US President’s weekly Yahoo News updates

Once per week, I consolidate comments I’d posted to recent articles appearing on Yahoo News. I share my views, written as if I actually were the US President. [I’m working on that.] The following were posted between June 12 and today, though appear below in no particular order. As is my usual custom, if I open with a quoted item, that’s from the article itself.

I hope you enjoy all 32 of these mini-essays/comments.

Posted on Yahoo! News

ONE:

I wonder if pro-war fever in Britain would cool off if Prince Harry came back from Afghanistan with his arms and legs blown off. Really! Can't you see him on tour promoting the war effort after such a wounding?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
"My message to the prince - this is not a game."

TWO:

[My response to an article on possible prolonged cessation of sunspot activity]:

I hope this isn't the calm before the really big (apocalyptic) storm. Doesn't the Perfect Storm always happen when you least expect it?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"Don't you sometimes yearn for the Good Old (really Old) Days when people thought the sun in the sky was God, Who sometimes gave us good days and sometimes (well) gave us His wrath?"

THREE:

But...Obama has not granted the Libyan rebels diplomatic recognition. And this decision is his alone to make - advice and consent from the Senate not being necessary. Tell me, has any of the lamestream media even bothered to ask our President what he's waiting for?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"Obama's silence is deafening and 'says' a great deal about his leadership, doesn't it?"

FOUR:

[On why video game sales plummeted in May]

Maybe people are getting tired of gaming. Maybe they're hungry for a chance to change reality, instead of saving some pretend world.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"Vote for me, and I'll give them a solid chance to impact reality - by changing our sorry political scene."

FIVE:

It's pretty obvious the rebels aren't any near ready to strike the final blow. If so, believe me, our Congress wouldn't be blowing smoke about cutting off the funding. Hmm...I wonder what Congress knows, as a result of their secret White House briefings, that the rest of us don't know.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
"Obama is a war criminal for having engaged us in Libya."

SIX:

[Article title: More than $6 billion in Iraq reconstruction funds lost]

I know where that money went - to pay off Muqtada al-Sadr after he ordered his militia (the Mahdi Army) to stand down in 2004.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"And al-Sadr will use that money to finance his bid to control Iraq after we're gone. SURPRISE!"

SEVEN:

“[POTUS] shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties…” A treaty is an agreement for peaceful purposes between the US and another country. But a treaty can’t come into existence by presidential dictate alone. We could destroy a country by means of one man’s orders, but we couldn’t engage in peaceful activities unless the Senate is also involved? How strange is that?

The Constitution says, “The President shall be commander in chief of [US armed forces].” But his war making powers don’t kick in until Congress gives the order. In case POTUS doubts that, he should remember: Congress could impeach him on the basis of charges Congress deems appropriate. And such a decision would be final, even if such charges were “trumped up.”

I suggest Congress pass a special declaration of “war” (in effect, of non-war, which it must be admitted is a kind of war) “against” Libya. This would really be a declaration of peace, in effect, though the Constitution doesn’t explicitly grant this power. If, however, POTUS might desire to challenge this declaration of peace, Congress could always whip out Ye Olde Impeachment Power. Remember: No appeal to a guilty impeachment verdict.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“None of this is terribly complicated; we only make it so.”

EIGHT:

"...[Michele Bachmann] 'fought against my own party' behind closed doors by opposing the Bush administration’s much-reviled TARP bailout plan."

I see. Fighting behind closed doors counts as a profile in courage these days, eh? Maybe, just maybe, if more of these Two Party System animals would fight in public, certain pieces of odious legislation wouldn't be foisted on us. Just saying...

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"Who knows? Maybe Bachmann will get the GOP nod...by default...after everyone else drops out."

NINE:

"[Texas Governor Perry] promoted his state's jobs record and economic climate, which he said were a reflection of conservative principles." Sitting on top of an ocean of oil couldn't hurt either - "conservative principles" aside. Hmm...oil backing up conservative principles...where have I heard that before? Ah, Saudi Arabia et al.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"Yawn...if Perry wants to jump into the race, I'll thoroughly enjoy picking apart any policy statements he'll care to make. That is, if he bothers to make any at all - I'll be there."

TEN:

“…Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont grilled Gates …demanding: "How long do we support governments that lie to us? When do we say enough is enough?"

Oh, isn’t Leahy such a tough guy – grilling Gates? I can see Gates sweating as Leahy pretends to give him the third-degree. What a crock! Let me rephrase Leahy’s question in a more pertinent way: “How long will the American people support its own government which can’t stop pouring on the lies? When do We-the-People say enough is enough?”

