Month: September 2016

Donald Trump’s And Hillary Clinton’s Supporters

I am sooooooo Borrrrrrrred with the election process so I think I will go off track and ask some questions…..not that I would get any answers…..does anyone have a “real” reason for voting for their fave candidate?  Is anyone taking either of the two seriously?  Really?  Why?

I have for a long time now tried to figure out just what it is about the candidates that make the people like them over the other.

To me they are just babbling twats that are trying to lie their way into the presidency….

Like I say I cannot see what makes one favorable over the other…..that is until I read this article……and now it is perfectly clear…..(not really but it is a good start)…….

A new Pew Research Center study finds that a third of Clinton and Trump supporters are most strongly motivated by opposition to Trump and Clinton.

The biggest reason supporters of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton support their candidate is because they’re not the other.

That’s the finding from a Pew Research Center study of a month’s worth of survey data. Pew found, from more than 4,000 interviews conducted online and by mail, that the “main reason” supporters of both candidates were voting for their candidate was because “he is not Clinton,” and “she is not Trump.” Almost one out of every three people said so.

Source: Donald Trump’s And Hillary Clinton’s Supporters Are Motivated By Opposition To The Other : NPR

It makes sense now!

It is a contest of personalities…..issue and solutions be damn!

And Americans wonder what has gone wrong with their “near perfect” system……(The obvious always alludes them)…..

All I can do is laugh at the ignorance (used that for stupidity has already been used)…..

A billion…that is billion with a “B” wasted on this Reality show featuring “Dumb and Dumber”…….and you think wasting money on hungry kids is worthless…..

Terrorism And The Press

These days there is not much talk about terrorism unless it is some unrealistic crap about them running down Main Street chopping off heads…..or the standard “nuke ’em” and let God sort them out rhetoric for the election….

I have been doing a lot of research because I proposed a course at our local institute of higher learning on the introduction to terrorism…it all began when I started a white paper on the subject because most Americans are idiots when it comes to terrorism….that is their knowledge of the act is very limited….mostly dog whistle one liners which adds nothing to their knowledge but works wonders for their ignorance.

I will be posting a series on terrorism which is mostly an introduction….a way to help the average person to understand the acts and the responses…..

I shall write about the relationship between the press and acts of terrorism……

Violence, so the saying goes, begets violence. Now evidence is emerging that suggests even the reporting of violence can trigger further attacks. Research has found that sensationalist media coverage of acts of terrorism results in more such acts being committed.

The study will prompt further debate about how the international media responds to atrocities. It also raises the possibility that media reports about a terrorist act can be viewed as a “warning” that follow-on attacks will be perpetrated in the near future.

Source: Media coverage of terrorism ‘leads to further violence’ | Media | The Guardian

The terrorists would not exist in its glory that they have today without the press….the mass media.

“If it Bleeds….It Leads!”

There is a symbiotic relationship between the media and the terrorists……think not?

Mass media and terrorism have become ever more intertwined in a mutually beneficial relationship often described as ‘symbiotic.’ This column examines that dynamic and outlines the need for news organizations to balance the public’s right to know against the ability of militants to exploit news coverage to promote their beliefs.

On its side, the mass media capitalizes from the confusion and consternation caused by terrorist attacks to produce the kind of dramatic news that draws the attention of its viewers and readers.

As for extremists, they carefully calculate the scale, target, location, and timing of their assaults to stir ample media attention—or in other words, to generate advertisements for their messages on a global scale. The broader and more prolonged the media coverage of terrorism turns out to be, the greater the terrorists’ feelings of accomplishment, influence, and power. As Bruce Hoffman, director of the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University, put it: “Only by spreading the terror and outrage to a much larger audience can the terrorists gain the maximum potential leverage.”1

Source: The Symbiotic Relationship between Western Media and Terrorism

Your unrealistic fear is a product of the press…….for without them the fear card would not hold such power over the people and their attitudes.

The Crime Of The Century (Or It Should Be)

I will write about other topics other than politics and foreign policy….especially when I see something that chaps my butt.

Today there is some type of crime around every corner…..but the worst among these is human trafficking…..there is nothing more despicable than the trafficking of humans….politics come close but no cigar when compared.

Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Almost every country in the world is affected by trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims. UNODC, as guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Protocols thereto, assists States in their efforts to implement the  Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (Trafficking in Persons Protocol).

…….and then there are the charities that use every available opportunity to skim money…..

We are always hearing one horror story after another……

I read a report about one charity that was almost as bad as the traffickers…..the charity was called “Courage House”…….https://courageworldwide.org/courage-house/

Once girls arrived at the house, they were expected to hand over their cellphones. Internet access was also strictly limited—Jenny’s rules. For “her girls” to stay in good graces, they were expected to do as she said, go where she told them to, and be available when she wanted to show them off in photos or at events.

It’s the kind of controlling, exploitative situation police warn us that runaway teens are likely to end up in at the hands of human traffickers. But in this case, control came via the people ostensibly helping—and accepting a lot of private and government money to help—these girls, under the auspices of an organization called Courage Worldwide. Founded in 2011 by Jenny T. Williamson (on direct orders from God, or so she claims), the Sacramento-based organization provided housing and services for formerly sex-trafficked young women at a California group home (Courage House) as well as a sister site in Tanzania.

Source: Courage House Claimed to Save Sex-Trafficked Girls. Instead, It Used Them As Funding Bait While Playing Evangelical Christian Missionary – Hit & Run : Reason.com

There is NO hole deep enough or dark enough for people like this.

Choose your charity well…..who knows what they are up to behind the scenes…..

Two Candidates, Zero Solutions

By ow the American voter has heard every lame ass reason for them to vote for dumb or dumber…..every applause line possible has been uttered and NOTHING of real substance has been heard.

We have comical solutions like a “Great Wall”…on “make the sand glow”…..or “we will defeat…..”none of it actually spells out how exactly any of these pipe dreams will work…..and their website are as worthless as used toilet paper…..but the major of Americans will vote for either “numb nuts” or “I want nuts”…..

Of course after the most recent bombing in NYC and Jersey the two candidates had to sprint to a microphone to offer their visions……

Facts are still coming out about the New York and New Jersey bombings. But from the information we do have, one thing is clear: the counterterror solutions promoted by Trump and Clinton would not have helped prevent it.

Source: Two Major Candidates, Zero Solutions for Terrorism – Antiwar.com Original by — Antiwar.com

The next president will need to be a leader of exceptional quality….and neither of these two clowns have shown none of that quality……

Over the next four years, U.S. men and women will almost certainly be fighting and dying in combat operations abroad. Whoever becomes commander-in-chief in January 2017 will probably spend his or her term in office explaining to the American people, long tired of war, why still more sacrifice is necessary. On the economic front, a long-ignored fiscal crunch will have to be confronted. And if these two major challenges are not daunting enough, the next president is likely to face a country as polarized as it has been at any time in the last century. He or she will have to find a way to bridge the differences or be content representing barely half the population. That task may become even more difficult, given that the United States is becoming a nation of far more diverse ancestry, faith traditions, and complexion. The president who does not recognize and adapt to the new America could be seen as a player from yesteryear, or even an outlier in the unfolding national story. Presidential leadership is no simple matter.

Source: Presidential Leadership: Uniting Behind Exceptionalism | World Affairs Journal

We will be ass deep in international problems….NO matter which comic makes it to the White House.

The Decentralization Equation

Let me see….we have been trying to mop up the crap in Iraq since 2003….then there is the manure pile that is Syria since 2011….no matter what we try…..it is wrong.

In the beginning of the war in Iraq there was a couple of plans that would bring federalism to Iraq…..so far none of them have gone very far but the Iraqi military has had its hands full for a few years now…..I am sure it is still on a back burner some place.

The there is Syria and some have floated a similar plan of partitioning of Syria….. to save time and space…….

Source: Would Partitioning Syria Be Folly? | Ace News Room

So far these plans have been all talk……and now there is new talk about a plan for both Syria and Iraq….it is called “decentralization”……

The term “decentralization” embraces a variety of concepts which must be carefully analyzed in any particular country before determining if projects or programs should support reorganization of financial, administrative, or service delivery systems. Decentralization—the transfer of authority and responsibility for public functions from the central government to subordinate or quasi-independent government organizations and/or the private sector—is a complex multifaceted concept. Different types of decentralization should be distinguished because they have different characteristics, policy implications, and conditions for success.

