Thursday, 5 March 2015
Hillary Will Not Run for President
By Alan Caruba
The revelations, reported initially in
the most left-wing newspaper in the nation, The New York Times, that
Hillary Clinton used her own private emails to conduct public business, suggests
that there are forces within the Democratic Party that do not want her to be its
candidate for President in 2016.
It’s not like Hillary did not know she
was supposed to use the State Department’s email system for reasons of national
security; her private emails could have been hacked by forces unfriendly to the
U.S. All government employees are
routinely briefed on the laws that require this.
For the record, I am no fan of Hillary
Clinton. On September 18 of last year, I wrote a commentary titled “Go
Away, Hillary” in which I asked “Other than earning her law degree, name one
thing that Hillary Clinton has accomplished on her own. Her accomplishments—slim
as they are—have been achieved on the coattails of either Bill Clinton or Barack
Obama.”
Beyond Hillary, what I object to is
the necessity to raise millions with which to secure either Party’s nomination
and a billion to run for the presidency. We are electing someone who has
literally bought the election courtesy of donors who have made the selection for
the rest of us. There is something fundamentally undemocratic about
that.
That said, I don’t think Hillary
Clinton will run in 2016.
That may surprise you, but it
surprises me as well. And, yes, I could be wrong, but the revelations about her
patently illegal email use while Secretary of State suggests that there are
forces within her Party that want to end her candidacy now rather than later.
They are sending her a message.
Ron
Fournier is the Senior Political Columnist and Editorial Director of
National Journal. Prior to that, he worked at the Associated Press for 20 years, most
recently as its Washington Bureau Chief. On March 3rd, he wrote an opinion piece titled
“Maybe she doesn’t want to run in 2016, top Democrats wonder. Maybe she
shouldn’t.”
“Two weeks ago,” wrote Fournier, “we
learned that the Clinton Foundation accepted contributions from foreign
countries. Assurances from the Obama administration and Clinton aides that no
donations were made during her tenure as Secretary of State were proven
false.”
“Now The New York Times is reporting that
Clinton used a personal email account to conduct government business as
Secretary of State, an apparent violation of federal requirements that her
records be retained.” He quoted one unnamed “senior Democrat” as saying “This
story has legs as long as the election”, noting that many senior Democrats “are
angry.”
“My concern,” wrote Fournier, “is that
Clinton does not see this controversy as a personal failing. Rather, she sees it
as a political problem that can be fixed with more polls, more money, and more
attacks.” He described her problem as “a lack of shame about money, personal
accountability, and transparency.”
If there is one thing to which the
Democratic Party is totally dedicated, it is winning the White House and control
of the Congress. Ever since President Obama has been in office, it has taken a
beating as voters have relentlessly transferred power to the Republican Party in
Congress and in many States. It is an unmistakable trend and one that must keep
Democrat strategists up at night.
In January 2014, a Pew Research poll
found that 69% of women who identified themselves as Democrats hoped to see a
female President in their lifetime, compared to only 20% of Republican women. In
April 2014, a Rasmussen poll found that “51% of likely U.S. voters have at least
a somewhat favorable opinion of Clinton, while 44% view her
unfavorably.”
The Huffington Post analysis of the
Pew poll concluded that “not wanting Clinton in office is the only one
explanation for Republican woman’s relative lack of enthusiasm about electing a
candidate of their own gender”, adding that “It may be that (the) gender of a
candidate has simply become a less compelling factor for
voters…”
Six years of having a President who
was elected primarily because he is black have taught voters that race and
gender are insufficient factors on which to base one’s vote.
Six years of a sluggish economy, massive unemployment, declining wealth among the Middle Class, and a disaster called foreign policy will influence 2016 votes along with, of course, whoever the candidates may be.
Six years of a sluggish economy, massive unemployment, declining wealth among the Middle Class, and a disaster called foreign policy will influence 2016 votes along with, of course, whoever the candidates may be.
So I will return to my conjecture that
Hillary, no matter her desire to be the first woman U.S. President, will also
have to address the practical realities of politics. Opposition from within the
Democratic Party will likely be a deciding factor. She has put off announcing
her intentions until April. If she puts it off again that would suggest some
deep misgivings.
