Oh shit - look who the US have voted in now...

[ska invita]

Zbigniew Brzezinski to be the real power behind an Obama throne. here's Zbig on Hardtalk: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/hardtalk/7669452.stm

Zbigniew Brzezinski, back from the dead, and set to kill even more Afghanis.

Brzezinski is Obama's closest advisor on foreign policy, and has so far managed to make the new muppet-in-chief announce the line that the war in Iraq will be replaced by a enourmous increase in troops in the unwinnable war in Afghanistan.

Hasn't Zbigniew done enough damage in Aghanistan? You could easily argue that he single handedly created Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, by arming the mujaheddin, in a succesful attempt to trigger the Ruso-Afghan war (known as a the 'Aghan Trap'). it was the tooled up and radicalised mujaheddin who formed Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Maybe its his guilt over this that has renergised him into 'politics' (if starting wars on purpose can be called politics).

Obama seems utterly naive/complicit to all this, and the key plank in his foreign policy is to pile all the US troops out of Iraq into Afghanistan. What a cunt.

Oh well, here we go again...

Troops in the US celebrated Obama's victory this morning by dropping bombs on some Afgahni civillians and killing at least 38 of them.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7710566.stm

I guues its a good day to bury Afghans. Excpect much more of the same over the next five years

 

[EddyBlack]

SHUT UP AND WORSHIP YOUR NEW SAVIOR!!! ITS CHANGE I TELL YOU!!

Oh boy I was crying when he won, I'm so happy!

America will still be fucking the world up 4 years from now, because guess what, nothing has changed. Obama is another puppet sent to pacify the outrage at the American establishment. The media will perpetuate the bullshit for a few more years whilst we go along with it yet again.

 

[Zachor]

Although I'm nervous slightly about this appointment it can't be denied that involvement in Iraq has meant that the Americans have taken their eyes off of the ball and neglected the place which is the biggest problem - Afghanistan. The Allies had the Taliban on the run but the Iraq distraction allowed them to reform. A big mistake. I'm in favour of making sure that the Taliban never reappear in Afghanistan to terrorise that unlucky people again.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

The Copy and Paste part of the OP has been written by a complete nut-job. A well qualified nut-job, but a nut-job all the same. Also a notorious anti-semite who writes under more than one name, one of which is Eric Walberg.

 

[Zachor]

The Copy and Paste part of the OP has been written by a complete nut-job. A well qualified nut-job, but a nut-job all the same. Also a notorious anti-semite who writes under more than one name.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[EddyBlack]

The Copy and Paste part of the OP has been written by a complete nut-job. A well qualified nut-job, but a nut-job all the same. Also a notorious anti-semite who writes under more than one name, one of which is Eric Walberg.

'3. Christianity had very good reason to REACT AGAINST Jewish customs and activity right from the start. And many reputable historians would argue that outbursts of persecution of Jews in history have everything to do with machinations by Jews themselves, causing a reactionary against them, rather than an ingrained tendency towards racism by non-Jews.'

You might be right there.

link

 

[adc069975]

Might be better off with an imperial-realist than fantasist. Or did they invent that distinction to fool us?

 

[Barking_Mad]

I like how the BBC caption says,

"US air strikes have been blamed for many civilian deaths"

No, they've been RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY CIVILIAN DEATHS!

Good old Auntie, still twisting words....

 

[Treacle Toes]

SHUT UP AND WORSHIP YOUR NEW SAVIOR!!! ITS CHANGE I TELL YOU!!

Oh boy I was crying when he won, I'm so happy!

I think that you should think about who was crying and why....

America will still be fucking the world up 4 years from now, because guess what, nothing has changed. Obama is another puppet sent to pacify the outrage at the American establishment. The media will perpetuate the bullshit for a few more years whilst we go along with it yet again.

You are probably right, I don't think everyone is naive to the fact that he is still a politician and that he isn't about to walk on water and bring about world peace.

 

[ska invita]

The Copy and Paste part of the OP has been written by a complete nut-job. A well qualified nut-job, but a nut-job all the same. Also a notorious anti-semite who writes under more than one name, one of which is Eric Walberg.

