Apparently antisemitism doesn’t exist in Europe anymore

A somewhat (but not exceedingly) surprising turn of events, amply described by Liberty Spirit.

Ryan Fogle's capture or what FSB and CIA don't want you to know

The strange story of a purported US diplomat/spy Ryan Fogle made a bit of noise in May of 2013, to be quickly drowned in a wave of nonsense. A set of wigs, a compass, a street atlas, an exceedingly stupid letter - all these look like an attempt to bury the sliver of truth in an avalanche of horse manure. Interestingly, the American response to that crude parody on the (initially crude and awkward) Soviet popular spy stories was very subdued. As the WaPo writer astutely remarks:

And the whole sequence of events is reminding some Russians of a popular Cold War miniseries here, about KGB agents dramatically thwarting Western spy plots, that was called “TASS is authorized to declare...”

So very true. Until you look again at this famous picture, made during the capture of Mr Fogle:

The only mistake made by FSB was to let this picture out of their hands, because a simple enlargement shows a detail which is crucial for our understanding of the case:

You can't miss the light in the left eye of the captured "diplomat". And no, it's not the "red eye" effect in action, the camera is not facing the eyes directly, which usually causes the effect (when flash is activated). And even a beginner in vampire studies knows that:

In vampires, the iris in each eye becomes hyperdilated, giving them what appear to be black eyes. In addition, the retina now reflects more light into the rod cells, causing the eyes to shimmer in the dark.

Compare the enlargement above with a picture of a typical vampire in its night configuration to make sure:

Now, I hope, the reasons for CIA being so quiet about the story became obvious. And what about the FSB silence?

Ha!

Any questions?

This reminds of the sanctimonious BDS mob

We've just come back from the AGM of The Tate Members. The Tate is a 4 centre art gallery, for those for whom the name is unknown: two art galleries/museums in London (T. Britain & Modern), one in Liverpool and the fourth in St Ives, which is in the far South West of England. Members are this organisation's equivalent of Friends elsewhere: for a fee, you get to go as many times as you want in a year to as many otherwise pay-on-the-door exhibitions, many of them grand (one about to open is Matisse's cut-outs, sold as a once in lifetime chance to view work from Matisse's last two decades).

We missed last year's AGM, so were surprised when certain activists opened up about B(ritish) P(etroleum)'s sponsorship of The Tate, apparently a follow-on from a row last year. What struck me was the essential naivety of these young people: there they were, going on (and on and on...) about the iniquities of BP, their role in global warming, their devil worship (I made that last bit up), and so-on.

Now, we regard ourselves as Democratic Socialists in good standing. Among other things, this means that we don't assume that there are any large commercial organisations, large enough to make significant donations to cultural organisations that are without blame. The protestors clearly do. And without such donations, cultural organisations like The Tate could not keep their doors open and/or make much of their acquired material available for free to anyone who comes in: and, believe me, much of their archive is fantastic, as is that of The British Museum, which has a similar policy.

These people reminded me of the so-called "vulgar Marxists" of my early days in education: read "The Communist Manifesto" and regarded themselves as experts on Karl Marx. I was able to say as much after the AGM to the Director of The Tate. Further, as it occurred to me after leaving the building, at least some of these people reminded me of the BDS mob: banging on about boycotting the evil Zionazis, yet refusing to give up their mobile (cell) phones, or their desk top computers, or medicines developed in Israel. I bet lots of them drive cars and even (horror of horrors) have been known to buy fuel at a BP petrol station.

Hypocrite, thy name is sanctimonious (rancid - thank you Noga!) leftist.

By Brian Goldfarb.

Amazon drones: pushing us into the brave new world

I am more than sure that the new Amazon Octocopters venture is not just a marketing ploy. The idea of ordering stuff to have it dropped on your porch in a few hours is deeply appealing.

I can see the not so distant future, when the drones, having matured in their confidence and intelligence, will undertake some additional chores, such as:

• Leaving reviews of the books or other purchased items they drop, something in the vein of:"This story did not intrigue me at all. I fell asleep almost every time I picked it up. I literally struggled to finish it. It was written well I won't deny that. It just didn't captivate me. I'm glad I'm done with it."*
• Cutting open the infamous plastic "blister" packaging to make it buyer-accessible.
• Mowing lawns in need of attention.
• Taking on some punitive roles. "Dear Sir/Madam, I am sorry to inform you that due to non-payment of the three electricity bills in a row I have disconnected your power line this morning. Your friendly Amazon drone at your service".

