Political Digest for February 6, 2012

The Old Jarhead Blog. Bringing you news and information the MSM is too busy covering American Idol, celebrity affairs and sensational missing person cases to cover. Please forward to friends who need to be informed.

Short blog today. Not so much incoming on e-mail. Everyone must be watching some sporting event.

Resources

For those who want further information about the topics covered in this blog, I recommend the following sites. I will add to this as I find additional good sources.

http://tartanmarine.blogspot.com/2011/03/resources-for-opinion-leaders-who.html

Important: Chart Of The Day: The Collapsing Labor Force Participation Rate

http://pragcap.com/chart-of-the-day-the-collapsing-labor-force-participation-rate

Excerpt: ... the mainstream media is spinning the 36,000 new jobs as a positive because the unemployment rate fell. Unfortunately, the reason for the decline is simple. The labor force participation rate is collapsing as job searchers simply give up and are deemed by the BLS as no longer being part of the workforce:

Allen West: 'Is Someone Playing with Unemployment Numbers?' by Kate Hicks
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katehicks/2012/02/03/allen_west_is_someone_playing_with_unemployment_numbers

Excerpt: New numbers on the economy came out today, revealing some seemingly positive trends, such as a drop in the unemployment rate. One of these numbers is a major drop in black unemployment, from 15.8% to 13.6%, a huge jump. On the surface, it's good news. Allen West, however, isn't having it -- he thinks someone may have tampered with the figures.

US plans shift to elite units as it winds down in Afghanistan

Presence could last beyond 2014; far different withdrawal plan than the one for Iraq

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46267459/ns/world_news-the_new_york_times/

Excerpt: The United States’ plan to wind down its combat role in Afghanistan a year earlier than expected relies on shifting responsibility to Special Operations forces that hunt insurgent leaders and train local troops, according to senior Pentagon officials and military officers. These forces could remain in the country well after the NATO mission ends in late 2014. The plan, if approved by President Obama, would amount to the most significant evolution in the military campaign since Mr. Obama sent in 32,000 more troops to wage an intensive and costly counterinsurgency effort.

Hillary Clinton lambastes 'travesty' of UN veto on Syria

http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/05/10322270-hillary-clinton-lambastes-travesty-of-un-veto-on-syria

Excerpt: Clinton was bluntly critical of Saturday's veto by Russia and China at the United Nations blocking action against the continuing violence in Syria. (We are the only country in history to fund an organization--the UN--for our enemies to use against us. Time to stop. ~Bob.)

Countdown to Zero in Tehran and Jerusalem

http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/2012/02/countdown-to-zero-in-tehran-and.html

Excerpt: There was a time when Israel did not deal with existential threats by urging the Americans to do something. That time was fairly recent. When Saddam decided he wanted to have his own nuclear reactor, fourteen Israeli Air Force jets put an end to his dream. The year was 1981.

Obama Campaign Button

http://www.zazzle.com/barack_obama_cartoon_caricature_button-145872081044755540

Toppling Tax Dollars for Turbines

http://finance.townhall.com/columnists/maritanoon/2012/02/05/toppling_tax_dollars_for_turbines/page/full/

Excerpt: The wind energy industry has reason for concern. America's appetite for subsidies has waned. Congress is looking for any way it can to make cuts and the twenty-year old Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind energy is in prime position for a cut—it naturally expires at the end of 2012. Without action, it will go away.

US, Japan agree to partial Marine transfer from Okinawa: media

http://townhall.com/news/politics-elections/2012/02/05/us_japan_agree_to_partial_marine_transfer_from_okinawa_media

Excerpt: The United States and Japan have agreed to tweak a six-year-old agreement on Marines based on the southern island of Okinawa, allowing Washington to deploy forces to the Pacific island of Guam regardless of the debate over moving a disputed airbase. The Guam deployment had been held hostage by a political stalemate in Japan over the shifting of the Futenma base to another site on Okinawa, an issue given added importance in recent years by China's growing military might in the region.

What’s Islam Got to Do with It?: To prohibit the question is to invite disaster. by Clifford D. May

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/285815/what-s-islam-got-do-it-clifford-d-may

Excerpt: Is there anything Islamic about Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps? On what basis does Ayman al-Zawahiri, now al-Qaeda’s leader, formerly the head of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, claim to be a jihadi — an Islamic warrior? Do groups that justify terrorism on the basis of Islam have a doctrinal leg to stand on? Let’s not start by answering these questions. Let’s start by agreeing that such questions need to be asked — not suppressed.

