Homeland security declares war on YOU with Operation Sudden Impact Barry’s Dangerous Truths April 20, 2008
In what is becoming an increasingly alarming trend of federalizing local and state law enforcement through grant programs, we see a symptom of this disease flaring up in grand fascist fashion. Operation Sudden Impact took Memphis, TN by storm. The symbolism of this city being selected is pretty obvious; being a municipal city that is more or less in 3 states required cooperation between multiple states. Essentially, the program served as a city-wide anti-crime and anti-terrorism shakedown (in the form of unconstitutional methods such as roadblocks). Over 400 people were arrested, 100 some-odd of which the news claimed were “fugitives”. I’m assuming this meant they had a bench warrant for some reason. Realistically speaking, there were not 100 some-odd dangerous prisoners escaped from the jails, loose on the streets of Memphis. In reality, the 100 some-odd “fugitives” they picked up off of the streets probably had warrants for Failure to Appear for a minor offense, or something mundane of that nature. Either way, here can be seen footage of the crackdown being sold as “to our benefit” on the local news. http://www.infowars.com/?p=1613
OlderAndWiser
· 1 year ago
Well, I guess the rightwing, whose dick Clinton is seriously sucking on, isn't as forthcoming with money as it is endorsements?
She needs to pack it up. Even if Obama doesn't win in PA, the margin of "victory" for Clinton will be so narrow as to be negligible and not win her the delegates she thinks she'll get. About time the supers made up their minds...
Hack
· 1 year ago
Dick Morris: Has Hillary gone ballistic? Senator offers to protect Saudis, others with nuclear weapons April 21, 2008
WASHINGTON – Overlooked in ABC's Democratic presidential debate in Philadelphia was a new defense doctrine offered by Hillary Clinton that would have the U.S. defend Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates with nuclear weapons, political consultant and pundit Dick Morris points out today.
"Hillary's commitment to use nuclear weapons to defend Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait, which she made in the ABC Philadelphia debate went largely unnoticed," Morris told WND. "(George) Stephanopoulos, who asked the question, was too focused on Obama's wearing or not wearing a flag pin in his lapel."
Here's what Clinton said: "We should be looking to create an umbrella of deterrence that goes much further than just Israel. Of course I would make it clear to the Iranians that an attack on Israel would incur massive retaliation from the United States. But I would do the same with other countries in the region ... . You can't go to the Saudis or the Kuwaities or UAE and others who have a legitimate concern about Iran and say, well, don't acquire these weapons to defend yourself unless you're also willing to say we will provide a deterrent backup."
Morris, who worked as a political consultant for Bill Clinton, suggests the sweeping new defense doctrine offered up by Hillary Clinton is "perhaps influenced by her husband's $15 million paycheck from Dubai or the $10 million the Saudi monarchy gave to his library."
In a column today in the New York Post, Morris asks: "Has Hillary gone ballistic? This bizarre new foreign policy stance went right over the pro-Clinton head of ABC's debate moderator, George Stephanopolous, who was too busy checking his list of pro-Hillary questions to recognize the import of Clinton's answer. But the fact is that no American president has ever made so sweeping a commitment in the region. Hillary certainly appears willing to break new ground."
He concludes by saying: "If there is one real warmonger in this race, it is Hillary Clinton, who is now willing to risk our cities to save some of the most repressive regimes in the Middle East." http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageI...
OlderAndWiser
· 1 year ago
What's going on in the rest of the world? World population has doubled since1970, just 38 years ago, when it was just 3.7 billion. Yet, as this chart shows, future predictions, to the year 2050, when it's predicted to top 9 billion, seem conservative to me. That's only a 3 billion person increase; yet, population has always grown exponentially, as the chart shows, and more as technology, sanitation, better health care, elimination of disease, etc. has grown.
Based on past growth, I'd say it will probably top 15 billion, even with the spread of contraceptives and limiting of families in developing countries, which will take far longer at the the rate we're going to catch hold in those countries.
