More History Rewriting in the NYT obit of vin Laden

`   

History Rewrite in NYT’s OBL Obit: ‘Intelligence Was Never Good Enough to Pull the Trigger’

Filed under: MSM Biz/Other Bias,MSM Biz/Other Ignorance,National Security,Taxes & Government,US & Allied Military — TBlumer @ 1:49 pm

The New York Times’s supposedly momentous decision to omit “Mr.” from references to Osama bin Laden in its Monday obituary is apparently working to distract critics from the item’s other problems.

Along with Michael T. Kaufman, Kate Zernike, whose primary vocation seems to be finding racism in the Tea Party movement where none exists and otherwise smearing its participants, comes off as almost critical of how bin Laden was “elevated to the realm of evil in the American imagination once reserved for dictators like Hitler and Stalin.”

Imagination (“the faculty … of forming mental images or concepts of what is not actually present to the senses”)? Babe, I don’t know about you, but we didn’t imagine September 11. We saw it. Others directly experienced it. Many died. Do you remember?

The obit’s topper for me is the (in my opinion) deliberate historical revisionism in the following passage (bolds are mine throughout this post):

The C.I.A. spent much of the next three years (after attacks on two American embassies in August 1998) hunting Bin Laden. The goal was to capture him with recruited Afghan agents or to kill him with a precision-guided missile, according to the 2004 report of the 9/11 Commission and the memoirs of George J. Tenet, director of central intelligence from July 1997 to July 2004.

The intelligence was never good enough to pull the trigger.

Horse manure, per ABC’s Brian Ross on September 10, 2006:

Missed Opportunities: The CIA and bin Laden

“CIA provided an American president, first Bill Clinton, multiple opportunities to capture or kill bin Laden,” (former CIA officer Gary) Bernstein said. “We provided those opportunities, tactical opportunities which were not taken.”

In its exhaustive report, the 9/11 Commission identified at least five separate times in 1998 and 1999 when operations were underway to get bin Laden.

… “After the embassy bombings, we developed a very elaborate plan to go after bin laden and the al Qaeda network,” (then White House Director of Counter-terrorism Richard) Clarke said.

That plan started with the launch of cruise missiles against a training camp where bin Laden was expected to be.

… But the U.S. missed its primary target, bin Laden.

“It was clear that he had been there, and the CIA believes he left a couple of hours before the missile struck,” said Marcus.

… Each time it would get close, CIA director Tenet would pull the plug, according to Clarke.

… And on three occasions, CIA sources, not CIA personnel, but people, Afghans, who were working for CIA, said they thought they knew where bin Laden was. And on all three occasions, those cruise missiles in the submarines were activated and began to spin up and get ready to launch. And on all three occasions, the director of the CIA, George Tenet, said he could not recommend the attack because the information from his one source wasn’t good enough.

CIA officers in the field disagreed. And the 9/11 Commission report calls the third of those aborted attacks, Kandahar, May 1999, the last, most likely best chance to get bin Laden.

The previous day, ABC’s Jake Tapper relayed an e-mail from Michael Scheuer, former chief of the Osama bin Laden Unit at the CIA’s Counterterrorist Center, which, concerning the TV movie “The Path to 9/11,” which appeared on the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, but which has never been released on DVD:

… the core of the movie is irrefutably true: the Clinton administration had 10 chances to capture of kill bin Laden.

The assertion by Zernike and Kaufman that “the intelligence was never good enough to pull the trigger” is the opposite of what the 9/11 Commission concluded, and the opposite of what Scheuer, who is certainly in a position to know, alleges. At a minimum, the New York Times pair should have noted the commission’s and Scheuer’s disagreements. But what they really should have done without getting into the he-said, she-said back and forth is to acknowledge that the U.S. had at least one definite chance and several other likely opportunities to take bin Laden out, and declined to do so.

Excuse-makers may counter that some of the go-aheads didn’t occur because of fears of civilian casualties, which was true in several instances. But that’s not what Zernike and Kaufman are claiming. They apparently want readers to believe there were never any real chances to get bin Laden. They are obviously, and disgracefully, wrong. Unless corrected, they have permanently marred the Old Gray Lady’s bin Laden obituary.

