Thursday, March 21, 2013

Old Jarhead’s Political SitRep for March 22, 2013


Old Jarhead’s Political SitRep for March 22, 2013
Robert A. Hall

I got the evening off, so you get a SitRep. ~Bob

Worth Reading: Who Will Bell America? Obama, like Carter, may provoke one of our enemies to test our teeth and claws. By Victor Davis Hanson
Excerpt: Remember the medieval fable about the mice that wanted their dangerous enemy, the cat, belled, but each preferred not to be the one to attempt the dangerous deed? Likewise, the world’s bad actors have long wanted America belled, but, like the mice, so far they have not been stupid or daring enough to test America’s teeth and claws — that is, until now. In 2008 Barack Obama campaigned on the general principle that the entire Bush-Cheney anti-terrorism protocols were either superfluous or illegal. That opportunistic posturing resonated with a world audience eager for confessions of American wrongdoing. It probably helped to undermine U.S. influence abroad.

Worth Reading: Very Close to Pan-Global Financial Collapse – Greg Mannarino & Greg Hunter Video
Excerpt: Financial Analyst Gregory Mannarino says the banking crisis in Cyprus is a signal of what is coming to the rest of the world. Mannarino says, “People are now going to start losing faith in these institutions. This cannot stand, and we may be very, very close to the pan-global financial collapse that I believe is coming.” Mannarino contends, “People do not understand that the debt owed by their nation is their debt. They own it. They are going to force people to pay one way or another. Haircuts are coming for everyone.” (I just heard Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles chairs of the commission on the debt that Obama appointed, then ignored, speak. Very frightening. To fix this everyone—EVERYONE—has to get hurt. Taxes alone won’t do it. Spending cuts alone won’t do it. They have a website: http://www.fixthedebt.org/ and ask you to sign their petition on the debt. Or a letter to Washington: http://act.fixthedebt.org/page/s/urge-washington ~Bob.)

The Never Again Campaign
Great anti-gun control ad.

Economists from Across the Spectrum Support A Comprehensive Debt Approach
Excerpt: Today over 160 economists and thought leaders signed a letter coordinated by Fix the Debt to President Obama and congressional leaders calling on them to agree on a comprehensive approach that addresses the needs of the economy while also tackling the long-term debt.

On sequester, liberals face a dilemma. By Greg Sargent
Liberal writer. ~Bob. Excerpt: Maybe I’m wrong about this. But it’s looking more and more like progressives and liberals are going to be facing a tough question: Which is worse, indefinite sequestration or a grand bargain that includes serious entitlement cuts? Seems to me that sooner or later, major players on the left are going to have to stake out a position on this question.

Excerpt: The Air Force Personal [sic] Center Services Directorate (AFPC/SV) is seeking sources for providing the Air Force installations a Fantasy Football Program. The AFPC/SV is comprised of over 100 installations worldwide. The Fantasy Football Program will be accessed by all Air Force Airman [sic], Civilians and Family Members.

A Better Way To Approach Medicare’s Impossible Task. By Thomas Saving and John Goodman
Excerpt: As Congress faces mounting pressure to rein in Medicare spending, two sides seem to be squaring off. The don’t-touch-a-thing-other-than-squeezing-provider-fees position seems to appeal to mainly Democrats, while eat-your-spinach reforms, including more cost sharing and higher premiums, seem to appeal mainly to Republicans. Neither position is very appealing to voters, however, nor should they be. Is there a third way? Is there a way to get the job done and appeal to voters – young and old – at the same time? We think there is. 

Vulnerable senators face lose-lose scenario on assault weapon vote
Excerpt: The Senate’s upcoming vote on the assault weapons ban is going to put vulnerable Democrats in a difficult spot. Democrats facing tough reelection races will either attract the ire of the National Rifle Association or prominent gun control activists such as New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I). A vote against the ban could spark primary challenges that could weaken Democrats in the general election. (Gee, I feel so bad for them. When I was in the state senate, guys used to joke that it would be a great job if you didn’t have to vote. ~Bob.)