There was no copy and past in the OP - the link, admitidly, wasnt the best, but i found it quickly in my lunch break as it came top in a google search

Its ackowledge by all mainstream media that Zbig is Obamas man - he's been giving countless interviews briefing what Obama foreign policy will be - he was all over the BBC news during the campaign. here's Zbig on Hardtalk:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/hardtalk/7669452.stm

Point taken that Eric is a nut-job, but lets not sidestep the issue that Zbig is back in full effect. I've removed the link, for the sake of de-threading

I'm in favour of making sure that the Taliban never reappear in Afghanistan to terrorise that unlucky people again.

How do you go about achieveing that then? Let me know if it invovles ariel bombardment.

 

[EddyBlack]

How do you go about achieveing that then?

Bomb Pakistan of course.

 

[adc069975]

Brzezinski isn't such a zionist. Infact, the Israelis never really liked him.

 

[greenman]

Hey guys,
See who Obama has made his Chief of Staff?
Rahm Emanuel
Bears a strange political resemblance to that other "campaign mastermind" Peter Mandelson, no?

According to Wikipedia (and yes I know the score there) he is an enthusiastic supporter of AIPAC , whose dad was a member of the Irgun (After the Ayers affair, I wonder if the Republicans will go on about this association of Obama with the son of a former terrorist? I think perhaps not....)

Ah, the curse of interesting times.......

 

[two sheds]

To an extent, although the Wiki article did say that he's consistently voted for universal health care, for pro-choice and for liberal issues. And even more, he's not someone like Cheney appointed to 'heal the divide with the republicans'. I'd say jury was out on that yet.

Anyone who said what America actually needed to do to get out of the shit wouldn't have a prayer of getting elected. The hope still is that he was being a politician until he actually got to power, when he could do what he felt was right.

And his advice to Blair looked good: "At this point of his political career he was known for his intensity. Notably, he reportedly told British Prime Minister Tony Blair, prior to Blair appearing in public with Clinton for the first time after the Lewinsky scandal, "This is important. Don't fuck it up."

If we'd had more people say that to Blair before major decisions we might have been better off all round

 

[butchersapron]

More on Rahm - from Counterpunchtwo years ago and now circulating again thanks to the top notch Freedom Rider Blog

Emanuel is Chair of the democrats Congressional Campaign Committee and has been credited with engineering the 2006 return to the majority. Yet the Democrats won control of the House of Representatives in spite of Emanuel's strategy, not because of it. John Walsh (scroll down for story) explained it all in Counterpunch back in November 2006.

"Long ago Rahm chose 22 key races, open or Republican seats, where Dems might win. By any reasonable criteria, all the candidates chosen by Rahm, save perhaps for one, were pro-war as is Emanuel himself. In two cases Rahm had to put in considerable dollars and effort in the primaries to drive out antiwar candidates. He drove out Cegelis in Illinois's 6th CD, at the cost of one million dollars, in favor of Tammy ("Stay the course") Duckworth who lost in the general election. In California's 11th CD primary, Emanuel backed the prowar Steven Filson who lost to the antiwar candidate, Jerry McNerney, who went on to win in the general election."

Looking at all 22 candidates hand-picked by Rahm, we find that 13 were defeated, and only 8 won! (3) (One is still undecided.) [Note: 9 eventually won] And remember that this was the year of the Democratic tsunami and that Rahm's favorites were handsomely financed by the DCCC. Tammy Duckworth, for example, was infused with $3 million and was backed in the primary by HRC, Barack Obama, John Kerry, etc. The Dems have picked up 28 seats so far, maybe more. So out of that 28, Rahm's choices accounted for 8 [Note: 9]! Since the Dems only needed 15 seats to win the House, Rahm's efforts were completely unnecessary. Had the campaign rested on Rahm's choices, there would have been only 8 or 9 new seats, and the Dems would have lost. In fact, Rahm's efforts were probably counterproductive for the Dems since the great majority of voters were antiwar and they were voting primarily on the issue of the war (60% according to CNN). But Rahm's candidates were not antiwar. So Rahm Emanuel nearly seized defeat from the jaws of victory."

