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France recognizes rebel coalition as legitimate rulers of Syria
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Page 4: Opinion
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Page 6: Politix
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7 21:33 CrazyFool [336085]
Home Front: Politix
If they want to secede, let 'em
[SFGate] At first, I was sad. After hundreds of years, after the travesty of slavery and the heartbreak of war, after the outrage of an aborted Reconstruction and the treasonous decades of Jim Crow - have these states learned nothing at all?
Yeah. All those people in those 37 or maybe 47 states are stoopid. Why folk in San Francisco can think rings around them...
Then I started thinking a little more strategically. Centuries of heavily enforced inequality in certain states have left them incapacitated for the modern economy. What do they contribute to the current union, anyway?
Ummm... That's where the economic growth has been?
What would happen if we just decided to let them go?
I remember reading precisely the same suggestion in a Soviet magazine sometime around 1991 or 1992. Those dumbass Baltic states were agitating to leave the Soviet Union, and there were similar movements, not quite so strong yet, in Ukraine and Moldavia and the Caucasus and Central Asia. The suggestion was to go ahead and let them sink or swim on their own. Russia (as opposed to the Soviet Union) would be better off without them. Russia was where the center was, Russia would thrive without them...
Imagine the possibilities.
And ignore the hazards...
After a short phase-out period (so that the panicked citizens of New Orleans; Austin; and Washington, D.C., can join us), we let these ungrateful states go. And pull up the borders after us - the electric fence they're always so interested in having.
Ahah. No more Caliphornia immigration into Colorado or Nevada. That'll show 'em.
My prediction? Absolute chaos in the Southern states as they realize we're possessed of 85 percent of the country's venture capital and entrepreneurs and two-thirds of the country's tax revenue.
And that's an accurate and never-changing state of affairs...
Meanwhile,
...back at the shattered spaceship, Fffflirgoll the Arcturan slithered stealthily toward the control room, where the humans had barricaded themselves...
nothing but happiness as the arugula-eating states lavish on projects like infrastructure and education those tax dollars we'd previously been sending to the red states.
Tax dollars obtained through ever-rising rates. Well, by golly, the whole place will look like Bell City. Won't the arugula eaters be in swine heaven!
But in case some of us feel so inclined, we could set up a visa system for the more industrious citizens of those states, because they'll certainly be interested in working in a more advanced economy.
An 'advanced economy' being defined as a thin layer of the very rich (you might even call them the One Percent®) supporting large numbers of urban dwellers and governed by Marxist professors and lawyers.
Call it a "guest worker" program for our neighbors. Congress might even be willing to consider a generous immigration reform for them.
Kind of like Ukrainians and Estonians and such are allowed to work in Russia, where all the economic activity is...
After several years of this experiment, my guess is that the Southern states will be begging to be let back into the Union.
And my guess is that the 99 percent will be eating golden omelettes.
Posted by: Fred || 11/14/2012 14:12 || Comments || Link || [336094 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Texas and other conservative states has balanced budgets. Blue states are downing in debt and are digging deeper.

Who is it that will be on the corner begging who?
Posted by: Voldemort Grereth1352 || 11/14/2012 14:27 Comments || Top||

#2  Red states produce the bulk of the US military. Blue states produce the bulk of the US prison population.

Red states produce the bulk of the food and natural resources.
Blue states produce the bulk of the environmental regulations.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 11/14/2012 14:46 Comments || Top||

#3  Texas produces 30% of the US wind power.
Imagine the cleanie/greenie export surcharge.
Oh, beef, and the TI chips or Dell computers, or...Whataburgers!
Posted by: Skidmark || 11/14/2012 15:03 Comments || Top||

#4  One of the people in Tennessee who is calling for secession is a veteran who believes Obama is a destroying this country. He said he would rather die on his feet than be on his knees and enslaved.
Posted by: JohnQC || 11/14/2012 15:08 Comments || Top||

#5  So why are so many individuals and businesses fleeing California and the blue states?
Posted by: JohnQC || 11/14/2012 15:13 Comments || Top||

#6  Well the Northeast and California are still the biggest economic powerhouses in the land, just like the North was during the first Civil War.

