Dolours, Hezbollah is/was(?) funded by Iran and is headquartered in Lebanon. It was originally formed to deal with Israel's occupation of a strip land in Lebanon after the invasion of 1982 which ended in 2000(?). Then they gradually morphed into a terrorist organization but you are correct some types of Muslims don't see them as terrorists. Although, it appears that the opinion on Hezbollah has gotten worse in the Arab world in the past two years. I had to look that story up because it was only a vague memory thankfully. I remember reading that one of John Kerry's daughter's is married to an Iranian but that is vague also and I have no idea how that may have effected anything. Figuring out what is occurring in Syria is quite a task, there was an alleged attack last night I believe in the Hama area and per the following article two different Iranian news agencies report two completely different stories. It is definitely a crazy situation, difficult to tell who is doing what to whom. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/0...level-syria-strike-kills-mostly-iranians.html Maybe this story has been updated, idk.
I looked up John Kerry's daughter. Vanessa is married to an Iranian-American surgeon. Her husband is American born and his father is or was a surgeon in an American hospital. His father is probably Iranian born although the country of birth wasn't mentioned in anything I read. Looks like John Kerry inherited his obsession with the environment from his mother who was from a wealthy family. Her nephew was and possibly still is a Green Party politician in France. Vanessa lived with her mother after her parents' divorce. Kerry's second wife is the widow of a US Republican Party senator who was a member of the Heinz ketchup family and she administers some Heinz family charity or foundation. Looking at Vanessa's page on Wikipedia, I get the impression that she's one of those cultural colonialists: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanessa_Kerry . John Kerry's grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Europe (Austria and Hungary) who converted to Catholicism in, I think, 1902. They changed their name from Kohn to Kerry. His brother, Cameron, converted from Catholicism to Judaism and was Vice-Chair of the National Jewish Democratic Council during Obama's 2008 election campaign. I don't know whether Vanessa is Catholic. Probably not because an Episcopalean minister presided at her wedding. I get the impression that politics is the family's real religion. I take all news articles about Syria with a grain of salt, especially anything from the big US news outlets. If the mainstream media can't be trusted to give unbiased reports on domestic matters, why would their reporting on the Middle East be trustworthy? I prefer to heed what the Christians are saying because it's a matter of survival for them.
If Hezbollah is a terrorist entity then so were the Zionist paramilitary groups that were instrumental in the formation of the modern state of Israel. If Hezbollah is a terrorist entity, then so are the numerous mujahideen groups calling themselves “Syrian Rebels” that the West is arming and supporting against Assad. The audacity of these Western elites in condemning Hezbollah and Iran when their decades of Neocon warmongering in the Middle East far exceed in terror anything done by either Iran, Hezbollah or North Korea. The audacity is compounded by the fact that criticism of Israel is not allowed and terrorists like Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir who become Prime Ministers are lionized in the West and were never brought to Justice. Also, I think many well-meaning people are under the delusion that the modern State of Israel is somehow a continuation of the Old Testament Kingdom of Israel and is therefore only worthy of our homage and adoration. Give me a break!! Most of the founders of the Modern State of Israel were militant atheists and marxists.
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. It is getting hard to take Netanyahu seriously. He’s been telling us each year for decades now that “Iran is one year away from the bomb.” He was also the one who went up before Congress and lied about the threat posed by Saddam. He’s up to his old tricks again and knows that Israel cannot take on Iran one-to-one. He wants U.S. Marines to fight Israel (and Saudi Arabia’s) war against Iran (just like we did in Iraq). If Israel wants war with Iran they need to do it on their own without U.S. support, aid or weapons. See how long they last. They shouldn’t need my son or daughter’s blood or my tax dollars anyway, since I keep hearing those Evangelicals on TV telling me that God will fight for Israel.
Okay, I’ll bite. Was Menachem Begin a terrorist or a patriot? Are “Syrian Rebels” terrorists or freedom fighters.
