- I can't make any promises, but one last thing on tonight's debate: here's the transcript, just in case we missed anything while yelling at the TV... — with Soup McGee.
- was trying to play the solo through a dismemberment of a chord, when Ez jumps up and says, "It's all on one string, Daddy." which is how I usually play it. Wow. Wooooow. My Wife? Woooooooooooow.
- feels SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO vindicated right now...cheeky me:
- --my reason for a 'request for reconsideration?---""""I am disabled. Deg. disc disease- shrunk 3" or more since marriage 7 yrs. ago. Released from most recent emp.--failing to meet standards; I reg. missed w/ drs. permission sched. hours b/c of pain in wrist.""""""""""
http://online.wsj.com/article/wonder_land.html """""""""""""""""""The Obama campaign's resurrection of "liar" as a political tool is odious because it has such a repellent pedigree. It dates to the sleazy world of fascist and totalitarian p
ropaganda in the 1930s. It was part of the milieu of stooges, show trials and dupes. These were people willing to say anything to defeat their opposition. Denouncing people as liars was at the center of it. The idea was never to elevate political debate but to debauch it.
The purpose of calling someone a liar then was not merely to refute their ideas or arguments. It was to nullify them, to eliminate them from participation in politics. That's what is so unsettling about a David Axelrod or David Plouffe following accusations of dishonesty and lies with "whether that person should sit in the Oval Office." And that is followed by President Obama himself feeding the new line in stump speeches without himself ever using the L-word. """""""
--uh, yeah, oops.--""""""Republicans were aiming to embarrass the Obama administration over State Department security lapses. But they inadvertently caused a different picture to emerge than the one that has been publicly known: that the vi
ctims may have been let down not by the State Department but by the CIA. If the CIA was playing such a major role in these events, which was the unmistakable impression left by Wednesday’s hearing, having a televised probe of the matter was absurd. """""" http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-letting-us-in-on-a-secret/2012/10/10/ba3136ca-132b-11e2-ba83-a7a396e6b2a7_print.html- is totally having a 'this is food and if you don't eat it you will just be hungry' moment.... :-/
"""""""""""""What do you mean, exactly, I ask him. You say people are suffering under Obama, don't they need some help?
“No. No more help, enough is enough. People have to pick themselves up, take some responsibility. Why should we be payi
ng for people’s mistakes and bad choices? All these illegitimate families just adding to the population, making all these bad decisions, then asking us to pay for it? It's time to cut them off."
I ask for some clarification: what do you mean, just starve them out? What if people can't find work? Let them starve?
"Look, there's always something you can do. You telling me people can't make a choice for a better life? We have to help all of them? No. I'll tell you what really need to do with these illegitimate families on welfare—give all the kids up for adoption and execute the parents."""""""""" http://www.progressive.org/meet-romney-extremist-in-virginia- """"""""A stunning revelation is that Rivard made the self-destructive remark twice, first last December and then earlier this month. The first time, he was asked by the Chetek Alert newspaper what he thought about a Wisconsin case where a 17-year-old high school senior was charged with sexual assault for having sex with a 15-year-old girl in a school band room, and replied by recounting his dad's
advice. The "some girls rape easy" remark didn't create too much of a stir that time around, but Rivard apparently felt compelled to stick his foot further into his mouth during a recent interview with the Journal Sentinel."""""""" http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2012/10/ roger_rivard_wisconsin_lawmaker _some_girls_they_rape_so_easy. php
""""""""""" While he has recently sought to downplay the political ambitions of his movement, at a 2008 New Apostolic Reformation conference Wagner declared,
"Dominion has to do with control. Dominion has to do with rulership. Dominion...See More- """""""""In the program for the 2009 Beck-Romney fundraiser, DeMille's welcome message sounded the alarm: "The figurative redcoats are at our door as threats to our liberty, prosperity, and sovereignty are no longer ideological or symbolic, but very real and immediate." One way to preserve liberty, he noted, was to donate to George Wythe University."""""""
