I'm finally putting the pieces together about this reigning insanity and I don't like what I see.

[world wide wally]

Between hearing about how the Saudis are willing to pay the U.S. for an all expense paid invasion vacation to Syria so they can profit on the cost of oil, and the article Greg Palast wrote regarding how the banks resent the Muslim countries because they won't play the derivatives games (usury is against Islamic law). It is getting pretty obvious which interests are calling the shots about Syria.
As usual the evil genius powers have the upper hand in more ways than we can even imagine. They always seem to be at least 2 steps ahead of the rest of us. Think of what they stand to gain.

The Saudis get to spike the price of their oil as mentioned above. The war being a small cost for what they stand to gain.
The banks get to move into the faltering Arab banks in Syria, Iraq, Egypt, and eventually Iran, giving them copious amounts of new money to play their derivatives game. (Warning: They are probably on to the next devious "derivatives 2" plan by now anyway).

Not only all that, but the Republicans get to play the "Peace Party" and sweep into office in the coming elections because of this incredibly unpopular action by Obama giving them Carte Blanche to complete the rest of their plan of eliminating the middle class and raking in more money for the ultra wealthy while looking like the good guys in all this.


We know that this invasion is not about children being gassed. They have been killing children since this civil war began without much notice. The actual truth of that matter is that it is most likely both sides are using chemical warfare. Don't forget... at least part of the rebel contingency is Al Queda.

So what possible reason does the U.S. have for pushing this invasion so strongly?

What happened to our President? At what point did he decide to sell out or has he always been a part of this plan? How did he bring Kerry along with him to play this game? WTF is going on here?
EVERYONE knows this is NOT the man we elected... or at least THOUGHT we elected.

Is the world this evil and corrupted?

I do hope I am wrong about all this, but ...

[MotherPetrie]

1. It definitely raises many more troubling questions than we're *ever* going to get answers for.

[Ocelot]

130. It makes sense that Obama wants to follow Saudi Arabia's lead

After all,

The Saudi Constitution does not provide for a right to privacy. The government can, with a court order, search homes, vehicles, places of business and intercept private communications. People living in the kingdom should assume that communications can be seized by the government for evidence in a criminal trial.

Wait, that's WITH a court order. So they're actually better in this regard than the Obama administration.

[factsarenotfair]

2. "As usual the evil genius powers have the upper hand in more ways than we can even imagine."

I think I started feeling that way when the media went along with the presentation of George W. Bush as a credible candidate for the Presidency.

[KansDem]

95. I still remember one particular NPR report by Cokie Roberts.

It aired during Campaign2000 it which she "reported" on the Bush Charm Offensive™. She said if elected Bush would get things done in DC using his "charm."



This was a "report" on NPR?!!

Oh, and he liked to give out nicknames, too.

[ctsnowman]

115. Don't forget

That's he's the kind of guy you'd have a beer with.

[factsarenotfair]

118. AND he could probably order the beer in Spanish--what a guy!

Not.

[ctsnowman]

123. lol

[KansDem]

128. "What a guy!"

By the time Bush enrolled at Harvard Business School, he was 27-years old. He arrived with a pretty good idea of where he was going—back to Texas—which distinguished him from most of his younger classmates, who were preparing for careers on Wall Street. Harvard classmates remember an iconoclastic character who drove a messy Oldsmobile Cutlass, listened endlessly to the distinctive Latin jazz sound of John Rodriguez Jr., and who sat in the back of the classroom in his bomber jacket chewing tobacco—and discreetly spitting the juice into a paper cup.

http://millercenter.org/president/gwbush/essays/biography/2

[factsarenotfair]

132. He knew that the world was his oyster.

And that someone else would clean up his messes.

[factsarenotfair]

117. She was and is wrong on SO many levels.

The proper response to GWB would, IMHO, be to scream "please don't torture me or kill me!"

[Vanje]

141. Cokie Roberts is now, and has always been a tool of the GOP.

[Cleita]

3. You're getting it.

The world is ruled by super economic powers and all the nations participating are liege lords who must bend their knee to those kings. If somehow one of the lords gets too independent, let's say a Jimmy Carter, they will be removed from office by all the trickery they can conjure when brute force would be too obvious. I think they can be brought down once they are exposed. The problem is exposing them and getting the people to see what is going on. So far we have identified the Koch Brothers but only a small portion of us know about them because the media is bought by them. It's an uphill battle but I'm optimistic now that technology makes it so easy for them to track us, it also makes it really easy for us to uncover their deeds such as has been done recently with the whistle blowers. We need many more of them.

[Cleita]

44. They would just shoot us.

However, how about Occupy Underground. There's a lot that can be done to disrupt the rich assholes owning everything before they even see it coming. Nothing illegal mind you that can get you into trouble, just stuff that will make their lives harder to live.

[Pachamama]

85. You get it....

...I just hope they can be exposed before its too late....

Sigh....

[pscot]

4. Kicked

and recommended.

[Egalitarian Thug]

5. "Is the world this evil and corrupted?" Not the world, just the parasites that own it. n/t

& R

[hibbing]

78. nice quote +1

[Egalitarian Thug]

142. TYVM. It's good to see more people thinking about 'why & who'. n/t

[factsarenotfair]

6. There's some fascinating information here:

http://realworldorder.net/

[Hydra]

7. Add the TPP legislation to that

The war drums have done a good job of distracting from the NSA story- could an actual strike do a better job or covering for TPP fast tracking?

