Rebuilding American Influence in the Middle East is NOT a DIY Project

On the 18th the NY Times published an OpEd by Marwan Muasher, a former Jordanian diplomat. Mr. Muasher asked what can America do to rebuild influence in the Middle East. One suggestion was that our nation (that, by law, cannot have an official religion) must back "a dynamic change toward pluralism". Lets look briefly at pluralism in the east, shall we. In Egypt Coptic Christians are hunted and slaughtered with impunity. In Darfur there is an Arab tribe, Jinjaweed (Arabic for Devils on horseback) that are trying to cleanse the area of Africans so it can be an all Arabian region. Iran and Syria have spent the past several years trying to kill off all the non-Shi'ites within their boarders. Iraq has spent decades torturing and murdering non-Sunni people. This does not fit the definition of pluralistic.

Mr. Marwan acknowledges that there was a time when America had influence on the Arabian Street. He does not say when, in his opinion, that changed. I believe that shift happened during President Ford's time in office. The first sign of that was when the Arab members of OPEC started the oil embargo against America. Those members were, and these should sound familiar, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. That embargo bled us financially and showed us vulnerable. What does that mean? Consider now these two Arabian proverbs, "A falling camel invites many knives" and "When people see two horses and one is strong and the other weak, people naturally like the strong horse".

The Middle East is a harsh environment that has bred a harsh people. Weakness is a detriment to survival. Only here, in America, do people cheer for the under dog. Culturally, we see even the sickly runt of the litter as valuable. In the Middle East the scarce resources are saved for the strong, not the weak. This is a dichotomy that is completely the opposite of ours.

Fast forward past the list of attacked US Embassies (still an act if war according to Clinton's Stated Departmentt) to the time when Obama met the Saudi King. Obama deliberately did what President John F. Kennedy said that no leader of the free world should ever do. Obama bowed. The Middle East is not a dojo, bowing is a sign of subjugation. By bending over and exposing your neck you are saying that your life is theirs to take or to spare.

Apologizing for aging been a world leader, which is another sign of weakness. It says to them that we should not be better off than they. It makes America look like a falling camel.

So, how do we regain face, rebuild any semblance of power, in the Arabian Street?

Al Jazeera just posted a video, in English so we can clearly get it, that Clinton, Obama, and America are not welcome there. That video is titled "You Are Not Welcome in Egypt". This year alone has seen more than $250 million dollars given to the Egyptian banking sector to prevent a collapse, $90 million for democratic development, $100 million for economic recovery, and not with Obama's yearly $1 billion dollar gift. That comes out to $1.8 billion of our tax dollars given to one government that has openly opposed America for the last 39 years while profiting from us.

How do we regain influence in the Middle East? With backbone, swift, harsh responses to acts of war and opposition, with a clear message that we are stronger than they.

I have no idea how we can do this. We need the likes of Fenerals Abrams, Patton, Schwartzkopf, the business acumen of Lee Iacoca, JP Morgan, Carngie,and Presidents Reagan and Bush senior to formulate that plan. We need, as a nation, to be able to stomach what must be done. This must include developing our own sources of fuel and energy. We must revitalize our industrial souls. Other than that, I must leave it to those with bigger brain pans than I.

 

USFWS Impedes America Economy While Supporting OPEC

Bottom Line Up Front

The USFWS has impeded job growth, slowed the economy, restricted freedoms, restricted access to American lands by American people, is being used as a proxy arm of the government to black mail and beat into submission organizations like Gibson that are not supporters of the regime, and is being used, in a manner of speaking, to promote American reliance on a terrorist supporter for oil

On December 6, 2010 Obama nominated Daniel M. Ashe to head and direct the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). What is the USFWS and who is Ashe? I feel that both questions are fairly simple to answer.

Background

According to the USFWS (http://www.fws.gov/northeast/le/mission.html) they are an arm of the government that is intended to protect the wildlife and habitats of America. Their mission statement is

Our Mission is to protect wildlife resources. Through the effective enforcement of Federal laws, we contribute to the Service's efforts to recover endangered species, conserve migratory birds, preserve wildlife habitat, safeguard fisheries, combat invasive species, and promote international wildlife conservation.