- WLWT shared a link.
Obama attended '91 wedding of VP debate moderator
www.wlwt.com
A day before the vice presidential debate the guest list for moderator Martha Raddatz's 1991 wedding has become an issue. That's because the list included Harvard Law School student and future president Barack Obama.
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Soup McGee please. Get outta here with the bs conspiracy. Ask
this question: How does the American Democratic Republic transfer power peaceably with zero revenue incoming, as is demanded y the Americans for Tax Reform Pledge? Bush knew a lot of people; Cheney SHOT A MAN IN THE FACE. Don't gimme the 'he attended One of her Weddings means there is a bias towards him' line. Unh-uh.
See MoreFour Milwaukee police officers face multiple felony counts for allegedly performing numerous illegal body cavity searches on suspects over the past two years, ...- --so Finally....some balls from Andrea Mitchell re:Romney and his disgusting comments http://winchester.patch.com/articles/doherty-s-mom-says-it-s-sad-death-politicized
Dominionism is destroying America shared a link.
10 hours ago
Ok. This would be funny if it wasn't utterly ignorant and complete crap.
"The truth is this country was founded primarily by scholars who held closely to Judeo-Christian values ...See More- --Yeah, the stimulus was an absolute failure. http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/10/10/982751/ann-romney-to-visit-cancer-center-that-benefited-from-stimulus-funds/
- AwesomeFormerCo-worker/
Smoody-Extraordinaire!
Im so sick of seeing Obama haters talking shit and instead of using facts to back up their claims they use scare tactics !! get over yourself . It took over 8 years to get here it can't be fixed over night DUMB ASSES !!
Unlike · · 12 minutes ago via mobile ·
You like this. Yes yes you do. - "Honestly it does make me sick. Glen would definitely not approve of it. He probably wouldn't do much about it. He probably wouldn't say a whole lot about it. I think Glen would feel, more than anything, almost embarrassed for Romney. I think he would feel pity for him."--- http://mynorthwest.com/108/1353861/Romneys-emotional-story-remembered-very-differently-by-friend-of-fallen-SEAL?fb_comment_id=fbc_212742468856916_716162_212870888844074#f2d9b9a2d559718
--Trusting this dude could get us ALL kilt. """""""""""“How is it China’s been so successful in taking away our jobs?” he asked recently. “Well, let me tell you how: by cheating.”
But his private equity dealings, both while he headed Bain ...See More- Darrell Issa
RESPONSES: ASK DARRELL ANYTHING: we're starting to post Darrell's responses to your questions right in the in the comment sections you asked them. We'll also post these in a separate Facebook Note...so make sure to check the post on which you asked your question and stay tuned for more answers from the Congressman. Thank you! - Team Issa
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5 p
eople like this.
1 share
Michael Wolverton What is this all about? Please investigate these tweets from the US Embassy in Cairo on 9/9 https://twitter.com/USEmbassyCairo/status/ 244875480338157569
about a minute ago · Like
Soup McGee ,"Yes, Sir. Hello. How can America peaceably transfer power in a democratic republic with zero revenue, as demanded by the Americans for Tax Reform Pledge? Thank you."
a few seconds ago · Edited · Like - Justin Harris Re-Election Campaign
4 hours ago via mobile
Great to welcome US Congressman Steve Womack to West Fork, for "Coffee with the Congressman".
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7 people like this.
Soup McGee http://www.publiceye.org/magazine/v08n1/chrisre1.html :-/
PublicEye.org - The Website of Political Research Associates
www.publiceye.org
There is no doubt that Pat Robertson's Chris
tian Coalition gets much of the ...See More
4 hours ago · Like · Remove Preview
Soup McGee """"" Deuteronomy 21, verses 18-21, from the King James Version of the Bible:
"18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear."
