Obama's Jewish Vision of America

Rebel Newsflash: Obama's Jewish Vision of America (plus 88 more items)

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• Obama's Jewish Vision of America
• Criticize Israel, Bless Israel
• The Lights Are Going Out For Free Speech On The Internet
• Congressman Ron Paul "Suspicious" Of BP, U.S. Government Response To Spill
• Keep the Internet Open for All
• Beyond hypocrisy
• The crux of our endless War on Terror
• Shock And Awe: Fireworks, Smiley Faces, and The Depression
• Republicans Incite Class Warfare—Within the Middle Class
• Republicans: A Party of Unemployment
• A Damning New Report on George W. Bush
• Ron Paul Slams Federal Interference In Oil Spill Relief Efforts
• You Can't Take Photos Here in America No More!!
• It Feels like It's 1932
• Afghanistan - Obama's War for Israel
• Russian-US relations: Wooing America
• On the Cusp of the Next Ice Age
• Turkey- Israel Row
• Biden in Baghdad
• Fear or Apathy, We Are All To Blame
• Letters from Palestine – Book Review
• The Case for Nostalgia
• President Ahmadinejad
• Settler Violence Report, May-June 2010
• Helmand in a Handbag
• Afghans Find Their Welcome Running Out in Pakistan
• Death by Remote
• Exum's Challenge: Game On!
• Turkey, America, and Empire's Twilight
• E. Jerusalem Peace May Rest on the Future of 88 Houses
• The root of all evil
• Male Vanity Hits The Midwest
• Jean Cocteau's House Opens, The Bulls Go Running in Pamplona
• Treason Lobby Does Damage Control On Birthright Citizenship
• The Elusive Traditional Woman
• It isn't Enough!
• Diversity or Deception?
• IKEA furnishing the occupation
• The Derivatives Scam
• Announcing a Small Victory over Israel
• The shame of the adult stutterer
• Israel window-dresses the blockade, but nothing really changes
• Who's afraid of the Palestinians?
• Ten tips for Netanyahu
• Heading for a volunteer army
• Survival is not an objective
• How prepared is Israel to defend its home front?
• Perhaps Israel should offer Hamas chance to swap more than just Shalit
• On Netanyahu's map of concerns there is no room for neighbors
• Bibi Back at the White House
• Adolph Hitler: War Hero, Street Cleaner, Prostitute or Secret Agent: A Psychohistory Analysis
• Military Patrols Beach in Panama City
• The General, the Journalist, and the Power of Israel
• An American "Terrorist" in London
• Despite Rumors, Officials Insist No Gulf Evacuation Planned
• Monday: 6 Iraqis Killed, 46 Wounded
• The BP/Government police state
• Economists, Financial Experts: U.S. Is Trapped In 1932 Size Depression
• Is America Really Free, If A Privately-Owned Central Bank Controls Our Currency And Runs Our Economy?
• My Private Obama
• Fending For Themselves
• Dramatic increase in leakage of methane gas from the Arctic seabed.
• When Will America Be Free From BP?
• Middle East War: U.S. Doctors Approved Torture and Denied Medical Care to Captives
• Change? Green Jobs Advocate Faces Prison for Dropping Banner While BP and Massey Go Free?
• Spy tech that 'monitors conversations' being launched in Europe
• The Other Independence Day
• Somalia's corruption epidemic
• The Push for Energy Deregulation Threatens America's Heartland
• Oakland Police Search Without Warrants
• As Israel Lays Down Smoke, Stay Human
• Obama's Expanded Military Spying and Torture Network
• New tensions test old allies
• Freedom in the Grace of the World
• Israel: World Tired of Us
• The Million-Dollar Penny
• It's off to feminist summer camp
• New Eugenics and the Rise of the Global Scientific Dictatorship
• Inside Story - Independence day
• Why are we still in Afghanistan?
• Targeting Israel's Legitimacy
• Profits and Moves Behind the Downturn
• Retired Geography Professor Advocates Global One-Child Policy
• US rapper Talib Kweli: I don't trust any govt!
• Ron Paul Interview
• The Future of Audit the Fed
• We Pledge Resistance to the Empire
• Dangerous Game: A Reply to Gita Sahgal and Her Supporters
• Happy Intweependence Day...

Obama's Jewish Vision of America Posted: 06 Jul 2010 08:19 AM PDT In this treasonous speech, delivered on 1 July 2010, Barack Hussein Obama, president of the United States, advocates in favor of alien interlopers, claiming that "being an American is not a matter of blood or birth". This is not surprising coming from someone with a cloud over their own blood and birth. His view is: It's a matter of faith. It's a matter of fidelity to the shared values that we all hold so dear. That's what makes us unique. That's what makes us strong. Anybody can help us write the next great chapter in our history.

Criticize Israel, Bless Israel Posted: 06 Jul 2010 08:14 AM PDT In 2006, Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu paid special tribute to Irgun, the Jewish terrorist organization. He dedicated a plaque at the rebuilt King David hotel, which Irgun had bombed in 1946, killing 91, primarily British. In 1948 Irgun slaughtered more than 100 innocent Palestinian men, women, and children. Zionists then drove 800,000 panic-stricken Arabs out of Israel to eventually inhabit concentration camps in Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank. Netanyahu made it clear the terrorists' blood flowed in his veins. Irgun made the Jewish state possible and he was profoundly grateful. By authorizing Israel's recent terrorist attack on the Free Gaza flotilla, Netanyahu showed his likeness of spirit.

The Lights Are Going Out For Free Speech On The Internet Posted: 06 Jul 2010 04:55 AM PDT Type the keywords "Internet censorship" into Google News and you will immediately understand to what degree the world wide web is under assault from attempts by governments globally to regulate and stifle free speech. From Australia to Belarus, from Turkey to Vietnam, from Pakistan to Egypt, from Afghanistan to Iran, huge chunks of the Internet are going dark as the Chinese model of Internet regulation is adopted worldwide.

Congressman Ron Paul "Suspicious" Of BP, U.S. Government Response To Spill Posted: 06 Jul 2010 04:55 AM PDT Texas Congressman Ron Paul says he is dubious that the government and BP are responding to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill effectively, and has intimated that tensions between them have been hyped for political gain.

