf. But Shia and Persian Iran is almost twice as populous and at the heart of a Shia Crescent of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Hezbollah.
Moreover, Riyadh in 2013 saw her superpower patron, America, back away from an attack on Syria, negotiate in secret with Iran, and begin talks with the Ayatollah’s regime on limitations to its nuclear program — in return for a lifting of U.S. sanctions.
To the Saudis, what appears to be an emerging detente between Tehran and Washington looms as a strategic disaster.
From Israel’s vantage point, the overthrow of Assad would mean the isolation of Hezbollah, which would no longer receive weapons from a Syrian regime that Hezbollah had fought to keep out of power.
But what about America’s point of view?
“Sooner or later,” The Washington Post writes, “the United States will have to face the threat to its vital interests emerging across the Levant.”
But, with due respect, there are no U.S. “vital interests” in the Levant.
For the first 150 years of our existence as a nation, the Levant was ruled by Ottoman Turks, and then by the British and the French under the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916.
What difference did it make to us who ruled Damascus or Beirut?
The vital interest America has in that region is to keep the oil flowing out of the Gulf, upon which the global economy depends.
While a victory for the rebels might fit well with the agendas of Riyadh and Tel Aviv, it might also mean a massacre of Alawites and a mass exodus of Christians. At best, it would bring about a regime along the lines of the Muslim Brotherhood government that lately ruled in Cairo. At worst, it could bring to power a regime dominated by Sunni jihadists.
The greatest threat to U.S. interests there is not autocrats, Sunni or Shia, interested in getting rich, but radicals with the mindset of suicide bombers taking over a state and spreading revolution down the Gulf.
War is the clear and present danger, and peace the necessary condition of securing those interests.
The defeat of ISIS in Anbar and Syria and peace in the region should be our primary goal. And if Iran is willing to assist Damascus and Baghdad in defeating al-Qaida, Iran should be treated as a temporary ally in a common cause.
After all, FDR and Truman got on famously with “good old Joe” Stalin.

Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of “Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?” 

257 comments:

  1. Our vital national interests are in seeing to it that Iran becomes a nuclear armed state.

    "And if Iran is willing to assist Damascus and Baghdad in defeating al-Qaida, Iran should be treated as a temporary ally in a common cause."

    We need to ship nukes to our great ally in a noble common cause, Iran.

    The Iranians wouldn't have crapped out at Tora Bora, they'd have nuked Osama and Company back to the stone age !!

    Bless Them

    (there were only 45 or so executions of women, queers and other riff raff in Iran last week)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. More seriously, the whole area is so messed up now that I don't see how an American mind can really figure out what is best for us to do, if anything.

      I'm pretty sure Pat doesn't know.

      Delete
    2. First he says this -

      "But, with due respect, there are no U.S. “vital interests” in the Levant."

      Then he says this -

      "War is the clear and present danger, and peace the necessary condition of securing those interests.

      "The defeat of ISIS in Anbar and Syria and peace in the region should be our primary goal."

      Then he suggests we ally with Iran and fight it out, or something........

      I don't think he has a clue what the hell he is talking about, anymore than I do.....

      Delete
    3. Pressed, I'd suggest we support whomever is losing.....

      Delete
    4. There are not only no vital interests in the Levant, there are no interests, period, from a national perspective. We used to get oranges from Israel shipped to us in D-Gar. Maybe some folks want to go for a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee or something, but that's their lookout.

      Delete
    5. "..... in the Levant, there are no interests, period, from a national perspective."


      I disagree with that but don't feel like arguing.

      Delete
    6. So I'll let Robert Kaplan do my arguing instead.....

      http://www.realclearworld.com/2014/01/11/mega-zone_of_conflict_from_beijing_to_jerusalem_154885.html

      ........need to preserve my strength for the big game this afternoon......

      Delete
    7. Bob,

      ...a great read...Thanks...

      If you have not seen this article on the same site, I highly recommend it to you.

      Disraeli and the Eastern Question

      Bismarck’s assessment of Disraeli, given as a compliment, shows how deeply ingrained Jewish stereotypes were at that time and IMO remain today: Der alte Jude, das ist der Mann. Now, Bismarck knew very well that Disraeli was not religiously a Jew, but no matter, it was in the blood. To be fair, they had a mutual admiration society of two.

      As an aside, if you have never read a good biography of Disraeli, it is worth your time. An examination of his relationship with Queen Victoria is not to be missed. He was her only Prime Minister allowed to sit in her presence, necessitated by their hours’ long conversations. His death left her disconsolate.

      Delete
  2. An Ethanol Refinery in every county.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Debt service on that - about $12 Billion/yr.

      Delete
    2. Debt service on Iraq War - about $50 Billion/yr.

      Delete
    3. What is the feedstock for counties in Rhode Island and Nevada?

      Delete
    4. Long Island, Manhattan, DC,
      ...we could go w/Alaska, parts of North Dakota, Ideehoe, etc and etc.

      But we won't

      Delete
    5. What is the debt service of "The War on Poverty?"

      Delete
    6. The GOP prodded and worked w/Clinton to reform welfare.

      It worked for the good of all.

      Your Socialist Hero, Obama, wipes it out with a decree from on high.

      Democracy in action!

      Delete
    7. What would "The Obama Recovery" look like w/o the economic stimulus and jobs created by Fracking?

      Delete
    8. Youth Misery Index at all time high under Obama.

      Delete
    9. Those Bastards deserve it, we must fundamentally Change Amerika!

      Delete
  3. I had been the secretary of defense for just over two years on Jan. 21, 2009, but on that day I again became the outsider. The Obama administration housed a web of long-standing relationships—from Democratic Party politics and the Clinton administration—about which I was clueless. I was also a geezer in the new administration. Many influential appointees below the top level, especially in the White House, had been undergraduates—or even in high school—when I had been CIA director. No wonder my nickname in the White House soon was Yoda, the ancient Jedi teacher in "Star Wars."

    For the first several months, it took a lot of discipline to sit quietly at the table as everyone from President Obama on down took shots at President Bush and his team. Sitting there, I would often think to myself, Am I invisible?

    During these excoriations, there was never any acknowledgment that I had been an integral part of that earlier team. Discussions in the Situation Room allowed no room for discriminating analysis: Everything was awful, and Obama and his team had arrived just in time to save the day.

    Our discussions soon turned to the war in Afghanistan. My years in the Bush administration had convinced me that creating a strong, democratic, and more or less honest and competent central government in Afghanistan was a fantasy. Our goal, I thought, should be limited to hammering the Taliban and other extremists and to building up the Afghan security forces so they could control the extremists and deny al Qaeda another safe haven in Afghanistan.

    At the Obama administration's first National Security Council meeting on Afghanistan on Jan. 23, 2009, there was much discussion of the lack of a coherent strategy. The Joint Chiefs of Staff had previously asked to send 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan to deal with the Taliban’s expected summer offensive and the country’s upcoming presidential elections—a request eventually pared back to about 17,000 troops and an additional 4,000 “enablers,” troops for countering roadside bombs, ordnance disposal, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and medics...


    ROBERT GATES on WSJ:

    http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303848104579310772780856370

    ReplyDelete
  4. Obama should take a lesson from Eisenhower and not trust his generals and political advisers beyond verification for other sources.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eisenhower had the advantage of having commanded most of the brass in his administration. He knew them professionally and personally - the strengths and weaknesses of each.

      Delete
  5. Obama doesn't trust his Generals or Admirals.

    He's purged over two hundred of them.

    Many of them are about ready to march on Washington, D.C.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bob,

      Obama did us a big favor. Whether his replacements are competent is another question entirely. From what I have seen and heard, I doubt it.

      If Gates believed the American effort in Afghanistan was an exercise in futility he should have resigned and made his thoughts public in a timely manner. He had an affirmative obligation to care for those who relied upon him. He did not.

      Colonel David Hackworth spent four tours in Vietnam. He was one of the most highly decorated soldiers in the history of the USA. He was a "Maverick", having illegally joined the Army while underage, serving as a grunt. When he left Vietnam he returned to the Pentagon and reported that the war could not be won and that the US was sending young men to die in a hopeless cause. He then resigned his commission and set about telling the public his thoughts. His punishment was being denied the Congressional Medal of Honor (but that is a tale for another day).

      Delete
  6. Allen,

    do you agree with WiO that the recent push to require Palestinian acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state as opposed to their current recognition of Israel is simply to rub their noses in Israel's victory?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ash, I never said that.

      Please post what I said or say nothing at all.

      Distorting and misstating my words just leads to uncivil discourse.

      Delete
    2. No. But I doubt WiO said such a thing.

      Now, it's my turn. Several months ago I asked of you a question. You did not respond. I will try again.

      "Does Israel have the right to be a Jewish state?" To be clear, by Jewish I mean ethnically, religiously, politically, militarily - in short, its every action is informed by its uniquely Jewish character.

      Delete
    3. Ash,

      Your insistence that the push for a Jewish state is recent is utterly false.

      Accordingly we, members of the People's Council, representatives of the Jewish Community of Eretz-Israel and of the Zionist Movement, are here assembled on the day of the termination of the British Mandate over Eretz-Israel and, by virtue of our natural and historic right and on the strength of the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel.

