---This from a tennis friend and fellow memo reader: "“The problems we face today exist because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a government sourced living.”
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Barry Rubin does not see the Arab Spring like our president and State Department folks. You decide who is likely to be right. (See 1 below.)
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It's coming folks and will be brought to you by progressives in government and Cruelty to Animal Folks. (See 2 below.)
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Ouch!
Sent by a fellow memo reader and friend of a friend. I do not know all who read my memos because they are often sent around. (See 3 below.)
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More from PJTV.Com: "Iranian Time Bomb: Legendary Intelligence Official Warns about the Threat from Iran.
Legendary CIA analyst and former Homeland Security Official Charles E. Allen joins Dr. Ledeen to discuss Iran's nuclear ambitions and the current threats facing America. Allen warned officials about Saddam Hussein's intention to invade Kuwait. What threats does Charles Allen warn about now? Find out."
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Capitalism works if left alone. It purges those who believe they are invincible and do stupid things. Corzine did not believe in moderation. He proved that as a radical Senator and governor. When the tide runs your way it covers many sins but when it runs against you then your vulnerability is easily revealed. (See 4 below.)
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Obama's Czars and Czarinas! You are paying for this mish mosh of mostly kooks and sympathizers! (See 5 below.)
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And let's hear it from Turkey and the peace lovers who control the U.N.and set the moral tone for the world. (See 6 below.)
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Why there is no Middle East agreement between Palestinians and Israelis. It ain't got a damn thing to do with settlements and Obama knows this or is too disingenuous to admit it. (See 7 below.)
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Is Obama ready to go macho, as I have speculated he might, and if not is Israel going to be placed in the position of a go it alone attack and, at the same time, have to prepare for war from Hamas, Syria, Hezballah etc.? (See 8 and 8a below.)
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Do statistics mean anything when a Democrat resident is involved? (See 9 below.)
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Dick
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1) Welcome to the Islamist Middle East and It’s Not Going to Be Moderate
By Barry Rubin
Ladies and gentlemen, liberals and conservatives, Obama-lovers and Obama-haters, no matter what your race, creed, gender, national origin, or level of unpaid college loans, two things should be clear to all of you:
First, to describe the Obama administration’s Middle East policy as a disaster — I cannot think of a bigger, deadlier mess created by any U.S. foreign policy in the last century — is an understatement.
Second, the dominant analysis used by the media, academia, and the talking heads on television has proven dangerously wrong. This includes the ideas that revolutionary Islamism doesn’t exist, cannot be talked about, is not a threat, and that extreme radicals are really moderates.
I won’t review all the evidence here, but it amounts to a retreat for moderates, allies of the West, and American interests coupled with an advance for revolutionary Islamists.
On the morning of July 23, 1952, the Middle East entered a new era. The Free Officers Movement took over Egypt and there followed more than a half-century of war, anti-Western hysteria, terrorism, repression, social stagnation, and the basic Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse type stuff in the Middle East. That was the Era of Arab Nationalism.
On February 11, or October 23, or November 28, 2011, the Middle East entered a new era. Whether you date it to the fall of Mubarak, the Tunisian election, or the Egyptian election, what do you think is going to happen in the next half-century in the region? This is now — I call it officially — the Era of Revolutionary Islamism.
There is a great deal that will ensure the Islamists aren’t triumphant in the end, but there’s nothing that can stop them now from being dominant ideologically in the region and politically in the majority of countries between Tunisia and Iran, probably Afghanistan, and possibly Pakistan.
As early as the 1980s these trends were visible but the outcome was not inevitable.
There were four key elements in this victory for the Islamists.
First, the long, failed reign of Arab nationalist regimes went on in a downward spiral of increasingly less effective demagoguery, losing wars, and poor economic development performance as a demographic explosion took place.
Yet as late as 2000 the prospects for the Islamists looked poor. Almost a quarter-century after Iran’s revolution, they had not taken over in any other country except remote Afghanistan.
Then, second, the September 11 attacks revitalized the movement. Osama bin Laden lies moldering in the sea, but his movement goes marching on.
But while bin Laden lacked strategic flexibility, other Islamists were more effective.
And so, third, from Turkey came the idea of what might be called “stealth Islamism”: just pretend to be moderate and the suckers will buy it. Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the Muslim Brotherhood guru, also contributed here: bin Laden is a fool, he said in effect, of course we should run in elections. We’ll win.
Reinforcing this, and fourth, came the idea of adapting Western rhetoric and public relations methods. After decades of bragging about how they would conquer and murder all their enemies, nothing changed in Arabic. In English, however, they spoke about being pitiable victims of imperialism, Zionism, Western racism, and so on. A key pioneer here was Edward Said, a man who hated the Islamists. They proved to be his best students.
And finally, there were disastrous Western policies and misconceptions, with the presidency of Barack Obama being the crowning catastrophe. For whatever reason, the Obama administration has empowered America’s enemies and the new oppressors of the local people. Appeasement is one thing; giving those who hate you most a boost into power goes far beyond that.
To summarize, I will merely say:
Egypt, Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey.
Six countries or entities listed above have come — or are likely to come — under Islamist rule. Each is different.
But in all but the case of Turkey (where the administration ignored State Department reporting and has continually honored and excused an Islamist regime) and the Gaza Strip (where the administration helped entrench Hamas’s rule by forcing Israel to slash sanctions) they happened almost completely on Obama’s watch. Turkey and the Gaza Strip have become far worse on Obama’s watch.
