Visigoth Fontaine's Bookmarks tagged usa → View Popular

You are here: Diigo Home > Visigoth Fontaine's Bookmarks

Expand All 1 - 20 of 331 Next › Last »

13Expand

Obama’s own voice may haunt him - David Mark and Kenneth P. Vogel - Politico.com

Tags: barack-obama, audio-book, words, audacity-hope, jeremiah-wright, candidate-2008, usa, democrat, racism, flip-flop, lies, two-faces on 2008-07-07 -All Annotations (0) -About

more fromwww.politico.com

Obama’s own voice may haunt him
Page 2
The snippets, though, seem tailor-made for attack ads against Obama, who at first responded to media coverage of Wright’s inflammatory remarks by asserting, “The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation.”
But in the audio book, Obama recreates the very first sermon he heard Wright deliver — “The Audacity of Hope,” a phrase Obama has since used frequently, including as the title of his second book — which includes several remarks similar to those that sparked the controversy.
Obama describes the sermon as “a meditation on a fallen world. … Rev. Wright spoke of Sharpsville and Hiroshima, the callousness of policy makers in the White House and in the State House.”
Other potentially troublesome clips feature Obama swearing and quoting others using racial slurs.
Obama campaign spokesman Nick Shapiro denied that the senator’s audio book passages could hurt his candidacy.

“It will be no surprise if the right wing once again resorts to the politics of distraction, because they know that the majority of Americans trust Barack Obama to end the war in Iraq, provide affordable access to universal health care and find real solutions to lowering gas prices, the issues that matter most to them,” he said.
Obama himself seemed to grasp the potential political implications of his words when he voiced the book. In the preface to the audio version, which is based on the 2004 re-release of the book, he seems resigned to his words being used against him.
“I cannot honestly say that the voice in this book is not mine — that I would tell the story much differently today than I did 10 years ago,” he says, “even if certain passages have proven to be inconvenient politically, the grist for political commentary and opposition research.”
“My copy of his book is dog-eared and covered with yellow marker,” said Floyd Brown, a longtime conservative activist whom Obama recently cited by name as a prototypical political mudslinger. Brown added that the audio should be even more effective in bashing Obama.

“I expect to use his words a lot in the ads that I do,” Brown said. “And I would highly encourage other independent efforts — or the [McCain] campaign itself — to do the same thing.”
“Most people will only start focusing on this race after Labor Day. Most Americans don’t give a rip yet,” said Brown, who is perhaps best known as a creator of the independent expenditure Willie Horton ad that helped elect George H.W. Bush in 1988.
“Most haven’t looked at the issues. They don’t know Barack Obama. It’s all about delivering messages to those people during that moment in time when they’re listening.”
Some Republicans, though, remain skeptical. One consultant with experience in the Bush-Cheney 2004 reelection campaign warned that it “would be dramatically stupid” to use the audio in attack ads. “This country has elected two straight presidents who have tacitly or overtly admitted drug use. I don’t think it’s going to work.”

19Expand

The presidency: 'Monkey god' in the middle?

Tags: hanuman, hindu, india, pagan, religion, barack-obama, candidate-2008, usa, idolatry, lucky-charm, superstition, democrat, shiva on 2008-07-07 -All Annotations (0) -About

