Former U.S. Congressman Allen West attends the Faith and Freedom Coalition Road to Majority Conference in Washington, June 14, 2013. REUTERS/Mary F. Calvert (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION HEADSHOT) - RTX10NUH
Allen West echoed the common Republican thinking when he took to his blog and expressed his disappointment with the fact that 10 US soldiers were captured, fed and then released by Iranian National Guards. As far as West is concerned, America should declare war against Iran and the two nations should duke it out ’till the last man falls!
“The result of two U.S. Navy vessels being boarded and seized by an enemy — which is what the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Navy is — is disturbing,” he wrote on his blog.
“The images and video they took depicting our soldiers on their knees in the position of surrender is damning,” West continued. “This, folks, is an act of war, and our soldiers were captured. Our honor calls upon us to fight, to resist, not surrender.
“The ramifications of not doing so means our honor is now being mocked and we’re seen as nothing more than cowards on our knees. Say what you wish, but that’s the perception in the Middle East, especially to our enemies.”
No surprise here folks. War is the Republicans’ only language. It’s all they know. And although every single soldier was apparently fed and released hours later, West and the Republicans cannot accept that sometimes, war should not be the answer. Bring the guns, shoot bullets, drop bombs, kill tens or even hundreds of thousands of people in the process.
Fight! Fight! Fight! Kill! Kill! Kill! And shed the blood of out troops too!
I guess you can say that the new sanctions on North Korea are working.
After it was revealed that they were responsible for the Sony hack, President Obama levied heavier sections on the already isolated nation, causing the North to decry those sanctions as “wars of aggression.”
“The U.S. took part in wars of aggression … But it has never experienced a hail of bullets and shells on its own territory,” North Korea’s National Defense Commission said in a warning through state-run media. “The U.S. should roll back its hostile policy towards the DPRK of its own accord if it does not want to suffer a war disaster.”
The United States on Friday slapped sanctions on 10 individuals and three entities, including North Korea’s primary intelligence organization and its arms dealer, over the country’s alleged role in a cyberattack that threatened to derail Sony’s release of “The Interview” and made public emails that embarrassed top-level executives.
Republicans want nothing to do with the war against the terrorist group ISIS, and they are doing everything possible to avoid the issue all together, even suggesting that the next Congress handle the vote.
Republicans in Congress are standing on the sidelines, but observing from the sidelines does not stop them from pointing and dictating how things should go.
House Speaker John Boehner says the U.S. may have “no choice” but to send ground forces into Syria to battle the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
“At the end of the day, I think it’s gonna take more than airstrikes to drive them outta there,” the Ohio Republican said in an interview airing Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” according to a transcript. “At some point somebody’s boots have to be on the ground.”
Asked if the U.S. should supply those ground forces if no other country would, Boehner said: “We have no choice. These are barbarians. They intend to kill us. And if we don’t destroy them first, we’re gonna pay the price.”
John Boehner, the Republican House Speaker and leader of the cowards in the House of Representatives, told The New York Times that the goal of this Congress has absolutely nothing to do with the Constitution. The leader of the congressional cowards explained their main goal is sitting back and waiting ’till next year when hopefully that congress will have a backbone and do what is required of them.
Are you aware that we are fighting a war? The United States is leading a the fight against ISIS, or ISIL as they are called by White House personnel. And according to the United States Constitution, it is the job of Congress to declare war. But this is an election year and the cowards in Congress are more concerned with appearing favorably in the eyes of their constituents.
These cowards want to be reelected, and holding a vote for or against war could have negative effects on their reelection chances. So they have decided to do nothing – like they have done since taking office – hoping that the next congress in 2015 will be brave enough to actually do what the Constitution demands.
In his interview with the New York Times, Boehner explained that a new congress would be the ones holding this vote on war! The war we have already began fighting.
Doing this with a whole group of members who are on their way out the door, I don’t think that is the right way to handle this.”
The amazing and ironic thing is that John Boehner and the Republicans in Congress are currently suing President Obama for following his constitutional authorities. They claim that the President is doing too much through Executive Privileges, and they are taking the president to court to essentially stop him from working. This war against ISIS, or ISIL as thery are called by White House personnel, is the work of the President. Knowing that congress would not act, the President is yet again, left holding the bag, doing it on his own.
But what about the Constitution, the document every member of Congress swore to uphold when they took office? What should happen when these members, these congressional cowards decide for whatever reason, to turn their back on the the very document they are supposed to follow? That Constitution, that document containing the rules, the regulations and what is expected of every member of Congress. That document they pledged to follow. What happens when they choose to rip that document to pieces?
Republicans say their are the protectors of the Constitution. They print it up into little booklets and it is required reading by all when it fits their politics. But when their leaders blatantly disregard the document, blatantly refuse to follow its requirements, these same “protectors of the Constitution” turn a blind eye and vote again, and again, to keep their so-called ‘leaders’ in office.
