Shamus Cooke: Obama's Agenda, Direct Military Intervention

and the relentless destruction of Syria as a nation State. The recent announcement that the United States would increase its non lethal military aid to Syria's rebels shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Some speculated that Obama, having been repeatedly wrong about the Syria government's stability, would leave Syria in silent humiliation. Not so. The destruction of Syrian society will continue, indeed, increase. Although there are plenty of non military options the Obama administration could pursue, he's instead choosing the bloodiest course possible. Millions of Syrians have had their lives destroyed, and now millions more can look forward to a similar fate. US media outlets have reported that all of the hundreds of millions of dollars of US aid to Syria's rebels has been non lethal, but the New York Times admitted recently: "American government officials declined to discuss an ongoing covert program to train rebel fighters, or the extent to which it has made a difference on the battlefield It's no exaggeration to say that Obama is helping to orchestrate the largest state sponsored terror campaign since the still simmering genocides of the Congo and Yugoslav wars. This fact has been completely hidden from the view of the US public, but it's a fact nonetheless. For example, the only effective fighting force of the Syrian rebels, the Al Nusra Front, has been labeled a terrorist organization, even by the United States. Its frequent terrorist bombings have helped shred the fabric of Syrian society, its most recent massive car bombings killed 100 mostly innocent people in central Damascus, including dozens of children, and wounding hundreds more. UN Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi denounced the latest terrorist attack as a war crime, but such labels do not get attached to allies of the United States. Obama is ignoring the countless similar attacks by Syria's terrorist rebels, ensuring that such attacks will increase. In fact, US officials blocked a Russian sponsored resolution at the United Nations Security Council, condemning the recent terror bombings. Actions like these both minimize and encourage indiscriminate terrorist bombings. US Secretary of State John Kerry's most recent announcement of US aid to Syrian rebels, made sure to mention that the aid will not go to "terrorists", an absurd statement, considering that the terrorists in Syria are the ones in power on the ground for the opposition. Of course, most of the crucial aid will be funneled to them, no matter who initially receives it.

Rand Clifford: "Look Mummy. There's an Airplane in the Sky."

A child voices this opening line of Goodbye Blue Sky, a song from the eleventh studio album by the English progressive rock group Pink Floyd, released as a double album on November 30, 1979. The album is called, The Wall. Thirty four years later, perhaps Pink Floyd's creative genius, Roger Waters, might write something more along the lines of: "Look, Mummy. Chem trails up in the sky." Stratospheric Aerosol Geo engineering. "Sag" for short. Edward Teller is sometimes called "The father of the hydrogen bomb". Another of Teller's children was born via his: "While scientists continue research into any global climatic effects of greenhouse gases, we ought to study ways to offset any possible ill effects. Injecting sunlight scattering particles into the stratosphere appears to be a promising approach. Why not do that?" Thanks again, Dr Teller, for fathering another satanic child, the spraying of metallic aerosols to deflect sunlight and cool the Earth. Though Teller was unable to secure funding for his research, sunlight scattering particles are being sprayed into the stratosphere right now, have been for years. Insidious consequences are pining up like snow on the slopes of Mt Shasta, alarming people, especially in NATO countries around the world. Meanwhile, apathy, ignorance and distraction of American masses help to keep this taxpayer funded covert government operation as a Conspiracy Theory! The original patent for, "The Stratospheric Welsbach Seeding For Reduction of Global Warming" was issued to Hughes Aircraft in 1991, US patent #5,003,186. It involves spraying into the upper atmosphere a "very fine , white talcum like aerosol of aluminum oxide and other oxides" to reduce global warming. A best friend of SAG is something common under the right conditions: Contrails. Hot jet exhaust can produce contrails, streaks of condensed water vapor that readily dissipate. But for people occupied beyond paying attention to happenings above their heads, chem trails, contrails, what's the difference? Apparently it doesn't matter how many pictures, videos, testimonials of people involved, and evidence from the stratosphere to the ground, verify that SAG is already an enormous operation, many people don't want to believe their government could be such an enemy of the common good. Another line from The Wall: "Mother should I trust the government?"      

Olivia Nuzzi: Let's Use Boy Scouts to Secure the US Mexico Border!

