04/8/13

Obama Fundraises and Schmoozes as North Korea Threatens Nuclear War

By: Terresa Monroe-Hamilton

He. just. can’t. stop. himself.

The dumb bastard broke bread and swilled champaigne with San Francisco’s billionaires to raise money for poor, little, destitute Nancy Pelosi. Who, rumor has it, was trying to extricate herself from a house that fell on her. Just as soon as she digs herself out, she plans on cursing Congress and retaking Speaker of the House, so the Marxist-in-Chief can have even more free reign to finish raping and pillaging America. The botoxed witch is campaigning to be the enabler in chief to oversee the destruction of the Republic.

Zombie has a fabulous photo essay on the protestors that met Obama in Frisco. Most of them were protesting the Keystone Pipeline. Idiots. Who wants to be energy independent when you can be the new Marxist Homeland? Comrades unite! The main protest was put on by CREDO Action.

From Zombie on the Billionaires Row get together:

Obama’s fundraising swing through San Francisco on April 3 would bring him to two separate events: One at his favorite SF hangout, the Getty mansion on Billionaires’ Row at 2870 Broadway in Pacific Heights, and immediately prior to that “a $5,000-per-person cocktail reception at the home of Kat Taylor and Tom Steyer,” who just happens to also be a billionaire and big-league Democratic donor.

Looks like the Sequester is not impinging Obama’s binging. What an elitist evil asshat. And there were lots of different radicals there to protest. There was something freaky for everyone.

You need to jump on over to PJ Media and read and view the great piece by Zombie. You won’t see this anywhere else and it is REAL NEWS.

Protesters greet Obama on S.F.’s Billionaires’ Row

Meanwhile, in other news… North Korea is threatening to nuke America and his first target? The West Coast – hope you guys are prepping in Frisco for hot time in the ole’ town soon. You can bet the elites have made contingency plans. Oh, yeah.

04/8/13

A Nes

Arlene from Israel

A miracle.

I am writing on Yom HaShoah. And what I see, as clear as clear can be — juxtaposed against the pain beyond imaging of the various stories of survivors — is that the resilience of the Jewish people is a miracle. Our people, decimated, embraced life and rose up again to great heights. Not just to survive. But to better the world via medicine and technology and culture. Out of the horror — the inhumanity and obscenity — blessing upon blessing.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the State of Israel is a nes.

~~~~~~~~~~

But the world does not receive Jewish miracles kindly.

Which is why today there are existential threats to our nation, and our legitimacy is questioned.

In 2012 there was a 30% increase in world-wide anti-Semitic incidents over the year before. Hungary is considered particularly problematic, with Greece and the Ukraine not far behind. All are seeing the rise of far-right and neo-Nazi parties.

http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-News/Study-Global-anti-Semitism-rises-by-30-percent-308970

And France? It had a 58% increase, in the wake of the Toulouse terror attack. Imagine this. School children and their teacher were shot down, just because they were Jews. But this horrendous incident, instead of promoting remorse and reactions against overt anti-Semitism, seems to have “inspired” other incidents, somehow validating the permissibility of further hatred.

~~~~~~~~~~

During the Yom HaShoah ceremonies at Yad VeShem, which I watched on TV last night, there was an IDF honor guard that presented arms. (Picture below is of a previous year’s ceremony.)

Credit: Huffingtonpost

“Be strong,” I whispered to them. “Be strong, be strong, be strong.” So much depends on this.

~~~~~~~~~~

Prime Minister Netanyahu, during his address at the ceremony, said:

“In each generation they rise up to destroy us…

“Iran declares its intentions to destroy Israel and operates in many channels to accomplish this. We will never place our security in the hands of anyone else – not even in the hands of our best friends. The deepest meaning of the state of Israel is clear: We will never allow a situation to develop where it is ‘too late.’ We will never again stand helpless before those who seek to destroy us. At this time and place, I make you this promise: There will never again be another Holocaust.” (Emphasis added)

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/166854

Credit: Flash90

~~~~~~~~~~

And so, we are faced with incredible challenges.

