Truly? Hmmmm. I truly dislike CNN's... uh... "politics"... but are you saying that this report http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/11/europe/charlie-hebdo-paris-shooting/ is false and CNN what? Made up the data? I know they spin a lot... just as much as Fox in the other direction, but making up lies and reporting it as news? Nah! So let's see if I know what you'll claim... oh yes, you'll say that having ISIS flags and other ISIS things in the apartment and claiming to be a member doesn't mean the dude was part of ISIS, eh? Well now that's true, but if we go down that path... well, fill in the blank. I guess with enough spin, one can twist anything into the unrecognizable, wouldn't you say? Sometimes we just need to call a duck a duck and not maneuver the facts to what we wish they'd be. If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.
Terrorists who claim to be Muslim can be affiliated with more than one, or no particular group. Religious fanatics are not always logical. The concept of hate is destructive, no matter what it is associated with.
Saddam Hussein had a very secular government, and included many nominal Christians in his government. He did not enforce anything resembling shariah law. I suspect that by now you have seen the difference.
It should also be mentioned that the primary threat to Hussein came from religious zealots intent on establishing an "Islamic" caliphate. His government was , as I said, secular. Islamicists hate this concept.
This seems about right: http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2015/02/what-isis-really-wants/384980/ … What the Obama administration and the Iranians are working out in secret reminds me of another time in our history. http://www.amazon.com/Great-Liars-They-knew-knew/dp/0989826902/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415831147&sr=8-1&keywords=jerry+jay+carroll
Here it is the end of Feb. and ISIS/ISIL has yet to directly attack the US or Americans. Oh, I heard the other day of a hint that the Mall of America was to be targeted, but that seems like a stretch. The news is filled with reports of dramatic weather and bad faith on the part of coal/oil/gas companies. President Obama vetoed the Keystone Pipeline last week. Why would anyone want to build such as obvious target for terrorists?
@Interrogator#6 if the Republicans don't get it together, then Homeland Security will not be funded and that will give folks a good opportunity to hit us, if Homeland Security actually does anything other than take credit for what other government agencies have accomplished.
Bechtel engineering, the company with the contract to actually build the pipeline, would love to build a target that might have the opportunity to do massive environmental damage to sensitive areas, especially wetlands. Bechtel has a longstanding history of assaulting the environment, which they as a matter of policy view as the enemy to be conquered. If they ever build Keystone it WILL spring a major leak in the worst possible place. In the late 60s/early 70s my brother was doing design work for another engineering firm that was subcontracted to design the Turkey Point power plant. The original design included many features to reduce pollution and recycle waste heat, reducing operating costs (read produce more profits). Bechtel vetoed those features. I was at U. Miami as a Physicist when the plant started up, and I complained to Florida Power and Light about the ugly smoke gushing out of the smoke stacks . When the VP and environmental chief came to my house I was able to explain what Bechtel had done, and caught the Environmental chief with manipulated data (the VP did not like that, and it did not help the environmental chief). I later arranged for my Brother to show the original plans to FP&L. I was told that Bechtel would never again work for FP&L, and I know that the power plant since built near Palatka was not designed and built by Bechtel and is far more efficient and non-polluting.
Thomas, I am surprised to learn about your encounter with FP & L, and that you are not in prison, or worse. Most whistleblowers in this country suffer grave retrabution for all their good efforts.
FP&L was angry to learn that the original design was changed by Bechtel to be less polluting and efficient. In addition, the original design would have been no more expensive to build and would have been considerably more profitable to operate. I just noticed a typo above, it should have said "build a project", not a target. Bechtel has a long history of believing that nature is the enemy, and tries to do as much environmental damage as possible. They are the contractor for the proposed Keystone pipeline, and I can guarantee that , if built, would spring a major leak in the middle of those wetlands. Bechtel's pipelines always leak at the worst possible places, by design.
Actually, Target was what I meant to say. I forgot about #6es comment above, and that was why I said target. Former 5 star General turned President Eisenhower ( a rare decent Republican, but look at his V.P.) warned us in his parting address that the "military/industrial complex" was one of the greatest threats to our nation. Notice how many people really want another war to up their war profits.
I think it common knowledge, at least in the circles I travel, that the "beware th MIC" speech was actually written by Ike's speech-writer: Malcom Moos. After working for POTUS Ike Moos became, among other things, President of the University of Minnesota. During his tenure the campus riots of Spring, 1972, saw the Iron-work outside the ROTC Armory torn down, the riot police deployed, and Washington Ave blocked for a week. I never met Malcom Moos senior, but I did face Junior in high school debate. I bested him, but my partner let me down. I wasn't intimidated, as I did not reconize that Junior's father was locally famous. The debate coach later informed me of my good fortune. I admit I was a poor debater back then. But the team won State.
