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| DAYLEE PICTURE: Victoria Falls on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. From National Geographic. |
Saturday, October 31, 2015
News Nuggets 1538
TODAY'S BIG NUGGET: A Cold War History Nugget!
The 1983 ‘war scare,’ was real: Soviets feared surprise nuclear attack by U.S. by U.S. (David E. Hoffman) from the Washington Post
"An exercise by NATO prompted fear in the leadership of the Soviet Union that the maneuvers were a cover for a nuclear attack by the United States, triggering a series of unparalleled Soviet military responses, according to newly declassified documents."
One of the biggest near-misses of the Cold War and one that most people, even historians, know little about. Check out this primary source, the U.S. assessment that concluded the Soviet leadership feared an American nuclear strike in 1983.
"An exercise by NATO prompted fear in the leadership of the Soviet Union that the maneuvers were a cover for a nuclear attack by the United States, triggering a series of unparalleled Soviet military responses, according to newly declassified documents."
One of the biggest near-misses of the Cold War and one that most people, even historians, know little about. Check out this primary source, the U.S. assessment that concluded the Soviet leadership feared an American nuclear strike in 1983.
Laying the Legal Grounds for Killing Bin Laden
How 4 Federal Lawyers Paved the Way to Kill Osama bin Laden from the New York Times
"While the Bin Laden operation has been much scrutinized, the story of how a tiny team of government lawyers helped shape and justify Mr. Obama’s high-stakes decision has not been previously told. The group worked as military and intelligence officials conducted a parallel effort to explore options and prepare members of SEAL Team 6 for the possible mission."
"While the Bin Laden operation has been much scrutinized, the story of how a tiny team of government lawyers helped shape and justify Mr. Obama’s high-stakes decision has not been previously told. The group worked as military and intelligence officials conducted a parallel effort to explore options and prepare members of SEAL Team 6 for the possible mission."
The Grim Politics of the TPP
Myths and Realities of the Trans-Pacific Partnership from the National Interest
"One problem regarding the politics of free trade accords is that there are always winners and losers, even if the result is a net gain for a nation’s economy. The losers generally know who they are and mobilize in opposition, but who the winners will be tends to be less clear."
The politics of the TPP are tough. In my view, the TPP is much more about the US retaining global economic advantages for the foreseeable future ... or surrendering really soon those advantages to the trade pact the Chinese were trying to organize around the Pacific rim, one that disadvantaged the US BIG TIME! The US was facing a take-it-or-leave-it circumstance as the Chinese were closing in on securing their deal with most of the major countries in the Pacific, excluding the US. The TPP has all the same players sans the Chinese. Is the TPP a bad deal for US workers? Probably. But it's nothing compared to how bad the Chinese deal would have been for US workers. -- Nuggetsman
"One problem regarding the politics of free trade accords is that there are always winners and losers, even if the result is a net gain for a nation’s economy. The losers generally know who they are and mobilize in opposition, but who the winners will be tends to be less clear."
The politics of the TPP are tough. In my view, the TPP is much more about the US retaining global economic advantages for the foreseeable future ... or surrendering really soon those advantages to the trade pact the Chinese were trying to organize around the Pacific rim, one that disadvantaged the US BIG TIME! The US was facing a take-it-or-leave-it circumstance as the Chinese were closing in on securing their deal with most of the major countries in the Pacific, excluding the US. The TPP has all the same players sans the Chinese. Is the TPP a bad deal for US workers? Probably. But it's nothing compared to how bad the Chinese deal would have been for US workers. -- Nuggetsman
The Limits on Training "Local Forces"
Why Is the American Military So Bad at Teaching Others How to Fight? (Fred Kaplan) from Slate
"The task goes far beyond what U.S. soldiers are trained to teach.,,, If the goal is to turn the fighting completely over to the local armed forces, then training must also involve teaching them how to conduct and call in air strikes, gather intelligence and apply it to tactical operations, move soldiers rapidly from one area to another (which involves flying helicopters or small transport planes), resupply soldiers when they’re deployed far from the base (logistics), and plan operations on a strategic or theater-wide level. "
"The task goes far beyond what U.S. soldiers are trained to teach.,,, If the goal is to turn the fighting completely over to the local armed forces, then training must also involve teaching them how to conduct and call in air strikes, gather intelligence and apply it to tactical operations, move soldiers rapidly from one area to another (which involves flying helicopters or small transport planes), resupply soldiers when they’re deployed far from the base (logistics), and plan operations on a strategic or theater-wide level. "
The IRS "Scandal": Oh ... Never Mind
DOJ: No Charges for Former IRS Official Lois Lerner from the Daily Beast
"“We found no evidence that any IRS official acted based on political, discriminatory, corrupt, or other inappropriate motives that would support a criminal prosecution,” Assistant Attorney General Peter Kadzik wrote in a letter to Congress."
