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."

Monday, September 14, 2015

America has suffered enough from a neoconservative foreign policy - Bernie Sanders for US President

25 Reasons I’m Voting for Bernie Sanders Over Hillary Clinton and the GOP Nominee


Posted: Updated: 

{H. A. Goodman is an author and journalist who studied International Relations at USC and worked for a brief stint at the U.S. Department of State's Foreign Service Institute. He's been published in Salon.com, the Jerusalem Post, Chicago Tribune, The Hill's Congress Blog, the Roanoke Times, and various other publications throughout the country. Goodman is also the author of Breaking the Devil’s Heart and Logic of Demons, a widely acclaimed series of existential fantasy novels.}


The 2016 presidential election will be studied for generations, primarily because it's a turning point in U.S. history. Will the Democratic Party shift even further to the right, or will Democrats nominate a true progressive? Below are 25 reasons I'm voting only for Bernie Sanders in 2016. And these reasons not only highlight my value system, but also what I believe (or assumed) the Democratic Party had always stood for as well. 

1. President Hillary Clinton will have a neoconservative foreign policy. Bernie Sanders says "I'll be damned" if Americans lead the fight against ISIS. 
Jacob Heilbrunn, in a New York Times article titled The Next Act of the Neocons, writes, "It's easy to imagine Mrs. Clinton's making room for the neocons in her administration." Also quoted in The New York Times, conservative historian Robert Kagan says, "If she pursues a policy which we think she will pursue, it's something that might have been called neocon, but clearly her supporters are not going to call it that; they are going to call it something else." 
In addition to voting for the Iraq War (and pushing for the disastrous bombing of Libya) while calling this decision a "mistake," her quotes in an Atlantic interview with Jeffrey Goldberg confirm that President Hillary Clinton could be a liberal Dick Cheney in the White House:
This is what Clinton said about Obama's slogan: "Great nations need organizing principles, and 'Don't do stupid stuff' is not an organizing principle."
"You know, when you're down on yourself, and when you are hunkering down and pulling back, you're not going to make any better decisions than when you were aggressively, belligerently putting yourself forward," she said. "One issue is that we don't even tell our own story very well these days."
"The failure to help build up a credible fighting force of the people who were the originators of the protests against Assad--," Clinton said.
As if the lessons of bombing Libya during Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State weren't enough, Clinton would have armed the Syrian rebels had she been president. The problem with this is not only that half the Syrian rebels are jihadists, but also that it would have pushed the U.S. into the Syrian civil war, while we were still embroiled in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
If anyone wonders why I wrote an article last year on a certain GOP Senator, saying that I'd vote for that person (I'm, of course, voting for Bernie and that piece was written from a purely anti-perpetual war standpoint), the fact that Vox says Clinton's words on foreign policy sound "super hawkish," is one of the main reasons I wrote that piece. 
America has suffered enough from a neoconservative foreign policy and one look at icasualties.org highlights this reality. 
In contrast, Bernie says, "I'll be damned" if America leads the fight against ISIS (calling for others to put ground troops in the region, not us) and puts American soldiers and veterans first, as evident by his recent Congressional Award from the Veterans of Foreign Wars. 
2. Bernie Sanders has always been against Keystone XL. Clinton once supported the controversial pipeline and now won't answer questions. 
3. Bernie Sanders has always been against the Trans Pacific Partnership. Hillary Clinton supported the trade deal 45 separate times according to CNN.
Unions that back Hillary Clinton should remember Reason # 10 as well. 
4. The Vermont Senator voted against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 and stood up for gay rights when polls were against this issue. Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, opposed gay marriage up until 2013. 
Don't claim to be outraged by Kentucky's Kim Davis if you're voting for Hillary Clinton. Both had the same views on gay marriage, only Davis didn't "evolve." Like The Guardian saysHillary Clinton's views evolve on gay marriage, just in time for presidential campaign.
