This and That...

[Warph]

               

Ben Shapiro:
09/14/12


While the world is engulfed in Islamist ragefests, including the storming of Western embassies across the Middle East and the evacuation of the University of Texas at Austin due to bomb threats, President Obama is doing what he does best.

He's hobnobbing with celebrities.

Last night, as the German embassy in Sudan smoldered, Tunisian police fired tear gas at US embassy rioters, the American military upgraded its presence in Yemen, investigations continued in Libya, Islamists burned American flags in London, Islamists invaded the US embassy in Tunisia, rioters went insane in Lebanon, protesters in Jordan went crazy, protests continued in Egypt, and crowds began to form in Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Iraq, the Obama campaign tweeted, "Beyoncé and Jay-Z are hosting the President in New York—your chance for two spots on the guest list ends at midnight." Priorities, people!

This morning, President Obama also took action at the White House: he welcomed the 2012 US Olympic and Paralympic teams to the White House. Because, as Michelle Obama said, obesity is the greatest threat to national security.

President Obama will get back to business tonight: he's doing a private fundraiser at 7 PM EDT. 

This isn't leading from behind. This is a leadership vacuum.

[Warph]

Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam Veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts Senate. He is the author of The Coming Collapse of the American Republic: And what you can do to prevent it. Also the author of the article, "I'm 63 and I'm Tired."



The Foreign Policy Speech Romney Should Give
by Robert A. Hall

Good evening, my fellow America Patriots. I use that phrase advisedly, because it is American Patriots—those who love this country and cherish our system of free political institutions, free enterprise and limited government—I wish to address. You and I know those institution have made us a prosperous and happy people and our country both a shining ideal to which the world's poor and oppressed want to come, and the target of those who loath liberty.


From the founding of our Republic to the events of the present day, those institutions have been under assault from enemies abroad who hate our freedom and prosperity, and from misguided individuals at home who believe that they can create an all-powerful and utopian government that can better make decisions for you than you can for yourself. They believe that America's constitution and prosperous economic system are no more entitled to a claim of exceptionalism and our loyalty than any other system or culture.


We have seen the results of that utopian belief in unlimited government power on our prosperity. We have seen it in a job crisis that has kept the official unemployment rate above 8% for years, and the real unemployment rate, counting those under-employed, those who have had to take part-time jobs, those whose benefits have run out and those who have given up looking, that is far higher than 8%. We see it in the continuing weakness in the housing market, in the unprecedented growth of government debt, and in private sector businesses--which the president says are doing fine—increasingly unwilling to expand investment to create jobs in the face of government growth and economic uncertainty.


And we see it in the failure of this president's foreign policy on diverse and disastrous fronts across the globe. It is of President Obama's manifest foreign policy failures that I wish to speak to you tonight.


It is no secret that far too many in the media believe the duty of a journalist is not to present unbiased facts to American voters to let them make up their own minds, but to advocate for an agenda, shaping the debate so as to help the president's political campaign, even at the expense of the country. We saw that when they were inadvertently caught on tape, like the president promising the Russian strongman more flexibility after the election, coordinating their "gotcha" questions to help the Obama campaign.


In support of their efforts to politicize the news and to shape the agenda, they have created the meme that it is not what is happening in the world that is the problem, but rather my speaking out about it. The same people who cheered then-Senator Obama in 2008 and Senator Kerry in 2004 when they criticized President Bush's foreign policy while American troops were in battle now insult your intelligence by saying that this president's foreign policy should be off limits during a campaign, or that criticism of him is based not on his clear failures but his ethnic heritage. Unfortunately, this contemptible lie propagated by the Obama campaign water-carriers in the media resonates with some voters who are less attuned to events and less inclined to seek out the facts.


The facts are these. What we are seeing today across the world is the direct result of perceived American weakness, of this president's unwillingness to champion American values and to support America's friends like Israel and the friends of freedom like the Iranian resistance against those who wish both us and freedom ill.


