Rendezvous Thanks for the refernce lists ( Amazon Type), all relevant materials, Jazaakellahu Kheiran. Modesty sis Agree 100% baarakallahu feek, however there are cases in which the kid voluntarily wants to wear the Hijab, but may not be strong enough to defend it when criticized at school, as a result kid can not let mommy down by taking off again, so she takes it off as school. Batta Good points sis, the inside before the outside, Islam resides inside, but manifests outside. We should never force preteen kids to wear Hijaab, at the same time we should spend more time with them to give them morals to live with, foremost of which is respect of others, their beliefs, tolerance, honesty, helpfulness to others and all other Islamic ideals. Nur

Rejecting part(s) or the whole of Sharia can have two drivers: 1. Unsatisfaction with part(s) of the Sharia as interpreted by the scholars, but full acceprtance of the Sharia in general, and Allah's Sovereignty and Law as revealed in Quraan and Supported by Sunnah. 2. Unacceptance of the Sovereignty of Allah and the preference of Secular law and constitutions over the Sharia as the secular law allows more personal choices than the Sharia. In the first case a person can be a Muslim ( Possibility exists to a limit: Person Must be scholarly comparable to scholars of the Sharia), his/her only challange is the authentication of sources and soundness of interpretations objecting to these with GOOD FAITH. In the second case, to get the detailed answer, for the question posed by this thread including compatibility of Democracy and Islam, it requires a journey in the science of Tawhid. In the following threads, Naden and I, have discussed these issues in depth, you need time, munchies and a warm cup of fresh squeezed Camel Milk before clicking on the following 2 SOL Islam page links, to understand the relationships between Sharia, Shuraa, Democracy and Sovereignty. At the end you will have the answer to the question, eNuri only gives you the net, you catch the fish!. Have fun. http://www.somaliaonline.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/3/2824 http://www.somaliaonline.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/3/1391 Nur

Baarakallahu Feek Abu Salmaan. The reason many Nomads may not have time for praying in Jamaaca ( Congregation ), or skip sometimes, is due to the damands of work, which means money, but this is not a good idea. You see, the best way to earn money is to pray in Jamaaca, why you may ask? Allah SWT says in Quraan: "Wa' mur ahlaka bi salaati wastabir caleyhaa, laa nas aluka rizqaa, naxnu narzuquka wal caaqibatu lit taqwaa" And encourage your family to observe prayers, and be steadfast in your effort, We do not ask you to provide your own Rizq ( when you are busy worshipping Me), We will provide Rizq for you ( for the time you have taken off for prayers), and the good ending goes with the observing of Allah's commandments" Also, reading Quraan, praying in Jamaaca, and spending some of our money in the cause of Allah is a fail proof business, Allah SWT says in Quraan: " Innalladiina yatluuna kitaaba Allahi, wa aqaamuu assalaata, waa anfaquu mimmaa razaqnaahum sirran wa calaaniyatan, yarjuuna tijaaratan lan tabuur. Liyuwaffiyahum ujuuraham, wa yaziidamum min fadlih innahu Ghafuurun shakuur" Meaning " As for those who recite the Book of Allah ( Quraan), who have established prayers (in Jamaaca), and who pay a portion of what We have provided them with ( to the poor), shall expect a business that will never become bancrupt ( never go bust), (Since Allah ) will pay their capital and profit in full, ( and afterwards) will give them a bonus, because, He( Allah) is forgiving (for their sins, that can call for punishment of bancruptcy) and Grateful (for Their sincere Effort). Nur

Brother Geel Jire. "Sharrul baliyati maa yudxik!" meaning, worst of afflictions are the ones that make you laugh out loud! This eNuri initiative is not so bad after all, I am sure that many silent Nomads are also laughing at this. I always think of ways to influence readers to make the best of a terrible situation, you see bro. The reason we are suffering these problems in Somalia is because of the bloody warlords turned "government officials", more likely, their parents forgot to mention their Dhiker when they were making love; " Bisinka loo ma qaban markey uurka galeen" taasoo ka dhigtay dhal Sheidaan! Now, if Nomads say their Dhiker during intimate encounters with their spouses, Satan will not share a portion of their kids " Nasiiban mafruudaa ", according to Quraan, " Wa shaarik hum fil amwaali wal awlaad, wa cid hum,wa maa yacidumu sheitaanu illaa ghuruuraa...", So by making love with spouse the Sunnah way with an intention to change Somalia positively after 20 years or so, those of us unable to influence the current mess, can focus on making the future replacement of the present endangered Somali generation, I think this is a worthwhile cause, however, even this feat needs some serious effort (aka Jihad!), and a strong stimulant preparation like Camel Milk!. Nur

Baarkallahu feek Brother Geel Gire. A Timely topic. Here are my thoughts! The Messenger of Allah used to supplicate: " Wa laa tusallit calayenaa bi dhunuubinaa man laa yakhaafuka wa laa yarxamunaa" , meaning, " O Allah, as a result of our sins, do not punish us by empowering over us (rulers) who neither fear you, nor have mercy for us. It was reported that Ali Radiyallahu canhu was asked during the Fitna why is there so much more fitna ( Confusion-killing etc) than the times of Abu Bakar, Omar and Othman? his wise answer was: " Kaanuu yaxkumuuna amthaalii, wa anaa axkumu amthaalukum" meaning ; "They used to rule over ( Citizenry) like me, and I rule over ( Citizenry) like you" Brother Geel Jire, the problem we are facing now is a catch 22, there is no question that the Somali people want just to live and go about their life in peace, a great many of them think about their daily pasta and Camel Milk than their faith, however, our "rulers" in Somalia, are also remotely ruled from Addis Ababa, a "true Democracy" , a Government by the Tigre Ethiopians, for the Somali Warlords serving the Strategic Objectves of the USA. So, where should we start? do we make an effort in changing the mindset of the Somalis so they can demand a better leadership, or should we help remove the "rulers" aka warlords to change the people? Nur

Xiin bro. Here is what I predicted two years ago copied from above thread: "Islamists are learning these lessons fast, and are becoming more agile and adaptive to new realities, its not easy to play by the rules when your adversary is free to break every rule in the books, and is supported by our national enemy, the days to come are going to be interesting, Islamists in Puntland and beyound are following events with caution, a sea of passive supporters have yet to be energised as the picture becomes more clear, unless politicians at the TFG make the wrong calculation, the situation may be under control, but if they jump the gun at the wrong time, it may be the last blunder and the rise of new courts in other regions, chrystallizing the divide of Islam vs Secularism to the Somali laymen, once more enlarging the circle of the owners of the Somali dilemma to include unaffected Somalis from all somali regions and abroad." This is a news clip I read today in Somali Language: Golaha Ku Dhaqanka Shareecada Islaamka ee Beelaha/DRD oo Looga Dhawaaqay Muqdisho By: Somali Mirror News. Maanta oo ay taariikhdu ku beegan tahay 16/06/ 08 ayaa waxaa magaalada Muqdisho looga dhawaaqay Gole dhaqan oo la magac baxay Golaha Guurtida ku Dhaqanka Shareecada Islaamka ee Beelaha DRD waxaana xafladda lagu shaacinayay Golahan ka soo qayb galay dhamaan Madaxda Golayaasha Beelaha Soomaaliyeed. Xafladan lagu shaacinayay golaha ay dhisteen Beelaha DRD ayaa waxaa soo dhaweeyay madax dhaqameedyada kale ee ka soo qayb galay Xafladan waxaana goobta ka hadlay Gudoomiyaha Golaha Dhaqanka & midnimada Beelaha HWY Maxamed Xassan Xaad Afhayeelka Dhaqanka HWY Axmed Diiriye Cali , Gudoomiye ku xigeenka Golaha Guurtida DRR Sh. C/naasir Gaarane , Afhayeenka Golaha Guurtida D & M iyo Xubno kale waxayna dhamaantood si diiran u soo dhaweeyeen golahan Cusub ee ay yeelatay Beesha DRD ayaga oo ugu Baaqay beelaha kale ee dhiman in ay soo dhistan gole noocaan oo kale ah si loo mideeyo dhamaan dhaqanka iyo waxgaradka Beelaha Soomaaliyeed. Gudoomiye ku xigeenka Golaha Guurtida Direed Sh.C/naasir oo ka hadlayay sida uu u arko yagleelidda Golahan waxaa uu yiri “ meeshan waxaa ka dhacay Xaflad qiimi badan, runtiina waxaan aragnaa umada Soomaaliyeed Dhib kasta oo ay soo martay 18 sano ee dawlad la’aanta ahayd, middi ay kaga bixi lahayd in ay tahay oo ummadii wax garad keedii, culumaa’udiinkeedii, Siyaasiyiinteedii, Aqoonyahankeedii dhaqankeedii ay isku bahaysteen in ay dhibaatada haysata wada jir uga bixi karaan ayaga oo wada haysta Xarigga ilaahay” wuxuuna intaa ku daray in beesha Direen oo ah Curadka Beelaha Soomaaliyeed in ay fidin doonto dhawaan Gogol lagu midaynayo dhamaan beelaha Soomaaliyeed wuxuuna yiri “ mar hadii ay beelaha Soomaaliyeed dhaqankoodu uu sidaas isugu yimaado wadada ilaahayna ay ku bahoobaan ilaahay ayaa garab iyo gaashaan u noqonaya wax wax ka badali karaana majiran”. Sidoo kale waxay Shabakadda Somalimirror si gaar ah waraysi ula yeelatay Afhayeenka Goalaha dhaqanka & Midnimada Belaha HWY Axmed Diiriye Cali wuxuuna sheegay in uu si balaarab u soo dhawanayo Golaha Guurtida ku dhaqanka Sharecada Islaamka ee Beelaha DRD oo maanta lagu dhawaaqay wuxuuna yiri “arrintaanu waxay salka ku haysaa dhaqanka Soomaaliyeed in la mideeyo ka dibna uu dhaqanku ka shaqeeyo kana taliyo xalinta Dhibaatada dalka taala” wuxuuna intaa raaciyay in qabiilka loo adeegsan jiray colaada iyo bur burinta balse ay hadda u adeegsanayaan sidii dalka loo badbaadin lahaa loogana gudbi lahaa wixii horay loo soo maray wuxuuna Soomaalida ugu baaqay in ay is’aaminaan wanaag iyo walaalnimana ku wada dhaqmaan.Golaha Guurtida Kudhaqanka Shareecada Islaamka ee Beelaha DRD wayaa waxaa uu ka kooban yahay 121 xubnood oo gole Dhexe ah iyo 13 xubnood oo Gole Fulin ah waxana gudoomiye loogu doortay golaha Sh.Xassan Sh.Aadan C/lle. Golahan ayaa waxaa ay soo saareen Bayaan ay uga hadlayaan xaaladda dalka Soomaaliya iyo cida ka danbaysa dhibaatada ka taagan dalka iyo sidii loo gaari lahaa xal waara oo ka hir gala guud ahaan Gayiga Soomaaliyeed. Bayaankuna wuxuu u qornaa sidaan:- Tr: 16/06/2008 M 12/06/1429 H BAYAAN. Walaalayaal waxaan dhammaan wada ognahay in wadankeenu ahaa Dowlad la’aan muddo dhan Siddeed iyo Toban sano (18) waxaana Dadka iyo Dalkaba soo food saaray dhibaatooyin waaweyn. Waxaa bur-buray wadajirkii iyo midnimadii ummadda Soomaaliyeed. Waxaa la waayey dhammaan adeegyadii Bulshada ee ay Dowladi qaban jirtay sida: Nabad Gelyada, Caafimaadka, Waxbarashada IWM. Waxaa baaba’ay kaabayaashii Dhaqaalaha sida: Wadooyinkii, Dekedihii, Garoonadii Diyaaradaha, Waxaa sidoo kale la waayey haybaddii iyo sharaftii ay Soomaalidu ku lahayd Dunida inteeda kale. Waxaa lagu tuntay xurmadii ay diintu lahayd ayadoo labbanaystay dilka iyo dhaca hantida gaarka ah iyo tan guudba iyo sharaftii uu lahaa Qofka Muslimka ah intuba. Intaa kadib, markii la dhisay Dowladii Hogaamiye-kooxeedyadii Dalka baday Dhibaatooyinka maanta taagan oo ay ka mid tahay in Gumeysi cusub dalkii Gacanta ugaliyeen, sidaas awgeed wuxuu Gumeystuhu Baabi’iyay dhamaan Adeegyadii Bulshada sida Masaajidada, Dugsiyadda Qur’aanka, Iskuulada, Jaamacadaha, Goobihii Caafimaadka oo dhan iyo Naf iyo Maal waxay Dadku lahaayeen . Waxyaaba Keenay Dhibaatooyinka Haysta Dalka . 1) Iyada oo laga fogaaday ku dhaqanka Shareecadda Islaamka. 2) Fara gilinta shisheeye oo Ameerika iyo Itoobiya ay koow ka yihiin. 3) Jahli iyo wacyi yari ku baahday ummadda Soomaaliyeed. 4) Qabyaalad indho la’a oo aan kala Sooc laheyn. 5) Qaadka oo saameen wayn ku yeeshay Bulshadda Dhaqaala ahaan, caafimaad ahaan iyo Nabadgalyo ahaanba. Ugu danbayntii waxay arintaasi sababtay in Dalkii noqdo meel ay adagtahay in lagu noolaado, Bulshadii Soomaaliyeedna waxay u qeybsantay: A) In u firxata adduunka Daafihiisa. B) waxay xabadi disho. C) Waxay badi liqdo . D) Waxay gaajo dhisho. E) Wax ku xiran xabsiyadda Aduunka. F) Inta soo hartayna waxay ku noolyihiin dul-qaad iyo Rajo Alle. HADABA GOLAHA GUURTIDA KU DHAQANKA SHAREECADDA ISLAAMKA BEELAHA DRD. Waxay xal u arkaan sidan hoos ku Qoran:- 1) In Ilaaheey Loo toobad keeno Dhamaan, lanana sameeyo Banaan Bax Alla Bari ah . 2) In shareecada islaamka lagu dhaqmo. 3) In la mideeyo dhammaan Beelaha Soomaaliyeed laguna mideeyo kitaabka Alle . 4) In dhammaan Ummadda Soomaaliyeed u midoowdo xoreynta Dalka iyo Difaaca Diinta Naf iyo Maalba. 5) In laga shaqeeyo sidii loo soo celi lahaa haybadii dowladnimo ee soomaaliya. BAAQ. 1) Golouhu wuxuu ugu Baaqayaa Maamul Goboleedyada Puntland iyo Somaliland in ay joojiyaan falalka foosha xun xun ee ay Cadowga Itoobiya ugu gacan galinayaan Walaalaha S/Galbeed, isla markaana waxa uu Goluhu amaanayaa dadaalada ay wadaan Isimada iyo Waxgaradka Maamul Goboleedka Puntland, dhinaca kalana waxa uu Goluhu u soo jeedinayaa Guurtida, iyo Waxgaradka Somaliland in ay talaabo wax ku ool ah ka qaadaan arimahaasi foosha xun ee ay ku kacayaan Maamul Goboleedka Somaliland. 2) Sidoo kale Goluhu waxa uu aad iyo aad uga xunyahay khilaafaadka soo kala dhex galay walaalaha Isbahaysiga Dib u xoreynta Soomaaliya, wuxuuna ugu Baaqayaa in lagu xaliyo khilaafaadkaas wada hadal waa faqsan Kitaabka Alle iyo Sunnada Nabiga (SCW), wuxuuna Goluhu ku Talinayaa in la joojiyo Canbaareynta iyo Dicaayadaha la isku marinayo Warbaahinta, lagana digtoonaado farax galinta cadowga Dalka iyo Dadka Soomaaliyed. 3) Golaha Guurtida Ku Dhaqanka Shareecada Islaamka ee Beelaha DRD waxa uu taageerayaa halganka hubaysan ee lagaga soo horjeedo gumeysiga ku soo duulay Dalka iyo Dadka Soomaaliyeed,badayna dhibaatooyinka baaxada weyn ee leh naf iyo maalba. GABAGABO Waxaan ugu yereenaa Ummadda Islaamka meel kasta oo ay joogaan gaar ahaan shacabka Soomaaliyeed qodabadaan hoos ku Qoran. 1) Walaalaalayaal waxaan ognahay dhibaato kasta oo jirta sida qilaafka, duli, Dagaalada, Abaaraha iyo Cudurada in ay yihiin danbigii aan galnay, sidaas daraadeed waxaa laga maar-maan ah in aan Alla u Toobad keeno Toobad keen dhabah. (وتوبوا إلى لله جميعا أيه المؤ منون لعلكم تفلحون)2) 2) Walaalayaal waxaa kaloo lama huraan ah in aan la nimaano is badal si aan u helno is badal wanaagsan sida uu Allaah ku yiri Kitaabkiisa Qur’aanka.(إن الله لا يغير ما بقوم حتى يغيروا ما بأنفسهم ) 3) In aan raadino Midnimada Ummadda Soomaaliyeed si aan u soo cishano sharafteenii, iyo awoodeenii Dowladnimo, anagoo raaceyno wadada Alle, isla markaana qaadanaynana awaamiirtiisa sida uu Alla yiri.(واعتصموا بحبل الله جميعا ولاتفرقوا واذكروا نعمة

