This and That...

[Warph]

(False savior and sinking fast...

"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction." -2Peter 2:1)

[Warph]

Two Evil Men Playing Chess

(My apologies to William Blake and "Jerusalem")

Jerusalem

And did those feet, ere election
Once walk before the Western Wall?
And did the president-to-be Obuma
E'en then plan Netanyahu's fall?

Did his anti-colonial mind
Then clench the fist of his left hand
And dream Jerusalem held entire
By murderous Palestinians?

"Bring me my club of foreign aid!
"Bring appeasement to the UN!
"Bring a blind eye now to al-Qaed'!
"Bring the old borders up again!

"I will not cease to temporize
"Nor oppose nuclear Iran
"Till Arabs wrest Jerusalem
"From Israel's devastated land."

Via Brookings:
http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/iran-at-saban/posts/2013/11/24-doran-hidden-cost-iran-nuclear-deal

The Hidden Cost Of The Iranian Deal

One's evaluation of the nuclear deal depends on how one understands the broader context of US-Iranian relations. There are potential pathways ahead that might not be all that bad. But I am pessimistic. I see the deal as a deceptively pleasant way station on the long and bloody road that is the American retreat from the Middle East.

By contrast, President Obama sees this agreement as stage one in a two-stage process. Six months from now, he believes, this process will culminate in a final, sustainable agreement. In the rosiest of scenarios, the nuclear rapprochement will be the beginning of something much bigger. Like Nixon's opening to China, it will inaugurate a new era in Iranian-American relations. Whether Obama himself is dreaming of such an historic reconciliation is anybody's guess, but many commentators certainly are.

I, however, am not among them. On the nuclear question specifically, I don't see this as stage one. In my view, there will never be a final agreement. What the administration just initiated was, rather, a long and expensive process by which the West pays Iran to refrain from going nuclear. We are, in essence, paying Ayatollah Khamenei to negotiate with us. We just bought six months. What was the price?

We shredded the six United Nations Security Council resolutions that ordered the Islamic Republic to abandon all enrichment and reprocessing activities. We exposed fractures in the coalition against Iran. And we started building a global economic lobby that is dedicated to eroding the sanctions that we have generated through a decade of hard, very hard, diplomatic work.

That's the price that we can see clearly before our eyes. But I also wonder whether there were hidden costs — in the form of quiet commitments to Iran by third parties. I assume that the Iranians demanded economic compensation for every concession that they made. Will all of the promised payments appear in the text of the agreement? Did parties less constrained than our president by US congressional oversight also offer up sweeteners on the margins? At this point we do not know whether there is, in effect, a secret annex to the deal. Only time will tell.

But a hidden cost that is more easily verified is the free hand that the United States is now giving to Iran throughout the region. This is the price that troubles me most.

In my view, that free hand was already visible in the chemical weapons deal that Obama cut with Syria's Bashar al-Asad. I have long suspected that Obama's retreat from Syria was prompted, in part, by his desire to generate Iranian goodwill in the nuclear negotiations. The evidence for that case is growing by the day. We now learn, for example, that the administration had opened a bilateral backchannel to Tehran well before the Syria crisis. I can only assume that the president backed away from the use of force against Assad because, in part, he saw the Syria challenge as a subset of the Iranian nuclear negotiation.

Whatever the case, it is an undeniable fact that the chemical weapons deal made the United States Assad's silent partner. The Obama administration took the threat of force off the table, and it trumpeted Syria's commitment to destroy its weapons as a great achievement. Thereafter, it turned a blind eye to Assad's murder machine — which is funded, trained, and equipped by Iran. As a result, Assad and his Iranian allies now enjoy a much freer hand in the Syrian civil war.

The nuclear deal will further subject the Arab world to the tender mercies of the Revolutionary Guards. Iran will now have more money — our money — to channel to proxies such as Hezbollah. Washington cannot expose the mailed fist of the Qods Force without endangering the nuclear rapprochement, so it has a positive incentive to ignore all Iranian subversion and intimidation in the region.

Whether he realizes it, Obama has now announced that the United States cannot be relied upon to stand up to Iran. Therefore, Israel and our Arab allies will be forced to live by their wits. Some actors, like the Saudis, will prosecute their proxy war with Iran with renewed vehemence. Others will simply hedge. They will make a beeline to Tehran, just as many regional actors began showing up in Moscow after the Syrian chemical weapons deal. American influence will further deteriorate.

That, in sum, is the true price that we just paid for six months of seeming quiet on the nuclear front. It is price in prestige, which most Americans will not notice. It is also a price in blood. But it is not our blood, so Americans will also fail to make the connection between the violence and the nuclear deal. It is important to note, however, that this is just the initial price. Six months from now, when the interim agreement expires, another payment to Ayatollah Khamenei will come due. If Obama doesn't pony up, he will have to admit then that he cut a bad deal now. So he we will indeed pay — through the nose.