Even China has almost doubled its 1970 population, in spite of its "one child" policy (note that there are no stats later than 2005, so the population is probably more than the 1.3 billion constantly quoted):
Michael Moore: My vote's for Obama (If I could vote)
Friends,
I don't get to vote for President this primary season. I live in Michigan. The party leaders (both here and in D.C.) couldn't get their act together, and thus our votes will not be counted.
So, if you live in Pennsylvania, can you do me a favor? Will you please cast my vote -- and yours -- on Tuesday for Senator Barack Obama?
.....over the past two months, the actions and words of Hillary Clinton have gone from being merely disappointing to downright disgusting. I guess the debate last week was the final straw.
Senator Clinton, that's how you sounded. Like you were nuts. Like you were a bigot stoking the fires of stupidity. How sad that I would ever have to write those words about you. You have devoted your life to good causes and good deeds. And now to throw it all away for an office you can't win unless you smear the black man so much that the superdelegates cry "Uncle (Tom)" and give it all to you.
Government bailout of banks in England. More public funding to cover private failures.
Markets can not regulate themselves. The free market is a lie.
dad
· 1 year ago
$3.67 for gas this morning.
$513,067,252,900.00 spent in Iraq.
1 Dollar = 1.5742 Euro.
This is working out well.
Hack
· 1 year ago
Lee Iacocca-Where Are Our Leaders _____________________________________________________________
Lee Iacocca Says:
'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course' Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America , not the damned 'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!'
You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the ' America ' my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?
I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest 'C' is Crisis !
Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down. On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes.
So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way What A Hell of a Mess. These are times that cry out for leadership.
But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.
Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.
Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?
Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?
Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope I believe in America . In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America 's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: the 'Great Depression', 'World War II', the 'Korean War', the 'Kennedy Assassination', the 'Vietnam War', the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11.
If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to 'Action' for people who, like me, believe in America . It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.' http://www.yogabound.com/yoga/art_lee_iacocca_w...
OlderAndWiser
· 1 year ago
Screw Lee Iacocca. Where are our electric cars? Doesn't he love govt bailouts for the combusion engine, too?
dad
· 1 year ago
Nationwide, a family of four on a moderate-cost shopping plan now spends an average of $904 each month for groceries, an $80 increase from two years ago, according to the USDA.
dad, that seems a lot, actually. We spend around $400 a month for 2 and 6 on Sundays (my free meal for neighbors). A lot depends on what you buy, whether you cook from scratch or use convenience foods, and whether or not you buy markdowns, use coupons, etc.
I can remember the 60s, when it only took $25/wk for my 2 kids and me...and that included a full breakfast and dinner at home, no junk food buying like colas, chips and craps like that. Those were considered "luxuries" and the only time we ate out was on Friday, payday, when I might treat the kids to a McDonald's supper, depending on my budget for the week.
OlderAndWiser
· 1 year ago
This month, I have spent $139, $84, and $63 for the 3 weeks I've shopped. And that includes detergents and other non-food items. We eat well.
Indigo
· 1 year ago
Good morning, A-Bloggers. The fun is about to begin. An "ex-bishop" (read "Marxist") has been elected president of Paraguay, toppling six decades of right wing dictators. There's nothing unusual in this except that the Cheney-Halliburton-Bush ring bought up vast expanses of land in Paraguay just a few years ago. If the scheme was to set up an off-shore fascist hideout, there's trouble on that horizon. Stay tuned for the CIA-sponsored coup.
SINGING_TROLL
· 1 year ago
I'm sure Mugabe will put them up.
dad
· 1 year ago
OlderAndWiser 3 teenaged boys. 210 mile daily commute. Just doing the best I can.
Webster
· 1 year ago
The American death toll in Iraq now stands at 4039.
mehrrh
· 1 year ago
More incrredible chutzpah from Clinton: Obama said all three candidates are better than Bush, even McCain is better than Bush. Clinton criticizes Obama for saying that about McCain -- did she forget how she has favorably compared McCain to OBama in even more distinct terms? Did she forget how she has appeared to be on the same team with McCain and against Obama? Clinton's motto seems to be "say anything."
