Showing posts with label neo cons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neo cons. Show all posts
10/12/10
Wall Street May Break Pay Record -- Again
Peacenik says this story about record Wall Street compensation. The too big to fail banks and Wall St. firms are bankrupt. They only exist by phony accounting rules. Their executives should be in jail. But wait. Another story heralds the rise of the GOP. The same lying, incompetent, corrupt, warmongers who led the world into this mess are about to take over congress. But wait. The Washington Post reports progress in Afghanistan. Of course this is simply propaganda. But nothing is too preposterous for the neo con pages of the Post. The United States is going crazy. Is crazy. It is a symptom of collapse. The death rattle of a society. And unfortunately it will be the tea partiers, the birthers, fascists, and the kooks who will emerge to start something new. And something very bad.
Wall Street is on track to pay its employees $144 billion this year, breaking a record for the second year in a row, the Wall Street Journal reports. Despite financial reform intended to curb compensation, and a steep decline in trading volume, pay in the financial services industry has shown few signs of fading.
Pay is expected to rise at 26 out of the 35 firms according to the WSJ. According to it's analysis, the $144 billion overall figure is a 4 percent increase over last year's $139 billion. Revenue on Wall Street grew only 3 percent this year, the WSJ says, but, unlike at some businesses outside the financial sector, employee compensation remains a high priority.
The Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation, passed in July, gives regulators the power to write rules governing executive pay. But it remains to be seen how effective -- or restrictive -- those rules will be. Last month, regulators from the SEC, the FDIC and the Federal Reserve testified before the House Financial Services Committee, to explain how they intended to curb executive compensation. But as the rule-making is still in progress, the conversation included few specific strategies or numbers.
Read on...
10/14/09
Foreign Policy Hawks Launch New Campaign Against Obama
The neocons are like the Terminator. They will never go away, and they will never give up. And of course they all have unlimited access to the public airwaves and print media.
Now watch the usual suspects flock to "Keep America Safe" Woosley, Lieberman, Gaffney and all the rest. Peacenik thought that the neocons were on the run after the debacles in Iraq and Afghanistan. But failure doesn't deter them. A complete lack of credibility doesn't deter them. The media will keep them on life support. And they will keep the pressure on Obama. No one wants to run for office on a "soft on terror" or "soft on security" platform. So America will keep fighting wars, and occupying the world until its last dollar is spent.
by Jim Lobe
WASHINGTON - Just days after the Nobel Committee in Oslo awarded Barack Obama its coveted peace prize, two of Washington's most prominent foreign policy hawks launched a new group and ad campaign designed to depict the president as weak and defend the more aggressive policies of his predecessor, George W. Bush.
The new group, Keep America Safe, was co-founded by neo-conservative heavyweight William Kristol, who also edits The Weekly Standard; and Elisabeth (Liz) Cheney, the outspoken daughter of Bush's vice president, Dick Cheney, who is believed to harbour political ambitions of her own.
Read on...
Now watch the usual suspects flock to "Keep America Safe" Woosley, Lieberman, Gaffney and all the rest. Peacenik thought that the neocons were on the run after the debacles in Iraq and Afghanistan. But failure doesn't deter them. A complete lack of credibility doesn't deter them. The media will keep them on life support. And they will keep the pressure on Obama. No one wants to run for office on a "soft on terror" or "soft on security" platform. So America will keep fighting wars, and occupying the world until its last dollar is spent.
by Jim Lobe
WASHINGTON - Just days after the Nobel Committee in Oslo awarded Barack Obama its coveted peace prize, two of Washington's most prominent foreign policy hawks launched a new group and ad campaign designed to depict the president as weak and defend the more aggressive policies of his predecessor, George W. Bush.
The new group, Keep America Safe, was co-founded by neo-conservative heavyweight William Kristol, who also edits The Weekly Standard; and Elisabeth (Liz) Cheney, the outspoken daughter of Bush's vice president, Dick Cheney, who is believed to harbour political ambitions of her own.
Read on...
10/2/09
Leaving Israel With No Choice?
So Iran has agreed to allow international inspection of its nuclear facilities. Problem solved. Whew. No more worries. That was close. Peacenik is relieved.
Except that the neo cons will never be satisfied. An opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal says Iran doesn't have the right to any nuclear technology. This article says Israel might not be satisfied with inspections. And of course the demonization of Iran's leaders will continue. Don't forget, Iraq allowed inspectors and look what happened to them. Should Peacenik be relieved? Are you?
