Mr. Santana seems like a nice man.

He must like his job as a barber, he is styled himself. He is a hero to at least the community. I hope he grows to feel safe in his community again. I think there have been enough people around, even a Congressman to bring attention to the incident and he will be left alone. I hope he has good friends that will be a comfort to him. He witnessed a terrible thing. It may effect him in a few weeks when he realizes what he did to bring justice to the death of Mr. Scott, his family, his children and the community.

A few things.

From what Lawrence O'Donnell read during his show this evening it is obvious there is somewhat of a cover up. Mr. Slager never wrote a report. Officer Wilson never did either in the case of Michael Brown, Jr.. It was Mr. Slager's supervisor who didn't have first hand knowledge that wrote the report and the responding officer reported any first aid and CPR that was performed.

This "Stop Bleeding in 15 Seconds" is the only way any of these men could have survived the assault on their lives. Perhaps police officers should have these on their belt loops if they are going to be shooting people rather than chasing them. 

If nothing else these devices (if they are on the market yet) should be stocked in the ambulances responding to these scenes. Maybe they'll make is there while the victim of the shooting still has some life in him.

I also saw the full length video (click here) and the CPR came far too late to do any good. Mr. Scott had already bleed out and stopped breathing. He would have been impossible to save him by the time help arrived. But, the EMTs would not necessarily know that, but, they should have asked.

No one asked Mr. Santana at the scene of the shooting if he witnessed it. They told him to move along. He later went to the police station when he realized the reports to the public were incorrect. He wanted to talk to the police. There is an innate understanding most Americans have about police. They are the folks that are suppose to get it right. We trust them. 

He left when he realized it might not be a trustworthy environment at the police station. I don't blame him for being scared. He knew what happened was wrong. I would be scared, too. 

I am glad the DOJ is there and I am also concerned about what they are going to find. It was more than one officer that didn't accurately report the events. The Supervisor reported what he was told, but, the responding officer to the shooting had to know something terrible happened.

If this turns out to be another city that has a significant income from fines and fees, it will make at least the third the DOJ has intervened and actually found good reason to be concerned. Albuquerque, New Mexico; Ferguson, Missouri and now North Charleston, South Carolina. That is a lot wrong and it is getting to be more representative of the methodology of police nationwide. 

There are legislators that need to be very worried about the citizens of this country, especially citizens of color. Their upward mobility is being thwarted by city with insufficient budgets and when they don't cooperate in the way a police officer believes they should and they are Black men, they end up dead.

Everyone of the killings of which there is quite a list, were to be husbands or already husbands with children and at the very least, sons. They were good and decent men. Where mental health was an issue, there was medication in their homeless campsite. Considering the hostile environment they lived in and the monies siphoned off them and their families, it is fairly clear to me why they still are impoverished and even frustrated with their circumstances. 

This has to end. 

One other thing. About those people caught in the "money or jail scam." They should have lawyers file as a 'class' to request their monies back and their records expunged. They need to be made whole again.

April 7, 2015
By David Taintor

CIA Director John Brennan (click here) said critics who claim the preliminary Iran nuclear deal essentially provides a pathway for Iran to obtain a nuclear bomb are “being wholly disingenuous.”

“I am pleasantly surprised the Iranians have agreed to so much here,” Brennan said Tuesday during an appearance at Harvard’s Kennedy School. “I think it is really quite surprising and quite good. The people who point to this as saying it’s insufficient and the pathway to the bomb, what they’re really saying is the deal is okay, but the sanctions relief will give Iran the money and wherewithal to [cause unrest] in the area.”...

Congratulations to the prosecution. They did a great job.

Given the very unsuccessful death penalty executions, it will be life without. Life without parole is a hopeless state. The prison environment will dictate his quality of life. He won't be a happy person. I don't believe he ever expected to have to throw away the life he was building to be imprisoned forever.

The prosecution encompassed every detail of crime. It was rather incredible to realize there were 30 charges today. The prosecution brought justice to Boston today.

Inherent problems in Afghanistan aren't going to be changed. American troops or NATO allies can't change it.

