Obama: Fast and Fhürerious

Topher Morrison

PurpleSerf.com

How inaccurate?

A House Oversight Committee chaired by Daryll Issa (R) has passed a rare contempt measure against embattled Attorney General Eric Holder today after months of hearings over a controversial clandestine gun walking operation by the ATF ran aground.  From the Washington Post:

"The panel’s actions will be reported to the full House, where Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and GOP leaders have scheduled a floor vote for next week unless Holder hands over the documents before then. If passed by the House, the matter would then move to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Ronald C. Machen Jr., who is an employee of the Justice Department."

Holder has refused to publicly produce documents requested by the committee, but President Obama in the 11^th hour claimed executive privilege over the internal communications in question clouding the entire process with suspicion.

Republicans feel they have been “stonewalled” during the investigation of who knew what and when in the upper echelons of the Department of Justice (DOJ), while apologists of Atty Gen Holder claim it as a clear witch hunt and potentially a “never-ending process” aimed at threatening a Democratic administration during an election year.

Holder and the DOJ have thus far released over 7,600 pages of documents and 11 hearings, unfortunately it hasn’t satisfied Issa’s subpoenas.  Should it?  Given multiple major retractions by the DOJ over crucial elements of the case Republicans, 2^nd Amendment advocacy groups, open government activists and conservatives are chomping at the bit for resolution and Holder's job.  To be sure, both sides are unanimous that the documents sought would be damning not only to Holder, but possibly the entire administration.

In a letter to the president Holder claims the internal cables and documents focus mainly on the “response to congressional oversight and related media inquiries,” in other words, the DOJ’s public relations strategy.  Holder’s letter implies that internal communications did not necessarily weigh in on the moral issues at hand, which is to say, they did not address whether or not the DOJ and ATF wrestled with any constitutional or legal quandaries over flouting federal gun laws.

It is the absence of such discussion, rather focusing entirely on response, which Holder and Obama may wish to conceal.  To be fair the Republicans don't seem to care even though a similar strategy was operating under George W. Bush.  Therein lies the rub, this Fast and Furious scandal is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the War on Drugs and government entities circumventing law in order to uphold it and why hammering Holder is merely pruning the branches of corruption.  From CNN:

“In a letter to Obama seeking the assertion of executive privilege, Holder said…that release of internal executive branch documents would have “significant, damaging consequences.”

Holder also said releasing the documents would “inhibit the candor of executive branch deliberations in the future and significantly impair the ability of the executive branch to respond independently and effectively to congressional oversight.”

Saving Eric Holder and the administration from such “damaging consequences” Obama asserted executive privilege over the documents in question.  Coming from a President who has abhorred such “privilege” exhibited in previous administrations and who has promised unparalleled levels of transparency it is a startling move - that is if your new to politics.

Why So Fhürerious?

This is just the latest example of how the executive branch is becoming a dictatorship.  Most of the laws, embodied in the Federal Register, are passed by executive agencies – offices occupied by unelected officials appointed by the president to govern.  They are known within the Beltway as the czars.

Why a country, which heralds “democracy” ad nauseum would feel comfortable referring to its expanding politburo of czars is beyond the grasp of this author.  The fact of the matter is Congress has long since abdicated its role in the creation of most of the laws in this country.  Barack Obama is therefore merely an inheritor of this corrupt system similar to most dictators in the past, but he has thus far exhibited no qualms in exercising his “privileges” passed down to him – the Fast and Furious Scandal is merely the latest exhibition.

Since the beginning of the Obama presidency he’s shown to be an aggressive administrator.

Obama Care

Opposition to Obama Care was bipartisan.  In order for it to be passed it was necessary for the president and congressional leaders to convince those in their own party on the fence that they would be spared some of the onerous provisions within the legislation.  It is because of this arm-twisting and outright bribery that the Corn Husker Kickback and the 2^nd Louisiana Purchase are infamous.  Even “socialist” Bernie Sanders (D-VT) had misgivings of the special interest written bill, which he quickly dismissed once Medicare provided $10 billion for community health centers in Vermont were slid into the legislation.

The mechanism Obama used was Kathleen Sebelius, his Health and Human Services czar, to distribute ultimately thousands of waivers, through executive fiat, to corporations and special interests.  Obama has allowed thousands to escape, ad hoc what for the rest of us would be a universal mandate to purchase health insurance.  Not only is the mandate unconstitutional, which the Supreme Court will undoubtedly declare this week, but the entire mammoth legislation flies in the face of transparency and the “few and defined” powers delegated to the federal government under the Constitution.