Cross-posted at NewsBusters.org.

Newspaper circulation Auditing Bureau report as of Mar 31, 2011

e   

Hide the (Bigger) Declines: Audit Bureau’s Newspaper Circulation Report Redefines the Term, Avoids Prior-Year Comparisons

Filed under: Business Moves,Economy — TBlumer @ 6:47 pm

How convenient. Via Editor and Publisher, the newspaper industry’s Audit Bureau of Circulations, in issuing its March 31, 2011 circulation figures, tells us we shouldn’t try to compare this year’s numbers to last year’s:

Because of the new and redefined categories of circulation on this FAS-FAX report, ABC recommends not making any direct comparisons of March 2011 data to prior audit periods.

As readers will see, if the ABC was really interested in enabling us to make apples-to-apples comparisons, it could have done so with appropriate definitional caveats. But it didn’t; instead, it revised its definition of “total circulation” this year without disclosing the impact of the switch.

I’ve made the comparisons where possible for daily editions anyway, and they follow after the jump (original info links: March 31, 2011; March 31, 2010; Boston Globe data obtained here):

Because it appears that there is inconsistency in their treatment, I passed on comparing publications with branded editions (if you take out branded editions, you’re left with small declines at most papers listed, but a very large, inexplicable slide at the San Jose Mercury News).

Before moving on to the year-over-year comparison problem, I should note that daily circulation at the ever less influential New York Times is down by over 200,000 copies in the past four years.

Setting aside the “branded edition” issue, even publications without branded editions are not directly comparable between 2010 and 2011. Jim Romenesko at Poynter.org lays it out, based on info in a press release from the ABC:

An ABC release explains:

In FAS-FAX reports prior to March 2011, the top-line metric that was commonly reported was “Total Paid Circulation.” This category no longer exists on ABC reports. The new top-line number is “Total Average Circulation,” which consists of a publication’s paid and verified print and digital editions. Total average circulation also includes any paid and verified branded editions.

* … Paid circulation is defined as copies purchased by the individual recipient or a specialized distribution channel (business/traveler)

* Verified circulation includes much of what used to be reported in “other” paid circulation (including third-party copies and copies distributed to schools and newspaper employees)

… In FAS-FAX reports prior to March 2011, the top-line metric that was commonly reported was “Total Paid Circulation.” This category no longer exists on ABC reports. The new top-line number is “Total Average Circulation,” which consists of a publication’s paid and verified print and digital editions.

… Much of what used to be considered “other” paid circulation (which had been excluded — Ed.),including third-party sales and NIE (newspapers in education — Ed.) copies is now reported as “verified” circulation and included in the total average circulation number.

In a nutshell, ABC has added “verified” to “paid,” and has included copies in “total average circulation” which were formerly excluded from “total paid circulation.” Yet the industry’s top players with rare exceptions stillshowed circulation declines despite the alleged economic “recovery” many of them continue to tout.

Clearly, the ABC’s redefinition is hiding further declines at many if not most of the papers listed above. It would appears to be potentially quite big in the case of USA Today, which relies heavily on hotel readership for visibility. It’s just as clear that if the ABC was okay with enabling the general public to appropriately compare year-over-year numbers, it could release the relevant info with little additional work. Though they’re obviously not required to, it’s quite odd, and I would argue more than a little hypocritical, that a trade group representing publications which scream so frequently about “transparency” wouldn’t do so.

Cross-posted at NewsBusters.org.

Looks kinda like Obama and his buds are trying to pull defeat from victory with their actions and comments

   

Obama: Let Me ‘Sleep On It’ (Ace: 7 Minutes vs. 16 Hours)

Filed under: National Security,Taxes & Government,US & Allied Military — TBlumer @ 11:06 pm

In honor of our Commander in chief doing the following, based originally on a New York Times item, with bit of British paraphrasing supplied by the UK Daily Mail …

Obama took SIXTEEN HOURS to make up his mind about Bin Laden mission

Barack Obama kept military commanders hanging by declaring he would ‘sleep on it’ before taking 16 hours to give the go-ahead to raid Bin Laden’s compound.