Walaal Xiin Sheekada socota waa ka qoto dheertahay siday kuugu muuqato, waxaa la isku heystana qabiil haba ku saleysnaadee, qabiilku wuxuu ahaa duntii dillacisay wadajirka ummadda oo ay dillaaciyeen cadowga ummadda oo muddo dheer ka soo shaqeeyay sidey dab dagaal sokeeye dhaxdeenna uga shidi lahaayeen, Allah wuxuu Quraanka ku leeyahay: "Mar walba oy shidaan dab dagaalba, Allah ayaa damiya ( bakhtiiya), waddankana fasaad bey la dhex socdaan" Walaal, Siduu Alle noogu sheegay Quraanka, Dadku isku mid bey ahaan jireen waagii hore, ilaa uu Allah noo bayaaniyay dariiqa xaqa ah, dadkuna is ma khilaafin ilaa xaqa la caddeeyay, qolona ay xaqii raacday, qolana diidday. Qoladii xaqaas Allah ka yimid u hiillisay waa addoon Allah, nolol iyo geeriba waa guuleysteen. Qoladii u hiillisay cadowga Allahna, oo haddana diintii Allah hor istaagtay, waa addoonta sheidaanka iyo askartiisa, qof walbana qofkuu la jiro addunka ayaa lala soo saarayaa qiyaamaha. Walaal aniga iyo adiga diintaan ma lihin, Alla leh, asaga ayaa noo sheegay sida diintaan loogu dhaqmo, sida loogu jiro iyo sida looga baxo. Dadka qof ka saari kartaa diinta ma jiro haddey ku jiraan, qof kusoo dari kartaana ma jirto haddey doortaan iney ka baxaan. Adduunka intaan joogno Allah waa noo caddeeyay sifaadka dadka hortaagan diintiisa, iyo sifaadka awliyada Allah la jira., qofkaan labadaas kala oqoonin tiisaa loo yaabaa. Waagii hore dagaal been ah iyo riwaayad baa naloo dhigi jirey la yiraahdo Qabiil, riwaayaddas wexey socotay muddo dheer oo kuwa matalaya ay hoos ka wada xariiri jireen, meel qurana laga wada xukumi jirey, taasna ay soo bannan baxday oo maanta uu arkayo qofkii Allah basiirad siiyay. Riwaayaddas Qabiilka wexey dhammaatay markii Islam uu meesha soo galay, taasoo mideysay Somalida inteeda kheyrka jecel, dhalisayna nabaddii ugu horreysay markii burcadda dowlad ku sheegta ah oo Xabishada u shaqeeya laga saaray waddanka badankiisa. Hadda waxa is heysta waa qoladii Xabashida ay soo barbaarisay oo muddo dheer gacantooda lagu burburinaayay qarannimada Somaliya si ay ugu sahlanaato Itoobiya iney waddanka si sahal ah u qabsato, taasna waxaa ka hor istaagay kicitaanka dhallin yarada u qiirooday diintooda oo u huray naftooda sidii ay xornimadeenna u sugi lahaayeen. Waxaa ugu weyn oo maanta la isku heysto waa diinteenna in waddankeenna aan ku dhaqanno, maxaa yeelay waxaa loo arkaa inaan ku dhaqanno diinteenna khatar weyn, hadaba, ma diinteenna ayaan iibsannaa sida mooriyaanta dowlad ku sheega ah ay sameeyeen? Walaal, nabadda waa fiican tahay, laakin nabad aan cadaalo ku dhisneyn ma waarto, waana dhalanteed, qof aan Allah ka cabsanin beenta kama dhowrsado, iyo inuu ballan ka baxo, hadaba, haddii kalsooni la waayo, sidee baa nabadi ku iman? Nur

Interventionism, Not Muslims, Is the Problem By Jacob G. Hornberger October 28, 2008 "Future of Freedom Foundation" -- One of the popular post-9/11 sentiments has been the one that holds that Muslims are bent on conquering the world. The notion is that Muslims hate Christianity and Western freedom and values and that such hatred is rooted in the Koran and stretches back centuries. Thus, the United States has been drawn, reluctantly, into a war against Muslims. That’s why U.S. forces are in Iraq and Afghanistan, the argument goes — to defend our freedoms by killing Muslims over there before they get over here and kill us. I sometimes wonder whether the people who have this mindset have reflected on the ramifications of their belief. For example, if Muslims in general are at war with the United States, then why shouldn’t Americans be out killing Muslims here in the United States? After all, when a nation is at war, isn’t it permissible to kill the enemy? Isn’t that what war is all about? The reason that proponents of this view don’t start killing Muslims here in the United States is very simple: Deep down, they know that the killers will be indicted by their very own government for murder. They will then be prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to serve time in a federal penitentiary for murder. Let’s carry the ramifications overseas. If the United States is at war against Muslims, then why not start with ousting the Muslim regime in Iraq and installing a Christian or Jewish regime in its place? Yes, I said Iraq. Believe it or not, the U.S. invasion of that country succeeded in installing an Islamic regime, a regime which, by the way, has closely aligned itself with the radical Islamic regime in Iran. A second-choice candidate for invasion, occupation, and regime change would be Kuwait, another country run by an Islamic regime. Since Saddam Hussein’s forces were easily able to conquer the country, it should be a piece of cake for U.S. forces. A problem arises however. Once the United States effects regime change in Iraq and Kuwait, installing Christian or Jewish regimes, what about the millions of Muslims in those two countries? Sure, their governments would no longer be Islamic but what about the millions of people living there? Wouldn’t they still be the enemy to Christians and the West? Wouldn’t they still be bent on world conquest? What should be done with them? Perpetual incarceration in concentration camps? Mass executions of all Muslims? And what about Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and all the other countries in which people are predominantly Muslim. You know — the Islamic countries that are the recipients of billions of dollars in U.S. foreign aid. Does the U.S. government invade those countries too, effect regime change, and incarcerate or execute the millions of Muslims living there? During the Cold War, people used to say the same thing about the communists that we’re now hearing about the Muslims. The communists were coming to get us, and some Americans were even looking under their beds for communists. In fact, 58,000 American men were sacrificed in Southeast Asia because U.S. officials claimed that Vietnam was the central front in the war on communism. With a military loss in Vietnam, the dominoes would start falling, they told us, with the final domino being the United States. Yet, the U.S. did lose in Vietnam, and yet the dominoes didn’t fall. It turned out that those 58,000 American men died for nothing. Today, U.S. officials even travel to Vietnam as tourists. Americans are freely trading with the people who were supposedly going to invade the United States and take over the IRS and the public schools. Ironically, throughout the Cold War there was nary a mention of the Islamic threat to the West, even though proponents of that view today claim that the Muslim threat stretches back many centuries. In fact, the irony of ironies is that during the Cold War the U.S. government even entered into partnerships with Muslims, including Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and various Islamic regimes in the Middle East. No one accused U.S. officials of treason for entering into agreements with the enemy. It’s true that Muslims have fundamental differences with Christians and the West, and vice versa. But those types of differences ordinarily do not cause people to kill people who have different values. Most Muslims are no different from Americans in the sense that they simply wish to live their lives in peace, practice their faith, raise their families, and be left alone. They don’t like it when some foreign government tries to interfere with their way of life, just as Americans don’t like it when some foreign government does that to them. What all too many Americans, unfortunately, will not permit themselves to see is that that is precisely what the U.S. government did in the Middle East, especially when the Soviet communist bugaboo evaporated in 1989. As a result of U.S. interventionism in the Middle East, especially the interventionism that resulted in large number of deaths (e.g., the sanctions and the no-fly zones), what began as differences in values rose to the level of anger and rage that induced some people to seek vengeance through violence. Thus, rather than ceasing its policy of interventionism after 9/11, which is what the U.S. government should have done even while pursuing the perpetrators through criminal-justice means, it did the very worst thing possible — it continued and even expanded its policy of interventionism in the hope of killing those whose differences with America’s values had risen to the level of rage as a result of U.S. interventionism. Not surprisingly, that only fueled more anger and rage. So, what should the U.S. government do now? It should do what it should have done after 9/11: Exit Afghanistan and Iraq and the entire Middle East. Bring all the troops home. Would this quell the anger and rage against the United States? Not all of it but certainly much of it. As I said above, most people simply want to live their lives in peace. After all, look at Vietnam, where the U.S. government killed more than a million people. Once U.S. forces exited the country, the Vietnamese left the United States alone. While there is the ever-present risk that there will still be some people who will still want vengeance, their numbers will be relatively small. While they will constitute an ever-present threat of terrorism, that’s the price that must be paid for past interventions. What’s important to note is that continued interventionism can never solve that problem — it can only make it worse. When governments go awry, it is up to the citizenry to straighten out their course. The problem is not Muslims or Islam. The problem is the U.S. government and, specifically, its foreign policy of interventionism. Bringing an end to that policy will restore a sense of peace and harmony not only to the American people but also the people of the world. Jacob Hornberger is founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation. jhornberger @ fff.org

Nomads Make Love Not War has a new meaning for Somalia, making love (With Spouse only!) can make up for the hundreds of dead Somalis caught up in the inferno of the Ethiopian and Ugandan indiscriminate bombardments of Mogadishu, and the Ethiopian Genocide of Somalis in Occupied Western Somalia, I am sure that watching the nightly news and the Ethiopian-Warlord alliance killing fields in Somalia is nauseating. If you cant get out of your bed to help in any other way, may be it is time you and your lady helped right in your bed, producing more Somalis to avoid depopulation (Your wife can join resistance by either producing more babies by herself, or making her Jihad by allowing you to get another wife to counterbalance the effect of well planned population genocide) Let us take the Jihad to the bedrooms! Nur