REALLY!? I am SOOO surprised. Another Obama administration scandal exposed as a non-scandal.
"“We found no evidence that any IRS official acted based on political, discriminatory, corrupt, or other inappropriate motives that would support a criminal prosecution,” Assistant Attorney General Peter Kadzik wrote in a letter to Congress."
REALLY!? I am SOOO surprised. Another Obama administration scandal exposed as a non-scandal.
The Budget Deal: A Major Win for Obama
Obama Wins on Budget Deal as John Boehner Cleans Out the Barn from the New York Times
"The budget agreement struck late Monday between the White House and Congress hands President Obama a major victory, vindicating his hard line this year against spending limits that he argued were a drag on the economy and also buying himself freedom for the final 14 months of his term from the fiscal dysfunction that has plagued his presidency."
"The budget agreement struck late Monday between the White House and Congress hands President Obama a major victory, vindicating his hard line this year against spending limits that he argued were a drag on the economy and also buying himself freedom for the final 14 months of his term from the fiscal dysfunction that has plagued his presidency."
"Good Factory Jobs" - Not What They Used to Be
'Good' Jobs Aren't Coming Back (Alana Semuels) from the Atlantic
"In the last several years some American companies have moved their operations back to the states, but the resulting factory work isn't providing the prosperity and security that such work once did."
"In the last several years some American companies have moved their operations back to the states, but the resulting factory work isn't providing the prosperity and security that such work once did."
GOPers Looking for Their Own "Obama"
Republicans have a serious electability problem — and Marco Rubio is not the answer (Paul Waldman) from The Week
"Perhaps the reason is that at the end of eight years suffering under a president from the other party, emotions are too raw and resentments too deep for that kind of pragmatic thinking. In that way, Republicans in 2016 are in a position similar to that of Democrats in 2008 at the end of George W. Bush's two terms. I'm sure more than a few Republicans would like to find the candidate who can make them feel the way Barack Obama made Democrats feel then ..."
"Perhaps the reason is that at the end of eight years suffering under a president from the other party, emotions are too raw and resentments too deep for that kind of pragmatic thinking. In that way, Republicans in 2016 are in a position similar to that of Democrats in 2008 at the end of George W. Bush's two terms. I'm sure more than a few Republicans would like to find the candidate who can make them feel the way Barack Obama made Democrats feel then ..."
Perverse Cosmic Justice Visited on the Bushes & their Clique
Bush at 91: Irritated and Invigorated by ’16 Race from the New York Times
"... the elder Mr. Bush was fuming at the news of the day: Mr. Trump had belittled Sen. John McCain of Arizona for being taken prisoner in Vietnam. “I can’t understand how somebody could say that and still be taken seriously,” said Mr. Bush ... “I have no feeling for the electorate anymore,” said John H. Sununu, the former New Hampshire governor who helped the elder Mr. Bush win the 1988 primary there and went on to serve as his White House chief of staff. “It is not responding the way it used to. Their priorities are so different that if I tried to analyze it I’d be making it up.” ... ... Contempt for Mr. Trump runs deep in the clan. ... Jeb Bush’s brother Neil has also vented privately about how bad Mr. Trump is for the country, ... And their father has been highly irritated by Mr. Trump’s ridicule."