[Ross]

General: Obama purposely weakening U.S. military

Former Pacific Command leader warns against giving global enemies combat advantage

Published: 18 hours ago
F. Michael Maloof

F. Michael Maloof, staff writer for WND and G2Bulletin, is a former senior security policy analyst in the office of the secretary of defense.

WASHINGTON – A former deputy commanding general of the U.S. Pacific Command says President Obama seeks to "seize control over national security" and, bypassing Congress, singlehandedly weaken the U.S. military.

Army Maj. Gen. Paul E. Vallely, retired, charges in a 21-page position statement made available to WND, titled "The Obama Military – Evolution and Legacy," that Obama already has begun working with Russia to reduce nuclear weapons without a treaty, which would require Senate ratification.

"This would allow Obama and the executive branch to unilaterally cut our military capability and nuclear weaponry and ignore the treaty clause of the Constitution," said Vallely, who has also served as a senior military analyst for Fox News Channel. Vallely has also charged, along with several other top generals, that Obama is purging the military by firing top-level commanders and that his ultimate goal is to "destroy U.S. military superiority" to the "advantage of our global enemies."

In his capacity as chairman of the organization Stand Up America, Vallely previously called for the resignations of Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and certain congressional leaders, issuing a "national call to action" aimed at bringing about those resignations.

Vallely is far from the only one worried about a plunge in military capabilities under Obama's administration.

Frank Gaffney, former acting assistant secretary of defense during the Reagan administration, has asserted that placing women in combat is just the latest example of a "deliberate and systematic wrecking operation" the administration has conducted against the U.S. armed forces since 2009.

In addition, the Obama administration has directed measures to reduce the Pentagon budget by $1.3 trillion over the next 10 years, said Gaffney, currently president of the Washington-based Center for Security Policy.

In turn, this is bringing about the elimination or slowing of virtually all modernization programs, reduction in maintenance of worn-out weapons systems and other equipment and diminished training and cutting back in benefits, such as the plan the Pentagon has ordered to cut out commissary privileges at all of the military's 178 U.S. and 70 foreign bases.

Further, Obama's social agenda now includes changes in the law to allow open homosexuality in the ranks of the American armed forces.

Response? Increased foreign aggression

The undermining of the U.S. military hasn't been lost on other countries like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, all of whom have become more militarily aggressive during the Obama administration.

Robert Fisher, a Chinese military affairs specialist, says the Chinese leadership is "not impressed" with the administration's decisions regarding next-generation stealth aircraft and its retirement of more than half of the Navy's warships.

At the same time, Beijing has deployed its "carrier killer" missile, the Dong Feng-21D, that can be fired from a mobile launcher as Beijing begins to show greater military assertiveness in the East and South China Seas.

Retired Navy Capt. Joseph John tells WND the "bigger picture" is that "the U.S. armed forces have been under relentless attack by the occupant of the Oval Office for five years."

A Naval Academy graduate, John had three tours of duty in Vietnam, served as an al-Qaida expert for the FBI, and was a commanding officer with SEALs embedded on special operations. As chairman of Combat Veterans For Congress PAC (Political Action Committee), he has helped elect 20 combat veterans to Congress.

"I believe there are more than 137 officers who have been forced out or given bad evaluation reports so they will never make flag [officer], because of their failure to comply to certain views," John told WND.

"The truly sad story is that many of the brightest graduates of the three major service academies witnessing what the social experiment on diversity ... is doing to the U.S. military, are leaving the service after five years," he said. "We are being left with an officer corps that can be made to be more compliant, that is, exactly what Obama needs to effect his long range goals for the U.S. military."

In an email to WND, John outlined what he termed "a very few of the most egregious" aspects of Obama's "attack" on the military over the past five years.

He referred specifically to the Rules of Engagement in combat that were put in place after Obama took office, claiming the changes resulted in very high casualty rates in Afghanistan, including the loss of 17 members of SEAL Team 6 in one incident.

"The Rules of Engagement precluded the use of suppression fire at a landing zone," John noted.

Endangering safety

Retired Air Force pilot Lt. Col. Robert "Buzz" Patterson, who was a senior military aide to President Bill Clinton, also asserts that Obama's national security policies are weakening the military and endangering the country's safety.

Author of the recent book, "Conduct Unbecoming – How Barack Obama is Destroying the Military and Endangering our Security," Patterson said Obama is underfunding and misusing the military, making America more vulnerable.

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Patrick Brady, recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, as well as other top retired officers, say Obama's agenda is decimating the morale of the U.S. ranks to the point members no longer feel prepared to fight or have the desire to win.