July 6, 2010
By Spencer Ackermann

The looming security operations (click here) — er, “ rising tide” — in southern Afghanistan are getting all the attention. But the American-led coalition may be in serious trouble in eastern Afghanistan as well. According to a just-departed U.S. commander in charge of a big chunk of the area, locals in four critical provinces believe that the Taliban have greater religious legitimacy and a stronger commitment to justice than Hamid Karzai’s government. Coalition forces who aid that government are seen as “naive at best,” and “‘co-conspirators’ at worst.”...

...Afghanistan’s most violent and vexing areas: Nangarhar, Nuristan, Kunar, and Laghman provinces, a mountainous part of the country home to about 3.7 million people, 33 tribes and sub-tribes, and over 300 kilometers’ worth of porous border with tribal Pakistan...

The USA will never control these lands. The USA military would have to kill everyone. That is not an option. The choices of the tribes are political issues, not military resolve. 

...George titled of those slides “How Locals Ranked The Enemies To Progress.” Through the locals’ eyes, the slide reported four big challenges. Al-Qaeda and the Taliban rank dead last. A “Corrupt and Ineffective Government” is number one....

The USA military has worked with this reality over and over and over. There is no military solution. There is no reason for the USA to stay in Afghanistan unless it is greed and rare Earth elements. That is not for the USA to covet. Those resources belong to the the Afghan people. 

NY Times blogs "Idea of the Day" (click here)

July 6, 2010, 6:36 am
Afghanistan, the Regional Proxy War (click here)

Today’s idea: Afghanistan — a war against Islamic terrorism? No, it has become a proxy war between the regional powers Pakistan and India, a columnist says, with NATO only a marginal participant. But could a grand bargain between the two rivals solve things?...

Nothing has changed and nothing will change because there is no role for the USA military. This is a political issue and there are new leaders to Afghanistan. It is up to them to bring benefits to the people in eastern Afghanistan to induce a benevolent democracy with LAWS adhered to by court hearings. Until the tribes consent to a different form of law and justice there is no changing this. Leave them alone.

Do I have to continue to bring the history of the country to this blog? People don't read? They don't care? War is not option, now what is the USA going to do? Diplomatic relations? Sounds like a plan. 

List of Afghanistan mountains and peaks. (click here) Includes 14665 peaks in Afghanistan. Click the peaks to see mountain photos, maps, routes, and summit logs for every mountain in Afghanistan. Also browse Afghanistan mountains in a big map view or photo view.

As a military mission, it is called "Operation Completely Impossible."

Noshaq is the highest mountain in Afghanistan and the second highest peak of the Hindu Kush after Tirich Mir (25,230 ft). Noshaq is located in the northeastern corner of the country along the Durand line which marks the border with Pakistan. It is the westernmost 7,000 m peak in the world. The north and west sides of the mountain are in Afghanistan whereas the south and eastern sides are in Pakistan. The normal route is by the West ridge.

If military and on this road, they are sitting ducks.

Kabul-Jalalabad Highway (click here) is a section of A01 national highway, with a length of 153km, linking Kabul and Jalalabad, Afghanistan. This road follows the Kabul River Gorge for 64 kilometres (40 mi), in Taliban territory. The two-lane Kabul Gorge highway runs along 600 metre-high cliffs. Fatal traffic accidents often occur in this area, mainly due to reckless driving. 

The road is of utmost strategic importance, facilitating trade, humanitarian aid, reconstruction efforts and the return of Afghan refugees.  However, the highway, which was a good standard asphalt road when it was completed in 1969, has deteriorated into a gravel road, making the journey long and tortuous. Reconstruction of the road is now under way, with funding from the European Commission (EC) for its construction and from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Authority (Sida) for its design.

The USA is out of there!

The Framework that the USA Congress has no control over.

Secretary Kerry is not the only authority signing this framework agreement. Where does the US Congress actually thing they have something to say about it? Arrogance? That is about the only thing that can occur here. Arrogance and the cartoons of 'let's pretend' we can control Iran.

Here's the full text of the statement on the deal, (click here) read by the EU's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, at a press conference in Lausanne on Thursday afternoon alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.

