Sunday, July 15, 2012
A not too subtle reminder . . .!
I would not be a sinner, I’ll tell you the reason why.
I’m afraid my Lord might call my name,
and I would be ready to die.
(For) God gave Noah the rainbow sign.
No more water, but the fire next time!
African American Spirituals
Of historical record . . . ?
This is making the rounds on e-mail this week and it seems that it is pretty factual. Even if only a small part of it was truthful, it would still be a scary situation in the hands of politicians who don't seem to or want to deal with the seriousness of the situation.
IMPORTANT:
Read to the end
For the
historical record . . . As President George W. Bush's top speech writer, Marc
Thiessen was provided unique access to the CIA program used in interrogating
top Al Qaeda terrorists, including the mastermind of the 9/11 attack, Khalid
Sheikh Mohammad (KSM).
Now, his
riveting new book, "Courting Disaster", How the CIA Kept America Safe (Regnery),
has been published. Here is an excerpt from "Courting
Disaster":
"Just before
dawn on March 1, 2003, two dozen heavily armed Pakistani tactical assault
forces move in and surround a safe house in Rawalpindi . A few hours earlier
they had received a text message from an informant inside the house. It read:
"I am with KSM." Bursting in, they find the disheveled mastermind of the 9/11
attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, in his bedroom. He is taken into custody. In
the safe house, they find a treasure trove of computers, documents, cell phones
and other valuable "pocket litter."
Once in
custody, KSM is defiant. He refuses to answer questions, informing his captors
that he will tell them everything when he gets to America and sees his lawyer.
But KSM is not taken to America to see a lawyer Instead he is taken to a secret
CIA "black site" in an undisclosed location. Upon arrival, KSM finds himself in
the complete control of Americans. He does not know where he is, how long he
will be there, or what his fate will be.
Despite his
circumstances, KSM still refuses to talk. He spews contempt at his
interrogators, telling them Americans are weak, lack resilience, and are unable
to do what is necessary to prevent the terrorists from succeeding in their
goals. He has trained to resist interrogation. When he is asked for information
about future attacks, he tells his questioners scornfully: "Soon, you will
know."
It becomes
clear he will not reveal the information using traditional interrogation
techniques. So he undergoes a series of "enhanced interrogation techniques"
approved for use only on the most high-value detainees. The techniques include
waterboarding. His resistance is described by one senior American official as
"superhuman." Eventually, however, the techniques work, and KSM becomes
cooperative for reasons that will be described later in this book. He begins
telling his CIA de-briefers about active al Qaeda plots to launch attacks
against the United States and other Western targets. He holds classes for CIA
officials, using a chalkboard to draw a picture of al Qaeda's operating
structure, financing, communications, and logistics. He identifies al Qaeda
travel routes and safe havens, and helps intelligence officers make sense of
documents and computer records seized in terrorist raids. He identifies voices
in intercepted telephone calls, and helps officials understand the meaning of
coded terrorist communications. He provides information that helps
our intelligence community capture other high-ranking
terrorists, KSM's
questioning, and that of other captured terrorists, produces more than 6,000
intelligence reports, which are shared across the intelligence community, as
well as with our allies across the world. In one of these reports, KSM describes
in detail the revisions he made to his failed 1994-1995 plan known as the
"Bojinka plot" to blow up a dozen airplanes carrying some 4,000 passengers over
the Pacific Ocean .
Years later,
an observant CIA officer notices the activities of a cell being followed by
British authorities appear to match KSM's description of his plans for a
Bojinka-style attack. In an operation that involves unprecedented
intelligence cooperation between our countries, British officials proceed
to unravel the plot. On the night of Aug. 9, 2006 they launch a series of raids
in a northeast London suburb that lead to the arrest of two dozen al Qaeda
terrorist suspects. They find a USB thumb-drive in the pocket of one of the men
with security details for Heathrow airport, and information on seven
trans-Atlantic flights that were scheduled to take off within hours of each
other:
* United
Airlines Flight 931 to San Francisco departing at 2:15 p.m.;
* Air Canada Flight 849 to Toronto departing at 3:00 p.m.;
* Air Canada Flight 865 to Montreal departing at 3:15 p.m.;
* United Airlines Flight 959 to Chicago departing at 3:40 p.m.;
* United Airlines Flight 925 to Washington departing at 4:20 p.m.;
* American Airlines Flight 131 to New York departing at 4:35 p.m.;
* American Airlines Flight 91 to Chicago departing at 4:50 p.m.
* Air Canada Flight 849 to Toronto departing at 3:00 p.m.;
* Air Canada Flight 865 to Montreal departing at 3:15 p.m.;
* United Airlines Flight 959 to Chicago departing at 3:40 p.m.;
* United Airlines Flight 925 to Washington departing at 4:20 p.m.;
* American Airlines Flight 131 to New York departing at 4:35 p.m.;
* American Airlines Flight 91 to Chicago departing at 4:50 p.m.