Keep the Internet Open for All Posted: 06 Jul 2010 02:32 AM PDT Perhaps the greatest freedom in a democracy is freedom of speech. Throughout our nation's history, people have died fighting not only for our right to speak, but for our right to be heard. The Internet is the greatest communications network ever created because it allows us to speak for ourselves without first asking permission from corporate gatekeepers. The Internet's importance as a forum for speech is the result of the principle called net neutrality, which prevents the phone and cable companies that provide Internet service from discriminating against content online or interfering with the free flow of Internet traffic.

Beyond hypocrisy Posted: 06 Jul 2010 02:17 AM PDT Almost two millennia ago, the great Chinese military leader and strategist Zhuge Liang admonished his fellow military men that "when hypocrisy sprouts, even if you have the wisdom of ancient warrior kings you could not defeat a peasant, let alone a crowd of them". He might have well added that hypocrisy is as harmful for the peasants trying to win a measure of freedom as it is to the king that is trying to defeat them.

The crux of our endless War on Terror Posted: 06 Jul 2010 02:07 AM PDT As I wrote last week, the Obama administration finally purported to defend its presidential assassination program aimed at American citizens, when Obama's Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Michael Leiter, offered patently misleading claims to justify it.  Yesterday, Newsweek's Michael Isikoff posed several good questions to Leiter about this program and the "War on Terror" generally -- several of which are themes raised often here -- and Leiter's responses compellingly illustrate the utter illogic and counter-productive nature of our Terrorism and war policies.

Shock And Awe: Fireworks, Smiley Faces, and The Depression Posted: 06 Jul 2010 01:55 AM PDT Two days after a jobs report showed how many Americans are down, the nation was looking up - at fireworks signaling the anniversary of American independence (even as the BP disaster shows how dependent we've become.). On July 4th, here in New York, my block was jammed with ooing and ahing onlookers as was the whole West Side of Manhattan when the Macy's Department store shot off 40,000 shells at a rate of 1500 a minute and at a cost of $500,000.

Republicans Incite Class Warfare—Within the Middle Class Posted: 06 Jul 2010 01:42 AM PDT The Republicans have found a new scapegoat for the economy, in addition to illegal immigrants. The new scapegoat is public sector workers. Unwilling to blame Bush for the budget deficit, unable to blame Wall Street for wrecking the economy, and incapable of blaming a lack of regulation or capitalism itself for the morass we're in, Republicans are pointing their fingers now at public sector workers.

Republicans: A Party of Unemployment Posted: 06 Jul 2010 01:34 AM PDT From now until 2 November, the Republican party will be the party of unemployment. The logic is straightforward: the more people who are unemployed on election day, the better the prospects for Republicans in the fall election. They expect, with good cause, that voters will hold the Democrats responsible for the state of the economy. Therefore, anything that the Republicans can do to make the economy worse between now and then will help their election prospects.

A Damning New Report on George W. Bush Posted: 06 Jul 2010 12:36 AM PDT George W. Bush is among the five least accomplished U.S. presidents, according to a new survey by the U.S.'s top 238 leading presidential scholars. They have been polled by the Siena College Research Institute's (SRI) annually for the last 28 years. While president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who led the country from 1933 until his death in 1945, ranked first in overall accomplishments, former President Bush ranked worst among modern presidents –and the fifth worst in history. According to the Survey of U.S. Presidents the top five, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, are Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

Ron Paul Slams Federal Interference In Oil Spill Relief Efforts Posted: 05 Jul 2010 11:53 PM PDT As tar balls from the BP oil spill wash into Galveston, Texas, Congressman Ron Paul has slammed federal interference in the relief effort that is hampering local attempts to mitigate the consequences of the disaster, mimicking how the feds deliberately botched the response to hurricane Katrina and made the crisis worse. "They have done a lot to interfere," Paul told National Political Correspondent Jessica Yellin on CNN's "John King USA."

You Can't Take Photos Here in America No More!! Posted: 05 Jul 2010 09:27 PM PDT Alex Covers a story of a PBS Photographer who was told he couldn't take pictures here in america.

It Feels like It's 1932 Posted: 05 Jul 2010 09:27 PM PDT Alex details how we must do more to wake people up.

Afghanistan - Obama's War for Israel Posted: 05 Jul 2010 09:15 PM PDT Bruce Riedel is Obama's chief adviser on the war in Afghanistan and the father of the ill-advised "surge", which calls for tens of thousands more U.S. troops to be sent to the failing campaign.  Riedel is employed in a Mossad-funded think tank run by an Israeli friend of Ehud Barak and Shimon Peres.  Is this the "change" Americans really wanted?

Russian-US relations: Wooing America Posted: 05 Jul 2010 09:10 PM PDT The past two years have witnessed a much more pliable Russia, retreating from the fiery rhetoric of Putin concerning NATO, the war in Afghanistan and America's targetting of Iran. Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has turned Russian foreign policy around, playing to US. he signed the new START treaty, agreed to transit war materiel to Afghanistan, and supports US-sponsored sanctions against Iran. To crown his charm offensive, he made a photo-op visit to the US last month to meet not only his "reset" friend in the White House, but business leaders and computer nerds in Silicon Valley, much like his predecessor Nikita Khrushchev did a half century ago.

On the Cusp of the Next Ice Age Posted: 05 Jul 2010 09:04 PM PDT The amazing photos by James Appleton of the recent volcanic eruption on Iceland capture images of the cosmic and planetary forces that affect Earth's climate.  Solar radiation, volcanic eruptions (above and below the seas) and the cycle of ice ages are among the key subjects discussed in Robert Felix's fascinating books about magnetic reversals, climate change, and evolutionary leaps.

Turkey- Israel Row Posted: 05 Jul 2010 08:50 PM PDT Israel rejects Turkey's calls for apology over Freedom Flotilla attack.

Biden in Baghdad Posted: 05 Jul 2010 08:06 PM PDT US Vice President in Iraq on Surprise Visit.

