The mainstream media for the most part has moved on. But there are a few more gleanings to be had, of perhaps the most interesting comes from the Daily Mirror, which labels al-Hilli an extremist on the grounds that he was against the war in Iraq, disapproved of the behaviour of Israel and had doubts over 9/11 – which makes a great deal of the population “extremist”. But the Mirror has the only mainstream mention I can find of the possibility that Mossad carried out the killings. Given Mr al-Hilli’s profession, the fact he is a Shia, the fact he had visited Iran, and the fact that Israel heas been assassinating scientists connected to Iran’s nuclear programme, this has to be a possibility. There are of course other possibilities, but to ignore that one is ludicrous.
Which leads me to the argument of Daily Mail crime reporter, Stephen Wright, that the French police should concentrate on the idea that this was a killing by a random Alpine madman or racist bigot. Perfectly possible, of course, and the anti-Muslim killings in Marseille might be as much a precedent as Mossad killings of scientists. But why the lone madman idea should be the preferred investigation, Mr Wright does not explain. What I did find interesting from a man who has visited many crime scenes are his repeated insinuations that the French authorities are not really trying very hard to find who the killers were, for example:
the crime scene would have been sealed off for a minimum of seven to ten days, to allow detailed forensic searches for DNA, fibres, tyre marks and shoe prints to take place.
Nearby bushes and vegetation would have been searched for any discarded food and cigarette butts left by the killer, not to mention the murder weapon.
But from what I saw at the end of last week, no such searches had taken place and potentially vital evidence could have been missed. House to house inquiries in the local area had yet to be completed and police had not made specific public appeals for information about the crime. No reward had been put up for information about the shootings.
Behind the scenes, what other short cuts have been taken? Have police seized data identifying all mobile phones being used in the vicinity of the murders that day?
The idea that the French authorities – who are quite as capable as any other of solving cases – are not really trying very hard is an interesting one.
Which leads me to this part of a remarkable article from the Daily Telegraph, which if true points us back towards a hit squad and discounts the ides that there was only one gun:
Claims that only one gun was used to kill everybody is likely to be disproved by full ballistics test results which are out in October.
While the 25 spent bullet cartridges found at the scene are all of the same kind, they could in fact have come from a number of weapons of the same make.
This throws up the possibility of a well-equipped, highly-trained gang circling the car and then opening fire.
Both children were left alive by the killers, who had clinically pumped bullets into everybody else, including five into Mr Mollier.
Zainab was found staggering around outside the car by Brett Martin, a British former RAF serviceman who cycled by moments after the attack, but he saw nobody except the schoolgirl.
Her sister, Zeena, was found unscathed and hiding in the car eight hours later.
Both sisters are now back in Britain, and are believed to have been reunited at a secret location near London.
There are of course a number of hit squad options, both governmental and private, which might well involve iraqi or Iranian interests – on both of which the mainstream media have been very happy to speculate while almost unanimously ignoring Israel.
But what interests me is why the Daily Telegraph choose, in the face of all the evidence, to minimise the horrific nature of the attack by stating that “Both children were left alive by the killers”? Zainab was not left alive by design, she was shot in the chest and her skull was stove in, which presumably was a pretty serious attempt to kill a seven year-old child. The other girl might very well have succeeded in hiding from the killers under her mother’s skirts, as she hid from the first rescuers, and then for eight hours from the police.
The Telegraph article claims to be informed by sources close to the investigation. So they believe it was a group of people, and feel motivated to absolve those people from child-killing. Now what could the Daily Telegraph be thinking?
Tim V
re blood on hands. Did not BM state he was wearing gloves while moving around car park. So should be blood on gloves. If blood on hands then no gloves on when breaking window? ??
Off or maybe a bit On Topic. Yer early morn conspiracy links + udder nonsense:
The sex lives of the elites and their blackmailers. From Churchill thru Kennedy and up to the 1990s. Long list of links. Nothing recent.
http://aangirfan.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/kennedy-brainwashed.html?m=1
@ James: Above link has this non-Martin handler — “Stephen Ward. His MI5 controller was said to be Keith Wagstaffe.”
