With Successful Phillips Rescue, Obama Passes His First Test »
Posted By capj71 8 months, 3 weeks ago in Political News
The successful rescue of Captain Richard Philips sent a powerful signal to those around the world who might have been considering challenging the new president. Obama has passed his first foreign crisis with flying colors, and sent a message that he is not afraid to act.
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capj71
Hi I am Capj71, but my friends call me Jason. I love politics. I am a liberal, and proud of it. I share and prop ...
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slate8 months, 3 weeks ago
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hyperbolaComment removed: Spam
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hyperbola8 months, 3 weeks ago
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Actually Obama is just continuing our military and economic imperialism in the mideast.
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Our Pirates and Theirs
Here's the plot of Pirates of the Caribbean 4. The film opens with Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow dropping anchor in New York harbor. He descends on Wall Street with his mates and, after a quick costume change at Brooks Brothers, storms the boardrooms of Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, and other major firms. They don't need sabers to rake in the haul. Jack's a clever pirate. He takes advantage of the tools at hand. Applying mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations, Jack seizes billions of dollars in booty. He distributes huge bonuses to his crew for a job well done. And just before the government steps in to clean up the mess, the pirates scramble back to their ship and set sail.
Quick question: Why are more than a dozen of the world's navies converging on Somalia to battle pirates there instead of sailing into New York to capture the Wall Street pirates? After all, CEOs captured over $20 billion in taxpayer money using tax loopholes, according to an IPS study. Surely the global economy would be made more secure by forcing former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain, who doled out $4 billion in executive bonuses even as his company was collapsing, to walk the gangplank than by cracking down on the bands of privateers in the Horn of Africa. ....
...ast forward to the latest piracy news. The newspapers have been full of stories about gangs preying on vessels passing through the Suez Canal and near the Somali coast. They seized dozens of ships last year - including a Saudi tanker with $100 million worth of crude oil that yielded a $3 million ransom - with the help of fast boats, GPS, and submachine guns. The pirates are currently negotiating for a comparable ransom before releasing a Ukrainian vessel that has 33 Russian tanks, heavy artillery, and grenade launchers.
As Foreign Policy In Focus (FPIF) contributor Rubrick Biegon points out, the Somali pirates did not start out as Jack Sparrows. "Piracy in Somalia began because traditional coastal fishing became difficult after foreign fishing trawlers depleted local fish stocks," he writes in Somalia Piracy and the International Response. "Desperate fishermen started attacking trawlers until the trawler crews fought back with heavy weapons, leading the local fishermen to turn to other types of commercial vessels. The pirates prefer to call themselves the Somali 'coast guard,' noting that, prior to the recent spate of hijackings, they organized themselves to defend their communities from overfishing and, according to several accounts, to protect Somalia's coastline from toxic dumping by foreign vessels." -
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Georgia508 months, 3 weeks ago
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Slate,
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Have you considered the captain's circumstances under international law vs. Obama's standing order?
A sovereign is entitled to any action necessary to secure the safety of its citizens on the open sea and/or bring pirates on the open sea to justice.
The order was, ONLY if the captain's life was in IMMINENT danger could the US Navy fire on them.
All the Somalis have to do is produce a witness who will attest to THEIR fact that the pirates had no intention of shooting the captain, or that the pirate with his gun to the captain's back had an unloaded weapon, or whatever else the ACLU or the Eric Holder Justice Dept. can come up with, and the officer in charge will be up on charges.
Our navy MUST have standing orders to resolve the situation in the best manner possible under international law. We know by hindsight that it turned out great THIS time, and Obama looks good as a result. I hope Obama always looks good for this reason--an American life was saved. But I would not want to know there was a shred of wriggle room over the question of whether the life of any American was or was not in "imminent danger." The act of piracy in itself invites a lethal response. It need not be accompanied by placing innocent lives in danger. This is a huge equivocation that may come back to haunt us.
Against the Barbary pirates, resolution came in the form of landing marines and forcing the issue. And even then...the Muzzies gave us one treaty in English, and another in Arabic. -
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hyperbola8 months, 3 weeks ago
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Now do yyou suppose that Obama will end our crimes against humanity in Somalia that led to the present situation?
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You are being lied to about pirates
In 1991, the government of Somalia - in the Horn of Africa - collapsed. Its 9 million people have been teetering on starvation ever since - and many of the ugliest forces in the Western world have seen this as a great opportunity to steal the country’s food supply and dump our nuclear waste in their seas.