The seventh, Syria, might merely remain under a repressive, pro-Iran, anti-American regime. And while there is a chance for a moderate democratic revolution, the White House is supporting the Islamists. If the State Department hadn’t revolted and the Saudis acted decisively, Bahrain would probably have been added to the above list.
There is no way to conceal this situation in October 2011, although it has been largely hidden, lied about, and misunderstood until this moment.
Even now, the nonsense continues. The article you are reading at this moment probably could not have been published in a single mass media newspaper. Libya’s new regime calls for Sharia to be “the main” source of law. That is what the Muslim Brotherhood has been seeking in Egypt for decades. Yet we are being told that this isn’t really so bad after all.
The title of the Washington Post‘s editorial, “Tunisia again points the way for Arab democracy,” can be considered merely ironic. It certainly points the way… toward Islamist dictatorship. And then there are the New York Times and BBC headlines on the Tunisian elections telling us it is a victory for “moderate Islamists.”
They aren’t moderate. They’re just pretending to be. And you who fall for it aren’t Middle East experts, competent policymakers, or serious journalists. You’re just pretending to be.
I’m putting those headlines in my file alongside Moderate Islamists Take Power in Iran; Moderate Islamists Take Power in the Gaza Strip, Moderate Islamists Take Power in Lebanon; and Moderate Islamists Take Power in Turkey.
Without taking any position on climate issues, let me put it this way: Why are people frantic about the possibility that the earth’s temperature might rise slightly in 50 years but see no problem in hundreds of millions of people and vast amounts of wealth and resources becoming totally controlled by people who think like those who carried out the September 11 attacks?
And that brings us to the Tunisian elections. In the words of the song “New York, New York,” if the Islamists in Tunisia can be “top of the list, king of the hill” in Tunisia, they can say, “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.”
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2)Thanksgiving 2022!
"Winston, come into the dining room, it's time to eat," Julia yelled to her husband.
"In a minute, honey, it's a tie score," he answered.
Actually Winston wasn't very interested in the traditional holiday football game between Detroit and Washington.
Ever since the government passed the Civility in Sports Statute of 2017, outlawing tackle football for its "unseemly violence" and the "bad example it sets for the rest of the world", Winston was far less of a football fan than he used to be.
Two-hand touch wasn't nearly as exciting. Yet it wasn't the game that Winston was uninterested in.
It was more the thought of eating another Tofu Turkey. Even though it was the best type of VeggieMeat available after the government revised the American Anti-Obesity Act of 2018, adding fowl to the list of federally-forbidden foods, (which already included potatoes, cranberry sauce, and mincemeat pie), it wasn't anything like real turkey.
And ever since the government officially changed the name of "Thanksgiving Day" to "A National Day of Atonement" in 2020, to officially acknowledge the Pilgrims' historically brutal treatment of Native Americans, the holiday had lost a lot of its luster.
Eating in the dining room was also a bit daunting. The unearthly gleam of government-mandated fluorescent light bulbs made the Tofu Turkey look even weirder than it actually was, and the room was always cold.
Ever since Congress passed the Power Conservation Act of 2016, mandating all thermostats - which were monitored and controlled by the electric company - be kept at 68 degrees, every room on the north side of the house was barely tolerable throughout the entire winter.
Still, it was good getting together with family. Or at least most of the family.
Winston missed his mother, who passed on in October, when she had used up her legal allotment of life-saving medical treatment.
He had had many heated conversations with the Regional Health Consortium, spawned when the private insurance market finally went bankrupt, and everyone was forced into the government health care program.
And though he demanded she be kept on her treatment, it was a futile effort.
"The RHC's resources are limited", explained the government bureaucrat Winston spoke with on the phone. "Your mother received all the benefits to which she was entitled. I'm sorry for your loss."
Ed couldn't make it either. He had forgotten to plug in his electric car last night, the only kind available after the Anti-Fossil Fuel Bill of 2021 outlawed the use of the combustion engines - for everyone but government officials.
The fifty mile round trip was about ten miles too far, and Ed didn't want to spend a frosty night on the road somewhere between here and there.
Thankfully, Winston's brother, John, and his wife were flying in.
Winston made sure that the dining room chairs had extra cushions for the occasion.
No one complained more than John about the pain of sitting down so soon after the government-mandated cavity searches at airports, which severely aggravated his hemorrhoids.
Ever since a terrorist successfully smuggled a cavity bomb onto a jetliner, the TSA told Americans the added "inconvenience" was an "absolute necessity" in order to stay "one step ahead of the terrorists."
Winston's own body had grown accustomed to such probing ever since the government expanded their scope to just about anywhere a crowd gathered, via Anti-Profiling Act of 2022.
That law made it a crime to single out any group or individual for "unequal scrutiny," even when probable cause was involved.
Thus, cavity searches at malls, train stations, bus depots, etc., etc., had become almost routine.
Almost.
The Supreme Court is reviewing the statute, but most Americans expect a Court composed of six progressives and three conservatives to leave the law intact.
"A living Constitution is extremely flexible", said the Court's eldest member, Elena Kagan. " Europe has had laws like this one for years. We should learn from their example", she added.
Winston's thoughts turned to his own children. He got along fairly well with his 12-year-old daughter, Brittany, mostly because she ignored him. Winston had long ago surrendered to the idea that she could text anyone at any time, even during Atonement Dinner.
Their only real confrontation had occurred when he limited her to 50,000 texts a month, explaining that was all he could afford.
She whined for a week, but got over it.
