Tag Archives: iraq war

Radical Republicans Carry On Osama’s Legacy

Posted on by

Radical Republicans Headerby Benjamin T. Moore, Jr.

If you believe the official account of the events on September 11, 2001, Osama Bin Laden masterminded a plan to bring this nation to its knees. We lost 2,978 innocent civilians on that day by conservative estimates. Because of this, we launched two wars, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. We’ve spent trillions of dollars, ruined our economy and sacrificed 10’s of thousands of the treasure of this nation. Thanks to certain Radical Republicans, it turns out, Osama could have been more effective by simply donating to one of several Republican “Super-PACs.”

Radical Republicans

I am old enough to remember the political parties before the Republicans lost their damn minds. No, I’m not going to play the false equivalence game and pretend to be “fair and balanced” like FAUX News. Sometimes, one of the two sides in a dispute is clearly and unequivocally wrong! I can recall when the Republicans believed in fiscal responsibility. Now they merely pay lip service to it. Republicans used to believe in smaller government. Now, they’re fascist.

“Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power.”
– Benito Mussolini

They care more about the wishes of the corporations who own them than they do about the actual constituents they purport to represent. The Republicans I remember growing up, tended to be against wars and if anything leaned towards “isolationism.” The radical Republicans of today, haven’t seen a seen a war they’re not in favor of.

The only things they’re not in favor of are the very things that would make this nation stronger, energy independent and would boost the standard of living and quality of life for United States citizens.

Radical Republicans were against bailing out our automotive industry. Think about this for a moment. During WWII, it was our automotive industry that tooled up to produce tanks, firearms and many of the necessities that made it possible for us to prevail. Were it not for the manufacturing base provided by our automotive industries, we all might well be speaking German today. That is, those of us left alive to live under a totalitarian dictatorship.

Radical Republicans - Detroit

Not the Detroit I remember.

Even if we ignore the national security implications, think of all the jobs that would have been lost. Not just the direct jobs lost because of factory closings, but all the additional downstream jobs in the companies that produce the products the automotive industries require. Think of the small businesses that depend on the people in communities who are employed by the automotive industry. Mitt Romney’s Op-Ed entitled, “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt,” should be instructional. Detroit has indeed gone bankrupt. Look at Detroit. It is rapidly spiralling down into a “3rd World” experience. This began when the automotive industries began pulling out and relocating. Trouble is, many of these manufacturing plants are now in communities all around the nation. Possibly there are a few employing people in your community. Had we taken the advice of the radical Republicans, you might have been surprised to find your own community looking like Detroit.

Radical Republicans Or Closet Terrorists?

Radical Republicans - Pear Harbor AttackWhat if a foreign power attacked the United States and killed 45,000 of our citizens? Men, women and children? I want you to actually consider this for a moment. What would you think ought to be done? When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 killing 2,402 of our sailors and wounding 1,247, we dove into WWII which resulted in nuclear weapons being used for the first – and hopefully the last – time in recorded history. When we were attacked on September 11, 2001, we counted 2,978 fatalities. We went to war with two nations – one of which had absolutely nothing to do with the attack – and spent trillions of dollars.

Yet, each year, 45,000 of our brother and sister American citizens die because they have no health insurance. That’s over 15 times the number of people we lost in the September 11 attacks… each year! Do you think we ought to do something about it? How can anyone claim to be a patriot and profess a love for this nation, be against a law that will potentially save 45,000 American lives? Radical Republicans are.

Radical Republicans make Osama Bin Laden look like a piker! He only murdered 2,978 of our citizens. The policy the Radical Republicans are doggedly pursuing will murder 45,000 of our citizens each year. We sent Seal Team 6 to get Osama. Who are we sending after these terrorists?

Backstabbing Our Troops The Radical Republican Forte`

Radical Republicans - Wounded Warriors

What about them? Can they stand a Government shut down?

If you’re old enough, you will remember when the Republican Party didn’t merely pay lip service to being pro-military. They actually respected and honored those who had served out country in uniform. Being a veteran put you at the head of the line for a job when you returned to civilian life. During the Vietnam war when there was a draft, many times employers would hold your job for you upon your return. Not so now. The families of many active duty soldiers depend on “food stamps” to feed their families during their loved one’s absence.

