"Weaponized Keynesianism happened. Government defense expenditures surged by 13 percent between July and August. The Pentagon spent significantly more on weapons, training, operations, and maintenance. (Ammunition purchases, for instance, doubled.) Had these expenditures not occurred last quarter, the U.S. economy would have grown at a mere 1.36 percent, instead of 2.0 percent." Continue reading →
"Well, in very targeted strikes, we use very targeted strikes against al Qaeda. And so if it is a very targeted strike, many would argue that that’s short of war. And if it only seeks to go after their nuclear program, that is — we’re not talking about invasions or naval engagements or troops on the ground, none of that. And this has been used by other — President Clinton used this tactic. [..] And we do know, those — that the Iranians believe that there is a whole panoply of options — war and then these targeted strikes they don’t see as — wouldn’t see as an act of war." Continue reading →
"Considering the insurgents' tactics have been consistently to explode bombs in major city centers — just last Sunday rebels blew up Catholics trying to attend Mass in the Old Quarter in Damascus — one might assume that major mainstream news outlets like CNN might be capable of actually reporting what happened without applying propaganda spin to reflect the policy of the US government. One would be wrong." Continue reading →
"We talk to Jim Rogers, author of the book 'A Gift To My Children,' about what he thinks of the latest economic growth numbers, and his outlook for a recession after the 2012 elections. We ask our guest Jim Rogers, author and investor, about how Japan's experience fits in with forecasts of Western central bank induced inflation. We also ask him about his 2008 prediction for a 'hyper-inflationary Holocaust' and the long term implications for investors and savers. Has he been surprised by the lack of severe inflation, and the performance of the US bond market?" Continue reading →
"Holding up a 'SPEED TRAP' sign about four blocks ahead of a speed trap. 'Am I being detained - Am I free to go?' Magic words!" Continue reading →
"It is astonishing when police officers disregard the most serious rule governing their conduct–the use of deadly force. Even if the police were 100 percent certain the vehicle had a trunk full of marijuana and cocaine and that the vehicle was highly likely to elude capture by the police on the ground, that would not justify the use of deadly force. The story reminds me of one of the early scenes in the movie Black Hawk Down, where Delta snipers disable the engine of a vehicle from an Army helicopter in order to capture one of the occupants. This may be another example of military tactics spilling over to the civilian world of policing." Continue reading →
"Ted Turner said he thinks it's 'good' that U.S. soldiers are killing themselves because it shows humanity has evolved a distaste for war. Some have argued that Turner is expressing his satisfaction at U.S. troops killing themselves because it indicates that humanity is starting to spiritually evolve an aversion to war. However, Turner has repeatedly voiced his wish to see billions of people wiped off the planet via population reduction programs." Continue reading →
"The number of suicides among U.S. Army active duty and reserve personnel in 2012 is higher than the total combined military fatalities from Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan over the same timeframe. In 2012, there have been a total of 247 suspected suicides among Army active and reserve duty personnel. Of those, 158 have been confirmed as suicides and 89 remain under investigation. An additional 40 military fatalities were the result of 'non-hostile causes,' which means they were fatalities not caused by the Taliban, insurgency forces or Afghan forces – so-called 'green-on-blue' attacks." Continue reading →
"Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday condemned a NATO operation that he said killed four children in the country's east, a claim the coalition said was possible. The operation took place in the Baraki Barak district of Logar province on Saturday, a statement released by Karzai's office said, adding: 'It resulted in the killing of four innocent children' who were tending to livestock." Continue reading →
"Obama has led all sorts of progressives and other Democrats to be the most vocal supporters of unrestrained aggression, secret assassinations, and 'crippling' the Iranian people with sanctions. It is completely unsurprising that the most sociopathic defense of drones comes from one of the most committed Obama supporters, and that it's now left to a former GOP Congressman to raise objections. As much as anything, that is the Obama legacy. Those who cheer for the unchecked power to assassinate in secret because it's Obama who currently wields that power will be the ones fully responsible for future abuses." Continue reading →