Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Greenwald have Vulcan Mind Meld re: Obama

[geek tragedy]

The World's Most Loathsome Sex Tourist:

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2013/08/05/it_s_hard_not_to_be_cynical_about_this_regime

You've got people from both parties out talking about this dire terrorist threat. It is huge. We're closing embassies everywhere, not just for a day, but for a week. It's twenty-one embassies and consulates in Allah knows how many countries. That doesn't sound specific to me. They say it's a specific threat, but closing 21 embassies doesn't sound too specific to me. Every report says it was a specific threat and we had to close down 21 embassies and consulates.

...

RUSH: I don't know, folks. It sounds like we're on the run. Seriously. It doesn't sound like Al-Qaeda is on the run. It sounds like we are. It sounds like we're the ones scared to death. We're the ones who shut down 21 embassies, not just for a day but for a week because of a specific threat -- more credible, more ominous than anything since 9/11. Here's Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) on Meet the Press yesterday.



...


RUSH: A quick question, folks. How come nobody is blaming -- there's an anti-Obama YouTube video out there. It's by a belly dancer in Egypt. It's anti-Obama. You look at all of the things. You got the NSA scandal. You got Benghazi, the phony Benghazi scandal, and we're learning so much about the efforts the regime made to keep that thing buttoned up and buttoned down, make sure nobody found out what that was really all about. And the guy who was blamed for that, the filmmaker on that, still in jail without bail somewhere.

So you've got two things. You've got a little bit of a backlash against the NSA. The Russians granting Edward Snowden asylum, so he finally was able to leave the Moscow airport, and then this Benghazi thing -- and again whatever backlash there is against Obamacare. Then all of a sudden here comes this monstrous terror threat that originally was gonna close our embassies on Sunday, but then it was so bad, and it was so anecdotal, and it was so credible, and it was -- I mean, nothing compares to this until you go back to the same kind of chatter that we were hearing before 9/11, so we gotta close the embassy for the whole week. It's just easy to not believe it anymore. It's just too easy to be cynical.

St. Glenn:

http://www.democracynow.org/2013/8/5/greenwald_is_us_exaggerating_threat_to

GLENN GREENWALD: You know, it’s so ludicrous. For eight straight years, literally, Democrats, every time there was a terrorist alert or a terrorist advisory issued by the United States government in the middle of a debate over one of the Bush-Cheney civil liberties abuses, would accuse the United States government and the national security state of exaggerating terrorism threats, of manipulating advisories, of hyping the dangers of al-Qaeda, in order to distract attention away from their abuses and to scare the population into submitting to whatever it is they wanted to do. And so, here we are in the midst of, you know, one of the most intense debates and sustained debates that we’ve had in a very long time in this country over the dangers of excess surveillance, and suddenly an administration that has spent two years claiming that it has decimated al-Qaeda decides that there is this massive threat that involves the closing of embassies and consulates throughout the world. And within literally an amount of hours, the likes of Saxby Chambliss and Lindsey Graham join with the White House and Democrats in Congress—who, remember, are the leading defenders of the NSA at this point—to exploit that terrorist threat and to insist that it shows that the NSA and these programs are necessary.

[Vinnie From Indy]

1. And I would bet big money they BOTH have boxes in their garage!

In some respect, I agree with both!

Three trillion dollars later and Americans are still being told to be scared of guys living in caves or some other hellhole. Not only have we spent trillions to catch assholes like Al-Zawahiri, we have lost thousands of lives and built an abomination of a surveillance state and lost numerous basic rights. For what? Maybe if we just offered a trillion dollars to governments to hand over Al-Zawahiri and other Al-Queda we could return to sanity.

[quinnox]

2. Greenwald is right, and as far as Limbaugh goes, meh, I don't listen to him personally. Not a fan

I really don't care what he has to say. About anything.

[geek tragedy]

3. If Greenwald is right, so is Limbaugh. And that means Yemen is faking it:

http://news.yahoo.com/yemen-criticizes-foreign-embassy-evacuations-165222441.html

Yemeni officials have suggested al-Qaida threats to multiple potential targets in their country in recent days, including foreign installations and government offices in the capital of Sanaa as well as to the strategic Bab al-Mandeb straits at the entrance to the Red Sea in the southern Arabian Peninsula.

It is not clear if these reports are the same as the intelligence that led to the temporary shutdowns of 19 U.S. diplomatic posts across the Muslim world, reportedly instigated by an intercepted message between al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahri and his deputy in Yemen about plans for a major terrorist attack.