"""""""""-- Agree or disagree, sir? http://www.alternet.org/speakeasy/brucewilson/ ar-republican-charlie-fuqua-adv ocates-stoning-rebellious-chil dren-deuteronomy?page=entire
AR Republican Charlie Fuqua Advocates Stoning Rebellious Children, Per Deuteronomy
www.alternet.org
It has rapidly migrated from the Arkansas Times - which hasbrokenthe story about...See More
4 hours ago · Like · Remove Preview
Soup McGee http://gawker.com/5950302/yet-another-arkansas-legislator -is-nuts-if-slavery-were-so-go dawful-why-didnt-jesus-condemn -it
Yet Another Arkansas Legislator Is Nuts: 'If Slavery Were So Godawful, Why Didn't Jesus Condemn It?'
gawker.com
Three is a trend. After one Arkansas lawmaker was recently caught arguing the me...See More
2 minutes ago · Like · Remove Preview
Soup McGee :-/ You can really tell alot about a person by their associates....
about a minute ago · Like
Soup McGee --you Could Condemn this...or would that put you outside mainstream Christianity?---
a few seconds ago · Like - CBS Sacramento
What's your favorite scary movie of all time?
The 10 Best Halloween Movies Of All Time
sacramento.cbslocal.com
It's the season for scary movies, so gather the family and be prepared for some terror. Here are the choices for the 10 best Halloween movies of all time.
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Mary Horton likes this.
Soup McGee --the Ryan Budget is purty Scurry.....
a few seconds ago · Like
· Share · 1 · 7 minutes ago ·
Options
WLWT
Fans gathered outside Great American Ball Park as the Reds arrived for Tuesday's playoff game.
Fans greet Reds, broadcasters as they arrive for Game 3
www.wlwt.com
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4 people like this.
Soup McGee GO GIANTS!!!!!!
a few seconds ago · Like
Justin Harris Re-Election Campaign
Great to welcome US Congressman Steve Womack to West Fork, for "Coffee with the Congressman".
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Paul Graham likes this.
Soup McGee http://www.publice
:-/
PublicEye.org - The Website of Political Research Associates
www.publiceye.org
There is no doubt that Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition gets much of the ...See More
a few seconds ago · Like · Remove Preview
Soup McGee """"" Deuteronomy 21, verses 18-21, from the King James Version of the Bible:
"18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear."
"""""""""-- Agree or disagree, sir? http://www.alternet.org/speakeasy/brucewilson/ar-republican-charlie-fuqua-advocates-stoning-rebellious-children-deuteronomy?page=entire
AR Republican Charlie Fuqua Advocates Stoning Rebellious Children, Per Deuteronomy
www.alternet.org
www.motherjones.com
In a testy interview, the GOP vice presidential nominee undermines a top Republican talking point.- On break, printing my STATS homework, just wanted to say hey. Love you. Love the munchkin. Hope you're having a good morning. ♥
- just used "quantitatively dispossessed" in a sentence. Should I feel More Smug than I do, or less? Chuckle. Mitt Romney. Blech.
Al Jazeera English
In Pictures: Al Jazeera visits the Oklahoma City memorial, erected in remembrance of the 1995 bombing that killed 168 people and wounded 700 others, on the occasion of the 2012 presidential election. Masterminded by Timot...See More- is pretty sure I just heard Romney accuse the President of "false pride." Yeah. Fuck that.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Romney, Quantitatively Dispossesed of Honesty...I Just Wanted My Shoulders To Get A Workout....Chuckle.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Revised 'Fuck No'
Soup McGee
October 6, 2012
Israel,
Please Don’t Follow the Bush Doctrine
During
the American presidential election season, Israel has increased their speechifying
regarding the possibility of an American-backed Israeli military strike against
Iran. Suspected military-use nuclear
facilities in the Fordow underground site the Iranians claim is for medical
research would be the target of Israeli missiles. The preferred nation status of Israel in the
eyes of the American government means that any such action, be it Iran
acquiring weapon-delivery capability or an Israeli missile strike, would be the
equivalent of starting a large-scale conflict or outright World War.
