Definiton of TPP D thru M

days means calendar days;

January 1 thru December 31 tax applications. The TPP does not have it's own fiscal calendar. At least with this edition. 

enterprise means any entity constituted or organized under applicable law, whether or not for profit, and whether privately or governmentally owned or controlled, including any corporation, trust, partnership, sole proprietorship, joint venture, association, or similar organization; 

Profit or non-profit can be involved with the TPP so long as it was organized/created under sovereign law.
 

existing means in effect on the date of entry into force of this Agreement;

GATS means the General Agreement on Trade in Services, (click here) contained in Annex 1B to the WTO Agreement; 

Another WTO reference. That is that now about ten times.

GATT 1994 means the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (click here), contained in Annex 1A to the WTO Agreement;

Let's call this WTO 11. Below is a better site for Annex 1 and 2 to the WTO Agreement.  

Legal texts: the WTO agreements (click here)
The WTO’s agreements are often called the Final Act of the 1986–1994 Uruguay Round of trade negotiations, although strictly speaking the Final Act is the first of the agreements. You can download these texts as WordPerfect or pdf files.

goods of a Party means domestic products as these are understood in GATT 1994 or such goods as the Parties may agree, and includes originating goods of a Party;

"goods of a party" can include anything, INCLUDING, raw materials (originating goods).

government procurement means the process by which a government obtains the use of or acquires goods or services, or any combination thereof, for governmental purposes and not with a view to commercial sale or resale or use in the production or supply of goods or services for commercial sale or resale;

Separates the government economy from that of private industry in that it cannot private industry cannot USE the government to obtain goods and services at the expense of the people.

Harmonized System (HS) means the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, including its General Rules of Interpretation, Section Notes, Chapter Notes and Subheading Notes as adopted and implemented by the Parties in their respective laws;

Customs

The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (click here)  generally referred to as "Harmonized System" or simply "HS" is a multipurpose international product nomenclature developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO). 
It comprises about 5,000 commodity groups; each identified by a six digit code, arranged in a legal and logical structure and is supported by well-defined rules to achieve uniform classification. 
The system is used by more than 200 countries and economies as a basis for their Customs tariffs and for the collection of international trade statistics. Over 98 % of the merchandise in international trade is classified in terms of the HS. 
The HS contributes to the harmonization of Customs and trade procedures, and the non-documentary trade data interchange in connection with such procedures, thus reducing the costs related to international trade....

heading means the first four digits in the tariff classification number (click here - type in commodity for number) under the Harmonized System

measure includes any law, regulation, procedure, requirement, or practice;

national means a natural person who has the nationality of a Party according to Annex1-A (Party-Specific Definition) or a permanent resident of a Party

This document refers to natural person. What heck is this about? Immigration? ....natural person...or a permanent resident of a Party. The trade contracts have to be established by natural born citizens or those possessing the rights of a natural born resident. The definition is suppose to be benign and inclusive of all people considered citizens of a country, however; this document includes the fact immigrants can come to a country such as the USA, gain residency and then embark on importation under this agreement.

Definitions under letter C

central level of government has for each Party the meaning set out at Annex 1-A (Party-Specific Definitions).

Annex 1-A is further down page in this section.

Commission means the Trans-Pacific Partnership Commission established under Article 27.1 (Establishment of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Commission);

covered investment means, with respect to a Party, an investment in its territory of an investor of another Party in existence as of the date of entry into force of this Agreement or established, acquired, or expanded thereafter;

Covered investment is a permanent agreement that leverages favor to the agreement in any litigation.

customs administration means the competent authority that is responsible under the laws of a Party for the administration of customs laws, regulations and, where applicable, policies, and has for each Party the meaning set out at Annex 1-A (Party-Specific Definitions)

Custom enforcement. What about enforcement of national defense and sovereignty?
 

customs duty includes any duty or charge of any kind imposed on or in connection with the importation of a good, and any surtax or surcharge imposed in connection with such importation, but does not include any:

(a) charge equivalent to an internal tax imposed consistently with Article III:2 of GATT 1994 (click here);

What a mess.  Tax, tariff exemption. Call it the Wall Street Exemption.

