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Open Thread

G20: Iranian Nuclear Facility

September 25, 2009

STATEMENTS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA, FRENCH PRESIDENT SARKOZY, AND BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BROWN ON IRANIAN NUCLEAR FACILITY

Pittsburgh Convention Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

8:43 A.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good morning. We are here to announce that yesterday in Vienna, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France presented detailed evidence to the IAEA demonstrating that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been building a covert uranium enrichment facility near Qom for several years.

Earlier this week, the Iranian government presented a letter to the IAEA that made reference to a new enrichment facility, years after they had started its construction. The existence of this facility underscores Iran’s continuing unwillingness to meet its obligations under U.N. Security Council resolutions and IAEA requirements. We expect the IAEA to immediately investigate this disturbing information, and to report to the IAEA Board of Governors.

Now, Iran’s decision to build yet another nuclear facility without notifying the IAEA represents a direct challenge to the basic compact at the center of the non-proliferation regime. These rules are clear: All nations have the right to peaceful nuclear energy; those nations with nuclear weapons must move towards disarmament; those nations without nuclear weapons must forsake them. That compact has largely held for decades, keeping the world far safer and more secure. And that compact depends on all nations living up to their responsibilities.

This site deepens a growing concern that Iran is refusing to live up to those international responsibilities, including specifically revealing all nuclear-related activities. As the international community knows, this is not the first time that Iran has concealed information about its nuclear program. Iran has a right to peaceful nuclear power that meets the energy needs of its people. But the size and configuration of this facility is inconsistent with a peaceful program. Iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow — endangering the global non-proliferation regime, denying its own people access to the opportunity they deserve, and threatening the stability and security of the region and the world

It is time for Iran to act immediately to restore the confidence of the international community by fulfilling its international obligations. We remain committed to serious, meaningful engagement with Iran to address the nuclear issue through the P5-plus-1 negotiations. Through this dialogue, we are committed to demonstrating that international law is not an empty promise; that obligations must be kept; and that treaties will be enforced.

And that’s why there’s a sense of urgency about the upcoming meeting on October 1st between Iran, the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, and Germany. At that meeting, Iran must be prepared to cooperate fully and comprehensively with the IAEA to take concrete steps to create confidence and transparency in its nuclear program and to demonstrate that it is committed to establishing its peaceful intentions through meaningful dialogue and concrete actions.

To put it simply: Iran must comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions and make clear it is willing to meet its responsibilities as a member of the community of nations. We have offered Iran a clear path toward greater international integration if it lives up to its obligations, and that offer stands. But the Iranian government must now demonstrate through deeds its peaceful intentions or be held accountable to international standards and international law.

I should point out that although the United Kingdom, France, and the United States made the presentation to Vienna, that Germany, a member of the P5-plus-1, and Chancellor Merkel in particular, who could not be here this morning, wished to associate herself with these remarks.

I would now like to turn to President Sarkozy of France for a brief statement.

PRESIDENT SARKOZY: (As translated.) Ladies and gentlemen, we have met yesterday for a meeting — a summit meeting of the Security Council on disarmament and nuclear disarmament. I repeated my conviction that Iran was taking the international community on a dangerous path. I have recalled all the attempts that we have made to offer a negotiated solution to the Iranian leaders without any success, which what has been revealed today is exceptional. Following the enriching plant of Natanz in 2002, it is now the Qom one which is revealed. It was designed and built over the past several years in direct violation of resolutions from the Security Council and from the IAEA. I am expecting from the IAEA an exhaustive, strict, and rigorous investigation, as President Obama just said.

We were already in a very severe confidence crisis. We are now faced with a challenge, a challenge made to the entire international communities. The six will meet with the Iranian representatives in Geneva. Everything — everything must be put on the table now.

We cannot let the Iranian leaders gain time while the motors are running. If by December there is not an in-depth change by the Iranian leaders, sanctions will have to be taken. This is for the peace and stability. Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER BROWN: America, the United Kingdom, and France are at one. Iran’s nuclear program is the most urgent proliferation challenge that the world faces today.

As President Obama and President Sarkozy have just said, the level of deception by the Iranian government, and the scale of what we believe is the breach of international commitments, will shock and anger the whole international community, and it will harden our resolve.

Confronted by the serial deception of many years, the international community has no choice today but to draw a line in the sand. On October the 1st, Iran must now engage with the international community and join the international community as a partner. If it does not do so, it will be further isolated.

