07/14/15

Conserve What? Where’s the Outreach? in Comics? Graphic Novels? at Comic-Con?

By: Arlen Williams
Gulag Bound

From Judson Phillips, Tea Party Nation:

Do you wonder why conservatives are losing the culture wars as well as the political wars?

Conservatives are losing wars on both fronts. Because conservatives lose the culture war, political wars are lost as a matter of course. The late Andrew Breitbart explained why this happened and what conservatives needed to do.

What was Breitbart’s advice and how is the left using it and the right isn’t?

Andrew Breitbart warned that politics flows downstream from popular culture. Liberals understand popular culture and engage it.

From Roll Call:

Rep. John Lewis not only dressed as a revolutionary leader during his second appearance at Comic-Con International, he behaved like one — seizing the opportunity to shape young minds by taking the future firmly in his hands.

The Georgia Democrat returned to the pop culture smorgasbord on July 11 to promote the second installment of his illustrated biography, “March.” Lewis co-wrote the ongoing series of graphic novels, which chronicle the life-threatening situations he often found himself in throughout the civil rights era, with right-hand man Andrew Aydin.

The duo has been working for several years now with artist Nate Powell on a trilogy of books detailing Lewis’ ongoing crusade to vanquish inequality….

continues at TPN

Well said, Judson.

Where people of principle and perspective don’t stand for and explain righteousness — and call wrongdoing, including collectivism, the destructive harm that it is, the world around us suffers, our own children suffer, and even we suffer from an underactive and corrupted conscience.

When we don’t take our messages to the people, especially to the young, that corruption is inevitably at work in us.

——GB——

John Lewis Grooms Activists at Comic-Con

Comic-Con International: San Diego

06/15/15

Dealing As It Comes

Arlene from Israel

In my book, no issue in the news takes precedence over the negotiations with Iran. I feel as if I keep repeating myself, and yet I must, because each time after I’ve written that the situation has deteriorated vis-à-vis the negotiations, it gets worse still.

I am, quite frankly, confounded, that the American Congress (see below) and the American electorate and major European leaders are not extremely alarmed about what’s coming down the road with Obama’s handling of those negotiations. Sufficiently alarmed to want to take definitive action to stop the downward track of the talks. The analogy here truly is a run-away locomotive hurtling down a steep incline.

Are they oblivious to the deeper implications of what’s happening? Do they consider themselves impotent to make a difference? Do they know there’s a problem but imagine it won’t affect them? Are they too focused on immediate issues and private concerns to see the big picture? Whatever the case – and yes, I know the various “takes” – it’s a deeply deeply worrisome situation, as we head to the deadline for completing those negotiations.

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I will qualify what I’ve just written, in one respect, by noting that there are indeed those in Congress who are strongly opposed to what Obama is doing. That’s why the Corker Bill requiring Congressional review of any Iranian deal has been passed. However, as I understand it, should the president veto legislation overturning the deal, that veto would likely stand, because it is doubtful that there would be a Congressional super-majority sufficient to over-ride the veto. This suggests that a substantial number of people in Congress are not yet clear on the dangers of what is going on, or choose to ignore them.

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Time after time, the Obama administration has caved on demands it had placed on the Iranians. Whenever Iranian leadership balks, the Americans find a way to back off, while rationalizing the reason for doing so.

The latest issue – a very key issue – involves the requirement, insisted upon by the IAEA, that Iran must reveal all past nuclear military activity. As recently as April 8, John Kerry, in an interview with Judy Woodruff of Newshour, stated definitively that there would be no final deal without this Iranian disclosure:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/iran-must-disclose-past-nuclear-military-activities-final-deal-says-kerry/

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As Omri Ceren of The Israel Project explains (emphasis added):

“Getting Iran to come clean about the atomic work done by its military is…about base-lining the Iranian nuclear program as a critical prerequisite to any verification scheme. Without full, prior disclosure the last arguments that the administration has for the deal – that it will verifiably keep Iran a year away from a bomb – can’t be sustained.

The IAEA needs to know all of the atomic work that the Iranian military has conducted – uranium mining, centrifuge construction, enrichment, etc. – so that inspectors can verify they’ve stopped doing those activities and given up those assets. Otherwise there is no way to verify the Iranians are meeting its obligations.”