Awakener bro. You write: " " "The Koran ,the Sacred Book of Islam has , as Muslims believe, precedence over any other book and therefore with the Sunnah is the sole valid source which has to be followed by Muslims. Muslim also believe that Mohammed (pbuh)is the final messenger of Allah " First Note: your choice of words " as Muslims believe" begs for clarification, it insinuates that you are speaking from a non Muslim's perspective, or an outsider, in this thread we are not concerned what non- Muslims believe, this is not their faith, it does not matter to them what sources we follow, they reject the whole faith altogether. Second, Let us hold this important principle you have recognized ( Quraan and Sunnah alone) as the only criterion of judgement of the issues, inshAllah, we shall use the Quraan and the Sunna alone to agree on the validity of issues to come. You write: "The word Islam means peace and submission to God. This submission requires conscious and willing effort to surrender to the ONE Almighty God. " My Questions are: 1. How do we measure if someone is indeed in submission to Allah in DEEDS, or in a state of rebellion against Allah? Hint: Use Quraan and Sunnah! 2. Does an overt open refusal to accept Allah's law as presented by the Messneger of Allah SAWS in Sharia , constitute a rebellion againt Allah, according to Quran and Sunnah which we agreed to be the criterion? 3. Does the allegiance the TFG gave to the invading and occupying Ethiopian enemy army who are bent on removing our choice of Sharia law from power, constitute the TFG's rebellion against Allah? or are they following Allah's teachings in their own way? What is their Daleel from Quraan and Sunnah? 4. Is the TFG a HALAAL Government to be safeguarded, or an enemy to be fought according to the Quraan and Sunnah? 5. If Not, how should the public deal with them? submit to them and their Ethiopian Allies? or resist their oppression and corruption by any means possible? You write: " The portal through which one enters Islam is the shahada: La Ilaha illa-Allah wa Muhammad-ur rasul Allah( There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah). By affirming shahada with sincerity and genuine intention a person enters the fellowship of Islam " The above assumption is not valid, all people are born Muslims by default, as they have taken a covenant with their creator as souls, before being born in the flesh, in that covenant, all mankind, past and present generations were summoned in front of their maker and were asked one question " Am I not your Lord?", for which all conceded to their Lord answering in unison in the affirmative, "YES", Thus all humans come to this world in a submission mode ( fetus mode), its later when their capacity of intellect kicks in that they choose to rebell and follow preferred way of life and beliefs. For these rebellious people to come back to their true Lord, they have to reaffirm the original covenant with their Lord, that there is no one is worthy of their devotion other than Allah, and that Muhammaed represents the method to comply with for submitting to Allah. You Write: " Once one becomes humble and submits himself totally to Allah and to Him exclusively, in faith and in action, one surely feels peace in his heart. This inward peace reflects itself in ones outward conduct as well " Totally agree, iman means literally " to secure", its only through this feeling of security that one can feel at peace, otherwise, we feel threatened, thus worried and in a state of constant stress. When we fel this peace, events of the outside world can not take away this inner peace even under trials. You write: "Hence when a person believes in the oneness of God ,that Muhammad is His messenger and believes His revelation that person is a Muslim." Clarification is due at this point; That statement needs qualification: Actually at different times and different situataions the requirements to be a Muslim changes. 1. Initially, when the Messneger of Allah appeared and called the people for the worship of Allah alone, he was calling on the Polytheists in Makkah, his own Quresih Tribe, who were in worship of multiple gods. For Quresish to be Muslim, it was only required that they fundemantally change their outlook and accept a single God, Allah, so by saying " Laa Ilaaha Illa Allahu" ( No Diety worth of worship other than Allah) was sufficient, acceptance of Messnegersip of Muhammad was implied, and was not demanded. 2. When Islam was introduced to people of the Book, specially the Jews, who already believed the concept of Monotheism ( Tawheed), they were required to accept that Muhammad SAWS was the Messnegr of Allah, which was their main obstacle to belief, if they accepted that, they were declared as Muslims, if not, they were not considered Muslims. 3. Certain sect of the Jews actually belived the Muhammad SAWS was a Messenger of Allah, however, they believed that he was sent to the Gentiles, and had no authority to be followe by the Jews, thus, for this group accepting the Monotheism and Messnegership of Muhammad needed that they also accept that Muhammad was sent for all mankind, ( lil caalamiin), of they did not, they were not considered Muslims 4. For Christians, another condition for their belief was set, that they accept that Jesus, son of Mary was not Son of God, that he was a Messneger of Allah and his word ( be and he was) created by Allah, a human, and that he was neither killed nor crucified. If they accept that, they are considered Muslims. 5. In general, every person who believes in a concept contrary to the Quraan and Sunnah account, can not be considered a Muslim unless he/she unequivocally rejects his past misconceptions and accepts the Quran and Sunnah account only, this is very important aspect of SUBMISSION to the will of God, Allah aka Islam. 6. Early companions of the Messenger of Allah who have accepted all the concepts were Muslims without doing any thing different from their previous life as polytheists, they drank wine, cohabited with women, in short, no regulations (aka Sharia law) was revealed during the early part, so being Muslim needed not much actions, only beliefs. 7. As the Pillar of prayers was revealed, it became part of the faith, it was understood that refusal to pray was tantamount of rejecting faith, thus no companions dared not to pray, as it was clearly an act of rebellion or Kufr. 8. Then came the revelation to migrate to Madina, anyone who did not migrate without a valid excuse was not considered a Muslim, his prayers, and shahaada did not suffice (one who submits to the will of God, in this case migration to Madina). 9. Then, oppressed companions were ordered Jihad in the cause of Allah against their brethern Qureish Tribe, if they had refused to apply this pillar, their Migration, (Hegira), their prayers and Shahaada would have been null and void. 10. Later, fasting was ordained, if the companions rejected fasting ( chose not to fast in Ramadan), neither their Jihad, nor their Hegira Migartion, nor their Prayers would have kept them in the fold of Islam, it was necessary that they accepted this pillar to be considered Muslims. 11. Later, Zakat ( poor due tax) was revealed, like wise all previous pillars combined could not have waived this last one, and hence those who rejected the zakat were not considered Muslims as Abu Bakar fought them in the War of the Apostacy ( Xuruub al Riddah). 12. Finally, the last pillar was revealed, Pilgrimage to Holy Makka, like before, all previous pillars were not sufficient without this last pillar of which Allah revealed : " Today, have I completed my teachings of your way of life, and have further perfected my favors upon you ( Isalm), and I am pleased that that you adobt islam as your ONLY life style" Today, we are not concerned how much of this faith a person applies to be considered a Muslim, its crucial we look what aspect of Islam that person rejects, if what the person rejects is a minor issue or an issue with a valid ambiguity, no one should accuse them of heresy, if on the other hand he rejects a major issue such as Sharia, than that person needs not waste their time in Islam, and we should stop making excuses for them, because islam is a word and action, and the action speaks much louder than words. Kufr and Islam are like day and night, but there is also a twilight zone, when its not quite day nor night, we call it a sunset and sun rise or sets. The biggest confusion in the determination of who is Muslim and who is not took place during the time of the Khawaarij and Murji'ah, two deviant groups that differed with alhlul Sunnah wal Jamaacah, here is a very simple summary: 1. Khawaarij, saw that major sins make a person a kaafir, for them it was black and white. In their definition, very few people could be fit to be Muslims. 2, The Murjia, saw that everyone, no matter what they do, as long as they say the shahaada are Muslims, action was not necessary in considering a person a Muslim. 3. Ahlul Sunnah wal Jamaaca took the middle course: From my past topics I have simplified the Aqeedah of the Salaf Al Saalix in my eNuri way, please read carefully; 1. No Soul will go to Jannah which is not a Muslim(a) 2. No one can be Muslim without Shahaada (Tawxiid) 3. Shahaada is information, we are required to believe in and bear witness thereof. 4. The test to see if we indeed believe in information represented by the Shahaada are our deeds: So our faith is composed of a A. set of Information we are required to believe. B. Set of Commands we are ordered to obey The extent of your belief in the information that our Prophet SAWS delivered is measured by the extent of orders that we obey. In other words, our obedience to the orders of Allah, is a reflection of our belief in the information delivered to us. So , Islam is composed of a two sets: A) A set of information to be believed in, like Allah, Jannah, angels, etc . B) A set of orders to abide with, such as Prayers, (Salat), Fasting, Upholding Justice, etc . The orders are subdivided in to two categories: 1.Orders to do something 2.Orders to stay away from doing something If Allah orders us to do something, and we fail to comply, the reason could be: a. We do not believe in the information b. We believe in it but we are arrogant c. We are MENTALLY CHALLENGED If (a) that is clear kufr If (b) That is also kufr, the type of Sheitan If © We may be the same case like a crazy person, Mentally Challenged, no responsibility. If we are ordered to stay away from something, and we do not, we have the following scenario: a. We do not believe in the information b. We are arrogant c. We can not resist temptation d. We are MENTALLY CHALLENGED All but case © are covered above. If case © is the situation, then that is called disobedience (Sin)(Macsiyah) and it is what Adam and Eve , (Hawaa) aleyhimaa assalaam have committed. It does not make one a kaafir by itself. ( The Khawaarij are the only to claim that a sin can make one a Kafir ) To generalize the above. If a person does something he is ordered not to do, the driver is more likely weakness against temptation, and that person is not a kaafir, this is the case of Adam and Eve, Aleyhimaa assalaam . If a person refuses to do something he is ordered to do, the driver of his action is more likely arrogance, like the case of Sheitan . Now we visit a new territory: There is a principle for detecting iiman ( Faith) levels developed by Sheikh Ibn Taymiyah. Called (Talaazumul Dhaahir wal Baatin )( Synregy of the Apparent actions of a person with the Hidden Motives within the consciousness ) I will simplify it for you again. The inside beliefs and the outward actions of a person are always working in harmony. Except when an outside disturbance influences that person attention. When as a result, the outwardly actions of that person projects and acts contrary of what is supposed to be inside . Meaning. In Systems Science, when we input a signal into a balanced system, we observe an output that reflects the shape of the original signal output + the function of the signal that operated on the system. In the absence of outside disturbance, we can always predict the output. But when an outside element disturbs the system, the output will not be predictable. A person who is a kaafir therefore will normally act as a kaafir. Sabeelul kaafireen And a person who is a muslim will always act like a Muslim. Sabeelul Mumineen In general, if you leave anyone alone, what he/she does is reflecting what they believe . But the minute that person feels that he/she is being observed, that feeling will somewhat effect the action of that person. An example is when you catch a child making funny faces on a mirror the child will immediately alter his behaviour to an acceptable manner. This is called conforming. So, when a Kaafir lives with Muslims, he may act like Muslim, to avoid problems. He is called a Munaafiq . And a Muslim who lives with Kufaar may at times act like kuffar, to avoid problems. He is called Mukrah . Now, a Somali Nomad who lives in Somalia, USA or Europe, is free to practice his faith, so if that person does not practice, or he acts contrary to his faiths tenets, his actions are an indicators of what is missing in his heart. In this case the actions or their absence are an indictor of the iimaan inside that person. However a Muslim who lives in tyranny, his actions may not be indicator of his belief. Because, if this person practices his faith, he is afraid for his life. As a result this person conceals his faith portraying himself as non Muslim, when in effect he fully believes his faith and is willing tp practise it to the fullest if he was not afraid. His fear, though could be justifiable or may be unjustifiable, in which case he is in grave error. Allah says : Are they same he who spends all his nights praying and prostrating, alert for aakhirah, and the one who is in darkness..............................." Nasalu Allaha al caafiyah. Aamin Walllahu aclam. Nur

Walaalayaal Waddankeenni dad badan oo rayyad aha ayaa wada dhaawacan oo wada taaahaya, yaan la illawin bukaankeenna, qofkii awood lohow, markaad ugu tabar daran tahay, u ducee, ama soo booqo bukaanka, meeshay joogaan ba. Booqashada bukaana waa ajar weyn, oo xataa aad ku heleyso inaad booqato dadkaan muslim aheyn, taasoo ah Sunnada Rasuulkeenna SAWS. Nur

Nomads Ramadaan waa naga tagay, asagoo weli quluubteenna ku xambaarsan xasuus macaan, habeenahii aan Rabbigeenna naxariistiisa iyo dambi dhaafkiisa raadineyney, iyo maalmihiisii daacadda loo wada baratamayay. Hadda waxaa na soo food hayaa Dhul Xijjah, iyo tobankii habeen ee Layaalin Cashr, oo ugu kheir badnaa sanadkoo dhan. Intaan ka gaadhi doonno ( Bus Stop) kaas, waxaa loo baahan yahay in lagu dadaalo in dabkii Ramadaanka no shidmay oo quluubta nuuriyey inussan damin, sidaa darteed, aan ku wada dadaallo sidii aan u dhandgansan leheyn macaanka iimaank oo laga helo xasuusta Allah iyo daacaddiisa oo qura. Nur

The Islamic Economic Alternative is on the horizon, slowly but surely, Abominable Usury ( Interest) system, is causing ruins to the entore globe, here is the proof from Sponsors of the Ribaa (interest) Economy! Real All About it! Britain may need 0% interest rate to avoid a depression, leading economist warns By James Chapman Last updated at 2:37 PM on 27th October 2008 Interest rates may have to be slashed to zero as Britain battles to avoid a full-blown depression, one of the country's leading economists warns today. The extraordinary claim from Charles Goodhart, a founding member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, came as Gordon Brown signalled that he wants to see further, aggressive cuts in the cost of borrowing. Mr Goodhart, professor emeritus of banking and finance at the London School of Economics and a member of the MPC between 1997 and 2000, tells Channel 4's Dispatches programme: 'Interest rates will go down from now, by how far and how fast nobody knows. Slashed: The Bank of England may need to cut interest rates to 0 per cent, economists have warned 'They could go to zero. They went to zero in Japan in the 1990s when the Japanese had a recession or depression which went on for a long time and was quite severe.' Such a drastic move here would bring rates, currently 4.5 per cent, to their lowest level since the Bank of England was founded in 1694. Despite the Bank's independence in setting rates, Mr Brown said yesterday: 'Inflation is coming down over the next few months and that will mean that it gives scope to the monetary authorities, including the Bank of England, round the world, to make a decision about interest rates.' However, many experts warn that a rush to cut rates is 'too little, too late' because Britain is already in what is predicted to be a long recession. Mr Brown will today insist he is right to try to borrow his way out of the downturn despite growing warnings from economists that he could bankrupt the country. The Prime Minister will say he will allow public borrowing to spiral still further - hinting that he may even seek to use the money for tax cuts for workers, businesses and homeowners.

As Predicted, here is a possible scenario that can force Obama out from Oval Office, so Zionist Joe Biden ( in his own words, during his visit to Israel " I am Zionist, You don't have to be a Jew to be a Zionist" can assume the Presidency after Obama resigns: Read this interesting analyses: "October Surprise": Preparing for "Something Unexpected”? By Dr. Judith H. Young October 27, 2008 -- Global Research, October 26, 2008 -- At a news conference on October 22, 2008, U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barak Obama was asked about a comment by his Vice Presidential running mate Joe Biden that Obama could expect to be tested within six months of the new presidential term by a “generated” international crisis that will force him to make unpopular decisions. Obama said the Delaware senator has occasionally engaged in "rhetorical flourishes," but the essential point was that the new President could expect to be challenged no matter who wins. Obama held the news conference following a meeting with his national security advisers, who include long standing globalist asset Zbignew Brezezinski. He denied the meeting with his advisors had been called because of political damage stemming from Biden's remarks, in my view a classic ploy for calling more attention to it. [1] Colin Powell, former Secretary of State (2001-2005), echoed Biden’s warning by referring to an unknown crisis that will come a day or two after the inauguration: I would start with talking to the American people and talking to the world and conveying a new image of American leadership, a new image of America’s role in the world. The problems will always be there and there's going to be a crisis which will come along on the 21st, 22nd of January that we don't even know about right now. So I think what the President has to start to do is to start using the power of the Oval Office and the power of his personality to convince the American people and convince the world that America is solid, that America is going to move forward, we are going to fix our economic problems, we're going to meet our overseas obligations. [2] John McCain and Madeleine Albright added to the furor. Albright called Biden’s statement “a statement of fact,” in that one always has to be prepared “for something unexpected.” [3] McCain raised the specter of nuclear war as he resumed his attack against Obama’s judgment by warning that the next president "won't have time to get used to the office." [4] Alternative news analysts speculated on the import of these simultaneous warnings by public figures, including their possible relation to a new false flag: Albright, like Biden and Powell, is an insider minion, so she may know something is up. It is rather suspect that all these voices are saying basically the same thing: Obama will be “tested,” either by an [al-Qaeda] attack, a war or confrontation in the Middle East – read Iran, or Russia….Hopefully, the ACLU’s [Freedom of Information Act request regarding the combat unit deployed domestically as of 10/1/2008] will turn up more information on the emerging police state control grid going online. Unfortunately, we are but one “terrorist event” away from this system being used to identify, track, trace, and round up the opposition. If we are to believe Joe Biden, Colin Powell, and Madeleine Albright, this event may happen as soon as the end of January, 2009. [5] There has also been wide speculation about an imminent false flag, to be blamed on al-Qaeda, as an “October surprise” designed to influence the outcome of the election. The two scenarios, a staged event before the voting and another manufactured crisis following inauguration, are not mutually exclusive. In this article I argue for both occurring, as part of a multi-phased shock and awe campaign designed to move us into full scale martial law with the help of Barak Obama as the new national savior in a time of peril. In my view, an October surprise consisting of a staged event in Obama’s home state, such as a dirty nuke detonated in Chicago, is a hypothesis worth exploring. Such an attack would be designed in part to focus attention on Obama as the global elite’s U.S. President of choice. In a crisis such as urban “terrorism,” the propaganda machine could spring into action to spin Obama’s popular appeal in a time of crisis as well as his argument that the Republicans have failed miserably in not apprehending bin Laden seven years after 9/11. I believe an urban attack would in fact be but step one in a broader psyop by the globalists to condition the public to accept Obama as a new protective father figure to replace George Bush as part of their final push for a full blown police state on a global scale. This possibility brings into bold relief Colin Powell’s reference (in answering fellow Council of Foreign Relations spin-meister Tom Brokaw’s query about how to respond to the post-inaugural crisis Powell had warned about) to the “power of the President’s personality to convince the American people that America is solid.” As Naomi Klein has revealed in her work on the shock doctrine of disaster capitalism, in the CIA’s basic interrogation manual declassified in 1963, a window of opportunity is highlighted in which torture reduces its victim to a state of traumatized disorientation and childlike regression, creating an opening for the interrogator to be transformed into a protective father figure. This is one of the classic tactics of tyrants across the planet. In the view of Klein and others, it was used after the shock of 9/11 to permit George Bush and others to offer a narrative on the shocking events allowing the profoundly disoriented victims to make sense of the trauma. Hence the extraordinary power of the mind control matrix known as the War on Terror. (See also my discussion of psychological control techniques in my two-part article “Deconstructing the Power of the Global Elite”). [6] My core argument is that the globalists’ final battle plan for world dominance is as follows: the current economic implosion that they themselves engineered, its ongoing exploitation to advance their agenda for worldwide financial and economic control, and finally, additional engineered crises designed to enable full-blown martial law as part of an international police state under their power. I do not believe the globalists want to see riots or other forms of protest on any major scale in the U.S. because of the huge number of guns still in the hands of the populace and because of their uncertainty about the ability (and willingness) of their forces to prevail in armed conflict with Americans. They worry, in my view, that things could become similarly messy in other parts of the globe. Another mass trauma on the scale of 9/11 – or several back-to-back mass traumas involving large numbers across the globe - would be far more efficient for implementing and justifying worldwide full scale martial law, with its attendant confiscation of guns and detention of dissidents. There is growing recognition of the commonplace use of false flag operations as a cold-blooded tool, even in so-called democracies, for promoting agendas that serve the interests of the power elite at the price of massive suffering for the common man. The most recent evidence of this criminal culture of death was a revelation by renowned investigative journalist Seymour Hersh in July 2008 that Bush administration officials had recently held a meeting in Vice President Dick Cheney’s office to discuss ways to provoke a war with Iran. The discussion addressed the idea of disguising Navy seals to look like Iranians, put them on specially built boats that look like Iranian PT boats, and start a fake attack on them in the Straits of Hormuz. Look, is it high school? Yeah. Are we playing high school with, you know, 5,000 nuclear warheads in our arsenal? Yeah, we are. We’re playing, you know, who’s the first guy to run off the highway with us and Iran. [7] The prospect of an October surprise has already factored into the 2008 campaign, including warnings of another al-Qaeda terrorist attack both from U.S. intelligence sources and allegedly from al Qaeda itself. [8] An alternative press article on October 24 expresses its alarm as follows: The chatter surrounding the probable entrance of Bin laden or Al-Qaeda to impact the election is widespread…. The fact that the media is hyping the inevitability of an “October surprise” should be a cause for concern, especially when allied to reports of police departments across the country ‘preparing for possible civil unrest and riots’ [during the election]. [9] The term “October surprise” stems from the 1980 election campaign between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter to refer to last-minute sensations with the potential to reshape a Presidential race. Such a sensation occurred in the last Presidential campaign in 2004. Going into the final weekend of the campaign, Democratic candidate John Kerry had a good chance of winning. Then an alleged Osama bin Laden videotape was issued: Bush went on to beat Kerry and both men attributed the result to the influence of the tape. In adding my voice to the widespread speculation about the spate of warnings of coming crises, I again proffer the hypothesis of a staged terrorist attack as an imminent October surprise going into the final weekend of the current campaign. In Part II of this work, forthcoming shortly at my blogs and YouTube channel, I will offer specific arguments for my choice of Chicago as a likely location for this new 9/11. NOTES 1. Jennifer Loven, “Obama brushes aside GOP criticism of his tax plans,” Yahoo! News, October 21, 2008: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081022/ap_on_el_pr/obama 2. Alex Johnson, “Powell endorses Obama for President, “ msnbc.com, October 19, 20008 3. CNN, October 22, 2008. Cf. “Albright Agrees with Biden: Terrorists Will Test Obama,” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD_EAe1N9-M 4. Staff Writers, “McCain raises specter of nuclear war,” Moon Township, Pennsylvania (AFP), Oct 22, 2008 5. Kurt Nimmo, “ACLU Files FOIA On Brigade Deployed in U.S.,” Infowars, October 22, 2008 www.infowars.com 6. Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt & Company, New York, 2007; Judith H. Young, Ph.D., “Deconstructing the Power of the Global Elite: Brute Force, the Power to Hurt, and Psychological Control,” Global Research, October 9, 2008 http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=10493 7. Faiz Shakir, “EXCLUSIVE: To Provoke War, Cheney Considered Proposal To Dress Up Navy Seals As Iranians And Shoot At Them,” Think Progress, July 31, 2008 http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/31/cheney-proposal-for-iran-war/ 8. Eli Lake, “Spies Warn That Al Qaeda Aims for October Surprise,” The New York Sun, September 22, 2008; “Al-Qaida Threatens 'October Surprise' Attack,” Newsmax.com, September 22, 2008; “In video, al-Qaeda vows more US attacks,” 9/19/08, CNN.com/world; “Terrorist advocate endorses McCain: An al-Qaeda supporter has called for a pre-election attack in the US to help Republican candidate John McCain win the presidency,” Press TV, October 22, 2008; William Bratton & R.P. Eddy, “Osama Bin Laden wants a vote, so beware a late October surprise,” New York Daily News, Opinions, 10/21/08 9. Paul Joseph Watson, “Clarke: Bin Laden to Influence U.S. Election,” Prison Planet, October 24, 2008. infowars.com Judith H. Young, holds a Ph.D from Brandeis University. In the 1960s she was a published think tank researcher with a Top Secret security clearance in the areas of arms control, strategic studies and international aerospace activities. In 1973-74 she taught International Politics at Mount Holyoke University in Massachusetts. In the 1990s Judy became a practitioner and teacher in several venerable healing arts, including animal-assisted therapy and traditional Reiki. She founded a nonprofit animal and nature center dedicated to promoting the healthy development of children and youth, which she directed from 1994-2004, and she published widely in the field of equine-assisted activities and ecotherapy. After the shocking events of 9/11/2001, Judy returned to her earlier vocation as a writer and educator in the field of International Politics, while also maintaining a professional practice in complementary and alternative healing. Web site: http://freefalltofascism.homestead.com/ Blogs: http://freefalltofascism.wordpress.com/ http://earthrising.typepad.com/ YouTube: http://crisiscenterinfo.youtube.com/ © Copyright Judith H. Young, Global Research, 2008

