New blog address

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Unjust, illegal, stupid Iraq War #3?

Obama Poised to Send Special Forces to Iraq

The 2003 war on Iraq was one of the worst foreign policy catastrophes in U.S. history. It was a disaster morally, economically and strategically. The war resulted in a staggering loss of life and unimaginable human suffering on the part of innocent Iraqis, a crushing price tag for the American people in blood and trillions of dollars, and an end result of which Osama bin Laden could have only dreamed.

The only answer to this utter horror is nonintervention. Any military solution will, as always, lead to something even worse, as is clearly on display in the aftermath of one of the most egregious of the USA’s many unjust, illegal and stupid wars.

King Obama Tells Scotland Not to Secede From Britain

What concern is it to the US if Scotland secedes from Britain, or if Britain leaves the EU? None at all. But these authoritarian types absolutely hate any move toward independence and decentralization. The precedent it sets terrifies and infuriates rulers like Obama (or Bush, or Clinton, or whoever).

http://news.antiwar.com/2014/06/05/obama-tells-scotland-not-to-secede-from-britain/

On the heroism of Edward Snowden

He knew the power of the global empire he was going up against -- actually, he knew enough to know it was powerful beyond comprehension.

He saw how Bradley Manning (war crimes whistleblower) was tortured, and how John Kiriakou (CIA torture whistleblower) was imprisoned -- both for simply telling the truth. 

He knew that he would not get a heroes' welcome or parades in his honor and that, at least initially, many millions of Americans who he sacrificed himself for would label him a traitor and call for his head, and if the most powerful government in the world could catch him in time it would gladly oblige.

He did the right thing anyway.

When I consider how much this smart, talented, articulate, young man gave up to alert us to the US government's unprecedented violations of our liberty, in spite of the dire consequences of which he was fully aware, I am astounded.

Edward Snowden is easily among the greatest American heroes to ever live.

3 Homes Destroyed in Military Plane Crash in Imperial Valley, CA

Thankfully, it appears that there were no civilians killed. If there had been, I wonder if they would have been reported as collateral damage?

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Military-Plane-Crash-Imperial-Valley-Neighborhood-San-Diego

The War on Whatever

The War on Terror is just like the War on Drugs, the War on Poverty, etc. 

Ultimately, its purpose is not to defeat what it claims to combat. Its purpose is to divert endless money, resources and power to the state and its corporate cronies.

And its result is inevitable: it will create more of what it wages war against.

Neighborhood gang puts toddler in coma

Cops nearly killed a 19-month-old toddler when they threw a flash-bang grenade in the house he was sleeping in during a no-knock raid. The grenade landed in his crib and blew up in his face, and now he's in a medically-induced coma.

A SWAT team broke down the door at 3:00 am on the suspicion of a non-violent drug offense based on a tip from an informant. No drugs were found, and the suspect was not even home at the time the house was raided. 

According to County Sheriff  Joey Terrell:

"The door that we entered was the door that we bought dope out of - that's why entered at that door. Our team went by the book. Given the same scenario, we'll do the same thing again. I stand behind what our team did."

The War on Drugs is a war on the American people. It needs to end, completely and immediately.

Read Will Grigg for more.

#HeresYourDrugWar

UPDATE:

This is really from the Habersham Sheriff's website:

What war is really about

I have two dear loved ones in the military. I also have a lot of sympathy for the many young people who, after a lifetime of indoctrination, signed up to do what they believed would be defending their country.

With that said, I think there is an important distinction to be made: U.S. soldiers do not kill and die for our country, they kill and die for the government. 

War is about the government fighting other governments for its own interests and those of its corporate cronies. The government uses its subjects -- sometimes volunteers and other times conscripts -- to accomplish its objectives.

War is not about freedom, it is not about security, it is not about human rights, it is not about democracy.

War is the health of the state, and war is a racket.

Americans are less free, less safe and poorer as a result of their government's unjust, unconstitutional, counterproductive wars. These wars cause untold death, destruction and misery in this world, all for the benefit of those who control the levers of power.