However, unlike the first Civil War all the food belts are in the red states. Cut that off and most of the Blue states will starve. Plus most of the military has Red state affiliations and sympathies.

Give the Red states 20 more years and they will have just as much economic muscle as the Blue ones at the current rate of moves.
Posted by: DarthVader || 11/14/2012 16:08 Comments || Top||

#7  Remember what one of the Founding Fathers about hanging together or being hung together?

What is what Islam will do to you if the United Staes begin splitting. Instead of cutting and running from Obama and the Democrats you should be thionking into doing waht is needed to restore some sanity into the now Nlue Sates until the Democratic Party begins losing elections 49 to 1. But no, you cut and ran from the MSM and let themù fall into liberal hands, you cut and ran from the Academoia and let them fall into liberal hands so now they are poisonning the minds of your children, you cyt and ran from the Blacks and now they vote for the Jim Crow Party.

Qo go ahead, cut and run from the United States, secede and if Kihadists don't kill you earler in twenty years you will be cutting and running from Dallas.
Posted by: JFM || 11/14/2012 16:16 Comments || Top||

#8  We've got to get Washington State to secure Bremerton.

Posted by: Shipman || 11/14/2012 16:17 Comments || Top||

#9  And something will have to be done about Frank G. and the Turbans, perhaps a Mexican extraction or maybe they could make it to the border given a decent off road vehicle safely secured from ex-wives enemy observation.
Posted by: Shipman || 11/14/2012 16:22 Comments || Top||

#10  All New Orleans could bring to the table is control of the Mississippi River. Which, come to think of it, isn't bad.
Posted by: Matt || 11/14/2012 16:42 Comments || Top||

#11  Shipman - just get the Olympic Peninsula (Which includes Bremerton and the Trident base) - except for the Port Townsend area. Maybe even throw in Whidbey Island (for Whidbey Island Naval Air Station).

Believe me you want the liberal in the Seattle-Tacoma metro area like you want a hole in your head.
Posted by: CrazyFool || 11/14/2012 17:00 Comments || Top||

#12  Thanks Skidmark -- Save the Whataburgers!
Posted by: Sherry || 11/14/2012 17:19 Comments || Top||

#13  My fear is that we no longer live under the rule of law in the US. Champ imprisoned someone for posting a video on Youtube. Regulators go after people who donate to the wrong party. We lost the Constitution 80 years ago, give or take. Now we aren't even living by the new laws that have replaced it.

I am interested in secession for the same reason a Cuban might want to catch a boat headed north.
Posted by: Iblis || 11/14/2012 17:29 Comments || Top||

#14  Secession is not usually determined by the rule of law. However, the rule of law does not seem to be observed or respected lately. Secession is generally determined by a very costly armed conflict.
Posted by: JohnQC || 11/14/2012 17:48 Comments || Top||

#15  I'd vote in favor of California seceding. And no, I don't live in California.
Posted by: Cincinnatus Chili || 11/14/2012 17:49 Comments || Top||

#16  It might be better to have a civil war fighting against taxpayer-slavery.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 11/14/2012 17:53 Comments || Top||

#17  IIRC (and it's been a looooong time since I was in school), Texas was granted the right to secede as part of its agreement to join the Union. I believe they would have to split into 5 states (small countries?), but that shouldn't be a deterrent; no reason those states couldn't join in a confederation (kinda like Confederation Helvetica [Switzerland]).

I'm not really clear on the particulars at this distance from high school - and don't have time to research it right now. Anybody know more about it?

I'd be glad to emigrate to Texas if necessary; my Dad was raised in San Antonio and my grandparents lived there until they died, so it's not like I don't know and love the state. Don't Mess with Texas!

If not for my job (which at my age would be hard to replace in a new town), I'd move there anyway.
Posted by: Barbara || 11/14/2012 18:45 Comments || Top||

#18  If the Libs actually agree with us and think this is a good thing lets get it done.

