Those bothered by the wild cheering emanating from Obamanation celebrating the flaccid economic recovery should have some peace in the coming months. For starters the global economic slowdown has started. One of the early canaries desperate for oxygen is the port of Shanghai:

The shipping specialist Lloyd’s List said container traffic through the Port of Shanghai – the world’s largest – fell by 100,000 boxes in January from a year earlier, or 4pc. Volumes fell by over one million tonnes. . . .

“China’s shipping markets face grievous challenges,” said the Shanghai International Shipping Institute. It acknowledged that the industry in the grip of downturn and likely to face a “worsening situation” in early 2012.

The biggest falls in container volumes have been on the Asia-Europe route. . . . Read the rest

Two articles out this week purporting to take you inside the Special Ops world. I would love to refute these pieces in detail but, to do so, would require divulging classified info. So I will do what I can. What you should understand is that the information in these pieces ultimately was fed to the reporters via Obama’s crack National Security Staff.

The first story by Eric Schmitt, Mark Mazzetti and Thom Shanker, in the NY Times, claims falsely that SOCOM is “seeking new authority” to move Special Ops Forces outside of normal Pentagon deployment channels:

As the United States turns increasingly to Special Operations forces to confront developing threats scattered around the world, the nation’s top Special Operations officer, a member of the Navy Seals who oversaw the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, is seeking new authority to move his forces faster and outside of normal Pentagon deployment channels.

The officer, Adm. William H. McRaven, who leads the Special Operations Command, is pushing for a larger role for his elite units who have traditionally operated in the dark corners of American foreign policy. The plan would give him more autonomy to position his forces and their war-fighting equipment where intelligence and global events indicate they are most needed.

It would also allow the Special Operations forces to expand their presence in regions where they have not operated in large numbers for the past decade, especially in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

This is not accurate. McRaven actually wants the “Theater SOCS” to be put under the command of SOCOM. Read the rest

Remember the original Star Wars movies?  In the very first one, “Episode IV: A New Hope,” this line is said twice, which made it funnier for some reason.  And then it became a running joke that someone would say that line, or variations on it, in subsequent Star Wars movies.

“I’ve got a baaad feeling about this,” “I’ve got a really bad feeling about this,” “I have a very bad feeling about this.”

And that’s how I’ve been feeling about this stupid election.  For almost four years we’ve been waiting in agony for the chance to unseat the infidel in the White House, the man with the sealed records we have been forced to accept as president.  We’ve had four years – “we” meaning “the opposition” – and it doesn’t look good.  With all this time to plan and scheme, this is the best the Republican Party can manage to do?  I’m really disappointed.  I thought they were organized, but it’s obvious now that they aren’t even close. Read the rest

It may be fun bashing Republican aspirants to replace Obama, but it also is worthwhile to recall just one example of how Barry Soetoro is in over his head:

Oil Spill Timeline from RightChange on Vimeo.

Failure to act. Heck of a job Barry. Read the rest

Santorum has bolted to the top of national polls in large measure because most folks really don’t know who this guy is. Well, let’s meet Rick Santorum:

* Bumped Up *

Would a supporter of Rick Santorum please stand up and explain why we should take this guy seriously? I do not get it. Yes, Rick is a nice guy (as long as you are not a homosexual), but he has been a creature of Washington, DC for more than 20 years and, despite giving lip service to so-called conservative values, freely indulged in the kind of Big Government hubris that has helped balloon the national debt.

Has Rick eschewed earmarks? You know, putting specific spending measures in a bill to benefit constituents and supporters? No. He was a big player in this regard. Did Rick want to keep Government out of health care and limit its size? Double hell no. He fully backed the idiotic Republican sponsored prescription drug benefit.

Has Rick ever created a real job in the private sector outside of hiring consultants to help him get elected? Very few (and here I’m counting clerical staff and legal aides at his law firm, though he was never a Managing Partner).

So why are conservatives so enamored of this guy? Read the rest

The times may not always be so happy, but we hope you have pockets–the larger the better–of love and laughter in your lives. We at No Quarter wish our readers a good day that preferably includes chocolate.

Read the rest

That will get the juices flowing. Let’s start with the facts. Over the past two years, Iranian scientists believed to be working on Iran’s nuclear program have been assassinated. Let’s take out the word, “Iranian.” If you woke up tomorrow and learned that American nuclear scientists were blown up on their way to work would you be fine with that? Hell no. You would be outraged. You would want revenge. You would want those who carried out such a cowardly act brought to justice. Right?

It has been reported recently that Israel has trained and armed the MEK, an Iranian terrorist group, to carry out these attacks. If true that makes Israel a State Sponsor of terrorism. (Be sure to read Glenn Greenwald’s excellent piece on this topic.)

So today we get word that Israeli diplomats in Georgia and India were targets of motorcycle bombers using tactics similar to those employed against Iranian scientists: Read the rest

Hamza Kashgari, a Saudi citizen, faces a death sentence for the audacious act of questioning his own belief in the Prophet Muhammed and Allah. The Herald Sun, among others, reports the story:

MALAYSIAN authorities have deported a young Saudi journalist accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad on Twitter, despite fears he could face execution in his home country.