They seize
bomb-making equipment and hydrogen peroxide to make liquid explosives. And they
find the chilling martyrdom videos the suicide bombers had prepared." Today, if
you asked an average person on the street what they know about the 2006 airlines
plot, most would not be able to tell you much. Few Americans are aware of the
fact al Qaeda had planned to mark the fifth anniversary of 9/11 with an attack
of similar scope and magnitude. And still fewer realize the terrorists' true
intentions in this plot were uncovered thanks to critical information obtained
through the interrogation of the man who conceived it: Khalid Sheikh
Mohammed.
This is only
one of the many attacks stopped with the help of the CIA interrogation program
established by the Bush Administration in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks. Editor's Note: For other foiled terrorist plots, see page 9
of "Courting Disaster." In addition to helping break up these specific terrorist
cells and plots, CIA questioning provided our intelligence community with an
unparalleled body of information about al Qaeda Until the program was
temporarily suspended in 2006, intelligence officials say, well over half of the
information our government had about al Qaeda-how it operates, how it moves
money, how it communicates, how it recruits operatives, how it picks targets,
how it plans and carries out attacks-came from the interrogation of terrorists
in CIA custody.
Former CIA
Director George Tenet has declared: "I know this program has saved lives. I
know we've disrupted plots. I know this program alone is worth more than what
the FBI, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Agency put
together have been able to tell us." Former CIA Director Mike Hayden has said:
"The facts of the case are that the use of these techniques against these
terrorists made us safer. It really did work." Even Barack Obama's Director of
National Intelligence, Dennis Blair, has acknowledged: "High-value information
came from interrogations in which those methods were used and provided a deeper
understanding of the al Qaeda organization that was attacking this country."
Leon Panetta, Obama's CIA Director, has said: "Important information was
gathered from these detainees. It provided information that was acted upon." And
John Brennan, Obama's Homeland Security Advisor, when asked in an interview if
enhanced-interrogation techniques were necessary to keep America safe, replied
: "Would the U.S. be handicapped if the CIA was not, in fact, able to carry out
these types of detention and debriefing activities? I would say
yes."
On Jan. 22,
2009, President Obama issued Executive Order 13491, closing the CIA program and
directing that, henceforth, all interrogations by U.S. personnel must follow the
techniques contained in the Army Field Manual. The morning of the announcement,
Mike Hayden was still in his post as CIA Director, He called White House Counsel
Greg Craig and told him bluntly: "You didn't ask, but this is the CIA officially
nonconcurring". The president went ahead anyway, over ruling the objections of
the agency.
A few months
later, on April 16, 2009, President Obama ordered the release of four Justice
Department memos that described in detail the techniques used to interrogate KSM
and other high-value terrorists. This time, not just Hayden (who was
now retired) but five CIA directors -including Obama's own director, Leon
Panetta -- objected. George Tenet called to urge against the memos' release. So
did Porter Goss. So did John Deutch. Hayden says: "You had CIA directors in a
continuous unbroken stream to 1995 calling saying, 'Don't do this.'" In addition
to objections from the men who led the agency for a collective 14 years, the
President also heard objections from the agency's covert field
operatives.
A few weeks
earlier, Panetta had arranged for the eight top officials of the Clandestine
Service to meet with the President. It was highly unusual for these clandestine
officers to visit the Oval Office, and they used the opportunity to warn the
President that releasing the memos would put agency operatives at
risk.
The
President reportedly listened respectfully and then ignored their advice. With
these actions, Barack Obama arguably did more damage to America 's national
security in his first 100 days of office than any President in American
history.
(But how many people know this?) only the few that read their mail from beginning to end
(But how many people know this?) only the few that read their mail from beginning to end
I have one dog and several cats . . . where are their voter registrations?
Posted on http://weaselzippers.us/2012/07/13/liberal-non-profit-sending-out-pre-filled-voter-registarion-cards-to-dogs-dead-people-non-citizens/
Some political parties have no end to the depth they will go in order to secure votes. If they spent this much time on straightening out what is wrong with the country and less on cheating to get into 'power', we might not have the problems facing us today.
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The voter registration form arrived in the mail last month with some key information already filled in: Rosie Charlston’s name was complete, as was her Seattle address.
Problem is, Rosie was a black lab who died in 1998.
A group called the Voter Participation Center has touted the distribution of some 5 million registration forms in recent weeks, targeting Democratic-leaning voting blocs such as unmarried women, blacks, Latinos and young adults.
But residents and election administrators around the country also have reported a series of bizarre and questionable mailings addressed to animals, dead people, non-citizens and people already registered to vote.
Brenda Charlston wasn’t the only person to get documents for her pet: A Virginia man said similar documents arrived for his dead dog, Mozart, while a woman in the state got forms for her cat, Scampers.