We see an American Ambassador and his staff murdered with the connivance of the very people this president sent American troops to risk their lives for and billions of your tax dollars to aid. We see American soil in American embassies assaulted by radicals in coordinated attacks by whipping up mobs over the excuse of a poorly-made, little known private video, while governments to whom we have given billions of your tax dollars in aid turn a blind eye, secure in the knowledge that this administration is so eager to buy them off, it will go on paying tribute regardless of their actions.


We see it in timid half-measures toward Iran, even as they seek nuclear weapons while promising the destruction of America and Israel. Must we lose New York City, Washington DC or Tel Aviv before we get serious about dealing with the mad mullahs?


We see it in the willingness of a tyrant like Hugh Chavez to suppress freedom in his country while threatening American interests and the security of his neighbors, secure in the knowledge that his leftist rhetoric makes him off limits to serious opposition from this administration.


We see it in an administration willing to provide thousands of guns to ruthless Mexican drug cartels, destabilizing that country and killing hundreds of Mexicans and two American agents, to further their anti-gun agenda. And then they lie and withhold information to cover it up.


We see it in an increasingly aggressive China willing to muscle both our allies like Japan, South Korea and the Philippines as well as their old allies like Vietnam, secure in the knowledge that our strong natural desire for good economic and political relations with them, and our need for their continued funding of a portion of our burgeoning debt means that we must acquiesce in their domination of their smaller neighbors.


We see it most of all in the unwillingness of this administration to name the enemy that seeks to destroy our way of life. That enemy—let us be clear—is Islamic Extremism and Islamic Supremacism. The president and leaders on both sides of the political aisle are perfectly correct in saying that we are not at war with Islam and I assure you we will never be at war with Islam under a Romney administration. Indeed, we must never forget that the most frequent victims of the daily catalog of murders and outrages by the extremists are decent Muslims who want to live in peace and freedom, seeking only prosperity for their families. But President Obama has never understood, in fact seems incapable of understanding, that it takes two sides to make peace, only one side to make war. Islamic extremism is growing, is often funded by our erstwhile friends, numbers millions of adherents and is able to manipulate the emotions of tens of millions more poor and ignorant Muslims who are understandable frustrated at the poverty created by the lack of economic and political freedom in their countries. And they are at war with us, with western civilization, and with the majority of peaceful Muslims, and have been for decades. Wishing it were not so will not change that painful fact. They give us only the options of defense, or defeat and death.


That Islamic extremism is not centrally directed as were the Nazi or Stalinist regimes does not make it either less understandable or less of a threat to our lives and liberties. That the threat can spring up undirected among our own citizens does not make the deaths of our soldiers in Little Rock or at Fort Hood any less casualties of that war than those who have sacrificed while wearing the uniform of the Republic in Iraq or Afghanistan. And when I'm president, their families will receive the appropriate recognition of their sacrifice. That is the least this country can do for their service.


This frightening growth of Islamic extremism is fed by an American posture of apologetic weakness. Over thirty years of attacks, terror and murder of Americans, westerners and their fellow Muslims should have taught us that they will always find an excuse, be it a cartoon or a clownish YouTube video to ferment violence and mob terror. We must not feed the beast. We must stand with that majority of Muslims who desire peace, freedom and prosperity. We must support those Muslims who have the courage to speak out against extremism and terror. We must lead from the front, and abandon weak euphemisms like calling war "overseas contingency operations."


We cannot defend women's rights and other human rights at home if we fear to speak out against the oppression of women under Shari'a Law abroad. Being for tolerance for gay people at home is meaningless if we are supinely silent about the murder of gays in Iran and other intolerant countries at the hands is Islamic extremists.


American freedom, American prosperity and the aspirations of tens of millions of people around the world, Muslim and non-Muslim, depend on American strength, American leadership and American courage. If we fear to defend liberty out of fear for our lives, we shall find we have lost both life and liberty. We must stand with the friends of freedom and against extremism and aggression and terror. We must honor and support the service and sacrifice of our gallant troops, and those of our allies, on whom our freedom depends. The future of all decent people in the world, regardless of nationality, religion or ethnic heritage, depend on our making that American policy. The president talked of change and in our foreign policy, change now is desperately needed. As your president, I will lead us to a new foreign policy that values freedom and life and prosperity, and stands against murder and extremism and terror. And I will not apologize for it


Thank you.