2.     The products of the territory of any contracting party imported into the territory of any other contracting party shall not be subject, directly or indirectly, to internal taxes or other internal charges of any kind in excess of those applied, directly or indirectly, to like domestic products. Moreover, no contracting party shall otherwise apply internal taxes or other internal charges to imported or domestic products in a manner contrary to the principles set forth in paragraph 1.*

Paragraph 1 is called into this document. The exemption of all that is considered an economic interest.

 1.     The contracting parties recognize that internal taxes and other internal charges, and laws, regulations and requirements affecting the internal sale, offering for sale, purchase, transportation, distribution or use of products, and internal quantitative regulations requiring the mixture, processing or use of products in specified amounts or proportions, should not be applied to imported or domestic products so as to afford protection to domestic production.*

These are additions from the WTO modifying the above paragraphs.

Oops, there it is. Where does anyone get the idea a agreement can undo local taxes and fees. New York City has local taxes. There is not a county, city or town in the USA without city fees. 

This agreement dismantles local economies so they can be customized to profits for Wall  Street.
 
Paragraph 1

     The application of paragraph 1 to internal taxes imposed by local governments and authorities within the territory of a contracting party is subject to the provisions of the final paragraph of Article XXIV. The term “reasonable measures” in the last-mentioned paragraph would not require, for example, the repeal of existing national legislation authorizing local governments to impose internal taxes which, although technically inconsistent with the letter of Article III, are not in fact inconsistent with its spirit, if such repeal would result in a serious financial hardship for the local governments or authorities concerned. With regard to taxation by local governments or authorities which is inconsistent with both the letter and spirit of Article III, the term “reasonable measures” would permit a contracting party to eliminate the inconsistent taxation gradually over a transition period, if abrupt action would create serious administrative and financial difficulties.

At least the WTO recognizes local economies as vital to trade relations. The TPP dismantles the authority of governance. It dissolves the mandates within the WTO to protect local economies.

Paragraph 2

     A tax conforming to the requirements of the first sentence of paragraph 2 would be considered to be inconsistent with the provisions of the second sentence only in cases where competition was involved between, on the one hand, the taxed product and, on the other hand, a directly competitive or substitutable product which was not similarly taxed.

 

(b) fee or other charge in connection with the importation commensurate with the cost of services rendered; and

(c) antidumping or countervailing duty.

Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Laws (click here) Under the Tariff Act of 1930

Under the Tariff Act of 1930, U.S. industries may petition the government for relief from imports that are sold in the United States at less than fair value ("dumped") or which benefit from subsidies provided through foreign government programs. Under the law, the U.S. Department of Commerce determines whether the dumping or subsidizing exists and, if so, the margin of dumping or amount of the subsidy; the USITC determines whether there is material injury or threat of material injury to the domestic industry by reason of the dumped or subsidized imports. For industries not yet established, the USITC may also be asked to determine whether the establishment of an industry is being materially retarded by reason of the dumped or subsidized imports.

Antidumping is already covered in the WTO. The above law written in 1930 will remain.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

19 November 2015 - 4:15pm

Cho Jin-young

The WTO determined (click here) that the dumping margin calculation method that the United States recently employed in its anti-dumping investigation regarding Korean washing machines constituted a violation of the WTO’s rules. The determination means that the U.S. cannot take advantage of zeroing any longer as a non-tariff barrier. Until recently, the U.S. adopted zeroing in its margin calculation, claiming that target dumping occurred with regard to specific Korean washing machines sold during a certain period of time.
Since the KORUS FTA took effect three years ago, the U.S. government has created various non-tariff barriers so as to cope with a rapid increase in the export of electronics products from Korea to the United States. The Department of Commerce applied a determination of dumping to Korean washing machines in late 2012 and imposed an anti-dumping tariff of 9.29 percent on the products of Samsung Electronics, 13.02 percent on those of LG Electronics and 82.41 percent on those of Daewoo Electronics. The measure led to a sharp decline in the companies’ exports of the item to the U.S....