Yes: nuclear waste. As soon as the government was gone, mysterious European ships started appearing off the coast of Somalia, dumping vast barrels into the ocean. The coastal population began to sicken. At first they suffered strange rashes, nausea and malformed babies. Then, after the 2005 tsunami, hundreds of the dumped and leaking barrels washed up on shore. People began to suffer from radiation sickness, and more than 300 died.
Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the U.N. envoy to Somalia, tells me: “Somebody is dumping nuclear material here. There is also lead and heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury - you name it.” Much of it can be traced back to European hospitals and factories, who seem to be passing it on to the Italian mafia to “dispose” of cheaply. When I asked Ould-Abdallah what European governments were doing about it, he said with a sigh: “Nothing. There has been no cleanup, no compensation and no prevention.”
At the same time, other European ships have been looting Somalia’s seas of their greatest resource: seafood. We have destroyed our own fish stocks by over-exploitation - and now we have moved on to theirs. More than $300 million worth of tuna, shrimp, lobster and other sea life is being stolen every year by vast trawlers illegally sailing into Somalia’s unprotected seas.
The local fishermen have suddenly lost their livelihoods, and they are starving. Mohammed Hussein, a fisherman in the town of Marka 100km south of Mogadishu, told Reuters: “If nothing is done, there soon won’t be much fish left in our coastal waters.”
This is the context in which the men we are calling “pirates” have emerged. Everyone agrees they were ordinary Somalian fishermen who at first took speedboats to try to dissuade the dumpers and trawlers, or at least wage a “tax” on them. They call themselves the Volunteer Coast Guard of Somalia - and it’s not hard to see why.
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hyperbola8 months, 3 weeks ago
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What a load of rubbish this story is! The US "beat" four poor Somali fishermen (whose fishing banks have been destroyed by foreigners overfishing) floating in a rubber launch.
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panem et circenses for those susceptible to state propagnada.-
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Goppy8 months, 3 weeks ago
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Mon Dieu, hyperbola!
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You prefer to lend support to those who kidnap and threaten to kill Americans?
By the way ... foreigners have overfished the waters off New England as well ... and ... off Alaska ... and off Hawaii ...
I must tell you ... it really appears to me that your cynicism towards America is no different than pc25, RedRiverJ, Wolfie2007, Klarissa, libsRfunny, Endoscopy, Rush LImbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity ... and all those of like mind.
America has turned the page from our darkest era - one would think that people would be relieved.
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wtagg8 months, 3 weeks ago
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You know what, I don't fish with an AK-47.
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I'm not sure that you are poor if you can afford an AK-47.
I'm not sure that you are poor if you have the means to operate hundreds of miles off-shore with a boat capable of overtaking and boarding a 400 foot long vessel carrying relief supplies for the people of the African continent.
Quite frankly, I think you will have a hard time demonstrating the US has overfished these waters.
These are opportunist criminals. To me, this is what the US military is capable of and sends a clear message. If you mess with the US while we are minding our own business, expect a head shot.
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slate8 months, 3 weeks ago
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LOL Hyper,,,, I guess in your 'mind' the Zionist forced your fellow Muslims to high-jack all these ships of late? Other than being forced to do so, these folks are just nice as pumpkin pie, if not for the evil Americo-Zionist cabals.
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Your lil brain must smoke and hurt for you to try and find a way to discount anything a Muslim does in the Middle East as a Noble cause against Israel.-
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hyperbola8 months, 3 weeks ago
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What you show us with that Slate is that you really have no knowledge of most of the world beyond the state propaganda that you gulp down. It is that kind of ignorance that lets our "elite" continue with their military imperialism that is bankrupting the country and destroying our constitution. But then, as an israel-firster, american democracy doesn't matter much to you does it.
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The real story in this is that in our "globalized" world, it is common to ignore these "poor" people and castigate their desperate actions trying to escape from poverty.
And we are partly responsible for their desperation, especially the Bush administration cranking up the level of that desperation in the last few years. Better to attack them with our military imperialism than cooperate with them. The Obama administration is continuing the military and economic imperialism, viz. Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Somalia as a Military Target:
The U.S.-backed Ethiopian invasion of Somalia and subsequent U.S. air strikes and naval blockade against that east African country mark another dangerous chapter in the Bush administration’s war against Islamic nations. And, despite no authorization from Congress for the United States to become engaged in that country’s civil war and despite the failure of President Bush to consult with Congress as required by the War Powers Act, the new Democratic leadership in Congress apparently has no objections to this dangerous and illegal escalation.
