Monthly Archives: August 2013

Middle East, Politics

Commander-in-Weak, Rose Garden Performance

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday, Secretary of State John Kerry (who served in Vietnam) gave a bold speech about a military strike in Syria to punish the Assad regime for ostensibly carrying out the chemical weapon attack outside Damascus last week, to hopefully deter them from using them again, and to hold them accountable.  The world was abuzz about an impending attack within hours or days.

SYRIA-CRISIS-OBAMA-Walter

Today, the Valerie Jarrett wing of the White House set the stage for President Obama to perform in the Rose Garden to say how he has made up his mind to teach the Syrian regime a lesson, and now is willing to wait until Congress gets back from vacation, Sept 9, 2013, to make his case to them. This, after saying he could act without their consent. In the same 24 hour time period, the crises went from “will take” to “should take” military action. Yet, there is no urgency to call a special session of Congress to handle the “crisis.”

Keeping in mind that he still did not make a compelling case that our security interest are in jeopardy that would need military action inside Syria. Instead, he is hanging on to the notion that the United States has to be the policeman of the world and custodian of a country deeply involved in a civil war. That’s not in our Constitution.

Result? Israel and every other ally of the United States knows that we, and they, are dealing with an amateur as a head of state. One that can’t be trusted. First by the show, and that’s what the Rose Garden performance was. A show. Standing at the podium and looking over, and speaking to, trees and Secret Service Agents in a raised voice. You know, like he does in college campus auditoriums and union halls. With his trusty side-kick, VP Joe Biden, at his side.

And for all that he said, it could have been done from the Oval Office, in a calm and normal voice, to announce that he recognizes he should consult with congress and that’s why he is calling them back from their summer vacation to deal with this important matter. In fact, he wouldn’t have needed any cameras. Just a press release announcing his decision to get congress in gear. At least that way he would not have come off as a Commander-in-Weak.

Makes one wonder whether Sec. Kerry is part of the same administration? Would like to know how much “in the loop” he’s feeling today.

Egypt, Middle East, Politics, Religion, War On Terror

Obama’s “Intelligence” On Syria Is The Muslim Brotherhood

When Sec. of State John (Lurch) Kerry made the case for an attack on Syria, the sources guiding his judgement were that of the Arab League, the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation), and Turkey. All Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers or affiliates.

In Sec. of State John Kerry’s statement . . .

The world is speaking out. And many friends stand ready to respond. The Arab League pledged, quote, “to hold the Syrian regime fully responsible for this crime.” The Organization for Islamic Cooperation condemned the regime and said we needed, quote, “to hold the Syrian government legally and morally accountable for this heinous crime. Turkey said there is no doubt that the regime is responsible.

Right, those friends.

So it should come as no surprise why the President has lost his coalition, and why the President is still talking about a military action in Syria.

When asked if the Arab League is advocating military action in Syria, Arab League Secretary General Nabil el-Arabi told the BBC that they aren’t advocating it openly, but . . .

“Maybe it is in our minds that someone would do that but we would like the Security Council to take charge,” Mr el-Arabi said.

What they considered might happen “would be something of a limited scope”, he told the BBC’s Bethany Bell, in Cairo.

Using the rest of the same talking points as President Obama and Sec. of State Kerry, el-Arabi also said the strike would “hopefully” prevent future use of chemical weapons, and punish those who used them.

http://youtu.be/9RVEngLwSNQ

So who do you suppose that “someone” would be? The United States of course. The President is the only one on the planet talking about military action against Syria. He helped the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, sacrificed our Ambassador and three other Americans in Lybia to alQaeda, and still doing the bidding, or wanting to, of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria.

That chemical weapons were used is no longer a question. But watch el-Arabi squirm when asked what evidence the Arab League has that the Assad regime was the party that used them. Secretary of State Kerry says unequivocally that it was the Syrian government that used the WMD outside Damascus. OK, but look at the way President Obama said it, wordsmith that he is, when interviewed by PBS . . .

“We have concluded that the Syrian government in fact carried these out,” Obama said during an interview with PBS’ NewsHour. “And if that’s so, then there need to be international consequences.”

So what’s the “And if that’s so” all about? Nevermind that even if Syria did do it, it wasn’t upon the U.S.. It was on their own people. And sorry as that is, it does not raise to the level of harming our national interest in any way, shape, or form. Again, we’re not the world’s policeman and civil-war-country custodian.

For The White House to still, after all that’s happened in Egypt, be listening and catering to the Muslim Brotherhood says volumes on how naive and dangerous President Obama is to our national security interests.

Egypt, Iran, Middle East, Politics, Religion, War On Terror

President Fails To Make His Case On Syria

After weeks of saber-rattling and ego boosting, and statements on Syria from everyone but the Commander-in-Chief himself, President Obama finally speaks to the question everyone is asking. What is our national security interest that necessitates attacking Syria?