His 16-year-old son, Jason, was another matter altogether. Perhaps it was the constant bombarding he got in public school that global warming, the bird flu, terrorism, or any of a number of other calamities were "just around the corner", but Jason had developed a kind of nihilistic attitude that ranged between simmering surliness and outright hostility.
It didn't help that Jason had reported his father to the police for smoking a cigarette in the house, an act made criminal by the Smoking Control Statute of 2018, which outlawed smoking anywhere within 500 feet of another human being.
Winston paid the $5,000 fine, which might have been considered excessive before the American dollar became virtually worthless as a result of QE13.
The latest round of quantitative easing the federal government initiated was, once again, to "spur economic growth."
This time, they promised to push unemployment below its years-long rate of 18%, but Winston was not particularly hopeful.
Yet the family had a lot for which to be thankful, Winston thought, before remembering it was a Day of Atonement.
At least, he had his memories.
He felt a twinge of sadness when he realized his children would never know what life was like in the Good Old Days, long before government promises to make life "fair for everyone" realized their full potential.
Winston, like so many of his fellow Americans, never realized how much things could change when they didn't happen all at once, but little by little, so people could get used to them.
He wondered what might have happened if the public had stood up while there was still time, maybe back around 2011, when all the real nonsense began.
"Maybe we wouldn't be where we are today if we'd just said 'enough is enough' when we had the chance," he thought.
Maybe so, Winston. Maybe so.
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3)JESUS AND THE DEMOCRAT
A Republican, in a wheelchair, entered a restaurant one afternoon and asked the waitress for a cup of coffee. The Republican looked across the restaurant and asked, "Is that Jesus sitting over there?" The waitress nodded "yes," so the Republican requested that she give Jesus a cup of coffee, on him.
The next patron to come in was a Libertarian, with a hunched back. He shuffled over to a booth, painfully sat down, and asked the waitress for a cup of hot tea. He also glanced across the restaurant and asked, "Is that Jesus, over there?" The waitress nodded, so the Libertarian asked her to give Jesus a cup of hot tea, "My treat."
The third patron to come into the restaurant was a Democrat on crutches.
He hobbled over to a booth, sat down and hollered, "Hey there honey! How's about getting me a cold mug of Miller Light?" He too looked across the restaurant and asked, "Isn't that God's boy over there?" The waitress nodded, so the Democrat directed her to give Jesus a cold beer. "On my bill," he said loudly.
As Jesus got up to leave, he passed by the Republican, touched him and said, "For your kindness, you are healed." The Republican felt the strength come back into his legs, got up, and danced a jig out the door.
Jesus passed by the Libertarian, touched him and said, "For your kindness, you are healed." The Libertarian felt his back straightening up and he raised his hands, praised the Lord, and did a series of back flips out the door.
Then, Jesus walked towards the Democrat, just smiling. The Democrat jumped up and yelled, "Don't touch me ...I'm collecting disability!
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4)The Story of MF Global - Capitalism Works
By Brian S. Wesbury
The $41 billion bankruptcy of MF Global, led by CEO Jon Corzine, is obviously front page headline news these days. It has been, and will continue to be, a circus-like atmosphere. Rumors and innuendo will mix with facts and emotion as pundits and investors attempt to divine a meaning or message.
There are many who want to make this about Wall Street and Capitalism. They will say, “the subprime crisis, Bernie Madoff, the flash crash, market volatility, and now MF Global all show how out of control, or crooked, or un-regulated Wall Street and capitalism really is. It’s like the Wild, Wild West. We need more government control and transparency.”
But, while there are many things to learn from MF Global, the idea that “capitalism failed” is not one of them. There is, of course, the lesson that serving customers and earning money the hard way is the best way to create wealth…making proprietary bets to try and “strike it rich” is not. The idea that someone understands the market better than the market itself is an age old business problem, created and supported by blind ego.
This problem – ego – has taken down companies before and it will take down companies again. It’s not special to Wall Street, it happens in everyday life. It’s human. It happens on Main Street , it happens at home with the kids, it happens on the sports field. It’s life.
Capitalism deals with this fact of life very well. Winners (those who operate with integrity and wisdom and read the needs of customers well) accumulate more assets. Losers (those who try to cut corners, cheat people or misunderstand customers) have assets taken away from them. There are always exceptions to the rule, but as time marches on, assets flow toward those who use them best.
In a growing economy, profits exceed losses, as winners beat losers. But, no matter how good entrepreneurs are, a growing economy can only exist when government allows an environment of success – low taxes, less spending, more freedom. When government gets in the way – re-distributes income and plays God with resource allocation – private profits diminish, or possibly, disappear altogether. And because government doesn’t care about profits or efficiency, it often makes major financial mistakes.
Jon Corzine made bets on government. He invested in the sovereign debts of European countries and reportedly told an associate, “ Europe wouldn’t let these countries go down.” This was a big mistake. MF Global would still be among the living if it had invested in corporate bonds, even high-yield junk bonds. His investments would have made money. In other words, capitalism was safer than socialism, which is something supply-siders understand, but Keynesians don’t.
This is understandable in a way. Jon Corzine has been in government, not the private sector, for the past decade. He was a US Senator from, and Governor of, New Jersey . Moreover, his former employer (Goldman Sachs) and probably many of the hedge fund types who traded and cleared through MF Global often base trading strategies on policy moves by the Fed, the US Treasury, the ECB, and other sovereign governments. This is a widespread practice these days. Macro-trading, based on government policy moves has become the go-to spot for trillions of dollars of capital.
