This is the full length 90 min. version of Bill Moyer's 1987 scathing critique of the criminal subterfuge carried out by the Executive Branch of the United States Government to carry out operations which are clearly contrary to the wishes and values of the American people...
Secret Government - The Constitution In Crisis (FULL)
The ability to exercise this power with impunity is facilitated by the National Security Act of 1947. The thrust of the exposé is the Iran-Contra arms and drug-running operations which flooded the streets of our nation with crack cocaine. The significance of the documentary is probably greater today in 2007 than it was when it was made. We now have a situation in which these same forces have committed the most egregious terrorist attack on US soil and have declared a fraudulent so-called "War on Terror". The ruling regime in the US who have conducted the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, are now banging the war drum against Iran.
Video Notes:
1. You start abroad and then you bring this behavior home
2. "A look at a government in the shadows"... 'and where the government will take us if the people let it!'
3. A policy of lies got accidentally exposed!
4. 'Since our adversaries know about our covert operations the only ones fooled are the America people.'
[Continues with history of US that explains how despotism could establish itself in the US]
FIRST...
An example of a covert operation in the middle east that few in America know about... (till possibly now, with Ron Paul on his third run for President)
History of U.S. Intervention in Iran - 1953 Until Present (9 minutes)
Currently...
"The establishment beats the drums of war for Iran & silences those who dare question otherwise. One side is definitely crazy, but it's not who the spinmeisters in D.C. would have you believe."
AND
"At present Iran's forces are sufficient to deter or defend against conventional threats from Iran's weaker neighbors such as post-war Iraq, the GCC, Azerbaijan or Afghanistan but lack the air power and logistical ability to power much beyond Iran's boarders or to confront regional powers such as Turkey or Israel." -US Dept. of Defense
BUT
War has become a very profitable enterprise...
SECOND...
A clip from Air America about CIA drug involvements (Starring Mel Gibson)
Info Links...
1. Opium is gone!... U.N. drug control officers said the Taliban religious militia has nearly wiped out opium production in Afghanistan -- once the world's largest producer -- since banning poppy cultivation last summer. A 12-member team from the U.N. Drug Control Program spent two weeks searching most of the nation's largest opium-producing areas and found so few poppies that they do not expect any opium to come out of Afghanistan this year. "We are not just guessing. We have seen the proof in the fields," said Bernard Frahi, regional director for the U.N. program in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He laid out photographs of vast tracts of land cultivated with wheat alongside pictures of the same fields taken a year earlier -- a sea of blood-red poppies..
2. Opium is back!... "If international drug- and law-enforcement officials are right, the Taliban might be hiding up to $3.2 billion worth of opium inside Afghanistan, potentially causing huge complications for NATO's decision this month to attack Afghanistan's opium laboratories and smuggling networks.
3. The clincher! = "Throughout the forty years of the Cold War, the CIA joined with urban gangsters and rural warlords, many of them major drug dealers, to mount covert operations against communists around the globe. In one of history's accidents, the Iron Curtain fell along the border of the Asian opium zone, which stretches across 5,000 miles of mountains from Turkey to Thailand. In Burma during the 1950s, in Laos during the 1970s, and in Afghanistan during the 1980s, the CIA allied with highland warlords to mobilize tribal armies against the Soviet Union and China.".
THIRD
Has this "messing with The Constitution" been brought home?...
1. From PBS = Are we becoming a police state? Five things that have civil liberties advocates nervous - 1. Indefinite military detentions of U.S. citizens, 2. Targeting U.S. citizens for killing, 3. Arresting witnesses for recording police actions, 4. Using GPS to track your every move, 5. Surveillance drones spying on American soil...
2. Enemies of the Constitution: "Sheriff Richard Mack discusses the Oath Keepers, veterans and cops who swore an oath to disobey any order to disarm or detain American citizens."
"When the President can unilaterally decide you're no longer a citizen..." Judge Andrew Napolitano
Notes:
1. There are "900 bases in 150 countries"
2. From The Economist: Indeed, the one lesson that can be drawn from the data is that today's strategic priorities can shape deployments for decades to come, long after the original reason for putting G.I.s in a particular region has gone.
3. "[W]e can now remove almost all of our forces from Saudi Arabia. Their presence there over the last 12 years has been a source of enormous difficulty for a friendly government. It's been a huge recruiting device for al Qaeda. In fact if you look at bin Laden, one of his principle grievances was the presence of so-called crusader forces on the holy land, Mecca and Medina. I think just lifting that burden from the Saudis is itself going to open the door to other positive things." Wolfowitz, 2003.
4. Economics perspective: Manufacturing jobs have become more specialized requiring less labor and more technical expertise - i.e. small companies making big ticket items such as fighter jets; this means less people are employed, smaller number of people make huge profits and these huge profits make the economy look like its growing when actually its just a few companies making huge profits benefiting a small group of people. Senator Bernie Sanders also thinks sending manufacturing jobs abroad is bad economic policy.
5. Comedic perspective: Colbert Report: Solutions to America's Financial Worries - World War III
6. Millions of jobs vs hundreds, possibly thousands of jobs, created by small companies with big ticket items.
7. Article: 11 Ways That Amerika Is Becoming More Like North Korea .
8. Interview: Ben Lowy describes his photographic work in Iraq and Afghanistan. Arresting people just because someone says so with any due process of law.
9. "The Pentagon needs to conduct a "serious inquiry" into the Air Force for letting a retired general turned Boeing executive participate in a war game for a $51 billion aerial tanker contract Boeing was competing to win, Sen. John McCain said Thursday in a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta."
10. Remains of 274 Soldiers Dumped in Virginia Landfill - Fox News Video [Original article here.]
11. "They've taken all the heat they want to," Barr said. "They paid a lot of money for an aircraft that doesn't work."
12. "How do you break an internet? Easy. SOPA." Judge Andrew Napolitano
13. Comedic perspective: At last, the U.S. government brings swift justice to hardened criminals on YouTube.
14. Interview: Colbert Report: Stop Online Piracy Act - Danny Goldberg & Jonathan Zittrain.
15. Comedic and serious perspectives on "The Power of Corporate Money."
--------------------------------------------
"What if they ruled through fear? What if there was too much FEDGOV?" Judge Andrew Napolitano
Second Amash Letter Opposing Indefinite Detention of Americans Without Charge or Trial
Sanders Statement on Defense Authorization Bill:
"The bill continues to authorize heavy spending on defense despite the end of the 9-year-old war in Iraq. Ironically, the Senate vote came on the same day when Defense Secretary Panetta was in Baghdad officially declaring that our military mission there has ended and that virtually all of the combat troops will leave Iraq by the end of the year. At a time when we have tripled defense spending since 1997 and spend more today on defense than the rest of the world combined, I get concerned that my deficit-hawk friends say we've got to cut Social Security, Medicare, education, health care and other programs that help working families, but when it comes to defense spending the sky is the limit.
"This bill also contains misguided provisions that in the name of fighting terrorism essentially authorize the indefinite imprisonment of American citizens without charges. While we must aggressively pursue international terrorists and all of those who would do us harm, we must do it in a way that protects the Constitution and the civil liberties which make us proud to be Americans."
Read in full here.
"You made an oath to protect the Constitution" Father Nathan Monk of the St. Benedictine Orthodox Church in Pensacola Florida
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Newt Gingrich - Consistently Inconsistent (A Quick Introduction)
"Do not be duped by the establishment GOP. Do not exchange your values and principles for electability...or we'll keep heading down the same path." Glenn Beck
Bill O'Reilly: Does Obama Want to Run Against Gingrich or Romney?
Fox News: New Criticism of Gingrich's Conservative Credentials
From video above:
1. Gingrich hasn't held statewide office since he was kicked out by his colleagues in 1998!
2. "Most talented politician of his generation" (compared to Bill Clinton!)
3. "He got 1.6 million from Freddie Mac"
New Ron Paul Ad Blasts Newt Gingrich for 'Serial Hypocrisy'
"The new Paul ad takes aim at a few of Newt’s more garish about-faces."
Forbes Magazine: Whether you disagree with Ron Paul or not, one thing is certain: it’s impossible to lay the mantle of hypocrite at his feet. The congressman from Texas has changed his mind about things over the course of his career – for instance, he once believed in the death penalty but no longer does – but they’ve changed out of a change in belief, not political expediency.
The same cannot be said for many of his GOP rivals. People often accuse Mitt Romney of flip-flopping for political gain, a true enough charge. But then why has the Republican Party turned to Newt Gingrich, a man whose own flip-flops are manifold and glaring?
(Indeed, why did the GOP turn its back on Herman Cain for his extramarital activities when Newt’s own are now famous?)
Compare: About Herman Cain... "If these allegations prove true, that means you are only one extramarital affair behind Newt Gingrich." -- Stephen Colbert.
AND
Behind the scenes of the attack add above = 1.Ron Paul: I'm Reluctantly Doing the Media's Job in Exposing Newt Gingrich - , and 2. Ron Paul: I Wish We Could Just Debate the Issues.
