Now THAT'S a War Crime

It's interesting reading some progressives/liberals/democrats take on the bombing of the hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan.

Many of those on the left that support War Criminal Obama and potential war criminal Bernie Sanders, both of whom have supported the Afghanistan war, are calling it a war crime, rightly so.

Here's a typical sentiment from the moderate left:

"From what we know now, I believe the bombing of this hospital was a war crime and everyone in our military who was involved should be prosecuted for it. I believe there should be an objective investigation and if the evidence gathered continues to support the fact that our military knowingly bombed a hospital, those involved should be prosecuted and punished. No one person or country should be above the law.
I don't know how we make that happen, but I believe that is the right and just thing."

What these people have never understood or acknowledged is that the entire Afghanistan war has been a war crime since the beginning and has been filled with individual war crimes since then.  How many wedding parties have been bombed by the U.S. in Afghanistan?

They won't talk about holding Obama accountable for war crimes, just the lowly soldiers who carried out the orders and maybe even their superior officers who gave the orders.  They don't talk about holding Bush accountable for the Afghanistan war because it's the belief of the moderate left that 9/11 wasn't a false flag, the War OF Terror IS necessary as was attacking Afghanistan and staying there for 14 years and counting.  They believe that the Iraq war was a war crime by Bush (again, but not Bush's Afghanistan war and the Neocon's Global War OF Terror based on their New Pearl Harbor) and the neocons only because they clearly lied, and they believe torture was a war crime because well, torture is torture.  Duh.

Bush is a war criminal but nothing Obama has done in their eyes makes him a war criminal, not even bombing a hospital in Afghanistan, the country which Obama has chosen as Commander in Chief to continue.  It doesn't even fucking occur to them. 

They don't believe the Syria war is a war crime committed by Obama, or that the Libya war was a war crime committed by Obama, and that U.S. imperialism in general is one giant war crime. 

But bomb a hospital with a western organization like Doctors without Borders and that will get them calling out a war crime against the soldiers that committed it. 

On to the next war crime.

The Curious Case of John McCain

Ever wonder what people in the future will think about the people in this time period.  Say 200-300 years from now, what will people think about Barack Obama, George Bush, and John McCain.

John McCain is a real piece of work.  I think the people in the future will understand that this guy was a real psycho.  Maybe they'll term this period, say from 1913 to whenever the Empire falls as the "Psycho American" period.  Right after the Industrial Revolution came the Psycho American period. 

You could do no better than to put Psycho John's picture next to the future Wikipedia entry for "Psycho American Period". 

I really wonder about this guy.  He is so fucking rabid in his beliefs, at what age now, 79?!  The dude is 79 years old and he's going to go to his grave lying his treasonous ass off.  What a life man. 

He's been a Senator from Arizona since 1987!  WTF??  What kind of political system is there that allows a traitorous cretin like this remain one of the 100 national government Senators for almost thirty years!? 

His picture could be included with another Wikipedia entry, one about the fraudulent and illusory American representative political system.  Maybe in a few hundreds years people will have finally come to their senses and realized what a farce this representational government really is, that it's so far from democracy it might as well be from Mars, and that the Curious Case of John McCain is the benchmark study case for the Psycho American period. 

Bernie Sanders' Political Revolution is a Democratic Party Illusion

Typical questions directed at those of us warning citizens about supporting Bernie Sanders as a Democratic party candidate for President are, "what is your solution? What's the alternative, what else can we do? Nobody else has an answer, he's our best hope".

Before I start, let's remember there were many out there (in 2007/2008) warning people about supporting Barack Hussein Obama for President. This is a man who campaigned in such a manner that he won a Nobel Peace Prize for it (the prize was awarded in October 2009 after Obama had been President for seven months but the nomination deadline was 2/1/2009, only eleven days after he was inaugurated.) So he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize not based on his actions as a President, but his words while campaigning for President.

Those questions above have been answered many times but because of the general nature, they aren't accepted. The problem is, the notion of a democratic party presidential candidate kickstarting some kind of politcal revolution within the two party system is pretty general as well.

