Category Archives: Foreign Policy

Military Deaths, Not Death Benefits, Are The Real Scandal

Family, Foreign Policy, Military, War

Watch this ceremony at the Dover Air Force Base. Soldiers receive the coffined body of a slain comrade on its arrival in Dover. They handle it with exquisite care, hands clad in white gloves. What a stark, pathos-filled, sad ceremony, every move so tender and respectful.

CNN has shown this dark side of the wars all mainstream media laud because the “survivor benefits to the families, which include a $100,000 payment made within days of the death,” were suspended, the president having refused to use his power to prioritize in the allocation of revenues.

The real scandal is not the death-benefit short-term lapse, but that American men and women are still dying (and killing) in these dumps for no good reason. What a wanton waste of promise-filled young lives.

A webcam ought to be installed permanently at Dover—a debt clock of sorts—to remind Americans of this G-d-awful grief and waste.

About That Credibility

America, BAB's A List, Conflict, Foreign Policy, Free Markets

Myron Robert Pauli on that credibility America is purported to have lost: “It makes sense for 50 sovereign states to be united for free trade and travel and for common defense but not to maintain an EMPIRE. Does Singapore or Switzerland or Costa Rica lack for ‘respect’ because they don’t bomb countries or bribe its leaders? Do we need to purchase ‘respect’ by threats, bombs, and bribery? How can Ireland and Sri Lanka and Chile get along without the world quaking at their boots?”

Myron’s BAB archive is here.

Yes, what ever happened to “Blessed are the peacemakers”?

Liberals Grow A Funny Bone

Barack Obama, Critique, Fascism, Foreign Policy, Left-Liberalism And Progressivisim, War

Liberals are especially slow on the uptake. Some outside CNN amd MSNBC, however, have begun to cock a snook at the Obama faithful who fawn over His every utterance and action.

Transcribed by News Busters, this video clip is worth watching (from an evolutionary perspective). “Liberals parodying liberals” is how Mark Levin described it:

Text courtesy of News Busters:

“Our president can’t launch into another war without you. And remember: when we voted for him in 2008 and 2012, we promised to support him no matter what.”

“That’s why we here at the ‘Americans for Whatever Barack Obama Wants, Did You Know He’s Friends With Jay-Z?’ have launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund World War III.”

“And America is dead-ass broke, so our goal is to raise $1.6 trillion on behalf of the U.S. government.”

“That’s where you come in.”

“Even a small donation will make all the difference.”

“World War III is a very important, very progressive war that Obama tells me is very important. So it must be.”

“When I first saw the President speak in 2008 in a YouTube clip posted to my Facebook page, I knew he was going to be right all the time. So I support World War III, and IV, and any moon war the President may want to start.”

“I mean, there is no way that he or the cabal of corporate interests, spy agencies, and shadow bankers who tell him what to do would ever mislead us.”

“The $1.6 trillion that we raise will help create a war that truly puts the liberal in neo-liberal. There will be millions of troops, thousands of organic, grass-fed bombs, hybrid Prius tanks, rockets controlled by iPads, and drones that play the Lumineers while they attack.”

“World War III is not going to be like those other Republican wars fought on just 1 percent of the world. This war is going to be fought on 99 percent of the world.”

“It will be everywhere: Russia, China, Africa, Cincinnati, your favorite brunch spot — the one with those kickass ranchero breakfast burritos.”

“World War III will also be the most social media-focused war ever. It’ll be all over Twitter, Facebook, Vine, Pinterest, and whatever eventually replaces Pinterest, and I mean, just think of all the hilarious skits we can make of cats reacting to their owners’ homes being obliterated.”

“Lots of shock, but tons of awww.”

“And come on, guys, how good will Michelle’s arms look in sleeveless Army fatigues?”

“We have a lot of great rewards for our donors. If you donate $10 to the World War III project, you’ll get a shout out on social media.”

“Hashtag #thankyou!”

“A $25 donation will get you a piece of rubble from a war-torn Middle Eastern country, kissed by Sen. Lindsay Graham.”

“A $100 donation gets you a day pass to leave your local refuge camp.”

“You’ll probably end up in a refuge camp, but it’ll have free Wifi.”

“And a $10 million donation gets you your own Senator for a year.”

“So please, help us reach our goal of $1.6 trillion so we can make World War III a reality. Why? Because Obama.”

“Because Obama.”

Diplomacy Or More Devastation?

Foreign Policy, Middle East, Military, Neoconservatism, Russia, UN, WMD

The latest Syria developments, as of Tuesday, September 10, are that “UN Security Council closed-door meeting called by Russia has been canceled, according to the Council’s current president Australia’s Ambassador to the UN, Gary Quinlan.” (Via RT)

And, via Politico:

President Barack Obama said Tuesday he wants Congress to delay its efforts to vote on authorizing the use of force in response to Syria’s use of chemical weapons until the round of diplomatic efforts that began this week has a chance to play out.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Obama to renounce the use of force.

Note that “Obama and Kerry … haven’t been shy about taking credit for the [Russian] proposal [to disarm Syria of chemical weapons], saying on Monday and Tuesday that they discussed the idea last week with their Russian counterparts.” (Politico)

Will the president go back to saving-face mode, or will diplomacy win out?