… I hereby bring you “Paradise by the Dashboard Lights,” with that immortal line from Meat Loaf — “Let me sleep on it” (readers, please forgive the borderline “R” content):

In all seriousness, it’s a good thing that the mission didn’t get compromised by this sadly characteristic dithering.

Related, at Ace’s Place (HT Instapundit): “Seven Minutes vs. Sixteen Hours”:

Sixteen hours later (hours during which Osama might have fled– bear in mind, his courier’s name had just been outed by WikiLeaks), he made up his mind.

… So, after 16 hours of vacillation, during which the operation might have been rendered a failure by intervening invents, he fist-bumps a piece of furniture and finally makes up his mind.

This is something to brag about? This is, in Howard Fineman’s words, “almost Biblical”?

Seems like a very cautious, feckless, indecisive individual delaying and delaying on critical decisions and then attempting to sound heroic when he finally does what he’s being paid to do.

… So why should I praise Obama for a choice that every single one of his predecessors and every plausible successor would also make?

And probably not requiring 16 hours to do so, either.

I think we now know why the speech was so good (and yes, it was uncharacteristically very good). He had 16 hours, which turned into 40 because of a weather-releated operational delay, to prepare.

Comments [moderated] (0)

They’re Not Really Letting This Thing Fall Apart, Are They?

Filed under: National Security,Taxes & Government,US & Allied Military — TBlumer @ 9:59 pm

Currently at Drudge (Drudge archive link):

Links: First, second, third, fourth (go to 4:55 p.m. and 2:59 p.m. items), fifth.

At Hot Air: “The Story Shifts on the Abbottabad Raid; UPDATE: Carney Revises Again, Says There Was “Resistance” from bin Laden”

One thing I have little patience with is the idea that having assassination as a mission objective if there is meaningful resistance by the target or his accomplices is somehow not okay, But the hand-wringers are starting to crawl out of the woodwork:

As more details of the death of Sept. 11 mastermind Osama bin Laden surfaced Monday, some individuals suggested that the killing of the Al Qaeda leader by U.S. special forces may have violated international law.

However, human rights and civil liberties groups that have sharply criticized the Obama administration for its use of lethal force against terror suspects outside of war zones remained largely mum after the notorious bin Laden was shot by U.S. Navy SEALs in an operation that took place in Pakistan, where the U.S. is not involved in formally declared combat.

Some legal scholars and intelligence analysts are also expressing concerns that the covert military operation in Abbottabad was further evidence to them that the U.S. is taking the wrong approach in the so-called “global war on terror.”

Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern went as far as to say that bin Laden was “martyred by U.S. forces acting arbitrarily and independently in a Muslim nation.”

“The professor turned president was out to show how tough he is and how his crackerjack extrajudicial assassins can get their man,” McGovern said. “There are commonly accepted legal ways to capture and bring such people to a court of law — yes, even the ‘bad guys’ like Osama bin Laden.”

What the ironically named McGovern is saying is in my opinion horse manure — but it happens to have been the prevailing narrative of the left and many in the Obama administration, certainly including Eric Holder, until Sunday afternoon.

Additionally, someone needs to acknowledge that making Osama bin Laden a martyr was something a certain presidential candidate said he did not want to do:

OBAMA: BIN LADEN WON’T BE A MARTYR

Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama said he would bring Osama bin Laden to justice in a way that would deny the al Qaida leader the chance to become a martyr.

Mr Obama’s comments, following a meeting with his new team of national security advisers, marked another push by the first-term Illinois senator to battle criticism by presidential rival John McCain and other Republicans that he lacked the national security expertise needed to become president.

… Meanwhile, Mr Obama told reporters that if Bin Laden were found during his watch, he would bring him to justice in a way that wouldn’t allow the terrorist mastermind to become a martyr, but he may be killed if the US government finds him.

“First of all, I think there is an executive order out on Osama bin Laden’s head,” Mr Obama said at a news conference. “And if I’m president, and we have the opportunity to capture him, we may not be able to capture him alive.”

Mr Obama’s campaign said he was referring to a classified Memorandum of Notification that President Bill Clinton approved in 1998 – revealed in the 9/11 Commission report – that would allow the CIA to kill Bin Laden if capture were not feasible.

