Category Archives: US Congress

Europe, Finance, Russia, Sanctions, US Congress, US Foreign Policy

Bipolar Economics and Hypocrisy in Pусский язык: Sanctions on Putin’s Minions?……….

      

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The media and halls of Congress are full of
talk about economic sanctions, talk of plans to impose American
sanctions against Russia. Sanctions
are in the cards for some Russians who are deemed responsible (or not) for ‘something’ in Crimea, but guess what? The man who ordered
the troops into Crimea will not be sanctioned. Putin is not being
sanctioned, just some hapless underlings. Now how do you spell h-y-p-o-c-r-i-s-y in русский язык?
There are some stronger threats from U.S. law-makers (a few of them like Senator Bob Menendez are also suspected of allegedly being law breakers themselves) to impose tougher sanctions on Russia and on (former) Ukrainian officials. But not on Putin. On the senate floor, Senator McCain even expressed a burning desire to ban select Russians from going to Las Vegas. LasFuckingVegas? That is what he said (minus the expletive). Is that the best these august men can come up with? And what happened to the wonders of unfettered unregulated unsanctioned free markets?

Europeans are deemed too hesitant, considered wimpy by U.S. senators and Obama bureaucrats already tested and blooded in the battles for media sound bites and in the battles of other sanctions. The EU itself is almost certainly threatening more punishment than it is willing to actually apply.

Just think of the company (some) Russians will be keeping among the targets of Western sanctions: Cuba, Iran, Syria, Iraq (once), Lebanon (a big chunk of it anyway), Russia, North Korea. A gaggle of West African leaders and warlords. Probably others I can’t recall.

And suppose India and China and Pakistan and Indonesia and Brazil and Argentina and Algeria and Egypt and several other countries refuse to respect these expanded Western global sanctions? Which they almost certainly will. Would new sanctions be applied to these countries as well? Then will we have two worlds? Those sanctioned by the Western Powers and those not sanctioned by Western Powers? And how will this impact the love affair between extremely patriotic U.S. corporations and cheap Chinese (and Indian) labor and possibly Russian oligarchs, among others?

And if half the world is ‘sanctioned’ how does this affect the effectiveness of the sanctions being bandied about?


Cheers
mhg

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AIPAC, Iran, Israel, MENA, US Congress, US Foreign Policy, War on Iran

U.S. Senate Goes Knesset, Declares Netanyahu ‘War President’ of America……

      

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“Today the Senate is about to vote Israel a virtual blank check – for war on Iran. Reads Senate bill S.1881: If Israel is “compelled to take military action in legitimate self-defense against Iran’s nuclear weapons program,” the United States “should stand with Israel and provide … diplomatic, military and economic support to the Government of Israel in the defense of its territory, people and existence.” Inserted in that call for U.S. military action to support an Israeli strike on Iran, S.1881 says that, in doing so, we should follow our laws and constitutional procedures. Nevertheless, this bill virtually hands over the decision on war to Bibi Netanyahu who is on record saying: “This is 1938. Iran is Germany.”……….” Is this the man we want deciding whether America fights her fifth war in a generation in the Mideast? Do we really want to outsource the decision on war in the Persian Gulf, the gas station of the world, to a Likud regime whose leaders routinely compare Iran to Nazi Germany?……………”


Also sprach Pat Buchanan, one of the few independent voices in U.S. media and politics that does not kneel to AIPAC and to what he has called the “Israeli amen corner”. At issue is independence: the U.S. Congress (both houses) is doing the bidding of the Israeli right-wing prime minister, and acts against the long-term interests of the United States. This bill (S. 1881) would effectively make the Israeli politician the “decider” of war and peace for America.

Cheers
mhg

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Blockade of Iran, GCC, Iran, US Congress, US Foreign Policy

Pushing the Next American War on the next Muslim Country………

      

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“The heightened rhetoric came as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was to meet behind closed doors Wednesday with members of the Senate Banking Committee, which is weighing new sanctions against Iran’s energy and financial sectors, similar to a measure approved by the House in August. Kerry will appeal to skeptical lawmakers of both parties to wait at least a week before considering the new wave of punitive sanctions, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. He will ask them to put the sanctions a “temporary pause”………………”

It is not really about the Iranian nuclear program, stupid. I stopped believing that a few years ago, listening to Netanyahu and American senators and legislators and some Gulf media of the princes.
It is about the omnipotent Israeli lobby in Washington pushing for yet another war of choice against another Muslim country that has some regional strategic reach. It is about the Persian Gulf money lobby (absolute tribal Saudi princes and UAE shaikhs, even lowly Bahrain shaikhs) pushing for yet another American destructive war of choice on yet another Muslim country. A proxy war they are not willing to fight nor to participate in.
It is about a war that will not be sanctioned by the United Nations, and hence will be a certified Western war of aggression. Maybe it is about some inexplicable insatiable American desire to get bogged down in yet another faraway war that is erroneously painted as a cakewalk. Maybe it is a way to keep the military-industrial complex thriving.
It will be a war about all of the above.
What it is not about is a desire to reach a peaceful solution on the part of a U.S. Congress, both houses and both parties, that is in the Israeli pocket. Which is how most Muslims and Arabs see it, once one gets away from the views publicized by controlled Gulf and Saudi media like Alarabiya, Asharq Alawsat, Al-Hayat, and others.