Have you noticed how there is an occasional news story about someone or some few are being arrested because their travel itinerary has as a goal joining ISIS/ISIL? I am glad they are being detoured, but isn't that unconstitutional? It is being arrested for "guilt by intended association." It sort of reminds me of the old House Commitee on Un-American Activities and the anti-Commie witchhunts. Back then you were not arrested for being a Communist, for it was strictly not illeagal to be a Communist. But the HCUA could ruin one's life by guilt by association.
@Interrogator#6 it is the power seeking taking advantage of the fear that is being generated. This time in the U.S. is looking more like a combination of Orwells "1984" and Huxley's "A Brave New World"
I would say more of a combination of Zamyatin's "We"and Wells's "When the Sleeper Wakes". And, #6, During WWII anyone attempting to travel to Germany or Japan for the purpose of joining them were not only arrested, but faced more serious punishment than usually meted out currently. It is provided for in the Constitution, Article three. When I was in high school all those years ago, we actually studied that.
I read a memior some many years ago of a young American whose mother, sister and he traveled to Japan a year or so before the Pacific War. They were US citizens though of Japanese heritage. He was studying either Judo or Karate. Anyway, circumstances trapped them in the Japanese Islands, and he being a able-bodied youth was drafted into the army. He acquiesed, so that his mother and sister could eat. He became a common soldier, and was sent to China. Eventually he got got very sick, was hospitalized, then due to his weaked condition attached to the hospital as the Japanese surrendered. Suddenly he was very popular, as so many wished to learn "Anglish-o". As I recall that family was allowed to repatriate. I used to know a veteran who was a translater on MacArthur's staff (there were multiple) in the Philippines and in Occupied Japan. He told me several of his brothers were in the IJN.
It is now the 12th, the middle of April, and no direct attack has been made on the soil or people of the United States. No formation or individual, nor the families of military personnel, has been killed nor injured by any agent or agency of ISIS/ISIL in the US or even in overseas bases. Where is the immienent threat to the US? One thing I do notice is the lack of hard News coming from American Main Stream Media (MSM). I notice how the cable TV channels which reach me are filled with celebrity tripe, dance "competitions", survivalist nonsence, professional sports, university sports, high school sports, ancient astronaut nonsence, NASA UFO files, light entertainment, dramatic entertainments, historic sports of the near past, fashion parades, dog shows, indulgent entertainment award shows, cooking shows, religious shows, christian entertainment, and even Artic Driving Entertainment.
The news programs I watch, both local, network, and internet (I avoid Faux Views) all have frequent reports of specific plots foiled, and we have just watched the trial and conviction of the surviving Boston Marathon bomber. I believe that Boston is part of the U.S., and 3 people died, as well as dozens injured. Yes, the Tsarnaev brothers claimed to be "lone-wolves", but these are the primary types being recruited by both ISIL and Al-Quaeda. Incidentally, these two groups represent opposing branches of Islam. If you google bombing plots foiled you will find dozens, including one in the last few days in which the plotter was sold fake explosives, and he was arrested when trying to detonate it. What about the "shoe bomber"?
I know it is sign of native wit to say Faux News, but do you ever wonder if you are closing yourself off to an alternative source of news? I snipped the cable long ago, but back when I watched (skeptically) I saw value in information that not sifted through the left-wing filter that prevails on the alphabet networks. Or maybe you think you are getting the straight stuff. http://www.amazon.com/Great-Liars-T...=1429392329&sr=8-1&keywords=jerry jay carroll
Banjo, Banjo, Banjo.... How much you lack in critical analysis. The media in the USA is now ranked at third-world levels amoung the international journalism community. We no longer can boast of having the finest of news, the best reporters, the best access to information, the best coverage of events, or even a free Press. And it is a myth that media has a liberal bias. Most media, most Press, Radio, TV, Cable, et cetera is OWNED by a small number of Right-Wing, Conservative-Politics Oligarchs. They effectively control the media and thus shape the message which is fed to everyone in America, except for a select group of individuals who have the ability to seek out The Truth. The only profession to be mentioned by name in the US Constitution is the Press (back then the Press was the only form of media). It was recognized that for a Republic to function the Citizens needed the free flow of truthful information only a free and unregulated Press can provide. Alas, we no longer have that. We have a biased media owned by a few very biased parties. Yes, there are a few ways real News gets through, but an individual needs to seek it out. Have you noticed how little the media today covers the Labor Movement, or Trade Unions, or even the Occupy Wall Street movement? Thats because if such news runs counter to the message the Oligarchs want, it is unlikely to get covered. On the other hand the Tea Party movement got hours of coverage.