The simple answer to those questions is - form an independent movement outside the politcal parties, either as a people's movement, a worker's movement, a serf's movement, whatever. Really, it needs to go global. We need a global people's movement. Tha doesn't sound simple, it sounds hard doesn't it? It seems very general and impossible to accomplish. That's why people can't grasp onto it as a solution. Even though they CAN grasp onto a supposed political "revolution" within the Democratic party in an oligarchal country. There are always long term conditioned responses when it comes to human beings. The practice of voting to elect representatives to make decisions for us is one of them. It's a "that's the way it's always been" response with most not able to see any other way.

There are more specific answers to those questions that have also been suggested which I'll get to later date.  Right now, suffice it to say that we do have options.

http://www.aforcemorepowerful.org/resources/nonviolent/methods.php

Howard Zinn once said he'd spend maybe two minutes on the presidential election, the time it took to vote. Other than that he'd focus on activism outside the corrupt ruling class (oxymoron?) political system of two politcal parties.

But let's work that through. Many agree that we need more than one front in this Class war against the rich ruling class. All options on the table so to speak. I agree with all options on the table but not that all options should be used. They feel we need to work inside the system and outside of it. Work to improve the Democratic party, move it left, while also developing an outside movement to presssure, inform, educate, and demand actions.

So is working within the Democratic party of the U.S. political system a viable option? Some feel it's the only way, some feel it's a "can't hurt" option, some feel it's fool's gold and actually detrimental to the cause.

Sanders supporters are relying on Sanders' statements that he will need millions of supporters forming a sort of "political revolution" to accomplish what they want when he's President. They believe that politcal revolution will gradually form into an antiwar/anti-imperialism movement because that's really what Bernie wants and they want. It will just take time and the building of Bernie's revolution. Some actually believe Bernie will "unveil his antiwar" positions after elected because he just can't do it now or he won't get elected.

That's just flat out absurd.  Sanders has made it clear that he supports all the lies and false narratives of U.S. imperialism and Israel Zionism.  He's no more antiwar/anti-imperialism than Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton.

A "politcal revolution". Of Bernie Sanders supporters.

First of all, who are his supporters? I remember an old Saturday Night Live skit about Hillary Clinton. In it they used subliminal messaging while she was talking her gibberish. One of the messages was , "my supporters are racist", bringing a big laugh from the audience. Who supports a candidate is a spotlight on the candidate him or herself, and it indicates what kind of pressure those supporters will put on their "leader" once elected.

"Thanks primarily to the energy and common-sense proposals of Bernie Sanders, millions of Americans have opened their minds to the possibility of a democratic and egalitarian control of the economy, which is not a bad working definition of socialism for the 21st century. We need to talk to, work with, and learn from these Americans, and most of them will vote in the Democratic primaries."

I've followed the Democratic party for the last seven years on a blog called the Daily Kos. It's a partisan Democratic party blog that overwhelmingly supports Barack Obama and now Bernie Sanders. The vast majority of those supporting Bernie Sanders right now, over a year from the election, are current Democrats. There are some independents and even republicans who are "feeling the Bern", but probably over 70 percent are registered Democrats like on the Daily Kos.

According to polls over the years, nearly 80% of registered Democrats have approved of Obama's job performance. Obama is a warmonger, war criminal imperialist and that is approved by nearly 80% of Democrats polled. There are many Bernie supporters that are against his foreign policy positions and support for U.S. imperialism, but they are by far in the minority.

Here's an example of a typical Sanders supporter:

"When I watched him in Boston (2+ / 0-)
chills went down my neck and spine. I have not felt that since Obama. I am so impressed. He is the voice we have been waiting for that amplifies our voices to the places of power. We shook the corporate establishment a message last night and their representatives and candidates. Enough is Enough and it going to end. We will end you. A political movement has been born and it is alive and well thriving."

What kind of political movement are people who support a war crminal President and who seemingly don't care about Sanders support for U.S. imperialism going to achieve?