Two Party System animals like Leahy are the problem. They have the power to say “enough is enough.” But loyalty to party stops them – oh, that and loyalty to the hidden agenda.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“The only way out of the woods is to vote for Independents. Declare your independence by voting for Independents in 2012.”

ELEVEN:

"...a unilateral Palestinian move at the U.N. will set back the peace process." What peace process? Israel has no intention of ever abandoning its West Bank (illegally seized) settlements, so that doesn't leave much to talk about, does it?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"If elected, I will grant US diplomatic recognition to Palestine and remove it from Israel. And I will bar Netanyahu from entering the United States."

TWELVE:

Take a good look at the photo accompanying this article. The young man in the blue shirt firing his RPG has something in common with other rebel "fighters" I've seen. They all look clean, well-groomed, and as if they're posing for the cameraman. They don't look like bedraggled, starving revolutionaries suffering in the trenches with the desert heat. Does anyone else notice this?

  * “the photo” – Sorry I can’t show you the photo here, but that doesn’t really matter. All of the photos I’ve seen show a pretty well-groomed lot.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"Oh, I have no doubt there's a war going on over there; it's just not anywhere near what we're being led to believe. A word of advice: Stop letting our leaders decide what is to be done for our own good."

THIRTEEN:

So Jon Huntsman is eager for a go at it, eh? That would make the second Mormon to covet the Big Brass Ring. Not only that, but he shares something else with Mitt Romney - both are related to Mormon apostles. Wow, to be kinfolk of an apostle...how cool is that? I don't mind another Mormon entering the race, though perhaps we should have More Women entering (More Women who are also Mormons...like that will ever happen).

Romney? Huntsman? Neither should be let off the hook, since they have a lot of explaining to do regarding their faith.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"No, this isn't a religious test. I just want to know where they're coming from."

FOURTEEN:

[RE: Article title: Can a gay judge rule on gay marriage?]

Even more interesting: Why couldn't a monogamist judge rule on the constitutionality of polygamy? After all, the issue at stake would be the right of religious expression, since our constitution is silent on what is appropriate marriage. For instance, who's to say a Muslim man with four wives can't become a US citizen SOLELY because US statutory law doesn't allow for this kind of relationship? And don't forget how the Mormons were bullied into abandoning polygamy. Yet no one cries for their loss of religious freedom.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"I say, live and let live; and let Romney have his four wives, should he so choose."

FIFTEEN:

[From: "Libyan rebels make fresh gains, NATO drops leaflets"]

A leaflet obtained by Reuters showed a picture of a helicopter and a burning tank. "When you see these helicopters, it means it is already too late for you," it said in Arabic. "There is no place to hide. If you continue threatening civilians, you will be killed."

"If you continue threatening civilians, you will be killed."

Don't you love how the official party line was inserted into this pamphlet? Of course, in the NATO worldview, any of Gadhafi's men in a tank, by definition, threatens civilians, while any rebel in a tank (again, by definition) does not. Sounds like a classical definition of double-think. Years from now, even school children in France and Britain will laugh should anyone suggest the mission was to protect civilians.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"Years from now? Forget that, school children the world over are laughing right now."

SIXTEEN:

“… Fischer said his training as an economist would be ‘essential’ to running the IMF and dealing with economic crises…”

Why does Fischer pretend that “training as an economist” means anything? We’re not talking about a monolithic, one-size-fits-all training. There are schools of economic thought and dissidents within those schools. The curricula of even the most prestigious citadels of econ training in the world are under fire for relevancy to the needs of the modern age. How creative and, if needs be, unorthodox can we expect Fischer to be? Or would he be overly-eager to throw old “rigid but tried-and-true” solutions at problems having a modern wrinkle to them?

As for Fischer being “credited for guiding Israel’s economy through the global crisis”: Israel’s economy isn’t the most complex to manage in the first place, and (believe) no one single person would be allowed sole responsibility for Israel’s economy.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“This whole nonsense about being a trained economist is irrelevant to the IMF, anyway, since politics would trump economics in those hallowed halls, if push came to shove.”

SEVENTEEN:

[RE: US Speaker of the House Boner giving Obama a deadline to explain his "legal position" regarding his Libyan action]

Congress could simply pass a Resolution finding Obama not in compliance. Or they could (snicker, snicker) impeach him. Oh wait, the GOP doesn't control both Houses. [Can't you hear Boner swearing under his breath saying, "Dang!"]