Ya got to love this mess to know the definitions in the WTO doesn't necessarily have the same meaning in the TPP. Below is the defintion of  'zeroing' in the WTO language.

GLOSSARY TERM

Zeroing

An investigating authority usually calculates the dumping margin by getting the average of the differences between the export prices and the home market prices of the product in question. When it chooses to disregard or put a value of zero on instances when the export price is higher than the home market price, the practice is called “zeroing”. Critics claim this practice artificially inflates dumping margins.

This official table of contents is below of the United States Trade Representative shows the existing tariffs and when they will be eliminated. This is a window of time. During that time parties adversely effected by the TPP need to pursue injunctions against the implementation.

I think the crux of preventing disaster lies in interrupting implementation. The unfairness and outcomes remain elusive from the TPP agreement itself. I think injuctions can be obtained when FACTS and FIGURES of how this will adversely effect real human beings and their families are presented to USA courts. The way this agreement seems to be structured it is far better to begin the litigation process BEFORE the provisions take effect. Once implemented there will be a dynamic that is unmanageable resulting in all sorts manipulations designed to undercut any lawsuit against a country within the agreement. Get it into the judicial record BEFORE the implementation of the agreement begins. Manage the implementation rather than fight it afterward. 

Bring down provisions in the agreement to levels that are benevolent to the USA local economy (which is a sovereignty issue) and American labor. 

It is questionable whether the Democrats have enough votes to prevent passage of the TPP. If this goes in effect then manage it through the window of time allowed in the agreement. The agreement is unconstitutional. It assaults the taxes and tariffs (another form of tax) provided for by the USA Constitution. Unconstitutional is unconstitutional. It assaults sovereignty. Those adversely effected which is everyone but the Longshoremen have a responsibility to prevent this document from becoming undisputed law.  

Lawsuits filed before the implementation will have the advantage of all existing law before it gets muddied up by this mess. I have no doubt Congress will carry out a lot of mischief regarding this, but, early lawsuits can handle the mischief making and will bring in the respect Congress has for the US Constitution. Take it to the Supreme Court. The Commerce Claus does not provide for sovereign destruction. At least it is not suppose to.

NLRB can be asked to review these laws that will adversely effect Americans and their families. But, the NLRB is not the only venue American labor should be applying. 

When litigating, don't forget the national debt and how this agreement is UNFUNDED to the losses the USA will suffer in eliminating tariffs and taxes. The loss of US Treasury income by this agreement should be removed from the Defense Department funding.

TPP Final Table of Contents (click here)

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

19 November 2015 - 4:15pm

Cho Jin-young

- See more at: http://www.businesskorea.co.kr/english/news/politics/13077-anti-dumping-dump-wto-rules-favor-korea-anti-dumping-suit-against-us#sthash.XqtVDjCE.dpuf

he WTO determined that the dumping margin calculation method that the United States recently employed in its anti-dumping investigation regarding Korean washing machines constituted a violation of the WTO’s rules.
The determination means that the U.S. cannot take advantage of zeroing any longer as a non-tariff barrier. Until recently, the U.S. adopted zeroing in its margin calculation, claiming that target dumping occurred with regard to specific Korean washing machines sold during a certain period of time.
Since the KORUS FTA took effect three years ago, the U.S. government has created various non-tariff barriers so as to cope with a rapid increase in the export of electronics products from Korea to the United States. The Department of Commerce applied a determination of dumping to Korean washing machines in late 2012 and imposed an anti-dumping tariff of 9.29 percent on the products of Samsung Electronics, 13.02 percent on those of LG Electronics and 82.41 percent on those of Daewoo Electronics. The measure led to a sharp decline in the companies’ exports of the item to the U.S.
- See more at: http://www.businesskorea.co.kr/english/news/politics/13077-anti-dumping-dump-wto-rules-favor-korea-anti-dumping-suit-against-us#sthash.XqtVDjCE.dpuf

Customs Valuation Agreement means the Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994, contained in Annex 1A to the WTO Agreement;

Exclusive language.

