Canaries Dying in the Mine Shaft
By Larry Johnson
Email: larry_johnson@earthlink.net
Site: http://NoQuarterUSA.net
About: Larry C. Johnson is a former analyst at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, who moved subsequently in 1989 to the U.S. Department of State, where he served four years as the deputy director for transportation security, antiterrorism assistance training, and special operations in the State Department's Office of Counterterrorism. He left government service in October 1993 and set up a consulting business. He currently is the co-owner and CEO of BERG Associates, LLC (Business Exposure Reduction Group) and is an expert in the fields of terrorism, aviation security, and crisis and risk management, and money laundering investigations. Johnson is the founder and main author of No Quarter, a weblog that addresses issues of terrorism and intelligence and politics. NoQuarterUSA was nominated as Best Political Blog of 2008.[1] He has worked as a private consultant on issues of international terrorism and security for the U.S. Government and private companies. Johnson has appeared as a consultant and commentator in many major newspapers and news programs.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Background
2 Views
2.1 1996
2.2 1998
2.3 1999
2.4 2000
2.5 2001
2.6 2003
2.6.1 Plame affair
2.7 2008
3 Notes
4 References
5 External links
[edit]Background
Larry Johnson moved to Washington, D.C. in 1979 to begin work on a Ph.D. at the American University. Although he completed successfully all coursework and comprehensive exams, he did not write a dissertation. In 1978 and in 1983-85 he worked in Latin America on community development projects as a community organizer. Returning to the United States in 1985 he joined the Central Intelligence Agency, thanks in part to a letter of recommendation from Republican Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) that helped to "open doors" for him at the Agency.[3] Johnson entered on duty at the CIA in September 1985 and was a classmate of Valerie Plame. Every member of that class was undercover. After a year in the Career Trainee program, which included a stint with the Afghan Task Force, Johnson was assigned as an analyst in the Middle America Caribbean Division in the Latin American Affairs Office of the Directorate of Intelligence. He received two Exceptional Performance awards and was promoted ultimately to Senior Regional Analyst for Central America.
Johnson remained undercover in the CIA until October 1989, when he resigned from the CIA and started a new job in the Office of Counter Terrorism at the Department of State. Johnson played an instrumental role in launching the Terrorism Rewards program international advertising campaign (working with Diplomatic Security officers Brad Smith and Michael Parks). [4] Johnson also was involved in a variety of crisis management response operations, including the release of hostages from Lebanon and liaison with the Pan Am 103 families. He left government service in October 1993 and started his own business as a consultant.
After leaving government service, Johnson became a frequent guest on many major television news shows when a question of terrorism came up. He was first interviewed by CNN following the capture of Carlos the Jackal. Johnson subsequently appeared on CNN, ABC's Nightline, CBS, the BBC, MSNBC, the Jim Lehrer News Hour, NBC, and NPR. In December of 1999, for example, Johnson was hired by NBC to serve as its terrorist expert for the Y2000 and was in Time Square with Tom Brokaw and Katie Couric ("a lot of fun and the best way to see in the New Year"). Johnson also was hired in January 2002 as a Fox News Analyst and remained under contract until February 2003.
Since 1994 a significant focus of Johnson's consulting work has been with the U.S. military special operations forces in scripting and conducting military counter terrorism exercises. He traveled under orders from the U.S. military to Iraq in May 2006 to work on a short term project.
A registered Republican who supported President Bush in 2000, Johnson became a strong critic of the Bush administration in May 2003 for its conduct of the war in Iraq and, a few months later, for its role in the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame.[5] He was also featured in the 2004 political documentary Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism. Since Robert Novak's controversial disclosure of Valerie Plame as a CIA operative in July 2003, Johnson has contributed to public discourse on intelligence matters, often sparking further controversy. He has been interviewed by both the mass media and the alternative media and published commentaries on a variety of issues, including the Plame affair, the controversy concerning Mary McCarthy, and the resignation of Porter Goss as Director of Central Intelligence.
[edit]Views
This article or section may contain an inappropriate mixture of prose and timeline.
Please help convert this timeline into prose or, if necessary, a list.