The Rape Of Europe! I recieved this article from an aquaintance, its an interesting read. Sarkozy: “Arabic Is the Language of the Future” From the desk of Tiberge on Tue, 2008-10-14 11:14 The French government is strongly advocating the teaching of Arabic language and civilization in French schools. Not surprising, considering the number of Arabs and Muslims in France, and the unctuous deference with which they are treated by officials, beginning notably with Nicolas Sarkozy, who cannot praise enough the splendor of Arabic contributions to the world. The French National Assembly was the scene of a meeting earlier this month of the first Conference on the Teaching of Arabic Language and Culture, attended by a variety of interested parties. There was much wearisome blather about the need for "dialogue." In his message to the participants, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Arabic the "language of the future, of science and of modernity," and expressed the hop that "more French people share in the language that expresses great civilizational and spiritual values." "We must invest in the Arabic language (because) to teach it symbolizes a moment of exchange, of openness and of tolerance, (and it) brings with it one of the oldest and most prestigious civilizations of the world. It is in France that we have the greatest number of persons of Arabic and Muslim origin. Islam is the second religion of France," Sarkozy reminded his listeners. He proceeded to enumerate the various "advances in terms of diversity," the increase in Muslim sections of cemeteries, the training of imams and chaplains and the appointments of ministers of diverse backgrounds. "France is a friend of Arabic countries. We are not seeking a clash between the East and West," he affirmed, emphasizing the strong presence of Arab leaders at the founding summit of the Union for the Mediterranean, last July 13. "The Mediterranean is where our common hopes wer founded. Our common sea is where the principal challenges come together: durable development, security, education and peace," added the French president. Source: http :// www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3591 The Rape of Europe From the desk of Paul Belien The German author Henryk M. Broder recently told the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant (12 October) that young Europeans who love freedom, better emigrate. Europe as we know it will no longer exist 20 years from now. Whilst sitting on a terrace in Berlin, Broder pointed to the other customers and the passers-by and said melancholically: “We are watching the world of yesterday.” Europe is turning Muslim. As Broder is sixty years old he is not going to emigrate himself. “I am too old,” he said. However, he urged young people to get out and “move to Australia or New Zealand. That is the only option they have if they want to avoid the plagues that will turn the old continent uninhabitable.” Many German and Dutch, apparently, did not wait for Broder’s advice. The number of emigrants leaving the Netherlands and Germany has already surpassed the number of immigrants moving in. One does not have to be prophetic to predict, like Henryk Broder, that Europe is becoming Islamic. Just consider the demographics. The number of Muslims in contemporary Europe is estimated to be 50 million. It is expected to double in twenty years. By 2025, one third of all European children will be born to Muslim families. Today Mohammed is already the most popular name for new-born boys in Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and other major European cities. Broder is convinced that the Europeans are not willing to oppose islamization. “The dominant ethos,” he told De Volkskrant, “i perfectly voiced by the ****** blonde woman author with whom I recently debated. She said that it is sometimes better to let yourself be raped than to risk serious injuries while resisting. She said it is sometimes better to avoid fighting than run the risk of death.” In a recent op-ed piece in the Brussels newspaper De Standaard (23 October) the Dutch (gay and self-declared “humanist”) author Oscar Van den Boogaard refers to Broder’s interview. Van den Boogaard says that to him coping with the islamization of Europe is like “a process of mourning.” He is overwhelmed by a “feeling of sadness.” “I am not a warrior,” he says, “but who is? I have never learned to fight for my freedom. I was only good at enjoying it.” As Tom Bethell wrot in this month’s American Spectator: “Just at the most basic level of demography the secular-humanist option is not working.” But there is more to it than the fact that non-religious people tend not to have as many children as religious people, because many of them prefer to “enjoy” freedom rather than renounce it for the sake of children. Secularists, it seems to me, are also less keen on fighting. Since they do not believe in an afterlife, this life is the only thing they have to lose. Hence they will rather accept submission than fight. Like the German feminist Broder referred to, they prefer to be raped than to resist. “If faith collapses, civilization goes with it,” says Bethell. That is the real cause of the closing of civilization in Europe. Islamization is simply the consequence. The very word Islam means “submission” and the secularists have submitte already. Many Europeans have already become Muslims, though they do not realize it or do not want to admit it. Some of the people I meet in the U.S. are particularly worried about the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe. They are correct when they fear that anti-Semitism is also on the rise among non-immigrant Europeans. The latter hate people with a fighting spirit. Contemporary anti-Semitism in Europe (at least when coming from native Europeans) is related to anti-Americanism. People who are not prepared to resist and are eager to submit, hate others who do not want to submit and are prepared to fight. They hate them because they are afraid that the latter will endanger their lives as well. In their view everyone must submit. This is why they have come to hate Israel and America so much, and the small band of European “islamophobes” who dare to talk about what they see happening around them. West Europeans have to choose between submission (islam) or death. I fear like Broder, that they have chosen submission – just like in former days when they preferred to be red rather than dead.....

Walaalkey Xiin Waan maqnaa, laakin su'aalahaaga marna maankeyga ka ma maqnaan. Hadduu Eebbe idmo, si tafaq tiran baan uga hadli doonaa dhowaan Nur

MS DD W Caleykumu Salaam wa raxmatullah wa barakaatuh sis. That is the story I heard, can't verify though, but its popular in economy classes, classic example of value of real assets in comparison to currencies. S.O.S. You are definetly right, it would be advisable to consider places close to home ( Somalia is still a place for sacrifice, not earning!). Properties in nearby Kenya are still attarctive ( unless the power sharing between Odinga and Kibaki falters, which spells huge risk for all foreigners and specially for Somalis and Indians). But to win next year's Nobel Prize In Economics though, you may consider converting your cash to bars of gold and then keep it firmly under your pillow ( the only problem with this option is a verse in Quraan: " Inna alladiina yaknizuuna al Zhahaba wal fiddata walaa yunfiquunahaa , fa bashirhum bi cadaabin aliim" How to mitigate this risk: well, start up your own orphanage in Somalia, this will gurantee a safety net from eternal poverty. Nur

Yaabka Yaabkiisa Runtii, waxaad sheegtay waa wax yaab badan leh, inkastoo la filan karo samanka aan joogno. Diinta wexey na fareysaa in wanaagga aan isu sheegno, sharta iyo xumaantana aan iska celinno, laakin waxaa loo baahan yahay in xikmad la adeegsado, maxaa yeelay, waxaa dhici karta in adigoo kheyr ka talinaya aad dhibkii aad joojin laheyd, aand mid ka weyn dhaliso. Labada dambi ood ku sheegtay waa culus yihiin, hadaba aad u hubi iskuna day inaad u heshid markhaati kula arka shartaas si wax looga qabto dadkana looga digo. Hadaba, haddaad si cad aad u aragto qof dadka ku dhex jira, oo qarsanaya dunuubta waaweyn ( Kabaa'ir), isla markaasna aad dadka inuu saameeyo aad uga baqdo waa inaad degdeg ku gaadhsiiso arrintaas culimada ama sheikhyada ama imaamyadaa Masjidka deegaanka. Adigana arrintaan Allah ajar badan kaa siiyo. Nur

S.O.S Bro. During World War II, A German father left an estate worth some 100 Million Marks for his two sons. After his death, one of his sons, a Professor, the other, a party animal, shared the estate .The Professor deposited his share of 50 Million Marks in a local bank, while his brother fulfilled his dream of partying every night by ordering two truck loads of beer for all the neighborhood nightly dance. At the end of the war, the beer company contacted the party animal to inform him that his checks have bounced, however, they offered him to invest in their beer company with his empty beer bottle asset, piled up high in his back yard after the bottling plant was bombarded by the British Airforce. The Party guy became very wealthy as shareholder of beer company, while his brother, the Professor lost all his Bank deposit to hyper inflation. Moral of story, in times of economic collapse, real assets store value better than cash. S.O.S bro, my advice is that you buy a real estate propert if you have the money, dont expect a quick return as we are in the tunnel of a long resession, but at least, you are insulated from currency collapse which is imminent. Nur

Wall Street's 'Disaster Capitalism for Dummies' 14 reasons Main Street loses big while Wall Street sabotages democracy By Paul B. Farrell October 22, 2008 "MarketWatch' -- ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. -- Yes, we're dummies. You. Me. All 300 million of us. Clueless. We should be ashamed. We're obsessed about the slogans and rituals of "democracy," distracted by the campaign, polls, debates, rhetoric, half-truths and outright lies. McCain? Obama? Sorry to pop your bubble folks, but it no longer matters who's president. Why? The real "game changer" already happened. Democracy has been replaced by Wall Street's new "disaster capitalism." That's the big game-changer historians will remember about 2008, masterminded by Wall Street's ultimate "Trojan Horse," Hank Paulson. Imagine: Greed, arrogance and incompetence create a massive bubble, cost trillions, and still Wall Street comes out smelling like roses, richer and more powerful!Yes, we're ******: While distracted by the "illusion of democracy" in the endless campaign, Congress surrendered the powers we entrusted to it with very little fight. Congress simply handed over voting power and the keys to trillions in the Treasury to Wall Street's new "Disaster Capitalists" who now control "democracy." Why did this happen? We're in denial, clueless wimps, that's why. We let it happen. In one generation America has been transformed from a democracy into a strange new form of government, "Disaster Capitalism." Here's how it happened: Three decades of influence peddling in Washington has built an army of 42,000 special-interest lobbyists representing corporations and the wealthy. Today these lobbyists manipulate America's 537 elected officials with massive campaign contributions that fund candidates who vote their agenda. This historic buildup accelerated under Reaganomics and went into hyperspeed under Bushonomics, both totally committed to a new disaster capitalism run privately by Wall Street and Corporate America. No-bid contracts in wars and hurricanes. A housing-credit bubble -- while secretly planning for a meltdown. Finally, the coup de grace: Along came the housing-credit crisis, as planned. Press and public saw a negative, a crisis. Disaster capitalists saw a huge opportunity. Yes, opportunity for big bucks and control of America. Millions of homeowners and marginal banks suffered huge losses. Taxpayers stuck with trillions in debt. But giant banks emerge intact, stronger, with virtual control over government and the power to use taxpayers' funds. They're laughing at us ******! Amazing isn't it, Wall Street's Disaster Capitalists screwed up, likely planned or let happen this meltdown and recession. Yet America's clueless taxpayers just reward them by giving the screw-ups massive bailouts, control over more than $2 trillion of tax money, and the power to clean up the mess they made. Oh yes, we are dummies! This end game was planned for years in secret war rooms on Wall Street, in Corporate America, in Washington and the Forbes 400. Democracy is too cumbersome. It had to be marginalized for Disaster Capitalism to take over. Reagan, Bush and Paulson were Wall Street's "Trojan Horses." Naomi Klein summarizes the game in "Shock Doctrine: the Rise of Disaster Capitalism." This "new economy" generates enormous profits feeding off other peoples' misery: Wars, terror attacks, natural catastrophes, poverty, trade sanctions, subprime housing meltdowns and all kinds of economic, financial and political disasters. Natural (Katrina) or manmade (Iraq), either way "disaster capitalism" creates fortunes. So you, me and the other 300 million better get out of denial. America is no longer a democracy. Voting is irrelevant. Best case scenario: We're a plutocracy, a government ruled by the wealthy, the richest 1%, the Forbes 400, the influential wealthy elite, while the other 99% are their "servants." Meanwhile, the inflation-adjusted income of wage-earners has declined for three decades. Worst case scenario: America's no democracy and as a result of the meltdown and the surrender of our power to Wall Street's new Disaster Capitalism we are morphing into what one WWII dictator called "corporatism," a "merger of state and corporate power," kind of like what's going on now with Goldman Sachs' ex-boss as de facto president. Wolves in sheep's clothing Yes, a strong charge. But like a lot of our readers, I don't like what's happening to America. I'm a patriot. I volunteered for the Marines. Served four years. Volunteered for Korea. I don't like how our freedoms, rights and value system are being subverted in the name of greed, arrogance, self-righteous intolerance and other false gods. We know for the last eight years disaster capitalists ignored obvious warnings of a coming meltdown. They apparently planned it. They road the bull, got very rich. Now they have the ultimate disaster capitalist weapons, trillions in tax money, virtual control of government. That's why I fear we're on the edge of a dangerous line between Wall Street's version of disaster capitalism and a toxic "merger of state and corporate power." The wolf is in sheep's clothing. Wall Street pretends we're a democracy. Yet America more closely resembles the kind of "corporatism" that Laurence W. Britt wrote about five years ago in Free Inquiry magazine. We adapted his historical analysis of 14 key traits for today's discussion. Notice how they have a huge impact your investments and retirement: 1. Wall Street rich get first priority Think "bailout." Wall Street's greedy con game spins out of control globally. Millions of homeowners misled, lose. Who gets hundreds of billions first? Wall Street's con men. 2. National security obsession Think of the expansion of executive powers in the name of national security: Preemptive wars, wiretapping private citizens, Gitmo, torture; driven by a dark wealthy neocon elite. 3. Superpower with massive military Think of our $3 trillion Iraq/Afghan War. Disaster capitalists love the thrill of military power. We outspend all nations, over half the federal budget to strut before the world. 4. Extreme nationalism Signs are everywhere: Flags, lapel pins, "support the troops" slogans, all to get huge military budgets passed. Challenge them and you're un-American and unpatriotic. 5. Rally the masses by scapegoating enemies Think "axis of evil," mushroom clouds, "Islamofascists," more terrorist attacks on the homeland. Propaganda creates "enemies" in the public's mind and distracts from real issues. 6. Corruption and cronyism Think earmarks, no-bid defense contracts, paid mercenaries outnumbering military in Iraq, superlobbyist Jack Abramoff, biofuels, bridge to nowhere, millions donated to campaigns. 7. Obsession with crime Think of prison-building as just another investment opportunity, rather than focusing on reforming our criminal justice system. Stoke irrational fear of criminals and extremists. 8. Labor and low wages Think corporate earnings versus the wages paid to workers. No "trickling down," leaves more for tricklers: Rich insiders, stockholders. Wages dropping as CEO salaries skyrocket. 9. Contempt for human rights Think of abuses of habeas corpus, loss of right to trial, bogus charges, plus "demonizing" the victims, all in the name of national defense and homeland security. 10. Mass media manipulation Think of leaking false information, Joseph Wilson, Valerie Plame, Scooter Libby, Colin Powell's United Nation's testimony, Condoleezza Rice's mushroom clouds, WMDs, all to suppress the truth. 11. Obsession with sexism Think of paternalism, antigays, antiabortion, subordinate women -- then codify the system as the law of the land reinforcing a male-dominated society, punish violators. 12. Disdain for intellectuals Think of conservative intellectuals Francis Fukuyama and Bill Buckley. Contrast them to Sarah Palin and Joe Sixpack conservatism, Bush's funding cuts for arts and science education. 13. Religion in government Think of all the faith-based programs versus antiscience in drug approvals, creationism vs. evolution, Ten Commandments enshrined in public buildings, public money to churches. 14. Fraudulent elections Think of police and prosecutorial intimidation and threats to voters, challenging minority voters, ballots disappearing, party election officials committing outright fraud. Yes, officially America is still a democracy. We have enough signs and rituals to support that illusion. But the truth is America has become a plutocracy run by and for the wealthy. And since Wall Street's Disaster Capitalism coup de grace, we are rapidly morphing into a dangerous new government. Copyright © 2008 MarketWatch, Inc.

