No One Is Safe

(Image by Jerry Holbert)

Despite the conservative-led media coverage, the IRS has still managed to get away with targeting, or aid in targeting non-leftist citizens.  Even a $100 donation to causes opposed to leftist dogma is enough to damn you.

For those the left doesn't threaten, they take for fools...

(Image by Michael Ramirez)

Opening Shot of the Great War Centennial

I meant to post this on Saturday, 28 June, but I wasn't feeling well, so I ended up staying off line.  Three days ago marked the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie. 

Many people think that something as far back as a century ago has no impact on our lives today.  When in fact, the spark that ignited The Great War, is the shot heard down the years. 

Fourteen years ago, while I was on active duty, I was stationed in Sarajevo for three months.  While there, I managed to at least drive by the Latin Bridge.  Unfortunately, due to our hectic work schedule and restrictions on movement, I never managed to do a proper historic site walkabout. 

So I'm afraid you'll have to do with this stock photo:

No Cupcakes for You!

(Image by IJReview)

All is not quiet on the Pacific Northwest Front of the Cupcake Wars.

The Food Nazis of the  Edmonds School District have declared cupcakes contraband. 

I don't mind so much the impending eviction of the vending machines sat school; and yeah-yeah, I'm all for instilling a healthy lifestyle on our nation's younlings.

But c'mon!

Is denying kids a chance to celebrate and have a little fun, even at the expense of adding a few more calories to the half-rations they're already on, really necessary?

(Image by Branco)

Especially since research has shown that imposing a "Snack Tax" has had little, or no effect at influencing dietary choices.

Not only is such out-of-control Nanny Statism depriving kids of occasional enjoyment while in school, it's also threatening to extinguish any sense of entrepreneurship, like it nearly did for this 11-year old girl.

(Image by Robert Ariail)

Mark Steyn often says that a society that loses it's commons sense and sense of proportion is a society too stupid to survive.

With the world burning outside the Ramparts of Civilization, we can't afford to be this stupid.

Illegals Storming the US Ramparts

(Image by Robert Ariail)

The Ramparts of Civilization have been under assault for some weeks now, by the unlikeliest illegal alien stormtroopers:  Children.

I've been reading about this story for some time now, but I didn't want to post some knee-jerk rant.

Of all the material I've read so far, Judicial Watch's post last week was on the topic of how Obama caused the border crisis. 

One commentator is willing to give Team Obama some credit and chalk it up to confusion, or ineptitude; while calling on Republicans to defund any amnesty-type programs.

What plan there is, so far has simply involved dispersing the kids throughout the country.  But once again Team Obama showed its contempt for the masses they lord over (see yesterday's post).  One team was dispatched to lecture the local yokels about Our Dear Leader's enlightened immigration policy.  Instead they found the natives were restless over the plan for dumping illegal kids in their community.

While reading the final post from The Diplomad, about a visa scandal that occurred while he was stationed in Sri Lanka, one follower posted some disturbing questions.  Four questions actually (scroll down to comment #3).

Former Border Patrol agents think this is an orchestrated crisis.

I'm inclined to agree. 

And as with the previous/ongoing crises, here and abroad, along with the "parade of phony scandals," the situation has reached such critical mass that the amateurs at the White House lose control of it. 

Contempt of the Ruling Class

(Image by Chip Bok)

Our political ruling class truly holds the rest of us in contempt.  For years now, the minions of Team Obama have been riding roughshod over anyone not part of their 1% coterie.

First there's the VA Scandal, where any vet that complained was branded "disruptive" by a Death Panel, while bonuses, regardless of job performance, were handed all-round.

(Image by Michael Ramirez's Memorial Day cartoon)

Hillary is still trying to convince everyone outside The Beltway that her and Bill aren't that well off.  Since Hillary supported Bill during his shenanigans while residing on Pennsylvania Avenue (not to mention the Arkansas Governor's Mansion), Bill is now returning the favor to re-assure us that our Heiress Apparent isn't "out of touch" and, no really, we were really dead broke.