IRS lets Newt Gingrich go but he DOES have to foot the bill!
"Leading in the polls, Newt Gingrich finds himself fielding questions about an ethics violation investigation in the 90s."
More Information:
1. Quote: Nor are quotes like this one, spoken by Newt Gingrich on September 19, 2001: "If we don't use this as the moment to replace Saddam after we replace the Taliban, we are setting the stage for disaster." Vice President Dick Cheney certainly felt the same way.
2. In an interview with Fox News, Paul criticized former House speaker Newt Gingrich for his lack of military service and his aggressive militaristic tone, as CBS News reported. "He supports all of the wars in the Middle East, a thousand times more than I would, but you know in the 1960s when I was drafted in the military he got several deferments. He chose not to go. Now he will send our kids to war. But at that time he said that one person wouldn't make a difference. He didn't know how he could make a difference. So I see that as important information. People should know that. And it reflects on him," Paul told Fox News. Read more here.
3. Quote from Glenn Beck! : "If you have a big government progressive, or a big government progressive in Obama… ask yourself this, Tea Party: is it about Obama’s race? Because that’s what it appears to be to me. If you’re against him but you’re for this guy, it must be about race. I mean, what else is it? It’s the policies that matter."
4. Note = One "Tea Party" Response to Glenn Beck
"It's very wrong to pull the race card on this side of the aisle," said Gina Loudon, an Alabama-based Tea Party activist and radio host who also helped found the St. Louis Tea Party.
Loudoun rejected that notion that racism is a factor, claiming many of Gingrich's newest supporters had been backing Herman Cain, who is black, before he suspended his campaign.
"So saying it's a race issue is positively disproven," Loudon said.
(Note: Supporting Herman Cain for a short period proves nothing.)
5. Comedic perspectives: Larry Wilmore analyzes Newt Gingrich's janitorial solution to America's poverty problem.
6. Comedic Perspectives = Newt Gingrich - Topic: Weirdness.
More later.
Bill O'Reilly: Does Obama Want to Run Against Gingrich or Romney?
Fox News: New Criticism of Gingrich's Conservative Credentials
From video above:
1. Gingrich hasn't held statewide office since he was kicked out by his colleagues in 1998!
2. "Most talented politician of his generation" (compared to Bill Clinton!)
3. "He got 1.6 million from Freddie Mac"
New Ron Paul Ad Blasts Newt Gingrich for 'Serial Hypocrisy'
"The new Paul ad takes aim at a few of Newt’s more garish about-faces."
Forbes Magazine: Whether you disagree with Ron Paul or not, one thing is certain: it’s impossible to lay the mantle of hypocrite at his feet. The congressman from Texas has changed his mind about things over the course of his career – for instance, he once believed in the death penalty but no longer does – but they’ve changed out of a change in belief, not political expediency.
The same cannot be said for many of his GOP rivals. People often accuse Mitt Romney of flip-flopping for political gain, a true enough charge. But then why has the Republican Party turned to Newt Gingrich, a man whose own flip-flops are manifold and glaring?
(Indeed, why did the GOP turn its back on Herman Cain for his extramarital activities when Newt’s own are now famous?)
Compare: About Herman Cain... "If these allegations prove true, that means you are only one extramarital affair behind Newt Gingrich." -- Stephen Colbert.
AND
Behind the scenes of the attack add above = 1.Ron Paul: I'm Reluctantly Doing the Media's Job in Exposing Newt Gingrich - , and 2. Ron Paul: I Wish We Could Just Debate the Issues.
IRS lets Newt Gingrich go but he DOES have to foot the bill!
"Leading in the polls, Newt Gingrich finds himself fielding questions about an ethics violation investigation in the 90s."
More Information:
1. Quote: Nor are quotes like this one, spoken by Newt Gingrich on September 19, 2001: "If we don't use this as the moment to replace Saddam after we replace the Taliban, we are setting the stage for disaster." Vice President Dick Cheney certainly felt the same way.
2. In an interview with Fox News, Paul criticized former House speaker Newt Gingrich for his lack of military service and his aggressive militaristic tone, as CBS News reported. "He supports all of the wars in the Middle East, a thousand times more than I would, but you know in the 1960s when I was drafted in the military he got several deferments. He chose not to go. Now he will send our kids to war. But at that time he said that one person wouldn't make a difference. He didn't know how he could make a difference. So I see that as important information. People should know that. And it reflects on him," Paul told Fox News. Read more here.
3. Quote from Glenn Beck! : "If you have a big government progressive, or a big government progressive in Obama… ask yourself this, Tea Party: is it about Obama’s race? Because that’s what it appears to be to me. If you’re against him but you’re for this guy, it must be about race. I mean, what else is it? It’s the policies that matter."
4. Note = One "Tea Party" Response to Glenn Beck
"It's very wrong to pull the race card on this side of the aisle," said Gina Loudon, an Alabama-based Tea Party activist and radio host who also helped found the St. Louis Tea Party.
Loudoun rejected that notion that racism is a factor, claiming many of Gingrich's newest supporters had been backing Herman Cain, who is black, before he suspended his campaign.
"So saying it's a race issue is positively disproven," Loudon said.
(Note: Supporting Herman Cain for a short period proves nothing.)
5. Comedic perspectives: Larry Wilmore analyzes Newt Gingrich's janitorial solution to America's poverty problem.
6. Comedic Perspectives = Newt Gingrich - Topic: Weirdness.
More later.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Why is the US so low on the corruption charts?
[Note 11 Dec '11: The examples and explanations of corruption in the US continue at this link.]
On December 5th CNN reported: "The United States ranked 24th least corrupt on a "corruption perceptions index," the fifth-best in the Western Hemisphere. Canada ranked 10th, Barbados is 16th, the Bahamas is 21st and Chile is 22nd."
These charts are complied by the following organization...
From Transparency.Org
Transparency International, the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption, brings people together in a powerful worldwide coalition to end the devastating impact of corruption on men, women and children around the world.
TI’s mission is to create change towards a world free of corruption.
Transparency International challenges the inevitability of corruption, and offers hope to its victims. Since its founding in 1993, TI has played a lead role in improving the lives of millions around the world by building momentum for the anti-corruption movement. TI raises awareness and diminishes apathy and tolerance of corruption, and devises and implements practical actions to address it.
Transparency International is a global network including more than 90 locally established national chapters and chapters-in-formation. These bodies fight corruption in the national arena in a number of ways. They bring together relevant players from government, civil society, business and the media to promote transparency in elections, in public administration, in procurement and in business. TI’s global network of chapters and contacts also use advocacy campaigns to lobby governments to implement anti-corruption reforms.
Politically non-partisan, TI does not undertake investigations of alleged corruption or expose individual cases, but at times will work in coalition with organisations that do.
TI has the skills, tools, experience, expertise and broad participation to fight corruption on the ground, as well as through global and regional initiatives.
Now in its second decade, Transparency International is maturing, intensifying and diversifying its fight against corruption.
[Note that the TI does not undertake investigations of 'alleged' corruption, so I'm sticking with only a small sample set of mainstream sources.]
The following is some information that suggests that the US doesn't deserve the extremely high ranking it has on the Corruption charts/scales...
The structure of Obama's government;
[Note that the structure of Obama's government is relevant because of the scale of inefficiencies of several of his implemented plans (of which we know about so far, for example this video and this one. Also, Goldman sacks is the same company that lied to its investors and bet against them and the same ones that postponed dealing with the Greek Crisis).
Insider Trading in Congress;
Insider Trading is what Martha Stewart went to prison for! ...
'Basically the banks were being lent money at no interest (by the government) and then the government was borrowing it back and giving interest!' What a sweet deal!
(Note: Bloomberg report referred to above is here... also note that Social Security is doing well so many politicians are constantly diverting it or its funds, explanation by Senator Bernie Sanders is here and part of the reason for the Social Security political nonsense is explained here.)
The uselessness of the EPA and lack of social justice;
Lack of transparency in some investigations;
Previously immoral and illegal activities are being promoted and accepted among a large number of GOP supporters (read GOP candidates facebook posts on Iran);
More examples of corruption and influence being used in ways that corrupt:
Echo Chambers 1 and 2.
The GOP
Debt Ceiling debate
Political influence in the courts
The problem of prisons for profit and other weird shit (that has a very long historical precedent, you would know if you lived in the South... in the meantime, read 'To Kill A Mocking Bird'. I've actually seen the scene of arguing over scripture between a fanatic and normal person in real life, so the book is like living history to me!)
The shocking truth about the crackdown on Occupy ["No 3 was the most clarifying: draft laws against the little-known loophole that currently allows members of Congress to pass legislation affecting Delaware-based corporations in which they themselves are investors."]
The Financial Crisis screams of corruption and some investigations have begun.
The only politician running for the Presidential election is Ron Paul... and he is the only one telling the whole truth. Full explanation is here.
