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It's In the Cards
Author: BobR    Date: 06/15/2012 13:18:50

Looking back over the last 10+ years, it's easy to see Sept. 11, 2001 as a turning point in America's history in so many ways. The phrase popularized during the Bush Administration that "9/11 changed everything" as an excuse for fascist-style excess was aggravating as we watched jingoism replace thought, and terrorism become the focus of any and all political discussion. We make jokes about the phrase, but it has actually proven to be quite true.

A lot has faded since then, such as "Freedom Fries" and people pouring out French wine, the rash of "patriotic" claptrap such as yellow ribbon magnets "We Stand United" decals (and why was it changed from "United We Stand"? I blame Yoda), as well as the accusatory "I support the troops - do YOU support the troops??" Someday, there will be a museum exhibit at the Smithsonian, with a sober analysis of how America essentially lost its mind.

One of those Bush-era artifacts was the "Most Wanted" deck of playing cards, adorned with the pictures of various "terrorists". Remember those? They were actually produced by the military for the soldiers as a device to help imprint the images of the faces of these people on the memories of the soldiers, in case they happened to see them while in the field. Saddam Hussein was the ace of spades:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Saddam-AceOfSpades.jpg


War-profiteers Entreprenuers jumped on the bandwagon and started selling these to the general public (along with the other "I Are A Patriotic Amerrkan" crap). "Dead or Alive" was the mantra - and dead was the preference.

These people were essentially on a target list, a list of people to be captured or killed. It seemed unseemly, perhaps a bit tacky (and a lot chest-thumpy) to produce this kill list on a deck of cards, but was there outrage? Were there grave intonations by pundits about the morality of our country having a kill list? Not that I remember.

Fast-forward to present time, and the revelation that the US still has a kill list, but this time President Obama is keeping himself informed and getting involved. Suddenly, it's an outrage.

I can understand the anger of those on the left who have always been against war, covert ops, or any "government-sanctioned" intentional death. These are people that were equally outraged that we invaded Iraq, that we met 9/11 with a full-on war (still ongoing) in another country.

What's disgusting is those that went along with the deck of cards, but think this is a step too far, or worse - the right-wingers painting this as government overreach in a veiled attempt to weaken support for the president. It plays into the hands of libertarians and those that see "Obamacare" and this as symptoms of a president drunk on power.

The reality is that the government has always had a target list. It's generally kept hush-hush, and the spooks that work in shadows take care of these people without our knowledge. Generally, I suppose that is best.

One of the big suspicions we always had about Bush was that he was not really involved, and that Cheney pulled the strings. How much was he involved in terrorism operations? I suspect he got high level summaries, written to elicit a particular response, and he generally delivered the expected response.

President Obama, on the other hand, is intimately involved in all aspects of what the Executive branch (and all it controls) is doing, particularly when it comes to foriegn policy, and especially with the Mideast and terrorism. I personally think it's a good thing that he is concerned enough to find out who is on the list, and why, and what the best approach is for dealing with these people in a way that minimizes or eliminates "collateral damage". To me, that shows a person who understands the balance between protecting the country, and protecting the innocent in the process.

It's nice to believe that violence is never the answer, but sadly it is when dealing with murderous insanity. A good cop will kill an armed perp if necessary, and will try to avoid killing bystanders in the process. As it relates to international terrorism, President Obama is that cop.

And living in a world where 9/11 changed everything - that's the best I could hope for.
 

42 comments (Latest Comment: 06/16/2012 01:20:20 by TriSec)
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Comment by wickedpam on 06/15/2012 13:35:33
Morning

okay so if I did own a gun, I would be shooting my neighbors tv through the wall - ugh I hate that low droning sound the I'm forced to put up with daily

Comment by Raine on 06/15/2012 13:47:27
Good Morning

Really thought provoking, Bobber. I;m glad that you wrote this. With all the outrage on the right and the focus of this on the media, it is easy to forget that that infamous deck of cards WAS given to our troops in Irag.

If that was a *wink-wink nod* hit list, I don't know what was. That THE list of cards was made public then and profits made was really bad, imo. I know, I actually own one of those deck of cards.



I've read reports that the President consults with the CIA on this list. There was this article from the NYT on May 29:
It was not a theoretical question: Mr. Obama has placed himself at the helm of a top secret “nominations” process to designate terrorists for kill or capture, of which the capture part has become largely theoretical. He had vowed to align the fight against Al Qaeda with American values; the chart, introducing people whose deaths he might soon be asked to order, underscored just what a moral and legal conundrum this could be.