more fromwww.wnd.com

The presidency: 'Monkey god' in the middle?
Posted: July 02, 2008
1:00 am Eastern
You can be sure presidential candidate Barack Obama is not the only one in America with a Hanuman monkey-god keychain bouncing around in his back pocket. So why condemn him for idol worship or worse?
How narrow-minded, insular and jingoistic have some of us become? Don't answer that! Since when has carrying lucky charms like this become a crime, let alone a sin?
Still not sure what I'm talking about? C'mon, you've seen the headlines!
But I beg to differ. Embodying strength and tenacity, "Lord Hanuman" is one of the most popular deities in the Hindu pantheon.
Actually, the monkey god "Lord Hanuman" is a mighty ape, and since apes just were extended "rights to life and freedom" in Spain, why not call his representation a statue rather than an idol? It's nicer!
Temples dedicated to Hanuman are among the most common public shrines in India. Considered an avatar of Lord Shiva, Hanuman's worshipped as a symbol of physical strength, perseverance and devotion – entirely appropriate for a presidential election
During times of trouble, Hanuman's devotees chant his name, sing his hymn, "Hanuman Chalisa," and proclaim "victory to thy thunderbolt strength."
Annually, on sunrise of a full moon in April, the celebration "Hanuman Jayanti" commemorates the birth of Hanuman. Saturdays and Tuesdays are fast-days for his Hindu followers.
Besides being one of the most popular gods in Hinduism, Hanuman is also one of the most important personalities in the Indian epic scripture, "The Ramayana."
Supposedly, Hanuman's most famous feat therein was leading a monkey army to fight a demon king and rescue a kidnapped princess.
In modern times, various prophets, including the revered miracle-maker Sri Sathya Sai Baba of India, have claimed to see Hanuman.
Others have also asserted his presence wherever "The Ramayana" is read in its original Sanskrit, rather than transliterated.

Yatra Yatra Raghunath Kirtanam
Tatra Tatra Krita Mastaka anjalim
Bashpawari Pari purna lochanam/Marutim nammascha rakshas antakam."

Which means:

That wherever the deeds of Sri Rama are sung,
At all such places does Hanuman cry tears of devotion and joy,
At all such places does his presence remove the fear of demons.
Often, Lord Hanuman is celebrated in many of the wildly mesmerizing kirtans, or yogic devotional chants, performed by Krishna Das, an American originally from Long Island and born Jeffrey Kagel, who has been singing the "Hanuman Chalisa" for more than 30 years now.
Certainly, a powerful symbolic figure such as Hanuman would seem to have special inspirational appeal to an unusual political candidate such as Barack Obama.
Legend has it, Hanuman was mischievous in childhood and sometimes teased the meditating sages who found his antics unbearable.
Realizing Hanuman was merely a child – although invincible – the sages placed a slight curse on him. By this curse Hanuman forgot his own prowess and recollected it only when others reminded him of his stupendous skills.
And the complex symbolism could be even more resonant for Barack Obama. According to Wikipedia:

The monkey symbolism of Lord Hanuman is related to the notion that a human being's mind is ever active and never restful, hence the depiction of a human being with the face of a monkey. Furthermore, Lord Hanuman symbolically stands for pure devotion, complete surrender and absence of ego or the lower self. ... Symbolically he also stands for the subtle body consisting of the breath body, the mental body and the intelligence body. ... Once ... the mind becomes devoted unconditionally, the mind can [also] obtain miraculous powers and perform amazing feats like that of Lord Hanuman.

14Expand

Press TV - US 'fears Israel will fail Iran mission'

Tags: israel, us-government, usa, iran, nuclear-plants, strikes, region, war, urgent, world, pretext, scenario, false-front, insane, madness on 2008-07-07 -All Annotations (2) -About