(Image by Nate Beeler)

The arrogance displayed by Lerner and her successor Koskinen, has helped drive the IRS to new lows of unpopularity:  76% say they deliberately destroyed the e-mails.

(Image by Lisa Benson)

But no matter what the voting public has to say, the New York Times Branch of the Ministry of Truth thinks traffic snafus in the Tri-State Area is more important (old) news than a government agency targeting Americans and shredding the evidence.  "Move along folks nothing to see here at the IRS..."

And finally, in this round-up of ruling-class contempt, we have the State Department Mouthpiecette, Marie Harf, refusing to demean herself by by apologizing to Bergdahl's platoon for calling them psychopaths. 

But there may be some shred of "a new hope," as House Speaker Boehner plans on suing the WH for altering one deal too many...

(Image by Rick McKee)

Breaking News II: The IRS "Phony Scandal" Plot Thickens

Well it looks like Ms. Lerner wasn't just grinding her ax for chopping down Tea Party groups.  Back in the closing days of 2012, she asked the IRS to audit Senator Chuck Grassley, who happens to have an "(R)" at the end of his name. 

And it appears that the Harddrivecrashitis virus has spread to at least one other agency.  Now the EPA is reporting some of our e-mails are missing.

I wonder how many other agencies will "suddenly discover" missing e-mails and crashed hard drives?

Breaking News: Trumped-Up Charges Against Sudanese Christian

Well it looks like the Sudanese government found a way to keep Meriam Ibrahim from ever leaving Mordor Sudan.  She's now being accused of falsifying documents.

Now if she were an American-hating deserter from the US military, I'm sure Team Obama would bend over backwards to get her sprung.  Or at least Secretary of State, John Kerry would take a break from his Climate Change Tour and inquire about the welfare of a fellow Americans (Meriam's husband and children are citizens).

Meanwhile at least two other fellow citizens are languishing in foreign lockups:

Saeed Abedini and Sgt Andrew Tahmooressi (USMC).

Hillary's Accomplishment: Waging War on Women

(Image by Michael Ramirez)

A couple days ago I posted the story about Hillary defending a child rapist.  I concluded the post with a comment about the deafening silence from feminists.

I was wrong, for two reasons:

First, I usually don't go out of my way to listen to feminist PR statements.

Second and most significant of all; several women commentators did, in fact voice their opinions about this matter--defending Hillary.

Breaking News: Sudanese Christian Woman Re-Arrested...

...along with the rest of her family.

Last night, I wrote a Breaking News post about Meriam Ibrahim being set free from her Sudanese prison.

I actually had my doubts, but wanted to post some good news for a change.  So I didn't voice my concerns.

Well, when it comes to the contemporary Mordors that comprise much (all?) of the Islamic world, the idea of Meriam being released was too good to be true.

It's now reported that she, along with her family have been arrested attempting to leave Sudan.

I guess leaving an "Islamic paradise" like Sudan is also haram (forbidden). 

Obama May Not Be Interested in War...

(Image by Gary Varvel)

...but war has certainly been interested in Obama.  (Along with the rest of us infidels, apostates and Jews).

Such lack of interest by Our Dear Leader has, in part, helped give rise to the Muslim Murder Machine. 

Meanwhile, Mark Steyn reminisces and compares the Syrian-Iraq border, then & now.  But he also leaves us with this "smoking image" and dire warning:

Obama walked away, pulled out a cigarette, tossed the match over his shoulder and ignited a fuse that, from Damascus to Baghdad to Amman and beyond, will blow up the entire Middle East.

Breaking News: Woman Accused of Apostasy Freed

Despite the deluge of bad news swirling outside the Ramparts of Civilization, here's a fragment of good news:

The Christian woman accused of apostasy in Sudan has been freed from prison. 

Hillary For 2106: Rapists Rejoice?