"There is no doubt he [Obama] is intent on emasculating the military and will fire anyone who disagrees with him" over such issues as "homosexuals, women in foxholes, the Obama sequester," Brady told WND.

Brady, a legendary "Dust Off" air ambulance pilot in Vietnam who described his experiences in "Dead Men Flying: Victory in Viet Nam," said, "The problem is military people will seldom, while on duty, go on the record over such issues, and many will not ever, no matter how true.

"I hear from many off the record who are upset with the current military leadership and some are leaving and have left in the past," he said.

Brady, who has served as president of the Congressional  Medal of Honor Society, referred to additional problems in today's military including "girly-men leadership [and] medals for not shooting and operating a computer. This president will never fight if there is any reason to avoid it and with a helpless military he can just point to our weakness and shrug his shoulders."

Retired Army Lt. Gen. William G. "Jerry" Boykin, who was a founding member of Delta Force and later deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence under President George W. Bush, tells WND it is worrying that four-star generals are being retired at the rate that has occurred under Obama.

"Over the past three years, it is unprecedented for the number of four-star generals to be relieved of duty, and not necessarily relieved for cause," Boykin said. "I believe there is a purging of the military. The problem is worse than we have ever seen."

'Demand resignation'

Vallely said the current crop of political leadership at the federal level must be forced to resign by the "demand resignation" process which he explained requires massive grassroots protests and social networking. As an example, he cited the public and media pressure that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

Vallely also has announced the formation of a "provisional leadership council" – a citizens' commission – to scrutinize Obama administration actions on national security and economic issues.

To begin the process of "reclaiming America," Vallely envisions an "American Leadership Council" to be comprised of 12 people who would hold "America's interests first, not their own," and be people from "proven leadership," not "talking heads" and "community organizers." (emphasis is mine, I hope you  understand)

"These must be people who have led large businesses and/or held military positions of consequence," Vallely said. "These must be people who hold loyalty, fealty and love for this country first, and most of all, they must be trustworthy."

He told WND that he intends to announce their names shortly.

"Under the Obama administration, the military has not been appropriately used to improve diplomatic relations, largely because the military is not viewed as a mechanism to achieve diplomatic success," Vallely said. "Instead, Obama employs it as a 'nation-building' tool, a function quite anathema to its very definition."

"Now, it's not even fighting, just assassinating individuals. Retreat is now known as 'drawdown' and victory is now known as 'nation-building' or 'transitioning,'" he said.

Vallely said that while conservatives see the military as a "crucial component" of diplomacy,  Obama views it as a "hindrance."

"Changing diplomacy," he said, "therefore is being carried out in a number of ways by the Obama administration: diminishing the military role and leadership in diplomacy; manipulating the rules of engagement; and making the U.S. military irrelevant elsewhere."

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/11/general-obama-purposely-weakening-u-s-military/#9FIl3O3DddFksVFB.99

[Warph]

General: Obama purposely weakening U.S. military

Former Pacific Command leader warns against giving global enemies combat advantage

Published: 18 hours ago
F. Michael Maloof

F. Michael Maloof, staff writer for WND and G2Bulletin, is a former senior security policy analyst in the office of the secretary of defense.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/11/general-obama-purposely-weakening-u-s-military/#9FIl3O3DddFksVFB.99

Excellent post, Ross.

Here's a few comments from this article:


"In a totalitarian state the goal is to suppress and punish defiance, independence, honesty, non-compliance, dissent, disagreement, criticism and, most of all, the freedom of expression and thought.

This is Dictator Obama's agenda with the generals, with the Republicans, with the Tea Party, with FOX News, with anyone who opposes or criticizes him,his ideology, his values, his objectives, his qualifications, his judgement and his character. He is the most thin-skinned and vindictive despot to ever serve in the White House with an enemies list as long as Stalin's was.

This purge is not "curious," and the end result will be a military hierarchy that swears allegiance to Obama and to neither the Constitution nor the American people who pay their salaries.

Do we continue to wait until they get stronger, or do we start the fight now? Choice is ours. Daylight's burning........The day of reckoning is here. Stand up and be counted or do nothing and die.

I'd rather die a free man than die a slave to government."

***********************

"THE MOST DANGEROUS are those behind him!!!"

****************

"Though I am an older and disabled Veteran and pretty much dependent upon the VA for both care and my compensation I am still not so out to pasture that I cannot and will not fight to save America from the horror's that this imposter has imposed upon the American people, the American military and our most important friendly nations around the world. Obama has done much damage to the relation's we now have with these nation's while allowing even encouraging and arming our enemies letting them grow stronger and more brazen. I stand with you General Vallely and any other Former and present Military personnel willing to fight and uphold the oath they have sworn to protect this country for all their living days as I have."