Theories: 1. TI either doesn't like to read, Or 2. Compiles it charts using other peoples charts (an old cartographers trick), Or 3. Is controlled by someone or some group (or coalition of groups) that opposes the release of this information, Or 4. This is an effort to defame one side for the purposes of power, control or manipulation, Or 5. Is biased against third world countries (which means they are probably elitists and racists/bigots in some way. It's easy to determine, by an expert, when looking at the researchers and decision makers as a whole, as to which theory or combination of theories is correct).
---------------------
Breaking News Dec 6 2011 -
From BBC - "Organised crime poses an "open threat" to democracy in Mexico, President Felipe Calderon has warned."
From Judge Andrew Napolitano:
Above video is from here.
---------------------
On December 5th CNN reported: "The United States ranked 24th least corrupt on a "corruption perceptions index," the fifth-best in the Western Hemisphere. Canada ranked 10th, Barbados is 16th, the Bahamas is 21st and Chile is 22nd."
These charts are complied by the following organization...
From Transparency.Org
Transparency International, the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption, brings people together in a powerful worldwide coalition to end the devastating impact of corruption on men, women and children around the world.
TI’s mission is to create change towards a world free of corruption.
Transparency International challenges the inevitability of corruption, and offers hope to its victims. Since its founding in 1993, TI has played a lead role in improving the lives of millions around the world by building momentum for the anti-corruption movement. TI raises awareness and diminishes apathy and tolerance of corruption, and devises and implements practical actions to address it.
Transparency International is a global network including more than 90 locally established national chapters and chapters-in-formation. These bodies fight corruption in the national arena in a number of ways. They bring together relevant players from government, civil society, business and the media to promote transparency in elections, in public administration, in procurement and in business. TI’s global network of chapters and contacts also use advocacy campaigns to lobby governments to implement anti-corruption reforms.
Politically non-partisan, TI does not undertake investigations of alleged corruption or expose individual cases, but at times will work in coalition with organisations that do.
TI has the skills, tools, experience, expertise and broad participation to fight corruption on the ground, as well as through global and regional initiatives.
Now in its second decade, Transparency International is maturing, intensifying and diversifying its fight against corruption.
[Note that the TI does not undertake investigations of 'alleged' corruption, so I'm sticking with only a small sample set of mainstream sources.]
The following is some information that suggests that the US doesn't deserve the extremely high ranking it has on the Corruption charts/scales...
The structure of Obama's government;
[Note that the structure of Obama's government is relevant because of the scale of inefficiencies of several of his implemented plans (of which we know about so far, for example this video and this one. Also, Goldman sacks is the same company that lied to its investors and bet against them and the same ones that postponed dealing with the Greek Crisis).
Insider Trading in Congress;
Insider Trading is what Martha Stewart went to prison for! ...
'Basically the banks were being lent money at no interest (by the government) and then the government was borrowing it back and giving interest!' What a sweet deal!
(Note: Bloomberg report referred to above is here... also note that Social Security is doing well so many politicians are constantly diverting it or its funds, explanation by Senator Bernie Sanders is here and part of the reason for the Social Security political nonsense is explained here.)
The uselessness of the EPA and lack of social justice;
Lack of transparency in some investigations;
Previously immoral and illegal activities are being promoted and accepted among a large number of GOP supporters (read GOP candidates facebook posts on Iran);
More examples of corruption and influence being used in ways that corrupt:
Echo Chambers 1 and 2.
The GOP
Debt Ceiling debate
Political influence in the courts
The problem of prisons for profit and other weird shit (that has a very long historical precedent, you would know if you lived in the South... in the meantime, read 'To Kill A Mocking Bird'. I've actually seen the scene of arguing over scripture between a fanatic and normal person in real life, so the book is like living history to me!)
The shocking truth about the crackdown on Occupy ["No 3 was the most clarifying: draft laws against the little-known loophole that currently allows members of Congress to pass legislation affecting Delaware-based corporations in which they themselves are investors."]
The Financial Crisis screams of corruption and some investigations have begun.
The only politician running for the Presidential election is Ron Paul... and he is the only one telling the whole truth. Full explanation is here.
Theories: 1. TI either doesn't like to read, Or 2. Compiles it charts using other peoples charts (an old cartographers trick), Or 3. Is controlled by someone or some group (or coalition of groups) that opposes the release of this information, Or 4. This is an effort to defame one side for the purposes of power, control or manipulation, Or 5. Is biased against third world countries (which means they are probably elitists and racists/bigots in some way. It's easy to determine, by an expert, when looking at the researchers and decision makers as a whole, as to which theory or combination of theories is correct).
---------------------
Breaking News Dec 6 2011 -
From BBC - "Organised crime poses an "open threat" to democracy in Mexico, President Felipe Calderon has warned."
From Judge Andrew Napolitano:
Above video is from here.
---------------------
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The Case for Israel Being Better Off Without The "Help" of The United States
Comedic perspectives can help people see an issue with fresh eyes as contradictions become more apparent and the laughter helps overcome natural bias to various degrees, something which is needed in the Israel-Palestine debate.
Introduction:
In Obama's speech at the UN he spent a great deal of time trying to explain why he believes Palestine should not negotiate through the UN in any manner, even though Israel was created through the UN as well.
Obama's speech had so little substance that he sounded like a broken record...
"Peace is hard, unlike winning the Nobel Peace Prize which is surprisingly easy"
Are discussions important? Yes. But to do that only through negotiations between a tiny super power (Israel is extremely strong and can take care of itself) and its occupied lands can't possibly be called an equal or fair negotiation table.
Fortunately, Obama's strange stance on the Israel-Palestine issue can be easily explained by tracing where the roots of the new rhetoric comes from and shinning a light on who these power sources are. Once done, you may agree with me that Israel is better off without any interference from the United States on foreign policy (in any sense whatsoever).
From BBC: Barack Obama has told the UN General Assembly the Palestinians deserve their own state, but that this would only be achieved through talks with Israel.
Obama is clearly following Republican/GOP rhetoric...
Rick Perry: "Palestinian statehood must be established only through direct negotiations between the Palestinian leadership and the nation of Israel."
To understand why it's bad for any country to get too involved with United States foreign policy can be explained by studying the Republican power structure which is controlling Obama. Rick Perry is himself a slave to that system. (i.e. read the last 3 links carefully).
Notes - 1. Each side doesn't acknowledge they other, 2. They have been fighting for, like, forever, 3. Obama/US wants Palestine to get a recommendation from "their mortal enemies" to get UN membership (in contrast to North Korea or Syria).
Palestinians and Jews working together, in the present and historically, is not something you hear allot about in the media;
Anna Baltzer and Mustafa Barghouti advocate a non-violent approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in this complete, unedited interview...
Part 2 of Anna Baltzer & Mustafa Barghouti interview:
A pro-Israel Lobby you don't hear about in the media...
Interview: Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of the pro-Israel lobby J Street, discusses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Palestine's application for full U.N. membership....
Israel came into being by a UN mandate so its only fair that the Palestinians do too.
Ben Ami is taking a mainstream approach as that's necessary for his political position (Israel on one side and a right-wing Obama administration on the other)
From the Washington Post:
Ben-Ami provides an arsenal of logistical and moral arguments stressing that not only is Israel’s occupation over another people a threat to the Zionist dream and American interests in the region, but that it also runs counter to rabbinic values — indeed, even to the very letter of Israel’s Declaration of Independence, which promises equality to all, regardless of race, religion or gender. In short, he tells us that Israel is on the brink of becoming an “apartheid state” and losing its status as a moral beacon to the Jewish people and the safe and democratic haven its pioneers intended it to be.
Ben-Ami argues that by taking a radically conciliatory pro-peace position today instead of the stance represented by the conservative AIPAC, the American Jewish community would serve Israel’s interests far better — paradoxically, just as the radically militant policy pursued by his father, Yitshaq (whom Ben-Ami calls a “terrorist”), in Israel’s early days was exactly what was needed in order to ensure its creation: At the time, his father’s brand of Zionism ran counter to what was considered acceptable by the Jewish community.
Ben-Ami says that today’s Jewish voice in America should clearly call for an active American intervention in the Middle East that will bring about the end of occupation and the establishment of a Palestinian state. How can this be done? He suggests that the American president, backed by the international community, must present a take-it-or-leave-it political package to the two sides. The basis already exists for this in various peace initiatives that call for making the pre-1967 armistice line a border between the two states and allowing for a one-to-one exchange of territory for reasons to do with security or demography. The resulting refugee problem could be addressed in any number of ways, including compensation, family reunification schemes and resettlement. Most of these plans also call for making Jerusalem a joint capital for the two states. President Clinton proposed a formula for sharing the city by having Arab neighborhoods come under Arab sovereignty, and Jewish neighborhoods under Jewish sovereignty.
US news media involvement in the flotilla incident can the UN called "excessive"...
Benjamin Netanyahu defends Israel's raid on a flotilla of activists bringing aid to the Gaza Strip...
The above is why Israel-Turkey relations are dead in the water and it makes the nagative image of the Israeilites amougnst the people of the region increase.