Soldiers kill and maim other soldiers that their government has convinced them are their enemies, but in reality are mostly indoctrinated and propagandized young people exactly like them, "just following orders" on the part of their government. In many cases, they are defending their homes from U.S. invaders and occupiers. 

More often, the human beings who soldiers destroy are innocent civilians who are either caught in the crossfire or targeted intentionally. The U.S. has slaughtered millions of innocents just since WWII (and plenty during and before WWII as well).

War is about money, power and glory. It is about enriching the politically connected, expanding the empire abroad and at home, and glorifying the state.

This is far less glamorous than the fairytales we are told by the government all of our lives, whether through school, media, before sporting events, etc. And it is extremely painful to accept. But it is true.

Memorial Day madness

Why do some people have the good sense to be deeply skeptical when it comes to the lies the government tells them about schemes like Obamacare, but when it comes to the self-serving fairytales government tells them about its wars, they eagerly and enthusiastically believe it?

The government that said "if you like your health plan, you can keep it" is the same government that says "we send soldiers to kill and die for your freedom".

"We perpetuate war by exalting its sacrifices"

A powerful scene with James Garner and Julie Andrews from the great film The Americanization of Emily.

Most U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan attack houses

President Obama is a mass murderer. I think most people know that by now, but just in case anyone isn't aware, I figured it bears repeating.

http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2014/05/23/most-us-drone-strikes-in-pakistan-attack-houses/

Also, Obama has redefined "militant" to mean any military-aged male killed in a drone strike -- in other words, he has redefined "civilian" to not count any male above the age of 18 regardless of whether they are actually a civilian. So, I would always assume the civilian death tolls are way underestimated, and likewise that the terrorist body count is always quite exaggerated (when the numbers come through the U.S. government or its allies in some way, that is).

And speaking of terrorism, when we're talking about blowing up homes at will from the other side of the world via remote control planes without the ability to know exactly who is inside the home and the blast radius, who's the really the terrorist in that scenario?

Useful idiots

These were among Osama bin Laden's primary objectives:

-- bankrupt the U.S. with endless wars
-- radicalize a generation of Muslims to attempt to drive the U.S. out of their homeland
-- regime change of secular dictators (which the U.S. installed and/or props up)

Sound familiar? Those are the main "accomplishments" of the foolish, arrogant, utterly stupid U.S. Empire in its so-called War on Terror. No one has helped that clever murderer Osama accomplish his goals as much as those murderous imbeciles in Washington, D.C.

h/t Scott Horton

Humanity's greatest enemy

"Instead of a bumbling and inefficient tool of society, the radical [libertarian] sees the State itself, in its very nature, as coercive, exploitative, parasitic, and hence profoundly antisocial. The State is, and always has been, the great single enemy of the human race, its liberty, happiness, and progress." - Murray Rothbard

Overheard at a party

Guy 1: "I want to go into law enforcement." 

Guy 2: "Oh cool. What do you want to do with that?"

Guy 1: "Oh, you know, just general law enforcement stuff. Move into some administrative role. Retire at 55. I know a guy who just retired at 55 with a huge pension."

Ugh. Government is such a scam. I kinda know who these guys are and I'm pretty certain they are conservative types who'd get all indignant at "those welfare queens living off the taxpayers". Ha!

PS check out this out:
The Millionaire Cop Next Door

Demagogues and welfare whores

Israeli Military ‘Broke,’ Seeks Billions More in US Aid

If Israel was a single mother with five children on food stamps, demagogues like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh would call her a welfare whore and whip their listeners into a frenzy of outrage. But since it's Israel, I'm sure they'll call her an indispensable ally that deserves billions of dollars confiscated from American tax-victims.

Militarized Humanitarianism in Africa

http://original.antiwar.com/joeva_rock/2014/05/16/militarized-humanitarianism-in-africa/

As the U.S. Empire continues to extend its tentacles into Africa, how fortunate for it when vicious groups like Boko Haram -- which was greatly empowered and emboldened by the U.S. destruction of Libya -- provide it with a pretext. #WhiteHousePropaganda

Notches in the Empire's belt

Overthrowing other people’s governments: The Master List

...but if any non-American out there dislikes the U.S. Empire or thinks it's a big mean authoritarian bully, I'm sure it's really just because they hate that we're so damn free*.