We focus on potentially devastating threats to wildlife resources – illegal trade, unlawful commercial exploitation, habitat destruction, and environmental hazards. We investigate wildlife crimes; regulate wildlife trade; help Americans understand and comply with wildlife protection laws; and work in partnership with international, Federal, State, and Tribal counterparts to conserve wildlife resources.

This work includes:

·         Breaking up international and domestic smuggling rings that target imperiled animals.

·         Preventing the unlawful commercial exploitation of U.S. species.

·         Protecting wildlife from environmental hazards and safeguarding habitat for endangered species.

·         Enforcing Federal migratory game bird hunting regulations and working with States to protect other game species and preserve legitimate hunting opportunities.

·         Inspecting wildlife shipments to ensure compliance with laws and treaties and detect illegal trade.

·         Working with international counterparts to combat illegal trafficking in protected species.

·         Training other Federal, State, Tribal, and foreign law enforcement officers.

·         Using forensic science to analyze evidence and solve wildlife crimes.

·         Conducting outreach to industry, trade groups, and others to promote wildlife conservation and secure voluntary compliance with wildlife laws.

Ashe is charged with a large task which includes protecting the nations wild resources, identifying risks and threats to wildlife, and nominating new species and areas to be protected as well as preventing unlawful exploitation of US species. His job boils down to protecting animals, which is fine and good. It also involves finding new animals to add to the ‘protected’ list.  In so doing the Museum of Natural History in New York City congratulated him on a job well done. They said that, during his tenure as science advisor to the USFWS, the Refuge System experienced an unprecedented and sustained period of budget increases for operations, maintenance, construction and land acquisition. So, Ashe decreased the amount of land which US tax payers can freely use while increasing the amount of land that US tax payers have to pay for, right?

Ashe was appointed in 2010 and started working as Director of the USFWS this year. What has Ashe accomplished as an Obama appointee?

The Gibson Guitar raid is the most recent and widely known activity of USFWS. The raid was allegedly done to determine if Gibson Guitar had illegally imported wood in violation of the Lacey Act, which make it illegal to purchase illegally harvested lumber (poached trees).

The policing national forests and parks is sometimes mentioned in the news. Apparently a number of drug manufacturers are using national forests as pot plantations. Such was the case earlier this year when the Colorado National Guard, DEA, local law enforcement, and USFWS agents teamed up to remove 3,000 pot plants from Pike National Forest. The dismantling of pot farms represents only a portion of what the USFWS can find.

Not just stopping pot, but also preventing smoking in the outdoors is now also part of the USFWS official duties. The Morgan Hill Times seems to say that the outdoor smoking ban includes the ENTIRE outdoors and that the USFWS is going to stamp it out. In light of the recent forest fires, I can see not wanting to have people tossing lit cigarettes into the woods. That is more an act of stupidity which, unfortunately, is NOT against the law.

Prosecuting poachers is a positive. Just recently a poacher from North Carolina has been prosecuted for plying his trade of illegal hunting.

Removal of feral ducks from city parks is another vital service the US tax payers are getting from the USFWS. In Ocala, Florida feral ducks have become a nuisance to the locals at the park. So, when wildlife is a nuisance it gets removed, is that it? How could a duck be a nuisance? Well, if they are picking on picnickers then I can see a possible problem. Seriously, how does one defend against a duck? Many years ago a goose snapped at my toddler daughter so I slapped it. That goose became somewhat a funny lunch companion after that. Later, when I would go back to that lake for lunch that goose would come over and sit with me. Anyway, how are ducks a nuisance? Is it that ducks srap on the manicured lawns?

How about this, bring the poacher in from N.C. and lat him thin out the population. Well, the city cannot support poachers, so these ducks can then be cooked to feed the hungry.

USFWS inhibits job growth and destroys standard of living in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Fuel is hard to get in the Blue Ridge Mountains, apparently, which is why the Blue Ridge Pipeline was proposed and approved by all except the USFWS. Some 6,000 jobs are still not happening due to the delayed construction of the pipeline. This is going to be the same organization that will, not could, but WILL hold up the Keystone Pipeline even if Obama approves the project.