The
international community has recently seen Iran materialize their long-held
hostility and belligerence. The
Associated Press reports that Iran shut down International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) inspections of the rumored nuclear enrichment facility on the 24th
of August, 2012. Given the historical
rhetoric of the rogue state towards Israel, such a seemingly dramatic increase
in confrontational activity proves Iran to be an existential threat to the
Jewish state. Apprehension is spiking among America, and its
allies, and interested parties; however, Israel should avoid the Bush Doctrine
of first strike. The “loose talk of war”
is a strategy used by the American Right; deliberately paint the current Chief
Executor of the Constitution as weak on foreign policy in an effort to spice up
an exceedingly weak Republican nominee, coinciding with a nativist appeal to the
same religious conservative base that narrowly decided the election for Bush in
2004.
In
a Boston Review article, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor and
often cited nuclear weapons expert Ted Postol stipulates that the “ideological
assumption of the extreme right of the Republican party” is that Iran is an
irrational actor. Iran, in this view,
does not care if it is destroyed, because they are so hell-bent on destroying
Israel and defeating the West. It is a
ridiculous notion that Israel feels threatened given America is their ally. Were Iran irrational, the Strait of Hormuz
would already be on fire. Rationality,
on the other hand, is why American intelligence can account for the change in
chemical make-up of the soil composition around Fordow. The idea that Iran is incapable of rational
action is without successful historical precedent.
Speaking
of dangerous men faced down by American might (Hitler, Mao, Stalin), Professor Postol
advances against the ‘Iran is irrational’ argument unambiguously: “They
certainly showed a high degree of rationality with regard to the dangers these
weapons posed, even though I don't think that many people would regard them as
having been relatively gentle with their adversaries. So I don't really see a
sudden emergent threat of this kind: a threat of an irrational political
leader, who controls a state, does not care if the state is destroyed, has
weapons of mass destruction, and the ability to put those weapons on ballistic
missiles. And if you did come up against a threat of this kind, then you would
have face the facts about feasibility.”
Feasibility,
in this case, means that current sanctions and other regulatory efforts are
isolating Iran even from its allies. Empirical
evidence that a nuclear-armed Iran can or will ever exist is weak and
unsupported and no weapon is known to exist; no weapon is likely to exist
before America knows it exists; no weapon, once
inconceivably developed, can be delivered via ICBM (Intercontinental
Ballistic Missile) by Iran in any meaningful timeframe, and certainly not
before America knows about it. Any argument to the contrary ignores these
established facts, but not without intent.
There
is more than enough time for sanctions and high-level diplomacy to continue-- six,
maybe as long as eight years start anew each day America and Israel maintain
their vigilance. There is more than plenty of time for the current diplomatic
agenda to continue pushing towards compliance those partners, allies and even
American corporations that are working against Israel, America, and their
joined interests. Matthew Scuffham and Jonathan
Gould of Reuters News Organization say that the Royal Bank of Scotland, which
is an 82% taxpayer-owned British Bank, and Germany’s CommerzBank are both
involved in current investigations; this willingness to cooperate with American
authorities to discover and rectify any misdealing with Iran epitomizes
American power.
It
is impossible to understate China’s importance as a global trading
partner. They were caught making moves
to skirt tougher sanctions, including those implemented by the Obama
Administration—and they weren’t alone. A
New York Times article by Jessica Silver-Greenberg
dated August 30th reveals “…that
Chinese banks may have flouted United States sanctions against Iran. Now, as
they investigate global banks suspected of funneling billions of dollars
through their American branches to Iran and other sanctioned nations, the
prosecutors are looking for transactions that could offer more information on
the banks’ dealings with Iran.” Additionally, in February of
this year, a David Evans and Asjylyn Loder investigation on behalf of Bloomberg
News “found that Koch Industries -- in addition to being involved in improper
payments to win business in Africa, India and the Middle East -- has sold
millions of dollars of petrochemical equipment to Iran, a country the U.S.
identifies as a sponsor of global terrorism.” Just two examples of how current
sanctions are smoking out America’s enemies: Chinese and American businesses, both working to undermine and profit from
the American-led global effort against terrorism. That can’t be good.