 

[butchersapron]

A couple of closer looks at who else comes with the Obama package and what interests they represent:

Obama administration begins to take shape

The personnel of Obama's transition team and his first major appointment stand in obvious contradiction to his campaign rhetoric about "change," "new politics," and "building a movement from the ground up." The individuals selected are all fixtures of the political establishment, with close ties to powerful corporate and financial interests.

Obama's transition team, which will assist in assembling his cabinet, is headed by John Podesta, former chief of staff to Bill Clinton and one of Washington's most successful corporate lobbyists. Co-chairing the transition team are Valerie Jarrett, a long-time Obama advisor, Chicago real estate executive and influential figure within the Chicago Democratic Party machine, and Pete Rouse, a Washington insider and Obama's senate chief of staff.

[...]

All of these individuals played leading roles in the deregulation of the banks and investment houses that facilitated the super-profits and massive CEO compensation packages of the 1990s and first half of the current decade, and contributed to the financial collapse that is now plunging the US and the rest of the world into the deepest recession since the 1930s.

Geithner has played a central role in the government bailout of Wall Street banks and other major firms, such as insurance conglomerate AIG and the mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

As Federal Reserve chief under Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, Volcker was responsible for the high interest rate "shock therapy" which decimated American industry in the early 1980s and led to the impoverishment of entire regions.

A closer look at Obama’s transition team

John Podesta

Podesta, chief of staff for Clinton from 1998 to 2001, will serve as the Transition Project's leader. Podesta is a long-time Washington insider, where he served, beginning in the early 1980s, as legal counsel for a number of congressional committees. As is the custom in Washington, Podesta made use of his political influence to establish a lucrative Washington lobbying firm, the Podesta Group.

The lobbying firm of this "progressive" includes among its top clients the oil giant BP, defense industry corporations Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics, biotech firms Genentech and Amgen, Swiss pharmaceuticals corporation Novartis Interational AG, and Wal-Mart.

...According to the newspaper, BP, whose "pipeline problems and refinery fires have created regulatory and public relations issues," has turned to Podesta, who "has quietly been guiding BP through congressional hearings."

For Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics, Podesta has been busy "trying to sell Congress and the Pentagon on another version of their Stryker troop transport vehicle."

Valerie Jarrett

Jarrett is the CEO of The Habitat Company, a real estate development firm in Chicago. She has been a top executive at the company since 1995, becoming CEO in 2007. Habitat has worked closely with the Chicago city administration to oversee public housing, receiving millions in local and federal subsidies.

...A Boston Globe article from June 27, 2008 ("Grim Proving Ground for Obama's Housing Policy," by Binyamin Appelbaum) describes the state of one 504-unit public housing complex, Grove Parc Plaza, located in Obama's former state Senate district.

"About 99 units are vacant, many rendered uninhabitable by unfixed problems, such as collapsed roofs and fire damage. Mice scamper through the halls. Battered mailboxes hang open. Sewage backs up into kitchen sinks. In 2006, federal inspectors graded the condition of the complex an 11 on a 100-point scale—a score so bad the buildings now face demolition."

"Grove Parc has become a symbol," the newspaper noted, "for some in Chicago of the broader failures of giving public subsidies to private companies to build and manage affordable housing—an approach strongly backed by Obama as the best replacement for public housing."

The Globe reports "thousands of apartments" throughout Chicago, overseen by Habitat, that are characterized by similar disrepair. The Habitat Company "managed Grove Parc Plaza from 2001 until this winter and co-managed an even larger subsidized complex in Chicago that was seized by the federal government in 2006, after city inspectors found widespread problems."

 

[poului]

46rtgjm67k

The one big advantage of having such a disastrous predecessor. Plenty of moves which would draw criticism in any other situation will still seem fine in the relieved eyes of many.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

A couple of closer looks at who else comes with the Obama package and what interests they represent:

Obama administration begins to take shape



A closer look at Obama’s transition team

Far as I've heard, the only named appointee so far is Rahm Emanuel. Maybe I've missed something...

 

[butchersapron]

Yes. Obama Announces Transition Team

The "Obama-Biden Transition Project" will be overseen by former White House chief of staff John D. Podesta; Obama friend and senior campaign adviser Valerie Jarrett; and Pete Rouse, Obama's former Senate chief of staff and top campaign aide, officials said today. It will occupy offices in Washington and in a federal building in Chicago.

