Barfo's QuickNotes

New Jerk Times Blames Neocon Stink on Russians

2008-10-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

All the Crap That's Fit to Print does it again. Today's crap dispenser? One Tom Skanker who, reporting on Russian military exercises, splatters out the following

"In a grim finale, commanders launched three intercontinental ballistic missiles, the type that can carry multiple nuclear warheads. It was a clear signal of the drastic endgame the Kremlin might consider should its conventional forces not hold. One of the missiles flew more than 7,100 miles, allowing Russian officials to claim they had set a distance record.
"If these images of Russian power projection appeared drawn from the dark decades of Dr. Strangelove, the response from Washington was anything but."

Ah yes... Washington the Supremely Patient and Forgiving being tried once again by those dark Strangelovian Russkies. Skanker's Lie stinks. All he has to do to catch the smell is look across his desk at his scribble buddy, Billy (The Smirk) Kristol.

If anyone has been Strangelovian it has been the Neocon Thug Staat, previously known as the U.S.A. Has Skaner bothered to read Kristol's magnun opus, Rebuilding Americas' Defenses P.N.A.C., Sept, 2000. Surely he has and therefore surely he is engaging in grotesque misinformation on behalf of a fellow worshipper of The Devouring Saturn.

For Skanker's benefit and anyone else who hasn't got a whiff of Kristol's wet dream, the Neocon "project" is nothing other than ongoing, relentless, global American power projection -- in Iraq (to the tune of trillions) and against Russia, for starters. After outlining the New American Security Mission of sustaining "multiple full theatre wars" and ongoing "lesser included" so-called "constabulary operations" in "zones of democratic peace" (such as Iraq and Afghanistan) the Neocon blue print reaches its ultimate thug-climax with a call to

“CONTROL THE 'NEW INTERNATIONAL COMMONS" or SPACE AND “CYBERSPACE,”

Not only does the Neocon Manifesto call for” the creation of a new military service – U.S. Space Forces – with the mission of space control” The PNAC’s goal of “space control” is to prevent anyone else from having access to outer space and to use outer space for the placement military weapons that can strike anywhere on earth from the push of a button in some bunker in Wyoming. [Barfo some more here on the PNAC Wet Dream of Murkan Dominance]

Who the fuck is Strangelove around here? Hardly the Russians. But stay misinformed. Read all the crap that's fit to print.

©Barfo, 2008

These Empty Times -The Anguish of Mere Toast

2008-10-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

Judith Warner, an op-ed contributor at the NY Times writes that the (alleged) Sinking of Wall Street is no time for schadenfreude.

"Schadenfreude is impossible (she writes) because the fat cats — the ones who bent the rules, the ones who pushed the envelopes, ... the ones who opposed regulations on the banking and mortgage industries — are taking us down with them."

No... Instead, according to Warner, "A great emptiness — and a gnawing kind of fear — has taken its place"

Yes, it's so true. A great, great emptiness, as when Marie Antoinette looked at her silver breakfast platter and realized there was no more brioche!!

This is the kind crap that makes one want to vomit. It's All the Crap that's Fit for the Litterbox. Has it ever ever occurred to Warner or anyone on the Times that while they "made do" in Manhattan the GREAT EMPTINESS of HUNGER filled the bellies of children from the heart of Africa to the heights of the Andes?

No ... it never occurred to these toney scumbags. It never occurred to the likes of Warner, writing books about the travails of life on the Upper West Side (or was it East?), that some people were being gnawed at by more than fear... that the neoliberal policies of the Times had already taken down millions of the truly poor the globe over.

For them... for those on empty stomachs, sleeping on cold door stoops, schadenfreude is the only satisfaction they have left.

©Barfo, 2008

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The Pig Sings

2008-09-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

In her first interview without training wheels, Sahra ("Piglips") Palin demonstrated that she is an ignorant idiot.

Ignoring Georgia's assault on S. Ossetia, Palin, accused Russia of having initiated an "unprovoked" invasion of a smaller democratic country. She asserted she understood U.S. relations with Russia because "they're our next-door neighbors, and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska ..."

Palin asserted that US troops in Iraq are "on a task that is from God," although in the same breadth she humbly confessed that she "would never presume to know God's will."

But she would never "second-guess" Israel if it decided to bomb Iran. Presumably she would continue not to second-guess nothing as oil soared past $200.00 a barrel, the dollar's value sank to less than a peanut, and the world (including Alaska) plunged into a depression.