@ Q: You asked about Emma’s pop’s time in Egypt etc. He has no history – no bio at all. Currently is a historian. That means he was a s_ _. And his daughter now runs sex clubs for the uber-elites in London & Miami. You think they do the vids in 4K super-high definition, 60 frames-per-second, 12 channel surround sound now.
On another page they honour our friend Trowbridge with links to an article he wrote on elite paedophilic things, but one link didn’t work, and the other needs a password.
Then Anorak mentions Ickes:
http://www.anorak.co.uk/342533/royals/fiji-portrays-queen-elizabeth-ii-as-a-lizard-on-its-bank-notes-david-icke-delighted.html/
Except Anorak misidentifies an insect as an iguana.
The Queen is in her counting house…
http://www.anorak.co.uk/342685/royals/in-photos-the-queen-tours-bank-of-england-gold-vaults.html/
Finally, Ahnold murdered Lord Lucan. Anorak quotes large parts of another site, gives link, then declares the story bosh and nonsense. Also links to “nude” Ahnold pics at bottom. Don’t bother, only one is nude, others are bodybuilding poses. There are better elsewhere. I investigated on your behalf.
http://www.anorak.co.uk/342660/celebrities/what-was-arnold-schwarzeneggers-involvement-in-the-lord-lucan-mystery.html/
No time to stay but I do not think the filled in gouges are related to the lorry ,if they are where I think the lorry would not be anywhere near there you can see what looks like lorry marks on the grass verge near chevaline end no time to look further just wanted to note that I dont think thats what it is .
If you track back to the link to photos of journalists pointing at something page 48 should give a clue to location.
Strawberry knows which ones sorry no time.
@ James (AKA Martin 14 Dec, 2012 – 2:14 am
“Tim.
A. Thanks for your comment/support.
B. Zig Zag (agent) is a good example of the “world of spies”.
Often they swap sides (numerous examples available) and the fact that they first of all “change” sides is an indication of “how” they work.”
Agency A says to X, we have vids of you with women in Miami, we need some favors. Then agency B comes along later and says we have pics of you with those boys in Ankara, you’re working for us, but continue to work for A as well. And so on. Must get interesting for X. Lots of sweating, flipping and flopping.
The name MARTIN in MI6.
Names have meanings. We often see the name Martin used as a nickname for agents and products related to intelligence and war. Coincidence? No!
Lockheed Martin, Aston Martin, ….
Martin means MARS, god of war.
http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Martin
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_(name)
Particularly MI6 is using nicknames with humour and sense for his spies.
There is a very good summary of a book written by a spy. Read this link and you will learn a lot!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-2011951/John-Le-Carre-In-day-MI6–I-called-Circus-books–stank-wartime-nostalgia.html
For those of you who want to follow Gareth Williams, there is a MI6 code cracking riddle:
http://www.canyoucrackit.co.uk/codeexplained.asp?v=
I wouldnt be surprised when the code was MARTIN.
Pink 5.54 am
Here are the links for the 2 photos:-
http://www.apimages.com/OneUp.aspx?st=k&kw=chevaline&showact=results&sort=relevance&intv=None&sh=10&kwstyle=or&adte=1355475752&pagez=60&cfasstyle=AND&rids=75689f34e6344f06b98df60f5e55775a&dbm=PY2012&page=1&xslt=1&mediatype=Photo
http://www.apimages.com/OneUp.aspx?st=k&kw=chevaline&showact=results&sort=relevance&intv=None&sh=10&kwstyle=or&adte=1355475752&pagez=60&cfasstyle=AND&rids=1f8e90356aea4464bf50cc48f9c1f4b1&dbm=PY2012&page=1&xslt=1&mediatype=Photo
These look to be near where the flowers lay maybe beneath the final BMW position.
