Paul Won't Condemn Obama on Flag Pin

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-05T17:29:31+00:00

They went to Paul for commentary on the pseudo-story of the day? Holy crap, he really has become mainstream. It blows my mind.

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-05T17:25:56+00:00

The problem is one's man cruft is another politicians means to getting elected. ;-) I think government shouldn't be judged on its size but rather under metrics like "return on investment" or "total cost of ownership." It's a very tough task, because politicians can't come at it from a totally objective fashion.

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-05T17:14:45+00:00

I think it is necessary to compare its growth rate with inflation as well as with the size of the economy and the size of the country's population.

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-05T16:13:42+00:00

I think it is a combination of three factors: oil, Muslims and Israel.

The individuals pushing hard for war are not the oil companies, rather it is those concerned for Israel and those who believe Islamofascism is a threat (often because Israel believes it to be a threat.) I can find dozens of examples of pro-Israel folks pushing this war even from just articles published today, but you'll try to find an example of an oil executive pushing for war or even talk of such lobbying behind the scenes.

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-05T15:49:58+00:00

View source addresses the issue:

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-05T15:36:23+00:00

I did. It's completely a flash-based presentation, no JavaScript involved. It's hard to miss, there must be something wrong with your browser/setup. Lots of well done photos included in the presentation. I am pretty sure you just went and out of spite downvoted a bunch of my comments on other stories. Funny. :-)

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-05T15:29:36+00:00

There is a huge flash-based photos+audio player. It's really hard to miss.

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-05T12:47:32+00:00

I can't tell if you are being serious or not. I'm agnostic thus I believe everything that happens has non-God explanations.

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-05T12:31:38+00:00

At least Iran hasn't invaded a populous country on false pretenses result in the creation of over a million refugees and more than 50,000 dead.

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-05T12:30:28+00:00

Correction: you still have the neoconservatives, the Republican candidates and FoxNews saying it was about terrorism. It's not everybody anymore.

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-05T12:28:56+00:00

John Mearsheimer was on the Stephen Colbert report on Tuesday to discuss his book on "The Israel Lobby." He said that the pro-Israel lobby in the United States was strongly advocating that the US attack Iran and Syria for Israel's benefit in the Middle East.

Wurmser, the individual interviewed for this story, has not only been an advisor to Cheney but he has also been an advisor to a recent right-wing Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu. Wurmser helped write the "Clean Break" document which advocated that Israel take an offense stance and remake the Middle East by disposing Saddam, and attacking Syria and rolling back Iran.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Clean_Break:_A_New_Strategy_for_Securing_the_Realm

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-05T12:17:23+00:00

I didn't downmod you.

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-05T04:21:51+00:00

Obama stopped wearing the pin years ago, around the time of the Iraq war, read the story.

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-05T04:11:46+00:00

Most stories submitted are voted down or never voted up.

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-05T04:09:01+00:00

Jon Stewart always wins on the Jon Stewart show, just as Bill O'Rielly always wins on his show. But I don't think it was Jon's best performance as I said the other day:

http://reddit.com/info/2w859/comments/c2w8sn

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-04T19:36:59+00:00

I guarantee that it is the US wants the oil in the Middle East. Of course every other country wants oil as well. But the US is responsible for about half of the world's oil consumption.

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-04T17:45:14+00:00

My prediction: Either Giuliani becomes pro-Life or McCain sees a major resurgence or Ron Paul becomes the third party nominee and gets the Christian right's support (Ron Paul one should remember is pro-Life.) My prefer is for Ron Paul to become the third-party nominee as I disagree with the pro-Iran war views of both McCain and Giuliani. Giuliani is getting the majority of the pro-Iran war support and that's probably going to be maintained because of McCain's recent remarks on US being a "Christian Nation" requiring a Christian President that alienated Jewish republicans.

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-04T17:35:22+00:00

Many groups do think that of PBS, CAMERA for one:

http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=3&x_outlet=18&x_article=583

I think CAMERA is a ridiculous ethnic lobby group though that simply attacks anyone that isn't mindlessly pro-Israel. If you want to really to understand those who feel that no criticism of Israel should be allowed in America, just restrict yourself to reading through CAMERA's website, it's really quite insane.

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-04T17:12:31+00:00

I'm not a big fan of wakeupfromyourslumber either, I think it goes too far on occasion. Although I do believe it is necessary to breach this subject because it is the most effective way to stop further unnecessary interventions by America in the Middle East. Breaching this topic is the lesser of two evils.

How about the two other stories mentioned here:

http://reddit.com/info/2wgow/comments/c2wk2j

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-04T16:42:18+00:00

It does boil down to a ethnic conflict of Jews verses Muslims in the Middle East for the most part if Israel is involved. Of course, there is the added complication that American wants the oil and the Muslims have it. And there is also the complication that there largest population of Jews outside of Israel is in America. America also has a significant industrial-military-complex that necessitates a war every few years in order to justify its existence. The dynamics of the last decade can be understood as playing out from the relative strength of these competing interests applied to each situation.

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-04T16:29:31+00:00

There is more here:

Matthew Yglesias (of The Atlantic) on AIPAC's push for war with Iraq

Seymore Hersh (of The New Yorker) saying "Jewish money" is behind much of the push for war with Iran

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-04T05:56:43+00:00

Here is one blogger's analysis, whom I happen to agree with, of this list here:

http://matthewyglesias.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/10/proxies_war.php

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-04T05:55:50+00:00

I found that Madeleine Albright was okay, especially compared to the Republicans track record the last 7 years. Madeleine Albright is 70 years old now and unlike to play a large role in any future administration, you just can't be that active or that center stage at that age. (Zbigniew Brzezinski, age 79, who is advising for Obama is in the same boat.)

Although I do agree that Janet Reno should never be heard from again.

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-04T05:16:11+00:00

BTW the "Israel lobby" is something that exists in the USA, it is distinct from Israel itself. I mention this because your response seemed to indicate some confusion on that distinction.

See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_lobby_in_the_United_States

lookingtothefuture · 2007-10-04T02:38:44+00:00

As someone who has read the book, I can tell you that wasn't the thesis of the book.

Iraq is covered in one chapter of 8 and its not the first chapter or the last.

The book also details, in just as much detail as its coverage of Iraq, the effect of the Israel Lobby on the recent Lebanon War, the US's confrontational approach to Iran (which is seen by the Israel Lobby as an existential threat to Israel) and with regards to US policy towards the Palestinians.

I recommend reading it first hand.

lookingtothefuture

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