But at crunch time, Obama issued orders to kill unless, as Leon Panetta said today, “he suddenly put up his hands and offered to be captured …” Unfortunately, that’s not the only situation during which capture him alive is feasible. The fact that he was unarmed may — emphasis may — indicate that capture was feasible.

The series of what appear to be missteps and snafus are opening up the possibility that bin Laden will become more widely seen as a martyr that necessary (it was going to happen anyway with some, regardless of the care taken). It’s not helpful. Get it together, people.

___________________________________________________

UPDATE: John at Powerline —

The administration’s missteps do not significantly tarnish the achievement of getting bin Laden, but President Obama and his minions can be grateful that the press will, for the most part, pass over its errors and contradictions in silence.

He’s most probably correct, but there does seem to be a bit of press opportunism here. Perhaps they’re thinking that if the administration’s narrative deteriorates further, it will starting rubbing off on the heroes who carried out the mission and the military in general. Denigrating the military is media obsession no matter who’s in the Oval Office.

Re: Harrier Jet's Message

Here is the pic

On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 10:02 PM, THE ANNOINTED ONE <markmkahle@gmail.com> wrote:

Pic did not come through.....

On May 3, 5:47 pm, Travis <baconl...@gmail.com> wrote:
> [[  Let me know if pic does not go through. ]]

>
> **
>
>     So much for the Brits' so-called "dry" sense of humor.
> *Harrier jets' flypast over Downing Street in a salute to terrorists    .*
> *It's good to see the RAF still have a sense of humour.  *
> *Look at it from an angle or lean back in your chair, and squint;  squinting
> works best.*
>

> [image: Description: cid:1.3465014...@web81907.mail.mud.yahoo.com]

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Re: Torturing Terrorists Works

The novel is hardly comparable to reality is it ? Or are
novels really a reality to you. Are you suggesting that the twin
towers were a figment of our imagination and that Bin Ladens death
came out of a 1984 novel. Huh ?

**********************************************************************************************************************************

On May 3, 10:38 am, plainolamerican <plainolameri...@gmail.com> wrote:
> The name "Goldstein" is German Jewish, just as is Trotsky's original
> surname Bronstein. The first name Emmanuel means "God with us"; his
> whole name would be a metaphor for a Messiah character. His name can
> refer to Emma Goldman, a notable anarchist. Emmanuel may be a
> reference to Rabbi Emanuel Rabinovich, a nonexistent orator that was
> used as a source to fuel antisemitic propaganda, much as Emmanuel
> Goldstein was to be the common focus of anger for the society in the
> novel.
>
> "Goldstein is the Osama Bin Laden figure in Orwell's novel, an
> extremely elusive person who is never seen, never captured, but
> believed by the leadership of Oceania to be still alive and hatching
> his conspiracies: perhaps somewhere beyond the sea, under the
> protection of his foreign paymasters. Since Goldstein is never
> captured, the battle against his crimes, treacheries, sabotages must
> never end."
> Drawing parallel's between Goldstein and Osama Bin Laden began a week
> after the September 11 Attacks, when professor William L. Anderson at
> Frostburg State University wrote a column for LewRockwell.com entitled
> "Osama and Goldstein".
> The legal scholar Cass Sunstein in his 2009 book Worst-Case Scenarios,
> coins what he deems the "Goldstein Effect", describing it as "the
> ability to intensify public concern by giving a definite face to the
> adversary, specifying a human source of the underlying threat."
> According to Sunstein, since the U.S. War on Terror has so heavily
> associated terrorism with Osama Bin Laden, the outrage has intensified
> in similar ways as displayed in 1984.
>
> On May 3, 9:14 am, MJ <micha...@america.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> > So says the Government. Good thing they NEVER lie.
> > Regard$,
> > --MJ
> > As usual, the face of Emmanual Goldstein, the Enemy of the People, had flashed on to the screen. There were hisses here and there among the audience. The little sandy-haired woman gave a squeak of mingled fear and disgust. Goldstein was the renegade and backslider who once, long ago (how long ago, nobody quite remembered), had been one of the leading figures of the Party, almost on a level with Big Brother himself, and then had engaged in counter-revolutionary activities, had been condemned to death, and had mysteriously escaped and disappeared. The programmes of the Two Minutes Hate varied from day to day, but there was none in which Goldstein was not the principal figure. He was the primal traitor, the earliest defiler of the Party's purity. All subsequent crimes against the Party, all treacheries, acts of sabotage, heresies, deviations, sprang directly out of his teaching. Somewhere or other he was still alive and hatching his conspiracies: perhaps somewhere beyond the sea, under the protection of his foreign paymasters, perhaps even -- so it was occasionally rumoured -- in some hiding-place in Oceania itself. -- George Orwell, 1984- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

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Re: Harrier Jet's Message

Pic did not come through.....