(Image by Robert Ariail)

Last Monday, audio tapes discovered by the Washington Free Beacon, about Hillary recalling her defense of a child rapist. 

Since this political cluster bomb detonated, the victim stated that our potential heiress apparent took her through hell.

Meanwhile, the Hillary donator dean of the University of Arkansas has banned the offending periodical from the school's special collections archives. 

I wonder if feminist organizations, will be saying:  What difference at this point, does it make?

They probably won't.  But their current silence over this matter is deafening. 

(Insert sound of crickets chirping)

Hiker and Author Presumed Dead

While I was on duty at the WA State Alert & Warning Center, my partner and I spent a lot of our time coordinating assets for a search being conducted on Mount Rainier.

Unfortunately, the search was suspended when a woman's body was found, presumably that of Karen Sykes, hiker and local author.

During my time on duty, my partner and I helped coordinate the use of mountain rescue personnel, search dogs, a helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft from the WA State Patrol (WSP)--and a chaplain.

It's a sad fact of life here among the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, that search and rescues don't always have a happy ending.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Karen Sykes family and friends.

It's Official: E-mails Are Official

(Image by Michael Ramirez)

The haughty and unrepentant commissioner of the IRS, Grand Moff Koskinen, claimed before congress last week that e-mails aren't official records. 

Not to mention the Democrats on the panel making jackasses of themselves.

But--according to the IRS's own handbook e-mails are official records.

Nope, not a smidgen of corruption--or apparently competence--exists within the IRS.

(Image by Steve Kelley)

But whether through incompetence or corruption, the IRS mouthpieces and jackass allies will continue to insult our intelligence.

(Image by Glenn Foden)

Removing America from the World Stage

 

 

A few days ago, one of my friends sent us this interesting article, regarding the--as of now--hypothetical fall of Pax Americana.

We've had our own red team discussions about this numerous times in the past.  I think he sums up our collective worries very nicely with his introductory comment:

Nothing earth-shattering in this, but it does touch on my own fears.  Namely, the U.S. has shown itself currently unable to deal with serial and slow-boiling crises.  In the event of multiple, over-lapping crises we are likely to perform miserably - worse, we might do as the author says and seek some sort of accommodation, thereby effectively abrogating our leadership of the world system.  The U.S. is not doomed, but the international system we built and maintained certainly is.  The next few decades will be dark ones.

The upcoming decades may not be quite this dark...

(Iconic Image from Planet of the Apes)

 

 

...but dark enough.

 

 



One Benghazi Attacker Nabbed

(Image by Michael Ramirez)

Last weekend US Special Ops finally nabbed Ahmed Abu Khattala. 

"And there was much rejoicing."

Okay, I'm glad we caught somebody who honchoed the attack on our consulate in Benghazi.  But jeez!  There were scores of bad guys on-scene that we could have introduced to their 72 Virgins...

(Image from Military Uniform Supply)

Of course, the Libyan government is rather upset with us because we plucked their celebrity terrorist from their midst and want their boy Abu back. 

Not a chance guys.  They should be grateful we didn't hook Abu up...

(Image from American Digest)

Unbelievably Small Action, Part II

(Image by Lisa Benson)

Today, Obama announced he will send 300 military advisors to Iraq.

Of course, Our Dear Leader isn't to blame in any way shape, or form for the chaos in Iraq.

To be fair, he isn't.  Iraq's meltdown is due to a number of factors.  But Obama's foreign policy fumbling certainly hasn't helped stem the barbarian invasion.

(Image by Robert Ariail)

"VDH" often writes that when it comes to foreign policy, especially regarding the middle east, we're often left with two choices:  Bad and worse.

Since 2008, the world outside the Ramparts of Civilization is leaning heavily towards "worse."

(Image by Michael Ramirez)

Now Lerner's Hard Drive Was "Thrown Away"

(Image by Gary Varvel)

Remember the two-plus-years worth of e-mails the IRS claims were "lost," that I posted about four days ago?