Fear or Apathy, We Are All To Blame Posted: 05 Jul 2010 07:38 PM PDT Over the years, I have lambasted the U.S. government, particularly in the area of foreign policy. Wars, copious amounts of taxpayer dollars in aid to an apartheid state, inherent racism and hypocrisy have provided endless fodder for constant criticism. Has that criticism been aimed at the right place? The motivations behind the aforementioned institutionalized evils are elementary: money, power and greed; however the real problem is much deeper. A government that—at least in principle—is supposed to be "for the people, by the people" must relinquish some of the responsibility for erroneous policy to the people. Whether we feel the need to acquiesce out of fear or out of apathy, we are equally culpable.

Letters from Palestine – Book Review Posted: 05 Jul 2010 07:33 PM PDT Kenneth Ring's writing on Palestine has already received just praise, as it is another in a series of recently published works that cry from the heart of Palestine. [1] And while I have read many other books on Palestine, "Letters from Palestine", as with others that are set within a personal context, brings forth the undying hope and resilience of the Palestinian people in the face of severe hostility from Israel and a careless disregard from most of the western media and governments. What come through uniquely from this work is that of hope combined with youthfulness, that the Palestinian story will surely go on and on as long as there are Palestinians to relate it.

The Case for Nostalgia Posted: 05 Jul 2010 07:07 PM PDT Why is there so much nostalgia for the 1950s in White America? Why does this folk memory of pre-Obama America haunt the Progressive movement? The answer: in almost every conceivable way, particularly in regard to cultural issues, life was better for the ordinary White American than it is now.

President Ahmadinejad Posted: 05 Jul 2010 06:54 PM PDT Exclusive Q&A with Mr. Mojtaba Samare Hashemi, President Ahmadinejad's Senior Advisor.

Settler Violence Report, May-June 2010 Posted: 05 Jul 2010 06:11 PM PDT On 11 May, during the night, settlers destroyed the fence built between Khelly and Humra valleys, near the At-Tuwani village, southwest of Hebron. The villagers found the destroyed wire in the morning. The wire had been erected two months before, in order to protect the village from settler raids and in response to the expansion of the nearby Ma'on settlement and Havat Ma'on outpost.

Helmand in a Handbag Posted: 05 Jul 2010 06:00 PM PDT "What, Me McWorry?" noted that by replacing Stan McChrystal with David Petraeus, Barack Obama has bought the Pentagon's Long War agenda lock, stock, and pork barrel. "Helmand in a Handbag" discusses why it seems that our national security team is losing its woebegone wars on purpose. Gen. Stanley McChrystal had ample reasons for wanting to get fired as top banana in the Bananastans*. The Marjah offensive that was hyped as the "test" of the Afghanistan strategy had, by his own admission, turned into a "bleeding ulcer." He'd been forced to postpone the follow-on offensive to liberate Kandahar – called "the most critical operation of the war" – because the Kandaharis told him thanks anyway, but they were liberated enough for now. "It takes time to convince people," McChrystal told his press entourage in early June, well aware that time was a commodity he was fresh out of.

Afghans Find Their Welcome Running Out in Pakistan Posted: 05 Jul 2010 06:00 PM PDT The number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan who will return to their homeland this year is expected to be double the 2009 figure, but it's not only a longing for their native soil that is fueling the Afghans' departure. Many of the refugees say Pakistanis – officials and local folk alike – have made it clear that they are unwelcome, and have increasingly made life here difficult for them.

Death by Remote Posted: 05 Jul 2010 06:00 PM PDT As the Barack Obama administration continues to roll out justifications for its policy of targeting U.S. citizens and others thought to be attacking U.S. troops, legal and national security experts are pondering a central question: What if there's a mistake and the wrong person gets killed? There are no do-overs. It is a death sentence. That, in fact, has already happened. A Reuters cameraman was killed by a U.S. drone strike when the operator mistook his camera's long-range lens for a rocket-propelled grenade. Nevertheless, a top Obama counterterrorism official is defending the government's right to target U.S. citizens perceived as terror threats for capture or killing, citing the example of the renegade al-Qaeda-linked cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

Exum's Challenge: Game On! Posted: 05 Jul 2010 06:00 PM PDT As the dust was settling on what has been glibly called the "Rolling Stan" affair, it became apparent that the biggest damage that reporter Michael Hastings wrought was not in exposing Gen. Stan McChrystal and his staff for their impolitic grumblings, but in challenging the very strategy of the war itself. More specifically, he raised the notion that not only is Afghanistan a mess, but that combat troops are confused and frustrated with the deployment of COIN (counterinsurgency) in the field. They feel the "population-centric" rules of engagement have hindered their ability to hunt down and kill the enemy. According to the soldiers themselves, they feel tied down and exposed.

Turkey, America, and Empire's Twilight Posted: 05 Jul 2010 06:00 PM PDT When U.S. forces found themselves beset by a growing insurgency in Iraq following their lightning overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the most obvious parallel that came to mind was Vietnam: an occupying army, far from home, besieged by a shadowy foe. But Patrick Cockburn, the Independent's ace Middle East reporter, suggested that the escalating chaos was more like the Boer War than the conflict in Southeast Asia. It was a parallel that was lost on most Americans, very few of whom know anything about the short, savage, turn-of-the-century war between Dutch settlers and the British Empire in South Africa.

E. Jerusalem Peace May Rest on the Future of 88 Houses Posted: 05 Jul 2010 06:00 PM PDT Frequent clashes and continuing tension in disputed East Jerusalem could portend a major outbreak of civil unrest, residents fear. Confrontations follow Israel's acceleration of plans to demolish dozens of Palestinian homes. This could leave over a thousand Palestinians homeless.

The root of all evil Posted: 05 Jul 2010 04:24 PM PDT The tireless depleted uranium activist Leuren Moret first confirmed my  suspicions of this. But it was the late David Astle, in his seminal  work "The Babylonian Woe" (1975), who identified it with irrefutable  clarity. The problems of tyranny, manipulation and oppression we face today are  the same problems that have afflicted every civilization and every  empire since the very beginnings of civilization as far back as we can  track it. In every instance, these tragedies are all the spawn of the  same secret and corrupt principles.