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"Elect me in 2012 and, as part of my written contract, there will be no more wars unless Congress declares them."

EIGHTEEN:

So what's Pawlenty proposing to do about ObamneyCare - repeal it? Did he actually come out and say he'd do that, maybe muttering under his breath what he'd replace it with? So far, all we have from Pawlenty on this issue is a cute pun - ObamneyCare, indeed! We need more than Master Punsters in the White House.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
     "I would replace ObamneyCare with Universal Single Payer Health Care, and would veto every bill Congress placed before me until I got it - that, and an 18% interest rate cap on personal credit cards. And I would pay for USPHC by pulling the plug on our illegal wars."

NINETEEN:

What Egyptian government? You mean the one under the caretaker control of the military? An endorsement from an Egyptian government having had its first post-revolution election, now that would be more like it.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"The fact that Lagarde would seek endorsement [for the IMF presidency] from the caretakers speaks volumes."

TWENTY:

Pelosi said. "I urge Congressman Weiner to seek that help without the pressures of being a Member of Congress."

Ah, so it’s “the pressures” that are worrying Pelosi, is it? To be consistent, the next words out of her mouth should be, “I urge Gabrielle Giffords to focus completely on her recovery from having been shot without the pressures of being a Member of Congress. Besides, her constituents deserve to be actively represented by someone else while Gabby recovers.”

Actually, I don’t care about Pelosi’s consistency. What I really care about is her intelligence. She and all of the other detractors aren’t playing their best hand, which is – threaten to bring Weiner up on charges. Surely he must be guilty of something, otherwise, why all the fuss? Just whisper in Weiner’s ear, “If you don’t resign, we’ll bring you up on charges which, even without merit, will bankrupt you.” That’s how it’s done: Threaten the poor sucker with having to pay so much to defend himself, he’ll wish he had resigned in the first place.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“I absolutely don’t advocate this kind of threat. I’m only pointing out how stupidly Pelosi et al are handling this, since I believe this kind of threat is definitely in their bag of tricks.”

TWENTY-ONE:

[Story headline: F-15s intercept plane near US presidential retreat]

Too bad those F-15's couldn't have scrambled when it really counted - on 9/11.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"It's amazing how quickly planes can scramble when their pilots don't have any 'Stand Down' orders holding them back."

TWENTY-TWO:

Michael,

You claim, “[Congressman Weiner] has admitted to wrongdoing, but will still collect a retirement check from all of us."

Don’t you think the word “wrongdoing” is a bit strong – perhaps “misguided moral compass” would be more accurate? In any event, Weiner didn’t break the law – which is what most people would understand to be “wrongdoing.”

As for your claim, “As a public servant, he should lose everything”... Even if Weiner is expelled from Congress, the current law would allow him to collect his pension. To change the law now to try to punish his conduct would be unconstitutional. That would be an example of an ex post facto law.

All these people who are raising a stink about abuses of the congressional pension system should have been complaining years ago. But, no, only when one man’s miscues hit the news do we hear any squawking. Hell of a way to run a country – after the fact.

Actually, Weiner is being quite brilliant here. He takes a little time off, allows the public to forget (which it will), and then quietly returns to his office* to serve his constituents to the best of his ability. And most galling of all, at lest to his detractors? His district will probably re-elect him, if he isn’t redistricted out of a job.

   * UPDATE: Weiner resigned – probably after being threatened with legal action as I’d predicted earlier (see TWENTY above).

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Too many people ‘respond’ politically only when a scandal breaks. I call them 'kneejerkers.'”

TWENTY-THREE:

This is all politics. There's no real harm in [Palestine’s] Fayyad supporting [Israel’s] Fischer for the IMF job. For much the same reason there wouldn't be any harm in anyone supporting Arnold Schwarzenegger for US President. Arnold is ineligible (not a natural born citizen), and so is Fischer (he's too old, according to the IMF rules*). NEXT!

* UPDATE: “In a surprise move, the IMF board failed to support changing the IMF's rules that would have allowed 67-year-old Fischer to run…” – source: http://www.metro.us/newyork/money/article/888622--lagarde-carstens-shortlisted-for-imf-president-race

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"Politics may indeed make strange bedfellows, but not if one of the partners is too old to get into the bed in the first place."

TWENTY-FOUR:

[Aaron was a slave who fought for the Confederacy during the US War of Secession.]

"If Aaron Perry knew the Union Army was coming to free him, why did he join the other side?"