And somewhere along the way, our democracy suffers and the society that separates us from the rest of the world crumbles. These so-called leaders are ripping apart the very fabric of what makes us exceptional, but, whatever. No one cares!
Although warmongers like John McCain and Lindsay Graham are calling for more American troops in the middle east, the president once again reiterated that in the fight with ISIS, there would be no American “boots on the ground.” And he also spoke about the developing Ebola crisis in Africa.
Many of you probably haven’t heard about the column written in the Times of Israel titled “When Genocide is Permissible.” That’s for two reasons. Firstly, it was pulled shortly after it ran online by the editors of the publication. Secondly, there has been little or no mention of it in the mainstream press.
The “column” written by Yochanan Gordon, a frequent contributor to the publication, concludes that “If political leaders and military experts determine that the only way to achieve its goal of sustaining quiet is through genocide is it then permissible to achieve those responsible goals?” Mr. Gordon doesn’t seem to have the mental capacity to comprehend what he is saying. Wasn’t it Hitler who believed that wiping out Jews would lead to “quiet and a better society?” Therefore he had every right to commit those atrocities? Really?
But you probably haven’t heard about this anyway. I’m sure you would have heard about it if a writer in Palestine had written something titled “Why Israel must be wiped out.” No. I’m SURE you would have heard about it.
That scribbling wasn’t the worst thing that happened today. Believe it or not. Well the worst thing is that at least 100 more Palestinians were killed…mostly civilians. You have probably heard something about that but I’m certain you heard that ONE Israeli soldier was “abducted.” Yes this you have heard. That ONE soldier in an army that is in a war was taken by the opposing side. This you have heard about. This is NOT a war crime, it happens all the time in war. But this is what has led the news reports, not the column calling for genocide of Palestinians, not that 100 more people in Gaza were killed. Killing civilians and children in schools and hospitals is indeed a war crime.
You have also probably not heard that the U.S. Senate has approved more funds be sent to Israel to help in their efforts to kill more civilians and children. I hate to hang this on Obama because let’s be honest, EVERY American President has supported Israel almost without conscience or question. It’s just the way it is, has always been and probably will always be. Obama is no different. When Israel is responsible for the murders of children they get a slap on the wrist. “Please show restraint” the American President says. When ONE Israeli soldier is abducted it’s automatically a good reason to send more money their way to “protect and defend” themselves. It passed the House by a vote of 395-8!
If Obama is reading this he is nodding his head and saying something like “I know man but what else can I do?” He knows the score, he knows where the money is and who it comes from and that money is power and might makes right. Just the way it works. So the USA continues to fund terrorism. To fund this man.
When Russia and Putin step foot in the Ukraine all hell breaks loose and economic sanctions are swift and hard hitting. When Israel kills children and is in the process of genocide, they get even more money to help them along.
Anyone else disgusted at being an American right now?
OK Israel, enough is enough. When you start to bomb schools and kill sleeping children you have lost me for good. I knew Netanyahu was a right wing scum bucket, but now he should be considered a terrorist. If Arabs did this, we would be calling them just that. No more double standards, I’m done.
This is exactly what the Israeli’s have done. They bombed United Nations schools where Palestinian civilians went to escape the bombings because they thought they would be safe there. U.N. officials say they warned the Israeli’s no fewer than 17 times about the locations of these schools and that children would be there and that civilians were gathered there, civilians not terrorists.
“Nothing is more shameful than attacking sleeping children” said Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. I agree. The Israeli’s claim there was rocket fire from near the school so of course they needed to bomb the entire school. The Geneva Convention prohibits attacks on schools and hospitals, but hey they are Israel so they can get away with it right?
Anyone who claims there is no double standard at work here is simply full of shit. I mentioned Arabs but if any other country were bombing schools and killing children at the pace the Israel’s are right now the United States would be leading the charge against that country. The war hawks here would be calling for retaliation and another war against the violating country. Not with Israel. This is as appalling as the despicable acts of violence the Israelis are responsible for.
There is no excuse. We wouldn’t be accepting one from an Iran or a North Korea or even Germany for that matter. So far there have been 1,328 Palestinian deaths in this Gaza war. There have been 59 Israeli deaths. This is a one-sided massacre. Dare I say a Holocaust? Yes I dare.
The Israeli’s want this to be seen by everyone as a fair war. If that were the case then the Palestinians would have the same fire power that Israel has. Of course they do not. It makes sense for the right wing of this country to love Netanyahu because they love war. Anyone on the left who backs this daily massacre is a hypocrite. These people will call Bush, Cheney et al, war mongers, but in the same breath they will make excuses for Netanyahu. I’m here to call them on their bullshit hypocrisy.