And I say on behalf of the United Kingdom today, we will not let this matter rest. And we are prepared to implement further and more stringent sanctions.

Let the message that goes out to the world be absolutely clear: that Iran must abandon any military ambitions for its nuclear program. Thank you.

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

99 replies on “G20: Iranian Nuclear Facility”

Although technically independent from the Iranian facility disclosure thing – also relevant is the context established by the UN Security Council meeting held yesterday, chaired by Obama, dealing with Nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament. Rachel Maddow has a comment on the subject with a reflection on ‘what a difference an election makes‘ (and taking a jab at John Bolten in the process). In the meantime Bolton has his own opinion on Obama and the UN courtesy Fox News.

By Post Author

Catrina- Rachel is spot on.
Wonder what would be happening if F’ingGB was still at the helm??
Anyone who doubts Obama’s integrity can shutTF up now.

Paddy – loved the quarterback comment 😉

Kirri – noticed there has been more references to the risk of a “second wave” recession at the UN.
Glad they’ve been listening to you 😉

Obama briefs the press on progress made at the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. September 25, 2009 (full briefing, 28 minutes).

The first 8 minutes is basically Obama summarising the international aspects and common policy objectives established during the Pittsburgh meeting, focussing mainly on the world financial markets and the consensus established on dealing with Iran. The remaining 20 minutes deals with questions from the press dealing with potential US response to Iran, the Afghanistan question, the G20 protesters, intelligence credibility, and a final question questioning ‘sanctions that bite’.

With respect to the US response to Iran, Obama focussed on the priority of working though diplomacy, leverage of unprecedented internal accord, and emphasising the responsibility of the Iranian government in the process (noting the 1-Oct deadline). On the Afghanistan question Obama summarised the status of affairs, the need for re-assessment arising from the less-than-stellar election process, and the actions under way to establish a strategy consistent with the changing environment and in accord with international partners. Obama’s response to the protester question reflected on the irony of coincidence between protester interests and priorities amongst G20 members. The next question from a French reporter raised the subject of intelligence credibility and in his response Obama noted that the intelligence in question was the result of the consolidation of intelligence from three different international agencies (US, UK, FR), combined with some substantial scrubbing (clearly nobody has forgotten the Iraq claims). Obama noted the contraventions in play here – UN resolutions and IAEA rules in breach. Again, Obama brought the subject back to the responsibility on the Iranian government. The final question questioned Obama’s usage of the term ‘sanctions that bite’ and asked what would such sanctions include and a second part of the question dealing with ‘if you knew about this earlier, why didn’t you act’. This segment of the question time got some coverage in the media during which Obama very nicely stated that ‘this is not a football game’ followed by a review of previously stated priorities and the role of diplomacy.

For me, those six words captured a good part of what is different about the Obama presidency.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HcoyCJm_eo

By Post Author

speaking of football games… the Grandfinal was awesome!

Obama is clearly standing by his promise of using diplomacy where possible before pulling out the Big Sticks – I wonder how big he will let them get to if his hand is forced – can’t see Iran co-operating.

Honduras Hotting up.
No doubt this thing seems set on a course of stagnation until November election time when Zelaya has to step down.

The Honduran coup has dropped all pretenses of legality over the past few days as it enters into a phase of desperate repression since the return of President Manuel Zelaya on Sept. 21 and the surge in grassroots mobilization against the coup.

The resistance march yesterday reported many detained, beaten and chased. Photos reveal the brutality of the torture that arrested demonstrators have undergone. Neighborhoods in Tegucigalpa report that military tanks have been moved in to break up groups of protesters. The Armed Forces have threatened movement leaders and are targeting teachers and youths.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Honduran-Crisis-Explodes–by-Laura-Carlsen-090924-473.html

Over the last couple of months Chris has been enthusiastically predicting major gains by the Democrats in the up-coming 2010 US elections. On the other-hand, David Gould has asserted the for more reasoned opinion that the Democratic Pary is more likely to loose seats (a position which is borne out by history). While I haven’t chimed in on this debate, I have been silently aligned with David’s view. However, an article over on the Daily Kos got me moving a little in Chris’ direction.