And to that question, the President fails to make the case. He said . . .

This kind of attack threatens our national security interests by violating well-established international norms against the use of chemical weapons by further threatening friends and allies of ours in the region, like Israel and Turkey and Jordan, and it increases the risk that chemical weapons will be used in the future and fall into the hands of terrorists who might use them against us.

Might use them against us? There are no national interests of ours where Syria is concerned. They haven’t attacked us. They have telegraphed what they’d do to Israel if they were attacked by the U.S. But predicated on the United States attacking them first. To pin our national security interests on what might or could happen means there are no boundaries or limits to a trigger happy President. President Obama also failed to explain the end-game to his limited “smack in the face” attack on Syria.

The Syrian government is doing bad things, but it is doing them to their own people. Not to the United States. They are involved in a civil war now, and most of Assad’s opposition is coming from the alQaeda and Muslim Brotherhood types. Launching any kind of attack will only improve the chances that alQaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood will take over.

Syria needs to fight their own civil war. It’s as if nothing has been learned from the last 60 years of history in the Middle East. Let’s not repeat history. No one interfered with our civil war. And after it was over, we had a unified country. Their civil war needs to play out to its conclusion. Then, and only then, will the world know what kind of country remains. Friendly to the west, or not. At least, it will be a known entity. Not a mess like the rest of the Middle East.

Bottom line, we’re not the world’s policeman nor are we a civil-war-country’s custodian.

Egypt, Iran, Middle East, Politics, Religion, War On Terror

Obama Losing Coalition Support On Syria

britains_parliament_special_session_on_syria
British Parliament In Special Session

Great Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron called a special session of Britain’s Parliament to discuss growing tensions in Sirya and President Obama’s call for military action over the use of chemical weapons, ostensibly used by the Syrian regime on its own people.

U.S. Congress On Vacation
U.S. Congress On Vacation

President Obama, on the other hand, demonstrating his lack of leadership in not calling Congress back from vacation for a special session, is now talking about going it alone. Without a coalition of willing partners and without involving Congress. And so far, without addressing the American people as to what our security interests in Syria are that justifies us getting involved militarily on our own. And also without explaining to the American people the possible consequences of a slap-in-the-face cruise missile attack.

A proposed attack with the potential targets being revealed to the world, including the Assad regime. A military strategist, he is not. Nor, apparently, are the people advising him.

It is this lack of leadership and President Obama’s vague, if not non-existent, strategy in the end-game with Syria that has caused all the coalition partners he had last week to drop out. Add NATO to the list of the unwilling. Instead of following the blind, they’ve taken the position to wait and see what the U.N. inspectors conclude about who it was that used the WMD’s outside of Damascus. So far, most people in the U.S. aren’t convinced that we are being threatened by Syria to the extent that we need to act unilaterally against them, not only at the expense of our credibility in the world, but at the expense of our ally Israel, who both Iran and Syria said will attack if the U.S. attacks Syria. And certainly not before knowing who will be taking over in Syria. Common thought now is if Assad goes down, alQaeda and company takes his place.

We’ve already seen it happen in Libya with alQaeda and their affiliates, and in Egypt with the Muslim Brotherhood. Is Obama’s ego worth turning over the rest of the middle east to radical Islam and possibly sacrificing the state of Israel?

The time to act militarily has long past. We’re not the world’s policeman and civil-war-country custodian. They’ll have to fight it out on their own, and kill each other until someone wins. Then, and only then, will we know who it is we’re dealing with.

Link: U.S. ready to go it alone on Syria after stinging British defeat  |  Obama strike plans in disarray after Britain rejects use of force in Syria  |  NATO CHIEF: NO PLANS FOR ALLIANCE ACTION IN SYRIA

Florida, Gun Control, Politics, Race Relations

Julian Bond, You’re No Martin Luther King Jr.

If Dr. King were alive today, he no doubt would still be a Republican and would be called an Uncle Tom or similar racial slur by those who have bastardized his 2013_march_on_washingtonspeech and ideology from 50 years ago. Right now he’s rolling over in his grave.

At the Washington Mall the other day, Julian Bond (past president of the NAACP) held up Trayvon Martin as a martyr. No, he’s not a martyr Mr Bond. He’s a punk thug who died being one.

Trayvon’s Law: Beating up on someone could get you killed. Regardless if you are in a concealed carry state like Florida.

2014 Election, Economy, Media, Politics, Race Relations

Democrats Leaving The Party, Welcome Home!