Pelosi backing Democratic leader embroiled in ethics scandal
Excerpt: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is standing behind Rep. Robert Andrews (D-N.J.) despite calls for the veteran lawmaker to relinquish his leadership post while he is investigated on ethics charges.

Neurosurgeon’s Speeches Have Conservatives Dreaming of 2016
Excerpt: Dr. Benjamin Carson was a political unknown just weeks ago. Then with a single speech delivered as President Obama looked stonily on, he was lofted into the conservative firmament as its newest star: a renowned neurosurgeon who is black and has the credibility to attack the president on health care.

Quote
Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. –Martin Luther

Jerusalem Post Editor: ‘We Can’t Figure Out What He’s Doing Here’
Excerpt: Caroline Glick, Senior Contributing Editor of the Jerusalem Post said the Israeli people consider President Obama "a hostile president overall," on "Mornings on the Mall" on WMAL-FM in Washington DC. Appearing with Brian Wilson and myself Wednesday morning, Glick said the Israeli people "can't figure out what he's doing here," when asked about the mood in Jerusalem as the President's plane touched down for the first time in his presidency.

The Uninvited—Global Persecution of Christians Ignored by Obama.
Excerpt: Nina Shea, Director of the Center for Religious Freedom and a Hudson Institute Fellow, told Breitbart's "Uninvited" panel at CPAC on Saturday that "religious persecution is the gravest human rights crisis of our day." She added that "Christians are as a group the most persecuted, out of sheer numbers, across the world. This means they are being killed, tortured, imprisoned and eradicated ...sent into exile for their beliefs."

America’s Big Fat Advantage: Our exceptionalism will last as long as we judge people according to their achievements. By Victor Davis Hanson
Excerpt: For all the Obama-era talk of decline, there is at least one reason why America probably won’t, at least not quite yet. “Peak oil” and our “oil addiction” were supposed to have ensured that we ran out of either gas or the money to buy it. Now, suddenly, we have more gas and oil than ever before. But the key question is: Why do we? (Sometimes we need reminding why we Americans are on top of the heap. At his best (and briefest), Hanson does so in this column. --Ron P.)

New York State Sets Up Gun Snitch Line With $500 Award
Excerpt: NY State has established a toll-free tip line – 1-855-GUNSNYS (1-855- 486-7697) to encourage residents to report illegal firearm possession. (It is your duty to denounce your neighbors or parents if they are enemies of the state. Or Jews. ~Bob.)

TSA agents 'humiliated' wounded Marine with aggressive inspection: report
Excerpt: Security Administration inspectors forced a wounded Marine who lost both of his legs in an IED blast and who was in a wheelchair to remove his prosthetic legs at one point, and at another point to stand painfully on his legs while his wheelchair was examined, according to a complaint a congressman has registered with the TSA. (No, I don’t think they should be fired, just transferred. To Kabul International Airport. ~Bob.)

North Korea Not Impacted by Sanctions
Excerpt: Unconfirmed reports state China has sent aircraft and ground forces to reinforce its border with North Korea since the UN sanctions were announced on 7 March and placed border forces on increased alert. The extent of the reinforcement is not clear, but the reports indicate China has taken some extra security precautions against the ripple effects of an armed provocation. (Why bother to tell us “unconfirmed reports” about a troublesome country? Because the teller thinks them credible and illustrative of current conditions for both the local populace and rulers and also demonstrates the condition of that country’s alliances. Once more for the record: sanctions alone cannot work on a dictator because the dictator will be the last person there to suffer. Further, the dictator will find ways around as many sanctions as possible. Dictators aren’t nice people or they’d have picked a different line of work. --Ron P.)

White House In Bull's-Eye In North Korean Video
Excerpt: North Korea has released another video showing a nuclear weapons attack, this time on WashingtonD.C., raising once again the specter that the Hermit State is planning to launch a pre-emptive nuclear attack on the United States.