      Appendix E – Israel’s Declaration of Independence
      Provisional Government of Israel

      Official Gazette: Number 1; Tel Aviv, 5 Iyar 5708, 14.5.1948 Page 1
      Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel

      Delete
    4. My kids have the right to create a tree house that's for boys only, and they can even beat up the neighbor kids if they want to, but when they come around with their hands out for their allowance they are sadly mistaken.

      Delete
    5. The US gave Israel no support during its war for independence, the Suez War, or the 1967 war (French planes, etc). The US had to take notice once it became obvious that the Muslims could not kill Israel on the battlefield.

      The Jewish state was built and protected on our own dime, thank you very much.

      Delete
  7. Sometimes I think it's a shame
    When I get feelin' better when I'm feelin' no pain

    Sometimes I think it's a sin
    When I feel like I'm winnin' when I'm losin' again

    Man, it was nice when that was just a lyric.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Replies
    1. Vitalus is a greaseless alternative to pomades and other grooming products.

      Delete
    2. AshSat Jan 11, 11:43:00 AM EST
      Oil is a vital us interest.

      I agree. It is to the world what blood is to the body.

      A lengthy disruption of petroleum products out of the Gulf would 1) lead to a worldwide price increase and 2) wreak havoc on the economies of the EU and China (among others).

      Delete
    3. There's no oil in the Levant, for one thing. And the oil that's from countries surrounding the Levant is of interest to other countries too. They get it the old fashioned way, via the markets.

      Delete
    4. Teresita RedingerSat Jan 11, 12:56:00 PM EST
      There's no oil in the Levant

      What do you call those rigs being built off the coast of Israel? This should help.

      Projects – Offshore Israel, Levant Basin

      If the Gulf flow is disrupted, the consequences will be worldwide. You are letting your personal animus infect your analytical process.

      Think Chaos Theory.

      Delete
    5. Shares in Givot Olam, an Israeli oil exploration company, rallied on reports that it had located much larger oil reserves at its Meged 5 site than previously estimated. The company, which says it has already sold $40m worth of oil since the Meged field went operational in 2011...

      Forty million dollars divided by a hunnert dollars a barrel equals four hunnert thousand barrels since 2011. That's how much they spilled pumping oil in Texas since 2011.

      Delete
    6. You were incorrect, it is that simple. If you don't compound the error with additional baggage, you will get over it.

      Delete
  9. QuirkSat Jan 11, 03:15:00 AM EST
    .Again, you bring your POV to the game and you are clueless.
    You will not be surprised that I think you are wrong and that it is you who bring your POV to the game and that you are clueless.

    This very blog accuses me of living there. This very blog accuses me of being an Israeli. I am not, but I will agree with the point my UNDERSTANDING of the situation, the arab mind and what is the truth on the ground? Is much closer to the Israeli mind than an American like you sitting in your comfortable living room trying to understand and area of the world you have never been.






    Quirk: Nonsense, you show your ignorance of the Arabs with your crazy ideas, like the one about destroying the black rock in Meca for instance. The black rock is venerated as an artifact. It is a place marker. The place it marks is surrounded by the kaaba and the kaaba has been rebuilt a number of times. It's the place that is important. Somewhere around the 10th Century the black rock was stolen. The Sunnis in Mecca didn't fold up their tents. There are different rocks used by the Muslims as markers on holy places around the ME. It is not the rocks that are important but the places.


    Wow, now that is a 1st. My idea, to make Islam reform, by crush, nuking, layering, kidnapping and shooting to the sun, the black rock of mecca. Now you wish to discuss the box that houses the stone as some kind of different issue?

    The kaaba is the box that houses the black rock. It (the Rock) is contained within the kaaba and yes, in these modern days the complete and utter destruction of the the kaaba and the rock within (the rock being the MOST important feature) would rock the Islamic world (not just the arab world). I see you did a LITTLE research about the pagan roots of Islam and their holy pagan colored stones.

    Sounds wonderful in the literal, academic sense... But again you don't understand the symbolism . If the kaaba and the stone within was destroyed by the west? It would be a site like something out of the Lord of the Rings when the Ring was destroyed.

    Islam thinks its WINNING. No one would DARE attack their #1 holy site. Allah protects them.. Want to put the fear of Jesus in them? Take it out....

    quirk: You misinterpreted my references to demographics. I was not talking about the Palestinians but about the growing population and influence of the settlers and the ultra-conservatives in Israel which together with the views of the current government pretty much guarantee the continuation of the current process of settlements and land acquisition by Israel at least for the forseeable future.



    Sorry, I did, As for the process in Israel and the west bank. Israel will build in the lands already set aside to build in. The plan for Israel and the settlers? DIVORCE from the Palestinians. Separation is the plan. Major arab (palestinian) populations of the west bank will be and are being forced to live without Israel. In fact, it is gaining momentum to literally cut out major arab population centers of israel and give them to the palestinians to rule over, land and all.

    This is not ethnic cleansing, this is liberation. But the arabs of Israel are shitting themselves. They do not wish to be palestinian nationals, they will to remain palestinian israelis.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Islam thinks its WINNING. No one would DARE attack their #1 holy site. Allah protects them.. Want to put the fear of Jesus in them? Take it out....

      That's what Vespasian said to his boy Titus. "Judaism thinks its WINNING. No one would DARE attack their #1 holy site. Yahweh protects them. Want to put the fear of Jupiter Optimus Maximus in them? Take it out...."

      Delete
    2. This is not ethnic cleansing, this is liberation.

      Torture is enhanced interrogation.
      Killing civilians is collateral damage.
      Assassination is maximal demotion.
      War is peace.
      Slavery is freedom.
      If you like your health care plan, you can keep it.

      Delete
    3. Sorry Ms T you took my comments out context again.

      Liberating complete arab towns and villages and giving them self-determination under their fellow arab's national banner? hardly ethnic cleansing.

      No arbs be driven from his or her land, a border change.

      To slant it as you do?

      Is dishonest.

      Try studying the idea 1st before making ignorant statement.s

      Israel would move the border on major arab population centers to include them in a New palestinian state.

      Delete
    4. Teresita RedingerSat Jan 11, 01:02:00 PM EST
      Islam thinks its WINNING. No one would DARE attack their #1 holy site. Allah protects them.. Want to put the fear of Jesus in them? Take it out....

      That's what Vespasian said to his boy Titus. "Judaism thinks its WINNING. No one would DARE attack their #1 holy site. Yahweh protects them. Want to put the fear of Jupiter Optimus Maximus in them? Take it out...."


      The Jewish people's holiest site, the Temple was destroyed 2 times and now has a pagan dome on it.

      The Jewish people's 2nd holiest site? was blown up and taken down to the base with pick axes by the palestinians and the ground was painted green. (the palestinians had signed an agreement to protect it)

      Israel understands what it means to lose it's people and land. DO you?

      Millions and millions of Jews have been slaughtered in the recent past, Jews have been displaced whole cloth from numerous nations from europe to the middle east.

      Your attempt at glibness falls short, as usual.

      Delete
    5. The Jewish people's holiest site, the Temple was destroyed 2 times and now has a pagan dome on it.

      Precisely. And did the Jewish people pack it in? Nope. So why would the Arabs do it?

      Delete
    6. Israel understands what it means to lose it's people and land. DO you?

      Nope, but to hear it from some folks on this blog, I soon will, when Samson pulls down my civilization.

      Delete
    7. And the Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house…

      And the lords of the Philistines gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they said: `Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.' And when the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said: `Our god hath delivered into our hand our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, who hath slain many of us.' And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said: `Call for Samson, that he may make us sport.' And they called for Samson out of the prison-house; and he made sport before them; and they set him between the pillars. And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand: `Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house resteth, that I may lean upon them.' …

      And Samson called unto the LORD, and said: `O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me, I pray Thee, only this once, O God, that I may be this once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.' And Samson took fast hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house rested, and leaned upon them, the one with his right hand, and the other with his left. And Samson said: `Let me die with the Philistines.'


      … cause and effect … cause and effect … NEVER AGAIN, if violated, will have an effect of Biblical proportions. My recommendation: Don’t try it.

      Delete
    8. The Little Engine That Could. We'll see your Samson story and raise Paul Bunyan.

      Delete
  10. quirk: You also fail to see the confusion contained within your last two posts. You talk about crushing the Palestinians as if it means anything. There are a few million Palestinians. They are crushed, surrounded by armed enemies, allowed only a police force, powerless, ruled by the PA which was installed by Israel at the start of the Oslo process as their recognized representative, a PA that is a corrupt, that has been sticking it to the Palestinians since day one, siphoning off aid dollars to private accounts in Israel and Switzerland.


    No, it’s the ARAB world. But you must start with the fake nationalistic created people’s liberation movement created by, hosted by financed by the Arab world.


    Quirk: These are the people you want to want to crush. Why in the world would they agree that Israel was a Jewish state when they can see the writing on the wall.


