Sunday Topics - 17 May 2015

There is a lot of interesting news this weekend:

- Former Egyptian president Mursi has been condemned to death on the inevitable charge of whatever it was that they charged him with this time.  The Sisi government is determined to kill him and a lot of other MB/salafist people in the belief that "dead men don't bite." Egypt is one of the more sophisticated  countries in the region and they can't manage a change of government without killing the losers?  This is really quite indicative of the hopelessness of trying to meddle in the internal affairs of such places.

- Having failed to persuade the Zeidi Yemenis to do anything they wanted by bombing them on the American model, Saudi Arabia has now declared a cessation of air ops.  One can only wonder if the Washington whiz kids played a large role in the "thinking" reflected in all this.  The Zeidis say they await the Saudis next move,

- Obama met a lot of Gulfie second stringers at Camp David.  The gripping and grinning and flesh pressing produced nothing, actually less than nothing since the Arabs must have gone away even more convinced that the US has no idea what it is doing in the ME.   Whoever it was that persuaded Obama to do a sit down with these guys should be fired or never listened to again, but that won't happen.

- It is revealed that Jeb Bush (el-Jebe) is temperamentally unsuited to be US president in the 21st Century.  He believes in such things as moderation, family loyalty, rational thought, etc.  He might have been useful in the 19th Century but, surely not now.  It is also revealed that his foreign policy advisers are the same lying bastards who got us into Iraq.  Wow!  BTW, who are HC's foreign policy advisers?

- On The FZ Global Public Square circus, Mr. 1% groupie (FZ) interviewed Gates (richest man in the world) from Seattle.  There, they indulged themselves in an orgy of exultation and exaltation over the strength of the American economy as reflected in the prosperity of the Seattle region with all its new style high tech industry, high education levels and other wonderfulness.  The underlying idea in this was the joy felt in the wonders of free trade based on international and regional comparative advantage.  All the world is now a free trade zone, FZ exulted, and how foolish the people who oppose TPP really are.  What was left out of this discussion were the large pockets of distressed and poverty stricken people (mostly colored) in the urban regions of the east and mid-west as well as the emergence of what looks like a permanent large underclass among those same people.  Many of the former industrial cities of the east have at least partially emptied themselves of the White blue collar class.  In mute acceptance of economic theory they have moved to follow jobs.  People of color often do not want to do that.  They do not accept the idea of disappearing into a larger population and  want to live in their own ethnic communities.  I don't think FZ visits them much or cares about the obstacle to his theories that they represent. 

- As b has stated in a comment on another thread we will see the real and perhaps final test for the Iraqi government when the "Hashd Sha'bi" Shia militia are committed to the fight in Ramadi.  IMO the US (and friends) in the government/military/media/academic world have no comprehension that IS is an alternative civilization seeking to emerge.  Because of that willful ignorance they are headed for a massive shock.

- Oh, yes, there was the much promoted story of the SF raid on a little site in eastern Syria.  Good job boys!  This was not the Waterloo of IS but the IO campaign on 24/7 news was a good distraction from the disaster at Ramadi.

- The British TV Highland/Jacobite romance "Outlander" has reached a level of psycho-sexual descent in which I (shamefully) watched last evening as Captain Jack Randall of the Hanoverian dragoons nailed the hand of the noble Hieland laird Jamie Fraser to a table so that he would not be inconvenienced by resistance whilst buggering him.  This was in Wentworth Prison (wherever that was). This occurred after Randall licked Fraser's scarred back and gave him a big smooch as Fraser's wife looked on.  Now I'll grant you that life in the Highlands in 1740 was probably not without its inter-cultural problems but this seems a bit much.  A question that occurs is whether this series was watched in Scotland before the recent election.  BTW, I notice that some people in a number of northern English counties are engaged in a Twitter campaign to decide if they should join Scotland.

- I am told the DoD has placed me under interdict and that my e-mail can no longer pass through their servers and SST can not be accessed from DoD computers.  That will solve things.  pl

Related articles

The absence of a wide Gulf leaders for the US Gulf summit in Camp David

Saudi Arabia: King Didn't Mean to Snub Obama

Comments

[nick b]

Col.,
'BTW, who are HC's foreign policy advisers?'

Her lead f/p adviser is Jake Sullivan. Also, Philippe Reines, while not in a formal policy role this time around, was her f/p adviser for the 07-08 campaign and will serve as 'principal gatekeeper' for this campaign. Here is a link to all of the campaign staff by role:
http://www.p2016.org/clinton/clintonorg.html

see also:
http://www.vox.com/2015/5/11/8569345/hillary-clinton-hawkish-foreign-policy

I have to ask, admittedly out of the worst sort of curiosity, what happened to get your emails and SST blocked by the DOD?! There's a big part of me that views such a thing as compliment to you on the part of the DOD. One needs to be worthy of being blocked, no?