Well, now the tale of woe is that the very same hard drive that selectively deleted certain e-mails has been "thrown away."

Like this maybe?

(Image by Chip Bok)

This "phony scandal" has stretched the suspension of disbelief far beyond the breaking point.   Or to put it another way, the current political ruling class is openly sneering at us.

Even under supposedly normal circumstances:  There's something wrong with an agency that only keeps electronic records for several months, yet expects every subject they lord over to keep their tax records from the very day one says "do you want fries with that?"

(Image by Nate Beeler)

In my "Lost E-Mails" post, I made a comment about a dog eating the e-mails.  And now here's Lisa Benson providing artistic imagery with a lost dog flyer:

(Image by Lisa Benson)

Julie Borowski Defends Miss Nevada's Comments about Rape

Last week, a hue & cry was raised by feminists against Miss Nevada for advocating that women should learn to defend themselves against would-be rapists.



I first saw the article on Townhall.com, and I wanted to post about it.  But I let the opportunity slip by, because I was working on other projects.



Julie Borowski does an excellent job of pointing out the fallacy of anyone disparaging such an idea.

Unholy Alliance in the Making?

(Image by Chip Bok)

It seems as if Our Dear Leader is seeking leverage his Iraq debacle into a rapprochement with Iran.

"Dead Broke" Hillary's successor at the State Department, John Kerry claimed Team Obama will give a very thorough vetting of every option that is available.  Minus, of course, "boots on the ground."

The friend who brought the "leverage" article to our attention had this to say:

This article covers a thought that crossed my mind last week -- Obama is not worried about Iraq.  Iran will save them, and then we'll all be friends against the Nazis, er, Jihadis.

So, he managed to turn Syria's Assad (he who previously "must go") into our working partner by being outmaneuvered by Putin.  Now, he's worked himself into a corner where we need to rely on Iran to "save" Iraq.

This is moving from amateur hour to something far worse than I'd have thought possible. 

Our Dear Leader did say he'd talk to any of our enemies without preconditions.

To which Comrade Karla replied:

This is so FUBAR I don’t even know what to say anymore...And numbnuts plays golf while plotting how to destroy our economy and figures maybe Iraq will just “go away” now.

I'm sure the Ministry of Truth (formerly known as the "mainstream media") will help make it go away--by simply not reporting it, no matter how many mass killings take place.

Or if it is reported by the Non-FOX News media: "Journalists" will blame Bush for getting us involved in the first place.  (I've been hearing a lot of that in my daily outings).

I think we're well past the should we/should we not have gone into Iraq, and focus on "what are we going to do about it now?"

(Image by Steve Breen)

"Dead Broke" Heiress Apparent

(Image by Steve Breen)

Last Monday, in a soft-ball interview/new book promotion with Diane Sawyer, Hillary Clinton, claimed she and hubby Slick Willy were "dead broke" when they left the White House.

Methinks the woman doth confuse the term "dead broke" with "moral bankruptcy."

Most of us like-minded folks have known the Clintons were morally dead broke since Billy Boy was governor of Arkansas.  Despite her pleadings of poverty, the Clintons are shady, fat-cat One Percenters through and through.

In addition, to her false claims of being part of us Ninety-Nine Percenters, she certainly hasn't "rebuilt" our relationships with the world.  Especially since ISIS/ISIL is hell-bent on tearing down what we built and sacrificed for in that part of the world still-known as Iraq.

If you find all this world aflame stuff as depressing as I do, then I'd like to suggest some lighter fare in:  When Harry Met Hillary.

(Image by Nate Beeler)

US Embassy Staff in Baghdad "Relocating"

(Image by Michael Ramirez)

At least FOX News calls it an evacuation.

Business Insider is calling for "boots on the ground"--in support and advisory roles.

As the debate--and finger pointing--continues among politicians and talking heads, our enemies outside The Green Zone are doing what they do best:  Inflicting mass slaughter.