Mike_H
· 1 year ago
It really is a disappointment to see how badly Clinton has been campaigning, after years -- like Michael Moore's quote says -- of being in the fight for the right kind of issues. She deserved a better campaign than she got, there were so many legitimate accomplishments she should have highlighted better, more positively, rather than going so negative so often. That clearly hasn't been flying with the voters this time around, no matter how successful it's been in previous election cycles.
One wonders if she and Bill were so scarred by the GOP "gotcha" politics of the 1990s that they never really got beyond them.
I really really hope that when the reality of her situation truly sinks in, that she finds a way to graciously concede, it would go a long way to restoring faith in her. And the personal backbiting on both sides of supporters should stop as well.
heathwood
· 1 year ago
WASHINGTON (AP)--U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday the U.S. Air Force is not doing enough to help the Iraq war effort, complaining that some military leaders are "stuck in old ways of doing business."
Gates complained Monday in a speech at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama that getting the Air Force to send more surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has been "like pulling teeth."
The Pentagon chief praised the Air Force for its overall contributions in Iraq and Afghanistan but made a point of urging it to do more and to undertake more creative ways of thinking about helping the war effort.
Mikki --SE Pennsylvania
· 1 year ago
Grandma, as always, hit it right on the button:
"Michael Moore: My vote's for Obama (If I could vote)"
She quotes a great deal of the article by Michael Moore but everyone needs to read the whole thing, so I am taking the liberty to repeat the link.
All Comments
Barry’s Dangerous Truths
April 20, 2008
In what is becoming an increasingly alarming trend of federalizing local and state law enforcement through grant programs, we see a symptom of this disease flaring up in grand fascist fashion. Operation Sudden Impact took Memphis, TN by storm. The symbolism of this city being selected is pretty obvious; being a municipal city that is more or less in 3 states required cooperation between multiple states. Essentially, the program served as a city-wide anti-crime and anti-terrorism shakedown (in the form of unconstitutional methods such as roadblocks). Over 400 people were arrested, 100 some-odd of which the news claimed were “fugitives”. I’m assuming this meant they had a bench warrant for some reason. Realistically speaking, there were not 100 some-odd dangerous prisoners escaped from the jails, loose on the streets of Memphis. In reality, the 100 some-odd “fugitives” they picked up off of the streets probably had warrants for Failure to Appear for a minor offense, or something mundane of that nature. Either way, here can be seen footage of the crackdown being sold as “to our benefit” on the local news.
http://www.infowars.com/?p=1613
She needs to pack it up. Even if Obama doesn't win in PA, the margin of "victory" for Clinton will be so narrow as to be negligible and not win her the delegates she thinks she'll get. About time the supers made up their minds...
Senator offers to protect Saudis, others with nuclear weapons
April 21, 2008
WASHINGTON – Overlooked in ABC's Democratic presidential debate in Philadelphia was a new defense doctrine offered by Hillary Clinton that would have the U.S. defend Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates with nuclear weapons, political consultant and pundit Dick Morris points out today.
"Hillary's commitment to use nuclear weapons to defend Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait, which she made in the ABC Philadelphia debate went largely unnoticed," Morris told WND. "(George) Stephanopoulos, who asked the question, was too focused on Obama's wearing or not wearing a flag pin in his lapel."
Here's what Clinton said: "We should be looking to create an umbrella of deterrence that goes much further than just Israel. Of course I would make it clear to the Iranians that an attack on Israel would incur massive retaliation from the United States. But I would do the same with other countries in the region ... . You can't go to the Saudis or the Kuwaities or UAE and others who have a legitimate concern about Iran and say, well, don't acquire these weapons to defend yourself unless you're also willing to say we will provide a deterrent backup."
Morris, who worked as a political consultant for Bill Clinton, suggests the sweeping new defense doctrine offered up by Hillary Clinton is "perhaps influenced by her husband's $15 million paycheck from Dubai or the $10 million the Saudi monarchy gave to his library."
In a column today in the New York Post, Morris asks: "Has Hillary gone ballistic? This bizarre new foreign policy stance went right over the pro-Clinton head of ABC's debate moderator, George Stephanopolous, who was too busy checking his list of pro-Hillary questions to recognize the import of Clinton's answer. But the fact is that no American president has ever made so sweeping a commitment in the region. Hillary certainly appears willing to break new ground."