Ceren cites David Albright and Bruno Tertrais – respectively of the Institute for Science and International Security and Fondation pour la recherche stratégique – on this:

“It is critical to know whether the Islamic Republic had a nuclear-weapons program in the past, how far the work on warheads advanced and whether it continues. Without clear answers to these questions, outsiders will be unable to determine how fast the Iranian regime could construct either a crude nuclear-test device or a deliverable weapon if it chose to renege on an agreement.”

http://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304081804579559630836775474

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Back in March, the WSJ ran a piece saying that the Obama administration was caving on this. As Ceren describes it:

The West was prepared to “frontload sanctions relief and insist the Iranians come clean some time later lest they face snapback.” This means removing sanctions before the Iranians have provided the required information, The only mechanism then for getting the Iranians to comply would be the threat of re-instating sanctions: “a transparent way of papering over a total collapse.”

It was in response to this WSJ charge that Kerry offered his April 8th denial.

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The whole notion of a “snapback” of sanctions is a highly dubious proposition – once sanctions, which took years to put into place, have been lifted, it would be extremely difficult to reinstate them. If the sanctions that are still in place now (some have already been eased) are not sufficient to coerce Iran into providing required data, the dubious threat that lifted sanctions would be reinstated is likely to have zero effect on the Iranians. The mullahs would consider themselves “home free.”

Iranian President Rouhani said on TV on Saturday that he would not accept a UN inspections regime that jeopardized state secrets.

“Iran will absolutely not allow its national secrets to fall into the hands of foreigners through the Additional Protocol or any other means.”