This can be a dangerous strategy as MF Global, and many others, have found. Investors who want to build wealth over time would be better served by trusting in capitalism and buying assets that are attached to thriving businesses that serve customers well and make profits the old fashioned way. Capitalism works.
MF Global’s bets on European Sovereign debt were clearly not bets on capitalism. In fact, European nations are in trouble because they tried to create wealth without trusting fully in capitalism. What they have found is that markets (and consumers) are the only real sovereign financial entity on the face of the earth. In the end, these markets always win.
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5)What do Obama's Czars do?
With elections coming this is just a little refresher. There are a few more now that are not included here.Stunning !
There are very few of us who know just what all of Obama's Czars do, as
they quietly go about their "work" in the nation's capital. Now this listing of
their names and job descriptions should be educational to all Americans, no
matter what your political leaning. If you resent the existence of these
extra-governmental "officials", with their very generous salaries funded by,
you guessed it, you the taxpayer, then get angry with the one who put
these characters on the payroll.
OBAMA'S "CZARS"
See who they are and realize what they want to do:
Richard Holbrooke: AfghanistanCzar
Ultra liberal anti gun former Gov. Of New Mexico.Pro Abortion and legal drug use. Dissolve the 2nd Amendment
Ed Montgomery: Auto recovery Czar
Black radical anti business activist. Affirmative Action and Job Preference for blacks. Univ of Maryland Business School Dean teaches US business has caused world poverty. ACORN board member. Communist DuBois Club member.
Jeffrey Crowley: AIDS Czar
Radical Homosexual.. A Gay Rights activist. Believes in Gay Marriage and especially, a Special Status for homosexuals only, including complete free health care for gays.
Alan Bersin:Border Czar
The former failed superintendent of San Diego . Ultra Liberal friend of Hilary Clinton. Served as Border Czar under Janet Reno - to keep borders open to illegals without interference from US
David J. Hayes:California Water Czar
Sr. Fellow of radical environmentalist group, "Progress Policy". No training or experience in water management whatsoever.
Ron Bloom:Car Czar
Auto Union worker. Anti business & anti nuclear. Has worked hard to force US auto makers out of business. Sits on the Board of Chrysler which is now Auto Union owned. How did this happen?
Dennis Ross:Central Region Czar
Believes US policy has caused Mid East wars. Obama apologist to the world. Anti gun and completely pro abortion.
Lynn Rosenthal:Domestic Violence Czar
Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. Vicious anti male feminist. Supported male castration.Imagine?
Gil Kerlikowske:Drug Czar
devoted lobbyist for every restrictive gun law proposal. Former Chief of Police in Liberal Seattle. Believes no American should own a firearm. Supports legalization of all drugs
Paul Volcker:Economic Czar
Head of Fed Reserve under Jimmy Carter when US economy nearly failed. Obama appointed head of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board which engineered the Obama economic disaster to US economy. Member of anti business "Progressive Policy" organization
Carol Browne:Energy and Environment Czar
Political Radical Former head of EPA - known for anti-business activism. Strong anti-gun ownership.
Joshua DuBois:Faith-Based Czar
Political Black activist-Degree in Black Nationalism. Anti gun ownership lobbyist. WHAT THE HELL DOES A FAITH BASED CZAR DO???????????
Cameron Davis:Great LakesCzar
Chicago radical anti business environmentalist. Blames George Bush for "Poisoning the water that minorities have to drink." No experience or training in water management. Former ACORN Board member (what does that tell us?)
Van Jones:Green Jobs Czar:(since resigned)..
Black activist Member of American communist Party and San Francisco Communist Party who said Geo Bush caused the 911 attack and wanted Bush investigated by the World Court for war crimes. Black activist with strong anti-white views.
Daniel Fried:Guantanamo Closure Czar
Human Rights activist for Foreign Terrorists. Believes America has caused the war on terrorism. Believes terrorists have rights above and beyond Americans.
Nancy-Ann DeParle: Health Czar
Former head of Medicare/Medicaid. Strong Health Care Rationing proponent. She is married to a reporter for The New York Times.
Vivek Kundra:Information Czar
Born in New Delhi, India. Controls all public information, including labels and news releases. Monitors all private Internet emails.
Todd Stern:International Climate Czar
Anti business former White House chief of Staff- Strong supportrer of the Kyoto Accord. Pushing hard for Cap and Trade. Blames US business for Global warming. Anti- US business prosperity.
Dennis Blair:Intelligence Czar
Ret. Navy. Stopped US guided missile program as "provocative". Chair of ultra liberal "Council on Foreign Relations" which blames American organizations for regional wars.
George Mitchell:Mideast Peace Czar (since resigned)
Fmr. Sen from Maine Left wing radical. Has said Israel should be split up into "2 or 3" smaller more manageable plots." A true Anti-nuclear anti-gun & pro homosexual "special rights" advocate
Kenneth Feinberg:Pay Czar
Chief of Staff to TED KENNEDY. Lawyer who got rich off the 911 victims payoffs. )
Cass Sunstein:Regulatory Czar
Liberal activist judge believes free speech needs to be limited for the "common good". Essentially against 1st amendment. Rules against personal freedoms many times -like private gun ownership and right to free speech.
John Holdren:Science Czar
Fierce ideological environmentalist, Sierra Club, Anti business activist. Claims US business has caused world poverty. No Science training.