Radical Republicans in their zeal to stomp on minorities and people of color, are doing all they can to defund and under fund our food stamp safety net. Because of their policies, according to the Department of Defense, some 5,000 families of active duty servicemen will have their food stamps cut. Imagine what that does to the man or woman fighting in the field. How can he or she concentrate on their job while worrying about whether or not their children are going to bed hungry.

While we’re on the subject of hunger in America, 52.32 million people – 1 in 6 – many of them children, are struggling with hunger right here in this country which likes to boast of its “exceptionalism.” When Russian President, Vladimir Putin said that America was not exceptional, many of these same Radical Republicans took offense. Well damnit! The truth hurts doesn’t it?  How the Hell are we exceptional when 52.32 million of our citizens are going to bed hungry just like people in 3rd World Nations?

Radical Republicans - Bridge Collapse Minneapolis

The entire span of the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed in Minneapolis.

Our infrastructure is collapsing around our ears. We’ve got bridges all across this nation that have been marked as unsafe and closed. Some have even fallen down costing lives. We’ve got thousands of veterans, both men and women returning from war in need of jobs. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives under the leadership(?) of John Boehner have refused to pass a single jobs bill. They’ve refused to pass a single bill that would help our returning troops. Oh, by the way, they have voted to repeal Obama Care 41 times. They have caused the United States credit rating to be downgraded. At the time of my writing this, we’re headed for another Government shut down. Did I mention we have troops who are currently fighting a war? Might be nice if we paid them.

Who needs terrorist when you’ve got Radical Republicans doing everything in their power to destroy America. I’m sure Osama Bin Laden is spinning at the bottom of the sea saying, “Damn! If I’d only known!”

Syria Is Not Iraq – Don’t Get It Twisted

Posted on by

Syria Is Not Iraq - Headerby Benjamin T. Moore, Jr.

Syria Is Not Iraq

Have you ever noticed how our Presidents seem to age right before our very eyes? These are the problems and issues that cause this apparent rapid ageing. As President Obama once pointed out, all the easy decisions are handled before they ever reach his desk. The problems that reach the “Oval Office” are the ones only he can make a decision about. What to do about Syria’s use of chemical weapons on its own people is just such a decision. Contrary to what some of the pundits would have you believe, Syria is not Iraq.

 This Is Not His Daddy’s War

Syria Is Not Iraq - GW BushThere is no doubt the shenanigans of “Bush 43” left a very sour taste in the mouths of the  American people when it comes to military operations in the “middle east.” The analytical amongst us figured out early on, the primary reasons for going into Iraq following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, had more to do with the oil cartels wanting to get their grimy mitts on the 2nd largest oil reserves in the world and our military industrial complex looking to loot this country. Add to these facts, G.W. would get to finish the job his daddy only started, and it was a done deal.

The United States is still paying for the criminal incompetence of G.W. Bush. In the words of Obi Wan Kenobi, “who’s the bigger fool? The fool or the fool who follows him?” I think we’ve answered that question and at an extremely high cost.

Chemical Weapons Actually Used

Unlike the cobbled together justification for going into Iraq, Syria has actually used chemical weapons on its citizens. We’ve seen the videos and the dead bodies have been examined. Did Saddam use chemical weapons on the Kurds? Yes he did. We sold him the chemical weapons he used. However, this occurred back in 1988. At the time of this writing, Syria used chemical weapons against its citizens just 10 days ago. Syria is not Iraq.

Mission Is Not Regime Change

Syria Is Not Iraq - Saddam Statue Pulled DownPresident Obama is not interested in changing the Syrian regime. Not only does the United States have no Constitutional authority to go around changing the regimes of sovereign nations, who is to say that the regime replacing the current one would be any better? Although many nations in our global community are expressing trepidation about taking action, it has been long established policy – global policy – that the nations of the world will not tolerate the use of weapons of mass destruction. Chemical weapons fall under this prohibition. Had Assad detonated a “tactical nuke” I suspect there would be no hesitation in the global community for taking action. The reality is, using chemical weapons is philosophically no different.

Syria Is Not A Major Oil Producer

Syria Is Not Iraq - Graph Of Oil Producing NationsIn point of fact, Syria has not been able to export any oil since the 2011 sanctions. If Syria were a major oil producer, you’d best believe the Republican lap dogs would be getting calls from their corporate masters and they’d be itching to go into Syria. Syria is not Iraq.

