10/07/13
On October 4, AP interviewed him. Doing so was in the White House library. He repeated one lie after another. He didn't surprise.
Lying comes easy to him. He's had years of practice. Growing numbers worldwide don't trust him. More catch on all the time.
It's for good reason. Whatever he says lacks credibility. Perhaps his epitaph one day will read how to lie without really trying. He does it reflexively. It's automatic.
Alex Cockburn once criticized Ronald Reagan, saying:
"Truth for him, was what he happened to be saying at the time."
"He went one better than George Washington in that he couldn't tell a lie and he couldn't tell the truth, since he couldn't tell the difference between the two."
Perhaps he thought the same about Obama. He says one thing. He does another. It's easy to read him. He's consistent. Whatever he says believe the opposite.
He playacts being president. He shames the office he holds. A previous article said impeaching him is national imperative. World peace depends on it. Perhaps humanity's survival.
On Friday, AP correspondent Julie Pace interviewed him. She did so short of holding his feet to fire. She didn't challenge his lies.
He began by selling Obamacare. He lied calling it "a really good" "product." It's a scam. It's a healthcare rationing scheme.
It enriches insurers, drug companies and large hospital chains. It does so at the expense of millions of households.
It leaves many of them uninsured. Most will be underinsured. Proper coverage is unaffordable for millions.
Obama blamed Republicans entirely for shutting down government. He shares equal responsibility. He's hardline.
He's making ordinary people suffer. He plans worse ahead. He wants social America destroyed. He wants Wall Street profiteers running Social Security, Medicare and Medicare.
He wants food stamps and other vital protections cut. Eventually he wants them eliminated altogether. He lies claiming otherwise.
He won't negotiate budget issues with Republicans unless they end shutdown tactics and agree to raise the debt ceiling.
He lied telling AP "we are happy to negotiate on anything."
We are happy to talk about the health care law. We're happy to talk about the budget. We're happy to talk about deficit reduction. We're happy to talk about investments."
Apparently he's "happy to talk" without talking. He prefers brinksmanship instead. Financial advisor Martin Weissconsidered five possible scenarios:
(1) An 11th hour deal. Based on history, it's most likely. The outcome, says Weiss, is business as usual. No end to borrow and spend will follow.
No end to Fed "print-and-pump madness." No end until bond vigilantes have final say. Doing so will "force a different kind of shutdown." More on that below.
(2) Washington defaults on maturing debt. It never happened. Doing so now is remote.
At the same time, says Weiss, "political posturing uncovers a growing group of Congressmen who would rather fight than switch."
Others would prefer default to compromising their "values." They consider it perhaps "a healthy wake-up call for the country."
Lunatics in Washington run things. They think this way. They have many other outrageous ideas.
None address public concerns responsibly. Real change requires throwing all Republican and Democrat bums out and starting over.
Both parties betray the public trust. It shows in their policies. It shows in their disdain for human need.
It shows in their prioritizing war over peace. It shows in how little they care about responsible governance.
(3) Congress lets government default. Obama overrides its decision. He invokes 14th Amendment authority.
A little-known provision invalidates the debt limit, stating:
"The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned."
"But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void."
Some analysts believe the 14th Amendment puts the national debt above partisan politics. According to Law Professor Jack Balkin:
"It was stated in broad terms in order to prevent future majorities in Congress from repudiating the federal debt to gain political advantage, to seek political revenge, or to try to disavow previous financial obligations because of changed policy priorities."
Congress could counter by initiating impeachment proceedings. No president ever was removed this way. John Adams once said it would take it would take a national convulsion to do so.
There's always a first time. The fullness of time will explain more.
(4) Obama "decides to pay off maturing debts but sacrifices nearly everything else."
In other words, says Weiss, it sacrifices tradition. It starts "operating strictly on a cash-and-carry basis."
Bond investors and other debt holders get paid. Everyone and everything else goes begging.
Instead of shutting down government short-term. It's longer lasting. It's semi-permanent. It's "far more devastating."
A Main Street Depression hits business, rich elites and world economies. Odds are even Washington's lunatic fringe won't let it happen.
(5) "Global bond investors rise in rebellion, dump their US bond holdings, and force a government contraction similar to that of scenario #4."
It happened short-term before. It was in 1980. It was before Carter's tenure ended. Inflation was high. So were Cold War tensions. Bond vigilantes "went on strike," said Weiss.
Selling government bonds at virtually any price was nearly impossible. Dealers afraid of losses closed shop.
Prices plunged. Short Treasuries skyrocketed to nearly 17%. They topped out around 20%. "The bond market virtually shut down," said Weiss. Doing so threatened to shut "the entire government - even the entire nation."
Can history repeat? "Absolutely," said Weiss. He calls this the "most likely" scenario now.
"Indeed," he added, "most other scenarios may turn out to be little more than sneak previews that lead to this final outcome."
It bears repeating. The fullness of time will tell. For now, brinksmanship persists. Washington's criminal class fiddles while Rome burns.
America never failed to pay its bills, said Obama. "That's never happened." There's always a first time. History shows debt too great to repay won't be. It won't surprise if things eventually turn out this way.
Obama sidestepped the possibility of Republicans refusing to raise the debt limit. He segued to saying we need to address other issues.
He stressed "making sure that young people are getting a great education. How do we rebuild our infrastructure and put people back to work?"
"How are we going to make sure that we fix a broken immigration system?"
"How are we going to do all the things that we need to grow the economy and make sure that we are building a strong middle class and providing ladders for opportunity for people to get into the middle class if they're willing to work hard."
Fact check
Obama's waging war on public education. He wants it made another business profit center. He wants immigrants denied rights they deserve.
He handed Wall Street trillions of public dollars. He wrecked the economy in the process. He's destroying middle America systematically.
He let real unemployment, poverty, homelessness and hunger soar to Depression levels. He takes credit for what demands condemnation.
He's a jobs destroyer, not creator. He facilitates offshoring good paying ones abroad. He's mindless about popular needs.
He's beholden solely to wealth, power and privilege. He lied claiming otherwise. He intends maintaining crippling sanctions on Iran. He'll do so unless Tehran proves a negative.
Its nuclear program is peaceful. Obama lied suggesting otherwise. He wants pro-Western puppet governance replacing its independent sovereignty.
Improved relations depend on it. War is his bottom line option to achieve it. He left that issue unaddressed.
He lied claiming Iran is "one year or more away" from a bomb. Israel's been saying it's six months away for years. Obama falsely said US and Israeli security issues are at risk.
The only American and Israeli enemies are ones both countries invent.
"We are going to end combat operations in Afghanistan at the end of 2014," Obama claimed.
"What I've said is that if, in fact, the Afghan government is interested and willing to work with us in a cooperative way that protects our troops and other coalition partners."
"We would consider a train-and-advise mission that would extend beyond 2014."
Fact check
Washington plans permanent Afghanistan and Iraq occupations. America didn't come to either country to leave.
Major bases large as small towns were built. No plans exist to abandon them. Troop drawdowns mean little. Washington wants permanent control.
Getting and keeping it is another matter altogether. Expect Afghans and Iraqis to have final say.
America makes more enemies than friends. It's widely despised throughout the region. It's despised globally. It's for good reason.
Waging war on humanity risks eliminating it altogether. Imperial priorities come first.
AP didn't address what readers most need to know. Obama didn't explain what matters most.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.
It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour
No comments:
Post a Comment