1. Israel's present political situation suggests the people are ready for change, they just need a solution...
2. 253rd time Palestine and Israel sit down for peace talks and the firmest thing the US can do is extend negotiations?...
3. Its obvious that the US has no influence in the Israel-Palestinian process in this video, at least, not from the Democrats...
End of - The Case for Israel Being Better Off Without The "Help" of The United States
Introduction:
In Obama's speech at the UN he spent a great deal of time trying to explain why he believes Palestine should not negotiate through the UN in any manner, even though Israel was created through the UN as well.
Obama's speech had so little substance that he sounded like a broken record...
The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Are discussions important? Yes. But to do that only through negotiations between a tiny super power (Israel is extremely strong and can take care of itself) and its occupied lands can't possibly be called an equal or fair negotiation table.
Fortunately, Obama's strange stance on the Israel-Palestine issue can be easily explained by tracing where the roots of the new rhetoric comes from and shinning a light on who these power sources are. Once done, you may agree with me that Israel is better off without any interference from the United States on foreign policy (in any sense whatsoever).
From BBC: Barack Obama has told the UN General Assembly the Palestinians deserve their own state, but that this would only be achieved through talks with Israel.
Obama is clearly following Republican/GOP rhetoric...
Rick Perry: "Palestinian statehood must be established only through direct negotiations between the Palestinian leadership and the nation of Israel."
To understand why it's bad for any country to get too involved with United States foreign policy can be explained by studying the Republican power structure which is controlling Obama. Rick Perry is himself a slave to that system. (i.e. read the last 3 links carefully).
Palestine finds that, as with any good co-op, joining the U.N. requires getting past that one hard-ass on the co-op board who always shoots people down.
Notes - 1. Each side doesn't acknowledge they other, 2. They have been fighting for, like, forever, 3. Obama/US wants Palestine to get a recommendation from "their mortal enemies" to get UN membership (in contrast to North Korea or Syria).
Overview
Palestinians and Jews working together, in the present and historically, is not something you hear allot about in the media;
Anna Baltzer and Mustafa Barghouti advocate a non-violent approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in this complete, unedited interview...
Exclusive - Anna Baltzer & Mustafa Barghouti Extended Interview Pt. 1
Part 2 of Anna Baltzer & Mustafa Barghouti interview:
'The US is too biased to one side and this isn't good for Israel'
A pro-Israel Lobby you don't hear about in the media...
Interview: Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of the pro-Israel lobby J Street, discusses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Palestine's application for full U.N. membership....
The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Israel came into being by a UN mandate so its only fair that the Palestinians do too.
Ben Ami is taking a mainstream approach as that's necessary for his political position (Israel on one side and a right-wing Obama administration on the other)
From the Washington Post:
Ben-Ami provides an arsenal of logistical and moral arguments stressing that not only is Israel’s occupation over another people a threat to the Zionist dream and American interests in the region, but that it also runs counter to rabbinic values — indeed, even to the very letter of Israel’s Declaration of Independence, which promises equality to all, regardless of race, religion or gender. In short, he tells us that Israel is on the brink of becoming an “apartheid state” and losing its status as a moral beacon to the Jewish people and the safe and democratic haven its pioneers intended it to be.
Ben-Ami argues that by taking a radically conciliatory pro-peace position today instead of the stance represented by the conservative AIPAC, the American Jewish community would serve Israel’s interests far better — paradoxically, just as the radically militant policy pursued by his father, Yitshaq (whom Ben-Ami calls a “terrorist”), in Israel’s early days was exactly what was needed in order to ensure its creation: At the time, his father’s brand of Zionism ran counter to what was considered acceptable by the Jewish community.
Ben-Ami says that today’s Jewish voice in America should clearly call for an active American intervention in the Middle East that will bring about the end of occupation and the establishment of a Palestinian state. How can this be done? He suggests that the American president, backed by the international community, must present a take-it-or-leave-it political package to the two sides. The basis already exists for this in various peace initiatives that call for making the pre-1967 armistice line a border between the two states and allowing for a one-to-one exchange of territory for reasons to do with security or demography. The resulting refugee problem could be addressed in any number of ways, including compensation, family reunification schemes and resettlement. Most of these plans also call for making Jerusalem a joint capital for the two states. President Clinton proposed a formula for sharing the city by having Arab neighborhoods come under Arab sovereignty, and Jewish neighborhoods under Jewish sovereignty.
US news media involvement in the flotilla incident can the UN called "excessive"...
Benjamin Netanyahu defends Israel's raid on a flotilla of activists bringing aid to the Gaza Strip...
The above is why Israel-Turkey relations are dead in the water and it makes the nagative image of the Israeilites amougnst the people of the region increase.
From CNN:
The Turks and many others have already contested the underlying logic of the Report, the central issue of which is the legitimacy of Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. Sir Geoffrey Palmer and his colleagues concluded that 1) although Gaza is not a state, Israel and Gaza are in an international conflict; as a result 2) the Israelis’ claim that they have a right to self-defense in this situation is entirely legitimate, and 3) the naval blockade is an acceptable means to achieve that end. In order to reach these conclusions, Palmer et al affirmed Israel’s position that the naval blockade is fundamentally separate policy from the land cordon the Israelis established around Gaza since 2007.
Not being a lawyer, I may not be on firm ground here, but it seems pretty clear that Palmer’s report is correct that, while the conflict between Israel and Gaza may not meet the legal criteria for “international conflict,” politically there is no question that we are looking at what is, for all intents and purposes, an international conflict. (A conclusion, which although not legal, should nevertheless be important for advocates of Palestinian statehood.)
At the same time, Palmer’s conclusion that the naval blockade is a separate policy seems to be a bit shaky. It is based on the fact that this blockade was not established until January 3, 2009 more than a year after the imposition of the land closure. Yet, there is something that is too cute by a half about this reasoning. It is important to remember that the naval blockade also occurred during the IDF’s Operation Cast Lead, which was intended to bring a halt to rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel. A laudable goal, but it also suggests that Palmer may be wrong in suggesting the “separateness” of the naval blockade. After all, that blockade was imposed as part of a military operation that was intended to do what the land closure was apparently failing to do. Under these circumstances, it seems that the naval blockade was an extension of or addition to an existing Israeli policy of preventing weapons, the raw materials for weapons along with a host of other goods that have nothing whatsoever to do with weapons, from being smuggled into Gaza.
The Palmer Report is thus not as clear-cut as either the Israelis who are declaring victory would suggest or the hopelessly politicized exercise that the Turks are claiming. The ironies here are almost too much to take, but what is done is done and the report, with whatever its faults, is a devastating blow to the Turkish narrative of the legal and political issues surrounding the incident (see pages 38-48, in particular). It has especially harsh words for the organizers of the flotilla and questions their intentions to actually deliver humanitarian aid. This is a political problem for Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the reason why the Turks went on the offensive this week.
After all, wasn’t it a confident (righteous, even) Ankara that demanded a UN commission of inquiry in the belief that it would reinforce the Turkish narrative? Didn’t the Mavi Marmara incident and the events surrounding it help further Erdogan’s legend in the Arab world? Hasn’t Erdogan been minting political gold on the Palestinian issue? The answer to all of these questions is yes. The fact that the Palmer Report suggests that Israel may have screwed up the interception of the flotilla, used unnecessary force, and abused some of the passengers and crew is politically unsatisfying because the UN’s inquiry also states that the Israelis were within their legal rights to establish a naval blockade and enforce it.
Moments of Zen
1. Israel's present political situation suggests the people are ready for change, they just need a solution...
2. 253rd time Palestine and Israel sit down for peace talks and the firmest thing the US can do is extend negotiations?...
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appoints an "ambassador of death," while Hillary Clinton gives Israel and Palestine a firm deadline for peace.
3. Its obvious that the US has no influence in the Israel-Palestinian process in this video, at least, not from the Democrats...
Joe Biden punishes Israel for its plans to build more settlements by showing up late to dinner with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
End of - The Case for Israel Being Better Off Without The "Help" of The United States
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
[Case Study] Who Is Rick Perry?
In attempting to understand who Rick Perry is and what he represents for the new Republican party (GOP), we first have to figure out who he is. Based on a compendium of articles one thing is for sure, I can't tell if he is really a conservative or a liberal. However, there is one thing I can tell with absolute certainty, he is not even remotely consistent.
1. Rick Perry's Inconsistencies..
Despite His Current Vehemence on Taxes, Perry Has a More Nuanced Record
To hear him tell it on the presidential campaign trail, Gov. Rick Perry has never met a tax increase he liked. But at home, over a political career that reaches back to the oil price shocks of the 1980s, Mr. Perry has embraced billions of dollars worth of them — including a $528 million tax increase approved in 1990, after he defected to the Republican Party.
Rick Perry's Gaffe Problem
A spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee said, "Rick's ramblings from the past 48 hours in the Hawkeye State show a candidate that's trying to create his own reality." Even Fox News commentator Karl Rove, the former political strategist for President George W. Bush (a former Texas governor who named Perry as his lieutenant governor), said Perry seems unpresidential and needs to choose his words more carefully.