    But they dont see the writing on the wall, the palestinians think they are winning.. as does the arab world.


    quirk: More importantly they are only a few million. You talk about the other 899/900th of Arab lands but you ignore them in your equations. Do you think they will agree to Israel being a Jewish state.


    Nope never ignore them. They are the issue. The palestinians must be absorbed back into the host arab world from where they came.

    quirk: No, I agree Israel will likely remain a Jewish state. If you read my post closely, you would see that. I also believe, for reasons I have outlined previously, that Israel will eventually absorb the West Bank into Greater Israel. However, before that happens, Israel will have to deal with the millions of Palestinians.

    Already happening.Israel will not absorb major arab population centers into Israel under any circumstance. The end result is clear. Gaza and Egypt MUST be reunited and the west bank arabs will have to be absorbed (not having to move) by the east bank ie the large and ORIGINAL Palestinian settlement.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      Except for your silly ideas about the black rock, you just spent two long posts agreeing with everything I said (though you may not realize it).

      .

      Delete
  11. What's the weather like in Seattle today, Miss T?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hard rain, winds up to 30 MPH. Standing water on the roads and the football fields.

      Delete
  12. By my lights at least, and the lights of many others, including USA Christians, the USA has a cultural interest in the Levant.

    A nation's cultural interest is a national interest.

    Though perhaps not a 'vital national interest'.

    ReplyDelete

  13. UW scientists to observe seismic activity from Seahawks fans during divisional playoff vs Saints

    Tony Drovetto

    Two strong-motion seismometers have been installed at CenturyLink Field to monitor shaking from "earthquakes" expected during Seattle's divisional playoff against the New Orleans Saints.

    Saturday's forecast at CenturyLink Field calls for cloudy skies, a kickoff temperature of 47 degrees, 23 mile-per-hour winds to the south, a 70 percent chance of rain, and the anticipation of an earthquake or two.

    In preparation for tomorrow's NFC divisional playoff between the Seahawks and New Orleans Saints, seismologists from the University of Washington have installed two strong-motion seismometers at CenturyLink Field to enhance an existing station in recording "earthquakes" expected from crowd noise generated by Seattle's 12th Man.

    The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network is behind the effort and has set up a website to track the activity in near-real time. Seismologists are planning to highlight any interesting signals received on Twitter and Facebook during the game.

    The last two times the Seahawks and Saints have squared off, seismic activity has been recorded. The best example came during the wild-card round of the playoffs in January 2011, when running back Marshawn Lynch ripped off his 67-yard "Beast Quake" touchdown run that sent shock waves around the Pacific Northwest. Then, just last month with the Saints visiting on Monday Night Football in Week 13, the 12th Man not only set the Guinness World Record for crowd noise but set off the existing seismometer in the process, after defensive end Cliff Avril sacked and forced a fumble of Saints quarterback Drew Brees that defensive end Michael Bennett returned for a first-quarter score.

    The experiment provides a test of the equipment used to monitor aftershocks following a traditional (i.e. not-12th-Man generated) earthquake and UW scientists are hoping to gain a better understanding of how the stadium responds to the fanatic activity.

    Hopefully, if all goes well, the Seahawks give the 12s a thing or two to cheer about tomorrow, and the off-the-wall experiment is a rousing success.

    **********************

    Quirk, when he gets excited, especially when he has been drinking, has an irritating habit of stomping his feet like an elephant, and jumping up and down, and braying like a jackass.

    He will be there today.......and oh will he be drinking......we shall see if the seismic meters detect his behavior.

    ReplyDelete
  14. .

    AshSat Jan 11, 11:42:00 AM EST

    Allen,

    do you agree with WiO that the recent push to require Palestinian acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state as opposed to their current recognition of Israel is simply to rub their noses in Israel's victory?
    Reply

    Replies

    DougSat Jan 11, 11:43:00 AM EST

    Nice set up.

    What is "Occupation"Sat Jan 11, 11:43:00 AM EST

    Ash, I never said that.

    Please post what I said or say nothing at all.

    Distorting and misstating my words just leads to uncivil discourse.




    We report. You decide.


    1. What is "Occupation"Sat Jan 11, 12:59:00 AM EST
    You are clueless..

    "The Palestinians have already agreed to the sovereignty of the State of Israel. "

    So?

    "Were the Palestinian's to recognize Israel as a Jewish state it would do absolutely nothing to increase Israeli security."

    Has NOTHING to do sith Israeli security, it has everything to do with Arab PRIDE...



    And...


    1. What is "Occupation"Sat Jan 11, 01:05:00 AM EST
    Israel can remain a Jewish state for as long as it wishes to defend itself.

    The issue here is the arab MIND.

    To admit that Israel is a Jewish State? Admits that Islam is NOT superior. Israel as the Jewish state is the return of the king, pardon the Lord of the Rings statement.

    The Jews, are the Kings. The prophets, G-d favorite.

    Israel is the reminder of Ishmael's falling...

    To proclaim The Jewish State is reborn in Zion?

    LOL

    It's a FUCKtard day for the seed of Ishmael...




    Judge for yourselves.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "current recognition of Israel is simply to rub their noses in Israel's victory?"

      I did not use those words..

      If Islam/the Palestinians feel a lack of self esteem that the rightful heirs to Jerusalem have liberated their property and the thieves are depressed?

      That's not rubbing their noses in it, that is the rightful owners are home....

      Delete
  15. “It’ll be interesting to see what, if anything, Palestinians or others in the Arab world say about him, since eulogies tend to be neutral, if not positive,” Elgindy said, as word of Sharon’s death circulated Saturday morning. “Obviously, no Palestinian, no Arab, would have anything good to say about Ariel Sharon. He is sort of in a class by himself when it comes to Palestinians, because he has such a brutal history: He is associated with massacres. He’s not simply seen as someone who’s tough or hardnosed or ideological — he is seen as a cold-hearted killer.”

    A Hamas spokesman released a statement saying “We have become more confident in victory with the departure of this tyrant,” adding, “Our people today feel extreme happiness at the death and departure of this criminal whose hands were smeared with the blood of our people and the blood of our leaders here and in exile.”






    ReplyDelete
  16. Abbas adopted tough positions in the wide-ranging speech, saying that "there will be no peace" without a Palestinian capital in east Jerusalem and that he would [NOT] recognize Israel as a [JEWISH STATE].

    Abbas also reiterated that he will not recognize Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people.

    We will not recognize it," Abbas said. "We will not accept and it's our right not to recognize the Jewish state.''


    Well. Well. Well. Thank you, Mr. Abbas. I hope you are out there, Ash. The man has burst your bubble. You may also recollect that Mr. Abbas declared that not a single Jew would be allowed in East Jerusalem.

    May we now dispense with the bickering? The man has spoken: He will not recognize a Jewish state. Period. Ergo, it is safe to assume, then, neither will the Arab League. Ergo, there will be no peace treaties with reciprocal obligations between Israel and the Muslim world etc. etc. etc.

    Q.E.D.


    Abbas says he won't make concessions on Jerusalem

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "We will not accept and it's our right not to recognize the Jewish state.''

      It's odd that I've never heard a news agency ask "Why not Mr. Abbas?"

      Almost like they already know but refuse to bring us the underlying reason.
      Or am I brining too much conspiracy for the evidence?

      Delete
    2. From Allen's link:
      "He has also said recognizing Israel as a Jewish state would harm the rights of Israel's nearly 2 million Arab citizens."

      How so?

      Delete
    3. Given the names of other countries (below), there should be no problem - fair is fair.

      No matter how often some here insist that Israel is making a new demand, Israel is not (1948). Even UN Resolution 181 repeats the Jewish position and that of the UN (1948). As you will discover, some here who will find a way to minimize the faults of Muslims, no matter how convoluted the logic and will find a conspiracy under every rock in the Holy Land. With them, evidence and facts are meaningless; they have a feeling, don't you know: Israel = bad, Palestinians = helpless victims.

      See:allenSat Jan 11, 12:15:00 PM EST
      Ash,

      Your insistence that the push for a Jewish state is recent is utterly false.

      Accordingly we, members of the People's Council, representatives of the Jewish Community of Eretz-Israel and of the Zionist Movement, are here assembled on the day of the termination of the British Mandate over Eretz-Israel and, by virtue of our natural and historic right and on the strength of the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel.

      Appendix E – Israel’s Declaration of Independence
      Provisional Government of Israel

      Official Gazette: Number 1; Tel Aviv, 5 Iyar 5708, 14.5.1948 Page 1
      Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel



      Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (the)
      Arab Republic of Egypt (the)

      Islamic Republic of Iran (the)

      Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (the)

      Kyrgyz Republic (the)
      Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (the)

      Islamic Republic of Pakistan (the)

      Syrian Arab Republic (the)
      United Arab Emirates (the)

      Delete
    4. Why? Because Muslims refuse to allow either Jews or Christians autonomy on any land that has been under Sharia Law. At this writing, groups of so-called rebels in Syria are fighting one another over interpretations of Sharia. As they do so, Assad’s troops are advancing.

      You may recall the Taliban destroying ancient Buddhist statues in Afghanistan shortly before 9/11. Why? "Easy Peasy": Buddhists are idolaters and the statues were an insult to Islam. Had I the time, a lengthy list of iconoclastic desecrations could be enumerated.