Male Vanity Hits The Midwest Posted: 05 Jul 2010 04:23 PM PDT There have been many signs of the apocalypse as of late. We have a war in the birthplace of the Lord as was foretold in The Omen III , Global Warming is causing sheep to shrink as mentioned in Ecclesiastes, and the oil spill in the Gulf is either the "behemoth of blackness" from Revelation 1:1 or the "sea of death" from Enoch, i.1, 2; x.2ff. However, none of these divine messages hammer us over the head as thoroughly as the prevalence of swim shirts.

Jean Cocteau's House Opens, The Bulls Go Running in Pamplona Posted: 05 Jul 2010 03:46 PM PDT La Maison Cocteau at Milly-la-Forêt is open to the public after five years and €4 million. The poet, dramatist, painter, and film-maker occupied the house, which is less than an hour from Paris,  from 1947 until 1963. Cocteau worked on some of his most important projects there, including the films "Beauty and the Beast" and "Orpheus". The artist is buried in the nearby Chapelle Saint-Blaise-des-Simples. Pierre Bergé, partner of the late fashion designer and art collector, Yves Saint Laurent spearheaded the renovation. The house itself is a work of art, ceramics, tapestries, paintings and furniture are on display. The main rooms of the residence have been restored, and other parts of the house have been reconfigured to make exhibition spaces. Visitors can see various sculptures and objects from Cocteau's film sets in the renovated gardens. A new exhibition is planned for each coming year, on subjects including Cocteau's relationships with Picasso, the Nouvelle Vague film-makers, and Christian Bérard, the artist, fashion illustrator and designer. An outdoor restaurant under a pergola in the orchard planted by Cocteau will be open to the public. Take a day trip from Paris while the weather's good.

Treason Lobby Does Damage Control On Birthright Citizenship Posted: 05 Jul 2010 03:17 PM PDT The Treason Lobby is getting very nervous about the issue of birthright citizenship —the current interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment that gives U.S. citizenship to everyone born in the U.S., including the children of illegal aliens. Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce, who introduced the anti-illegal alien SB 1070 , indicated he would like to introduce a bill to deny birthright citizenship on the state level. Legislation is already pending in Texas and Oklahoma plans on following suit as well. A number of U.S. Senate Candidates, including Rand Paul , are making birthright citizenship an issue during the campaign. A June 3 Rasmussen poll found that 58% of US voters opposed giving birthright citizenship to the children of illegal aliens while only 33% supported it.

The Elusive Traditional Woman Posted: 05 Jul 2010 03:06 PM PDT I recognize that I am opening up a can of worms with this post. The sex/gender related posts tend to generate more controversy and responses than any other topic. But this is an important subject . It is worthy of further exploration.

It isn't Enough! Posted: 05 Jul 2010 02:56 PM PDT Alex details how we must do more to wake people up.

Diversity or Deception? Posted: 05 Jul 2010 01:11 PM PDT Anybody with 2 braincells now left sees it — even the most multicult liberal. No, they won't say so openly, but they certainly have to see it.

IKEA furnishing the occupation Posted: 05 Jul 2010 12:26 PM PDT Swedish Radio reported on 23 June that home furnishings retail giant IKEA in Israel discriminately ships to Israel's illegal settlements but not Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank. Swedish Radio's correspondent in Israel, Cecilia Udden, explained that she was moving to the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and asked the staff at IKEA Israel if her furniture could be delivered there. She reported that behind the store's counter was a huge map of Israel that showed no boundaries for the occupied West Bank, Gaza Strip, or the Syrian Golan Heights. Although IKEA's cost of transport is calculated according to distance, to Udden's surprise, transport to Ramallah was not possible. However, the store did inform her that furniture could be delivered to various Israeli settlements throughout the occupied West Bank.

The Derivatives Scam Posted: 05 Jul 2010 12:07 PM PDT Alex covers the biggest scam to hit the financial market in years, and exposes how the fall of america is all by design to put america under control of the international maifa banking cartel of the NWO. Alex also takes your calls for your solutions of how to get us out of this mess and any new intel people on the gulf coast have about a possible evac from those hard hit areas.

Announcing a Small Victory over Israel Posted: 05 Jul 2010 11:13 AM PDT The center of the old city of Hebron turned to a concentration camp under the war criminal Udi Ben Moha!! Israel does not care about the Palestinian negotiator and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. They do not care about the American envoy Georg Mitchell or US President Barak Obama. Israel deals with everybody from the position of absolute and god-given superiority, with the arrogance of a zionist occupier, of a "negotiator" who has become accustomed to think that everybody is enslaved to the zionist organizations. On the other hand, the arrogant zionists of the Israeli occupation calculate a thousand times the consequences of their crimes, they hold emergency sessions to manage possible consequences whenever a government official or one of the military war criminals plans to travel abroad.

The shame of the adult stutterer Posted: 05 Jul 2010 11:01 AM PDT I should write this first, since it's what people notice first: I stutter when I talk. I involuntarily extend certain letters or sounds and, more conspicuously, experience total "blocks," wherein my lips, face, throat and chest all tighten, my breath stops, and no sound comes out at all. I am 26, and suspect that I'll stutter for the rest of my life. But as a kid, I figured that just as I'd grow, one day I would speak normally, and get on with my real life. That life never started, and I remember the place where it became clear that it wouldn't.

Israel window-dresses the blockade, but nothing really changes Posted: 05 Jul 2010 10:45 AM PDT As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for a "kiss and make up" session at the White House tomorrow, Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a new list of items that will be banned from entering the Gaza Strip. The decision comes after weeks of international pressure following the Israeli raid on a Gaza aid flotilla, and seems to be meant to appease the Obama administration. But the new policy amounts to nothing more than window-dressing, and will do little for the people of Gaza. Minus some cosmetic changes, the blockade policy of "economically strangling" Gaza stays the same.

