COLLECTIVE MADNESS


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

Thursday, November 12, 2015

The US State Department has admitted that some of the so-called moderate rebels in Syria (over a thousand of them Saudi) have been successfully recruited by the al-Nusra Front, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, which is being targeted by Russia’s air campaign in Syria

Are 2,000 Gulf fighters in Syria a terrorist threat to . . . the Gulf?



By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – –
Saudi preacher has given a press briefing on young men from the Gulf fighting against the al-Assad regime.
Although the Hizbullah fighters from Lebanon are often mentioned in the US press as an example of foreign interference, there is little mention of this Gulf contingent.
Musa al-Ghanami, a Saudi preacher, said that about half of the foreign forces are Saudis.
The next biggest contingent is Kuwaitis.
They mainly fight in 4 organizations: Daesh (ISIS, ISIL); the Support Front or the Nusra Front of al-Qaeda; the Helpers of Religion Front, and to a lesser extent the Freemen of Syria (Ahrar al-Sham).
That is, their biggest concentration is in the most extreme of these rebel groups, especially the two al-Qaeda offshoots.
Al-Ghanami considers these earnest young men a security danger to their home countries and called them out of control and “crazy.”
He dismissed the “Army of Conquest” that defeated the Syrian army at Idlib in the north as a myth. He says it is just an operations center coordinating various groups.
Moreover, he said, the leading element in the Army of Conquest is the Support Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate.
Cole: Both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have already suffered Daesh terrorism, against Shiite mosques, possibly by Syria returnees. The potential for more such terrorism by Syria veterans is enormous. As with the Reagan-Saudi jihad against the Afghan Left in the 1980s, the elites in Riyadh and Washington seem to be discounting the disruption that will ensue from extremism in the Syrian civil war. Although the US, Turkey and Saudi Arabia do not support Daesh, there have been allegations that they are entirely willing to support a coalition like the Army of Conquest that has al-Qaeda as a central element. Is that wise?
—–
Related video:

26 comments:

  1. Interesting how the Palestinians who are fighting on both sides were not mentioned even once.

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    1. .

      Perhaps, to you. The discussion was about Saudi influence as opposed to Iran's. The Kurds weren't mentioned either, or the Christians, or the Druze.

      You've got Palestinians on the mind.

      .

      Delete
  2. As with the Reagan-Saudi jihad against the Afghan Left in the 1980s

    I know I'm getting older now cause I just don't recall that one. I remember the grain embargo, the Stinger missiles, the material and intelligence support, but not specifically a Reagan-Saudi jihad against the Afghan Left, whatever that is. presumably the Afghan government of the time. I can't recall any American or Saudi troops in Afghanistan in those days.

    I read in wiki that Gorbachev had decided to leave Afghanistan a year before the Stinger missiles were introduced.

    I wish Juan would as a courtesy to the elderly write more clearly.

    I really wish I didn't have to read him at all.

    ReplyDelete

  3. Palestinians Flock to Islamic State

    by Khaled Abu Toameh
    August 21, 2015 at 5:00 am

    The PA and Hamas can only blame themselves for the surge of Palestinians joining the Islamic State. The two governments allow anti-Western incitement in their mosques and media outlets. Their leaders regularly glorify and endorse Palestinians who carry out terror attacks against Israelis, encouraging others to follow suit. If these Palestinians are unable to attack Israel from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, they travel to Syria and Iraq to join the jihad against Israel's allies, namely the U.S. and other Western countries.

    Palestinian leaders cannot evade responsibility for inspiring dozens of Palestinians to join the Islamic State. The fiery rhetoric of these leaders and ongoing incitement against Israel and the West are further radicalizing Palestinians and driving them into the Islamic State's open arms.

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    1. The terror group Islamic State has become extremely popular among Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Four recent public opinion polls show that at least one million Palestinians support the Islamic State.

      The Palestinians' two governments, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA), have good reason to be worried about the Islamic State. In recent weeks, Islamic State spokesmen have issued threats against both the PA and Hamas, accusing them of "collaboration" with the "Zionist entity."

      Christian activist Sam Butrous noted that the widespread support for Islamic State among Palestinians is a sign of increased extremism and a denial of Christians' rights in the Holy Land.