Zionism, Militarism and the Decline of US Power Review of James Petras' book By Stephen Lendman October 22, 2008 - "Global Research" -- James Petras is Binghamton University Professor Emeritus of Sociology. His credentials and achievements are long and impressive as a noted academic figure on the left. A well-respected Latin American expert, and a longtime chronicler of the region's popular struggles. He's also a prolific author of hundreds of articles and dozens of books, including his latest titled "Zionism, Militarism, and the Decline of US Power" and subject of this review. It follows from his earlier 2006 book: "The Power of Israel in the United States" that documented the Israeli Lobby's enormous influence over US Middle East policy and its destructive effects. Petras continues the story in his latest book. Asks is Israel good for America, and responds by exposing and critiquing American Zionism. Its powerfully destructive influence. Its stranglehold on US politics, academia, the media, clergy, and over all segments of society voicing dissent. He debunks the notion that the Israeli Lobby is like all others and provides convincing evidence of its influence and veto power over war and peace, trade and investment, multi-billion dollar arms sales, and all Middle East policy issues under Democrat and Republican administrations alike. Every Petras book is important. So is this one at a time the most powerful Washington Lobby is assured that a new administration will continue and expand the current "Global Wars on Terrorism." Petras explains the dangers. The current disastrous foreign adventurism. America's economic decline as a result, and the calamitous global fallout overall. High-level officials won't read this book, but they should. To realize the dangers of their destructive policies. How they threaten the republic's survival and are heading the nation for insolvency and ruin. Part I - Zionism and US Militarism How Zionist Power Promotes US Middle East Wars Pretexts for invading and occupying Iraq went from: -- WMDs; -- to removing a dangerous dictator; -- to establishing democracy in the Arab world; -- to preventing a civil war; -- to needing a colonial military victory to retain our global superpower status; -- to reassuring regional regimes they can rely on us for protection; and -- to proving America can fight and defeat "terrorism." However, the longer the conflict continues (as well as the Afghan one), the less credibility any argument holds. The more likely an occupied people will grow more restive and reassertive. A similar likelihood that popular resistance will grow throughout the Middle East, Eurasia and elsewhere. The greater the economic and political cost. The less able a depleted military will be able to sustain foreign wars, and less willing the US public will put up with them. Yet they continue, and explanations why crop up as follows: (A) A War for Oil with arguments ranging from: (1) Big Oil wanted it; (2) the White House acted reflexively on its behalf; to (3) the urgency to secure the region's oil that Saddam Hussein threatened. Petras responds that these explanations "fail several empirical tests:" (1) Big Oil opposed the war and wants peace and stability instead; (2) the oil giants tried to establish economic ties with Iraq before the invasion; they want and are denied the same arrangement with Iran and all other oil producing countries; (3) they prefer gaining new markets and business economically and by building good relationships with host countries; not a single Big Oil CEO favored war and occupation; and (4) "windfall profits" haven't materialized as benefits accruing from occupation; lucrative contracts to develop Iraqi oil aren't arranged; and the country is too violent to warrant serious investments to do it, except in the Kurdish north. Still, war was declared. The occupation continues. The political and economic costs are enormous. Big Oil has been a loser, not a winner, and the evidence shows that the powerful Israeli Lobby trumped any opposition the oil giants could pose to match it. Petras refers to the Zionist Power Configuration (ZPT). Its influence over the administration and Congress. Its tentacles spanning the country at the grassroots. Its control of the media, academia, the clergy, and important professional elements in the population. Its "slavish obedience to official Israeli policy" even when US interests are harmed. Its threat to US democratic freedoms, and the fact that anyone daring to confront Israeli policy becomes a target to be intimidated, blackmailed, smeared, pressured, and removed from positions of authority. (B) the National Security Argument that breaks down as easily as a war for Big Oil. At its height, Iraq was a modestly strong regional power, but never a match for America or a nuclear-powered Israel. Following the 1980s war with Iran; the 1991 Gulf war; 12 years of punishing sanctions; repeated bombings in the 1990s; the patrolled no-fly zone and protected Kurdish north; and the depleted state of Iraq's military, the nation was in no position for conflict with any of its neighbors let alone with the world's only superpower. "Saddam Hussein was clearly not a threat." Neither is Iran the way Israel, its Lobby, the administration, and most members of Congress portray it in an effort to push America into another disastrous war that will only benefit Israel in the short term. Its interests were key in influencing the Iraq war. Economic sanctions and the Gulf war preceding it. For the purpose of removing a regional rival. Eliminating the Palestinians' major source of support, and solidifying the Jewish state as the Middle East's leading power. Iran remains the main obstacle. Followed by Syria, Hezbollah in South Lebanon and the Hamas government in Gaza. Israel and its Lobby want sequential wars to enhance its power by eliminating them all. Thus far, Congress and the administration have gone along. Saddam's Ba'athist regime is no longer a threat, but Iraq remains embroiled in turmoil with no end of conflict in sight. Many hundreds of billions have been spent containing it with little to show for the effort and expense, yet Israeli supporters want war with Iran and ignore the unimaginable fallout if it comes. Nonetheless, most of official Washington and plenty of media disinformation back one. Starting off with tighter sanctions. A possible partial or full blockade. The idea being to harm the Islamic Republic. Then attack it in a weakened state. That's the plan. Will it happen? Perhaps if ZPC power prevails. But not if high-level Pentagon and others in Washington win out. They know the risks of inflaming the entire Muslim world. The unlikely possibility of regime change by war. The immense disruption to the region through retaliation, blocked oil shipments and skyrocketing prices, and how these factors will affect a world economy already reeling from the strains of a financial crisis. Nonetheless, ZPC influence is considerable and can't be underestimated. It's "exercised directly on political, academic, and cultural decision makers to make sure their policies back pro-Israel, pro-Zionist interests." High-level administration officials represent it. People like Eliot Abrams, special National Security Council Middle East/North Africa "Global Democracy Strategy" advisor and DHS director Michael Chertoff. Indirect ZPC power is exerted by: -- "parlaying influence over a small group of Congressmen into a large majority;" also winning over the leadership of both parties and having them publicly pledge allegiance to Israel; -- enhancing power by focusing on single issues - like denouncing prominent Israeli critics and assuring their views won't prevail or even be heard; removing them from Congress and other posts; figures like Cynthia McKinney twice from the House and Norman Finkelstein from the DePaul University faculty; -- publicizing the successful punishing of critics to deter others; -- employing mutually re-enforcing public and private sphere multiple resources like large-scale electoral financing and influencing donors not to contribute to Israeli critics; and -- using powerful, effective, one-sided propaganda to demonize Arabs, especially Palestinians and critics; instead portray Israel as a "democratic fortress surrounded by hostile authoritarian governments;" also having the media on board reinforcing these views. What precisely is the ZPC or Israeli Lobby? It's unlike any other in power. The breadth of its base, and the only one with no opposition. Representing less than 1% of the population (elites only), it consists of "a multiplicity of highly organized, well-financed and centrally-directed structures throughout the US." It includes scores of political action committees. A dozen or more think tanks, and the "52 major American Jewish organizations grouped under the umbrella listing 'Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (CPMAJO).' " AIPAC, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) are among them at the "national Executive-Congressio nal lobbying levels." As or more important are local Jewish community federations and organizations throughout the country. In them are activist professionals - doctors, lawyers, accountants, small business leaders, academics, the clergy and many others who promote Israeli interests, denounce critics, and work to assure their voices aren't heard or are dimmed. On-campus pro-Israeli student organizations are also enlisted to spy on professors. Smear critical ones, and work to pressure universities to fire them. The ZPC "octopus" reaches everywhere - "far beyond the traditional centers of big city power and national politics....into remote towns and cultural spheres" across the country. With powerful mass media backing, its influence is enormous, and only the brave dare opposes it. Yet they do, and their numbers are growing in spite of the risks. The Israeli Lobby "is at or near the peak of its political power" - at all levels of government and through the mass media. Yet it's vulnerable nonetheless - because of the extent of its crimes. The defrauding of the American public. For forcing the country into two disastrous wars against Iraq and Afghanistan. Their enormous cost in dollars, lost lives, vast destruction, and mass human misery, and their showing US (and Israeli) democracy to be sheer fantasy. High Pentagon officials are also angered for being led into "an unprecedented state of disgrace and demoralization, with thousands of officers tendering their early retirement, thousands of troops going AWOL, and an increasing number of retired senior officers expressing outrage" and wanting an end to clearly failed policies. Nonetheless, the task facing critics is daunting, and consider the public record documentation of the relentless campaign for war against Iraq. In its run-up, "leading pro-Israel Jewish organizations produced approximately 8800 pieces of pro-Iraq war propaganda and circulated them to all its member organizations, every Congressperson, and every leading member of the executive branch, with follow-ups by local activists and an army of Washington lobbyists (150 from AIPAC alone) plus several hundred full-time activists from local and regional offices." A 2002 - 2007 Financial Times survey (the leading Anglo-American business publication) of 1872 op-eds, editorials and letters contained "not a single (item) by any spokesperson or representative of a major (or minor) oil company calling for the invasion and occupation of Iraq or the bombing of Iran." In contrast, the one-sided Daily Alert digest of pro-Israeli and Middle East propaganda (from 2004 through September 2007) published 960 issues with on average six daily articles calling for an immediate or near-term preemptive US and/or Israeli attack on Iran. Tightened economic sanctions also plus divestment and boycotts of Iranian products. During the same period, the Financial Times (in 1053 issues) published no Big Oil op-eds, commentaries or letters advocating war or harsh measures against Iran. Quite the opposite. Large and smaller oil companies want peace and stability everywhere and the right to negotiate deals with all oil-producing states, including Iran. They also fear conflict will disrupt business. Damage or destroy their installations, and undermine transport routes and shipping lanes from wellheads to market destinations. Yet conflict continues. More may be ahead under the current or next administration, and nothing is being done to address the core Middle East issue - resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict equitably. Short of that, no regional peace is possible nor can Israeli survive even nominally democratic. Yet Israeli Lobby influence thwarts every peace initiative, and consider three recent ones: -- the bipartisan dismissal of a statement sent George Bush and Secretary Rice from former top political officials calling for Israel to abide by UN Resolutions 242, 338 and other conflict-resolving initiatives; -- Tony Blair's "Quartet Peace-Making Mission" has been a total flop due to Israeli intransigence; and -- the November Annapolis, MD peace conference proved just as fruitless because Israel wants conflict, not resolution. Key for Israeli officials is total Palestinian subjugation. Weakening, isolating and destroying Iran. Emerging as the region's unchallengeable power, and tolerating no opposition to its aims. They represent "a clear and present danger to" America's freedoms, already seriously eroded and heading south unless reversed. Yet there's hope in the form of "rising anger and hostility in America against the ZPC, against its arrogant authoritarian communal attacks on our democratic values, to say nothing about our national interests" - grievously harmed by supporting Israel's. An eventual backlash is coming because things that can't go on forever, won't. The political and economic costs are enormous and ahead will come down to Chalmers Johnson's conclusion in his two most recent books. That America is plagued with the same dynamic that doomed past empires unwilling to change: "isolation, overstretch, the uniting of local and global forces opposed to imperialism, and in the end bankruptcy" combined with authoritarian rule and the loss of personal freedom. Supporting a tiny Middle East state with interests harming our own is hastening that outcome. It's high time this stops, but so far it's just wishful thinking. War On Iran - The American Military v. the Israel Firsters Israeli interests and its supportive Lobby have pitted Congress and administration officials against some top Pentagon commanders - irate over Iraq and opposed to more conflict against Iran. Which side will prevail isn't sure, but civilian militarists neutralized their critics. Marginalized, silenced or removed mid and high-ranking officers. Men like Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Peter Pace. Army Chief of Staff General Eric Shinseki. CENTCOM commander Admiral William Fallon. General John Abizaid for opposing the Bush administration's "surge." General Ricardo Sanchez for calling Iraq "a nightmare with no end in sight," and many others throughout an officer corp racked by half their numbers not re-enlisting. Career officers fed up, wanting out and leaving. Further depleting an already weakened military. Nonetheless, the Lobby remains dominant even after losing key pro-Israel administration officials through forced or voluntary departures. Like Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith, Larry Franklin, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Abram Shulsky, David Wurmser, many lesser or unknown figures, and even Colin Powell who in February 2001 said: Saddam "has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction. He is unable to project conventional power against his neighbors" and thus poses no threat. On February 5, 2003, he then disgraced himself before the UN Security Council by lying about Iraqi WMDs and "involvement in terrorism" and having CIA chief George Tenet and UN Ambassador (at the time) John Negroponte as visible props behind him for credibility. An episode he'll never live down nor should anyone let him. Setbacks notwithstanding and the Bush administration's tenure nearly over, the Lobby remains supremely confident and empowered. It steamrolls opposition and neutralized the peace movement as well. Now diffused, misdirected, and supporting pro-war Democrats instead of taking to the streets, demanding an end to the Iraq occupation, no confrontation with Iran, and a dramatic change in course in Washington they want but won't fight for. Even connecting with anti-war Pentagon officials would help as well as key fundamental issues between them and the Lobby: -- the extent of the Iranian threat: none according to the IAEA; and evidence shows Iran is complying with NPT provisions unlike Israel that's a nuclear outlaw; -- Iran's uranium enrichment program: it's lawful and poses no "existential threat" as Israel claims; intelligence and US military estimates are that at the earliest Iran might be able to produce a low-yield weapon by 2010 - 2015 if it wishes to; hardly a threat to Israel's nuclear arsenal and sophisticated delivery systems able to devastate any country in the region; none pose a threat to Israel or will in the foreseeable future; -- Iran supplying arms to the Iraqi resistance: the Pentagon and CENTCOM repeatedly deny it; nonetheless, Israel and its Lobby claim it and the dominant media go along; and -- consequences of attacking Iran: retaliation is certain; Israel will be harmed; so will US Iraqi forces; the Strait of Hormuz may be blocked through which up to one-third of Middle East oil passes and 20% of world production of 88 million barrels; and Iranian "sleeper cells" may be activated around the world for "big impact" terror missions. None of this deters Israel, its Lobby and their policy of "no dialog, no diplomacy, and a blockade, weakened economy, ripe for Anglo-French-America n bombing." They ignore a frequent criticism about having no "exit strategy" because they want the US to invade, occupy, colonize, build permanent bases, and wage unending "Global Wars on Terrorism" for total victory and dominance - of the region and beyond. So far, the Pentagon is their only effective opposition along with scattered former Washington officials like Zbigniew Brzezinski, Jimmy Carter, Henry Kissinger, Jim Baker and the president's father. Figures rarely given air time or op-ed space to voice these views. Short of that and mass grassroots activism, the possibility of an unthinkable Iran attack can't be discounted. Burying the National Intelligence Estimate In December 2007, the US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) reported that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 (with no evidence one ever existed) and has none of these weapons in its arsenal. The Bush administration, Israel, and its Lobby dismissed the report calling it an Iranian ploy to buy time. The White House knew its findings months in advance. No doubt shared them with Israel, and effectively diffused them to remove an obstacle to new aggression. AIPAC, in fact, twisted NIE's findings by arguing they bolster the case for confrontation because the absence of a nuclearized Iran should support the case for greater pressure on the country. With plenty of media support, the Lobby effectively buried the NIE report and refocused attention on "Iran's nuclear program still (being) a threat," and who can counteract it when no opposition voices get air time or op-ed space in key mainstream broadsheets. Nonetheless, the inteligence report has credibility and "made liars of the White House and Congressional Democrats and the Presidents of the Major American Jewish Organizations who 'knew' Iran had a nuclear weapons program" no one can find a trace of. It shows that the nuclear issue is a ruse. Israel wants unchallengeable regional dominance, and Iran is its major rival. Remove it and lesser ones remain with no worry about the Islamic Republic intervening against further Palestinian oppression, displacement and isolation, and Israel's other imperial aims. With billions from Washington, worldwide backing or indifference, and the power of their Lobby to win support and intimidate opposition. The drumbeat for war continues. Yet it's quieted somewhat following the August Caucasus crisis with Russia now a reinvented evil empire opponent in a new Cold War and Great Game confrontation for control of Eurasia's vast resources, including those in the Middle East. Iran, however, hasn't gone away, and with General David Petraeus now CENTCOM chief, the Bush administration, Israel, and the Lobby have their man in charge of going in whatever direction they send him. Obediently and willingly to further his own political ambitions that got him this far despite his less than stellar record. More on the general below. Provocations as Pretexts for Imperial Wars - From Pearl Harbor to 9/11 Despots need no pretexts for war. Imperialist democracies have to invent them to convince the public to go along. In 1916, Woodrow Wilson was reelected on a promise that "He Kept Us Out of War." WW I, that is, that began in 1914. Unknown to the public, Wilson had imperialist designs. He needed the war to advance them, and established the Committee on Public Information under George Creel. A government propaganda initiative that in six months turned a pacifist nation into raving German haters and got Congress (overwhelmingly) to declare war on Germany on April 17. The effort also showed corporations how effective propaganda can be. It launched the public relations industry. All the mind manipulating methods that followed, and it taught business how to market their products, denigrate unions, and today keep people glued to TV screens, influenced by hyper-commercialism and bread and circuses to want all the things they don't need and think less about essentials like clean air and water, safe food, and government providing everyone with vital services like health care and education. Wilson's war led to America's unchallengeable ascendency after WW II. The war Roosevelt wanted and got as did his successors to the present time and to be continued under the next administration. Petras explains that "US presidents have routinely created circumstances, fabricated incidents and acted in complicity with their enemies" to convince the public to be "receptive to war." WW I and the major imperial wars to the present needed "a provocation, a pretext, and systematic, high-intensity mass media propaganda to mobilize the masses for war." Manipulated to accept it by "an army of academics, journalists, mass media pundits and experts." Well rewarded for their complicity. Japan's rulers didn't want war with America. FDR goaded them into attacking through multi-step harassment and embargo provocations. Acts of war leading up to December 7, 1941. An effort to foment an attack by selling arms to Tokyo's enemies. Denying Japan strategic resources and port access, and imposing a damaging embargo on the country. It worked. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. US cable documentation showed Washington knew it was coming. They tracked the fleet across the Pacific, but officials gave no warning to Admiral HE Kimmel in charge of Pearl Harbor's defense. Crucial intelligence reports were withheld to let the attack proceed unimpeded to mobilize public anger and give FDR his war. Think of the similarity between then and 2001. At its conclusion, America was triumphant, but its conquest of Asia incomplete. Truman's dilemma - "how to consolidate US imperial supremacy in the Pacific at a time of growing nationalist and communist upheavals" in spite of a war-weary public wanting peace, demobilization, and normalcy. Again, a provocation worked. Mass propaganda followed. The great "red" menace was fabricated. Hawkish collaborators took over unions and civic organizations. McCarthyism emerged. Peace and anti-war organizations were targeted. Many thousands lost jobs. Hundreds jailed, and hundreds more blacklisted. All under Harry Truman now reinvented as one of our great past presidents. Point of fact - he was a war criminal. He chose the Korean peninsula. Lawlessly intervened in the country's civil war because the wrong side was winning, and that outcome couldn't be tolerated. The war destroyed the North. Killed millions of Koreans. Shattered millions of more lives on both sides. Left the country divided, and gave Washington a permanent foothold in the South with bases it retains to this day. The empire was on a roll. It was just the beginning. Vietnam was next, and things began early in 1954. Bare months after the July 27, 1953 Korean armistice. Washington backed their corrupt puppet in the South. Ngo Dinh Diem, imported from New Jersey for the job. Most Vietnamese supported Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi and his national liberation and anti-imperialist government. An intolerable situation for Washington that had to be stopped. War was for two strategic reasons: -- to establish client regimes and military bases in East and South Asia to encircle China - in Japan, Korea, Indochina, the Philippines, and elsewhere; and -- to destroy opposition Southeast Asian governments and movements - in N. Vietnam, all Indochina, Indonesia, and elsewhere if they arose. In all, to solidify America's hold in East Asia. Install or consolidate client regimes. Build more military bases. Establish opportunities for US business. Privatize raw material sectors, and as much else as possible. Doing it meant removing opposition regimes. Ho in Hanoi. Sukarno in Indonesia, and hundreds of thousands of anti-imperialist movements, trade unionists, communists, peasants and others seen as threats to US ambitions. Covert attacks against N. Vietnam began in 1961. Then the fabricated Gulf of Tonkin Incident led to full-scale war. The country decimated. Millions of deaths in the region for a war America lost, but Southeast Asians and 58,000 US service men and their families paid for. Ronald Reagan pursued proxy wars in Central America and elsewhere until GHW Bush attacked Panama. Deposed Manuel Noriega. Tricked Saddam into invading Kuwait. Won a quick victory and declared: "By God, we've licked the Vietnam Syndrome" - meaning: restraints are removed and America is free to invent pretexts to attack anyone. September 11, 2001 gave Bush administration militarists their opportunity to pursue new Middle East/Central Asian conquests. In spite of no credible threat in either region. Solution - invent one. "...some catastrophic and catalyzing event, like a new Pearl Harbor" the way Project for a New American Century planners envisioned it their 2000 Rebuilding America's Defenses document. Afghanistan was first in October 2001. It was planned many months in advance. Long before 9/11. Iraq followed in March 2003. Also planned well in advance and awaiting a pretext to launch - 9/11, non-existant WMDs, and a made-to-order despot like Saddam made it easy. Especially because Israel wanted war. Pushed hard for it, and Bush administration hard-liners obliged. When the opportunity arose, Israel and its Lobby mobilized a phalanx of ideologues, academics, Christian Right clergy and spokespeople, writers, journalists, pundits, and the entire mass media for one common purpose. Round-the-clock propaganda to convince the public about a dangerous enemy. Scare them enough to want him removed. Turn them into "irrational, chauvinist militarists," and get them to sacrifice their freedoms for a "Global War on Terrorism" that, according to Dick Cheney, "won't end in our lifetime." The nation has been at war ever since. No end is in sight. The next president promises no change. Perhaps new wars on new fronts. And the country and public continue to pay dearly for their leaders' crimes and deceit. Israel's and its Lobby's as well. A small group of extremists. Behind closed doors. Deceiving the public. Creating a cauldron and scorched earth in Iraq and Afghanistan. Erasing two countries. Giving Israel free reign to attack South Lebanon. Syria on the pretext of a non-existant nuclear site. The endless oppression, occupation, displacement, and isolation of Palestinians while the world looks on dismissively. Plus the stoking of tensions for more wars so Israel and America can solidify their positions as unchallengeable imperial powers. Israel in the Middle East. America everywhere. Part II - Embracing the Israeli Modus Operandi of Endless War The Palestinian Sewage Disaster: The Political Ecology of the US/Israeli Responsibility in Microcosm In the broader scheme of things, what happened on March 26, 2007 in Northern Gaza was one incident. Barely noticed outside the region, among so many others attracting more attention. It was when a river of raw sewage and debris escaped from a collapsed earthen embankment. Flooded a refugee camp. Drove 3000 Palestinians from their homes. Killed five, injured 25 and destroyed scores of houses. Israeli propagandists blamed Palestinians for what Israel caused. Years of neglect. A policy of undermining public maintenance projects, including sewage treatment plants and cesspools. Massively bombing Gaza in summer 2006. Destroying roads, bridges, sewage treatment facilities, water purification ones, and the Territory's only electrical power plant. Israel bombs, kills, marauds, invades, occupies, destroys, and Palestinians are blamed. Rogues are rewarded. Victims demonized. A raw sewage flood one day. Aerial bombardment the next. Mass arrests, incarcerations, torture as official policy, and an agenda of conflict over peace to assure Israel is the dominant regional state. No challengers exist, and world support lets this policy go on unimpeded. General Petraeus - From Surge to Purge to Dirge Last April, Defense Secretary Robert Gates nominated General David Petraeus to replace Admiral William Fallon as CENTCOM commander. The reason - Fallon disagreed sharply with the administration's Middle East policy. Why Petraeus? He's fully on board to further his own military and political ambitions. On September 16, he took over putting him in charge of US military operations in 27 Eurasian countries (up to Russian/Chinese borders), including the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and vital waterways like the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. Why Petraeus? A man Admiral Fallon openly criticized for shamelessly supporting Israel in northern Iraq and the Bush "Know Nothings" in charge of Iraq and engaging Iran. Fallon went further as well about a man he clearly dislikes whose main skill is "brown-nosing." As for his theory and strategy in defeating the Iraqi resistance, he was "a disastrous failure," but that was predictable given his "phony success in Northern (Kurdish) Iraq." The region's relative stability "has nothing to do with (his) counterinsurgency theories" and more because of Kurdish "independence" and "separatism." He bought off local militias and accomplished there what can't be duplicated in the rest of the country. The "surge" was a ruse and achieved nothing but headlines about its effectiveness. Phony and untrue. The reduction in violence is mainly because some elements were bought off and that Muqtada al Sadr agreed to a ceasefire that may prove only temporary. Then there's the matter of a competent Iraqi army in a country where most volunteers want a pay check but have little appetite to fight. With rampant unemployment, hunger, deprivation, and the country destroyed, what choice do they have. Nonetheless, many desert after enlisting. Refuse to attack fellow Iraqis, and in some cases join them against a brutal occupation promising no end. The "Petraeus Manual" prioritizes "security and task sharing as a means of empowering civilians and prompting national reconciliation." Neither is achievable with thousands of Iraqis still dying. Attacks against US troops continuing, and all that can be said for Petraeus' Multi-National Force - Iraq tenure is that "empowered people (the locals) have protected and supported insurgents and oppose the US occupation and its puppet regime." His goal of "national reconciliation" was a total failure and won't change until the occupation ends. He also followed the same failed Vietnamese strategy producing widespread civilian casualties. Bombing densely populated areas. Mass-arresting suspected local leaders. Targeted assassinations. Wncircling entire neighborhoods. Punishing suffering Iraqis and engendering deep hostility, and destroying the country to save it the way it was tried in Vietnam and failed. Even Petraeus understands that and said "There is no military solution to a problem like that in Iraq, to the insurgency." So prioritizing military victory is only explainable by his desire to please the administration and further his own military and political ambitions. He's a master of "double speak" and last April lied to Congress and the public in fabricating accounts of progress. He claimed the war was being won. Progress being made. Iraq being stabilized. Peace around the corner, and then on to more war against Iran. He was the first general to claim Iranian weapons were blowing up US armored carriers and Iranian agents training the Iraqi resistance. He clearly played up to Bush administration neocons and the Israel Lobby in supporting an attack against Iran. They "found their stooge" in the general, and he took full advantage at the same time the puppet Iraqi government was praising Tehran for helping to stabilize the country and invited President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Baghdad to sign trade agreements. Petraeus now commands all of Eurasia at a time Russia may now be targeted, and if so, the stakes are far greater and so are the risks. Part III - Militarism and the Decline of US Power Military-Driven Over Market-Driven Empire Building (1950 - 2008) From the middle of the 19th century to especially post-WW II, Petras distinguishes between two forms of empire building: by military conquests or through "large-scale, long-term economic penetration via a combination of investments, loans, credits and trade in which market power and superiority (greater productivity) in the means of production led to....a virtual empire." European militarism declined after WW II. America's was just beginning as it followed a military-based empire building approach over the alternative. Based on foreign wars, proxy ones, encircling the world with bases, and establishing a military-industrial complex to advance it. Today exceeding $1 trillion annually with all spending categories included. Plus multi-billions more in secret off-the-books budgets. Overall, a reckless agenda for shorter term gains at the expense of long-term decline, bankruptcy, despotism and ruin. As the US expanded its war-making capacity, Western Europe, Japan, and more recently China and Russia chose to develop their economic potential both at the public and private levels. The results were predictable. America prospered through the 1960s before competitors grew more formidable. Since then, "European and Japanese (and now Chinese and Russian) market-based empire building moved with greater dynamism from domestic to export-led growth and began to challenge US predominance in a multiplicity of productive sectors." The trend continues with EU and BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) emerging as formidable competitors as US supremacy declines. Why so? The off-shoring of US manufacturing. Growing a predominantly service economy. Substituting low wages for higher ones. Reducing social benefits. Becoming heavily dependent on speculative finance. Financialization or Frankenstein finance. Letting Wall Street and big banks decide what's best for the country and failing badly. Diverting wealth to the rich and super-rich at the expense of 80% or more of the public. Destroying unions and high-paying jobs. Running up massive trade and current account deficits. Unrepayable national debt as well, and now reeling under a financial crisis. Not getting a grasp on it, and not knowing when or how it will end or what condition the country will be in when it does. Or if it will. Readying the nation for martial law if things get bad enough and a popular revolt erupts. Practicing for it in real time in Denver, St. Paul and New Orleans. Readying for more foreign wars under a new administration and even one or more before the current one ends. Trying to disprove the notion that things that can't go on forever, won't. Having to learn the hard way that they're dead wrong after eight failed years under George Bush taught both parties nothing. Hoping the public will decide that change must percolate up. Never does it flow the other way. Petras reviews market v. military empire building approaches post-WW II. Its early years. Then in the 1980s under Reagan. The 1990s Clinton years, and after 2000 under George Bush. The 2002 - 2008 40% decline of the dollar alone provides strong evidence of America's competitive decline that may accelerate under the current economic crisis or in its wake. In contrast, China, India, Russia, European, Asian and Latin American states are developing their economies. Expanding business relationships around the world at the expense of America. Likely this trend will continue as the US grows more militaristic and declines under the weight of maintaining it. Partnering with Israel makes it worse. Advancing the Jewish state's agenda at the expense of our own. Allowing pro-Israeli extremists to run foreign policy. Seeing no difference under Democrats or Republicans. Promising more of the same in 2009. Advancing or prolonging current conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia. Planning new ones in Eurasia. Proxy ones in Latin America or wherever US and Israeli interests are at stake. Ignoring the historical record that "imperial wars destroy the productive forces and social networks of targeted countries." Eat the homeland's seed corn as well. Let market-driven empires gain advantage through productive alliances. Advantage them to grow strategic industries. Arrange favorable trade and monetary agreements. Plus policies of building productive forces, not destroying them or their nations' social fabric. That lesson is lost on US militarists or the broader defense establishment that profits hugely at the expense of the remaining economy and the public. Petras goes even further saying that "Militarist imperialism has weakened the entire economic fabric of the US empire without any compensatory gains on the military side." Since WW II, GHW Bush waged the only two successful conflicts. Both against weak opponents, and they were quick and cheap. In contrast, Korea and Vietnam were quagmires. So are Iraq and Afghanistan today. Hopeless and lost, yet doomed to continue for years with unconscionable further loss of lives. Continued destruction, and hundreds more wasted billions so badly needed at home for productive investment and desperately needed social services being cut not increased. The result, especially under George Bush: Militarism writ large. Costly military adventurism. "Catastrophic economic costs." Pushing the nation toward insolvency. Declining economically as competitors advance. Having no one around with enough foresight so see the folly. So addicted to wars it doesn't matter if some do. Like a junkie too far gone to change. Knowing a bad ending awaits, yet heading full steam toward it. Leaving Petras to foresee two possible outcomes - "a new rabidly nationalist authoritarian regime, or the re-birth of a republic based on the reconstruction of a productive economy centered on the domestic market and social priorities...." Based on the current state and bipartisan campaign rhetoric, there's faint hope for the latter. US Militarism and the Expanding Israeli Agenda With key allies in high places in both parties, the Israeli Lobby consistently "steamroll(s) domestic opposition in securing unconditional US backing for Israel's position in the Middle East." Exhibit A - Iraq. Nonetheless, some signs of critical public scrutiny have emerged, and one example is from the Council of Gulf Cooperation. It's conservative, pro-US and composed of Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Its members also produce 40% of world oil. Have strong business ties to the US (and elsewhere) and are large purchasers of American military hardware. In late March 2007, the Council called for diplomatic dialogue with Iran, not confrontation or sanctions. Big Oil shares this view. So do many European states and Turkey. Others outside the region as well. Russia, China and Venezuela prominently. Israel is opposed and vetoed any chance for a changed policy. It highlights the divergent interests of Israel and America compared to moderate Arab states and most other countries. Stability over Washington and Tel Aviv's "radical militarist destabilizing policies." Both countries are structurally incapable of pursuing peace over conflict. It assures "disastrous military adventures" ahead and the terrible toll from their fallout. Yet what harms America helps Israel, at least in the short run. Iraq has been a great success. Saddam was overthrown. A key Palestinian backer removed. Iraq destroyed. Israel's regional dominance increased. It's unimpeded in colonizing and devastating Palestine. It can now pursue its next key objective to eliminate Iran as a regional rival. Regime change if possible or at least a weakened state so it doesn't matter. Then on to Syria and consolidating control over Lebanon, especially in the water-rich South. Petras states: "....Democratic and Republican candidates (and all key members of Congress have) pledged to unconditionally support Israeli interests, specific pledges to the ZPC-AIPAC included." Not a brave soul in sight to challenge their reckless agenda or acknowledge European polls that show large majorities call Israel the most threatening and negative country in the world. Over Iran, North Korea and Syria. All the more so because of its stranglehold over US foreign policy. And in the face of disastrous regional wars. Yet more may be planned and America may willingly go along. Against Iran, Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon and/or Hamas in Gaza. Outside the region as well, especially against opposition forces in Pakistan and an accelerated effort in Somalia. Perhaps in Latin America also against Venezuela and Bolivia even though countries that far removed are outside of Israel's sphere of influence. But it doesn't deter the Jewish state from aiding America as it did in arming and training Georgians to attack South Ossetia and using its agents around the world for similar nefarious activities. It's also the world's fourth largest arms supplier, ahead of the UK, and has the world's fourth most powerful military. Petras sees a "Judeo-centric view of the world" as deadly. Believing "what's good for the Jews (means) providing unconditional support to an aggressive colonial state (Israel)...." Proving that to be "a formula for global disaster." Also what just a small minority of Jews believe in. Most of them have no ideological ties to Israel nor do they support its imperial wars or America funding them. No matter. They're marginalized and ignored. "Where will it take us? When will it end?" Part IV - Challenging the Lobby American Jews on War and Peace - What the Polls Do and Don't Tell Us Independent polls and a recent American Jewish Committee (AJC) one show most Jewish Americans have different views on the Iraq war and attacking Iran than do leaders of major American Jewish organizations. Yet this has no impact on the administration, Congress or the dominant media. Why so? One explanation is that most American Jews are pro-Israel and (mistakenly) "believe Democrats will make the right decisions on the war in Iraq" in spite of clear evidence they won't. Further, 82% of them think that "the goal of the Arabs is not the return of occupied territories but rather the destruction of Israel, (and a majority say) Israel and its Arab neighbors (won't) settle their differences and live in peace." Conclusion - right or wrong, most Jews identify with Israel, support the Jewish state, and retain ingrained anti-Arab prejudices. Israeli public opinion also undermines progressive American Jewish anti-war views as evidenced in a recent Haaretz report. It cites a civil rights poll showing that "Israel has reached new heights of racism...." Findings in it cite: -- a 26% rise in anti-Arab incidents; -- double the number of Israeli Jews expressing hatred of Arabs; -- half of them opposing equal rights for them; and -- three-fourths of young Jews believing Arabs are "unclean," according to a Haifa University study. These and other factors along with identifying with Israel help explain why Jewish Americans (in spite of their views) won't criticize leaders of reactionary Jewish organizations, making it all the easier for them to influence favorable congressional and administration policies toward Israel. Why Condemning Israel and the Zionist Lobby is So Important First some misguided beliefs: -- that the ZPC is just another lobby; -- that other nations and their leaders commit equally violent crimes and abuses; -- that criticizing Israel is anti-Semitic; -- that Israel is a democracy and the only one in the region; -- the uniqueness of Jewish suffering and the Holocaust as exclusively affecting Jews; and -- that Israel/Palestine discussion should be balanced - in complete denial of a powerful oppressive state v. a near-defenseless and persecuted people - on their own and with virtually no outside help. Now some facts: -- the Israeli Lobby is far and away the most powerful in America; -- criticizing Israel more than other abusive states is important because of its inordinate ability to influence US policy; -- accusation of anti-Semitism is a canard, a non-starter, a way to shift attention from real issues; -- Israel defiles democracy by granting it only to Jews and not even all of them; it disdains the less privileged much the way they're treated in America; -- exploiting the Holocaust as an exclusive Jewish issue defiles the outrage of so many others, including much greater ones; and -- the imbalance between pro-Israeli representation v. hostile or indifferent views about Arabs is pronounced. Confronting the Israeli Lobby is vital because it plays such "a decisive role (and) world-historic impact on the present and future of world peace and social justice." Ignore it and consider the peril of America hurtling from wars to greater ones with no end in sight and solidifying tyranny at home. Consider also some "big questions facing Americans as a result of the power of Israel in the United States:" -- the ZPC wants was; "has played a major role" in influencing them in the past eight years; and is very capable of pushing America into new conflicts regardless of which party in Washington is dominant; -- the big issue is "World Peace or War" and the horror of the latter; -- Israel and its Lobby harm US democracy by stifling "the right to debate, to elect (and) legislate free from coercion;" also to select political candidates strongly opposed to Israeli policies and against providing financial and military support; -- Israeli interests harm our own; further, "never in the history of the US republic or empire has a powerful but tiny minority been able to wield so much influence" over our foreign policy for the benefit of another nation; -- by doing it, the ramifications are staggering: permanent wars; massive deaths; unimaginable human misery and destruction; outrageous and ill-directed amounts of spending; a staggering amount of unrepayable debt; the alienation of the entire Muslim world; growing world indignation overall; and the demise of democracy in America - partly because of sacrificing homeland interests to serve those of a tiny foreign power. Petras asks: "What happened to the peace movement? Mass indignation and outrage as well because of harmful policies to everyone and getting worse. America is the only nation where this movement isn't willing to condemn an agenda promoting Middle East wars and the fraudulent "Global War on Terrorism." Its leaders won't denounce the pro-Israeli Lobby's stranglehold over US policy and the overwhelming harm it causes. It refuses to confront the Democrat party that's no less militant than Republicans. Both are totally subservient to Israeli interests. Their destructive imperial wars. The likelihood of more ahead for a state "whose Supreme Court legalizes political assassinations across national boundaries, torture (as official policy), systematic violations of international law including collective punishment, and a regime which repudiates United Nations resolutions and unilaterally invades and bombs its neighbors and practices military colonist expansionism." America is a "look-alike" state writ large that practices these and similar policies worldwide and justifies the most outrageous acts in the name of "national security." "Where (and how) will it end," asks Petras. In the depths of tyranny unless good people confront oppressive power and put a stop to "uncontainable humanitarian calamities whose ramifications impact the entire world." Whose fallout may contaminate it beyond repair if we don't. Stephen Lendman is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization. He lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcgl obal.net. Also visit his blog site at: sjlendman.blogspot.c om and listen to The Global Research News Hour on RepublicBroadcasting .org Mondays from 11AM to 1PM US Central time for cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on world and national topics. All programs are archived for easy listening. © Copyright Stephen Lendman, Global Research, 2008