in list: Israel & Middle East, Iran/Persia

more fromwww.presstv.com

US 'fears Israel will fail Iran mission'
Sun, 06 Jul 2008
Pentagon chiefs fear that plans drawn up by Israel to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities will fail because of Tel Aviv's lack of intelligence, a report says.
According to a report published by the Sunday Telegraph, American commanders worry that despite having 'no guarantee' of Israel's ability to stop Iran's nuclear progress, Tel Aviv may have plans to launch a premature military strike on Iran.
A Pentagon official familiar with recent talks between Israeli generals and Chairman of US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen told the paper that any attack on Iran is likely to fail due to lack of intelligence.
He explained that neither the CIA nor the Mossad know the precise location and the vulnerabilities of Iranian nuclear sites.
"The Israelis have a real sense of urgency. They are stepping up their preparations," the paper quoted another official familiar with the Israel-US military talks as saying.
Add Sticky Note
- And, excuse me please.., but Bushie and the government could stop Israel from striking Iran if he/they really wanted too. In my opinion, Bush and the Evilites in Washington DC (and this includes both Houses of Congress) are using Israel as a front. In my opinion Mullen's recent visit to Israel to confer with Israel's chief military commander was to convey Bushie's and the Neocons' directives and co-plans. By this strategy, Bushie and the War Hogs in Congress hope to use the excuse that "Israel attacked Iran first; the U.S. did not but now that our troops in Iraq and in the region or under threat; not to mention Israel, the U.S. MUST come to the defense of our American forces in the region and also Israel's. That is the scenario, as far as I am concerned. Israel as a whole could not roll over in bed without Washington's approval. This is the game. This is the plan. Israel will be blamed for precipitating an ever widening regional conflict and the U.S. will "be forced" to defend her own interests in the region. This is the wool attempting to be pulled over the eyes of Americans and a watching, skeptical world. And those of you who look to Obama to save us from a world war and the insanity of Washington's blood lusters, you are as big a pack of fools as the Evangelicals were to believe Bushie's claim to being one of them.
  posted by visigoth on 2008-07-07 07:10:38
"The Americans had spies in Iran until they were rounded up in 2003 and now they do not have much by way of humint (human intelligence) on the ground.
The Israelis have better information. But the Americans went away from the meetings unconvinced that the Israelis have enough intelligence on where to strike, and with little confidence that they will be able to destroy the nuclear program," the official added.
The report comes as Israel, which accuses Tehran of developing atomic bombs, is reportedly persuading the White House to give the green light to a Tel Aviv military strike against Iran.
Isaac Ben-Israel, a former Israeli air force general, claimed last week that while hitting the scattered nuclear facilities in Iran would be 'difficult', Tel Aviv can successfully halt the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.
This is while Iran insists its nuclear activities are aimed at providing fuel for its under-construction power plants. Tehran argues that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it is entitled to a civilian nuclear program.
In its most recent report, the UN nuclear watchdog conceded that there is no link between the use of nuclear material and the 'alleged studies' of weaponization in Iran's nuclear facilities.

70Expand

Iran War - The Perfect Storm From Hell

Tags: israel, iran, usa, europe, bio-weapons, bio-agents, chemicals, hezbollah, lebanon, north-america, middle-east, martial-law, nwo, 666 on 2008-07-07 -All Annotations (4) -About