[AndrewW]

It's too late for reinforcements to save Ramadi. It has already fallen. The Iraqi Security Forces have withdrawn from the city and the Anbar Operations Center. The Islamic State is rumored to be bringing in reinforcements from Syria.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/05/17/Iraq-Ramadi-falls-to-ISIS-after-army-leaves-city-.html

With al-Baghdadi mostly in the hands of the Islamic State they are able to threaten the supply/communication lines to the territory the Iraqi government still holds in western Anbar. The last major Iraqi position in Anbar province (?) located at Haditha Dam could be in deep trouble. From all appearances the battle for Anbar is over and the IS campaign for Baghdad has begun.

[Fred]

Col.,

- I am told the DoD has placed me under interdict and that my e-mail can no longer pass through their servers and SST can not be accessed from DoD computers. "

Is it the general officers who are afraid of open source information or the political appointees?

On a different note what is your opinion on the latest news about the train derailment in Philadelphia? The first news reports were that the train was doing 100+mph at a curve limited to 55 and now it's about an 'object' hitting the windscreen. How (presumably) a bullet not yet fired caused a train to accelerate seems odd to me.

[Mark Gaughan]

I won't be able to read SST at lunch time anymore, bummer.

[mbrenner]

Having scanned the long portrait of Sullivan, a fair judgment is that (almost) never have so many words been written about so little to bore so few. "So little" because there appears to be not very much to the man - at least as is visible. Indistinguishable from the legions of careerists who ricochet around the Washington billiard tale in the hope of making a big score that will set them up for life. In other words, a perfect fit for a Clinton administration destined to be as superficial and disjointed in its thinking and actions abroad as its predecessor.

It also is prudent to bear in mind something said on SST 3 years ago. It is fruitless to seek clear indications of where a candidate for the presidency is headed in terms of foreign policy from public statements since any correlation between what they say on the campaign hustings and their future actions is poorly coincidental.It's a game of image manipulation, nothing more; e.g. HRC's posturing as Elizabeth Warren while counting last month's take from her and Bill's road show that features guest appearances at Goldman Sachs private gatherings.

Perhaps, in a moment of weakness, she'll admit that "smart power" is not exhibited by supporting an open-ended war without even glancing at the document that tries to justify it. Good "debate" question that won't be asked.

[Nancy K]

I'm embarrassed to say that I read the first book in the Outlander series and the rape scene was faithful to the book. I guess not just women are driven crazy by a man in a kilt. As far as Jeb Bush not being tempermentaly unsuited to be president, being unable to think on his feet when asked a question about his brother and Iraq makes him possibly mentally unsuitable also. He must have known that question was going to come up.

[mike]

"...some people in a number of northern English counties are engaged in a Twitter campaign to decide if they should join Scotland."

No surprise there. Recently read 'The Steel Bonnets' about the 13th thru 16th century Border Reivers on the English Scottish line. Most Englishmen near the border had more blood kin in Scotland than they had to the south. Plus Cumbria and Northumberland have long been poor cousins of London.

http://www.amazon.com/Steel-Bonnets-Anglo-Scottish-Border-Reivers/dp/1632204568/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431892234&sr=1-1&keywords=the+steel+bonnets

[Haralambos]

All and any,
This came to my attention today. I find it very long, very knowledgeable and from what I can tell worth the time: https://consortiumnews.com/2015/05/15/losing-the-american-republic/

It is the first part of a two-part essay Polk is writing. Please enlighten me on further thoughts you might have on the topic.

[Allen Thomson]

> SST can not be accessed from DoD computers

It would be interesting to get a copy of the DoD's Index of Prohibited Sites and the guidelines used in drawing it up. I wonder if it could be FOIAed.

[elev8]

Juan Cole called ISIS a "flash in the pan" recently. Could it be that he has not yet recovered from his misestimation of the Libyan adventure? I think he often misses nuances. Reporting on the Morsi sentence, he compared Egypt to North Korea. That is understandable moral indignation, but not precise observation.