Rick Perry Flip-Flops On The 10th Amendment and States Rights With Abortion
The thing about conservatives and state’s rights is that they are for them except when they are against them. Take Texas Governor Rick Perry, for example. Gov. Perry is on record for believing that Roe v. Wade should be overturned. That way states would be free to pass their own laws concerning abortion without having that pesky federal law and constitutional protections to worry about.
It appears that Gov. Perry has had a change of heart. According to RH Reality Check, Perry now supports a federal amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would grant personhood status and legal protections to unborn children. That’s right. The same Governor who openly flirted with secession now believes the federal government should dictate abortion law to the states. That’s an interesting evolution on the topic of federalism.
Rick Perry Flip Flops On Gay Marriage, Backs Federal Ban
Texas Governor Rick Perry (R), one of the country's most prominent defenders of the 10th Amendment, is making an exception when it comes to gay marriage. After initially telling reporters that it's "fine with me" if states like New York legalize same-sex unions through their own legislature, Perry is pulling a 180 and calling for a Federal Marriage Amendment
Do as I say not as I do...
Stimulus-Hating Gov. Rick Perry Used Stimulus to Balance Texas Budget
Gov. Rick Perry used federal stimulus money to pay 97 percent of Texas's budget shortfall in fiscal 2010--which is funny, because Perry spent a lot of time talking about just how terrible the stimulus was. In fact, Texas was the state that relied most heavily on stimulus funds, CNN's Tami Luhby reports.
"Even as Perry requested the Recovery Act money, he railed against it," Luhby writes. "On the very same day he asked for the funds, he set up a petition titled 'No Government Bailouts.'" It called on Americans to express their anger at irresponsible spending.
Thanks to the stimulus funds, Texas didn't have to dip into its $9.4 billion rainy day fund. Still, now that the stimulus is spent, Texas, like many other states, is facing severe cuts--$31 million must be carved from the budget.
Rick Perry is George Bush on Steroids!?!...
Perry Makes It Official: He's Running for President
Through three terms as governor, Perry has overseen significant job growth in his state while working to keep taxes low. He was an early backer of the tea party movement and enjoys the support of social conservatives because of his opposition to abortion and gay rights. He is also an evangelical Christian who organized a well-attended prayer rally in his state last week.
Perry is a prodigious fundraiser who has already begun laying the groundwork for a national finance network his supporters say would rival that of President Obama, who is expected to exceed his record-breaking $750 million haul from 2008.
But some Republicans worry that Perry's hard-core conservatism and Texas style may not play well in a 50-state contest, particularly coming so soon after former President George W. Bush's two White House terms. Bush had record low approval ratings when he left office in 2009.
2. Rick Perry leads a prayer group to help the economy and proves his Christian Evangelical credentials...
Rick Perry targets Bible belt to ignite Republican race for the White House
The battle for the "Bible belt", one of the most crucial constituencies in the Republican White House race, will begin in earnest in Waterloo, Iowaon Sunday, where Texas governor Rick Perry, who announced his candidature on Saturday, is to speak at a dinner in the Electric Park ballroom that will also be attended by congresswoman Michele Bachmann.
Bachmann changed her diary to be there, setting up an early showdown between two Christian evangelicals either of whom could be Barack Obama's opponent in the presidential election next year. Bachmann received a big early advantage on Saturday night when she came top of the Republican straw poll in Ames, the biggest political festival in America this year. In the second biggest vote in the history of the straw poll, with almost 17,000 voting, Bachmann took 4,823. Perry, as he had not declared in time, was not on the ballot but still managed to win 718 write-ins. The victory provides Bachmann with a short-term advantage but it is unlikely to last long with the arrival of Perry. The real race begins now.
The importance of the evangelical vote is huge, representing an estimated 40% of Republicans who will vote in the Iowa caucus, which is scheduled for February. Iowa, as the first of the contests, matters – helping to propel candidates to the front of the race and seeing others heading for oblivion.
Bachmann has received the endorsement of more than 100 pastors and Christian leaders in the state in the past week alone. But Perry's entry upsets her calculations. He is both a politician and part-time preacher, the kind of southerner who appeals to the Christian right. "Perry's entry shifts the dynamic," said Steve King, a rightwing congressman from Iowa, who was speaking at the Iowa state fair, where a string of Republican candidates used soapboxes to address voters sitting on straw bales.
American Christianity: constantly reimagined, manipulated and exploited
The politicised church, which has submerged religion under politics but claims to be the only real keeper of the flame, feeds off attention from vote-hungry politicians. Their pastors become players on the national stage, even while subject to criticism from their orthodox brethren and secularists alike.
Rick Warren's "purpose-driven" theology, for example, is considered unbiblical by some Christian critics. Kenneth Copeland, whose Word of Faith doctrine is considered heretical by Christians from both conservative and liberal traditions, is nonetheless quietly courted by Republican presidents and presidential hopefuls. He believes Jesus wants him to fly on a $20 million private jet while he sponges money off his television viewers.
The governor of Texas, Rick Perry, who plans to run for president, hosted a prayer rally that featured believers in signs, wonders, prophecies and spiritual warfare inspired by Joel 2. These are the generals Perry hopes will lead an army of believers, who insist that America must repent for the "sins" of abortion and homosexuality, to propel him to greater heights of political power. The candidate to whom he presents the greatest challenge, Michele Bachmann, studied law not how most American attorneys learn it, but through a curriculum designed by Christian Reconstructionists, who aim to have America governed by "biblical law".
Christianity in the US is collapsing: Christianity will struggle to re-emerge from the mishmash of self-help groups it has become in America
The rhetoric and politics of evangelicals and self-help gurus are different but the essential message is the same: it is the doctrine of salvation by faith according to the canonical born-again scenario. You are seized by the conviction that your life is profoundly unsatisfactory in some global way that eludes further analysis: you are sinful, neurotic, stressed, addicted, co-dependent – insufficiently happy. You assemble a customised mix of the beliefs that "work" for you: your personal faith. Through it you achieve salvation, healing, and personal growth, the start of an endless spiritual journey to further self-improvement. You, and other Americans whose only hobbies are themselves, support legions of pastors, gurus, therapists and motivational speakers.
It is easy to see why most people are contemptuous of this amalgam of credulity, sentimentality and narcissism, which in its evangelical Christian form is tied up with myths about the age of the earth and origin of species, sexual taboos and a conservative political agenda. With this as the public face of religion it's not surprising that in the US, as in Europe, Christianity is collapsing.
That is a shame because if it collapses everything essential to it and worthwhile, which is now merely obscure, will become inaccessible. Christian theology, metaphysical doctrines about the existence and nature of God that I believe to be true, will become curiosities, like the teachings of second-string neo-Platonists. Service books will languish in archives, for study by antiquarians. The better churches will be preserved as museums; mediocre ones will be gutted and refurbished as restaurants, condos and office space.
Reports: Rick Perry's backers behind stories against Mormon faith
Two new stories suggest that while Rick Perry has said he doesn't believe Mormonism is a cult, as one of his backers characterized the LDS Church, Perry's campaign team might be cheerleading negative messages about the Mormon faith, and his backers might be behind them.
First, The Daily Beast's McKay Coppins wrote about a series of emails that appear to show "Perry's team may be quietly advancing the notion that Mitt Romney 's faith should disqualify him from the White House."
CNN's John King speaks with Rev. Jeffress about his comment that a vote for Romney "would give credibility to a cult"...
(CNN) – Anita Perry stuck up for her husband Thursday, saying Texas Gov. Rick Perry was being "brutalized" by fellow conservatives for his Christian faith...
The US evangelicals who believe environmentalism is a 'native evil'
What is often not fully absorbed by onlookers, though, is the underlying role that religious doctrine – or "pulpit power" - plays in the environmental debate in the US. On the one hand, you have the "Creation Care" movement which is prevalent in some quarters of the Christian Church. On the other, particularly among evangelicals, you often see a vitriolic reaction aimed towards environmentalism.
Just last month, a survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors found that 41% strongly disagreed with the statement: "I believe global warming is real and manmade." The survey also found that 52% of the pastors address the issue of the environment with their churches once a year or less, with evangelical pastors speaking less often on the environment than mainline pastors.
3. Rick Perry vs. Other Candidates...
Note: Perry says 'you don't have a heart' concerning empathy on a policy issue - This was taken personally by anchors/news-analysts/Frank Luntz (media mastermind) and turned into 'Rick Perry said ALL conservatives don't have a heart' rather than talk about whether the issue should be reconsidered (i.e. official 'conservative' policy is that this policy stays) - You can see this 'conservative' echo chamber functioning from about 40 seconds into the video across cnn, msnbc and fox...
More info...
...for Rick Perry, the Texas governor and the apparent frontrunner for the Republican nomination, immigration suddenly has become a serious liability.
He came under sustained attack from his rivals at last Thursday’s debate in Florida for signing a 2001 Texas law granting in-state tuition rates at state universities to illegal immigrant students.