There are big plans afoot...and while they want to make all of this "legal," don't think for a moment that they won't just do it off the books if they get impatient.

[truedelphi]

81. Yep all the discussion about the coming war indicates that we really shouldn't be concerned about

One) The massive and totalitarian surveillance state, as revealed by Binney, Manning and Snowden
Two) Trans Pacific Partnership, which promises to Monsanto-ize the rest of the food eating world.

Those two items are not anywhere in the media today.

[pampango]

108. The "good news" is the temporary coalition between the Progressive and Tea Party Caucus opposing

a Yes vote on authorizing a strike on Syria might carry over to "fast track" and the TPP itself.

The Odd Bipartisan Coalition That Could Sink Obama's Free-Trade Legacy

Executive-power-wary Tea Partiers and labor-aligned Democrats could block "fast-track" authority for two huge agreements.

It is generally agreed that the Obama will not be able to conclude the TPP and TTIP negotiations unless Congress grants him Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) -- commonly known as "fast-track" -- which guarantees that Congress will hold a straight up or down vote on any trade agreement the president negotiates.

When Congress grants TPA to a president, the authorizing legislation always includes negotiating objectives. This is a reminder to the president that he is acting as a delegate from Congress. The negotiating objectives themselves, however, often become the major point of contention. It was a battle over labor and environmental standards, for example, that prevented the House from granting President Clinton fast-track authority in 1998.

The battle in the House might be even more interesting. ... One can easily see an odd alliance in the House between progressive Democrats, who reflect the concerns of organized labor, and Tea Party Republicans, who don't want to give power away to the president. Even Rep. Darrell Issa, usually a free-trade advocate, might oppose it because of suspicions about the secretive nature of the TPP negotiations.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/06/the-odd-bipartisan-coalition-that-could-sink-obamas-free-trade-legacy/276938/

[Barack_America]

8. It *could* be about the use of chemical weapons.

And deterring their future use.

I'm not saying ulterior motives do not exist, but for some the motive could be as simple as this.

[Vanje]

29. If the President wanted to mitigate the suffering from future Sarin attacks,

We'd be lobbing pay loads of Atropine Sulfate.
Atropine is a cheap effective antidote for Sarin.
It would save lives no matter where the Sarin gas originated.

[Little Star]

51. +1

[Carolina]

62. Touche!

This isn't a humanitarian intervention; cruise missiles are not humanitarian

[ConcernedCanuk]

84. Good idea about the antidote, but then the MIC/PNAC gang wouldn't make any $$$

.
.
.

And all the ruh roh guys wouldn't get to drop bombs and send missiles from afar.

No fun having all these weapons and not being able to use them ya know.

Da boys want target practice, and Syria is today's bullseye.

Remember - these art "smart" weapons -

They won't kill women and children.

CC

[mwrguy]

86. Atropine is not an antidote

It just allows you to keep your shit together and function a little longer before you die. That's why soldiers carry it, along with 2-Pam Chloride and Diazepam.

It might counteract a light dose long enough for you to survive if you are very lucky.

[grahamhgreen]

93. Better send gas masks too.

[proReality]

76. We don't have an altruistic government.

It's all about oil again.

[grahamhgreen]

90. It's not. Didn't we all get fooled once already with Iraq?

[KansDem]

97. Yeah, and remember...

[dixiegrrrrl]

107. Tell ya what....

Here is link to a nice timeline of all the big and little wars the US has been involved in since 1990.
9 of them, to be exact.
The timeline, when you click on a country, gives you the rationale, the international authority, the weapons used, and the outcome.

Look it all over and then see how the Syria situation appears to you.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2013/09/201395758918848.html

[zeemike]

9. What happened to our President?

He was captured by the PTB....and if not before he even ran, then right after he was elected...they made him an offer he could not refuse...
Now Kerry probably was captured when he was indoctrinated into Skull and Bones and has been their tool for a long time.

But what we think they very likely is an illusion that was created for us by them with the help of the media.

[tblue37]

18. I think most people who run for high office have a naive notion

about how much freedom they will have to assert their will once in office. I believe they drastically underestimate the power of the oligarchs and their minions in the "shadow" government.

I also think that, as shown in the Alan Alda/Meryl Streep film "The Seduction of Joe Tynan," in the process of getting into high office, the candidate ends up giving in on a myriad of seemingly inconsequential issues and situations, only to find that in the aggregate they box him in once he achieves office.

Nor do I discount the possibility that those in office are subjected sometimes, as you say, to " offers they can't refuse." Where great power and/or great wealth is at stake, many who are wealthy and powerful feel no qualms about committing astonishing evil. In fact, many who are wealthy and powerful got that way specifically because they are sociopaths who have no qualms about anything, no matter how heinous normal human beings might find it.

[Hissyspit]

19. +1

[tblue37]

49. I was NOT saying that HE is a sociopath. I was saying that those who really have the

Last edited Sat Sep 7, 2013, 08:00 PM - Edit history (1)

power (the wealthy and their minions) are usually sociopaths, and that when people like Obama run for high office, they mistakenly believe they will be able to have more freedom and to do more good than is the case.

When they finally get into office, they discover how boxed in they really are--and perhaps they are even subjected to "offers they can't refuse"--i.e., threatened by the sociopaths who are willing to commit heinous crimes in order to protect or enlarge their own wealth and power.

My other point was that the people of great wealth and power who really do run things are mostly sociopaths, because to achieve that level of wealth and power is very difficult unless the person is not constrained by such things as decency, conscience, or respect for human values or laws.

