Day: March 5, 2019

“They Are Coming For Your Hamburgers”!

Closing Thought–05Mar19

Today we celebrate Mardi Gras and the beginning of Lent tomorrow……I use to give up watermelon for it was out of season anyway….but globalization crapped on that excuse….so now I give up liver for I refuse to eat it anyway.

Now onto more important stuff!

CPAC was last week and not a better SNL sketch than the president’s 2 hour ramble that some call a speech……he was unhinged and babbling like a demented toad……but that was not the best part of the CPAC gathering…….that’s right someone was more moronic than the president……

It was when that slug of a pundit Seb Gorka of FOX News fame compared the Green New Deal as some sort of Stalinist dream…..and he got thunderous applause from the mental midgets that attended his talk…….

Threatening to take away a Californian’s In-N-Out burger? That’s the kind of thing that could change minds, sway elections and maybe even turn a blue state red.

Sebastian Gorka, a former Trump aide, is well aware of America’s bipartisan passion for ground beef, and he played into that love affair during his fiery speech on Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference:

‘They want to take your pickup truck, they want to rebuild your home, they want to take away your hamburgers. This is what Stalin dreamt about but never achieved.’ Sebastian Gorka

Fact-check: Joseph Stalin, according to Russiapedia, once sent a top Russian official to America to study the development of the U.S. economy. Inspired by hamburgers, he came back and launched the mass production of meat patties.

Oh there is more……

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ocasio-cortez-like-stalin-is-coming-for-your-hamburger-warns-former-trump-aide-gorka-2019-02-28

Want more?

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/yw8xdg/posts-conservatives-are-bizarrely-claiming-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-wants-to-take-your-burger-away

The conservs wasted NO time attacking AOC and her station…..

The right-wing media pounced, bleating that Ocasio-Cortez wanted to rip hamburgers from Americans’ hands. Then, last week, it seemed she was caught red meat–handed: Republican strategist Caleb Hull tweeted a picture of Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff, Saikat Chakrabarti, eating a hamburger. The hypocrisy was supposedly self-evident.

Ocasio-Cortez’s communications director, Corbin Trent, calls this claim “absurd,” noting that the Green New Deal doesn’t call for banning meat. “We want to restart America’s industrial capacity, revitalize economic growth, and ensure America’s leading in the development of new, bourgeoning green energy industries,” he told me. “That’s what the focus of the Green New Deal is. Not to take way anyone’s right to eat cheeseburgers.” Ocasio-Cortez, speaking to The New Yorker’s David Remnick last week, argued that “it’s hard for the Republicans to refute the actual policy on its substance. They resort to mythologizing it on a ludicrous level.”

https://newrepublic.com/article/153187/potency-republicans-hamburger-lie

I get it…the conservs are scared of AOC and the Green New Deal…..they are in opposition….but what do they offer as an alternative?

They have NOTHING!

All they can offer is stale old fearmongering from the 1950s….and yet 40% of the population will say they support Trump and as batcrap crazy people over actual ideas to solve some of our problems.

As you have read Stalin never wanted your hamburgers and neither does AOC……it is morons spreading manure…it is what they do best.

Can You Say, “Idlib”?

A small city and province in Northwest Syria where the last forces of the murderous group ISIS are held up for their “last stand”…..but don’t tell anybody…the tale is that they are in Eastern Syria….

Fighting has been fierce and as ISIS is defeated its members will slink away and wait for the rise to begin again……

ISIS has been a barbarous group with mass killings, drownings, beheadings, stonings, etc……and when they are defeated (at least disbanded as a force) then the world will be right and peace will prevail.

NOT!

Does anyone remember Al-Qaeda?

That group that gave us the attacks on 9/11…..remember now?

It appears that as ISIS departs the region AQ is stepping in as the controller of the region…..

 Late last year, Turkey-backed rebels were decisively overwhelmed by al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front in the Idlib Province, in northern Syria. While Turkey’s allies made mention of resolving this, as an attempt to prevent Syria attacking the area during a ceasefire with Turkey, al-Qaeda never left, and their control has only grown.

So while Turkey controls some of northern Aleppo Province, the Idlib Province is now almost entirely under the control of al-Qaeda, and they are ruling under an increasingly strict Islamist rule.

Al-Qaeda’s activities are forcing a lot of aid groups to cease activity in the area, and a lot of locals say that they object being ruled over by the faction. They say exactly who supports al-Qaeda is never clear, and so far there is no sign of any resistance.

https://theantimedia.com/al-qaeda-syria-idlib/
 
ISIS was an extreme form of Islam….as is the beliefs of al-Qaeda…..and the US was supplying AQ in the fight against ISIS…..
 
What will the control of the region by AQ mean in the bigger War on Terror?
 
The news is, as reported on CNN, the final push against ISIS has begun and there is a chance that in 5 days or so the ISIS threat will be no more….the people may be dead but the idea remains….so dead is not a proper term to describe the event.
 
