Progressives Need Control

When morality and opportunity are taken from humanity, only the oppression of inhumanity remains.

Progressives create dependency, hopelessness and destroy individual opportunity. In doing so, they fulfill their own sociopathic need for control. It is that simple.

Fellow SLOB, Beers with Demo put it well:

It's now beyond obvious that this debate is not about gun control or the public safety benefits that the statist-left believes more gun control laws will yield, it's about control, period.

Europe Officially in Double-Dip Recession

The European Central Bank will decide upon monetary policy today just as Eurozone GDP fell 0.1% in the third quarter. The falling GDP confirms that Europe is in a "Double-Dip" recession and raises fears that the European economy could drag in 2013.

The Guardian reports:

The head of the European Central Bank has warned that time is running out to resolve the crisis in the eurozone as the latest figures showed the 17 nations of the single currency have slid into a double-dip recession. With financial markets convinced that even worse data will emerge over the winter, Mario Draghi urged policy makers to take full advantage of the breathing space won by the ECB when it announced in the summer it would buy unlimited amounts of government bonds from troubled euro zone countries.

A double-dip recession is the description of an economic growth curve that falls into recession (negative or slow growth) and then, after a short period of stronger growth, falls a second time into recession. The European double-dip points to "far worse to come" per Jennifer McKeown of Capital Economics, but that may prompt the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut rates from .75% to .5% in an attempt to stimulate the economy.

Our "fiscal cliff" as devised by Democrats in the U.S. Congress is now President Obama's political goal. He is currently pushing America into another recession by forcing higher taxes on middle class and other Americans. His strategy is to then blame his opponents and eventually claim tax cuts "to save the middle class." This political posturing will cost about 1.5 million American jobs and untold poverty among foreigners who rely upon our economic strength.

China is also facing slower growth in 2013, leaving the world's economy facing weak economies in Asia, America and Europe. Next year's world economy will be a tough one. Maybe those Mayans were talking about the economy.

Gaza MANPADS from Libya

Many weapons being used against Israel come from Iran. However, the most powerful weapons, MANPADS, come from Libya. The destroyed consulate in Benghazi, Libya was a large source of British and American weapons, but weapons had been flowing from Libya to Gaza and then Syria for months prior to the attack.

MANPADS, Man-Portable-Air-Defense-Systems, have been widely reported to be in Syria and were used in recent months against Israeli aircraft and helicopters in Gaza.  We have video of MANPADS in Aleppo, Syria.

The Wall Street Journal reported the source of the MANPADS: (bold ours)

Most of the shoulder-fired missiles in rebel arsenals have come from Libya, smuggled into the country through the Turkish border without the official blessing of regional states or their Western backers, several rebel coordinators said.

Other shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles, which these rebels identified as Russian-made Strela systems, have been supplied by militant Palestinian factions now supporting the Syrian uprising and smuggled in through the Lebanese border, they said. Syrian military defectors also say they have been able to buy some SA-7's—a Russian-designed Manpad—from regime forces since the summer.
...
In July, the U.S. effectively halted the delivery of at least 18 Manpads sourced from Libya, even as the rebels pleaded for more effective antiaircraft missiles to counter regime airstrikes in Aleppo, people familiar with that delivery said.

"We were told that we need to get our house in order on the ground, and that it wasn't time yet," said a rebel representative involved in the delivery.

So, there you have it.  This is more supporting evidence for our post Killing Stevens: The Obama Scandal.

We know Al Qaeda is in Libya and Syria attempting to establish Islamic governments. Their official face is the Muslim Brotherhood. We have seen that Al Qaeda has obtained MANPADS. We know MANPADS were supplied via Palestinians to Syrian rebels. We learned that the U.S. government stopped supplying the Syrian rebels with MANPADS from Libya due to rebel disorganization.

We leave you with a question to ponder, on Syrian Rebels from Russia Times:

The commander [Abu Khuder, a battalion commander for Solidarity Front, Al-Qaeda's main arm in Syria] said he joined Al-Qaeda because he was “frustrated” with the lack of discipline within the ranks of FSA fighters. 

Would President Obama arm Al Qaeda instead of local rebels due to familiarity with Al Qaeda's organizational capabilities?

Obama Green Lights Egyptian Islamic Dictatorship

From an Egyptian friend who is now an activist in America:

The country now is divided between two camps and no other, Egyptians versus the Muslim Brotherhood, anyone who says anything differently doesn't know what they're talking about." (@Cyn Farah)

It is clear which camp the Obama administration is in.  Look at the following graphic and consider how Muhamed Morsi might think that the time has come to install an Islamic dictatorship.