Well, for one thing, freeing the slaves wasn't the Union Army's mission; preventing secession was. For another, maybe Aaron Perry was willing to accept a known situation (his life as he knew it in the South) versus an uncertain freedom in (what turned out to be) an anarchic environment.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
"Let's give our ancestors credit for having some brains."

TWENTY-FIVE:

[RE: Rep. Weiner, before he finally resigned]

"I can tell you that if it was me, I would resign," Obama...said in an interview with NBC News. No, he wouldn't. Just like Bill Clinton didn't. Could you imagine anyone giving up the presidency even though no law had been broken? But then again, an impeachable offense is whatever the Congress says it is - so much for the rule of law.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"If Obama would ever suffer such a fate, he'd say he'd "misspoken" about him resigning under such circumstances."

TWENTY-SIX:

“The Obama administration will …give military commanders free rein to plot the drawdown's pace [in Afghanistan].”

Sounds like our president is relinquishing civilian control of the military in favor of “free rein” for commanders. NOTE: A negative drawdown rate would actually be an increase. Would Obama allow for that?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Obama can ‘mull’ all he wants – but that still won’t be a substitute for leadership.”

TWENTY-SEVEN:

[RE: Article saying Obama’s award for transparency in government should be rescinded.]

Come on, people. Everyone knows Obama is transparent. It doesn't take much at this late date to see right through him.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"Make no mistake about this - there was no election in 2008: Obama was the elite's Chosen One from the get go."

TWENTY-EIGHT:

[NOTE: White House spokesman warned Congress to “resist the temptation to take any action that would do further damage to the institution of the presidency.”]

The “institution of the presidency,” you say? Why do we tolerate a One Man Branch of Government that diminishes with each passing year the influence of the other two branches? When one man becomes an institution, he loses touch – absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Our fascination with Strong Man types is shared throughout much of the Third World. But we’re better than that. The only way out: Reduce presidential power to this point: To help launch the missiles if necessary and to meet-and-greet foreign dignitaries (you know, a glorified Wal-Mart greeter). This stripped-down President would be elected by the Congress from among its own members.

BUT…and this is a huge but…this can only work once we arrange for a Congress consisting only of Independents. We couldn’t afford to let the Dem/Pub partisans spoil this new Constitutional arrangement.

And, yes, I’m talking about scrapping our old Constitution and replacing it with one based on Cross-Sectional Representation. If we can’t elect our reps from Cross-Sections, we’ll be stuck with the geographically-based system which has gotten us into so much trouble.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Yeah, I know how sentimentally attached we are to the old Constitution, but it’s time to move on and give up the things of childhood.”

TWENTY-NINE:

Okay, so [GOP presidential candidate] Bachmann wants to repeal Obamacare. Does she plan to replace it with anything else? Would she even advocate for any token adjustments? Does she plan to allow insurance companies to remain unregulated by the feds? Surely she must realize that state regulation isn't working so well, and there are abuses by the industry. Or is she one of those (gasp) Free Marketeers who doesn't like governmental regulation?

There's an awful lot we don't know about Michele Bachmann, though we do know she has a bagful of one-liners that will inspire applause.

Sorry, we deserve more from our next POTUS.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"She decided to discard the Dems because of a book written by Gore Vidal, which (she felt) dissed the Founding Fathers? That's quite a leap! My God, what did he say?"

THIRTY:

[This is my response to a reader who commented on TWENTY-NINE (above).]

Sorry, Embnut, I've got enough to read. For me to do as you suggest - "read for yourself" - would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. May I assume you've read the book? If so, perhaps you would be so gracious as to give me some leads (chapter and verse, as it were). Naturally, I was kind of hoping Bachmann herself would have shed some light, since she was the one who took offense at what was written. Even if I would read this book, there's no way I could know the particular text that violated her sensibilities.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"I get the funny feeling that Bachmann didn't actually finish reading the book, after finding an offensive passage or two. Just saying..."

THIRTY-ONE:

[A group of 21 Republican Congressmen challenged Obama’s recent use of the autopen to “sign” the (extension of the) Patriot Act into law.]

This bill would have become law without the President’s signature, according to this part of Article 1, Section 7:

“If any bill shall not be returned by the President within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law, in like manner as if he had signed it…”

The 21 idiots who signed this letter to the President, chose instead to cite another part of Article 1, Section 7:

“Every bill…shall, before it become a law, be presented to the President of the United States; if he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it…”

Question: Did he “return it unsigned?” Another question: Is some Congressman with too much time on his hands going to insist that the President must return all unsigned bills IN PERSON?? After all, the quote above says, “HE [my emphasis] shall return it.”

