Paul Craig Roberts: Will Obama Doom Himself As A War Criminal?

Ethics
Paul Craig Roberts
Paul Craig Roberts

Will Obama Doom Himself As A War Criminal?

Obama, pushed by his Israeli and neocon masters, especially his National Security Advisor, Susan Rice, who, in effect, functions as an Israeli agent, crawled far out on the limb, only to have it sawed off by the British Parliament.

In response, the “socialist” president of France, Hollande, who lacks French support for France’s participation in a US/Israeli orchestrated military attack on Syria, has crawled back off the limb, saying that, while everything is still on the table, he has to see some evidence first.

As Cameron and Obama have made clear, there is no evidence. Even US intelligence has declared that there is no conclusive evidence that Assad used chemical weapons or even has control over the weapons.

Even the US puppet government in Canada has disavowed participating in the Obama/Israeli war crime.

This leaves Obama with support only from Turkey and Israel. Recently, the Turkish government shot down in the streets more of its own people–peaceful protesters, not
imported mercenaries trying to overthrow the Turkish government–than were killed in the alleged use of chemical weapons by Assad.

As the entire world is aware, the Israeli government has been committing crimes against the people in Palestine for decades. A distinguished Jewish jurist concluded in an official report that the Israeli government committed war crimes in its attack on the civilian population of Gaza.

No country regards the criminal states of Turkey and Israel as cover for a war crime. If Obama is pushed by Susan Rice and the evil neocons, who are strongly allied with Israel, into going it alone and conducting a military strike on Syria, Obama will have made himself an unambiguous War Criminal under the Nuremberg Standard created by the US Government. Unprovoked military aggression is a war crime under international law. That is completely clear. There are no ifs or buts about it.

If Obama now strikes Syria, when he has no cover from the UN, or from NATO, or from the American people, or from Congress, having ignored the House and Senate, Obama
will stand before the entire world, starkly, as a War Criminal. Unless the world is prepared to flush international law, arrest orders for the War Criminal will have to come from the Hague. Obama will have to be handed over and put on trial. He will have no more leg to stand on than did the Nazis.

The evil neocons are telling Obama that he must prove that he is a man and go it alone.  If Obama does, he will prove that he is a War Criminal.

Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. His latest book, The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West is now available.

Stephen E. Arnold: Best Social Media Monitoring Tools?

Advanced Cyber/IO, Civil Society, Ethics
Stephen E. Arnold
Stephen E. Arnold

Best Social Monitoring Tool Depends on Who Is Asking

Posted: 23 Aug 2013 06:15 PM PDT

Confused about social media monitoring? A thread at Quora, “Which Are the Best Social Media Monitoring Tools?” suggests that like search, social media monitoring is pretty tricky. The overall consensus statement makes it clear there is no simple answer: “No overall best tool. Pick the best fit for your needs.” Hmm.

Several respondents share their thoughts. One had compared Radian6 and Sysomos, and found the latter much easier to use. Another liked Engagor for its low price point. Perhaps the most comprehensive (though admittedly promotional) answer comes from Web Liquid account executive Ben Semmar, who shares:

“[. . .] Over the past couple of months, I’ve been involved in the creation of a Social Media Monitoring Buyer’s Guide. We began with a list of over 40 vendors, and based on a variety of criteria, whittled it down to a list five ‘finalists’ that we then conducted hands-on trials with. We found that some tools perform better than other tools in certain areas (but, really, doesn’t everything?) and so we don’t proclaim one tool king of them all; suffice it to say, though, that the five tools we tested are, based on our experience with and objective evaluation of the market, the best out there. You can find the study here: http://www.webliquidgroup.com/social-media-monitoring-tool-buyers-guide.”

Note that the guide he mentions is free, but requires a name and email address to view. Semmar goes on to assert one important caveat: We have not reached the point where algorithms can make reliable judgments about which insights a business should focus on, and how to use them. Though quality monitoring software can be a useful tool, the human mind is still required to wield it. (For now.)

Cynthia Murrell, August 28, 2013

Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext

Eagle: New March on Washington for Civil Rights + Black Liberation RECAP

Ethics
300 Million Talons...
300 Million Talons…

New March on Washington focuses on modern civil rights

WASHINGTON — Tens of thousands gathered today on the nation's “front yard,” the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial, yearning for a bit of the transcendent sense of racial unity heralded on this spot by Martin Luther King 50 years ago in his “I Have a Dream” speech.