5. Bernie Sanders has a Racial Justice Platform. Hillary Clinton ran a 3 AM ad with a"racist sub-message" in 2008. South Carolina Congressman James E. Clyburn denounced Bill Clinton's remarks about Obama in 2008 and stated the Clinton's were "committed to doing everything they possibly can to damage Obama to a point that he could never win." 
6. Clinton's encounter with Black Lives Matter exemplifies her outlook on race. In an interview with NPR, Daunasia Yancey, the founder of Black Lives Matter Boston, called Hillary Clinton's racial justice record "abysmal." 
As for commentary on Clinton's meeting with Black Lives Matter, Benjamin Dixon and Yvette Carnell explain how Clinton politicized her meeting (and in effect, hurt the movement's momentum) with Black Lives Matter representatives. 
7. Bernie Sanders has advocated breaking up the banks and reinstating a Glass-Steagall Act. Clinton does not advocate either policy objective. 
It's no secret that Wall Street is in Hillary Clinton's corner and few believe the populist rhetoric from the former Secretary of State. Bernie Sanders, however, is a genuine reformer who eagerly takes on the "billionaire class."
8. Hillary Clinton is constantly involved in scandal and either the victim of a "surreal witch hunt" according to James Carville, a conspiracy among intelligence agencies (a Clinton spokesman says the government has "competing views" on what is classified, apparently making it alright for a retroactively classified email to be on a private server), or controversy. 
Bernie Sanders can type an email without a nationwide scandal. 
9. Bernie Sanders will not take money from billionaires. Hillary Clinton accepted $100,000 from Donald Trump in donations for her foundation and Senate runs in New York. 
It's difficult to debate the potential GOP nominee and tell the country you're different, when you've accepted $100,000 from the billionaire. 
10. Four of Clinton's top five donors since 1999 are Wall Street firms. Bernie Sanders is running a grass roots campaign. 
11. Hillary Clinton is against the decriminalization of marijuana. Bernie Sanders supports the decriminalization of marijuana. 
12. It's true that Republicans have an irrational hatred of Clinton and that the Benghazi attacks have been unfairly leveled at Clinton. However, most of Clinton's scandals are based on her own decisions, not the irrational behavior of others. Not everything is Benghazi. 
13. Hillary Clinton hasn't explained the political utility in owning a private server as Secretary of State. 
14. I want a female president; however, I want her to be Elizabeth Warren
15. I don't want my president to have an ongoing FBI investigation during her first term. 
16. Hillary Clinton hasn't explained whether or not her server was safer or better protected than the U.S. government's server.
17. It is a fact that Clinton had classified and "Top Secret" emails flowing through her server.
18. Many of Clinton's classified emails were "born classified," meaning they weren't classified retroactively. 
19. Five intelligence agencies thus far are now a part of the email saga. They can't all be part of a right-wing conspiracy. 
20. Economically, Bernie is more progressive in tackling wealth inequality while Clinton addresses the issue, but continues raking in Wall Street money. 
21. Bernie Sanders was active in the Civil Rights movement and also endorsed Jesse Jackson's 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns. 
22. Edward Snowden says it's "ridiculous" to think Clinton's email setup was secure. Freedom of Information Act expert Dan Metcalfe calls Clinton's email defense "laughable." Neither one is a part of a right-wing conspiracy. 
23. Swing states do not trust Hillary Clinton and 55 percent of Americans, according to CNN, have an "unfavorable" view of Clinton. 
24. I want a true progressive as president, especially in terms of the greatest powers of a president: getting America into wars and shaping foreign policy. 
25. I trust Bernie Sanders. I do not trust Hillary Clinton or the GOP. 
Finally, inherent in all 25 reasons above is the fact that Clinton's positions are too far to the right, therefore too closely related to the GOP's views on war, Wall Street, foreign policy, and other key issues, for me to accept in a president. 
Ending perpetual war in American foreign policy is my biggest concern, therefore Bernie Sanders is my only choice in 2016. Also, Clinton rarely answers questions without carefully crafted wording; ambiguous to the point she can act in any manner she chooses once attaining the presidency.
As for other key issues, Clinton sides with the GOP (and away from most Americans) on the most controversial topics, which is why polling trajectory shows Bernie Sanders will win the Democratic nomination, in addition to the presidency.