I'll be moving south.
Posted by: Hellfish || 11/14/2012 18:59 Comments || Top||

#19  It's not so much Blue State vs Red State as much as Blue Urban vs Red Suburban/Rural. Not an absolute, but close enough.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 11/14/2012 19:41 Comments || Top||

#20  Draw it along county lines - red counties remain in the United States of America and the Blue counties can form the Socialist States of America.

(Problem is - I live in a blue county :( - but I'm willing to move! )
Posted by: CrazyFool || 11/14/2012 19:55 Comments || Top||

#21  I don't think there will be many who want to move into the blue area. We're in Carroll county NH, one of two red counties in a sea of blue. Massholes to the south, Maniacs to the east, and Vermin seeping across the western border. (Not sure wtf is going on in the North Country.)

A local merchant here in Wolfeboro said that he's happy to get his favorite neighbor (Romney) back, instead of ruining the town with a presidential summer home.
Posted by: KBK || 11/14/2012 20:10 Comments || Top||

#22  See also WORLD NEWS > SECESSION FUROR COULD HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FOR GUN OWNERS.

* SAME > WHITE HOUSE BEING FLOODED WID IMPEACHMENT, SECESSION PETITIONS.

* SAME > DANIEL MILLER: TEXAS HAS RIGHT TO SECEDE BECAUSE MAJORITY OF US ESTEEMS
"PRINCIPLES OF KARL MARX".

RELATED DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > [Cary Wise = Texas Nationalist Movement] SECESSIONIST LEADER: TEXAS SHOULD SEPARATE FROM MARXIST [US]STATES | [CBS.com] SECESSIONIST LEADER SAYS TEXAS INDEPENDENCE IN "INEVITABLE".

SAME > TEXAS PASSES THE 100,000 MARK, while NC, TN, AL, GA, LA, + FL have surpassed 25,000 at this time.

* CINESE MILITARY FORUM > [Archive.org = Michael Meara] TOWARD THE WHITE REPUBLIC, Rise of "White Nationalists+ + the desire by some for sovereign White/Euros-only homeland somewhere in North America.

ARTIC = While the majority of "White Nationalists" are racially-conscious/proud individuals whom are NOT in favor of secession, the move does include strict or extremist elements whom favor the establishment of an anti-pluralist "sovereign white homeland" in North America.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 11/14/2012 22:39 Comments || Top||

#23  I will say again that one way to justify or validate the creation of OWG-NWO + so-called "Global Federal Unions", e.g. NAU + EU/EUZ, is via WILFUL + PROTRACTIVE CHAOS/ANARCHIES. across Regions + Trans-Regiona, etc. to "force" INTER-STATE OR MULTI-STATE DEPENDENCIES.

The main drawbacks are not only incurring some kind of domestic backlash from local stratas, BUT ALSO THEORETICALLY RISKING NATIONAL SECURITY TO THE ADVANTAGE OF DEDICATED FOREIGN ENEMIES, E.G. RADICAL ISLAMIST MILTERR GROUPS + ANTI-US NATION-STATES.

IOW, the "forced", "anti-electoral" setting up of OWG + NAU, etc. garners more priority that militarily defeating or deterring one's enemies, to include the possibility of actually helping one's dedicated enemies to achieve MilPol Parity, iff not outright Superiority or Dominance, agz yourself.

NATIONAL + GEOPOL "SELF-SUICIDE" IN FAVOR OF MARXIST-SOCIALIST AMERIKA + WORLD ORDER, OR ISLAMIC/ISLAMIST AMERIKA + WORLD ORDER, where the only real question is how long before Global Marxist-Socialist + Global Islamo-Socialist formally declare "final/total victory" agz America, divorce, + then start waging War of Annihilation/Mutual Destruction agz one another???