One of the memorable lines of that debate and perhaps of the 2012 campaign will be Perry’s attempted rebuttal of his critics over the Texas law: “If you say that we should not educate children who have come into our state for no other reason than they've been brought there by no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart.”
So why is his popularity down at the moment? Some poor debate performances coupled with a temporary backlash on immigration. With that out of the way he will be ready to come back...
Rick Perry Vs. Herman Cain
Herman Cain is a pizza guy who is singing about pizza on tape. He has no chance.
Rick Perry vs. Mitt Romney
In the GOP debate that was Rick Perry v. Mitt Romney, Mitt Romney got rickrolled.
Why Rick Perry is headed to the White House
The far right and Christian fundamentalists have an inordinate amount of influence in the GOP primary process and, regardless of messages of inclusion, very few of them will vote for a Mormon.
"We think a them Mormons as bein' in kind of a cult," one of the Houston rally attendees told me. "I couldn't vote for one a them when we got a real Christian like Governor Perry runnin'."
Perry, of course, can't come right out and print bumper stickers that say, "Rick Perry -- 2012 -- Not a Mormon." But he doesn't have to. He's wearing his faith like a power tie while Romney stays quiet as a tabernacle mouse on the topic of religion. Romney has business experience and intellect that are not on Perry's resume' but he is from "Massatoositts," (Webster's Texas Edition, see also "Massachusetts"), and Texans love to kick their political boots into New Englanders' squishy parts. Perry is about to remind the tea partiers and fundamentalists that Romney created a state health care plan, (the horror, affordable health care for everyone), believes global warming is real, and has a troubling history for conservatives on the matters of abortion and gay marriage.
So much for Mitt.
Michele Bachmann, who is from Iowa, and is Perry in Prada, has the same appeal among Teavangelicals. Her husband's reparative gay therapy sessions, the Newsweek cover and a few speeches that were not reality based will, eventually, make even the GOP primary voters realize she is bound for the desert and not the Promised Land.
Bachman will run close to Perry in Iowa but will disappear into the snows of New Hampshire where religious fervor isn't exactly considered a positive attribute. In South Carolina, Perry's money, image and support will become overwhelming.
Romney and Bachmann are the only serious impediments to the Perry nomination. Ron Paul, who makes more sense than any crazy person to ever run for public office, has never been able to expand his cult to the mainstream.
Herman Cain is too brutally honest and lacking political experience, and Tim Pawlenty, what's-his-face-from-Minnesota, suffers from the heartbreak of ineffectuality.
Fueled only by speculation that he might announce, Perry became the putative front-runner (heard that word at a fancy Washington restaurant and thought it was cool). Because presidential politics tend to be more visceral than intellectual, Perry's coyote-killer good looks, $2,000 hand-tooled cowboy boots, supernova smile and Armani suits, combined with podium skills to embellish the mythology of Texas, all will create a product Americans will want to believe and buy.
After he wins the nomination, protocol will require Perry to have discussions with Bachmann about the vice presidential slot, but he will, eventually, turn to Sarah Palin. The general election will force the Texan back toward the middle and he will stop talking about faith and abortion and gay marriage; Perry will campaign on jobs and the economy.
I agree with the above analysis. That said, there is only one candidate who doesn't flip flop, Ron Paul, who is often ignored... even though all the Republican talking points come from him (in part only, for example; cutting spending but no withdrawal of troops and decreasing regulations but no corresponding increase in property rights). Add to the fact that the GOP is offering half an economic plan (at most) through Rick Perry (and even if Rick Perry flip flops all the way to Ron Paul's explanations, can you trust him?). Anyways, all of this, plus the fact that the media has ignored him...
... leads to only one conclusion. Ron Paul is the better candidate.
------------------------------------------------------
Note;
Rick Perry: 'quantitative easing akin to treason'
[Article 3 Section 3 - Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. ]
Based on the above definition and what going into the bond market means in economics, I can only assume that Rick Perry is acting crazy or telling the truth. If he is telling the truth then what he is saying is that Ben Barnake and The Federal Reserve in general have INTENTIONALLY being waging war against the people in favor of the rich...
Quantitative easing 'is good for the rich, bad for the poor'
"Real wages and salaries have fallen by £4bn. Profits are up by £11bn. The spoils of the recovery have been shared in the most unequal of ways."
Joshi adds that this also helps to explain why sales of high-end luxury goods have continued to soar, while many consumers have been forced to tighten their belts.
"High-income earners are more exposed to profits as owners of businesses or shareholders. Low-income earners are dependent on wages," he says."
-------------
Miscellaneous...
Stephen Colbert and The Super Pac Scandal
Comic Colbert Using PAC to Encourage Iowa Vote, Sort Of...
More about Super Pacs and Rick Parry - "Out-of-state groups like Grow PAC and Jobs for Iowa PAC are flooding the Iowa airwaves, telling you to vote Rick Perry at the Ames Straw Poll. They think they can buy your vote with their unlimited super PAC money," says Colbert. "We want you to vote for Rick Perry too, but not their Rick Perry, our Rick Parry. On August 13th, write in Rick Parry. That's Parry with an A for America, with an A for Iowa."
Colbert says he purposely misspelled Perry's name because campaign finance laws prohibit Super PAC's from being affiliated with candidates.
The first ad has already aired in Des Moines and a second one is now available online. One Des Moines station has refused to air the ads because it was afraid they would confuse viewers.
Colbert, who portrays a conservative commentator on his show, "The Colbert Report," got approval from the Federal Election Commission in June to start his political action committee, "Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow."
The development of Super PAC's began after the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, which allows groups unaffiliated with a candidate to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money.
Colbert has been continuously mocking the decision ever since.
The Colbert Super Pac joins in the group of unlimited funds super pacs seeking friendly relations with Rick Parry and his "Billionaire Buddies".(Are the buddies paying for election strategies such as the Mitt Romney 'Mormonism' scandal?)
Rick pArry 1
Rick pArry 2
Rick pArry 3
Rick pArry 4
-------------------------
Added October 28th 2011
Note: Jon Stewart's reaction to Rick Perry putting his hand in his coat has to do with the image that is being created for him by the GOP (such as running with a gun and what Rick Perry considers to be like 'golf' - which is supposed to create an image of confidence in some large segments of American society)...
While Vladimir Putin bags tigers in Siberia, Barack Obama bags a pie on his Midwestern safari. ... and Rick Perry is compared to Yosemite Sam...
Such image creation is generally done by media master-minds like Frank Luntz.
-----------------------------------
Outline of GOP Candidate Rick Perry
1. Rick Perry's Inconsistencies..
Despite His Current Vehemence on Taxes, Perry Has a More Nuanced Record
To hear him tell it on the presidential campaign trail, Gov. Rick Perry has never met a tax increase he liked. But at home, over a political career that reaches back to the oil price shocks of the 1980s, Mr. Perry has embraced billions of dollars worth of them — including a $528 million tax increase approved in 1990, after he defected to the Republican Party.
Rick Perry's Gaffe Problem
A spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee said, "Rick's ramblings from the past 48 hours in the Hawkeye State show a candidate that's trying to create his own reality." Even Fox News commentator Karl Rove, the former political strategist for President George W. Bush (a former Texas governor who named Perry as his lieutenant governor), said Perry seems unpresidential and needs to choose his words more carefully.
Rick Perry Flip-Flops On The 10th Amendment and States Rights With Abortion
The thing about conservatives and state’s rights is that they are for them except when they are against them. Take Texas Governor Rick Perry, for example. Gov. Perry is on record for believing that Roe v. Wade should be overturned. That way states would be free to pass their own laws concerning abortion without having that pesky federal law and constitutional protections to worry about.
It appears that Gov. Perry has had a change of heart. According to RH Reality Check, Perry now supports a federal amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would grant personhood status and legal protections to unborn children. That’s right. The same Governor who openly flirted with secession now believes the federal government should dictate abortion law to the states. That’s an interesting evolution on the topic of federalism.
Rick Perry Flip Flops On Gay Marriage, Backs Federal Ban
Texas Governor Rick Perry (R), one of the country's most prominent defenders of the 10th Amendment, is making an exception when it comes to gay marriage. After initially telling reporters that it's "fine with me" if states like New York legalize same-sex unions through their own legislature, Perry is pulling a 180 and calling for a Federal Marriage Amendment
Do as I say not as I do...
Stimulus-Hating Gov. Rick Perry Used Stimulus to Balance Texas Budget
Gov. Rick Perry used federal stimulus money to pay 97 percent of Texas's budget shortfall in fiscal 2010--which is funny, because Perry spent a lot of time talking about just how terrible the stimulus was. In fact, Texas was the state that relied most heavily on stimulus funds, CNN's Tami Luhby reports.
"Even as Perry requested the Recovery Act money, he railed against it," Luhby writes. "On the very same day he asked for the funds, he set up a petition titled 'No Government Bailouts.'" It called on Americans to express their anger at irresponsible spending.
Thanks to the stimulus funds, Texas didn't have to dip into its $9.4 billion rainy day fund. Still, now that the stimulus is spent, Texas, like many other states, is facing severe cuts--$31 million must be carved from the budget.