@ bluebird 14 Dec, 2012 – 7:42 am
“The name MARTIN in MI6.
Names have meanings. We often see the name Martin used as a nickname for agents and products related to intelligence and war. Coincidence? No!”
Thanks for the links. Much more interesting than my Anorak nonsense. MI-6 had Merlin, James came up with all the Martins, right here we have Marlin, which if we put a crosspiece atop the l gives Martin. A clue! Or all the names go, M_r_in, at least for MI-6.
What if there is an International Naming Convention for spies, a harmonic code, that all nations follow? For Russia, they are all variations on Vladamir, for France on Pierre and so on?
With talk of agents flipped, at first I thought Gary Aked’s comments re SAH being anti-Israel/UK/US, were forced. Why inject that in a story about your murdered neighbor? To mask the truth that he really was working on their side. But SAH’s cousin in Canada confirmed this hatred, convincingly for me.
What if SAH was forced to work for the side he hated, then he could express his genuine hatred, continue his forced duties and mask his true employment all at the same time.
How someone forced him to do this is not necessarily by sex blackmail as I mentioned above. Could be anything one or more of the agencies had on him from the long ago past. Threaten to reveal something he or his family did in Iraq, which would cause revenge today, for example.
Especially The Russians and the Bulgarians, and probably other services too, took pains to inveigle people in misdeeds –students, tourists, insignificant people, uncautious people having fun — and store the records away on the off-chance these people might be of use many years later.
I know the Russians released some KGB files, but I wonder what happened to the films and videos. They must have had caverns full, carefully filed away.
I remember something else about names. In another case there are three using the name Matty and one using Manny. So, Ma_ _y. That could be for Canada. Maybe all British and Commonwealth handlers start with M. – for murder!
From the Le Carre piece linked by Bluebird:
“There’s huge money in the secret world now, too – money for fabricators who put together brilliant pieces of intelligence. We saw that with the forged documents suggesting Saddam Hussein tried to buy yellowcake uranium in Niger. Somebody was paid a fortune for that nonsense.”
Somebody – the Italians I think – found this forged doc which W’s admin used to push the idea that Saddam had WMD. Then after Iraq was invaded there were no WMDs, not even residue if Saddam destroyed them. More likely snuck them to Syria, where we’ll find them shortly. And everybody said W. lied.
Everybody said W. lied. Afterward they found hundreds of tonnes/tons of yellowcake, which they moved to Canada. So at one time Saddam did have WMDs or the precursor to a bomb. So W. and company didn’t totally lie.
As others have said, one of the big problems in getting unbiased intelligence is the spy community knows what the bosses want to hear (in the US not only the Prez but Congress too). The agencies know who butters their budgets, and if they give unwanted advice their budgets and power will be toast – unbuttered. George Tenet told W. the WMDs were a “slam dunk”.
On Benghazi we can be sure they knew their bosses, at least the Democratic side, preferred to blame the attack on a reaction to crazy Christian blasphemers.
@ Bluebird, who I think it was who mentioned Susan Rice withdrawing for nomination as Sec. of State. Now reports say Hillary will not testify about Benghazi. That’s their story and they’re sticking to it.
Interesting piece regarding British Military Intelligence:
Although MI5 and MI6 are the famous departments that we know of, other MI departments are supposed to have existed, albeit not necessarily known by the MI prefix, and many not confirmed by the MoD. The only list I have ever found of the potential Codes for these departments exists in Ben Schott’s legendary Original Miscellany. This puts forward ‘a tentative list’, on Page 29, comprising thus; MI1: Director of Military Intelligence, also Cryptography MI2: Responsible for Russia and Scandanavia MI3: Responsible for Germany and Eastern Europe MI4: Aerial Reconnaisance MI5: Domestic Intelligence and Security MI6: Foreign Intelligence and Security MI8: Interception and Interpretation of Communications MI9: Clandestine Operations, Escape and Evasion MI10: Weapons and Technical Analysis MI11: Field Security and Police MI14: German Specialists MI17: Secretariat for MI departments MI19: Prisoner of War debriefing unit What happened to the interim numbers can only be guessed. The information is classified and may never be fully released, and the extent to which that list is accurate is unknown. Many MI departments, might, for instance, still exist alongside the ones we know about. However, many more may have existed and now be defunct.