And much more, the sky is the limit - and only a temporary one at that!
 
(*) Borrowed from Good Reads for the purpose.

The Council Has Spoken!

Council Winners

• *First place with 3 votes!The Noisy Room – Astroturfed Marxists Call for an Obama Dictatorship
• Second place *t* with 2 1/3 votes –The Right lanet – UNCONSCIONABLE! Cancer Patient Who Spoke Out Against ObamaCare Now Being Audited
• Second place *t* with 2 1/3 votes –Joshuapundit-About That ‘Jewish Controlled Media’
• Third place *t* with 1 vote –Bookworm Room -Why a healthy society should resist the new generation of gender-neutral pronouns
• Third place *t* with 1 vote –Liberty’s Spirit – Control Education-Control the Future
• Third place *t* with 1 vote –Nice Deb – The IRS Continues to Punish Obama’s Enemies (Video)
• Third place *t* with 1 vote –The Razor – The Rich Get Richer Thanks to the Fed
• Fourth place *t* with 2/3 vote –GrEaT sAtAn”S gIrLfRiEnD – The Battle For Protecting Troops On The Ground
• Fourth place *t* with 2/3 vote –Simply Jews – The Iran deal: another big red herring
• Fourth place *t* with 2/3 vote –Rhymes With Right – Obama’s Secret Police
• Fifth place with 1/3 vote – VA Right! - New Christmas Song – ‘Deployed Again for Christmas’ – Christmas Tribute to our Troops!

Non-Council Winners

Read more »

“Knockout” attacks in Brooklyn may stem from a genuine concern about Jewish influence.

Says Laurie Cumbo - a local New York City politician and ally of mayor-elect Bill de Blasio.

Laurie Cumbo, the councilwoman-elect for the Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights, made the comments in an open letter posted to her Facebook page. In the letter, Cumbo reports that many of her African-American constituents are alarmed by the growth of the local Jewish community.

The resulting tension, she says, could have lead to a number of attacks on Jewish residents that bear the hallmarks of a “game” in which teens attempt to knock someone unconscious with one punch.

About Laurie Cumbo:

Laurie Angela Cumbo was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and graduated from the Berkeley Carroll Day School in Park Slope and Brooklyn Technical High School in Fort Greene before going on to attend Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, where she graduated with a degree in Fine Art. She returned to Brooklyn and received her Master’s Degree in Visual Arts Administration from New York University in 1999. As a cultural leader, entrepreneur, activist, college professor, educator, lecturer and small business owner working in the not-for-profit sector, Ms. Cumbo has dedicated her life to community development and preserving the dynamic elements of diversity that have made Brooklyn, New York what it is today.

There are certainly some "dynamic elements of diversity" in Brooklyn, as you can see...

More by Rhymes With Right.

And more from Noisy Room.

And an essay by Joshuapundit.

Hat tip to and his own post on the subject by: The Colossus of Rhodey.

Nelson Mandela, RIP

During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination.

I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.

Is there anyone in South Africa - nay, in the whole world, to step into his shoes?

Hassan al-Laqqis - PBUH, acute lead poisoning - but not by Zionist entity!

Sometime MSM uncritically publish things beyond a most feverish imagination:

A high-ranking security official told Lebanon's The Daily Star that unidentified, pistol-wielding gunmen shot Mr. al-Laqis in the head and the neck five times.
...
Hezbollah, in its statement, said Israel had tried to kill al-Laqis, who is reportedly close to the group's leader Hassan Nasrallah, on several occasions, but only succeeded this time.

Five bullets? There is no freaking way a Mossad operative would get an allotment of five bullets at these turbulent times, when a wave of austerity measures is going to hit us all because of Bibi's family's living expenses. No, I suggest you all look for the real culprit after studying the following picture of the untimely deceased:

I am more than sure that you would agree: the man was definitely killed by a group of outraged fashion designers. He was a living and walking challenge to good taste, no matter what is the observer's religious, political, racial or gender persuasion.

And more: I bet that there are many more bullets where he was hit: them fashion designers are not known for sharpshooting.