If you had the choice between a life
of great wealth and fame as opposed to the daily inquisition and criticism that
comes with the presidency, which would you choose?
© Alan Caruba, 2015
Ted Cruz’s new book set for June 30 release date
Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican and a possible 2016 GOP presidential candidate, is out with a new book this summer titled "A Time for Truth: Reigniting the Miracle of America." (continue reading)
Cartoon and Video: Obama, Hitler and World War II...from TPC
Video and Cartoon: Imagine for a second that Barack Obama and John Kerry, instead of trying to make a deal with Iran, had been trying to make a deal with Hitler in the 1930's or the Japanese after they attacked Pearl Harbor?
Wonder no more as this cartoon and video lay out the likely outcome!
Watch and read at The Political Commentator here.
News...............
The Lost Amber Room: Retirees Dig for Nazi-Looted Treasure in Germany
Keurig K-Cup Inventor John Sylvan Doesn't Use Coffee Brewing Pods He Created Because of Expense, Environment
The Chinese economy hasn't looked this bad in 25 years
French unemployment just smashed to a record high
The Bank of England is being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office
The Ages of Purim
'The ship, the ship': Another load of Weapons stopped on the way to Cuba
Obama to Adopt the Power for Taxation for Himself
Warplanes hit Tripoli airport before UN talks start
Australia to Send Troops to Iraq
Mumbai British Raj club vows to keep serving steak pies despite Indian state ban on beef
North Korea threatens ‘pre-emptive nuclear strike’ over US-South Korea drills
Hate Crimes: US Lynches the Facts
Britain Funding Separateness, Not Integration
Obama’s Iranian-nuclear strategy brings dividend: Rev Guards lead military assault on Tikrit
Most Transparent Administration Ever??????????????? from Doug Ross
Most Transparent Administration Ever Suffers Curious Epidemic of Disappearing Email Systems, Crashed Hard Drives and Lost Backup Tapes
Remember when Barack Obama promised his would be the "most open and transparent administration ever"?
Hahahahahahahahahahaha. Good times, good times.
• Disappearing email systems:
A week before becoming Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton set up a private e-mail system that gave her a high level of control over communications, including the ability to erase messages completely, according to security experts who have examined Internet records.
• Crashed Hard Drives:
In one of the new[ly recovered] emails, Lerner apparently wrote, “No one will ever believe that both your hard drive and mine crashed within a week of each other.”
• Lost Backup Tapes:
...hundreds of former IRS official Lois Lerner’s previously “lost” backup tapes have been recovered, which could result in the recovery of a new trove of her emails. IRS Deputy Inspector General Timothy P. Camus told Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) on Thursday that it took investigators just two weeks to recover 424 backup tapes that were previously said to be unretrievable.
• And more!
In a Monday ruling, Judge Royce C. Lamberth, senior judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, accused the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of lying to the court and displaying “apathy and carelessness” in carrying out the law... Judge Lamberth described the “absurdity” of the way the EPA handled a Freedom of Information Act request from the Landmark Legal Foundation and then the court case stemming from it — including late last week admitting it lied to the court about how it went about searching for documents.
• Oh, wait--there's more!:
Freedom of Information Act requests have been routinely ignored-from the very start of Obama’s reign . An Associated Press report found the Obama administration has grown more secretive over time.
• Gee whillikers, I forgot about this one:
The Justice Department’s internal watchdog offered Congress fresh evidence Tuesday that the Obama administration is failing to meet its promises of transparency, accusing department officials of interfering with his independent investigations into employee wrongdoing.
• But it's not a pattern!. Oh, wait. My bad. It is.
Given the number of IG and investigator vacancies, a suspicious person might think that the Obama administration was trying to hide waste and fraud in the various departments.
I could go on, but I think you get the picture.
That is, unless you're a progressive, in which case, you'll shriek the words, "But---Bush!" at the top of your lungs while spittle flies out of your mouth.
Hat tip: BadBlue News
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Really Late News.................