The powerful sociopaths I was referring to were people like Murdoch, the Kochs, Adelstein, etc.

[CoffeeCat]

70. I think he was TOLD how it's going to go down...

Last edited Sat Sep 7, 2013, 11:43 PM - Edit history (1)

I think the powers-that-be sit the new President down and enlighten him about how the world really works. The President really has no power. It's these behind-the-scenes neocons/PNACers and corporate overlords who run things. Our elected representatives are just bought-and-paid for Pez dispensers.

Obama has been folded into the fray, and my guess is that the corruption is so entrenched, so deep and so set in stone--that the good people who become a part of it--have to play along. There is no choice.

I still remember during the 2008 primary. Obama handed out his "Blueprint for America." I still have a copy. In his "Blueprint", Obama mentions that he wants to restore Habeas Corpus.

Remember Habeas Corpus? Bush stole it from us. I'm no lawyer, but my understanding is that Habeas forces the government to produce a "body of evidence" against you, in order to charge you for a crime. They can't just round you up because they're suspicious, or because they don't like you. They must produce evidence. Bush took that away, and Obama cared enough about this injustice to include it in his platform.

Ok, Habeas is obscure. It's not an idea that attracts a lot of voters, like healthcare or education reform. But it was important enough for Obama to include it in his plan.

He's not a neocon. He knows that these people are corrupt psychopaths. He's a former Constitutional Law Professor and a community organizer, for Pete's sake. He's not a corporate prick like Romney--raised on greed, corruption and dysfunction.

Obama's blueprint--among other things--is circumstantial evidence that Obama is not one of them. His actions--and his leveraging of the neocon Syria plan--is circumstantial evidence that our President has no real power and is forced to play a role in making their neocon war dream a reality.

I also believe that Obama's demand that Congress vote on Syria was him saying that he's not going to solely carry this sick water. If they want to use him and the Presidency--then others will have to partake as well. I read that before Obama went to Congress to ask for the vote--he deliberated with John Kerry for quite a while. I believe they both know the score. They devised a way to spread the blame, and make it more difficult for war to happen. I really believe that.

Our world is so f'd up. Call your elected representatives daily. Tell them that you don't want this. Protest in your area or join other future protests. It's all we've got--and it is a lot if we participate.

[world wide wally]

71. I don't know if this is "en"couraging or "dis"couraging, but you may well be right

[Pachamama]

88. Well summarized....

All you said are the same thoughts that have raced through my head as I try to figure out this clusterfuck that we are about to get embroiled in. Its been surreal seeing John Kerry up there at a podium today in Paris next to his French counterpart saying what he was saying about why we must go into Syria. The same fucking John Kerry that I and so many others went out campaigning for and watched speak out against the very arguments that Bush-Cheney made for war against Iraq, and now its like someone took the script and handed it to Obama and Kerry.

I feel like my head wants to implode - none of it makes any sense and its as if we are in some kind of bad dream....

But I remember the discussions when Bush was leaving office about the outgoing President leaving a "letter" to the incoming President....I remember thinking and wondering what those letters say and why they aren't in any Presidential museums....My guess mirrors similar to your description above....that as they read it, they are basically told that they aren't in charge and to look up and in the door there is the "real" power be and they better do what they want or they end up joining others real fast, or worse.

Everyone I know says "what has happened to Obama?". My own kids are asking that question. I just wish I knew how we put an end to this shit that has been going on for at least 50 plus years since Kennedy was assassinated. Its got to stop. But how?

Meanwhile, Jared Huffman, our new congress critter who replaced Lynn Woolsey (who was a vocal opponent to the Iraq war, from the beginning) his office got an earfull from me on Friday....and I am sure I wasnt his only call. I just cant believe here we are, 10 fucking years after we were out protesting the war on Iraq, that we have to be taking to the streets again....and this time with it being pushed by Obama with John Kerry?

Someone stop this nightmare....

[reformist2]

100. Pretty much. I think POTUS has some power, but not on the "important" issues (i.e., foreign policy).

[TBF]

105. Protest in your area or join other future protests -

You are a tad more optimistic than me (if you read "the audacity of hope" you see that he knew he was selling out when he was campaigning - lots of details in there about how it works). But I basically agree with you and about how we fix it.

One way or another, the capitalism has got to go. It is innately corrupt and only rewards corrupt behavior.

[eilen]

111. Well, it hasn't been restored-- they call theses things campaign promises for a reason.

Once promised and quickly forgotten.

[whathehell]

79. Yes, I was also struck by that very serious, not happy look on PBO's face on election night

and I found it odd as well...Crowds in Lincoln Park going crazy and I don't remember him smiling even ONCE.

I remember wondering why he didn't look at all happy.

[HumansAndResources]

82. His Campaign Advisors included Brzenzki (war criminal) and Wall St types

I tried to warn everyone I knew before the primaries. No one wanted to hear it.

Even more clever, the "right" believed the 'Obama is a commie' stuff coming from right-wing radio, and this reinforced the "he is on our side" from the working-class left.

Next primary - no candidates with advisors from the DLC / CFR / WallSt Crowd - OK?

[zeemike]

57. I remember an interview with Jimmy Carter

where the interviewer asked him what surprised him the most about the presidency and he said "how little power you really have"

And the look in his eyes said it all for me...because Carter has very expressive eyes...and is an honest man.