On the media circus and Big Media/Government-collusion: apparently there is no difference on that front between the U.S. and Germany. Two examples: this weekend we are treated to a story that the Americans were tipped off by Germany's BND as to bin Laden's Pakistani hideout.
Sure. Next fabrication, please. (Coincidentally, of course, the BND is under heavy criticism.)
Second example: Criticism of TTIP. Angela Merkel's approval ratings are insanely, unaccountably high. So why not try to create a Midas-, ehm, Merkel-touch legend? Voilà, the U.S. says the golden idea of secret trade courts was Merkel's. Does anybody believe that this concept originated anywhere else than at the law-writing arm of some high-powered international law firm?
Notabene: I don't see how secret courts are compatible with the transparency requirements of free-trade theory. That thing is nothing but oligarchical self-service.
The level of dishonesty currently on display takes some getting-used-to. Heroes ex nihilo! Instant absolution! What is this - the Catholic church ca. 500 years ago?

[nick b]

Fred,

I wondered the same thing re: the projectile hitting the Amtrak train and how it relates to the accident. It was reported in the Philly Inquirer the morning after the accident that a Trenton line SEPTA train had been hit by something that fractured the front wind screen, but there appeared to be no relation to the Amtrak incident. Somehow I knew that was not the case, and it would come into play at some point in the investigation. If nothing else, it's a really weird coincidence. It's of interest to me because I, probably like many here, have traveled that route on the Amtrak north east regional easily hundreds of times in my life and never had a problem.

[nick b]

Sorry, forgot to include link to Wed's Inquirer story. Here it is:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20150514_SEPTA_train_hit_by_projectile_before_Amtrak_crash.html

[Tyler]

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2015/05/seymour_hersh_interview_on_his_bin_laden_story_the_new_yorker_journalism.html

This is pretty entertaining. A selection:

Hersh: You probably don’t know that NBC reported, and now they have reported it on one of these dopey afternoon shows with that woman, what’s her name, the NBC woman who claims to have some knowledge of foreign policy, married to Alan Greenspan.

Chotiner: Andrea Mitchell.

Hersh: She’s comical. On her show the administration is acknowledging walk-ins but saying the walk-ins aren’t necessarily linked to Bin Laden.

[J]

Colonel,

http://www.fayobserver.com/military/army-revokes-silver-star-of-fort-bragg-green-beret/article_7691ac70-f513-52ff-b561-a889ac4c717d.html

Army revokes Silver Star, starts separation proceedings for Fort Bragg Green Beret

"The Army has revoked a Silver Star and initiated separation proceedings for a Fort Bragg Green Beret following an investigation into whether he committed a war crime while serving in Afghanistan, according to a California congressman advocating on his behalf.
.....

According to Kasper, Golsteyn had interviewed for a job with the CIA.

"In that interview, they allege Matt disclosed some information about actions in Afghanistan, specifically about the death of an insurgent bomb maker who was responsible for the deaths of several Marines," Kasper said. "They allege, based on comments in the interview, that the bomb maker was killed outside the rules of engagement."

CIA had passed on the info obtained from their job interview with Golsteyn on to DOD where a CID investigation was initiated.

[Eliot]

"Juan Cole called ISIS a "flash in the pan" recently. Could it be that he has not yet recovered from his misestimation of the Libyan adventure?" -elev8

I do not have Juan Cole's education or experience, that said, I wonder if he's spent too much time in academic circles. He's always had a remarkably rosy view of the region.

- Eliot

[ex-PFC Chuck]

Re ISIS in Iraq and Syria, this morning I had occasion to see a copy of today's New York Times in the breakfast room of the hotel I was staying in the last few days. I looked for something about Ramadi on the front page, but nada. So I looked at the index to other stories, which is found on page 2. Nothing there either. But there was a brief story about the hit job in Syria. Didn't bother to look at anything else in the rag.

[The Twisted Genius]

pl,

"I am told the DoD has placed me under interdict"

As my old friend and mentor, MSG Albert H. Rivers, once told me when I was barred from a gin mill in Troy, NY, "When they bar ya, they're thinking about ya."

[bth]

Col you should put 'Interdicted by the DoD' under your masthead Sic Semper Tyrannis. It is like a badge of honor.

Didn't the same thing happen to Hackworth?

[turcopolier]

bth

He was my friend. I try to be worthy of that. pl

[Fred]

Nick,

someone taking potshots at an Amtrak should be old news given how long the train has been on that route. The lawyering up first thing out (which is probably a smart move given the speeding) couple with "I don't recall" sounds rather fishy to me.

[optimax]

Fred and Nick b,

The broken windshield on the fireman's side of the engine would not effect its performance, unless a projectile hit the engineer in the head, causing his blackout. Getting rocked was common and you generally knew where to expect it.