"PRO-US" OWG = LIMITED ANTI-US OWG, IN THE NEGATIVE OR CATASTROPHIC, NOT PROACTIVE, SENSE.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 11/14/2012 23:05 Comments || Top||


The Best or Worst Pollsters in the 2012 Election -- How did Nate Silver Do It?
Posted by: tipper || 11/14/2012 11:49 || Comments || Link || [336079 views] Top|| File under:

#1  He didn't spend all his time watching Fox News and talking to people who told him what he wanted to hear.
Posted by: ChuffingChuffChuff || 11/14/2012 11:53 Comments || Top||

#2  TROLL!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Iblis || 11/14/2012 11:58 Comments || Top||

#3  That's how you don't predict elections. Thanks for your demonstration.

Shout down anything you disagree with, listen to only those that reassure you, and then act surprised that you didn't have your finger on the pulse of the nation.
Chuff: we don't permit trolling at the Burg. You're welcome to make a point, even an unpopular one, and then to defend yourself when people disagree with you.

But we're not interested in trolls except to use them as chew toys.

This is your one and only notice: straighten up and fly right or be gone.

AoS (moderator)
Posted by: ChuffingChuffChuff || 11/14/2012 12:00 Comments || Top||

#4  The pollsters didn't include the corruption/depravity/rot of Obama/democratic factor.
Posted by: Voldemort Grereth1352 || 11/14/2012 12:24 Comments || Top||

#5  ...of the dhimmocratic fascist controlled polling places.
Posted by: Voldemort Grereth1352 || 11/14/2012 12:26 Comments || Top||

#6  He was an insider to the Donk Party and privy to voter fraud information?
Posted by: JohnQC || 11/14/2012 12:33 Comments || Top||

#7  The alternative explanation is that Silver correctly saw that 2012 was going to be a re-run of 2008, just with a smaller number of voters on both sides. That's something few other pollsters thought would happen.
Posted by: Steve White || 11/14/2012 13:03 Comments || Top||

#8  Steve W., I suppose I acted viscerally to Silver. He seemed arrogant in his certainty of the outcome of the election. Turns out he was right. Interestingly, Intrade was accurate although not what one would consider a poll (betting odds). I wonder why the Pubs got it so wrong? Rasmussen was one of the most accurate in the last election but missed this one badly. Carl Rove and Dick Morris missed badly (both have been fairly good vote counters in the past). The NYTs had a summary of the best and worst polls of 2012. I don't have a URL.
Posted by: JohnQC || 11/14/2012 13:54 Comments || Top||

#9  John, the answer is simple: Rove, Morris, etc (and me) made an erroneous assumption. We assumed that past performance predicted a future result. Silver simply looked at the data for what it was and ignored the various claims about over-sampling, adjusting for too many D's, etc.

Silver divined that 2012 was looking a lot like 2008, which many of the rest of us couldn't believe. It was hard to believe when we looked at the 2010 mid-term results, and the 2004 election, and so on. We looked at 'enthusiasm', the crowds at the Mitt and Champ rallies, and so on, and said heck 2012 CAN'T be a re-run of 2008, no way!

But it was, just with fewer voters.

I think that's one way Mitt missed the election (plus, he had a bunch of slugs on his staff, and his vaunted GOTV turned out to be hype). I certainly missed it.
Posted by: Steve White || 11/14/2012 14:06 Comments || Top||

#10  Simple explanation here:

The underclass was smart enough to discern that they were being shafted by GOP rhetoric and disenfranchisement campaigns, and voted as an act of defiance.

As a math guy, I confess that there is nothing special about what Silver is doing. Any math guy could have done the same thing.

As a liberal (who voted in deference for Bush in '04 to give him some more time to clean up the mess), I am grateful to Rantburg as a font of insight into the machinations of the military-industrial complex, but I believe that the demonization of President Obama is unbecoming your forum. Was he a naive at the start? Yes. Has he learned from his mistakes? I would say 'yes', citing the bargaining advantage he enjoyes with Congress on the deficit and his recent demonstration of 'hardball' tactics.
Obama is, despite rhetoric to the contrary, in fact a moderate.

