Keeping In Mind The Mindboggling Mindlessness of the Republicans and Likudniks

Okay, the simple explanation I can give you about the title is that in both America and Israel there's more craziness coming out of the +GOP and +Likudniks than that of Russia and Iran combined. This isn't to dismiss the hardened attempts by Vladimir Putin to rebuild the Soviet Union in more ways than we can imagine, which one can call insane, but that's not the point. The point is that the globalizing of the far-right here in America would put the hardliners elsewhere to shame, even Putin himself. How? Simple, think of all the stunts the Republicans in Congress have pulled to undermine +Barack Obama, particularly with regards to Iran.

I'm not going to say that Iran did anything crazy, and so far they're not going to bother for the sole reason that their economy is crippled very badly from the comprehensive sanctions regime imposed backed in 2010. They'd like these sanctions lifted so they can regrow their economy and so far have been willing to allow intrusive inspections from the IAEA to verify their claims that they're not seeking to build a nuclear bomb. In addition, it's to put the entire international community at ease so they can pursue their right to generate peaceful nuclear electricity and nuclear isotopes for medicinal purposes.

For the Republicans, their insanity is easy enough to explain. They're unwilling to allow anything to happen with Iran unless it's a war with that nation, a war with the goal of regime change. Let me be very clear, we have no leverage in terms of using force on Iran, our military is exhausted from fighting long wars in Afghanistan (13 years) and Iraq (8 years). We don't have the capacity to execute a war, much to the GOP's disdain. The only way to resolve the crisis over Iran's lack of disclosures for its nuclear program is by talking to them.

Which leads me to my next point about the GOP: real cute in penning that op-ed (I'm calling on you Tom Cotton) signed by 47 of the 54 members of the +Senate GOP. There's nothing in terms of the history of the United States Senate, as the +CBS Evening News reported Joe Biden saying in a strongly worded statement. Enclosed is the video, from that segment, via +YouTube. It's easy to understand why +The White House was so livid when they learned about this. However, I'm not so upset by the fact that Cotton even penned that letter, as to do something stupid like that is absolutely expected by a freshman politician. What's pissed me off more than anything is the fact that Mitch McConnell, the Republicans' leader in the Senate signed the letter as well as other senior Republicans like Chuck Grassley and +Senator John McCain, who should have known better than to sign that letter undermining the White House during a time of critical negotiations with Iran. It's easy to see why President Obama and Vice President Biden are livid about this act, in addition to Secretary John Kerry.

This is where Likud (the party of the +Prime Minister of Israel - Benjamin Netanyahu) comes into play. Their playbook is the same as the Republicans', fear-monger and war-monger. To both, only war can resolve this crisis. This is also Likud's stance towards the Palestinians, only force is the means of solving the crisis of their attempts to take Israeli land for a state of their own and their support for Hamas and other "terrorist" networks. And by "their", he means all the Palestinians, which is completely bogus. However, that's not what has me irked about Likud.

Apparently the fear-mongering worked for Likud, who managed to pull of an upset victory in Tuesday's election.

Republicans And War Via Israel

Somehow the Republicans' lust for war and especially so in the Mideast says a lot about where their priorities lay. I'm not surprised by the treasonous letter sent by 47 of the 54 Senate Republicans, as they'll do anything to undermine the President. Moreover, it's also not surprising that Republicans in Congress are just not willing to resolve the crisis diplomatically as it takes too long, while war resolves the crisis with Iran quickly and with the added effect of giving them pleasure in seeing innocents die while they profit off their deaths. This may be 1 reason they're colluding with Benjamin Netanyahu to undermine the intense negotiations with Iran.

Also, this plays to the neocons very closely. It's also showing us that they're not done yet, even though George W. Bush is no longer in the Presidency. They're still at work aiming America's guns at Iran, looking to manufacture a crisis to take back the Presidency and fully execute a war alongside Israel. In the end, I'm unsurprised by the amount of wrangling going on with groups like AIPAC, in addition to Congressional Republicans and the Israeli embassy in Washington. It shows the true interconnectedness between the American and Israeli far-right, and the dangerous game of chess they're playing.

Netanyahu Returns To Washington A La Boehner

I don't know how to express my undying fury with +John Boehner and Benjamin Netanyahu in terms of a beginning. I'll just say this as I see it. Today is a sad day for everyone who worships within the Jewish faith. Netanyahu's constant sabre rattling is going to start WW III (I remember mentioning this in an earlier post) and it's becoming more apparent that he's itching to start it. I know the reason, it's to distract the world away from the crumbling peace process and from continued calls for the genocide of the Palestinians.

In terms of Boehner, that's also simple. It's to get another +GOP President in +The White House and to instill the permanent reign of the far-right wing. And we thought George W. Bush would be the last of these ultra-radicalized, war-mongering conservatives. Nope, not even close. This next crop of Republican Presidential candidates will be even more reactionary than Bush, Jr. ever was. They will make him seem left-wing/center-left and/or centrist in comparison.

Additionally, there's a second reason, which is to undermine +Barack Obama's authority as President of the United States. If anything, it's Boehner's means of throwing a tantrum since Obama's not caving, at all. For Boehner, this would be the best day in his life if he successfully helps Netanyahu undermine and potentially kill off the negotiations to rein in Iran's nuclear program.

I find that Bibi has a problem with honesty, as he helped to lie us into Iraq back in 2002, just like he's trying to do now with Iran in 2015.