Picured: Hillary Clinton (United States), Benjamin Netanyahu (Israel), Mohamed Morsi (Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt), Mahmud Abbas (Hamas).

OK, it is more a green suit than a green light.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went on the diplomatic mission to Egypt and Israel wearing Hamas green. Her goal was presented as negotiating a cease fire between Hamas and Israel. She had several high level diplomatic meetings wearing the green garb.

Either Secretary Clinton had just won the Masters, or a message was sent about the Obama administration's loyalties.  Progressives will say that the outfit choice was an unfortunate oversight, but that is ridiculous.

The high level diplomatic meetings were not public enough. Secretary Clinton also joined a press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Kamel Amr. Egyptian State Television aired the joint news conference.

Fox news reports that the joint press conference was a political show:

In fact, Hamas spokesmen had leaked to the press that the cease-fire would begin at 9 p.m. local time on Tuesday, but that was before Clinton had landed in Jerusalem. It would take another 24 hours for the deal to be finalized. In the meantime, just hours before the cease-fire was formally announced, a Palestinian placed a bomb on a Tel Aviv bus, injuring more than 24 Israelis. It was the first terror attack in Tel Aviv since 2006. Hamas praised the bombing, but did not take responsibility. Israel did not respond, a break from its usual belief that a strong response to terrorism provides deterrence.

Further the cease fire allowed Hamas to gain ground politically and in military morale.

Israel underestimated Hamas and "fell into a trap," claimed a leading Hamas hard-liner in Gaza, Mahmoud Zahar.

Other Hamas leaders bragged that their improved arsenal, including longer-range rockets and anti-tank missiles smuggled from Iran via tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border, helped deter Israel's military.

MANPADS being used in Hamas' "improved arsenal" link back to American and British weapons taken from Benghazi, Libya.

Additional Sources:
Hillary Clinton visits Middle East amid mixed cease-fire prospects
Seven Takeaways From The Gaza Ceasefire
Clinton Meets Morsi, Seeking Israel-Gaza Truce In Cairo
What the cease-fire means to Israel and Hamas

Muslim Brotherhood Decrees Dictatorship in Egypt, Obama Praises

Protests erupted in Egypt as Mohamed Morsi decreed that courts can no longer review his decisions. The move makes Egypt an Islamic dictatorship. The move came one day after the Obama administration heaped praise on Morsi, elevating his international status.

France24.com Reports:

As enraged demonstrators torched Muslim Brotherhood offices in several Egyptian cities, a defiant Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi defended his recent decree granting himself sweeping powers before a crowd of supporters outside the presidential palace in Cairo Friday.

 ...

Among Egypt’s secular opposition groups, there was mounting alarm over Morsi’s declaration that no court could dissolve the country’s Constituent Assembly, which is drawing up a new Egyptian constitution.

The rewriting of the new constitution has been a controversial issue, with most non-Islamist members quitting the Constituent Assembly – including representatives of the Coptic Christian Church and the April 6 Youth Movement, which played an influential role in the 2011 ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak.

Yes, you read that last paragraph correctly. It is not a typo, the Muslim Brotherhood is writing the Egyptian constitution.

Morsi previously released Muslim Brotherhood terrorists including a top Al Qaeda member's brother, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Muhammad al-Zawahiri was released by Morsi in March after having been sentenced to death for terrorist acts in Egypt. Many of these Muslim Brotherhood terrorists were then sent to Libya and Syria to infiltrate the militias and take control of new governments. In the Libyan election, the Muslim Brotherhood was narrowly defeated.

We reported these facts in Killing Stevens: The Obama Scandal. Please read this article for key facts surrounding Benghazi, the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaeda. Read how Terrorist MANPADS Target Israel to see how Benghazi ties into the current attacks on Israeli citizens. Weapons President Obama provided terrorists in Libya are likely being shot as "rockets" into Israel.

The Obama administration's praise of Morsi was reported by ABC News: **warning: autoplay video**

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is being credited with brokering the cease-fire today between Israel and Hamas, but the international gratitude and praise he is getting could come with a political price at home.

Both Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Obama heaped praise on the Egyptian president. Obama called his Egyptian counterpart today to thank him for his efforts in the negotiations, and Clinton expressed her gratitude personally in the press conference announcing the deal.

"I want to thank President Morsi for his personal leadership to de-escalate the situation in Gaza and end the violence," said Clinton. "This is a critical moment for the region. Egypt's new government is assuming the responsibility and leadership that has long made this country a cornerstone of regional stability and peace."