The White House Must Respond to Netanyahu's Important New Proposal
Report: Hillary Clinton's Aides at State Dept. Also Used Private Email
Bad Ideas Breed Bad Foreign Policy
TSA Issues Secret Warning on ‘Catastrophic’ Threat to Aviation
Hillary Set up Her Own Server in Chappaqua For Secret Emails
Million dollar motor: When an ordinary car is not enough
Obama Admin Is 'Going After' Gun Dealers
Lawyer for Boston Marathon bomb suspect: 'It was him'
Defense Secretary: Mosul Operation Briefing a 'Mistake,' Spilled 'Secrets'
The Hillary Cover-Up and the End of Democracy
Dennis Ross: Obama needs to answer Netanyahu
Bush, Cheney banned from Venezuela
Supreme Court closely divided on Obamacare's future
Nobel Peace Prize Committee OUSTS Chairman Who Crowned Obama With $1.4 Million Award
Canada: 'Spocking' $5 notes not illegal, but illogical
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Attacks Standing of Anti-Obamacare Plaintiffs
U.S.-Backed Syrian Rebel Group Collapses, U.S.-Supplied Weapons End Up in Al-Qaeda Hands. Unexpectedly
Booze, COCAINE Fueled Female Teachers' Beach Sex Romps With Male High Schoolers, Cops Say
Voices: Hillary Clinton may be her own worst enemy
Revealed: Clinton's office was warned over private email use
2015: Gary Sinise Foundation..................
Check out our latest impact video for 2015. We have never forgotten that it is you, our supporters, that makes the Gary Sinise Foundation's outreach possible. That's why we invite you to watch our 2015 video. It offers a glimpse of all the positive changes you're helping to make possible in the lives of our nation's defenders and their families.
Montana’s Yoga Pants Ban is a Joke (or is it?) Nanny of the Month (Feb ‘15)
They’re busting backyard archery in Minnesota, and massage shops in California, but you’ll find the Nanny of the Month in the Big Sky state where one lawmaker got his undies in a bunch over the Bare as You Dare bike ride and decided to crack down on indecent exposure, including yoga pants! (Especially the extra-naughty beige colored ones.)
Saving Private....................from Rico
Saving Private E-mails.
Hitlerie's, Huma's, and all of her cronies during 4-years as SecState.
The IRS excuse of crashed hard-drives, and/or the electronic gremlins ate our data has already been used.
- It would be fun to see if our bespectacled NSA whistle blower Edward Snowden and/or some of his friends like Julian Assange can do something with this one..........
Wednesday, 4 March 2015
Too Damn Big: Govt. Out of Control on Taxes and Spending | Trifecta
Think of all the money you paid this year, and have ever paid, in taxes. Now think of all the money all of the people you know have paid and will pay...
It's All Bad News for ObamaCare
By Alan
Caruba
On Wednesday, March 4, the Supreme
Court will hear the King v. Burwell case. It is likely to deliver a
death blow to ObamaCare when the decision is announced in a few months. About
the only good thing ObamaCare demonstrated is that the federal government should
be kept from taking over sectors of the nation’s economy that are working just
fine without it.
Health care expert Edmund Haislmaier
and legal expert, both of The Heritage Foundation, provided an explanation of
the case. “The question before the Supreme Court is whether the Obama
administration overstepped its authority in issuing an IRS ruling that conflicts
with the ObamaCare statute. The statute allows payment of ObamaCare subsidies
only to individuals who obtain coverage ‘through an Exchange established by (a)
State.’”
ObamaCare got such a cold reception
nationwide that 34 States refused to set up an exchange, forcing the feds to do
it. Those exchanges distributed subsidies to individuals participating in them,
but the ObamaCare statute “seemingly did not authorize subsidies in such cases.”
Suffice to say that ObamaCare health insurance is considerably more costly than
what one could have previously purchased on one’s own; thus the need for the
subsidies gambit.
The February edition of Health Care News, published by The
Heartland Institute was filled with articles attesting to the failure of
ObamaCare. Here are a few excerpts from them.
Devon M. Herrick, Ph.D., a health
economist and senior fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis, noted
“Obama touts the claim (that) millions more people are now covered under health
care insurance policies through employer plans. However, research has shown
exchange subsidies will cause employers to drop coverage…Mandatory benefits are
not free; workers bear the cost in the form of lower wages.”
