“Pay attention: Occupy was so powerful a force for nonviolence that it was already solving Oakland’s chronic crime and violence problems just by giving people hope and meals and solidarity and conversation.”
–Rebecca Solnit clarifies – violent crime in Oakland was down 19% while the encampment existed.
“In any case, the situation demonstrates a growing and expanding willingness on the part of our country’s senior military leaders to use “Information Operations” even on domestic audiences to manipulate the system in order to get what they want.”
–From Lt. Col. Davis’s damning report on our failures in Afghanistan
The neoconservative senator from Connecticut has introduced a “Sense of the Senate” resolution that would put the body on record as rejecting a situation that arguably already exists, in which Iran has the know-how to build a bomb even if it has no intention to do so.
–Sen. Lieberman is not satisfied with bombing Iran if they build a nuke. He wants us to bomb them just for knowing how it’s done.
“Senior ranking US military leaders have so distorted the truth when communicating with the US Congress and American people in regards to conditions on the ground in Afghanistan that the truth has become unrecognizable.”
–Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, U.S. Army, in a bombshell report subtitled “Senior Military Leaders’ Loss of Integrity Wounds Afghan War Effort”.
“Proprietary trading is not an essential commercial bank service that justifies taxpayer support.”
–Paul Volcker defends the rule that bears his name, which allows for government insurance on commercial bank deposits but leaves speculative traders to fend for themselves. Goldman, Sachs would prefer its prop desk was backed by Uncle Sam.
“… the United States will be in full blown debt ceiling hike chaos just as the final electoral debates take place.”
-Zero Hedge gives us something to look forward to.
“We needed a court order to eavesdrop on him, but we didn’t need a court order to kill him. Isn’t that something?”
–Michael Hayden, former Air Force general and CIA Director under Bush, on the assassination of Anwar al-Awlaki. Hayden added that “there isn’t a government on the planet that agrees with our legal rationale for [drone bombings], except for Afghanistan and maybe Israel.”
“We don’t need to ask who you’re talking to. We know.”
–Anonymous “national security representative“, to reporter Lucy Dalglish, on why she shouldn’t expect too many subpoenas of journalists for their sources, a la James Risen.
“One must wonder why an effort that has so carefully gone after terrorists who plot to kill civilians has been subjected to so much misinformation. Let’s be under no illusions — there are a number of elements who would like nothing more than to malign these efforts and help Al Qaeda succeed.”
–A “senior American counterterrorism official”, cowardly hiding behind anonymity granted by the New York Times to attack the fine work of researchers to expose the terrorist practices of the US covert drone program (namely, secondary attacks which kill emergency first responders and funeral attendees.)
“Obama Wall Street Fundraising Evaporates As Donors Flee To Romney”
–Headline at The Huffington Post. Apparently allowing Too Big To Fail banks to thrive and escape prosecution has not paid off. Might as well welcome their hatred, Mr President.