Benjamin Gravestock, Ashby de la Zouch England
NR
Susan Rice was the ZOA selection. She is a ZOA member.
Chuck Hagen is the Mizrahi selection. ZOA is upset about him. No idea where Obama is going. He looks like a rabbit running in panic. Left, right, left, right …
http://www.zoa.org/sitedocuments/pressrelease_view.asp?pressreleaseID=723
Bluebird.
Don’t forget CI5 !
NR.
Interesting points you make (and numerous).
I’ll try to add to them. And be brief.
Trustworthy intelligence.
Major problem. Also not all is designed to “fool the other side”.
At the height of the Cold War, the US were “convinced” that the USSR had a silent running submarine.
The military went to “Govt” to get funding for projects to develop equipment to be able to find their sub.
With the money spent, the equipment still couldn’t find it.
Well it wouldn’t as it didn’t exist.
BUT the military merely claimed that “that’s how good their sub is”. And so more money was “spent” !
Of course there is a second point to all that.
That being, the nation was “scared”. And that’s good if you need more cash.
That’s a bingo ! As Col Hans Landa would say !!!
Blackmail.
It could be said that holding illegal money would be a terrible thing, if you’re caught.
And if you were “the other side” it would mean you don’t even have to make a payment. It’s already been made.
Of course these agencies don’t “employ” these types of people. The work is more “part time” or more “ad hoc”.
You would bank an “ace” like that (more a 7 of Clubs) for when you needed to use it.
Benghazi.
The Gulf of Tolkin, 9/11 and WMD all proved to be “tipping points” for war. What will the next be ?
Bluebird has mentioned the “internal” war going on inside the “CIA”.
This I do believe. Maybe Susan Rice was part of that.
The “warriors” in The US Govt.com clearly wanted more from what happened, maybe she sat on all the information to prevent others “moving forward” ?
Wasn’t Libya on the US Govt’s “Things to do” bucket list ?
Sorry it’s a long post, but if you fancy a good read…
check out “The Guns Of August” ! I guess history always repeats !
Bluebird…
Following on from ZOA and Susan Rice.
They must have been really upset with her after her UN speech.
In 2011 she did say (and at the UN and therefore on the record) that the building of new homes in the captured land (1967 “war”) was indeed an “international crime”.
That’s quite something. And was a very public expression.
As you no doubt have seen James (AKA Martin)
14 Dec, 2012 – 2:23 am I have made the same point based on the unlikelihood that Mollier being local, and probably knowing the area like the back of his hand, would have had any intention to take a 5000 euro racer off road so to speak. This points to remote Martinet being the actual destination rather than just a layby on a circular route. This is more a case of get me there and back as quickly as possible whilst providing adequate cycle “cover” to allay any suspicions.
NR: Pop-pop also owns an inn, which reminded me of a certain person connected to this story. And pop-pop has a little cargo airline. It seems that airlines and quaint country inns are two things that go together with having no background at all.
Now add in pop-pop’s views on Iraq, and connection to a certain other company with its own interesting connections.
Shell companies that come and go, often involving minerals, also seem to be part of this picture. Makes me think of hawala again.
And another thing in this random collection of thoughts, what is one thing that attracts flies: honey. Mile high and all that.
James (AKA Martin)
14 Dec, 2012 – 2:48 am interesting vid. Thanks. It’s clear that there are Hawks and Doves in State Department, Pentegon and CIA as always and our fate hangs on the decisions that are made. Israeli is paranoid some would say with just cause given the statements of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Neighbours north, south and east (with exception of Jordon) are in a state of chaos and anti Israel. Post Arab Spring they could become more anti not less. Yet Israel pursues force rather than discussion and actively sets out to provoke the Palestinian undermining the moderates. Two years ago an attack on Iran was ordered by Benjamin Netanyahu, only thwarted by the heads of the armed forces who refused. The reason they did so is probably contained in your vid.