S.O.S. Your contingency plan should include attending the upcoming American Yard Sale bring on your Camels for Barter Trade as Dollars will be worthless to buy key Assets. Read the following Article. Maybe U.S. Needs Yard Sale Russia could buy back Alaska or perhaps Canada could pick up sunny Florida By Eric Margolis October 22, 2008 "Toronto Sun"-- At the end of Second World War the British Empire still ruled nearly a quarter of the globe. But the war bankrupted Britain. Its once mighty empire quickly collapsed and the United States inherited much of the British Imperium. Six decades later the United States is close to bankruptcy thanks to a national orgy of borrowing, the replacement of manufacturing by financial manipulation, ruinous foreign wars and a government whose stunning incompetence and arrant (Stupiditi) was exceeded only by its reckless imperial arrogance. The financial panic now gripping the planet, and the ignominious collapse of Wall Street, showed the American colossus had feet of clay. Washington's furious printing of untold billions of new dollars to prop up its sinking economy, finance this year's $1 trillion deficit and pay debts may unleash a storm of dangerous inflation. The world balance of power is already shifting. For example, Pakistan's new president, Asif Zardari, went cap in hand this week to China, seeking up to $6 billion US in emergency loans. Pakistan is on the verge of bankruptcy and may shortly default on its debt. But Pakistan's patron, the United States, which has been renting that nation's politicians and army for $1.2 billion per annum to support the occupation of Afghanistan, can't spare any cash for Pakistan. So Pakistan is turning to China, which has $19 billion in foreign exchange reserves -- the world's largest. The U.S.-led occupation of Afghanistan is likely to be adversely affected by Washington's new pauper status. Bankrupt people, companies and nations have to sell assets to meet their debt obligations. China and Japan alone hold over $1.5 trillion of U.S. government securities (IOUs). Their nervous central bankers now want real assets rather than more paper. So there is talk of America's Asian creditors converting their IOUs into shares in U.S. corporations and property. Sovereign wealth funds from the Arab oil states and Singapore may soon demand chunks of such assets. In the 19th century European imperial powers used to force loans on China and local rulers in the Mideast and Latin America. When the locals could not pay off their debts, parts of their territory were seized. Russia was forced to sell Alaska to the U.S. for next to nothing when it could not repay its debts. China's coast was carved up by the British, French, Germans, Russians, Americans and Japanese. These imperial foreclosures created the trading"concessions" of Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tsingtao, Tianjin, and Port Arthur. Now, it's payback time for China. How ironic that the Chinese Communists have ended up with a so far sound financial system while the Wall Street bandit capitalists have gone bust. To help pay its monster debts, I suggest Washington consider selling Louisiana back to France. Canada, whose banking system remains solid thanks to being what Americans called "boring and stodgy," ought to pick up Florida for a song. Canadians have a manifest destiny for sunshine. Mexico will want to buy Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. Russia, of course, will buy back Alaska and Washington State. China will purchase California; San Francisco will become "New Beijing." Japan will buy up Washington State, Oregon, Montana, and Hawaii. Holland will repossess New York State, and Germany will buy Pennsylvania and Minnesota. JUST LIKE BRITAIN Pakistan's move into China's financial embrace is a harbinger of things to come. Unless the U.S. quickly repairs its economy, its world power could slip away as quickly as post-war Britain's, leaving China, Japan, Russia, the EU and India as the world's new super powers. This may not be so awful. All power, as Lord Acton famously said, corrupts; and absolute power corrupts absolutely. As the world's sole superpower, the U.S. under the Bush administration became totally corrupted by imperial hubris, financial fraud, lust for resources and greed. A world with more balanced, diffused power may be preferable. But what if cash-rich China steps into America's imperial boots much sooner than anyone expected? "Toronto Sun"--

