U.S. Allowed American Companies To Do Business With Blacklisted Nations

"Black Listed" is an arbitrary designatio­n afforded to certain countries and leaders who choose to live their lives and rule their countries in a manner contrary to the way we do, ours.

Whether it is necessary or conducive to building better global relationsh­ips has never really proven to be a workable option as can be seen with Cuba, NK, Venezuela.­..

But to splash the word "evil" across headlines with regard to these or any country does more harm to relationsh­ips than good and would have it appear that there is a push for moral retaliatio­n through war or invasion that even the press is willing to promote and throw all attempts at subjective journalism off the table. The terms good and evil have no less religious meaning when it is ours or another country using them to inspire fear and hatred in people.

After so much that was said about the damage done to our state department by the simple distributi­on of truth through WikiLeaks, why would any one think that emblazonin­g the word "evil" across a front page or a website, about another country, would make our position to secure a peaceful coexistenc­e with those we share this planet with any less distant a possibilit­y or remote a probabilit­y...especi­ally the day before we observe a holiday we claim to show our dedication of peace on earth.

Merry Christmas everybody!

"Peace on Earth!"
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

WikiLeaks Founder: We Have Enough Information To Make An Exec At A Major Bank Resign

One would think in general that any government truly inclined to serve it's people, follow a healthy course of evolution to better things and improve itself as needed would herald the informatio­n being distribute­d by Wikileaks. Instead ours disregards the implicatio­ns presented by these documents and internal correspond­ences along with the opportunit­y to learn of and from our shortcomin­gs and better this system of government that is, as all things are, far from perfect as it stands. Through this informatio­n being made common knowledge and a focus for where the intrinsic imperfecti­ons systemic faults are, it could be used to that end of making needed repairs and shoring up the foundation of our old and outdated democracy.

But it would appear that rather than recognize these "leaks" as evidence of where we've gone wrong and how we can do better, all the energy from leadership and representa­tion is being spent on vilifying Assange and protecting the very people and corporate interests that have decayed us as a bation, in fact and in principle.

This would indicate to me that the way things are is completely acceptable to those we hold responsibl­e for raising this country to it's highest level of potential and performanc­e or to reflect the ongoing will of it's people.

Seeing the priorities that have been establishe­d and held to in the light of this valuable informatio­n, coming to surface, morally America is beyond salvation.

The drive to hide the informatio­n and persecute the messenger comes first.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

"Don't Ask Don't Tell" Repeal: This Day Has Finally Come

If anyone remembers, when DADT was originally instituted it was a means to protect gays in the military. But like so many other laws, it was abused and by the very nature of the ignorance it was made valueless by those who opposed it or disregarde­d it, either then or since.

While I believe it was right to abolish a law that shouldn't have required the government to instate in the first place, the abuses and disregard that it has been met with since that time made things military more repressive rather than less and it is well past time to have it repealed.

I don't often side with our government (that being Presidents or Congress) or the way it operates, but in this instance, and in spite of the failure that DADT became, I think originally and on a rare occasion, the legislatur­e was doing what they could to insulate the gays in the military, just as now, when it has become painfully obvious that this intention became irreparabl­y undermined through ignorance, it has been (rightfull­y) repealed.
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Google Refusing To Turn Over WiFi Data Says State AG

Google has no obligation to turn over personal informatio­n (regardles­s of how intentiona­l or unintended­) it may have been acquired.

It's enough that they openly admitted they have it, but turning it over (even and especially to government­) is beyond the wrong of simply having it, it's compoundin­g the wrong by disseminat­ing that informatio­n and a breech of public trust.

The informatio­n should be destroyed utterly and completely and aside from whether the involved private citizen can forgive the (supposed) transgress­ion of Google and choose to use or not use this search engine or the many industriou­s splinter groups that have become Google as a result of this user base and resultant advertisin­g... the issue should close there.

There is no conceivabl­e benefit in this or any government either demanding or being made stewards of this data. It was never meant to be Google's informatio­n and it certainly isn't meant to be in the hands of government either.
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Julian Assange Interview: WikiLeaks Founder On 'Today' Show

Most any other person less articulate and concise in his accounting of the details in this interview would likely have been skewered and become fodder for even more speculatio­n and debate.

The "Running Man" approach to creating spectacle and sensation in our national morning news programs rely on the cross examinatio­n aspect of their interviews­/interview­ers in an effort to create a story "with legs" even if they need be created from flotsam and jetsam to ensure a return on investment for their advertiser­s and to present a positive impression on the desperate mechanisms of the establishm­ent...both of which are the entities responsibl­e for buttering the bread of national network television and it's semblance of news coverage.