NDAA

Tucked into a routine defense authorization bill is one of the most insidious provisions in American history.  The “indefinite detention” of those deemed to be terrorists by the administration and the National Security Council struck at the foundation of due process and legal mores dating back to the Magna Carta of 1250.  It has met the opprobrium of civil libertarians, the American Civil Liberties Union and has recently been struck down in federal court.  

Obama’s efforts to subordinate civil rights to the perpetual war on terror is borne from the corrupt system mentioned earlier exacerbated by pressures from determined and deep forces within our government and his own lack of a constitutional rudder, all the markings of a modern dictator.  Today's tyrants after all don’t need to wear ridiculous costumes or black leather, they understand that when they refrain from the cartoonish people often don’t notice them.

Let us never forget that Obama “deemed” Anwar al-Awlaki, an American citizen born in New Mexico, a “terrorist” and without due process, formal indictment or any attempt to capture al-Awlaki summarily dispatched him along with his teenage son.  Obama claimed his “due process” was protected during private deliberations within the NSC.  While many now may rest easy, convinced by his words, students of history understand this is often the first act in a long tragedy.

Unconstitutional Wars 

Often flying under the radar like the thousands of drones under his command, Barack Obama, has been wildly successful at dismantling the anti war movement since his inauguration.  While it may have simultaneously exposed their partisan bent and ignorance to world affairs it more profoundly exposed the repulsive progressive hypocrisy and has helped plunge the American public into denial over the endless warfare being waged in the Middle East and throughout the world.  Both liberals and conservatives can hardly believe that there are over 100 ways Barack Obama is just like George W. Bush.

To Bush’s credit he did seek Congressional approval for Afghanistan and Iraq, Obama saw it fit to seek international approval only when he imposed a no fly zone over Libya.  Albeit the Senate passed a resolution against Libya, Obama never conceded he needed their support in spending over $1 billion in taxpayer money deposing Muammar Ghadafi.  In fact Leon Panetta in shocking testimony reminded Congress he would “inform” them should international approval be acquired and force deployed in the growing Syrian civil war.

The Cult of the Presidency

When Congress becomes ineffectual “talking shops” and the people become restless for change they invariably wish for a strong and charismatic leader.  Trusting in an amorphous body of representatives and or unelected judges isn’t tangible enough mankind at times, thus we’ve supercharged the office of the presidency.  We’ve imbued the head of state with all the powers we believe necessary to solve the problems we ourselves have created.

From the Cato Institute’s review of The Cult of the Presidency:

“When our scholars lionize presidents who break free from constitutional restraints, when our columnists and talking heads repeatedly call upon the “commander in chief ” to dream great dreams and seek the power to achieve them—when voters look to the president for salvation from all problems great and small—should we really be surprised that the presidency has burst its constitutional bonds and grown powerful enough to threaten American liberty?”

Until we address the how all presidents have similarly run roughshod over our the Constitution we will never be able to reduce the executive office back to its proper role.

Hammering Holder: Pruning the Branches of Corruption

Topher Morrison

PurpleSerf.com

Attorney General Eric Holder, testifying before the House Committee on the Judiciary, Thursday suffered a grilling at the hands of Representatives Daryll Issa (R-CA), Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Lamar Smith (R-TX).

Before the hearing it was more than obvious that Holder, if not Assistant Attorney General Jason Weinstein, knew about the controversial gun-walking operation known as “Fast and Furious” prior to its involvement in the murder of U.S. Border Agent Brian A. Terry on Dec. 14^th 2010.  If it wasn’t, it was made blatantly clear after Rep. Issa stacked document after document referring to the operation, all provided by law enforcement whistleblowers and dated months prior to Terry’s death.

In a less than impressive display of lawyerly maneuvering Holder claimed the document’s “emails using the words ‘Fast and Furious’ don’t refer to Operation Fast and Furious.”  This has been merely the latest in a long line of stonewalling and misdirection on the part of Holder.

Part of a broader series of programs known as “Project Gunrunner” ran by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) between 2006 and 2011, spanning two administrations, Operation Fast and Furious was the largest of other known analogs like “Wide Receiver” and “White Gun.”  ATF in a brazen example of state-sanctioned law breaking knowingly allowed and “encouraged” the sale of over 2000 firearms to arms traffickers working through middlemen known as “straw purchasers” on behalf of Mexican drug cartels.

Since 2006 the Mexican drug war can be described as nothing short of narco genocide claiming more than 60,000 lives leaving a trail of tears filled with endless stories of torture, bizarre gladiator kamikazes and beheadings.  The tactics used by the ATF have been claimed to be an effort to stem the violence by tracking these weapons up the chain resulting in the apprehension of kingpins and ultimately the dismantling of the cartels - the mantra of all law enforcement agencies since the War on Drugs began decades ago.