Watcher’s Council Nominations – Lawless Edition

Council Submissions

• Liberty’s Spirit – Control Education-Control the Future
• The Noisy Room – Astroturfed Marxists Call for an Obama Dictatorship
• The Right Planet – UNCONSCIONABLE! Cancer Patient Who Spoke Out Against ObamaCare Now Being Audited
• The Political Commentator – An Obama third term? Here we go…
• Simply Jews – The Iran deal: another big red herring
• Nice Deb – The IRS Continues to Punish Obama’s Enemies (Video)
• Joshuapundit-About That ‘Jewish Controlled Media’
• GrEaT sAtAn”S gIrLfRiEnD – The Battle For Protecting Troops On The Ground
• The Colossus of Rhodey – Ridiculous lawsuit
• The Razor – The Rich Get Richer Thanks to the Fed
• The Glittering Eye -Sacrificing A Pawn
• Bookworm Room – Why a healthy society should resist the new generation of gender-neutral pronouns
• VA Right! - New Christmas Song – ‘Deployed Again for Christmas’ – Christmas Tribute to our Troops!
• The Mellow Jihadi – A close shave save’s you 100′s of $/£
• Rhymes With Right – Obama’s Secret Police

Honorable Mentions

• Ask Marion – The War on Christmas verses the Spirit of Christmas Series 2013 – WoC 2013
• Boker Tov Boulder – A White House Debased: Politicizing Thanksgiving
• Right Truth – Honor And Betrayal: The Untold Story Of The Navy SEALS Who Captured The “Butcher Of Fallujah”And The Ordeal they Later Endured
• The Pirate’s Cove – Bummer: “Climate Change” Is Aiding Al Qaeda

Non-Council Submissions

Read more »

The science of Israeli soldiers' non-rape is advancing - thanks to Gideon Levy and Tal Nitzan

The article An Israeli Soldier to American Jews: Wake up! by Hen Mazzig, a Campus Coordinator for StandWithUs' Pacific Northwest chapter in the United States, is remarkable in many ways.

As a young Israeli who had just completed five years of service in the IDF, I looked forward to my new job educating people in the Pacific Northwest about Israel. I was shocked, however, by the anti-Israel bigotry and hostility I encountered, especially in the greater Seattle area, Oregon, and Berkeley. I had been very liberal, a member of the leftist Zionist party, Meretz, but the anti-Semitism and hatred for Israel that I have seen in the U.S. has changed my outlook personally and politically.

The whole article is very much recommended - not that the general "anti-Zionist" trend of the US campuses is a new topic, but Hen does present a stark picture of the campus reality that should draw attention. However, the following passage attracted me especially:

The claims go beyond being absurd – in one case, a professor asked me if I knew how many Palestinians have been raped by IDF forces. I answered that as far as I knew, none. She triumphantly responded that I was right, because, she said, “You IDF soldiers don’t rape Palestinians because Israelis are so racist and disgusted by them that you won’t touch them.”

Young Hen may have ascribed this exchange solely to the stupidity of the professor, but there are deeper roots to the story of non-rape.

To start with, the inception of the idea, by Tal Nitzan (today Dr Nitzan, I guess) who chose to prove in her research paper that "the lack of organized military rape is an alternate way of realizing [particular] political goals." Meaning that our soldiers don't rape Palestinian women because of a political/racial imperative, which is apparently very simple: the fear that the offspring of this union will not be recognized as Jewish.

Of course, no scientific breakthrough becomes a big deal before it is properly popularized and brought to the attention of the masses. And this is where our Moral Compass, Gideon Levy, stepped in (or into, whatever), with the following:

The Israeli Jewish journalist Gideon Levy who is known for his pro-peace and pro-Palestinian stance says something quite terrible in your film — that unlike in other conflicts where rape is used a weapon, there is no case of Israeli soldiers raping Palestinian women because they have been dehumanized to such an extent that they cannot be objects of desire.

Now you can see that the Seattle professor's outburst is not a random rave of a loony, but a statement  based on a solid scientific foundation. Of a kind. And promoted by the best in our media.

So there. Deal with it.

A youngster's guide to seismology

Why do we learn most important things after they become irrelevant? Like this:

I may have caused a few of these earthquakes myself when I was young and restless.