Charles
and David Koch, libertarian billionaire owners of Koch Industries, aren’t the
kind of folks who simply commit what looks like treason, walk away unpunished,
and keep their tails between their legs like good felons. Instead, according to Jim Allen and Mike
Vandehei of Politico, which is generally considered a down the middle political
website, the ancestors of war-profiteer and John Birch Society founder Fred
Koch have pledged in excess of $400 million to defeat the incumbent American
President. This is their right--Citizens
United and other recent Supreme Court decisions allow for unlimited corporate
spending in elections. In this case,
their motive appears to be darker than to merely further the usual partisan
political policy discussions. This financial attempt to influence the November
6th election cannot be seen as disconnected from their support of
the terrorist state.
Then
there is Ralph Reed. Reed (a Grover Norquist and Jack Abramoff crony for
readers who remember the turn of the century or have access to the internet) is
a longtime conservative evangelical activist who is using a vast network of
connected churches to reach millions of Christian voters this year through
surveys. The one linked below asks respondents
to compare the President, as in, ‘is he worse than Hitler, or the worse than
Civil War?’ This is a coordinated effort
by the American Right, and they are smearing President Obama as an ineffectual
and unwise leader, specifically in foreign policy, describing separation
between Israel and America where there truly is no daylight. The conscious hope on the Republican aisle is
that voters calling themselves ‘Christian’ will turn out not for Mr. Romney,
but against Mr. Obama. As long as no Israeli
military strike occurs before November, electioneering for the Romney candidacy
can revolve around this perceived weakness in the popular President.
Rachel
Tabachnik is a leading researcher, author and expert on the impact of the American
Religious Right in politics and foreign policy. Her response to an email asking directly if Israel should strike Iran's nuclear
facilities was very succinct:
“The U.S. population is
war weary, but some Americans view Iran through the lens of End Times prophecy
and believe that war with Iran is part of that timeline.” These are the voters Condoleezza
Rice was reaching out to when, at the Republican National Convention, the
former Secretary of State and torture-apologist intimated that Barack Obama was
“muting” America’s voice by not more immediately assigning military might to
intervene in support of Israel.
Former
Bush advisor Karl Rove and current Romney senior advisor Ed Gillespie gave a
strong admonition to conservatives in an op-ed for Foreign Policy magazine in
March of this year. Their view is that the
best Republican hope to win the general Presidential election is to run a
nationalistic campaign depicting the President as naïve and incompetent. The intensifying of metaphorical violence
between perennial enemies, given the relative impossibility of a weapon
existing or being delivered from Iran to Israel, can then be reasonably seen as
more a campaign strategy suggestion, and less a surfacing threat to America’s
ally.
Nationalistic
war-mongering rarely has been so proudly on display as it was during Republican
nominee Mitt Romney’s acceptance speech to delegates at the Republican National
Convention. The would-be President took
aggressive verbal swipes at Iran, China, and Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin.
This hawkish attitude stands in stark
contrast to experience and what those who have it offer. Eight former senior military officials took
out a full-page ad in the Washington Post in March 2012 advising against
military intervention, by anyone, in Iran. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff General Martin Dempsey, the highest ranking military official under the
Commander in Chief, also has lobbied publicly and consistently for patience of the
part of Israeli leaders. Writing for
Foreign Policy, Josh Rogin reports that Mitt Romney has surrounded himself with
foreign policy advisors from the previous Administration. Voters will be wise to remember this when
discussing possible choices for the upcoming election with their families,
neighbors, and communities at large.
Israel
should not strike any suspected nuclear facility in Iran. Let the American President lead. Let America be exceptional. America must lead. Let America continue leading through sanctions
enforcement and promised military might. While the standard conservative or even
‘Christian’ line of thought may disagree, the threat America and its allies
face is indeed a “muted voice” should Israel preemptively strike Iran. No-one would be happier about such a strike
than the architects who tricked America into the last two Wars.