in list: Israel & Middle East, Iran/Persia

more fromwww.rense.com

War On Iran
The Perfect Storm From Hell
By Timothy Alexander

7-6-8
As the global bankers' plan to bring down the American
and world's economy continues (so that they can acquire as much of our
wealth as possible at 'fire sale' prices ~ an old strategy), the world
is facing another much worse danger.
A regional war in the Middle East
that will involve global strategic weapons of mass destruction with deaths
in the hundreds of millions in North America, Europe, the Middle East and
globally.
I have served as a consultant to three very high tech
aerospace firms. My specialty is conceptualizing advanced warfare especially
as it relates to new cutting edge advanced weapon systems.
What I see unfolding
with a war on Iran is the most frightening set of circumstances I have
ever seen; and I have been involved in advanced theoretical weaponry strategy
and design for over 20 years.
Add Sticky Note
- This coming war unlike any other..
  posted by visigoth on 2008-07-07 06:34:36
The rise of the Likud/neo-cons, with Benjamin Netanyahu
as the unholy high priest, has been a disaster for Israel, America, the
Middle East, and the world at large.
The smartest thing that Israel ever
did was to use American money to buy off Jordan and Egypt and make peace
with them. The dumbest thing was to empower the Likud Party hardliners
centered on Bibi Netanyahu and the Bush/Cheney Administration (with supporting
roles played by Sharon, and neo-con leaders in the United Kingdom, France,
Germany, Italy, and elsewhere).
Four years ago Israel was no where near
a MAD (mutually assured destruction) environment. Today it has a very dangerous
four-front MAD environment and it was unable, in the Second Lebanon War
of two years ago, to overturn the dangers surrounding it, in fact the level
of MAD danger has increased considerably since the summer of 2006.
The war party in Israel and America has facilitated the
rise of a regional (Iran/Syria/Lebanon/Palestine) MAD.
I truly believe
that the Likud/neo-con strategy is a total failure. The stated goal of
the strategy is to break-up and weaken several Middle Eastern states that
pose, or could pose, a strategic risk to Israel.
Add Sticky Note
- The "strategic risks to Israel" are just a ruse; a pretext..The men pulling thr strings of world power would/will sacrifice Israel in a heart beat when/if it becomes in their best interest to do so...
  posted by visigoth on 2008-07-07 06:37:24
To this end Saddam was
encouraged to attack Kuwait resulting in the First Gulf War. When he was
able to demonstrate, even in the face of intense allied air attacks, his
ability to "deliver ordinance on target" using his Scud missiles
the United States (and allies) decided not to drive all the way to Bagdad.
We knew that he was holding back "the heavy stuff" and only using
"dumb" high explosive warheads; not the chemical, biological
and radiological warheads that could have caused massive damage to Israel
and to the Saudi oilfields.
Saddam Hussein's military had prepared what
it called the "great equalizer", an arsenal of 25 Scud warheads
carrying over 11,000lb of biological agents, including deadly botulism
poison and anthrax germs (an additional 33,000lb of germ agents were placed
in artillery shells and bombs).
It was only after he was forced into denuding
himself of his advanced weaponry that the neo-cons were able to begin the
Second Gulf War.
After Iran, the Likud/neo-con war strategy calls for
the neutralizing of Iran and Syria.
The Iranians response was to train
and equip Hezbollah in Lebanon and to deepen their strategic alliance with
Syria.
During the 2006 Second Lebanon War, the Iranian trained
and equipped Hezbollah forces repeated the efforts of Saddam during the
First Gulf War. They delivered a very large number of rockets with "dumb"
high explosive warheads on Israel.
The Hezbollah Special Forces are in-effect
a highly trained and well-equipped Iranian commando force of at least a
Brigade in size. They man and protect a large number of mostly unguided
and rather crude rockets, generally Katyusha 122mm artillery rockets with
a 19 mile/30km range and capable of delivering approximately 66 pounds/30kg
of warheads.
Additionally, Hezbollah are known to possess a considerable
number of more advanced and longer range missiles. During the 2006 war
Hezbollah fired approximately 4,000 rockets (95% of which were Katyshas)
all utilizing only "dumb" high explosive warheads.
Some Iranian
build and supplied Fajr-3 and Ra'ad 1 liquid-fueled missiles were also
fired. At the time of the 2006 war Hezbollah was reported to have in the
range of 13,000 rockets. There are creditable reports that this number
has been rebuilt and expanded upon since the end of that war and that the
number of rockets is now at least 20,000 and perhaps 30,000 or more.
During the 2006 war the world watched as Israeli towns
were hit time and time again by the Katyushas. What was not discussed by
the main stream news media was the fact that the ordinance delivered by
the Katyushas was mainly harassment fire with very limited effect.
The
Iranian/Syrian trained and supplied Hezhollah commandos were holding back
their "heavy stuff" both in terms of their longer range guided
missiles capable of hitting southern Israel and most importantly warheads
of strategic military importance.
That is NBC (nuclear [in this case radiological]
chemical and biological) and advanced-conventional warheads. They were
demonstrating their ability to deliver "ordinance on target"
and their ability to survive a heavy Israeli ground and air combined arms
attack.
Hezbollah has the capability of loading truly strategic
warheads on the large number of mostly crude older technology unguided
rockets that it has.
The use of advanced-conventional fuel-air explosive
(FAE) warheads on the Katyushas would have had a much more profound effect
in Israeli cities. The use of FAE submunitions on the larger missiles capable
of hitting any target in Israel would have given Hezbollah the firepower
of low-yield nuclear weapons without crossing the nuclear threshold.
Coupled
with the large number of missiles in Syria and those in Iran, the Hezbollah
rockets posed, and continue to pose, a truly grave strategic threat to
Israel if FAE warheads are used. This threat is dramatically increased
if radiological ("dirty bombs"), chemical, and/or biological
warheads are used.
The massive number of Hezbollah rockets could also be
outfitted with chemical warheads. It is worth noting that the joint Syrian-Iranian
chemical warfare R&D and production program is perhaps the largest
and most complicated on earth.
Generally the Israelis have shown themselves
to be prepared for chemical warfare, however a chemical war attack following
closely behind a FAE attack (to open up bunkers and apartment buildings)
would have greater effect.
While it is not necessary to utilize a rocket