      Delete
    2. According to the report, most of the Palestinians who joined the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria are from the Gaza Strip. Another 1000 Palestinian men are believed to be preparing to join Islamic State, but have been unable to fulfill their dream for various reasons, the report revealed.

      It is no surprise that most of the Palestinians who have joined the Islamic State are from the Gaza Strip, which has been under the control of Hamas since 2007.

      Delete
    3. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4395829,00.html

      Palestinian snipers fight for Assad
      CNN reporter accompanies Palestinians during fierce battles against rebel forces in Damascus suburb of Yarmouk.

      "We're on the front line with Palestinians fighting for the Assad regime. Snipers do much of the fighting, and death can come any second," Pleitgen says in a video released by CNN.



      Delete
    4. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/08/turkey-syria-palestinia-fight-for-syrian-army.html

      Syria's Palestinians divided over whom to support
      ALEPPO, Syria — On the way to Sheikh Najjar Industrial City from Aleppo, we stopped for coffee at a roadside kiosk. Its owner, Mohammed Sabri, a Palestinian refugee, had posted on the walls of his modest business photos of Palestinians killed in clashes. Prominently displayed was one of his son Khaled, who was killed in Nairab refugee camp by armed opposition groups. Seeing the photographs of Palestinian casualties made me wonder about the standing of the Palestinians in the Syrian civil war. Our Palestinian driver said that for the answer to my question, I had to visit the Nairab Palestinian refugee camp. We decided to stop there on our way back from Najjar.

      Palestinians in Syria are split over the civil war. Those supporting Hamas joined ranks with the opposition, and those affiliated with Fatah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) back the regime.

      In the first four years of the war, 209 Palestinians from Nairab out of 4,000 overall in Syria were killed. I was taken to a tea garden that now serves as the headquarters of the Jerusalem Brigade, which defends Nairab. Its commander, Adnan al Sayyid, is the son of a family expelled from Zefat by Israel. A Fatah member, Sayyid explained that the tea garden had actually been his restaurant, which he turned into a headquarters.

      He listed a series of incidents to explain why his brigade had taken up arms. He said that the armed opposition killed 19 Palestinian young people returning to Nairab from a military camp. After chaining up the driver, the opposition rigged the bus with explosives and it exploded 100 meters (328 feet) from the checkpoint. The opposition then began abducting men from the camp: Hussein Masri, Hikmet Dirbes and Mohammed Jeddah — all civilians — were accused of cooperating with the regime, according to Sayyid. Their bodies were found in a house not far away.

      The opposition’s goal was to capture Nairab and use it as a springboard to seize the nearby Nairab air force base.

      "They fired mortars to our camp from 3 kilometers [1.9 miles] away. We lost 13 people. … The camp was under siege for 10 months. People had no food and were eating grass and leaves. Four children died of malnourishment," Sayyid said.

      "The opposition escalated their attacks on the ground and with artillery. We repulsed all their attacks. They fired 72 Grad missiles in 21 days and 100 houses were destroyed. A helicopter they shot down fell into the camp, killing 18 and wounding 50 people. Fifty houses were damaged. The opposition then besieged Handarat and killed 15 youngsters, claiming they were working for the regime."

      About 10,000 of the 15,000 Palestinians living in Handarat took refuge in Nairab. With the enlistment of Handarat youth in the Jerusalem Brigade, Palestinians began guarding the military airport and west of Aleppo, he said. Sayyid counts the toll of Jerusalem Brigade fighters at 209 dead and 400 wounded.

      Delete
    5. Palestinians killing Palestinians in a foreign war.

      Well, let them go for it.

      Delete
    6. The 'Palestinians' seem to get around a lot -

      November 12, 2015
      Center for American Progress kerfuffle accidentally reveals Palestinians were advising demonstrators in Ferguson
      By Thomas Lifson

      Oops! As a byproduct of an internal dispute at the far left think tank, the Center for American Progress (CAP), it has been revealed that Palestinian advisers were brought into the Ferguson, Missouri demonstrations to advise the rioters. Exactly who paid for them to apparently fly halfway around the world (or otherwise build "strong relationships") and stick their noses into an American political dispute is unclear, though it has been bandied about that George Soros has played a major role in funding the #BlackLivesMatter movement that is ginning up black anger, and presumably 2016 election turnout for Hillary.