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4667949,00.html

That’s the heart of the problem right there, is it not: Iran’s state secrets.

~~~~~~~~~~

Last Thursday, Bradley Klapper, writing for the Associated Press (AP) indicated that (emphasis added):

“World powers are prepared to accept a nuclear agreement with Iran that doesn’t immediately answer questions about past atomic weapons work, U.S. and Western officials said. Washington has said such concerns must be resolved in any final deal.

“After a November 2013 interim accord, the Obama administration said a comprehensive solution ‘would include resolution of questions concerning the possible military dimension of Iran’s nuclear program.’

“But those questions won’t be answered by the June 30 deadline for a final deal, officials said, echoing an assessment by the U.N. nuclear agency’s top official earlier this week. Nevertheless, the officials said an accord remains possible. One senior Western official on Thursday described diplomats as ‘more likely to get a deal than not’ over the next three weeks.

http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2015-06-11-US–Iran-Nuclear%20Talks/id-bf93656644504b9386eb34a86065721d

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You have the picture, my friends. I will return to it as I see necessary.

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Yesterday, Prime Minister Netanyahu, joined by Minister Yuval Steinitz, who is his point man on Iran, issued a statement criticizing the current situation:

“To our regret, the reports that are coming in from the world powers attest to an acceleration of concessions by them in the face of Iranian stubbornness,”

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4668323,00.html

Credit: Ohad Swigenberg

”Steinitz, who was in Washington last week to discuss the Iran diplomacy, said the world powers – the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany – were considering a stop-gap whereby inspections would be decided on ‘by committee.’

“Such an arrangement might offer reassurance on paper, but in reality it would give Iran time to cover up illegal nuclear activity or even relocate it off-site,” he told Reuters.”

Ah, our government must be an unending thorn in the side for Obama and his flunkies. I’m not aware of officials from other countries as forthright as this.

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Then there is former head of Mossad, Shabtai Shavit, who spoke at the Herzliya Conference the other day. Also forthright: The Iranians, he said, are using the fact that Obama wants a deal with Iran to be part of his legacy to pressure him for more and more concessions.

“Their patience is much greater than the patience of western negotiators. They will exhaust the Americans, they will squeeze them.”

http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Former-Mossad-chief-Iran-using-Obamas-desire-for-deal-to-extort-concessions-405508

Indeed.

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I’ve written before about the Druze community in Syria, which is now threatened by the jihadists who are moving in. What I addressed then was the possibility that those Druze just over the border in the Syrian Golan might flee into Israel.

But the number of Druze adjacent to the Israeli border near Mt. Hermon is relatively small – perhaps 25,000, while many times that number of Druze live in other areas – primarily in the highlands of Jabal al-Druse, in Suwayda province in the southeast of Syria. In the early part of the 20th century, there was an autonomous Druze region there and there are those who dream of such autonomy again. And there are others in the north, close to Turkey.

What is certain is that all the Druze of Syria are currently at risk. There have been rallies on their behalf held by Druze in Israel, and appeals by Druze leaders such as Sheikh Moafaq Tarif, pictured with the prime minister below. Israel does not foresee the possibility of absorbing all the Druze into northern Israel, and is exceedingly reluctant to enter into direct battle in Syria to protect them.

Credit: Moshe Milner/GPO

However, as one Israel source cited by the Times of Israel said:

“…as a people that experienced the Holocaust, we have no intention of ignoring the possibility of a mass genocide of the Druze minority.” Walla cited a senior Israeli military official, briefing reporters, who said “Israel would not stand idle if it sees a massacre.”

Israel has put out appeals in a variety of quarters – to the US (via Chief of Staff General Martin Dempsey when he visited in Israel last week), the Red Cross, etc. – for greater assistance to the Druze community.

Additionally, what is being discussed in Jerusalem is the possibility of establishing a safe zone for the Druze directly over the border in the Golan. Some sources say a decision on this has not been made yet, others – such as Walla – reports that it has.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-weighs-safe-zone-for-syrias-embattled-druze/

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The possibility of a Kurdish state is not simply an idle dream, but, rather, moves closer to reality with the current unrest in the region. The Kurds have been working towards this goal, with considerable infrastructure and organization in place, for a long time.

I note that right now the Kurds are on the offensive in Syria:

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/196733#.VX8c35uJjIU

The promise of a strong Kurdish presence in the region is good news for Israel. See “Kurdistan: More Like Israel, Less Like Iraq”:

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4975/kurdistan-israel

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More to following very soon…

02/17/15

Suit Seeks Financial Damages from Snowden Inc.

By: Cliff Kincaid
Accuracy in Media

A federal lawsuit has been filed against the Oscar-nominated movie “Citizenfour,” which features NSA defector Edward Snowden and celebrates his theft and release of classified documents. Snowden and his associates are being sued for financial damages for providing aid and comfort to America’s enemies.

Filed on behalf of a retired naval officer who saw the film and took offense at Snowden’s illegal activities, the suit says Snowden and his associates have participated in “a scheme to profit from stolen U.S. government property” and have no right to the money generated by the film. Snowden, who has been charged with espionage and is currently living in Russia, makes regular appearances via video to his supporters in the U.S. He spoke, for example, to a Koch Brothers-sponsored International Students for Liberty conference on February 13.

The “Citizenfour” film has already been shown in theaters, is up for an Oscar at the Academy Awards on Sunday night in the “documentary” category, and is then scheduled to air on the HBO cable channel the night of Monday, February 23.

The suit alleges that the film “glorifies international espionage for profit” and that Snowden’s “dissemination of top-secret documents to foreign enemies” has “seriously damaged” U.S. national security, putting the lives of Americans at risk. Information included in the complaint (Exhibit A) also alleges that the film is not eligible for an Oscar nomination because its entry violates the rules for documentary awards.