The praise was given despite the fact that Egypt needs billion of dollars in financial aid from America. If Morsi had not pursued a cease fire, the money may have been threatened.  Further, the cease fire is tentative at best. It is simply time for the terrorists to reorganize and rearm.

Update 11/25/2012, British Sunday Times:

ISRAELI spy satellites have spotted a cargo vessel at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas being loaded with rockets and other weapons that analysts say may be bound for Gaza via the Red Sea, Sudan and Egypt.

The cargo was prepared last week at the same time as a ceasefire was agreed to end eight days of hostilities in Gaza in which Israeli forces bombarded Hamas positions and hundreds of Iranian rockets were fired at targets in Israel.

Allow me restate my point.

It appears that President Obama armed and emboldened the enemies of Israel. Once terrorists were armed with shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, President Obama gave the"green light" for Israel to attack.  Any significant loss of Israeli aircraft would be a major blow against their capability to target the Iranian nuclear program or fend off an invasion by their neighboring enemies.

Update 11/22/2012, Associated Press:

Israel underestimated Hamas and "fell into a trap," claimed a leading Hamas hard-liner in Gaza, Mahmoud Zahar.

Other Hamas leaders bragged that their improved arsenal, including longer-range rockets and anti-tank missiles smuggled from Iran via tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border, helped deter Israel's military.

We have not seen confirmed news reports of downed Israeli military aircraft, but such information is not typically released to news media. There is a report that Israel lost an F-16 in Gaza. The report was denied by the Israeli military.

Further, American families had Thanksgiving holiday off. The big news story for Thursday and Friday was the Israel-Hamas cease fire. Morsi decreeing Egypt an Islamic dictatorship could cause President Obama some blow-back, but Americans will no longer be sitting around stuffed with Turkey watching the news.

Obama Backing Unions Kill Twinkies UPDATE

UPDATE November 21, 2012 1:06 PM Pacific Standard Time:

Per Hostess Brands Information:

Hostess Brands Inc. announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York today approved its emergency interim motion for the orderly wind down of its business and sale of its assets.
...
For employees whose jobs will be immediately eliminated, additional information can be found at this website, which also contains a copy of the Company’s wind down motion and information for customers and vendors.

November 21, 12 12:02 AM Pacific Standard Time:
It is now official Obama backing unions killed Twinkies.


Per Hostess Brands Information:

Irving, TX – Hostess Brands Inc. announced today that a mediation today with the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco and Grain Millers Union was unsuccessful. The Company will have no further comment until a hearing scheduled for tomorrow at 11 a.m., EST, before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

We knew that Hostess was headed for liquidation while the media laid America's "last chance" hopes upon doomed mediation. Fellow SLOBs author Left Coast Rebel wondered "When will the federal government and the Obama Administration propose a bailout for Hostess and their 18,000 union workers?" The answer is NEVER.


Judge Robert Drain of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, N.Y. will make a final determination if Hostess can shut down and liquidate. BusinessWeek reports:

Hostess, based in Irving, Texas, is asking the judge for approval to shut down 36 bakeries, 242 depots, 216 retail stores, and 311 hybrid depot-store facilities, according to court filings. There are 58 other leased or owned sites used for storage, warehousing of products or parking. The plants are in 22 states, stretching from Alaska to New Jersey.

The demise of Hostess was obvious for two reasons. First and foremost, we reported that the bakery union,

"...feared a deal would pull down wages and benefits throughout the industry, without saving Hostess."

So, we decided to enjoy our last Twinkie. Second, the bakery union is a big Obama backer. This means they are entitled progressives. Unfortunately, the bakery union is not big enough or rich enough to get an Obama bailout.

How do we know the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco and Grain Millers Union is a big Obama donor. They gave $75,000 of their now 18,500 unemployed former Hostess workers' money in Obama backing political donations. That's right, they didn't spend the money on accountants or financial consultants, they spent it on Democrats elections.

Lets do a little OpenSecrets.org investigation of where the money went. Exciting stuff!!

First, who reported bakery union donations? (click to enlarge)

Where did the AFL-CIO Workers' Voices spend that money? (click to enlarge)

Total For Democrats: $3,323,379
Total Against Democrats: ($3,782)
Total For Republicans: $1,171
Total Against Republicans: $3,563,351

Where does American Bridge spend the money? (click to enlarge)

As a super PAC, American Bridge can accept unlimited donations and is largely funded by major Democratic donors and labor unions. Billionaire hedge fund manager George Soros, a well-known supporter of liberal causes, is the group’s largest donor.