Works
Cited
Allen,
Mike and Jim Vandehei. “GOP Group Plans Record $1 Billion Blitz.” Politico.
Politico LLC, 30 May 2012. Web. 28 Aug. 2012
Cooper,
Helen. “‘Loose Talk Of War’ Only Helps Iran, Says President.” Middle East. The
New York Times, 4 Mar. 2012. Web. 28 Aug. 2012.
< http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/05/world/middleeast/in-aipac-speech-obama-warns-against-loose-talk-of-war.html>
< http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/05/world/middleeast/in-aipac-speech-obama-warns-against-loose-talk-of-war.html>
“Former
Senior Military Officials Sign Full-page Ad Opposing ‘War Of Choice With
Iran’.” Huff Post Iranathon. The Huffington Post.com, Inc., 5 Mar. 2012. Web.
27 Aug. 2012.
< http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/05/israel-iran-war-strike-obama_n_1320835.html#64_former-senior-military-officials-sign-fullpage-ad-opposing-war-of-choice-with-iran>
< http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/05/israel-iran-war-strike-obama_n_1320835.html#64_former-senior-military-officials-sign-fullpage-ad-opposing-war-of-choice-with-iran>
Jahn,
George. “UN Agency Confirms Iran Expands Nuke Work and Shrouds Site,
‘Significantly’ Hampering Probe.” Newser.
Associated Press, 30 Aug. 2012. Web. 30 Aug. 2012.
Kessler,
Glenn. “Did Ahmadinejad Really Say Israel Should Be ‘Wiped Off The Map’?” The Fact Checker. The Washington Post, 5
Oct. 2011. Web. 27 Aug. 2012.
Loder,
Asjylyn and David Evans. “Koch Brothers Flout Law Getting Richer With Secret
Iran Sales.” Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg L.P., 3 Oct. 2011. Web. 29 Aug. 2012.
< http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-02/koch-brothers-flout-law-getting-richer-with-secret-iran-sales.html>
< http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-02/koch-brothers-flout-law-getting-richer-with-secret-iran-sales.html>
Postel,
Theodore. “What’s Wrong With Missile Defense: An Interview With Ted Postol” by
Joshua Cohen. Boston Review, Oct/Nov. 2001. Web. 28 Aug. 2012.
Rice,
Condoleezza. “2012 Republican National Convention.” Live Broadcast. MSNBC. 29
Aug. 2012. Television.
“RNC
2012: Mitt Romney Speech To GOP Convention (Full Text).” WP Politics. The Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2012. Web. 30 Aug. 2012.
< http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rnc-2012-mitt-romney-speech-to-gop-convention-excerpts/2012/08/30/7d575ee6-f2ec-11e1-a612-3cfc842a6d89_story.html>
< http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rnc-2012-mitt-romney-speech-to-gop-convention-excerpts/2012/08/30/7d575ee6-f2ec-11e1-a612-3cfc842a6d89_story.html>
Rogin,
Josh. “Romney Advisors Disagree On Iran.” FP: Foreign Policy. The Washington
Post Company, 23 Aug. 2012. Web. 27 Aug. 2012.
Rove,
Karl and Ed Gillespie. “How To Beat Obama.” FP: Foreign Policy. The Washington
Post Company, Mar./Apr. 2012. Web. 29 Aug. 2012.
< http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/02/27/how_to_beat_obama>
< http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/02/27/how_to_beat_obama>
Scuffham,
Matt and Jonathan Gould. “RBS, Commerzbank Drawn Into U.S. Iran Money Probe.”
Reuters.com. Thomson Reuters, 22 Aug. 2012. Web. 30 Aug. 2012
< http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/22/us-rbs-probe-iran-idUSBRE87K19720120822>
< http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/22/us-rbs-probe-iran-idUSBRE87K19720120822>
Silver-Greenberg,
Jessica. “Prosecutors Link Money From China To Iran.” Business Day. The New York Times, 29 Aug. 2012. Web. 30 Aug. 2012.