[edit]1996
In 1996, Johnson noted that terrorism worldwide was on the decline. "Terrorist incidents [both internationally and in the US] have fallen to levels not seen since the 1970s. Whether measured by the number of incidents, the number of fatalities, or the number of groups, raw statistics demonstrate that the level of terrorist violence has declined since the mid-1980s. In fact, the evidence suggests terrorism was more widespread and deadly 10 years ago."[6]
He also wrote an op-ed piece for the New York Times suggesting that the newer and more deadly terrorist threat to the U.S. was embodied by "networks of terrorists, mostly foreign, working within its borders." Exemplifying this threat was Ramzi Yousef, one of the masterminds behind the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center. In the article, Johnson suggests that enhanced cooperation between intelligence agencies, particularly the FBI and CIA, is mandatory to meet the growing threat of terror networks.[7]
[edit]1998
In 1998, Johnson argued that while overall terrorism was declining, the threat from bin Laden and al-Qaeda should be the focus of American counterterrorism policy:
The nature of the threat posed by Bin Ladin is highlighted by my final chart, number 7. Osama Bin Ladin and individuals associated with him have killed and wounded more Americans than any other group. This chart also illustrates that groups such as Hamas and the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) prior to 1998 have killed more foreigners in the anti-US terrorist attacks. If we take into account the bombings of the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, Osama's status as the most lethal terrorist is certain.[8]
In addition, he told USA Today that bin Laden had participated in "virtually every major attack of terrorism against the United States" in the 1990s. Johnson underlined the threat posed by bin Laden, saying that he was possessed by "hatred and craziness." If left unanswered, "he would continue to terrorize Americans around the world. He has no compunction about killing women and children. He's a complete egalitarian in his murderous attitude."[9]
[edit]1999
In an interview with PBS's Frontline for its 1999 program, Hunting bin Laden, Johnson discussed Osama bin Laden.[10] According to Johnson, Americans had "tended to make Osama bin Laden sort of a superman in Muslim garb." "Actually," he continues, "Osama bin Laden, in my view, represents more of a symptom of a problem, and the problem is this: the Saudi Arabian government, not just Osama bin Laden but many people in Saudi Arabia, have been sending money to radical Islamic groups for years." Johnson continued:
When you look at who's killed Americans in the last 10 years, the individuals he's supported and backed--I'm basing that upon the initial information that's been released in the indictments and conversations with others in the intelligence communities--Osama bin Laden has been the one killing Americans. No other terrorist group in the world has been out killing Americans except for Osama bin Laden.... Osama bin Laden remains out there as the one really targeting us. So, we recognize that he's the threat. He's serious about wanting to kill Americans, but as long as he's in Afghanistan, as long as he doesn't have access to a cell phone, as long as he can't just hop on a plane and travel wherever he wants without fear of being arrested, his ability to plan and conduct terrorist operations is extremely limited. We have to recognize [that] he would like to do a lot of damage. He would like to kill Americans, but wanting to is different from being able to, having the full capabilities in place.[11]
In the interview, Johnson doubted the ability of members of bin Laden's organization to plan and put their lives on the line:
There's not another Ali or Mustafa out there at this point and Osama bin Laden in my view has not been a very effective organizer or leader. He talks a great game and puts out terrific threats as far as stirring the passions in the United States and maybe firing up the imaginations of some young Muslims throughout the world. But when push comes to shove, can he get a group of people who are together who will say: we are going to plan an operation, we're going to put our lives on the line, we're going to go out and try and kill people and we don't care what the consequence is? It hasn't happened.[12]
Frontline asked:
[Is it] ... fair to say what you're saying is that the president of the United States, his national security advisor, his deputy national security advisor for counter-terrorism, are basically blowing smoke [about the danger posed by bin Laden] and his followers]?
Johnson responded:
They're grossly exaggerating the problem. They are hyping it. They shouldn't be talking about rising terrorism. Instead of saying "terrorism's rising," it's not. "Terrorism is spreading," it's not. "More people are dying from terrorism," not the case. But what they should be saying is, "There's one individual out there that really doesn't like us, and he's made it his mission in life to kill Americans, and we've gotta deal with him." But we need to have a voice of reason in that process instead of putting ourselves out crying wolf, because this is essentially what's taking place right now. They call it the administration that cries wolf.[12]
[edit]2000
Johnson co-authored an article in 2000 with Milt Bearden which focused on the threat posed by al-Qaeda specifically, rather than terrorism trends in general. Beardon and Johnson note that new information emerging about the bombings at Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 points to the threat posed by Imad Mugniyah and Osama Bin Laden will require "a coordinated policy that will employ a full range of covert, clandestine, diplomatic, and military operations," concluding:
The Clinton Administration has shot its bolt on the terrorist problem with small effect, and no last minute show of force will change the record. A new administration can start afresh with a more sharply defined set of terrorism goals – Mughniyeh and bin Laden and their protectors for starters – and bring the full, coordinated force of American diplomatic, military, and intelligence capabilities to bear on the problem.[13]
[edit]2001
After Johnson's testimony to the special forum at the U.S. Senate, Gary J. Schmitt, executive director and CEO of the Project for the New American Century, refers in the Daily Standard (blog) to an op-ed piece Johnson wrote two months prior to the 9/11 attacks, claiming that Johnson argued that the US had little to fear from terrorism.[14]
In an editorial entitled "The Declining Terrorist Threat," published in the New York Times on 10 July 2001, Johnson says:
Judging from news reports and the portrayal of villains in our popular entertainment, Americans are bedeviled by fantasies about terrorism. They seem to believe that terrorism is the greatest threat to the United States and that it is becoming more widespread and lethal. They are likely to think that the United States is the most popular target of terrorists. And they almost certainly have the impression that extremist Islamic groups cause most terrorism.... None of these beliefs are based in fact.... While terrorism is not vanquished, in a world where thousands of nuclear warheads are still aimed across the continents, terrorism is not the biggest security challenge confronting the United States, and it should not be portrayed that way.[15]
Ten days after the 9/11 attacks, after quoting the above passage, Timothy Noah concludes a post in his "Chatterbox" feature at Slate: "Johnson's analysis, we now see, was bold, persuasive, and 100 percent wrong."[16] Johnson defended himself against such attacks:
The rightwing is resurrecting an op-ed I wrote in July 2001. I stand by the full article. It is still relevant today. I am accused, incorrectly, of ignoring the threat of terrorism. In fact, I correctly noted that the real threat emanated from Bin Laden and Islamic extremism. President Bush, for his part, ignored the CIA warning in August 2001 that Al Qaeda was posed to strike inside the United States.[17]
After September 11, Johnson appeared several times on FOX News to address the question of military action against terrorism. On 14 November, he defended the FBI's proposal to interview 5,000 students in the U.S. suspected of having information relevant to the September 11 investigations:
I think they should talk to everyone that they feel they have a need to talk to. I mean, look, this is war. This is not a legal proceeding. This isn't the O.J. Simpson trial. The folks that attacked us -- they murdered Americans. And we've got to recognize that in wartime, we should do things differently.[18]
[edit]2003
In January 2003, Johnson wrote an analysis of the relationship between the upcoming U.S. invasion of Iraq and the threat of transnational terrorism. According to Johnson, Bremer's response was to tell him that "it didn't matter what Saddam did or didn't do, we were going to war."[19] The paper warned that an invasion would "do little to destroy the infrastructure of radical Islamic terrorism responsible for the 9-11 attacks." Noting that Saddam Hussein's regime has been a longtime supporter of regional terrorist organizations such as the PLO, Johnson examines contacts between Saddam Hussein and transnational terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda:
There is no doubt that Iraq is a state sponsor of terrorism—i.e., a country that provides financial support, safe haven, training, or weapons and explosives to groups or individuals that carry out terrorist attacks. . . . According to Central Intelligence Agency data, there is no credible evidence implicating Iraq in any mass casualty terrorist attacks since 1991. . . .