It may have taken a long time (like two elections) to realize that what President Obama and the Democratic Party says and what they do are two very different things. The identity politics of dividing the country and characterizing the opposition as not just wrong, but evil with selfish, racist, xenophobic, and homophobic intent is seductive and in fact, went a long way to Obama being elected twice. But now people have grown tired of hearing the same speeches year after year about how they are fighting for them, against everything bad that Republicans want to do to them. And, not seeing their lot in life improve, but get worse, despite getting every major piece of legislation they wanted, reality is setting in.

There’s a reason the President doesn’t venture outside union halls or college campuses. Not surprisingly, not all democrats are brain numb. They are not all economic imbeciles like our President. When times keep getting tougher, the “economic conservative” in them begins to show and, they are defecting to the Libertarian and Republican parties.

People look at things differently when it begins to affect their wallet. Incomes fell and are falling more in Obama’s recovery than during Bush’s recession itself, and household incomes have basically flat-lined ever since.

And those hurt the most? Blacks, Hispanics, female-headed families and the young — have fared far worse under Obama than everyone else.

Here’s a recent and most articulate example of what I’m talking about.

Links: Obama’s Accelerating Downward Spiral For America– Forbes  |  Obama’s Economy — We’ve Fallen And We Can’t Get Up – Investors.com

Immigration, Politics, Supreme Court

How Come Mexico Can Require Voters To Prove Citizenship And Arizona Can’t?

The Supreme Court has ruled that it was bad for the state of Arizona to require proof of citizenship for voters. In a serious country, this wouldn’t even be an issue. And illegal_aliensit isn’t—in Mexico.

Learn how Motor Voter (1993) was so important to voter fraud and, why the Supreme Court still prohibits States to show proof of citizenship to vote.

Link: Memo From Middle America | How Come Mexico Can Require Voters To Prove Citizenship And Arizona Can’t? | VDARE.com.

China, North Korea, Politics

North Korea Full Of Speed Freaks

Originally produced by the government as an export product to China, North Koreans have taken to the drug crystal meth, or methamphetamine. Estimates are between 40-50% of adults are addicted to crystal meth and are now making it in their homes.

That explains a lot when it comes to dealing with North Korea. A cash strapped drug dealer with nuclear capability. Make that, nuclear proliferation capability.

Link: North Korea Grapples With Crystal Meth Epidemic – Korea Real Time – WSJ.

Economy, Media, Obamacare, Organized Labor, Politics, Supreme Court

POLITIFACT Needs A Stomach Pump On Obamacare

So the kids at the Tampa Bay Times are at it again. Angie Drobnic Holan might consider getting her stomach pumped because it is clear she has had way too muchholan of Obama’s cool-aid. Let’s examine, from a purely economic standpoint, the first claim she has allegedly “debunked.” That the Affordable Care Act, you know, the Act that Congress and labor unions are trying to get exemptions from because they can’t afford it, is the pathway drug (no pun intended) to a single-payer system, aka socialized medicine. Just forget for a moment that is exactly what Obama said he intends this bill to do. They were his words to the SEIU in 2007.

Anyway, Angie says the claim is false “because the health care law leaves in place the private health care system and the free market.”

She’s right about that. The law doesn’t say they have to go out of business. BUT it does mandate how they must run. Which WILL cause them to go out of business. The free-market isn’t free when the government dictates how “private” companies must operate. It’s the Marxist Economic Model. Look it up. And by forcing health insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions, and forcing them to cover risks that are not needed by every consumer, and with an industry average net profit of 3.5%, they have to raise their premiums, IF THEY ARE TO STAY IN BUSINESS. The Affordable Care Act also mandates that employers provide insurance for their employees (50 or more) or pay a fine. A FINE that the Supreme Court called a TAX in order to keep from overturning it. It’s now back to being called what it is, a fine.

The Affordable Care Act mandates the fine employers and people must pay for not providing or not buying health insurance, which is thousands of dollars lower than the cost of an insurance policy. It also undercuts the price of an insurance policy purchased through a government exchange by thousands of dollars to one from a “private” insurance company.

Drilling down to your wallet, all those who would prefer to pay THOUSANDS of dollars MORE for health insurance from a private insurance company than from the government raise your hand.

This is how the private health care industry will end. It will be “left in place” to bleed to death. They will find other risks to insure against because the government will have driven them out of the health insurance business. And exactly as the Heritage Foundation says, we will be left with a health system like Great Britain and Canada.

And, according to the Congressional Research Service, there will STILL be over 30 million people who won’t have a health insurance policy. So what has changed? We have  a government takeover of sixteen percent of the economy, a decimated health care industry, and 30 million people without a “health insurance policy.”

Clever huh?

Link: POLITIFACT: Debunked health care claims live on at Heritage town hall  |  Obama’s Plans For Healthcare In 2007