Protection of a desert lizard species in west Texas is a bigger concern than allowing the US to safely drill and use the oil and natural gas fields in west Texas. These oil fields are about 20% of the top 100 oil fields in America and the USFWS wants to stop oil drilling there.

As I am researching and writing this it has become plainly and painfully clear to me that the USFWS is being used as an extension of the Presidential office. Its purpose is not to protect wildlife, but to restrict American commerce as well as increase the reliance on OPEC oil. Remember, OPEC is now run by the Iranian Guards Corps, a State Department designated supporter of terrorism. Iran, in 2010, was named by the Hillary’s State Department as the remaining “principal supporter of groups implacably opposed to the Middle East Peace Process”.

So, the USFWS has impeded job growth, slowed the economy, restricted freedoms, restricted access to American lands by American people, is being used as a proxy arm of the government to black mail and beat into submission organizations like Gibson that are not supporters of the regime, and is being used, in a manner of speaking, to promote American reliance on a terrorist supporter for oil

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/09/9-million-worth-of-pot-pl_n_955367.html

http://www.morganhilltimes.com/news/278512-news-briefs-outdoor-smoking-ban-effort-moves-forward-city-pays-for-habitat-study

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20106877-504083.html

http://www.ocala.com/article/20110824/ARTICLES/110829865/-1/entertainment02?Title=Feds-say-they-re-willing-to-let-city-move-ducks&tc=ar

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/09/obama-renewing-transportation-bill-is-no-brainer/

http://www.state.gov/t/avc/rls/rpt/170924.htm

http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt/2010/170260.htm

Week In Review August 26, 2011

A number of issues have been expanded on this week. The most important of which, I think, include Syria and Department of Homeland Security.

Syria
In 1963 the al-Assad family took control of Syrian leadership. Basher, the current president, was born shortly after. He took power when his father died; in 2000 and 2007 Basher was “elected” after running unopposed each time. The al-Assad family has long been involved in chemical weapons (receiving several plane loads from Iraq in 2002), weapons proliferation with Iran, as well as routinely their subjects, err, citizens (he was elected, after all).

So what? Here the world can see that a slightly less megalomaniac than Ahmadinijad is doing precisely what Saddam Hussein and Mommar Khadafy did. Where they were forcibly and violently removed from power, after 32 and 42 years in absolute control, the al-Assad family stands unopposed by anyone outside of Syria. In fact, the UN cannot even bring a full coalition of outrage in a letter about al-Assad as Russia and China (both receiving US development funds as well as other US aid) are siding with al-Assad. I say siding with as they are not opposing nor speaking out, they are blocking further (useless) sanctions and any actual action that would follow the eventual and blatant violation of sanctions. Again, the “So What” here is that al-Assad is slaughtering his own subjects. Russia, China, and Iran are all backing al-Assad. Iran has funded, armed, and made numerous deals and deployments into Syria. Russia, China, and Iran have all stated that they want to, not just see, but be part of the destruction of the United States.

Now what? Not that I advocate total annihilation or genocide; I do, however, believe in the pre-emptive strike in order to defend a nation’s sovereignty and safety. A nation may also conduct a pre-emptive defensive strike to protect allies that are unable or incapable of defending themselves. Self-Defense on a national basis is what I am calling it. Right now, due to the START Treaty that Obama unwisely signed with the Russians, we now have a surplus of nuclear weapons. Does anyone see a problem with Syrian Green Glass? Yes, take a tactical nuke and put it into Basher al-Assad’s palace. No big loss of oil there. One homicidal and deeply twisted dictator and his entire family line are taken out. No ground troops from the US or coalition nations in harm’s way, done.

What about Obama’s Executive Order 13338? That? The executive order that prohibits us from buying oil from a country that produces less oil yearly than the US uses in a month? I think I called that an empty gesture from an empty suit. Representative Granger wants to see something with teeth, like having the $2 BILLION tax dollars budgeted to Egypt removed if they continue to oppose Western interests.



The Department of Homeland Security preparedness grant program awards for fiscal year 2011 puts $2.1 BILLION tax dollars into security initiatives and response organizations. None, or very little, of this $2.1 BILLION tax dollars seems to go into answering the questions presented by Dr. Jim Giermanski, Chairman Powers Global Holdings, Inc.