Source: Different Forms of Decentralization

I bring this issue up because of several articles I found while doing research…..these writings bring up the possibility of Iraq and Syria being able to profit from a program of decentralization…….

Source: Iraq’s regional decentralisation debate is heating up – Al Jazeera English

Source: No Going Back: Why Decentralization is the Future for Syria | World Affairs Journal

Could this truly be a godsend for these two countries?

But the one thing to keep in mind…..this is not a cure all…..

Obstacles will be many….but if a workable plan can come to light then why not give it a try?  I mean could not be any worse than the situation these days….

Once again…it should be the people that decide the future not the powers that are looking for some sort of benefit….whether is is natural resources or location…..the people will know what is best and the people will make any plan either work or fail…….

When Trump Speaks

This election holds nothing for me…..if you believe the media then I have two choices….a lying Clinton or a buffoon Trump….but when have I let the media or others dictate what I believe?

For the life of me I cannot understand the appeal of Trump for a portion of this society (I can understand why and so can you)….the portion that wraps itself in the flag and is concerned about the loss of liberties…..and no matter what crap he spouts they cannot see any flaws in his speech….so leads me to believe it is not the person but rather his rhetoric…..

I wish I had saved all the quotes that he has made since he announced his candidacy over a year ago….but since I was not that in-tuned I will just have to go with some of his most recent stuff…..

The bombs in NY/NJ…..he predicted that they were bombs….now that is perceptive….an explosion could have been something else….at least he had a 50/50 chance of being right.

But let’s talk about the bombings……afterwards he doubled down on his rhetoric…..

…..the controversial call to profile and ban Muslims from entering the country has been one of the cornerstones of Trump’s presidential campaign.

And while Trump argued on conservative media that Syrian refugees ought to punished for this latest act of violence…..

He praises the Police and then says this……

Trump says. During a lengthy interview with Fox and Friends, Trump accused the New York City Police Department of knowing who the terrorists are before they attack, but allowing the attacks to happen anyway

The PDs allow these things to happen?  Prove it and Then let us prosecute them for “aiding and abating”……

One point that many of Mr. Trump’s supporters go on and on about is the 1st amendment….but yet Trump seems tho blame a free press for the acts of violence…..

In his effort to capitalize on this weekend’s New York bombings, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump blamed freedom of speech in general and freedom of the press in particular for the attacks, insisting that he is “totally in favor of freedom of the press” but wants to dramatically curb the ability to print certain things.

Trump claimed “where you buy magazines and they tell you how to make these same bombs” should be illegal, and that the US “should arrest the people that do that.” He didn’t mention the magazine’s name, but speculation is he was referring to al-Qaeda’s online magazine, Inspire, which is not available for sale anywhere.

Trump went on to insist that “websites are the same thing, those people should be arrested,” saying that the US has been using freedom of speech as an excuse not to arrest people for such unacceptable speech. This is not the first time Trump has come out critical of press freedom.

These are the same supporters that claim Obama is wanting to shut down our 1st amendment rights…..

I guess to these minute mind supporters see the Constitution is a document for them and them alone….

I bet you think I would leave Clinton…let her have a free ride as it were….then you are WRONG!….so very wrong!

While she is not attacking the Constitution or our rights….she is setting the stage for her possible loss by finding excuses other than her being a horrible candidate…..her minions are trolling the net using the old meme “that a vote for a 3rd party is a vote for Trump”……but she has gone further….

The recent bombings are a plot by Russia to support Trump…..

Blaming Russia has been the go-to strategy for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton since the convention, and that appears unchanged today, with reporters asking if Clinton was concerned that the weekend bombings in New York and New Jersey were a Russian plot to try to get Donald Trump elected.

Seriously?

In a purely sick way I kinda would like to see Trump win the election…..why?

Because I want to see if he has the balls to crap on the Constitution….and when his BS fails to occur who will the blame?

Trump?  Not a chance!  It will be the Dems fault along with the apologists, liberals and other assorted low lifes (according to them)  ……..

It will be fascinating to see just how they spin his lies and promises that go unfulfilled.