By Michael Gerson
Friday, October 2, 2009
On June 7, 1981, Israeli F-15s and F-16s took off for the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq, after the pilots were emotionally briefed that "the alternative is our destruction." In fact, Prime Minister Menachem Begin had no idea whether the raid would stop the Iraqi nuclear program or merely slow it. But slowing it was reason enough.
Since the George W. Bush administration, the American military has estimated that an attack against Iran's nuclear facilities would only delay the development of its program. "The reality is," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said recently, "there is no military option that does anything more than buy time. The estimates are one to three years or so."
Read on...
Except that the neo cons will never be satisfied. An opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal says Iran doesn't have the right to any nuclear technology. This article says Israel might not be satisfied with inspections. And of course the demonization of Iran's leaders will continue. Don't forget, Iraq allowed inspectors and look what happened to them. Should Peacenik be relieved? Are you?
By Michael Gerson
Friday, October 2, 2009
On June 7, 1981, Israeli F-15s and F-16s took off for the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq, after the pilots were emotionally briefed that "the alternative is our destruction." In fact, Prime Minister Menachem Begin had no idea whether the raid would stop the Iraqi nuclear program or merely slow it. But slowing it was reason enough.
Since the George W. Bush administration, the American military has estimated that an attack against Iran's nuclear facilities would only delay the development of its program. "The reality is," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said recently, "there is no military option that does anything more than buy time. The estimates are one to three years or so."
Read on...
9/29/09
Is the Media Exaggerating the Iranian Nuke Threat?
Peacenik doesn't know what the extent of Iran's nuclear facilities are. Peacenik suspects the facilities are exaggerated by the media. The media wants war. The neo cons want war. What happens when and if Iran allows IAEA inspection of it facilities. U.N. inspectors were given free reign in Iraq prior to the invasion of Iraq. They didn't find anything. But the revision of history is complete. Neo cons and the media say Iraq wouldn't allow inspections. Will Obama accept the veracity of IAEA inspections of Iran's facilities? Will the media? Will the neo cons? Will Don Cherry?
If Iran is open to U.N. inspections, it's probably not constructing nuclear weapons
Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, reaffirmed Monday that a date would soon be set for the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect the planned nuclear enrichment facility near Qom about which the Iranian government informed the IAEA on Monday a week ago.
If Iran really does permit full, ongoing IAEA inspections of the facility, then it cannot be used for weapons production. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted Sunday that Iran cannot use the Natanz plant for bomb-making because it is being regularly inspected by the UN.
6/26/09
Froomkin's Last WaPo Stand
Before the weekend starts, in about an hour for Peacenik, Peacenik wants to salute Dan Froomkin who was recently fired from the Washington Post.
He was one of the few mainstream media types who weren't Bush/Cheney asskissers. Peacenik has been reading Froomkin for years. And now there are fewer and fewer reasons for Peacenik to even visit the Washington Post. If Froomkin doesn't get a new high profile job soon, it will tell you that the neo con war on the media is not only continuing but that the neo cons are winning it.
by mcjoan
Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 11:30:06 AM PDT
As Fred Hiatt retrenches ever deeper into his Village enclave, creating as Scott Horton says, "a Neocon remainder bin" on his opinion pages, Dan Froomkin bids farewell. And he demonstrates again why he's consistently been the main reason to visit WaPo's opinion page, and why it must have been so uncomfortable for Hiatt to keep him around.
When I look back on the Bush years, I think of the lies. There were so many. Lies about the war and lies to cover up the lies about the war. Lies about torture and surveillance. Lies about Valerie Plame. Vice President Dick Cheney's lies, criminally prosecutable but for his chief of staff Scooter Libby's lies. I also think about the extraordinary and fundamentally cancerous expansion of executive power that led to violations of our laws and our principles.
And while this wasn't as readily apparent until President Obama took office, it's now very clear that the Bush years were all about kicking the can down the road – either ignoring problems or, even worse, creating them and not solving them. This was true of a huge range of issues including the economy, energy, health care, global warming – and of course Iraq and Afghanistan.
Read on...
He was one of the few mainstream media types who weren't Bush/Cheney asskissers. Peacenik has been reading Froomkin for years. And now there are fewer and fewer reasons for Peacenik to even visit the Washington Post. If Froomkin doesn't get a new high profile job soon, it will tell you that the neo con war on the media is not only continuing but that the neo cons are winning it.
by mcjoan
Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 11:30:06 AM PDT
As Fred Hiatt retrenches ever deeper into his Village enclave, creating as Scott Horton says, "a Neocon remainder bin" on his opinion pages, Dan Froomkin bids farewell. And he demonstrates again why he's consistently been the main reason to visit WaPo's opinion page, and why it must have been so uncomfortable for Hiatt to keep him around.