CREDO Mobile? Where do they spend political money? (click to enlarge)

This movement has raised more than $70 million for progressive nonprofit groups that are working on the front lines of social change.

Progressive Colorado Voters is obviously extremist left, but who is America Votes Action Fund? (click to enlarge)

Opposes Democrats: $0.00
Opposes Republicans: $44,409.84
Supports Democrats: $44,157.67
Supports Republicans: $0.00

On to President Obama's #WarOnWomen fund, Women Vote! (click to enlarge)

Electing Women for Progressive Change

Whoa, we seem to be in a loop now, but one last peek behind the lefty iron curtain, who is Majority PAC? (click to enlarge)

Majority PAC is fighting to protect the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate in 2012. 

Ok, that is enough of that. It is time to return to informing America that President Barack Obama sold weapons to Al Qaeda in Benghazi. Weapons that Ambassador Stevens was trying to get back. Weapons that are now targeting Israel.

From Ho Hos to Bimbos: Enjoying My Last Twinkie

The Obama economy would make Sandra Fluke proud. Declining sales and increasing union costs have been driving up the price of Hostess products. The price reached the breaking point and now it looks like our beloved all-American Ho Hos could be sold off to Mexico's Grupo Bimbo.

HotAir reported on Hostess:

“I think we’ll find buyers,”  CEO Gregory F. Rayburn told ABC News on Sunday.  ”A few have surfaced already since Friday expressing interest in the brand to acquire them.”

Con Agra and Flowers Foods are among the companies that have expressed interest in Hostess, but Mexican company El Grupo Bimbo may have an edge, the Christian Science Monitor reported Saturday.  Grupo Bimbo, headed by Mexican billionaire Daniel Servitje Montull, is the largest bread-baking company in the world.

The Daily Herald added:

Economists say part of the reason Hostess struggled was due to high sugar tariffs meant to protect local producers, the Monitor reported.  Grupo Bimbo could take advantage of lower sugar prices in Mexico.

David Margulies, a spokesman for Bimbo Bakeries USA, didn’t respond to an e-mail seeking comment on that company’s potential interest in Hostess assets. Bimbo, based in Horsham, Pennsylvania, is the U.S. division of Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo SAB, the maker of Entenmann’s cakes and Thomas’ English muffins.

Even before the strike, Hostess endured years of declining sales as Americans turned to rivals’ snacks and breads, while ingredient costs and labor expenses climbed.

Tim Ramey, an analyst for D.A. Davidson & Co., said he expects Twinkies and other Hostess brands to disappear from the marketplace. Any buyer would need a distribution system to get the products into stores, he said.

“Without your own distribution, it’s pretty problematic,” Ramey said yesterday in an interview. “Twinkies has been on a slow death spiral for a long time. Somebody might decide they want something to do with it, but it’s not likely.”

As your intrepid blogger, I took it upon myself to go buy some of the last Wonder Bread. I found that two loafs of bread cost $9.18. That seems a high price for bread.

As we reported earlier today, the Obama Recession has been hard on Hostess to the point that some people are wondering where is the Hostess bailout? Liquidation is being portrayed by the bankruptcy judge as the 18,000 workers "last chance."  The Hostess CEO believes that buyers will pick up portions of the business in a liquidation, but the Bimbo bailout does not look realistic.

Bloomberg quotes Hostess CEO Gregory Rayburn as stating the Bimbo deal is a "misconception":

“One misconception in the market is that Bimbo would be a buyer and bakery leadership told us in several plants that Bimbo would come in and buy, which is absurd,” Rayburn said today in an interview with Bloomberg Television.

Rayburn cited Bimbo’s agreement with the U.S. Justice Department to sell some Sara Lee brands in order to complete its acquisition of Sara Lee’s North American bakery business.

“Due to antitrust, it would never happen,” Rayburn said.

We also reported that the bankruptcy judge urged Hostess and the bakery union to meet for mediation. Unfortunately, that solution does not look promising:

After Hostess’s unions had agreed to more than $100 million in annual cost concessions during Hostess’s previous bankruptcy, the bakery union thought it made little sense to agree to further cuts. It feared a deal would pull down wages and benefits throughout the industry, without saving Hostess.

Well, it looks like Hostess will disappear forever. We might as well enjoy the last of our Obama Zombie Apocalypse Twinkies Stash for Thanksgiving.

We should be thankful. We weren't left for dead in Benghazi to cover-up the President's sale of weapons to Al Qaeda.