*ha ha ha ha ha

PS I'm adding Ukraine 2014 and Egypt 2013 since this list was compiled before those happened.

The most badass kid in America

VIDEO: Boy punished at school for refusing to stand for Pledge of Allegiance

Teacher: Listen up, citizen. You will stand, place your hand on your heart, and swear your allegiance to the government that rules over you and grants you your precious freedoms, right now.

Kid: Make me.

How the U.S. funds terrorism against itself

As a result of its efforts to maintain its global hegemony and keep as many countries as possible on the dole, the U.S. indirectly funds the terrorism it is ostensibly fighting to eradicate......terrorism which, by the way, is a direct result of U.S. actions in the first place.

How the US Supports Regimes That Support Terrorism

Obama lol

I bet Obama gets a good chuckle at how the media and millions of people totally freak out when some 80 year old jerk with no real power says ignorant crap in private to his girlfriend, but when Obama blows up children to death on a routine basis, they treat him like a respectable human being.

The most dangerous man in the world

The U.S. president is just flat out murdering people whose identity he doesn't even pretend to know. He just sees a particular pattern of behavior, and BAM! Rips human beings to bloody shreds, along with anyone in their vicinity. Freaking psychopath.

Obama’s Drone Wars Undermine American Values

Rand Paul criticizes Saint Reagan

A couple years ago at multiple different times, Rand Paul boldly challenged the Reagan myth with simple facts about how his record clearly contradicted his rhetoric - in practice, the Gipper was a bigger government guy than Jimmy Carter before him!

Unfortunately, these days Rand is having to pay obeisance to Saint Reagan on Fox News and elsewhere in an attempt to play politics....something which I think is doomed to fail -- his dad launched the liberty movement precisely because he did not do this, and the neocons will never be convinced he's not his father's son anyway, so why bother?

But I digress, check out this short compilation. The real Rand was pretty great. I guess the lefty progressive makers of the video are trying to harm him politically (maybe it will, Thou shalt not speak ill of Reagan), but this makes me kinda like him again!

Jesus loves the little collateral damage, too

I remember a song from childhood about how Jesus loves all the little children of the world, "red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight". I know it doesn’t say "brown" in those lyrics, but it was clearly implied. 

So, in my humble opinion, it is imperative that every Christian in the U.S. demand that our government overlords immediately stop murdering brown children -- euphemistically and callously called "collateral damage" -- with drones or any other weapons of war.

Refund, please

US Drones Killed Scores, Now Yemen Scrambles to ID ‘Suspects’

Hey, remember the money that was taken from us last week on April 15? Here's where it goes. I'd like my money back.

Ron Paul had Obama's number 6 years ago

Liberals saw him as the change they could believe in. Conservatives saw him as a closet Communist. But in 2008, Ron Paul identified Barack Obama as what he now clearly is to anyone willing to see: the status quo -- a corporatist warmonger with no guiding principles, willing to do anything to further his own power.

Put away the wrenches!

"The economy is not a car, there's no engine to stall. 
No expert can fix it, there's no "it" at all. 
The economy is us, we don't need a mechanic. 
Put away the wrenches, the economy's organic!" 
  - Econstories F.A. Hayek (song starts at 1:30)

Free country?

America is my home, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. But this is clearly not a free country. Sure, we're better off than lots of others, but the government that claims authority over Americans still steals huge portions of income from us, spies on us, lies to us and mercilessly propagandizes us. It routinely breaks down the front doors of peaceful homes, and locks more people in cages than any country on earth. It also kills lots and lots of people, but we're largely spared from that here at home (although there is an alarming level of police violence against Americans). 

Anyway, it's a beautiful place with lots of great people and a pretty high standard of living and stuff like that. But it's not a free country. Let's not be silly.

The Empire conscripts sea animals

NATO Military Dolphins to Roam Black Sea

Even dolphins cannot escape the tentacles of the U.S. Empire.