On May 3, 5:47 pm, Travis <baconl...@gmail.com> wrote:
> [[  Let me know if pic does not go through. ]]
>
> **
>
>     So much for the Brits' so-called "dry" sense of humor.
> *Harrier jets' flypast over Downing Street in a salute to terrorists    .*
> *It's good to see the RAF still have a sense of humour.  *
> *Look at it from an angle or lean back in your chair, and squint;  squinting
> works best.*
>
> [image: Description: cid:1.3465014...@web81907.mail.mud.yahoo.com]

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* It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls.
* Read the latest breaking news, and more.

Re: Wringing-the-Neck of Empty Ritual.

Einstein,

Why don't you have your own blog entitled "Wringing-
the neck of empty ritual" ?

********************************************************************************************************************
On May 1, 8:28 am, NoEinstein <noeinst...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> Folks:  I've posted my various essays, separately, under the apt Title
> Lines.  In order to make all of those be easily locatable by you
> readers, I have subsequently added each one, like 'replies to myself'
> under this "folder post", Wringing-the-Neck of Empty Ritual.  When I
> attempted to do that... again, I am angered to learn that someone at
> Google has deleted all of my "collective" essays which include 85% of
> my New Constitution.  If the deletion of "duplicate" files is Google's
> Objective, they should have removed the separately-named, and lesser
> read, New Posts, but RETAINED the collective posts that most of my
> readers would like to be able to see in ONE LOCATION.  Below, is my
> most recent, and crucially important, post directed to the US Secret
> Service.
>
> Building Obama's Gallowshttp://groups.google.com/group/politicalforum/browse_thread/thread/ca...
>
> The USA is lost in the "Corn" of politics.http://groups.google.com/group/politicalforum/browse_thread/thread/62...
> +in+the+'Corn'+of+po
>
> On Apr 1, 2:29 pm, NoEinstein <noeinst...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Talk, alone, can't save the US economy and social order.
>
> > This week Glenn Beck compared Judaism and Islam.  He's right that Jews
> > are less harsh in dealing with 'prohibited' activities than Muslims.
> > But, apparently, Beck hasn't considered the "hidden dangers" posed by
> > the Jews in Israel that hurt the chances the world can avoid humanity-
> > threatening conflicts.  To wit:  Following WWII, and the admittedly
> > terrible Holocaust, Jews were a race without a nation.  Over the ages
> > Jews had had legitimate claim to much of the Holy Land.  But that land
> > had since ceded to those of the Muslim faith.  By force of armed
> > conflict, Jews confiscated the land of Muslims without fair
> > compensation.  Though they had the 'nation' they so desired, it was a
> > nation obtained by immoral acts, including murder, covetousness and
> > grand theft.  In "celebration" of the new nation of Israel, the USA
> > formed an alliance to protect Israel from armed aggression.  Isn't it
> > ironic that our country had not considered it… "worthy" to come to the
> > aid of those Muslims driven from the Holy Land?
>
> > Because the US regularly sides with Jewish crooks and uses our
> > military might to neutralize those who are only seeking justice, the
> > USA has become a despised nation.  Our capitalist successes have made
> > us look like crooks in those realms, too.  Thousands of Americans have
> > died and are dying in the wars being fought.  And perhaps millions of
> > Americans, and that many more of our allies, are now living in fear of
> > terrorism…  Such would NOT be the case if Jews hadn't felt "entitled"
> > to be crooks because of the Holocaust.  True to form, Jews take every
> > opportunity for selfish gain, without considering the morality of
> > their actions.
>
> > Muslims deserve to be treated fairly.  Understandably, the nation of
> > Israel is an affront to the moral sensibilities of Muslims.  My book,
> > "The Shortest Distance; Harmony Through Prosperity", touts how FAIR
> > capitalist successes—evenly spread throughout all the peoples of the
> > world—can foster world peace, harmony and prosperity.  Such successes
> > can be more profound than ever experienced by the vast majority of
> > Muslims.  *** As I see it, Israel has a moral obligation to help
> > foster capitalist successes within Muslim nations.  Unless they
> > willingly do so, the world will remain just hours away from a world
> > war more terrible than anyone can imagine, and more terrible than any
> > of the 'punishments' Muslims use on those breaking their rules—beyond
> > which Glenn Beck, apparently, has not seen.
>
> > Instead of the trillions of dollars being spent to defend Israel and
> > to fight their wars for them, that money should be spent to equitably
> > turn Israel into a model two-race nation.  That's just a concept, mind
> > you.  I can envision an Architectural Master Plan that layers and
> > weaves quality working and living spaces on the limited land
> > available.  Holy places common to both religions should become neutral
> > territory, with wise controlled-access being allowed for all who
> > respect the sanctity of the spaces.  Where there are now rock piles,
> > there should become gardens!  The goal should be to once again make
> > Israel a safe destination for those interested in religious history.