Destabilizing Civil War Already In Progress

When we went into Iraq under George Bush 43, Iraq was not at war and was relatively stable. You may not have liked Saddam’s administration, but his people had food, they had electricity and there was law and order in the streets. We went in and destabilized Iraq, seized their oil production and destroyed their infrastructure. As Colin Powell advised Bush 43, “it’s the pottery barn rules; you break it you bought it.” We’ve been paying to keep Iraq together ever since.

Syria is already in the middle of a civil war that is destabilizing the region. If tomorrow you awoke to tanks rolling down your street and bombs falling, what would you do? If possible you’d take your family and get the hell out of Dodge. Those in Syria who can are doing that very thing. Where are they going? They’re going across their borders where possible and that means the surrounding nations are inundated with refugees. Over time, this will serve to destabilize those nations. Thus, the longer this conflict continues, the more dangerous it becomes for that region. Syria is not Iraq.

What To Do?

What should we do in Syria? Frankly, I don’t know. I’m not the President and I’m damn glad I don’t have to make this decision. I’m definitely not an advocate for “boots on the ground.” We can’t simply blow up his chemical weapons stock piles because that would release them into the environment.

I also am not naive enough to believe we shouldn’t do anything. We’ve seen what happens when despots get away with even the least bit of genocide. It always grows and it sets a precedent for all the tin horn dictators watching to see what the consequences might be.

I might recommend what I call the “Moore Doctrine” of modern warfare. Under my doctrine, when dealing with a nation that refuses to see reason, you take out one third of their military assets. You then give them the opportunity to negotiate. If they remain recalcitrant, you take out another third and so on. Assad wants to maintain power. If he loses his military, he’s done for. Reduce his military by one third, you haven’t removed him from power, thus further destabilizing the region, but you may have taught him a valuable lesson and a lesson, more importantly, that those watching will appreciate.

Rule By Fear – Boston Marathon Bombing

Posted on by

Rule By Fear Headerby Benjamin T. Moore, Jr.

First let me say that our hearts go out to all the victims and families of the victims of the terrorist bombing that occurred yesterday. No words will help to ease the pain, the loss or the discomfort of those who experienced this tragedy. We all came together in solidarity to stand with you. In the days, weeks and months to come, let us not forget that out of many, we are one.

Have You Ever Noticed?

As I look back over recent history, I cannot recall a period of time, when we as a nation have not been given a bogeyman to fear. I was born in 1957, the beginning of the “Atomic Age.” I remember the old “duck and cover” drills in elementary school. Looking back, it seems laughably silly to think that hiding under a wooden desk will in anyway help one survive a nuclear war, but that was all we had.

Fear has been used to stampede the American people like a herd of cattle in whatever direction those in power wished us to go. The following political ad is a classic example of this. It was aired only once, but it worked and we still talk about it to this day.

Growing up on the west coast – Seattle Washington – we were told that the entire west coast could drop off into the Pacific Ocean if we had a big quake along the notorious San Andreas Fault. Never mind the fact that what causes earthquakes along that fault is that the tectonic plate is pushing east, up onto our western coast. It was something for us to fear.

I’m not going to go down the entire list of the terror Du Jour we were served up on an almost daily basis. I’ll hit a few highlights. Remember the “Ozone Hole?” They were telling us that this huge hole had opened in our Ozone layer. The ramifications were severe! Millions dying from skin cancer caused by the unfiltered ultraviolet light from our Sun. Crops being burned causing massive famine. We all had to upgrade the air conditioning systems in our cars and in our homes to be able to take the much more expensive and eco-friendly versions of Freon.

Rule by Fear - GeneratorYou don’t hear anything about that “Ozone Hole” now. However, every few years your air conditioning system becomes obsolete. The bottom line? Pay more money! Remember the “Y2K” scare? Our computers were going to crash worldwide sending us back to the “Stone Age.” People bought generators – yeah, myself included – stocked up on food and waited the stroke of midnight heralding the turn of the new century. Nothing happened. We spent a lot of money though.