71 comments:

  1. Listen to the entire Vox video and tell me how you can possible vote for any Republican. Bernie Sanders is a good man, a real American and a decent human being and exponentially more qualified to be a US president than any of the candidates on the GOP Clown Bus.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ayn Rand is rolling over in her grave !

      hehbwaha

      Bernie is an economic illiterate and would only make things worse.

      The Democrats have worst crew in ages running this year, while the Republicans have their best ever.

      ' a good man, a real American and a decent human being'

      Actually all he's ever done is sit in Congress forever and occasionally mouth off.

      I'll take Dr. Ben Carson, who actually accomplished something.

      Behold the Man - Ben Carson !

      Delete
    2. Bernie knocked off his talk when in his 30's about women liking to be gang raped after he got first elected, realizing it was impolitic. And impolite, too.

      Delete
  2. .

    One point in the guy's favor, earlier this year he is quoted as saying “I am not a great fan of President Netanyahu.”

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One point in the guy's favor is that Bernie is a Jew and might be more favorably inclined towards Israel than some others.......

      Though your quote shows him to be illiterate concerning Israel as Bibi was and is Prime Minister, and not a President.

      Bernie worked on an Israeli kibbutz in his younger years......I doubt he would continually stab Israel in the back as Obozo has done......

      Delete
    2. Maybe the old fart is just becoming a little befuddled on occasion.

      Delete
    3. Would make a wonderfully entertaining and interesting Presidential race - The Befuddled v The Donald

      Delete
    4. .

      Please don't attach your comments to my posts.

      If you want to make comments about my posts, that's fine. Go at it. But I would prefer not to give anyone the idea that we are in any way engaged in a dialogue.

      .



      .

      Delete
    5. Ooo..you have attached many comments to my posts.

      If we had sent in some aircraft and some ground Syria would not be the total mess it is today.

      People would have had some protection from their enemies in the form of safe havens, no fly zones......

      Looking back on it I think I was right, and you wrong.

      You're just burned that I brought it up.

      Didn't mean to imply we are in a dialogue.

      It's hard to dialogue with a nitwit.





      Delete
    6. But I shall strive in the future to not 'attach' my comments to your dear posts.

      Little testy there, ain't we Quirk ?

      Delete
  3. Bernie is for the decriminalization/ legalization of marijuana across the whole country.

    For that reason alone I couldn't vote for him.

    The states should be able to make their own rules on such matters.

    Sanders has the look of someone that would make a terrible Commander-in-Chief. It is hard to see how he could be worse that Obama though who has turned the whole middle east into a nightmare. Obama used to say Yemen was his 'success story'.

    Besides the economic issues, which have failed everywhere else, I just don't think he is up to the job.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Americans are with Bernie Sanders on Two important issues:

    AlterNet

    Bernie Sanders’ insurgent campaign for the White House has surprised many with his rising poll numbers putting him in competitive territory in both of the first primary and caucus states. Many have wondered what has propelled a once obscure independent senator from Vermont into such strong standing in the Democratic primary. His secret recipe is simple: he stands for what Americans are demanding.

    Here are some examples:

    Health Care: While Sanders supported the Affordable Care Act, he supports the broader solution that a majority of Americans and even a quarter of Republicans support: a Medicare-for-all system. It’s a policy he brings up in virtually every stump speech in every part of the country. Sanders also has a plan to let people import pharmaceutical drugs from Canada and allow Medicare to bargain for drug prices, something that polls very well.

    Wages: Sanders supports a proposal to bring the national minimum wage to $15 an hour over a number of years. A recent national poll found 63 percent of Americans support this policy.

    ReplyDelete
  5. He also likes to point to Scandinavia, and their approach to Higher Education (mostly paid for by the government.)

    Even if he can't wrest enough delegates away from HIllary to get the nomination, he will have the salutory effect of forcing her to commit to a more leftward lean.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      "...he will have the salutory effect of forcing her to commit to a more leftward lean."

      I wouldn't doubt she would do it. Hillary is the consummate politician. And the strategy doesn't even cost a penny. Moving left might be politic given the mood of the country but any promises made today will be forgotten tomorrow even if they helped get her to the goal. If elected, Hillary will resort to form, a neocon in foreign policy and a supply-sider in domestic.

      .

