Michele Kearney's Snuffysmith's Blog

The War for the Arab World - By Marc Lynch

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:07:00 +0000

The War for the Arab World - By Marc Lynch

Sunni-Shiite hatreds are the least of the Middle East's problems -- it's the struggle within the Sunni world that will define the region for years to come.

44 by MARC LYNCH / 2h http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/05/23/war_for_the_arab_world_sunni_shia_hatred?utm_source=feedly&wp_login_redirect=0

The Paradox of Pope Francis

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:37:00 +0000

The Paradox of Pope Francis

Hans Kung, National Catholic ReporterWho could have imagined what has happened in the last weeks? When I decided, months ago, to resign all of my official duties on the occasion of my 85th birthday, I assumed I would never see fulfilled my dream that -- after all the setbacks following the Second Vatican Council -- the Catholic church would once again experience the kind of rejuvenation that i

by Hans Kung, National Ca... / 21h http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/paradox-pope-francis

IRS' Lois Lerner Put On Involuntary Paid Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:35:00 +0000

IRS' Lois Lerner Put On Involuntary Paid Vacation

The IRS' Lois Lerner may not be the most proficient when it comes to hiding years of alleged conservative group persecution, or subsequently pleading the fifth and avoiding self-incrimination in what she dubs is a perfectly legal misunderstanding even as she makes on the record statements defending her innocence, but when it comes to being put on "involuntary" paid leave, she shows private sector

by Tyler Durden / 1h http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-05-23/irs-lois-lerner-put-involuntary-paid-vacation?utm_source=feedly

IRS Official May Have Unwittingly Lost Right to Silence

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:08:00 +0000

IRS Official May Have Unwittingly Lost Right to Silence

When Lois Lerner of the Internal Revenue Service invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination before a House committed on Wednesday, she did so after making a brief statement. Those remarks have triggered a debate over whether Lerner waived her Fifth Amendment rights.

4h http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202601440346&rss=rss_nlj&utm_source=feedly&slreturn=20130423200727

Take Syria Seriously--And Stay Out

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:05:00 +0000

Take Syria Seriously--And Stay Out

Why start another body count in a Middle East conflict with no direct relationship to U.S. security?http://www.fpif.org/articles/take_syria_seriously-and_stay_out?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FPIF+%28Foreign+Policy+In+Focus+%28All+News%29%29

Top 10 warning signs of 'liberal imperialism'

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:36:00 +0000

http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/05/20/top_ten_warning_signs_of_liberal_imperialism

Top 10 warning signs of 'liberal imperialism'

Stephen Walt, May 20, 2013

Are you a liberal imperialist? Liberal imperialists are like kinder, gentler neoconservatives: Like neocons, they believe it's America's responsibility to right political and humanitarian wrongs around the world, and they're comfortable with the idea of the United States deciding who will run countries such as Libya, Syria, or Afghanistan. Unlike neocons, liberal imperialists embrace and support international institutions (like the United Nations), and they are driven more by concern for human rights than they are by blind nationalism or protecting the U.S.-Israel special relationship. Still, like the neocons, liberal imperialists are eager proponents for using American hard power, even in situations where it might easily do more harm than good. The odd-bedfellow combination of their idealism with neocons' ideology has given us a lot of bad foreign policy over the past decade, especially the decisions to intervene militarily in Iraq or nation-build in Afghanistan, and today's drumbeat to do the same in Syria.

Neocons, Hill Democrats Push for War Against Syria

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:32:00 +0000

Neocons, Hill Democrats Push for War Against Syria
BOB DREYFUSS | So far, Kerry and Obama seem committed to the US-Russia peace conference. http://www.thenation.com/blog/174514/neocons-hill-democrats-push-war-against-syria?rel=emailNation

Jamie Dimon Escapes Shareholder Censure--For Now

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:30:00 +0000

Jamie Dimon Escapes Shareholder Censure--For Now
ALEXIS GOLDSTEIN | Using familiar Wall Street tactics, JPMorgan Chase rigged the rules in his favor. But the movement for corporate accountability lives on. http://www.thenation.com/article/174508/jamie-dimon-escapes-shareholder-censure-now?rel=emailNation#

The Secret Donors Behind the Center for American Progress and Other Think Tanks

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:37:00 +0000

The Secret Donors Behind the Center for American Progress and Other Think Tanks

from AlterNet.org Main RSS Feed by Ken Silverstein, The Nation

Washington institutions esteemed for their independent scholarship don't disclose donations from corporations and foreign governments.http://www.alternet.org/secret-donors-behind-center-american-progress-and-other-think-tanks