> > The Jewish Temple, at least partially, should be reconstructed, NOT as
> > an affront to those of other faiths, but as a tribute to the
> > technological achievements of those from other ages.  Muslim places of
> > high importance should be developed for high purposes, too.
>
> > Progress toward peace and prosperity can happen rapidly, IF Muslims
> > will start correcting their very bad public relations—like yesterday.
> > When the Koran was written, the world was composed largely of warring
> > barbarians.  Religiousritualwas a way to separate friend from foe.
> > The more loyal a follower, the more committed that person was to the
> > rituals of his faith.  Intended or not, that "emptyritual", which I
> > abhor, has brainwashed Muslims till they are… the most mass-minded
> > people on Earth.  Muslims have little or no individual moral
> > sensibility to question the harsh punishments of 'sinners'.  Their
> > only standard is a largely barbaric religious code that has never been
> > brought into the civilized age.
>
> > Glenn Beck talks about the billions of 'bad' Muslims.  Where are
> > others, such as me, to propose that there be concerted efforts to make
> > this world economically and socially FAIR within every nation?  I'm
> > betting that terrorism and wars won't even be considered, once Muslims
> > start sharing in the simple capitalist successes that countries like
> > the USA and Israel have for too long kept the knack-for-obtaining
> > secret from others.  We live on one, common, planet Earth, people!
> > Teaching capitalism for the benefit of the uninitiated, will
> > eventually benefit every one of us in the long run.  That is my hope
> > and dream!
>
> > Respectfully submitted,
>
> > — John A. Armistead —  Patriot
>
> > AKA NoEinstein on sci.physics news group.
>
> > On Mar 13, 11:51 am, NoEinstein <noeinst...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
> > > Folks:  As closely as possible, following the outline of our original
> > > Constitution, is the attached Article from my New Constitution.:
>
> > > "Article V:
>
> > > Section 1, 2 & 3:  Whenever 50% of the House deems necessary, the
> > > House may propose amendments to the New Constitution, or call a
> > > convention for proposing amendments; such may be ratified in a one
> > > day, direct referendum of the People of all the states and
> > > territories, provided 60% of the registered voters who vote concur.
> > >      The New Constitution and laws and treaties made under the
> > > authority of the United States shall be the supreme law of the land,
> > > and judges in every state shall be bound thereby.  Nothing in a state
> > > constitution can be to the contrary.  Before taking a public office or
> > > job, representatives, members of the legislatures, all executive and
> > > judicial officers—of the United States and of the several states and
> > > local governments—and all employees of those who regularly deal with
> > > the Public, shall be bound by oath or affirmation to have read the
> > > entire New Constitution within the last 30 days and to support such.
> > > No religious oath or action shall be used as part of the qualification
> > > for any office, public trust or job.
> > >      To form more perfect government, the House may authorize tests of
> > > variations of government or laws that are, in the main, consistent
> > > with the intents of this New Constitution.  With the assent of 55% of
> > > the legislature or legislatures of the state(s) involved, such tests
> > > may encompass one or several states for a period of time sufficient to
> > > evaluate performance.  Subsequently, the House may vote to pass laws
> > > of national scope on the issues tested.  Conflicts arising from the
> > > test(s) shall be resolved in the courts using this New Constitution
> > > and apt federal laws, but with no intent at any time to punish those
> > > persons, groups or states for their involvement in the test, done for
> > > the common good."
>
> > > — John A. Armistead —  Patriot
>
> > > Those who are interested are invited to read my just-published book,
> > > "The Shortest Distance, Harmony Through Prosperity" (Amazon and B. &
> > > N.).  Thanks!
>
> > > On Mar 11, 10:22 am, NoEinstein <noeinst...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
> > > > Folks:  Some shallow, at Google or otherwise, changed the title of
> > > > this post to "…EmptyRhetoric" rather than "…EmptyRitual".  I was
> > > > unable to reply and to have the latter, correct name of my original
> > > > post be included.  That's important so all excerpts from my New
> > > > Constitution can be found under one heading.
>
> > > > Note:  The reason I used "…EmptyRitual" relates as much to religions
> > > > and social habits as it does to our government—which is more
> > > > interested in form and process than in getting results that will be
> > > > beneficial to the vast majority (60% plus) of Americans.
>
> > > > I am cutting, pasting and re posting the last two replies I made to
> > > > Keith in Koln.
>
> > > > Dear Keith in Koln:  I lived in Charlotte for over two decades.  My
> > > > father, in his childhood, lived in Tarpon Springs.  One of my most
> > > > frightening times was driving over the Tampa Bay bridge.  The
> > > > "starting point" for me in rewriting the constitution was to correct
> > > > the rampant
>
> ...
>
> read more »- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