< http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/30/business/inquiry-looks-at-chinese-banks-iran-role.html?_r=1>
< http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/30/business/inquiry-looks-at-chinese-banks-iran-role.html?_r=1>
Tabachnick,
Rachel. Personal Interview. 30 Aug. 2012
http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/439393-full-faith-amp-freedom-coalition-mailer.html#document/p1
And Now, My Wife Has Some Thoughts Re: Should Israel Strike Iran?
ENGWR 302: Should Israel launch a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities?
by MY WIFE on Saturday, October 6, 2012 at 5:21pm ·
Should
Israel launch a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities? This was the
question posed by my English professor on the first day of class. My
answer, in a word, is NO. But the paper had to be at least 3 pages.
Here's the long version of "No."
Fathi, Nazila. “Wipe Israel 'Off The Map' Iranian Says.” NYTimes.com. The New York Times, 27 Oct.
2005. Web. 28 Aug. 2012.
Lakshmanan, Indira A.R. and Pratish Narayanan. “India and China Skirt
Iran Sanctions With ‘Junk for Oil’.” Bloomberg.com.
Bloomberg L.P., 30 Mar. 2012. Web. 30 Aug. 2012.
In recent years, the specter of a nuclear Iran has induced global tension and roused speculations regarding the nation’s true intent for increased uranium enrichment. The New York Times keeps a running tally on what is known about the history of and developments in Iran’s nuclear program. According to their in-depth and evolving article, Iran’s Nuclear Program, political leaders in Iran emphatically deny that their Uranium Enrichment Program has any military aspects. It has been stressed, rather, that the goal is alternate energy and advancement in the field of medical research and technology. For many years, Iran voluntarily complied with limitations imposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’ affiliate which seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy. In 2006, however, Iran abandoned voluntary implementation of Additional Protocol agreements with the IAEA, and has become increasingly secretive of the activities taking place at its nuclear facilities. Despite Iran’s denial, in recent months there has been a rising concern about underground centrifuges hidden in the mountains near Qum. The IAEA has been denied access to these facilities, and it is suspected that Iran is secretly ramping up production of enriched uranium, boosting its capability to develop nuclear warheads beyond the eyes of the UN, the United States, and the rest of the global community.
Combined with Iran’s abstrusely violent rhetoric regarding the legitimacy of the Israeli state and Iranian funding of Islamic extremist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, an increase in Iran’s militaristic nuclear capabilities would certainly cause particular alarm, not just for Israel, but for its allies. As multiple sources including the New York Times and Al Jazeera have reported, Iranian leadership maintains the position that Israel is a spurious state, often referring to it as a ‘cancerous tumor’ and an illegitimate ‘Zionist regime’ that does not deserve to exist. Although some debate has arisen regarding the exact translation of his statement, in 2005 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad implied that Israel should be “wiped off the map.” Whether or not it is the policy of Iran to do away with Israel as a nation-state, it is to be expected that Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu is nervous and pondering the actions that should be taken by Israel to squelch the seemingly ubiquitous threat of Iran. Perhaps it is even understandable that Netanyahu would explore possibilities of a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. However, the potential exists to severely undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts should Israel deal the first blow. Due to Iran’s current deficiency in nuclear capabilities, there is at least a few-years’ time before any threat reaches critical mass. It is important to recognize that an Israeli assault holds the capacity for sparking a worldwide nuclear crisis even while the United States’ military is overworked and underfunded. An Israeli strike on Iran, now especially, would be ill-timed and imprudent, with potentially devastating consequences.