Dr. Herrick added, “Obama said (in his
State of the Union speech that) ‘in the past year alone about ten million
uninsured Americans finally gained the security of health coverage,’ but he
neglected to mention roughly 6 million were coverage through Medicaid expansion
and many of them were finding it difficult to find doctors willing to work for
the paltry fees state Medicaid programs pay doctors for
treatment.”
An article by Matthew Glans, a
Heartland senior policy analyst, noted that “The Health and Welfare Committee of
the Tennessee Senate voted on February 5 to reject a bill that would have
allowed Gov. Bill Haslam to expanded Medicare under the Affordable Care
Act.”
Kenneth Artz reported that “A new
study by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human
Services found half of all providers listed in Medicaid managed-care plans are
not available to new Medicaid patients, either because they are not at the
listed location or aren’t accepting new Medicaid patients.” Feeling ill? “For
doctors who are accepting new Medicaid patients, the average wait time to get an
appointment is two weeks, with close to 25% of patient having waits of one month
or longer.”
Tom Steward, writing for the Minnesota
Bureau of Watchdog.org, contributed to Health Care News noted that “In a
significant victory for religious liberty and economic freedom, the American
Manufacturing Company received a permanent federal exemption from provisions of
the Affordable Care Act that contradict the owner’s religious
convictions.”
Sean Parnell, the managing editor of
Health Care News, reported that “Rhode Island officials predicted up to 100,000
residents would use the state-created exchange established under the Affordable
Care Act to buy health insurance in 2014. Data from the state show only 27,961
people enrolled during the 2014 open-enrollment period, a number that declined
throughout the year as many enrollees failed to pay their first premium or later
dropped coverage.”
ObamaCare is on critical care because
it could die at any time. Not surprisingly, three Republicans, John Kline, Paul
Ryan, and Fred Upton, chairmen respectively of the House Committee on Education
and Workforce, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, have put together a plan
to address the likelihood that the Supreme Court decision will put an end to
ObamaCare.
As they said in a recent Wall
Street Journal commentary, “If the court rules against the administration,
as any fair reading of the law would demand, millions of individuals and
families will hit a major roadblock. They’ll be stuck with health insurance
designed by Washington, D.C., that they can’t
afford.”
“What we propose is the off-ramp out
of ObamaCare toward patient-centered health care. It has two parts: First, make
insurance more affordable by ending Washington mandates and giving choice back
to the states, individuals and families. And, second, support Americans in
purchasing the coverage of their choosing.”
What a unique idea! Let people choose
the health care plan they want and that they can afford. That’s the way it used
to be before the Affordable Care Act was passed entirely by Democrat votes
because the GOP would not support it. That’s why Congress is controlled by the
GOP these days. And that’s why this nation will return to the free
marketplace.
© Alan Caruba, 2015
News..................
A case about four words, with mammoth implications
Exotic dancers claim they were stripped of pay
Experts: U.S. Concessions Handing Iran a Clear Path to Nuclear Bomb
Breasts bared in movie get aide barred from school
Former Ga. Dems head, Grayson attorney pleads guilty to fraud
The 145 Solution - Sapience, not Sentience
The Tikrit Offensive May in Fact Be Bad News for Iraq’s Future
Falling behind in the global arms race
Putin's 'Red October': Russia's Deadliest New Submarine
Russian bombers disrupted planes in Irish airspace
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen: 'I've found wreck of long-lost WWII Japanese battleship'
Russia, Egypt to hold joint naval drill in Mediterranean
"Britain Is the Enemy of Islam"
Is Turkey's Erdoğan in Decline?
Adorable Acadia National Park................
Acadia National Park is the only National Park on the East Coast of the USA. Enjoy the amazing scenery in only 90 sec.
A filt-shift time-lapse film by Joerg Daiber.
FED explained in 2 Charts...................from Rico
Here is FED policy (ZIRP and QE) since the collapse of Bear Stearns in TWO rather elegant charts.
Atheist Droppings - Wild Bill
Atheists aren't used to a Christian standing up to them. Bill takes some of their letters.
Lucky or Good?......................from Rico
Who among us has NOT at one time or another been part of the timeless debate: "Is it better to be LUCKY or GOOD?"
In the short-term, it is impossible to know whether success (or failure) is due to luck or skill.
Over the long-term, say 20-years or a lifetime, it is hard....if not impossible....to consistently be lucky. Success or failure then is due to skill, not luck.