Mr. Obama is the liberal law professor who campaigned against the Iraq war and torture, and then insisted on approving every new name on an expanding “kill list,” poring over terrorist suspects’ biographies on what one official calls the macabre “baseball cards” of an unconventional war. When a rare opportunity for a drone strike at a top terrorist arises — but his family is with him — it is the president who has reserved to himself the final moral calculation.

“He is determined that he will make these decisions about how far and wide these operations will go,” said Thomas E. Donilon, his national security adviser. “His view is that he’s responsible for the position of the United States in the world.” He added, “He’s determined to keep the tether pretty short.”


I want to know who leaked this information myself, because I think THAT is the real problem here. Someone needs to look at congress. This is far more a political issue designed to create outrage than a policy issue, I believe.


Comment by Scoopster on 06/15/2012 13:54:35
Mornin' all & Happy Fridee

Last night on NBC News they had this segment on the proliferation of bank fees. Included in it was a literally 5-second long un-refuted sound clip of this guy, appropriately named Dick Hunt, saying that the increase in number and amount of bank fees was a result of overregulation.

ABSOULTE BULLSHIT - Regulations on the banking and financial industries are currently at an EXTREMELY low level. Dodd-Frank put some safeguards back into place after the 2008 economic collapse and allowed for the promise of other increases in oversight (depending on the federal budget and other further acts of Congress that are being stonewalled by the GOP). Even then, regulation is at its LOWEST LEVEL since Glass-Stegall was repealed in 1998.

And those fees? I don't EVER remember ridiculous fees for BASIC JOB DUTIES such as counting coins, or services such as using a human teller, receiving a printed & mailed bank statement, and so on. And this goes way back to the 80s, before the S&L scandal when regulations were still fairly tight.

The simple truth is that these fees are a result of CORPORATE GREED AND SEVERE UNDER-REGULATION. They are ripping off their customers BECAUSE THEY CAN, and they will continue to do it UNTIL THE LAW SAYS THEY CAN'T.

Comment by Raine on 06/15/2012 14:01:28
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all & Happy Fridee

Last night on NBC News they had this segment on the proliferation of bank fees. Included in it was a literally 5-second long un-refuted sound clip of this guy, appropriately named Dick Hunt, saying that the increase in number and amount of bank fees was a result of overregulation.

ABSOULTE BULLSHIT - Regulations on the banking and financial industries are currently at an EXTREMELY low level. Dodd-Frank put some safeguards back into place after the 2008 economic collapse and allowed for the promise of other increases in oversight (depending on the federal budget and other further acts of Congress that are being stonewalled by the GOP). Even then, regulation is at its LOWEST LEVEL since Glass-Stegall was repealed in 1998.

And those fees? I don't EVER remember ridiculous fees for BASIC JOB DUTIES such as counting coins, or services such as using a human teller, receiving a printed & mailed bank statement, and so on. And this goes way back to the 80s, before the S&L scandal when regulations were still fairly tight.

The simple truth is that these fees are a result of CORPORATE GREED AND SEVERE UNDER-REGULATION. They are ripping off their customers BECAUSE THEY CAN, and they will continue to do it UNTIL THE LAW SAYS THEY CAN'T.


Last night on the way home, we were listening to the radio, and they were interviewing a fellow about all the crazy fees. EMPTY ENVELOPE FEES?) The interviewer said to the guy (it may have been the same fellow)

Why do you need a 80 pages of disclosures? to which he replied, We HATE it. Hate it. But we can't help it, it's because of all the regulations that have been placed on us. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor of the truck.

WTF?




Comment by Mondobubba on 06/15/2012 14:17:56
Quote by wickedpam:
Morning

okay so if I did own a gun, I would be shooting my neighbors tv through the wall - ugh I hate that low droning sound the I'm forced to put up with daily



Since you share a wall, fire bombing isn't a good solution.

Comment by Mondobubba on 06/15/2012 14:22:06
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all & Happy Fridee

Last night on NBC News they had this segment on the proliferation of bank fees. Included in it was a literally 5-second long un-refuted sound clip of this guy, appropriately named Dick Hunt, saying that the increase in number and amount of bank fees was a result of overregulation.

ABSOULTE BULLSHIT - Regulations on the banking and financial industries are currently at an EXTREMELY low level. Dodd-Frank put some safeguards back into place after the 2008 economic collapse and allowed for the promise of other increases in oversight (depending on the federal budget and other further acts of Congress that are being stonewalled by the GOP). Even then, regulation is at its LOWEST LEVEL since Glass-Stegall was repealed in 1998.