Earl Devaney: Stimulus Accountability Czar
Spent career trying to take guns away from American citizens. Believes in Open Borders to Mexico . Author of statement blaming US gun stores for drug war in Mexico.
J. Scott Gration
Vivek Kundra: Information Czar
Native of Democratic Republic of Congo. Believes US does little to help Third World countries. Council of foreign relations, asking for higher US taxes to support United Nations
Herb Allison:TARP Czar
Fannie Mae CEO responsible for the US recession by using real estate mortgages to back up the US stock market. Caused millions of people to lose their life savings.
John Brennan:Terrorism Czar
Anti CIA activist. No training in diplomatic or gov. affairs. Believes Open Borders to Mexico and a dialog with terrorists and has suggested Obama disband US military
Aneesh Chopra:Technology Czar
No Technology training. Worked for the Advisory Board Company, a health care think tank for hospitals. Anti doctor activist. Supports Obama Health care Rationing and salaried doctors working exclusively for the Gov. health care plan
Adolfo Carrion Jr.:Urban Affairs Czar
Puerto Rico born. Anti-American activist and leftist group member in Latin America . Millionaire "slum lord" of the Bronx , NY. Owns many lavish homes and condos which he got from "sweetheart" deals with labor unions. Wants higher taxes on middle class to pay for minority housing and health care
Ashton Carter:Weapons Czar
Leftist. Wants all private weapons in US destroyed. Supports UN ban on firearms ownership in America .. No Other "policy"
Gary Samore:WMD Policy Czar
Former US Communist. Wants US to destroy all WMD unilaterally as a show of good faith. Has no other "policy".
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6)MINI-FLOTILLA LEAVES TURKEY FOR GAZA TO BREAK ISRAEL'S BLOCKADE -- ISRAEL'S NAVY READY
Two ships loaded with anti-Israel activists are on a course for Gaza in hopes of breaking Israel's blockade of the Hamas-run enclave.
By Gavriel Queenann
IDF naval forces are tracking a pair of Gaza-bound ships in the Mediterranean that departed from Turkey this week
Organizers of the "micro-flotilla" in New York announced Wednesday two ships carrying 27 activists from five countries, including the US, are headed to Gaza.
They said they did not publicize the flotilla in advance to prevent US and Israeli officials from exerting pressure on countries where their ships docked.
The flotilla, represented by The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) - which represents terrorists held by the US in Guantanamo Bay - called for an end to the blockade on Gaza, which it says causes the "isolation of Palestinians in the Strip."
They also asserted the blockade had created a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and criticized US officials for supporting Israel over the Hamas terror organization that runs the enclave.
However, Israeli officials say claims the IDF blockade of Gaza hampers the delivery of humanitarian aid are patently false. They note the Kerem Shalom crossing is never at full capacity despite all aid requests from Gaza being met.
If the flotillas were genuinely intended to deliver aid - rather than create a public relations debacle on Hamas' behalf - the aid would be unloaded at Ashdod and transferred through the crossing, the officials say.
The United Nations' Palmer Report concluded earlier this year that Israel's blockade of Gaza is "legal and appropriate" as a means of stopping the flow of arms to Hamas.
The coming flotilla will put Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's word to the test as they approach Gaza by week's end.
Previously, Erdogan vowed to send Turkish warships to escort Gaza-bound aid ships seeking to violate Israel's blockade - leading to concerns there would be a Cuban Missile Crisis style standoff between Ankara and Jerusalem.
Israeli officials have said they will enforce the blockade despite Erdogan's bombastic declarations and threats.
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7)The Problem Is Palestinian Rejectionism:
Why the PA Must Recognize a Jewish State
By Yosef Kuperwasser and Shalom Lipner (Foreign Affairs)
Nearly two decades of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians have failed miserably. The key reason for this failure is the Palestinians' refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. The basic paradigm of the Oslo accords, signed in 1993, held that both the Israelis and the Palestinians were, at long last, prepared to recognize the legitimacy of each other's national rights and aspirations. Yet over the course of the last 18 years, the rhetoric and actions of the Palestinian leadership have proved that paradigm wrong. The Palestinians have not in fact recognized the legitimacy of the national rights of the Jewish people.
The true reason for the intransigence among Palestinian officials has nothing to do with settlement building; rather, it is their continued rejection of the Jewish character of Israel. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the U.S. Congress this past May, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "has never been about the establishment of a Palestinian state. It has always been about the existence of the Jewish state." He continued: "The Palestinians have been unwilling to accept a Palestinian state if it meant accepting a Jewish state alongside it."
The Palestinian refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state stands at the root of the struggle and behind every so-called core issue, from determining borders to resolving the dispute over Palestinian refugees. Genuine reconciliation can be achieved, then, only once the Palestinians come to terms with Israel's existence as a Jewish state.
The Islamic groups are hardly alone in believing that Israel should be entirely destroyed. As recently as 2009, Fatah, the supposedly moderate party that constitutes the largest faction of the PLO, reaffirmed its official charter, which mandates the continuation of armed struggle until the Palestinians have achieved the "complete liberation of Palestine, and eradication of Zionist economic, political, military, and cultural existence." Institutions such as the PLO and the Palestinian Authority continue to indoctrinate the Palestinian public against any acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state.
A peace based on mutual recognition is the only long-term antidote to the deep-seated cultural animosity between the two sides. Any agreement that does not address the underlying ideological motivations of the conflict would allow for an eruption of hostilities at the first sign of trouble.