I'm going now to read a joint statement that we have agreed on with Foreign Minister Zarif and all the others that have been negotiating so hard in these days.
We, the European Union High Representative and the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, together with the Foreign Ministers of the E3 + 3, China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, met from 26 March to 2 April 2014 in Switzerland, as agreed in November 2013, to gather here to find solutions towards reaching a comprehensive solution that will ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program and the comprehensive lifting of all sanctions....

One more time. Secretary John Kerry's input is the best hope the USA has to stem the agreement. This is an international agreement. The USA can pass unilateral sanctions and become completely worthless to a good outcome. It can also declare war unilaterally, but, that would only return to the days of "The Bush Regime" and an illegal war. If the other four permanent members to the UN act unilaterally and the USA comes to the UN Security Council to start a war with Iran, other countries will never allow it if Iran is in complicance with sanctions. 

The US Congress is proving to be completely out of control in their politics because that is all that is in play here. The UK, France, Russia and China won't give a hoot about what the US Congress decides is best for their politics.

What is the US Congress going to do, declare war on allies? 

Dr. Ernest Moniz was involved with the framework to bring reality to that document. Anyone commenting outside the profession of Dr. Moniz as if an expert to Iran's nuclear program is making noise and incapable. I don't care who it is. 

...Iran limit its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, after eight days of hugely complicated talks....

The reality and dynamics of the talks in Switzerland cannot be duplicated so others can effectively speak to the agreement. The agreement is the document that has come out from this once in a lifetime opportunity to bring about compliance by Iran with the NPT.

There is no way the agreement can be duplicated. One would have to recruit, quite literally, every person at the table. That isn't going to happen until they come together in June. Each and every permanent country was represented so they could bring their unique sovereign authority to alter sanctions and form the agreement. This Arm Chair Quarterback stuff is nonsense. No one other than those at the table can speak to the finalized framwork. 

I can understand why everything is confidential. They USA's politics wants to devour it. I really think from here out, Secretary Kerry needs to simply call all information is classified. Even after the final document is signed. What is occurring in the USA regarding this document is ridiculous and it is because the right wing political party of Israel are pouting.

There was something about the Martin Luther King, Jr. monument, too.

I think the affection for a frequent quote is a nice idea. I'd worry about it if it never was stated.

April 7, 2015

By Matt Novak

Today the U.S. Postal Service (click here) unveiled a new stamp honoring writer Maya Angelou. The only problem? The quote featured on the stamp isn't hers.

The stamp has an image of Angelou, along with the quote: "A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song." The quote actually comes from a 1967 book of poetry by author Joan Walsh Anglund called A Cup in the Sun.

Anglund's original quote used "he" instead of "it" to refer to the bird. But for what it's worth, Anglund isn't upset about the misattribution, telling the Washington Post that she wasn't aware that the stamp was being made but that she hopes it's successful.

Earlier this morning First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey were on hand in Washington to help unveil the stamp. The President even misattributed the quote to Angelou in a 2013 speech — an error that nobody seems to have caught at the time.

Perhaps the community can ask central figures to organize a group to lead as consultants of these moments that are so important. A group of historians, if you will. There isn't a central library to accumulate an accurate history of the community and the civil rights movement.
 
August 25, 2011
By Rachel Manteuffel
 
The memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. (click here) has been a little controversial — but not for the right reason. Someone, somewhere along the line, made a decision that makes King look like something he was not: an arrogant jerk. 
“I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.”  
That’s what it says on the right side of King’s enormous monument. At first it struck me as odd that this man, whose many other quotes on the same monument are beautifully worded and biblically informed, would refer to himself as a drum major. To me, silly hats and King just did not compute....

Is there some kind of common denominator with these killer cops? Few years in service? Something.

By Cassandra Vinograd

Prior to joining the force, (click here) Slager had worked as a waiter before joining the military spending several years with the U.S. Coast Guard, according to a job application filed with the City of North Charleston Police department. That application — filed and received in January 2009 — stated that Sager had not been convicted of a felony in the past seven years....

...At the North Charleston Police Department, Slager was subject to annual in-service mandatory training — on everything from First Aid to firearms and Taser use. Slager routinely passed his certifications — even earning a perfect score on Taser Certification test questions in February 2011. His 2014 annual training — on subjects including ethics, bias base profiling and Taser use — and was signed off on in May 2014, and Slager re-passed a firearms qualification as recently as August 2014....