Johnson notes that the period immediately leading up to 2003 saw a rise of activity surrounding terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, suggesting that "Iraq is willing to help a movement that it would otherwise oppose on ideological grounds. Nonetheless," Johnson concludes, "it is important to understand that Iraqi entreaties to Al Qaeda, are most likely intended as a tactic to bolster Iraq’s ability to fight off a U.S. invasion rather than a deep-seated theological and ideological commitment to the terrorist agenda of Bin Laden.[20]
In that analysis Johnson also warns that the U.S.-led invasion was likely to backfire:
In fact there is a serious risk that a U.S. led war against Iraq may crystallize the diffused anger in the Arab and Muslim world — a heretofore unattained goal of bin Laden and his followers — and persuade more Muslim youths to take up the terrorist banner against America and her citizens.... If we decide to invade Iraq we must be prepared for the contingency that our attack will inspire young Muslims to pursue jihad against the West in general and the United States in particular. Just as the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan rallied many Muslims, especially young adults to the cause of jihad, a U.S. attack may enable Islamic extremists to attract new followers.[20]
Johnson also gave interviews on the topic of what to do with captured al-Qaeda leaders; while he did not condone torture, he suggested that a "sleep deprivation and reward system" might be useful for getting information from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed:
I don't see a constitutional right to have eight hours of sleep. You shouldn't subject someone to freezing but they don't get to wear mink coats, either.[21]
In May 2003, Johnson joined members of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) in condemning the manipulation of intelligence for political purposes:
It is a misuse and abuse of intelligence. The president was being misled. He was ill served by the folks who are supposed to protect him on this. Whether this was witting or unwitting, I don't know, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.[22]
[edit]Plame affair
After Robert Novak wrote a column identifying the wife of former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson as a CIA officer, the media invited Johnson to comment on the ensuing scandal because he had been a member of the same Career Trainee class with Valerie Plame Wilson. For example, in October 2003, he appeared on Democracy Now to discuss the Plame affair. He told interviewer Amy Goodman that Valerie Wilson's cover should have been respected whether she was an "analyst" or a "cleaning lady": "if she's undercover she's undercover, period. If the media allows themselves to get distracted with those kinds of curve balls, they ignore the issue."[23]
He told a Senate Democratic Policy Committee in October 2003, "My classmates and I have been betrayed. Together, we have kept the secrets of each other's identities a secret for 18 years. Each and every one of us have kept that secret, whether we were in the CIA, in other government service or in the private sector. But this issue is not just about a blown cover. It is about the destruction of the very essence, the core of human intelligence collection activities: plausible deniability, apparently, for partisan domestic political reasons."[24]
Johnson testified at a special joint hearing of Congressional and Senate Democrats on 22 July 2005 about the consequences arising from the Plame affair.[25]
[edit]2008
In 2008, Johnson emerged as a staunch supporter of Hillary Clinton and a strong critic of Barack Obama. Larry Johnson's blog, NoQuarterUSA, became a rally point for Clinton supporters wary of Barack Obama's qualifications to be president. Supporters of Barack Obama insist that a story that first appeared on Johnson's blog--a report that Republican operatives have a tape of Michelle Obama making racially insenstive comments about caucasians--has been "refuted" Barack Obama's Fight the Smears website.[26]. However, Johnson never claimed to have the tape and reported that the Republican operatives controlling it intended to release the tape sometime after the Democratic Convention in August 2008. On October 21, however, he asserted that the operative in possession of the tape had been instructed by the McCain campaign not to release it.[27]
[edit]Notes
^ http://2008.weblogawards.org/polls/best-political-coverage/
^ Larry C. Johnson, "About Me," No Quarter (personal blog).
^ "Former CIA Official Larry Johnson Delivers Democratic Radio Address," transcript posted on official Democratic National Committee's website for The Democratic Party, July 23, 2005], accessed November 21, 2006.
^ Interview with Larry Johnson, confirmed by his supervisor
^ "Ex-CIA official Blasts Bush on Leak of Operative's Name: Democrats' Radio Address Focuses on White House Aides' Role," CNN July 23, 2005, accessed November 21, 2006.
^ Gail Russell Chaddock, "Why Terrorists Pick On the French," Christian Science Monitor (5 December 1996) p. 1.
