Land of the Free? You're 'avin' a laugh!

I do not know enough American history to say definitely that this is the worst government they have ever had but I will hazard a guess that it is far and away the most dangerous.  Slowly but surely the web of deceit which the Obama apparat threw over the murder of four US public servants in Benghazi is being torn apart.  Steven Hayes in The Weekly Standard helped the process along with a forensic examination of how Susan Rice, the ambassador to the UN, was provided with a brief full of out-and-out lies with which she was ordered to trot round five different TV studios on a Sunday morning in order to give the American people a completely false picture of what had occurred and why.  Hayes' investigation finally prompted a normally complacent Dem-supporting news agency, ABC, to dig a little deeper and they came up with the fact that the original briefing paper supplied by the CIA after the attack had been changed in twelve important respects after sundry government apparatchiks had insisted that anything that contradicted their version of events must be deleted.  This hand-grenade from a normally docile member of the press was startling and when combined with the Congressional hearings in which the man on the spot in Tripoli who took over as amabassador after the murders said that when he heard Ms. Rice's version of events "My chin dropped!" because it was a travesty of what he had reported back to Washington, the collateral damage is beginning to look ugly.

The ABC report was like the first slight shiftings before an avalanche begins.  More and more of the formerly supine members of the press began to dig and obviously they were reaching places of intense discomfort to the White House because yesterday, Jay Carney, the professional 'liar-in-chief' for Obama was forced to delay his standard press briefing whilst he privately briefed a select number of reporters.  This, naturally, caused immense irritation from all the other reporters who were not privileged with private briefings and Carney was savaged during the subsequent press conference.

Suddenly, whilst Carney's charade was going on, yet another hand-grenade went off, this one from an entirely unexpected direction - the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), their equivalent of Her Maj's Revenue & Customs.  There had been mutterings last year ahead of the presidential election that various Right-wing groups, particularly the so-called 'Tea Party', had been subjected to sudden investigation by the IRS.  It is important for Brit readers to understand that an investigation by the IRS is no small thing, it involves immense amounts of work and time to answer all their detailed questions and, given their huge legal powers, it is also very frightening.  Anyway, yesterday the IRS suddenly 'fessed up' and admitted that it had, prior to the election, mounted a specific campaign of what was, in effect, harrassment and bullying aimed at Republican support organisations.

Like some of the commentators on Fox News, I, too, am puzzled as to why this confession and grovelling apology was made at all, and also why it was made yesterday.  The cynical might suspect that it was by way of a distraction to gain the media's attention and keep them away from the Benghazi story.  If so, it is a highly dangerous stunt because the implications of the IRS behaving in a blatantly partisan manner in order to effect the outcome of a presidential election is enormous.  Potentially, I would suggest, there is jail time awaiting some senior IRS officials and if they acted under political pressure they will sing like canaries!  Anyway, watch this space for further developments.

In the meantime, ponder on the stench arising from the midden that is the government of the United States of America, the Land of the Free (to be fooled)!

 

Comments

[Dom]

What I don't understand about Benghazi is why it happened. Why were they attacked (America supported the Libyans against their government) and why weren't they saved. Was it just incompetence? Or are there still secrets we know nothing about?

[David Duff]

I think, Dom, the anti-Americanism of the Islamists overcomes any other feelings they might have. And, yes, my guess is that it was extreme incompetence which is sort of expected from governments everywhere but what is not forgivable, in my view, is the outright lying, bullying and manipulation that has followed. Now we have your IRS admitting that it acted from politicl motives. If the Obama apparat gets away with these two illegal activities there will be no stopping them.

[Able]

Dom

Factions, Libya, like all of the middle east is a nest of competing familial, tribal, sect, ideological and 'he upset my granddad' groups. Often the same person/group can belong to several competing factions at the same time.

Even those involved have trouble keeping track of who they're supporting and who they're attacking - and both are subject to instant change because of money, status, power or 'they didn't show me enough respect'. Western agencies are naive in the extreme to assume they have even the slightest clue who they're dealing with. Mostly, they're being played/used. Look at the reactions of the 'native guards' to see just how far 'out of the loop' they are (everyone else knew).