But let's face it, if you love money, and many of them do, you will do any manner of evil to keep your billion dollars...and that is at the heart of that saying; the love of money is the root of all evil.

[felix_numinous]

140. I agree!

And have suspected this all along. It's hard to face just how powerful the big gilded families are-like the Bushes.

Their power has grown exponentially since 2000, so much so it is becoming obvious to everyone. And that is what has me worried, what happens when propaganda doesn't work anymore? They need a compliant populace.

[VanillaRhapsody]

26. CT!!!!

[grahamhgreen]

91. He was corrupted. He sold out. He failed as a person.

[Marr]

146. I think he was simply screened.

There's no need to convert anyone when the political system is for sale. Just make sure the guy you're funding is an agent of the 1% by nature. If Obama wasn't naturally inclined to be a Wall Street/MIC stooge, he'd still be in a low level office in Illinois.

[zeemike]

147. The sad part is you are probably right

Which makes true what George Carlin said...it is called the American dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.

[blkmusclmachine]

10. Follow the money.

[harun]

121. +1

[DeSwiss]

11. Is the world this evil and corrupted?

- Yes. And only we can fix it by throwing the so-called ''leaders'' out and creating a new system. One that does not include money or banks at all.

K&R

[AnotherMcIntosh]

15. Wow. How can they not think there will be unintended consequences?

[DeSwiss]

24. They're counting on them. :-| n/t

[Ghost Dog]

65. Exactly.

This is intended to be the start of the big one, is my impression.

There's still time for mutiny, though...

[PopeOxycontinI]

89. What do they gain...

from the "Big One."
You can't collect rent if you flip the Monopoly board over.

[Z_I_Peevey]

122. Smaller population to control,

fewer people to fight for dwindling resources,
more terrified surviving population willing to serve them.

They figure it's a win-win-win, I guess.

[PopeOxycontinI]

137. I suppose....

if the peak oil people are right(finally, after being wrong for the past decade) and economic growth is over,
then what you are saying could follow....but what evidence is there that TPTB really know what's going on
in that department? They seem really deluded to me into believing their own infinite growth bullshit.
Why are they even bothering with stuff like the TPP?

[Ghost Dog]

143. A Financial System Reset

that will be rather like the (cruel) transition to oligarchy in Russia, writ large, I guess they expect.

The psychopathic scum already risen to the 'top' will be expecting to stay there and greatly strengthen their positions over the course of the coming singularity.

This is a revolutionary opportunity to prove them very, very wrong about that.

[sendero]

101. Exactly...

.. the people running the show are not fools. They know this strike would have deeply serious risks. Talking about WWIII probably seems like rank hyperbole to most but look at the facts. You have involvement here with Iran, Russia and China. The global struggle for petroleum resources is about to get very serious as demand rises and production levels off.

Talk about throwing a molotov into the embassy, that is what this would be.

[VanillaRhapsody]

27. You realize you are advocating the overthrow of democracy here right? That's the current "system" we

use...

[PowerToThePeople]

32. You can still have democracy without money or banks. n/t

[VanillaRhapsody]

33. but you said we need a new "system"...

democracy is our chosen system.

[PowerToThePeople]

35. I did not say that.

It was DeSwiss. But, they did not say democracy had to go. They said banks and money need to go.

DeSwiss (18,936 posts)
11. Is the world this evil and corrupted?

- Yes. And only we can fix it by throwing the so-called ''leaders'' out and creating a new system. One that does not include money or banks at all.

K&R

[VanillaRhapsody]

36. what does "creating a new system"

mean if not replace the current system which is democracy...

[PowerToThePeople]

38. If you are unable to understand DeSwiss' post, I am unable to help you. n/t

[marew]

50. +1 nt

[Little Star]

53. Jesus, do you understand english? You keep repeating things that were not said......

[Scuba]

104. There's lots of systems in play here, not just democracy.

[dixiegrrrrl]

109. Pssst....look here:

"Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends [i.e., securing inherent and inalienable rights, with powers derived from the consent of the governed], it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness." --Thomas Jefferson: Declaration of Independence, 1776. ME 1:29, Papers 1:315

[chervilant]

114. Our "economic system" is

separate and distinct, and diametrically opposed to the equality for which we strive with our much vaunted democracy -- our "political system." The sociopathic corporate megalomaniacs who own and control the majority of the world's resources work hard to conflate these systems in order to foster the misconception that capitalism is good. It isn't, and more of the Hoi Polloi worldwide are waking up to this fact (as Marx predicted).

[VanillaRhapsody]

126. but he did not say "change our economic system" did he?

no system is without flaws...

[chervilant]

134. "...no system is without flaws..."

Of course, that completely substantiates your position...

Actually, the point is (which you seem to be missing, still), your posts suggest that you conflate the two systems.

P.S. Capitalism is BEYOND "flawed." It is incumbent upon us to develop a better system.

[tblue37]

145. Democratic socialism, perhaps? Iceland didn't actually get rid

of banks, but it did slap them silly after the 2008 crash, punishing them, not protecting them from the losses caused by their reckless gambling with other people's money, not shoveling record profits at them, but instead returning to the people much of the money that the banks had stolen from them.

And look: today Iceland is doing better than the European countries that put the well-being of huge, rapacious banks above the well-being and rights of its citizens.

[VanillaRhapsody]

152. that I can get behind...

anarchy...not so much...

[polichick]

41. Correction, democracy in name only. You toss it out in favor of a functioning democracy.

[VanillaRhapsody]

127. thats the Republic part of our form of Democracy in play..

