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| The Takfiri motto: “Off with their heads!” |
I just published two Press TV op-eds on successive days:
NSA spy scandal: It’s even worse than Snowden says
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|
| The Takfiri motto: “Off with their heads!” |
I just published two Press TV op-eds on successive days:
NSA spy scandal: It’s even worse than Snowden says
<< Two “actionable threats” to the 9/11 coup were Senators Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy. After 9/11, they received US government anthrax in the mail. Frightened, Daschle and Leahy quickly stopped questioning 9/11 and opposing the Constitution-shredding USA Patriot Act. >>
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Kevin,
Details help your argument, and should perhaps be included in future iterations.
Daschle and Leahy were no ordinary US Senators, but Majority Leader and Judiciary Committee chair, respectively.
While the anthrax attacks surely had their effect on Senators, those anthrax attacks were a reaction to Cheney's failure to get what really wanted, and had tried to get the evening of 9/11 itself; namely, the outright suspension of Habeas Corpus.
Leahy himself has told the story (or allowed it to be told without attribution), because I can remember reading it!
I DO fault the Senate (i.e., Senate Democrats) for failing to protect themselves, their staffs and families. But perhaps the ground had been prepared too carefully this time. Or put another way, is their really any defense against a hard-charging executive, except armed resistance? Resistance carries price, of course; the the price of servitude is heavier still.
A significant, though in retrospect almost trivial, example of a hard-charging executive came during the second Clinton term with the Elian Gonzales custody dispute. Clinton was determined to return the kid to Cuba; and no one–certainly no court, state or federal–was going to interfere. One can almost see the famous jutting jaw.
Clinton had seized the Gonzales, a child, seized at gunpoint, the lawless violence of the moment captured in a photo, the significance of which is still not widely grasped in this country.
The Anglo-American answer to usurpations of power–still pertinent today, I think:
(1) Oliver Cromwell (i.e., a parliament prepared to be a government–with an army prepared do battle with the usurper;
(2) No officer of state should be allowed so much power that he can threaten the balance of power, and therefore the stability of the state; and,
(3) that when a usurpation threatens, the political power a man has can be instantly yanked by colleagues.
Richard Nixon is an American example of this, during the impeachment crisis. By the time of his resignation, Nixon was effectively a prisoner in the White House.
Dick Cheney was in that White House; witnessed Nixon's humiliation; and no doubt determined to avenge it. He has, even to the extent of overthowing the government.
Sen. Mark Dayton, Wellstone's successor, had the right idea about "getting out of Dodge." A strategy, which might have worked for the whole chamber, and not just for Dayton, came perhaps too late for the Senate as a whole.
Each generation faces its own existential challenges. As Lincoln stated the case to his congressional colleagues on 1 December 1862:
"We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth."
Best wishes,
B
Edward Snowden may be a "synthetic genius," who combines the insights of others with his own, to produce something qualitatively new. Snowden is the first, to my knowledge, to state or imply that NSA's knowledge now verges on a God-like omniscience, conferring also god-like power. Snowden says this very clearly: there are no longer limits, legal, technical or practical, to NSA's capabilities. But as with the expanding Universe, even the infinite can keep growing.
Morning Kevin,
a lovely day is breaking here in Switzerland. I just read the news over breakfast.
You may have heard that President Obama was " humbled" while inspecting the Robben Island prison yesterday, where President Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years.
I trust you also saw the connection?
How would Mandela react, if he were to visit Obama's own Guantanamo prison?
Imagine, if instead of Moslems, blacks had been kidnapped from their homes and incarcerated and tortured there. Apartheid in South Africa was defeated, but islamophobia in America is currently at its peak.
I think charity starts at home. Rather than travel half way around the world to look at an empty prison, Obama could start by emptying the prison he is running at home. Both prisons are where victims of prejudice and racism are – were – held. Both Robben island and Guantanamo are abominations, a testimony to prejudice. One day, a black African or Moslem President will visit an empty Guantanamo and compare it to Robben Island. They, like Auschwitz and Dachau, will become museums, under UNESCO preservation, where school-kids and tourists learn of our dark inhumanity and our barbaric past.