      Muslims, like some on this site, believe they are G-d's gift to the world.

      Delete
    5. "land that has been under Sharia Law."

      I suppose the land is considered to be their's forever than, according to their book?

      Delete
    6. Once it goes "moslem" it is moslem forever in their minds.. and only their minds..

      Delete
  17. I've got Quirk spotted in the crowd !!

    He's got on a HUGE white polar bear coat, a HUGE pair of White's logging boots, a HUGE white fur cap, with a beany rotor, and some kind of LARGE canteen around his neck.......plus a MEGA-UMBRELLA......he looks like some kind of weird pimp from Nome, and has an Hispanic looking lady with him.....he also has a pair of those new fangled glasses that you can adjust like binoculars......color pink......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My Lord !!

      The HIspanic looking lady is MISS T !!

      Where's Fely?

      Where's old man Redinger?

      Game Time !!

      Delete
    2. Beany rotor? That makes him a Microsoftie.

      Delete
    3. Miss T is beautifully attired in a REALLY tight fitting seal skin coat, with a shark's fin (!!) on the back, and one of those cowboy hats that drains the rain away from the face and neck, with a Seahawk emblem on the top.....she has gloves on that have finger shapes like Seahawk talons.....

      Delete
    4. later, with scores and important events....

      Delete
  18. .

    It's odd that I've never heard a news agency ask "Why not Mr. Abbas?"

    There are a lot of questions the news agencies fail to ask, Dougman.

    For instance, as corollary to yours, why do they not ask Mr. Netanyahu 'Why' he demands this as a pre-condition for the talks. Now you have seen WiO's explanation above which I suppose is good enough for many but which in my humble opinion does not form the crux of the matter. There are others here who have elected not to answer that simple question. Haartz thinks they have the reason Palestinians are puzzled by the demand.

    Why Palestinians are puzzled by the 'Jewish state' demand

    http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.567946

    though it is buried in their premium coverage and since I am on a fixed income I can't afford the $1 for a 4 week subscription. Perhaps, you have the answer and would like to offer it up.

    To my mind, there is a simple solution to this issue. Simply put it off until it is the last item to be resolved in the final settlement agreement and then insert a simple statement that says that the final agreement is final and that the new Palestinian state will make no more demands on the State of Israeli that are above and beyond what is in the final agreement. Easy peasy.

    All of the issues could be resolved similarly, not without pain but at least in a way both sides ought to be satisfied with. However, that would assume there is a will to reach a peace settlement. If you actually believe the will is there, I have some oceanfront property in Kansas you might be interested in.

    The ultimate question: Why ask why?

    .
    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perhaps, you have the answer and would like to offer it up.

      I only have an opinion, not answers, as to the 'Jewish state' demand.

      The ten "Lost Tribes" were taken away.
      Leaving the Jewish, or Southern Kingdom, to be captured and later released by Cyrus the Great.

      So the returning Jews .....

      AGH...!
      I can't think straight right now. I'm at work with other things on my mind and I'm sure you wouldn't be interested in my understanding of the history of the conquered Isrealites, Jews and the other two tribes.

      That's one thing about the ME.
      The past is never buried and forgotten.
      Someone always comes along and opens old wounds.

      Delete
  19. The ultimate question: Why ask why?

    To understand I would suppose.
    It gets my Curios-city peaked.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      Not my place but since I am of the condescending persuasion, I will offer this advice anyway. The best way to understand is to do the research yourself.

      Since the question is the Jewish State, you might want to start with the basics, like who defines who is a Jew in Israel. This will likely lead you to the controversies surrounding decisions by the Chief Rabbinate, decisions that as are as basic as which Jews can marry which Jews.

      If you continue doing the research, you might reach an answer to your second question regarding the possible implications of a Jewish State of Israel for its Arab population. But then, maybe not.

      Good luck.

      .

      Delete
    2. Re: The ultimate question: Why ask why?

      First, there is nothing ultimate about the question.

      It's irrational nonsense. Knowledge is power; power to make up your own mind. Anyone recommending the bliss of ignorance has an agenda.

      As to why Israel will not trust Abbas and company, have a look at the short article below.

      Upon its capture by the Arab Legion, the Jewish Quarter of the Old City was destroyed and its residents expelled. Fifty-eight synagogues--some hundreds of years old--were destroyed, their contents looted and desecrated. Some Jewish religious sites were turned into chicken coops or animal stalls. The Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives, where Jews had been burying their dead for over 2500 years, was ransacked; graves were desecrated; thousands of tombstones were smashed and used as building material, paving stones or for latrines in Arab Legion army camps. The Intercontinental Hotel was built on top of the cemetery and graves were demolished to make way for a highway to the hotel. The Western Wall became a slum area...

      In direct contravention of the 1949 armistice agreements, Jordan did not permit Jews access to their holy sites or to the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives.

      Article VIII of the Israel Jordan Armistice Agreement (April 3, 1949) established a special committee which would “direct its attention to the formulation of agreed plans and arrangements” including “free access to the Holy Places and cultural institutions and use of the cemetery on the Mount of Olives.” Nevertheless, and despite numerous requests by Israeli officials and Jewish groups to the UN, the U.S., and others to attempt to enforce the armistice agreement, Jews were denied access to the Western Wall, the Jewish cemetery and all religious sites in eastern Jerusalem.



      1948-1967: Jordanian Occupation of Eastern Jerusalem

      Delete
    3. Muslims and Christians have been citizens of Israel since its founding. Neither group has shown any inclination to be governed under the tender mercies of the PLO et al. I wonder WHY?

      Delete
    4. .

      As to why Israel will not trust Abbas and company, have a look at the short article below.

      Another nice segue into a non-sequitur.

      Your question might be 'why does Israel not trust Abbas and company' but it is not the questions at hand nor does it impact on these questions, why do the Palestinians reject acknowledging Israel as a Jewish State and why does Netanyahu insist they do so as a pre-condition.

      I would suggest that it was a nice attempt at diversion but in truth it was a piss-poor effort, IMO of course.

      Now for an issue of protocol.

      Yesterday, you posted this message directed at me. Buzz off and find someone else to mess with.


      Perhaps, I was mistaken in my assumption that you were suggesting a reciprocal agreement in the interest of comity on the blog.

      Are you now suggesting that I "buzz off and find someone else to mess with", while you freely comment on my posts?

      .

      Delete
    5. Quirk,

      Look carefully at who started the last five comments - Dougman. I was unaware that you had a monopoly on him.

      Prior to these, dougman and I exchanged six thoughts on a comment begun by me. I was unaware that you had a monopoly on me.

      Once more you show why I am avoiding dealing with you, personally: it is a waste of time.

      Do you ever use a logical fallacy other than non-sequitur?

      Delete
    6. .

      More nonsense,

      In fact, the issue I raised was a corollary to a general question Dougman asked and I took it downstream so as to avoid any contact with your posts.

      On the other hand, you intruded on a post stream initiated by my comment "Why ask why?" And as a matter of fact, you quoted my comment and offered your opinion of it.. Hardly the best way to ignore me.

      :)

      In the future, if you wish to avoid me simply avoid commenting on my specific comments or better referring to me at all. Even better start up a separate post stream so as to avoid me altogether. Easy peasy.

      As to the referencing of the many non-sequiturs you leave scattered around the blog, simply stop creating them. If you can't manage that, simply follow the suggestions I offered in the previous sentence so as to avoid my mentioning them.

      .

      Delete
  20. Seattle 16

    Saints 0

    Half

    Saints have no offense.

    Wilson, Turbin and especially Lynch are really good for Seattle. Lynch is a great running back.

    Saint's QB can't seem to get a good grip on the ball when trying to pass.

    Q and T snuggling shamelessly, intimately.

    Spotted old man Redinger and Fely.

    We seem to have something of a switcheroo going on here.....

    So far quiet, and no 'incidents'.

    ReplyDelete
  21. CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - Nevada's largest casinos, still climbing out of the recession, suffered a combined net loss of $1.35 billion in 2013, marking the fifth straight year without an overall profit, state regulators reported Friday.

    But there was some positive news in the annual abstract report released by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, which looks at the total revenue of casinos that gross more than $1 million in gambling revenue.

    The total revenue of the 263 casinos included in this year's report rose for the third consecutive year, to $23 billion. That's an increase of 0.4 percent, or $99.2 million, from 2012.

    While the casinos' losses grew by 11.2 percent or $136 million, a control board analyst said much of that was tied to increased expenses.

    "For the state, an increase in revenue was primarily driven by gambling," said Mike Lawton, senior analyst with the control board. "But due to an increase in expenses, the net loss for the state increased."

    Total revenue is the money patrons spent on gambling, rooms, food, beverage and entertainment.

    Net income or loss is what casinos retain after expenses have been paid, but before deductions for federal income taxes and accounting for extraordinary expenses.

    On the Las Vegas Strip, Nevada's gambling mecca of posh resorts, the losses narrowed, and for the first time since 2007, the growth of gambling revenue outpaced the growth from other aspects such as hotel rooms, food, beverages and entertainment.