And those fees? I don't EVER remember ridiculous fees for BASIC JOB DUTIES such as counting coins, or services such as using a human teller, receiving a printed & mailed bank statement, and so on. And this goes way back to the 80s, before the S&L scandal when regulations were still fairly tight.

The simple truth is that these fees are a result of CORPORATE GREED AND SEVERE UNDER-REGULATION. They are ripping off their customers BECAUSE THEY CAN, and they will continue to do it UNTIL THE LAW SAYS THEY CAN'T.


I've been saying this for years please stop blaiming your excess with hookers and parties on regulation. You charge fees because you can. Because they are almost 100% profit and your industry is addicted to easy money. Stop lying.

Comment by Mondobubba on 06/15/2012 14:26:54
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all & Happy Fridee

Last night on NBC News they had this segment on the proliferation of bank fees. Included in it was a literally 5-second long un-refuted sound clip of this guy, appropriately named Dick Hunt, saying that the increase in number and amount of bank fees was a result of overregulation.

ABSOULTE BULLSHIT - Regulations on the banking and financial industries are currently at an EXTREMELY low level. Dodd-Frank put some safeguards back into place after the 2008 economic collapse and allowed for the promise of other increases in oversight (depending on the federal budget and other further acts of Congress that are being stonewalled by the GOP). Even then, regulation is at its LOWEST LEVEL since Glass-Stegall was repealed in 1998.

And those fees? I don't EVER remember ridiculous fees for BASIC JOB DUTIES such as counting coins, or services such as using a human teller, receiving a printed & mailed bank statement, and so on. And this goes way back to the 80s, before the S&L scandal when regulations were still fairly tight.

The simple truth is that these fees are a result of CORPORATE GREED AND SEVERE UNDER-REGULATION. They are ripping off their customers BECAUSE THEY CAN, and they will continue to do it UNTIL THE LAW SAYS THEY CAN'T.


Last night on the way home, we were listening to the radio, and they were interviewing a fellow about all the crazy fees. EMPTY ENVELOPE FEES?) The interviewer said to the guy (it may have been the same fellow)

Why do you need a 80 pages of disclosures? to which he replied, We HATE it. Hate it. But we can't help it, it's because of all the regulations that have been placed on us. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor of the truck.

WTF?





Back in the 80s when I was a wee Mondo steping my toe in to pool of financial services and credit for the first time, the disclosures that came with the credit card were really short, maybe five or so pages. This was in a era of tighter banking regulation. So what the banking mouthpiece is saying is as Scoop put it, is total bullshit.

Comment by Scoopster on 06/15/2012 14:52:17
We should make our own most wanted deck of playing cards.. and use corporate asshats like this Dick Hunt guy and Jamie Dimon as the faces on them.

Comment by Mondobubba on 06/15/2012 15:13:32
Quote by Scoopster:
We should make our own most wanted deck of playing cards.. and use corporate asshats like this Dick Hunt guy and Jamie Dimon as the faces on them.



there are so many asshats! Who would go on the ace of spades? I'm thinking Jamie Dimon. Why does he still have a job?

Comment by BobR on 06/15/2012 15:20:46
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Scoopster:
We should make our own most wanted deck of playing cards.. and use corporate asshats like this Dick Hunt guy and Jamie Dimon as the faces on them.


there are so many asshats! Who would go on the ace of spades? I'm thinking Jamie Dimon. Why does he still have a job?

Donald Trump could be the joker

Comment by Will in Chicago on 06/15/2012 15:26:14
Good morning, bloggers!! I hope that everyone is doing well today.

Here, I am busy with some housework and job hunting. I am hoping to get some freelance work and crossing my fingers on a few places that I applied to in the Bay State. (I do have one encouraging e-mail that my material is under review.)

By the way, it is Kenny Pick's birthday! So, be sure to send him a greeting.



Comment by Mondobubba on 06/15/2012 15:36:23
Quote by BobR:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Scoopster:
We should make our own most wanted deck of playing cards.. and use corporate asshats like this Dick Hunt guy and Jamie Dimon as the faces on them.


there are so many asshats! Who would go on the ace of spades? I'm thinking Jamie Dimon. Why does he still have a job?

Donald Trump could be the joker



PERFECT

Comment by wickedpam on 06/15/2012 15:51:36
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
Morning

okay so if I did own a gun, I would be shooting my neighbors tv through the wall - ugh I hate that low droning sound the I'm forced to put up with daily



Since you share a wall, fire bombing isn't a good solution.