True progress between the Israelis and the Palestinians will require a daring paradigm shift. Rather than a focus on the issues of settlement activity and territory, success in the negotiations will first require at least a tentative change in the Palestinian position on recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.
Brig. Gen. (res.) Yosef Kuperwasser is Director General of Israel's Ministry of Strategic Affairs and former head of the Analysis and Production Division of the Israel Defense Forces' Directorate of Military Intelligence. Shalom Lipner has served in the Israeli Prime Minister's Office since 1990.
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8)A military war of nerves against Iran: The US leads, Israel and UK go along
The sudden rush of military news Wednesday, Nov. 2, is part of an orchestrated Western performance to convince Tehran that the US, Britain and Israel are on the verge of a military operation against its nuclear installations. Directed from Washington, it is meant to warn Iran that the play could become a reality show if it refuses to give up the drive for a nuclear weapon. President Barack Obama may then decide to strike Revolutionary Guards Corps targets, the bulwark of the Islamic regime, and its strategic infrastructure, thereby knocking over the key props holding up the regime of the ayatollahs.
Contributing to the menacing climate hanging over Iran were four headline events involving Israel – all on the same Wednesday: Israel conducted a successful test launch of a new intercontinental ballistic missile, Jericho 3, which foreign sources report is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead 7,000 kilometers.
After that, the IDF released photographs of Israeli Air Force squadron leaders reporting from Italian air base runways to the media on joint exercises they had conducted in long-range maneuvers with the Italian air force "and other NATO nations," to familiarize the IAF with NATO military tactics.
The inference was clear: The Israeli Air Force was strengthening its cooperation with Western allies in preparation for a NATO assault on Iran. The IAF also got a chance to study the lessons Western alliance air force tacticians had drawn from the eight-month Libyan operation which ended on Oct. 31.
Next, the IDF's Home Command announced a large-scale anti-missile exercise in central Israel starting Thursday morning, Nov. 3.
Finally, Defense Minister Ehud Barak left for an unscheduled trip to London shortly after a secret visit to Israel by the British chief of staff General Sir David Richards earlier this week as guest of Israel's top soldier Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz.
If the British general was in Israel only this week, why was Barak is such a hurry to visit London?
The answer came from the British media, which reported as soon as he arrived that the Ministry of Defense in London had accelerated and upgraded its contingency planning for participation in a US-led assault on Iran. They carried an account of plans for deploying large naval units including submarines to the Persian Gulf.
The UK was reported to have asked Washington for permission to station its fighter-bombers on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia for launching bombing sorties against Iran.
This whirlwind of military activity was said to have been prompted by the approaching publication of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Iran report next Tuesday, Nov. 8 and the conclusion the nuclear watchdog had reached: Inside 12 months, Iran will have tucked all its nuclear and ballistic missile facilities away in deep underground tunnels where they will be invulnerable to attack.
A potential US-British strike to pre-empt this move would also be timed for the run-up to America's next presidential election in November 2012.
Military sources report if the US, Britain and other NATO nations, such as France, Italy and Germany, participate in the attack, Israel will not. Its army, air force and navy will defend the home front, be available to engage Iran's allies to prevent them from striking the assault forces from the rear, and act as a strategic reserve. The danger would come from Syria, the Lebanese Hizballah, and the Palestinian Hamas and Jihad Islami in the Gaza Strip.
These contingency plans are subject to changes, especially if President Obama and other NATO allies decide after all against attacking Iran in the coming year. The hyperactivity will then subside and Israel will be thrown back on the dilemma of having to decide whether or not to conduct a lone military operation against Iran.
There is not much time for contemplation. Syria and Hizballah are reported by military sources to be in the throes of separate preparations for attacking Israel if their respective grips on power are shaken. For now, those sources rate the chances of Israel facing a military clash with Syria and/or Hizballah much higher than a NATO-Israeli showdown being mounted against Iran.
8a)8,000 Islamic Jihad fighters ready for all-out war with Israel
Islamic Jihad ready for all-out war with Israel
By Crispian Balmer and Nidal al-Mughrabi
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=434996
Islamic Jihad, which traded deadly fire with Israel at the weekend in Gaza, does not expect a subsequent truce to last long and has at least 8,000 fighters ready for war, a spokesman said.
Islamic Jihad is the second largest armed group in Gaza, after Hamas, which
rules the tiny Mediterranean enclave. Both are classified as terrorist
groups by most Western governments.
However, while Hamas has recently spent much of its energy on the business
of government, Islamic Jihad has kept its focus firmly on the resistance,
gaining in prominence and enjoying significant backing from Muslim
supporters, including Iran.
"We are proud and honored to say that the Islamic Republic of Iran gives us
support and help," Abu Ahmed, the spokesman for Islamic Jihad's armed wing,
the al-Quds Brigades, said in a rare, long interview.
He denied widespread reports that Iran had provided his group with arms and
smiled at suggestions it now receives more sophisticated weaponry from
Tehran than Hamas. He also declined to comment on rumors that the brigades
were trained by Iran.
"What I will say is that we have every right to turn to every source of
power for help," said the burly, bearded Abu Ahmed, occasionally flicking a
string of yellow prayer beads.
Islamic Jihad's latest confrontation with Israel left 12 Palestinian gunmen
and one Israeli civilian dead. The fighting ended only after neighboring
Egypt brokered a ceasefire with both parties, but Abu Ahmed did not see it
lasting long.
