Another John Kerry Howler

“Iran needs to recognize that the United States is not going to stand by while the [Mideast] region is destabilized or while people engage in overt warfare across lines — international boundaries — in other countries,” [U.S. Secretary of State  John] Kerry told PBS NewsHour.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/kerry-warns-iran/

He says, as the U.S. sends takfiri mercenaries into Syria to topple that nation's government.

Looking at U.S. Government: Reality

For those who look at U.S. government through rose-tinted glasses, it might be enlightening to look occasionally at reality:

Obama also accurately described himself and his own record of militarism. To defend against charges that he Loves the Terrorists, he boasted:

As commander-in-chief, I have not shied away from using force when necessary. I have ordered tens of thousands of young Americans into combat.
I’ve ordered military action in seven countries.

Knocking the Paint Off Sen. Merkley and Sen. Wyden's Peace Credentials

This post is to place on the record that both Senator Ron Wyden and Senator Jeff Merkley were placed on notice at about 4 a.m. on September 18, 2014 of the facts stated in my emails to them, reprinted below. That was many hours before both joined a majority of the Senate in authorizing President Obama to provide weapons and training to the Syrian opposition, ostensibly to fight the "terrorist organization," the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as the Islamic State.

That authorization was tucked in yesterday as an amendment to H.J.Res. 124 --- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015, and became section 149 in the bill that passed the House a few hours later. The Senate passed the same bill today unaltered, without any debate allowed. That was a decidedly sneaky ambush method for Congress to authorize war against Syria, obviously designed to avoid public participation.

The authorization unless vetoed by President Obama plainly constitutes a declaration of war against the the nation of Syria.


UPDATE 1: Oregon's Representatives in the House voted as follows on the Bill, by district number:

More Comedy from the Obama White House

I've previously noted that Obama Administration foreign policy statements sometimes adopt a comedic and hypocritical double-standard. It sometimes seems like a contest among White House speech writers to see which can most often invoke the "do as I say, not as I do" metaphor that boosts American exceptionalism to new heights, an immunity of the U.S. and its allies from the same international law that governs all nations.

We got another such gem three days ago from White House National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden:

The Lesser of Two Evils Is Still Evil

It is an unwritten American law: in any close election, both the Democratic and Republican candidates will have as their major campaign slogan, "vote for the lesser of two evils." Here's a sterling example from Ronald Reagan:

You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on Earth, or we will sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.

The lesser of two evils argument is typically invoked immediately before listing a parade of horribles grossly mischaracterizing the effect of voting for the other candidate. (The argument is, of course, subject to the poetic license of apocalyptic hyperbole.)

John Kerry Launches New Career as Stand-up Comedian

"You just don't in the 21st century behave in 19th century fashion by invading another country on completely trumped up pre-text," Kerry told the CBS program "Face the Nation."

Will Dunham, Kerry condemns Russia's 'incredible act of aggression' in Ukraine, Reuters (2 May 2014).

 That is unless, of course, you are the U.S. government. Witness, Uncle Sam's "trumped up pretexts" in the 21st Century for invading Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, not to mention the trumped-up pretexts for unleashing violent Neo-Nazi "protesters" to overthrow the lawfully-elected government of Ukraine, all war crime wars of aggression by any measure.

A Lesson Learned the Hard Way

When you find yourself part of an invading force in a foreign land fighting patriots, it's time for a reality check on your world view.

— Paul Merrell (9 May 2012)