The important thing is "that you can't blink, you have to be wired in a way of being so committed to the mission, the mission that we're on," And that mission is? " "To rid this world of Islamic extremism, terrorists who are hell-bent on destroying our nation. "

"It is for no more politics as usual, and somebody's big fat resume that shows decades and decades in that Washington establishment"

Yeahuh... who needs big fat resumes with degrees in stupid shit like international law and relations, economics, political theory, compartive cultural studies, and all that pointy headed librul crap.

Hey!!! One pig's squeal is as good as another's.

Sad thing is must Uhmurkans would agree.

©Barfo, 2008

You can't Out Pander a Palin

2008-09-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

For years -- since McGovern or at least Carter -- Demorat electoral strategy has been based on the mousy notion that if they just toned down the "librul" parts of their platform they could attract enough of the DumbFuck vote to win. The Republoscum lie low and let the Demorats tone themselves down. Once the Demorats have self-gutted, the Republoscom come up with some stupid fuck bimbo whom not even the Demorats in their most craven self-abasement could out-down . Plus ça change.

©Barfo, 2008

United States Atones for Monroe Doctrine

2008-09-06T15:07:00.001-07:00

Attending a meeting of Euro-leaders at Lake Como in Italy, Vice President Cheney offered official mea culpas for the United States' unilateral embargo of Cuba. "That is no way for a responsible power to conduct itself,” Mr. Cheney said. “And it reflects the discredited notion that any country can claim an exclusion zone of authority, to be held together by muscle and threats.”

©Barfo, 2008

"Bread Today, Hunger Tomorrow"

2008-03-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

Explaining why she voted for the communist party in Spain's general election, Gloria Perez chastised president Zapatero for not having done enough " to bring down the price of rents, control mortgage costs, help young people and get us workers better salaries.”

Perez expressed contempt for so-called "tax incentives" and Zapatero's promise of a 400-euro ($620) tax rebate. “That’s bread today, hunger tomorrow. We need reforms that will help us in the long term: better work contracts, better salaries, less inflation.”

Wouldn't it be nice if workers in the United States had a fraction of Perez's brain power? If they would the "Times" report it?

©Barfo,2008

Olmert Tries to Wake up Sleeping Morons at the Times

2008-02-17T21:51:00.000-08:00

Other than morons and the Uh'Murkan mudia.... was there anybody in the world who fell for the Annapolis Farce last November, when the Administration made a Big Push and lots of noise promising peace in Palestine before Bush left his throne? No. In fact the farce was so obvious, so boring and so irrelevant to reality, that it hardly got covered.

But in case anyone was too terminally stupid not to have figured out the sham, now comes Ehud Olmert who announced today to an audience of fanatically faithfull Jewish-American leaders that the goal of peace talks with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, was to reach an understanding on "basic principles" for a Palestinian state by the end of 2008, rather than a fully-fledged agreement.

In other words ...no deal in Bush's term. Got that Condi? No agreements on "specifics". In fact no agreement at all, except endless Israeli evasion under cover of crap for the stupid. Crap no doubt dished out in gob-fulls by the editors and word hacks at the Spew York Times.

Olmert also said on Sunday that the Israeli army had a "free hand" to target anyone in the Gaza Strip, particularly ruling Hamas members, to stop cross-border rocket fire.

Got that? "Anyone" To target "anyone" includes women and children, particularly if they are engaged in a "shopping spree" for food.

©Barfo, 2008

Blendables

2008-02-07T15:41:00.000-08:00

CIA Chief, Mike McConnell, told Congress yesterday that Al Qaeda had improved its ability to recruit, train and position operatives capable of carrying out attacks inside the United States, producing militants, including new Western recruits, capable of blending into American society and attacking domestic targets.

Quiz: What is the key word in this news? (a) ability (b) attacks (c) blending (d) domestic?

Most people, including most congressoids, will doubtless choose a, b and c: ability, attack, us. Omygod... we need more security and fast!!

The true key word, of course, is “blending”. For six years now the US Government has been nabbing and deep-storing a whole bunch of them terrorist rag-heads -- brownish people that worship that heathen allah-fellow -- not good Jews and gentiles, like us.

It really made no difference that that Mohammad fellow may have been an English citizen, or that what’s his name Ali Ah-whatever was a Canadian or that Padilla was a US subject -- all that was just a matter of probably falsely obtained passports. The guts of the matter is that they were “them” or at least “those”.

Of course, some of us might have worried that they were being tortured or denied the basic protections of minimal due process; but when all was said and done, our concern was basically a sort of legal-charity for one of them rag-heads. Certainly, nothing we had to worry about that cut too close to our own bones.