[Warph]

This guy is a total moron.  These policies don't bring anybody together, they continue to segregate and separate us.  Racism is not born, it is taught and by teaching kids they are different and special and one group deserves special treatment will only divide us further.  Now these kids... who have never judged based on color or ethnicity... has to consider these things.

School Principal Sees Racism in Peanut Butter

By Todd Starnes
http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/principal-sees-racism-in-peanut-butter.html#comments

                   

An Oregon grade school principal suggested in a newspaper interview that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches might be racially and culturally offensive.

"What about Somali or Hispanic students who might not eat sandwiches?" Verenice Gutierrez told the Portland Tribune.

Gutierrez, principal of Harvey Scott K-8 School, was being interviewed about the school district's equity training program designed to narrow the achievement gap. The newspaper said she "picks up on the subtle language of racism every day" and used the peanut butter sandwich to illustrate her point.

"Another way would be to say: 'Americans eat peanut butter and jelly, do you have anything like that?' let them tell you," she told the newspaper. "Maybe they eat torta. Or pita."

The equity program is called "Courageous Conversation" and it involves taking educators through an intensive program so they can understand their own "white privilege," the newspaper reported.

Robb Cowie, the communications director for Portland Public Schools told Fox News they were aware of the story and to their knowledge it was factually accurate.

"What we're trying to do in our school district is to ensure that we have instruction that is meaningful and relevant to ever student in the classroom," Cowie said.

In some cases, that means offering programs strictly for students of color.

The newspaper provided information about a drum corps that was set up for black and Latino boys. One parent complained that the class discriminated against women, Asians, whites and Native Americans.

Guitierrez defended the class and denied it was discriminatory.

"When white people do it, it is not a problem," she told the Tribune. "But if it's for kids of color, then it's a problem? Break it down for me. That's your white privilege, and your whiteness."

Cowie said the district did not have a problem with the principal's statements.

So does the school system provide clubs strictly for white students?

"I'm not aware of that in Portland," he said.

"Big picture – what we are trying to encourage in our district – are educational experiences that are relevant that give kids support, encouragement, engagement," Cowie said. "We are certainly not trying to create situations where students are excluded."

He said the district was addressing the issue of so-called 'white privilege' to even the playing field so that all children have an opportunity succeed.

"It's an understanding that families and students come into the educational setting with different backgrounds and different strengths and in some cases different advantages," he said. "That translates into different educational outcomes."

Cowie said the district wants to narrow the achievement gap for "students of color."

"Persistently we have not done a good enough job educating students of color and specifically African-American students," he told Fox News. "That's what the program is addressing. How can we find a way to support African American students, their families – so that we are producing better outcomes and narrowing the achievement gap."

The story generated a number of comments from local residents outraged over the equity training program. One reader suggested that under the school's policies, the phrase "American as apple pie" could be considered offensive.

"I am sick of progressives' attacks on our culture. I am offended when people coming to our country find it necessary to denigrate our culture and teachers who are teaching our children somehow feel like they have to apologize for being American," the reader wrote.

Another wrote: "Teaching against peanut butter sandwiches and white privilege is critical thinking? No – that is racism and radical activism."

And that brings us back to the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"It's not really about a sandwich," he said. "It's about how do we reach kids and speak to them through experiences that are meaningful to them – that are understandable to them so that they have an entry point into the curriculum and can engage in learning."

He said they don't want to make any student feel unwelcomed – intentionally or unintentionally that might disconnect a child or a family from the educational system – even if it's a PB&J.

"Certainly a sandwich isn't going to do it in itself," he said. "But it is one of those things that we want to be aware of in all aspects of our instructional practice."