DD

Land of The Free? Have a look at the current debacle surrounding the ITAR regulations for another 'insight'.

[JK]

Dom? Able (apparently) has what we in the States would refer to as, connections or anywise some likely "disreputable acquaintances" but be that as it may - addressing your querulousness:

Keep in mind, Ol' JK hasn't a clue as to who might've contributed to this:

http://www.libertynews.com/2013/05/benghazi-the-biggest-cover-up-scandal-in-u-s-history-was-benghazi-a-cia-gun-running-operation-for-muslim-brotherhood-other-insurgents-fighting-in-syria/

[Dom]

I've heard about the gun running conspiracy, but my feeling on all conspiracy theories is that a long term coverup usually isn't possible, and keep the "usually" in kind. Fast and furious was uncovered pretty quickly. No, I think now it was just mind-blowing incompetence.

[JK]

True, the ATF's Fast 'n Furious was undone fairly quickly (for all the good the uncovering did) - but have you heard the story of our Border Patrol engaging in the very same thing?

Mind. I'm not suggesting what's on that link is entirely (or even largely) accurate - I am though saying there's more to Benghazi than is generally under scrutiny.

Might Googleup "Libya's LIFG repudiates AQ" or if you want to do some more heavy reading, "West Point's CTC, Foreign Fighters In Iraq pdf" and/or "The Sinjar Files" - without the quotes.

[JK]

Dom?

The below is what started the whole ball of wax rolling where Cyrenaica (the region of Libya containing both Benghazi & Dernaa) continues to be concerned - it's what prompted our [US] authorities to release the Libyan detainees we'd been holding at Gitmo, into the custody of Muammar's son Said for "rehabilitation" - those detainees above referred to as LIFG.

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/84462.pdf#page=516

[Arizona CJ]

I'm an American who used to call my country free, because it was free; one of the freest on earth, now or ever.

Was.

It is no more, and that fact grieves me.

For those wondering why the IRS, out of the blue, up and admitted to these reprehensible and highly illegal actions, there is a reason. It's called what we in US political circles call "getting ahead of the story".

"Getting ahead of the story" works like this; you know you're about to be the subject of a very scandalous set of revelations in a major news story, so you admit to some (not all!) of it before the truth comes out. It basically takes away some of the scandal if you do it this way. However, if this is the case, then what the IRS has done is actually far, far, worse than what they admitted to. I think we'll be finding out just how bad rather soon, and some is already out; that this was systematic, and also that it looks like they were singling out Jewish organizations for harassment too, not just conservatives groups like the Tea party, but anything with "Jewish" in the name as well (and that's weird itself, as most Jews vote Democrat, so this sets up some interesting fights within that party). Oh, and top IRS management knew all this has been going on for at least 2 years.

I think there is more to come, just like on Benghazi; we haven't yet seen the worst of the coverup and scandals.

The perfidy of the Obama administration knows no bounds.

Arizona CJ

[David Duff]

'ACJ', good to hear from you again. You are entirely right because I, too, wondered why they 'fessed up' apparently of their own accord. But I suspect it will do them no good because, as a Fox News presenter reminded us this evening, one of the charges faced by Nixon in his impeachment was using the IRS for political purposes. Those whom the Gods wish to destroy they first make over-confident!

[JK]

Correctemundo David! (and note the date on your calendar - JK [you'll maybe recall] doesn't often type his total agreement with assessments you've made).

Arizona CJ is totally and absolutely correct!

And ... if there's any lingering doubts - ponder on the image of a SOLITARY teenaged Blaster sending the residents of the city where the original Tea Party took place - cowering into their homes until such time as a force that'd make many a third world dictator green with envy, "give permission" to the citizens to emerge from hiding.

[Able]

JK

I resemble that remark! As anyone who knows me.. er, knows 'I' am the "disreputable acquaintance" that all my (above board and respectable) acquaintances deny knowing.