      The dispute that led to the shocking disclosure involved the invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak at CAP. The left wing journal, The Nation, chronicled the dispute and let slip the incriminating information. Ali Gharib and Eli Clifton write:

      There is dissent at the Center for American Progress. Late last month, the Democratic Party–aligned think tank announced that it would, with encouragement from the influential pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, accept an offer from Benjamin Netanyahu’s office to host the right-wing Israeli prime minister for an event. The invite stirred controversy: Many liberals who normally fall within the Democratic Party milieu were miffed that Netanyahu, a figure who has been widely seen over the past several years as openly siding with Republicans and neoconservative ideologues, would be given an opportunity to rehabilitate his image as a bipartisan figure.

      A statement of dissent was prepared and delivered at a staff meeting. The Nation, well-connected on the left, obtained a copy and revealed:

      The staffers who rose to deliver the statement of dissent said they were left out of the process and now face difficulty returning to the communities from which they come and work with. “It becomes difficult to step outside of our building and say to our allies why this visit is happening, for some of us here we ourselves feel that we were not considered in that decision,” the statement reads. The authors cited, for example, the strong relationships built between Palestinian protesters, who face routine tear-gassing at their demonstrations, and Black Lives Matter activists in places like Ferguson, Missouri. “[I]t’s hard to separate American progress from world progress when young people in Palestine are advising young people in Ferguson on how to deal with tear gas and flash grenades,” they wrote.

      Does the phrase “outside agitators” ring any bells? How about “interference in the internal affairs” of a nation?

      It has long been clear that #BlackLivesMatter is another Astroturf operation of the left. But the revelation that deep pocket interests, able to engage radical people in from the Middle East (were there any Hamas or Hezb’allah people in Ferguson?) should raise all sorts of red flags.

      Hat tips: Carol Greenwald and Karin McQuillan

      http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2015/11/center_for_american_progress_kerfuffle_accidentally_reveals_palestinians_were_in_ferguson_advising_demonstrators.html

      Amazing, isn't it ?

      I think there was a guiding hand behind the U of Mizzou protests.....where'd they get all those identical sloganed T-shirts so fast ?

      Delete
  4. Ah, the long arm of the law, Ms. Click -

    Missouri student files complaint against professor who called for 'muscle'
    Aamer Madhani, USA TODAY 10:41 a.m. EST November 12, 2015


    (Photo: Mark Schierbecker)


    The University of Missouri student who filmed assistant professor Melissa Click call for "muscle" to eject him from a protest site on campus says he has filed a complaint with police alleging simple assault.

    Mark Schierbecker said that he filed the complaint with campus police late Wednesday and was waiting to hear if they would press charges against Click, an assistant professor in the university's Department of Communication. A police department spokesman, Major Brian Weimar, confirmed the complaint had been filed.

    "We are looking into this and following up," Weimar said.

    Video of a confrontation by Schierbecker on Monday showed allies of the Concerned Student 1950 movement berating another student-journalist, Tim Tai, who was trying to photograph a campsite that protesters had established on the university's quad. At the end of the video, Schierbecker approaches Click, who calls for "muscle" to remove him from the protest area. She then appears to grab at Schierbecker's camera.

    The campus has been embroiled in protests over administrators handling of a series of racially-charged incidents on campus. On Monday, the state's university system president Tim Wolfe and Mizzou chancellor R. Bowen Loftin announced their resignations.

    Under fire, Click resigned her courtesy appointment with the journalism school on Tuesday, but remains an assistant professor at the university.

    A video showing a photographer's clash with University of Missouri protesters who tried to block his access in a public section of campus is fanning debate about freedom of the press. (Nov. 10) AP

    Click issued a statement on Tuesday apologizing to journalists involved in the incident, and said that she had called Tai to offer an apology. She issued a second statement Wednesday saying that she had resigned her appointment to the Student Publications Committee, which makes recommendations to Mizzou's vice chancellor on operations of the student-run campus newspaper The Maneater.

    Schierbecker said he met with Click at her office on Tuesday, but that he found her apology "lacking." He said that he's made further attempts to contact Click to speak to her about his grievances with her, but she has refused to engage him.