[DeSwiss]

63. ....

''...Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.''

The American Declaration of Independence

[TBF]

106. It is not the democracy that is the problem -

it is the capitalism.

They are not the same. We can keep the democracy (political system) but the capitalism (economic system) has to go.

[VanillaRhapsody]

125. that is NOT what he said....

he did not say change the economic system did he?

[TBF]

151. Did I say that he said that?

No, I'm expressing my opinion like everyone else. But thanks for your net nannying ...

[99th_Monkey]

12. K&R - I pretty much share your feelings. Bombing Syria stinks to high heaven.

For all the reasons you touch on. The Shadow Guv-mint's "Curtain" is wearing
thinner & thinner these daze.

Thanks for your observations, and for how you connect the dots. Nicely done.

[jazzimov]

13. .

[DisgustipatedinCA]

61. Insightful. I think there's a Larry the Cable Guy avatar, if you're interested in switching.

[bigtree]

14. Saudis fund every major U.S. initiative against Iran

. . . as far back as Bush senior's bombing of Iraq at their behest.

[amandabeech]

58. The Iranians are their greatest enemy.

The Saudis use their money accordingly.

[valerief]

16. Obama and Kerry are Disney animatronics. Or soulless. That's my take on it. nt

[iamthebandfanman]

17. "Republicans get to play the "Peace Party" and sweep into office in the coming elections"

with a little help from their anti-war counter parts on the left !

cant give them all the credit!

[mick063]

20. The Democratic Party is not helping itself by exposing their true agenda.

Frankly, the GOP would be easily swept away if not for the corruption of many top Democratic leaders.

Their puppet strings are so blatantly obvious, they do not even care to competently hide them any more.

[VanillaRhapsody]

28. "true agenda"?

When did Democratic Underground start allowing CT?

[Little Star]

54. That's what I keep wondering every time I reads one of your posts.

[HumansAndResources]

83. So Larry Summers is Imaginary? Obama's 1st Natl-Sec Director - No "Daily Orders" from Kissinger?

Too bad he admitted it in public.
http://www.cfr.org/world/remarks-national-security-adviser-jones-45th-munich-conference-security-policy/p18515

And the Health Czar of the FDA isn't a Monsanto guy rubber-stamping Frankenfood as "safe"?

Yes, the War-Criminals, Industrialist Barons, and Wall St Banksters and Traders do run the show - and this will continue, for as long as we elect who the media they own tell us is electable. That is no "theory."

[Not Sure]

48. Am I reading your post right?

Are you saying anti-war Democrats will help usher in a Republican sweep in the next election? I don't think that's true at all.

Frankly, if I don't stand for peace, there's really nothing left to stand for.

[malaise]

21. Ding ding we have a winner

Rec

[sabrina 1]

22. I don't think the world is evil. I think evil people somehow manage to get into positions of power

and then inflict their evil on the rest of the world. Most people just want to raise their families, be with their friends and loved ones and have no desire to harm other people.

We would all be fine with each other, if it wasn't for the bad guys who instill fear and as a result hatred into people's minds.

The day the people join together and tell where to go, will be the day when they run for their miserable lives.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

30. So true.

It's not the followers and average people that wake up one morning and think to themselves, hmm, I think we should attack this or that country, it's the leaders in various areas of power that make those choices, usually behind the scenes and in secret, but to play devils advocate, sometimes that's OK.

We need to change the way this works, but the problems are so complex, I fear it's passed the tipping point.

[randome]

47. Nicely put!

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Birds are territorial creatures.
The lyrics to the songbird's melodious trill go something like this:
"Stay out of my territory or I'll PECK YOUR GODDAMNED EYES OUT!"[/center][/font][hr]

[Raksha]

66. I have a feeling that day isn't far off, although I couldn't tell you why.

Re "The day the people join together and tell where to go, will be the day when they run for their miserable lives."

Hubris is always the downfall of these sociopaths...ALWAYS! They are so heavily bought into the myth of their own omnipotence they believe nothing can stop them. Certainly not us little nobodies, the 99 percent, no matter how many millions of us there are. After all, don't they have the power of life and death over us?

The Occupy movement really rattled them for a while because they didn't see it coming, but it didn't take them long to crack down. So now they believe they have everything under control again, or at least enough under control to make their final play for world domination.

And it WILL be their final play, because if it fails they are toast and they know it. I sense a kind of desperation in these most recent manipulations. Desperation and hubris at the same time, but mostly it's the hubris that's the dominant note.

What really stands out for me is how careless and sloppy they are getting in the way they dish out the propaganda. Did they really think they could recycle the SAME lies they used to sell the Iraq War only 10 years ago, and expect us not to notice?

[Link Speed]

23. Yes, it is this evil and corrupted

Penny Pritzger and L Summers, for starters.

Obama, Kerry, et al are simply reading from the supplied script.

[7962]

25. Let me play devil's advocate ( and I DONT support attacking Syria)

Actually this has little to do with Syria, but how many here on DU have lamented "What happened to Obama?"
When he was campaigning he promised to do away with so much and yet he has kept much of what was begun under Bush and even expanded some programs. We all wonder, what the heck? Well, here's something I don't think a lot of people factor in.
Its easy to promise when you're running. But then you get elected and all of a sudden you get to see EVERYTHING. ALL the intel thats been gathered, all the operations ongoing, everything. And you get to see just how much evil IS going on out there and how much of it wants to get to US. And we cannot know all that HE knows, nor should we. We already are told too much about what is covertly going on.
In a nutshell, Obama goes into office and says "holy shit, I had no idea". Neither do we.