Section B: General Definitions

Article 1.3: General Definitions

For the purposes of this Agreement, unless otherwise specified:

AD Agreement means the Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994, (Anti-Dumping Agreement) (click here) contained in Annex 1A to the WTO Agreement (click here);

So far, I have brought the WTO forward five times. This is ridiculous. What about the WTO do the participating countries dislike? 

Agreement means the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement;

APEC means Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation;

 

APEC? (click here) APEC is in there, too? Joking. Why does this document exist? 

How many Senators and House Congresspersons read the TPP. All they need to know are talking points, right?

October 6, 2015
By Daniel W. Drezner

...Snell is right. (click here) As an exercise, I surfed the Web to see what members of Congress had said about the TPP since Monday’s announcement. Here’s what I found:

• Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah):  “Closing a deal is an achievement for our nation only if it works for the American people and can pass Congress by meeting the high-standard objectives laid out in bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority.  While the details are still emerging, unfortunately I am afraid this deal appears to fall woefully short…. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a once in a lifetime opportunity and the United States should not settle for a mediocre deal that fails to  set high-standard trade rules in the Asia-Pacific region for years to come.”...

Chapter 1

General Definitions

The chapter provides definitions of terms that are used in more than one chapter of the Agreement. Specific chapters also provide definitions of terms that are only used in those chapters.

Section A: Initial Provisions

Article 1.1: Establishment of a Free Trade Area

The Parties to this Agreement, consistent with Article XXIV of GATT 1994 (click here) and Article V of GATS (click here), hereby establish a free trade area in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

GATT has a long history. 

The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT 1947) (click here)

It is the WTO. 

Article 1.2: Relation to Other Agreements

1. Recognizing the Parties’ intention for this Agreement to coexist with their existing international agreements, each Party affirms,

(a) in relation to existing international agreements to which all Parties are party, including the WTO Agreement, its existing rights and obligations with respect to each other; and

(b) in relation to existing international agreements to which that Party and at least one other Party are party, its existing rights and obligations with respect to such other Party or Parties, as the case may be.

This is unbelievable. Does anyone realize how complicated any trade between these countries will be to litigate. I have not heard there would be a free standing TPP court. That means any unfair complaint has to go through years and years of litigation before the interpretation of MANY mitigation platforms are the final decision.

This is completely typical of any Wall Street establishment. This is completely characteristic of the petroleum industry. The rules are made to favor Wall Street and when it is realized as adverse to consumers, small business and especially local economies and lifestyles the damage is already done. TYPICAL, TYPICAL LEGAL CIRCUS while Wall Street reaps their profits and distributes it to stockholders.  

The WTO doesn't recognize this document. The WTO will not set precedent by yielding to outside trade agreements. There are countries that are not part of this and if the WTO yields to this agreement in any way it sets up precedent that would bring non-participatory countries under the umbrella of the TPP. The WTO will not recognize this agreement. Any one who states the WTO is the only venue needed to mitigate this agreement are lying. This document will require courts within countries. Ready to learn a new language? The mitigation of this document will be extremely difficult, will require multi-venues and cost lots of money that makes it ineffective to even begin a complaint.
 

2. If a Party believes that a provision of this Agreement is inconsistent with a provision of another agreement to which it and at least one other Party are party, upon request, the relevant Parties to the other agreement shall consult with a view to reaching a mutually satisfactory solution. This paragraph is without prejudice to a Party’s rights and obligations under Chapter 28 (Dispute Settlement).[1]

The mitigation for the countries in this document is to set up a committee to bring about an understanding of 'what happens next.' This is nothing but pure corruption. The countries when deciding there are unfair practices or unbalanced issues STEP OUTSIDE the agreement to settle any dispute.