      Delete
  6. Philadelphia is welcoming the prospect of Syrian refugees coming to Philadelphia.
    WXPN

    JERUSALEM, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected a call by Israel’s opposition leader to provide refuge to Syrian refugees, saying the country is too small to take them in.

    Images in recent days of thousands of refugees herded on and off trains in Europe as they sought a safe haven from Middle East conflict struck a chord in Israel, a state created three years after the Nazi Holocaust which killed six million Jews.

    Isaac Herzog, head of the main opposition Zionist Union party, appealed to Israeli leaders to "absorb refugees from the fighting in Syria," a northern neighbor that Israel considers an enemy state.


    Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/20150906_Reuters_L5N11C07Y_Israel_s_Netanyahu_rejects_call_to_take_in_Syrian_refugees.html#IzKT3O86CPttC49M.99

    Israel was not too small to take in 900,000 Europeans and Russians. Netanyahu and his party disgusts me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Israel takes in thousands and thousand of refugees.

      That disgusts you?


      Delete
    2. Quirk has pointed out that the Syrian refugees hate Israel.

      For decades the regular folk of Syria have supported the constant attempts at genocide of the Jewish State.

      Why should Israel take in any Syrian refugees?

      There are DOZENS of Islamic nations across the globe.

      Israel, which is 1/900th of the middle east, already has 1.2 million arabs. How many Jews have the Islamic world taken in as refugees? Oh that's right they have CREATED Jewish refugees..

      My suggestion is simple.

      Settle the Islamic refugees in places that are friendly to Sharia law.

      But deuce's bigoted statement: Israel was not too small to take in 900,000 Europeans and Russians. Netanyahu and his party disgusts me.

      Really shows his hatred.



      Delete
  7. Jim Kenney, the city's Democratic mayoral nominee, has indicated that as mayor he would welcome refugees from Syria.
    Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/citified/2015/09/14/syrian-refugees-philadelphia/#HOfRVDs2HzEHDRTz.99

    ”Philadelphia has a long history of being a city of refuge for those in need, welcoming Quakers, Irish immigrants, Sudanese refugees and many others,” Kenney added in a statement. “In keeping with our city’s history, I support the call of many world leaders, including President Obama and Pope Francis, to take in Syrian refugees seeking a safe home.”

    Lauren Hitt, Kenney's spokeswoman, said that the Kenney camp has spoken with "a mix of religious groups, non-profits, leaders in Philadelphia's Arab community, existing city agencies and immigration advocates" in order to determine how to best take in refugees.

    Melissa Murray Bailey, the Republican mayoral nominee, was not immediately available for comment.


    Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/citified/2015/09/14/syrian-refugees-philadelphia/#HOfRVDs2HzEHDRTz.99

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      Michigan's governor Snyder has for years been politicking for more immigrants to come to Michigan and the state is now open to accepting Syrian refugees. However, the numbers are ultimately controlled by the FED's not the states.

      http://www.wxyz.com/news/state-of-michigan-open-to-taking-in-syrian-refugees

      .

      Delete
  8. QuirkTue Sep 15, 01:03:00 AM EDT
    .

    One point in the guy's favor, earlier this year he is quoted as saying “I am not a great fan of President Netanyahu.”



    You are quite the simpleton.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Here is the top list for moslem dominated nations


    Morocco Afghanistan Tunisia Western Sahara Mauritania Yemen Tajikistan Iraq Jordan Mayotte Turkey Somalia
    Azerbaijan Maldives Niger Comoros Algeria Palestine Saudi Arabia Djibouti Libya Uzbekistan Pakistan Senegal Gambia Egypt Turkmenistan Mali Kosovo Bangladesh Kyrgyzstan Oman Kuwait Guinea Indonesia Albania Bahrain Qatar United Arab Emirates


    And yet Israel disgusts Deuce because they have not taken in Syrian refugees...

    Once finds it interesting his lack of disgust at his brother arab/moslem nations, but he reserves his vitriol for the One and ONLY Jewish State.

    Israel, which is 1/900th of the arab occupied middle east...

    LOL

    Sorry Deuce your screeds are specious.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Quirk posted this article in the Times of Israel..