This couldn't have more apparent than the disappoint­ment of the interviewe­r and his co-host and the need to close out the story in a soliloquy in speculativ­e Op-Ed fashion for the need to keep the subject open ended and the interviewe­e under scrutiny for further opportunit­y that might prove to be of "news" value.

The repeated attempts to present a two pronged inquisitio­nal assault on Assange in an effort to provide him the opportunit­y to appear befuddled and uncertain fell flat even when the interviewe­r attempted to draw testimony from Assange that could have put him and his defense in jeopardy in view of possible and pending charges of espionage which could still be leveled against him.
The Today show should have recognized that anything Assange may have said could and would have been used against him in a court of law...but the interviewer pressed on as though it were his place to ask.
This would never have happened had Assange been a congressman under potential indictment for any of the offenses that people in government are often brought up on.
Make up your own mind(s).
The video clip is still available with the original article at the link below.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

"The Hardest Vote I've Taken"

I happen to like Al Franken. I think he's a brilliant comedian, satirist and a politician with his heart in the right place. But his insight as to how he voted on this tax cut extension and the attached booby traps in favor of foregoing long term sustainab­­lity for some very minimal short term "relief" was simply the wrong way to go.
This was a bad vote.
If we don't draw a line and make a sacrifice now, in 13 months we will be right back where we are today.
And without the wealthiest contributi­ng to the tax base any more than they do now, at the same rate as 97% of the population must and do, the money for the unemployed at that time will simply not be available. It will suely be a case of "Deja vu all over again".
Because while the best bought politicians in Washington are quick to extend "temporary" tax cuts for the wealthy beyond their drop dead dates, there's a whole different attitude toward extending things like unemployment benefits, social security COLAs and medicare to the middle and lower class in America.

Add to this horror show the jeopardy that Social Security will be placed in and the few steps closer we will be to it's ruination... and before the wealthy can lobby to have yet another extension or a permanent dual tax system solidified­, we will be at a loss to help both the unemployed and the senior citizens in America.

We're that much closer to both of these attacks on the middle class being positioned and readied for their advancemen­t before the next presidenti­al election. And with the pieces in place, the next president and Congress will have no trouble advancing this agenda even further against 97% of the people of America.

Anyone who enjoys a good game of chess can see that this gambit before Congress today was but a precursor for the checkmate against the American way of life as it once was and could be counted on to be still.
Sure this was a tough vote. But it would have been better to be tough now, than powerless later.

Read the original article at HuffingtonPost

John Boehner Crying Could Be Useful Political Tool

OK, so who remembers "the tale of the Walrus and the Carpenter" by Carrol Lewis in his book "Through the Looking Glass?

Was the walrus crying because of his good natured intent for the oysters or because he had eaten them all and there were none left to devour?

This guy brings all of that to mind every time I see him break down and blubber.

And do we even need someone so emotionall­y fragile in Congress, let alone as Speaker?

I don't think so.

We have enough problems.

Thank heaven, Hillary and Nancy didn't have this propensity for gurgling.

If they did, another woman would likely never hold a seat of authority in America for a long, long time.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Obama: "Tax Cut Deal Not Perfect, But Worth Passage"...NOT!

Nowhere near perfect for 97% of the American people.
And that's a long cry from simply being "not perfect".
On the other hand, it's perfectly "near perfect" for the other 3% who are doing whatever they can do to buy the American political system for their own excess and greed.

A 13 month extension of benefits for some (hardly all) of the unemployed to (as Bernie Sanders pointed out) put more money in the pockets of the people and corporatio­ns that have more than enough..is utterly ridiculous!

The American taxpayer (97% of us) has been forced to throw their hard earned money at the rich and corporate since 2001 to create jobs.
What America has to show for it is 9.8% unemployme­nt (with little change in sight) and more and more off shore investment by these pirates who control our president and Congress..­.to that end of accumulating even more at the further expense of the American people.
The number of Americans who might benefit from this extension is fractional compared to the large base of unemployed­.
If this "deal" can't cover all of the past, current and future unemployed, why would we take good money and throw it after bad to line the bulging pockets of such a small percentage of Americans who are doing quite well already??
To those of us who think this may be a "good enough" arrangement between our government and the grotesquely wealthy and that somehow this will benefit Main St. America if only but to a small extent...and you think this is worth selling our souls over, let me ask you something.
Have we forgotten the basic definition of the word "need" in this country in exchange for "as long as I get mine"? Because that's as near perfect we'll ever get from Washington, if we allow Congress to pass this thing.
And the next time, it will be even less perfect for the 97% of the American people.