I believe Hezbollah are terrorists as are the so called Syrian rebels. Israel is a sovereign nation that has a right to defend itself. But that does not excuse them using terrorism on others. Does Israel have a right to defend itself Richard?
I guess it depends on what you mean by “defending oneself?” Do they have a right to bomb the terrorist-killing, Christian-protecting Syrian Arab Army with impunity and then act like it is they who are being threatened? Do they have a right to subvert American foreign policy and lie us into another war?
Why Each US President Ends Up As Ruthless Interventionist These Days In the wake of last week’s cruise missile attack on Syria, there was a joke going around the internet saying that it doesn’t matter who Americans vote for, they always wind up getting John McCain as President of the United States. The humor derives from the fact that the past three presidents all ran for office committed to reducing America’s interventionism overseas but once in office they reversed course and expanded US military commitments worldwide, turning them into facsimiles of John McCain, who has never seen a war he didn’t like. President Donald Trump’s explicit pledges to avoid expanded engagement in Asia and the Middle East while also fixing the relationship with Russia are by now lost down the memory hole as he has increased troop levels in Afghanistan while, by his own admission, the relationship with Moscow is now even worse than it was during the Cold War. And regarding Syria, his Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Halley has confirmed that the US military will not be going anywhere because certain goals have to be met first. One objective, monitoring developments relating to Iran, is open-ended, implying that it will be impossible to leave for the foreseeable future and suggesting that another Afghanistan-style quagmire is in the making. Pundits see the process whereby all new presidents turn into hawks as evidence of the pervasiveness of the Deep State in US foreign policy, but as the Deep State operates largely in the open in the United States, it might also be referred to as the Establishment consensus. The persistence of the Establishment view in what has become increasingly a national security state is largely due to the fact that there is little pushback against it. The media is fully on board and Congress, which should be serving as a brake on presumed presidential prerogatives to go to war, benefits substantially from the bloated budgets and other emoluments that derive from American imperialism. Defense and related budgets grow in spite of the lack of any real threat and the public is fed a steady diet of fear by the media and government regarding fabricated threats to US national security. The combination of government and media lies renders most Americans completely ignorant about what is going in in Syria. First of all, the United States and its allies, who are occupying nearly one quarter of the country, are in Syria illegally. Under international law, attacking and occupying a country that is not directly threatening you without any justifying United Nations Security Council resolution is illegal. It is also a war crime as defined by the Nuremberg Trials that followed after the Second World War, which ruled that a war of aggression is the “ultimate war crime” as it inevitably leads to many other crimes. So the United States is undeniably an unindicted war criminal. That the United States has not been indicted or brought to justice for its crimes is largely due to its political and military power, which few nations choose to challenge, but also because it is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and is able to veto resolutions criticizing it. There have been numerous motions condemning American behavior, but none of them have made it out of the Security Council. This is not a confirmation of US innocence but rather a result of the politics that operate at the United Nations. The United States is also in violation of international law because it remains in Syria without the permission of the recognized and legitimate Syrian government. Iranian forces and those of Russia are present on the invitation of Damascus. The United States is not. The US has also been illegally working to overthrow the legitimate Syrian government, acting in collusion with groups of so-called rebels, some of whom are actually drawn from internationally recognized terrorist groups, violating its own laws regarding providing material assistance to terrorism. Establishment politics has meant that the United States is now a rogue nation defined by its propensity to go to war. America’s bombing of Syria is illegal, immoral, ineffective and dishonest. It is past time for the United States to pull out its troops and leave the Syrians alone. Americans killing Syrians while hypocritically claiming that it is done to stop Syrians from killing each other is a recipe for disaster. https://www.strategic-culture.org/n...p-as-ruthless-interventionist-these-days.html
Looks like the wonderful Neocons are fomenting another “color revolution” and overthrow of legitimate authority, this time in Armenia. It wasn’t enough for them to destroy Ukraine or destroy the cradle of Christianity in Syria. Now they must destroy the first Christian nation: Armenia. Interfax news is reporting that the Western stooge (oops, I mean “opposition leader”) Pashinyan announces total civil disobedience in Armenia starting on Wednesday and the complete blocking of roads and the airport. Could you imagine if “opposition leader” Obama did the same thing here? It was also announced on Interfax that the neo-Nazi Junta leader in Ukraine has received Trump’s Javelin missiles. So much for a peaceful resolution to Ukraine.