No, no it isn't. Had to go over there. Think the teen is home on her own, she wouldn't answer the door so I had to say something just standing on the stoop. Thankfully she heard me and turned it down. It was starting to drowned out my own tv, which we don't keep very loud


Comment by Will in Chicago on 06/15/2012 15:57:15
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by BobR:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Scoopster:
We should make our own most wanted deck of playing cards.. and use corporate asshats like this Dick Hunt guy and Jamie Dimon as the faces on them.


there are so many asshats! Who would go on the ace of spades? I'm thinking Jamie Dimon. Why does he still have a job?

Donald Trump could be the joker



PERFECT



Well, here are some other candidates for some of those cards -- and a great flashback!

http://idisk.mac.com/mrboma/Public/bush-batman-villains.jpg


Comment by Mondobubba on 06/15/2012 16:30:24
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
Morning

okay so if I did own a gun, I would be shooting my neighbors tv through the wall - ugh I hate that low droning sound the I'm forced to put up with daily


There is the retaliation option. This does require a home theater system with a subwoofer. Turns the volume of the subwoofer to 11 and put on a movie that has lots of sploshuns! Just sayin....
Since you share a wall, fire bombing isn't a good solution.


No, no it isn't. Had to go over there. Think the teen is home on her own, she wouldn't answer the door so I had to say something just standing on the stoop. Thankfully she heard me and turned it down. It was starting to drowned out my own tv, which we don't keep very loud



Comment by wickedpam on 06/15/2012 16:36:58
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
Morning

okay so if I did own a gun, I would be shooting my neighbors tv through the wall - ugh I hate that low droning sound the I'm forced to put up with daily


There is the retaliation option. This does require a home theater system with a subwoofer. Turns the volume of the subwoofer to 11 and put on a movie that has lots of sploshuns! Just sayin....
Since you share a wall, fire bombing isn't a good solution.


No, no it isn't. Had to go over there. Think the teen is home on her own, she wouldn't answer the door so I had to say something just standing on the stoop. Thankfully she heard me and turned it down. It was starting to drowned out my own tv, which we don't keep very loud




lol - I think its cheaper just to ask the teen to turn it down. She's a good kid, if not a little snotty at times (but that's pretty normal for a teen girl) no need to re-arrange my living room to blast them out

Comment by livingonli on 06/15/2012 16:40:01
Good day, folks. I think I would like one of those banker card sets. I have to hope I have them in storage but I had several Eclipse Comics trading card sets that were done on Iran-Contra, Poppy Bush's administration, the S&L scandal, and a few other gems which were quite informative.

Comment by Mondobubba on 06/15/2012 17:49:40
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
Morning

okay so if I did own a gun, I would be shooting my neighbors tv through the wall - ugh I hate that low droning sound the I'm forced to put up with daily


There is the retaliation option. This does require a home theater system with a subwoofer. Turns the volume of the subwoofer to 11 and put on a movie that has lots of sploshuns! Just sayin....
Since you share a wall, fire bombing isn't a good solution.


No, no it isn't. Had to go over there. Think the teen is home on her own, she wouldn't answer the door so I had to say something just standing on the stoop. Thankfully she heard me and turned it down. It was starting to drowned out my own tv, which we don't keep very loud




lol - I think its cheaper just to ask the teen to turn it down. She's a good kid, if not a little snotty at times (but that's pretty normal for a teen girl) no need to re-arrange my living room to blast them out



I didn't say revenge was easy, did I?

Comment by livingonli on 06/15/2012 18:09:19
Lizz is on with Pap on the Ed Show right now plugging the new book.

Comment by wickedpam on 06/15/2012 18:13:59
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
Morning

okay so if I did own a gun, I would be shooting my neighbors tv through the wall - ugh I hate that low droning sound the I'm forced to put up with daily


There is the retaliation option. This does require a home theater system with a subwoofer. Turns the volume of the subwoofer to 11 and put on a movie that has lots of sploshuns! Just sayin....
Since you share a wall, fire bombing isn't a good solution.


No, no it isn't. Had to go over there. Think the teen is home on her own, she wouldn't answer the door so I had to say something just standing on the stoop. Thankfully she heard me and turned it down. It was starting to drowned out my own tv, which we don't keep very loud




lol - I think its cheaper just to ask the teen to turn it down. She's a good kid, if not a little snotty at times (but that's pretty normal for a teen girl) no need to re-arrange my living room to blast them out



I didn't say revenge was easy, did I?


or cheap

though it is a dish best served cold

Comment by Raine on 06/15/2012 18:23:26
So The Daily Caller has reporters that like to yell at POTUS HUH?

Neil Munro -- that is the dudes name...

Comment by wickedpam on 06/15/2012 18:25:48
Quote by Raine:
So The Daily Caller has reporters that like to yell at POTUS HUH?