 

[poului]

e35tudhgc

Clinton for SoS, you reckon?

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Yes. Obama Announces Transition Team

Ok, so the transition is to be overseen by Podesta in a temporary position. As for anything more long term:

Avoiding the same mistakes is one reason Obama is eager to have the hard-nosed Emanuel become the White House gatekeeper. (Podesta, former Senate majority leader Thomas A. Daschle and ex-commerce secretary William M. Daley remain other possibilities if Emanuel unexpectedly says no.)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/04/AR2008110404573.html

 

[butchersapron]

Which one though?

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

I can't find anything in the mainstream media about Brzezinski being offered, or accepting, a postion of any type.

 

[poului]

Which one though?

Billary.

 

[two sheds]

Arnie as energy tzar? At least people might turn the bloody lights off when they leave a room.

 

[butchersapron]

The members of Obama's Transition Economic Advisory Board - lot of CEOs and chairman isn't there?:

• Warren Buffett (chairman and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway)

• Roel Campos (former SEC commissioner)

• William Daley (chairman of the Midwest for JP Morgan Chase; former secretary, US department of commerce, 1997-2000)

• William Donaldson (former chairman of the SEC 2003-2005)

• Roger Ferguson (president and CEO, TIAA-CREF and former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve board of governors)

• Jennifer Granholm (governor, State of Michigan)

• Anne Mulcahy (chairman and CEO, Xerox)

• Richard Parsons (chairman of the board, Time Warner)

• Penny Pritzker (CEO, Classic Residence by Hyatt)

• Robert Reich (University of California, Berkeley; former secretary, US labour department, 1993-1997)

• Robert Rubin (chairman and director of the executive committee, Citigroup; former secretary, US treasury, 1995-1999)

• Eric Schmidt (chairman and CEO, Google)

• Lawrence Summers (Harvard University; managing director, DE Shaw; former secretary, US treasury, 1999-2001)

• Laura Tyson (Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley; former chairman, National Economic Council, 1995-1996; former chairman, President's Council of Economic Advisors, 1993-1995)

• Antonio Villaraigosa (mayor, City of Los Angeles)

• Paul Volcker (former chairman of Federal Reserve 1979-1987)

• David Bonior (member of the House of Representatives 1977-2003)

 

[Zachor]

How do you go about achieveing that then? Let me know if it invovles ariel bombardment.

There will always be a need for some ariel bombardment but IMO you would incurr less civilian casualties and a more effective cleansing of the Taliban from Afghanistan if there were more infantry. I would be in favour of other nations apart from the UK and the US getting their boots dirty and doing some proper fighting against the Taliban. At present you have countries like Germany refusing to fight (never thought I'd say that) or enter combat areas.

Sadly you will never improve the lives of the average Afghan until a) the Taliban are no more and b) there is a sensible world narcotics policy that would allow the Afghans to sell their Opium on an open but controlled market.

I still think that going into Iraq was wrong and it distracted the attentions of the major democratic nations from the real dangers not just to the region but to the world as a whole, which are the Taliban, a collapsing Pakistan and a dangerously unhinged Iran.

 

[coccinelle]

A dangerously unhinged Iran?

 

[Zachor]

A dangerously unhinged Iran?

Yup. Have you seen and heard the sort of guff coming out of Ahmedinejad lately? I have a professional interest in Iran and to be frank its got a govt that scares the willies out of me. I've never been a fan of fascist theocracies.

George Galloway our very own modern day Lord Haw Haw seems to think there is nothing wrong from pocketing money for being a mouthpiece for the Iranian Govt however some of us have more principles.

 

[coccinelle]

Yup. Have you seen and heard the sort of guff coming out of Ahmedinejad lately? I have a professional interest in Iran and to be frank its got a govt that scares the willies out of me. I've never been a fan of fascist theocracies.

George Galloway our very own modern day Lord Haw Haw seems to think there is nothing wrong from pocketing money for being a mouthpiece for the Iranian Govt however some of us have more principles.

Perhaps you could give an illustration? For the moment, you sound like a right-wing propagandist.