Richard67, No matter what anyone's opinion of Sen. John McCain is, that is a horrible photo/caricature that was created of him for this article. The poor man has brain cancer, the picture is in such bad taste. Back in the Fall, Valerie Plame tweeted an article from the author of your article, Philip Giraldi (whose name you left off of your post). She basically created a tweeter storm. Here are just two of the many articles that were written about this, Valerie Plame bashed for tweet linking 'America's Jews' to wars, then apologizes Fox News 9/21/2017 http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...ng-americas-jews-to-wars-then-apologizes.html Former CIA officer Valerie Plame apologized Thursday afternoon after facing an avalanche of criticism on social media for tweeting an article that blames “America’s Jews” for the country’s wars. Plame, who was famously at the center of the intelligence leak scandal during George W. Bush’s administration, tweeted a story and headline from the Unz Review website that said: “America’s Jews Are Driving America’s Wars.” The story and tweet included a photo of Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol. Her tweet went viral Thursday as Plame was accused of spreading anti-Semitic content. At first, Plame defended the tweet, telling people to “calm down.” She called the story “very provocative, but thoughtful.” But later Thursday, Plame changed her tune, expressing her apologies and saying she “missed gross undercurrents to this article.” “I’m not perfect and make mistakes,” she tweeted. “This was a doozy. All I can do is admit them, try to be better, and read more thoroughly next time. Ugh.” Plame, the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, gained fame in 2003 after she was outed in the media as a CIA officer during the debate over whether Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. The leak led to a well-publicized criminal investigation. Alan Dershowitz: Valerie Plame knew exactly what she was tweeting By Alan Dershowitz | Fox News September 22, 2017 http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017...rie-plame-knew-exactly-what-was-tweeting.html Valerie Plame bashed for retweeting anti-Semitic article Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz sounds off on controversy on 'Fox & Friends' Valerie Plame had to know what she was doing. The unmasked former CIA officer retweeted a virulently anti-Semitic article by a well-known bigot on the Jewish High Holy Day of Rosh Hashanah, which she characterized as “thoughtful.” Now she's trying to make excuses, but they don't wash. The retweeted article by Phillip Giraldi itself contains the usual anti-Semitic tropes: Jews are guilty of dual loyalty; they control politicians, the media and entertainment; they want the U.S. to fight wars for the country to which they have real allegiance – Israel; they are dangerous to America. Giraldi has been pushing this garbage for years and Plame is one of his fans. But this particular article goes much further in its neo-Nazi imagery. It states: “The media should be required to label (Jews like Bill Kristol) at the bottom of the television screen whenever they pop up …. That would be kind-of-like a warning label on a bottle of rat poison – translating roughly as ingest even the tiniest little dosage of the nonsense spewed by Bill Kristol at your own peril." In other words, Jewish supporters of Israel – like Kristol and me – should have to wear the modern-day equivalent of the yellow star Nazis forced Jews to wear before we are allowed to appear on TV and poison real Americans. Nice stuff that Plame was retweeting and characterizing as thoughtful. This was not the first time Plame retweeted Giraldi’s garbage. In 2014 she retweeted one of his screeds with the following notation: “Well put.” And after retweeting the current anti-Semitic article she described it as: “Yes, very provocative, but thoughtful. Many neocon hawks ARE Jewish. Ugh.” Nor is this the only time that Plame has retweeted other nonsense from the bigoted platform this piece came from – a platform of which she has pleaded ignorance. According to journalist Yashar Ali, Plame has retweeted at least eight other articles from the same website since 2014. Sounds like she is into some strange websites. I actually read the Philip Giraldi article – before I was aware of the Plame tweet – on a neo-Nazi website, where Giraldi’s articles are frequently featured. That’s where his articles belong – on overtly anti-Semitic sites. For Plame to claim that she was unaware of the anti-Semitic content of Giraldi’s article is to ignore reality. Plame had to be