There are matters far more challenging to deal with — Iran, Syria, etc. — but right now we’ve got Secretary of State John Kerry here. Kerry subscribes to the “pretend it’s so and people will believe it is” school of thought.

He started in Turkey yesterday, and his statements during a press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had Israeli jaws dropping. For he praised Turkey for its “sensitivity” in responding to the Israeli apology: “They have taken steps to try to prevent any sense of triumphalism.”

But Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan has done nothing but gloat. Billboards were even put up by the Ankara municipality that had the words, “Israel apologized to Turkey. Dear prime minister, we are grateful that you let our country experience this pride,” superimposed over a picture of Erdogan, looking forward with confidence.

~~~~~~~~~~

Kerry suggested to the Turks that good relations with Israel should be speedily restored: “We would like to see this relationship that is…critical to the peace process … get back on track in its full measure.”
Replied Davutoglu:.”There is an offense that has been committed and there needs to be accountability,” Thus Turkey would proceed with a “careful” advance.

“All of the embargos (read, naval blockade of Gaza) should be eliminated once and for all,” he said.

I have no idea what Kerry promised them privately, but publicly Turkish officials let it be known that they were seeking a role in “the peace process.” This possibility has been soundly rejected by Israel. And, as it happens, the PA is not particularly keen about it either: Erdogan has been too chummy with Hamas to suit them.

~~~~~~~~~~

From that rousing success, Kerry flew into Israel late yesterday and went directly to Ramallah to encourage Abbas to come back to the negotiating table.

Abbas made the demands we’ve already heard: Before he will come to the table, he wants a freeze on all building in Judea and Samaria and eastern Jerusalem, and release of all prisoners.

But there were some new demands as well.

According to the independent Palestinian Arab news agency, Maan, Abbas’ political advisor, Nimr Hammad, says Abbas “wants to know, through a map to be presented by Benjamin Netanyahu to Kerry, what the prime minister’s view of a two-state solution would be, especially the borders.”

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=583294

~~~~~~~~~~

According to Khaled Abu Toameh and Herb Keinon writing in the JPost, Abbas also wants Israel to hand over parts of Area C to the PA.

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Abbas-demands-Israel-hand-over-parts-of-Area-C-309021

The Oslo Accords divided Judea and Samaria into Area A, fully administered by the PA; Area B, which has PA civil administration and Israeli security administration; and Area C, fully administered by Israel.

~~~~~~~~~~

Cute set of demands, is it not? But Abbas knows what he’s about. He does not expect Israel to make these concessions as part of that on-going, US-promoted effort to bring him to the negotiating table. Rather, he anticipates that Israel will not be forthcoming and expects to use Israel’s refusal as an excuse to not come to the table.

Abbas is not about to negotiate in good faith with Israel. There is no way he could — even IF he wanted to — and remain viable.

If Kerry had half a brain in his head, and some readiness to grapple with reality, he’d pack his bags, and go home to tell Obama, “Boss, it’s not gonna fly, let’s concentrate on other things.” But, this does not seem likely to happen.

~~~~~~~~~~

A note here: Two other sources I’ve encountered (and which you may see as well) are saying that it was Kerry’s suggestion that part of Area C be transferred to the PA. But I have checked it out and believe that the JPost version is correct. This information came via a top PA official.

I can imagine that once Abbas made this demand, Kerry may well have run with it, with enthusiasm.

~~~~~~~~~~

A Ma’ariv report, cited by Israel National News, says that:

“Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who is also in charge of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, is going behind Prime Minister Netanyahu’s back and expressing positions that undermine his conditions for negotiations…

“Livni has shown willingness to retreat from Netanyahu’s position, that in order for negotiations to begin, the Palestinian Authority (PA) must accept that Israel has a right to exist as the Jewish state.

“The newspaper quoted a Western source who is well-versed in the diplomatic contacts as saying that Livni ‘has become convinced that Israel’s insistence on this condition could prevent the resumption of negotiations, and did not rule out the position presented to her, according to which the most Israel can receive from Abu Mazen is a recognition of the solution of two states for two peoples.'”