While the SMS are somewhat fixated in polling showing Obama’s approval droping, it is interesting to cast an eye over the bigger picture. The table below summarises last weeks favourable/unfavourable poll numbers for Obama, the leading Democrats, their opposite numbers in the minority party, congressional, and party approval. From that info I’ve added the ‘gap’ calculation (difference between favourable versus unfavourable numbers). A positive gap would suggest political capital is available, whereas a negative gap would suggest that ground needs to be made-up, but that would need to be qualified relative to the opposite number on the minority party.

Obama still has a sizable store of political capital up his sleeve. Where things get more interesting is when we compare the incumbent with the minority party. On this score the gap numbers between the Dems and Reps are glaring and it’s this info which leaves me leaning a little more towards Chris’ scenario.

FAVORABLE UNFAVORABLE GAP
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA (D) 54 38 +16
 
PELOSI (D) 34 57 -23
REID (D) 31 57 -26
CONGRESSIONAL DEMS 38 57 -19
DEMOCRATIC PARTY 40 50 -10
 
McCONNELL (R) 18 64 -46
BOEHNER (R) 12 63 -51
CONGRESSIONAL GOPS 17 70 -53
REPUBLICAN PARTY 22 68 -46
 

However, elections are run state-by-state, and (for example), Harry Reid is already a GOP target in his home state of Nevada. Maybe I should stay with David’s scenario until the Republic party hits single digits – whatever, it’s like 13 months away.

By Post Author

No comment on the Iranian issue.
Re the numbers on Democrats v Republicans, that polling does look very, very bad for the Republicans. However, I think that being an incumbent right now is not necessarily an advantage. People do not think well of Congress, and have not for a while. When the Republicans controlled it, that hurt them more; now the Democrats control it, so there might be issues for them in the next little while.

I still see two current races – the governor races for Virginia and New Jersey – as indicative of the potential problems facing the Democrats. The Democrats are trailing in both of them. While I am sure local issues are at play here, one issue that might hurt is that often people vote for some kind of ‘balance’ – if the Democrats control too many things in the eyes of people, something is tossed to the Republicans, and vice versa.

But again: those are very bad numbers for the Republicans.

How refreshing is it to actually believe the President of the US when he makes an announcement about Iran’s build up of nuclear capabilities.

I watched Oliver Stone’s “W” on the weekend. It’s a fantastic film. F*ck GWB

David correction. New Jersey is a statistical dead heat. Virginia is swinging back hugely to the Democrats. Only 4% difference, according to more than one poll. Still a long way to go.

New Jersey is only a statistical dead heat according to one poll. According to four others, it is seven points or more to the republicans.

Virginia looks more interesting at the moment, but a four point gap or more is still tricky to overcome, especially as it is showing in four out of five polls (which means that the margin of error is not likely an issue on the downside).

However, as you say, still a long way to go – six weeks.

Interesting. The amount of polling for New Jersey is huge! From that data, it looks as though New Jersey is closer than Virginia and closing up more, unlike the data that I was looking at. Both those gaps are pretty significant, though – the New Jersey data in particular because of the sheer number of polls. And I thought that there was much more interest in Virginia!

Got a bit of reading time (these days I don’t, but this is good), then try Guy Rundle’s 2 part article on the Left in Oz over at Crikey, here’s a taste:

In Australia, articulating a Left vision which might have mass support is difficult because of one paradoxical fact — labourism (sometimes Left sometimes not) has won. Comprehensively. For a century it has seen off challenges to the arbitration system set up by the Harvester decision — and more importantly the principle behind it, that the public, as represented by the state, should tell the economy how to set its wages.

Whatever limits or transformations have been made to it, its core principles have survived — and, the 2007 result would suggest, been cemented into the culture, even as the industrial era that generated it passes away. To that has been added Medicare, public broadcasting, equal opportunity laws etc etc — all institutions the political right has had to accept in order to regain power. The left may look a bit ragged, but the single greatest failed movement in Australian political history is classical liberalism, if judged by results.

…nothing like a bit of Rundle for a reality check.

Oh, subscription required, (bloody capitalist blood-sucking press…huh?)

And yes Jen, we ‘ain’t out of the woods yet’ as we’ve been told a lot recently!