Who's afraid of the Palestinians? Posted: 05 Jul 2010 10:24 AM PDT Little noticed in the brouhaha that surrounded the Israeli interception of the "peace flotilla" that tried to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip was Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's remarks to the Egyptian parliament last week. Trying to distance Egypt from the problem of allowing supplies to enter Gaza, even though Egypt shares a border with the Strip and could supply the population there with all its needs, he said: "Israel is trying to shirk its responsibility to Gaza and throw it at Egypt." He studiously ignored the fact that if Egypt had been prepared to allow supplies for Gaza to enter through the Rafah crossing, there would have been no excuse for attempting to bring supplies in by sea.

Ten tips for Netanyahu Posted: 05 Jul 2010 10:24 AM PDT Before you are warmly welcomed to the White House today as part of a pre-planned gathering, I hope you remembered to hide the boastful headline "I won" that appeared in big letters on the front page of the daily Maariv a month ago. Walk into the Oval Office with the goal of opening a new page in your relationship with U.S. President Barack Obama. No bragging of how "I won" or "I subdued him," but rather with the respect the president deserves - the man who received the Nobel Peace Prize before making peace and the leader we will almost certainly depend on for the next seven years.

Heading for a volunteer army Posted: 05 Jul 2010 10:24 AM PDT Under cover of the Economic Arrangements Bill, the Finance Ministry is laying the groundwork for turning the IDF into a volunteer army. The ministry is proposing to lower the military exemption age for ultra-Orthodox men from 35 to 24 and to shorten compulsory service for men by half a year. Combat soldiers will continue to serve three years, but with a full salary for the additional months of service. Both these demands are based on economic logic: encouraging ultra-Orthodox men to enter the job market by extricating them from the "Torah study as profession" bind, and bringing other young men into the job market earlier, thus reducing the loss to local production.

Survival is not an objective Posted: 05 Jul 2010 10:24 AM PDT Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama today for the fifth time. Few leaders are privileged with such frequent opportunities to state their positions to the leader of the world's strongest power. With his invitation, Obama is demonstrating his dedication to commitments made in his Cairo address, during which he pledged to end the Middle East conflict. Reports emerging from Washington suggest the White House is trying to calm the ill wind that has polluted the Obama-Netanyahu relationship, and is going out of its way to show the guest from Jerusalem a warm welcome.

How prepared is Israel to defend its home front? Posted: 05 Jul 2010 10:24 AM PDT Next week's fourth anniversary of the outbreak of the Second Lebanon War is a good time to revisit an issue that morphed into a national trauma. During a symposium held at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University on Sunday, senior Israel Defense Forces Homefront Command officers attracted a measure of attention. The home front commander, Gen. Yair Golan, acknowledged that "we failed in our efforts to supply gas masks to the entire public." The head of the Home Front Command's population protection division, Col. Hilik Sofer, said that "Israel is not prepared for a chemical war."

Perhaps Israel should offer Hamas chance to swap more than just Shalit Posted: 05 Jul 2010 10:24 AM PDT It is clear that in the familiar situation - in other words, the situation as we are accustomed to seeing it - such an idea sounds unrealistic, but is it really so unrealistic? With the help of foreign mediators, are the State of Israel and the Hamas government really incapable of reaching a partial but effective agreement of this type? Would such an agreement be "legitimizing a terror organization," as the opponents of any contact with Hamas claim, or would it actually be the realistic act of a country that tries with daring and flexibility to improve its difficult situation? In any event, aren't the negotiations now being conducted with Hamas"legitimizing a terror organization" in a way?

On Netanyahu's map of concerns there is no room for neighbors Posted: 05 Jul 2010 10:24 AM PDT Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog was quoted in these pages over three months ago as saying: "The diplomatic issue is the main thing keeping us in the government, because we have a genuine wish to reach a breakthrough with the Palestinians and the Syrians." ("What is the Labor Party still doing in a right-wing government?" March 22 ). "And we see the possibility of ending this partnership if there is no change of direction in the coming months," Herzog, one of the top members of the Labor Party, added assertively during that interview given to Aluf Benn.

Bibi Back at the White House Posted: 05 Jul 2010 09:59 AM PDT With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visiting the White House July 6th , it's time to recall how Tel Aviv deceived Washington throughout the entirety of the U.S.-Israeli relationship. U.S. military leaders will be watching this meeting very closely, as will the veterans community.

Adolph Hitler: War Hero, Street Cleaner, Prostitute or Secret Agent: A Psychohistory Analysis Posted: 05 Jul 2010 08:46 AM PDT Hitler wasn't insane and didn't rant and rave because he was mentally ill. In 1912 he was brainwashed at his grandfather's Society for Psychical Research (SPR) most likely at the British Military Psych-Ops War School at Tavistock in Devon and in Ireland.

Military Patrols Beach in Panama City Posted: 05 Jul 2010 08:43 AM PDT In the middle of June it was reported that BP hired private security contractor to keep the media away from sites the transnational corporation claims it is cleaning. "BP, in a move destined to go down as one of the bestest public relations moves ever, has apparently hired a private security company to help to keep pesky reporters from covering the unfolding catastrophe on the beaches of the Gulf Coast," Adam Rawnsley writes for Wired.

The General, the Journalist, and the Power of Israel Posted: 05 Jul 2010 07:05 AM PDT Philip Weiss, who runs a blog called Mondoweiss (War of Ideas in the Middle East) has just posted a remarkable piece entitled "Petraeus Emails Show General Scheming with Journalist to Get out pro-Israel storyline." If  true, it is a tale of honesty and dishonesty, opportunism, and cowardice. It indicates that Gen. David Petraeus, who just replaced Gen. McChrystal as commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan, has frankly assessed that the intimate U.S. relationship with Israel is costing U.S. lives in the Middle East. But he's concerned that his views may cost him politically and so uses buddies in the media to conceal them.

An American "Terrorist" in London Posted: 05 Jul 2010 06:30 AM PDT Welcome to Orwell's '1984' ladies and gentlemen, where black is white, white is black, and the truth is nothing but a word. My 1984 reality is culminating with the United States and Israeli Governments treating me and/or charging me with being a "terrorist". Americans worry not, you can sleep better at night knowing your "homeland" is being defended from the likes of me. And Israel, rest easy as well, it's Ken O'Keefe and his Arab collaborators who are in the Mossad crosshairs.