Rick Perry is George Bush on Steroids!?!...
Rick Perry Announces His Candidacy
Perry Makes It Official: He's Running for President
Through three terms as governor, Perry has overseen significant job growth in his state while working to keep taxes low. He was an early backer of the tea party movement and enjoys the support of social conservatives because of his opposition to abortion and gay rights. He is also an evangelical Christian who organized a well-attended prayer rally in his state last week.
Perry is a prodigious fundraiser who has already begun laying the groundwork for a national finance network his supporters say would rival that of President Obama, who is expected to exceed his record-breaking $750 million haul from 2008.
But some Republicans worry that Perry's hard-core conservatism and Texas style may not play well in a 50-state contest, particularly coming so soon after former President George W. Bush's two White House terms. Bush had record low approval ratings when he left office in 2009.
2. Rick Perry leads a prayer group to help the economy and proves his Christian Evangelical credentials...
The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Rick Perry targets Bible belt to ignite Republican race for the White House
The battle for the "Bible belt", one of the most crucial constituencies in the Republican White House race, will begin in earnest in Waterloo, Iowaon Sunday, where Texas governor Rick Perry, who announced his candidature on Saturday, is to speak at a dinner in the Electric Park ballroom that will also be attended by congresswoman Michele Bachmann.
Bachmann changed her diary to be there, setting up an early showdown between two Christian evangelicals either of whom could be Barack Obama's opponent in the presidential election next year. Bachmann received a big early advantage on Saturday night when she came top of the Republican straw poll in Ames, the biggest political festival in America this year. In the second biggest vote in the history of the straw poll, with almost 17,000 voting, Bachmann took 4,823. Perry, as he had not declared in time, was not on the ballot but still managed to win 718 write-ins. The victory provides Bachmann with a short-term advantage but it is unlikely to last long with the arrival of Perry. The real race begins now.
The importance of the evangelical vote is huge, representing an estimated 40% of Republicans who will vote in the Iowa caucus, which is scheduled for February. Iowa, as the first of the contests, matters – helping to propel candidates to the front of the race and seeing others heading for oblivion.
Bachmann has received the endorsement of more than 100 pastors and Christian leaders in the state in the past week alone. But Perry's entry upsets her calculations. He is both a politician and part-time preacher, the kind of southerner who appeals to the Christian right. "Perry's entry shifts the dynamic," said Steve King, a rightwing congressman from Iowa, who was speaking at the Iowa state fair, where a string of Republican candidates used soapboxes to address voters sitting on straw bales.
American Christianity: constantly reimagined, manipulated and exploited
The politicised church, which has submerged religion under politics but claims to be the only real keeper of the flame, feeds off attention from vote-hungry politicians. Their pastors become players on the national stage, even while subject to criticism from their orthodox brethren and secularists alike.
Rick Warren's "purpose-driven" theology, for example, is considered unbiblical by some Christian critics. Kenneth Copeland, whose Word of Faith doctrine is considered heretical by Christians from both conservative and liberal traditions, is nonetheless quietly courted by Republican presidents and presidential hopefuls. He believes Jesus wants him to fly on a $20 million private jet while he sponges money off his television viewers.
The governor of Texas, Rick Perry, who plans to run for president, hosted a prayer rally that featured believers in signs, wonders, prophecies and spiritual warfare inspired by Joel 2. These are the generals Perry hopes will lead an army of believers, who insist that America must repent for the "sins" of abortion and homosexuality, to propel him to greater heights of political power. The candidate to whom he presents the greatest challenge, Michele Bachmann, studied law not how most American attorneys learn it, but through a curriculum designed by Christian Reconstructionists, who aim to have America governed by "biblical law".
Christianity in the US is collapsing: Christianity will struggle to re-emerge from the mishmash of self-help groups it has become in America
The rhetoric and politics of evangelicals and self-help gurus are different but the essential message is the same: it is the doctrine of salvation by faith according to the canonical born-again scenario. You are seized by the conviction that your life is profoundly unsatisfactory in some global way that eludes further analysis: you are sinful, neurotic, stressed, addicted, co-dependent – insufficiently happy. You assemble a customised mix of the beliefs that "work" for you: your personal faith. Through it you achieve salvation, healing, and personal growth, the start of an endless spiritual journey to further self-improvement. You, and other Americans whose only hobbies are themselves, support legions of pastors, gurus, therapists and motivational speakers.
It is easy to see why most people are contemptuous of this amalgam of credulity, sentimentality and narcissism, which in its evangelical Christian form is tied up with myths about the age of the earth and origin of species, sexual taboos and a conservative political agenda. With this as the public face of religion it's not surprising that in the US, as in Europe, Christianity is collapsing.
That is a shame because if it collapses everything essential to it and worthwhile, which is now merely obscure, will become inaccessible. Christian theology, metaphysical doctrines about the existence and nature of God that I believe to be true, will become curiosities, like the teachings of second-string neo-Platonists. Service books will languish in archives, for study by antiquarians. The better churches will be preserved as museums; mediocre ones will be gutted and refurbished as restaurants, condos and office space.
Reports: Rick Perry's backers behind stories against Mormon faith
Two new stories suggest that while Rick Perry has said he doesn't believe Mormonism is a cult, as one of his backers characterized the LDS Church, Perry's campaign team might be cheerleading negative messages about the Mormon faith, and his backers might be behind them.
First, The Daily Beast's McKay Coppins wrote about a series of emails that appear to show "Perry's team may be quietly advancing the notion that Mitt Romney 's faith should disqualify him from the White House."
CNN's John King speaks with Rev. Jeffress about his comment that a vote for Romney "would give credibility to a cult"...
(CNN) – Anita Perry stuck up for her husband Thursday, saying Texas Gov. Rick Perry was being "brutalized" by fellow conservatives for his Christian faith...
No one gets it worse from the base of the Republican party than evangelical Christians -- also known as the base of the Republican party.
The US evangelicals who believe environmentalism is a 'native evil'
What is often not fully absorbed by onlookers, though, is the underlying role that religious doctrine – or "pulpit power" - plays in the environmental debate in the US. On the one hand, you have the "Creation Care" movement which is prevalent in some quarters of the Christian Church. On the other, particularly among evangelicals, you often see a vitriolic reaction aimed towards environmentalism.
Just last month, a survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors found that 41% strongly disagreed with the statement: "I believe global warming is real and manmade." The survey also found that 52% of the pastors address the issue of the environment with their churches once a year or less, with evangelical pastors speaking less often on the environment than mainline pastors.
3. Rick Perry vs. Other Candidates...
Rick Perry demonstrates an incredible unlearning curve at his third debate, and the media notices.
Note: Perry says 'you don't have a heart' concerning empathy on a policy issue - This was taken personally by anchors/news-analysts/Frank Luntz (media mastermind) and turned into 'Rick Perry said ALL conservatives don't have a heart' rather than talk about whether the issue should be reconsidered (i.e. official 'conservative' policy is that this policy stays) - You can see this 'conservative' echo chamber functioning from about 40 seconds into the video across cnn, msnbc and fox...
The Colbert Report
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Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
More info...
...for Rick Perry, the Texas governor and the apparent frontrunner for the Republican nomination, immigration suddenly has become a serious liability.
He came under sustained attack from his rivals at last Thursday’s debate in Florida for signing a 2001 Texas law granting in-state tuition rates at state universities to illegal immigrant students.
One of the memorable lines of that debate and perhaps of the 2012 campaign will be Perry’s attempted rebuttal of his critics over the Texas law: “If you say that we should not educate children who have come into our state for no other reason than they've been brought there by no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart.”
So why is his popularity down at the moment? Some poor debate performances coupled with a temporary backlash on immigration. With that out of the way he will be ready to come back...
Rick Perry Vs. Herman Cain
Herman Cain is a pizza guy who is singing about pizza on tape. He has no chance.
Rick Perry vs. Mitt Romney
Rick Perry takes shots at Mitt Romney before the debate, but Romney doesn't take them lying down.
In the GOP debate that was Rick Perry v. Mitt Romney, Mitt Romney got rickrolled.
Why Rick Perry is headed to the White House
The far right and Christian fundamentalists have an inordinate amount of influence in the GOP primary process and, regardless of messages of inclusion, very few of them will vote for a Mormon.
"We think a them Mormons as bein' in kind of a cult," one of the Houston rally attendees told me. "I couldn't vote for one a them when we got a real Christian like Governor Perry runnin'."
Perry, of course, can't come right out and print bumper stickers that say, "Rick Perry -- 2012 -- Not a Mormon." But he doesn't have to. He's wearing his faith like a power tie while Romney stays quiet as a tabernacle mouse on the topic of religion. Romney has business experience and intellect that are not on Perry's resume' but he is from "Massatoositts," (Webster's Texas Edition, see also "Massachusetts"), and Texans love to kick their political boots into New Englanders' squishy parts. Perry is about to remind the tea partiers and fundamentalists that Romney created a state health care plan, (the horror, affordable health care for everyone), believes global warming is real, and has a troubling history for conservatives on the matters of abortion and gay marriage.