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“This is all moot anyway due to this one overriding consideration: Do you really think any challenge to the Patriot Act could actually get any kind of a fair and impartial hearing in a Court of Law? Naw, I didn’t think so.”

THIRTY-TWO:

I could never figure out why [ex-Governor Blagojevich] didn't use the "April Fool's" defense. When the feds gloated about having damning wiretaps, all Blago had to do was say, "I knew I was being tapped, so I blew a lot of smoke up their butts by spouting off profanities and untruths. APRIL FOOL! I didn't really mean what I said. How could I? Does anyone really think a trained lawyer, like me, would actually say anything incriminating because I didn't think my phone could be tapped? Come on! This is the age of the illegal wiretap anyway, thanks to the Patriot Act."

The prosecutor's case would have collapsed instantly!

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"If I'd been on his first jury and he'd sprung that April Fool's Defense on me, I would have thought, 'Of course, only a fool would have spoken so candidly on a phone conversation, so NOT GUILTY!'"

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

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

Founder of The Independent Contractors’ Party

“Do I think I’ll win the election to become the next US President? No, I do not. Do I think, if elected, I’d be a good President? The best we’ve ever had. Why run if I think I’ll lose? There are a lot of ways to win other than actually being elected.”

Contact me at bpa_cinc@yahoo.com

Part V - Presidential candidate's Yahoo News postings

Once again, I share comments I’d posted to articles appearing on Yahoo News. These were posted between April 18 and today, though appear below in no particular order. As is my usual custom, if I open with a quoted item, that’s from the article itself.

Posted on Yahoo! News

ONE:

"[The Afghan military officer who killed 9 Americans] was under economic pressures and recently he sold his house. He was not in a normal frame of mind because of these pressures," said the brother…

Economic pressures? Was he a heroin addict who got cut off because he couldn’t keep his part of the bargain? And what kind of bargain might that have been?

Do economic pressures rank up there with combat stress? What causes a decorated veteran who had suffered bodily several times during his career to kill his comrades-in-arms? Or had he been converted to the Taliban cause, in spite of his brother’s denials? That would be gravely alarming since he, unlike a raw recruit, should be the last person to go ballistic. If he could turn against his military oath, anybody could.

Or was he such a patriot he couldn’t stand what the scourge of drug abuse was doing to his country (there was none of that when the Taliban ruled)? Maybe some of those Americans he killed were engaged in that trade.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“With so many questions, this will not be investigated but will be thoroughly covered up.”

TWO:

There is no Chinese Communist Party – there is only the Party of I’ve-got-mine-so-screw-you. Also known as the Neo-Mandarins. If the Neo-Mandies are so afraid of Christians, then they must be terrified of their own shadows. Believe me, a Christian is not a thing to be feared – only to be laughed at or debunked.

This deep-seated fear is the kind of thing that squelches creativity, which is why Chinese nationalism will fail. Simply because the ruling class refuses to utilize its greatest resource – the genius of its own considerable people. However, since I oppose all national sovereignties, I consider this to be a good thing. I only hope that when implosion occurs, there won’t be any outwardly-flying shrapnel. Same goes for our implosion as well.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“In spite of media black out to the contrary, we really are in the midst of a divide-and-conquer, winner-take-all class war.”

THREE:

This mind-boggling escape [of nearly 500 Taliban prisoners] will prove to be the pivotal event in this conflict. After this war eventually ends and the US and NATO find a way to pull out “with honor,” the history books will show this escape as the nail in the coffin. How ironic would that be – that it won’t end up being a pitched battle between equally determined forces or anything else equally bloody or spectacular?

If you think about what this escape implies, you’ll realize we have no allies among the Afghans. We have lost the battle for their hearts and souls.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“When the Taliban eventually win, they won't give Karzai and his cronies time to escape to Switzerland. They’ll hang them from the highest tree.”

FOUR:

Abbas called on … Washington to pressure Israel to restart negotiations, saying that "if Israel shows a serious willingness to negotiate…”

The Israeli government is practical and therefore won’t negotiate but instead will continue to grab as much land and move in as many settlers as possible.

My suggestions: (1) The US should void diplomatic recognition of Israel; (2) The US should unilaterally grant diplomatic recognition to Palestine (including all of the West Bank settlements illegally occupied by Israel); (3) Invite the Palestinian Authority to invite a token US military force for joint military exercises on its land; (4) Permanently eliminate the $3B per year in welfare payments (each) the US makes to Israel and Egypt.