The Lost E-Mails of the IRS

(Image by Gary Varvel)

Well the "phony" IRS scandal was back in the news late last week.

Apparently, IRS has "lost" two years worth of Lois Lerner's e-mails.

Team Obama might as well say the White House dogs, Bo & Sunny, ate the e-mails.

Golfing Again

(Image by Chip Bok)

The world outside the Ramparts of Civilization continue to burn:

--ISIS/ISIL is still on the march in Iraq.
--"#BringOurGirlsBack" haven't been brought back.
--Iran is still playing with plutonium.
--China continues to insist the South and East China Seas are national reservoirs because they have the word "China" in them.
--And Russia isn't about to loosen its bear-claw grip on Crimea anytime soon.

Meanwhile, inside the Ramparts--or what's left of them:

--Illegal aliens, many of them children, pour across the border in unprecedented numbers.
--A deserter hailed as a hero, makes a near-triumphal return to the US, while Americans in Mexico, Iran and Sudan languish in prison.
--Another part of Obamacare has been delayed--again.
--And conscientious Americans refuse to ignore the "parade of phony scandals" Team Obama insist are phony.

With all this going on, what's Our Dear Leader & Nobel Peace Prize Laureate doing this weekend to restore order and confidence?

Go golfing and on a fundraising tour.

The Iraqi Resurgent Insurgency

(Image from the Times of Israel of ISIL fighters)

The Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), which is also being called (ISIS--Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) has been grabbing headlines from Boko Haram this week.

Whatever these guys call themselves, they've been very busy cutting a swath of destruction across Syria and now Iraq. They've now vowed to march on Baghdad.

The Iraqi government has been begging Team Obama for airstrikes, and finally Our Dear Leader is "considering" such a plan.

It may be a case of too-little too late, especially when Obama's been hell-bent on withdrawing troops from Iraq and Afghanistan regardless of the conditions on the ground.  Our enemies have known for some time now, all they have to do is run down the clock.

The middle east is boiling over, thanks to Team Obama quitting the field, especially in the face of a foe that actually may have a battle plan.

If things continue to unravel as they are, we'll be witnessing a remake of helicopters on the roof.

Cantor Canned

(Image by Lisa Benson)

The first time I heard about heir-apparent, Cantor's loss in Virginia was through a co-worker.  His words were:  "Cantor lost to a Tea Partier."

As it turns out, Cantor's challenger, Dave Brat, had very little Tea Party support.

So what happened?

Ann Coulter rolled-in with this damning commentary:  Cantor loses by 11 million voters.

There are of course, other tea leaf readings over Cantor's Calamity, such as salt-of-the-earth capitalism, religion and ethics in business, and even that his loss was based solely on immigration amnesty draws the wrong lesson.

Maybe.

But being pro-amnesty was a central theme and had a debatable part in Cantor's political burial.  

No matter how anyone, from the political left, or right:  Amnesty lite is still amnesty.

Most Americans want the border secured.

Who's Still Listening to the Party Line?

(Image by Michael Ramirez)

Yesterday, I posted about Team Obama's attempts to paint Bergdahl as some sort of hero, but a lot of folks aren't buying it.

Today, Richard Fernandez illustrates what happens when the "Central Narrative" is no longer believed by the masses.

The short answer:  Political power dissolves.

Bergdahl Brewhaha: NYT Spouts the Party Line and the No-Deal Deal

(Image by Robert Ariaill)

Ever since Our Boy Bergdahl was sprung from the clutches of the Taliban, Team Obama has been pulling out the stops to paint him as some sort of hero.

There's just one problem the Obamunists haven't counted on:  A sizable chunk of the American public isn't buying the Party Line.

So what does the New York Times branch of the Ministry of Truth do?

Casts doubt about the real heroes.  Also known as "blame the victim(s)."

And yes, there are several victims, soldiers who never came home because they were killed looking for a dippy deserter.

Mark Steyn casts even a larger net over the Party Line that the Bergdahl swap was a "good deal."  His blunt eloquence points out, in fact:  There is no "deal."