“On a serious note, I think it’s tampering with our voting system,” Charlston said. “They’re fishing for votes: That’s how I view it.”
Some political parties have no end to the depth they will go in order to secure votes. If they spent this much time on straightening out what is wrong with the country and less on cheating to get into 'power', we might not have the problems facing us today.
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The voter registration form arrived in the mail last month with some key information already filled in: Rosie Charlston’s name was complete, as was her Seattle address.
Problem is, Rosie was a black lab who died in 1998.
A group called the Voter Participation Center has touted the distribution of some 5 million registration forms in recent weeks, targeting Democratic-leaning voting blocs such as unmarried women, blacks, Latinos and young adults.
But residents and election administrators around the country also have reported a series of bizarre and questionable mailings addressed to animals, dead people, non-citizens and people already registered to vote.
Brenda Charlston wasn’t the only person to get documents for her pet: A Virginia man said similar documents arrived for his dead dog, Mozart, while a woman in the state got forms for her cat, Scampers.
“On a serious note, I think it’s tampering with our voting system,” Charlston said. “They’re fishing for votes: That’s how I view it.”
On the lighter side . . .
"A man's silence is wonderful to listen to."
-- Thomas Hardy
-- Thomas Hardy
"Never judge a book by its movie."
-- J. W. Eagan
-- J. W. Eagan
"Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a
misprint."
-- Mark Twain
-- Mark Twain
Health care will NOT be more affordable nor will it be free . . .
So many people are uniformed as to exactly what obamacare will do to our country, our medical system, our Catholic/Christian hospitals, our very health. It hasn't worked with much success in other countries and I'm sure they are either laughing or in shock that a country as big as ours would even consider the idea of making a 'one plan fit all' policy decision. The president very much wants to be known as the universal healthcare president and if his healthcare policies hold, he will be but it won't be in a favorable light. The ones who think it is going to be free, are in for a shock. The elderly who thought obama was a nice young man, will find their lives possibly shortened. The hard working doctors in our country today, may opt for early retirement to avoid all this garbage. The up and coming medical students might change their major. We are facing higher costs, lower standards in medical care, and a shortage of research and medical vocations. You wonder how this could possibly be since a president is elected to make sure the Constitution and our rights are upheld. By now, everyone who is keeping an open mind knows this is a one-person president and the person he cares the most about is himself.
Still think national medical coverage could work? Check out what is coming up for each and every one of us . . . except for government people who are happily exempt. If obamacare is so great, you have to wonder why they get a pass.
1. Individual mandate
Obamacare may have been upheld as constitutional by the Supreme Court, but Chief Justice John Roberts’ extraordinary opinion clearly labeled the law’s individual mandate a tax. Whether the power to enact a penalty for failing to purchase a product derives from the Commerce Clause or Congress’ taxing authority makes little difference. Every American will have to purchase health insurance and those who don’t will face an IRS-enforced tax that totals 2.5 percent of adjusted growth income in 2016.
2. Employer mandate
At a time when America needs jobs more than anything else, along comes Obamacare and its tax on businesses that don’t offer healthcare benefits. Companies with more than 50 employees will have to pay a tax of $3,000 per employee, a sure-fire way to keep companies from hiring new workers. Perversely, this measure will also encourage some employers to drop their health coverage and pay a fine that costs less. In both cases, the measure works against many vulnerable Americans.
3. Investment income surtax
If you make more than $200,000 ($250,000 if married), then you are rich and will be paying for the healthcare of the less fortunate. Obamacare will levy a new 3.8 percent surtax on investment income on those earners. If the Bush tax cuts are not rescinded, another added tax will be added to the same people on the same income and the top rate on dividend income from will hit 43.4 percent— a good reason to invest elsewhere.
4. Limit raised on medical tax deductions
Currently people who have high medical expenses can get a tax break on the amount over 7.5 percent of their adjusted gross income when they itemize deductions. Obamacare will raise the threshold to 10 percent, socking those with medical emergencies with an extra cost just when they are least prepared to handle it.
5. Tax on charitable hospitals
Obamacare levies a $50,000 excise tax on charitable hospitals that fail to meet an array of Health and Human Services regulations, including new standards in assessing community health needs and financial assistance requirements. In what universe does this make sense? Here we have the federal government heaping new rules under threat of financial penalty onto entities that function to help others.
6. Capping Flexible Spending Accounts
By capping the amount of money that can be used in a flexible spending account, Obamacare essentially levies a tax on families with ‘special -needs children.’ The new annual cap of $2,500 doesn’t come close to cover the amount that it costs for families to care and educate society’s most vulnerable members. Oh, but at least the measure will send an addition $13 billion to Washington.