I don’t think the Zionists could easily ignore these kinds of overtures. Under Obama, you will not see any change for the Palestinians – and that was the game plan from day one.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“As your next President, I can (on my own authority) implement items 1 thru 3 above. In fact, I will be obligated, under the terms of my written contract, to do so.”

FIVE:

Suppose Gaddafi tries an end-run around our "protecting civilians" excuse. Suppose he issues this declaration:

"We will stop shelling Misrata for one week. And we will guarantee safe passage and relocation to any and all civilians in that city. After one week, though, we will level the city to the ground."

What could the Western opportunists (I mean, "powers") do? Anyone left in Misrata would be presumed to be rebels (not civilians) and therefore would be legitimate military targets. [NOTE: I'm pretty good at reducing the excuses of petty bureaucrats to rubble.]

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
"Did anyone actually buy into that 'protecting civilians" line of bull?"

SIX:

Robert Gates is one of those poor souls who tried so hard all his life to ingratiate himself with the “real” rulers of this country. He desperately wanted to not only be accepted and trusted by these people, but to be loved by them. He will tell any kind of lie he thinks the Illuminati want us to hear. He would even launch us into nuclear war if they told him to “do it.” But the sad truth is – they laugh at poor Robert behind his back and (on occasion) even right in his face. But Robert just sucks it up – because he thinks that will make them love him or at least pretend to. And at this late stage in his life, Robert will be satisfied with feigned affection.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“You guess it – I don’t think much of Robert Gates, but even I think more of him than he thinks of himself, truth be told.”

SEVEN:

"It concluded that the evidence was insufficient to substantiate a violation of any applicable legal or ethics"

I don't remember hearing McChrystal crying foul at the time. "Mr. President, I didn't say those things" - those words never crossed his lips. It may well be that the "evidence was insufficient" to hang a general. But there are guys who were sent to Gitmo based on far flimsier evidence. Equal justice for all? Oh, that's right...the Gitmo guys aren't US citizens...nor are they generals.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"What gives? The general is gone, no report is going to bring him back, and, no, this army report doesn't clear him of wrongdoing...it merely says the 'evidence was insufficient.' Why waste taxpayer dollars to generate a report that's basically meaningless?"

EIGHT:

Suppose Trump is richer than Romney. So what? Some of the world’s greatest leaders weren’t rich at all. Besides, it’s entirely possible that Mitt has hidden financial resources that would put Trump to shame. I’m talking about the kind of network contacts that a secretive Mormon, descended from an apostle, might have access to. You see, Donald, it’s not what you know or even how much you have that matters – it’s who you know.

Besides, why should anyone believe that it’s going to take a businessman to get this country back on its feet? Trump has been awfully good at looking out for number one – hence his wealth – but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’d even care to look out for anybody else.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Trump as a leader couldn’t hold a candle to my personal hero in terms of sheer ability – Joan of Arc.”

NINE:

In "honor" of Trump's hair, I hereby dub him the candidate of the "Whig" Party.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"I wonder if Trump will put his campaign promises in the form of a written contract, as I've done. Contracts are the lifeblood of the business world, so perhaps in this he'll follow my lead."

TEN:

It doesn't matter if Trump wants to blow smoke. Nor does it matter who the GOP picks, and they know it. Obama's going to win again, so all the GOP can do it try to position itself for 2016. Even though I know Obama's going to win, I will do my best to oppose him with my own candidacy. And with the novelty of the written political contract.

All of my campaign promises are in writing. If I violate any of them, I lose my office (that stipulation is in the contract). That's change you can believe in. Actually, you don't even have to believe in it – it’s all in writing. If my innovation catches on, with other candidates starting to offer their own contracts, I will have won in a far more important way.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“One of my written promises: I will not sign any bill into law the increases the debt limit.”

ELEVEN:

"So is a conservative tide sweeping the nation?"

Not really – most people are either resigned or confused. It’s not that conservatives are gaining, it’s that the “other side” is losing ground. GOP gains don’t constitute a vote of confidence, since most of this new support is really a vote against the other side. As long as we’re polarized into thinking libs vs. cons, Dems vs. Pubs, us vs. everybody else, we won’t think clearly enough to arrive at practical solutions. Those are the ones not driven by ideology or triumphalism.

We won’t get any fresh thinking in govt until we get fresh (that is, independent) legislators. Until we throw every last Dem & Pub out of office, we’ll always end up being ping-ponged by party-driven agendas.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“The answers are out there. But the current crop of elected officials (Dems & Pubs) are loyal only to what will increase their chances for reelection.”

