Example of Media Wars?

A tax subsidy is an entitlement? Who knew?

Lord Voldemort's "Minister for Magic" arrested? Scotland Yard posts bobbies outside 221B Baker Street? President Obama considers pardoning Hugh Grant? Faux News denies the existence of England?

Parliament's criticism of Murdoch may spell the end of his UK business, but in his News Corp stronghold he remains secure
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Newt Gingrich endorses Mitt Romney?

Question: "Are you calling Mitt Romney a lair?"
Newt: "Yes."


Romney Pays Surprise Visit to his Money in the Caymans?
No Timetable for Withdrawal, Says Presumptive Nominee
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The Propaganda of Politics?

"I have been thinking that I would make a proposition to my Republican friends - that if they will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them." ~ Adlai E. Stevenson

President George Bush never gave a 'Mission Accomplished' speech on the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003? What if the Navy Seal mission into Abbottabad had failed? Would the Republican Party had made a repeat of a Desert One type failure a campaign issue in 2012?

Between the Eisenhower Administration and right up to the preemptive war in Iraq, the Republican Party was seen as the foreign policy leader on national security issues. This is no longer the case. While I have the deepest respect for John McCain, his recent statements about staying in Afghanistan forever completely lacks long term vision or insight.

Additionally, for as long as this blogger can remember, there has been an unwritten political rule NOT to attack or criticize the foreign policy efforts of a sitting President when he's not on American soil.



Update: Obama Needles Romney on Old Bin Laden Quotes?
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Donald Trump does not believe Osama Bin Laden is DEAD? Does he really need to see the death certificate?

Some of the theories still being echoed by Pakistani politicians, mullahs and journalists: Bin Laden died of natural causes years ago in Afghanistan. He had his hands and feet bound by plastic straps, carried into the house on a helicopter and executed in a US operation to embarrass Pakistan. His bodyguard shot him in the heart, but he survived with "supernatural strength", until he requested his loyal follower shoot him in the head.


In case you missed it, the following story is still the best written account of the special operations' mission to get Bin Laden published to date:

The New Yorker
Getting Bin Laden
What happened that night in Abbottabad.
by Nicholas Schmidle
READ MORE...

Honestly, even almost one year later, this blogger still has no secret, morbid desire to see the photos of Bin Laden's dead corpse. I agreed with President Obama's original decision not to add visual fuel to the geopolitical fire.

Given the nature of our open and progressive society, at some point in the future, perhaps as a result of the Freedom of Information Act, the images of Bin Laden will be released. IF it's 50 years from today, so be it.

This was the most expensive manhunt in U.S. history. The original mission in Afghanistan was to find, kill and/or capture Osama Bin Laden. Perhaps his death will open the political door so our troops can return home.

If the Navy Seal mission in Pakistan had failed, would the GOP have made it a campaign issue? 

President Obama is a "Snob"?

Is civility dead in 2012?

If someone called your mother or grandmother a "slut" or implied that your daughter or sister was a "prostitute", how would you feel?

Facebook Quote: "I drove behind a car with an Obama sticker on it, which means I'm a follower of an Obama follower, so I'm a gobless Commie, according to the real America. Right?"

"They (Republicans) want to bomb Iran, but they're afraid of Rush Limbaugh." 
~ George Will
ABC News' This Week

By the numbers?

Instead of accepting political talking points at face value, this blogger usually fact checks the raw numbers behind an issue or subject. One of the central themes of this election cycle is the negative impact of government regulations on job growth. Looking at the numbers released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on February 3, 2012, considering the financial meltdown in 2008 was directly connected to the housing sector (subprime mortgage lending), it's no surprise the overall employment numbers in the construction industry remains one of the weakest segments of the economy. Read More...

The most interesting numbers released in this latest report are on page 6. If government environmental regulations are killing jobs, it's a bit curious that the overall employment numbers for the mining and logging industry are at the highest levels in more than 12 years:

"Since a low in October 2009, mining employment has expanded by 172,000, with 10,000 jobs being added in January (2012)."
~ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Additionally, since reaching a peak of 455,595 barrels in August 2006, how do Republicans explain the continued downward trend in U.S. imported crude oil and petroleum products under the Obama Administration?
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US licenses first nuclear reactors since 1978?
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Undoubtedly, there are too many government regulations. It would be refreshing for this blogger if the politicians, particularly the Republicans, would throw this avid blogger a bone and specifically pinpoint which regulations needs to be changed, dramatically altered or thrown out with the bureaucratic bath water.

When it comes to the rising price of gasoline, Americans need to remember that the emerging markets in China and India will continue to impact global oil supplies.
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The idiotology of ideology?

Despite being raised in an "atmosphere of privilege", humbled by Polio when he was 39 years old, F.D.R. had "it". 