...According to the police records, Slager was involved in a "non-preventable" traffic accident in July 2014 when a driver put his vehicle in reverse and struck the officer's patrol car during a traffic stop. According to an accident report, the driver in question then fled the scene and the officer initiated a pursuit.

No one is going to tell me this wasn't deliberate. It seems the country can't protect any Black man these days.

April 7, 2015

...Many of the outages were brief, (click here) but some were longer and forced evacuations. Officials said a mechanical failure at a transfer station led to the outages, and terrorism was not suspected. Tens of thousands of customers lost power.
At the White House, the interruption last only a few seconds before backup generators kicked on. The complex quickly went back onto regular power. Electricity in the press briefing room dipped around lunchtime, briefly darkening cubicles and blackening TV screens.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said he was with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office when the power blip occurred, and they didn’t notice anything unusual.
Power also went out at the State Department during the daily press briefing, forcing spokeswoman Marie Harf to finish her comments in the dark.
Power in the U.S. Capitol building twice shut down briefly, and then came back on by way of a generator....

A piece of metal fell from a power line. It happens everyday, I sure. These are the power lines that feed the federal buildings in the USA. What?

April 7, 2015
By Aaron C. Davis and Julie Zauzmer

A piece of metal (click here) breaking loose from a power line 43 miles southeast of the District momentarily knocked out electricity to the White House, State Department and wide swaths of the nation’s capital and Maryland suburbs early Tuesday afternoon.
But the city barely noticed.
The outage threw scores of public and private office buildings off the grid, but in many cases, the lights stayed on because backup generators quickly kicked in....

Another security breach from foreign government hackers? The President? Again?

April 7, 2015
By Brian Ross, Lee Ferran and Ali Weinberg

Russian hackers penetrated the White House (click here) non-public, non-classified computer system for several months last year, forcing the White House to shut down the system for several days, U.S. officials said.

The hacked system is not used for classified information, but is used by the White House advance and press office, the general counsel’s office, and officials in the budget and legislative liaison offices.

One person briefed on the hacking said the Russian invaders were difficult to detect and difficult to remove from the White House computer network, and some believe the hackers could still be hiding inside the system tonight.

Ben Rhodes, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, declined to confirm the breach to CNN, which first reported it today....

I am grateful for the news coverage of these injustices. I am grateful for the Black voices, too.

I don't see the difference between this murder and the murder of Michael Brown, Jr. I really don't. Both were unarmed, both were involved with very minor charges and both were shot at a distance from the police officer.  

April 7, 2015
By Andrew Knapp

Investigators collect evidence after a North Charleston police officer fatally shot a man Saturday morning.

Monday’s developments (click here) filled in some of the blanks in what was South Carolina’s 11th police shooting of the year. Authorities publicly identified Slager, an officer with the city since December 2009, and gave his reason for the traffic stop that led to the fatal confrontation. Police documents also revealed that Slager announced within seconds why he had fired.

“Shots fired, and the subject is down,” he said into his radio, according to an incident report. “He took my Taser.”

Walter Lamer Scott, 50, of Meadowlawn Drive in West Ashley died soon after the encounter near Craig Street and Remount Road.... 

This murder charge would not have happened without the video. This is the conduct of police and people in the USA now. 

The police are at the very least beginning to be charged, but, that won't necessarily stop this behavior. I really feel helpless about it. The only common factor regarding these killings is the fact they seem to happen in the daylight to Black men.

Mr. Scott was allowed to die. There was no call for an ambulance. There was no CPR. There was nothing done for Mr. Scott to even try to save his life, he was going to die and that was decided. The police officer even had a scenario mapped out for the murder. This murder is very disturbing.  

A broken tail light and he paid for it with his life. It is disgusting. Where were they so far away from the car? The cars are nowhere in the video. Mr. Scott ran? For a broken tail light? He ran from the police officer because of a broken tail light? The police are doing something to escalate a situation out of control and then kills the men. 

