Category: Government

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Winslow Wheeler: Stop the Assassination of the A-10

Corruption, Government, Military
Winslow Wheeler
Winslow Wheeler

Usually ignored by the press as insufficiently interesting to technology dazzled editors and reviled by the civilian and military leadership of the Air Force as not what they think they should spend money and careers on, the A-10 “Warthog” has broken through into Washington DC's consciousness.  Interestingly, the attention was provoked by a heavy handed effort by the Air Force to wipe out the entire remaining fleet of approximately 350 A-10 close air support aircraft in order to plough the money saved into “higher priority” programs, most specifically the F-35.

Five articles in major national or regional news media just this week make painfully obvious that in attempting to get rid of the A-10, the Air Force has kicked itself into a hornet's nest.  Most importantly, the growing controversy is revealing that in warfare since Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the A-10 has performed spectacularly well, significantly better than other more complex and costly aircraft, in its primary mission (helping Soldiers and Marines fight on the ground) and it performs–equally well–missions for which it was not originally intended.

The issues go to the very nature of the Air Force, how to fight effectively in the twenty-first century, and what kinds of weapons should be bought (and how to buy them).

These issue will be the focus of a seminar tomorrow (Friday): “Close Air Support with and without the A-10: Will US Troops Get the Help They Need?” sponsored by the Straus Military Reform Project and the Project On Government Oversight.  It's located at the Carnegie building at 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, very near the DuPont Circle (South) Metro stop. Sessions will start at 9:30, lasting until 3:30. 

Find details (Speakers and their bios, specific issues to be addressed and more) at http://www.pogo.org/our-work/straus-military-reform-project/weapons/2013/a-seminar-on-combat-effectiveness.html.

We hope to see you there.  Below are the five articles and their links discussed above.
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Paul Craig Roberts: JFK’s Assassination 50 Years On…

07 Other Atrocities, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Government, Military, Peace Intelligence
Paul Craig Roberts
Paul Craig Roberts

The Kennedy Assassination (November 22, 1963) 50 Years Later

November 22, 2013, is the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The true story of JFK’s murder has never been officially admitted, although the conclusion that JFK was murdered by a plot involving the Secret Service, the CIA, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff has been well established by years of research, such as that provided by James W. Douglass in his book, JFK And The Unspeakable, published by Simon & Schuster in 2008. Ignore Douglass’ interest in the Trappist monk Thomas Merton and Merton’s prediction and focus on the heavily documented research that Douglass provides.

Or just turn to the contemporary films, taken by tourists watching JFK’s motorcade that are available on YouTube, which show clearly the Secret Service pulled from President Kennedy’s limo just prior to his assassination, and the Zapruder film that shows the killing shot to have come from President Kennedy’s right front, blowing off the back of his head, not from the rear as postulated in the Warren Commission Report, which would have pushed his head forward, not rearward.

I am not going to write about the assassination to the extent that the massive information permits. Those who want to know already know. Those who cannot face the music will never be able to confront the facts regardless of what I or anyone else writes or reveals.

Continue reading “Paul Craig Roberts: JFK's Assassination 50 Years On…”

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Veterans Today: JFK’s Assassination — Seek Truth

07 Other Atrocities, 09 Justice, 09 Terrorism, 10 Transnational Crime, 11 Society, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Government

VT logoKevin Barrett: Confession, jury verdict prove CIA killed JFK

At least fifty people have been murdered to cover up the CIA’s assassination of JFK, as explained in the book Hit List by Richard Belzer and David Wayne. A few of them, including Dorothy Kilgallen and Mary Meyer, were journalists or writers who were poised to blow the case wide open. But in the US stealth police state, unlike overt police states, psychological rather than physical means are usually employed to silence serious opposition.

Several people involved in the CIA’s assassination of JFK have confessed, including Chauncey Holt, David Sanchez Morales, and even Lyndon Johnson. But the star witness among the confessed JFK assassins is CIA officer E. Howard Hunt, who, on February 6th, 1985, was legally found by a jury to have participated in the CIA’s assassination of JFK.

Bob Johnson: The Mistake the Killers of JFK Made

Includes copy of John McCone letter on Oswald being trained by and working for the CIA. Focus on how technology — the Zapruder film — undermined the best-laid plans.

President Kennedy made a profound and very true statement when he said,

“With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”

Allen L. Roland: JFK Assassination – The Death of Hope

Here, in a nut shell, is what really happened on November 22,1963

The Secret Service stood down.

Dallas and Texas law enforcement stood down.

Military intelligence, which is normally enrolled to provide presidential security, stood down.

The FBI stood down.

These elements opened the door to the assassination, but did not have the resources to deliver the shooters and the complicated cover story and witness elimination program that followed.

Corrupt elements of the CIA and their long term friends and colleagues in organized crime did. And they did it because their very survival was at stake.

After decades of non-investigation by the epically corrupt J. Edgar Hoover, organized crime was on the receiving end of a massive attack by Robert Kennedy ~ the president’s brother and Attorney General.

At the same time, his brother was going after organized crime, JFK was going after the criminal elements that had taken over the CIA.

Continue reading “Veterans Today: JFK's Assassination — Seek Truth”

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David Swanson: Groups Call on Congress to Cut “Runaway” Military Spending by 25-50%

Ethics, Government, Military, Peace Intelligence
David Swanson
David Swanson

Groups Call on Congress to Make Massive Cuts in Runaway Military Spending

A diverse array of organizations today launched a campaign to enact major cuts in wasteful military spending, as part of the December 13 federal budget resolution. The groups include peace, human service, economic and environmental justice organizations, food sovereignty and green energy groups, and grassroots community organizations. They are calling for long overdue reductions in military spending in order to meet dire needs at home and reinvest in our future.