^ Larry Johnson, "Terrorists Among Us," New York Times (20 August 1996) p. A19.
^ Terrorism Today
^ Lee Michael Katz, "The Hunt for Bin Laden," USA Today (21 August 1998) p. 1A.
^ See Transcript of original interview with Larry C. Johnson, as broadcast on Frontline in 1999. Cf. "Interview: Larry C. Johnson," for Hunting bin Laden, transcript of interview broadcast on Frontline subsequently on 13 April 2001. See also dedicated PBS webpages for media links: Iraq and the War on Terror, Frontline PBS, online featured programs, accessed 19 November 2006.
^ frontline: hunting bin laden: interviews: larry c. johnson | PBS
^ a b [1].
^ As posted in [2].
^ Gary Schmitt, [ 07/25/2005 "Meet Larry Johnson: The CIA official Turned Democratic Spokesman Has a Pre-9/11 Mindset," Daily Standard (blog), July 25, 2005, accessed November 20, 2006.
^ *Larry C. Johnson, "The Declining Terrorist Threat," The New York Times 10 July 2001: A19.
^ Timothy Noah, "(Not Exactly a) Whopper of the Week: Larry C. Johnson," Chatterbox: Gossip, speculation, and scuttlebutt about politics (blog), hosted by Slate September 21, 2001, accessed November 20, 2006. Note the full context of this quotation:
It is, to be sure, a little bit cheap (and slightly at odds with the usual parameters of this feature) to criticize someone for making an erroneous prediction, particularly after a tragedy. Chatterbox is especially reluctant to tag Johnson because Johnson's op-ed was argued forcefully, backed up meticulously with factual data, and bravely at odds with conventional wisdom at the time of its publication. Add in that Johnson now makes his living as a consultant to corporations about terrorism, and therefore had everything to gain by exaggerating the dangers terrorism poses, and the guy practically looks like a hero. Chatterbox, who two decades ago was an editor for the New York Times op-ed page, would have published Johnson's piece had he still been an editor there this past July. In his capacity at Slate, Chatterbox might well have written up Johnson's prediction, and perhaps even endorsed it.
But boy, is he glad he didn't! Johnson's analysis, we now see, was bold, persuasive, and 100 percent wrong. Sadly, a mistake this embarrassing cannot be ignored. As a fellow skeptic, Chatterbox in all sincerity wishes Johnson better luck next time.
^ Larry C. Johnson, "Johnson vs. President Bush," re-posted and updated by SusanHu at DailyKos (blog) July 25, 2005.
^ FOX News Interview with John Garrett (14 November 2001) Transcript #111405cb.260.
^ [3].
^ a b Larry C. Johnson, "Setting the Record Straight on Iraqi Terrorism," posted in Booman Tribune: A Progressive Community (personal blog) 27 January 2003. accessed 19 November 2006.
^ Qtd. in Toby Harnden, "CIA 'pressure' on al-Qa'eda chief," The London Telegraph 5 March 2003: 16.
^ Qtd. in Nicolas D. Kristof, "Save Our Spooks," The New York Times 30 May 2003:A6.
^ Democracy Now (3 October 2003)[4]
^ U.S. Senate, Democratic Policy Committee Meeting on the CIA Operative Leak, (24 October 2003).
^ Letter to the Senate.[Needs full source citation; see "References" section.]
^ Tumulty, Karen (2008-06-12). "Will Obama's Anti-Rumor Plan Work?", Time Magazine. Retrieved on 20 June 2008.:"a story that apparently first made a big splash on the Internet in late May in a post by pro-Hillary Clinton blogger Larry Johnson"
^ Whitey Tape, API, Phil Berg, and Andy MartinSee Authors Posts (1090) on November 12, 2008 at 8:43 PM in Current Affairs
Here is an isolated anecdote about the economy. It is a very worrisome sign that things are getting worse than many expected. I live in Bethesda, Maryland, which is six miles from the White House. The DC metro area normally is considered recession proof. If we start hurting here, where the Government can literally print money, then you know the rest of the country is hosed.
My bookkeeper just came by to pick up some bills and told me a shocking story. Earlier today she was with another of her clients, a guy who owns a car wash. The man has a cash crisis and was trying to collect $7,000 from Chevy/GM car dealer that used his services to wash new cars before sending them out of the showroom. Someone from the Washington Sewer and Sanitary Service (WSSC) showed up to turn off his water because he had not paid his water bill.
Hopefully you appreciate that if you do not have running water you cannot wash cars. The desperate businessman pleaded for an additional day and headed for the Chevy dealer. Lo and behold, who does he meet, but the WSSC guy who is going to turn off the water at the dealership as well.
At least we are going to be conserving water. That’s the silver lining, right?
UPDATE–Here is another firsthand account from one of our community at NoQuarter. Since he writes under the name, Seattle Moss, I am assuming he lives in or near Seattle:
Larry,
My company is the Canary in the coal mine. Without my product companies are unable to produce,manufactuer or ship anything. We manufacturer industrial packaging supplies and right now the business has dropped like a stone. What once was a six week lead time for product has dropped to one week. Shortened work week and layoffs are coming.I’m trying to be upbeat, but I deal with everyone that makes anything and right now it looks scary.
(small, medium and large sizes; for both dogs and cats)
+ 
Here is what was lost by electing a showboat useless POTUS:
The country has not had a real recession since the 1980s, and it is due for one. The longer we try to defray it, the worse it will be when it happens. It’s part of the cycle. Unfortunately, we have to go through it, for better or worse.
