President Obama Differs from Senator Obama

President Obama believes the Unitary Executive has the power to unilaterally order a military strike on Syria in retribution for use of chemical weapons on civilians,  Senator Obama stated the President needed Congressional authorization for war.  However, in a magnanimous display Obama promised to ask Congress for authorization to attack Syria.

Given President-elect Obama kept his mouth shut when Israel used cluster munitions, white phosphorous and DIME bombs on its neighbors, his outrage on the Syrian attacks looks hollow and one sided.

Obama's Three Days: From MLK to War

President Obama's nightmare for the world continues, as the U.S. prepares to attack Syria, possibly over the Labor Day weekend.  The Obama team is calling an attack the responsibility of the international community with widespread support.

International support for an attack is down to the U.S. White House and the French Prime Minister.  Neither the U.S. Congress nor the French Parliament have voted to support an attack.  The UN hasn't taken up the issue and the Arab League will meet Sunday.  Britain's House of Commons voted against an attack, preventing Prime Minister David Cameron's hands from acquiring more blood.

Three days ago President Obama spoke from the Lincoln Memorial, the site of Reverend Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

The White House has indicated it does not believe it needs the backing of Congress, nor the support of traditional allies, before taking action against Assad.

Obama 's unilateral global parent-policeman is a feature of the Unitary Executive, something candidate Obama ran against.  Secretary of State John Kerry and Pentagon Chief Chuck Hagel gave the world wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as U.S. Senators. 

Kerry wrote of his 2002 vote for the Iraq war resolution, “There’s nothing -- nothing -- in my life in public service I regret more, nothing even close.”

In November 2005, Hagel defended his criticism of the Iraq war, stating "To question your government is not unpatriotic — to not question your government is unpatriotic."

The United Nations team investigating the chemical attacks won't have a report for two weeks.  President Obama won't wait for the report or any legitimate international body to support his violence.

Jimmy Carter urged the White House to seek UN backing. “A punitive military response without a UN mandate or broad support from NATO and the Arab League would be illegal under international law and unlikely to alter the course of the war,” he said.

President Obama, global parent, believes whatever the Unitary Executive does is legal.  That's the kind of organizational hubris and arrogance that makes others second class citizens.

Reverend Martin Luther King said "violence of war is so self defeating."  The British public felt it and responded.  Nobel Peace Prize winner Obama left the site of King's spiritual vision, intent on adding to darkness and hate.

Update:  After Obama called for "limited, narrow" strikes the WSJ reported contingency plans are under way for the collapse of the Syrian regime. "Planning Under Way for Possible Syrian Collapse: U.S., Allies and Syrian Opposition Discuss Plans at Meeting in Istanbul."  Does that mean the U.S. is targeting Syrian President Assad?  If he's killed by a drone attack does that make it a double international crime?

Update 2:  President Obama will deliver a statement on Syria from the Rose Garden at 1:15 Eastern. It's now 1:45 Eastern and Obama is yet to speak.

Obama: The Anti-Martin Luther King

This week saw the 50th anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. 

You have been the veterans of creative suffering.  Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive... Let freedom ring.-  MLK - August 28, 1963

President Obama plans to unleash untold unearned suffering in Syria and Iran, after doing the same in Libya.

"We are involved in a war on Asian soil, which if not checked and stopped may poison the very soul of our nation....When a nation becomes obsessed with the guns of war it loses its social perspective...Violence is so self defeating." - MLK - May 8, 1967

His Presidency oversaw increased intrusions into citizen freedom, especially the right to a fair trial by peers and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures.  With the strike of a pen and no oversight or accountability these freedoms can be taken by the America's Unitary Executive. 

I envision Rev. Martin Luther King, the recipient of intrusive CIA spying in his day, as opposing Obama's wrapping himself in King's mantle.  Obama staked out that law students should have the freedom to finish law school in two years instead of three.  Are they glad the President rallied support for this oppressed group?

Peace Prospect: War Tactic?

Israel hates waging a multi-front war.  This explains why they dangle lengthy peace negotiations with Palestinians while preparing to war with a neighbor.  That's the current situation.  The Irish Times reported:

US secretary of state John Kerry has allocated nine months for the talks, which will alternate between Jerusalem and the West Bank. He insists the sides are serious in their desire to clinch a peace deal that will end the deeply entrenched conflict.