    “First of all I respect all religions, including Judaism… In Syria we have all races and religions living together, we are all brothers… but Israel, Israel is the ultimate enemy, that’s what we’ve been told since we were kids,” said baby Mahmud’s cousin Adman, 21, who studied tourism in Syria. “But I want to stress something: Jews are not my enemy. Zionists are my enemy.”

    Adman was surprised that he was being interviewed by a Jewish reporter, and, more so, for an Israeli newspaper.

    He jumped.

    “Wow, I’m almost shaking. I’ve never met a Jew before,” he said and paused. “Why would an Israeli paper be interested in stories about Syrian refugees,” he asked.



    Notice what this "refugee" says..

    “First of all I respect all religions, including Judaism… In Syria we have all races and religions living together, we are all brothers…


    One has to ponder...


    " In Syria we have all races and religions living together, we are all brothers…"

    and yet not 30 seconds later he says....

    “Wow, I’m almost shaking. I’ve never met a Jew before,”



    Because the Jews of Syria, at least the vast majority, were ethnically cleansed and were refugees in 1948 and pushed into the newly liberated Jewish State.

    For which we can say thanks for the ethnic cleansing...

    Never met a Jew before... LOL

    Still hates Israel and Zionism.

    LOL

    retard.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      I find your chutzpah in returning to Syrian refugee quote above interesting. In a clinical sense, at least.

      I put up the article because I thought it was illustrative of one of the major factors leading to the current expanding cluster**** in the ME. The fact that all these groups are raised from childhood to deny the validity of the other, a point you emphasize here in referring to the Syrian refugees. We see the internecine and sectarian divide in ALL the groups in the ME, Shia, Sunni, Christian, Druze, etc., and yes, in Israeli Jews. I emphasized that was my opinion.

      Your response? Your first response was that I was ignorant. That eventually progressed to the inevitable implication that I was a racist.

      In trying to explore your position further, I asked what I thought was a straight forward question

      Do you feel that your views are representative of the views of the average Israeli Jew, or at least, of a significant portion of the Jewish population there?

      I figured there would be a simple answer, "Yes, I think most Israeli Jews would agree with me" or "Probably not a many".

      What I got was delay and obfuscation. 'Not specific enough. Still not specific enough.'

      I explained further,

      You have purported to be knowledgeable about Israel and the Israeli public, their views and their values. I just asked a general question trying to determine your basis for that knowledge. Is it because you are representative of the same views or are you just offering an opinion? I thought it was a simple question but evidently not simple enough or perhaps I didn't offer enough explanation.

      Having explained the first question, I expected an answer. In anticipation I wouldn't get one, I kept winnowing down my question more each time, hoping for some glimmer of a response indicating you were still alive out there.

      Nothing.

      Eventually, I gave up, assuming that my questions had induced in you an unrebootable, blue screen level, terminal case of brain freeze

      You can imagine my surprise when this morning I see that you have the balls to bring up the quote I posted in a different context. I can only assume that in fact my questions did process but were ignored.

      LOL

      retard.

      .

      Delete
    2. Your query was a broad brush.

      You have made bullshit statement as to Israel on a regular basis.

      I have repeatedly stated that Israel has over 1.2 million arabs as citizens. PERIOD.

      Israel and it's people do not hate arabs or moslems, however they do have major issues with arabs and moslems that hate them.

      I have said this at least 50 times.

      Are you a learning disabled individual?

      Delete
  11. State Department and Homeland Security data reveals that the United States already admits more than a quarter of a million Muslim migrants each year. President Obama intends to add another 10,000 Syrian migrants on top of that.

    In 2013 alone, 117,423 migrants from Muslim-majority countries were permanently resettled within the United States— having been given lawful permanent resident status. Additionally in 2013, the United States voluntarily admitted an extra 122,921 temporary migrants from Muslim countries as foreign students and foreign workers as well as 39,932 refugees and asylees from Muslim countries.

    Thus, twelve years after the September 11th hijackers were invited into the country on temporary visas, the U.S. decided to admit 280,276 migrants from Muslim countries within a single fiscal year.