aware, since she was aware of Giraldi’s bigotry. Her apologies ring hollow. Plame’s true feelings were revealed in what she said before she realized that she would be widely condemned for her original retweet. She must now do more than apologize. The former CIA operative must explain how she came upon the article. Who sent it to her? Does she regularly read bigoted website? Why is she reading and retweeting a known anti-Semite? What are her own personal views regarding the content of the Giraldi’s article? The Plame incident reflects a broader problem, which I wrote about in June for the Gatestone Institute International Policy Council, in a piece headlined “A New Tolerance for Anti-Semitism.” There is a growing tolerance for anti-Semitism. Even when some people themselves do not harbor these feelings, they are willing to support those who do, as long as the anti-Semites are on their side of the political spectrum. This is an unacceptable approach, especially in the post-Holocaust era. Unfortunately, Valerie Plame is the poster child for this growing tolerance for hatred. She must be called out on it, as must others who follow the same path of bigotry. The problem exists both on the hard right and the hard left. Both extremes see the world in racial, ethnic and religious terms. Both engage in identity politics: the hard left gives more weight to the views of certain minorities; while the hard right gives less weight to the views of these same minorities. Both are equally guilty of reductionism and stereotyping. Neither group is prepared to judge individuals on their individual merits and demerits. Both insist on judging entire groups and of stereotyping. American Jews – like other Americans – are deeply divided on important issues, such as the Iran nuclear deal, the current prospects for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, and the Trump administration’s foreign policies. To generalize about Jews is both factually and morally wrong. What the hard right and hard left share in common is special bigotry toward Jews: the neo-Nazi right hates the Jewish people; and the hard left hates the nation-state of the Jewish people and those Jews who support it. Both views are bigoted and must not become acceptable among centrist liberals and conservatives. Alan M. Dershowitz is Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus, at Harvard Law School
R67, I'm still waiting for CREDIBLE EVIDENCE for all those COUNTLESS Israeli attacks on Christians that you claimed haveoccurred! ... This is Request for Evidence #4 GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!
And just when are you hoping for that year of completion to begin? Israel has done a pretty good job defending themselves, alone, under Bibi's leadership....esp. under the terrorist supporting Obama regime. Jealous? Only some nutcase w/o an ounce of compassion in his/her heart would expect anyone constantly under both attack and threats of obliteration to do otherwise. Mr N's got the details...must have for survival sake....now verified by the best. And if anyone ever doubted that the Iran nuke program was on any kind of hiatus for the duration of the very limited number of years included in that "Mahdi" supporting fraud Iran deal he/she is blindly naive and actually unwittingly a supporter of the globalists, who would all love for Iran's goal of pushing Israel into the sea to be accomplished. All mechanisms remain "go"....and that includes the means of delivery of said nuke...in direction of the "big Satan" as well. This kind of UN type anti-Israeli negativity for anything they present, for the sake of world security at the same time, is suicidal...but then that's the state of the boiling frogs in positions of authority or just comfortably ensconced in their safe regions of the world these days. Doubt Israel's warnings at your own peril. And, btw, history has proven your other choice for derision here to be correct....God has eventually always come through for Israel thus setting the example for those who call themselves servants of His to follow.
Carol, I regard Alan Dershowitz as one of the smartest people I have seen on American news channels. None of the emotionalist clap-trap or hysteria from him. He would be my first choice if I ever needed a lawyer and if I could afford his fees. That said, I wish that he or anyone would explain how it is possible to be critical of the State of Israel, its government and supporters/apologists without being accused of anti-Semitism and being a holocaust denier. I don't know who Bill Kristol is. The comedian, Billy Crystle (sp.?) popped into my head when I saw that name.