While the lawsuit has generated some interest from outlets like The Hollywood Reporter, it has not garnered the national press attention it deserves. Yet, the lawsuit has a very strong factual basis. It cites the 1980 precedent of Snepp vs. United States, in which a former CIA officer was denied the right to gain a profit from a book based on information obtained and then released to the public, in violation of his standard secrecy agreement.

Like Snepp, Snowden violated a secrecy agreement. What’s more, it has been reported that Snowden stole highly classified “Tier 3” documents about ongoing NSA operations. The NSA is part of the Defense Department and its mission is to support military men and women as they fight America’s foreign enemies.

The lawsuit shines a light on how Snowden’s disclosures have put our citizens, military personnel and allies in danger.

Snowden’s disclosures have been blamed for enabling the Russians to conduct a surprise invasion of Ukraine, and for the Islamic State terror group, also known as ISIS, to unexpectedly grow in power and strength in the Middle East. Former CIA officer Robert Baer has said, “…ISIS has been reading Snowden…they know to stay off phones, stay off e-mail and the rest of it. They’re communicating with mobile Wi-Fi. They can beat the National Security Agency…”

In addition to Snowden, defendants in the lawsuit include his collaborator Laura Poitras, the director of “Citizenfour,” and the Weinstein Company, which is distributing the film in the U.S.

To attempt to rectify the damage done to U.S. foreign policy, the lawsuit seeks the establishment of a “constructive trust” to hold the funds generated by the film. The suit argues that a trust would enable the government “to obtain an accounting of all monies, gains, profits, royalties, and other advantages that all Defendants have derived, or will derive in the future, from the publication, distribution, sale, serialization, or republication in any form, including any other rights, of the work entitled ‘Citizenfour,’ whether or not such gains remain in Defendant Snowden’s possession or in the possession, custody or control, whether direct or indirect, of any other Defendant herein.”

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Horace B. Edwards, a patriotic retired naval officer and former Secretary of the Kansas Department of Transportation. Edwards is also a former president of both a pipeline and an engineering company.

His local newspaper, the Topeka Capital-Journal, quotes him as saying that he went to watch the film and soon realized that it was celebrating illegal activity that hurt the United States. Edwards said he had a security clearance while working for the government and would never think of disclosing secret documents. He contacted a local attorney, Jean Lamfers, a former journalist, to bring the legal action.

“Plaintiff Edwards views Defendant Snowden’s acts as dishonorable and indefensible and not the acts of a legitimate whistleblower,” the lawsuit says.

The defendants have argued that their activities are protected by the First Amendment, and that Edwards doesn’t have the standing to sue.

As previously noted by Accuracy in Media, “Citizenfour” shows Snowden in Hong Kong, China, after arranging through encrypted messages to meet his collaborators and disseminate his stolen NSA documents. We argued that the film describes what amounts to an espionage operation to damage America and our allies. Snowden fled from China to Russia, where he is under the control of the Russian secret police, the FSB.

Because of the damage inflicted by Snowden and his associates, the suit anticipates that “hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars” will be needed “to protect human assets placed at risk, restore/revamp computer infrastructure, rebuild relationships with foreign governments, and respond to various enemies’ resurgence efforts, due to the blowback associated with the film and the release of classified information to foreign enemies of this Nation.”

A similar estimate has also been made by former CIA officer Baer, who said about Snowden, “…this guy has done more damage to U.S. intelligence than I’ve seen anybody do. And he’s gone way beyond…protecting privacy of Americans…It’s going to cost us billions.”

Catherine Herridge, chief intelligence correspondent for the Fox News Channel, noted in December of 2013, “A review of the NSA leaks by Fox News shows the majority of the leaks since June now deal with sources, methods and surveillance activities overseas, rather than the privacy rights of American citizens.”

We commented at the time that the evidence showed that Snowden “stole NSA documents and leaked them for the express purpose of weakening America’s defenses against terrorism.”

The lawsuit highlights the financial nature of the Snowden operation, and how he and his associates stand to make millions of dollars from undermining U.S. national security.

02/10/15

“America’s Enemies in Hollywood Then and Now”

By: Cliff Kincaid
America’s Survival

A press conference on “America’s Enemies in Hollywood Then and Now” will be held on February 24 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. to offer commentary on the direction of the Academy Awards and the politics of Hollywood.

Actor Bryan Cranston (right) plays Soviet/Nazi agent
of influence Dalton Trumbo in the upcoming film “Trumbo

Sponsored by America’s Survival, Inc. (ASI), a public policy organization, the event will also explore whether Congress should reinstate a committee on un-American activities and internal security – the same kind that led to the exposure and “blacklist” of Stalinist Communists in Hollywood. The news conference will examine how the Muslim Brotherhood lobby has been manipulating Hollywood’s portrayal of Islamic terrorism in recent years.

Date: February 24, 2015 (two days after the Oscars are announced).

Location: Zenger Room, National Press Club,
529 14th Street Northwest, Washington, D.C.

Time: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Open to the press and the public.

Hosted by Cliff Kincaid, President, America’s Survival, Inc., the event will feature:

Allan H. Ryskind, author, Hollywood Traitors; editor-at-large, Human Events. Allan Ryskind is the son of Hollywood screenwriter Morrie Ryskind, who co-wrote many screenplays on the Marx Brothers and many Broadway musicals. His father, along with Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, Walt Disney, and many others, led the charge against the Communist movement in Hollywood.
Trevor Loudon, author, The Enemies Within: Communists, Socialists and Progressives in the U.S. Congress. Loudon has called for Congressional hearings into internal subversive activities.
Deborah Weiss, Esq. is a contributing author to the book, Saudi Arabia and the Global Islamic Terrorist Network, and is the primary writer and researcher for the book, Council on American-Islamic Relations: Its Use of Lawfare and Intimidation.

Copies of the new book, Hollywood Traitors, will be available for signing by the author. For more information, please go to: www.usasurvival.org 443-964-8208