I don't want officers engaging minor infractions in the law anymore. People jaywalk at their own peril. The tail light isn't even an issue. Take a photo with the police car video camera and send it to DMV over the internet to write a summons to the owner of the car which is known by the license plate. I want these people to be left alone. In the case of Michael Brown, Jr.; the shop owner should have submitted information to the responding officer and it could be filed for insurance purposes. The insurance is going to be tapped anyway. Or, it's a loss on the business income tax. People are not to pay with their lives anymore for minor charges.

I ask myself how such minor problems in our society can escalate into a death. I don't want dead people anymore over a broken tail light or stolen Cigarillos or vigilantism as occurred with Trayvon Martin. There was a time in the USA when vigilantes would be arrested and tried. That isn't happening anymore.

People need to be left alone, ESPECIALLY, if they are African American Men. Leave them alone, they are not who these police officers think they are. 

Video technology is mandatory now on the streets of the USA. They aren't inexpensive either. The monthly cost can be significant, but, if Americans want justice they have to carry video capable telephones. 

Schumer does this stuff on occassion. Maybe even more than occasion. He's from New York. 

Iran = Israel

There is no reason to worry about it, IF one is paying attention. But, who sits down to listen to the experts on our missile capacity?

Former U.S. military and State Department Officials (click here) participated in a series of panel discussions on modern missile technologies.

Missile technology is at the center of the USA defense. The USA has capacity beyond that and that capacity is important. But, the country has significant assets so long as they work and are staffed with people that actually do their job.

The event was very good. It raised some questions for me, but, I thought it was a really good idea. 

And this is about the Homeland, not the radicals in Israel. Israel's politics is too far to the right. I would think that would be obvious. It is interesting Israel should be this far right in the very same way the USA Republicans have become. Think that might be tied into one understanding about election monies? Yeah, I think so.

April 8, 2015
...The IAEA (click here) already has a presence in Iran. Yet it has been allowed to monitor only Iran's declared nuclear programs under agreements linked to Tehran's ratification of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
That is to change under any June deal.
Iran left the negotiating table in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday with a commitment to implement the Additional Protocol, IAEA's most potent monitoring instrument. In effect in nearly 150 countries, that agreement is meant to allow IAEA experts nearly unfettered access " normally within a day or two " to any site within those nations that the agency suspects may be used for secret nuclear work.
For Washington, lessons learned from Iran's nuclear past made such an agreement indispensable as part of any deal....

Associated Press Vienna Bureau Chief George Jahn has covered Iran's nuclear program since 2002.

Senator Paul needs to stop attacking vaccines and put those words into actions. "When I am in the White House I will put a committee together to examine vaccines and any adverse effects they may have." 

He has to do that with all his campaign standings. He states a position, then back it up. "When I am in the White House, I will..." The stand has to be contextualized in reality. Don't make absolute statements. The absolute statements are a matter of security for 'the vote,' but, it destroys the campaign.

If Senator Paul wants this he needs to be real and not ideological. If he does that he will discover the flaws in his rhetorical politics and quite frankly the serious condition of the people his rhetoric actually victimizes.

"I statements" backed by fact and POLICY.

We are witnessing a majority Senate and House that sets their sights on satisfying cronies and victimizing huge segments of the American population. That is not real, that is idiocy.

"Rolling Stone" and "Rape on Campus." 

There was too much zeal. Rape on campuses across the USA exists. It was unfortunate there wasn't more focus on facts so much as seeing the 'wish to end it.' I don't think it is bad.

I don't know if there is harm to women to come forward to report. It would have been more damaging if "Rolling Stone" didn't dedicate their front page to an apology. No reporting is a problem and has been a problem. Hotlines should be expanded and staffed with professionals very qualified to guide the fear of victimizing the victim into a strong advocate for herself. They don't have to report, they have to go forward and be focused on a happy future. 

I think "Rolling Stone" has an opportunity. They can dedicate a piece about rape in it's context to the USA culture in every issue and bring an audience to the topic. There is no other magazine that carries out such a mission. The mission doesn't have to devour the magazine and should be almost invisible, but, it should be there so women have a permanent place to come to understand the impact of rape.