Cheers
mhg

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Iran, Israel, Mossad, Turkey, US Congress

Turkey vs. the Mossad in Iran, Davalued Joint Session in DC………

      

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“Officials in Ankara described the Washington Post article claiming Turkey deliberately blew the cover of an Israeli spy ring working inside Iran in early 2012 as part of an attempt to discredit Turkey by foreign powers uncomfortable with its growing influence in the Middle East. A senior official from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party said such accusations were part of a deliberate attempt to discredit Turkey and undermine its role in the region following election of Iran’s relatively moderate president Hassan Rohani. “Turkey is a regional power and there are power centers which are uncomfortable with this … …. Stories like these are part of a campaign,” the official said, asking not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject. “It’s clear the aim of some is to spoil the moderate political atmosphere after Rohani’s election … and to neutralize Turkey, which contributes to solving problems in the region and which has a relationship with Iran.”…………….”

So the Iranians were correct when the announced the busting of an Israeli espionage and terrorism cell almost a couple of years ago. Which also means some of the Israeli agents (be they Israeli or Iranian exiles) probably went through Turkey to enter Iran, perhaps also through part of Northern Iraq. I am not sure why the Turks are upset that this is out now, they did the right thing from their point of view. Unless the Mossad has some inalienable right to spy and kill civilians in other countries with impunity. Maybe the Turks worry about the reaction in the U.S. Congress in the future. Let me put it this way: Erdogan now has as much a chance to be invited to address a joint session of Congress as Mr. Rouhani has. Which is about as much of a chance as Hassan Nasrallah has, probably somewhat lower than Fidel Castro’s chance.
Imagine being denied the honor once accorded Winston Churchill (and King Abdullah of Jordan and Benyamin Netanyahu of Israel and Ayad Allawi, among others). Wait a minute, did I say Churchill AND Netanyahu and King Abdullah and Ayad Allawi, all in one sentence? Is the world coming unhinged? Is the unique honor of addressing the U.S. Congress been so devalued? Could it be all of the above? You betcha………….

Cheers
mhg

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Egypt, Nobel Prize, US Congress

Nobel Committee Short List: Bachmann and Goh-mert……

      

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My Nordic source reports that the Nobel Committee has denied that U.S. Representatives Michele Bachmann (R-Minn) and Louie Louie Goh-mert (R-Texas) were ever officially nominated for the Peace Prize. There had been rumors that the two Republicans (Ya ne znayo nechevo) were put on the final short list after their stormy visit to Cairo.
In Cairo, they managed the nearly impossible feat of extolling the virtues of free electoral democracy while praising the military coup that overthrew Egypt’s elected president. And they did it by having Michele Bachmann read her script at a slow kindergarten level for the Egyptian people, the sort done for ESL classes across the United States. As for Louie Louie Goh-mert, oh, well, nobody could ever figure out what the f—k he was about anyway.
Louie Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) always reminds me of that good old song………..

Cheers
mhg

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Culture, Muslims, Syria, US Congress, US Foreign Policy

Abbatoirs of Abu Dhabi in Ramadan, US Senate Waging More Muslim Wars by Christmas………

      

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“Preparations for Ramadan and Eid are in full swing at slaughterhouses, which experience a huge increase in business during the month. “This Ramadan more than 60,000 cattle are expected to be slaughtered during the month,” said Mohammed Al Marzouqi, slaughterhouse section head at Abu Dhabi Municipality. “Normally we slaughter about 40,000 a month at the five abattoirs in Abu Dhabi.” Staff are not allowed to take leave for the month and extra hands will be hired, with the number of butchers increasing by 20 per cent and cleaners by 30 per cent. There will be 75 butchers working in Abu Dhabi and Baniyas, and 40 in Shahama and Al Wathba. The automated slaughterhouse will have 45 butchers………………”

So, they hire extra staff in Abu Dhabi for the ‘fasting’ month of Ramadan to prepare more food. In case you were unaware: much more food is consumed during the fasting month of Ramadan than at any other time. Before you heathen kuffar gloat: what is the least spiritual season in Christendom? Yep: Christmas, and it is all downhill from there.
Increased seasonal employment: you’d think it was Macy’s at Christmas. Or Burgundy during the fall harvest season. Or Quetta during the high terrorist bombing season, wtf that be. Or Saudi Arabia during the season when they need more sword sharpeners, or Iran during the peak hanging season.
Or, a better example, the US Senate during warmongering season, as they orate themselves into a frenzy before embarking on another of their unholy wars against another hapless Muslim country. It is expected now: they talk themselves into a frenzy during summer and early fall, with the numbed media playing along, and strike between late fall or spring. (Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Yemen, and Mali are history. Syria is already baking in the oven nicely, tyvm. Iran, the Mother of All Wars, may be saved for next year, after the devil that was Ahmadinejad is transformed through the magic of the mass numbing media into Rouhani).

Cheers
mhg

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