...


Yemen increased security around the presidential palace and vital state institutions. Tanks and armored vehicles were seen near the palace, and authorities set up checkpoints across the capital, searching cars and individuals, especially at night. Top government officials, along with military and security commanders, were asked to remain vigilant and limit their movements.

According to a Yemeni government official, President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi returned Sunday to Sanaa from the U.S., but only his son was there to meet him because of security concerns among top authorities who were told they might be targeted by al-Qaida.

[bunnies]

7. And then theres this...

The U.S. measures are warranted given the threat from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, as the group’s Yemeni branch is called, said Theodore Karasik, director of research at the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis in Dubai.

“It signals that al-Qaeda is likely to target American citizens in a possible assassination or kidnapping,” Karasik said.

Last September, Yemeni protesters in Sana’a breached the U.S. Embassy compound’s security perimeter and set two cars ablaze. The attack followed the killing of the American ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and three colleagues during an assault on consular buildings in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Sept. 11.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-06/u-s-embassy-warns-of-yemen-threats-urges-citizens-to-leave.html

Must be more lies.

[liberal_at_heart]

13. oh, my god I am so tired of this equating bullshit. You want to equate Greenwald and Limbaugh. Go

ahead. You want to equate liberals with libertarians. Go ahead. It still won't change our minds or shut us up. You want to play the equating game how about if Greenwald=Limbough then anti-Greenwald=Cheney?

[Mojorabbit]

25. Great post! nt

[cherokeeprogressive]

45. ^^^^^THIS^^^^^

[Union Scribe]

49. EXCELLENT post.

I think people who support these horrible surveillance policies know that they cannot convince anyone they're right, so they're just left with smearing and name-calling. And, for whatever reason, they always know what Limbaugh and the Pauls are saying.

[woo me with science]

4. Greenwald is right, and of course Limbaugh is playing his role.

The corporate divide and conquer game requires that each side oppose the other for show when its own Wall Street puppet is out of power. Unlike Greenwald, who has been consistent in his loathing of these tactics through Bush and Obama, Limbaugh will again defend the indefensible when the Red team is back in office.

Limbaugh is not alone in his easy shifting of principles depending on who is in power. Every corporate puppet plays the game. Witness our own Third Way corporate Democrats who claimed to loathe and see right through the police state and "Terra!" manipulations under Bush, who now relentlessly defend or give credibility to them under Obama.

[bunnies]

6. So Yemen is lying to cover for Obama?

They sure are going to a lot of trouble.

[Vinnie From Indy]

9. What do you think you know about Yemen?

Your ignorance is actually quite sublime!
Cheers!

[bunnies]

10. Try reading posts 3 & 7.

And thanks for the insult.

[Vinnie From Indy]

15. I apologize

I should have been more civil.

[bunnies]

16. Thanks.

I appreciate that.

[bunnies]

12. And heres another one for ya, sunshine.

The BBC's Abdullah Ghorab, in Sanaa, says the Yemeni capital has been experiencing unprecedented security measures, with hundreds of armoured vehicles deployed.

Our correspondent says a security source confirmed that Yemeni intelligence services had discovered that dozens of al-Qaeda members had arrived in Sanaa over the past few days in preparation for the implementation of a large plot.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote

Washington considers al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular to be by far the most dangerous to the West because it has both technical skills and global reach”

The source described the plot as dangerous, and suggested it was to include explosions and suicide attacks aimed at Western diplomatic missions and Yemeni military headquarters.

A source in the Yemeni air force has told the BBC that Yemeni war planes have made regular flights to monitor movements of cells believed to belong to al-Qaeda in the areas of Shaouan and Thahban in Sanaa.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23585923

[reusrename]

39. lerp.

Goes for the whole thread as well.

[bunnies]

44. Im flattered that you chose me.

[reusrename]

48. There's a dazzling blue fog that some folks just cannot see.

We should still enjoy the beauty of it.

[PowerToThePeople]

21. good post

[leftstreet]

30. +1

Nicely stated

[bullwinkle428]

5. Add Rachel Maddow into that mix to make a true "axis of evil"!

From last evening's show:

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/08/06/19895078-a-spoonful-of-terror-prevention-helps-the-surveillance-go-down?lite

She introduced the segment by noting that the warnings took place shortly after public dissatisfaction over the NSA revelations had built to a relative fever pitch.

[woo me with science]

8. Great link.

Thank you for posting that here. It really deserves its own OP, in my opinion.