"Rolling Stone" could have created a scandal in other ways and received as much attention for their bottom line. This was an article they wanted for the right reasons.They need to be THE rape authority for the country. It needs it.

The magazine can settle the obvious case out of court. There could be other damning information about the fraternity to hand to the fraternity in the settlement. This doesn't make the fraternity angles vs the devil. Fraternities are a problem and that is becoming more and more evident.

I am looking forward to Senator Paul's run for office. He is a member of a family that has the affection of an entire segment of the USA electorate. 

What I find most interesting about Senator Paul is the strong influence he has with these Americans. Many are very interesting people in their success in life. He seems to be the enthusiasm of the 30 to 50 somethings. That is an entire generation, but, not enough to ever place him squarely in the nomination's seat.

Some of his focus is too threatening to seniors. He is too alienating to the younger adults in the USA who are profoundly struggling in the USA. They made their investment in the future by taking student loans and receiving an education. 

The "Occupy Generation" have sincere and profound problems. They are completely alienated by their student loans from owning a home. That is a huge drag on the USA economy. Those young people are unable to achieve the American Dream due to lack of employment in their chosen educations. If the past is prolong, the answer to these young Americans is to redevelop the economy to address their educations. They are the future. They are the income in good paying jobs for the US Treasury and the stability of our country. In the past there were jobs for every educated person, but, today they are working in service organizations without hope for that changing. Much of the working poor are estranged from their hopes and dreams and that is a complete failure of the USA.

THE PROBLEMS OF THIS GENERATION HAS TO BE SOLVED, OTHERWISE, THE USA IS LOOKING AT BECOMING A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY UNABLE TO SUPPORT IT'S MILITARY.

But, to Senator Paul, he has a fairly interesting following of dedicated Americans to their political affections. They stick like glue. To speak to these folks, they want what they want for their country and there simply is no one else. They hold on to their standards and like the work to make them succeed. 

I think the "Paul Brand" is somewhat tired to the American electorate. It is there every election and many Americans don't have ears for them anymore.

continued...

November 8, 2014

“Ms. Lynch is a strong, (click here) independent prosecutor who has twice led one of the most important U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the country,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement Friday. “She will succeed Eric Holder, whose tenure has been marked by historic gains in the areas of criminal justice reform and civil rights enforcement.” Holder and Lynch joined Obama in the Roosevelt Room for Saturday’s announcement.

Lynch was the least controversial of the final choices before the president, according to several government officials. She has been confirmed twice by the Senate. And she was respected for the way she conducted several high-profile cases without seeking ­publicity.

The Constitution of the United States of America can't be turned on and off like a water faucet. The Constitution supersedes any bill and the only chang permitted are amendments.

I do believe the majority Republican House and Senate actually has work to do other than using the floors of both houses for their chronic campaign.

Corker can't write a bill that changes the US Constitution. Just that simple. 

No one can see the hatred in these people? 

They are neocons. Being a neocon qualifies them to be jackasses. I don't want a jackass in Congress, but, evidently many do.

The Corker Bill is unconstitutional.

April 5, 2015
By Michelle Ye Hee Lee

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, (click here) said Congress must approve any agreement reached by the United States and other world powers to curb Iran's nuclear program.
Corker has proposed a Republican-backed bill to give Congress a critical role in accepting or rejecting a nuclear deal with Iran. It is important that Congress play its "rightful role," he said. The president needs to sell the deal to Congress and the American people, he said.

"There's a lot of water that needs to go under the bridge here. Many, many details are unknown at this point," Corker said....

Does no one understand what a political animal Corker is and he is wasting time on stupidity. 

The Senate has an advise and consent right in the US Constitution. That is all they have and the Corker is still yet another attempt by Republicans to coupe the government and the US Constitution. The bill by Corker is not LAWFUL.  

And the US House has no role in this.

President Obama has been elected twice and he has significant power in this capacity with Iran and it's nuclear capacity. Elections have consequences.  

I don't trust the US Senate Majority to actually produce lawful legislation. They don't have THE ABILITY. No one sees that? Just because they are occupying a seat doesn't mean they can turn the USA Constitution on it's head. 