"The Democratic Party can similarly change in a positive direction, but not if we join Hedges in the wilderness and refuse to take advantage of the opening that Bernie is helping to expand. Change will not be easy. It will be step-by-step, not a revolutionary flash. And the odds are very much stacked against us. But change can happen even in a party of militarists and imperialists.

Our job as progressives is to make that difficult for him. Just as he pushes Hillary Clinton on environmental issues, we should push Bernie to openly confront the evils of empire. This is why we need to use the Democratic primaries rather than avoid them, and how we can use them to build an ongoing socialist movement that will become increasingly anti-imperialist. That, Rev. Hedges, is part of how we get from where we are to where we want to go."

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/32612-focus-is-bernie-sanders-an-american-empire-denier

Weren't some Sanders supporters saying early on that he might not win but he is bringing important things to the discussion? But when it comes to war, imperialism and foreign policies, they're giving him a pass because he can't win if he's antiwar.  They think he can win by being anti-wealth inequality, or as a populist, but not as an antiwar candidate.   It's like the billionaires that rule over us can take talk about how they're stealing all the money and wealth, but not about how they're killing people to do it. 

They can paint it how they want, that Sanders is not Obama. But that doesn't explain the 80% job approval ratings among democrats, it doesn't explain the weeping and praising the Lord at Obama campaigns, the same type of campaign speech crowds as Sanders, Pete Seeger singing "This Land is Our Land" at Obama's inauguration, Bruce Springsteen, the Nobel Peace Prize! The First Black President, an "historic occasion",  Obamas POLITICAL REVOLUTION.  This time Bernie has his rock bands and rappers and Hollywood stars supporting him. Same thing only different.

Sanders supporters are not going to facilitate a political revolution any more than they did under Obama.  It's all a farce.

So a vote for Bernie is a vote for Obama, it's a vote for more of the same.  If one is playing the "lesser evil" game, it might seem worth it.  But look at what Obama got us.  Two more Presidential terms of war, imperialism, austerity, wealth inequality, police state, and continued oligarchal control.  A neutered left that not only can't muster an antiwar movement when war and militarism is more prevalent on earth that at any time in it's history.  A left that is so caught up in the oligarchy controlled Sanders/Clinton presidential race that it can't even think about an independent movement.  A left that still supports Obama even after his heinous crimes against humanity, his rabid advocacy of the Trans Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement (TPP), and his sellout to the insurance and pharmaceutical companies with Obamacare.

No, that's not an option.  Not now.  Not when WWIII might break out at any time.  Not when we don't live in a democracy. It's not an option because all it does is put us serfs further behind.  All it does is result in the deaths and subjugation of more people.  All it does is further institutionalize the oligarchy control over us.   It's time to fight for what's right, to fight for truth and justice, not more pudding. 

Don't say you weren't warned this time. 

More Evidence Sanders would be more of the Same, Obama's Third Term

Sanders supporters have fretted somewhat about their perception that he hasn't come out strong on his foreign policy positions.  What they're missing is he's said exactly what he's all about.  The same damn lies used by Obama, Clinton, the neocons, the imperialists, the whole damn bunch of lying imperialist murderers.

The thing is, most will look at this and not get it.  They won't realize he's parroting the false narratives about the United States attack on the country of Syria and it's people, or the false narratives and lies about the U.S. manufactured situation with ISIS.  He clearly is supporting this illegal attack on a country to facilitate another United States of Imperialism regime change.

Sanders says it's a "civil war" like his supporters, most of who still approve of Obama's job performance.  That's a fucking lie, it's been a U.S. (along with Israel/Saudi Arabia) instigated war against Syria from the beginning. The actions of the U.S., and the Obama that Bernie supports, have been illegal, immoral, and crimes against humanity. 

Sanders supporters should be fucking ashamed, but they appear to have no shame about U.S. imperialism when they can get their $15 dollar minimum wage or their pie in the sky Single Payer health care system or "free" college education.

"Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said on Saturday that he opposes a unilateral American no-fly zone in Syria, offering a less hawkish stance on the war-torn region than Hillary Clinton, his chief rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, and a position more in line with President Obama.