Nomads I am transferring aqeeda issues posted by Brother Positive ( aka Awakener) on another thread ( Just Me And My Sufi Friend) to this eNuri Aqeedah Collection thread as it is more relevant at this stage ( Definition of What Islam , Iman Nifaaq and Kufr are) Please follow the discussion here inshAllah, it will be a learning journey for all of us. By Brother Awakener ( aka Positive) The return to God ( Part 1 ) The return to God is what worship and religious devotion is all about. In this subsequent piece of writing I will look and explain this subject matter from a Islamic perspective. In this paper I will present an introduction to Islam and with subtitles as : why man needs to have religious devotion, about Islam and Muslims, a contrast analysis of Muslim and non-Muslim believe states, I will try to expound the subject in a clear manner. The paper, though concise in its informative content, answers important questions pertaining to the subject in discussion. In supplementary articles, I hope, I (we) will try to fill in more details. The need for religious devotion Man in order to survive have inherent argues. He needs to cover his basic needs like food, shelter, medicine etc. Like all other living things in order to survive as species he needs to procreate. Man has also emotional and mental needs. All those needs usually manifests themselves as argues of emotional and mental art; hence the argue to seek food and eat, for shelter; the argue to find a partner, pleasing environment for positive emotions; to seek knowledge about the creation and Creator etc. Man can not survive in this physical environment neither as an individual nor as a group if those argues are not satisfied within reasonable time. In addition to aforementioned argues is the religious and devotional argue which is stronger in some than in others. While the last mentioned argue satisfies the needs of Soul other argues satisfy the survival needs of the embodiments of Soul. Consequently the argue to seek and worship the Creator is in fact necessity for the survival of man. The belief is that when one, for example, remembers his creator and lets God to have place in his heart in retribution God guides that person to His right path and to right actions and eventually, when the devotee persist to sincerely and intentionally follow the guidance,He lets the individual membership into the fold of His most loved ones. When the devotee takes one step to approach God the Creator takes many steps to receive him. When the devotee gives service in the name of the Creator in retribution God showers many benefits to him so that the concerned person becomes more capable to render more service. If the devotee seeks to realize the Self and God that knowledge is given to the seeker so that the faith of the seeker becomes stronger, etc. For that reason it is the human being who gains from devotion and worship of the Creator. Not only do the human constitution function optimal when one is in harmony with the will of God but one also gains peace and happiness in an eternal Life. How would man go then about his worship and devotion of the Creator? Muslims believe that Islam is the answer. Here is introductory presentation about Islam and its followers. Islam From an untold ages God has sent messengers to man so that he may learn what He has ordained man to do. In the Islamic tradition these messengers of Allah are chosen by Allah on the bases of their piety and were entrusted to bring His word to the masses so that man could learn how Allah wants him to be and how he, man, ought to act in all departments of his Life; through these messengers came the sacred scriptures of Islam which inform man about the past, the present, the after-life, about the attributes of the Creator and many more. The Holy scriptures, as we call collections of the word in a book form, the last of which is the Qu’ran the sacred book of Islam, are in a way manual instructions from God to man; in essence instruction for an all encompassing way of Life for man. The Koran ,the Sacred Book of Islam has , as Muslims believe, precedence over any other book and therefore with the Sunnah is the sole valid source which has to be followed by Muslims. Muslim also believe that Mohammed (pbuh)is the final messenger of Allah. The word Islam means peace and submission to God. This submission requires conscious and willing effort to surrender to the ONE Almighty God. The portal through which one enters Islam is the shahada: La Ilaha illa-Allah wa Muhammad-ur rasul Allah( There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah). By affirming shahada with sincerity and genuine intention a person enters the fellowship of Islam. Once one becomes humble and submits himself totally to Allah and to Him exclusively, in faith and in action, one surely feels peace in his heart. This inward peace reflects itself in ones outward conduct as well. Part Two: The return to God ( part 2 ) Islam has 5 pillars and 6 basic beliefs The 5 pillars are: to testify that there is to God but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, to perform the prayers, to pay the zakat, to fast Ramadan and to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so, The six basic beliefs are: belief in God, Belief in the Angels, belief in Gods revealed books, belief in the messengers of God, belief in the day of judgment and belief in Al Qadar ( Divine predestination) Muslim The Muslim then in simple terms is a follower of the teachings of Islam. The word “Muslim” means one who submits to the will of God. This submission is done, as we already said by declaring that “ there no God except Allah and Muhammad is His messenger.” In broader sense anyone who willing submits to the will of God is Muslim. Hence when a person believes in the oneness of God ,that Muhammad is His messenger and believes His revelation that person is a Muslim. The integral whole of Islam has three main branches. They are the ahlu Sunnah , Shi'ah and Sufis. The Islamic Sufism which is the esoteric path of Islam teaches how one can gain experiences of spiritual nature while still living in here. Non-believer The Qu'ran uses the word Kufr to denote people who cover up or hide realities. The Qu'ran uses this word to identify those who denied to accept Allah, His dominion and authority. The word kufr hence means disbelief in Allah. This type of kufr is called the major kufr. Examples of other types of Kufr : 1. Disbelief out of stubbornness. This applies to someone who knows the truth and admits to knowing the truth but refuses to accept it. 2.Disbelief out of denial: This applies to someone who denies with both heart and tongue. 3.Disbelief out of arrogance and pride: The disbelief of Iblees is an example of this type of Kufr. 4.Disbelief out of rejection: This applies to those who acknowledge the truth in their heart( intention) but reject it with their tongue( action). 5.Disbelief out of hypocrisy: This applies to someone who pretends to be a Muslim but conceals his disbelief 6.Disbelief out of trying to make haram into halal. This applies to someone who accepts as lawful that which Allah has made unlawful. The list goes on but the question is can a self professed Muslim be called kafir by another? The answer in one word is NO. It is not the task of human being to decide whether a person is a believer or not. The matter is directly to do with God, and it is He Who shall decide it on the day of Judgment. As for people if they have to decide anything it is this: Which person, according to the distinctive teaching of Islam, as laid down by God and His messenger, is within the borders of Islam, and which person has gone outside it. As long as a person is in the border of Islam , that is observes the five pillars of Islam that person is a Muslim. The five pillars are the marks of Islam. As for thos who have gone outside of these borders we should deal with them as required by the Islamic teaching. Even when one is practicing Islam outwardly according to the way Islam has prescribed it or not we are not empowered to judge what is in their hearts. In fact we are limited by our inability to know what is in the heart of any person. Bukhari and Muslims agree on the report that once Ali sent some money from Yemen to the Holy prophet and the Holy prophet divided it among four men. At this a man who was there said " O Messenger of Allah, fear Allah!" The Holy prophet said: " Woe to thee who is more obliged to fear God than me". Khalid Ibn Walid who was present said: " Messenger of Allah, should I not kill him?" The Holy prophet said: "No, perhaps he says his prayers." Khalid said: " Many are they who say their prayers, but do not have in their hearts what they say in their tongues". The Holy prophet said: "I have not been commanded to open up the hearts of people to cut open their inside." It is also recorded that once a man from among the Ansar was talking confidentially with the Holy prophet. Suddenly the Holy Prophet said loudly [ about someone] : Does he not bear witness that there is no God but Allah?" The Ansari said: "Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah, but his testimony cannot be trusted." The Holy prophet said: " Does he not accept that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?" He again replied: " Yes he professes it but his profession cannot be trusted." The Holy prophet said: "Does he not pray?" He again said: " Yes he does, but his prayer cannot be trusted." The Holly prophet said: “God has forbidden me to kill such people." Now we can see why it is a great injustice that a Muslim who professes to have faith in the beliefs taught by God and His Messenger and thus is within the borders of Islam according to the aforementioned explanation should be declared by some person as being non-believer. Doing this is in fact to oppose God Himself, that while the law of God passes a decree about a man that he is a Muslim, a creature of God issues a decree of kufr about the same man. One aspect of issue of kufr and Islam is internal and another external. While the first is related to the heart and intention of man the second is related to his tongue and actions. From man’s words and actions we can to certain extent estimate his inner condition, Still we will lack both knowledge and certainty about the content of the persons heart. Therefore the right way is to leave the question of faith to Allah. The Holy prophet has very strictly forbidden calling people kafir and wrong-doers. The Prophet went so far as to say that if a man calls another kaafir and the latter is not so in reality the verdict of kufr shall rebound on the accuser. Takfir and calling others wrong-doers, " Muslims" or other names is not merely the violation of the rights of an individual or group of individuals but it is also a crime against society. It is an act of immense harm to the Muslims. The unity of the Muslims is based on the bond of faith and Muslims have to honor this bond; otherwise with more sects the community will become weakened or may become disintegrated. And It will not have collective strength left to proclaim the word of God to the rest of humanity. This does not mean though that we should tolerate everything without reservation; even if someone speaks and writes clear heresy, What I’m trying to say is that as it is harmful to expel a Muslim from Islam it is no less harmful to include kafir within the Islamic community. The emphasis here is that we should exercise greatest caution to declare a Muslim as kafir. Everyone who believes that there no God but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger should be presumed in his favor that he has faith in his heart and consequently is Muslim. Repentance Repentance is the cure to disbelief. God the compassionate and merciful gladly receives the one who sincerely repents from his wrong actions. The human, fallible as he is, has always a way out from his misdeeds of faith. That way is repentance. Nevertheless the potential to die as a true Muslim is there for everyone until his last breath. Consequently even those who disbelief now and their children are still potential Muslim until they die. Conclusion The true spirit of our actions should aim to bring the person nearer to God. One should be concerned for the spiritual welfare of the others. We are not serving others if our actions are not helping them to return to Allah. Our action should not alienate anyone but rather show peace and compassion both in word and action. Then love blossoms which brings the seeker to the Straight Path to Allah. Ilaah baa xamdi iyo shukri naq leh. Ps. This 2 part postings anwers my three questions. The Awakener2