The Obama Presidency has been nothing short of brilliant. None of the Republican morons that have occupied the House and Senate have a clue to what to do. They can hold meetings and have the Cabinet Secretaries EXPLAIN the FRAMEWORK, but, they have not other power in the negotiations.

The Republicans need to appreciate the President they have in the White House and learn form him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

From his inauguration forward President Obama has been a great patriot and brilliant leader. Some people can't seem to appreciate that. 

Scientology has to address it's obvious abusive structure.

Scientology is a unique belief system. It does qualify as a church. There is nothing to say Hubbard's experience in life is not unique. If this were a thousand years out from Hubbard's life the view would be very different in regard to this particular church.

People can point to many other charismatic leaders that have a benevolent purpose to their spirituality. In the case of Scientology, is joy such a bad thing? The obvious and unfortunate reality of some members can't be denied. There is no reason to trash Scientology to identify problems within the church.

It appears to me the actual basis of Scientology's faith is felt through what is called "externalism." There are many in the world that have experienced 'out of body realities' that are not members of Scientology. The difference between them and Scientology is the fact these experiences have been contextualized into a religion that obsesses about their members. I am pleased members have detailed notes regarding their experience in this religion as it assures they are OKAY and not experiencing other phenomena. I think the note taking is about safety. Now, whether the note taking is used in a poor methodology against some members who want to leave the faith has to be known. People are allowed to move on in many established religions. 

Scientology is a very powerful religion with accumulations of wealth due to the status of their famous members. That is not a crime. What sincerely bothers me is the fact women are leaving the church because of the well being of their children. That is a reality in many cases and not just a few. What also concerns me is the willingness of strong family ties that become weapons to 'disconnection' after members have left the faith.

There is an obvious paranoia in Scientology to force this type of disconnection and it needs to be understood. No one's reputation can be adversely effected because of leaving the church. Spirituality is a personal dynamic. Scientology may be the next scandal of a church. Other churches have weathered the storm of investigation. Child neglect and abuse are not minor issues for any religion. 

I'll state this much. In the film it is stated Hubbard lied about his experiences in the military and having been blinded, when in fact he was suffering from conjunctivitis. The one report about child abuse included the fact the child had severe eye infections that "...welded it's eyes shut." That is only one reporting and not a higher number of instances that might indicate something else is being conducted. BUT, the reality is child neglect within the church has to be investigated. 

February 19, 2015
By Colin Gorenstein

Alex Gibney’s (click here) highly anticipated new documentary “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief,” is now slated for a March 29 HBO debut.
The documentary was one of the buzziest films from Sundance (it premiered before a packed house) and even prompted the Church of Scientology to take out a full-page ad in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times a week before its premier, claiming that the documentary was packed with lies.
Today, HBO has released an official trailer for the documentary which you can feast your eyes on in the meantime....

Also of note is the fact children have been born to parents within the faith and have not seemed to have been effected into adulthood. None the less, there are some instances that have to be understood and corrected.

I also believe Hubbard lived in a time where there were no words to express externalism and fabricated a reality that would make sense to incoming members. Many members current and/or past do testify they improved their lives while within the church up to the point they are called "Cleared." In all honesty, what happens after that point needs to be viewed as writing of a man challenged to be accepted.

Saudi Arabia and Russia are engagning in some oppositional conversation.

April 6, 2015

Abdullah Al-Moalami, (click here) Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the UN, said that Russia’s call for a humanitarian pause in Yemen was aimed at hindering a draft resolution by Gulf states and Jordan that is being negotiated by the UN Security Council.
“We always provided the necessary facilities for humanitarian assistance to be delivered,” Al-Moalami was quoted as saying in an Al Arabiya report.
“We have cooperated fully with all requests for evacuation,” he added, echoing comments made earlier by Brig.-General Ahmad Al-Assiri, a consultant in the defense minister’s office.
The International Committee of Red Cross, meanwhile, said it has received approval from the Saudi-led coalition to bring in vital medical supplies and aid workers to Yemen.
“We have received permission from the coalition for two planes now, one carrying supplies and one with staff,” ICRC spokeswoman Sitara Jabeen said in Geneva.
The ICRC hoped that the aircraft could land on Monday in Sanaa, she said.

