Did You Catch This Last Week?
The stock market ended the week falling on bad reports from Amazon and Visa. While the Amazon news reflects that company's losses due to an ambitious expansion plan, the bad numbers from Visa indicate a possible slowing of consumer retail transactions, never a good sign for an economy whose reliance on consumer spending hovers around 70% of GDP. And yet far more important news on Friday, spilling over into the weekend, arrived with this report from the Middle East:
How and when will all this end?. Looking at Iraq, Syria and being reminded that Libya descended into chaos with the overthrow and murder of dictator Gaddafi, it's anyone's guess. Oh, and we haven't even mentioned Afghanistan, technically not part of the Middle East, but nevertheless part of the spreading chaos over much of the Muslim world.
No, this isn't a rant blaming America for all the ills in these countries. But the U.S. government's hand in what's unfolding cannot be disguised by puffed-up outrage by officials commenting on consequences of policies pursued for decades.
But before we sign off, let's circle back to the Christians in Mosul, whose expulsion from their homes is hardly reported. You might think that what happens to Christians would be of special interest to the government and the media. But it isn't. So to help you visualize just what's going on in Mosul, we post this short clip from Schindler's List. The main character, Oskar Schindler, stumbles on the Germans expelling Jews from their homes as he takes a pleasant ride in the country on his horse. Watch actor Liam Neeson's face as he witnesses these events. Now try to picture the Christians in Mosul being violently forced from their homes, with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. And yet we hardly hear a peep about this from the media.
Click HERE for an interview with an old woman speaking about how she and her family and neighbors were forced out of their homes in Mosul. You really should be aware of what's going on here. And remember how the plight of the Jews before and during World War II remained "under-reported" for so many years until the "Final Solution" forced its horrors into our minds and hearts. Then ask yourself if we may be looking at the first stages of yet another genocide.
"Due to the continuing violence resulting from clashes between Libyan militias in the immediate vicinity of the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, we have temporarily relocated all of our personnel out of Libya," said Marie Harf, a State Department spokeswoman, adding the evacuation "was not prompted by a specific threat."As Israel's invasion of Gaza continues to dominate the news in the Middle East, this story hardly caused a ripple. But it's yet another consequence of a long line of meddling in Middle East politics by the U.S. government. Turning on the authoritarian governments in Egypt, Libya, and, of course, Iraq (with which it once cooperated, even supported), the U.S government finds itself mired in chaos which brings with it escalating violence, even the first hints of genocide, with the forced expulsion of Christians by ISIL in Iraq. Only Assad in Syria manages to hold power, and the U.S. government continues to support those opposing him.
How and when will all this end?. Looking at Iraq, Syria and being reminded that Libya descended into chaos with the overthrow and murder of dictator Gaddafi, it's anyone's guess. Oh, and we haven't even mentioned Afghanistan, technically not part of the Middle East, but nevertheless part of the spreading chaos over much of the Muslim world.
No, this isn't a rant blaming America for all the ills in these countries. But the U.S. government's hand in what's unfolding cannot be disguised by puffed-up outrage by officials commenting on consequences of policies pursued for decades.
But before we sign off, let's circle back to the Christians in Mosul, whose expulsion from their homes is hardly reported. You might think that what happens to Christians would be of special interest to the government and the media. But it isn't. So to help you visualize just what's going on in Mosul, we post this short clip from Schindler's List. The main character, Oskar Schindler, stumbles on the Germans expelling Jews from their homes as he takes a pleasant ride in the country on his horse. Watch actor Liam Neeson's face as he witnesses these events. Now try to picture the Christians in Mosul being violently forced from their homes, with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. And yet we hardly hear a peep about this from the media.
Click HERE for an interview with an old woman speaking about how she and her family and neighbors were forced out of their homes in Mosul. You really should be aware of what's going on here. And remember how the plight of the Jews before and during World War II remained "under-reported" for so many years until the "Final Solution" forced its horrors into our minds and hearts. Then ask yourself if we may be looking at the first stages of yet another genocide.
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