Considering the engineers previous performance record, I'm leaning towards an undiagnosed medical condition or a computer hack of the engine. The newer engines, this Amtrak one is a year old, are more computerized and some can even be run by remote control. Don't know about this one. If that turns out to be the case, they'll blame the engineer before they scare the public.

[robt willmann]

That is a fascinating mix of news.

Bill Gates, in the right place at the right time. Bought the Dos operating system from its creator for a pittance with no royalties for that inventor, and found that copyright law and its almost draconian protections applies to computer software programs. Got computer hardware makers to agree to restrictive contracts, jumped into the stock market casino, and now he has enough money to try to dumb down the children of the future through the insidious Common Core curriculum program. But since nature spreads talent all throughout the world, a nice young Norwegian named Magnus Carlsen, who thankfully was not subject to the Common Core curriculum, became world chess champion. Here he plays Mr. Gates, and Carlsen's moves took him 12 seconds to checkmate the rich man--

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84NwnSltHFo

Who will Hillary Clinton's foreign policy people be? Somewhere in the mix, perhaps as the appointee to be secretary of state, will be Strobe "I Am a Citizen of the World" Talbott--

http://www.brookings.edu/experts/talbotts?view=bio

Furthermore, there are the unmentioned foreign policy advisors, who will be from the financial rackets. The current secretary of the treasury for president Obama, Jacob Lew, was a deputy secretary of state--

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/14/jack-lew-obamas-omb-pick_n_645093.html

http://wallstreetonparade.com/2013/05/treasury-secretary-jack-lew-holds-a-closed-door-meeting-with-jamie-dimon-and-hedge-fund-titans/

http://wallstreetonparade.com/2013/05/treasury-secretary-jack-lew’s-infamous-ugland-house-ties-pop-up-again-in-foreclosure-check-scandal/

And Mr. Lew was not under oath at his confirmation hearing--

http://wallstreetonparade.com/2013/11/janet-yellen-takes-oath-in-u-s-senate-hearing-jack-lew-was-given-a-pass/

The Vox article mentioned by nick b is a puff piece on Jake Sullivan and Hillary. In connection with Sullivan, it mentions Harold Koh, a teacher at and then dean of Yale Law School. And the State Department Legal Advisor--

http://www.law.yale.edu/faculty/HKoh.htm

Ah, yes...Harold Koh. When the war on Libya took place in 2011, and the War Powers Act (Resolution) was "supposed to" apply, Obama sent Koh up to Congress to say with a straight face that the thousands of bombing runs over Libya were not acts of war, and were not even hostile acts! Therefore, that splendid little war was not covered by the War Powers Act--

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/1541

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/1543

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/1544

Against this backdrop, you can see why the best trial lawyers in the U.S. did not go to Ivy League law schools.

Gerry Spence, Jackson Hole, Wyoming (University of Wyoming Law School)--

http://www.gerryspence.com

Warren Burnett (RIP), Odessa and Galveston, Texas (Baylor University Law School), and the finest extemporaneous speaker I have ever listened to--

http://www.texasobserver.org/1132-a-creature-of-the-courts-warren-burnett/

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/28/us/warren-e-burnett-is-dead-colorful-lawyer-was-75.html

Joe Jamail, Houston (University of Texas Law School)--

http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/joe-jamail-greatest-lawyer-who-ever-lived

http://www.texasmonthly.com/content/joe-jamail

Richard "Racehorse" Haynes, Houston (University of Houston Law School)--

http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/how-cullen-davis-beat-rap

http://www.uh.edu/pride-stories/richard-haynes/Richard-Haynes-Story/index.php

http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Money-Thomas-Thompson/dp/0786709472

If any of those real courtroom lawyers had been Attorney General or the state department legal advisor, many of the problems that presently afflict us would not exist.

[Adam L Silverman]

Nancy K,

The woman who wrote the series, which started out as a creative writing project, had never been to Scotland when she started writing. Basically she was writing a bodice ripper and decided that Scotland was an exotic enough locale to set a time travel love triangle romance in. I lived in Scotland for three years when doing my first graduate degree. Buggery as a means of humiliation wouldn't surprise me for that period, though I don't recall ever seeing anything about it in the formal histories. Not that I would have expected to.

[robt willmann]

pl,

So the Department of Defense has banned your website and blocked your e-mails going into its very large servers. And of course the NSA is part of the DoD; perhaps they handled the technical end of it.

An order for that kind of censorship had to come from way up the totem pole.

This further demonstrates the utter intellectual corruption of the executive branch.

Nevertheless, it is very flattering and is the ultimate compliment.

[turcopolier]

Adam

Randall clearly enjoys it as more than humiliation. pl