A man suffered a serious heart attack and had open heart bypass surgery. He awakened from the surgery to find himself in the care of nuns at a Catholic Hospital.
As he was recovering; a nun asked him questions regarding how he was going to pay for his treatment.
She asked if he had health insurance.
He replied, in a raspy voice, ‘No health insurance.’
The nun asked if he had money in the bank.
He replied. ‘No money in the bank.’
The nun asked, ‘Do you have a relative who could help you?’
He said, ‘I only have a spinster sister, who is a nun.’
The nun became agitated and announced loudly, ‘Nuns are not spinsters! Nuns are married to God.’
The patient replied, ‘Then send the bill to my brother-in-law.

Here is a video for you Jen. This dude is responsible for tracking/overseeing the TARP monies and gives a not too glowing report on the big banks.

Neil Barofsky is the man who tracks the historic bailout known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP. The 39-year-old special inspector general monitors a dozen separate bailout-related programs that now account for nearly $3 trillion in financial commitments. A former federal prosecutor, Barofsky has subpoena power and has launched about three dozen investigations since being named to the post in December 2008. In an audit released in July, Barofsky made clear that he was intent on demanding transparency from all quarters — including the U.S. Treasury. His next audit is due in October. During an interview with the Huffington Post Investigative Fund, Barofsky made some striking observations. Among them were:

He found hundreds of banks capable of tracking their use of the TARP money – despite claims by the U.S. Treasury that the task was impossible.
If the purpose of the TARP rescue was to increase lending, it has failed.
The U.S. financial system, now dependent on bigger and fewer banks, is shakier than ever.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/25/neil-barofsky-tarp-inspec_n_300178.html

actually paddy, I liked it.
A certain whimsical “Who Knows What TheFuck ” that I can completely relate to.
The Dog is honest.

gaffers- read that article too.
The only veiw I am prepared to trust is our own Mr Removalist’s (and don’t get cocky, buddy).
the rest have vested interest left right and, well – centre.
I cannot believe that a financial meltdown of the maginitude that we have seen can be truly turned around by sending the average punter down to the shopping centre with a thousand bucks in their pocket.
No real investment in new industry, no genuine attempt to change our dependancy on unsustainable industries and energy. No real move to alter the balance between the heavily populated under-consuming people (ie: fodder) and the fat fuckers that are keeping the whole thing going, without even a pretence of a commodity underwrite – unless you consider Crocs, K-Mart items and Myer shares to be able to feed us.
Geezus , do we ever deserve what’s coming.

(And yes Katielou – Fuck Him indeed.)

In search of the Hill’s Freemasons. Pst! Don’t tell David.
==========================

The reporter walked into his office expecting a normal day at work: cup of coffee, call some sources, the usual routine.

But this wasn’t going to be an ordinary day at all.

His editor had other ideas. Darker ideas.

The editor wanted an article on the new Dan Brown novel called “The Lost Symbol”, about a conspiracy by Freemasons in Washington.

The long-awaited book features Robert Langdon, the hero of Brown’s previous smash hits “The Da Vinci Code” and “Angels and Demons,” on a dramatic quest in and around Washington’s most famous landmarks to find a secret hidden long ago by the Masons.

But the editor was intrigued by a real-world question: How many present-day members of Congress are Freemasons? And is any member of Congress also a Knight Templar — a famous subgroup of Masons that traces its lineage to the medieval crusaders?

In a flash, the reporter realized he had spent years acquiring the skills needed to complete the quest to find the Freemasons on Capitol Hill — and finish it before the looming deadline.

I am the only man in this cubicle who can write this story.

My God!

continued on Politico

Pssst! Don’t tell David. Again.
====================

Clinton: Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy Still Exists
—————————————————————-

Bill Clinton predicted on Sunday that Democrats in Congress would avoid the political bloodbath during the 2010 elections that they witnessed during the first mid-term elections under his presidency.

Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” the former president sought to calm the concerns of many within his own party that current political trends and electoral history foreshadow massive losses in the House and the Senate.

“There’s no way they can make it that bad,” Clinton said, when asked if he was worried about a repeat of the ’94 elections, in which Republicans took over the House for the first time in 40 years.

“Number one,” Clinton explained, “the country is more diverse and more interested in positive action. Number two, they’ve seen this movie before, because they had eight years under President Bush when the Republicans finally had the whole government, and they know the results were bad. And–[laughing]–number three, the Democrats haven’t taken on the gun lobby like I did, and they took 15 of our members out. So I don’t think– it’ll be, whatever happens, it’ll be manageable for the president.”

continued in The Huffington Post

In The Great Society, ungrateful Americans have resorted to trying on sob stories to squeeze extra handouts from their government as courageous Wall St. bankers suffer the “largest ever” cuts to their performance bonuses. As unemployment figures creep steadily upward In The Land of the Free, making the correct “Family Values” choices to optimise the health of loved one’s going forward can often have unforseen consequences.