Why bother? Why bother with the document at all. AND while this committee meets the unfair practices are going on everyday and every hour.

This chapter organizes and provides overall structure for the TPP Agreement; sets out the relationship between the TPP Agreement and other agreements already in place among the TPP Parties (in particular the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement, but also existing free trade agreements among the TPP Parties); and defines technical terms used in more than one chapter of the Agreement.

There it is. I said there was absolutely no reason for the TPP because there are already trading relationships with the member countries AND there isn't anything here that cannot be mitigated through the  WTO. The TPP is about creating unfair profits for Wall Street. It is nothing else and the LIES ARE INSTITUTIONALIZED with this document.

Overview

Relation to Other Agreements

The TPP Parties have obligations to each other under other agreements, such as the WTO Agreement. This chapter affirms that these other agreements remain in place. In addition, although we have been careful to ensure that TPP does not create any obligations that would be inconsistent with any of our existing agreements (including the WTO Agreement), a TPP Party may request consultations with another Party if it believes there is an inconsistency. In many cases, TPP will broaden or improve upon commitments in existing agreements. For example, the commitments Mexico, Canada, Chile, Singapore, Australia, and Peru have made in TPP’s Labor and Environment chapters broaden and improve upon NAFTA and previous FTAs. Regardless of the agreements, TPP Parties will be obligated to implement TPP’s more ambitious standards.

That is exactly the problem with TPP, it level the playing field for Americans and their business interests. I don't consider lower wages and less opportunity as an asset.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)(click here) levels the playing field for American workers and American businesses, leading to more Made-in-America exports and more higher-paying American jobs here at home. By cutting over 18,000 taxes different countries put on Made-in-America products, TPP makes sure our farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, service suppliers, and small businesses can compete — and win — in some of the fastest growing markets in the world. With more than 95 percent of the world’s consumers living outside our borders, TPP will significantly expand the export of Made-in-America goods and services and support American jobs.

The TPP controls 36 percent of the global GDP. This paragraph is a paragraph to create images of success and does not spell out exactly the success as they will occur. NUMBERS. Numbers of Americans that will lose their jobs other than those that handle shipping containers in and out of the USA. Numbers of people impacted with poorer wages. Lots of numbers and none of them are good. Numbers of dollar in profits Wall Street will CONTROL and place them outside the arm of law. Numbers like QE1, 2 and 3 designed to bring Wall Street investment when Americans were told it was about creating jobs. Number of lies told to help the politics.

December 3, 2015
By Jeremy Malcolm

...Which brings us to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement (click here)
—which would prohibit such open source or code audit mandates being introduced in the future. Article 14.17 of the text of the Electronic Commerce chapter provides, “No Party shall require the transfer of, or access to, source code of software owned by a person of another Party, as a condition for the import, distribution, sale or use of such software, or of products containing such software, in its territory.”

As indicated above, this isn't just an issue confined to routers and modems. It could also apply to medical devices, smoke alarms, drink mixers, motor vehicles such as cars and tractors, wearables, and not to mention a myriad of pure software applications running on smartphones and PCs. Only devices and software used in bespoke applications (not for a mass market) or in critical infrastructure would be exempt under the terms of the TPP language, though the precise ambit of these exemptions remains unclear....

Hatred doesn't last through history. Civilization abhors hate. That has been true for millennium. Hate over time is disdained.

There is a possible third party. I don't believe that has been eliminated to the San Bernardino killings. I find it interesting there were fire alarms going off. There were bombs that were suppose to be exploded remotely. Why not call in the fire department, too?

See, the USA has a structure to emergency response. An American would know that structure. So, there are some scenarios to those fire alarms. The killers set it off to maximum the deaths of people that would also disable emergency response (or they think so - they don't know the extent emergency responders are dedicated to life), or one of the people caught in the gun fire actually reached for the fire alarm to bring emergency response.