When I look back on the Bush years, I think of the lies. There were so many. Lies about the war and lies to cover up the lies about the war. Lies about torture and surveillance. Lies about Valerie Plame. Vice President Dick Cheney's lies, criminally prosecutable but for his chief of staff Scooter Libby's lies. I also think about the extraordinary and fundamentally cancerous expansion of executive power that led to violations of our laws and our principles.
And while this wasn't as readily apparent until President Obama took office, it's now very clear that the Bush years were all about kicking the can down the road – either ignoring problems or, even worse, creating them and not solving them. This was true of a huge range of issues including the economy, energy, health care, global warming – and of course Iraq and Afghanistan.
Read on...
6/22/09
Neocons Are Clueless About Iran
Peacenik hoped that by the time Peacenik got back from the wilderness Iran would have a new regime. But the situation is still muddled. The protests continue. And Peacenik continues to think there is a chance there will be a positive outcome. A new regime.
Peacenik sees Punditman has a new poll. Before Peacenik's trip to the wilderness Peacenik probably would have selected number two. Peacenik was feeling upbeat. But Peacenik discovered something frightening while Peacenik was harvesting mushrooms and leeks. The bottom of the food chain has disappeared. That's right there were no mosquitoes in the wilderness. Peacenik has rarely sensed a more ominous development. Peacenik never used to worry about the food chain. Now Peacenik is very worried and it feels this morning like number 4 is the only choice for Peacenik in Punditman's poll.
By Leslie Savan, The Nation. Posted June 22, 2009.
The Iran protests have thrown Republican ideologues into such a tizzy of circular logic that they're stepping on their own propaganda.
The democracy movement in Iran has thrown Republican ideologues into such a tizzy of circular logic that they're stepping on their own dicta.
Neocons and hardliners may be as eager as ever to bomb-bomb-bomb, bomb bomb Iran, but are restrained this time out by the feeling that they must support Iran's courageous protesters. After all, the Twittering Green Revolutionaries, as the rightwing brain sees it, are marching in the name of George W. Bush's own vision of a "democratic Middle East," the same vision that led him to occupy Iran's next-door neighbor. ("That's not meddling at all," says conservative conventional wisdom poobah Fred Barnes. "That's supporting the people who see America as a model that they like to emulate.") Yet at the same time, the GOP worries about the meaning of an eventual Mousavi victory in the streets -- neocons in particular have openly hoped for Ahmadinejad's survival, for fear that a more reasonable face on the Islamic Revolution might preclude future opportunities for either us or Israel to bomb Iran back to the 7th Century (where Ahmadinejad would like to take his country anyway).
Read on...
Peacenik sees Punditman has a new poll. Before Peacenik's trip to the wilderness Peacenik probably would have selected number two. Peacenik was feeling upbeat. But Peacenik discovered something frightening while Peacenik was harvesting mushrooms and leeks. The bottom of the food chain has disappeared. That's right there were no mosquitoes in the wilderness. Peacenik has rarely sensed a more ominous development. Peacenik never used to worry about the food chain. Now Peacenik is very worried and it feels this morning like number 4 is the only choice for Peacenik in Punditman's poll.
By Leslie Savan, The Nation. Posted June 22, 2009.
The Iran protests have thrown Republican ideologues into such a tizzy of circular logic that they're stepping on their own propaganda.
The democracy movement in Iran has thrown Republican ideologues into such a tizzy of circular logic that they're stepping on their own dicta.
Neocons and hardliners may be as eager as ever to bomb-bomb-bomb, bomb bomb Iran, but are restrained this time out by the feeling that they must support Iran's courageous protesters. After all, the Twittering Green Revolutionaries, as the rightwing brain sees it, are marching in the name of George W. Bush's own vision of a "democratic Middle East," the same vision that led him to occupy Iran's next-door neighbor. ("That's not meddling at all," says conservative conventional wisdom poobah Fred Barnes. "That's supporting the people who see America as a model that they like to emulate.") Yet at the same time, the GOP worries about the meaning of an eventual Mousavi victory in the streets -- neocons in particular have openly hoped for Ahmadinejad's survival, for fear that a more reasonable face on the Islamic Revolution might preclude future opportunities for either us or Israel to bomb Iran back to the 7th Century (where Ahmadinejad would like to take his country anyway).