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/09/14/federal-data-u-s-annually-admits-quarter-of-a-million-muslim-migrants/

      Delete
    2. Now the good news that vast majority hate Israel and zionists but will not be violent, only 5 - 10 percent are or will become Jihadists and headcutters..

      LOL

      Hope they settle near quirk and rufus.

      Delete
    3. I believe 2 MILLION Syrians ought to be settled on the Cherokee Reservation, and 1 MILLION in the nicer parts of Philly and 1 MILLION in the suburbs of Detroit.

      Delete
    4. This fiasco is all Quirk's fault, as he vetoed my idea of setting up no fly zones, safe zones, buffer zones between contestants.

      If I had been given the permission to do these things none of this horror would be happening now.

      Member of English Parliament Mr Hannah came to the same sort conclusion. He voted against going in, and now, having thought it over, feels very badly about it all.

      I posted his article in the last thread.

      Delete
    5. Or, all the Syrians to Russia and Syria be given back to the Jews.

      That is probably the best of all.

      Russia is losing population and needs some nice non-drinking foreign workers.

      Delete
    6. And the women in Russia are desperate for a man, any non-drinking man from anywhere.

      Delete
    7. Really, it was an "it''s all my fault" moment for Mr Hannah.

      He does feel badly.

      Delete
  12. Here's why I am a little skeptical of The Bern -

    Bernie Sanders policy proposals would cost $18 trillion - 9/15/15
    What it would cost to turn America into a workers' paradise. More

    http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2015/09/bernie_sanders_policy_proposals_would_cost_18_emtrillionem.html

    ReplyDelete
  13. .

    President Obama intends to add another 10,000 Syrian migrants on top of that.

    No, President Obama intends to add another 10,000 refugees on top of that.

    If Breitbart doesn't understand the difference, he shouldn't be blogging on the subject. If you don't understand the difference you probably should look it up.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. America takes in plenty of moslem refugees.

      My point still stands.

      There are dozens of arabic speaking nations that can and should (that do not take any) help with their brothers.

      Delete
    2. .

      True, the US has taken in about 100,000 Iraqi refugees out of the millions Bush created in the 2nd Iraq war.

      Obama helped create the current refugee problem especially with his actions in Libya; however, to blame the problem on him while ignoring Bush's responsibility for the problem is absurd.

      Bush was the 'prime mover', the precipitating factor from which all else follows. The war resulted in about 2 million external refugees leaving the country, most of them (about 1.5 million) including many Baathists and veterans of the 400,000 booted out of the army went to Syria. These constituted a vast core of resources for the eventual rise of ISIS.

      In addition to the external refugees, the war also created between 2 and 3 million internal refugees forced out of their homes by the conflict. A good number of these came through the ethnic cleansing that occurred in Baghdad and the solution imposed by the 'surge' troops, the separation of the warring groups through forced relocation of these various ethnic and religious lines into separate walled off ghetto areas.

      100,000 out of 4.5 million, 2% of the millions of lives we disrupted, bloody white of us.

      .

      Delete
    3. Maybe they should settle in other BROWN people's nations?

      Delete
  14. 10,000 / 320,000,000 = 0.00003125

    Or, a family of 3 in a city of 100,000

    ReplyDelete
  15. The New Math:

    10,000 / 320,000,000 = 0.00003125 = Bullshit.

    :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      If you keep saying it long enough it has to be true.

      .

      Delete
    2. It's quite ignorant to say:

      galopn2Tue Sep 15, 12:17:00 PM EDT
      10,000 / 320,000,000 = 0.00003125

      Or, a family of 3 in a city of 100,000


      American relocation of refugees has never distributed folks that way.

      Your stupid and ignorant application of simple math shows that you are disingenuous to be rational and reasonable.

      In cities across the usa, the government, under many administrations, have located populations of refugees by the tens of thousands in limited geographic areas…

      SO take your 3 per 10,000 and shove it.

      Delete
    3. here is ONE example of dozens

      Current estimates of the number of Somali immigrants living in the United States vary widely, ranging from 35,760 to 150,000 persons. 2010 American Community Survey data indicates that there are approximately 85,700 people with Somali ancestry in the US. Of those, about 25,000 or one third live in Minnesota.