Tax Season

Despite the annoyance of tax season, it's during this time that I have again recognized the U.S. is an exceptionally free country. I've read that there are places where you are forced to fund things you find morally reprehensible, and if you refuse they throw you in jail! How crazy is that?!

With liberators like these...

Bombs, Clashes Leave 46 Dead, 32 Hurt Across Iraq

Remember how we were told the purpose of the Iraq invasion and occupation was to liberate the people there from dictator Saddam Hussein and spread democracy? (This was after the WMD reason was exposed as a lie.) Well, in reality the U.S. created a chaotic power vacuum where ordinary people are weekly subjected to acts of deadly violence like these from Monday. With liberators like these, who needs dictators?

What George W. Bush has wrought

This March is the 11th anniversary of the Iraq invasion, and I am struck by the immeasurable death and destruction and long-lasting suffering that George W. Bush caused in this world.

He killed hundreds of thousands of innocents, and forced millions from their homes. He terrorized peaceful communities, and authorized the brutal torture of countless people. He sent thousands of U.S. soldiers to their deaths for blatant lies, wounded tens of thousands for life, and destroyed families who trusted him.

George W. Bush is a villain by any reasonable definition.

11 Years After US Invasion, Iraq Is a Wreck

Ukraine is to the U.S. as __________ is to Russia

How much of an interest does the U.S. have in Ukraine? About as much as Russia has in Nebraska, says Eric Margolis. (Yet, our fearless leaders risk worldwide catastrophe over it.)

http://www.lewrockwell.com/2014/03/eric-margolis/the-neocon-coup-in-kiev/

An Act of War for thee, but not for me

Government types are incapable of understanding or even wanting to understand or even realizing it might be useful to understand anything from the perspective of others. 

If Russia supported the overthrow of the Mexican government, and then the U.S. took actions to preserve control in Baja California (regardless of whether they'd be justifiable), and then Russia imposed economic sanctions on the U.S. in response, what would our officials think about it? 

I'm obviously no fan at all of Putin, but the most reckless and dangerous people in the entire world are not in Moscow, they are in Washington D.C.

Ron Paul slams US on Crimea crisis and says Russia sanctions are 'an act of war'

The Outrageous and Criminal Cover-Up By Obama and the CIA

Obama has done everything possible since the beginning of his presidency to prevent any accountability for the torture program under Bush. "But why? Wouldn't he love to harm the opposing political team?" some may ask. The answer is because ultimately they are on the same team: the U.S. government team. And Obama doesn't want any challenge to the enormous presidential power that he continues to expand. If Bush was ever held accountable for his crimes, surely that would mean Obama would be held accountable for his, too.

http://antiwar.com/blog/2014/03/13/the-outrageous-and-criminal-cover-up-by-obama-and-the-cia/

Bush's therapy: posing with vets he needlessly caused to be wounded

This guy starts two disastrous, unnecessary, unjust, illegal wars and then uses the vets he caused to be wounded (who fared better than those he caused to be killed) as props for his personal therapy. Class act.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/23/bush-says-working-with-vets-helps-him-cope/

Great comedy

With all due respect to Zach Galifinakis, who is a funny guy....great comedians challenge power, they don't do public relations for it.

Laughing at our rulers

I'm neither pro-Putin nor pro-Obama. But since only one of them claims the authority to rule me (and really, to rule the whole world), I'm particularly fond of jokes at Obama's expense. 

John Kerry said this with a completely straight face. Has he had too much Botox? Does he have amnesia? Maybe both? 

Ukraine is game to you!?

In this classic Seinfeld clip, Kramer plays the role of the constantly meddling US. I think there's a lesson here for Kerry, McCain, Obama, Clinton and the other interventionist warmongers about the way they may appear to the rest of the world, and the potential danger they put all of us in with their incessant meddling.