Ted Turner’s Son: Liberal CNN Is Hard to Watch
Sort of like the son of an alcoholic who would never touch the stuff. --Don Hank

Federal employees who don’t pay taxes would be fired under bill that passed committee
http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/20/federal-employees-who-dont-pay-taxes-would-be-fired-under-bill-that-passed-committee/#ixzz2OCzdwDKO
Excerpt: “Most taxpayers file accurate tax returns and pay the taxes they owe on time, regardless of their income,” Chaffetz, a Republican, said during the hearing Wednesday. “Federal employees and individuals applying for federal employment should do the same.”

North Korea threatens U.S. bases in Japan and Guam
Am I the only one that thinks the world would be better off if those crazy bastards were vaporized? – LLW

Excerpt: Not long ago I was reading an article from the New York Times. They were reporting on the percentage of doctors who still accept Medicaid patients. According to the Times, in 2008 73 percent of doctors accepted Medicaid. In 2012 the number of doctors treating Medicaid patients had shrunk to 63 percent and the rate is still declining.

How Many Israelis Must Die for Peace? By Daniel Greenfield 
Excerpt: War has an endpoint. Peace does not. A peace in which you are constantly at war can go on forever because while the enthusiasts of war eventually exhaust their patriotism, the enthusiasts of peace never give up on their peacemaking. Warmongers may stop after a few thousand dead, but Peacemongers will pirouette over a million corpses.

Germany's anti-euro party is a nasty shock for Angela Merkel
Excerpt: A new party led by economists, jurists, and Christian Democrat rebels will kick off this week, calling for the break-up of monetary union before it can do any more damage. "An end to this euro," is the first line on the webpage of Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). 

Excerpt: According to Somali Gay Community, the young man, Mohamed Ali Baashi ,18, was buried in a hole up to his chest and then pelted with rocks by members of the Al Qaeda link group Al Shabaab on Friday, March 15, in Barawe, about 50 miles from the capital, Mogadishu.

Mali: French Hostage 'Beheaded By Al Qaeda'
Excerpt: Al Qaeda says it has beheaded a French hostage in reprisal for France's military intervention in Mali, according to reports.

Congressmen Demand DHS Explain 1.6 Billion Bullets Purchase
http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/03/congressmen-demand-dhs-explain-1-6-billion-bullets-purchase/
Excerpt: Congressman Leonard Lance (R-NJ) has come out and demanded that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano explain why the Department of Homeland Security has been engaging in huge amounts of purchases of ammunition over the past year.

Dr. Kermit Gosnell trial: Abortion clinic worker describes cutting babies
Excerpt: Medical assistant Adrienne Moton admitted Tuesday that she had cut the necks of at least 10 babies after they were delivered, as Gosnell had instructed her. Gosnell and another employee regularly "snipped" the spines "to ensure fetal demise," she said… Gosnell later joked that the baby was so big he could have walked to the bus stop, she said.
                   
Excerpt: Notwithstanding Dr. Gosnell’s jest, and the fact that newborns delivered alive are generally regarded as “babies,” the New York Times’ only story on the case is punctilious enough to refer to Gosnell’s victims as “viable fetuses,” and its early paragraphs emphasize the defense’s wearily predictable line that this is a “racist prosecution.”

Too Hot for American TV
Excerpt: American television networks, Fox News Channel among them, have decided that the attempted assassination of a leading critic of Islam in an American ally is unworthy of attention, so we must look northward for our information. Danish historian and journalist Lars Hedegaard was interviewed by Canadian Sun TV's Michael Coren for the third time since Hedegaard survived an assassination attempt in early February, ostensibly for his criticism of Islamic supremacism, and was forced into protective seclusion.

Mexican, U.S. Media Too Scared To Cover Border Crime
Excerpt: Judicial Watch has for years reported on the discrepancy between reality and the administration’s line that the Mexican border is secure. The truth is that overwhelmed federal agents are increasingly attacked by heavily armed drug smugglers and the U.S. Border Patrol has ordered officers to avoid the most crime-infested stretches because they’re “too dangerous” and patrolling them could result in an “international incident” of cross border shooting. The violence has inevitably spilled into U.S. communities near the southern border, forcing local law enforcement agencies to create special units dedicated to combating criminal activity related to illegal immigration and Mexican drug cartels. 