So, kids, take care. The good ole Ayatollah knows what he is talking about.

All humans must be Jewish, it's (almost) final

What do you know?

The human species began as the hybrid offspring of a male pig and a female chimpanzee, a leading geneticist has suggested. The startling claim has been made by Eugene McCarthy, of the University of Georgia, who is also one of the worlds leading authorities on hybridisation in animals.

It doesn't take a genius nowadays to know who are the descendants of apes and pigs, surely. If so, and I wouldn't argue with a sacred book of Quran, the conclusion must be clear - all people are Jewish.

I am saying that the conclusion is almost final, because somebody named PZ Myers published a criticism of good Dr McCarthy. The author got quite incensed during the writing of the article, offering the following experiment toward the end of it:

But here’s the deal: maybe I’m completely wrong. This is an experiment that is easily and relatively cheaply done. Human sperm is easily obtained (McCarthy probably has a plentiful supply in his pants), while artificial insemination of swine is routine. Perhaps McCarthy can report back when he has actually done the work.

Methinks the experiment could be even simplified a bit, and I shall be holding my breath waiting for the results - if Dr McCarthy is ready and willing to lend a... er... hand.

What will prophet Muhammad say, I wonder?

A finger of speech

I mean the "total whore" in that cartoon, but it's way too good to be nitpicking.

By Taslima Nasreen via BCF.

The Iran deal: another big red herring

Russian FM Lavrov and Iranian FM Zarif: what are they laughing about?

The controversial agreement between Iran and six world powers over Tehran's nuclear program continues to generate controversial articles on the pros and cons of its technical details. So much is written and said about its various aspects that, as it usually happens, the gradual build-up that led to the agreement was forgotten, and the history (fairly recent) of its inception isn't even mentioned. Which is significant, because, if I read it correctly, this forgetfulness is exactly what the powers, involved in the agreement, are counting upon.

From day one of his first term in the White House Obama put the rapprochement with Iran at the top of his "to do" list. As witnessed by NYT on January 11, 2009 (do you need a better witness?):

Speaking on the ABC News program “This Week,” Mr. Obama reiterated that he wanted to work directly with Iran — a country whose president has called for Israel’s destruction — to improve relations and halt a nuclear program that Tehran describes as peaceful, but that the West believes is not.

“We are going to have to take a new approach,” he told the program’s host, George Stephanopoulos. “My belief is that engagement is the place to start.”

And, whether it is a direct quote from Obama or not (the article doesn't make it clear), the sequence of the two goals: "to improve relations and halt a nuclear program" - shows the priority of the the goals. Improvement of relations first, nuclear program second. And a very distant second, if you ask me.

If we disregard for a moment Iran's role in fomenting terror, its reactionary fanatic leaders, its thirst for regional hegemony etc. - there are many good reasons for an American leader to desire a new era in relations with Iran. A nation of 75 million that controls oil reserves second only to Saudi Arabia, has an ability to disrupt the main conduit of the Arab oil flow to the West, is technically savvy - such a nation makes a powerful friend indeed, but for now remains a powerful enemy. So, turning the trend and succeeding where five previous presidents failed, befriending Iran could be a real coup for Obama - whether he pines for the second Nobel Peace prize or not.

Of course, the way to improvement of relations with Iran wasn't easy even for president Obama, who, in his shining new mantle of a peacemaker and change bringer, was intent on achieving a quick breakthrough. Even the sweetest entreaties failed with the rabidly anti-Western Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose addiction to hateful rhetoric, tacitly backed by Ayatollahs, made any covert and overt approaches fail. However, Mahmoud the Mad's time in the office ended, and Hassan Rouhani stepped in. Not exactly an unknown figure, Mr Rouhani is, and not exactly a dove. So why, knowing all this, did Obama jump into the new round of talks with Iran, including, as we all know now, covert high level negotiations:

The United States and Iran secretly engaged in a series of high-level, face-to-face talks over the past year, in a high-stakes diplomatic gamble by the Obama administration that paved the way for the historic deal sealed early Sunday in Geneva aimed at slowing Tehran’s nuclear program, The Associated Press has learned.

And why would president Obama suddenly forget his own "firm" stand against Iran's nuclear developments?