    The Strip's gambling revenue of $5.7 billion was up 3.5 percent from 2012, while the Strip's total revenue of $15.5 billion rose 1.7 percent. It's the 15th straight year in which Strip gambling revenue made up less than half of all revenue, a trend indicative of a tourism market where visitors come for other recreational activities besides gambling.

    "It's a positive for the Strip," Lawton said. "Revenues increased and the net loss decreased."

    Statewide, the large casinos' $10.4 billion in gambling revenue rose 1.1 percent and accounted for 45 percent of total revenue, the second lowest percentage ever recorded.

    Nevada casinos haven't posted a net profit since 2008, when profits totaled $721 million. The bottom fell out a year later as the recession put a chokehold on the economy. Casinos in 2009 had a loss of nearly $6.8 billion.


    Read more: http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/24418581/nevadas-biggest-casinos-lose-135b-in-2013#ixzz2q8QhGYCx
    Follow us: @myfoxdc on Twitter | myfoxdc on Facebook

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Only the hookers still have some skin in the game in Vegas.

      It is only going to get worse for Vegas in the future.....too much competition coming on line.

      It's all part of the ObamaEconomy "Wheel of Misfortune".

      Delete
    2. We got married in Carson City.

      Don't think the little "Chapel" will be fought over in any major religious wars anytime soon.

      Delete
    3. Just found out the brother of my daughter in law to be lives in Lewiston.

      Kid's getting married next Christmas.

      Long time, I might not make it.

      The exquisite pains in my back now sometimes extend down into my balls, like right now.
      ... just like my bedridden brother.

      Gets old quickly for me.
      Don't know how he has endured it for ten years already.

      He does drink a lot, all day every day.
      That would get old quickly for me too, though.

      Tylenol and Ibuprofen coming on now, though, so maybe I'll make it 'til drinking time tonight.
      Next Christmas?
      ...not as likely.

      Delete
    4. .

      What an odd concept. When is 'drinking time'?

      .

      Delete
  22. NFL EARTHQUAKE: FANS TO SET NEW NOISE RECORD?

    ReplyDelete
  23. "NFL tells officials to call playoff games the same as regular-season games"

    They forgot to tell them that before the last Niner's game.

    Must be Packer fans.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How many of the elite here were watching the Series at Candlestick when the quake struck.

      That was the First Series after we moved here.
      Didn't feel a thing.
      Physically, at least.

      Delete
    2. Maybe it’s the price for having clear and sunny conditions at home for the last two months. But the 49ers are getting their share of Mother Nature during their playoff journey.

      There have been flash flood warnings going out across the Charlotte area all day on Saturday, and the rain has been coming down steadily. It won’t really impact the 49ers, except for the fact that they reportedly had to cancel their outdoor walk-through and are utilizing a hotel ballroom for the purpose. Weather reports call for clear and breezy conditions on Sunday at game time, and 57 degrees, or about 61 degrees warmer than it was at kickoff for the Packers game.

      If the 49ers defeat the Panthers Sunday and the Seahawks defeat the Saints – in a game that’s about to kickoff – the 49ers will likely face more weather next week in the Northwest.

      And a win in that game could put them in the first Super Bowl to face icy, snowy conditions. It’s a different path than last year, which was home, dome, dome. As Jim Harbaugh says, this journey is only for the tough.

      Delete
  24. Balls aching again, guess I'll try moving a bit.

    No spectators for this ball game.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Nothing like raw human bodyparts:

    Ocean users turn to shark repellent devices
    December 19, 2013
    Maui Weekly
    Save |
    The Maui News - The unprecedented spike in shark incidents this year in waters off Maui have caused an upsurge of oceangoers buying pricey shark repellent devices they say are worth the money. "I ordered mine [online] shortly after the German girl got bit," said Kihei resident Drew Young, who frequently dives and spearfishes in South Maui, often near Palauea Beach, where 20-year-old Jana Lutteropp was attacked in August.

    A shark bit off the German visitor's arm, and she died at Maui Memorial Medical Center a week later.

    A second fatal attack occurred Monday, Dec. 2, when a shark bit off a Washington man's foot while he was fishing from his kayak a half-mile off Makena Landing.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Touchdown Seattle with 2 minutes to go, 23-8, the Ain'ts are going home without a W. And that isn't me Quirk's fondling, I don't care what Anonobob says.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Seattle 23
    Saints 15

    Final

    Miss T seems to disappeared INSIDE of Quirk's HUGE polar bear coat.

    What's going on here?

    Has she returned to his ribs, so to speak, Biblically, and the two are now one again?

    Or is something else up?

    Fely and old man Redinger left early in a real rush, for where, who knows?

    Decent game, what rain !!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      Bob, you are blind as a bat. It's a faux fur coat and the glasses are shutter glasses, 'red' shutter glasses. The 'lady' is a new item we are marketing through the Souls-R-Us Personal Image Branch. It's a blow-up body thermos which provide 'personal comfort' on cold winter days (and nights).

      .

      Delete
    2. Why the Hell should a rib expect equal pay?

      Delete
    3. Whew! That was almost conflicting edits.

      ...in bloggerspeak.

      Delete
    4. I don't believe a word you say Quirk.

      It looks exactly like Miss T.

      And you're really trying to tell me it's a Souls-R-Us Miss T Personal Image Blow Up Body Thermos?

      Get outta here......

      Delete
    5. .

      They come in all shapes and sizes, all nationalities and colors; but, as I said, you are evidently blind as a bat or high on your meds. The one I had with me was our Icelandic model from the Fall, 2013 catalog.

      .

      Delete
    6. At six foot and you being 5'5" maybe you could ask her not to wear heels next year?

      Delete
    7. R I g h t........an Icelandic black haired beauty with lovely brown skin and a smart ass attitude.....


      Notice, folks, the old fraud has at least ADMITTED HE WAS AT THE GAME.......

      Delete
    8. Good luck, folks from Idaho, getting home from the game over the passes.

      Delete
    9. .

      R I g h t........an Icelandic black haired beauty with lovely brown skin and a smart ass attitude.....

      Smart-ass attitude?

      I accused you of being blind but I see I should have also included dumb.

      Remember when

      they said

      also deaf?

      We try to make our body thermoses as life like as possible within the design constraints imposed by mold technology and materials, mainly plastic and rubber. We even have expert designers and cosmetologists to help create exquisite physiognomy for our individual products. However, 'smart ass attitudes'. You, sir, take the anthropomorphism too far.

      I shall instruct the staff to politely refuse your request to purchase any of our models.

      .

      Delete
  28. Chris Christie is being advised to take a cue from the NSA playbook when he defends himself from Bridgegate. "There are over 9 million people in New Jersey, and only one was targeted for retribution."

    ReplyDelete
  29. Chronology of bad allen being rude to poor Quirk.


    allenSat Jan 11, 03:59:00 PM EST started by allen
    DougmanSat Jan 11, 04:41:00 PM EST reply
    DougmanSat Jan 11, 05:13:00 PM EST reply
    allenSat Jan 11, 05:39:00 PM EST reply
    allenSat Jan 11, 06:03:00 PM EST reply
    DougmanSat Jan 11, 06:11:00 PM EST reply


    QuirkSat Jan 11, 05:22:00 PM EST interjection
    DougmanSat Jan 11, 05:52:00 PM EST reply


    DougmanSat Jan 11, 05:55:00 PM EST started by dougman
    QuirkSat Jan 11, 06:21:00 PM EST reply
    allenSat Jan 11, 06:31:00 PM EST reply
    allenSat Jan 11, 06:35:00 PM EST reply
    QuirkSat Jan 11, 06:58:00 PM EST whining
    allenSat Jan 11, 09:59:00 PM EST reality check

    I am all about comity. You, not so much. However, you do have an exaggerated sense of self.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      More nonsense,

      In fact, the issue I raised was a corollary to a general question Dougman asked and I took it downstream so as to avoid any contact with your posts.

      On the other hand, you intruded on a post stream initiated by my comment "Why ask why?" And as a matter of fact, you quoted my comment and offered your opinion of it.. Hardly the best way to ignore me.

      :)

      In the future, if you wish to avoid me simply avoid commenting on my specific comments or, better yet, referring to me at all. Even better start up a separate post stream so as to avoid me altogether. Easy peasy.

      As to the referencing of the many non-sequiturs you leave scattered around the blog, simply stop creating them. If you can't manage that, simply follow the suggestions I offered in the previous sentence so as to avoid my mentioning them.

      .

      Delete
    2. Allen, you are simply intellectually dishonest. A propagandist. Dougman, i have found it interesting that the more individuals learn about the politics of the middle east the less likely they are to support Israel's position. i shall watch your personal journey with interest.

      Delete
    3. Dougman,

      quirks question regarding non-Jews in a Jewish state is a good one. Do some research on the Israeli housing commission and how homes in Israel are currently allocated.

      Delete
    4. I have found it interesting that the more my friend and benefactor Ash writes the less sense he makes......

      Delete
    5. Also, Dougman, I suggest research concerning the Palestinian position on Jewish housing in what they hope will become their state once statehood is achieved.