The following is a satirical piece. There's been a great deal of talk about the Boy Scouts lately, due to a leak late last month, which uncovered plans for the organization to review its "no gays allowed" policy. I'm still not clear, as to what the Boy Scouts do exactly. I know it has something to do with "character building" and tree forts, and selling Christmas wreaths, but none of that seems particularly useful to me. What are the Boy Scouts doing for America? On Super Bowl Sunday, President Obama called on the Scouts to lift their ban on gay members. Still, they have decided to delay their final decision until May. Because April showers bring gay flowers, or whatever. "Not so fast, Obama" have said Right Wingers. More than 40 conservative organizations ran an ad in USA Today, pressuring the Boy Scouts to "stay true to their timeless values, and not surrender to financial or political pressures by corporate elites on the issue of homosexuality." "That's some pretty heavy stuff," sighed 9 year old Tommy, who said he was just in it to learn how to build a pinewood derby car." So what are the Boy Scouts doing for America? Assuming the answer to that is nothing, it must be asked: If the Boy Scouts don't actually do anything, why don't we use them to secure the border? I mean physically use their bodies as a human fence. "The Boy Scout Fence," if you will. I know, I know, that's crazy! But is it really? Think about it. The Boy Scouts of America love America. The word America is right in there in their official name. As of February 8th, the Boy Scouts of America have been loving America for 103 years. According to conservative logic, to love America is to loathe illegal immigrants, who march into town, looking to steal the jobs nobody else wants to do. So why not really stick it to Obama, by not supporting the Boy Scouts in their doubling down on "timeless values," bit by doing what he won't do by securing the border with "The Boy Scout Fence"? I say we line them up, and let them get the job done, armed with their Swiss Army knives and can do spirit. There are 2.7 million members, and 1 million adult volunteers in the Boy Scouts, and with the US Mexican border at an estimated 1,933 miles long, that means we could have 1,914 Boy Scouts per mile, with each Boy Scout or adult volunteer protecting his own 2.75 foot space! 

Marjorie Cohn: The Uncommon Courage of Bradley Manning!

Bradley Manning has pleaded guilty to 10 charges, including possessing and willfully communicating to an unauthorized person, all the main elements of the Wiki Leaks disclosure. The charges carry a total of 20 years in prison. For the first time, Bradley spoke publicly about what he did, and why. His actions, now confirmed by his own words, reveal Bradley to be a very brave young man. When he was 22 years old, Bradley spoke publicly about what he did, and why. His actions, now confirmed by his own words, reveal Bradley to be a very brave young man. When he was 22 years old, Pfc Bradley Manning gave classified documents to Wiki Leaks. They included the Collateral Murder video, which depicts US forces in an Apache helicopter, killing 12 unarmed civilians, including two Reuters journalists, and wounding two children. I believed if the public, particularly the American public, could see this, it could spark a debate on the military, and our foreign policy in general, as it applied to Iraq and Afghanistan, Bradley told the military tribunal during his guilty plea proceeding. It might cause society to reconsider the need to engage in counter terrorism, while ignoring the human situation of the people we engaged with every day. Bradley said he was frustrated by his inability to convince his chain of command, to investigate the Collateral Murder video, and other war porn documented in the files he provided to Wiki Leaks. I was disturbed by the response to injured children. Bradley was bothered by the soldiers depicted in the video, who seemed to not value human life, by referring to their targets as dead bastards. People trying to rescue the wounded, were also fired upon and killed. A US tank drove over one body, cutting the man in half. The actions of American soldiers shown in that video, amount to war crimes under the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit targeting civilians, preventing the rescue of the wounded, and defacing dead bodies. No one at Wiki Leaks asked, or encouraged Bradley to give him the documents, Bradley said. No one associated with the WLO Wiki Leaks Organization, pressured me to give them the documents, Bradley said. No one associated with the WLO, Wiki Leaks Organization, pressured me to give them the documents, Bradley said. No one associated with the WLO, Wiki Leaks Organization pressured me to give them more information. The decision to give documents to Wiki Leaks was mine alone.  

Ben Schreiner: Washington's Strategic Policy Shift on Syria!

Edging closer to direct military intervention? Though President Obama last year rejected a proposal from the State Department, Pentagon, and CIA to directly arm Syrian rebel fighters, his administration is once again edging closer to directly intervening in the Syrian war. As the Washington Post reported Tuesday, the Obama administration is moving toward a major policy shift on Syria, that could provide the rebels with equipment, such as body armor, armored vehicles, and possibly military training, and could send humanitarian assistance directly to Syria's opposition political coalition. White House spokesperson Jay Carney confirmed the Post's reporting Wednesday, stating that the US is constantly reviewing the nature of the assistance we provide to both the Syrian people, in the form of humanitarian assistance, and to the Syrian opposition, in the form of non lethal assistance. The exact nature of the additional US assistance is expected to be announced Thursday, at a meeting of the Friends of Syria in Rome. The US has previously sent communications equipment, and night vision goggles to rebels fighting in Syria. Perhaps the unlikely driver of the reported shift in US policy on Syria has been none other than new Secretary of State John Kerry, the very man who might continue to insist on being mislabeled as a dove. Speaking as early as February 13, Secretary of State Kerry proclaimed that there were additional things that can be done to force Syrian President Bashar al Assad aside, and on Monday, Kerry again went to reiterate that the West was determined to change the calculation on the ground for President Assad. We are examining and developing ways to accelerate the political transition, that the Syrian people want and deserve, Kerry commented further. Although a policy change for the Obama administration, advocating for a more direct role for the US in Syria has long been Kerry's position. As Kerry commented in May of 2012, the concept of a safe zone is a reality, and worth the discussion. The concept of working with the Turks and the Jordanians, if everyone is on the same page, there could be some military training of the opposition forces. If we can enhance the unity of the opposition, we could consider lethal aid, and those kinds of things. In the same interview, Kerry went on to voice support, under the right conditions for US or NATO led airstrikes on the Syrian military.     