The E-Diots Who Rule America By Chris Hedges October 21, 2008 "Truthdig" -- - October 20, 2008 -- Our oligarchic class is incompetent at governing, managing the economy, coping with natural disasters, educating our young, handling foreign affairs, providing basic services like health care and safeguarding individual rights. That it is still in power, and will remain in power after this election, is a testament to our inability to separate illusion from reality. We still believe in “the experts.” They still believe in themselves. They are clustered like flies swarming around John McCain and Barack Obama. It is only when these elites are exposed as incompetent parasites and dethroned that we will have any hope of restoring social, economic and political order. “Their inability to see the human as anything more than interest driven made it impossible for them to imagine an actively organized pool of disinterest called the public good,” said the Canadian philosopher John Ralston Saul, whose books “The Unconscious Civilization” and “Voltaire’s *******s” excoriates our oligarchic elites. “It is as if the Industrial Revolution had caused a severe mental trauma, one that still reaches out and extinguishes the memory of certain people. For them, modern history begins from a big explosion—the Industrial Revolution. This is a standard ideological approach: a star crosses the sky, a meteor explodes, and history begins anew.” Our elites—the ones in Congress, the ones on Wall Street and the ones being produced at prestigious universities and business schools—do not have the capacity to fix our financial mess. Indeed, they will make it worse. They have no concept, thanks to the educations they have received, of the common good. They are stunted, timid and uncreative bureaucrats who are trained to carry out systems management. They see only piecemeal solutions which will satisfy the corporate structure. They are about numbers, profits and personal advancement. They are as able to deny gravely ill people medical coverage to increase company profits as they are able to use taxpayer dollars to peddle costly weapons systems to blood-soaked dictatorships. The human consequences never figure into their balance sheets. The democratic system, they think, is a secondary product of the free market. And they slavishly serve the market. Andrew Lahde, the Santa Monica, Calif., hedge fund manager who made an 870 percent gain last year by betting on the subprime mortgage collapse, has abruptly shut down his fund, citing the risk of trading with faltering banks. In his farewell letter to his investors he excoriated the elites who run our investment houses, banks and government. “The low-hanging fruit, i.e. ****** whose parents paid for prep school, Yale, and then the Harvard MBA, was there for the taking,” he said of our oligarchic class. “These people who were (often) truly not worthy of the education they received (or supposedly received) rose to the top of companies such as AIG, Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers and all levels of our government. All of this behavior supporting the Aristocracy only ended up making it easier for me to find people ****** enough to take the other side of my trades. God bless America.” “On the issue of the U.S. Government, I would like to make a modest proposal,” he went on. “First, I point out the obvious flaws, whereby legislation was repeatedly brought forth to Congress over the past eight years, which would have [reined] in the predatory lending practices of now mostly defunct institutions. These institutions regularly filled the coffers of both parties in return for voting down all of this legislation designed to protect the common citizen. This is an outrage, yet no one seems to know or care about it. Since Thomas Jefferson and Adam Smith passed, I would argue that there has been a dearth of worthy philosophers in this country, at least ones focused on improving government.” Democracy is not an outgrowth of free markets. Democracy and capitalism are antagonistic entities. Democracy, like individualism, is not based on personal gain but on self-sacrifice. A functioning democracy must defy the economic interests of elites on behalf of citizens. This is not happening. The corporate managers and government officials trying to fix the economic meltdown are pouring money and resources into the financial sector because they only know how to manage and sustain established systems, not change them. Financial systems, however, are not pure scientific and numerical abstractions that exist independently from human beings. “When the elite begin to think that money is real, the crash is coming,” Saul said in a telephone interview. “That is just a given in history. Because what they’ve done is pull themselves out of the possibility of looking in the mirror and thinking, this is inflation, speculation, this is fluff. They can’t do it. And when you say to them, gosh, this is not real. And they say, oh, you don’t understand, you’re so old-fashioned, you still think this is about manufacturing. And of course, it’s basic economics. And that’s what happens every single time. “The difficulty is you have a collapse, you have a loss of face by the people who are there, and it’s not just George Bush, it’s very, very deep,” Saul said. “What we’re talking about is the need to rethink the departments of economics, of political science. Then you have to rethink the whole analytic method of the World Bank. If I’m the secretary of the treasury, and not a guy like [Henry] Paulson, but I mean a sort of normal secretary of the treasury or minister of finance, and I say, OK, we’ve got a real problem, let’s get the senior civil servants in here. Gentlemen, ladies, OK, clearly we have to go in another direction, give me some ideas. Well, those people don’t have any other ideas because at this point they’re about the fourth generation of what you might call neoconservative globalist managers, unfairly summarized. So they then go to the people who work for them, and you work down; there’s no one in there with an alternate approach. I mean they’ll have little alternatives, but no basic differences in opinion. And so it’s very difficult to turn anything around because they’ve eliminated all opposing ideas inside. I mean it’s the problem of the Soviet Union, right?” Saul pointed out that the first three aims of the corporatist movement in Germany, Italy and France during the 1920s, those that went on to become part of the Fascist experience, were “to shift power directly to economic and social interest groups, to push entrepreneurial initiative in areas normally reserved for public bodies” and to “obliterate the boundaries between public and private interest—that is, challenge the idea of the public interest.” Sound familiar? “There are a handful of people who haven’t been published in mainstream journals, who haven’t been listened to, who have been marginalized in every way,” Saul said. “There are a couple of them and you could turn to them. But then who do you give the orders to? And the people you give the orders to, they are not going to understand the orders because it hasn’t been a part of their education. So it’s a real problem of a good general who suddenly finds that his junior generals and brigadiers and corporals, you want them to do irregular warfare and they only know how to do trenches. And so how the hell do you get them to do this thing which they’ve never been trained to do? And so you get this kind of disorder, confusion inside, and the danger of what rises up there is populism; we’ve already had populism in a way, but we could get more populism, more fear and anger.” We may elect representatives to Congress to end the war in Iraq, but the war goes on. We may plead with these representatives to halt Bush’s illegal wiretapping but the telecommunications lobbyists make sure it remains in place. We may beg them not to pass the bailout but 850 billion taxpayer dollars are funneled upward to the elites on Wall Street. We may want single-payer, not-for-profit health care but it is not even discussed as a possibility in presidential debates. We, as individuals in this system, are irrelevant. “I’ve talked to several Supreme Court justices, several times in several countries,” Saul told me, “and I say, look, in your rulings, can you differentiate easily in cases between the social contract and the commercial contract, and to which the answer is, we can no longer differentiate. And that lies at the heart of the problem. You don’t have the concept of the other, and of obligation of the individual leading to individualism. You can’t have that if the whole legal system has slipped over the last, really, 50 years, increasingly, to a confusion between the social contract and the commercial contract. Because they are two completely different things. The social contract is about the public good, responsible individualism, imagining the other. The commercial contract is a commercial contract. They’re not supposed to be confused. They don’t actually fit together. The commercial contract only works properly when the social contract works in a democracy.” The working class, which has desperately borrowed money to stay afloat as real wages have dropped, now face years, maybe decades, of stagnant or declining incomes without access to new credit. The national treasury meanwhile is being drained on behalf of speculative commercial interests. The government—the only institution citizens have that is big enough and powerful enough to protect their rights—is becoming weaker, more anemic and less able to help the mass of Americans who are embarking on a period of deprivation and suffering unseen in this country since the 1930s. Consumption, the profligate engine of the U.S. economy, is withering. September retail sales across the U.S. fell 1.2 percent. The decline was almost double the 0.7 percent drop analysts expected from consumers, whose spending represents two-thirds of U.S. economic activity. There were 160,000 jobs lost last month and three-quarters of a million jobs lost this year. The reverberations of the economic meltdown are only beginning. I do not think George W. Bush or Barack Obama or John McCain or Henry Paulson are fascists. Rather, they are part of a cabal of naive, mediocre and self-deluded capitalists who are steadily weakening political and economic structures to a point where our democracy will become so impotent that it can be blown aside, probably with broad popular support. The only question is how this will happen. Will there be a steady and slow decline as in the late Roman Empire when the Senate ended as a farce? Will we see a powerful right-wing backlash from those outside the mainstream political system, as we did in Yugoslavia, and the rise of a militant Christian fascism? Will there be a national crisis that allows those in power to instantly sweep away all constitutional rights in the name of national security? I do not know. But I do know that what is coming, as long as our oligarchy remains in charge, will not be good. We will either recover the concept of the public good, and this means a revolt against our bankrupt elite and the dynamiting of the corporatist structure, or we will extinguish our democracy

Nomads Dont forget to remember Allah SWT, specially these trying times. It was reported that Messneger of Allah Muhammad SAWS said " a worship during fitnah times ( Confusion/Division ), is like a hijrah to me " or as the Prophet SAWS put it, Dhiker is a very powerful form of worship, dont let your guard down by limiting your reading only to current events and forgetting about Allah's remebrance. Nur