Dwight D. Eisenhower also had "it". While it's difficult to pinpoint the exact moment Ike learned about "it", a tour of a Nazi Concentration Camp certainly contributed to his own personal awakening of what "it" meant for the future of humanity.


Henry Dunant. Mohandas Gandhi. Martin Luther King. César Chávez.

Richard Nixon became aware of "it" after Watergate. Jimmy Carter was judged for having too much "it". George H.W. Bush was only a one term President because he forgot about the importance of "it".

Desmond Tutu. Tenzin Gyatso. Aung San Suu Kyi.

Part of the message of the New Testament of the Bible is dedicated to the spiritual idea of "it".

In 2008, it was clear that Senator John McCain (a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for five and a half years) and then Senator Barack Obama (an educated black man born in America) both had "it".

So, what is "it"?
ἐμπάθεια. Einfühlung. Empathy.

It's an important human quality which separates a mere politician from a leader. In the view of this Blogger, Mitt Romney doesn't have "it". Indeed, Mitt will never have "it".

And for this reason alone, this Blogger believes the former Massachusetts' Governor will not, but more importantly should not, be elected President.

It remains to be seen whether or not the country is prepared for Mitt to be IT.

Romney Update:
$374,327.62 for 9 Political Speeches = "Not Very Much"?
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Empathy? Envy? Even Newt Gingrich didn't try to play hide the tax banana with his K-Street money in the Caymen Islands.

Empathy Update:
(2/1/12)
"I am fed up with politicians in either party dividing Americans against each other. I am running to be the president of all the American people and I am concerned about all the American people." ~ Newt Gingrich



Romney says he’s not concerned about the poor?
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Mitt’s class problem?
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In fairness to the candidate, running for the highest office is a grueling experience. It's difficult to keep ones own mouth and mind on the same sheet of political music. With that said, once again, because Mitt Romney has never worried about keeping a roof over his head, for this reason alone, he'll never be able to connect with average Americans struggling from paycheck to paycheck.

And finally, how many of Romney's five sons have served in uniform? It's one thing to beat the drums of war, it's quite another to actually send ones own son or daughter into harm's way. Just ask Vice President Joe Biden.

Suggested Reading: Pew Research Center

Possible Definition of "Politically Incorrect"?

Facebook Quote: "I drove behind a car with an Obama sticker on it, which means I'm a follower of an Obama follower, so I'm a gobless Commie, according to the real America. Right?"

Grand Obstructionist Party?

"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."
~ Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), in an interview with the National Journal, describing his goal in retaking the Senate.

One of the main political talking points of Republicans is that President Obama got everything he wanted his first two years in office:


"A lie told often enough becomes the truth"?

If one individual uses a specific grouping of words to express an idea at a particular time and place, and it's then cited by others (for example the Wall Street Journal), it's called a quote. If one or more individuals employ the same phraseology over and over again to support a specific political agenda, it's called a message. To put it another way, a slogan is a slogan is a slogan. It's how ideological soap is bought and sold in the political marketplace (see Echo Chamber).

Clearly, any video which includes Rachel Maddow must be pure liberal propaganda. So, what is the truth? Instead of accepting this politically partisan video at face value, this blogger went directly to the source: The U.S. Senate. Read More...

The public record is the public record. Numbers don't lie. Can you say Grand Obstructionist Party? This blogger has a theory. The partisan goal is simple: stop and/or delay every action of government in order to create a climate of economic uncertainty.


GOP Senator won’t seek re-election, cites Washington’s increasing polarization?
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Suggested Reading List:
Glass-Steagall Act
Cost of Wars

Super Bowl XLVI?

During the pre-game show, NBC Sports ran a graphic on the political connection between the eventual winner of the Superbowl and the outcome of the last two Presidential Elections.

In 2004, the New England Patriots (AFC) defeated the Carolina Panthers (NFC) and President George W. Bush won reelection. In 2008, the New York Giants (NFC) defeated the New England Patriots (AFC) and then Senator Barrack Obama won the White House. Now that the Giants have defeated the Patriots in Superbowl XLVI, if Obama wins reelection, in four more years, this blogger predicts NBC Sports will dust off this rather absurd political connection. But then again, Rush Limbaugh did attend the big game as a special guest of Patriot's owner Robert Kraft.

Here's another prediction: It will be tough for Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York City to host a ticker-tape parade for the Giants and delay a parade for Iraq Veterans. Indeed, if the country could find the money and the resources to fight two different wars, why not two different parades?