Well spotted Juno
14 Dec, 2012 – 3:27 am!!!! Yet another clear inconsistency in the accounts between these two individuals. No doubt now we will get another press release explaining this one away along the lines of “After breaking the window I took my gloves off”!!!!? And just to pursue the point a little further: when tending to a badly injured little girl wouldn’t the first reaction be to strip one’s gloves off? So the credibility of his story relating to gloves is undermined both before AND after the incident.
Tim
And an interesting “thing” is Ahmadinejad does not talk of “wiping Israel of the map”. That is how the (parts) of the U.S. would have him say.
He DID talk of the “regime”. That is different to “state”.
This fact is not often talked about.
If it were, it would not serve the “regime” of Israel. It may however serve the “state” of Israel.
Now “regime change” is a thing that the USA often do !
They would never say “state” or “occupation”.
But there are boots on the ground in Iraq and Afganistan.
And they have been there longer than “Jerry” was in Paris !
The powers that be often (laughing) state that Ahmadinejad does not recognise the “holocaust”. Again wrong.
What he did talk of was why should the “holocaust” be a reason for Jewish settlements ! (When interviewed by Charlie Rose he did make this point. a point lost on Charlie Rose of course. But it was well made by Ahmadinejad).
There are “hawks” and “doves” within US Govt do com.
Previous battle grounds made the news ! Dealey Plaza for instance.
And I do believe a war between these two sides is presently going on.
Was Sa’ad Al Hilli somehow a pawn in this battle ?
Who knows. They normally don’t like to fight in public.
Following on from Juno’s asute observation regarding WBM “blood covered hands” as reported as an after though by “Didierjean” it is worth not noting the way in which Zainab has bee reported that can only be described as bizarre. We have WBM’s report of her “staggering”, collapsing, “covered in blood”, “slipping in and out of consciousness” nevertheless “breathing normally” and “not bleeding”. Didierjean says that by the time he got to her she was not responding at all to clap or speech, but says there was no blood or sign of injury. Then the next day after she has been air lifted to Grenoble Maillaud inexplicably announces she was killed when he must have known she was alive! At the initial stage we were told she had been shot in the shoulder and “pistol whipped” to the head causing fractured skull and possible brain damage and loss of sight in one eye. Now it is reported there was NO bullet wound, and we must presume on the basis of the speed she returned not only to England but also a conventional foster home, that nor was her skull fractured or the injuries as bad as first reported. So what do we make of this? Certainly she appears to have been unconconscious from a blow to the head but not to have suffered an internal injury that could have caused internal bleeding. This makes her collapse even closer to the event doesn’t it? It is one thing to collapse as a result of internal bleeding and quite another from concussion, the latter following closely on the event. If WBM is to be believed then, his first sight of Zainab is virtually co-existant with her injury. Now it is clear the French authorities and it appears WBM, knowingly exaggerated her injuries. Why would they do that?
NR
14 Dec, 2012 – 9:28 am you get ppl to work for you with proverbial “carrot and stick” NR. Combination of nice and nasty, reward and punishment. Most conventional is money but citizenship and protection must have seemed very attractive if your erstwhile enemy was Saadam H. Why did SAH’s mother in law join him in England and accompany him on that fateful journey? Was it it just familial togetherness or had he been informed by British handlers that she was under threat there and would be safer here? As I suggested many weeks ago, sometimes high profile anti views are necessary to convince the opposition you are prepared to work for them whilst still retaining loyalty to the former. You have to pretend to be traitor to catch the real one and know what has been divulged. It’s a murky murky world where you end up not knowing who is really working for whom.
Just a wee sample of the Valley of Wrath.