[Warph]

         


Here is a summary of where the world stands:


*** Unable to reach a compromise over the weekend, South Africa is now in an all out labor strike, with the police again firing rubber bullets at miners with lethal escalation guaranteed
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iFs2gLJg8NZdd7jAhCI-NXFpL9IQ?docId=CNG.8e9c8e1df4b6c5cdc92ad654caa62cdd.1a1


*** Back from vacation, the once again penniless citizens of Spain, Greece, and Portugal have resumed protesting austerity
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/anti-austerity-protests-return-spain


*** US embassies attacked, in many cases with numerous casualties, in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Lebanon, India, Balgadesh, Indonesia, and others.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/anti-us-protests-spread-india-bangladesh-indonesia


*** Japan "appropriating" China-contested islands provoking a firestorm of retaliation including demands for "war with Japan"
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/meanwhile-beijing-respect-motherland-we-must-go-war-japan


*** The Japanese ambassador to China dying mysteriously
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/japans-ambassador-china-dies-chinese-police-use-tear-gas-water-cannon-anti-japan-protesters


*** Netanyahu telling Meet the Press Iran will have a nuke in six-seven months and must be stopped beforehand
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/16/us-iran-nuclear-netanyahu-idUSBRE88F06P20120916


*** Warships from more than 25 countries, including the United States, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, launching a military exercise in the Straits of Hormuz
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/9545597/Armada-of-international-naval-power-massing-in-the-Gulf-as-Israel-prepares-an-Iran-strike.html


*** A third US aircraft – the CVN-74 Stennis – carrier is en route to Iran with an ETA of about 10 days
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/us-aircraft-carrier-stennis-now-en-route-join-enterprise-and-eisenhower-just-iranian-coast


*** And finally, a potential catalyst to light this whole mess on fire, Iran's Revolutionary Guard announcing that its troops are now on the ground in Syria.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/16/us-iran-syria-presence-idUSBRE88F04C20120916

[Warph]

           


The essential difference between liberals and conservatives is that liberals could not exist without conservatives to defend their freedoms and support them economically.  Conservatives, on the other hand, could live quite well without liberals. And what's more, we are quite anxious to test this theory.  Evicting Obuma would be a great place to begin.

All you have to do is look around the world to discover how badly Obuma has bungled America's foreign policy.  By gutting the economy and the military, he has made this country a toothless tiger, so that even such backward nations as Syria, Iran and North Korea, can give us the proverbial finger and get away with it.

Allen West, quoting Alexander the Great, sums it up very neatly: "I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion."

It seems like only yesterday that Obuma and Broom Hillary were telling us that Assad's days were numbered in Syria, but that was actually several thousand massacred Syrians ago.  It now appears that Assad's reign will out-last Obuma's.

I almost feel sorry for all those people who thought they were earning points in heaven by electing our first black president, but the fact remains that, by any honest evaluation, Obuma has been our very worst president, usurping Jimmy Carter's hard-earned title.

In spite of four years of a terrible economy; four years spent trying to destroy the coal and oil industry for purely ideological reasons; four years of ruling by presidential edict; four years spent declaring war on the states, while turning a blind eye to the Black Panthers and concealing the facts of Operation Fast and Furious, the Democrats are asking that we give Obuma time.  The truth is that most of us agree that he has it coming.  But instead of four more years, we think that, for his efforts to trash the Constitution, 25-to-life would be just about right.

As Dinesh D'Souza's "2016" makes abundantly clear, Obuma's greatest influence has always been and remains his birth father, an anti-western, Islamic zealot who spent his life railing against white people.  It was not mere happenstance that the church Obuma attended for two decades was one overseen by Jeremiah Wright, yet another father figure who preached the exact same demagogic swill as Obuma's old man.

It wasn't merely hyperbole when Winston Churchill observed that "Islam is as dangerous in a man as rabies in a dog."

Neither was it merely politics as usual when Obuma, addressing a group of Islamists, vowed that "I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction."