      Hint: there won't be any

      Also research Jewish housing allotments in Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia......

      Delete
    6. Don't forget to research the same subject concerning Gaza too.

      Delete
    7. Don't forget the same search for Christians, including sects that used to go back for Eons.

      The bad old days before submission or annihilation, or a quick trip out.

      ROP

      Delete
    8. PBUH

      Assyrians are ASSholes, anyhow.

      Delete

    9. .

      Rootin for the little guy is a sign of weakness.

      .

      Delete
    10. Rootin for US?

      Fanatical Nationalism!

      God Damn Amerika!

      Rev. Wright tells me so.

      PBUH and his half-white acolyte, BHO.

      Delete

    11. .

      The little guys?

      All Dicks

      .

      Delete
    12. How soon some forget.

      Takes hard work, but they're up for it.

      Delete
    13. Ash-i have found it interesting that the more individuals learn about the politics of the middle east the less likely they are to support Israel's position. i shall watch your personal journey with interest.

      It seems that politics and religion are never separate in the ME. It gets confusing.

      I don't foresee my view changing concerning the tension that Islam brings with it everywhere it tries to rear its' ugly head.
      So I'm inclined to keep siding with Israel in any of their conflicts with the neighbors.

      I don't feel they need our aid, blood or weapons. They've shown themselves to be most resilient in their survival.

      I also feel they don't need to hold back from dealing death out to the people who profess to love death more than we love life. Live and let them have their death.

      Delete
    14. AshSat Jan 11, 10:36:00 PM EST
      Allen, you are simply intellectually dishonest.

      Well, Ash, that takes care of that...brilliant...

      Delete
    15. .

      Don't worry, Ash I still love you (though it may not seem that way at times).

      :)

      Some here, having the attention span of gnats, find it hard to keep focused on a specific topic and tend to wander off into non-sequiturs or begin substituting absurdities and propaganda for the force of reason.

      Forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they do.

      .

      Delete
    16. You could at least try to be intellectually dishonest in a more creatively mind-bending manner.

      Delete
    17. .

      You say that, Doug, but to date, other than snarky trifles you have failed to put up one fact, one piece of evidence arguing against my posts. I enjoy your little stream of consciousness schtick. Some of it is quite funny. I like the remembrances you offer us and some of the observations.

      However, when it comes to Israel. you tend to ignore the specific issue under discussion and like Bob go all touchy feely on us. Israel right or wrong. You don't even comment on the issue at hand. I haven't a clue if you even bother to find out what it is. I got tired of it real quick when you used to excuse the GOP for everything they did and I'm tired of it now with Israel.

      Do you even have an opinion on whether you approve of Zionism? Do you think that if a person doesn't approve of Zionism they are anti-Semitic? Do you even have a clue what Zionism is? If so, you sure as hell haven't said anything about it. Not one opinion?

      Do you believe the Palestinians should have to acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state? Why? Do you think Israel should demand the Palestinians acknowledge Israel as a Jewish State as prerequisite to negotiations? Why? Have you ever thought of why the Palestinians might not want to acknowledge a Jewish state? Have you ever wondered why Israel is demanding it? Or do you just bend over and say, "Thank you sir, may I have another."

      These are the issues we have been talking about for two days. You've offered no opinions only snarky comments.

      Intellectual dishonesty? Before you start throwing around big words you better prove you've got an intellect.

      .

      Delete



    18. QuirkSat Jan 11, 11:32:00 PM EST

      .

      Don't worry, Ash I still love you (though it may not seem that way at times).

      :)

      ********

      Have that engraved and placed over your fireplace Ash. So you will never forget it.

      I have lived with the pain and anguish of thinking Quirk may not love me, and the word "worry" doesn't even come close to my feelings........

      The interminable loneliness of 'not knowing for sure' is the real burden......so all I can do is live in 'hope'......you are blessed, and graced, you have The Big Dude's Word on it......

      What You Worry, Ash?

      You have no worries now.......He still loves you.......

      ooooo...But will He always?

      Don't think about that.....

      Delete
  30. January 11, 2014
    The Obama Jobs Index
    Thomas Lifson




    The official unemployment rate has become a joke, what with massive numbers of people dropping out of the workforce and therefore becoming invisible. The latest report of a decline in unemployment in the face of a pathetic 74,000 new jobs indicates the uselessness of the figure.



    Fortunately, the editors of Investor's Business Daily have come up with their own indices, and they are well worth a look. For example:

    6.3 million: Net new jobs created since Obama's recovery started in June 2009
    13.8 million: New jobs that would have been created had Obama's kept pace with the average of the previous 10 recoveries.



    3.6%: Growth in private jobs since Obama took office.
    43%: Growth in the number of temp jobs. (snip)



    58.6%: Current employment-to-population ratio.
    61%: Ratio when Obama took office.
    62%: Average employment-to-population ratio in the 30 years before Obama took office.



    $1,006: Drop in median household income during the 2007-09 recession.
    $2,535: Drop in median income after the recession ended in June 2009, according to Sentier Research.



    Hat tip: Andrew Malcolm



    ReplyDelete
  31. Interesting, I notice my name removed from the front bench.

    hmmmm

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Someone tried to put the "and quote" thingy in there to more accurately portray you, and got rejected.

      Sorry.

      Delete
  32. "Premier of another Movie Short — at Secret Location."

    Movie Star kid is signing posters for their Big Budget movie.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Quirk,

    I am going to comment on anything I choose, especially if it has to do with Israel.

    I just do not intend to engage you in your endless quest for greatness at The Libertarian.

    You will get over it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      I take that to mean our brief modus vivendi is at an end and shall act accordingly.

      .

      Delete
    2. Your language never gave me reason to think that such a status quo had existed.

      Delete
  34. They're Welcoming In Weippe, maybe he could start there and work small to big.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Get himself a pack goat and forget about Big City Life for a while.

      Delete
    2. "We now have our own forklift...this should make thinks a lot easier, and I can run it wohooo"

      Quirk needs some easier thinkin for a while.

      Delete
    3. "Just a thought....The grand Champion hog at fair this year and last year both were raised on Lakeland Feed... What does that tell you???"

      Delete
    4. I wonder if Farmer Bob has some under the table arrangements with Psalm 40 Feed?

      Big Farma, meet Big Feed.

      Delete
    5. I love the smell of new mown hay.

      Delete
    6. Doug-O, that's almost mean.

      I'd suggest Weippe for Quirk too, for the reconnection with reality of it, but, I know, and you must accept it - he "wouldn't last long there".

      Some place more 'in between', some 'half way stop', is needed first - or he's hog feed.

      It's not the Detroit Court of Common Pleas out that way........

      Delete
    7. Quirk can always work for me again, as a stop gap measure.

      I was kind, and kind of understanding, really......

      Delete
  35. Ash,

    You have not answered my question (posed twice) about Israel as a Jewish state. Does Israel have the right to be a Jewish state?

    In 1948, UN Resolution 181 used that term. The Jewish Declaration of Independence used that term. Are you saying that 1948 was recent in time?

    Let's shoot for some intellectual honesty for a change, Ash.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do Joos have a right to exist?

      If so, please explain.

      Delete
    2. ...only on probation...They have large noses and steal land from peace loving Palestinians. Worse, they often shoot back when attacked by their Muslim neighbors. Since the ME is now coming apart at the seams, they are especially reprehensible.

      Delete
    3. Turn those big noses to their disadvantage:

      Easy target for some War Gas.

      Delete
    4. .

      See my comment to you above, Dougo.

      .

      Delete
    5. "These are the issues we have been talking about for two days. You've offered no opinions only snarky comments."

      We have been talking about the Ethnic and Religious cleansing of the entire rest of the ME for years, yet some here including you evidently, choose to regard that as a non-issue.

      As if it is all explained by the existence of Evil Israel.

      Delete
    6. If we eliminate everyone except the ROP, we can finally have Peace on Earth.

      Let's get on with it.

      Delete
    7. Elimination of The Others in Nazi Germany didn't work out all that well.

      Delete
    8. .

      We have been talking about the Ethnic and Religious cleansing of the entire rest of the ME for years, yet some here including you evidently, choose to regard that as a non-issue.

      As if it is all explained by the existence of Evil Israel.


      Eschewing the usual colorful language I would have used in the past so as not to have the remark deleted by management, let me say that I put your remark in the same class as this one from you bro WiO

      1. What is "Occupation"Tue Jan 07, 08:05:00 PM EST
      DeuceTue Jan 07, 05:47:00 PM EST
      Pray to Zeus that it is not a view held by most Jews or we would really have to worry about Israeli nuclear weapons. Jews are smart enough in not believing that death takes one to a better place.

      Which belief? the one that Quirk holds that only Jews are not entitled to self determination? Or the one that folks like Quirk would cheer Jews being slaughtered?


      His statement is patently absurd but does have the saving grace of its being more creatively mind-bending than yours. You will have to try harder. The connections you both assert and the assumptions you draw are bizarre and illogical. You complain about people being free with the R word around here then you stoop to bringing in inferences of Nazi Germany although admittedly you lack the balls to come right out and say it. At least, WiO is no pansy and comes right out and says what he means emphatically. I repeat do you believe as WiO that anyone who does not approve of Zionism is an anti-Semite? The question requires a simple yes or no. Surely, a big opinionated guy like you has an answer. Do you even know what Zionism is? What it means?