Trying to work out the “4mph cycle ride” route.
Clearly past the parking area are routes used by mountain bikes.
And obviously hikers, pot holers, guys taking a couple of girls camping, hunters, people pooing…that sort of thing.
Five down
( http://www.map-france.com/Chevaline-74210/photos-Chevaline.html )
Twenty odd down !
( http://outdoor-diots.blogspot.com.es/2011/08/le-grand-tour-de-larcalod.html )
And just a note of the “hunters”. Yes, I get the “lets go to the forest and hunt wild pig”, but I don’t get the “lets go to the pastures and fire at cows” ! Does anyone have the official “hunting zone” for this area ! With the way the French are with regard rules, I cannot imagine they just let hunters wander all over the place….and a tourist place at that !
( http://www.ledauphine.com/haute-savoie/2012/09/06/une-fillette-decouverte-vivante-au-milieu-des-cadavres?image=21653104-9328-4020-9768-abe898ea9691 )
IS that a British registered estate V70, leaving Al Hilli’s caravan park, carrying a roofbox…and what looks like bike fittings !
@James: Hunters in some places don’t bother with rules. I’ve seen them take down a deer from the back of a truck parked on the shoulder of a busy highway. That goes against all the rules. Rules go out the window with the amount of beverages consumed. FWIW.
If this is a case of “the hunters did it,” I’d say Maillaud et al are keeping to script. They’ve probably recycled it from Col. Russell Williams, who dumped the body of Jessica Lloyd down the road from his neighbor’s hunting camp. There was also the matter of the neighbor claiming some odd items were stolen from his workshop prior to the murder, things that would contain his DNA (a pair of gloves, an old coat, a lighter). The neighbor, Larry Jones, is now suing for damages.
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/cocky-colonel-tried-to-frame-me-neighbour-84292442.html
A helicopter search team from CFB Trenton had failed to find the body. Col. Russell Williams was commander of CFB Trenton at the time. Presumably they had heat-seeking equipment, but it would have been of little use by that time.
NR, neh, not this Marlin ain’t handlin’ notin’ but the brave (and all too miniscule) opposition to the Brave New World, which is nearly upon us (give or take a decade).
Note that one common theme to all “handlers” is that they are a somber lot. Whereas you, NR (for ‘naves and ‘rooks?) are a funny one (and keep it up, please), so entirely above suspicion.
But I do agree – there is more than meets the eye in names and connections. To think that my innocent handle turns out to be a play between “Merlin” and “Martin”! too good to be true, isn’t it?
Then we have the strange liaison between “handlers” and “handles”. Ah – way too deep – that. Almost katie-like.
Which reminds me – been planning to ask – haven’t been around much for the first two boards (other than as a very occasional silent – but rapt – reader – like many others lurking around) but when sent there recently (on a lark – I swear!) I noticed one Anders 7777 all over, which then disappeared. No time/patience to wade through 1000’s of comments to find reason for that de-commenting. He seemed brittle and in one fine fighting sprit but also inclined to some old-fashioned fun sniffin’ heither and theither. Wonder whether he over stayed his welcome with too many comments? maybe just got tired and exhausted his arsenal? I now there were were lots more commenters early on (which is understandable for a fresh murder).
This is a clip showing two cyclists. Its the one with the ?Lydie Ringot appearance. A few days ago MZT said she thought it could be SM. It appeared on TF1 le20hr news Sept 6th. The reporter had spoken to SM’s ‘proches et colègues’. The cyclists are shown after interview with a lady who appears to know SM well standing at the Cezus gate in Ave Paul Girod. She expresses her sorrow before going in to work. The words about SM are spliced onto the film and precede and coincide with the cyclists. (at 00.39) “Sylvain Mollier, quarante cinq ans, etait ouvrier danse cette usine de metallurgie depuis tout vingt ans – un homme discret – connu pour son passion VTT qu’il pratique chaque semaine – de long balade au solitaire (solitary ride) – dans tous masifs”. The words don’t seem to imply anything about the images – or do they? (a third cyclist is shown later)
{http://videos.tf1.fr/jt-20h/tuerie-en-haute-savoie-qui-est-le-cycliste-abattu-7508374.html}
The pictures were taken on the cycle path just outside the quarry (carriere) at Martins 5 miles away from the factory. The cycleway goes from Annecy to Albertville. It uses the old railway track near Soney, almost part of Ugine. Why go that distance and to that particular spot to film cyclists? The film crew may have got in touch with the Ugine velo club. They probably drove there transporting two cyclists to shoot the film. But the suggestion was made that a bit of video showing SM was given to them and they used it in the news clip.