Something more akin to this:

(Image by Bob Gorrell)

Breaking News: Taliban Attacks Airport in Pakistan

The Wall Street Journal has the story:  Pakistan Weighs Strike Against Taliban Over Airport Attack.

And Our Dear Leader traded five HVTs (High Value Targets) for one measly deserter to these guys.

Life Imitating Art?

(Image from: MemeBlender.com) 

I found this image courtesy of one of my writer friends on Facebook.

I've certainly learned to take anything said by a minion of Our Dear Leader, which includes most of the media (Ministry of Truth), and consider the opposite to be true.

No Deserter Left Behind

(Image from: Mad Magazine) 

I've been off line for the past several days involved with car repairs, yard work and room renovations.  During this time, I only glanced at last week's triumphal headlines of Private Bowe Bergdahl's release from Taliban captivity.

I'm certainly no clairvoyant, especially since I don't remember anything about Bergdahl being taken in the first place.  But despite my faulty memory, a couple things bothered me about this story right from the beginning:

First, I wondered why, after holding him for five year, the Taliban didn't offer him the lead role in their latest jihadi snuff film.

Second, I noticed there was no stirring account how Our Boy Bowe was hip-deep in hand grenade pins when the Taliban captured him.

What suspicions I had, turned out to be well founded:

Within a few days, the whole "hero's return" narrative Team Obama built, collapsed faster than a house of cards in a thunderstorm.

And what a thunderstorm it is.

Several soldiers were killed during the initial search. It was quickly ascertained that Bergdahl had "walked off."  A lot of details about the search for Our Boy Bowe was deemed classified. 

But now, several Bergdahl's former buddies are speaking out.  His team members even re-united for an interview with Megyn Kelly on FOX News to tell their story. 

The curtain of secrecy is slowly being torn asunder, as it is now claimed that Our Boy Bowe, may in fact be Their Boy.  That is, he converted to Islam and declared jihad against the Great Satan.

Whether this turns out to be true or not, this story is much bigger than some kid's mixed motives and luke-warm loyalties.

First of all, trading "one deserting weasel" for five Taliban leaders certainly makes it look like we're a defeated nation.  And that Our Dear Leader broke the law making the prisoner swap happen, which means once again, there's talk of impeachment. 

By now this should all sound familiar to us. 

And speaking of familiar, it looks like Susan Rice just copied and pasted her Benghazi Talking points for this new "phony scandal."

Apparently, the amateurs and activists that comprise Team Obama have been blindsided by the firestorm they ignited.  That's because they consider desertion no more serious than skipping class. 

Now here's a trade, many of us would like to see happen...

(Image alluding to the US Marine jailed in Mexico) 

Late-Breaking News: Seattle Shooting. Gunman Tackled by Student

A shooting occurred earlier today at Seattle's Pacific University earlier today.

Fortunately, the killer was tackled and subdued by a student before more people became casualties.

Financial Penalties for Porn Stars

(From Getty Images, UK Daily Mail)

The other day I learned that the DOJ is forcing banks to terminate the accounts held by porn stars.

Apparently, the porn stars don't measure up to the Era of Hope & Change.

Now some might say it's about time the adult film industry got it's comeuppance. But Mark Steyn warns us that Eric Holder's money shot is more than about the money.  This Operation Choke Point targets...include industries as diverse as ammunition sales, coin dealers, payday loans, "racist materials," etc. And, again, these are all legal businesses that haven't been charged with breaking any laws — the Justice Department just doesn't like them.  (Emphasis added). 

(Image:  Iris Love in one of her movies by Twistys Hard)

I'm actually surprised this administration is targeting the porn industry.  It's not like these folks are Tea Partiers. I figured Team Obama would want to keep the porn industry flourishing as part of the "Bread & Circuses" act to lull the masses.

But as Mark pointed out, the way these things have panned out historically, sooner or later everyone will be on the Enemies of the State List.