1.  Does DHS believe and support the use of Container Security Devices (CSDs) as being consistent with law, foreign security programs, non-government organizations, and the private sector bottom-line needs?

2. Does DHS believe that container security technology and CSDs serve as revenue producers for the private sector?

3. Why is the official policy on physical security for containers sealed "doors-only?"

4. Other than the incentives claimed by CBP for the private sector's participation in C-TPAT, what U.S. government incentive is used to encourage the use of CSDs?

5. Why is DHS not participating with the EU and other nations who are working together to develop an international standards and protocols for CSDs?

6. What can Congress do, but has not done to encourage CSD usage? 

7. What has DHS done with respect  to informing and encouraging Congress to ratify the Rotterdam Rules recognizing that these new Rules improve supply chain security?

8. Given increased security concerns about Mexico, what CSD pilots or programs have been used or tested in Mexico/U.S. cross-border commercial practices?

9. In which CSD pilots, if any, has DHS participated?

10. Why is DHS not complying with the mandates of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 with respect to CSD for usage HAZMAT movements?

11. If Trade Facilitation is one goal of CBP, why wouldn't CBP/DHS required the use of CSDs knowing that their usage is a financial benefit to the user as well as to the government?

12. Since DHS admits that transshipments are a legitimate security concern, why hasn't DHS mandated CSD usage for all containers inbound to the United States which transit a transshipment port?

13. Why has the "Green Lane" concept not yet been implemented in seaports to encourage CSD usage?

14. Why continue weak programs such as CSI knowing there is no actual verification of container contents?

15. Why is it that DHS/CBP has not yet addressed the current proven vulnerability of using the required 433.5 to 434.5 MHz spectrum in our ports knowing and admitting in writing along with the Office of the Secretary of Defense that the vulnerability truly exists as indicated in this DHS statement: ... these technologies...can be exploited and potentially used to trigger an explosive device.

16. Has DHS funded or directed an empirical study of the impact of closing all U.S. seaports and land ports-of-entry as a result of one or two dirty bomb blasts in the U.S. ports?

So, this week, while Ron Paul and 77% of the sitting democrats voted against enabling rules of engagement that actually PROTECT our military personnel, Janet Napolitano is spending $2.1 BILLION of our tax dollars on initiatives and response.

So what? DHS has put another $2.1 BILLION tax dollars into feel good initiatives rather than actually identifying and stopping threats.

Now what? I propose we do away with the Department of Homeland Security. But, they are there in case of a National Emergency, you say. What about the National Guard? Aren't they dual hatted to serve in support of the military AND to serve their states in response to national emergencies? Well, yes, they are. What about the highly important and visible role they play at airports? Don't most airports already have police, fire, rescue, and security elemnts working there? Well, yes, they do. Now what, you ask. The government tears down, repeals the institutionalized walls outlawing the sharing of information that Hillary Clinton was instrumental in putting up and allow the standing and proven methods of investigative, law enforcement, intelligence, and common sense to work.

Oh, yes, support Electrolux, they said that putting more sharia compliant rules in play within their organization sucks.

Thank you and have a great weekend.

Foreign Aid Bill

I have posted quite a bit, and will continue to post, about the national budget. Of particular interest to us is where in the world our tax dollars go and how do the recipient countries treat America on the global and personal levels.

It would be in all of our interests to let these members know that we are watching closely how they intend to spend our money. The 2012 bill has less funds going to foreign interests than Obama wanted, but it amy be more than We, The People, should like.

Middle East: Rep. Kay Granger Steps Up

From the JPost:

Washington’s $2 billion in annual aid to Egypt will be cut off if Cairo backs out of the peace treaty with Israel, Congresswoman Kay Granger – whose job as chairwoman of the US House appropriations foreign operations subcommittee means she literally writes America’s annual foreign aid bill – told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.

“The United States aid to Egypt is predicated on the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, and so the relationship between Egypt and Israel is extremely important,” the eight-term Republican from Texas said in an interview.

“As an appropriator I have two concerns: One thing is the continuing relationship between Egypt and Israel, and the other thing of course is what government we will be dealing with in Egypt, and what position the Muslim Brotherhood will play in this government.”