So much for Mitt.
Michele Bachmann, who is from Iowa, and is Perry in Prada, has the same appeal among Teavangelicals. Her husband's reparative gay therapy sessions, the Newsweek cover and a few speeches that were not reality based will, eventually, make even the GOP primary voters realize she is bound for the desert and not the Promised Land.
Bachman will run close to Perry in Iowa but will disappear into the snows of New Hampshire where religious fervor isn't exactly considered a positive attribute. In South Carolina, Perry's money, image and support will become overwhelming.
Romney and Bachmann are the only serious impediments to the Perry nomination. Ron Paul, who makes more sense than any crazy person to ever run for public office, has never been able to expand his cult to the mainstream.
Herman Cain is too brutally honest and lacking political experience, and Tim Pawlenty, what's-his-face-from-Minnesota, suffers from the heartbreak of ineffectuality.
Fueled only by speculation that he might announce, Perry became the putative front-runner (heard that word at a fancy Washington restaurant and thought it was cool). Because presidential politics tend to be more visceral than intellectual, Perry's coyote-killer good looks, $2,000 hand-tooled cowboy boots, supernova smile and Armani suits, combined with podium skills to embellish the mythology of Texas, all will create a product Americans will want to believe and buy.
After he wins the nomination, protocol will require Perry to have discussions with Bachmann about the vice presidential slot, but he will, eventually, turn to Sarah Palin. The general election will force the Texan back toward the middle and he will stop talking about faith and abortion and gay marriage; Perry will campaign on jobs and the economy.
I agree with the above analysis. That said, there is only one candidate who doesn't flip flop, Ron Paul, who is often ignored... even though all the Republican talking points come from him (in part only, for example; cutting spending but no withdrawal of troops and decreasing regulations but no corresponding increase in property rights). Add to the fact that the GOP is offering half an economic plan (at most) through Rick Perry (and even if Rick Perry flip flops all the way to Ron Paul's explanations, can you trust him?). Anyways, all of this, plus the fact that the media has ignored him...
... leads to only one conclusion. Ron Paul is the better candidate.
------------------------------------------------------
Note;
Rick Perry: 'quantitative easing akin to treason'
[Article 3 Section 3 - Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. ]
Based on the above definition and what going into the bond market means in economics, I can only assume that Rick Perry is acting crazy or telling the truth. If he is telling the truth then what he is saying is that Ben Barnake and The Federal Reserve in general have INTENTIONALLY being waging war against the people in favor of the rich...
Quantitative easing 'is good for the rich, bad for the poor'
"Real wages and salaries have fallen by £4bn. Profits are up by £11bn. The spoils of the recovery have been shared in the most unequal of ways."
Joshi adds that this also helps to explain why sales of high-end luxury goods have continued to soar, while many consumers have been forced to tighten their belts.
"High-income earners are more exposed to profits as owners of businesses or shareholders. Low-income earners are dependent on wages," he says."
-------------
Miscellaneous...
Stephen Colbert and The Super Pac Scandal
Comic Colbert Using PAC to Encourage Iowa Vote, Sort Of...
More about Super Pacs and Rick Parry - "Out-of-state groups like Grow PAC and Jobs for Iowa PAC are flooding the Iowa airwaves, telling you to vote Rick Perry at the Ames Straw Poll. They think they can buy your vote with their unlimited super PAC money," says Colbert. "We want you to vote for Rick Perry too, but not their Rick Perry, our Rick Parry. On August 13th, write in Rick Parry. That's Parry with an A for America, with an A for Iowa."
Colbert says he purposely misspelled Perry's name because campaign finance laws prohibit Super PAC's from being affiliated with candidates.
The first ad has already aired in Des Moines and a second one is now available online. One Des Moines station has refused to air the ads because it was afraid they would confuse viewers.
Colbert, who portrays a conservative commentator on his show, "The Colbert Report," got approval from the Federal Election Commission in June to start his political action committee, "Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow."
The development of Super PAC's began after the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, which allows groups unaffiliated with a candidate to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money.
Colbert has been continuously mocking the decision ever since.
The Colbert Super Pac joins in the group of unlimited funds super pacs seeking friendly relations with Rick Parry and his "Billionaire Buddies".(Are the buddies paying for election strategies such as the Mitt Romney 'Mormonism' scandal?)
Rick pArry 1
Rick pArry 2
Rick pArry 3
Rick pArry 4
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Added October 28th 2011
Mitt Romney has surveyed the Republican field and decided 23% is enough to beat any of those yahoos.
Note: Jon Stewart's reaction to Rick Perry putting his hand in his coat has to do with the image that is being created for him by the GOP (such as running with a gun and what Rick Perry considers to be like 'golf' - which is supposed to create an image of confidence in some large segments of American society)...
The Colbert Report
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Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
While Vladimir Putin bags tigers in Siberia, Barack Obama bags a pie on his Midwestern safari. ... and Rick Perry is compared to Yosemite Sam...
(Image from here.)
Such image creation is generally done by media master-minds like Frank Luntz.
-----------------------------------
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Overview of "Socialism" by The Colbert Report (backed by news sources)
The Colbert Report
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Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Notes: 1. Compares socialism and redistribution rhetoric to Santa giving gifts on Christmas, 2. Compares socialism to helping people, for example, Jesus to a socialist (he redistributed loaves of bread and fish), 3. Rhetoric accuses Obama of being a Marxist, 4. Republicans are creating fear about Obama calling him a communist/socialist and scaring people into thinking that they will lose all they own as it will get 'redistributed'.
Definition of SOCIALISM
1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
2
a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state
3
: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done
1. Gifts as 'redistribution': Santa clause giving gifts to children is a type of 'redistribution of income', so is feeding children to keep them from starving...
For many, summer means vacation, sports, camping or just time off to relax, but not for millions of kids living in poverty in the United States. There are few camps or beach trips for them, and sometimes not even three meals a day. During the school year, public schools provide breakfast and lunch to millions of students in the United States. But when summer arrives, parents struggling to feed their children can no longer rely on those meals.
2. Republicans have classified any help to anyone as 'socialism'. However, That goes against the principles of Christianity and is more in-line with the fictional teachings of Ayn Rand.
Ayn Rand's philosophy is of rational self interest and she states that the purpose of life is in pursuing your own happiness with NO regard for others well-being...
Notes: 1. She claims to be challenging the moral code of altruism, 2. Altriusm is immoral is it is placed above oneself (i.e. nothing should be above you), and 3. If a man or woman is weak they don't deserve love.
On the other hand...
Matthew 14:13-21
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
3. Rhetoric accuses Obama of being a Marxist
An explanation of Socialism and Marxism:
Socialism—defined as a centrally planned economy in which the government controls all means of production—was the tragic failure of the twentieth century. Born of a commitment to remedy the economic and moral defects of capitalism, it has far surpassed capitalism in both economic malfunction and moral cruelty. Yet the idea and the ideal of socialism linger on. Whether socialism in some form will eventually return as a major organizing force in human affairs is unknown, but no one can accurately appraise its prospects who has not taken into account the dramatic story of its rise and fall.
The Birth of Socialist Planning
It is often thought that the idea of socialism derives from the work of Karl Marx. In fact, Marx wrote only a few pages about socialism, as either a moral or a practical blueprint for society. The true architect of a socialist order was Lenin, who first faced the practical difficulties of organizing an economic system without the driving incentives of profit seeking or the self-generating constraints of competition. Lenin began from the long-standing delusion that economic organization would become less complex once the profit drive and the market mechanism had been dispensed with—“as self-evident,” he wrote, as “the extraordinarily simple operations of watching, recording, and issuing receipts, within the reach of anybody who can read and write and knows the first four rules of arithmetic.”
In fact, economic life pursued under these first four rules rapidly became so disorganized that within four years of the 1917 revolution, Soviet production had fallen to 14 percent of its prerevolutionary level. By 1921 Lenin was forced to institute the New Economic Policy (NEP), a partial return to the market incentives of capitalism. This brief mixture of socialism and capitalism came to an end in 1927 after Stalin instituted the process of forced collectivization that was to mobilize Russian resources for its leap into industrial power.
It is obvious that the Democrats under Obama do not control all the means of production. And the big fuss over the 'redistribution of income' is a renaming done by the republicans... to win an election! (afterall, they are talking about a 2-3% tax increase which doesn't even remotely come under the banner of 'government controlling all means of production'). IN the process of creating propaganda to defeat Obama in the next elections the definition of Socialism has been destroyed.
4. Redistribution of Income (i.e. 2-3% increase in Tax rate)
So much fuss over a 2% tax increase! (Note: If someone says 'a 2-3% tax increase om the super rich is not fair', explain tax burden to them... this is obviously a case of renaming something for the purposes of marketing a political message irrespective of the reality behind what is being said... this is another form of lying or deception)
Was the word 'socialist' created to scare children? The Daily Show Correspondents explain...
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