Here's the dangle:

Israeli chief negotiator Tzipi Livni, a veteran of the previous round of talks, warned that “dramatic decisions” will have to be taken by Israel at the end of the negotiating process.

How many wars will Israel and the U.S. embark upon in the next nine months?

Update 8-25-13:  The U.S. and Israel will give Iran less than 6 months to change its nuclear course.  Neocons John McCain and Lindsey Graham want the U.S. to attack Syria with a series of "surgical strikes" after the recent poisoning of Syrian civilians.  Chemical weapons tend to be in the purview of nation states.  That leaves an offensive attack by Syria/Russia or false flag event sponsored by Israel/U.S.

Greenwald's Partner Detained at Heathrow

The White House received a head's up on Britain's retaining Glenn Greewald's partner as he connected through Heathrow Airport

"At the moment anybody can be stopped under this power. There is no need for the police to believe they are a terrorist or to suspect they are a terrorist. The only reason they can talk to them is in order to determine whether they are a terrorist.

"It seems to me there is a question to be answered about whether it should be possible to detain somebody – to keep them for six hours, to download their mobile phone – without the need for any suspicion at all. I hope at least it is something parliament will look at." -- David Anderson QC, independent reviewer of terrorism legislation

This is what a monster wave of retaliation looks like.  British officials refused to say whether they shared the contents of the detainee's electronic devices with U.S. officials.  Given our two countries long history of collaboration, I expect U.S. officials have full access.  Corporate livelihoods are at stake.

Trust the NSA's Internal Reviews

The NSA issued a document on August 9, 2013 supporting President Obama's recently reiterated remarks.  The document closed with typical boilerplate corporate legal language:

NSA personnel are obligated to report when they believe NSA is not, or may not be, acting consistently with law, policy, or procedure. This self reporting is part of the culture and fabric of NSA. If NSA is not acting in accordance with law, policy, or procedure, NSA will report through its internal and external intelligence oversight channels, conduct reviews to understand the root cause, and make appropriate adjustments to constantly improve.

These statements sound great until one explores their use. The NSA's culture and fabric had their leader lie to Congress, the oversight channel, on phone record metadata collection.

In the corporate compliance world language like this is generally used to shift blame for wrongdoing onto the lowest level.  It's also a method for keeping whistle blowers inside, where the company can "manage" the situation.  Frequently, the reporting employee is minimized, shunned or retaliated against.  System problems, rooted in greed or dysfunctional leadership, are ignored and the reporting individual is ostracized. 

When whistleblowers go outside, the company must act in a public way to discredit and destroy the leaker.  I predicted such shortly after Edward Snowden went public.  While the truth teller is hounded, lying leaders remain unscathed.

Update 8-15-13:  WaPo reported on abuses revealed from the NSA's internal reviews.

President Obama on Snowden: Know or No?

HuffPo reported President Obama's contortions on NSA domestic spying.  Before branding Edward Snowden "no patriot," he offered::

"Unfortunately, rather than an orderly and lawful process to debate these issues and come up with appropriate reforms, repeated leaks of classified information have initiated the debate in a very passionate but not always fully informed way," President Obama said. "But given the history of abuse by governments, it's right to ask questions about surveillance, particularly as technology is reshaping every aspect of our lives."

First of all, there is no legal way for issues to be identified to even debate.   Second, it's not history at all.  President Obama is the latest serial abuser.   It's current practice under his Constitutional watch, or lack thereof.

But despite his embrace of reforms, the president had little sympathy for Snowden when asked if the former government contractor could be characterized as a "patriot" and "whistleblower."

"No, I don't think Mr. Snowden was a patriot," Obama said. "The fact is, Mr. Snowden has been charged with three felonies."

What happened to innocent until proven guilty?  This is but more horse hockey from America's latest Chief Executive. 

There is no legal way to have Obama's "healthy debate."  The American people are expected to silently comply. 

Freedom vs. Security According to PEW

"Few See Adequate Limits on NSA Surveillance Program" - July 26, 2013