Granger, who is visiting Israel with a group of House Republicans, will also inform Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that if the PA goes through with their unilateral statehood plans at the UN, $500M in US aid will be cut, including aid to the Palestinian security forces.

(Dare we say, “You go, girl!”?)

According to the information found at the link below, the members of the US House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations are

Republicans

Harold Rogers, Kentucky, Chairman

C.W. Bill Young, Florida

Jerry Lewis, California

Frank R. Wolf, Virginia

Jack Kingston, Georgia

Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, New Jersey

Tom Latham, Iowa

Robert B. Aderholt, Alabama

Jo Ann Emerson, Missouri

Kay Granger, Texas

Michael K. Simpson, Idaho

John Abney Culberson, Texas

Ander Crenshaw, Florida

Denny Rehberg, Montana

John R. Carter, Texas

Rodney Alexander, Louisiana

Ken Calvert, California

Jo Bonner, Alabama

Steven C. LaTourette, Ohio

Tom Cole, Oklahoma

Jeff Flake, Arizona

Mario Diaz-Balart, Florida

Charles W. Dent, Pennsylvania

Steve Austria, Ohio

Cynthia M. Lummis, Wyoming

Tom Graves, Georgia

Kevin Yoder, Kansas

Steve Womack, Arkansas

Alan Nunnelee, Mississippi

Democrats

Norman D. Dicks, Washington

Marcy Kaptur, Ohio

Peter J. Visclosky, Indiana

Nita M. Lowey, New York

José E. Serrano, New York

Rosa L. DeLauro, Connecticut

James P. Moran, Virginia

John W. Olver, Massachusetts

Ed Pastor, Arizona

David E. Price, North Carolina

Maurice D. Hinchey, New York

Lucille Roybal-Allard, California

Sam Farr, California

Jesse L. Jackson, Jr., Illinois

Chaka Fattah, Pennsylvania

Steven R. Rothman, New Jersey

Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., Georgia

Barbara Lee, California

Adam B. Schiff, California

Michael M. Honda, California

            Betty McCollum, Minnesota

http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/08/22/middle-east-rep-kay-granger-steps-up/#comment-92984

http://appropriations.house.gov/

Somalia Famine Fight

North Korea Disarming The World

Meanwhile, the UN wants to have Kim Jung-il as the head of disarmament.

Joint Statement of NGOs Against North Korea’s
Presidency of the Conference on Disarmament

The undersigned coalition of human rights and non-governmental organizations strongly protest North Korea’s presidency of the Conference on Disarmament (CD), for the reasons described below.  We call on all CD Member States to register their protest, as Canada has already done.  We also call on North Korea to hand over its presidency to a more suitable country.

1.   North Korea is a Gross Violator of Disarmament Principles and Flouts UN Security Council Decisions

The North Korean regime has no credibility on disarmament. Few if any countries pose a greater nuclear threat to the world than North Korea. The rogue regime, led by the unstable dictator Kim Jong-il, possesses an estimated dozen nuclear weapons combined with a record of hostile actions and threats to its neighbors and the world at large.  Moreover, as reported by a UN panel last year, North Korea has defied UN sanctions and used front companies to export nuclear and missile technology to the repressive regimes in Iran, Syria and Burma.

Just last week, the IAEA found that North Korea’s nuclear program remains a matter of “serious concern,” noting reports about the construction of a new uranium enrichment facility and a light water reactor.

Even for a short period, the symbolism of an international outlaw heading “the undisputed home of international arms control efforts”—as the CD was recently described by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon—is terribly wrong. 

We further note: 

• On July 15, 2006, ten days after North Korea test launched a series of missiles, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1695 requiring all UN member states to “prevent the transfer of missile and missile-related items, materials, goods and technology to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s missile or weapons of mass destruction programs, as well as procurement of such items and technology from that country.” The resolution further cited North Korea for having “endangered civil aviation and shipping through its failure to provide adequate advance notice.”