Now comes Intelligence Chief McConnel to tell us that the big Al “Q” has produced blendable western attack agents. In other words, people that look just like you and me. And not just look, but have names like Jones, Sorensen and Schmidt. Why, maybe even names like Feingold, O’Connell and Scalia. Blendables.

What this means is that the proverbial “potential terrorist” (for those who haven’t figured it out yet, cop-thug speak for someone who MIGHT in the realm of everything possible be a terrorist) includes people just like you and me. Which mean that in the eyes of our All Seeing All Beneficent State Guardian, people just like you and me are indistinguishable from “potential terrorists”.

Got it?

Welcome to Baghdad folks.

©Barfo, 2008

Dignity

2008-01-28T18:19:00.000-08:00

Der Spiegel reported that "some commentators" were questioning whether Bill Clinton's hawking for Hillary was beneath the appropriate dignity for an ex-president.

Dignity? DIGNITY? D*I*G*N*I*T*Y ????? Bill Clinton!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Gasp!!!

Wheeeew!!!

Oh gawd that was a bellyfull....

Rambo Endorses Wacko

2008-01-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

Yakking it up on Fox Sylvester Stallone spouted: “I like McCain a lot. A lot. And you know, things may change along the way, but there’s something about matching the character with the script. And right now, the script that’s being written and reality is pretty brutal and pretty hard-edged like a rough action film, and you need somebody who’s been in that to deal with it.”

John McCain chimed in: “I’m going to Philadelphia and running up the steps.”

Well that pretty much sums up the Murkan mindset. A bankrupting trillion dollar debt for a trumped up and useless war is a brutal-script and we need a brute who’s been there to tough it out with some hard-on action tracking down a diabetic rag head for the next 100 years as the economy and civil liberties and the environment go down the toilet. Awwww fuck man.... only wussies worry about shit like that.

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP UGGAH UGGAH THUMP MURKA MURKA MURKA THUMP THUMP UGGAH MURKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUH

The Sheer Outrage of Ignoring Jews

2008-01-24T18:31:00.000-08:00

As Israeli-starved Gazans stampeded into Egypt to buy desperately needed foodstuffs, the self-appointed Council of German Jews vociferated its indignation and “outrage” that a Munich carnival had been scheduled for what Jewish organizations have unilaterally decreed to be “International Holocaust Remembrance Day.”

The Council seems oblivious to the fact that except in its own mind there is no such thing as an International Holocaust Rembrance Day. It is not an official holiday in Germany nor in most of the rest of the world. No doubt the Council will labor ceaselessly to rectify that failure and to insure collective self-abasement by everyone else to the unsurpassable uniqueness of Jewish suffering. But until then, the Council is simply being "uniquely insensitive" to other peoples' happiness.

Personally I find the Jewish Council’s action outrageously hypocritical. The dead are gone. If we are to be about remembering, christian faith requires us to relieve and console the present sufferings of others. Indeed, the Old Testament itself commanded no less. But to hell with Jesus, Jeremiah or Isaiah. In the Council’s imperious view we are all to heap ashes on ourselves and dedicate ourselves to remembering past Jewish suffering while present-day Jews inflict collective hunger and privation on civilians in complete violation of humanitarian international law.

©Barfo, 2008

Disrespect, Ingratitude and Blasphemy

2008-01-13T18:08:00.000-08:00

Once again, the New York Times proves that it is no stranger to insulting bad taste and astonishing cheek. Reporting on Bush’s mawk-o-rama tour of Holy Land holy sites, Times reporters, Steven Erlanger and Steven Meyers, adopted a respectful factuality when recounting Bimbo’s “emotional” and tearful visit to Yad Vashem. Bush, they wrote, called the experience a “... a sobering reminder that evil exists... “ as he “laid a wreath and lighted a torch as a cantor sang the Jewish prayer for the dead...” etc. etc.

But when it came to Bush’s wide eyed tour at the Sea of Galilee, Erlanger and Meyers could no longer contain their snide juices. Bush, they wrote, “... walk[ed] out onto a pier with two friars in brown robes, who pointed toward the spot where Jesus is said to have walked on the water, according to pool reports.” Pool reports. Cute. Apparently respect for other people’s religions doesn’t matter much outside of Yad Vashem.

(By the way, friars in brown robes are known as Franciscans; not that anyone at the Times knows or gives a shit about such alien distinctions. )

The Erlanger & Meyers article then went on to complain about the cost of Bush’s trip. Noting that Jerusalem had been under virtual lock-down during the Bush visit, the intrepid Times reporters groused that “ Israeli taxpayers spent about $25,000 for every hour that Mr. Bush was in the country for security expenses, not counting the loss of business.”