to deliver a biological war attack, it could be done and there is some
benefit militarily to a rapid dispersal of biowar agents under the cover
of conventional attacks.
Radiological weapons deliver the long term (which
can be hundreds of thousands of years) lethal effects of radiation without
the blast effect of a nuclear bomb.
The combined military strategic capability of NBC/Advanced
Conventional warheads and very large numbers of rockets operated and protected
by Hezbollah, coupled with the arsenal of Syria and Iran (and Hamas) acts
as a MAD (mutually assured destruction) between Israel and Iran/Syria.
Yes the Israelis can nuke the hell out of both Iran and Syria; however,
they possess a fatal return punch.
The response from the Israeli and neo-con hardliners
to the new MAD strategic environment has been frightening.
Instead of recognizing
the danger to Israel and to the entire world from the Iranian/Syrian "checkmate"
on the aggressive Israeli/neo-con strategy, and making major changes to
their strategy, they are attempting to "tough it out".
The issue
of "danger from the Iranian nuclear program" is a smokescreen
to facilitate the coming war on Iran and her allies (Syria, Hezbollah,
and Hamas) and to continue with the next stage of the neo-con strategy.
The response from the hardliners is more war and damn their WMD (weapons
of mass destruction). This is most unwise and most dangerous to the entire
world.
When the USSR was falling apart, and in the aftermath
of the USSR breakup, Iran spend a lot of money to hire some of the best
Soviet biological war experts. The advanced biowar weapons that Iran has
developed gives Iran a Global Strategic Weapon of Mass Destruction that
can unleash levels of death among the populations of the major neo-con
nations (USA, UK, France, German, Italy, etc.) very similar to that from
a global strategic nuclear strike.
This means that Iran and her allies
have a MAD with America, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, German, Italy,
etc.
Most people think of biological warfare as anthrax and
smallpox; they do not understand that there has been a major shift in technology.
The difference between the old biowar (that most people think of) and advanced
biowar (with its recombination DNA designer super killer viruses) is like
the difference between an old Model T Ford and a 2008 Rolls Royce Phantom.
Both are cars, or biological weapons, but there is a difference of several
orders of magnitude.
Regardless of how a war against Iran breaks out, it is
likely to very quickly escalate to the usage of WMD.
There has been talk
among USAF war planners of a 1,200 (some say 2,000 to 3,000 or more) target
attack on Iran's nuclear, industrial, military, political and religious
infrastructure.
If a foreign enemy were to bomb 1,200 or more targets in
the United States what would be the response of the American government
and it's military?
Actually the answer to this question is well known.
The stated doctrine of the United States of America is to rain hundreds
of hydrogen bombs (WMD) on the territory and people of such an aggressor;
this has been our policy for approximately 60 years. Why do we presuppose
that the Iranians would not do the same?
If Iran is hit by either an Israeli and/or an American
air attack, it is certain that Iran will respond. This response, even if
is non-WMD at first, will certainly result in more escalation and counter-escalation.
The chances of a regional Middle East war between Iran/Syria/Hezbollah/Hamas
and Israel/USA not becoming a nuclear and advanced biological war nightmare
are very low.
In fact, since both sides know this, there is a strong military
incentive to move to all out usage of WMD when the first bombs begin to
fall (in order to utilize more of one's weaponry before its destruction).
The end result will be a third or so of Israelis dead
and large parts of the Israeli nation poisoned for hundreds of thousands
of years by radiological warheads.
Syria, Iran, and large parts of Lebanon
and Palestine will cease to exists and will be little more than a green
radioactive debris field poisonous to all forms of life higher than a cockroach
for hundreds of thousands of years (longer than modern man has existed).
The Iranian oilfields and most likely the oilfields of a large part of
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other areas of the Middle East are also apt to
be so poisoned by Iranian radiological warheads or Israeli/American nuclear
fallout.
The world will suffer its most complete economic collapse
in history. All of this will take less than one week.
At about two weeks, after the beginning of the war on
Iran, emergency rooms and doctors offices will begin to see a sudden spike
in a number of new diseases with numerous very ill people being admitted
to hospitals in North America, and Western Europe and what is left of Israel.
By that time the Iranian and Syrian states will have effectively ceased
to exist with insufficient manpower and organization to even bury their
dead.
The many new genetically engineered viruses causing the
strange diseases showing up will have been spread by sleeper agents supplied
with a number of new viruses and distributed in public places (movie theaters,
shopping malls, churches, etc.) quietly without anyone knowing.
Humans
themselves will become the vectors of the diseases/biowar agents.
Although
the Bush Administration has spent $40 billion on biowar defense in the
last couple of years, there is little that can realistically be done against
a global strategic advanced biowar attack.
The tactic of necessity will
be to lock down everyone, with only key persons being allowed to leave
their homes, in order to let the multiple genetically engineered diseases
burn themselves out (a nice way of saying letting everyone who has the
illnesses die off).
Expect to see dear old Bibi Netanyahu as 'head' of what
is left of Israel.
Expect to see sub dermal RFID chips implanted under
the skin of the population left in the major neo-con states to "prove
your disease free status" and necessary to buy, sell, or work.
Expect
to see military checkpoints everywhere and total control by the neo-con
national governments over all aspects of life.
Expect to see concentration
camps for persons suspected of disloyalty to the state (this will include
many viewers of sites like this one).
Expect to see levels of death, fear,
repression that are almost incomprehensible.
Expect to see the various biological warfare diseases
spread throughout the world, even with a total shutdown of international
travel.
Millions will die in Russia and China
Expect to see those national
governments not controlled by the neo-con masters to go ape shit when their
populations face the nightmare of advanced biowar.
Expect the regional
war in the Middle East to trigger an all out global battle utilizing all
forms of weapons of mass destruction within a few months of the initial
attacks on Iran.