• On October 7, 2006, three years after it withdrew from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, North Korea conducted its first nuclear test. In response, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1718, finding North Korea’s actions to constitute “a clear threat to international peace and security,” barring a range of military goods from entering or leaving North Korea, and imposing an asset freeze and travel ban on persons related to the nuclear-weapon program.

• In April 2009, North Korea violated this resolution with another rocket launch. The President of the Security Council issued a statement condemning North Korea, and demanded that it cease conducting further launches.

• In May 2009, North Korea conducted another nuclear test, detonating a bomb comparable to those that obliterated Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1874, finding that North Korea’s clear threat to international peace and security “continues to exist,” and sharpening the import-export ban of weapons to North Korea by calling on all states to inspect, seize and dispose of military items and deny fuel or supplies to vessels carrying them.

• Two months ago, U.S. Navy warships intercepted a North Korean vessel carrying missiles to Burma and turned it around.

North Korea has allowed millions of its own people to literally starve to death in order to pursue its illicit nuclear-weapons arsenal. North Korea is currently facing another famine. Yet history shows that aid may not even help. An estimated two million people were killed by famine in the 1990s, while Kim Jong-il and his regime kept foreign aid for themselves. 

2.  North Korea is a Gross Violator of Human Rights

As one of the world’s worst violators of human rights, North Korea should not be granted the symbolic legitimacy of chairing a world body dedicated to peace.

The United Nations General Assembly and Human Rights Council have repeatedly condemned North Korea for its massive violations of human rights. Resolution 65/225 (2010), the UNGA’s most recent condemnation of North Korea, found, inter alia, the following gross violations: 

• Systematic, widespread and grave violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights;
• Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including inhuman conditions of detention, public executions, extrajudicial and arbitrary detention;
• The absence of due process and the rule of law,  including fair trial guarantees and an independent judiciary;
• The imposition of the death penalty for political and religious reasons;
• Collective punishments;
• The existence of a large number of prison camps and the extensive use of forced labour;
• All-pervasive and severe restrictions on the freedoms of thought, conscience, religion, opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and association, the right to privacy and equal access to information, by such means as the persecution of individuals exercising their freedom of opinion and expression, and their families, and on the right of everyone to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives, of his or her country;
• The violations of economic, social and cultural rights, which have led to severe malnutrition, widespread health problems and other hardship for the population in North Korea, in particular for persons in exposed groups such as women, children and the elderly;
• Violations of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women, in particular the trafficking of women for the purpose of prostitution or forced marriage and the subjection of women to human smuggling, forced abortions, gender-based discrimination, including in the economic sphere, and gender-based violence; and
• Violations of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of children, in particular the continued lack of access to basic economic, social and cultural rights for many children. 

Ramadan Begins

On The First Day of Ramadan I beat people in the town square!

While the UN dallies and Obama dithers, the violence against the people of Syria by their own dictator escalates. This is how Obama handled Iran in 2009.

The Syrian crackdown in Hama elicited appalled condemnations on Monday from the European Union and President Obama, who called the violence there “horrifying.”
Tanks in Tahrir Square, really? I suppose that this is nothing new. We have come to expect this sort of thing from “peaceful” leadership changes, despotic regimes, and the like. Where is the horror and disgust, the outrage that we, the United States, showed for nearly the same thing at Tiananmen Square? The lack of emotion, outrage, and action is appalling! The current administration has bowed to the leaders that are committing
While the previous seven years of unstable relations with the Syrian leadership have given the United States cause to stand off, the administration has not made a clear statement about its policies of engagement in the Middle East. For instance, in Iran during the crackdowns against the people in Tehran Obama held back. Obama called for “mutual respect” between the leadership of our two countries. He wanted to have the face of respect from a country that was beating, shooting, and raping its own citizens for complaining about harsh treatment. The State Department wanted lawmakers to believe that Obama found Syria’s relationship with Iran troubling. Still, the Obama Administration gives Syria legitimacy, in spite of apparent troubling close relations with Iran, a nation with which Obama seems to approach warmly. Did he really think no one would be watching?
After months of elected officials urging Obama to do something, like recall political officials, urge the UN to talk about sanctions, throw a shoe at Syria, anything. Obama acts, not against Syrian President Assad, but an asset freeze and a ban on business dealings with the U.S. – on three senior Syrian regime officials – Assad’s brother, Mahir; the president’s cousin, Atif Najib; and his intelligence chief Ali Mamluk .
How many more have to die before Syria meets the same quick, stalwart, decisive actions (16 months of dithering) end that Osama had? What has to happen to elevate the situation high enough for Obama to take control and give operations to NATO? Oh, yes, there is a closed door session going on at the UN building. Obama has to wait for the international peace organization (whose membership includes Syria) to figure out if they are going to write a strongly worded condemnation.