But could ISIS resurrect itself in Syria?
 

The Islamic State is decimated but not eradicated in Syria, the Pentagon inspector general reports, and “ISIS remains a potent force of battle-hardened and well-disciplined fighters that ‘could likely resurge in Syria’ absent continued counterterrorism pressure.”

In light of the last two decades of American foreign policy and the realistic near-future of the nations we’ve occupied, this report should serve as one more piece of evidence that it is time to end U.S. intervention in Syria. Using the chance of a relatively small-scale ISIS resurgence as a reason to delay U.S. withdrawal from Syria is both pointless and reckless, a needless and counterproductive means of exposing America to further risk of great-power conflict while accomplishing little in a war Congress never duly authorized two successive administrations to fight.

https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2019/02/isis-might-come-back-s-just-one-more-reason-get-out-syria/154973/

The events in Syria has no bearing on the security of the US…..so bring the troops home and focus on making the country great again….(I seem to have heard that slogan before)…….

 
 
 

Electoral College Must Go!

Seriously?

Most of us “pinkos” on the Left have been saying that for decades and no one was listening and now it is all the rage…..I have written many posts condemning the EC and calling for its abolishing…….

https://lobotero.com/2008/07/14/what-do-you-really-know-about-the-electoral-college/

https://lobotero.com/2016/11/28/what-do-you-know-about-the-electoral-college/

The reason that I re-visit my attempts to sway my readers is something that was published last week……

Earlier this week, former Attorney General Eric Holder called for the abolition of the electoral college because it is “undemocratic” and “forces candidates to ignore majority of the voters and campaign in a small number of states.” In a New York Times op-ed, columnist Jamelle Bouie echoes all of the above and hopes that Holder’s argument becomes a main topic among Democrats running for president. “The Electoral College routinely threatens or produces perverse outcomes, where the will of the voters is thwarted by an ill-considered 18th-century electoral device,” writes Bouie. “It has no place in a democracy that strives for a standard of ‘one person, one vote.'” It’s also the reason Donald Trump is president instead of Hillary Clinton, he writes, and the reason Trump might win again in 2020.

Bouie runs through the historical origins of the electoral college, along with the failed attempts to replace it over the years with a system based on popular vote. Opponents of the electoral college have nowhere near the support necessary to get an amendment ratified abolishing it, he notes. “The inertia behind the Electoral College is strong, which is why it needs vocal opponents making their case as loudly and often as possible.” However, he writes that the movement has, in fact, been gaining ground, with the governor of Colorado promising to join the National Popular Vote interstate compact, and Maine’s legislature considering the same move. Click to read the full column, in which Bouie argues that the current system is a “glaring flaw” in our democracy. (Read more electoral college stories.)

My question is…what took you people so long?

Maybe now someone will f*cking listen because some high paid pundit has written an op-ed stating what most of us on the Left have known for many decades……

As they say…..”better late than never”…….

And guess what? We may not have had a Trump as president if you a/holes had listened in the beginning.

Just Saying!

Saudi’s Nuclear Dream

While you had your attention diverted to a non-story that the investigation may be over soon……a major story was coming to light about the Saudis and their desire for nukes…….and the Trump admin was happy to do their part to help…..

Senior White House officials pushed a project to share nuclear power technology with Saudi Arabia despite the objections of ethics and national security officials, according to a new congressional report citing whistleblowers within the administration. Lawmakers from both parties have expressed concerns that Saudi Arabia could develop nuclear weapons if the US technology were transferred without proper safeguards, per the AP. The Democratic-led House oversight committee opened an investigation Tuesday into the claims by several unnamed whistleblowers who said they witnessed “abnormal acts” in the White House regarding the proposal to build dozens of nuclear reactors across the Middle Eastern kingdom. According to the report, the effort was pushed by former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was fired in early 2017.

Derek Harvey, a National Security Council official brought in by Flynn, continued work on the proposal, which has remained under consideration by the Trump administration. (The Washington Post reports that it was discussed as recently as last week.) The committee’s report details how NSC and ethics officials repeatedly warned that the actions of Flynn and one of his senior aides could run afoul of federal conflicts of interest law and statutes governing the transfer of nuclear technology to foreign powers. Congressional investigators are also probing the role of Tom Barrack, a proponent of the nuclear proposal who ran Trump’s presidential inaugural committee. The nuclear proposal—known as the “Marshall Plan for the Middle East—was advocated by a company called IP3 International, which is led by retired military officers and national security officials

https://www.politicususa.com/2019/02/20/democrats-probing-if-kushner-sold-out-the-u-s-in-saudi-nuclear-deal.html/

Wait! Iran is trying to develop nuke weapons but the Saudis will play nice and use it for peaceful purposes…..a country that fears Iranian expansion….and we will trust them……are we that damn STUPID?

So, what is the rush for the Saudis?