It is sooo fitting the the Bushes and their compatriots are perplexed and upset by Trump and the way the race has gone. When W was running in 2000 and '04, these people were perfectly happy to exploit the hard right to get elected. I find it INCREDIBLE that any of them bitch about what Trump said about McCain -- given what they were selling about John Kerry in '04!! It's a perverse form of cosmic justice. -- Nuggetsman
"... the elder Mr. Bush was fuming at the news of the day: Mr. Trump had belittled Sen. John McCain of Arizona for being taken prisoner in Vietnam. “I can’t understand how somebody could say that and still be taken seriously,” said Mr. Bush ... “I have no feeling for the electorate anymore,” said John H. Sununu, the former New Hampshire governor who helped the elder Mr. Bush win the 1988 primary there and went on to serve as his White House chief of staff. “It is not responding the way it used to. Their priorities are so different that if I tried to analyze it I’d be making it up.” ... ... Contempt for Mr. Trump runs deep in the clan. ... Jeb Bush’s brother Neil has also vented privately about how bad Mr. Trump is for the country, ... And their father has been highly irritated by Mr. Trump’s ridicule."
It is sooo fitting the the Bushes and their compatriots are perplexed and upset by Trump and the way the race has gone. When W was running in 2000 and '04, these people were perfectly happy to exploit the hard right to get elected. I find it INCREDIBLE that any of them bitch about what Trump said about McCain -- given what they were selling about John Kerry in '04!! It's a perverse form of cosmic justice. -- Nuggetsman
The Hard Right: A Party Within a Party?
GOP right wing acts like its own party (Juan Williams) from The Hill
"The Freedom Caucus and the people who sent it to Washington want to sit at the big table and decide on their own deals. All that is required now is that the rebels pick their own leader and begin negotiations with the Republicans and Democrats. But first they have to officially divorce the GOP and form their own party. There are enough hard-right Republican voters who agree with this call for independence from GOP leadership to back a new party under the name of the Freedom Caucus."
"The Freedom Caucus and the people who sent it to Washington want to sit at the big table and decide on their own deals. All that is required now is that the rebels pick their own leader and begin negotiations with the Republicans and Democrats. But first they have to officially divorce the GOP and form their own party. There are enough hard-right Republican voters who agree with this call for independence from GOP leadership to back a new party under the name of the Freedom Caucus."
New GOP Focus: Bringing Trump Down
Panicked establishment gets ready for war against Trump (Byron York) from the Washington Examiner
"The Republican establishment, for the first time, is saying, off the record, this guy can win," noted Joe Scarborough on MSNBC Monday morning. "I've heard that from everybody. I don't hear anybody saying he can't win the nomination anymore." That doesn't mean Republicans have made their peace with a Trump victory. On the contrary — some are preparing to do whatever it takes to bring him down. Which could lead to an extraordinary scenario in which GOP stalwarts go to war to destroy their own party's likely nominee."
"The Republican establishment, for the first time, is saying, off the record, this guy can win," noted Joe Scarborough on MSNBC Monday morning. "I've heard that from everybody. I don't hear anybody saying he can't win the nomination anymore." That doesn't mean Republicans have made their peace with a Trump victory. On the contrary — some are preparing to do whatever it takes to bring him down. Which could lead to an extraordinary scenario in which GOP stalwarts go to war to destroy their own party's likely nominee."
The GOP's Election Year Tech is No Where Near the Dems
The GOP Has a Tech Talent Problem It Might Not Solve from Wired Magazine
"... when Walker’s funding dried up, and he announced that he was pulling out of the race, Oczkowski fully expected the whole tech and digital staff would be scooped up by another campaign. But that never happened. For Oczkowski, that was sign—a sign that the rest of the GOP field isn’t building and prioritizing tech as vigorously as the Democrats are."
"... when Walker’s funding dried up, and he announced that he was pulling out of the race, Oczkowski fully expected the whole tech and digital staff would be scooped up by another campaign. But that never happened. For Oczkowski, that was sign—a sign that the rest of the GOP field isn’t building and prioritizing tech as vigorously as the Democrats are."
To Get Trump Out, Jeb Must Go First
3 Reasons Republicans Must Pull The Plug On Jeb If They Want To Stop Trump (Eric Kleefeld) from the National Memo
"All of this squabbling among the candidates has made one thing abundantly clear: If establishment Republicans really want to stop Donald Trump, they must first get Jeb out of the way. Here are some reasons why."