Hillary’s ideas might have worked in years past, when credit was easy to come by, but right now, the government doesn’t have the money to spend. China may be getting ready to cut us off on our credit line. If they do that, our only choice is to CUT spending.
At least she’s putting forth some concrete ideas!
http://online.barrons.com/article/SB122633310980913759.html
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122506830024970697.html
————————————-
And a great article from the Wall Street Journal by Dr. Laffer on the MESS we’re in and WHY OVomit is going to make it worse.
I miss Hillary!
This will not work.
What really has to happen is lowering taxes on business - something Democrats can’t even contemplate.
Reagan called it supply side economics and it pulled us out of the economic mess Carter made.
You are so RIGHT…My roommate at USC, Traci, married Dr. Art Laffer, the father of Supply Side Economics. I remember exactly how we pulled out of the Carter mess and we don’t need OVomit (Carter II) to send us even further into hell. I would like to read Dr. Laffer’s new book, The End of Prosperity. Of course he voted for McCain and here’s what Dr. Laffer has to say about OVomit vs. McCain tax plans…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6JmEdG9oL0
Do not know whether this fits in here or not, but I will put it here.
I ran across a web site today. It is Jews against Obama. Very informative web site.
If you go to the bottom right hand side click on the word FLIX. You will come across some videos. The ones with the english titles are in english.
You can tell me what you think about them. Like I said, I don’t know if this is the right thread to put this in, but here it is.
jtf.org/
That site is related to “Jews For The Preservation of Firearms Ownership” JPFO.
I used to correspond with the webmaster, Zalman I believe, a number of years back. I convinced him that the Drug War was bad mojo for gun owners.
Sadly, nobody will listen to her because they do not her to get any credit. At this point there is nothing that Bush can do either-that wouldn’t be stalled or undone by Congress. The smell of this dead skunk is really putrid.
While the country is in economic straits, Pelosi, Reid, et al. will play political games. They want Bush to get zero credit because they want Zero to get all the credit.
It’s interesting because this is almost the micro version of LD’s post from earlier. The whole cycle of credit, borrowing, and lending has been uprooted and our economy is contracting as a consequence.
I agree that the economy is contracting, that we’re headed for recessionary bad times, I’ve held on to a job that I’m not crazy about for the very reason that it is in a recession-resistant industry.
However - a friend and I went out for dinner last nite, our first choice of restaurant was PACKED, the parking lot was full, it was a one-hour wait.
We went to a place next door, in the same price range, maybe a little higher, which filled up with the overflow from the first place. (Neither of these is a cheap venue.)
A couple weeks ago the Phils won the World Series.
The only reason I went to Modell’s for shirts is because I had a Chicagoan with me who wanted to take home souvenirs for her boy. The line in the Modell’s was so long it literally made a “U” around the perimeter of the store. And sports memorabilia is usually top dollar for junk product.
On radio this a.m. I heard a trucker complaining about being stuck in traffic for an hour and a half because of a ball game. He wondered what kind of recession we are in if all those people had money to splurge on a professional sports event.
(These examples all involve discretionary spending. I can only speak to the examples in my area, we have a diverse job base, maybe it will just take a while for the painful recession to land here.)
This is off the subject, yet, very interesting.
Some of you may remember that a couple of months ago,
there was a paper posted on the internet that alledged that Obama was employing techniques of hypnosis. The author of that paper is unknown (and will probably never own up to it), and he/she to have that kind of indept knowledge, must be a hypnotist.
Now, I just found a video posted by Wendi Friesen
( a well known hypnotist) where even she doesn’t deny
Obamas’ use of the techniques ( she actually defends
a persons use of hypnosis…or as she puts it..ahem…Persuasion..)
So, if anyone wants to check out the video, here is the link.
Oh, I also want to say that Wendi is NOT THE HYPNOTIST that posted that internet paper.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wenditv
I believe it is the Society of Psycologists or something like that, that came out as a group and said they thought that was what he was using.
I am no longer working in that field — but I was trained in many of the techniques that Obama used — so it SHOULD be obvious to professionals in various behavioral science fields.
The video record is accessible and it should be carefully studied — and exposed — because this WILL happen again — the door has been opened for unlimited evil. What he did was beyond was any politician has done before.
My therapist is an Obot and I congratulated him on Obama’s win. I asked him exactly what change his supporters were expecting - like was the change complete with the mere election of the man? My therapist totally changed demeanor and went into this euphoric state and described these “successive waves” of healing from the Karl Rove tactics and awfulness of the Bush years. I had to quickly change the subject b/c he really freaked me out.
LOL Catfish, time to shop for a new therapist. Your present therapist will be seeking professional help before long.
Seriously! Therapy is sort of a scam anyway.
My neice reacted the same way when I told her to plese check out Obama before voting. All she said was she wanted to be informed and never said anything else. Yesterday I discovered she is going to the ones inaugration. I guess I know her answer now.
Ha! A delusional therapist.
When a therapist is in more need of mental help than the patient, it is time to find a new therapist.
Good news.
55 million Americans can’t be hypnotized.
In an earlier post, another commenter asked is Obama CIA? I think that is a good question and I think it ties in with the possibility that Obama could be using hypnotic techniques. Years ago, I wandered into a K-Mart Store, if I remember correctly, where a tall, gaunt young man was giving a sales pitch for something. There was a group of mostly women standing there watching him. They looked like zombies; they appeared to be mesmerized. I felt myself falling under the sway and moved to the side to watch and the hypnotic effect dissipated.