      That's what we have been talking about for the past 6 days. I went back and checked. That was when Deuce put up a post by Jaun Cole on the subject. It's the same subject your bros have been bringing up every day since. It's the basis for the question of a Jewish state. I got into it today when WiO put up an extended commentary on a post that I put up in response to him yesterday. And your contribution to the subject? A few snarky comments, none on the actual subject.

      .

      (continued below)

      Delete
    9. .

      (continued...)

      And your excuse?

      We have been talking about the Ethnic and Religious cleansing of the entire rest of the ME for years, yet some here including you evidently, choose to regard that as a non-issue.

      And you suggest I am condescending. What the hell has ethnic cleansing in Saudi Arabia or Egypt got to do with the specific subject at hand, Zionism and the Jewish state. Do you find it impossible to separate issues in that head of yours? Did you bother reading the new rules Deuce posted? If you feel the need to bring up that subject and tie it into the current discussion all you have to do is post and article and put up some comments that tie it in. Or, just tie it in with a little explanatory remark showing the connection. Or, if you want to change away from the current subject altogether and start talking about ethnic cleansing get with Deuce and start you own new stream.

      You say I consider ethnic cleansing a non-issue? How did you come to that brilliant conclusion? What mental gymnastics did you employ? Better yet, a better question might be what interest do you have in it if your too damned lazy to bring it up except as postscript and excuse?

      As if it is all explained by the existence of Evil Israel

      I'm sick of you guys always falling back on the good old anti-Semitic meme when you run out of arguments on any particular subject. You're pathetic.

      You object to a particular Israeli policy. Anti-Semitic.

      You don't approve of Zionism. Anti-Semitic. (or in Bobbo's case, Misogynist. Go figure.)

      Don't believe the attack on the Liberty was an accident. Anti-Semitic.

      Believe Pollard should stay in prison. Anti-Semitic.

      Q.E.D.

      And when you ask for an some type of rationale, some reason that you are being called an anti-Semite, like this for instance

      'What do you say about the numerous Jews through the decades and up to the present in the U.S., in Israel, and around the world who for various reasons both religious and secular oppose Zionism? Are they anti-Semites? A simple yes or no is all that is required.'

      So far I have asked that question a half dozen times of the Jewish lobby here. To date, all I have received is silence.

      And you wonder why I am condescending to you jerks.

      .


      Delete
  36. Why folks like Ash and Quirk seem so undisturbed about the ethic cleansing of Jews and Christians from most of the mid-east, and so undisturbed about the promises of the Palestinians of Gaza and the West Bank that no Jews shall ever live in their areas, is nearly beyond me.

    They are always on the putative 'failures of the Israelis' only, never the moslems.

    Though I have a working theory about Q's orientation to the issue, and I may be wrong, so won't mention it, I have not even a clue what drives the attitude of my friend and benefactor Ash.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Get a load of this - which seems quite odd and almost Lamarckian to me --



    Scientists prove that the smell of fear can be inherited through genes and then passed down through two generations

    Mice taught to fear smells pass this information to their offspring

    The fear apparently causes chemical changes in their sperm

    This then alters the brains of their children causing them to fear the smell

    By Chris Pleasance

    PUBLISHED: 04:20 EST, 11 January 2014 | UPDATED: 07:07 EST, 11 January 2014

    Genetic: Mice taught to fear a certain smell pass this information on to their children through their sperm


    The smell of fear can be inherited genetically and can be passed on for two generations, scientists have proved.

    For the first time researchers at Emory School of Medicine in Georgia have shown that if mice are taught to fear a certain smell this triggers chemical changes in their sperm.

    These changes then alter the makeup of their children and grandchildren's brains, causing them to fear the same smell.

    If the same is true of humans it could completely change the way we think about adult behaviour, and how we treat conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder.

    Kerry Ressler, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, said: 'Knowing how the experiences of parents influence their descendants helps us to understand psychiatric disorders that may have a trans-generational basis, and possibly to design therapeutic strategies.'

    During the study mice were taught to associate the smell of cherry blossom with a mild electric shock. After a short time the mice reacted fearfully even if they were just exposed to the smell.

    Scientists then checked the mice's offspring and found that they also associated the odor with fear, despite never having been given an electric shock.




    More...
    Stressed out mothers are more likely to have daughters that smoke
    Men are here to stay: DNA analysis reveals that the Y chromosome is not dying out


    They concluded that the trait must have been passed down genetically as the fathers never met their offspring, meaning the behaviour could not have been learned.

    Post-traumatic stress attacks have been shown to be triggered by smells, and scientists fear that soldiers could pass this information on to their children causing them to suffer
    Post-traumatic stress attacks have been shown to be triggered by smells, and scientists fear that soldiers could pass this information on to their children causing them to suffer



    The offspring were not more nervous generally, and only reacted to the same smell their parents had been taught to be wary of. They were also able to pick up on very small amounts of the smell and had a larger space in their brain dedicated to detecting odors.


    The experiments also showed that the information can be passed down through the mother, and that it affects children whether they are conceived naturally or through IVF treatment.

    The study concluded that 'ancestral experience before conception' could be an under-appreciated affect on people's behavior, especially where parents had been through a particularly traumatising experience, such as a war-zone.

    Previous studies have shown that post-traumatic stress attacks can be brought on by particular smells and the fear is that soldiers could pass this fear on to their children, causing them to have similar attacks when they detect the same odor.


    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2537620/Scientists-prove-smell-fear-inherited-genes-passed-two-generations.html#ixzz2qAAG7MKG

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Quirk definitely has this ability.

      I can't tell you the number of times I remember him saying "We've got them on the run now, they are going to break" just before the enemy fled.......

      I asked once "How do you know?"

      He replied "I can smell it."

      Even Hamdoon was impressed.

      Since, we've taken to using ol' Quirk as our 'point dog' so to speak, bribing him to take the extra risk with bottles of Vodka.

      But he said "There's no extra risk being out front if you've got the nose for it."

      He seems to like the free Vodka.

      *****

      Didn't we all learn you can't inherit the acquired talents of your ancestors?

      Praised be the fathomless universe.

      Delete
    2. Praised be in the sense of fathomless....it seems things are never quite what we thought/assumed they were......

      Delete
    3. There was a time when pregnant women were shut in to protect them from experiences that might mark the unborn child. As I recall, the Victorian Age put this idea into writing, but the origin of the belief itself was lost in the mists of time. Consider the Native American custom of naming a child to commemorate an event that impacted the mother during birthing, e.g. Crazy Horse, Red Cloud, Rain in the Face.

      If true of negative experiences or traumas, is the opposite also possible? I am now thinking of the changes in manners wrought by the great religious revivals of the 18th C.

      Delete
  38. Can hatred of and loathing for another particular group of "Other" that is learned in childhood/adolescence/adulthood be passed down genetically to one's children?

    If so, this is a really disturbing thought that would require some real re-thinking of some of our current outlook and policies.

    ReplyDelete
  39. .

    Bob, I answered Doug above. The same applies to you.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I certainly accept that, and agree with Doug.

      Delete
    2. And WiO.

      Do you really really expect that peace would break out if the Palestinians get a 'state'?

      They have said repeatedly they want to kill all the Jews.

      For decades, and their ancestors, for centuries.

      It's in the Book.

      Delete
    3. By now, it may be in their DNA, as Rufus once suggested.

      See: above

      Delete
    4. I wrote 3 short sentences.

      I would have appreciated a similarly concise response.

      Instead I got pasted volumes of your response to WIO.

      Quantity does not make up for a lack of willingness to respond directly.

      Delete
    5. .

      Add chatty to the condescending.

      And spare me your pompous bullshit. Do you think I give a shit what you would appreciate.

      Response? You almost make is seem as if those declarative statements you posted were question.

      Respond directly? Oh gee, I'm sorry. Considering who I was talking to, I should have started the response off with 'Doug' so that you knew it was for you.

      By the way, have you come up with an answer to that question I asked or should I have put it all in CAPS for you? If you are having trouble with it, get together with your girlfriends and arrange a sleep over and maybe between the four of you can come up with an answer.

      .

      Delete
    6. We don't do nasty here any longer.

      g'nite Quirk

      Delete
    7. .

      Right, Bob, sitting around calling other bloggers anti-Semites is all fun and games.

      I don't do nice well.

      .

      Delete
  40. "And you suggest I am condescending. What the hell has ethnic cleansing in Saudi Arabia or Egypt got to do with the specific subject at hand, Zionism and the Jewish state"

    I'm suggesting the Jews might just be entitled to a small plot of land there where they aren't subject to further cleansing.
    Some other folks had similar thoughts after WWII.

    Somehow, they got eliminated from Germany and much of Europe.

    Then they were eliminated from the rest of the ME ALONG WITH THE CHRISTIANS.

    Neither Christians nor Jews should be allowed to live there again?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      Finally, a question albeit a simplistic one for anyone not Muslim.