      Delete
    4. 30,000 SOMALI SETTLERS IN MINNESOTA STRESSING WELFARE SYSTEM

      http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/252283/30000-somali-settlers-minnesota-stressing-welfare-daniel-greenfield


      By Rufus's idiot math?

      That means only three refugee per lake…

      pure nonsense

      Delete
    5. Oh I just realized that Rufus, being an non-american, may not understand the "lake" reference…

      Rufus, in America? we have these things called license plates that go on our autos. You don't need one for your camel or mule, but you do need one for a motorized vehicle.

      In Minnesota they have sayings on their plates…

      land of 10,000 lakes…

      you don't have that many lakes in your lands of north africa do you?

      Delete
  16. QuirkTue Sep 15, 01:12:00 PM EDT
    .

    If you keep saying it long enough it has to be true.




    Yep…


    quirk is a moron.

    quirk is a moron.

    quirk is a moron.

    quirk is a moron.

    quirk is a moron.

    quirk is a moron.

    quirk is a moron.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Refrain:

      quirk is a moron

      quirk is a moron

      quirk is a moron

      quirk is a moron

      quirk is a moron

      Delete
  17. Well quirk, how many potential jihadists do you want dating your daughter?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      Actually, my daughters have been married for some time but thanks for your concern and the childish comments.

      .

      Delete
    2. I hope your grand daughters date jihadists.

      Delete
    3. .

      Have you noticed that it is only you and your Idahoan doppleganger that wish evil on others here?

      Keep that in mind when you see my response to our ongoing discussions on Jewish values below.

      .

      Delete
    4. I have never wished evil on others here.

      Shove that up your asshole, asshole.

      Delete
  18. Population of MInnesota: 5,458,333

    25,000 is about one family per town of 1,000.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Again, that's not how refugees are distributed.

      you are playing with yourself.

      Delete
  19. Rufus the blog math genius has come to give us his math…

    OK.

    Let's say it's a valid form of math expression..

    Then when I say that Israel is 1/900th of the middle east and that the arabs occupy the other 899/900th it should carry weight with rufus as painting a picture of arab land greed.

    come on mr math genius, israel sits on 1/900 of the arab occupied middle east. 899/900th is arab.

    Why should israel take any syrian refugees when there is 899/900th of the rest of the arab world available.

    duh?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. WiO,

      You love to bring up this 1/900th of the ME (not including Iran) as some sort of justification of all things Israel does. In fact, from an American perspective it works just the opposite.

      If you take a look at the region as a whole and the various different peoples there one is struck by a number of things.

      One of those things is that there are a lot of different types of people, many of them in conflict - Druze, Alawite, Yazidi, Kurd, Christian, Shia, Sunni, Jewish to name just a few. While I am all in favor of minority rights when you see all these different people fighting it doesn't make much sense to give special consideration to one of those groups who only make up 1/900th of the region (much less if you include the Iranians).

      Delete
    2. It's not "special consideration" its called nationalism.

      Look at a map ash.

      Israel is 1/900th of the arab conquered middle east.

      Why should israel make concessions of land to those that already have 899/900?

      The arabs already have stolen the lands from the kurds, druze, jews to name a few.

      It's the arabs that are the thieves…

      Delete
    3. Ash, your position, to be clear?

      the majority should rule?

      So by your logic, the genocide of all arabs in the americas is ok since they should not get any special consideration?

      Delete
  20. I probably have family roots in Georgia, and Southern Tennessee going back some 13,000 years. That, however, does not entitle me to go kick someone in Cobb County off of Their land, and claim some sort of "ancestral rights."

    Oh, and this IS a 'brown' nation, if you look at the population under the age of 5, anyway.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 13,000 years?

      wow I am impressed.

      But what right to those living in cobb county have to claim that land is theirs?

      If you look at the population that was aborted? it would be majority brown too..

      Delete
  21. No hint of racism from the Zionist dupa duo.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deuce, every day you slime Jews, israel, zionism and the Jewish religion.

      Delete
    2. You are a liar and you are at best mediocre on your best days.

      Delete
    3. You are in a dead heat for the dumbest on this blog.

      Delete
  22. .