A spoonful of terror prevention helps the surveillance go down.
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/08/06/19895078-a-spoonful-of-terror-prevention-helps-the-surveillance-go-down?lite

[ProSense]

11. The segment wasn't accusing the President of using the alert for political purpose. n/t

[geek tragedy]

14. Did Maddow accuse Obama of faking the threat? nt

[uponit7771]

42. BULLLLLLLLLLLLLL SHIT!! She never said Obama was fakin it like Greenwald or Limbowls

[99Forever]

17. The smell of desperation...

... is thick.

Smells exactly like rotting bullshit.

[geek tragedy]

18. Hey, if you trust Limbaugh's instincts here . . . nt

[99Forever]

20. Wouldn't know about Limbaugh...

... unlike you, I don't listen to that asshole or pay attention to anything he has to say. Going to be quoting Glen Beck next? Followed by Hannity.

Guess even dittoheads can post on DU these days.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

46. By your logic, you're very trustful of Dick Cheney. Rethink your life.

[kenny blankenship]

26. ...and McCarthyism

[Vinnie From Indy]

19. As far as Yemen goes, try and pick a day when extremist Muslim jihadists ARE NOT

threatening to blow shit up? Add to that the regular population that are still roiling over the brutal crackdown of their Arab Spring by Saleh (with US help). Add to that the fact that it is still a toss up as to whether Pakistan or Yemen is our favorite place to send "Freedom Drone" hellfire missile greetings cards.

In short, Al-Queda in the Arabian Peninsula is ALWAYS a threat to everyone they can touch all the time.

Greenwald makes a great point! His column asks all of us to ask ourselves what the OVER three trillion dollars spent on these wars and the abomination of surveillance system gotten us? Is Al-Queda decimated or not? Which is it? Is this Admin. telling us that the threat is still so large that we must shut down our embassies all over Africa and elsewhere?

He also makes a good point about politicians in D.C. immediately using OUR self-imposed safety precautions to justify what we now know about the NSA's spying.

At the end of the day, I am not going to accept without dissent the dismantling of the 4th Amendment regardless of any attack on upon America.

[Old and In the Way]

37. what would $3 TT have bought our nation?

If we had invested in a decentralized energy economy back when Jimmy Carter's presidency?

*a sane, right sized military mission, instead of supplying the muscle to make Big Oil's 'pump and go' ME biz plan work?
*full employment, creating a labor intensive energy plan
* no security issues with a decentralized energy grid

That's what electing Reagon and his 'conservative' politics has bought this country. Too bad the wrong thinking dummies can't figure this out.

[millennialmax]

22. Two sides of the same sensationalist coin. Same with their audiences.

They just breathe out of different sides of their mouth.

[PowerToThePeople]

23. I will mark you as agreeing with the surveillance state.

[millennialmax]

24. There's so much irony in that statement.

[PowerToThePeople]

27. so much fail with yours

[millennialmax]

28. Okey dokey.

[randome]

31. Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!!

[hr][font color="blue"][center]You should never stop having childhood dreams.[/center][/font][hr]

[99Forever]

32. Enjoy your stay.

[JoePhilly]

29. Lol!!

It's going on your permeant record.

[PowerToThePeople]

34. The fact is

I was reusing YOUR OWN statement from another thread. You know this. I think you are nothing more than a troll. And yes, we need to know who the trolls are on this board. We can be against a surveillance state and still pay enough attention to know and call out those who are working against us.

As someone else said, "enjoy your stay."

[millennialmax]

36. You have in your hand... a list of trolls. eom

[Number23]

43. Ohhh SNAP!!! "They just breathe out of different sides of their mouth."

[Aerows]

33. Thank goodness I have other thoughts on my mind today

Geek Tragedy, I thought better of you than this.

I hope this thread drowns in its own hypocrisy, because, seriously, you and DU are better than this GT.

[CakeGrrl]

35. Convergence. Yep.

Not altogether surprising.

[baldguy]

38. Once upon a time, people who repeated Limbaugh's RW taking points

Would have been correctly denounced & ridiculed on DU as RW nutbags. Now these people are promoted as heroes.

Somehow, I can't view this as progress.

[Cha]

40. Greenwald and Limbaugh agree on bad mouthing Pres Obama.. they

were bound to come up with the same talking points.

Fuck 'em both.

[MotherPetrie]

41. Just like Obama and Chimpy are likethis re the Patriot Act

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

47. Maybe the White House could roll out a WMD threat to make the "TERRA!" alarm more credible.

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. H.L. Mencken