    "I am just left with the feeling that she doesn't care," Schierbecker told USA TODAY..........

    http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/11/12/mizzou-student-files-simple-assault-complaint-against-assistant-professor-melissa-click/75640722/


    heheheheh

    I hope the court orders her to write a 500 word apology letter and read it in public before an assembly of Mizzou students.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ah, the long arm of the law, Ms Hillary -

    FBI expands Hillary e-mail probe into “materially false” statements?
    posted at 10:01 am on November 12, 2015 by Ed Morrissey



    Earlier this week, Politico reported that the FBI had expanded its resources into the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s secret e-mail server, requesting documents and statements from key figures in the scandal. The most obvious laws that might have been violated are 18 USC 793 and 18 USC 1924, both of which make gross negligence and worse in handling classified information a felony, punishable by prison time. Today, though, Fox News reports that the FBI is looking into another section of the federal code, one that suggests that the legal danger to Hillary and her team may be more fundamental than first supposed:

    The FBI has expanded its probe of Hillary Clinton’s emails, with agents exploring whether multiple statements violate a federal false statements statute, according to intelligence sources familiar with the ongoing case.

    Fox News is told agents are looking at U.S. Code 18, Section 1001, which pertains to “materially false” statements given either in writing, orally or through a third party. Violations also include pressuring a third party to conspire in a cover-up. Each felony violation is subject to five years in prison.

    This phase represents an expansion of the FBI probe, which is also exploring potential violations of an Espionage Act provision relating to “gross negligence” in the handling of national defense information. …

    The section of the criminal code being explored is known as “statements or entries generally,” and can be applied when an individual makes misleading or false statements causing federal agents to expend additional resources and time. In this case, legal experts as well as a former FBI agent said, Section 1001 could apply if Clinton, her aides or attorney were not forthcoming with FBI agents about her emails, classification and whether only non-government records were destroyed.

    Hmmmmmm. It was three months ago that the FBI reportedly found it could recover the e-mails deleted by Hillary and her team when the State Department demanded her records. If they told the FBI that they had only destroyed non-government data and the FBI finds otherwise, that could possibly trigger a prosecution under 18 USC 1001. It’s a standard strategy in dealing with suspects who lie during an investigation.

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    1. But that’s not the only application of 18 USC 1001, and in fact may not be the main application. The statute itself is at once somewhat narrow — and directly on point, emphases mine:

      (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, whoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States, knowingly and willfully—
      (1) falsifies, conceals, or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact;
      (2) makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation; or
      (3) makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry;

      shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years or, if the offense involves international or domestic terrorism (as defined in section 2331), imprisoned not more than 8 years, or both. If the matter relates to an offense under chapter 109A, 109B, 110, or 117, or section 1591, then the term of imprisonment imposed under this section shall be not more than 8 years.

      (b) Subsection (a) does not apply to a party to a judicial proceeding, or that party’s counsel, for statements, representations, writings or documents submitted by such party or counsel to a judge or magistrate in that proceeding.

      (c) With respect to any matter within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch, subsection (a) shall apply only to—
      (1) administrative matters, including a claim for payment, a matter related to the procurement of property or services, personnel or employment practices, or support services, or a document required by law, rule, or regulation to be submitted to the Congress or any office or officer within the legislative branch; or
      (2) any investigation or review, conducted pursuant to the authority of any committee, subcommittee, commission or office of the Congress, consistent with applicable rules of the House or Senate.

      This goes beyond obstruction of justice as seen in the Scooter Libby case, and more directly to the perversion of constitutional oversight between the legislative and executive branches. Chapter 47 deals with fraud and false statements in general, but 18 USC 1001 (c) specifically deals with obstructing legislative oversight. Given that the House launched several investigations into Benghazi, including the current Select Committee that consolidated all of the probes, and Hillary and her team didn’t provide this information until they got caught with the secret e-mail server, it may mean that the FBI’s interest is more fundamental than more recent false statements.

      Hillary should be familiar with the aphorism, It’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up. If the FBI is taking the investigation in that direction, then the real target would be the person who set up the server and never disclosed its existence to Congress (or the courts in FOIA cases) despite repeated requests. And that person can only be Hillary Clinton.

      http://hotair.com/archives/2015/11/12/fbi-expands-hillary-e-mail-probe-into-materially-false-statements/



      I love the smell of criminal charges in the morning.

