14 thoughts on “News/Politics 6-21-14

  1. I see in the Times-News that the Presbyterian Church ((USA) is selling their stock in Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard and Motorola Solutions in protest of what Israel is doing WRT the Palestinians.
    That’ll show them Jews.

    There has to be more than I understand here. The paper says this will reverberate well beyond the church. And there was lobbying involved by both sides. It was a narrow vote.
    It seems like a dumb and useless thing to do.

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  2. There is a thing that confuses me.
    It confused me from the beginning. It seems obvious to me, but I’ve never heard anyone discuss it.
    It’s the Edward Snowden thing. How he got all that information.
    When I worked for DMA, I had a Top Secret SCI (Special Compartmented Information) clearance. They say “above Top Secret” but there is nothing above Top Secret. What it means that all Top Secret information is disseminated on a “need to know” basis. All of it.
    Edward Snowden could not have had a “need to know” all of the information he got.
    That means that he had some help.
    I have heard nothing about this.
    I’ve been reading about “Al Qaeda’s Android Solution” in The Washington Times and his name came up again.
    Strange.
    Very strange.

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  3. Yes, the mainline Presbyterians have been busy this week. It will be interesting to watch the fallout, whether more congregations will decide to leave and join with one of the many more conservative Presbyterian denominations.

    Here’s an opinion piece from Jerusalem Post on the vote regarding Israel:

    http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-Ed-Contributors/Enough-Why-we-wont-be-at-the-Presbyterian-General-Assembly-359441

    “The Jewish state will survive PCUSA’s heavy-handed double standard. PCUSA’s members have every right to ask when they arrive in Detroit this weekend whether PCUSA will survive its leadership’s efforts to cram hateful political positions down the throats of an unwilling membership that does not share those views.”

    But wait. There’s more.

    The denomination also voted to allow gay weddings in their churches in states where gay marriage is legal.

    http://www.bpnews.net/42832/pcusa-endorses-gay-marriage

    “The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) became one of the largest Christian denominations in America to endorse gay marriage when its General Assembly voted in Detroit yesterday (June 19) to allow pastors to conduct same-sex weddings and approved a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between ‘two people’ rather than ‘a man and a woman.’

    “The authorization for pastors to perform gay weddings takes effect immediately and applies only to ministers in the 19 states where the practice is legal. The measure passed by a vote of 317 (61 percent) to 238 (39 percent) and was classified as an “Authoritative Interpretation” of the PCUSA constitution.”

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  4. Chas, you say “there is nothing above Top Secret” but I have heard that Top Secret is actually one of the lowest levels and there are several above it that are not publicized.

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  5. Linda and Anon. None of that satisfies the question. Did Snowden have a need to know all of that? Regardless of his clearance, he got too much information that is none of his business.
    Strange.

    “We may yet become the first nation to die from a terminal case of frivolity. Other great nations in history have been threatened by barbarians at the gates. We may be the first to be threatened by self indulgent silliness inside the gate.”
    Thomas Sowell in The Washington Times

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  6. Sowell’s quote is probably closer to the truth. Obviously, Snowden didn’t need the clearance that got him the information he sought. Which is why he should be court martialed so the truth can come out. I bet there are more people losing emails and other information even as he luxuriates in Russia. 😦

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  7. From Donna’s link
    “As Clinton said, George Bush was glad to get his advice, and rightfully so. One of Obama’s many problems is that he is uncomfortable around first-rate people.”

    A major problem with that is that everyone is more qualified than Obama.
    Rush once said, “He is the least qualified man in any room he walks into.”
    Well said, Rush.

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  8. Just imagine if the IRS story had broken under Bush — and that it was liberal groups being targeted.

    What a difference in the way it would have been covered.

    It’s getting hard to keep up with all the scandals now.

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