Neil Munro -- that is the dudes name...





??

Comment by Raine on 06/15/2012 18:26:10
If anyone can get me video of the POTUS presser, PLEASE link it here ASAP

Comment by Mondobubba on 06/15/2012 18:27:06
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
Morning

okay so if I did own a gun, I would be shooting my neighbors tv through the wall - ugh I hate that low droning sound the I'm forced to put up with daily


There is the retaliation option. This does require a home theater system with a subwoofer. Turns the volume of the subwoofer to 11 and put on a movie that has lots of sploshuns! Just sayin....
Since you share a wall, fire bombing isn't a good solution.


No, no it isn't. Had to go over there. Think the teen is home on her own, she wouldn't answer the door so I had to say something just standing on the stoop. Thankfully she heard me and turned it down. It was starting to drowned out my own tv, which we don't keep very loud




lol - I think its cheaper just to ask the teen to turn it down. She's a good kid, if not a little snotty at times (but that's pretty normal for a teen girl) no need to re-arrange my living room to blast them out



I didn't say revenge was easy, did I?


or cheap

though it is a dish best served cold



Oh it never is. Yes it is, like good fried chicken it does taste best cold.

Comment by Raine on 06/15/2012 18:29:27
HERE IT IS! here it is.

Comment by Raine on 06/15/2012 18:30:00
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Raine:
So The Daily Caller has reporters that like to yell at POTUS HUH?

Neil Munro -- that is the dudes name...





??
I just heard it on MSNBC we all jumped up because POTUS kinda lost it. It was AWESOME.


Comment by wickedpam on 06/15/2012 18:32:31
Quote by Raine:
HERE IT IS! here it is.



I bet his mother is so proud

Comment by Raine on 06/15/2012 18:32:46
AND from what I am now2 understanding -- I don;t think it even a presser. I think it was a statement


Comment by Scoopster on 06/15/2012 18:47:31
damnit Mondo now I wants some fried chicken!


Comment by Mondobubba on 06/15/2012 18:50:45
Quote by Scoopster:
damnit Mondo now I wants some fried chicken!



Sorry man.

Comment by Scoopster on 06/15/2012 18:55:54
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Scoopster:
damnit Mondo now I wants some fried chicken!

Sorry man.

S'alrite.. I'm headed in the general direction of Popeye's later today

Comment by Scoopster on 06/15/2012 18:56:31
Hey Tri (wherever you are)!! You headed down to the Air Show at Quonset this weekend?

Comment by livingonli on 06/15/2012 19:00:32
So now, Tucker Carlson has resorted to sending children to go interrupt the President and you can just imagine how rightie media would react if someone did something like this to W when he was President.

Comment by Mondobubba on 06/15/2012 19:06:08
Quote by Scoopster:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Scoopster:
damnit Mondo now I wants some fried chicken!

Sorry man.

S'alrite.. I'm headed in the general direction of Popeye's later today



LOL!

Comment by Mondobubba on 06/15/2012 19:30:42


What Mondo is listening to. Awful people doing horrible things. Sorta like the current Republican party

Comment by Mondobubba on 06/15/2012 19:31:45
Quote by Scoopster:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Scoopster:
damnit Mondo now I wants some fried chicken!

Sorry man.

S'alrite.. I'm headed in the general direction of Popeye's later today



I might go by my local Publix grocery store.

Comment by Mondobubba on 06/15/2012 19:37:52
Quote by Raine:
AND from what I am now2 understanding -- I don;t think it even a presser. I think it was a statement



Here is perfect example full of black rage POTUS really is! But I bet it becomes a real RWNJ talking point.

Comment by BobR on 06/15/2012 19:48:03
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:
AND from what I am now2 understanding -- I don;t think it even a presser. I think it was a statement


Here is perfect example full of black rage POTUS really is! But I bet it becomes a real RWNJ talking point.

It will be about the president being disrespectful of the press...

Comment by livingonli on 06/15/2012 19:59:37
Quote by BobR:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:
AND from what I am now2 understanding -- I don;t think it even a presser. I think it was a statement


Here is perfect example full of black rage POTUS really is! But I bet it becomes a real RWNJ talking point.

It will be about the president being disrespectful of the press...

But if it was a Republican President, you're supposed to STFU and worship him like a God.

Comment by Mondobubba on 06/15/2012 21:19:29
Frat Boy Conservatism Joan Walsh weighs in on the heckler.

Comment by TriSec on 06/16/2012 01:20:20
Quote by Scoopster:
Hey Tri (wherever you are)!! You headed down to the Air Show at Quonset this weekend?


Hell YA! Sunday for the T-birds!