Monique Zimmerman-Stein has been nearly blind for the last two years from Stickler syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. She recently decided to forego her own treatment to save funds to treat her two daughters, who also suffer from the condition, reports Lane DeGregory of the St. Petersburg Times.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/28/mom-goes-blind-so-her-dau_n_301947.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YApNirMC9gM

I the eyes of the loonies and wackos, Obama is trying to do what Clinton was trying to do. But it is worse because he is black.

Who really gives a toss about swine flu.
Here’s whats coming to a pig farm near you in the not too distant future.
Dick Tracy eat your heart out now you fucker. You are responsible for all this shit.
Looks like you cant go for a beer in peace now with all your friends, and shout a few slogans along the way.
What’s a few LRAD’s along the way.

Most significant of all, however, was what Witold Walczak, legal director of the Pennsylvania ACLU, told the Associated Press: “It’s not just intimidation, it’s disruption and in some cases outright prevention of peaceful protesters being able to get their message out.”

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Robocops-Come-to-Pittsburg-by-mike-ferner-090928-713.html

The “gang of seven” ex CIA bosses are lobbying Barry to stop the investigations of CIA oficers who were engaged in the Torture programme;

In what should be seen as a bizarre twist, seven CIA directors—including three who are themselves implicated in planning and conducting torture and assassination— have asked the President to call off Holder.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/CIA-Torturers-Running-Scar-by-Ray-McGovern-090927-191.html

Now there are a dozen former intel professionals who are urging Barry to keep on keeping on;

The signatories of this Memorandum are former intelligence officers and analysts who have worked with CIA directors going back as far as Allen Dulles. Our cumulative experience totals more than 200 years.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Dozen-Intel-Vets-Urge-Pres-by-Ray-McGovern-090928-568.html

When i started to read this i thought well that is good, he does have a heart.
Barry is dropping his new legislative plans for indefinite detention, but, apparently they have realised that they can still detain them indefinitely under bush law from 9/11 days.

In dropping plans for new legislation, for example, the administration has realized that it can continue to hold prisoners based on the Authorization for Use of Military Force, the congressional resolution passed the week after the 9/11 attacks, which authorizes the president “to detain persons who he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, and persons who harbored those responsible” for the attacks.

http://www.opednews.com/populum/linkframe.php?linkid=98230

There are some brilliant ideas on here. You can vote more than once. Mind you it may be run by Google, but it all sounds a bit socialist to me.
==============================================
Project 10100 is a call for ideas to change the world by helping as many people as possible.

You submitted more than 150,000 ideas.
We chose a handful of finalists.
Which ones should we make happen?
You tell us.
———————————————————————————-
http://www.project10tothe100.com/index.html

Greeenspan dumps Anne Rand.
=============================
Greenspan Backs Key Obama Wall Street Reform Effort
A keystone of Obama’s Wall Street reform agenda is getting support from the unlikeliest of corners. Alan Greenspan, an acolyte of Ayn Rand and extreme free-marketeer, is backing one of the most far-reaching elements of the financial overhaul: the Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

Greenspan told the Washington Post that pushing for the CFPA was “probably the right decision.” Given the former Fed chairman’s penchant for obliquity, the straight-forward endorsement takes on greater weight.

Wall Street and community bankers argue that the proposed agency will restrict financial innovation and otherwise inhibit economic growth. Those are the types of arguments that Greenspan was prone to make during his tenure as chairman, but the financial crisis has persuaded Greenspan that the “intellectual edifice” buttressing radical free-market ideology has, in his words, “collapsed.”

continued on The Huffington Post

Meaningfully communicate with your ridgy didge by all means, paddy, you hapless degenerate. It’s when you begin to drill your asparagus “soldiers” at the coming up of the sun; ’tis then you may need to avail yourself of that “quiet weekend” at The Institution. Friendly operatives are on permanent stand-by.

paddy-
STOP IT! you didn’t do The Warning … with sirens.
messy floor, desk – keyboard buggered.
as for the chardy 😡

and what is wrong with conversing with the Westinghouse?
Some of the finer conversations i’ve ever had .. not to mention what the washing machine and I can get up to 😎