Deceiver in Chief: If he loved his country he wouldn’t be wanting to “fundamentally transform” it. By Ron Ross 
Barack Obama’s most dangerous talent is his ability to make people believe he’s something he’s not. He is not recognized for whom and what he is, especially the fact that he does not like the country he’s governing. He is effective because he has successfully hidden his true objectives.

The Budget Battle Favors the GOP: Voters strongly favor the GOP’s approach, as long as it’s not labeled “Republican.”
Excerpt: For a Republican party still reeling from November’s defeat and hoping to regain some confidence, the upcoming midterm cycle looks especially promising, and many are optimistic that the ongoing budget debate has the potential to drive electoral gains in 2014. This week, the Republican House and Democratic Senate are expected to pass competing budget proposals. Both sides will claim to have endorsed “balanced” plans — Republicans because their budget reaches balance in ten years, Democrats because theirs raises taxes by $1 trillion.

Obama’s Rules for “Nonviolently” Stopping Rape and Murder
http://conservativevideos.com/2013/03/obamas-rules-to-nonviolently-stop-rape-and-murder/
Excerpt: The Obama administration has provided you with 9 steps for what to do if you’re a bystander confronted by a violent act in progress. (Void where prohibited by the moral code of Marines or other veterans. ~Bob.)

Excerpt: A New York auctioneer said a 1,000-year-old bowl auctioned for $2.2 million had been purchased at a yard sale for about $3. Cecilia Leung of Sotheby's said the bowl, which measures about 5 inches in diameter, had been purchased by the seller, whose name was not released, at a yard sale in 2007 and displayed in their living room for several years before the owner decided to have it appraised, CNN reported Wednesday. The bowl was found to be a 1,000-year old example of Northern Song Dynasty pottery. (We’d have fed the cat from it, most likely. ~Bob.)

Colonel Gave Nuke Secrets to Chinese Girlfriend: Feds. By Rob Quinn
Excerpt: A 59-year-old defense contractor's 27-year-old girlfriend from China may have had some ulterior motives, federal authorities say. Benjamin Bishop, a lieutenant colonel in the US Army Reserve who works in intelligence at Pacific Command, has been charged with passing "national defense information regarding existing war plans, information regarding nuclear weapons, and relations with international partners" to the Chinese citizen, ABC reports. (Alternate Headline: Idiot Army officer succumbs to oldest spy trick known. Which is.... sex with a young girl, who just happens to ask occasional questions about national secrets! This jerk was 57 when a 25 yr old Chinese student here seduced him and later on he gave her access to assorted kinds of confidential information. Apparently all his thinking was being done below his belt buckle instead of above his neck. I hope he goes to jail for a long time, and the young woman too, but somewhere else. And people don't think that China is still playing various games to get advantages over us. They are the world most organized hackers, they deliberately keep the yuan at low value so we stupidly keep sliding into their debt, and they still have spies trying to get access to military secrets. Why do we trust them about anything? –Del. We are pledged to defend Taiwan if China invades. Of course, to do so, we’ll have to borrow the money. From China. ~Bob.)

Americans will Curse Obama for Obamacare. By Alan Caruba
Excerpt: Following the sequester debacle in which Obama and his cohorts were swiftly found to be lying through their teeth, his polling numbers have begun to fall and, folks you ain't seen nothing yet. As the realities and costs of the Affordable Healthcare Act-Obamacare-kick in, when he leaves office, he will be remembered for inflicting pain and suffering on Americans. (It's just getting better and better with every passing week. The full impact of all the costs will affect people from the rich to most of the middle class. Maybe even some of the 47%. I keep thinking by June 2014 there will be one hell of a lot of disillusioned people out there.... with a mid term election coming right up. --Del)

Lessons From Cyprus: Could the Government Tax Our Deposits Too?
Excerpt: If American banks were in trouble, could they impose a tax on depositors? More importantly, if everyone rushed to take their money out of the bank in order to avoid the tax, would banks and ATMs shut down, as many have in Cyprus? According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, your money is safe and you shouldn’t worry. (And what would they say if your money wasn’t safe? ~Bob.)