earlofstirling@yahoo.com

35Expand

TorontoSun.com - Eric Margolis - New war brewing

Tags: iran, israel, usa, nuclear, war, rumors, exercise, persian-gulf, strike, strait-ormuz, persia, middle-east, ww-3 on 2008-07-07 -All Annotations (0) -About

in list: Israel & Middle East, Iran/Persia

more fromwww.torontosun.com

By
ERIC MARGOLIS
Sun, July 6, 2008
GENEVA -- The U.S., Israel and Iran are playing a very dangerous game of chicken that soon could result in a new Mideast war.
U.S. intelligence has concluded that Iran is not working on nuclear weapons. But the Bush administration and Israel, recently joined by France, are issuing increasingly loud threats of military action to frighten Iran into halting its nuclear enrichment program.
Iran insists its nuclear program is entirely for civilian use.
Tehran is alternating between conciliatory statements and threats to retaliate against any attack by inflicting economic chaos on the global economy.
Europe fears the economic damage a war against Iran would bring far more than Iran's nuclear program.
Senior Israeli officials are openly threatening to attack Iran's nuclear installations before President George W. Bush's term expires.
Early, this month Israel staged a large, U.S.-approved exercise using F-15s and F-16s to rehearse an attack over 900 miles - precisely the distance to Iran's nuclear facilities.
The highly regarded American journalist Seymour Hersh just confirmed that the U.S. Congress authorized a $400-million plan to overthrow Iran's government and incite ethnic unrest.
This column reported a year ago that U.S. and British special forces were operating in Iran, preparing for a massive air campaign.
Israel's destruction of an alleged Syrian reactor last fall was a warning to Iran.
This week a Pentagon official claimed an Israeli attack on Iran was coming before year end.
Other Pentagon and CIA sources say a U.S. attack on Iran is imminent, with or without Israel.
The Bush administration is even considering using small tactical nuclear weapons against deeply buried Iranian targets.
Senior American officers Admiral William Fallon and Air Force Chief Michael Mosley recently were fired for opposing war against Iran.
According to Israel's media, President Bush even told Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that he could not trust America's intelligence community and preferred to rely on Israeli intelligence.
AIR BLITZ
Intensifying activity is evident at U.S. bases in Europe and the Gulf, aimed at preparing a massive air blitz that may include repeated attacks on 3,100 targets in Iran.
Other sources say Iranian Revolutionary Guard installations will be barraged by cruise missiles.