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5 Alternatives to the Federal Reserve

5 Alternatives to the Federal Reserve coto2admin | May 3, 2011 at 11:45 am | Tags: commodity based economy, competing currencies, federal reserve system, hr 1098, localized banking, north dakota bank, ron paul, scrips, the fed | Categories: Economy Economics | URL: http://wp.me/pAnVO-49L

Why the sun will still rise without the Federal Reserve system By Eric Blair Activist Post Now that Ron Paul is officially testing the 2012 presidential waters, a hot topic will surely be "Ending the Fed."  What used to be seen as a fringe issue may now result in intelligent discussions about how do we [...]

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Harrier Jet's Message

[[  Let me know if pic does not go through. ]]

 

So much for the Brits' so-called "dry" sense of humor.  Harrier jets' flypast over Downing Street in a salute to terrorists    .    It's good to see the RAF still have a sense of humour.    Look at it from an angle or lean back in your chair, and squint;  squinting works best.

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Fwd:Read the Bills! (1 of 2) - PBI Newsletter, 0511, Special Edition

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PBI Newsletter, Special Edition (1 of 2) May 3rd, 2011
Dear Friends of PBI, This is our work.  We educate law and policy makers so they can write and pass legislation that creates     affordable credit for the very people whom they represent.  Read the bills in this Special Edition of the Public Banking Newsletter and see the bills for yourself.  Public banking is taking on different shapes, but there is no doubt that the framework of legislation is being built. Eight bills have been submitted in eight statehouses since the Public Banking Institute was formed. This, in addition to the four from 2010. Is this a coincidence?  This Special Edition (1 of 2) of the Newsletter has five of the bills listed - the next Special Edition (2 of 2) will include the remaining seven bills. Clearly, we are contributing to a public banking movement.  You can too.  Will you help by making a one-time contribution or simply donate $10/month? The most well-financed lobby in U.S. politics does not wish us success.  We can speak truth to power, but our words need to be heard by many more than those on this mailing list.  This movement is moving faster than our very limited capacity - we are having to decline our participation in numerous forums because of our meager budget. But you can help by making a one-time or monthly donation.  Your donation will directly further the work we are doing in Maine, Massachusetts, California, Washington, and other important states.  We plan on having regional events that will help get the word out.  But we need to fund them somehow, which is where you come in. Thank you to those who have already responded and to those who now decide to provide financial support.  This is OUR work.     Marc Armstrong Executive Director Public Banking Institute   Oregon Creates Oregon Economic Development Finance Authority to formulate and implement investment and management policies and practices for state funds controlled and administered by state agencies. The Legislative Assembly finds that: (1) The availability of venture capital for Oregon businesses that are engaged in economic development is critical to the continued growth and development of the economy of Oregon. (2) There exists a substantial gap between available venture capital resources and the need of Oregon businesses that are engaged in economic development for such resources. (3) Currently existing state-managed funds constitute a major financial resource of the State of Oregon.  Prudent investment and management of these funds may, togehter with access to capital provided in partnership with financial institutions, enhance the availability of venture capital for Oregon businesses engaged in economic development.  more...   Maine An Act To Create the Maine Street Economic Development Bank The Maine Street Economic Development Bank is established for the following purposes: 1. Economic Development.  