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Cameron v Putin - The British Are Fighting The Wrong Enemy.............From Daniel Thomas
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From now until the general election due in May, every word, action and deed by Cameron will be carefully constructed by his controllers, in tandem with their professional team of PR men, media managers, advertising executives and image consultants, to glean every possible political advantage for their man and their agenda.
Due to a litany of false promises and outright lies over the issues that concern them the most, the British public are finally waking up to the fact that their Prime Minister is nothing more than a media creation who's only skill is delivering PR choreographed public performances in pursuit of a long planned transformational agenda.
Putting some seventy three military personnel into harms way in a vicious civil war involving the Russian hard man, Putin, is not going to affect the outcome one iota, the image this nonsense is intended to create however is highly significant........if the British electorate are fool enough to fall for it that is.
One would think that with ISIS and its affiliates butchering their way across the middle east and Africa manned by thousands of British documented jihadis and with those same battle hardened killers promising to bring their murderous mission to the British mainland, Cameron should have a different set of priorities.
It must be noted that although Putin and his regime are no angels, at time of writing no Russian has bombed a bus or underground train on the London Transport System killing and maiming hundreds of innocent people; no Russian has beheaded a soldier in broad daylight on a London street.
There are no Russian paedophile gangs grooming under age British girls by the tens of thousands then subjecting them to rape and horrific sexual abuse. Russians are not mutilating the genitals of hundreds of young girls every year.
Russian fanatics are not setting up semi-autonomous no-go areas and demanding that the indigenous British people submit to their demands and no Russian gangs are wanting to see their national flag flying high over Buckingham Palace and the Prime Ministers residence at 10 Downing Street.
There are no Russian hate preachers demanding that the British people submit to Russian law.
On the contrary, Cameron welcomes Russian billionaires who appear to be buying up London real estate and businesses including football clubs and newspapers.
The intervention in the Ukrainian civil war is a carefully crafted pre-election publicity stunt designed to deflect attention away from his government's disastrous appeasement of the EU and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in particular. It is also designed to halt the inexorable rise of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) who oppose the EU agenda.
(There is also a long term project of EU expansion into the former Soviet states, including Ukraine, but this is not Cameron's primary motive for his current behaviour.)
Just to recap briefly: Cameron hails from a wealthy elite who attended Eton college, Great Britain's most exclusive private school and one of its most expensive.
After Eton he spent a gap year indulging in party politics before going up to Oxford University where he was apparently spotted as future leadership material. By who is not immediately clear but from then on his political career was managed down to the minutest detail.
After graduation, armed with the now requisite degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, he took the well trodden path into the incestuous world of party politics as a special adviser to some senior leaders of the day.
Consequently he has no experience whatsoever in the real world outside of party politics; he has no experience or empathy with real people or any clue about their hopes or aspirations. He has no experience in the business world or the world of wealth creation. More importantly to this issue, he has little experience outside the British shores and consequently in foreign affairs.
The ever popular, and accurate, impression of David Cameron as weak, craven and in thrall to German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is entirely correct, therefore his controllers needed some high profile action to counter this before it sticks irrevocably.Bearing in mind that the EU, led by Merkel, were still negotiating a possible deal with Putin over the Ukrainian civil war, the unilateral action announced by Cameron was calculated to achieve three things:
i) to give the impression that he is his own man not beholden to the EU leaders, especially Frau Merkel.
ii) to give the impression that he is unafraid to take tough decisions in order to stand up to the worlds current bogey man, Vladimir Putin.
iii) that he is has the stature required to fill the vacuum left by President Obama as leader of the free world.
The facts speak for themselves, David Cameron is indeed in thrall to Frau Merkel and the other EU leaders and he remains totally committed to the European project. This requires that Great Britain transfer what is left of its sovereignty to Brussels, becoming fully integrated into the post democratic federal superstate currently referred to as the European Union (EU)
On orders of Merkel and the other EU leaders, and despite claiming otherwise, Cameron is absolutely committed to open border mass immigration in order to fundamentally transform Great Britain into a so called 'multi-cultural society' thus ending thousands of years of British history and its unique way of life.