[tweeternik]

52. +1 nt

[truedelphi]

94. But so much of how he has failed us has not one damn thing to do with the EVILS

of the world.

I mean, he is campaigning very hard for this war, but how hard did he campaign for Single payer Universal HC? Or even for the public option? There is not any intel out there that says that a public option would hurt innocent babies.

Obama clearly made a decision immediately upon his election, to serve the One Percent. Right from the get go, his appointments were very much in tune with the BIGS of our society: Big banking, big military, big insurers, big agricultural firms like Monsanto.

Or maybe he never meant any of the things that he said prior to being elected. And it all was just an act.

[bvar22]

129. The decision to be the employee of the 1% was made long before his election.

He has been groomed and managed for a Presidential Run for years.

How else could a little known, single term state senator with NO record of anything land such a PLUM, Prime Time, coveted Speaking Position at the 2004 Democratic Convention?
There are plenty of powerful celebrity Democrats much higher up the food chain who would have KILLED for that favorable National TV Face Time in front of a cheering, approving convention crowd.

When you look at this record in the Illinois State Senate (voting mostly "present" on any controversial issue), and his term as a US Senator (avoiding controversy at all cost), it ALL starts to make sense.

[chervilant]

138. O, but, bvar,

so many of our citizens don't want to look at these obvious clues!

Plus a gazillion, btw...

(P.S. My Cherokee Purple heirlooms are delish!)

[Marr]

148. That's what I've thought since 2004.

As soon as I saw the corporate media universally pronounce this unknown, cosmically well-booked politician "the future of the Democratic Party", I knew he was a stooge. He's a thoroughly screened servant of the 1%. If he wasn't, he'd still be in some anonymous post in Illinois.

[bvar22]

149. In this game, with BILLIONS on the table,

NOTHING happens by accident.

[7962]

150. Wow, what you've said is pretty much what the GOP was yelling during the 08 campaign!

And I'm not being critical of your statement either. I remember watching him speak and saying to my parents "He's gonna take it from Hillary next election".
So who is gonna take it from Hillary THIS time? Don't want to ruffle feathers, but it's not going to be Warren or Sanders.

[bvar22]

153. If this administration is successful at launching a new WAR...

...despite the overwhelming disapproval of the American people,
it will be the Republicans taking it from Hillary this time

(I used your terminology with a bad taste in my mouth.
Hillary does not OWN the Democratic Party nomination,
so NOBODY will be taking ANYTHING from her. That entitled royalty assumption has always bothered me about the conservative Hillary Club in the Democratic Party)

It may be too late already, even if they DO back out of this ill advised Military Adventure. Much depends on how smoothly The MANDATE is implemented, and how well The Exchanges are set up and operated.
If is is anything like the implementation of the TSA,
Democrats may not be electable for a generation.

[AdHocSolver]

31. One of the best descriptions of current realpolitik on DU.

The biggest beneficiaries to the U.S. attacking Syria are the Saudis and the oil companies.

Syria is allied with Iran, and Iran has a lot of oil. Get rid of Syria, and Iran has one less ally in the region.

It amazes me that even after the blatancy of the war for oil in Iraq, people still can't understand that the U.S. military is being used as a proxy for OPEC ( led by Saudi Arabia ) and the oil companies.

The Saudis' offer to pay for a U.S. invasion of Syria is even more telling about the true nature of the push for an attack on Syria. The results of such an attack would not be any more to the benefit of Syrians than the war against Iraq benefited the Iraqi people.

[PowerToThePeople]

34. USA, the world's rent-a-army n/t

military

[Brigid]

69. Yep, now we're the Hessians.

But only if we allow it. I hope it isn't too late to stop it.

[mick063]

39. Yep.

Oil greed has turned us into Sunni nation. We eliminated the main renegade Sunni, Saddam Hussein, and now the Saudi led Gulf States have dominance over the religious sect. It is clear sailing for them now. The final business of settling a ten thousand year old war with the Shiites awaits.

The United States fits in how? As the mob used to say, "Nothing personal. Strictly business." Iran and yes, possibly even Pakistan, are in the cross hairs.


Meanwhile, the Christian right is delighted we are killing Muslims. To them, it doesn't matter which sect. To them, the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim. They are busy passing state legislation forbidding Sharia law. They don't have a clue.

[Catherina]

73. +1 n/t

[AverageJoe90]

37. Though I have a very good reason to doubt that Syria will help the GOP much, especially given.......

their outright hypocrisy on the issue, as well as so many other things that have been exposed(in fact, their party is STILL falling apart; although don't get me wrong, they WILL still play the dirty tricks game, and if they manage to steal enough votes in '14, you can bet that Syria is going to be one of the FIRST diversions they'll throw up, just like they tried Benghazi in '12.).....not to mention there's never been any reason to suspect that Obama's part of the problem(do remember, BTW, how TPTB's favorite Republican strategist, Karl Rove, reacted when Romney didn't win like they were hoping).....you DO have one thing right: the Saudis really are up to no good, and neither are the other Gulf States for that matter, Iran included.

[randome]

40. Everything is not a puzzle.

You may be trying to put together a thousand piece puzzle from a pile of several thousand pieces.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Birds are territorial creatures.
The lyrics to the songbird's melodious trill go something like this:
"Stay out of my territory or I'll PECK YOUR GODDAMNED EYES OUT!"[/center][/font][hr]

[polichick]

42. One corporate/mic party - two faces. That's becoming clear to more and more people.

[Little Star]

55. I doubt your wrong. k&r

[Pyrzqxgl]

56. And the munitions industry and makers of sarin gas make lots & lots of money.

[amandabeech]

60. Don't forget that the Russians sell a lot of oil.

The price of Russian oil goes up with the world market.

Putin could have more money in his treasury if the world oil prices stay up as a result of this war.

[nradisic]

64. what happened?

No kidding? I feel bamboozled after voting for Obama...twice? NSA revelations and beating the war drums just did it for me. The manchurian candidate; we were all duped...

[cantbeserious]

67. Hope And Change Has Become Comply Or Die

eom

[Lonr]

68. After 9/11

nothing else our government does surprises me anymore...

[SylviaD]

72. I am so disappointed regarding the president. I think I may be beginning to hate him. n/t

[Bryn]

74. Got this from facebook

OccupyMARINES

HISTORY

"As World War I drew to a close in 1918, millions of American veterans returned home to the promise of a cash bonus — compensation for their overseas service. There was a catch, though: The money would not be paid out until 1945.
Then, the Great Depression struck. Millions of Americans were left hungry and homeless. Veterans of the war were desperate for relief.
So in 1932, a group of veterans in Portland, Ore., led by a man named Walter Waters, decided to go to Washington to lobby for early payment of their promised bonus. They called themselves the Bonus Army.
(The Bonus promised was for $1,000 to each veteran. Corporations of the war machine profited millions and billions, even in WW1.)
As they moved eastward, their idea caught on. Radio stations and newspapers began to pick up the story. Desperate veterans (some with their wives and children) from all over the country began jumping on freight trains, heading for the capital.
Retired Marine Corps Gen. Smedley Butler came to speak to the marchers:
"I never saw such fine Americanism as is exhibited by you people," he said. "You have just as much right to have a lobby here as any steel corporation. Makes me so damn mad, a whole lot of people speak of you as tramps. By God, they didn't speak of you as tramps in 1917 and '18", he said.
On June 15, the House of Representatives passed a bill to pay out the bonus. The Bonus marchers celebrated. But then the Senate turned it down and adjourned..."
The rest, is history.
http://www.npr.org/2011/11/11/142224795/the-bonus-army-how-a-protest-led-to-the-gi-bill
The Bonus Army, each video is 9 minutes:
Part 1 -

Part 2 -

Part 3 -

[Chaco Dundee]

75. you are wrong in a way

Everything you said and suspect is right,but your suspicions only touch half of what is going on ,and what is proposed at the best.the truhts behind this facade is again as horrible as irak,afghanistan and the all out assaullt on the masses here at home.the tragedy lies in the fact that we pay taxes to make all this misery,including our own possible.we cry,we don't grow.

[samsingh]

77. you raise some excellent and valid points

well put.

[rhett o rick]

80. To say that the President sold out is to rationalize that he was ever in charge.

Makes more sense to me that he is a puppet of those in charge. The same people are in charge now that were in charge during the Bush Admin. Tell me who is different. Face it, the president is a figurehead.

[nxylas]

87. Can you provide a link to the Palast article you mention?

It sounds interesting, and I couldn't find it on his website.

[world wide wally]

92. Here is the link...http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/making_the_world_safe_for_banksters_syria_in_

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/making_the_world_safe_for_banksters_syria_in_the_cross-hairs_20130905/?ln

[nxylas]

120. Thanks n/t

[Turborama]

144. Thanks for asking, I was going to do the same thing

And thanks to Wally for the heads up and the link.

[polynomial]

96. The logic in this post flows like a mathematical formula

Have to hand it to you wide world Wally the logical progression is intuitive giving the very harsh decadent relationship to current events. Others are great in pointing out the so called powers that be. We all should find this interesting to a holy marvelous way for many of us communicating in as anonymous author give the feeling of real experience that outs those political master deceivers. Those world war campers reveal something interesting, they got together to communicate to get what they wanted yet still got punked. That is very much how many feel that voted for Obama or Kerry. I am one.

They the insider one percent behind doors closed shielded for decades by mainstream media Gaussian free market first amendment shield are on the other side elusive with a total counterproductive method to money distribution in life liberty and the pursuit of happiness or basic constitutional values.

They the rich elite after generations, have no connection in the wisdom of a good government. So here we are tangled up in a mess so screwed up that likely the only way is to turn the monopoly board over. Now that is where I need to think through. As I said in the beginning wide world Wally is not the only commenter here that has a very deep practical grasp of the nature that could help to find the solution.

Yes, knowledge of those derivative secret markets will always be a step ahead of the game. Moving forward to know how to navigate the Navier Stokes function is to understand whats on your plate, besides whats in your wallet. To move away from the Gaussian is to move away from being trained by mainstream commercials the first agenda to turn over the monopoly board. Which is known to the educational elite that are the pedagogy oppressors.

Bring Euler Gauss and Fourier mathematics to an understandable working order in the k-12 system. Our young can understand how to work this technology in science before they leave the k-12 system or expand free education to k-18, because if that does not happen our system will disintegrate. Fair warning to the one percent money barons they will have no value without people.