“We must be very careful about not making a complex and dangerous situation in Syria even worse,” Sanders said in a statement to The Washington Post. “I support President Obama’s efforts to combat ISIS in Syria while at the same time supporting those in that country trying to remove the brutal dictatorship of Bashar Assad.”

But, Sanders added: “I oppose, at this point, a unilateral American no-fly zone in Syria, which could get us more deeply involved in that horrible civil war and lead to a never-ending U.S. entanglement in that region.”

In a television interview broadcast on Thursday, Clinton advocated additional air power to protect civilians in the multi-front war, in which Syrian rebels and international advocates have said that air patrols in Syria’s north could give civilians a refuge from Assad’s bombing raids."

http://www.vnews.com/news/nation/world/18877728-95/vts-sanders-sides-with-obama-on-no-fly-zone-in-syria

Lies are lies and Sanders is as full of them as the rest.

That's the danger right there, just as it was with Obama, the Nobel Peace Prize winner.  Sanders is turning out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing.  Those supporting him are supporting U.S. imperialism and Israeli Zionism. 

Roger Waters tells Jon Bon Jovi (and others) to not play in Apartheid Israel while he plays in the Imperialist United States

Musician Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame has long been an activist and in recent years has focused on the middle east and Israel apartheid. He has personally boycotted playing in Israel and has urged other musicians to boycott Israel in  response to their continued occupation of Palestine.

Apparently he has given up on trying to convince Jon Bon Jovi.

"Waters, a frequent critic of Israel, published the letter in Salon on Friday, responding to Bon Jovi telling Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronoth last week that he is “excited to come” to Israel despite Waters’ efforts to deter musicians from performing there.

       

Waters has published similar open letters in Salon to other performers with Israel gigs, including Dionne Warwick, the Rolling Stones and Robbie Williams.

 

In the letter to Bon Jovi, Waters accuses the singer of standing “shoulder to shoulder” with “the settler who burned the baby,” referring to the arsonists, thought to be Jewish extremists, who firebombed a Palestinian home in August, killing a toddler and several family members, an act condemned by Israel’s leaders.".

 

http://www.timesofisrael.com/roger-waters-bon-jovi-stands-with-settler-who-burned-the-baby/

 

For his stance on the racist apartheid country of Israel, Waters has of course been called every name in the book and especially, and of course, an anti-Semite.

 

I applaud Waters' efforts to bring attention to the heinous crimes committed  on a daily basis against the Palestinian people, however I have to wonder about Waters' consistency relative to crimes against humanity. 

Friday 16 October 2015           

Roger Waters with Sheryl Crow, Billy Corgan, and 1 other

DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC, US 

 

Washington D.C. Roger?  Home of the United States government, the one that is waging genocidal wars across the planet?  The one that is aiding and abetting Israel's apartheid?  The one that is responsible for the deaths of millions and the displacement of many millions?  The one that is seeking to be the King of the World by hook or crook, and bombs and drones and genocides? 

 

That Washington D.C. Roger? 

 

I've long thought that consistency in life is one of the hardest things for a human to do.  It's not easy to have morals and ethics and apply them consistently across the spectrum of issues we face.  No one is perfect and very few are able to navigate life consistently without displaying inconsistent or even hypocritical actions. 

 

But Washington D.C. Roger?  What are you thinking?  Do you not know what they do in Washington D.C.?  Have you ever heard of war criminals George W. Bush and Barack H. Obama?   Do you not know how racist United States foreign policies are and how they contribute to vast crimes against humanity on the planet AND to the continued imprisonment of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip? 

 

I bet he even honors the troops while he's there.  Maybe all in all he's just another brick in the wall.

I was going to embed a Pink Floyd video right here, but I think I'm going to boycott Roger Waters because he's playing in Imperialist Washington D.C. 

You play in D.C. Roger and you stand shoulder to shoulder with:

-Barack Obama who is waging illegal wars in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen and has bombed innocent people in at least seven countries.

-U.S. imperialism which is responsible for untold deaths and displacement of innocent people.

-Madeleine Albright who thinks it was "worth it" that U.S. led sanctions led the deaths of half a million Iraqi children.  That's 500,000 Roger. 