"Theoretically the calm has been restored, but in practice it hasn't
really," he said. Israel, he said, is itching for a fight in Gaza following
last month's prisoner-swap accord, in which Israel released 477 prisoners in
exchange for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier held in Gaza since 2006.
Israel says it attacks only in self-defense.
Trading blows
It killed five senior Islamic Jihad militants on Saturday in retaliation for
a rocket attack two days earlier that it blamed on the group. That rocket
caused no casualties, but landed deep enough into Israel to set off sirens
on Tel Aviv's outskirts.
Abu Ahmed denied responsibility for the missile, saying this was how Israel
had managed to find five top fighters together in the open -- because they
had not expected to be targeted.
But the al-Quds Brigades soon hit back, firing numerous rockets into
southern Israel, piercing the country's defensive missile shield. One
Israeli man died, at least four others were injured, while cars and a
building were also set ablaze.
The group posted a video online showing a missile-launcher on the back of a
truck firing a salvo of rockets. It was the first time the group has claimed
to have such firepower, although there was no independent confirmation of
its use.
"The al-Quds Brigades really surprised Israel, forcing them to rethink their
assessment of us ... I don't think they realized we had that weaponry," said
Abu Ahmed, indicating the vehicle was immediately hidden underground after
the attack.
Al-Quds Brigades cells are dotted around Gaza and Abu Ahmed said there was
huge demand from youngsters to join.
"We take some, but can't accept everyone ... It is a question of quality,
not quantity," he said, giving for the first time an estimate of the
strength of the force. "We have at least 8,000 fighters, who are fully
equipped."
The group got a boost to its standing in August when the new rulers in Egypt
started dealing with it directly over truces, rather than through Hamas. Abu
Ahmed said Hamas was not involved in the latest fighting and that all the
talking was with Egypt.
He played down reports of tensions with Hamas, which since Israel's military
offensive in Gaza in late 2008 has appeared reluctant to go head-to-head
with Israel.
"Certainly in terms of ideology, there is no difference between Hamas and
the Islamic Jihad. The difference is in the methodology," Abu Ahmed said,
adding that Hamas's governmental role meant that it was "more vulnerable to
outside pressure".
He said Islamic Jihad's biggest problem was the Israeli armed drones that
regularly buzz over Gaza seeking out militants. "Warfare has changed. You
can't just hide a gun in your jacket like you could in the 1980s," he said,
adding that the Jihadist fighters were not afraid of sudden death.
"It is a good feeling to be under drone attack. When we chose the path of
resistance, we opted either for martyrdom or victory. Martyrdom is the more
desirable."
8b)IDF gears for 'Freedom Waves' flotilla
Irish-Canadian sail heads to Strip despite warning. Navy readies to stop ships; US warns American citizens against partaking in sail. Organizers said sail aims to 'reach Gaza in the daytime, to maximize media exposure'
By Elior Levy
The Gaza-bound "Freedom Waves" flotilla, which left Turkey's shores on Wednesday is expected to arrive at its destination on Friday, and the Israeli Navy (INF) is set to stop it from violating the Gaza blockade – should it decided to actually breach it.
Freedom Waves is believed to include some 30 activists. The US issued an official warning to American citizens advising them against taking part in the sail. The INF said that barring any other choice, it will stop the vessels at sea.
"US citizens attempting to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza could face action for violating Israeli and American law," Washington cautioned.
Both Israel and the US view the mission as a dangerous provocation. State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the US was renewing its call to Americans "not to involve themselves in this activity," and warned of possible consequences.
Nuland also said the administration was pleased that Turkey's decision not to send sending naval vessels to accompany the activists, as it vowed to do following the deadly results of 2010 Gaza flotilla. "We've been clear to them that we think that that would be an extremely bad idea," Nuland said.
Freedom Waves' organizers said Thursday that the two-vessel convoy was about 100 kilometers from the Strip's shores. "We know that they had to slow down because of the stormy weather.
"They said they prefer reaching Gaza in the daytime, to maximize their media exposure," they said.
An Iranian journalist who is taking part in the sail tweeted on Thursday: "We are now less than 200 kms form Gaza. A raid is possible as early as tonight." He added that the activists expected to be stopped by the INF and towed into the Ashdod Port.
Israel's threats – act of piracy'
Meanwhile, Irish Pro-Palestinian activists have urged their government to demand Israel to guarantee the sail free passage to Gaza.
The activists said that all that Ireland has to do ensure its citizens' safety "is tell Israel that if it wants to maintain good trade and diplomatic ties, it wouldn't dare attack the ships."
A spokesman for the Irish Foreign Ministry said that Dublin was "working to ensure" the events of the Marmara will not happen again.
Meanwhile, Gaza and Ramallah have staged several, low-key support rallies ahead of the sail. Gaza also welcomed the activists: "The Hamas government appreciates the efforts of the two freedom vessels are making to help end the siege on Gaza. We consider Israel's threats to the sail an official act of piracy," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.
"The international community should accept responsibility and defense the ships trying to show their solidarity with Gaza."
As before any flotilla, the Navy is prepared for any scenario. While the IDF believes "Freedom Waves" does not harbor terrorists on board, the military does believe the activists which to create a maritime provocation for the media's sake – much more than they are interested in delivering aid to the Palestinians.
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9)The Worst President Since Before the Civil War
By Steve McCann
Three years ago, the people of the United States elected someone who has turned out to be the worst president since the pre-Civil War era. Barack Obama, whether in economic matters, domestic affairs or international relations, has been an abject failure and has severely jeopardized the future of the American people.