But, there is this 'thing' that happened at the hospital. Was it coincidence a bomb threat was called in at the time the victims were arriving? That would require a third person, unless, the couple drove to the hospital to watch all the activity and called in the bomb threat as soon as the people from the holiday party were arriving.

The fire alarms and sprinkler system is interesting to realize people were coming, but, would all that water coming out of the sprinklers disable the bombs? If there was technology that were wet due to the sprinklers, the technology could be disabled by the water.

But, there seems to be too many questions about a missing omnipotent. The guns that were purchased by an unknown. The sprinklers and fire alarm and the bomb threat. I strongly believe all that needs to be included in any investigation. Was there a third person? More?

But, then when examining the circumstances during that event there are so many other events with similar outcomes, including, pipe bombs. I think it is a mistake to think someone willing to kill for their own priorities is all that. I don't believe killers are all that. I think they are brutal and carry out enormous pain to people, the community and civilized society. But, to think they can be so organized they can bring down civilization is bizarre. Even bin Laden on 911 could not do that. If anything tragedy brings civilized society together to preserve all that others tried to destroy.

But, the questions have to be answered and included in the investigation.

We are hearing only 50% of the families involved. Sometimes grief needs to be shared.

I am a bit disillusioned of the media coverage regarding the families of the shooters. Syed Rizwan Farook's family is well covered by media. Gratefully, they have expressed their own grief which spans the fact others are dead at the hand of their son, their brother and their grandson. I cannot imagine the pain involved. I respect the fact this family is upset at the fact their Imam has to condemn such violence. All that is fine, but, it is only 50 percent of the story.

What is the family of Tashfeen Malik going through? Unless they are naturalized citizens, they live outside the USA. I would like to hear from them as well.

Wolf Blitzer also brought up insight to these violent break outs. Wolf stated it is not unusual for such killers to have multiple stressors. (my words, not his)

December 3, 2015

By Greg Botelho and Steven Almasy

...Syed Rizwan Farook (click here) -- who along with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, carried out the San Bernardino shooting massacre -- apparently was radicalized and in touch with people being investigated by the FBI for international terrorism, law enforcement officials said Thursday.

Farook's apparent radicalization contributed to his role in the mass shooting of 14 people Wednesday during a holiday party for the San Bernardino County health department, where Farook worked, sources said.

Still, it wasn't necessarily the only driver behind the carnage, as workplace grievances might have also played a role. President Barack Obama hinted as much Thursday when he said that the attackers may have had "mixed motives."

David Bowditch, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles office, told reporters Thursday that Farook had traveled to Pakistan....

It is interesting to know there are two men, the USA President and a very seasoned journalist agree on media information. Amazing.

The truth is more powerful than FOX News. Americans value the truth. Remember that.

There is no financier to the purchase of military style weapons other than good ole' American Credit Cards, especially if a person isn't worried about tomorrow.

Climate Change is an issue in many areas of the Middle East and Africa that leads to violence. Absolutely. So far in the USA people still believe storm cellars are a good and effective method to trying to save one's life.

June 2013 
By Joshua Hammer

A 2006 drought pushed Syrian farmers (click here) to migrate to urban centers, setting the stage for massive uprisings

...Water loss documented by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), a pair of satellites operated by NASA and Germany’s aerospace center, suggests water-related conflict could be brewing on the riverbank again. GRACE measured groundwater usage between 2003 and 2009 and found that the Tigris-Euphrates Basin—comprising Turkey, Syria, Iraq and western Iran—is losing water faster than any other place in the world except northern India . During those six years, 117 million acre-feet of stored freshwater vanished from the region as a result of dwindling rainfall and poor water management policies. That’s equal to all the water in the Dead Sea. GRACE’s director, Jay Famiglietti, a hydrologist at the University of California, Irvine, calls the data “alarming.”...

The question FOX News never asks, :Is there an "NRA Effect" at play in the increased violence in the USA?"

October 31. 2015
By Daniel Webster

One month after the Oregon shooting, (click here) approximately 90 Americans a day are killed by guns – but no one wants to talk about it.