Waiting until military operations end in Afghanistan to salute the conclusion of America's involvement in Iraq is a mistake. First, by not acknowledging the differences between Afghanistan and Iraq, it sends the wrong message, at the wrong time, to the Iranian leadership. For the last ten years, Tehran has perceived itself as being encircled by U.S. Forces. Since 1979, no Administration (Republican or Democrat) has had the political will or courage to diplomatically engage the Iranians. Even during the Cold War, American leaders knew this country needed to interact with the Soviet Union. The global consequences for doing anything less were too high. Unlike North Korea, which Beijing keeps on a short leash, there is no economic, political or military counterbalance to the regime in Tehran. Libya is not Egypt, Syria is not Libya, Afghanistan is not Iraq, and Iran continues to be Iran.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, it delays the healing process for a nation that's been at war for over ten years. Once again, to hold a parade for the winners of a football game, and not the troops who served this country in the game of life is just plan wrong. It just doesn't pass the common sense test.

The Absurdity of the Idiotology?

Ten months after releasing his original, official, long-form birth certificate, the clogosphere is still buzzing with various conspiracy theories regarding President Obama's citizenship. Why? Since some folks still have a bad case of selective memory, here's a little CNN reminder from April 2011:


Senator John McCain's was born at the Coco Solo Naval Air Station in the Panama Canal Zone. His eligibility to run for the White House in 2008 was never questioned. Mitt Romney's father, who ran for the Republican nomination in 1968, was born to American parents living in the Mormon colonies in Mexico.

Are there racial and religious undertones to the 2012 Presidential Election?

Sadly, even when presented with a new truth, people will continue to believe what they want to believe. Read More...

Indeed, how does Donald Trump, who embarrassed the country by hitching his political wagon to the Birther Movement, still receive serious media attention from ALL the major news outlets?

Social Networking = The BORG. IF you're reading this message, you've been Assimilation!

Make your Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie 
before it's too late!

"I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts."
~ Will Rogers
Chairman Mao Watch

Breaking News: North Korean Kim Jong-il Dead?

This may be the first real foreign policy test of the Obama Administration.

As I've already stated in a previous post, since the collapse of the former Soviet Union, the DPRK has been a proxy state of the People's Republic of China.

With the announced death of Kim Jong-il, it remains to be seen how Beijing will respond to any unforeseen internal power struggle within North Korea itself.

Despite the best efforts of Beijing's leaders, it's still possible the death of Kim Jong-il could eventually lead to a crisis similar to what the Chinese themselves experienced following the death of Mao Zedong in 1976 (see Gang of Four). Historically, the transition of power within a Communist country after the death of a cult of personality type leader is not uncharted territory. The question remains whether a Stalin or a Gorbachev is waiting in the wings to eventually seize the reigns of power in Pyongyang.

With or without Kim Jong-il, the CCP's economic and military approach to the DPRK will remain the same. For both China and North Korea, the shared political goal for both regimes can best be described with three simple words: Stability. Stability. Stability.

Let me be clear about this next point. Despite its policy to maintain political stability on the Korean Peninsula, if the DPRK ever attacks South Korea, blood will be on the hands of the CCP and the PLA.

"As soon as man began considering himself the source of the highest meaning in the world and the measure of everything, the world began to lose its human dimension and man began to lose control of it."
~ Václav Havel

For this blogger, it's interesting how the weekend passing of a man like Václav Havel contrasts with the death of the DPRK's "Dear Leader".
The Power of the Powerless: Citizens Against the State in Central-Eastern Europe [Paperback]

...perspective...

North Korean Performers
Wangjing, Chaoyang District, Beijing
June 2008

On this day in history?

Sometimes, lost in all the polarized political debates going on in Washington D.C. and across this country, Americans seem to forget that the United States has been a country at war for over ten years. It remains to be seen how future scholars will judge this particular decade in World History.

"Unlike the old empires, we don't make these sacrifices for territory or for resources. We do it because it's right. There can be no fuller expression of America's support for self-determination then our leaving Iraq to its people. That's says something about who we are."
~ President Barack Obama
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
December 14, 2011
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Final Update?
December 18, 2011
The last convoy of American troops leave Iraq.
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Photos by Peter Rimar. Baghdad, Iraq (April 2005).

Newt Gringrich for President?

Seriously? Really? Could General Ripper's conspiracy theory linking "fluoridated water" with a Communist plot to weaken American society be true? Every time this blogger reads about the candidate's recent surge in the polls, a single rhetorical cliché best describes my thoughts regarding Newt's book selling run for the White House:

Can you say "Lipstick on a Pig"?

Despite Newt's well-documented, extremely checkered political record, a growing number of Republicans actually believe he's the best candidate to beat President Obama in 2012.

Good luck with that one!

Perhaps Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who's NOT known for her intellectual prowess or problem solving skills, put it best. On CBS' Face the Nation, Bachmann stated, "He's the 'King of K Street. For a person who's been influence peddling for over 30 years in Washington, D.C. - to think that Newt Gingrich is somehow an outsider, when he is the consummate establishment insider?"