As Israel’s most important ally, the United States has warned Netanyahu against a unilateral strike on Iran. While this highlights a possible impasse between Israel’s Prime Minister and top American military advisors regarding the appropriate strategy to deal with Iran, the United States hasn’t given up hope that sanctions will work. According to David E. Sanger, the chief Washington correspondent for the New York Times, President Obama’s administration has emphasized “the steps it is taking to pressure the Iranian leadership - which range from diplomatic isolation to sanctions to sabotage,” and insists there is still time for diplomacy. General Martin Dempsey, the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, agrees with President Obama’s strategy. During the last week in August, General Dempsey spoke to reporters in London. According to Richard Norton-Taylor, security editor for London’s The Guardian, Dempsey made it clear that he is distancing himself from any plans Israel has to bomb Iran, implying that an attack would have little long-term impact on Iran’s nuclear aspirations and underscored the fact that “sanctions imposed on Iran are working and should be given the reasonable opportunity to succeed.” In fact, the sanctions are working. In an October 5th commentary on Reuters, Iranian author Hooman Majd discusses Iran’s dire financial straits as the result, in part, of sanctions imposed by the United States and other nations. Majd also attributes Iran’s financial problems in part to mismanagement of funds by Ahmadinejad’s administration. Either way, the vitriolic leader’s days are numbered, and once he is out of office, there could be new opportunities for diplomacy.
Additionally, according to The Nuclear Threat Initiative, nuclear weapons experts David Holloway of Stanford University and Theodore Postol of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology assert that even if Iran is able to develop a weapons-grade nuclear reactor, they still face technological obstacles to developing the ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) technology necessary to deliver the warhead. Postol estimates it will be 6-8 years before Iran achieves the capability to deliver a warhead even at a distance of 2,000 kilometers. "There is no realistic threat to troops, cities, oil refineries, and the like from Iranian ballistic missiles. They can simply not carry large enough conventional munitions to do extensive damage on impact, and they lack the accuracy to hit prescribed targets with reliability," Postol said in May of this year.
Clearly, there is still time to forge ahead with peaceable resolution, and deviation from that strategy now could have serious implications toward a global nuclear crisis. Joel Rubin, Director of Policy and Government Affairs at Ploughshares Fund, contends “A strike right now would undermine the painstaking work that has taken place these past several years to pressure Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions.” He goes on to explain, “Israelis do not want to be opposite the United States on questions of war and peace. And many national security experts believe that military action may even hasten Iranian acquisition of a nuclear weapon.”
According to an August 21, 2012 BBC news story, Iran has unveiled an upgraded ballistic missile with short-range capabilities. President Ahmadinejad, an untrustworthy adversary, continues to justify Iran’s weapons development as a non-aggressive pursuit intended solely as a means of defense. While Israel and the United States cannot afford to take lightly the potential threat, caution must be exercised to avoid another prolonged conflict in the Middle East. Certainly, Israel and the United States must consider Ahmadinejad’s warning; he has made it clear that if Iran is attacked either by Israel or the US, it will respond in kind, either directly or through proxies.
Even while U.S. allies in the European Union and United Nations are pressing for tighter sanctions against Iran, there is evidence that other nuclear-capable nations such as China and India have been assisting Iran in skirting economic sanctions. Bloomberg reports that India has used sketchy banking techniques and China has resorted to a barter system in efforts to mask oil purchases from Iran. If a conflict were to arise, these nations, along with Russia, Pakistan, Venezuela, Turkey, and others would be forced to pick a side. This could prove to work harshly against Israeli interests, drawing its allies – including an unstable European Union and an exhausted United States – into the next World War.
The global community, and Israel in particular, undoubtedly has reason to feel concern about the nuclear future of Iran. Certainly, Iranian leadership has done nothing to quell any fears. Quite the contrary, in fact, Iran’s secrecy leaves the rest of the world with the assumption that it is proceeding with activities that will lead to eventual nuclear warfare capabilities. The threat from Iran appears inevitable, yet it is not imminent. Attempts at a non-violent resolution with Iran must be allowed to continue until it is certain that no further peaceable options are available. It is imperative to global security that Israel step back from its offensive position. Netanyahu must act in accord with allies by giving the sanctions further opportunity to work, and permit the United States to lead the way diplomatically and, if the time comes, militarily.
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