    Israel and it's people do not hate arabs or moslems, however they do have major issues with arabs and moslems that hate them.

    I have said this at least 50 times.

    Are you a learning disabled individual?


    You still haven't specifically answered the question, to point, are you stating your comments are your 'opinion' or are you saying your views (which you obviously know) are the same as those of most Israelis?

    It's not a trick question.

    My assertion was simply that the attitude that seems to permeate the peoples of ME including the Israelis regarding the legitimacy of the 'other' is typically instilled in them at an early age. I thought my comment was based on an objective observation. You have called that opinion ignorant. You seem to have taken it as an insult and asserted the Israelis are above all that pettiness.

    Major issues? Hmmm.

    :o)

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      Your honest answer would have helped me to know how to respond to your assertion regarding my comment. Since it seems unlikely I will get that answer I will simply answer as if you had responded both ways.

      1. It is you 'opinion' I am incorrect, in fact, ignorant even possibly racist. I assume your assumption (correct me if I am wrong) is based on your wide knowledge of all things Israeli. To that I can only answer that since we are talking opinions (something I admitted to) mine is as legitimate as yours. As to my opinion being ignorant, I would be careful throwing around such terms given your record as illustrated in some of your odd and erroneous comments and assertions regarding things as simple as the evolutionary history of how Israel was formed, the character of those that played a major part in its founding, the attitudes of various distinct groups within Israeli society (settlers, the haredi, etc.), the demographics of these various groups, and even the terms of the current Oslo Accords which you have often referred to.

      .

      Delete
    2. .

      2. I am just wrong, ignorant, etc. Evidently, you base the comment on an innate understanding of the Israeli mind and mores. As a Jew, you ‘know’ what a significant portion of the Israelis’ views are on non-Jews in the ME are and how and when those attitudes were formed (which is the question). Or, you have proof which you haven’t yet offered.

      You posit that Israelis do not hate Arabs or Muslims but they do have major issues with them. This is the same thing the Syrians you referenced were asserting.

      You assert that Israelis in general are just better than that. There is no hate involved so my question is mute. I would simply say the evidence is against you.

      I am not talking about what the Palestinians do. That is not what we are arguing about. What we are arguing about is your assertion that the Israelis never hate, they are merely concerned about ‘major issues’ that exist. Disputing that, I refer to the historical record of hate speech uttered by Israeli leaders and intellectuals through the decades on up to the present, to the ongoing ethnic violence spreading in Israel, on the Temple Mount, in the settlements, and in Israel and the occupied territories, to the price tag attacks and the settler gangs, to arsons and the rock throwings and the killings, to the destruction of olive trees and dwellings, to the discrimination inherent in the Israeli theocracy’s, or perhaps more accurately ethnocracy’s, Basic Law.

      I refer to the discriminatory attitudes reflected in articles like this one from 972 blog which summarizes the results of a survey talked about in Haartz described by the paper as a

      Survey, conducted by Dialog on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, [that] exposes anti-Arab, ultra-nationalist views espoused by a majority of Israeli Jews.

      The survey was taken at the end of 2012 but given the demographic trends in Israel, the rise of settler population, the growth in the ultra-orthodox population in both size and influence, the current right-wing trend of politics in Israel, it is unlikely the results would have changed much.

      And then to the main point of my argument, that the invalidation of the ‘other’ starts at an early age. There are the articles and studies outlining the discrimination in the Israeli public schools and text books (and children’s books), some of it subtle some blatant. Then there are official state functions involving the schools that continue the subtle brainwashing Israeli youths receive. The example I mentioned the other night, the IDF pre-training classes involving 17-18 year old high schoolers where under IDF supervision they are allowed to shoot weapons at targets wearing kaffiyahs. And perhaps the most important factor in influencing Jewish youths are the values and attitudes of their parents which the kids are exposed to every day.

      .

      Delete
    3. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    4. .

      This endemic tendency in all the nations of the ME to deny the legitimacy of the other based on ethnic, religious, and sectarian grounds, IMO, assures the fighting there will continue with or without US attempts to intervene and assist and is a key reason why we should avoid getting involved in the region.

      .

      Delete