7. Tax on Cadillac plans
In Obamaland, one size fits all when it comes to healthcare. Under Obamacare, people who have “Cadillac” health plans will be hit with a new excise tax. People paying $10,200 ($27,500 for families) a year in insurance premiums will get hit with a 40 percent tax hike, which will, over time, will reduce the number of top-end plans. But at least Uncle Sam will get another $32 billion in revenue.
8. Medical device tax
Obamacare adds a 2.3 percent excise tax on manufacturers of medical-devices. One doesn’t need to be an economist to figure out the outcome of this measure: Companies will either stop hiring or will pass on the cost of the life-saving products on to consumers—adding to the burden of those already saddled with high medical costs.
9. Medicare payroll tax
The “rich” will get hit with yet another tax hike—a Medicare payroll tax increase of 0.9 percent of income above $200,000 ($250,000 if married). Even Nancy Pelosi has called out President Obama on taxing those income levels repeatedly, saying that the threshold should be $1 million in income before taxes on the super-rich kick in.
10. Over-the-counter tax
Obamacare will no longer allow money from health savings or flexible spending accounts to purchase non-prescription, over-the counter drugs—a $5 billion tax on people trying to treat their own medical problems. That is just a prescription to steer people to the doctor’s office instead of the pharmacy counter.
Still think national medical coverage could work? Check out what is coming up for each and every one of us . . . except for government people who are happily exempt. If obamacare is so great, you have to wonder why they get a pass.
1. Individual mandate
Obamacare may have been upheld as constitutional by the Supreme Court, but Chief Justice John Roberts’ extraordinary opinion clearly labeled the law’s individual mandate a tax. Whether the power to enact a penalty for failing to purchase a product derives from the Commerce Clause or Congress’ taxing authority makes little difference. Every American will have to purchase health insurance and those who don’t will face an IRS-enforced tax that totals 2.5 percent of adjusted growth income in 2016.
2. Employer mandate
At a time when America needs jobs more than anything else, along comes Obamacare and its tax on businesses that don’t offer healthcare benefits. Companies with more than 50 employees will have to pay a tax of $3,000 per employee, a sure-fire way to keep companies from hiring new workers. Perversely, this measure will also encourage some employers to drop their health coverage and pay a fine that costs less. In both cases, the measure works against many vulnerable Americans.
3. Investment income surtax
If you make more than $200,000 ($250,000 if married), then you are rich and will be paying for the healthcare of the less fortunate. Obamacare will levy a new 3.8 percent surtax on investment income on those earners. If the Bush tax cuts are not rescinded, another added tax will be added to the same people on the same income and the top rate on dividend income from will hit 43.4 percent— a good reason to invest elsewhere.
4. Limit raised on medical tax deductions
Currently people who have high medical expenses can get a tax break on the amount over 7.5 percent of their adjusted gross income when they itemize deductions. Obamacare will raise the threshold to 10 percent, socking those with medical emergencies with an extra cost just when they are least prepared to handle it.
5. Tax on charitable hospitals
Obamacare levies a $50,000 excise tax on charitable hospitals that fail to meet an array of Health and Human Services regulations, including new standards in assessing community health needs and financial assistance requirements. In what universe does this make sense? Here we have the federal government heaping new rules under threat of financial penalty onto entities that function to help others.
6. Capping Flexible Spending Accounts
By capping the amount of money that can be used in a flexible spending account, Obamacare essentially levies a tax on families with ‘special -needs children.’ The new annual cap of $2,500 doesn’t come close to cover the amount that it costs for families to care and educate society’s most vulnerable members. Oh, but at least the measure will send an addition $13 billion to Washington.
7. Tax on Cadillac plans
In Obamaland, one size fits all when it comes to healthcare. Under Obamacare, people who have “Cadillac” health plans will be hit with a new excise tax. People paying $10,200 ($27,500 for families) a year in insurance premiums will get hit with a 40 percent tax hike, which will, over time, will reduce the number of top-end plans. But at least Uncle Sam will get another $32 billion in revenue.
8. Medical device tax
Obamacare adds a 2.3 percent excise tax on manufacturers of medical-devices. One doesn’t need to be an economist to figure out the outcome of this measure: Companies will either stop hiring or will pass on the cost of the life-saving products on to consumers—adding to the burden of those already saddled with high medical costs.
9. Medicare payroll tax
The “rich” will get hit with yet another tax hike—a Medicare payroll tax increase of 0.9 percent of income above $200,000 ($250,000 if married). Even Nancy Pelosi has called out President Obama on taxing those income levels repeatedly, saying that the threshold should be $1 million in income before taxes on the super-rich kick in.
10. Over-the-counter tax
Obamacare will no longer allow money from health savings or flexible spending accounts to purchase non-prescription, over-the counter drugs—a $5 billion tax on people trying to treat their own medical problems. That is just a prescription to steer people to the doctor’s office instead of the pharmacy counter.
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