There are, as you would expect, a few problems with this line of reasoning.  One, the ATF has yet to be produce a mechanism by which these weapons are tracked outside of retaining the serial number and hoping they show up.   Two, once a cartel is apprehended (lets say every last one of them) another cartel will simply take its place, history has shown that much is a certain.  Three, and this is the kicker, why do agents of the government feel they can break the law in the service of it?

Pruning Will Only Cause it to Grow

The Fast and Furious scandal is merely an extension of the ongoing War on Drugs and just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to big government shadow war.  From the CIA to the ATF every sort of deep and dubious tactic imaginable (black rendition sites, entrapments, compromised informants, etc.)  is utilized to bring “evildoers” to justice regardless of the rule of law.

While some, however, have speculated it was Eric Holder and the Department of Justice’s primary intent to sabotage the 2^nd Amendment, this line of reasoning doesn’t quite satisfy the rebuttal.  Project Gunrunner, after all, began under George W. Bush, hardly a liberal (well, depending on who you ask).  Now, this isn’t to deny those of a liberal bent and the DOJ wouldn’t high five each other if the 2^nd Amendment were undermined in the process.  What is constant from 2006 to 2011, however, is our DOJ’s disrespect for law.  That much we can prove.   But as I mentioned its systemic, it does not begin nor does it end with Eric Holder.

While it is necessary to rout the unscrupulous where and when they rear their ugly heads it is obvious to those of an objective inclination that conservatives are salivating over the opportunity to burn Holder as well.  Holder’s allegations are most likely correct, that the passion of these hearings is most definitely politically motivated, but who cares?  The real issue at hand is the slight of hand.

Buried are the stories of the FBI allowing drugs to cross the border.  The press surrounding Holder and gunrunning saps the attention, which could be used to expose the DEA’s purported get-out-of-jail-free card offered to Vicente Zambada-Niebla, son of Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismail “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia.  At the very least the government admitted his lawyer was a confidential informant.

While some may write this off as the necessary evils of the drug war, are we to then accept our government’s “moral ambiguity” as a fact of life?  From Insight Crime:

"[T]hey hint at a deeper truth in the U.S.'s handling of the Mexican drug panorama. The border zone is filled with double agents, and often U.S. officials have to take part in morally ambiguous operations. This includes relying on informants who may continue to traffic drugs and kill people, but will still expect protection in return for their information.”

This is a cycle without end and corrupts both governments.  Rather than readdressing and reforming drug laws throughout the Americas as many south of the U.S. border have offered to do, the United States government feeds the perpetual mission creep inherent within an ill-conceived tapestry of law enforcement agencies.  Hammering Eric Holder is merely pruning the branches of corruption.

Hell on Earth: Mexican Drug War Yields 49 Headless Bodies

Topher Morrison

www.PurpleSerf.com

In what is widely believed to be the latest clash between two of Mexico’s main crime syndicates, the Zetas gang and the Sinaloa Cartel, officials struggle to identify 49 bodies.   The Associated Press (AP) reports that although the bodies were found without gunshot wounds some were heavily decomposed, decapitated and totally dismembered.

Victims of the latest carnage, the “Cadereyta 49” as they are coming to be referred, highlights the alarming notion that Mexico is teetering on the brink of narco-genocide, a type of national bloodletting of a wholly different order than previous eras. Rather than a government carrying out a policy of ethnic cleansing or oppression the devastation being experienced in Mexico is due almost entirely to a black market in the violent throws of realignment after the 2008 financial crisis blew a hole in the U.S. economy.

“Drug violence has killed more than 47,500 people since President Felipe
Calderon launched a stepped-up offensive when he took office in
December 2006. The campaign has seen the two cartels emerge as
 Mexico’s two most powerful. At least one of the two cartels
is present in nearly all of Mexico’s 32 states.”
 – Associated Press

Astonishingly, it was been reported the people of northern Mexico sometimes have no one protecting them as some municipalities, including Cadereyta, have been without law enforcement for years allowing cartels to move in to fill the void.  When police are there, however, they are often corrupt to the point were an entire police force was fired and disbanned.  According to BorderLandBeat.com:

Though hard to imagine the cruelty of cartels to gather large groups of innocents for shock and attention thereby highlighting messages or a perception of power, another perspective is it is far easier, and efficient in their viewpoint.

By targeting a bus load of migrants, or giving corrupt police the task to collect innocent victims off the streets.  Compliant and respectful of authorities, they are easy prey, no bullets, no fighting, no bloodshed sustained on the part of the criminals.