      Delete
  6. HEADLINE of the thread....The US State Department has admitted that some of the so-called moderate rebels in Syria (over a thousand of them Saudi) have been successfully recruited by the al-Nusra Front, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, which is being targeted by Russia’s air campaign in Syria

    quirk states: QuirkThu Nov 12, 11:57:00 AM EST
    .

    Perhaps, to you. The discussion was about Saudi influence as opposed to Iran's. The Kurds weren't mentioned either, or the Christians, or the Druze.

    You've got Palestinians on the mind.



    Perhaps you misread the title of the thread, try again slowing, this time taking time to digest each word and understand the context of the HEADLINE.

    Headline: head·line (hĕd′līn′)
    n.
    1. The title or heading of an article, especially in a newspaper, usually set in large type.
    2. often headlines An important or sensational piece of news.
    3. A line at the head of a page or passage giving information such as the title, author, and page number.
    tr.v. head·lined, head·lin·ing, head·lines
    1. To supply (a page or passage) with a headline.
    2.
    a. To present or promote as a headliner: The Palace Theater headlines a magician.
    b. To serve as the headliner of: He headlines the bill.


    Headline of the thread....The US State Department has admitted that some of the so-called moderate rebels in Syria (over a thousand of them Saudi) have been successfully recruited by the al-Nusra Front, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, which is being targeted by Russia’s air campaign in Syria

    Palestinians are not natives of the lands. they are foreign fighters...

    And of course they were omitted.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Maybe the tread should be headlined: The US State Department has admitted that many of the so-called moderate rebels in Syria were Saudi, have been successfully recruited by the al-Nusra Front, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, which is being targeted by Russia’s air campaign in Syria.

    Your statement: Perhaps, to you. The discussion was about Saudi influence as opposed to Iran's. The Kurds weren't mentioned either, or the Christians, or the Druze.


    Admit it quirk, once again you shot your mouth off when your brain was not engaged.

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    1. Well, I hope they all get theirs, on both sides, one way or the other.

      Delete
    2. Admit it quirk, once again you shot your mouth off when your brain was not engaged.

      My Niece would call it an information flow problem.

      Delete
  8. Being An Inflation Hawk Means Never Having To Say You’re Sorry

    NOVEMBER 12, 2015 12:09 PM November 12, 2015 12:09 pm 35 Comments


    Jeffrey Lacker, president of the Richmond Fed, is worried about inflation unless the Fed tightens quickly, ignoring the worriers. Here’s what he just said:

    "If we hope to keep inflation in check, we cannot be paralyzed by patches of lingering weakness."

    Oh, wait: That’s what he said six years ago. It is, however, pretty much indistinguishable from what he is saying now.

    It seems to me that this is a bit of much-needed context.

    Paul Krugman

    ReplyDelete
  9. Poopswastika Alert :

    Listening to El Rushbo on the road today, he says the U of Mizzou police have confirmed the existence of the poopswastika.

    He reports there were also many turds below the poopswastika, on the floor.

    What this all means I do not know for sure.

    Neither I, nor El Rushbo either, see how it is aimed at blacks in particular.

    We should all be upset by a poopswastika, especially Jewish folks, but we should all of us be upset.

    It is disgusting.

    It may be the work of some true weirdo with no agenda at all.

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    1. Or, some budding artistic genius -

      Poopswastika: A Critique


      Poop Swastika: A Triumph of Conceptual Art by Stephen L. Miller November 11, 2015 5:15 PM

      Human excrement as art is not a new concept. One of the more famous examples is that of Italian artist Piero Manzoni, who in 1961 preserved his own fecal waste in 90 small tin cans and sold each off, priced by weight based on the value of gold at the time. One of the more recent notable examples of fecal-matter masterpieces is a depiction of Facebook founder and billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, whose portrait was completed in smeared feces by a New York–based street artist going by the name of KATSU. The artwork went on public display earlier this year in New York City and became a viral hit on Internet blogs.