The calls stopped before the last victim had been laid to rest.
The reaction to the mass shooting just one month ago at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, had followed the usual script to perfection: shock, outrage, handwringing, resolve, resignation. This tragic yet familiar anomaly in our nation's gun violence epidemic – an unstable loner, nine dead, a cache of weapons – had captured the media's attention, and lenses, just long enough.
I'm an expert in gun violence and its staggering impact on public health, and the calls came in quickly after the Oct. 1 massacre. I did a Q&A interview with The Washington Post, weighed in on CNN and offered analysis of the gun control issue for The New York Times, among others.
But then it was time to move on – music to the ears of the gun lobby....

Violent Crime rates in Saudi Arabia (click here)
 

Crime > Violent crime > Gun crime > Guns per 100 residents (click here)

What does a new wife born abroad but married to an American man think of the hate speech of the USA Republican party?

Border babies? 

Is it hard to imagine what would trigger a mother and father to leave their baby with a loving grandparent to commit murder? Really? Is it hard to imagine that? I don't think so. The Republican Party invokes hate speech as part of their immigration policies. No one listens to right wing media? Try it. It won't be hard to imagine that level of fear that brings a mother and father to act irrationally.

The METHOD of the San Bernadino spree killing is exactly the same method of Aurora, Colorado. Exaggerated idealization of the POWER OF THE GUN. Somehow, these people believe they can kill with impunity that changes the face of a country based in democracy. Same methodology. Excessive purchase of guns and munitions. 

Who were they taking on the USA military? Because any other infrastructure of the USA requires people to attend meetings and change the dynamics of police work to bring about harmony in any community, including Ferguson. Unfair practices that Americans run into can be solved if they confront infrastructure in a peaceful and instructive way. That is the way it is suppose to work. But, sometimes in minority communities there are feelings of victimization and lack of empowerment and racism. 

THIS? This will only be filed in the history of American violence. It accomplishes nothing.

Does anyone want to call this spree killing radicalization? Who radicalized the killer in Aurora?

Killing innocent people are punished in any country/society of Muslims. There is no forgiveness in any country with Muslim majorities that forgive the killing of innocent people. The countries with Muslim majorities have tough laws and in some instances far tougher than the USA, but, that is a quandary for democracies.

Pakistan. There are innumerable men that have traveled through Pakistan to jihad in the region. This is not unique. This is not a predictor. People returning from Pakistan to Western democracies may have to be questioned to their activities. A follow up with Pakistan to their travel might be appropriate, but, radicalization doesn't happen by what a person is bringing back to a democracy other than their beliefs. That can be learned about a person and local authorities could be provided with information that might be of concern to them.

If reform were possible in Pakistan, there would be no problem with the tribal regions and the concealment of bin Laden. The ISI has been an issue within Pakistan since it's inception. The ISI is a good study to how an intelligence service can go astray of their purpose. But, to think the people of Pakistan have a real problem, is nonsense, even the Taliban could not change them.

What exactly are those thoughts, McConnell?

The senseless loss (click here) of innocent life in #SanBernardino defies explanation. Our thoughts are w/ the victims & their families -- @SenateMajLdr

I suppose FOX News would call such a questioning of McConnell "Christian Shaming."

NOT!

The "No Shame Movement" is about sex. (click here) It isn't Christian exclusively either.

From online bullying (click here) to Twitter takedowns, shame is becoming a dominant force in the West. Thankfully, the Bible is full of language about shame. It's just that most Westerners don't see it.

We know for a fact social media blossomed and grew under the "W" administration. We also know that intimidation through social shame was a directive of modeling citizen behavior. So this mess about Christian Shaming is actually a tactic 'to work' political preferences of the Neocons. If Christian shaming were real in the USA it would be considered a hate crime if it manifested in crime. Pope Francis represents the largest constituency of Christians globally. No one in the USA wanted to him to leave. End of discussion.