Effectively, like lambs to the slaughter.

The recent slayings are only the last of four massacres in the last month.  The most horrific detail is these victims are not believed to be rival gangsters or meddling journalists, but innocent bystanders.  According to the AP:

Some victims in earlier body dumps have turned out to be bakers, brick layers, even students – anyone who could be snatched off the streets in mass killings that one captured gang member said were designed to ‘cause terror.’

The mass murder of 35 last year in Boca del Rio, Veracruz is a testament to this gruesome tactic.  The very same city whose police officers were purportedly rounding up children for the massacre.

The Cadereyta municipality has seen homicides of this nature increase 10-fold over the past three years.  Another example of why Mexico’s border region was the most violent place on the planet last year, more so than even war torn Afghanistan.  More from the AP story:

"[In Cadereyta] there have been 74 killings in the first four months of this year in, compared to 27 over the same period in 2011 and seven in 2010, according to figures from Nuevo Leon state prosecutors.

The massacre follows the discovery of 14 men left in a van in downtown Nuevo Laredo on April 17 and 23 people found hanged or decapitated in the same border city May 4.

Eighteen dismembered bodies were left near Mexico’s second-largest city, Guadalajara, last week. Among the nine people identified in that attack were bricklayers, waiters and at least one student. None had criminal records."

This is all part of a sadistic strategy of “heating up the plaza” a way of luring local law enforcement, state police and Mexican military to crack down on a rival cartel’s activities.  A black market false flag so to speak.

The cartels are of course known for their barborous gambits.  Last year it was reported that Mexican drug lords are forcing innocent civilians into gladiatorial death matches.  Once a victor emerges they are “rewarded” by being forced to run a veritable kamakazi mission into a rival cartel’s territory.  According to Paul Thompson of the Daily Mail:

"Almost 200 bodies were found near the Mexican city of San Fernando with most having died from blunt force trauma.

Many are thought to be victims of the blood sport where cartel chiefs re-enact the gladiator contests."

In a country were citizens are defenseless, where the black market makes up a sizable portion of the economy, according to Havoscope $126.08 billion, and the state controls much of the rest it is hard to see a way forward.  There have been serious talks of legalizing illicit drugs throughout Central and South America, but without the major consumer, the United States, following suit all these efforts accomplish is open season for Cartels.

Some wonder why we don’t use our growing arsenal of drones to expidite justice.  The only question would be: when do the cartels get their own?  After all, they already have planes, trains, tanks and submarines.

"Cannot Be Won"

Jonathan M. Katz
Huffington Post
6/2/11

"[The Drug War] Cannot Be Won"

Drug War Has Failed And Governments Should Experiment With Legalizing Marijuana, Says Report

The global war on drugs has failed and governments should explore legalizing marijuana and other controlled substances, according to a commission that includes former heads of state, a former U.N. secretary-general and a business mogul.

A new report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy argues that the decades-old "global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world." The 24-page paper will be released Thursday.

"Political leaders and public figures should have the courage to articulate publicly what many of them acknowledge privately: that the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that repressive strategies will not solve the drug problem, and that the war on drugs has not, and cannot, be won," the report said.

The 19-member commission includes former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former U.S. official George P. Schultz, who held cabinet posts under U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon. Others include former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, former presidents of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, writers Carlos Fuentes and Mario Vargas Llosa, U.K. business mogul Richard Branson and the current prime minister of Greece.

Instead of punishing users who the report says "do no harm to others," the commission argues that governments should end criminalization of drug use, experiment with legal models that would undermine organized crime syndicates and offer health and treatment services for drug-users in need.

The commission called for drug policies based on methods empirically proven to reduce crime, lead to better health and promote economic and social development.

The commission is especially critical of the United States, which its members say must lead changing its anti-drug policies from being guided by anti-crime approaches to ones rooted in healthcare and human rights.

"We hope this country (the U.S.) at least starts to think there are alternatives," former Colombian president Cesar Gaviria told The Associated Press by phone. "We don't see the U.S. evolving in a way that is complatible with our (countries') long-term interests."

The office of White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske said the report was misguided. "Drug addiction is a disease that can be successfully prevented and treated. Making drugs more available – as this report suggests – will make it harder to keep our communities healthy and safe," Office of National Drug Control Policy spokesman Rafael Lemaitre said.

That office cites statistics showing declines in U.S. drug use compared to 30 years ago, along with a more recent 46 percent drop in current cocaine use among young adults over the last five years.

The report cited U.N. estimates that opiate use increased 34.5 percent worldwide and cocaine 27 percent from 1998 to 2008, while the use of cannabis, or marijuana, was up 8.5 percent.