There ought to be another "anti-Israel/pro-Israel" thread elsewhere since it's actually a question of choosing one's future in just whom people choose to align themselves with, in reality, not just in platitudes and grand generalizations. Anyway....a current "sign" of one's future that continues to gain support and power from the comfortable and complacent globalist types. Facebook Has Begun To Rank News Organizations By Trust, Zuckerberg Says A responsibility "to find common ground." Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Tuesday that the company has already begun to implement a system that ranks news organizations based on trustworthiness, and promotes or suppresses its content based on that metric. https://www.buzzfeed.com/bensmith/f...ons-by-trust?utm_term=.jfZ6350R5q#.su1OgVG6VM Zuckerberg’s Announcement Means Final Remaining Conservative Voices on Facebook Will Be Eliminated by Election Day http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/201...book-will-be-eliminated-by-election-day-2018/
Dolours, Bill Kristol looks familiar I am certain that I have seen him on the news but that is all I can recall, I also thought of the comedian. He was Chief of Staff to VP Dan Quayle and as the article states, now he is editor of the Weekly Standard. I discovered that the website that Richard67 posted that article from, strategic-culture.org is based out of Moscow: View attachment 7773 View attachment 7774 It gets worse, they have a Russian version of the site that contains bizarre things about America. Enough said. ******* I forget if the following has been posted already, China turns to tech to monitor, shame, rate citizens April 25, 2018 CNET verified Combined Shape Created with Sketch. In Beijing, the Chinese government is using surveillance cameras, facial recognition and smart glasses to score people on their social behavior, which can lead to public shaming and punishment. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6ieksf China turns to tech to monitor, shame and rate citizens Mariel Myers April 25, 2018 https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/tech...to-monitor-shame-and-rate-citizens/ar-AAwlDX2 By 2020, China plans to give all of its 1.4 billion citizens a personal score, based on how they behave. To create those scores, which could affect whether someone is allowed to fly or own property, China is using facial recognition, artificial intelligence, smart glasses and other technologies to monitor, rate and sometimes shame its citizens. China's plan is to give each citizen a social credit score, which goes far beyond the traditional credit score based on finances. The score can fluctuate based on a range of behaviors, like whether you jaywalk or buy Chinese-made goods or buy too many video games. If your score gets too low, you can be banned from buying a plane ticket, renting a house, accessing high-speed internet or getting a loan. © Provided by CNET manwalkingalt CBS News Sensetime, one of China's most successful artificial intelligence companies, has created smart cameras for the government that can help catch criminals but also track average citizens. As people, bikes, cars and buses pass in front of the cameras, identifiers pop up. "It can recognize more than 4,000 vehicles," CEO Xu Li explains. "We can tell whether it is an adult, a child, male or female." With China's millions of surveillance cameras, the government can record jaywalkers at city intersections, zero in on their faces and then shame them on public video screens. Police in Beijing have been seen wearing glasses that resemble Google Glass and can recognize faces linked to the government's national database. © Provided by CNET glasses AFP/Getty The fear is that the government will use this social credit scoring system to punish people who aren't sufficiently loyal to the Communist party. Trying to clear your name or fight your score is nearly impossible, since there is no real due process.
Thanks Carol. I'm not familiar with the Weekly Standard. Where Israel and its supporters are concerned, I can understand Jewish-Americans supporting the State of Israel financially and politically. That's no different than any other ethnic group supporting their ancestral homeland. My issue is when that support crosses the line into the kind of chaos we see in the Middle East. I can't think of a single country other than Israel which would get away with launching a strike on a neighbour and refusing to either confirm or deny it. Yet, nobody is permitted to sound alarm bells or ask questions because it's the Jewish state of Israel and Jews are the sacred race who mustn't be offended because the Germans committed genocide against them. If, say, wealthy Armenians were to have the same kind of influence in the US as AIPAC and Armenia's neighbouring countries were invaded or destabilised supposedly to keep Armenia safe, would it be racist or bigoted to criticise or call into question those wealthy Armenians or the Armenian State because Armenians were the victims of a Turkish attempt at genocide against them?