Sources:
http://www.netanyahu.org.il/en/
http://www.jgsf1987.com/2012/02/a-new-round-of-threats-between-israel.html
http://www.alternet.org/world/benjamin-netanyahu-has-been-lying-americans-20-years

Net Neutrality Holds

I have to say that I'm exceedingly satisfied to share this bit of news. The FCC voted to uphold net neutrality by declaring the internet to be a public utility under Title II of the Communications Act. This means that the companies that tried to kill net neutrality like +Comcast, +AT&T, +Verizon FiOS, etc., will now have to keep all internet traffic flowing at equal bandwith, not more, not less.

Maintaining net neutrality is the base of upholding free speech rights online, and always keep that in mind as the big boys mentioned above try to throw their weight around and looking to profit over allowing those rights.

The Need For Getting Free

We all have times where we feel exceedingly trapped and no means to free ourselves. That's how I'm feeling right now, like I'm stuck drowning in a pool of muck.

I'm not going to point fingers and start blaming others, and I will say that because of many of my own actions are contributing to it. Maybe I'm holding myself too accountable too often for events outside my control.

Trans-Pacific Partnership: The Case Against It

The more we hear about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the more we realize how bad of a deal it is for everyone outside of big business. I've seen enough posts on +Facebook to understand why.

First of all, I see too many red flags just on the basis of the 1st Amendment, particularly regarding free speech. Who's to say that we could have laws of another country imposed upon on us, or that corporations here in America will start censoring out what they don't want us to see (particularly of voices critical of their activities)? This is true in regards to net neutrality.

Another red flag I see has to do with environmental laws, specifically that they could end up weakened to make room for more of a dominant voice from big oil/big energy, such as +Koch Industries. They'll be fighting for the unrestrained ability to make our air, food and water dirty and toxic, and make a profit off of it as well. Uh...how batshit are they? Batshit enough to be this psychopathic and antipathic to the rest of us who dare to blast them for making us breathe and ingest their noxious chemicals? I'd say a big, fat yeah! However, this is just the tip of the iceberg, we're talking about here. Let me put it a different way, how much would the Charles and David Koch care if your kid were to develop either asthma, emphyzima, bronchitis, or COPD from breathing in their chemicals? How about cancer, specifically lung cancer? Answer: None! They'd be very happy and sleep very easily knowing your kid is sick, as clean air is a privilege to them.

Republicans And Netanyahu, A Real Mixture

I'm not sure how to start this, other than to say that the +GOP has really outdone itself in undermining the President, again. Only this time, it's in the most unconstitutional way possible; as in encroaching upon the sphere of foreign policy, which is the President's prerogative. Basically +John Boehner, by inviting +Benjamin Netanyahu to speak before Congress without letting +Barack Obama know, is a complete lack of comprehension towards the principle of separation of powers. Essentially, Boehner's action was completely unconstitutional as it's the President, not Congress that sets our nation's foreign policy, and besides being an utter lack of respect, it's also a severe breach of international protocol on the part of Netanyahu who needed to first get clearance via Obama. Because Obama did not approve of this, there's no reason for the invitation.

As for Netanyahu, this is little more than a campaign stunt for the upcoming Israeli elections in March. There's better ways to go about campaigning and for Netanyahu to do this, given that he tried to swing the Presidential Election to +Mitt Romney in 2012, he's really got no credibility doing this. And his message of Obama making Israel and the region less safe by talking to Iran is complete bulls**t if you ask me. It's the same tired line from the Neocons, as a way of getting their d**ks hardened watching our nation go to war somewhere in the world.

But here's the real kicker in all of this, the Republicans in Congress have gotten themselves in such a corner, there's no way they'll be able to get themselves out. How? +Fox News isn't even backing up their sorry asses. Without Fox, the Republicans are defenseless.

State Of The Union 6 Years In

While it's true that +Barack Obama is not up for re-election in 2016, it should be noted that he's done quite a lot, more than he's been given credit for over the past 6 years. All in spite of the Republicans trying to block him every step of the way. Take for instance the economy, it's been growing at its fastest rate since 2008. 

Selma Movie

After watching the film, +Selma Movie, with my lady yesterday, it got me thinking hard about the real lessons we ought to take out of Martin Luther King's head-on effort to kill one of the worst chokeholds that remained of Jim Crow in the South, the blocking of the Black vote and Black registration to do so. One of those lessons is that we shouldn't be ignorant of the fact that there are still forces in this country seeking to keep White hegemony intact and doing so by intruding upon one of our most basic rights, the right to vote. Don't underestimate this movement's power and strength because the movement for White supremacist hegemony is one with a history of violent resistance to racial equality.

I want to point out something about what the Dixicans (Dixie [Southern] Republicans) are doing to the vote. By making registration nearly impossible for Black voters in Southern states, like Mississippi and Alabama, the Republicans are attempting to enforce the same code of racial hierarchy as there had been from 1877-1964 put in place by the Dixicrats (Dixie [Southern] Democrats). I need to stress that not all former Southern Democrats were committed racists and/or segregationists, just like not all Southern Republicans are that way either. But many are, and the ones that are about racial superiority and/or separateness are the people we need to keep an eye out for. As I've said in earlier posts, these people would like to take us back to at least the Antebellum.

What To Watch For From Republicans

While I'm 100% aware of what many media outlets on the left are saying about 2016, I'm finding it exceedingly ironic that they're parroting the same lines that I've been spewing at times over the past 4 years. It's important to keep our eyes open to the reality that the Republicans will rig the vote in 2016 to capture the Presidency (2000 & 2004 should sound familiar).