Government (Cyprus)
Think about what will happen when officials of the Obama Administration come to work this morning and read that the EU could force Cyprus to confiscate legally deposited funds. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, as of last Monday there was $6.8 trillion on deposit in U.S. banks. Surprised that the officials in the Obama administration can read? Or that they are unaware of their power? Or worse, they are unaware of what other countries are doing or proposing in financial matters? There is the example of Argentina in 2008 nationalizing about $25 billion in private pension funds. That is chump change next to the really big money target of U.S. private pension accounts. An Investment Company Institute study published in November 2012 found that U.S. retirement assets totaled $18.5 trillion at the end of the second quarter 2012, of which 3.5 trillion was in IRAs and $5.1 trillion was in 401(k) plans. Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2012/11/now-obama-wants-your-401k/#xGH3ZYdqzRWrShsy.99 The Fed policy of near zero interest rates have destroyed CD and bank savings account investments (with the only advantage of having such being FDIC insured up to $250,000 per account) along with seniors no longer being able to obtain long term health care with Prudential, Met Life and John Hancock stating that it is this Fed near zero interest that has forced them to stop offering any new policies. After all, under the Obama America .... ‘government will take care of all of [us] proportionally,’ why would anyone need private health, savings or retirement accounts? ‘From each according to his means to each according to his needs.’ That is easy to rewrite by saying, ‘everyone paying their fair share....distribution of wealth....millionaires and billionaires paying a bit more.....everyone having a fair share of the pie regardless of ability...’ – J.P. Tristani

US companies seek final approval to start slaughtering horses for food
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/20/us-horse-farms-almost-ready-to-start-slaughtering/#ixzz2O7vSIMRn
Excerpt: About eight miles outside of RoswellN.M., a shuttered cattle farm is getting ready to reopen its doors. Only this time, the Valley Meat Co. won’t be killing cows. It hopes to be the first U.S. farm to start slaughtering horses for human consumption.
Not far behind could be plants in MissouriIowa and Oklahoma. (Further decline of fabric of our society. They’ve been making money off these helpless animals, selling them to Mexico and onto Europe to mix with hamburger illegally. Now want to get the racket labeled legal for further profits. No spirit will run free and untainted on our soil. Nothing will be noble. Another example of God’s wonder of creation will be stricken down, humiliated, and murdered. Welcome to the Regime. Like the buffalo and the Native Americans, the horse who has given its love and commitment to aid man for centuries, carrying his burdens, his family, safeguarding him in battle, taking the spear thrusts and bullets…This is the thanks to the four-legged souls. I hope those who consume choke. –Barb.)

Excerpt: Spring is about to begin and my book, Spring Fever: The Illusion of Islamic Democracy, has just been published in paperback — originally, it was available only as an eBook. To mark these occasions, and more importantly, to elaborate on why the “Arab Spring” is really the ascendancy of Islamic supremacism (as Spring Fever foretold and as each day’s news confirms), Ordered Liberty will be running some excerpts in the coming days. Here is the first: “Thank God almighty, I am a servant of sharia.”

Congressional Report: Obamacare Leads to Skyrocketing Premiums, 200 Percent Possible
http://www.newsmax.com/newswidget/obamacare-healthcare-reform-costs/2013/03/20/id/495564?promo_code=12390-1&utm_source=12390PJ_Media&utm_medium=nmwidget&utm_campaign=widgetphase1#ixzz2O7fjh18XExcerpt: "Studies and analyses from the Congressional Budget Office, independent actuaries, state insurance commissioners, health plans, benefit consultants, and others have reached the same conclusion: Obamacare will significantly increase premiums,” the congressional report states. “Some estimates show some Americans facing startling premium increases of 203 percent because of the law. 