Who Would Jesus Tax? by Rev Doug Giles

http://townhall.com/columnists/douggiles/2012/02/05/who_would_jesus_tax/page/full/

Excerpt: This past Thursday at the National Prayer Breakfast, Obama said that his Christian faith crafts his domestic policies—particularly his desire to rob from the rich and give to the poor. In my humble opinion, I think the president is getting Jesus and His disciples confused with Robin Hood and his Merry Men. I don’t know which White House wizard crafted that speech for him, but the verse he or she gave to our Spender in Chief to back his socialism was more twisted out of joint than a Gumby doll being worked over by a frustrated Gary Busey.

Response on the Combat Pay posting

Some more gouge on the Imminent Danger Pay issue: Despite what has been reported, I received the same email message from MyPay and nothing has changed except the way IDP is awarded. Previously, anyone who was in an IDP zone for a single day got the entire month's allotment of IDP. The new law will change the award to $7.50 for each day that an individual is in an IDP zone, as designated by the SecDef. Those who are actually shot at or who experience a mine/IED detonation will receive the full month's award of $225 as Hostile Fire Pay. The Marine who voiced his frustration apparently didn't understand what he was reading, because he got it completely wrong and stirred up a lot of malcontent in the process. Regardless of the administration's other policies and decisions, this one is simply a non-issue. Semper Fidelis, Jake, Capt, USMC

Important: Egypt to prosecute Americans, including Sam LaHood, in NGO probe

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/egypt-to-prosecute-americans-in-ngo-probe/2012/02/05/gIQAQRderQ_story.html?wpisrc=al_national

Excerpt: The Egyptian government intends to prosecute at least 40 people, including some U.S. citizens, as part of an investigation into nongovernmental organizations that receive foreign funding, state media reported Sunday. The announcement came a day after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warned the Egyptian Foreign Ministry that failure to quickly resolve the probe could jeopardize the more than $1.3 billion Egypt expects to get this year in U.S. aid. (I'm done. I think that if Gingrich or Santorum or Romney stood up and said, "That's it. We're done. We're also broke. If I'm elected president, there won't be one more frickin dime for the UN, Egypt, Pakistan or any other country that works against us and freedom!" he would sweep the nomination and the election. ~Bob.)

When Greece Defaults, the Credit Default Swap Dominoes Fall

http://www.fedupusa.org/2012/02/when-greece-defaults-the-credit-default-swap-dominoes-fall/

Excerpt: 1. Greece is poised to default, the end-game everyone anticipated in 2011. It is not a matter of if but when. 2. That default will trigger credit-default swap contracts, derivatives known as CDS that protect the owner from events such as default. 3. This will implode the shadow-banking system and the visible banking system, as those who sold the CDS (financial institutions) do not have enough cash or assets to pay the owners of the CDS. (Part of the reason all this is so scary is that I understand so little of it, to judge what is going on. And I think I'm better informed than 99% of people. ~Bob.)

Ayatollah: Kill all Jews, annihilate Israel

http://www.wnd.com/2012/02/ayatollah-kill-all-jews-annihilate-israel/

Excerpt: The Iranian government, through a website proxy, has laid out the legal and religious justification for the destruction of Israel and the slaughter of its people. The doctrine includes wiping out Israeli assets and Jewish people worldwide. Calling Israel a danger to Islam, the conservative website Alef, with ties to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the opportunity must not be lost to remove “this corrupting material. (Geeze, suppose the Jews don't do something radical, like defend themselves? ~Bob.)

Obama Announces 2012 Launch Of 'African-Americans For Obama'

http://nation.foxnews.com/president-obama/2012/02/02/obama-announces-2012-launch-african-americans-obama

Some people would say this is racist, but it's no more racist, than, say a group called "White Americans Against Obama." Oh, wait, any response to Obama except assuming the position and saying, "Please, Sir, may I have another" is racist. "Taxpaying Americans for Obama's Opponent"? Highly racist. Watch the media if you don't believe me. ~Bob.