Jiddah-based newspaper columnist Hamza Kashgari was detained Thursday upon his arrival in Malaysia. Some Saudis have reportedly made death threats against him or called for him to face criminal charges over remarks he tweeted that many considered offensive.

On the occasion of the Muslim prophet’s birthday last week, 23-year-old Mr Kashgari tweeted: “I have loved things about you and I have hated things about you and there is a lot I don’t understand about you.”

“I will not pray for you,” he added.

It is stupid shit like this that convinces non-muslims that Islam is a crazy, worthless religion, especially the Saudi version. They want to whack off a young man’s head for twittering his doubts about his religion? What makes this story even worse is the apparent betrayal of Kashgari by Interpol. Why? Read the rest

What is not obvious is how this scale of extravagant consumption translates into the political conversation.

The Anthony Pritzker fortune (LA pile below) that contributes to the LA home that appears as a New Age institute in the video, that includes a bowling alley and a toy store, what is the point of view? Because we can?

Note that the Anthony Pritzker fortune in part is devoted to the Obama re-elect. What does it mean that POTUS Obama preaches the millionaire surtax and that the “millionaires and billionaires” must pay “their fair share?” Read the rest

Update: Don’t miss Harp2′s comment below that tells the story of “Reckless, a Marine Hero.”

This video reminds us of Whitney Houston’s extraordinary ability to sing a song that professional artists agree is a daunting challenge. Thank god, these days, we can watch a video recorded in 1991, seven or more years before the necessary technical breakthroughs.

This video transports us back in time to the tension-filled days during the Persian Gulf War, a period of time that, like none other since the Cuban missile crisis, I was choked with emotion and also impressed with the exceptional organization of that war … at a time when we Americans had not been at war in a long time. Read the rest

* Bumped Up *

Democrats and Republicans are largely an unprincipled lot who care only about holding power and reaping the rewards that come from being in charge. No? Then how do you explain the Democrats sudden enthusiasm for using U.S. military Special Ops forces and the President’s own death squad? Surely you’ve heard the Democrat talking points extolling the fact that Obama has killed more terrorist overseas, including Bin Laden, than his predecessor, George W. Bush. Of course those same Dems wanted to haul George W. before the World Court and try him for the war crime of putting presumed terrorists in Guantanamo. Imagine the conniption fit on the left if Bush had ordered the killing of American citizen Anwar al Awlaki? But when their guy does it, “no problemo.”

Which brings us to the new crises involving Syria and Iran. Who is the terrorist threat we should be most concerned about? When George W. Bush was in office it depended. Prior to September 11 the Bush Administration told the FBI not to blame Bin Laden/Al Qaeda for the bombing of the USS Cole. Source for this? Ali Soufan’s book, BLACK BANNERS. Then came the attacks of 9-11 and Al Qaeda was temporarily on the front burner.

Getting Bin Laden and destroying Al Qaeda remained a priority for Bush until January of 2002. At that point the emphasis had shifted on going after Saddam Hussein and Iraq. We were told we absolutely were facing a smoking mushroom cloud if we did not act against Saddam. Did anyone in the Bush Administration tell the public that by attacking Iraq we would be empowering Iran? Read the rest

Presidential candidate and former Penn senator Rick Santorum arrives on stage to speak to 39th Conservative Political Action Committee Feb 10, 2012 Wash, DC. MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty

The Romney campaign crack-up is undeniable even to those in the party who prosper in denial.

Rick Santorum’s boom is fresh and delightful; however the demands of the national campaign and the accompanying scrutiny will drain Rick Santorum of his already limited humor. Am told that Rick Santorum’s nickname in high school was “Rooster.”

Am told that the Romney campaign will now nuke Santorum with the usual facts about his less than consistent voting record for two terms in the Senate. Romney counts on resentment to eliminate his rivals. Read the rest

Now I know for sure that Republicans want President Obama to be re-elected and are doing everything in their power to help him in his quest for a second term. Why else would anyone give the odious ex-Senator Santorum air time, or votes? Apparently, he just moved into second place nationally, the latest flavor of the month in the “anybody-but-Mitt” category.

A few weeks back, we had to listen as Santorum compared gay marriage to polygamy, and now this “conservative” who loved to spend taxpayer money, and grub earmarks along with the best of ‘em, is reviving his socially conservative street cred with a new spate of vague, sexist remarks.

According to Politico, in an interview with CNN’s John King, Santorum stated:

“I want to create every opportunity for women to be able to serve this country. . . but I do have concerns about women in front-line combat. Read the rest

This post exists primarily because we need an Open Thread. But it does give me an excuse to say to Larry Johnson: “You’ve got Rick Santorum nailed as lacking executive experience. And WTG for calling out Little Ricky for his earmark addiction.”

Since, for inexplicable reasons, Romney and his staff don’t publicize Mitt’s impressive list of accomplishments, I finally read his bio at Wikipedia. Have you noticed that Modest Mitt mutters “the Olympics,” but adds not a word to explain what he is referring to? Mitt’s supporters say “Mitt saved the Olympics,” as if we’re supposed to know what they mean. SO! Which Olympics did Mitt save? How did he do it? What was so great about what he did? When I read the Wikipedia’s account, I finally knew what Romney did to save the 2002 Park City Olympics from ruinous scandals and budgets suffering massive coronaries.

Last night, Mitt, for the very first time, told us a tender family story. Read the rest