The administration of President Donald Trump is bypassing the United States Congress to advance the sale of US nuclear power plants to Saudi Arabia, despite concerns it would violate US law guarding against technology transfers, according to a new report by a congressional committee.

Security analysts worry the technology would allow Saudi Arabia to produce nuclear weapons in the future, potentially contributing to an arms race in the Middle East.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/report-trump-rushing-sell-saudi-arabia-nuclear-technology-190219181918317.html

Something to think about……

“Saudi Arabia does not want to acquire any nuclear bomb, but without a doubt if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible.”

—Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman

https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/02/20/when-saudi-arabia-gets-the-bomb/

Does anybody else see the problem here?

Another developing situation in the Middle East that could turn dangerous at the drop of a hat…..and as usual the US will be ass deep in the troubles all in the name of “helping” an ally…..

Mr. Fish

The most dangerous foreign policy decision of the Trump administration—and I know this is saying a lot—is its decision to share sensitive nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia and authorize U.S. companies to build nuclear reactors in that country. I spent seven years in the Middle East. I covered the despotic, repressive kingdom as the Middle East bureau chief for The New York Times. And I, along with most other Arabists in the United States, have little doubt that giving a nuclear capability to Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the ruthless and amoral Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman would see it embark on a nuclear weapons program and eventually share weaponized technology with Saudi allies and proxies that include an array of radical jihadists and mortal enemies of America. A nuclearized Saudi Arabia is a grave existential threat to the Middle East and ultimately the United States.

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/giving-the-bomb-to-saudi-arabias-dr-strangelove/

But wait!

The Saudis are playing loose with their ambitions….recently MbS went to Pakistan to improve relations (or so the story went)….but since Pakistan has nukes could he be working on a deal in case the US one falls through?

Visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has expressed optimism about the economic future of Pakistan, saying his country had been waiting for a leadership like that of Prime Minister Imran Khan to partner with Islamabad in various areas.

Addressing a reception dinner on Sunday night at the Prime Minister House hours after he landed in Pakistan, the Crown Prince said Pakistan was a “dear country” to all Saudis and that the two countries “have walked together in tough and good times”, Dawn news reported.

“We believe that Pakistan is going to be a very, very important country in the coming future and we want to be sure we are part of that. Pakistan today has a great future in store with a great leadership,” he said.

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pakistan-will-be-very-very-important-country-in-future-saudi-crown-prince-mohammad-bin-salman-1995098

Important indeed!

Sub-Continent Slow Boil

Things got a bit warm between India and Pakistan…..first a suicide attack within India and then India hits a camp within Pakistan and two Indian jets are shot down and a pilot captured…..then the back and forth about Kashmir and the rhetoric around the captured pilot…..https://lobotero.com/2019/02/20/the-sub-continent-smolders/

To ease the rising tensions the PM of Pakistan Khan has decided to return the Indian pilot……

Imran Khan has kept his promise. On Thursday, Pakistan’s prime minister vowed to release Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who’d been captured after his MiG-21 jet was shot down Wednesday by a Pakistani fighter over the disputed Kashmir territory. And on Friday, Khan made good, with video showing the 38-year-old fighter pilot walking over the border near the Pakistani town of Wagah, per Reuters. The Washington Post notes Varthaman was dressed in a “sharp suit” as he crossed back into India with lots of security nearby and hundreds of cheering Indians waiting to greet him.

“It is good to be back in my country,” were his reported first words, an official told the media, per NDTV. Even though Pakistan and India have long been fighting over Kashmir, Varthaman’s plane was the first to be shot down in such an “aerial dogfight” between the two countries in nearly a half-century, the Post notes. The pilot was said to have chewed and swallowed some of the maps and other sensitive papers in his possession after his plane crashed to keep them out of the wrong hands. Many hope that the pilot’s release will tamp down the India-Pakistan tensions that’ve been escalating over the past couple of weeks. Varthaman will be debriefed and checked out by doctors, Indian officials say.

Pilot is home but the tension remain high with cross border shelling…..

A Pakistani government official says Indian troops with heavy weapons have “indiscriminately targeted border villagers” along the two nations’ Line of Control in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, killing a boy and wounding three others. The official, Umar Azam, said Saturday that Pakistani troops are “befittingly” responding to the Indian fire, per the AP. He says several homes were destroyed in Pakistan’s part of Kashmir, which is split between them and claimed by both in its entirety. Pakistan and India have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir since their independence from British rule in 1947.

Saturday’s exchange of fire came a day after Pakistan handed over captured Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman to India as a “gesture of peace” to defuse tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors over the disputed Kashmir region. Meanwhile, officials say two siblings and their mother have been killed in cross-border shelling between Indian and Pakistani soldiers in disputed Kashmir. Indian police say the three died overnight after a shell fired by Pakistani soldiers hit their home in the Poonch region near the so-called Line of Control that divides the Himalayan territory of Kashmir between the two nuclear-armed rivals.

The world can only hold its breath and hope a peaceful solution can be found for this region does not need another war.