This must be the focus and message of those seeking the Republican presidential nomination, who must not allow themselves to be focused on demeaning each other and sidetracked by falling for the usual tactics of the Democrat and media smear machines (epitomized by the latest specious attack on Herman Cain).
A cursory examination of Obama's overall record compared with other presidents reveals someone driven purely by statist ideology, whose narcissism renders him incapable of change regardless of the long-term consequences. He does not seem to care what happens to the American people.
Ronald Reagan and Franklin Roosevelt faced far worse economic conditions when they came into office than were in play when Barack Obama was elected president. Yet with one a fiscal conservative (Ronald Reagan) and the other (Franklin Roosevelt) a liberal Democrat, even though they pursued differing solutions to the dilemmas at hand, neither put the nation squarely and inexorably on the road to bankruptcy and second-class status.
Barack Obama and his apologists continuously claim that he inherited the worst economy since the Great Depression and that if it were not for his policies presently in place, matters would be far worse. The reality is that he did not inherit the worst economy since the 1930s, and his policies have diminished the standard of living for the majority of Americans.
The actual factors in play for Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, and Franklin Roosevelt when they assumed office were as follows:
Annual GDP Growth
Unemployment Rate
Inflation
Barack Obama
1.1%
6.7%
1.0%
Ronald Reagan
.1
7.6
12.6
Franklin Roosevelt
-13.0
24.0
-10.0
For the average American, the employment numbers are the most critical. The following chart is a side by side comparison of the employment situation for Barack Obama as of Election Day 2008 versus the present day after three years of his failed policies:
November 2008
October 2011
Difference
Unemployment Rate
6.7%
9.1%
+35.8%
Total Employment
144.25 million
140.07 million
-4.18 million
Employment-Goods Producing sector
20.9 million
18.1 million
-2.8 million
Part-time Workers (Only Jobs Available)
1.57 million
2.9 million
+84.7%
Unemployed 27 Weeks or more
2.2 million
6.3 million
+4.1 million
Avg. Weekly Wage (inflation adjusted)
$654.03
$655.87
+.2%
(http://www.bls.gov/schedule/archives/empsit_nr.htm#current)
How does Barack Obama compare to some of his predecessors, who inherited far more severe financial crises? As a further comparison, while he did not inherit a financial crisis, Jimmy Carter is included, as he is considered by many the worst president in the post-World War II era, and many of his policies triggered the massive recession and inflation inherited by Ronald Reagan.
(Note: The Bureau of Labor Statistics changed its method of calculating the unemployment rate in 1994. Therefore, in order to make this a more valid comparison, those workers the BLS considers discouraged and marginally attached to the labor force and therefore not part of the unemployment rate calculation have been added below.)
Unemployment Rate as of Election Day
Unemployment Rate Three years later
Difference
Barack Obama
7.9%
10.75%
-36%
Ronald Reagan
7.6
8.3
-9%
Jimmy Carter
7.8
5.9
+24%
Franklin Roosevelt
24.1
20.1
+17%
Barack Obama has chosen uncontrolled and unbridled government spending, much of it directed to his cronies and fellow ideologues, as his solution to restarting the economy. This has created an enormous amount of new debt for the nation with nothing to show for it. One of his predecessors, Franklin Roosevelt, also chose that route as part of his plan to rescue the American economy. However, he never took it to the extreme that Obama has done, with the aid of his allies in the Democratic Party. During Obama's tenure, he has added over $4,000 billion ($4 trillion) to the national debt.
Using the historical actual deficits as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) applied to today's GDP, the comparison would be as follows (Herbert Hoover has been added, as he faced the actual massive collapse of the economy in 1929, the first year of his term.)
Average Deficit as % of GDP First Three Years of Term
(2011 Dollars) Additional National Debt
Barack Obama
9.23%
$4,005 Billion
Ronald Reagan
4.08%
1,800 Billion
Franklin Roosevelt
3.50%
1,531 Billion
Jimmy Carter
2.27%
986 Million
Herbert Hoover
.01%
15 Million
(http://www.usgovernmentspending.com)
The ultimate measure of the success or failure of a president's economic policies is the growth of the nation's Gross Domestic Product while facing economic headwinds. Here, too, Barack Obama cannot measure up to those who faced enormous challenges, as his policies and regulatory obsession have shown him to be an anti-capitalist ideologue with more in common with the Occupy Wall Street Movement than with the American people.
Barack Obama
Ronald Reagan
Franklin Roosevelt
Actual inflation adjusted GDP Growth First Three Years
.3%
13.7%
23.4%
It should be noted that Franklin Roosevelt, after re-election in 1936, began to pursue more statist policies including demonizing the rich, higher taxes, passing union-friendly legislation, and additional government spending, so that by the third year of his second term, the GDP had contracted by 6.5% and unemployment rose to 19.0% from a low of 14.0% in 1937. Yet the annual budget deficit as a percent of GDP averaged 3.85% for Roosevelt's first two terms as compared to Obama's 9.23% to date. (http://www.shmoop.com/great-depression/statistics.html)
By any measure, Barack Obama is not only a failure in his economic policies, but he is, in the aggregate, the worst steward of the American economy since economic measurements began to be recorded.
It is little wonder that his re-election strategy is centered on demonizing his potential opponents and deliberately appealing to the base nature of the human race -- greed and envy -- as manifested in his class warfare rhetoric. This is a record that cannot be defended under any circumstances, and one the Republicans must focus upon and unceasingly bring it before the American people.
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