Hopefully, between now and the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire Primary, GOP voters will WAKE UP and take another look at Jon Huntsman and Buddy Roemer. Otherwise, Republican voters should be prepared for the GOP to suffer its biggest Presidential defeat in its long, proud history. In terms of Jon Huntsman, he has an extremely strong foreign policy background (which during the Cold War actually meant something with Republican voters). As far as supporting a candidate like Buddy Roemer, well, GOP voters could walk away from a 2012 defeat with dignity and some glimmer of hope for the Party's political future.

Political Quote of the Week:
"If a corporation is a person, I can't wait until they get drafted in the next war."
~ Buddy Roemer on MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan Show
December 8, 2011



Photo Credit: Peter Rimar's wife in a gallery located in Beijing's 798 Art District (May 2008).
Reference Links:
Lipstick on a Pig
Dr. Strangelove

The idiotology of ideology?

[id·i·ot·all·o·gee]

Compare: Between 2003-2010, the U.S. spent $21.3 billion on rebuilding Iraqi security forces.
Contrast: Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, better known as the Stimulus Bill, 
$1.3 billion went for the construction of military hospitals, $6 billion for the cleanup of radioactive waste (mostly nuclear weapons production sites) & $600 million for hazardous waste cleanup at Superfund sites (EPA). 

When I read that $6 billion was allocated for the cleanup of radioactive waste, my first thought was "where is it & how long has it been there?" 

Why did it take a so-called stimulus package to address the issue of nuclear waste in this country?
Nuclear Waste Stalemate: Political and Scientific Controversies (Paperback)

...perspective...

Iraqi Soldiers in Baghdad, Iraq (April 2005).

Stimulated Numbers?

Compare: This FY (fiscal year), DoD will receive approximately $126 billion for sustaining military operations in Iraq & Afghanistan. How does this dollar amount compare to added domestic spending under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009?

Contrast: It included $53.6 billion in direct financial aid for local school districts to prevent massive layoffs & cutbacks, with the flexibility to use Stimulus Funds for school modernization and repairs (State Fiscal Stabilization Fund). Basically, it was the Federal Government's 50 State BAIL OUT in order to keep PUBLIC SCHOOLS across this country OPEN for business.
READ MORE...

In 2009, while GOP candidates hammered the Obama administration on the auto industry bail out, ZIP was said regarding the school district BAIL OUT. IF you're a school teacher or auto worker, ask yourself, "does the GOP really care about protecting my job?"
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Economics 101
Until Americans start voting with their wallets, it'll be almost impossible to create new manufacturing jobs in a tight global marketplace.

Toyota BUILT a billion dollar Tundra assembly plant in San Antonio, Texas because market research shows a large segment of the American truck buying public actually values where a product is manufactured.

Corporations like IBM, Microsoft, GE, Apple, GM, BP & Exxon-Mobil ONLY salute one flag: PROFITS!

It's time for Americans to start making informed decisions about the products they buy. IF consumers value products "Made in the USA", corporations like Target & Wal-Mart will respond to the economic benefits of stocking more home grown products. Small changes in individual buying habits will eventually send a loud dollars & cents message to the world's multi-national corporations.

Once again, IF American consumers don't value the country of origin of a product or service, why should a corporation? Free Market? What Free Market? Read More...

Photo of Portable Toilet by Peter Rimar, Baghdad, Iraq (March 2004).
A Year Without "Made in China":
One Family's True Life Adventure in the Global Economy (Paperback)

Iraq is a Sovereign State

Despite Mitt Romney's condemnation of President's Obama decision to remove U.S. troops from Iraq before December 31st (a deadline originally negotiated by the Bush Administration), the fact remains, Iraq's economic and political future rests with it own people. 

What was the original mission in the region? The search for W-M-D? Please. It was to remove Saddam Hussein from power (spelled O-I-L). It's a little late in the geopolitical game to armchair quarterback this country's inevitable withdrawal from Iraq. What part of IRAQ is NOT our country that this candidate doesn't understand?
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Photo of Iraqi Soldiers training in Baghdad, Iraq (April 2005) by Peter Rimar.

Mission Complete?

It appears the Obama Administration has decided to pull out the last combat brigade from Iraq on or near the original December 31st deadline. IF true, this country is preparing to close another important chapter in its history. It still may take another generation of economists to calculate the final human cost of this 7 plus year war and military occupation. At the end of the day, it will be the Iraqi people themselves who hold the keys to rebuilding their own destiny. Read More...

Farmers at School

Somewhere Near Balad Air Base

April 2005

"No man should escape our universities without knowing how little he knows." ~ Robert Oppenheimer