But, hey, don't take my word for it. Check it out on You Tube!!

Manufacturing In US Falls Again

Go back, if you will, and read the pieces posted here about the Keystone XL Pipeline. Now, wouldn’t that project, if given a go ahead, boost manufacturing for several parts of the project? I mentioned the approximated 138,000 jobs directly related to the construction of the XL Pipeline, but the number of other support jobs to run and maintain that system would certainly benefit the U.S. in so many ways.

Manufacturing growth hits lowest level in 2 years

WASHINGTON (AP) — Manufacturers had their weakest growth in two years in July, a sign that the economy could weaken this summer.

The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing executives, said Monday that its index of manufacturing activity fell to 50.9 percent in July from 55.3 percent in June. The reading was the lowest since July 2009 — one month after the recession officially ended.

Any level above 50 indicates growth. The manufacturing sector has expanded for 23 straight months.

Still, new orders shrank for the first time since the recession ended. Companies slashed their inventories after building them up in June. Output, employment, and prices paid my manufacturers all grew more slowly in July.

The disappointing report on manufacturing is the first major reading on how the economy performed in July. It suggests the dismal economic growth in the first half of the year could extend into the July-September quarter.

"The ISM manufacturing report for July is a shocker and strongly suggests that the disappointing performance of the economy in the first half of the year was not just temporary," said Paul Dales, a senior U.S. economist for Capital Economics.

The news of weak factory growth in July also cooled what looked to be a strong day on Wall Street.

The Dow Jones industrial average had risen nearly 140 points in the first half-hour of trading, after President Barack Obama and lawmakers announced a deal to raise the nation's borrowing limit. But the Dow erased all of those gains after the manufacturing report was released, and then fell another 145 points. It later pared most of the day's losses to close 11 points down.

In a separate report, the Commerce Department said builders began work on more projects in June, pushing construction spending higher for a third straight month.

Construction spending rose 0.2 percent in June, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $772.3 billion, the government said. But even with the gains, spending remains slightly above an 11-year low hit in March and is just half of the $1.5 trillion pace considered healthy by most economists.

The economy expanded at a dismal 1.3 percent annual rate in the April-June period after an even worse 0.4 percent increase in the first three months of the year, the government said Friday.

The factory sector has expanded in every month but one since the recession ended in June 2009. The ISM's index topped 60 for four straight months at the start of the year.

But manufacturing has stumbled in recent months. A parts shortage stemming from Japan's March 11 earthquake disrupted automakers' supply chains, cutting into the output of new cars. And high gas prices left Americans with less money to spend on discretionary items, such as vacations, furniture and appliances.

The index fell in May to 53.5 from April's reading of 60.4. That was the sharpest one-month drop since 1984.

Employers have responded by pulling back on hiring. The economy added just 18,000 net jobs in June, the fewest in nine months, and the unemployment rate rose to 9.2 percent. Hiring by manufacturers was nearly flat in the April-June period.

The government issues its July employment report on Friday.

Several regional manufacturing surveys for the month of July have been mixed. The Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank said its manufacturing index rose to 3.2, signaling that the sector is growing again in that region. It had contracted in June for the first time in nine months.

And a private survey in Chicago showed that manufacturing expanded in July, but at a slower pace than in June.

Meanwhile, a survey by the New York Federal Reserve Bank found regional manufacturing activity shrank in July.

Manufacturing represents only about 11 percent of U.S. economic activity and can contribute only so much to the broader economic recovery. For unemployment to fall significantly, consumer income and spending also must pick up.

The ISM, a trade group of purchasing executives based in Tempe, Ariz., compiles its manufacturing index by surveying about 300 purchasing executives across the country.