Oh the lost business!!! The humanity!!! We can hardly go on...

It’s beyond belief. Israel could hardly survive without US financial, military and diplomatic support. Billions of US taxpayer dollars are forked out to Israel in loan guarantees and grants. Military hardware and intelligence is shared. The US all but acts as apologist and agent for Israel in the Security Council. Bush is the most blindly pro-Israel president ever. He has endorsed the ghettoization of the West Bank (“contiguity”) and behind his so called “push for peace” is a de facto aquiesence in the long term Israeli push for colonization.

Erlanger and Meyers are lucky most other Americans are too damn stupid to realize when they’ve been mule-kicked in the butt.

But the Oscar for impudence must certainly go to those settlor Jews who paraded about Jerusalem carrying placards that read: “Bush Read Your Bible ... G-d gave Israel to the Jews.”

Now, Jews are wont to use the term “G-d” as a humble indication of the too awful, too great, too far-beyond anything we can fathom divinity of the unutterable Creator and Ruler of all that is.... It is the English version of FWRTKL or whatever H-'s unpronounceable name is. Yeah...but not so damn humble to tell us what He did, does, wants and deeds title to.

“G-d” my ass; and I know that there are sincere and devout orthodox Jews who would agree that such hypocrisy merits nothing but contemptuous disgust.

The Trouble is....

2007-11-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

Ever the runner for Capital, in an article on oil wealth, the New York Times scribbled out:

“In Venezuela, President Hugo Chávez is pouring oil proceeds into a socialist revolution, creating free health care, free education and cheap food; enabling heavy public spending that has helped fuel four years of economic growth.

“The trouble, said Theresa Paiz, a Latin American director for the Fitch ratings agency, is that “it’s not really clear how the money is invested.” Mr. Chávez’s government is steering large chunks of money to development funds and state owned companies not subject to audits.”

The trouble is that The Fitch is just another pimp for Big Plunder. Ever hear The Fitch whining about the transparency of the Seven Sisters? How about sub prime lend n’ sell? Well ... let’s hear what The Fitch has to say about that:

" As earlier discussed, Fitch is in the process of reviewing its rating methodology and model assumptions for all new issue CDO ratings.

"For CDOs collateralized by structured finance securities, the review includes a reassessment of subprime vintage performance and associated loss severity and correlation. Also, and more broadly, Fitch is reviewing its core VECTOR modeling assumptions and methodology that could impact ratings of all CDOs, including corporate bond or corporate loan collateral.

In other words, our “transparency” champion really could give a crap about clarity when it comes to Big Plunder... at least not until it turns out that what everyone thought was the deep cookie jar turned into a deep end meat grinder and the financial equivalent of blood and bits was splattered all over the damn place.

Of course, The Fitch wasn’t particularly troubled when Chiquita Banana Co. invested monies into hiring gangs of “guards” to murder Indian laborers and farmers. Nor was The Fitch hand wringing for transparency when Presidente Salinas steered large chunks of state owned Teléfonos de México to a pal for a pennies on the peso... making Carlos Slim the richest man in the world.

As the Arizona Republic reported (2007/11/7) Slim, “searches for businesses that are undervalued, infuses them with cash and uses the size of his holdings to overwhelm the competition.” (Got that? “undervalued”) "[I]n 1990, Slim made one of his most controversial purchases.

“The Mexican government was auctioning off several state-owned enterprises, including Teléfonos de México, the state-run telephone company, also known as Telmex. Slim and his partners, ... paid $1.76 billion for a 20 percent controlling stake. ...Since then, the market value of Telmex stock has rocketed from $7.39 billion to $41.2 billion. ...

[Remember? “undervalued”]

"Members of the opposition Democratic Revolutionary Party alleged that Slim underpaid for Telmex and demanded that then-President Carlos Salinas de Gortari be impeached for negligently selling Telmex at less than market value. A congressional committee, controlled by Salinas' party, later found no evidence of wrongdoing, ... "

No kidding! But where was The Fitch? In fact where was the Times? Transparency was apparently no big deal when the people -- the real people -- of a country were being murdered or ripped off on a colossal scale.

Instead the Times manages to find some “trouble with” a president who is using oil proceeds for “free health care, free education and cheap food” No, No, NO! Much better to have the money go into some oligarch’s off shore sink hole to be spent on keeping his polo ponies and pedicured bitches in style.

