Thursday, November 10, 2011
Surely, They Didn't Really Think They Were Coming Home
The United States is negotiating with Kuwait to allow several thousand US combat troops now in Iraq to redeploy to the Gulf emirate to counter Iran’s influence in the region, US defense officials said Thursday.
Let's Rethink Secession
Accusing President Barack Obama of naivete on Iran, Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney promised Thursday that if elected president he would “prepare for war” with the Islamic republic.In a commentary published in the Wall Street Journal, Romney said he would back up US diplomacy “with a very real and very credible military option,” deploying carrier battle groups to the Gulf and boosting military aid to Israel.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
Fine Piece of Legislation. Fine Piece.
The Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to pass [a piece of “Obama’s job plan.”][...]
The legislation, which is expected to pass in the House, will provide tax credits to businesses who hire unemployed veterans.
[...]
Thursday’s legislation is paid for by delaying scheduled fee reductions on mortgage loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Say what? Oh, I get it. We’ll give them jobs so they can pay their high mortgage fees. Aren’t we generous? Looks like the only benefit here goes to the businesses doing the hiring.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
Yes They Did
It must be campaign season.
Liberals and environmentalists are rejoicing tonight over the Obama administration’s decision to delay — or in bureaucratese, “seek further review of” — a proposal to build a massive pipeline from the Canadian Tar Sands to the gulf coast. But their celebration could be short lived.
Oh, it WILL be short lived. It won’t last much longer than election day.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
Well, I Certainly Can't Watch These Numbskulls
Which is why I am always grateful for the parsing of WIIIAI. Republican "debate."
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
It Ain't Natural
The Toronto Zoo plans to separate two male African penguins, named Buddy and Pedro, that have shown signs of same sex courtship and mating behaviors, according to the Toronto Star. The two lovers are being separated because they were intended to be part of a breeding program for the endangered species. They will each be paired up with a female.
Outed from Africa.
The old “ we can make you straight” approach.
Even the animal kingdom can recognize when it's not a good idea to bring young into the world, huh?
Will there be no protesters?
Okay, I admit, I'm falling on my face here.
....but hey, leave those penguins alone. Isn't it bad enough they've been caged?
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
You Won't Have Silvio to Kick Around Any More
Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, has confirmed he will resign after implementing urgent economic reforms demanded by the European Union, saying Italy must then hold an election, in which he will not stand.
He does, however, have a suggestion as to who should stand.
Silvio Berlusconi has anointed as his likely successor a 41-year-old Sicilian lawyer, Angelino Alfano, best known for trying, as justice minister, to guarantee the Italian prime minister immunity from prosecution in the courts.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
Has Ms. LaGarde Just Come Out of a Coma?
Where has she been this past decade?
International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde on Wednesday warned the world risked plunging into a “downward spiral” of financial instability and urged Asian economies to be on their guard.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
Making Our Way to Iran
Justin Raimondo takes on the IAEA report on Iran’s nuclear weapon possibilities, which he calls a “farrago of half-truths and insinuations.”
Although there is no smoking gun, the injection of the A.Q. Khan network into the propaganda mix at this level is a relatively new development, one that links the latest Enemy of the Moment (Pakistan) with longtime-favorite Iran. Why not kill two birds with one stone?
It hasn’t been that long ago – although in the collective mental processes of the “Coalition” public, even last month is forgotten lore – that we were sweeping the nuclear secrets trading of A.Q. Khan (a Pak scientist) under the rug. Now we’re going to turn around and use them for propaganda. If there is any lesson the rest of the world has learned from our Middle East practices, it must be that we are truly the most ruthless of “friends.” You can never be sure on which side we will place you. (Speaking of friends, I thought it was quite amusing that Mr. Sarkozy called Mr. Netanyahu a liar and Mr. Obama complained about having to put up with it on a daily basis – pot and kettle amusing.)
Now it’s clear why US officials were ecstatic at the appointment of Yukiya Amano as the new IAEA chief, replacing the troublesome Mohammed el-Baradei. As revealed by WikiLeaks, US diplomats came away from their first encounter with Amano convinced it “illustrate[d] the very high degree of convergence between his priorities and our own agenda at the IAEA.”[...]
There’s another headline related to this that popped up in my Internet search for examples of journalistic war hysteria, and it is this: “Oil Rises on Iran Nuclear Concerns.” We are headed for a perfect storm of oil shock, economic turmoil, and the looming prospect of war with Iran.
This fits right in with the War Party’s agenda: wars are a great way to mask the effects of economic failure – and simultaneously divert attention away from its real authors. Instead of accusing “obstructionist” Republicans of being the cause of our increasing poverty – a narrative even the President’s most devoted cultists must admit is getting threadbare – Obama can blame those obstinate Iranians for the economic chaos to come.
Mr. Obama or whatever hapless fool is there at the time.
Raimondo quotes the report, in part…
“The Agency has information from a Member State that Iran has undertaken work to manufacture small capsules suitable for use as containers of a component containing nuclear material. The Agency was also informed by a different Member State that Iran may also have experimented with such components in order to assess their performance in generating neutrons. Such components, if placed in the center of a nuclear core of an implosion type nuclear device and compressed, could produce a burst of neutrons suitable for initiating a fission chain reaction. The location where the experiments were conducted was said to have been cleaned of contamination after the experiments had taken place.”
Can you say, Aluminum Tubes?
I don’t know if Iran is pursuing nuclear weaponry, but I’d consider them wise to do so simply for their own protection as a deterrent (if pursuing nuclear weaponry can be considered wise in any way). And, of course, they’d HAVE to do it without the US and its enablers knowing about it, wouldn’t they? Therefore it would have to be a secret program. Anyway, Raimondo thinks the whole thing is simply the next step toward turning Iran into Iraq. And he has plenty reason to think so. Read his whole article for more. Sadly, the IAEA report doesn’t highlight the words “may” and “might have” like Raimondo does.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
Party of Putin Campaign Video
"Let's Do This Together"
Apparently, this is very controversial in Russia. If not for the sexiness, for the possibility that it flaunts the idea that voting is a personal secret thing.
Hey, at least there’s not mud slinging.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
