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Syria hails U.S.-Russia chemical weapons deal as a ‘victory’ that averts war

"A US-Russian plan to remove Syria’s chemical weapons is a 'victory' that averts a war, a Syrian minister said Sunday, as Washington’s top diplomat briefed Israel about the landmark deal. Some Israeli commentators raised the question of whether Washington would lean on Israel to ratify the international treaty banning the use of chemical weapons. Israel signed the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1993 but never ratified it, despite demands to do so from Washington and Moscow." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSyria hails U.S.-Russia chemical weapons deal as a ‘victory’ that averts war

Bill Bonner: In Praise of Mr. Putin

"Why would the US do things that make the world worse off? Dear reader, where have you been? It’s got nothing to do with liberal or conservative, hawk or dove, Democrat or Republican, Bush or Obama. And it’s not because we are dumber than we used to be, either. Instead, thinking people are starting to realize that we’re right about this too. America is a victim of creeping zombieism. Bureaucrats at the Fed force down interest rates to support zombies everywhere – from Wall Street to Skid Row. Low rates also help make more money available to the zombies who are besieging the Pentagon." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBill Bonner: In Praise of Mr. Putin

Eric Margolis: Obama, Don’t Play Chess With KGB

"Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize should be rescinded and given, instead, to Vladimir Putin. Add a warning to Obama’s amateur foreign policy advisors: 'don’t play chess with the KGB!' In fact, Obama, who rudely snubbed former KGB agent Putin recently, owes Russia’s leader a 'Bolshi Spaseba' (big thanks) for pulling his bacon out of the fire in Syria. Putin brilliantly demonstrated to the world the difference between diplomacy and force, the rapier versus the cudgel." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEric Margolis: Obama, Don’t Play Chess With KGB

Musty Idea: War To Maintain “Credibility” As A Global Hegemon

"In the most recent episode of U.S. war hysteria, the media was filled with endless remarks on how Syria had to be attacked to maintain U.S. 'credibility'. These individuals, and many others just like them, care not a whit about the lessons of history. Ronald Reagan sang the same interventionist tune while he was President. Even after 241 U.S. Marines were killed in the Beirut barracks bombing, he kept up the 'credibility' rhetoric. The warring classes know that the American public has a short memory. Few will recall what happened in Lebanon and the 'credibility' garbage that was tossed around back then." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMusty Idea: War To Maintain “Credibility” As A Global Hegemon

Fmr. Pres. Candidate Michael Badnarik Weighs in on Rush to War w/ Syria

"John Kerry and John McCain would have been on opposite sides of a war debate 40 years ago. Today, they stand together with the president supporting a military strike on Syria. Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky took the Secretary of State to task for his viewpoints on the future of Syria. This was just a few days after former Democratic lawmaker Dennis Kucinich said President Obama may face impeachment if he attacks Syria without Congressional authorization. Matt Drudge, normally a well-known conservative, tweeted that there is no difference between the parties. The publisher of the Drudge Report stated that politics is now 'Authoritarian vs. Libertarian.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFmr. Pres. Candidate Michael Badnarik Weighs in on Rush to War w/ Syria

Report: NSA Mimics Google to Monitor “Target” Web Users

"This revelation adds to the growing list of ways that the NSA is believed to snoop on ostensibly private online conversations. In what appears to be a slide taken from an NSA presentation that also contains some GCHQ slides, the agency describes 'how the attack was done' on 'target' Google users. NSA employees log into an internet router—most likely one used by an internet service provider or a backbone network. (It's not clear whether this was done with the permission or knowledge of the router's owner.) Once logged in, the NSA redirects the 'target traffic' to an 'MITM,' a site that acts as a stealthy intermediary, harvesting communications before forwarding them to their intended destination." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingReport: NSA Mimics Google to Monitor “Target” Web Users

It’s official. America’s Suez moment has arrived

"Britain had once been the dominant power in the world. But years of unsustainable finances and economic decline changed all of that. By the end of World War II, Britain was nearly bankrupt. But reality hadn’t set in yet. They still saw themselves as a superpower. British policymakers were still at the peace table. They helped set up the UN, divide up Germany, and even influence the new global financial system at Bretton Woods. Reality finally hit during the Suez Crisis. It became clear that the UK no longer had the economic fortitude or international standing to do as it pleased. And with the US opposed to the invasion of Egypt, the British government had no choice but to withdraw." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIt’s official. America’s Suez moment has arrived

Can America Win A War In Syria?

"In 2006, Israel was powerless to impose its rules of warfare on Hezbollah. Israel’s model of victory was expelling Hezbollah, but Hezbollah’s model of victory was simply surviving; their victory they achieved to Israel’s shame. In 2013, America risks being put in Israel’s pre-conflict position, except for one great difference. Assad is the Syrian state. He is not a shadowy nation in a host state, like Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, like the Summer War of 2006, America is in no position to accomplish the objective of stopping Assad’s use of chemical weapons on all three levels of military campaign planning: the (1) Tactical, (2) Operational, and (3) Strategic levels." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCan America Win A War In Syria?

Chauvinists and Other Anti-Peace Voices

"We cannot even take a baby step toward peace without these neocon warmongers trying to shove us back into the 'Fight the dirty un-American commie bastards' mode of thinking. What a bunch of chauvinists (jingoists, nationalists) these guys are. The most amazing of all reactions comes from the Syrian rebel coalition. They 'announce our definitive rejection of the Russian initiative to place chemical weapons under international custody.' I find this amusing. The group that Kerry-Obama supports with arms and military training, the group that Obama-Kerry were willing to bomb for in the name of curtailing chemicals in warfare, that group rejects a huge Syrian government concession to give up its chemicals." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChauvinists and Other Anti-Peace Voices

John Yoo’s Anti-Constitution Beliefs

"I have yet to read anything by law professor John Yoo that I do not strongly contest. This would not be worthy of mention except that he has occupied high and influential positions in the U.S. Department of Justice. His positions on torture, enemy combatants (Guantanamo), surveillance and presidential powers to make war, even if they have come under strong attack, had a lot of influence. Basically, if he had his way, the president would be an elected dictator who would not have to pay any attention to important parts of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJohn Yoo’s Anti-Constitution Beliefs