Despite Rumors, Officials Insist No Gulf Evacuation Planned Posted: 05 Jul 2010 06:17 AM PDT Despite growing rumors that there are plans for an imminent evacuation of the area affected by the BP oil spill, officials insist that no such program is being considered, attributing the stories to Internet bloggers with overactive imaginations. For the past few weeks, the Infowars office has been bombarded with emails containing links to dubious websites that cite even more dubious sources in claiming that a massive evacuation program is being readied. The latest reports claim that soldiers are moving military families out of the Gulf to get ahead of the deluge of people who will be forced out of the area.

Monday: 6 Iraqis Killed, 46 Wounded Posted: 05 Jul 2010 05:25 AM PDT At least six Iraqis were killed and 46 more were wounded in attacks across the country, but rocket and mortar attacks that may have targeted U.S. Vice President Joe Biden left no casualties in the Green Zone. Meanwhile, Biden spoke with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani before wrapping up his trip to Iraq. At least four security personnel were wounded during clashes and fistfights between Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Iraqi troops in Qurat Tabba. Details are sketchy but the altercation started either during a traffic accident or as the Peshmerga were parked in a "provocative" location.

The BP/Government police state Posted: 05 Jul 2010 05:06 AM PDT Last week, I interviewed Mother Jones' Mac McClelland, who has been covering the BP oil spill in the Gulf since the first day it happened.  She detailed how local police and federal officials work with BP to harass, impede, interrogate and even detain journalists who are covering the impact of the spill and the clean-up efforts.  She documented one incident which was particularly chilling of an activist who -- after being told by a local police officer to stop filming a BP facility because "BP didn't want him filming" -- was then pulled over after he left by that officer so he could be interrogated by a BP security official.  McClelland also described how BP has virtually bought entire Police Departments which now do its bidding:  "One parish has 57 extra shifts per week that they are devoting entirely to, basically, BP security detail, and BP is paying the sheriff's office."

Economists, Financial Experts: U.S. Is Trapped In 1932 Size Depression Posted: 05 Jul 2010 04:57 AM PDT Following Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman's declaration last week that the U.S. is in entering a third period of great depression, more and more economists are following suit, comparing the scale of the crisis to that of the early 1930s. "The economy is still in the gravitational pull of the Great Recession," Robert Reich, former US labour secretary noted this weekend. "All the booster rockets for getting us beyond it are failing."

Is America Really Free, If A Privately-Owned Central Bank Controls Our Currency And Runs Our Economy? Posted: 05 Jul 2010 04:56 AM PDT This weekend we celebrated America's Independence Day.  But are we really a free nation?  The truth is that it is really hard to argue that we are "free" when our currency system and our economy are run by an unelected privately-owned central bank. You see, the truth is that the U.S. government does not "print money" whenever it wants.  Under the current system, in order to get more U.S. currency, the U.S. government has to borrow it.  The Federal Reserve creates the new currency out of thin air and then either keeps the "U.S. Treasury bonds" they get in return from the U.S. government or they sell them off to others.  But what kind of sense does that make?  Why does a "free government" have to go into debt to print its own currency?  It is the U.S. government that should be printing U.S. currency – not a privately-owned bank called the Federal Reserve.

My Private Obama Posted: 05 Jul 2010 03:06 AM PDT We in the progressive community have projected our own visions onto Barack Obama ever since we first noticed him as a remarkable political novice. It was clear from the 2008 campaign that he was a basically a centrist and seeker of common ground. But sometimes a crisis makes a presidency. And history has seldom delivered a more graphic, teachable crisis than the one that Obama inherited. So we voted our hopes that events could compel Obama to govern as a progressive.

Fending For Themselves Posted: 05 Jul 2010 03:01 AM PDT We drive south on Louisiana Highway 55 towards Pointe-au-Chien. The two-lane road hugs a bayou, like most of the roads leading south into the marsh areas. Incredibly green, lush forest gives way to increasing areas of water the further south we venture, until the very road feels as though it is floating. We cross over a small concrete bridge over another bayou and find ourselves square in front of the Pointe-au-Chien sign informing us this is their tribal area. We've come to meet Theresa Dardar, in order to learn more about how the BP oil disaster is decimating the indigenous populations of Southern Louisiana.

Dramatic increase in leakage of methane gas from the Arctic seabed. Posted: 05 Jul 2010 02:33 AM PDT Scientists have uncovered what appears to be a further dramatic increase in the leakage of methane gas that is seeping from the Arctic seabed. Methane is about 20 times more potent than CO2 in trapping solar heat. The findings come from measurements of carbon fluxes around the north of Russia, led by Igor Semiletov from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks.

When Will America Be Free From BP? Posted: 05 Jul 2010 02:29 AM PDT On July 4th, Americans are supposed to celebrate their independence. We may no longer have to worry about a greedy, distant monarch. But our country is still held in thrall to powerful interests that prize profit over individuals and their freedom—the energy industry comes to mind. As Jason Mark puts it at AlterNet: "We're in an abusive relationship and unable to leave our abuser. The plight of the people in Louisiana proves the point. Louisianans have been punched in the face by the hand that feeds them, and yet their biggest worry is that the oil and gas industry is going to walk out the door and leave them."

Middle East War: U.S. Doctors Approved Torture and Denied Medical Care to Captives Posted: 05 Jul 2010 02:23 AM PDT American doctors in the Middle East routinely approved the torture of captured suspects and denied them critical medications such as insulin, sometimes with lethal consequences, according to a documented report published in the "Utne Reader." In Dec., 2002, Defense Secy. Donald Rumsfeld issued a directive allowing interrogators to withhold medical care in nonemergency situations so that "men with injuries including gunshot wounds were denied treatment as a way to make them talk," writes author Justine Sharrock. Although the directive was soon revoked, "the practice continued," she said.

Change? Green Jobs Advocate Faces Prison for Dropping Banner While BP and Massey Go Free? Posted: 05 Jul 2010 02:19 AM PDT The climate change and clean energy debates might have reached a new low--just ask the US Attorney General's office. Ted Glick, a legendary nonviolent advocate, who dropped a "Green Jobs Now" banner down the hallway of the Hart Senate Office Building last fall, goes to trial on Tuesday, July 6th, at the Superior Court in Washington, DC. He faces up to three years in prison.