In 2010, White House Spokesperson Robert Gibbs declared that the administration had no intention of allowing Iran to continue enriching uranium. But as of November 2013, under the interim deal’s terms — which allow Iran to continue enrichment to 5% — Washington has consented to this very thing.

Finally: is the US acceptance of the murky and unsatisfactory nuclear agreement with Iran another Chamberlain moment in the Western history, as many pundits say? Not in the eyes of the POTUS and his administration, I am more than sure. And here is the point where I have to disagree with the pundits. It is not that there is no resemblance between the Iran deal and the Chamberlain's shameful surrender - there is, but it is not the central point of the subject matter. Far from it.

In fact, Obama is teaching all of us a lesson in realpolitik. Where many see a surrender, Obama has successfully (second time this year, if you count the Syrian chemical weapons deal) feinted, substituting the prevailing aversion to dealings with a hateful regime by a huge red herring of nuclear negotiations. In the Western minds now, success in curbing the Iranian race to the nuke became a valid substitute to seeing Iran for what it is and for what it does, nukes or no nukes. And this is the turning point that will allow Obama to really start on the way to his goal: restoring the relations with Iran, which is what he has been dreaming about all along.

I am more than sure that neither Obama nor Pentagon and/or CIA see nuclear Iran as threatening the US or even its European and other allies. And I am also confident that this is a valid estimate. In the current administration's view, Iran needs the nukes first of all and above all as a deterrent against any possible neighborhood threats, chief of them, of course, Israel, but also the unfriendly Sunni states. Of course, a future possibility of dealing with the Zionist enemy is on the table, but even that is not an immediate concern. The nukes in Iranian arsenal will make it impervious to any external military threat and allow its dream of local hegemony to become reality - but this is of a slight concern to US administration, especially if its love affair with Iran bears fruit.

That the much desired rapprochement with Iran will require throwing a few previously close allies, such as Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states and others under the bus, is quite clear and, in part, is already happening. But then, realpolitik cannot abide sentiments, and what needs to be done has to be done.

As for the nuclear deal with Iran: what deal?

Iran is currently enjoying a “window” of time before the six-month deal signed in Geneva early Sunday goes into effect, during which it is not bound to take any credible steps toward disabling its ability to produce a nuclear weapon, the State Department acknowledged Tuesday.

Smoke and mirrors, ladies and gentlemen, smoke and mirrors. And meanwhile, I bet, fairly senior teams of US and Iranian diplomats hammer out the terms of re-opening the embassies...

Afterword and more links: if you need more proof, here comes one Thomas L. Friedman of The New York Times, with an unequivocal message*:

It may not work, but it’s a worthy bet because the only real security for Iran’s neighbors can come from an evolutionary change in the character of that regime. So, if Iran’s nuclear capabilities are curbed, we can live with that bet on evolutionary change — especially since it would likely facilitate an end to the U.S.-Iran cold war, which has hampered our cooperating on regional issues. Our allies, by contrast, do not trust Iran at all and therefore don’t believe in evolutionary change there. They want Iran stripped of all nuclear technology until there is regime change.

We can’t close that gap. We can only manage it by being very clear about our goals: to unleash politics inside Iran as much as possible, while leashing its nuclear program as tightly as possible, while continuing to protect our Arab and Israeli allies.

Which, in a simpler translation, means: yeah, we told you we'll not allow a nuclear Iran: so we lied, sue us.

(*) When Thomas L. Friedman uses the royal "we" in his texts, he means "Obama and I", and he has all the good reasons to do so. You better believe it.

And, if you desire some consolation, here is a scathing WaPo editorial about the deal.

For more supportive details, you could do much worse than read this astute piece:

The interim deal makes official what Obama has long been pursuing—a strategic realignment integrating Iran into a multipolar Middle East, where once traditional American allies will no longer enjoy a privileged relationship with Washington. The signs pointing to Obama’s new configuration, downgrading Saudi Arabia and Israel and upgrading Iran, have long been apparent, if incredible.

And, not without some reason: Worse Than Munich.

For those of you who crave technical details, a good source here.

A realistic analysis by Ron Ben-Yishai, highlighting the dangers.

There is so much more... but I'll let you go. For now.

Sharkeisha's family

Oh, you don't know yet who Sharkeisha is? Here.