      Probably the most famous example of using bodily waste to convey a stirring social message and provoke reactionary commentary was that of Piss Christ, Andres Serrano’s notorious photo display of a crucifix soaked in a jar of what was purportedly the artist’s own urine. The now-infamous work drew ire — and in some cases acts of vandalism — from Christian and conservative groups. But the outrage on the right did nothing to lessen — indeed probably only increased — the flow of praise that international critics heaped on Piss Christ, which they lauded as bold and visionary. Among the work’s numerous accolades was an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

      The latest example of human waste as art comes in the form of Poop Swastika, which purportedly appeared on display at the University of Missouri campus, in a dormitory restroom. Poop Swastika has caused quite the reaction among students and faculty and provoked controversy enough for major media outlets to pick up the story. Very few details of the work or the artist have emerged, but the mystery has only added to the allure. Was the artist a student on campus? A faculty member? How was the work done? Did the artist use his own fecal matter, or was it an assistant? Why did the artist choose that particular campus or restroom? No one is sure, and the questions are sure to burden art critics for the foreseeable future as they ponder the social ramifications of this master-work.

      And as with other cases of body-waste art, Poop Swastika is not without its angry, devoted critics..............

      Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/426940/poop-swastika-conceptual-art-triumph

      Delete
    2. And as with other cases of body-waste art, Poop Swastika is not without its angry, devoted critics. The artwork drew outrage from social-justice campus-reform groups and even inspired one student to stage a hunger strike. Players from the Missouri football team threatened to boycott over the work; in short order, the threat led to the resignation of the university’s president.

      Conceptual art — claiming the title of ‘avant-garde’ for nearly a century now — is traditionally meant to disrupt our normal perceptions. Was this the reaction the creator of Poop Swastika was hoping for? Maybe, maybe not. The artist’s motivations remain obscure. Conceptual art — claiming the title of “avant-garde” for nearly a century now — is traditionally meant to disrupt our normal perceptions and the normal order of things in society. Adding to the enigma surrounding the attraction, no photos of this now-revered piece have yet emerged, making both the art world and the media called in to cover Poop Swastika even more curious about the work’s origins and the brave artist who dared challenge prevailing norms.

      Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/426940/poop-swastika-conceptual-art-triumph

      Delete
    3. Exactly where were you all of last week, Quirk ?

      Account for your whereabouts.

      Delete
    4. I think I've told the story here once before, the story of The Mad Crapper of Orton Hall, Washington State University.

      This is forty some years ago now but everyone remembers as if were yesterday. A cousin of mine certainly does....he lived through it.

      You'd open the elevator, and, yup, a nice new steaming pile of human excrement.

      In the lounge.....in the cafeteria.....

      He was never caught, though all of Orton Hall was on the alert.

      A Maddening Crapper for sure.

      Delete
  10. Hillarity Alert :

    CNN piles on: C’mon, did Hillary really try to join the Marines in 1975?
    posted at 4:51 pm on November 12, 2015 by Allahpundit

    To complement Ed’s post this morning, here’s further evidence that conservative complaints about media bias aren’t always futile. Ain’t no way, no how, no chance this old story would have been picked up for fresh scrutiny by WaPo or CNN if not for Republicans yelling at the media the last few weeks about holding Ben Carson to a higher biographical standard than Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. What I can’t figure out is why Hillary continues to bring this old nonsense up on the trail. She doesn’t need it for her feminist credentials; she certainly doesn’t need to prove how hawkish she is in a Democratic primary. The story’s been attacked sporadically by skeptics for 20 years. Why dare the media to come sniffing around it? Even weirder, when ABC News first checked up on her “I tried to join the Marines story” in 2008, they noted at the time that “it’s a story she never seems to have told again” after initially telling it as First Lady in 1994. (Bill later “remembered” it as Hillary having tried to join the Army, not the Marines.) Now she’s telling it again. She actually dropped the story for many years and has begun to recycle it anew despite the fact that reporters are (justifiably) skeptical and she can’t prove that it happened. That’s Clintonian brazenness for you.

    Even as a parable about how public institutions used to keep women out, it doesn’t make sense. The Corps didn’t reject her (just) because she was a woman; according to Hillary, they told her that her eyesight was too poor and that she was too old to enlist. The whole thing reeks of something the Clintons concocted to deal with criticism of why Bill never ended up in combat during Vietnam. That’s okay because, see, Hillary tried to join...........

    http://hotair.com/archives/2015/11/12/cnn-cmon-did-hillary-really-try-to-join-the-marines-in-1975/

    Since she is nearly exactly my age, that would make her nearly 30 at the time.

    Does anyone here believe of a word of this horse shit ?

    ReplyDelete