Network Archives

France announces e-cigarette ban, then French study finds e-cigarettes harmful

"French Health Minister Marisol Touraine announced in May that the ban on smoking in public places would be extended to cover electronic cigarettes, and that they would be subject to the same controls as tobacco. The move has sparked outrage among sellers and users of the battery-powered devices which contain liquid nicotine that is turned into a vapor when inhaled. Ms Touraine said: 'The e-cigarette is not an ordinary product. We need to apply the same measures as there are for tobacco. That means making sure it cannot be smoked in public places, that its sale is restricted to over 18s and that firms are not allowed to advertise the products.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFrance announces e-cigarette ban, then French study finds e-cigarettes harmful

All-seeing eyes focus on the sea

"The center, operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, can track as many as 50,000 aircraft at any moment. Officials say the center has reduced illegal cross-border flights from thousands per year in the mid-1980s to a handful. Initially, the focus was on drug trafficking, but has expanded over the years to include human trafficking, the smuggling of counterfeit products, and terrorist activities. The center now is testing software that will allow similar scrutiny of maritime traffic. The system would provide a comprehensive view of marine vessels within 100 miles of the U.S. coastlines. The omniscient view allows for greater coordination of agencies that might respond to a potential emergency." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAll-seeing eyes focus on the sea

22 Reasons Why Starting World War 3 In The Middle East Is A Really Bad Idea

"Russia and China are sternly warning the U.S. government not to get involved in Syria, and by starting a war with Syria we will do an extraordinary amount of damage to our relationships with those two global superpowers. Could this be the beginning of a chain of events that could eventually lead to a massive global conflict with Russia and China on one side and the United States on the other? Of course it will not happen immediately, but I fear that what is happening now is setting the stage for some really bad things. The following are 22 reasons why starting World War 3 in the Middle East is a really bad idea." Continue reading →

Continue Reading22 Reasons Why Starting World War 3 In The Middle East Is A Really Bad Idea

Michael Scheuer: Use the Constitution to prevent war with Syria

"Amidst the developing momentum for the U.S. to enter another war that will strengthen al-Qaeda and its allies — like the one Obama fought in Libya and the anti-democratic one in Egypt he authorized this month — perhaps it is worth reviewing three salient and crystal clear facts. –1st : The United States has no genuine national-security interests in Syria. –2nd: Unless America is attacked first, no U.S. president has the constitutional authority to take America to war without a formal declaration of war by Congress. –3rd : Today’s status quo in Syria benefits U.S. national-security interests without Washington having to take any action at all." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMichael Scheuer: Use the Constitution to prevent war with Syria

I was a liberal mole at Fox News

"Each show had one person — be they anchor or producer or whoever — who was directly accountable to the Second Floor. That was the brilliance of the company’s power structure. One misconception that outsiders always had about the channel is that we’d sit around all morning planning how to distort the news that day. But there was never any centralized control like that. No 'marching orders,' as it were. Instead, it was more a decentralized, entrepreneurial approach. Each show was an autonomous unit. Each showrunner — who had not risen to their position by being stupid — knew exactly what was expected of them, knew what topics and guests would be acceptable." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingI was a liberal mole at Fox News

Bill Kristol’s Empire of Death

"What do Bill Kristol's enterprises all have in common? They traffic in murder and mayhem worldwide. They provide well-paid sinecures to 'intellectuals' to argue the case for a permanent revolution to be fought by the US to the benefit of the military industrial complex. They are heavily subsidized by the mega-wealthy who have an international agenda that does not necessarily reflect US interests. They are oblivious to public opinion in the US and are impervious to market forces. Though purporting to advocate the spread of democracy worldwide, they are disdainful of majority opinion in the US, preferring to adhere to the Straussian view that the non-elites must be lied to continuously." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBill Kristol’s Empire of Death

Pentagon requests more funding for Israel’s ‘Iron Dome’

"The Pentagon has requested $220.3 million in 2014 to bolster Israel’s 'Iron Dome' missile defense system despite broader cuts to US military spending, according to budget documents. The US Missile Defense Agency also is asking for an additional $175.9 million in fiscal year 2015 for Israel’s homegrown missile defense network, according to the agency’s budget proposal posted online. The Pentagon already invested $204 million on the system in 2011 and $70 million in 2012. US military assistance to Israel comes to about three billion dollars a year to ensure the country’s 'qualitative military edge' in the region, as mandated by Congress." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPentagon requests more funding for Israel’s ‘Iron Dome’

Another Lying Rice in the White House

[May 2013] "She happily spread the lies and war propaganda to coerce support for an invasion, and she had her own 'mushroom cloud' moment when she peddled the lie to fellow diplomats behind closed doors that Gaddafi was issuing Viagra to his troops so that they may carry out mass rape. What is it about lying officials named 'Rice'? The stated purpose of the Libya force authorization was to protect the insurgents in Benghazi, who it was said Libyan army was about to engage. We all know how that came out: the insurgents were saved by US intervention and they shortly therafter went on to express their appreciation by killing the US ambassador and three others." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAnother Lying Rice in the White House

McCain’s Next Stop: Guantanamo?

[May 2013] "First, it has emerged that the some of the individuals he met with in Syria are actually ruthless kidnappers, who snatched men, women, and children from a Lebanese bus. Second, McCain's Free Syrian Army in Aleppo have announced that they are merging with the US-designated terrorist group Jabhat al-Nusra, which is effectively a branch of al-Qaeda. Finally, McCain's Free Syrian Army are reported to have entered the Christian-populated al-Duvair village near Homs on May 27th and massacred the entire Christian civilian population of the village. Section 1021 of the infamous 2012 National Defense Authorization Act prescribes indefinite detention for: [..]" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMcCain’s Next Stop: Guantanamo?

Will The US Really Condemn Terrorism in Syria?

[March 2013] "The US government's various reports on religious freedom are largely politicized affairs designed to demonize practices in countries out of favor and skip over abuses among its allies. One could hardly imagine a more direct attack on religious liberty than to set off a bomb in a building of religious worship. But this attack has been perpetrated by US allies in Syria, who have benefited recently from 3,000 tons of sophisticated weapons shipped in by the US government and paid for by paragons of religious tolerance such as Saudi Arabia." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWill The US Really Condemn Terrorism in Syria?