I read the Times in the afternoon. I couldn't bear to puke with my morning coffee.

©Barfo, 2007

References:
http://fitchratings.com/
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0530carlosslim0530.html

The Struggle for Perfect Security

2007-10-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

Homeland Security Leader, Michael Chertoff, has nullified a court ruling halting the construction of a border security fence until further environmental impact studies were completed. Chertoff's swift and summary executive aktion will be appreciated by those who value safety above all else and who have little patience for quibbling courts getting in the way of our National Security.

Ever quick to see the core issue and seize the highground, Chertoff explained that he was confident the lower court would ultimately have been overruled in any case and so was merely hurrying things up a little. Chertoff also told us that dirty Mexicans were strewing lots of environmentally degrading garbage in the area which was far worse than bulldozing the whole damn preserve and turning it into a clean if lifeless swatch of concrete.

Of course, what applies to environmental laws applies to any law and we can all rest secure in the knowledge that one man will decide what is best for us and will let nothing stand in the way of securing the nation as tight as the screw will bear.

Another Bit of Ol' Mexico

2007-10-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

It was announced today (18 October 2007)that AeroMexico had been sold at auction to the Barrazas business group at Banamex (Mexico's Pseudo National Bank). A "misprint" in the auction rules resulted in other bidders' bids being placed two minutes past the deadline. Grupo Barrazas had been a major financial supporter of Quisiling Calderon's bid for the presidency which itself was put on auction last year, although the bid amount was not disclosed until today. Banamex is owned by Citigroup which is doubtlessly overjoyed with Mexico's new found democracy.

Pentagon palavers “Risk” to Oil Supplies

2006-06-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

The Financial Times reports that a Pentabonk study decries the “risk” to oil supplies presented by Ibero-American “nationalism”. According to the military’s risk mavens, this risk can only be allayed by a change in the “investment” climate.

Translation: if Bolivia and Ecuador and Mexico own their own oil, that presents a risk that needs to be changed by our owning it.

Anyone still wonder why Murka is loathed by the peoples of hispanic America?

By the way, Mexico has owned its oil since 1938 when it was nationalized by Pres. Cardenas. Has the flow of Mexican oil to the U.S. been “at risk” for all these 60 years?

Results are More to the Point than Plans

2006-06-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

At a 9/11 conspiracy conference being held in Los Angeles, Webster Tarpley, author of 911 Synthetic Terror; Made in USA, said the September 11th attacks were "state sponsored, false- flag terrorism" designed by rogue CIA elements as a pretext to turn the United States into a police state.

What is indisputable, at any rate, is the result and the result is not less reprehensible because it may have been a reaction instead of a plan. Dramatically horrorific as the attacks on the WTC were, they were mere pin-pricks in comparison to other acts of unprovoked or unbridled agression that have stained history. It was hardly surprising that a global power should get punched up now and again. While any attack on the WTC certainly warranted a response, it did not warrant the deconstruction of civil rights and freedoms.

How Much of Lethal is OK?

2006-06-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

The American Heart Association has published new dietary guidelines in which it is recommended that ingestion of trans-fats "not exceed 1%" of daily caloric intake. Gee.... if it's that bad, why intake it at all?

The Hell of Gates

2006-06-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

Bill ("Huckster") Gates has announced that he is taking leave of Microsoft in order to dedicate his life to charitable enterprises. Considering the misery, frustration, and hell his former enterprises foisted on the world, Gates should be dedicating the rest of his life to penance.

Neo Dada by Neo Cons

2003-02-28T19:18:00.000-08:00

Yes -- we've reached the turning point into NeoDada lunacy. Rummy says that complying with a UN order to destroy missles would not be enough to show cooperation with the UN. Huh? Compliance is not cooperation? Ah. OK. Blair says he fears a terrorist attack. Not from Iraq, he explains, but that is why we have to invade Iraq.

One question the organs of MiniTruth haven't answered is by how much these missiles violate the mileage limit.

Another question that might be asked is why Iraq should disarm at all at this point given the obvious fact that the US is planing a peace action?

©Barfo, 2003

BBC asks: Isn't Data Mining Airlines a Good Thing?

2003-02-28T09:19:00.000-08:00

Absolutely not. People should understand that the U.S. is well down the road to putting in place the Orwellian police state while (of course) fostering double-think on how it is protecting civil liberties. It amazes me that people should be so cravenly eager to shackle themselves for the illusion of safety..... under the boot of beneficent, caring, helpful, protective big brother.