Moral Character and Public Officials

In 1998, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) released a statement on moral character and public officials. Many will recall this was at the height of tensions between the Clinton administration and the GOP. The Culture Wars were raging and many Evangelicals were in a state of apoplectic rage, convinced that Clinton was a communist determined to bring America down. They and their allies were doing all they could to combat his administration.

The Death of an Arch-Hypocrite and False Christian

Ken Starr has died and while his name will be forever associated with the Clinton-Lewinsky affair, he remained a well-known and active figure in Right-wing circles, even into the Trump era.

Trump + 1107: The Real Scandal of 2016, Glenn Greenwald and the FBI

https://theintercept.com/2019/12/12/the-inspector-generals-report-on-2016-fb-i-spying-reveals-a-scandal-of-historic-magnitude-not-only-for-the-fbi-but-also-the-u-s-media/

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/21/world/americas/glenn-greenwald-brazil-cybercrimes.html

Though The Intercept continues its path of compromise and decline there are still some shining moments which, more often than not are connected to Glenn Greenwald. This article was no exception. In this piece from December, Greenwald reveals the true scandal surrounding 2016 election, the one that's getting almost no attention.

The Stone-Wikileaks Syllogism

The media is desperate to perpetuate the conspiracy of Russian collusion and the latest twist involves the indictment of Roger Stone. This was hardly unexpected and has been anticipated for some time even by Stone himself.

Once again the now two year investigation struggles to find a smoking gun and the media continues to do all it can to keep the public engaged and stoke anger. Now in light of the Stone indictment we're informed once more that 'this is it', the evidence we've been waiting for.

Trump +610: Mueller Probe Misperceptions and Whitewater Ghosts

https://www.thenation.com/article/the-mueller-investigation-is-sending-people-to-jail-but-not-for-collusion/

The media campaign is relentless. And yet who can deny, Trump has compromised himself at various points. He's corrupt and in clear violation of numerous laws and precedents. In terms of policy, his opponents make noise but then largely capitulate. There are dozens of issues that could be pursued but instead the focus is almost exclusively on the Anti-Russia campaign.

Government Smoke and Mirrors

The news has reached new heights of absurdity as once again the Establishment media fails to report or contextualise the following recent stories.

The Mueller Indictments

https://theintercept.com/2017/09/28/yet-another-major-russia-story-falls-apart-is-skepticism-permissible-yet/

What a soap opera. This story is hard to write about because it constantly changes. But despite the clamour in the media, it's pretty safe to say that virtually every angle of the Russia Conspiracy has all but collapsed.

And then today, three indictments were handed down. But what does it mean?

Trump +247: Mueller, the 9/11 Cover-up and the DNC Crisis

Robert Mueller is considered to be a man of integrity, of impeccable credentials and character. His appointment to investigate Russian involvement in the 2016 election was lauded by the Establishment political class, media and a great deal of the public.

And yet the same media is utterly failing to connect his name to the recent Saudi scandal that's been quietly making the news. It seems the media would rather this story just went away.

For years some of the families associated with the victims of 9/11 have been dissatisfied with the official investigation. With good reason they view it as insufficient, truncated and even corrupt.

The Citibank Revelation

For all the coverage the Clinton email leaks are receiving 'the' story is not getting that much attention.

The real revelation came with the Citibank emails. This wasn't even so much about the corruptions of the Clintons as it was the compromised nature of the system itself.

Ecuador Under Pressure and Hillary's Desire to Drone

Ecuador has cut Julian Assange's internet access. What's going on here? Is Ecuador under serious pressure from the United States? We know that's the case, but it has been for some time. So why now?

The Intercept's Clinton Email Coverage

The Intercept has been doing a tremendous job reporting on the Clinton email leaks. I've provided numerous links here. Right now they're easy to locate on the site but in another week or two it will take a lot of scrolling or searching to locate them. This list is for those who want to look into this issue at a later date... assuming the links stay active.

The Costs and Dangers of Militarism

There is an ongoing debate in ruling class circles over the question of conscription. In recent years the Neo-Conservative wing led by figures like Donald Rumsfeld wanted a light and flexible volunteer force highly reliant on technology and sophisticated weaponry.

Sadly (for them) this was also combined with a commitment to unilateralist thinking leading to an over-taxing of US military resources. By the end of the Bush administration the US military was almost broken.

Mainstream Media's Anti-Russian Campaign

http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/08/30/491898040/the-curious-deaths-of-kremlin-critics

This piece ran about a month ago on NPR and yet it is but one example among many. The US Establishment is seeking to reconstitute the Cold War and while China is one villain, the chief antagonist is Russia under Vladimir Putin.

The lies grow wearisome. Putin is hardly a virtuous character but US accusations are disingenuous, rooted in arrogance and extremely hypocritical.

The fact that the Mainstream media has embraced conspiracy theories regarding Russia tells us a great deal about their role.

Albright's Hypocrisy on Display

http://time.com/4272021/karadzic-conviction/

She is a vile creature and I don't feel like she even deserves common courtesy.

Socialist Criticisms of Sanders

The American political spectrum is by default set to the Right. In a European context Sanders would be maybe Center-Left. Hilary Clinton would definitely be Center-Right and of course the entire Republican spectrum is more or less on the Far Right. There are some variations of course. Figures like Trump and Christie advocate some positions (or at least did) that would push them a bit more toward the center.

The New York Times, the Establishment and the Electorate

I was listening to a programme called 'Pastor's Perspective' on a local Christian radio station and the roundtable unanimously condemned the New York Times as insanely liberal and living in a fantasy world. Every aspect of its reporting is to be questioned if not outright rejected.

The Angst of the 1990's and a Documentary on the Oklahoma City Bombing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT5PS_cIjgo

I've always thought this was one of the better documentaries on the background of the Oklahoma City Bombing. I would hope future documentary makers would spend even more time elaborating on the context and cultural milieu. People have forgotten the level of anxiety and how worked up the Right wing was in early 1990's. I remember. At the time, I was one of them.

Hastert's Finale and Wheaton's Shame

I suppose the 'Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy' at Wheaton College may have to consider a name change.

It's amazing how many of these guys who went after Clinton and decried his immorality were themselves embroiled in scandal and the suppression of their own immoral behaviours and past conduct.

Politicized Media and a Lack of Christian Integrity

Listening to Glenn Beck for a few minutes as well as some Christian Radio... interesting how they're being blurred in the minds of many Christians... I notice there's a tremendous focus at present on the Clinton's and questions surrounding their funding and donors. All kinds of accusations are flying about accusing them of pandering to foreign influence etc...

1995-1996: A Year of Change

On the morning of 19 April 1995 I was sitting in my apartment in Alaska. I was a miserable wretch, lost and in despair. Just a few weeks earlier, to the astonishment of my friends and co-workers, I had enlisted in the US Air Force and was due to depart for basic training in mid-May.
I was watching the news as the story broke. Alaska is of course a few hours behind Oklahoma City. I was still in my Rush Limbaugh days and I immediately assumed Islamic terrorists were behind it and that we would be going to war. I was convinced it was all Clinton's fault. He had played a weak hand in Somalia and they'd probably gotten together with the Iraqis and come to get us.