The Attacks On 9/11

Whether or not you believe our Government’s account of the events of that day or you’ve actually done some research, one thing that is beyond dispute is, as a nation we made some very bad decisions based on fear. It is not at all clear that we have survived the consequences of those bad decisions. We attacked Iraq for no reason running up trillions of dollars in debt. Don’t think! Be afraid! We’ll point you in the direction we want you to go!

Rule by fear Surveillance_cameras

The Camera Never Blinks

Because of our irrational fear, we allowed the Government to rip up our “Bill Of Rights.” Remember the color coded days compliments of our slapped together department of Homeland Security? Patriot Act? Without a peep we have given up our presumption of privacy. Phone calls, emails, even what books you check out at your local library are now monitored. Speaking of monitoring, We’ve allowed surveillance cameras to be put up on almost every street corner and all along our Interstate highways. If the game were Chess, somebody has carefully been maneuvering their pieces into position and checkmate may now be inevitable.

Rule By Fear

Rule by Fear - Newtown Gun Removed From Trunk

Police caught on tape removing the AR-15 from Adam Lanza’s car

It is time to wake up! Remember the “Sandy Hook Shooting?” The very first day, we were told that the shooter was one Ryan Lanza. Later that same day, we learned that no, it was Adam Lanza who for some mysterious reason was carrying his brother’s identification. We were told by the officers on the scene that the shooter – Adam Lanza – used two handguns. We were even given the make of those pistols. One was a Glock and the other was a Sig Sauer. Both were 9mm in caliber. Day one, we were told that an AR-15 Bushmaster had been discovered in the trunk of the car Adam Lanza presumably drove.

For those unfamiliar with firearms, there is a huge difference between 9mm brass and the .223 brass that would have littered the floor had the Bushmaster been used. Without even seeing the guns, anyone, certainly a law enforcement officer would immediately have known that a .223 caliber rifle was involved merely by looking at all the brass lying about. My point is, that is not a mistake anyone even remotely competent enough to respond to that crisis would have made.

Rule by Fear - Time Line of News Reporting

Time line of News reporting

By “Day Three” that AR-15 Bushmaster had miraculously floated out of the back of the car and of its own volition, shot magazine after magazine into those children. Why of “its own volition?” Adam Lanza had already committed suicide – so they say – and was long dead. It seems that someone with an agenda needed the weapon used, to be a so called “assault rifle.”  We have seen the steady and constant drum beat for gun control. Be afraid, be very afraid… Rule by fear raises its ugly head again.

Sandy Hook And The Boston Marathon Bombing

This proves my point. There is absolutely no connection between these two tragedies. God forbid that the enthralled public have their attention turned away from the ineffective “Gun Control Debate.” Notice how MSNBC host Rachel Maddow deftly links the two together.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

If you lose someone to a tragedy, the circumstances of that tragedy don’t really matter to you. A mother who loses her child in an accident caused by an impaired driver doesn’t hurt any less than a mother who’s child died in Sandy Hook Elementary or someone who’s family member was a victim of one of the bombs that went off in Boston yesterday.

Rule by Fear - Victim of Bombing

A victim of the Boston Marathon bombing

I have been to the funeral home to say good bye to a loved one far too many times of late. If someone walked up to me at that moment and began to rehearse their own loss I would be deeply offended and if they weren’t careful, they’d be nursing a blackened eye… at the very least! You don’t pimp grief for political gain. Of course, if you have an agenda, you just might do this.

Naivety Is Not A Virtue

“Trust ye not a living soul… and walk even carefully amongst the dead.” __My mother

I have never forgotten this advice and it has served me well. Unfortunately we now live in a world such that when I watch the news, I constantly remind myself that I really have no idea what is actually going on. Why? Because the fool filling dead air has no idea what is actually going on. It will take at least two or three days for them to get the official story together. Will it be the truth? Most likely not. Truth is not necessary when the objective is to rule by fear. You would do well to bear this in mind. Was the bombing of the Boston Marathon an act of international terror, or was it the act of a home grown anarchist? That will largely depend on the results of meetings which are occurring behind closed doors right now.

If there is some political or economic gain to be obtained by naming some foreign based group responsible, that is what the determination will be. If on the other hand, it benefits the powers that be to call this the act of a home grown anarchist, they will no doubt accuse some poor soul and make them disappear under one or more of those laws we let them pass because of our fear.