He concludes by saying: "If there is one real warmonger in this race, it is Hillary Clinton, who is now willing to risk our cities to save some of the most repressive regimes in the Middle East."
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageI...
Based on past growth, I'd say it will probably top 15 billion, even with the spread of contraceptives and limiting of families in developing countries, which will take far longer at the the rate we're going to catch hold in those countries.
Even China has almost doubled its 1970 population, in spite of its "one child" policy (note that there are no stats later than 2005, so the population is probably more than the 1.3 billion constantly quoted):
http://www.chinatoday.com/general/a.htm
http://geography.about.com/od/obtainpopulationd...
Michael Moore: My vote's for Obama (If I could vote)
Friends,
I don't get to vote for President this primary season. I live in Michigan. The party leaders (both here and in D.C.) couldn't get their act together, and thus our votes will not be counted.
So, if you live in Pennsylvania, can you do me a favor? Will you please cast my vote -- and yours -- on Tuesday for Senator Barack Obama?
.....over the past two months, the actions and words of Hillary Clinton have gone from being merely disappointing to downright disgusting. I guess the debate last week was the final straw.
Senator Clinton, that's how you sounded. Like you were nuts. Like you were a bigot stoking the fires of stupidity. How sad that I would ever have to write those words about you. You have devoted your life to good causes and good deeds. And now to throw it all away for an office you can't win unless you smear the black man so much that the superdelegates cry "Uncle (Tom)" and give it all to you.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index...
or
Hysterically Hateful Hillary
or
Hophead Hillary
More public funding to cover private failures.
Markets can not regulate themselves. The free market is a lie.
$513,067,252,900.00 spent in Iraq.
1 Dollar = 1.5742 Euro.
This is working out well.
_____________________________________________________________
Lee Iacocca Says:
'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course' Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America , not the damned 'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!'
You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the ' America ' my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?
I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest 'C' is Crisis !
Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down. On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in
our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes.
So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way What A Hell of a Mess. These are times that cry out for leadership.
But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be
a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.
Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.
Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?
Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?
Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope I believe in America . In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America 's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: the 'Great Depression', 'World War II', the 'Korean War', the 'Kennedy Assassination', the 'Vietnam War', the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11.
If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to 'Action' for people who, like me, believe in America . It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.'
http://www.yogabound.com/yoga/art_lee_iacocca_w...
and a family of 5?
I can remember the 60s, when it only took $25/wk for my 2 kids and me...and that included a full breakfast and dinner at home, no junk food buying like colas, chips and craps like that. Those were considered "luxuries" and the only time we ate out was on Friday, payday, when I might treat the kids to a McDonald's supper, depending on my budget for the week.
An "ex-bishop" (read "Marxist") has been elected president of Paraguay, toppling six decades of right wing dictators. There's nothing unusual in this except that the Cheney-Halliburton-Bush ring bought up vast expanses of land in Paraguay just a few years ago. If the scheme was to set up an off-shore fascist hideout, there's trouble on that horizon. Stay tuned for the CIA-sponsored coup.
3 teenaged boys.
210 mile daily commute.
Just doing the best I can.
Clinton's motto seems to be "say anything."
One wonders if she and Bill were so scarred by the GOP "gotcha" politics of the 1990s that they never really got beyond them.
I really really hope that when the reality of her situation truly sinks in, that she finds a way to graciously concede, it would go a long way to restoring faith in her. And the personal backbiting on both sides of supporters should stop as well.
Force is not doing enough to help the Iraq war effort, complaining that some
military leaders are "stuck in old ways of doing business."
Gates complained Monday in a speech at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama that
getting the Air Force to send more surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has been "like pulling teeth."
The Pentagon chief praised the Air Force for its overall contributions in
Iraq and Afghanistan but made a point of urging it to do more and to undertake
more creative ways of thinking about helping the war effort.
"Michael Moore: My vote's for Obama (If I could vote)"
She quotes a great deal of the article by Michael Moore but everyone needs to read the whole thing, so I am taking the liberty to repeat the link.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index...