It’s Good To Be The King

“Absolute Immunity” for the “Supreme Crime”

"One week before whistleblower Bradley Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for exposing war crimes, the Obama administration filed a petition with a federal court in San Francisco arguing that George W. Bush and his top advisers enjoy 'absolute immunity' against any potential criminal charges or civil liability arising from the Iraq war. At the Nuremberg Tribunal following World War II, aggressive war was designated the 'supreme crime,' and it was recognized that faithful execution of unlawful orders does not immunize soldiers for their actions in waging aggressive war. High-ranking officials of the National Socialist Party were sent to the gallows for the crime committed by Bush and his cohorts." Continue reading →

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The NSA and Its “Compliance Problems”

"For ordinary citizens, 'compliance problems' with the law are better known as 'crimes' (or possibly civil wrongs) and these lead to judgment debts, fines, and possibly even jail time, depending on the severity of the lack-of-compliance. But for government officials such notions are irrelevant — legal compliance problems are just something you file a report about, and send to another bureaucrat higher up in the government chain, so that he can bury it on his desk. Unfortunately, this is not a new phenomenon. The notion of the rule of law is the wellspring of an endless stream of hypocrisy in the modern social-democratic welfare-warfare state." Continue reading →

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White House faces high bar on Syria after Bush Administration’s Iraq lies

"The White House will likely argue that since its proposed action in Syria will be 'limited' it does not require Congress to wield its constitutionally granted power to authorize a declaration of war. But the more time that passes before US military action, the more restive the domestic political scene becomes. A growing number of lawmakers have concerns and polls show Americans wary of another foreign entanglement. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy meanwhile said on MSNBC that cruise missile attacks may make people 'feel better, but it may not actually make the Syrian people safer or advance US national security interests.'" Continue reading →

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President Obama, Don’t Strike Syria, Especially Without Congressional Approval

"If President Obama can get us into war in Syria without prior Congressional approval, it will set a terrible precedent: A future president could get us more easily into war in Iran without prior Congressional approval. Tell President Obama and Congress: There must be no US military action in Syria without Congressional debate and authorization. Congress is out of session right now. But there is no emergency that requires immediate, unconstitutional, illegal action. If there were an emergency that required immediate action, Congress could be called back into session. If there's no emergency that requires immediate action, then action can wait until Congress reconvenes." Continue reading →

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Bill Bonner: ‘Return to Zombieland’

"It’s a gold rush. People now come to Washington to get rich. That was never the defining ethic of the town, certainly 30 years ago. There is now so much money. It is now the wealthiest community in the United States. It is home to 7 of the wealthiest 10 counties in the United States. If you can sell yourself as someone who knows how Washington works, someone who has these relationships, someone who can get on the phone and get the president of the United States… that’s a very, very marketable commodity. I mean, if you are seen as someone who knows how this town works, someone who is a usual suspect in this town, you can dine out for years. That’s why no one leaves." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBill Bonner: ‘Return to Zombieland’

School District Ends Policy Of Forcing Students To Kneel Down For Dismissal

"School district officials in San Bernardino County say they will discontinue a policy that required elementary school students to kneel down before being dismissed to class. Principal Dana Carter at Calimesa Elementary School had reportedly instituted the policy, which called for students at various times of the school day to kneel down on one knee and wait for the principal or another administrator to dismiss them, as a safety measure. Yucaipa Calimesa Unified School District Superintendent Cali Binks told KCAL9 the policy – which was described as 'positive behavior intervention' – will no longer be enforced at Calimesa Elementary after several parents spoke out against the practice." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSchool District Ends Policy Of Forcing Students To Kneel Down For Dismissal

Lebron James Escorted Through Oncoming Traffic To Concert By Police

"'It's unclear which law enforcement agency assisted King James in his concert commute, or whether the NBA superstar, who recently earned $56.6 million, arranged for such services himself. TMZ reports four law enforcement agencies, including City of Miami PD, Miami-Dade PD, Miami Gardens PD, and the Florida Highway Patrol have all denied escorting LeBron -- but a source with Miami-Dade Police told the site they are 'investigating' the breach of protocol.' The Young Turks hosts Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian break it down." Continue reading →

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Lawmakers travel the world on lobbyists’ dime

"Lately, the number of privately financed trips offered by corporate interests, lobbyists, universities and foreign governments, including China, have been rising. Trips this year so far total 1,363, at a cost to the hosts of $3.2 million. Bill Allison, editorial director of the Sunlight Foundation, said the best arrangement would be to conduct all lawmaker travel 'on the taxpayer’s dime.' Lawmakers have traveled to a variety of locales this year on trips paid for by private groups and foreign governments, with Turkey the top destination so far, followed by Israel. Lawmakers stress the travel’s fact-finding nature." Continue reading →

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A Colonial Gatekeeper That Hillary Would’ve Approved Of

"The year was 1998, when the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke on The Drudge Report. Hillary Clinton famously lamented that the Internet lacked a 'gatekeeping function'. This mentality is nothing new. Here's a quote from way back in 1671, from Colonial Virginia. The Governor at the time was Sir William Berkeley, and he reported back to the British Crown: 'Thank God, there are no free schools nor printing and I hope we shall not have these hundred years; for learning has brought disobedience, and heresy and sects in the world, and printing has divulged them, and libels against the best government. God keep us from both!'" Continue reading →

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Jack Lew’s “Extraordinary Measures” on Debt Just “Cooking the Books”

"A little known story that got absolutely no coverage from the mainstream media surfaced last week about the reports from the Treasury Department’s Financial Management Service. The FMS reports both the Daily Treasury Statement and the Monthly Treasury Statement. According to these reports the federal deficit rose by $98 billion dollars in July, but somehow the federal government’s debt remained exactly the same at $16,699,396,000,000 for the whole month. It seems that Treasury Secretary, Jack Lew got a bit creative and magically decided to stop the addition of more debt from showing up in the reports. Wow, don’t we all wish we could do that?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJack Lew’s “Extraordinary Measures” on Debt Just “Cooking the Books”