The groups are launching a sign-on letter calling for cuts of 25-50% in the trillion dollar military budget that accounts for 53% of all discretionary federal spending. The groups will deliver the letter to Congress on December 10 – International Human Rights Day.

The groups want Congress to focus on:

– Adequately funding critical social needs, including food stamps, Social Security, improved and expanded Medicare for all, and public education including college,

– Creating a full employment public jobs program to jump start the green economy (a Green New Deal),

>- Rebuilding vital infrastructure.

Groups initiating the campaign include the Backbone Campaign; Coalition Against Nukes; Code Pink; Fellowship of Reconciliation, Freepress.org; Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space; Green Shadow Cabinet; Hip Hop Congress; Liberty Tree Foundation for the Democratic Revolution; No FEAR Coalition; Organic Consumers Association; Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign; PopularResistance.org; RootsAction.org and others. Additional groups can sign on to the letter here.

Continue reading “David Swanson: Groups Call on Congress to Cut “Runaway” Military Spending by 25-50%”

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Jon Rappoport: Insanity in the Poisoned Society

03 Economy, 06 Family, 07 Health, 07 Other Atrocities, 09 Justice, 10 Transnational Crime, 11 Society, Commerce, Corruption, Government
Jon Rappoport
Jon Rappoport

Insanity in the poisoned society

This article refers to GMO labeling, but also to toxic pharmaceuticals, harmful vaccines, and other chemical assaults on human health and life.

There is a myth that the free market wins out against all odds. The consumer decides. He buys what he wants, and doesn’t buy what he thinks is unhealthy. Pretty to think so, but false.

There is another factor at work.

It’s called: crime.

It’s a crime to poison people.

If you’re the CEO of a corporation which sells poison under any name, in any package, a state or federal attorney should have your ass in court, and then in jail. For a long time.

Continue reading “Jon Rappoport: Insanity in the Poisoned Society”

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Tikkun: Israel Lobby Subverting US Congress For War On Iran

04 Inter-State Conflict, 07 Other Atrocities, 08 Proliferation, 09 Terrorism, 10 Transnational Crime, Corruption, Government, Idiocy, IO Deeds of War, Peace Intelligence
Rabbi Michael Lerner
Rabbi Michael Lerner

Editor's Note:

Please be aware that “the Israel Lobby” is not equivalent to “American Jews.” As MJ Rosenberg notes, most American Jews are far more progressive than the organizations that officially speak for them (because most American Jews are not affiliated with those organizations). The Israel Lobby gets much of its strength from a minority of American Jews who back their positions with lots of money, and by the Christian Zionists.

The Israel Lobby Is Killing Iran Negotiations In Favor Of War

MJ Rosenberg

The Israel Lobby has truly gotten out of control.

The Obama administration is close to an agreement with the Iranian government to achieve a decade’s long goal. Iran would give up any plans it might have to develop nuclear weapons (verified by international inspections) in exchange for the lifting of some international sanctions that are doing significant damage to the Iranian economy.

Continue reading “Tikkun: Israel Lobby Subverting US Congress For War On Iran”

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Stephen J. Arnold: NSA Drives Many to Private Search – Phi Beta Iota: Lacking Code Level Integrity, Privacy is Not an Option

07 Other Atrocities, 11 Society, Corruption, Government, IO Deeds of War, IO Impotency, IO Privacy, Military, Officers Call
Stephen E. Arnold
Stephen E. Arnold

Users Seek Private Search Options After NSA Revelations

This is certainly no surprise. CSO reveals, “People Flock to Anonymizing Services After NSA Snooping Reports.” Writer Grant Gross highlights several anonymous search services that have seen usage soar since certain NSA practices have come to light. DuckDuckGo is on the list, as well as Tor and mobile solution Silent Circle. The brand new Disconnect Search saw over 400,000 searches within four days of its launch. Clearly, many people are beginning to cover their virtual tracks. But is it pointless, after all? The article points out:

“Disconnect Search’s FAQ includes information about possible government searches. ‘The reality is the U.S. government may force us to begin logging the search queries of a particular user or group of users,’ the FAQ said. ‘If served with a court order that includes a non-disclosure provision, we may not be able to tell our users about this change for some period of time, possibly forever. And the U.S. government may also have other methods of monitoring user searches which Disconnect Search cannot prevent.’”

Though we now know several prominent firms quietly complied with NSA demands to fork over their records, at least one search service has elected to fold rather than cave. Lavabit made the tough choice to shut down their decade-old organization rather than comply with. . . something. Owner Ladar Levison’s explanation, which is all that is left of the site, laments that he can’t tell us exactly what was demanded of him, but his frustration and ire are apparent in the strongly worded note. He writes:

“I have been forced to make a difficult decision: to become complicit in crimes against the American people or walk away from nearly ten years of hard work by shutting down Lavabit. After significant soul searching, I have decided to suspend operations. I wish that I could legally share with you the events that led to my decision. I cannot. I feel you deserve to know what’s going on–the first amendment is supposed to guarantee me the freedom to speak out in situations like this. Unfortunately, Congress has passed laws that say otherwise.”

So, there’s that. Not exactly encouraging for fans of privacy. Lavison seems to hold at least a sliver of hope for a favorable verdict as Lavabit takes their fight to court. Is even that too optimistic?

Cynthia Murrell, November 20, 2013

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