Excerpt: Lawmakers have been on edge about America’s ability to react to or even notice in time space rocks coming through the atmosphere since the Feb. 15 flyby of asteroid 2012DA14 coupled with the explosion of a meteor above ChelyabinskSiberia. As scientists predicted, 2012DA14 was harmless but the shock wave from the Russian meteor blew out windows and injured 1,200 people. That rock caught NASA as off-guard as the Siberian residents. (This is interesting. “City Killers,” eh? Is someone trying to personalize this threat? We used to call them "medium-sized asteroids." The facts seem correct, but they are spun in such a political way, it would make a casual reader think those callous, cheap Republicans in Congress are willing to gamble with the lives of city-dwellers (all of them poor, innocent, unsuspecting Democrats, of course). The reality is that while neither party has made any real commitment to space exploration for decades, the evil W did suggest a manned mission to Mars and Democrats have opposed most NASA spending since the Kennedy era. The other unspoken but true point is that “undetected” means undetected; nobody knows how many are out there. But, if they turn up at such long and irregular intervals, the threat—though real—has to be minimal (that doesn’t mean we can’t be surprised tomorrow afternoon, just that it isn’t likely). As any poker player who has ever lost with four of a kind can tell you, unlikely things do occasionally happen. --Ron P.)

Are you old enough to remember using this?
(This came with a picture of a Big Chief Writing Tablet. LLW is a Marine buddy from Vietnam, good contributor and, despite his denials, a fine writer. ~Bob.) Or even recognize what it is? Schools were pretty low tech in the dim past when I went through, but when we graduated high school we could read the name on our diploma, understood the history of our country, and could find the United States on a world map. We knew at least enough math to be able to make change and balance a checkbook. We respected our teachers and were taught right from wrong. We pledged allegiance to our flag and observed a moment of silence before classes began. During that moment, we could pray to whatever god we worshiped, or, if we were atheists, contemplate our navels. As far as I knew, no one was "offended," or thought we were trying to establish a religion. If we were given an award, or a trophy, it wasn't for just showing up, it was because we had done something to earn it. Our little psyches survived it all unscathed. I think nearly every family had a gun of some kind in their house, and I don't remember anyone ever shooting up a school or theater, or even think about doing something like that. Things went haywire, somewhere along the way, though. Almost everything has changed, and we are poorer for the change. I wish I could find Mister Peabody's Way Back Machine. I would love to go back to that America. - LLW 

Aurora CO shooter converts to Islam, not a single MSM source reports it. Had he converted to Christianity, it'd be a huge primetime story.

Enslave the liberty of but one human being and the liberties of the world are put in peril. - William Lloyd Garrison

Excerpt: Republican amendments to the Senate’s budget proposal would require President Obama and Vice President Biden to get their medical care through the new exchanges created by Obama’s signature healthcare law.

Colt the next gun company to leave a state over anti-gun witch hunt hysteria?
Excerpt: Colt’s Manufacturing, the company that has made the iconic gun dubbed “The Peacemaker” for more than a century, could pull up its Connecticut stakes after coming under fire in the national debate over the Second Amendment. President and CEO Dennis Veilleux said the pro-gun control climate that has taken hold in the wake of the Sandy Hook school massacre and other firearm attacks has left him feeling unwelcome in the state his company has called home for 175 years. 

Excerpt: A few years ago I wrote a piece for Bloomberg about the fight between the monks of St. Joseph Abbey in Covington, La., and the embalmers and funeral directors of that state. The monks have supported themselves by making and selling unadorned handmade pine and cypress caskets for years, and their competition doesn’t like it. Using state power, the funeral directors and embalmers have been trying to forbid the monks from making coffins without a license issued by the relevant state government board, eight of whose nine members work in the funeral industry. (Pine is extravagant. Our neighbors got a new washer and I snagged the cardboard box from the trash. Got it in the basement with my name lettered on it in Magic Marker. Borrowed that. ~Bob.)

Dark Knight killer James Holmes 'is now a Muslim who prays five times a day'
Excerpt: James Holmes, the gunman behind the Dark Knight massacre in Colorado last July, has reportedly turned Muslim and prays five times a day. The killer showed off a lengthy, thick beard during a court appearance earlier this month, and a prison source has claimed it is a symbol of his new-found faith.
#ImSoTiredOfHearing that if you're black you should B a #democrat, & if you're white, you're obviously lucky & must feel white guilt for it. 

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