The renewed U.S. military involvement in Somalia must be understood within the context of the U.S. role in Somalia during the cold war, which helped sow the seeds of that country’s subsequent chaos. Like the ill-fated 1992-94 U.S. military intervention, the current U.S. and Ethiopian attacks have done little to bring peace or stability to this impoverished country. ....
http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/3909
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Wolfie20078 months, 3 weeks ago
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Well, actually, all he did was tell the Navy to use force. I don't think a lot of credit for resolving this incident should be piled on the Obummer's plate. After all he has to get one right sooner or later, doesn't he? The law averages proves it.
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vor8 months, 3 weeks ago
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We wouldn't expect you to give Obama credit for anything, Wolfie. You show what a partisan crank you really are. A bit of luck here of course but he gave the order that allowed this to come to an end and the captain to come out safe. I am sure his family is grateful.
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Slate has to be commended here as well. As far as foreign policy goes the Right should really be more in line with Obama. Cheney was a despot and destroyed any hopes of an acceptable foreign policy for Bush. But some of the later decisions showed what Bush's FP might have looked like. Rice got to do a little diplomacy, Gates made sense at Defense, and Petraeus was good choice to run the military on the ground. Cheney by then was all but emasculated and most of the neocons damaged by their lack of responsibility for the early mistakes in Iraq. All of this of course came far too late.
We cannot turn out backs on these hot spots. I include The Sudan, Somalia, Western Pakistan and Afghanistan on that list. This is not imperialism. And in the end it will hopefully be beneficial for the citizens as well. Most of whom are oppressed from within, not from the outside. -
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Ratskii8 months, 3 weeks ago
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Hmmm Wolfie, don't you think you are taking partisan politics to the extreme here? If this had happened while GWB was in office and the outcome had been the same, wouldn't you have been praising Bush to the skies for his genius in handling the situation?
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Mutainia8 months, 3 weeks ago
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I'm surprised this turned out the way it did. Honestly, I didn't think Obummer had it in him. If he does more of this sort of thing, I'm actually going to start thinking he's ok, and headed to disappointing a LOT of those who put him in office.
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pcknowledge8 months, 3 weeks ago
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"I commend President Obama for taking the actions needed to allow our troops to take care of this matter."
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Well slate, this is I think my first positive to you. We've always disagreed in the past, but on this one I agree with you.
In my opinion, President Obama, as the Commander In Chief, took the right actions. Of course, the credit should go to the brave Navy who did an outstanding job in excuting the President's commands. The FBI worked well with them as well.
I have a friend who was in the Navy for years. He retired because he said he didn't agree with President Bush's command decisions. -
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pcknowledge8 months, 3 weeks ago
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"Obummer" AND
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"The test will be to see what Obama does NOW. Cutting defense is an F."
Obama's already done more for us then Bush ever did for us.
Lay of my President!
Give Obama a chance to make America what it was before Bush took over. Or take a dive in the ocean & hang around with the Somalis. -
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Goppy8 months, 3 weeks ago
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Ah ha Bucotchy ... you are ADORABLE!!
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You are one of those yummie little moonpies that somehow are able to call a FOUR PERCENT INCREASE ... a budget CUT!!!
That is SO CUTE the way you can do that. It reminds me of my son when he was ... ahhhh ... 4 years old.
Of course, I can't put ALL that onus on you. After all ... MAINSTREAM MEDIA is supporting you in your outrage.
Here, check out this devastatingly funny video that puts a spotlight on how the American Right Wing Controlled Mainstream Media is ALSO calling a FOUR PERCENT INCREASE .... a DRASTIC Budget Cut.
http://tpmtv.talkingpointsmemo.com/?id=2341839
Wasn't that fun?
Dontcha just LOVE how cute Mainstream Media is and how Precious The Modern Right is in America? Dontcha just LOVE the way they DUMP on a Democrat President? Just like my fellow Christian Conservatives always complain ... self righteously ... that MSM is so slanted to the LEFT!? ... LOL!!!
Yes ... I know ... I'm IN on that joke! LOL !!!
But seriously ... A FOUR PERCENT INCREASE ... is ACTUALLY a CUT! Is that more Right Wing VOODOO Economics?
Oh well ... you know how the Modern Republicans are in America .... they LOVE BIG GOVERNMENT and will support it to the bitterest of ends.
And the BEST thing about the Modern Republican .... they LOVE PAYING HIGH TAXES to support this MULTI-TRILLION Big Government Socialist Program .... even if the Government programs DON'T WORK!
Ahhhh ... our Modern Republicans ... so endearing ... a walking collection of contrasting tics and cross purposes.
Thanks Bucotch ... every time you and your fellow Modern Conservatives speak - your inability to recognize your own cross purposes really tweaks my funny bone.
LOL!
LOL!
LOL!
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all2funComment removed: Hard Banned
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