***************

"The man[sniper or whatever] that takes this fool out would probably be hailed a HERO and treated real good in jail."

***************


"I would like to see LTC West replace Priebus, who is AWOL from all of the current discussion on Obamacare, Benghazi, IRS, Fast and Furious, etc. Another action he has taken to weaken the US is naming Rice as his National Security Advisor, Hillary and the traitor Male Jane Fonda Kerry to the post of Secretary of State. Kerry is hated by us Vietnam War Vets as much as we hate Fonda. His picture occupies a very prominent place in the Heroes Museum in Hanoi. If you want me to tell you why, just let me know."

***************

"We desperately need our own version of Egypt's Gen. Al-Sisi. As much as I loath the Islamic faith as a perverted supremacist cult and have virtually no trust in muslims, and certainly no trust in what muslims say, this Egyptian general showed resolute, decisive action in responding to his countrymen's pleas and removed 0bama's fellow mobro Morsi from power, promised to rebuild the Coptic Christian's burned out churches, all the while giving 0bama the middle digit salute by making 0bama look the fool that he is. That is more than I can say for the Pentagon's crop of yes men, and because of dirtbag 0bama and his DoD yes men, I will be retiring from 23 years of military service as an NCO a few months from now. I will NOT allow myself to break my oath to our beloved Constitution because of this unconstitutionally- qualified Kenyan usurper with the fake birth certificate and dead man's Connecticut SSN, who is seditiously out to destroy our once great nation."

[Warph]

Don't forget that you POS Barack Hussein Obuma!!!

[Bullwinkle]

      Lara Logan and the producer sidelined by CBS in response to the 60 Minutes piece on the Benghazi debacle.

      So now Obuma and Hillary are running CBS ?

[Ross]

      Lara Logan and the producer sidelined by CBS in response to the 60 Minutes piece on the Benghazi debacle.

      So now Obuma and Hillary are running CBS ?

That will teach them reporters who the boss is, won't it?

Freedom of the press and freedom of speach not allowed any longer.

Eve the self appointed internet spelling police better becareful, huh?

[Warph]

'Lurch' Kerry Heads To Israel To Convince Them
Letting Iran Have Nukes Is In Their Best Interests

(Holy crap... save your breath, Lurch)

Via The Hill:
Secretary of State 'Lurch' Kerry is headed to Jerusalem next week to reassure Israel about the Obama administration's deal with Iran, the State Department announced Wednesday.

Kerry will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has called last weekend's interim agreement to loosen sanctions in exchange for Iran freezing its nuclear program a "historic mistake." Netanyahu said earlier this week he would also be dispatching his national security adviser, Yossi Cohen, to Washington for talks with the Obama administration about what a final agreement over Iran's nuclear program should look like.

Israel and its allies on Capitol Hill are concerned that the preliminary deal reached in Geneva does not go far enough in setting back Iran's nuclear program, even as it begins to take down some sanctions. They want a final deal to ban Iran from enriching uranium on its territory, a nonstarter for Iran.

Kerry will also be pushing Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to revive peace talks. Kerry helped kickstart the effort three months ago, but it has stalled among recriminations over Israeli settlements and other issues.

[Warph]

Demo-Rats Hyperventilate:

"Latest Republican Assault On
ObumaCrappyCare Has Proven To Be Dangerously Effective"

(Now give us your money!)

Dear Elk County Forum –

Bad News... Big, Big BAD NEWS:

The latest Republican assault on ObumaCrappyCare has proven to be dangerously effective. Just this morning, CNN (Cartoon News Network) released a poll showing Republicans gaining a serious bump in approval with their sabotage playbook. If we don't respond to Republican smears with the facts right now, the damage to ObumaCrappyCare AND our chances in 2014 could be irreversible.

We simply can't allow these attacks to go unanswered. We have got to fill this $371,000 hole in our ObumaCrappyCare Rapid Response Fund by our big FEC fundraising deadline.

Thanks,

DCCC Rapid Response

[Warph]

And So It Begins: New York Sending Out Gun Confiscation Notices

By Robert Farago on November 27, 2013
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2013/11/robert-farago/begins-new-york-sending-gun-confiscation-notices/

New York's SAFE Act is a bad, bad thing. It requires people to register, sell or transfer (out of state) "assault rifles" and "high capacity" magazines. Many Empire State gun and standard capacity ammunition magazine owners have complied. Many have not. So, at some point, the State's gonna go get 'em. People on both sides of the law enforcement divide will die and the s will hit the fan. Meanwhile, there it is: the reason why expanded background checks, indeed all background checks and any type of registration, set the stage for confiscation. And tyranny. [ED: This notice was sent for New York City residents, based on New York City laws, not necessarily SAFE Act provisions.]