Perhaps that's why after imposing what were supposed to be really severe restrictions on Iran's oil trade, Obuma gave 20 different nations waivers, allowing them to purchase that very same oil.  In much the same way, after using bribery and intimidation to push ObumaCare through Congress, he immediately granted waivers to unions and those business owners who had been generous contributors to his 2008 campaign.

Still, I suppose when all is said and done, if your taste runs to pompous buffoons, he's your guy.

[jarhead]

Quote from warph:
while turning a blind eye to the Black Panthers

Careful there Warph. You are'a fix'n to get your arse ripped. Do you live in LaLa land ? If not, you don't have a clue to what the peace loving Black Panthers were doing.

[Warph]

Quote from warph:
while turning a blind eye to the Black Panthers

Careful there Warph. You are'a fix'n to get your arse ripped. Do you live in LaLa land ? If not, you don't have a clue to what the peace loving Black Panthers were doing.

The two-legged or four-legged types?  It has been reported that we in AZ have the four-legged type and are very elusive.  Two- legged?  Naw... my amigo's ran them off.   

[Warph]

The Unemployment Rate



Of course, if you add in those whose benefits have run out, those under-employed or who took PT jobs to get by, and the huge number who have given up, the unemployment rate is far higher.

[Warph]

         

The War to Come

By George H. Wittman on 9.18.12 @ 6:09AM
http://spectator.org/archives/2012/09/18/the-war-to-come/print

Who says Iran can be deterred? Here's why Israel has no such illusions.


It may be shocking to some, but the Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was correct when he said a few days ago that Israel can not survive a nuclear weapon attack. He didn't add, but it is certainly true, that these need only be lower yield devices. A brief study of the industrial topography and demography of Israel shows that a minimal number (3-4) well targeted nuclear weapons would leave Israel inoperable as a modern state.

President Obama clearly has been provided with adequate technical intelligence to inform him of the details involved. Iran already has adequate delivery systems as outlined by Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta last February when he referred to the effective operational state of the Shahab-3 and the medium range ballistic missile, Ashura, as being able to hit Israel and Eastern Europe. The White House knows that Israel is in danger of obliteration if Iran is allowed to launch even a modest attack on Israel. So far the American presidential response appears to be, "Iran knows the U.S. will respond appropriately, and that is adequate deterrence."

The theoretical punitive response by Washington would be too late to save the continued existence of Israel. While the threatened U.S. counterattack might destroy Iranian nuclear development facilities, in order to have a serious lasting impact the economic base of Iran would have to be destroyed. Its oil production and distribution facilities would have to be targeted for demolition. Such an action defines the term "counter-productive " if the international importance of Persian oil resources are taken into consideration. And, of course, Israel would be in ashes.

To be specific about Iran's current nuclear weapon capability, one need only refer to the recent report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): "Iran... has produced 418 pounds of 20% enriched uranium." This uranium could be converted to weapons grade product before the end of this year. This is an increase over the 321 pounds of similar grade uranium reported available in May 2012. More importantly, the IAEA reported a doubling of the enrichment centrifuges since May, bringing the total to 2,140 at the advanced nuclear facility a Fordo, a deep buried mountain site outside the ancient city of Qom.

Fifty-five pounds of 90% enriched uranium is considered necessary to construct one nuclear explosive device. Taking 20% enrichment up to 90% weapons grade has been referred to as not difficult and solely dependent on processing time. With the increased number of centrifuges in operation reported by the IAEA, the calculation has been made that it would have take no more than a few months for the Iranians to accomplish this. Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that the Iranians will have launch-capable nuclear missiles in 6-7 months.

It is generally accepted in defense circles -- and reported earlier in this column -- that the Iranians already have the short-term capability of constructing several "Hiroshima" implosion bombs. The issue at hand is the ability to construct smaller, higher yield devices capable of being placed on, and detonated from, the existing medium-range Iranian missiles. The IGRC already have enough of these appropriately-ranged and target-guided missiles to simultaneously hit all of Israel's scientific and production centers as well as its various deep bunkered military installations.