Folks, let's not forget that we are all on the same team ....

Posted by: Hupitle Lover of the Hemps3045 || 11/14/2012 16:24 Comments || Top||

#11  Hupitle Lover of the Hemps3045, I appreciate your comment --- but I'm not sure Obama has even a hint of a moderate in him.

Consider just these things he's already done ---

And they are playing for a vastly different America than the one with which we have been accustomed for 224 years of this constitutional republic. Fight a war in Libya without even asking for a congressional resolution? No problem. Appoint executive officers without Senate approval, when the Senate is still in session? Sure. Issue executive orders directly contrary to law, on multiple occasions? Of course. Refuse to enforce duly constituted laws? Check. Repeatedly question the very legitimacy of the Supreme Court? Check. Refuse to honor congressional subpoenas and legitimate Freedom of Information requests? Ignore court orders (about offshore drilling) so flagrantly that you are found officially in contempt of court? Insult or even abandon allies? Whisper to foreign leaders of traditionally adversarial lands that you will have "more flexibility" after re-election? Deliberately cover up deadly mistakes on the Mexican border and in North Africa? Check, check, check, check, and check.
Posted by: Sherry || 11/14/2012 17:16 Comments || Top||

#12  I don't buy it, Huptile. Wait until we see what he does about this fiscal cliff thingy. Will he compromise or will he double down and blame the House Republicans?

Have you heard about all the layoffs?

And, forgive me for rushing to judgement, but IMHO this Benghazi thing is stinking up the place real bad and getting worse every hour. Will he invoke executive privilege like he did with Fast&Furious? You can hide the rotten eggs but you can't hide the stench, er, unless you have the MSM in your pocket.

I think he's the same arrogant Marxist he's always been.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 || 11/14/2012 17:16 Comments || Top||

#13  What EU said. :-(
Posted by: Barbara || 11/14/2012 18:48 Comments || Top||

#14  Was he a naive at the start? Yes

"I won" is naive?
Posted by: Pappy || 11/14/2012 19:04 Comments || Top||

#15  Folks, let's not forget that we are all on the same team ....

Must be why I'm on the practice squad...
Posted by: badanov || 11/14/2012 20:51 Comments || Top||

#16  Shout down anything you disagree with, listen to only those that reassure you, and then act surprised that you didn't have your finger on the pulse of the nation.

Or your lips on the main vein...
Posted by: badanov || 11/14/2012 20:53 Comments || Top||



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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.

Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.

Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has dominated Mexico for six years.
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Meet the Mods
In no particular order...
Steve White
Seafarious
tu3031
badanov
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ryuge
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Bright Pebbles
trailing wife
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Fred
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Two weeks of WOT
Wed 2012-11-14
  France recognizes rebel coalition as legitimate rulers of Syria
Tue 2012-11-13
  Jamaat, Shibir go berserk in Bangla
Mon 2012-11-12
  Govt. Soldiers shoot it out in Mogadishu
Sun 2012-11-11
  IDF Changes Rules of Engagement Along Syrian Border
Sat 2012-11-10
  Mexican police charged over US embassy staff shooting
Fri 2012-11-09
  David Petraeus resigns from CIA
Thu 2012-11-08
  Syria raids Hamas offices months after group's leaders leave
Wed 2012-11-07
  Bombings, Clashes Kill 131 in Syria as Gunmen Assassinate Parliament Speaker's Brother
Tue 2012-11-06
  Suicide bomber kills at least 27 by army base near Baghdad
Mon 2012-11-05
  Grenade attack on Kenya church kills 1, wounds 14
Sun 2012-11-04
  Two Suicide Bombers Attack Restaurant in Somali Capital
Sat 2012-11-03
  30 people shot dead in Nigeria, rights group says
Fri 2012-11-02
  US withdraws its support for Syrian National Council
Thu 2012-11-01
  Armed Islamists on Tunis streets after clashes
Wed 2012-10-31
  18 militants killed in Khyber, Orakzai

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