I believe last week or so there Russia took issue with Iran over Syria, primarily Assad. I think the Russians are concerned the Shia are not represented in the Arab Coalition.

Evidently, there were raids in eastern Saudi Arabia of a Shi'ite community. According to the reports in "RT" the people could not leave and there were Saudi police shooting through walls of residences.

April 6, 2015

...Locals report (click here) seeing 40 armored security vehicles enter Awamiya at 15:30 (12:30 GMT) on Sunday. One anonymous resident told the Middle East Eye “the gunfire didn’t stop” until 21:00. “Security forces shot randomly at people’s homes, and closed all but one of the roads leading in and out of the village.”
“It is like a war here – we are under siege,” he added.
Alleged eyewitness footage sent to the MEE depicts gunfire, supposedly coming from the police forces. Buildings and cars appear to be ablaze in the video....

It is noted this area of Saudi Arabia has been visited with what is characterized as "Arab Spring" problems. I believe Saudi Arabia is acting as though it expects uprising of some communities to disturb the peace while Yemen is experiencing a rise in Shi'ite rebels. 

The United Nations has it's hand on the Arab Coalition. I would think all these concerns could be brought to the UN Security Council. If that meeting is to be productive Iran has to be a part of an open discussion regarding building alliances rather than wars.

The concern by Saudi Arabia is legitimate, there is conflict in Yemen at it's southern border. The question the UN has to address is Iran's role in the region. There is no reason why Iran can't be considered a valued power to resolve any potential to regional conventional war. The region's countries have to stand together and not waring among themselves through covert agendas.

The concerns of Russia may very well be the one accumulation of intelligence to bring about a stronger understanding of defeating Daesh without causing harm to domestic harmony. That is a real issue where Sunnis and Shi'ites live together. The Holy Men leading these people have to identify as allied with the effort to end a genocidal regime. It is important stability and not chaos wins out. If Russia is good at anything internationally it is building stable states. I am quite certain Russia does not want a complete failure of the region, it has the potential to be a sincere concern for Russian borders.

There is no reason to believe the Arab Coalition is causing problems with each other. There is the internet and access to young people within borders of these countries. It could be stated the Arab countries are as susceptible to enemy influence as Europe has become.  

I find it ironic there is a rising tide of Shi'ites in the region. They would be seeking their own protection quite possibly through internet connections. The Shi'ite uprising may very well be due to the fact they would be visiting different internet sites than Sunnis. And, of course, the Shi'ites are among the ethnicities that Daesh wants to kill until every last Shi'ite is dead. I am not surprised there would be a call to arms to protect themselves throughout the region.  

These are new alliances and a very new and dangerous enemy. There are going to be surprises, but, the place to solve these concerns is the United Nations. Daesh cannot prevail due to sparks of civil war. There can be no misunderstandings between Iran and Shi'ite groups such as Hezbollah. While these Shi'ite groups are viewed in some quarters as terrorist groups, that no longer should be the ideology of any Shi'ite community throughout the region. This is a call to arms by all Arab ethnicities to defend the 'common ground' they all share against a very dangerous regime called Daesh. That has to be the focus. Quite possibly Yemen's government was couped because of the depth of Shia fears they would become the enemy of the state. 

The region has to come together with an understanding whom the enemy is and the best way to address that. These sparks of Shi'ite uprisings in the region is due to profoundly felt fears of genocide regardless whom it is. There is no doubt the Shi'ites are acting to protect their populations. The Arab Coalition has to communicate with Iran and seek it's help in quelling the Shi'ite fears. The USA has been successful in resolving any fears in Iraq by the Shia allied with Sunni and Kurdish members. In Iraq there is a clear understanding there is an Iraqi military, but, that Iraq military is also accepting of Shia Popular Groups helping to protect the sovereign nature of Iraq. The Kurds are no minor players in defending regions of the area. It can be done. 

Saudi Arabia has a new King, now embraced by the Saudi people, whom still hasn't traveled to understand other countries and the interests they share. How could he travel with such danger in this region. Recognizing any and all pitfalls to victory over Daesh is vital. The United Nations has to be valued for it's ability to draw international understanding to regions leading to a greater stability. 

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