Lynn Stuart Parramore: Private Jet as Security Write Off?

Ten Most Insane Tax Loopholes. With the national tax filing deadline fast approaching, Americans are once again plopping down with pen, paper, and potentially Turbo-tax, to determine just how much they owe their state and federal governments, but while the popular refrain posits that nothing in life is certain but death and taxes, for many corporations and wealthy individuals, having to pay a tax bill, is anything but a certainty. Due to the proliferation of loopholes, deductions, credits, and the growing use of offshore tax evasions, many rich Americans and corporations, are able to dodge the bulk of, if not all, their taxes. Between 2008 and 2011, 26 major American corporations paid nothing in federal corporate income tax, despite making $205 billion in pretax profits. In 2011, the last year in which data is available, corporations paid just a 12.1 percent effective tax rate, the lowest in four decades. Many wealthy individuals, meanwhile, are able to drive their tax rates down, below the rate paid by middle class families. Some drive it all the way to zero. There are certainly large, systemic reasons for these disparities, but part of the problem is that the rich and the largest companies have access to a slew of tax breaks, from which the average household or small business derives very little benefit. Here are 10 of the most ridiculous: 1. CEO "private security." A "common corporate tax trick" according to the New York Times, is corporate boards paying for private jets, and other perks for their CEOs under the guise of security. As Steven Dadidoff reported, typically CEOs would have to pay taxes on these benefits, but if the benefit is classified as necessary for security purposes, the chief executive will pay a reduced tax bill, or sometimes no tax at all. 2. Florida cow scam: In Florida, wealthy developers, lawmakers, and even some corporations, game the tax code by placing cows on their land for a limited amount of time each year, thereby qualifying for agricultural tax breaks. Senator Ben Nelson, (D-FL) has benefited from this absurd loophole for years, as has Disney World. But Florida isn't the only offender. From rock stars in New Jersey, to movie stars in Colorado, tax breaks meant for farmers get gamed by the most privileged, using everything from sheep to beehives.
3. Facebook stock options: The social media giant Facebook made more than $1 billion in profits last year, but paid no corporate tax, thanks to a huge write off, after its initial public offering. In fact, the company received a refund of $451 million.   

Dr. Franklin Lamb: The Oft-Predicted Fickle Surian Tipping f

Point Has Tipped. Can Washington and her Allies Stop Syria's Reconciliation Efforts? The Oft Predicted Fickle Syrian Tipping Point Has Tipped. Damascus, This observer lost count more than a year ago, of the sheer number of predictions by analysts and lobbyists, that the tipping point, signaling the Assad government's collapse was a sure thing, and would happen any time now. "It's just a matter of days, not weeks" President Obama declared back in 2011. Based on personal observations and interviews, with a fair number of informed people, who actually live in Syria, as opposed to the Zionist think tank armchair "expert" variety, this observer concedes that prognosticators are finally right. In point of fact, I have concluded over the past few months, that the long elusive "tipping point" in Syria has indeed reached, and the momentum has shifted decisively in this embattled nation. But not the tipping point that the rebel promoters were hoping for, including the NATO countries. Rather, the momentum here has tipped in favor of the current regime, due to its capacity to maintain a slowly rising level of popular support, and good relations with key foreign supporters, during the current run up to next year's Presidential election. Then, it will be up to the Syrian voters to decide who stays, goes, and or joins in their next government. I base my tentative conclusions, on among others, based on the following factors. The Syrian population here is so tired, so exhausted and beaten down, the killing has gone on for so long, and the Syrian people, like the Iranians and others I have observed, appear to exhibit a distinctly noticeable, profound and almost moral and religious bond with their countrymen, and they personally feel acutely their country's suffering. Such people on the streets are very shocked and incredulous at what is going on, and many, in fact feel less strongly about either side in the conflict, and just want the slaughter to end, and for life to return to normal, even without deep revolutionary across the board changes for now. Two days ago, mortars hit the campus of Damascus University. By the grace of God, there were no casualties this time, but students report that on average about six mortars or explosive devices hit Damascus every week.