This brings it down to 148:
Reuters: Obama team clears 75 at Guantanamo for release

MIAMI (Reuters) – An Obama administration task force has so far cleared 75 of the remaining 223 Guantanamo prisoners for release as part of its effort to close the detention camp, a military spokesman said on Monday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE58R4JV20090928

Jen at 58

not to mention what the washing machine …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC2gZMNkyJo

😉

By Post Author

Will you too girls and your washing machines get a room. 😈

Catrina they didn’t even use a Theremin in that one. You know the spooky sound at the start. Every good old sci fi used to have one. Here’s one. Theremin video You Tube

Back to 41
=======
David.
This just shows that along with all the wackos, loonies Fox News and Rush Limbaugh there are hundreds of conspiracies going on at the moment.
===============================================
Obama Facebook Poll: “Should Obama Be Killed?” Pulled From Site, Secret Service Investigate – UPDATED (PHOTOS).
continued on The Huffington Post Whether one will succeed is another matter.

62 Catrina Probably found the country that they thought would be right behind them, wasn’t. That is the USA. Without them they have no friends.

Chris B at 65
Keeping in mind that Zenya is holding up inside the Brazilian embassy and is calling for a popular uprising, it seems to me that the interim government are doing what they can to keep a lid on things. The election is in November and that is not so far away. It’s not like everything is going peer shaped or anything – at least not yet.

By Post Author

Do they still have those fully automatic washing machines.
The ones you screw on the end of the bed and they do the ironing as well? :mrgreen:

67
Catrina.

It’s not like everything is going peer shaped or anything – at least not yet.

Lets hope it does not erupt into another full scale barney. The potential is there. it certainly appears there is a lot of shit going down that the Seppos are deliderately quiet on.

The regime also issued an ultimatum to Brazil over the weekend, warning the Brazilian government that it has 10 days to decide what to do about Zelaya, and a regime spokesperson warned that since Brazil broke off diplomatic relations with the coup government, it could remove the flag and shield from the Brazilian embassy, making it a “private office.” Brazilian President Lula da Silva rejected the threats, saying that his government “doesn’t accept ultimatums from coup plotters.” …………………………..
Also, on Friday, the UN Security Council passed a resolution that “condemned acts of intimidation against the Brazilian Embassy and called upon the de facto government of Honduras to cease harassing the Brazilian Embassy and to provide all necessary utilities and services including water, electricity, food and continuity of communications. Respect and protection of the inviolability of diplomatic premises is a universally accepted principle of international relations,” according to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Suspension-of-Constitution-by-Center-for-Economi-090928-319.html

So…. you’ve been hankering for a handy guide to U.S. Hegemonic Imperatives, eh?…..

Zero problemskis.

This up-to-date glossary in Forked-Tonguespeak is just the ticket.

As we debate the many scary enemies and exciting possibilities for new wars — escalation in Afghanistan, our very own “Cuban Missile Crisis” against the Persian Hitlers, the Socialist Menace in Venezuela — events can become very confusing. Compounding that problem are the many complex, technical terms often used in media discussions of foreign affairs. It’s therefore helpful to keep track of the relevant terms — ones just from the events of the last week alone — to maximize clarity as we debate our imperial responsibilities:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/09/28/countries/

Blood oath, gaffy, the last para about “teenage moral relativism” captures The Phoneyness beautifully. Also like the technique of placing quote alongside quote thereby allowing the reader to join the dots.
GG is hip to the medium and uses it very effectively. A terrier for truth, he’s smart, fearless and lethal.

Ooo look another conspiracy. I wonder who had a theory about this one. Don’t tell David!
==============================================

Controversial Facebook Bigwig Tied To ACORN Sting Videographer.
James O’Keefe, the man who dressed as a pimp to secretly videotape ACORN employees condoning illegal activities was found to have received funding from Peter Thiel, a politically controversial Conservative hedge fund baron – along with several other conservative donors. According to the Village Voice, Thiel admits paying O’Keefe approximately $10,000 for a video project despite the videographer’s claims he is “absolutely independent”, repeatedly stating he was not funded by outside parties.

Peter Thiel, who co-founded the online payment service PayPal and provided start-up funds for the multibillion-dollar social networking success Facebook also has been outspoken against “multiculturalism” in the US as a member of the Federalist Society alongside Robert Bork, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. Thiel’s controversial views came to light earlier this year when concerns grew over accusations Facebook was collecting and archiving personal information on members that could prove embarrassing to them later in life.

continued on Op Ed News.