Spy tech that 'monitors conversations' being launched in Europe Posted: 05 Jul 2010 02:10 AM PDT Privacy rights advocates and civil liberties campaigners in Europe are raising the alarm about a new surveillance system that monitors conversations in public. The surveillance system, dubbed Sigard, has been installed in Dutch city centers, government offices and prisons, and a recent test-run of the technology in Coventry, England, has British civil rights experts worried that the right to privacy will disappear in efforts to fight street crime.

The Other Independence Day Posted: 05 Jul 2010 02:03 AM PDT Women have an Independence Day, too. Seneca Falls, N.Y., was the place of our declaration's signing, a community of reformers and abolitionists in pastoral western New York, not far from the homes of William Seward and Harriet Tubman. Here, the organizers of the First Women's Rights Convention on July 19-20, 1848, imagined a just future for their daughters, just as decades earlier, in steamy Philadelphia, Jefferson, Franklin and Adams envisioned one for their sons. The document they produced, the Declaration of Sentiments, bears the signatures of then 32-year-old Elizabeth Cady Stanton (who refused to vow "to obey" in her marriage ceremony) and Lucretia Mott, along with dozens of other women and men. To most of us, the prose of their declaration will ring a (liberty) bell. It begins, "When, in the course of human events ... " and states "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal." (Emphasis added.)

Somalia's corruption epidemic Posted: 05 Jul 2010 01:51 AM PDT In 2005, Liberia was ranked 137th in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index. Somalia followed closely behind in the 144th position. But while by 2009, Liberia had managed to creep up the rankings to 97th, Somalia had slipped into 180th - earning the unenviable title of the country perceived to be the most corrupt. So while Somalia and Liberia share many characteristics - a collapsed state, warlordism, countless peace processes and leaders who have used their country's resources for self-enrichment - one country appears to be recovering, while the other deteriorates further.

The Push for Energy Deregulation Threatens America's Heartland Posted: 05 Jul 2010 01:48 AM PDT In recent weeks, Washington has provided ample evidence that the fossil-fuel industry remains as powerful as ever in the wake of the Gulf Coast apocalypse. Whether it's Louisiana's Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu demanding more offshore drilling as her state gets covered in sludge, or Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton criticizing the government for forcing BP to finance a spill-relief fund, major political players in D.C. still do energy firms' bidding, leaving both national parties disinclined to champion stronger environmental statutes.

Oakland Police Search Without Warrants Posted: 05 Jul 2010 01:42 AM PDT On a gloomy recent morning in West Oakland, tenants at the David Gray Building — or, Off-Ramp Studios, as everyone who lives there calls it — stood in the hallways outside their lofts. They gathered around their doors in nervous clusters and spoke in hushed tones, wondering aloud whether they should head to work or stay and observe while two Oakland police officers, two building services code enforcers, a fire inspector, and three property management representatives entered all of their units one by one. Traditionally the entire procedure would have required a search warrant. But on this day, the group of cops and city officials were operating under a little-known Oakland city program, called "SMART" — Specialized Multi-Agency Response Team — that some legal experts say may be unconstitutional. That's because they enter people's homes without consent or a warrant.

As Israel Lays Down Smoke, Stay Human Posted: 05 Jul 2010 01:39 AM PDT Ketchup, mayonnaise, thread and needles are the items that were included last week by Israel on the list of those few goods now allowed into Gaza. Farming tools, spare parts for cars, toys and make-up were added to the list on Tuesday, items we watched being carried into the Strip loaded onto 130 trucks.

Obama's Expanded Military Spying and Torture Network Posted: 05 Jul 2010 01:39 AM PDT Despite promises to the contrary, the Obama administration has consolidated, even expanded privacy- and civil liberties killing programs launched by the Bush government. From warrantless spying and driftnet surveillance to the indefinite detention and torture of foreign suspects held in U.S. gulags, and from the murderous drone wars in Pakistan to threats to assassinate American citizens merely on the suspicion they might be terrorists, 18 months into Obama's new "change" order, facts on the ground paint a grim picture indeed.

New tensions test old allies Posted: 05 Jul 2010 01:22 AM PDT On the eve of the recent meeting between Barack Obama, the US president, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, in Toronto, the two sides exchanged soft - but poignant - warnings. Philip Gordon, the US assistant secretary of European and Eurasian affairs, challenged Turkey to prove that it remains "committed to the National Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO), Europe and the United States," while Erdogan questioned whether the US was "supporting Turkey adequately in its battle against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)".

Freedom in the Grace of the World Posted: 05 Jul 2010 01:12 AM PDT Earl Shaffer, adrift after serving in the South Pacific in World War II and struggling with the loss of his childhood friend Walter Winemiller during the assault on Iwo Jima, made his way to Mount Oglethorpe in Georgia in 1947. He headed north toward Mount Katahdin in Maine and for the next 124 days, averaging 16.5 miles a day, beat back the demons of war. His goal, he said, was to ''walk the Army out of my system.'' He was the first person to hike the full length of the Appalachian Trail. The beauty and tranquility of the old-growth forests, the vistas that stretch for miles over unbroken treetops, the waterfalls and rivers, the severance from the noise and electronic hallucinations of modern existence, becomes, if you stay out long enough, a balm to wounds. It is in solitude, contemplation and a connection with nature that we transcend the frenzied and desperate existence imposed upon us by the distortions of a commodity culture.

Israel: World Tired of Us Posted: 05 Jul 2010 01:04 AM PDT Israeli Minister of Trade, Industry and Labor, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, says the world is tired of Israel and that Israel, rather than the Gaza Strip, is actually the terrorist state. "We're the ones maintaining a blockade. And we too are blockaded, utterly isolated. This business just isn't working anymore. We're in a situation where the world is tired of us," the Jewish Daily quoted Ben-Eliezer as saying in an interview in the Yediot Ahronot Friday supplement.