What is it that makes his supporters follow him blindly…and defend every word he utters?  Please do not use the term “balls”…it takes NO balls to spout crap blogs prove that….

My day is done…..tomorrow will be another day….peace out!

 

Dangers of an Impulsive President

During this election process I have spent more time researching my options than I normally do…..for one reason is that the two major candidates are nothing for the future of the US…….

I have listened to all the crap spread by the GOP candidate and I think he is too impulsive to be a good president…..I read a good example of why this is in a blog entitled Nomadic Politics……..I press it here for your reading enjoyment….or disdain if you want….

Raw Story recently ran a piece about American Republican political consultant and policy advisor Karl Rove’s take on Donald Trump. On Friday afternoon’s Fox Business News, Rove had a lot of bitter whiny things to say. The term used was an “epic rant.”
He dared to ask the question whether Trump actually wants to win. If so, how can anybody explain the daily gaffes and the misjudgments and, well, the nonsense? What the hell is going on? In particular, the former George W. Bush chief-of-staff deplored how easily Trump could be distracted and baited.
Rove cited example after example in which the GOP nominee could (plausibly) have turned his campaign around. Visibly angry, Rove pointed out that Trump squandered those opportunities, picking an unwinnable fight with Gold Star families, and making outrageous and ignorant claims about Obama and ISIS.

Source: Forethought and Consequences: Trump, Rove and the Unimaginable Dangers of an Impulsive President | Nomadic Politics

Don’t know if I would trust Rove as far as I can spit him…..

An article I found interesting….I hope you did also.

Sowing the seeds of conflict in the Middle East

Time for the old professor’s historical perspective (something you all have been dreaded for a long time)…..

The Middle East….some will pass around the bullshit that it has always been a violent and destructive region….that is what they want to believe and no amount of disputing evidence will change their minds….because they know all and see all….

Some experts will have you believe that all the problems started with the Balfour Declaration and the Sykes-Picot Agreement…..my opinion is that it was the beginning but not the sole reason for the violence.

But now onto the perspective……

Whatever else they were guilty of, the two authors of the invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, George Bush and Tony Blair, displayed an astonishing ignorance of history.

Many people, understandably, are perplexed by the violence and disorder of the Middle East. They look at, say, the conflict in Syria and ask: how did it come to this?

Part of the problem is that the media focus on the crowded foreground and neglect the all-important historical background – in particular, the formative period in the emergence of the modern Middle East, in the age of empire.

Source: Sowing the seeds of conflict in the Middle East | openDemocracy

A little reading will help you understand…that is if you want to understand or to stand by your idiotic perspectives…….

Damn!  I love history and the perspectives that can make understanding so much easier…..but only if you want to understand…..

Fool Me Once, Then Fool Me Twice……

Did anyone out there watch Obama’s speech to the UN General Assembly yesterday?

Yea….me either.

The US has a long history of “fooling” the pubic in favor of war….The Gulf of Tonkin attack 2, Gulf War 1, Iraq 2003, Libya in 2011 and now it is Russia that is getting the full nelson…..

I appears that the UK is suffering from this deception as well……

After the British report exposing falsehoods to justify invading Iraq in 2003, a new U.K. inquiry found similar misconduct in the 2011 attack on Libya, but no lessons are learned for the West’s new propaganda about Russia, writes Robert Parry.

A British parliamentary inquiry into the Libyan fiasco has reported what should have been apparent from the start in 2011 – and was to some of us – that the West’s military intervention to “protect” civilians in Benghazi was a cover for what became another disastrous “regime change” operation.

The report from the U.K.’s Foreign Affairs Committee confirms that the U.S. and other Western governments exaggerated the human rights threat posed by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and then quickly morphed the “humanitarian” mission into a military invasion that overthrew and killed Gaddafi, leaving behind political and social chaos.

Source: Getting Fooled on Iraq, Libya, Now Russia – Consortiumnews

The media is working long and hard with the governments to make the case against Russia…..Russia has been responsible for many things but could they be getting a “bum’s rush” these days?

Check out my past post on how to recognize propaganda and tell me what you think this is all about……

https://lobotero.com/2014/01/06/propaganda-2-0/

https://lobotero.com/2013/01/11/what-is-propaganda/