So go ahead Roger, play in Imperial America while telling others not to play in Zionist Israel.  But if you really want to be taken seriously, maybe you should look at who you're standing with.

 

 

         

The Task for the Real/Far Left

"Why?!  Because we can't believe it.  It's too late for that.  Don't you understand? It's too late for that."

Say you took all the real, not faux, left including all the bloggers, independent journalists, leftist organizations and activists and got them together to form an independent movement. Say they raised over 100 million dollars while building a small army of activists willing to go out and tell people the truth about this country and it's national government and encourage them to "come on the Peace Train", i.e., join the independent movement to challenge the duopoly.

In some countries, Greece and Portugal for example, the left has split into separate parties because of ideological and tactical differences. There have been successes and failures, compromises, capitulations, betrayals and new efforts to try it again. The real left, not the faux left, are organizing into their own political parties and movements and are slowing gaining a voice.

With the two party duopoly in the U.S., the left, except the Greens and some others, is pigeonholed into the Democratic party, a party with over 75 million registered citizens. Those 75 million run the gamut from conservative right wing former republicans to middle of the road to moderate progressives to the far left (whatever of the far left is left, I 'd imagine most are out of the party by now or they wouldn't be far left).

There are some big differences which makes it impossible for all voices to be heard and considered. There are big differences in the ranks of the Sanders supporters themselves, running the same range as for the entire party.  That's one problem with backing Sanders and his "revolution".  If most of the supporters are current democrats who also approve of Obama's job performance, how are they going to push for revolutionary changes?  Hell you say.

Think about Obama's approval rating among democrats. He has maintained throughout his tenure an approval rating among democrats of 80%. 

http://www.gallup.com/poll/181490/obama-approval-ratings-historically-polarized.aspx

Now to me and all self respecting lefties I know, that's astounding. We consider Obama a war criminal, a fraud, and a liar. There's no question about approval, we of the far left want the man impeached and tried as an international war criminal for crimes against humanity, and then brought back home and tried for treason against the citizens of this country (TPP). We know that's not likely to happen, but that's the way we view Obama's job performance.  There's no difference between George W. Bush and Barack Hussein Obama to the far left, they're both fucking war criminals.

How do you reconcile that within the Democratic party?

I watched a video at the Real News Network, a place I usually only check out when referred from elsewhere as was the case with this one. The video was titled "Leftists love Bernie Sanders, But Here's why many won't be voting for him". The video featured someone named Ashley Smith who made the case that the left loves what Bernie is saying but some won't vote for him because he's running as a democrat. He infers that if Bernie ran as an independent or possibly a Green, then the far left would support him.

I've never commented at the TRNN, but I did on this one, with a simple statement.

 "Not exactly. Some on the left are not in agreement with all of Sanders' policy positions. He is an imperialist, Zionist, military industrial complex adherent. If the rest of the left agrees with that, no wonder we're in such trouble." 

I also pointed out that the U.S. is an imperialist country that regularly violates international law and commits crimes against humanity so any person that becomes president under these circumstances will become a war criminal.

I was then labeled, by Sanders supporters, an idiot, a shill, and a fool and one person suggested I commit suicide. Seriously.

There is a common trait among many Obamabots and the Berniebots (not all Bernie supporters are Berniebots). They just can't believe everyone else doesn't see what they see, that their man is our best hope who will be the greatest President ever. They just can't imagine why anyone else, especially the far left, doesn't see what a great opportunity this is, how Bernie is changing everything. I suppose it's like any passionate tunnel vision person, they have a hard time seeing the proverbial forest thru the trees.

Talk about getting together. How do we get together over that?  In the so called left, we have people who don't believe the U.S. is an imperialist country. I remember a poll taken on Daily Kos in a diary I wrote and the vote was 60/40, with the forty percent stating they didn't feel the U.S. was an imperialist country. We have people who don't believe Obama has commited any criminal acts.  There are people typical of the democratic party that are really no different than the bulk of the republican party, same thing only with different lipstick.  How else do you explain the support for Bush wars by the republicans and opposition by the democrats, then vice versa for Obama's wars? They're the same fucking people.