The young man was moving his hands rhythmically, speaking with a kind of musical cadence, and there was some very unusual lighting. Years later, I saw this same young man, who had since become very successful and well-known on TV selling his self-improvement, get rich quick scheme.
When someone first suggested that Obama was using hypnotic techniques, I investigated this individual and several other more well-known self-improvement gurus. Most of them are not college graduates and have some very interesting early associations.
So IS Obama CIA or an MKULTRA product or a product of some other deviant group? That is a good, legitimate question as far as I am concerned. For that matter, can we ask that same question of Oprah?
Larry,
My company is the Canary in the coal mine. Without my product companies are unable to produce,manufactuer or ship anything. We manufacturer industrial packaging supplies and right now the business has dropped like a stone. What once was a six week lead time for product has dropped to one week. Shortened work week and layoffs are coming.
I’m trying to be upbeat, but I deal with everyone that makes anything and right now it looks scary.
One more person I know layed off today. Others are getting notice that layoffs are planned for the end of the year…….But Messiah Obama is going to say us!
we saw pink slips at the doors of two neighbors in our appartment complex.
A family that told us they live here since 7 years, and a single mother of three.
hope they just forgot to mail the rent check.
What to say Seattle Moss?
Collectively what is the total losses to state coffers?
I saw Califonia today is looking at 28 billions dollars of red ink… I am always amazed that this state will pass 5 billion of general obligation bonds, but ignores the billions it can’t afford that it owes.
Hell of a way to run a business.
No- Obama will adopt all her ideas, put them on his Change.gov website and call it his own, just watch……and the crowd will go wild!
To me, the canary in the coalmine is our dreams. Have any nightmares lately?
I have had many nightmares this election cycle. I do not remember the ones I have had since the horror of 11/4/08, but I wake up pretty often feeling panicked.
My sister’s in Chevy Chase near Bethesda and I want to tell Larry that some of those people up there are so insulated and so in denial about what is happening that they’ll be the ones jumping out of windows when the economy hits the ground. She and her husband both voted for BO and couldn’t care less about the small businesses that are near extinction. And Hillary should know that BO will steal and plagiarize every one of her proposals in the letter(of course he won’t implement them just lift them verbally). 2/3 of this economy is dependent on retail and the service industry but people have no money to buy products, to go to dinner, to get their hair done(ask your local salons about business, they’ll tell you)and so on and after Christmas alot of malls, retail outlests, department stores will be on life support. This is not pessimistic, this is our economy gasping for its last breaths–the people that voted for BO will get their change, just not the kind he told them they would.
The economy is bad and will get worse before it gets better. The stock market leads the economy by 6 months to a year. Expect a bottom soon and then a huge rally. Best Buy warned last night and Intel warned tonight. The futures are lower as a result. Bring on the irrational exuberance.
BTW, I live across the river from Larry. As he said, the DC area is usually pretty recession-proof but only in some respects. Private employers can and are being hurt by the economy. It happened in the 1982 recession. Apple stores are still doing well around here.
We live in Florida, Palm Beach County. All there really is down in my area are medical related (lots of elderly), construction (we all know how thats going) and tourism (3 for 3).
My husband has run a mildly successful electric co. for the past 8 years. No work for about two months now. He has applied everywhere to no avail.
We’re about 2 months behind on the mortgage. I now know how people wind up living in their cars. I have six dogs so it would be a little cramped in the Mini-Van!
He wants to go up to Connecticut where he’s from to look for work and maybe move back all together. I keep telling him its not much better there. So reading comments here has made me think I might be right. I’m not sure it makes me feel better to be right this time.
my son moved to Fla two years ago.
He is in constrution and has not worked for three months.
He called me tonight and said he was applying for a job in Dubai as there was no work in Fla.
The last place I want him to be is the middle east at this time.
There is an old Irish song called the “Flight of the Earls” It was orginally written about the flight from the English. A modern version was recorded about all the people leaving Ireland looking for work.
I feel this is happening here in America.
By the way I finally got my internet back after not having it since before the election.
WOMEN, MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS, AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
Best wishes to you and yours Alice Paul WPB.
Tell your spouse that it freezes in Conneticut.
from an ex-New Yorker; Better under employed and warm than under employed and freezing.
My grandfather was an electrician, and my step-father was an electrician.
In the late 70’s, my step-dad made extra money as a “handyman.” He printed up some (cheap)business cards and did a lot of home repair work. After a “short” time, he got more and more business through word of mouth. Being a blue-collar type guy (I’ll guess your husband is, too), he also did painting, etc. But being a licensed electrician was what did the trick and kept him working. People always need an electrician—nobody wants to play around with electricity. This is what kept my grandpa working during the 1930’s!
I hope my pep talk will give you a boost.
Oh. I can’t imagine the pain you’re feeling. Don’t go north, at least in the south if your heat is turned off, you’re still okay. Here, where I am, no heat is dangerous.
I am in Michigan, and we have been in this recession for a long time now. Houses for sale, empty, all over our neighborhood. My neighborhood once was the bedroom community for the Chrysler Tech Center. The houses that don’t have Chrysler families are the homes where GM families live, or supplier families. I think I saw more Obama signs here this year than I ever saw Kerry or Gore. I can’t help but look around myself when I’m out, wondering who would still be there in a year, and wondering where we’ll end up.