From steps where King spoke, orators highlighted what they said was the unfinished business of achieving a broader sense of equality in America, while also offering hope that much has and will change.

“We cannot give up. We cannot give out. And we cannot give in,” Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), the only surviving speaker from the 1963 March, said to cheering throngs. While he acknowledged that the brutal days of civil right struggles are now gone, the push for a more perfect America remains. “We must get out there and push and pull.”

Read full article and watch vbideo.

Continue reading “Eagle: New March on Washington for Civil Rights + Black Liberation RECAP”

Marcus Aurelius: Conflicted About Ethics, Secrecy, & the Public Interest

10 Security, 11 Society, Ethics, IO Secrets, Officers Call
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius

COMMENTS:

1.  This is one of more internally contradictory pieces I can remember reading;
2.  Mark Bowden certainly knows a thing or three about perpetuating compromise of classified information since he's done bunch of it;
3.  Bowden harkens back to old saying, “.. there are good secrets, there are bad secrets, and there are non-secrets …”, but people at working level don't have luxury of playing that game.  If something is classified, it's classified and there are only two lawful options:  get it declassified through established process or protect it;
4.  Impact of Bradley Manning is broad and deep.  Manning impacts me throughout every working day.  Despite clearances, less information is available to me.  Like every Federal employee, I now  have fewer tools to work with.  Formerly routine procedures are now either totally proscribed or so laden with requirements for pre-approval, two-person control, and so forth that cost vastly exceeds benefit.  I am under automated surveillance as I perform my official duties.  And we have not yet seen impacts of Snowden, which will surely come;
5.  Thus, I strongly DISAGREE with Bowden that Bradley's 35-year sentence was excessive but forced to strongly AGREE that it will likely be reduced.

TheAtlantic.com, August 23, 2013

What Snowden And Manning Don't Understand About Secrecy

Government often finds bad reasons to keep information hidden, but the recent indiscriminate leaks are foolish.

By Mark Bowden

As an old reporter who has from time to time outed classified information, I have watched the cases of Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden with professional interest.

What troubles me about them is not that they broke the oaths they swore when they took their classified government jobs, the thing that makes them liable to prosecution. Government finds all kinds of dubious reasons to keep secrets, sometimes nefarious reasons, and conscience can force one to break a promise. My problem is with the indiscriminate nature of their leaks.

Continue reading “Marcus Aurelius: Conflicted About Ethics, Secrecy, & the Public Interest”

NIGHTWATCH: Syrian Chemical Attack? “No Fucking Way, Jose.”

05 Civil War, 08 Proliferation, Ethics, Government, Military

Syria: Syrian opposition elements claim that a Syrian government chemical weapons attack in the outskirts of Damascus killed hundreds up to 1,000 people. The Syrian government denied such an attack took place and claimed the opposition fabricated the allegations and the video to hide its recent losses.

Comment: As yet there is no independent, direct evidence of the attack. The videos posted to the web were done by amateurs. One shows rows of what appear to be wrapped corpses, but the upright people in the video are not wearing protective gear. No decontamination equipment or measures are evident. One man is shown walking through a makeshift morgue of wrapped bodies that supposedly are contaminated with chemical agents. His only protection is a light surgical mask. None of it can be confirmed.

A major concern is the timing. The UN chemical investigation team is in Damascus with the permission of the Asad government. The opposition has a strong interest in attracting the attention of the UN tea, or any potential outside source of assistance, any way it can.

On the other hand, it is hard to credit the opposition's allegations because it means that the Syrians used chemical weapons during the investigation by the UN team, when government forces are inflicting setbacks on the opposition. That contention is not credible.

Continue reading “NIGHTWATCH: Syrian Chemical Attack? “No Fucking Way, Jose.””

Eagle: Bradley Manning Lessons Learned

Cultural Intelligence, Ethics, Government, IO Deeds of War, IO Impotency, Media
300 Million Talons...
300 Million Talons…

Bradley Manning trial: six things we learned

As the army private awaits news of his sentencing, here's a look at the intriguing nuggets which emerged from his court martial

Lessons (List Only):

1. Bradley Manning made history

2. Journalism is no longer monopolised by traditional media

3. The US government may never have found Wikileaks' source

4. Wikileaks embarrassed the US government, but nobody died

5. The US military is no place for gay men questioning their gender

6. The war on US leakers is here to stay

Read full article.