New blog address

Please visit the new blog location at www.iownmyself.com.

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.