John Kerry slams 'new isolationism'

Today I traveled to another town, bought a few things and talked with some people who live there. But I didn't shoot anyone or blow anything up or try to force anyone to live a certain way. I guess interventionist warmongers like John Kerry would call me an isolationist.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/27/john-kerry-slams-new-isolationism-and-says-us-behaving-like-poor-nation

You have to respect the office

I've heard it said that whether you voted for the guy or not, and whether you agree or disagree with his policies, "you have to respect the office". (I'm pretty sure I even said it myself at one time.) But why? Would we say the same about the office of dictator, or Caesar, or emperor? 

Over the last hundred years, the office of the U.S. president has overseen the near elimination of the Bill of Rights in America, the transfer of trillions of dollars from the American people to powerful and politically connected special interests, and the killing/maiming/displacement of countless millions of human beings.

The office authorized the rounding up of innocent Americans into concentration camps based on their Japanese descent, ordered the only two nuclear attacks in history and did so against hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, and has routinely invaded, occupied, bombed and destroyed countries at will.

The office presently claims the authority to act as judge, jury and executioner any time, any place in the world against Americans and non-Americans alike. It also presides over the government with the largest prison population in the entire world. It also oversees the most expansive spying and surveillance apparatus in human history. It also viciously prosecutes truth-tellers and whistle-blowers who expose government crimes against society.

What could there possibly be to respect about this terrible office?

Heroes and Villains

This is a movie where the villains are the three-letter government agencies prohibiting potentially life-saving and pain-relieving medical treatments, the armed bureaucrats who use violence against their non-threatening victims because of peaceful activities, and the corporate cronies who utilize the power of the state to enrich themselves. 

And the heroes, however flawed they may be, are the individuals who benefit society with entrepreneurism, who care for each other and help each other regardless of whether it is approved by "the authorities", and who dare to defy the state in the pursuit of their own needs and the needs of their communities. 

In other words, Dallas Buyers Club is wonderfully true to life (unsurprisingly, it's based on a true story). It is an all-around great film and I highly recommend watching it.


UPDATE: I should add that it's rated R for a reason, so viewer beware.

Cop arrests Fireman

In a joint statement released after the session, they called the officer's detention an "unfortunate incident," labeling it "an isolated incident and not representative of the manner in which our agencies normally work together toward our common goal." - story at CNN.com

They absolutely do not have a common goal. The goal of firemen is to help people in emergencies. (I am, of course, opposed to the way fire services are organized through government coercion, but that's another discussion). The goal of the police is to enforce "THE LAW", a.k.a. hurt people for infractions of "THE LAW", mostly as defined by busybody authoritarian politicians and their special interest groups.

Seriously, so what?

When I talk about my support for completely ending prohibition, I often mention the fact that I have never used any of the drugs the government currently prohibits. I do that to preempt the dismissal that I'm just some guy who wants to get high. 

But even if that was what I wanted, so what? I drink alcohol for the purpose of altering my consciousness, and so do the rest of people I know who enjoy having a drink. I also love the taste of great beer, but that's certainly not the only reason why I just paid $5.99 to get 22 ounces of it from Trader Joe's, and I doubt it's why over 250,000,000 cases of Bud Light were sold in the U.S. last year. 

There are many reasons, both economic and practical, to end the War on Drugs. This is the moral case: government officials locking a human being in a cage because they choose to put a substance in their own body that some authoritarian politician decides should be illegal is just about as wrong as it gets.

First TV interview with Edward Snowden

VIDEO: German Television does first Edward Snowden Interview (ENGLISH)

"If I am a traitor, who did I betray? I gave all of my information to the American public, to American journalists, who were reporting on American issues. If they see that as treason, I think people really need to consider, "Who do they think they are working for?" The public is supposed to be their boss, not their enemy."

This interview is phenomenal. Edward Snowden is articulate, intelligent, and truly heroic.

Blah blah blah

"Freedom blah blah fairness blah blah peace blah blah blah"...said the head of an organization that is spying on all of us and the entire world, extorting billions daily from ordinary Americans to give to the powerful and politically connected, and running a global empire that kills and/or terrorizes innocents daily in its so-called War on Terror.

The State of the Empire address

I don't know how these plutocrats in government get away with pretending they give a crap about poor people. They don't. Their policies intentionally benefit the powerful and politically connected who in turn fund their campaigns, and they throw crumbs to the needy to placate them and get out the vote.

The militarized economy flowchart

Money is extracted from the American people —> politicians give it to a bomb maker (who donates to their campaigns in return) —> the bombs needlessly blow up people and destroy property —> Americans are now poorer, having lost the cost of building the bomb and the opportunity cost of not building something useful —> the bill arrives for the next batch of bombs. Repeat.

Bomb makers love this system. Families of dead/wounded innocents and American soldiers, as well as all of us that pay to build useless things and blow them up, don't.

Metal detectors required at big league ballparks by 2015

In 2015, we’ll have to walk through mandated security screening to get into the ballpark “which results from MLB’s continuing work with the Department of Homeland Security”. 

And before the game can start, we’ll be expected to place our hand over our heart and sing a song to the government about how free we are. Oh, the irony.

http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/metal-detectors-required-at-big-league-ballparks-by-2015/Content?oid=2684227

Given the choice

Report: Feds investigating Dennis Rodman for violating sanctions

Dennis Rodman does some weird things, and he’s possibly a bit crazy, but I’ll take a cross-dressing former-NBA star who visits people in other countries over a Peace Prize-wielding warmonger who kills people in other countries any day!

War and Empathy

by Mike Marion

When I used to believe that the U.S. could and should intervene in other countries, I never even stopped to consider it from the perspective of the millions of normal people living there. 

I mean, can you imagine if some government invaded our country tomorrow with tanks and bombs and guns, killed any Americans who resisted the attack, demolished our infrastructure, and then installed its own handpicked politicians to rule us? Or how about if that government daily patrolled our skies with drones, blowing up a Starbucks, a local church, office buildings and homes, maybe even a section of Disneyland looking for people who that government claimed were bad guys in its "War on Terror", even though most of the victims were just our family, friends and neighbors who had done nothing but be in the wrong place at the wrong time? 

How terrifying would that be? We’d still have to go to work, and go to the market, and visit family and friends, but the fear of a brutal, violent death would be constantly on our minds, and we'd know there was absolutely nothing we could do about it but hope and pray. 

I realized I just had no empathy for people in other countries — or rather, that any natural empathy I had was quickly overpowered by nationalism. Sure, I donated to causes for disaster relief and for starving kids in Africa, and I went on some church mission trips to poverty stricken areas in Mexico. But I also supported my government going into other poor countries and literally destroying them for its own political purposes (maybe I didn't think of it in those terms, but that's what actually happened). 

When these politicians — who I otherwise knew were constantly lying, and screwing things up, and looking out for their own power and special interests — said a certain country was a danger to my safety, or whatever other excuse, I believed them! I rooted for "our team”. I was glad the government was keeping me safe, and the death and destruction and terror it brought to countless people just like me didn’t even cross my mind.

Anyway, it’s mind-boggling when I think of it this way. How on earth does the State convince us to betray our instincts, our morals and values, and our consciences when it shouts something like “terror!” or “national security!” and rallies us to the flag? An entity that can do this to a society is much scarier to me than a small network of poor militants thousands of miles away who are primarily motivated to attack the U.S. in the first place because of what it does in their countries. 

You know what I mean? 

Gang violence

If a gang beat to death an unarmed, homeless, mentally ill man as he pled for his life and cried out for his dad, it would obviously be called murder, right? Well, not if the gang was wearing uniforms and badges, apparently.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/13/us/california-homeless-beating-verdict/

Nullification works

"If you put that plant in your body, we'll put you in a cage," says the U.S. government. "Screw you. We’re adults and we'll do what we want," say the people of #Colorado. What a great start to 2014. Next up: #nullify the #NSA! h/t Tenth Amendment Center

State Nullification Works: Colorado Marijuana Stores Prove it

Enough is enough

Iraq has had enough of US 'engagement'

There was no al-Qaeda in Iraq before the U.S. invasion and occupation. Now there is, and militants control some of Iraq's major cities. The U.S. continues funding the conflict there, and some senators argue that even more intervention is needed. Our government overlords are a dangerous combination of reckless, incompetent, and insane.