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/166874

~~~~~~~~~~

I share this here, but the report is not verified and remains hearsay. While I do not have any trouble believing Livni would take this position, it’s important to keep in mind that, as negotiator, she does not function unilaterally, and still answers to the prime minister and a negotiating committee that includes Moshe Ya’alon and Naftali Bennett.

Israel National News says that Livni would not be permitted to negotiate without Netanyahu representative Attorney Yitzchak Molcho present; I had understood, even more, that as part of coalition negotiations it was agreed that Bennett and a representative of Yair Lapid would also be present.

Of course Abbas finds the concept of Israel as a Jewish state unacceptable. In fact, the inability to accept a Jewish state on what had been “Muslim” land has been the major stumbling block to genuine progress in negotiations. The Palestinian Arabs could have had their state, over and over again — and yet shy away from it.

That we are a Jewish state is an issue of major importance. We are not a bi-national democracy, which can be swallowed up by Arab Muslims.

~~~~~~~~~~

The good news is that Israeli diplomats are saying that Israel is not going to give Kerry a list of Israeli concessions to the PA.

According to Times of Israel: “The gaps between the sides are too big, sources close to Netanyahu were quoted as saying by the Hebrew daily [Yediot Ahronot]. Any concession Israel makes now would only harm it in the future”

http://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalem-wont-hand-kerry-list-of-concessions/

May this be an accurate report and may Netanyahu’s spine stay strong.

~~~~~~~~~~

Because silence is unacceptable, I share this (with thanks to Dan. F.): Cardozo Law School will be honoring Jimmy Carter on Wednesday. To protest and demand the cancellation of the event, see this site put up by concerned Cardozo alumni:

http://shameoncardozo.com/

~~~~~~~~~~

As Yom HaShoah winds down, here in Israel, I will close this posting with some photographs. They are from a collection of 20 photos found on http://popchassid.com/photos-holocaust-narrative/ and I discovered them via Janglo.

What makes them special is that they carry forward my theme, above, of the resilience of the Jewish people. Magnificent, they document the sprit of life, and the miracle.

A survivor and her granddaughter.

Two Holocaust survivors at their wedding in Rishon LeZion. The bride had survived a 800 km (500 mile) death march.

A young woman at the moment of her liberation.

Never to forget, but oh! rejoice that we live.

04/8/13

Dollar Sell Off Within 4 Months – John Williams

Hat Tip: BB

http://usawatchdog.com/may-2013-end-of-the-road-john-williams/

If Congress does not get its financial house in order by the new deadline in mid-May 2013, John Williams of Shadowstats.com contends, “It will be the end of the road . . . . They are not going to have another opportunity . . . they are pushing the limit as it is now.” Williams says he expects, “. . . a negative reaction in the next 3 or 4 months to the dollar.” Williams adamantly continues to predict hyperinflation to the U.S. dollar by the end of 2014. Join Greg Hunter of USAWatchdog.com as he goes One-on-One with economist John Williams.

04/8/13

Obama Torpedoes Economy

By: Sharon Sebastian

Forbes, FOX, Bloomberg, Congress – anyone? Do you see the pattern? America’s economy is not self-destructing, it is being dismantled. Amid bad unemployment numbers, high food and fuel prices, a devalued dollar, the already devastating impact of Obamacare on businesses and hiring, President Barack Obama is again pressuring banks to make bad housing loans to people with weak credit. Obama’s new push for substandard loans portends a repeat of the housing loan disaster that led to the 2008 crash that tanked the economy when the Democrats held full control of both the House and the Senate.

Obama’s policy of coercing banks to make questionable loans under-minds a still fragile U.S. economy and sabotages potential recovery. Zachary A. Goldfarb reports in the Washington Post that “…critics say encouraging banks to lend as broadly as the administration hopes will sow the seeds of another housing disaster and endanger taxpayer dollars.” Ed Pinto, of the American Enterprise Institute and former Fannie Mae executive is quoted as saying: “If that were to come to pass, that would open the floodgates to highly excessive risk and would send us right back on the same path we were just trying to recover from.”

To understand who and what originally sent the economy into a tailspin, details are laid-out in the article that I wrote on the topic, Bloomberg: DEMS Behind Housing Scam:

In regard to the devastating housing fraud that helped collapse the U.S. economy, a Reuter’s headline read: “U.S. Sues Bank of America for Alleged Mortgage Fraud.” According to Reuters, President Barack Obama’s Justice Department “filed a civil mortgage fraud lawsuit against Bank of America, accusing it of selling thousands of toxic home loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that went into default and caused more than $1 billion of losses.”

In reality, it is a prime example of President Obama and the Progressive Democrats’ adeptness at avoiding responsibility and deflecting blame. Democrats continue to elude culpability in initiating the housing collapse that thrust the economy into a nose dive. Liberals count on voters lacking enough information to connect-the-dots as they point accusingly at their partners-in-crime. Americans have been told by Obama’s sycophantic media that it was the fault of greedy bankers, mortgage brokers and Wall Street derivatives – some of which came into play once the set-up, the opportunity for greed baited the bad players into joint accountability.

The question the American people should ask is: Who were the masters of the economic collapse, the architects whose scheme worked so well that they virtually escaped the blame? Though they now deny it, Democrats led by Barney Frank (D-MA), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Greg Meeks, (D-NY) are on video, in effect, in support of glutting the housing market with unsustainable mortgages in the form of bad loans. Historically, it will go down as one of the liberal Democrats’ all-time big lies to the American people. In Capital, Azi Parbarah reported in 2011 that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg pointed the finger squarely at the Democrat-controlled Congress as instigating America’s financial collapse:

“If there is anyone to blame for the mortgage crisis that led to the collapse of the financial industry, it’s not the “big banks,” but Congress. [They] were the ones who pushed Fannie and Freddie to make a bunch of loans that were imprudent. They were the ones that pushed the banks to loan to everybody. And now we want to go vilify the banks because it’s easy to blame them and Congress certainly isn’t going to blame themselves.” Bloomberg added, “It was not the banks that created the mortgage crisis. It was, plain and simple, Congress who forced everybody to go and give mortgages to people who were on the cusp.”

What Bloomberg failed to mention is that Obama, himself, adamantly demanded that banks make more loans to low-income borrowers. Sub-prime loans became the great American rip-off. Obama and the Democrats strong-armed lenders to give loans to people who could not repay them. Grateful new homeowners were to then obligingly ply the Democrats with their votes.

The ugly and inevitable consequences forced the poor, mostly Hispanics and Blacks, out of their unaffordable homes through wide-scale foreclosures. Home prices fell, construction workers lost jobs, the housing industry began a free-fall and America’s AAA credit rating was downgraded for the first time since 1917. The result: The worst economy in recent memory. Today, America bears the brunt of the Democrats’ manipulation of the housing market resulting in lost homes, lost jobs, and a destabilized economy.

Obama is again pressurizing banks into questionable loans. The result will be déjà vu with a far worse ending. The administration may point to improved housing and stock markets, but both remain tenuous for the average American. The job market remains tentative and any veteran of the stock market knows that Wall Street is no longer in the hands of the Bulls and Bears, but the wolves.

Again, Forbes, FOX, Bloomberg, Congress – anyone? The captain of the Titanic did not have this much warning.

For YouTube discussion on the dismantling of America: Click here.

Sharon Sebastian (www.DarwinsRacists.com) is a columnist, commentator, author, and contributor to various forms of media including cultural and political broadcasts, print, and online websites. In addition to the heated global debate on creation vs. evolution, her second book, “Darwin’s Racists: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow,” highlights the impact of Social Darwinism’s Marxist/Socialist underpinnings on the culture, the faith and current policy out of Washington. Critics are calling Darwin’s Racists, “Incredibly Timely” and “A Book for our Times.” Sebastian is a featured guest on broadcasts nationwide on topics ranging from politics, the economy, healthcare, culture, religion and evolution to Agenda 21’s global green movement. Sebastian’s political and cultural analyses on a wide range of national and global events are published nationally and internationally. Website: www.DarwinsRacists.com. “Darwin’s Racists – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” may be purchased at: www.DarwinsRacists.com, www.Amazon.com, www.BarnesandNoble.com and at bookstores online and worldwide.

04/8/13

Forum: Is talk of secession in America just inflamed rhetoric or a real possibility?