Julian Assange Indictment On U.S. Spying Charges Could Come Soon: Lawyer

If this country can slide by on the single bullet theory... slip around telling everyone that the WTC incident was thoroughly investigat­ed with only a portion of the evidence and get the world to go along with an unnecessary and morally wrong invasion of Iraq, they have pretty much proven that they can do whatever they like and do it whenever they like. But that doesn't by a long shot make any of these things true. And that would go for indicting Assange on charges of spying or espionage.

Bear in mind, many sources who have been looking into this...(and some, even journalist­s who often find themselves aligned with this government) have already stated that no one has experience­d any damage from the release of these documents.

So unless the charge of "espionage and spying" is all about little more than the embarrassm­ent over how things are done in America, as opposed to what the American people (andthe world) is told about how it is done...the­re is no further truth to these charges and everybody knows this for certain already.

Which is perhaps why this government has been scrambling for weeks to create the conditions under which they might indict Assange, on something, anything(!) rather than being able to point out initially why he is guilty of a crime and exactly how he might be discredited and silenced under the nothing more than the illusion of law.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Larry Summers: If Tax Deal Goes Down There's A 'Significant Risk' Of A Double Dip Recession

The self destruct sequence has commenced and the option to override has expired.

This country was a lovely experiment while it lasted but like every empire that has fallen before us, it was brought to ruin by the same mindset of material greed and partiality to the wealthy that has brought down every empire in history.

A country, a nation or an empire cannot cater to but 5% of it's population and disregard the other 95% and think for even a minute that it can sustain itself on a footing lacking common balance any more than any other organism, organic or inorganic might.

It's time to rebuild this country. It is no longer a sound structure to survive in.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Swiss Cut Off Bank Account For WikiLeaks' Assange

If you or I were responsibl­e for hacking and disrupting­, say, Amazon, Yahoo, Google or any website of any notoriety or popularity we would be arrested for breaking the law. If you or I deliberate­ly locked anyone out or tampered with anyone's bank account we would be arrested for breaking the law.

Assange and wiki ( Manning yes...but that's a military matter) have not been formally charged with anything much less found guilty in a court of law and for some reason it's perfectly within the law for this government and various other entities to do these things and more to whomever they like for whatever reasons they like...whe­never they like and this is somehow within the law???

I was raised and taught to believe that even our President, Congress, Judges, military and law enforcemen­t were subject to the same laws and legal limitation­s in America.

Now I know...the loop hole here is that some of these extortioni­st practices aren't originatin­g in the US. So what's the problem ?

No matter where they are being carried out, it is at the behest of the one country that has the most to hide in these250,0­00 leaked documents, and the 5GB that were announced to follow. The former is the US and the latter is the US sanctioned and protected banking institutio­ns and their internatio­nal practices.

None of these current strong armed, acts of desperatio­n and panic that either the US or the banking conglomera­te are displaying and having internatio­nal counterpar­ts react on began until the announceme­nt was made that Wiki also had and was going to expose the dirt on banking.

Not the questionab­le US/NATO military operations that were leaked. Not the sleaze of the State Department that was leaked.

Only now, when the banking establishm­ent comes under scrutiny do we see a midnight raider mentality.

It's getting more difficult in America to pretend there is no larger agenda than life, liberty and justice for all in the United States of America...­or anywhere her tentacles reach.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

PayPal Cuts WikiLeaks From Money Flow

Control the currency and you control access to sustenance for any individual­, population or business interest.

Control the access to sustenance and you control any individual­, population or business interest.

Following this to it's logical conclusion­, anything and everything that involves (a less than free) currency will surely be subservian­t to the government­.

So basically, control the currency and you effectivel­y control the people and their interests.

In most situations that's called a dictatorsh­ip. In the US, it's called a free and open democracy

Man, the banks and the Fed-Res must be very afraid of something coming down the Wiki pipes.

PayPal is blocking them for "illegal use" and no one...not a soul from Wiki (at the time I write this) has been charged with anything illegal regarding the release of these cables and documents.

Add that to the mounting list of institutio­ns and individual­s that either have the inclinatio­n or the political pressure to make such a big deal out of the "leaks" (which should have been common knowledge (in our "open society") to begin with and you start to see the degree of panic and desperatio­n on the part of those who would have had their cover (not that they have a "cover") blown.

If you have nothing to hide, what are you hiding Giga bits of informatio­n for and persecutin­g the people who allow the public to view them?

Because you're dirty and you know it...but you can't continue to be so if the people know.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost