Shrinking State Dept. 11-27-2017

27 November 2017                      Shrinking State Dept.

Secretary of State Tillerson has launched a “fast and furious” war on his own State Department. Tillerson’s disdain and arrogance was in full display when he fired his chief of security, Bill Miller in response to Miller’s insistence that he has unrestricted access to his boss mandated by a Congressional edict.

There are growing concerns over Tillerson’s aloofness and lack of communication with his staff which is causing seething resentment. More and more diplomats are heading for the exits which seem to suit Tillerson who is determined to impose an autocrat stamp on his department.

Finally, alarm bells are ringing in the halls of Congress prompting Democratic members of the House Foreign Relations Committee, to express concerns over “the exodus of more than 100 senior Foreign Service officers from the State Department since January,” which appeared to be a concerted effort “to hollow-out senior diplomatic ranks.”

A hiring freeze has intensified the low morale. A $25,000 buyout has been offered to “encourage” more than 2,000 career diplomats and civil servants to leave by October 2018.

Our wealthiest allies in Europe and Asia are turning away. Smaller powers are turning to regional hegemons for security and safety, realizing that Americans have only one tool in their toolbox, military might not soft power.

The Chinese are quietly building, through diplomacy and economic power, a power structure designed to supplant American power within the next 10 years.

Israel declares war with AIUSA 11-25-2017

25, November 2017                     Israel declares war with AIUSA

Last Thursday the New York Times published a moving, tragic story of a Palestinian,  Raed Jarrarov,  who was denied entry into Israel to bury his father.

His late father’s only crime was to be born a Palestinian - a man of a sterling reputation,  a refugee, a civil engineer, a farmer and an entrepreneur. Jarrarov senior fled his home with his family in 1967 when Israel invaded the West Bank

Raed visited his relatives in the West Bank in 2015 while working for a Quaker nongovernmental organization. He was anxious to visit his extended family in the city of Jenin but was prevented from doing so by the Israeli government.

What apparently terrified Israel was Raed position as advocacy director for the human rights organization, Amnesty International U.S.A.  (AIUSA) which called on governments to ban goods from illegal Israeli settlements. This apparently was a red flag.

Amnesty International is unequivocal in its condemnation of Israel’s settlement policy. Under International law, AIUSA considers Israel’s business activities in its illegal settlements a war crime. 

In a classic case of the tail wagging the dog, the American Consulate General in Jerusalem refused to intervene on Raed’s behalf and was told the officials could not help.

60 Minutes 11-22-2017

22, November 2017                        60 Minutes

60 Minutes is to be congratulated for focusing much needed attention on the plight of civilians in war torn Yemen. But was glaringly omitted in its segment was the role of the US/UK in creating the humanitarian crisis.

It falsely portrayed the US as heroes for funding the UN food aid program. It went on to accuse the Saudis of bringing 7 million people to the brink of starvation by imposing a crippling blockade to prevent ships delivering food to the beleaguered people but conveniently forgot to mention that the US navy colluded with the Saudis imposing the blockade.

Scott Pelley of 60 Minutes went on to say “This will be hard to watch, but 27 million people in Yemen pray you will not turn away”.

I pray every American will be outraged by our government’s complicit role in Saudi Arabia’s war crimes. In order to enrich U.S. defense contractor’s the U.S. has sold billions of weapons to the morally bankrupt Kingdom. In addition, the U.S. continues to supply logistical support and refuels Saudi planes to ensure a non-stop bombardment of Yemen. In addition Yemen is suffering a huge cholera epidemic. To compound US egregious actions, Mr. Trump has given hisenthusiastic  endorsement of Mohammed Bin Salman’s attempt to ascend to the throne by accusing his rivals of corruption, a charge which is ludicrous given his own profligate spending, including the purchase of a yacht costing £452 million.

Christ Hijacked 11-18-2017

18, November 2017                                  Christ Hijacked

It is encouraging that Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader and Paul Ryan, the House Speaker, have finally spoken up and stated the accusations by victims of Roy Moore’s sexual predatory actions are credible.

But what is puzzling is why the more than 16 women who have accused Donald Trump of similar offenses have been dismissed by the White House as liars. While McConnell and Ryan have declared Moore unfit to be elected to the Senate, they and so many other Republican elites remained silent and allowed Trump to slither into the White House.

It is also puzzling why so many Evangelicals leapt to Moore’s defense.

The new liturgy has rendered Christ irrelevant and replaced his teachings with the nightly pontifications of Gurus’ Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson, the high priests of a false religion.

The Evangelicals tune in nightly to receive their daily dose of right wing propaganda which shapes their whole belief system to the exclusion of all other news sources. Tearful testimony from Moore’s victims seems to be impervious to Evangelicals who regard Moore as a Christian martyr. Herr Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister, had it exactly right – spew fake news repeatedly and people will eventually accept them as fact. 

War Crimes & Famine 11-13-2017

13, November 2017                       War Crimes & Famine

The US and our European allies are flooding the Middle East with billions of the most sophisticated weapons which are being used a wage a relentless war on neighboring Yemen. In addition to selling billions in weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, the U.S. provides intelligence and logistic support.

To intensify the suffering of the Yeminis, the Saudis have imposed a total blockade on all land, air and seaports.  This would not be possible without the tacit approval of the U.S. Navy which controls 80% of the ports to Yemen.

U. N. medical experts warn that the clampdown will worsen Yemen’s cholera epidemic, which has sickened more than 900,000 people. U.N. aid Chief Mark Lowcock warned that if the blockade is not lifted, the resulting famine will claim millions of lives.

Afrah Nasser, a Yemeni journalist, recipient of the International Free Press Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists, confirmed the U.N. assessment stating the situation in Yemen is dire. The World Food Program estimates that out of Yemen’s population of 28 million people, about 20 million, “do not know where they’re going to get their next meal.” Death is the new norm in Yemen.

By selling billions of weapons to Saudi Arabia the United States is participating in creating, the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

It is now up to the American people to raise their collective voices and halt this human catastrophe failing which we will be complicit in these grotesque war crimes.

War Crimes & Famine 11-13-2017

 

13, November 2017                      War Crimes & Famine

The US and our European allies are flooding the Middle East with billions of the most sophisticated weapons which are being used a wage a relentless war on neighboring Yemen. In addition to selling billions of weapons to Saudi Arabia, the U.S. provides intelligence and logistical support.

To intensify the suffering of the Yeminis, the Saudis have imposed a total blockade on all land, air and seaports.  This would not be possible without the support of the U.S. Navy which controls 80% of the ports to Yemen.

U. N. medical experts warn that the clampdown will worsen Yemen’s cholera epidemic, which has sickened more than 900,000 people. U.N. aid Chief Mark Lowcock warned that if the blockade is not lifted, the resulting famine will claim millions of lives.

Afrah Nasser, a Yemeni journalist, recipient of the International Free Press Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists, confirmed the U.N. assessment stating the situation in Yemen is dire. The World Food Program estimates that out of Yemen’s population of 28 million people, about 20 million, “do not know where they’re going to get their next meal.” Death is the new norm in Yemen.

The Independent newspaper in the U.K. recently reported that the country’s sales of bombs and missiles to Saudi Arabia have increased by a staggering 500 percent since the Saudi bombing campaign of Yemen commenced. The U.S. and the U.K. remain the largest suppliers of arms to Saudi Arabia.  Shockingly, the British foreign secretary, Boris Johnson criticism of arms sales to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record responded, that it would definitely “harm our arms sales to them.”

Teresa May, the British prime minister also brushed aside concerns over human rights violations and conclusions of a leaked parliamentary report calling for an immediate end to arms sales.

Mass Shootings 11-7-2017

7, November 2017                 Mass Shootings

Another mass shooting in Texas - prayers, flowers, sober speeches, lowering the flag  . . . heaven forbid this is not the time to discuss gun control. The Texas shooter was convicted by the Air Force on charges of beating his wife and step-son (50% of mass shooters are guilty of domestic violence), but they failed to enter the offense into the national database and voila Kelley was able to purchase a military style weapon. 

After the Las Vegas shooting the consoler in chief, said “we are not going to talk about that today.” 

Curious of the Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock state of mind, Stanford Lab’s plans to examine his brain to determine what could have motived him to commit such a heinous crime. What an incredible waste of time! 

Perhaps, Stanford researchers could better invest their time examining the brains of lawmakers who enable such tragedies to occur on a daily basis. When will these legislators put the welfare of the public ahead of their careers? What will it take to move these people cursed with a stone heart to challenge the insidious power of the NRA? Are the rights of “sporting enthusiasts” who get their jollies chasing and killing God’s creatures (birds and animals) more important than the lives of innocent men, women and children? If Australia could initiate sensible gun control following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre that resulted in a dramatic decline in gun crimes why can’t we do the same or better?