What exactly is Sanders' revolution anyway? He seems to go out of his way to call it a "political" revolution but doesn't seem to elaborate much except to infer it will require millions to pressure the "republicans" to pass the damn bills. What that appears to mean, which is what he's been all about not only since the beginning of his presidential campaign but for decades, is channeling the energy of the people into the democratic party. How else do millions of people pressure the "republicans" only?

He's made it clear why he didn't run as an independent, it's because he didn't want another Nader, i.e., he knows an Indie can't win and he doesn't want to hamper the Democratic party chances to defeat the Republicans. If he ran as an Indie he'd siphon off voters from the Democratic party, simple as that.   He's all about beating the Repubicians, one reason he won't significantly criticize Hillary Clinton.

That's a revolution? Basically, it's an attempt to strengthen the Democratic party so it can put more pressure on the Republicans to pass their submitted bills and laws. That's Bernie's political revolution.  Considering the performance and corruptness of the Democratic party, Mr. Sanders, I know a revolution and that's no revolution.   

That gets back to what Ashley Smith was referring to relative to a percentage of the left, mostly far left, or as some Sanders supporters have resorted to, the "ultra-left", not voting for Sanders soley because of his running with the Democratic party. He pointed out how all previous strategies to transform the ruling class Democratic party have failed because the party is irretrievably controlled by party leadership as a ruling class tool.

The far left and the near far left have to think about this seriously.  There's no way our views on imperialism, central banking, "real" socialism, and wealth inequality and direct democracy are going to be considered by staying within the Democratic party.  It's not possible.  It's hard enough in countries that have parliamentary governments or multi party governments, let alone with a very large country limited to two long term oligarchy controlled political parties.  Ashley Smith, Chris Hedges, Howard Zinn, Noah Chomsky, and many others are right that if we are to make the progress we NEED, it must come from an independent movement.   If we are ever going to overturn Rule by the Rich, it has to be from an independent movement.  All efforts within the ruling class political parties WILL BE coopted, neutered, and used to further their rule.  We must find a way to organize a long term independent political movement of the far/real left.  The main ingredient and what we must have faith in for the sake of humanity, the truth is on our side.  Unless the truth matters, nothing else does.  Everything else is either a waste of time, a colossal setback, and/or at best treading water. 

 

Propaganda? What Propaganda?

So far today I've been called a fool and an idiot by Bernie Sanders supporters.  I've seen others called worse, and that's just today.  Sanders supporters are lining up to surpass the sycophancy of the Obamabots.  Not a good thing.  When I see people saying hallelujah and speaking in tongues, I'm getting out of town.

Here's a good example of how people, even those who have been warned time and time again that the ruling class media is full of propaganda, will fall for it every time. 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/01/1426584/-BREAKING-Did-Hillary-Want-To-Make-2000-Day-From-Home

The link is to a ruling class media story by the ruling class news organization, the Associated Press (AP) titled, "Emails: Russia linked hackers tried to access Clinton server". 

The rabid democratic partisans of course focused on the red meat thrown their way about Hillary Clinton.  But not a single commenter or the diarist questioned the primary propaganda point, "RUSSIA!"

None questioned the unproven assertion that the hackers were "Russia linked".  They appear to just take that part of the story as fact, nothing to even think about.  Of course it was the Russians. 

The western ruling class and it's media are working at full speed spreading propaganda about Russia and Putin to support their quest to tame the Bear.  There are warnings of a nuclear war, World War III, all sorts of gloomsday scenarios because of the psychopaths in charge wanting to take down Russia and China to protect their "New American Century". 

Propaganda is everywhere but these people at the Daily Kos seem to absorb it like oxygen.  Breath in, breath out, take it in, let it slowly melt into your brain.  Say it three times, "Russia did it, Russia did it, Russia did it".

It never ceases to amaze me.  But we're animals, part of the animal kingdom.  We have our faults, our tendencies, our traits.  It's been proven over and over, humans can be manipulated almost at will.

Just remember, Russia did it.