Either put these Moslems, these American Mandelas on trial in public, or release them and pay them reparations, before America totally looses her waning credibility around the world. Imagine, the world' s only hyper-power showing islamophobia, violating habeus corpus and international law. If there is evidence, let all the world see it, or stop fabricating slander and unfounded allegations against those who cannot defend themselves.
America should stop being the big bully in the global playground and respect the rules. "Might does not make right". Even tiny, democratic, peaceful and neutral Switzerland is being bullied by America. This does not look good nor win friends. Hearts and minds of friends – and enemies – are being lost. The whole world is fed up of America. And I say that with regret and sadness.
Alas, I suspect America is still not listening to the global community
Have a nice day.
Regards from Switzerland
Merely moving Edward Snowden to a country granting him asylum will require a military operation, since the US opposes the move, and effectively controls all air space and landing points in between Snowden and his destination.
The obvious countermeasure would be "we will spill secrets including naming names and putting US assets in danger – which we would not do otherwise – unless you let us reach our destination."
James Clapper, like Colin Powell at the UN, both used and abused public forums to spread disinformation and lies.
Clapper should resign.
How can anyone now believe a word he says?
Interestingly, Senator Feinstein's biography fails to mention if she holds an Israeli passport.
The good Senator has voted to give Israel billions of American tax- payer dollars, including missiles and phosphor bombs dropped by Israeli F16s onto small infants in Gaza. This is not mentioned in her voting record. Why not? Did she simply forget? Perhaps a more complete voting record could be published?
Senator Feinstein was also silent when Israel dropped phosphor bombs financed by the America tax- payer on civilians in Gaza. It is illegal in America to supply American-made arms to be used on defenceless civilians. No Senator spoke out. On the contrary, American Senators fund and support Israeli war crimes. They have no choice, their own campaign funding is paid by Israel, when American funding to Israel returns home to their constituencies. America surely has the best Senators (Israeli) money can buy.
Can you perhaps ask Senator Feinstein, as a fellow American, which other passports she holds? And, of she should hold an Israeli pass, where do her real loyalties lie? Does Senator Feinstein, like the criminal American – Israeli commodities trader Marc Rich, who was given a presidential pardon by Clinton, also intend to be buried in Israel?
Meanwhile, in England, a freedom of information request in my possession states that over 60 Israeli citizens are currently embedded as employees within our Ministry of Defence.
I wonder how many Brits work in the IDF HQ in Tel Aviv?
The act of air piracy against President Morales has humiliated the whole of South America. The president has been treated like a criminal by America for the while world to see. The whole world is outraged by these American cowboys, these "outlaws" running the NSA.
Not enough to inflame one billion Moslems, now America is attacking and loosing hearts and minds of non- Moslems. I am a British dentist and am completely fed-up with American arrogance and lawlessness. I live in Switzerland and can tell you how America is exercising blackmail and extortion on tiny Switzerland, to rob our banks. I am surprised that we still represent America in our Iranian Embassy. America refuses to allow Swiss companies to export medicines and food to Iranian children suffering from cancer. Who can respect or support America today?
Back to the air hijacking: Surely such a plane, carrying the President, enjoys diplomatic immunity, like a diplomatic corps car?
Imagine President Hollande of France having his plane ordered to land in South America or elsewhere, like while over Africa. It could happen….
The solution, the measured and reasonable response now is for all South American countries together to offer Snowdon and Assange asylum. In fact, the whole world, 195 states, with the exception of Israel and America, should stand up for human rights and offer Snowdon asylum.
People trust Snowdon more than their Senator. In fact, Snowdon should stand for Senator or President. Snowdon should get a Noble peace prize, at least.
The NSA under James Clapper, seems to regard the whole world, including American citizens, as its enemy. This paranoid NSA mind set could easily become self- fulfilling.