The Watcher’s Council

Every week on Monday morning, the Council and our invited guests weigh in at the Watcher’s Forum with short takes on a major issue of the day. This week’s question: Is talk of secession in America just inflamed rhetoric or a real possibility?

Sara at The Independent Sentinel: Nothing is impossible, but talk of secession is a statement, not a serious movement. The petitions have not reached even a million signatures in total. A South Carolina programmer keeps track of the petitions and you can take a look here: Lance Ingle.com.

If President Obama were to succeed on all of his agenda items as he succeeded with Obamacare, there would be some type of revolt. Even apathetic Americans have their limit. The gun issue, for one, is a real loser for the president. Too many liberals own guns.

President Obama now hopes for a House win in 2014 with Nancy Pelosi in the speakership. It’s not likely to happen, but a Pelosi speakership would give him two years of unbridled spending and power grabs. That would not go well.

The Razor: I haven’t heard too much talk of secession myself these days, so I’m not sure if I’m either missing something big or failing to see an inconsequential issue. I’ve lived in several states and I simply don’t see a North Carolinian or Illinoisan identity. There may be something to it in the big states like Texas, California and Alaska, where people self-identify with their states more so than others, but is that identity enough to warrant secession?

My understanding of pre-Civil War America was that state identification was much more common across the country, with people seeing themselves as a New Yorker before an American; now it seems the reverse with people ranking themselves as Americans above whatever state they are living in. Heck, I’ve lived in North Carolina for 4 years and I still don’t think of myself as a North Carolinian; I think of myself as a foreigner! Here I’ve seen a lot of pride about the Confederacy, but met no one who views himself as a Confederate or Rebel more than American. I’m sure there are those types of people in places where I don’t venture, but they are at the extremes. I just don’t see secession as being “in the air.” Now of course, that may change in the coming years, though I truly hope not.

I’ve joked that we should trade California to the communist Chinese to pay off our national debt they hold and to provide the communism the Leftists in that state so desperately crave. But I’d miss Big Sur, Joshua Tree and surfing off Black’s Beach in La Jolla. I guess I’d rather see California back to its collective sanity than actually gone from the Union, though sometimes I’m less sure about that than others.

JoshuaPundit: Two years ago, I would have called any notion of secession or a rebellion against the federal government tin foil hat material. These days, I’m not so sure.

I think a lot of people – and fairly sober people at that – look at the entrenched ruling elite, the extra-constitutional abrogation of power and the co-opting of the press and other institutions and have increasingly faint hopes of changing things in a political way. The declining economic and social conditions add to this. If this trend continues, a secession or rebellion might not be so farfetched, especially if elections are delayed because of some kind of ‘national emergency’ or results appear to be fraudulent.

It’s also obvious that the ruling elite believes that some sort of secession or revolt is a possibility as well. The Department of Homeland Security accumulating more ammunition then was used to fight the insurgency in Iraq, the equipping of various federal agencies with their own personal SWAT teams including heavily armored APCs all under federal control and legislation, especially in Blue States, that makes it increasingly difficult and expensive to obtain ammunition and firearms is a clear indication that they feel something’s in the wind.

In addition, I also note the extreme division in the country, something I feel has been deliberately exacerbated and manipulated for political purposes. Historically, this sort of thing doesn’t end well, especially when combined with deteriorating economic and social factors. Hopefully, this is just a passing phase and nothing would give me more pleasure. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I wasn’t taking note of certain trends.

The Noisy Room: Among the majority of people who speak of secession, it amounts to hyperbole erected on the hopes that such an expression of dissatisfaction can motivate corrective change. A minority among these people contemplate an actual secession as being the only practical means of mitigating continuing and escalating breaches of the Constitutional contract by the federal governmental complex.

It is not difficult to envision scenarios where the federal government, increasingly weakened by reckless spending policies, finds itself obliged to implement the gradual expansion of the aspects of tyranny to keep individual states in line as the states realize the eventual unavoidable impending collapse of the federally conglomerated body in which they will participate, unless they can sunder themselves from the doomed greater whole.