The Million-Dollar Penny Posted: 05 Jul 2010 01:02 AM PDT Every summer, several financial firms competing to get the banking business of the world's mega millionaires release what amounts to scorecards on global wealth. These data-packed reports tally the current number of our international rich and super-rich, by nation and region. World Wealth Report 2010 is the most comprehensive of these scorecards. It's got some fascinating details about the planet's wealthiest of the wealthy, those households worth at least $30 million--that's not counting their primary residence and "collectibles." This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

It's off to feminist summer camp Posted: 05 Jul 2010 01:01 AM PDT Lots of kids go to summer camp to roast hot dogs and learn how to canoe. Others go to get really good at tennis or to immerse themselves in musical theater. And now, you can go to camp to learn how to be a feminist. In some ways, the schedule isn't all that different: There's theater, physical fitness -- and a lot of bonding. For the week-long summer program that just wrapped up last month, each day has a particular focus. On Thursday, it's feminist art, which takes the campers to the Streb gym in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for a class on movement. The instructor tells the campers to perform the "plop" test, in which they jump up and down ... to make sure the ground is there.  "This technique is about assumption busting," she says to them.

New Eugenics and the Rise of the Global Scientific Dictatorship Posted: 05 Jul 2010 12:26 AM PDT We are in the midst of the most explosive development in all of human history. Humanity is experiencing a simultaneously opposing and conflicting geopolitical transition, the likes of which has never before been anticipated or experienced. Historically, the story of humanity has been the struggle between the free-thinking individual and structures of power controlled by elites that seek to dominate land, resources and people. The greatest threat to elites at any time - historically and presently - is an awakened, critically thinking and politically stimulated populace. This threat has manifested itself throughout history, in different places and at different times. Ideas of freedom, democracy, civil and human rights, liberty and equality have emerged in reaction and opposition to power structures and elite systems of control.

Inside Story - Independence day Posted: 04 Jul 2010 11:58 PM PDT On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was adopted in Philadelphia - British colonial rule was thrust aside, and the United States of America came into being. Well over two centuries later, what is the nature of the relationship between the faded empire and its one time colony? Is it an alliance of equals or does one dominate the other?

Why are we still in Afghanistan? Posted: 04 Jul 2010 11:51 PM PDT General Stanley McChrystal was recently relieved of his job as the top U.S. general in Afghanistan after being quoted in Rolling Stone magazine as dissing members of President Obama's staff. Good riddance.

Targeting Israel's Legitimacy Posted: 04 Jul 2010 11:45 PM PDT While Kader Asmal's opinion piece 'World must deny legitimacy to Israel' [South Africa's Mail & Guardian, June 25] was welcomed as a breathtakingly courageous call for action against the Zionist entity, unsurprisingly it has also elicited raging howls of complaints from the usual suspects.

Profits and Moves Behind the Downturn Posted: 04 Jul 2010 11:40 PM PDT The Fed says US unemployment is likely to stay high for a long time, and that justifies zero interest rates indefinitely. The June Chicago Purchasing Managers Index was 59.1 vs. 59.7 in May. The employment component rose to 54.2 from 49.2 in May. New orders fell to 59.1 from 62.7.

Retired Geography Professor Advocates Global One-Child Policy Posted: 04 Jul 2010 11:36 PM PDT Business Insider featured a post yesterday by geography professor Gary L. Peters under the header "Population Growth Is Still The Biggest Problem Facing Humanity". After channeling armchair-eugenicist Alan Weisman, who stated: "The intelligent solution (to the problem of population growth) would require the courage and the wisdom to put our knowledge to the test. It would henceforth limit every human female on Earth capable of bearing children to one.", the professor added:

US rapper Talib Kweli: I don't trust any govt! Posted: 04 Jul 2010 11:09 PM PDT Music can do more with one song than a politician with twenty speeches - believes American rapper Talib Kweli. In his interview to RT he says 'people like John McCain and Jan Brewer, these people have been in politics for a long time and they -- for lack of a better word and with all the respect -- have to die off for change. Their time is up and they are just grasping at whatever they can grasp, with ethnic studies and SB 1070 [Arizona's immigration law]. These things that make no sense but they make perfect sense for that mentality and that mentality is on its way out'.

Ron Paul Interview Posted: 04 Jul 2010 04:51 PM PDT Congressman Paul talks on CNN about the recent controversy surrounding RNC Chairman Michael Steele's comments on Afghanistan. Read Dr. Paul's statement concerning both Michael Steele and Afghanistan here.

The Future of Audit the Fed Posted: 04 Jul 2010 04:51 PM PDT Congressman Ron Paul discusses the latest in the efforts to get a full and complete audit of the Fed as well as the future of Fed transparency.  Like Congressman Paul says, we've accomplished a lot of good with our movement, and there's many reasons to be optimistic for the future.

We Pledge Resistance to the Empire Posted: 04 Jul 2010 02:18 PM PDT "Ms. Sheehan, are you aware that you have a stay-away order from here?" The big, burly cop said to me as he crossed Pennsylvania Avenue to confront our small protest of intrepid peaceniks in Lafayette Park. "Yes, and I am also aware that I am not violating it right now," I answered.

Dangerous Game: A Reply to Gita Sahgal and Her Supporters Posted: 04 Jul 2010 08:30 AM PDT Back in February, a distressing Islamophobic fuse was lit when Gita Sahgal, the head of the gender unit at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International, criticized Amnesty for its association with former Guantánamo prisoner Moazzam Begg and Cageprisoners, the organization of which he is the director, in the pages of the Sunday Times, via a journalist who is not known for balanced reporting on issues relating to Islam. Gita Sahgal eventually lost her job, but not until Moazzam Begg and Cageprisoners had received death threats, and not until numerous Islamophobic commentators — many of whom were not known for their sympathies with feminism — had rallied to Ms. Sahgal's cause.

Happy Intweependence Day... Posted: 04 Jul 2010 05:05 AM PDT   Taking a break this year from our annual re-publication of the Declaration of Independence, to offer instead some of our favorite Independence Day/Weekend tweets so far this year. For the record, you can follow The BRAD BLOG on Twitter right here: @TheBradBlog. Hope you all have a safe and happy 4th!

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