TWELVE:

Dear Obama Supporters: Here, I'll spell it out for you: He lied to you, and he's cynically counting on your support "knowing" you won't vote for his GOP opponent.

Now I'll remind you of the roots of your idealism: You grew up in an era of cynical and lying politicians, and you got sick of it. Isn't that exactly what Obama has become? What to do? Dump Obama. He didn't "compromise" anything. All of his moves, from day 1, were well thought out and intended. He's always been far more bipartisan than you dare imagine.

The only answer is to oust all the Dem/Pubs from all offices and vote for independents. Wake up...there is no other way. BTW, did I mention I'm an independent running against Obama Inc in 2012?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"Join the New American Revolution: Declare your independence by voting for independents."

THIRTEEN:

“As she spoke, eight other soldiers from countries including Iran, Haiti, Australia and Bangladesh celebrated and showed friends and family their new citizenship papers…”

How sad that we’re selling our citizenship to the brown people of the world who will, as US citizens in the US army, be paid to make war against, well, other brown people of the world. I hope the cynics who developed this option are prepared for the possibility that some of these new “citizens” may well turn out to be members of sleeper cells. Great! Just what we need. Enemy agents imbedded among our troops. There’s a certain poetic justice in that, don’t you think?

More to my way of thinking: Grant citizenship to those who will become members of a far more necessary army – an army of peace and goodwill. Not much popular demand for that kind of army I’m afraid. Too bad.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“Keep in mind: You get what you pay for.”

FOURTEEN:

@ Vince

16 minutes ago, you wrote, "Regardless what you believe about freedom of information, stealing classified data [for example, Wikileaks] is just wrong."

Hmm...suppose a do-gooder stumbled upon classified info that proved Dubya was behind the 9/11 downing of the Twin Towers. Would you still say, "...stealing classified data is just wrong?" That's where we run into trouble, assuming we aren't supposed to think but instead just blindly follow certain rules since doing otherwise would be "just wrong." What good are our freedoms if we don't exercise our judgment?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
"I'm sorry to report that we have so many thoughtless citizens out there."

FIFTEEN:

“at least 5 dead” should not be used in the same sentence as “Syria uses army to crush uprising.”

When the current president’s father crushed the insurgency in Hama in 1982, that (mostly civilian) death toll was between 20K and 40K. Now that’s a proper use of the word “crush.” [Of course, that was in the days before the GWOT.]

So at least one Syrian rebel is asking for foreign intervention. How would he feel if Israeli warplanes took out a couple of dozen of Assad’s tanks? Would rebels cheer the Star of David flying overhead or would that unify the nation against a common “enemy.” The very best way to send a message to established orders (like Assad’s) would be to immediately cut off the $3B each in military aid we give annually to Israel and Egypt – the ripple effect from that would be enormous and wouldn’t involve any American boots on the ground.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Sometimes, to cause a reaction in one place, it’s necessary to act in another (though remote) place.”

SIXTEEN:

(sigh) And there are still fools out there who believe in the Big Bang. Unbelievable.

The biggest problem with our ability to create theory (and that's exactly what we do, create theory) is the limitation imposed by our point of observation. Which is, for all intents and purposes, one single solitary point, since earth can't be much more than that, relatively speaking. Since all science starts with, and is confirmed by, observation, and all we have is one point of reference, our science has a truly fatal limitation to overcome.

If things that need to be observed don’t happen to cross our field of observation, or are too distorted or faint to register, then those things can’t ever figure into our theories. So we evade that limitation by assuming that all that is important enough to be seen actually is seen. Or, put another way, what’s way out there isn’t any different than what we can readily observe. That’s a huge assumption. But I encourage science to proceed in its quest, since that should keep scientists happy enough until they stumble upon the insights to be obtained from Buddhist practice.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“Science is a good thing but not the only thing – or even the most important thing.”

SEVENTEEN:

There's a saying - "Every dog has his day." Right now, Assad's private army is riding pretty high and mighty. But one day you'll read a small blurb on page 38 of your daily news rag - "Explosion rips army barracks in Damascus - scores killed." A lot of people won't see the cause and effect relationship though, since their grip on events doesn't extend very far back.