I look at the Cloward Piven Strategy (did I learn of that here?), and wonder whether this has all been a well oiled strategy to move this country into socialism. So many people are willing to look to the government now to fix things that never would have suggested it before.
Have you guys read this article - it was written in February of this year, describing what could happen to gas prices and the economy in order to force a win for Obama. The article posits that Soros could manufacture high prices for oil, or an economic crisis in October. Eery??
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/02/george_soros_and_the_alchemy_o.html
OT:
There is an interesting case in NJ developing.
Another lawsuit concerning Obamas natural born citizen status.
follow it here
http://www.blogtext.org/naturalborncitizen/
Larry, can I post this blog article on FreeRepublic? Than.ks
Sure.
LJ
Larry,
Who woulda thunk a couple of years ago freepers and NQ working together?
Strange times mate.
Great. Thanks so much.
thought I’d share a little humor…well, it’s funny in a twisted sort of way
The Heaviest Element Known to Science
Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science.
The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neut rons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2- 6 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
In fact, Governmentium’s mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.
This characteristic of morons promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration.
This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.
When catalysed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.
LOL, very clever in a scientific way!
ASilverTear,
That was really funny. Would be even funnier if it wasn’t so true.
May I repost that for others to enjoy?
everyone feel free to repost the newest element…love to see it go viral
Superb.
LOL!!
Bravo…
Loved it. So I blogged it:
Governmentium
A Silver Tear,
Absolutely loved it! My Chemical Engineer husband has to read this! He’ll have a good laugh!
And some REALLY bad news: I work in the film business and many many many people got pink slips at a major studio recently. The studios are “streamlining” which is code for layoffs. The entertainment industry cutting back means the canary is dead and rotting. THe idea that the movie biz. is immune is a myth.
All I can say is hold on to your hats.
During the depression of the 30s ironically it was Hollywood studios that employed thousands of people who migrated to California. My grandfather worked in the film industry during the depression. I found out that detail when I found his occupation listed in the 1930 census.
Are less movies being made — or fewer people going out to movie theaters?
Way back in the great depression — movies could be found in even tiny towns and they provided a peek into the world of the rich and famous.
Yes, and a way to escape the misery.
Those were the days when movies employed dozens of dancers, singers, etc. I think, in fact, they wrote scripts to create as many rolls as possible.
The movies were made to make people feel good —lots of comedies and positive stories about America. My mom said it helped them get through the hard times—if only psychologically. Sometimes it’s all about attitude!
You can’t even compare the movies of the Golden Era of Hollywood to the absolute tripe that is currently oozing out of that “entertainment” cesspool.
(No offense to any poster here who works in the industry. The only recent release I’ve even contemplated paying money to see is Flash of Genius.)
Aside from providing a peek into the lives of the rich and famous, Warner Bros. famously made their name by producing movies that were all too real, that explored the grittier side of life. Yes we now chuckle at some of the cliches and the outdated attitudes, however the ONE thing the old school moguls knew how to do was to cater to their audience and actually sell tickets.
Maybe there’s layoffs currently because nobody in flyover country wants to buy the weak product that is being sold.
I went to the movies this weekend — it was much more costly than just renting a dvd or watching TV (if I don’t count how much Comcast costs). I don’t think I’ll be going out to the movies much.
Here is one that tells you that whatever bad situations are to come, they are going to last a long time.
That means bad news for the economy in the long term. These investigations take years and years and are such a distraction that they only produce down cycles.
Even if the economy today would be that of 2005, investigations into the Bush administration would certainly cause a recession. Now with this economy as it is, those investigations will not allow it to recover until the last investigation is concluded.
Washington Journal highlighted an article in which the Merrill Lynch CEO compared the present crisis to 1929! How bad is that? Our bank accounts are now insured, but what about jobs? I can just see everyone working like Russian peasants in Bobo’s civilian corps! The Greatest Generation gave us FDR, but look what the Hip-Hop Generation stuck us with! BHO is talking of a Car Czar. He’ll have so many advisors he won’t know which way to turn, and we’ll end up with an economy as confused and stagnate as the USSR!
So very sad and scary.
Gee, aren’t we surprised that the Democrats plan to just give away tax dollars or giving them without fixing the problem or making oversight or restrictions, just looking at adding more to the pay give away list, isn’t magically helping our economic problem.
…It helps others have a getaway with a 2 floor suite, so they’re happy, but it sure doesn’t do squat for our economy or us citizens.
I hope you all are able to find some ways to keep yourselves going.
I’ve lost track… How many billions, trillions, infinitrillions are they going to spend and for what? The story keeps changing (I’m so confuuused).
Someone should keep a running tally—say, starting with Bailout Version 1.0—that should not include the debt and the deficit (just the bailouts).
The worst thing is that the folks who caused the mess Dodd, Frank, Raines etc. will not be held accountable by the ∅ administration.
Bush will be blamed.
Where I live, the canary in the coal mine is the small professional, dentists and doctors declaring bankruptcy, or closing offices.
Bad feeling about it, really bad feeling.
And sad, it could have all been avoided with a better Washington.
And car repair shops, mine is in every week, it seems, (a “shop” car) and the repair shops, both dealer and independent, have been noticeably empty.
Weird, just NOT a good thing.
Roosevelt tried pumping money into the economy and it didn’t work. In fact it made the depression last longer.
Carter tried the same thing and gave us stagflation.