There have been several attempts at secession in our history. If a state were going to attempt secession, it would need to be a border or coastal state, since trying to secede in the middle of a country without others following, would be almost impossible. Secession would also be met with force from the federal government and war as well as chaos would ensue, weakening the country as a whole and threatening it with dissolution and opening America to invasion through weakness as a divided country.

Secession is an ideal that has been with America, almost since her birth. Our Founding Fathers supported the concept to an extent, especially in response to oppression by the government over the people. In Texas v. White, the United States Supreme Court ruled unilateral secession unconstitutional, while commenting that revolution or consent of the states could lead to a successful secession. But revolution almost never ends well for either side. The cost in human life and liberty can be egregious. So, while Texas looks to be the strongest state capable of secession, in reality it is not a logical possibility. Replacing our leaders is far preferable.

The Glittering Eye: Talk of secession is inflamed rhetoric. This question was decided 150 years ago.

Well, there you have it.

Make sure to tune in every Monday for the Watcher’s Forum. And remember, every Wednesday, the Council has its weekly contest with the members nominating two posts each, one written by themselves and one written by someone from outside the group for consideration by the whole Council. The votes are cast by the Council and the results are posted on Friday morning.

It’s a weekly magazine of some of the best stuff written in the blogosphere and you won’t want to miss it.

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04/8/13

Muslims attack Coptic Cathedral in Cairo

By: Ashraf Ramelah
Voice of the Copts

Copts killed by Muslims in Al Kusas on 04-06-13

On the afternoon of Sunday, April 7, Egyptian police surrounded and protected Saint Mark’s Coptic Cathedral of Cairo, the headquarters of the Coptic Pope, after four hours of attacks on the church by Muslims throwing Molotov cocktails, rocks, and firearms, and where Christians gathered to mourn their dead.

A liturgy was being held for eight murdered Christians resulting from a bloodthirsty rampage by Muslim vigilantes three days earlier on Friday afternoon. Muslims took revenge upon an entire Christian neighborhood in reaction to an incident a few hours earlier where a Christian male defended the life of a Christian girl under assault by a Muslim.

Now inside the church, Bishop Rafael spoke to the Christian body, “… We believe in Heaven’s justice, and the teaching of Jesus Christ reveals to us that the blood of the Martyrs will not be forgotten by God.”

Coptic women pray during a funeral service at the Saint Mark Coptic Cathedral – 04-07-13

The sequence of these earlier events took place in the streets of Al Khosous just outside Cairo, a town of about three million with a Christian majority, where first an attempt to stop a would-be rapist or kidnapper flared into a fight between the Muslim attacker and a brave Good Samaritan (the Christian man). In a fierce defense of the innocent Coptic girl, knowing that all too often such assaults mean a Christian female will never see her family and home again, the Christian man fatally wounded the Muslim assailant.

Within hours of this horrible incident, revenge stirred in Muslim neighborhoods drummed up by the family of the dead Muslim man. A general state of panic and terror ensued. Groups of Muslims attacked a Baptist Church setting it on fire. Carrying weapons and Molotov Cocktails Muslims destroyed the homes and businesses of Christians and looted the contents.

Both Muslim and Coptic citizens who witnessed the tragic eruption phoned Cairo radio and TV stations desperately appealing to them to broadcast a request for the police to come to the scene of the crime hoping to have law enforcement intervene before the situation degenerated further.

This Muslim reign of terror massacred eight Christian men and one Muslim. After the rampage against Christians had ceased, law enforcement appeared on the scene – customary procedure in Egypt’s recent history. Between a similar incident in Al Kusheh in 2000 and the Maspero one in 2011, every Muslim attack upon Christians occurred under the watchful approval of the Egyptian state police.

Voice of the Copts requests that Europe and the United States attach stated conditions to the taxpayers’ funds promised to the Morsi regime demanding that true evidence must first reveal that Egypt practices equality of human rights and equal justice under the law.

We ask that leaders of the Western church, as participants in interfaith dialogue, request leaders of the Muslim faith to publicly voice their opposition to the mistreatment of Christians and non-Muslims in general in Egypt and elsewhere where Islam is practiced and remains the dominant ideology.