Public option nearly there.
==================

A lot of the most pressing political questions about health care reform will soon be answered, and reformers and pols alike are grappling with the fact that Democrats now have enough votes to pass a public option without any Republican votes.

“Hopefully when push comes to shove, Democrats will support a strong public option, and do the right thing,” said Jacki Schechner of the reform campaign Health Care for America Now.

“We’re in a good spot right now,” added Schechner. “We’ll see where we are after tomorrow.

continued on TPM

Mark Warner Stars In New TV Ad For Creigh Deeds.

Creigh Deeds, the Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia, is bringing out a big gun in his efforts to turn around his narrow deficit in the polls: Sen. Mark Warner, a former governor and the single most popular Democrat in the state, and who is starring in Deeds’ newest ad.

continued on TPM video of advert included

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/thefield/3468/second-honduran-coup-came-today-because-first-one-failed

WHERE’S THE CONGRESSIONAL COUP CAUCUS NOW?…. In July, a variety of conservative Republican lawmakers were outraged by the official U.S. government opposition to the overthrow of the democratically elected government in Honduras. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) officially endorsed the military-backed coup, and a variety of House Republicans organized a “congressional coup caucus” in support of the new, unelected government.

Oddly enough, we’re not hearing much from this GOP crowd anymore. I wonder why that is…

When DeMint endorsed the coup, her heralded those responsible for ousting Zelaya as “guarantee[ing] freedom.” House Committee on Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) hosted a private meeting for her Republican colleagues to “discuss how the U.S. can now work to support the democratic institutions and rule of law in Honduras.”

All of a sudden, these GOP lawmakers don’t seem to be bashing the Obama administration’s position anymore. Interesting.

HarryH at 80

Take a step back for a moment and analyse the problem in terms of the rule of law. This is not about Republicans versus members of the Democratic Party. This is not about some artificial and imaginary construct that states from any nation have a right to maintain an embassy in another nation. If you don’t like what is happening from a moral perspective that’s fine, but you still need to balance that moral judgement against the preservation of the rule of law. You also need to fold into your analysis the geopolitical relationships (good and bad) and the respective agendas.

😎

By Post Author

Catrina 80

I’m not in any sense playing Rep v Dem silly games re Honduras. That was just an interesting block quote from the article linked.

You and i obviously have differing opinions of this situation. I could also suggest that you “step back” and see what is actually going on.

But we’re obviously not going to agree.

I am sure that the health insurance companies just love this kind of exposure to the media. Just helps more to expose the (to use Rudes’ vernacular) “scrotal infused” nut bags for what they are, that is the real death panels.

16 Arrested at Aetna for Demanding Healthcare;

Sixteen people were arrested this morning at 99 Park Ave in New York City for entering the lobby of the health insurance company Aetna and demanding that Aetna stop denying healthcare approved by doctors. This was the beginning of a campaign in which over 300 people have committed to nonviolently risking arrest:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/16-Arrested-at-Aetna-for-D-by-David-Swanson-090929-7.html

One wonders why they would be arguing with Barry over health care reform.
He is miles in front and there is a track record whick comes over pretty good.
History is definitely on his side.

The link was uncovered through Obama’s 8th generation grand-uncle Thomas Kearney from Shinrone in County Offaly who married Sarah Baxley (1773 -1845) in St. Paul Church in 1890.
Sarah Baxley is the link to Jackson Brown Baxley and his brother Henry Willis Baxley (1803-1876) who graduated in medicine in 1824 and became the government inspector of hospitals in 1865.
Both Baxleys spearheaded the building of public hospitals in Baltimore during the late 19th century as the city was ravaged by recurring outbreaks of cholera, yellow fever, smallpox, and other infectious diseases

http://www.opednews.com/populum/linkframe.php?linkid=98282

Meanwhile as Barnyard and Iron Bar are giving it to Allbull in spades as they play with their rubber duckies in the bath tub,

“Delegates from about 190 nations are meeting in Bangkok to try to speed up U.N.-led negotiations to replace the Kyoto Protocol with a tougher climate pact.”

And

experts at a climate conference at Oxford University have a very different view to Fielding, Barnyard and all the other “scrotal infused” tossers. They should pull themselves together before they pull themselves to pieces.