The two cyclists – one with cycle helmet, one without but with a mohican. (Not earrings but earphones) Why choose him when composing such a shot? Or maybe such haircuts are commonplace among Savoyards? Is this the image of a 45 yr old man which has held back? Far from saying this is him, but perhaps…
More on word coincidences – “Martin” and “martinet”. There’s a town called “martin” not too far from ugine too.
So many martins, so little time!
@James 4:41 pm
It’s clearly not a British registration judging by the sequence of 2 letters, 2 numbers, 3 letters, and the single letter (not GB) under the country of origin part on the left.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_%28name%29
It was about time we had the wiki on Martin. There is also a purple martin, which is a bird. No, not you, BB.
Ahmadinejad; sounds like denial to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWfwg_Vpm0Q
James 14 Dec, 2012 – 11:51 am
“NR. Interesting points you make (and numerous). I’ll try to add to them. And be brief. Benghazi. The Gulf of Tolkin, 9/11 and WMD all proved to be “tipping points” for war. What will the next be ?”
Let me peer into my crystal ball and propose an unusual and unlikely false flag op. For people not following internal US politics, after the recent re-election of President Obama, petitions were circulated in right-wing states calling for secession. A small number of signatures gathered, 700,000. Texas has the legal right (not likely to be upheld by the courts) to secede, written into its constitution when it joined the Union, the other states would need permission from three-quarters of the remaining states to leave, if I understand correctly.
At some time in the future, agents provocateur might encourage such signature gathering on behalf of secession. What happened the last time states attempted to secede? A civil war.
No less than the great President Lincoln, a hero of the right, suspended the constitution, so rightist could hardly object. And President Roosevelt, a hero of the left, cleared the way for sending dangerous persons to the camps and seizing their property. (Don’t worry, you or your descendants get an apology in 50 years.)
There are musings comparing President Obama to Lincoln, though it could as well be President Clinton II or President Bush III a few years down the road.
Recently from Forbes: “”Obama’s Second Chance: Fulfilling the Untapped Potential” character remains the fundamental basis for Barack Obama’s potential to be a leader of Lincolnesque proportions.”
From 2007: “”Obama Looks to Lincoln – Newsweek and The Daily Beast” It is the season to compare Barack Obama to Abraham Lincoln. Two thin men from rude beginnings, relatively new to Washington but wise to the world…””
“What do you do when it has been a while since you made headlines? If you are Harry Belafonte, apparently you say the president should jail Republicans.”
“Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, a portrait of the Civil War-era president at the most critical point of his career, earned a leading seven Golden Globe nominations…” (Spielberg is a staunch Democratic supporter.)
The right-wing survivalists, fearing such a scenario, as well as stricter gun control, have, for years, been stockpiling weapons and ammo. Last summer various government departments were found ordering large quantities of ammo for departments beyond law enforcement. They explained it was for such as fish and game wardens, etc.
But I think the survivalists are in for a surprise, when they have no guv’mint to fire back at, but find their cozy bunker on the receiving end of a drone missile, directed perhaps by controllers in the Green Zone in Baghdad. Contracted Iraqi controllers, unconcerned about striking at American cousins?
The time to worry is when President Obama emerges from the haberdashers out fitted in a shiny, new stovepipe hat, and scribbling on the back of an envelope.