Pentagon sources have indicated it's not difficult technically to calculate how quickly Iranian scientists and technicians could handcraft the needed marriage of high-weaponized explosive product and the guided missile-connected delivery system. This information is well known by all existing nuclear-armed countries. This is why the intensity level of anxiety on the international scene has risen so sharply in the past few months.

The only mystery still extant is how this nearly open secret has been so successfully kept from publication. The reason is that such information is tantamount to pulling the trigger on a holocaust that Iran is not yet prepared to create -- even on Israel. And against which the Israelis are not yet fully ready to defend. The problem that the Israel Defense Command and PM Netanyahu face is whether they can fully destroy Iran's offensive capability aimed at Israel and/or effectively defend against the expected Iranian counter-thrust to an Israeli preemptive attack. One thing is certain: Israel can not and will not depend on the current American administration to assist in Israel's initial attack.

Considerable emphasis has been placed on the White House's desire for Israel to wait until after the American presidential election before taking any offensive action. A new logic has been introduced by events in many Moslem capitals following the original riots in Cairo and the assault on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. If anything, the Obama Administration has hardened its position against Israeli military action against Iran. In turn, however, the Israeli choices have been reduced as Tehran now has the chance to exploit the anti-American/anti-Israel political support engendered by the wave of "holy war" spirit contained in the widespread radical Islamic demonstrations and attacks.

In brief, the Iranians do not fear the potential of an Israeli counterstrike. There is consequently nothing but Tehran's own current technical limitations to restrain the initiation of a Persian first strike nuclear attack on Israel's key centers. Bibi Netanyahu knows this and so do his military strategists. As soon as Israel has the wherewithal to effect an initial strike wiping out Iranian nuclear weapon-launching capability, the strategic instinct would have to be to do it as soon as they can.

The question is: When can Israel be sure it can destroy all of Iran's nuclear launch assets?

[Warph]

Who the hell is running this country...

         

Obama's Schedule

by Richard Butrick
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/09/the_obama_schedule.html

Here is todays schedule for Obama - 09/18/12:
http://www.politico.com/politico44/whiteboard/2012/9/Obama_to_New_York.html

"The president will welcome the WNBA Champion Minnesota Lynx at a White House reception. He will then head to New York, where he will do an appearance on Letterman and attend fundraisers at the Waldorf Astoria and Club 40/40, hosted by Jay-Z and Beyonce. He will return to Washington late in the evening."


According to the Government Accountability Institute, Obama has spent more time golfing than in economic meetings of any kind and Obama has skipped more than half of his intelligence briefings.

But wait. According to Obama's National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor, Obama is "among the most sophisticated consumers of intelligence on the planet."  That explains it. He can "consume" intelligence so fast he doesn't have to hang around the office like some plodding klutz. Now how did Victor conduct that survey?

Ok. Some of this is old news already reported by Rick Moran back in July. But let's take a look at the full picture which has been glaringly highlighted by recent events in the Middle East and North Africa.

He skips a security briefing on Sept. 5th to do a little jive talking with the "Pimp with the Limp", DJ Laz. "You're big time. You've got Pitbull and Flo Rida and all these guys just beating a path to your door. And so I'm hoping that I can get a little of that magic from you in this interview."

According to the White House Obama couldn't meet with Netanyahu because "The president's schedule will not permit that." But that same day, Obama announced that he will be on the David Letterman show.

He gave a faltering and hurried reading of his "bad day" speech on the 11th anniversary of 9/11 in order  to run off to a fund raiser that Michelle Malkin described as going "Off to Las Vegas for a lovefest campaign rally with 8,000 fanboys and fangirls who cultishly screamed, "I lovve youuuuuu" - ."

During Obama's presidency the White house has become the new "in" celebrity dining hot spot featuring Hollywood glitterati from Morgan Freeman to Kim Kardashian to Clooney. Add to that all the entertainment shows and the White House is looking like Vegas on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

But when he finishes consuming all that "intelligence", Obama says he is thinking about jobs and the economy from the time he gets up in the morning till he goes to bed.