To support job creation and the  economic development of the State by increasing access to capital for businesses and farms within the State in partnership with local financial insitutions; 2. Financial Stability.  To provide stability to the state financial sector, but not to compete with state-chartered community banks, credit unions or other financial institutions; 3. Basic banking services.  To reduce costs paid by the State for basic banking services; and 4. Return profits.  To return profits, beyond the revenue needed to accomplish the mission and continued sound operaion of the bank, to the Maine Budget Stabilization Fund established in Title 5. section 1532. more.... Arizona Establishment of the Bank of Arizona   This state shall engage in the business of banking and shall maintain a system of banking owned, controlled and operated by this state under the name of the Bank of Arizona.  more...	California Establishment of Investment Trust Blue Ribbon Task Force. The California Constitution provides for the election by the people of the Treasurer and the Controller.  Existing law requires the Treasurer to receive and keep in the vaults of the treasury or to deposit in banks and credit unions all moneys belonging to the state, as specified.  Existing law requires the Controller to audit all claims against the state, and authorizes the Controller to audit the disbursement of any state money, for correctness, legality, and for sufficient provisions of the law for payment.   This bill would establish the investment trust blue ribbon task force to consider the viability of establishing the California Investment Trust, which would be a state bank receiving deposits of state funds.  more.. Read PBI Public Testimony (submitted on 5/2/11 for the Banking and Finance Hearing.  Bill  was approved in the afternoon session and now moves to Appropriations Committee) Hawaii A Bill for an Act Relating to Creation of a State Bank. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Hawaii: The legislature finds that access to capital is vital to the financial health, security, and well-being of the individuals and businesses that drive Hawaii's economy.  The lack of accessible capital can exacerbate the financial burdens that many working families and businesses experience during periods of economic downturn.  The legislature further finds that it can best direct economic development policy initiatives in a responsive and efficient manner through a state bank that provides consistent capital lending regardless of fluctuating economic conditions. The mission of the state bank of Hawaii is to promote agriculture, education, community development, economic development, commerce, and industry in Hawaii.  To achieve this mission, the bank shall act as a funding resource in partnership with other financial insitutions, economic development groups, and guaranty agencies.  All state funds and all funds of state institutions shall be deposited at the state bank and guaranteed by the State.  The state bank may also accept deposits from any other private or public source.  The state bank of Hawaii shall employ a risk-management strategy that includes accurate financial reporting and strict compliance wiht all applicable laws, rules, and regulations.   more...   Public Banking in America, Legislative Guide, Spring 2011.  Published by the Public Banking Institute and the Center for State Innovation.  Can't support PBI with a financial donation but want to make this YOUR work, too?  Send this Public Banking in America Legislative Guide to your State Representatives and educate them on this very important opportunity.   Click here for access to all state bills on public banking.     The PBI Newsletter is Sponsored by:       The mission of the Public Banking Institute (PBI) is to leverage the historic role of publicly-owned banks nationally and internationally in fostering access to affordable and readily available credit, particularly as used for increasing productive capacity.   For more information, go to:   http://publicbankinginstitute.org/   or contact us at:   publicbanking@gmail.com   PBI may also be reached at:   Public Banking Institute PO Box 2195 Sonoma, California  95476 April, 2011 Newsletter March, 2011 Newsletter
PO Box 2195 Sonoma, CA  95476 Email: publicbanking@gmail.com

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