Such tit-for-tat is typical when the head of state personally controls the military. I was never clear on why anybody thought that was such a great idea. But even in the US, the emphasis in the military is to follow orders. I know, I know…it’s supposed to be to follow all “lawful” orders. But that “lawful” part was always just an afterthought, which doesn’t get much emphasis in basic training. Come to think of it, that “lawful” part doesn’t get the emphasis it deserves in our civilian lives as well. Let's work on that before we even dream of telling the Syrians how to live their lives.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“As for Syria, there’s really nothing the US can or should do – except hope for the best.”

EIGHTEEN:

Trump is keen on Obama giving proof (“let him show his records”) but not so keen on revealing his sources (“I heard he was a terrible student”). At least Obama seems to present himself intelligently – which is a far cry from Dubya’s public persona. And yet, Bush II was a mediocre student at best, who still managed to pick up an MBA from Harvard (though maybe that says more about Harvard and the decline of American scholarship than it does about Bush).

As far as Obama’s records are concerned – as any university students knows, transcripts of grades can only be shown with the student’s permission. And if that student doesn’t choose to reveal his records, that’s his business and he’s breaking no law or social norm by so withholding. Same goes for Obama’s long-form birth certificate. There are morons out there who think “he must be hiding something” by not showing us this certificate. Fact is, that’s his choice and the law is on his side.

My personal philosophy in life: As long as someone isn’t breaking the law, his choices are his business and I won’t think any the less of him as a human being.
Trump is engaging in character assassination since he doesn’t really have any solutions to offer.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“I have a solution: Declare your independence by voting for independents.”

NINETEEN:

"Authorities have biometric data on each prisoner, which aids in their identification, the governor's office said."

Hmm...I wonder if these prisoners had been chipped.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"Those insiders who helped the prisoners escape must be supremely confident that, even if their identities become known, they won't suffer any consequences. And what does that say about our long-awaited 'light at the end of the tunnel'"?

TWENTY:

"The president, I know, has some issues to deal with here. He can solve this whole birth certificate issue pretty quickly," Graham said.

Actually, during the summer of 2009, the House of Representatives had already dealt with this issue – decisively. That’s when they passed a Resolution in honor of Hawaii’s 50th anniversary as a state. Included in that Resolution was this language: “Whereas the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, was born in Hawaii…” The final vote? Unanimous – 378 in favor, no nays, 55 did not vote (of which 35 were Democrats).

Nuff said, Reverend Graham, let’s get back to praying, shall we – or risk losing your tax exempt status for blatantly politicking?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“I’m sure Graham is a wonderful preacher – so he should stick to that.”

TWENTY-ONE:

I'm saddened that Obama decided to release his long-form birth cert. He had every right to keep this private document to himself. But why release it now? The issue was more divisive a year ago, but now Obama releases it so we can "move forward?" I doubt the president caved in to the a-holes who bleated, "If he ain't showin' it, he must have something to hide." You know them, the repeat-something-often-enough-and-people-start-to-think-it’s-true crowd.

Maybe, just maybe Obama got a little nervous about what Trump's investigators might find. Of course, one can always say, "Wouldn't the GOP have had its own team trying to dig up dirt?" Not really...when you consider they're pretty much on the same page. Ah, but the Trump Squad might not be part of the Plan. Loose cannon, anybody?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“I didn’t buy into the birther nonsense, but I often wondered why none of the rank-and-file whom the Prez worked with as community organizer stepped forward with any testimonials. Not one stepped forward. The silence was deafening.”

TWENTY-TWO

"If I had my druthers, I would rather be representing Berkshire in this matter than Sokol in a Delaware court."

Yeah, I rather expected something like that in such a corporate-beholden state. I wonder if it would be possible for Sokol to have his trial (if it comes to that) moved to another state or out of the country. Yeah, I know...sounds pretty terrible to suggest a fair trial in such a matter could not be obtained in a US court. But you know the old saying: Money doesn't talk in this country - it screams.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
"We need to look at how these 'safe haven' states operate in terms of 'and freedom and justice for all.'"

TWENTY-THREE:

Once upon a time, we had investigative journalists who would have jumped at the chance to tell us: "What is the quality of life of the peoples of Syria? Are there economic reasons underlying the protests? Or are people chafing under a one-party system, having been inspired by the protests in other parts of the Islamic world?" It's true that specific information on the protests is hard to come by. But how hard can it be to give us a glimpse of how things are going for the Syrian man in the street?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
"I guess we don't do journalism any more."

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

Steven Searle for US President in 2012 Founder of The Independent Contractors’ Party

“Join the New American Revolution: Declare your independence by voting for independents.”

Contact me at bpa_cinc@yahoo.com