ANDREW CUOMO: 'Shame On Us' If We Elect Anthony Weiner Mayor

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:28:00 +0000

ANDREW CUOMO: 'Shame On Us' If We Elect Anthony Weiner Mayor from Business Insider by Brett LoGiurato http://www.businessinsider.com/andrew-cuomo-anthony-weiner-nyc-mayor-running-2013-5?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+businessinsider+%28Business+Insider%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Pope calls for loyalty from Chinese Catholics

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:03:00 +0000

Pope calls for loyalty from Chinese Catholics
Vatican City (AFP) May 22, 2013 - Pope Francis called on Chinese Catholics on Wednesday to affirm their loyalty to him and spread the word of God, and prayed that they be allowed to live in accordance with their faith. "I invite the Catholics of the world to come together in prayer with their brothers and sisters in China for the grace to humbly and joyfully announce Christ... and be faithful to his Church and to Peter's suc ... morehttp://www.sinodaily.com/reports/Pope_calls_for_loyalty_from_Chinese_Catholics_999.html

Spying on the AP

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:27:00 +0000

Spying on the AP
by Editorial
Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-ap-phone-records-20130515,0,1659197.story

In AP, Rosen Investigations, Government Makes Criminals of Reporters

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:27:00 +0000

In AP, Rosen Investigations, Government Makes Criminals of Reporters
by Dana Milbank
Washington Posthttp://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-in-ap-rosen-investigations-government-makes-criminals-of-reporters/2013/05/21/377af392-c24e-11e2-914f-a7aba60512a7_story.html

Another Chilling Leak Investigation

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:26:00 +0000

Another Chilling Leak Investigation
by Editorial
New York Timeshttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/22/opinion/another-chilling-leak-investigation.html?ref=opinion&_r=0

The Debt Problem Hasn't Vanished

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:25:00 +0000

The Debt Problem Hasn't Vanished
by Phil Gramm and Steve McMillin
Wall Street Journalhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324787004578494864042754582.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

Israel: Be Prepared for a Surprise War

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:06:00 +0000

Israel: Be Prepared for a Surprise War
http://www.darkgovernment.com/news/israel-be-prepared-for-a-surprise-war/

A day after the IDF and the Syrian Army exchanged fire in the Golan Heights,
Israel Air Force chief Maj.-Gen. Amir Eshel warned that Israel must be prepared
for a "surprise war" developing.

Speaking at a conference in Herzliya focusing on the conclusions of the 1973 Yom
Kippur War, Eshel stated that "a surprise war can [...]

U.S. Senate Declares Support for Israeli Attack on Iran

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:05:00 +0000

U.S. Senate Declares Support for Israeli Attack on Iran
http://www.darkgovernment.com/news/u-s-senate-declares-support-for-israeli-attack-on-iran/

Vote urging support should Israel be forced to act passes Senate unanimously;
‘resolution makes clear nuclear Iran not an option’ co-sponsor says.

In a show of force, the United States Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a
resolution urging an uncompromising US stance against Iranian efforts to acquire
nuclear weapons, calling for Washington’s support should Israel strike [...]

NASA and Google Team up on Quantum Computing

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:05:00 +0000

NASA and Google Team up on Quantum Computing
http://www.darkgovernment.com/news/nasa-and-google-team-up-on-quantum-computing/

NASA's Ames Research Laboratory, in collaboration with Google and the
Universities Space Research Association (USRA), has announced plans to host a
512-quantum-bit (qubit), quantum computer at its new Quantum Artificial
Intelligence Lab.

The computer system selected for the facility is D-Wave Systems' D-Wave Two.
Quantum computing combines the principles of quantum physics, where a bit [...]

Iran Seeks to Speed up Nuke Development

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:04:00 +0000

Iran Seeks to Speed up Nuke Development
http://www.darkgovernment.com/news/iran-seeks-to-speed-up-nuke-development/

Iran is trying to accelerate its uranium enrichment program, a U.N. nuclear
report showed, but experts said it was unclear when Tehran’s new machines
could start operating and how efficiently they would work.

The Islamic state’s progress in introducing next-generation centrifuges is
closely watched in the West and Israel as it would enable Tehran to speed up
accumulation [...]

IRS Takes The Fifth, But You Can't

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Kearney) — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:18:00 +0000

IRS Takes The Fifth, But You Can't

from Forbes Real Time by Robert W. Wood, Contributor

IRS and Treasury officials surely don’t like to appear before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA). Who would? But despite all the hoopla and hearings, the IRS scandal just keeps on rolling. Remember Schulz on the old Hogan’s Heroes TV show? “I know nothing!”http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2013/05/23/irs-takes-the-fifth-but-you-cant/