Actually all we here think about what will likely be away to make more money for them, take the Koch brothers, yes even them can be turned around. They are of that generation obviously that is so connected they lost origin in good government which is likely and because very reason government made them rich. Any human structure seems to need government but it obviously corrupts. Laws are for many and not for one person to be the decider. We all need to participate not just the one percent.

[bobduca]

102. Thank you for posting this

please consider a more aggressive us of the lowly comma, and or semi-colon in your future prose!

[Enthusiast]

98. WTF is going on here?

That is the big question. The U.S.A. has went bizarre since the 2,000 election.

[sendero]

99. Anyone that thinks this is about.

... ANYTHING but money is a delusional fool. Where were we when there was a massacre in Rwanda? No where, because they don't have any oil.

Claiming this is "humanitarian" is laughable.

And the part that gives me hope is that Americans are finally getting it and saying "no" to sacrificing more lives and treasure for the benefit of those who already have more than they know what to do with.

[TBF]

103. Have you read his books?

Dreams from my Father - gives us a history
The Audacity of Hope - how to sell out


If there ever was a Marxist or socialist bone in his body it's long gone. He's doing the job he was "elected" to do.

[bobduca]

110. Upgrade from World's Policeman to World's Mercenary!

[Laelth]

112. I have to disagree with this analysis.

Here's my take:

As far as I can tell, this conflict is about natural gas. The UK, France, Italy, Spain, and Germany want it. Russia has it, and they exert a lot of influence on the European natural gas market. Our Western European allies want a pipeline through Syria to bring natural gas from Northern Iraq to the Mediterranean so that they can evade the stranglehold of Russia's near monopoly. Russia, obviously, doesn't want their lucrative natural gas market threatened, so they're propping up Assad (who has promised not to allow the pipeline). We're "subtly" pushing for Assad's removal so that the pipeline can be built to aid our European allies.

As far as I can tell, the Saudis have little interest in this conflict. They're definitely not worried about increasing their wealth. They're plenty rich already. They rely upon the United States to supply them with top-of-the-line military equipment and to preserve the market that has allowed them to become as rich as they are. I seriously doubt that Islamic usury laws have any bearing whatsoever on their decisionmaking.

-Laelth

[grantcart]

113. Its astonishing how low a bar DU has reached when it comes to conspiracy claptrap.

Let's start with the premise

The Saudis get to spike the price of their oil as mentioned above

If you have been following Saudi's strategy on oil pricing for the past decade then you will see that they are the most active in stabilizing prices, not profiting from "oil spikes". Every single time prices have spiked the Saudis have increased production to bring it down. The reasons for this is not the least mysterious: With their economy basically based on the US dollar and their investments heavily tied into the SP 500 a spike in oil prices will cost them more in a loss in equity value than the increase of oil revenue and it will lead to a drop in demand when the economy tanks. They make more money by keeping markets stable.

If you google "Saudi takes action to stabilize oil prices" you can read hundreds of articles on the subject, its not exactly a mystery.

Here is one

http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/19/news/international/saudi_oil/

Saudi summit aims at oil prices

The world's largest oil producer, worried the escalating cost of crude will dampen demand, is convening a special meeting on Sunday to seek solutions.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Saudi Arabia this weekend will convene a special summit on oil prices that could lead to cheaper crude on the world market.

But a Saudi decision to produce more crude likely won't come without a demand: The Kingdom is expected to press the U.S. government to impose greater controls on oil trading and take steps to strengthen the dollar.

The world's largest oil producer, stepping out of its usual role as de facto leader of OPEC, will host representatives of big oil producing nations, consumer countries and companies.

The Saudis are widely believed to be concerned that escalating oil prices - crude hovered around $134 a barrel Thursday, nearly double what it cost a year ago - will cause a permanent drop in demand as consumers get more efficient or, worse, the global economy slows.

One sign of the Saudi anxiety: The country's oil production decisions, usually left to its oil minister, appear to have been put back in the hands the Royal Family, according to Antoine Halff, deputy head of research at brokerage firm Newedge.

[Laelth]

116. Spot on. n/t

-Laelth

[Demeter]

119. Welcome to the club

Don't take the blue pills....

[Ocelot]

124. Obama wants American soldiers to die for one of the most homophobic countries on earth

Ironic isn't it? Our gay men and women in uniform are supposed to go fight for an obscenely oil-rich nation with a far longer track record of GLBT human rights abuses than Russia. Fuck Saudi Arabia and everything they stand for!

[CakeGrrl]

131. Bookmarking

for the sheer conspiracy woo.

I'm surprised the people who have bought into all of this haven't gone off the grid for fear of being disappeared or droned for their beliefs.

[DirkGently]

133. Power & resources, not good intentions

carry the day for most war policy. It's not just us, and not just this situation, but there it is.

The hope is that all of these motives and all of these lies become harder to conceal; that the people eventually say "enough."

[LiberalAndProud]

135. I have a theory that Kerry convinced Obama, rather than the inverse.

Kerry's track record on US military intervention in the ME is not stellar. Even if one takes his comments preceding his vote for the IWR at face value, he displayed an incredible measure of political naivete, which is the kindest light in which to view his vote.

I will remind you that Kerry did vote for to authorize the Iraq war before he voted to defund it. His second vote was more likely to have been a concession to the electorate, as he wanted to be president. The first vote was most likely to have been a vote of conscience.

[JEB]

136. Looks like we are giving the cauldron a stir.

Into the mix, oil bombs, greed, blood.
"Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble."

If we are truly interested in preventing deaths from poison gas, why not drop a few million gas masks instead of bombs?