Reagan pulled us out of the Carter years by lowering taxes on everyone. Something Zero can’t do.
We are so screwed.
And don’t forget the carbon tax. Everything that uses energy will cost more. So raising prices in a downturn is just a great idea.
Now McCain is no economic genius but at least he would have had Republicans whispering in his ear.
We are so screwed.
I don’t think the left hand knows what the right hand is doing, you got the same clowns that created the problem trying to fix it. Throwing money around to the banks who created the bad mortgages is not a good thing. A few CEO’s should be held accountable and made an example of, some serious jail time might be in order, (where is the FBI investigations going with this).
Maybe Obama should have saved the infomerical money & paid the debt off of Hillary & DNC, oh but that would be doing the responsible thing.
I watched a good documentary on PBS about the Crash of 1929, link is in my name (videos)
Good article Larry, about a terrible subject.
I suppose I’m one of those “small businessmen” everyone’s talking about. I’m more fortunate in that I’ve got a secured income from solid assets, only a little bit of it from stocks that have tumbled in value. I can afford to hold onto the stock, not worry about dividends, and wait for it to go back up. A lot of other people can’t, or won’t be able to do that.
I started one new business last year and one this year. I can keep them going because of my situation, even if I have to back off on expansion plans. Most small business owners can’t do that. And if I’d had any knowledge at the time of just what was going to happen with the economy and the election, I’d have probably moved the assets I invested in those companies to some more secure—probably overseas—venues. And if this administration raises taxes, I can afford to just shut down the businesses for a while and start them up again when the situation improves. How many others will be able to do that?
That does make one think about what other small business owners and investors are going to do, doesn’t it? And if those businesses fail, those investors hold onto or move their money offshore, where is all that new, shiny tax revenue going to come from?
It’s now “winter visitor” season in Arizona. The Zonies complain about the annual influx of Snowbirds–but they bring in a huge amount of money, especially in the service sector. They aren’t here in the usual numbers. Tourism is our canary, as copper and cotton have been suffering for years. I live in a poorish neighborhood, where everyone is used to scraping along; things look about the same here. If I go over to Scottsdale or the Biltmore area, very rich, I suddenly see lots of For Sale signs that didn’t used to be there, and only about half the out-of-state licenses one would expect in November.
I learned over the weekend why the Republicans who have seen the tape of Michelle Obama ranting about “whitey” describe it as “STUNNING.” I have not seen it but I have heard from five separate sources who have spoken directly with people who have seen the tape. It features Michelle Obama and Louis Farrakhan. They are sitting on a panel at Jeremiah Wright’s Church when Michelle makes her intemperate remarks. Whoops!! When that image comes out it will enter the politcal ads hall of fame.
Don’t listen to the “optimists” about our financial implosion. Be afraid; be very afraid. And, whether you want to or not, listen to Doctor Doom. He’s been right since 2005 and has guided my financial planning, and I’m grateful every day that I heeded his warnings, because I prepared for the current implosion. This article is painful to read, but everyone should read it.
The Worst Is Not Behind Us
http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/12/recession-global-economy-oped-cx_nr_1113roubini_print.html
Financial Crisis
Washington’s $5 Trillion Tab
Elizabeth Moyer, 11.12.08, 5:15 PM ET
http://www.forbes.com/home/2008/11/12/paulson-bernanke-fed-biz-wall-cx_lm_1112bailout.html
I am extremely concerned about the economic news, from an over all perspective, and on a personal level.
When one interview sends the market plummeting, and there does not appear to be any cohesive approach, it does not bode well for the coming months or longer.
I suspect that Republicans who sat out this election want the dems to take the heat this time.
What will Hoover and Obama have in common?
It’s clearly the fault of unions that water bills are so high. If they had no right to organize we could have cheap water for everyone. Right to work is what’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner….
…in China.
The US gov’t is “on the hook” for $5 trillion, but most of that is from backing mortgages like mine which were bundled and sold through the Frannies. Most mortgages are not sub-prime or Alt-A and very few of those are in foreclosure. Most sub-prime are not in foreclosure, either. So most of that $5 trillion is a safe bet.
Bear in mind that things will get instantly better (in the press, as least) as soon as the One is inaugurated. People like chris Matthews think it is their job to make Obama succeed (he said so explicitly to Joe Scarborough, as if we couldn’t tell from the campaign coverage).
This economy was talked into the toilet by Obama and the MSM who were in the tank for Obama. Now that they’ve talked everybody into being discouraged and scared, what are they going to do?
This is reminiscent of the “crisis” that Frederich Hayek suggests always precedes a gov’t takeover of private industry and assets. He wrote this in “Road to Serfdom”.
Welcome to serfdom! Let’s all say, “Thanks, Obamabots!”
I don’t know why I took a swing at Obamabots for the over-reaction to the economic crisis with more piles of debt. That was Bush and Paulson’s doing. It’s just that I don’t see any “change” coming from Obama on that score — just more gov’t debt used to buy more control of private sector assets under the guise of a bailout.
Stimulus packages like the kind Hillary has suggested do not work — they never work. Hoover tried them. FDR doubled and tripled that effort. The world stayed in Depression for a decade or more. Carter tried stimulus packages. They don’t work. Temporary gov’t work is not a substitute for a job created by the free market.
If Obama were to adopt McCain’s very good idea of cutting the corporate tax rate from 35% to 25%, every business in America would get an immediate and permanent boost. That would save and perhaps create jobs.