Examples of his subservience abound but his smack down by Merkel over border control remains a classic. Who would have thought that a German Chancellor would tell a British Prime Minister that he will not be allowed to control his own borders as demanded by his own people? Weak and craven doesn't begin to describe David Cameron.
In conclusion it must be noted that with Cameron's election war chest bursting at the seams with EU and hedge fund money, and with the bought-and paid-for MSM, including the BBC, in his pocket, the British electorate can expect many more stunts like this together with an unprecedented campaign of vilification against his opponents including UKIP and its leader Nigel Farage.
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
Too Damn Big! The Federal Government is Bloated Beyond Belief! | Trifecta
A Representative in the House used to represent about a tenth of the population they now do. So do they still actually represent our concerns??? Heck no!
Getting hosed, from A to G...............from Rico
The "bail-in" era has now begun in earnest.*
- Cyprus was a useful beta-test and model.
Austria's first "bail-in" of "bad bank" HETA will see bond holders clipped.
- But 'new' laws put EUro bank deposits at risk of confiscation as well.
A very broke SYRIZA-run Greece will raid cash reserves in pension funds and its public sector entities to cover its immediate funding needs.
*For "progressives" and other cognition-challenged types:
- "Bail-out" meant the taxpayer got hosed.
- "Bail-in" means the bond holders and depositors get hosed.
Late News....................
"Arab Joint Force": A Vote of No Confidence in the West
Bentley unveils hot sports car concept
Free Wi-Fi On Buses Offers A Link To Future Of 'Smart Cities'
House Benghazi Committee Busts Hillary Clinton For Using Personal Email To Evade Transparency Requirements
Finding the Great Republican Hope
Obama "Very Interested" In Raising Taxes Through Executive Action
Lawyer: Department of Justice Shut Down Search For Lois Lerner's Emails
Susan Rice Tells Israel Lobbyists Their Demands Are 'Unachievable'
Clapper: Pay no attention to those 40 jihadists returning to America from Syria
Petraeus pleads guilty to misdemeanor charge in plea agreement over claims he leaked classified info to mistress
Stop the Insanity: BBQ pitmasters told to take down American flags
We are genetically more like our fathers, study finds
Netanyahu: 'Even If Israel Has to Stand Alone, Israel Will Stand'
Officials: DOJ report finds racial bias in Ferguson police
Judge rips EPA for 'offensively unapologetic' handling of conservative group's email request
Obama hit for filling embassies with political allies, highest in 27 years
Long-lost civilization found in rainforest
Obama Dismisses Netanyahu Remarks as “Nothing New”
A scenario Netanyahu hasn’t spelled out: One Iranian nuke could obliterate Israel’s heartland
NOT safer, and LESS free....................from Rico
No, I do NOT feel "safer" but I surely feel less "free"...and I'd bet Vegas odds that almost everyone living outside the 68-square miles of fantasy land (aka Washington, District of Criminals) does too.
The only real "terrorists" Americans need protection FROM is their own government...
No Deal or Done Deal?.................from Dan Friedman
[It looks Obama’s deal is already getting tested before it gets signed. We won’t have to wait ten years to see who is blowing smoke, Obama, BB or the Mullahs. df]
[rimshot] Hussein Cracks a Joke After BB's Speech.................from Dan Friedman
Better have a seat or this will have you rolling around on the floor:
WASHINGTON — Mar 3, 2015
Associated Press
President Barack Obama says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (neh-ten-YAH'-hoo) didn't offer any "viable alternatives" to the nuclear negotiations with Iran during his speech to Congress.
Liberals' Outrageous Attack on Young Black Giuliani Supporter | ZoNation
CJ Pearson became an internet hit after he joined Rudy Giuliani in questioning Obama's love of America. Hear why liberals like Common are seeking revenge against this black conservative prodigy.
Netanyahu and Jewish Survival
By Alan Caruba
In 1933, approximately 9.5 million
Jews lived in Europe, representing 1.7% of the total European population which,
in turn, was about 60% of the Jewish world population, estimated to have been
15.2 million.
By 1945, in the wake of the Holocaust,
two out of every three Jews would be dead.
By 2012 the global Jewish population
by had reached 13.75 million. That is less than 0.2 percent of the world’s population.
The Israeli Central Bureau of
Statistics reported that 43% of the world’s Jewish community lives in Israel.