Read on...
6/17/09
Why U.S. Neocons Want Ahmadinejad to Win
Peacenik doesn't need any reminders to remind Peacenik that the world is crazy. But this article hits the nail on the head. We live in a world were everyone seems to need someone to hate and fear. And it all plays out to control the sheeple. Boogey men are everywhere. And of course the disgusting main stream media is as sucked into this mindset as anyone.
Just as an exercise, try to imagine a news free environment. Peacenik needs a trip to the wilderness.
By Stephen Zunes, AlterNet. Posted June 17, 2009.
American conservatives and Iranian hard-liners need each other.
The only people happier than the Iranian elites over Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's apparently stolen election win Friday, were the neoconservatives and other hawks eager to block any efforts by the Obama administration to moderate U.S. policy toward the Islamic republic.
Since he was elected president in 2005, Ahmadinejad has filled a certain niche in the American psyche formerly filled by the likes of Saddam Hussein and Muammar Qaddafi as the Middle Eastern leader we most love to hate. It gives us a sense of righteous superiority to compare ourselves favorably to these seemingly irrational and fanatical foreign despots.
Better yet, if these despots can be inflated into far greater threats than they actually are, these supposed threats can be used to justify the enormous financial and human costs of maintaining American armed forces in that volatile region to protect ourselves and our allies, and even to make war against far-off nations in "self-defense."
Read on...
Just as an exercise, try to imagine a news free environment. Peacenik needs a trip to the wilderness.
By Stephen Zunes, AlterNet. Posted June 17, 2009.
American conservatives and Iranian hard-liners need each other.
The only people happier than the Iranian elites over Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's apparently stolen election win Friday, were the neoconservatives and other hawks eager to block any efforts by the Obama administration to moderate U.S. policy toward the Islamic republic.
Since he was elected president in 2005, Ahmadinejad has filled a certain niche in the American psyche formerly filled by the likes of Saddam Hussein and Muammar Qaddafi as the Middle Eastern leader we most love to hate. It gives us a sense of righteous superiority to compare ourselves favorably to these seemingly irrational and fanatical foreign despots.
Better yet, if these despots can be inflated into far greater threats than they actually are, these supposed threats can be used to justify the enormous financial and human costs of maintaining American armed forces in that volatile region to protect ourselves and our allies, and even to make war against far-off nations in "self-defense."
Read on...
6/15/09
Juan Cole: Iran Election Numbers Don't Add Up
Peacenik thinks there was something wrong with the Iranian election. But Peacnik also wonders why the U.S. media and the world media has already given more coverage to the flawed Iranian election than they gave to the recent flawed U.S. elections. The neo cons couldn't be happier. Nor could Israel. More reasons to demonize Iran. More reasons to justify an attack on Iran. Its a beautiful sunny, warm Monday morning. Peacenik doesn't want to think about Iran. Peacenik wants to enjoy the day. Instead Peacenik is checking his supplies, and looking for deals on duct tape and jerry cans.
Posted by Juan Cole, Informed Comment at 10:00 AM on June 14, 2009.
It looks like the election was stolen.
Top Pieces of Evidence that the Iranian Presidential Election Was Stolen
1. It is claimed that Ahmadinejad won the city of Tabriz with 57%. His main opponent, Mir Hossein Mousavi, is an Azeri from Azerbaijan province, of which Tabriz is the capital. Mousavi, according to such polls as exist in Iran and widespread anecdotal evidence, did better in cities and is popular in Azerbaijan. Certainly, his rallies there were very well attended. So for an Azeri urban center to go so heavily for Ahmadinejad just makes no sense. In past elections, Azeris voted disproportionately for even minor presidential candidates who hailed from that province.
Read on...
Posted by Juan Cole, Informed Comment at 10:00 AM on June 14, 2009.
It looks like the election was stolen.
Top Pieces of Evidence that the Iranian Presidential Election Was Stolen
1. It is claimed that Ahmadinejad won the city of Tabriz with 57%. His main opponent, Mir Hossein Mousavi, is an Azeri from Azerbaijan province, of which Tabriz is the capital. Mousavi, according to such polls as exist in Iran and widespread anecdotal evidence, did better in cities and is popular in Azerbaijan. Certainly, his rallies there were very well attended. So for an Azeri urban center to go so heavily for Ahmadinejad just makes no sense. In past elections, Azeris voted disproportionately for even minor presidential candidates who hailed from that province.
Read on...
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