"All of this squabbling among the candidates has made one thing abundantly clear: If establishment Republicans really want to stop Donald Trump, they must first get Jeb out of the way. Here are some reasons why."
The Polite Pretense Surrounding the Bush Candidacy
Jeb Bush is completely toast: Donald Trump and Jake Tapper just ended all White House dreams (Amanda Marcotte) from Salon
"... when it comes to Bush, voters may be picking up on something that the party elite do not understand: Bush faces a brother-shaped albatross hanging around his neck that will, in fact, turn out to be a real problem in the general election. Worse, Bush’s way of handling the issue suggests he hasn’t given it much thought, clearly expecting everyone to politely pretend that we’ll all forgotten about that 9/11 and Iraq War thing."
"... when it comes to Bush, voters may be picking up on something that the party elite do not understand: Bush faces a brother-shaped albatross hanging around his neck that will, in fact, turn out to be a real problem in the general election. Worse, Bush’s way of handling the issue suggests he hasn’t given it much thought, clearly expecting everyone to politely pretend that we’ll all forgotten about that 9/11 and Iraq War thing."
The Benghazi Witch-Hunt
The Benghazi Witch-Hunt Against Hillary Is Backfiring Just Like Bill Clinton's Impeachment ... And its chairman, Trey Gowdy, just got caught red handed from The Nation
"Ever since Watergate, Republicans have been consumed with the certainty that a similar scandal will one day befall Democrats, and have gone to great lengths to make it so. But when their inquiries run aground, or devolve into partisan witch hunting, they eventually relent, and allow the investigations to fizzle out. The Benghazi committee is flirting with the same fate."
"Ever since Watergate, Republicans have been consumed with the certainty that a similar scandal will one day befall Democrats, and have gone to great lengths to make it so. But when their inquiries run aground, or devolve into partisan witch hunting, they eventually relent, and allow the investigations to fizzle out. The Benghazi committee is flirting with the same fate."
Are Conservative Issues Losing Their Edge?
The GOP's Problems Go Way Deeper Than the Speaker Mess (Kevin Drum) from Mother Jones Magazine
"Republicans aren't the party of no ideas—they're the party of no escape. ... The failure of Obamacare's foes is a sign of a larger trend: A lot of traditional conservative issues are losing their momentum...
"Republicans aren't the party of no ideas—they're the party of no escape. ... The failure of Obamacare's foes is a sign of a larger trend: A lot of traditional conservative issues are losing their momentum...
Are Ethics and Character Questions in Marco's Future?
Dirt on Rubio in Jeb Bush's Campaign Blueprint? from US News
"A 112-page internal document provided to U.S. News includes more dirt on Marco Rubio, Iowa vote goals and a January advertising plan. ... Additionally, while the slides released to the media outlined Bush's overarching argument against Florida Sen. Marco Rubio – that he's the GOP's Barack Obama – the complete offering contains more biting, detailed slights, pointedly questioning the character and ethics of Bush's home state rival."
"A 112-page internal document provided to U.S. News includes more dirt on Marco Rubio, Iowa vote goals and a January advertising plan. ... Additionally, while the slides released to the media outlined Bush's overarching argument against Florida Sen. Marco Rubio – that he's the GOP's Barack Obama – the complete offering contains more biting, detailed slights, pointedly questioning the character and ethics of Bush's home state rival."
For Latinos, It’s not just Donald Trump
Latino voters are down on Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, too (Sophia Tesfaye) from Salon
"According to a new AP-GfK poll, the entire Republican party’s feeble rebrand effort following the 2012 election was a complete dud. Even the GOP's "outreach" candidates are underwater with Latinos."
"According to a new AP-GfK poll, the entire Republican party’s feeble rebrand effort following the 2012 election was a complete dud. Even the GOP's "outreach" candidates are underwater with Latinos."
Sunday, October 18, 2015
News Nuggets 1537
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| DAYLEE PICTURE: A solar eclipse gleams over the mountains of Spitsbergen, Norway. From National Geographic. |
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