The United States and their Israel apologist machine is in full force. The National Security Council has already put out a statement that tried to make the Palestinians equally responsible for the bombings by saying they oppose the Israeli attacks on the schools BUT ALSO oppose Palestinians hiding weapons in the schools. There is yet to be any evidence of that of course and even if there was it’s no excuse to kill innocent civilians and children.
The word “terrorist” has not been used by the United States in response to these school bombings. I wonder why? Ask yourself if that word would be part of the discourse if the roles were reversed or if one of the “Axis of Evil” were responsible for the attacks. You and I know the answer, it’s obvious.
There have been several “terrorist” attacks on these school. The U.N. has said there have been NO weapons stored in these schools by Palestinians. The U.N. is the same organization that said there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
They were right then and they are right now.
It’s time to call out Netanyahu for what he is. A terrorist.
Their one sided coverage of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict was a little too much and a little too obvious for Rula Jebreal, the guest on today’s MSNBC program “Ronan Farrow Daily.”
During the interview, Palestinian journalist Rula Jebreal unloaded on Western media outlets, including MSNBC, arguing that influence from pro-Israel forces makes the news coverage more favorable to the likes of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Because of AIPAC, and because of the money behind it, and because of Sheldon Adelson, and because of all of us in the media. We are ridiculous. We are disgustingly biased when it comes to this issue,” Jebreal said.
“Look at how many airtime Netanyahu and his folks have on air on a daily basis. Andrea Mitchell and others,” she continued, referring to the MSNBC stalwart whose show airs right before Farrow’s afternoon program. “I never see one Palestinian being interviewed on theses same issues.”
When Farrow pushed back gently and pointed out that Palestinian guests have been interviewed, Jebreal continued her criticism.
“Maybe 30 seconds! And then you have 25 minutes for Bibi Netanyahu, and then half an hour for Naftali Bennett and many others,” Jebreal said.
Think Progress crunched the numbers and the results are exactly what we expected.
They love war but hate the troops and veterans. Republicans in Congress are wasting more tax payers dollars on yet another Benghazi investigation, than what is appropriated for veterans care.
The House could spend up to $3.3 million in taxpayer dollars over seven months on a special committee to investigate the Sep. 2011 attacks against the American diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, more than lawmakers have appropriated for committees dedicated to investigating ethics and helping American veterans over an entire 12 month period.
A ThinkProgress analysis of House spending on its 20 permanent committees from Jan. 3, 2013 to Jan. 3, 2014 finds that since Benghazi committee’s full-year equivalent budget would be an estimated $5,657,142, its investigation will cost more than the budgets of nine other House committees:
Committee on Rules: $2,857,408
Committee on Small Business: $2,992,688
Committee on Ethics: $3,020,459
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs: $3,048,546
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: $4,389,758
Committee on House Administration: $4,600,560
Committee on Agriculture: $5,036,187
Committee on the Budget: $5,138,824
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: $5,282,755
House Benghazi Panel: $5,657,142
Committee on Natural Resources: $6,555,829
Committee on Armed Services: $6,563,535
Committee on Education and the Workforce: $6,952,763
Committee on Homeland Security: $7,033,588
Committee on the Judiciary: $7,077,016
Committee on Foreign Affairs: $7,388,112
Committee on Financial Services: $7,394,482
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: $8,182,307
Committee on Ways and Means: $8,423,411
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: $8,940,437
Committee on Energy and Commerce: $9,520,516
The seven House Republicans will receive a bigger share of the committee budget, $2.2 million, more than the five Democrats, who will see “just over $1 million.”
Aljazeera is reporting that the US container ship Cape Ray has started to neutralise chemical materials that were once part of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s weapons arsenal, the US Defence Department has said.
The ship, located in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea, began processing about 600 metric tonnes of chemical weapons and the raw materials that could be used in them, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said on Monday,
The US government has said the materials include mustard gas and components for the nerve agent sarin.
The materials were transferred to the Cape Ray earlier in July from a vessel that brought them out of Syria, the Reuters news agency reported.
But they – the Bush administration – chose not to listen to the wisdom of the Biden.
In 2006, Biden was a senator from Delaware gearing up for a presidential campaign when he proposed that Iraq be divided into three semi-independent regions for Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds. Follow his plan, he said, and U.S. troops could be out by early 2008. Ignore it, he warned, and Iraq would devolve into sectarian conflict that could destabilize the whole region.
The Bush administration chose to ignore Biden. Now, eight years later, the vice president’s doom-and-gloom prediction seems more than a little prescient.
Old sectarian tensions have erupted with a vengeance as Sunni militants seize entire cities and the United States faults the Shiite prime minister for shunning Iraq’s minorities. While the White House isn’t actively considering Biden’s old plan, Mideast experts are openly questioning whether Iraq is marching toward an inevitable breakup along sectarian lines.
“Isn’t this the divided Iraq that Joe Biden predicted eight years ago?” read an editorial this week in The Dallas Morning News
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