      What we have been talking about for the past six days is Zionism and the issue of a Jewish State. Neither affect the plight of Christians or Jews in other parts of the ME. Have you ever heard me or Ash or anyone else here suggest that both groups shouldn't have a right to live where they want in the ME? Have you ever heard of anyone on this blog defending Muslim policy with regard to Christians or Jews or other religions there? If you want to talk about it post a stream or bring up the subject specifically and drive the conversation. I for one haven't a clue as to what can be done about it. If you want to offer a solution, I would be glad to hear it.

      As for the Jews and Israel, WiO's comment that being against Zionism is being against Jewish self-determination is stupid. Israel already has self-determination. It can have Zionism too if it wants it. But I don't need Bibi or you or any of your bros to say I have to approve it or I'm anti-Semitic. There are plenty of Jews today that oppose Zionism.

      The same thing applies to the issue of declaring approval of a 'Jewish State'. I don't know if you or Bob have a clue as to what the issues are that are involved with it. At any rate, the Palestinians have already declared their acceptance of the right of the State of Israel to exist. But, they ask why should they be telling Israel what form of country they can have. That decision is up to the Israeli's. Of course, there are reasons on both sides for first, the Jews demand that the Palestinians recognize the Jewish state and second, the Palestinians refusal to do it. Before you start calling some one anti-Semite, you ought to look into them

      .

      Delete
  41. Maybe it really is in their genes now.

    Rufus suggested it.

    Martha Gellhorn came awfully close to saying the same.

    Anyway it's bedtime for bobbo

    g'nite

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-indomitable-protector-ariel-sharon-emblemized-military-audacity-evolving-politics/

      Ariel Sharon remembered.

      He was a farmer.

      Delete
    2. He certainly took a harvester to those villages in Lebanon.

      Delete
  42. Doug,

    Zionism came into being as a response to the murderous anti-Jew pogroms experienced over centuries in Europe, culminating in Czarist inspired pogroms that left tens of thousands of dead Jews. It did not come from some delusional mania resulting from Jews eating moldy bread.

    Yes, there were Jews opposed to Zionism in late 19th C Europe just as there are today. Their reasons almost always had two explanations. To the Orthodox Jews of Europe, Zionism was idolatry because it did not accept the need of the Messiah to carry Jews miraculously home. The assimilated German, French, and English Jews, on the other hand, believed that Western Europe was far too sophisticated to fall prey to something as foolish and irrational as anti-Semitism. They were the disciples of Moses Mendelsohn. Their newly discovered patriotism led them to volunteer disproportionately on both sides during WWI and die disproportionately as well. They had something to prove: human nature (bigotry, e.g.) could be overcome by acting as good citizens. Old veterans cried in disbelief as they carried their military memorabilia into the German gas chambers.

    As with the USS Liberty, Quirk is going to believe what he will, evidence be damned. If others do not agree, he will invest them with sophomoric slanders and epithets. Simply, those who do not see things his way are "assholes", "dicks", and "morons". Yes, indeed, one can disapprove of Zionism without being an anti-Semite. But something is terribly wrong when one supports the cause of Islam and dismisses facts and evidence to do so. Is that anti-Semitism or merely conditioned response? I don't know, but if followed, Israel would cease to exist which is exactly the same outcome desired by anti-Semites, Muslims, and neo-Fascists of Europe.

    Your complaint about the lack of empathy for persecuted Christians by Quirk et al is a point well taken. Tonight people are freezing and starving, entire families are being butchered; yet, one could hear a pin drop. They just don’t care, strangely paradoxical, given their paroxysms of putative outrage over a house being built in Jerusalem.

    Anyhow, that's my two pence worth for now. Tomorrow will bring a new patch of sophistry and blind hatred to be dealt with and I will remain as “silly” as ever.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I engaged in no mean-spirited argument or name calling. Given the new ground rules set out by Deuce, I did not expect such a response from Quirk.

      I'm certainly not going to try to equate my dismay and disappointment with the cries of Jewish Vets on their way to the chambers, but I must admit I had higher hopes for Quirk.

      Life goes on, which is more than any of those Vets could say.

      Delete
    2. Perhaps he's suffering through a bout of Dyspepsia.

      Delete
    3. My new working theory is that it's the woeful result of a pre Vatican 2 Lamarckian Genetic Altering Catholic Dismal Catechismal Indoctrination. Hopefully it will pass in two generations, as the mice studies indicate.

      I can smell the lapsers a mile away.

      :)

      (had to take the last pre-sleep pee, and couldn't resist)

      Delete
    4. Don't get high on your own supply, Bob. Alfalfa has a lot of carbs, carbs fuck up your blood sugar, and that makes you pee a lot.

      Delete
  43. Rare bombing in Iraq Kurdish region targets general


    The general was uninjured. Last week bomb attacks were launched against two of his aides with little damage.

    Kurdistan may have to start acting in a unified manner and take the war outside its boundaries. These bomb attacks could catalyze, at long last, the political will within Kurdistan to fill the power vacuum caused by the disintegration of one or more of larger regional powers. In Iraq, for example, the Kurds are essentially autonomous. This group has begun plans to ship petroleum directly to Turkey via pipeline. If Turkish Kurds can get a piece of the action, that might go far to convincing Turkey to behave with much less bellicosity, laying the predicate for a Turkish Kurd autonomous zone.

    In any case, Kurdistan has made astonishing progress when compared with the rest of the region. As jewel for the taking, Kurdistan’s neighbors may lust after her wealth. Because the Kurds and Jews have such an amicable relationship, one hopes that Israel has been surreptitiously supplying the Kurds with advanced weapons systems and the guidance for most effective use.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gates said Biden had gotten almost every foreign policy issue wrong over the last 40 years, but in this case, Biden was on the right track. He said divide Iraq up into regions for the Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnites. Well, the Kurds went ahead and did it on their own, thank you very much, and the other two are busy doing the same now, in Syria as it is in Iraq.

      Delete
    2. Yes, yes, and yes.

      Miss T, Biden and Farmer Bob had that one right.

      Delete
  44. Reminds me of my anger over throwing out General Garner and replacing him with boot wearing dandy Bremmer all over again.

    Garner had had a previous successful experience with the Iraqi Kurds, Bremmer had a desire to become Viceroy and stay there for a while.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Insight: War turns Syria into major amphetamines producer, consumer

    Even in war-torn Syria, guys just gotta have fun. Despite starvation and the homelessness of its citizens, the Syrian government finds a way to supplement income. Given the number of fighters, if the drug is supposed to be for their use, it must be dispensed by the quart. If the stuff can be brought into Afghanistan, a lucrative market may be in play.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So we need to send troops to Syria as part of the War on Drugs.

      Delete
  46. ANALYSIS: OBAMA'S GRAND PLAN FOR MIDEAST SHRINKS

    Foreign policy needs goals: long, medium, and short. Obama's goals appear to be ad hoc and driven by fear. One of the more important goals is credibility.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good, we don't need a plan for the Mideast because we don't need to be there, period. If we want cheap Saudi oil, we'll get it on the spot market.

      Delete
    2. Who will need oil when we have ethanol refineries in every city from Nome, Alaska to Phoenix, Arizona?

      Delete
    3. Phoenix will need some high temperature stills to wring ethanol out of sand, however.

      Delete
    4. The least we can ask is for Obama to bring Hope and Change to the ME.

      ...and universal free Healthcare.

      Delete
    5. Now we are going to have an ethanol refinery in every city?

      I thought we were just talking every county.

      Weippe is an incorporated City. They can use the remainders of harvest, and the wood chips.

      But what will Troy, Oregon do?

      Delete
    6. Weippe can also use Horseshit, Cowshit, and every other domestic animal's shit.

      Don't expect me to handle the catshit, or even dogshit, for that matter.

      A man's got his pride.

      Delete
  47. Good morning, Quirk.

    I do not

    1) Think you a Nazi
    2) Think you are an anti-Semite
    3) If I have said that, I apologize
    4) If I have written in such a sloppy manner I apologize
    5) I think you are too hard on Israel and the Jews
    6) I think you are way too easy on the moslems
    7) I think you don't use the same standards for each group
    8) I think you are naïve if you think peace is going to break out between them
    9) I do think you are something a city slicker, but mostly in jest
    10) Jesting is the sport of hicks, as you call me
    11) You brought the jests on yourself, by all this Souls non sense
    12) Therefore, you are deserving in that regard

    Sincerely, Farmer Bob

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Backing off on the lapsed Catholic MeMe, are we Farmer Bob?

      Delete
    2. A man gets tired of pecking the same wood.

      Delete
    3. I can't stand to have Quirk mad at me.

      Peckerwoods and Hicks are human too.

      Delete
    4. Soles Are Not Us

      We sell only intact, non-recycled shoes.

      (Made in Amarica)

      Delete
  48. http://www.jihadwatch.org/2014/01/survey-only-4-in-muslim-countries-think-women-should-have-heads-uncovered-in-public.html

    Who said moslems have no humor?

    The arab media outlet that let this out is going to be truck bombed, I predict.

    ReplyDelete