OXFORD, England (Reuters) – A rise of at least two meters in the world’s sea levels is now almost unstoppable, experts told a climate conference at Oxford University on Tuesday.

“The crux of the sea level issue is that it starts very slowly but once it gets going it is practically unstoppable,” said Stefan Rahmstorf, a scientist at Germany’s Potsdam Institute and a widely recognized sea level expert.

“There is no way I can see to stop this rise, even if we have gone to zero emissions.”

Rahmstorf said the best outcome was that after temperatures stabilized, sea levels would only rise at a steady rate “for centuries to come,” and not accelerate.

http://www.opednews.com/populum/linkframe.php?linkid=98318

it is commonly known as -“when your chickens turn in to emus and return home and kick your shithouse down”
or
When you have been ringing up hookers don’t complain about someone trying to set up a whorehouse. :mrgreen:

Sen. Vitter’s zeal to see ACORN criminally investigated for offering advice in setting up a prostitution ring reminded me he has yet to be held accountable for his own role in a prostitution ring… “While ACORN’s conduct is indefensible, so is Sen. Vitter’s and what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/29/vitter-slapped-with-prost_n_303085.html

Jen
Would you like a really nice Xmas present?
Would you like all of us Ticsters to dub in and get it for you?
A nice book with 400 pages of extreme wisdom and delightful knowledge.
Something you can relax on the Prom with over the hols while getting a suntan.
When you have finnished it just throw it over Paddys fence on the way home.
It is being released on Nov 17th.
It’s called “Going Rogue” or “Gone Rough”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/28/sarah-palin-memoir-going-_n_302246.html 😈

93

When you have finished it just throw it over Paddy’s fence on the way home.

EEEK!!!….. INCOMING!!!! Run for the hills! 😆

I love one of the comments from Huffpo on that link Gaffy.

Lynn Vincent wrote the book. Sarah added the touch of lunacy.

I also think that anything by our favourite mooskateer probably rates “off the scale” on Firstdog’s patented Hilarious cruelty index. :mrgreen:

What about the Afghan women?
=============================================

America may have developed Intervention Fatigue, but are we really considering throwing Afghan women back into the darkness after their return to freedom?

In all the debate about Afghanistan, we don’t hear much about our obligation to the wretched lives of Afghan women. They are being treated as collateral damage as the big boys discuss geopolitical goals. No, we can’t go around saving every failed state, but as well as clear national security interest, there’s a moral obligation here that is being forgotten.

More than a million Afghan men died fighting our proxy war against the Soviets. The streets of Kabul today are full of sightless beggars and amputees who paid the price for that nine-year struggle. America funded the Islamic revival, giving out Korans and Stinger missiles to beat the Communists, then pulled out and was surprised when the assassins of 9/11 were spawned by the chaos left behind.

Today the grounds for betraying Afghan women again are being fertilized by the received wisdom of the “quagmire” lobby, which keeps summoning up the analogy of Vietnam.

continued on The Daily Beast

Just another nut job the Democrats will be able to use in the 2010 elections. The Democrats will be building a war chest of these video’s to play back in 2010. If the Democrats can’t run a campaign in 2010 making the Repugs look like crackpots and loonies then let me do it!!!
===============================================

GOP Rep. Trent Franks Calls Obama “An Enemy Of Humanity”
A Republican member of the House of Representatives accused President Barack Obama of being “an enemy of humanity” during a conservative values forum this past weekend.

In a speech Saturday before the How to Take Back America conference, Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) made comments that went far beyond the limits of traditional White House criticism. At one point, Franks demanded that Obama release his birth certificate to prove his constitutional eligibility to hold office. The bluntest charge, however, centered on the president’s position on abortion, which the congressman derided as “insane” and godless.

continued on The Huffington Post

But wait! There’s still more!
=========================

RNC’s Spanish Translation Of Hispanic Heritage Month Press Release Riddled With Errors

Today, the Republican National Committee (RNC) released a statement from Chairman Michael Steele announcing the release of a new video in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. However, though the press release emphasizes the Republican Party’s “commitment to the Hispanic community,” apparently that commitment does not include hiring a qualified Spanish translator. The Spanish translation of Steele’s statement is riddled with embarrassing typos and errors. Even Yahoo’s automatic online translator, Babel Fish, produces better results. A quick revision highlights the multitude of glaring errors:

continued on Think Progress

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