Sharing Israel as their home were 1,636,600 Arabs and a diverse population of
Christians and non-Jews, numbering around 318,000.
If the Iranians make good on their
threat to “wipe Israel off the map”, presumably with nuclear weapons they would
acquire by stealth and deception, the Jewish world population would be cut
nearly in half.
All of this will be on Benjamin
Netanyahu’s mind when, as the Prime Minister of Israel, he addresses a joint
meeting of Congress. It will be his third such speech. On July 10, 1996, he said
the world must act to prevent Iran’s nuclearization, since “the deadline for
attaining this goal is getting extremely close.”
In 2011 he returned, saying “When I
stood here, I spoke of the consequences of Iran developing nuclear weapons. Now
time is running out. The hinge of history may soon turn, for the greatest danger
of all could soon be upon us, a militant Islamic regime armed with nuclear
weapons.”
So now it is 2015 and the only thing
Netanyahu knows for sure is that the Iranians remain intent on being able to
produce their own nuclear weapons.
The March 2nd edition of The
Times of Israel reported that Yukiya Amano, the head of the International
Atomic Energy Agency, said “Iran has yet to provide explanations that enable the
agency to clarify two outstanding practical measures”, a diplomatic way of
referring to “alleged explosive tests and other issues related to research that
may also be useful for military uses of atomic energy.” This is the same problem
that the U.N. agency has with North Korea.
Netanyahu was worried about Iran’s
nuclear weapons program in 1996, in 2011, and now in 2015; more than enough time
for Iran to have made considerable progress toward their goal. At the heart of
this third address to Congress is the survival of nearly half of all the Jews in
the world because they live in Israel.
It’s no secret there is no love-loss
between Bibi Netanyahu and Barack Obama, but this third effort to urge Congress
to go on record supporting the survival of Israel is necessary because, for the
first time since 1948, there is some cause to wonder whether a war-weary U.S.
would come to Israel’s defense.
Obama has said in no uncertain terms
that he wants to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. However, the world
has learned that the gap between what he says and what he does is often wide or
non-existent. It must be said, however, that past Presidents have decried North
Korea’s acquisition of nuclear weapons, but that has not translated into any
direct action because China entered the Korean conflict in the 1950s to defend
it and no one wants a repeat of that.
Netanyahu does not speak for “all
Jews.” He speaks for Israel and other than national survival the political
divisions there are even more diverse than our own. The fact that he is running
for reelection there is not a factor for his speech to Congress—timing is.
One suspects that the best
intelligence both Israel and the U.S. have been able to secure suggests that,
this time, Iran is very close to its goal of being able to produce its own
nuclear weapons despite the sanctions that have been imposed.
Netanyahu is understandably concerned
about the negotiations that Obama has relentlessly pursued with Iran, the result
of which has alienated not only Israel, but Saudi Arabia and all of the Gulf
nations. The P5+1 parties to the negotiations include Russia, China, France,
United Kingdom and Germany. The negotiations have deadlocked in the past and may
do so again despite the fact that both Russia and China have close ties to
Iran.
Even if Iran agrees to terms that
would supposedly slow or stop its nuclear weapons program, there is not a
scintilla of evidence that they would fulfill their promises. Iran, after all,
is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism
worldwide.
The odds are that Netanyahu knows that
Iran, this time, is very close to becoming militarily nuclear. Addressing
Congress calls attention to the danger, not only domestically, but
worldwide.
What Netanyahu also knows is that
President Obama seems to have blind spot when it comes to the growing
anti-Semitism that resembles what existed in the 1930s in Europe. When Jews in a
French kosher supermarket were murdered, Obama referred to it as an act of
“violent, vicious zealots who behead people or randomly shoot a bunch of folks
in a deli in Paris.”
Whoa! It wasn’t “a bunch of folks.”
They were Jews buying food for the Sabbath meal. And those “violent, vicious zealots” were
Muslims, just like the ISIS Muslims beheading, crucifying, burning, kidnapping,
and enslaving those they don’t kill for being Christian, Jewish, Yazidis, or
just not Muslim enough!
Netanyahu’s speech will, indeed, be
historic. It may not be his last visit to the chambers of
Congress.
© Alan Caruba, 2015
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