Charlie Rose

Ricardo_Amaral  05/22/2012 09:03 AM Report

Hi Gelles, here is some more interesting info about the United States.

The Crumbling of America

http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=73df3a156cc598e87fa5995ab90fc6e3&threadid=222491&perpa ge=6&pagenumber=20

Part 1 of 2

May 22, 2012

SouthAmerica: I have been documenting on my articles for many years the fast decline of influence, clout, prestige, and power of the United States in South America.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The Failure of the Summit of the Americas VI

By: Raul Zibechi

Dilma Rousseff interrupted the speech of Barack Obama. The President of the United States was speaking about the advances of various countries in Latin America, commenting that now there exists “a prosperous middle class” that represents a business opportunity for companies from his country. “Suddenly, they are interested in buying iPads, interested in buying planes from Boeing.” “Or Embraer,” interjected Dilma, yielding applause.

...A power in trouble

Nobody really knows the path that the White House is going to take in its relations with Latin America. What was discovered in the Sixth Summit of the Americas is that it no longer exercises a leadership role in the region. Not even its closest allies, like Colombia, share its drug war policy anymore.

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Ricardo_Amaral  05/19/2012 06:32 PM Report

Gelles, are you O.K. - I hope you still be able to participate on the discussions here on the CR message board.

Here is the official “theme song” of the G-8 Summit in Camp David on May 18-19, 2012.

The G-8 have adopted this song as the “theme song” of the G-8, this song reflect the mindset of this group, and they will be playing this song on a regular basis in all of their G-8 meetings:

That Sinking Feeling

http://youtu.be/ik9BEaBU7M0

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Ricardo_Amaral  05/19/2012 06:04 PM Report

Here is the “theme song” of the G-8 Summit in Camp David on May 18-19, 2012

That Sinking Feeling

http://youtu.be/ik9BEaBU7M0

***

That Sinking Feeling

All my books lay on the table

Waitin' to unfold

I sit and stare at my reflection

While the darkness chills my bones

My head fills like a junk shop

In desperate need of repair

The path of least resistance leads to the

Garbage heap of despair

I think I'd better get back in bed

I'm just a symptom of the moral decay

That's gnawing at the heart of the country.

You can't destroy your problems

By destroying yourself

Death is not the answer

For your soul may burn in hell

My memory my fond deceiver

Is turning all my past into pain

While I'm being raped by progress

Tomorrow's world is here to stay

They wouldn't have it any other way

I'm just a symptom of the moral decay

That's gnawing at the heart of the country.

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Ricardo_Amaral  05/19/2012 05:00 AM Report

May 19, 2012

SouthAmerica: Regarding this weekend G-8 Summit in Camp David. Camp David is the country retreat of the President of the United States and his guests, and it's located close to Washington, D.C., It is officially known as “Naval Support Facility Thurmont” and is technically a military installation.

Here is the main event, and the major reason for this G-8 meeting:

G-8 Summit in Camp David on May 18-19, 2012

http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=5bb54cc84f0f0234985eedf9931ccdf5&threadid=242875

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SharkswithfrikingLazers  05/19/2012 03:05 AM Report

Oh yeah and Cheney made 10 trips to CIA HQ to "help them" before they ruined Powell, a man who really served our country:

NARRATOR: To some in the CIA, it looked like the vice president himself was determined to control the content of the NIE (National Intelligence Estimate). Both Cheney and Scooter Libby had made about 10 trips to CIA headquarters, where they personally questioned analysts.

MELVIN GOODMAN: I was at the CIA for 24 years. The only time a vice president came to the CIA building was for a ceremony, to cut a ribbon, to stand on the stage, but not to harangue analysts about finished intelligence.

W. PATRICK LANG: Many, many of them have told me they were pressured. And there are a lot of ways. Pressure takes a lot of forms.

PAUL PILLAR, National Intel. Officer, 2000-'05: The questions every morning, the tasks, the requests to look into this angle one more time, turn over that rock again. If you didn't find anything last week, look again to see if there's something there for that-about that connection.

VINCENT CANNISTRARO, Fmr. CIA Officer: So you start looking very hard for anything at all that will support that answer that the vice president wants, that the Defense Department wants.

Charlie, what do you call these people? War Criminals? Traitors? Angels of Death and Destruction? The Evil Ones?

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/bushswar/etc/script.html#ixzz1Pxp0HrBW

SharkswithfrikingLazers  05/19/2012 02:50 AM Report

Charlie, this blew my panties off and probably yours as well and America's too for that matter:

NARRATOR: The National Intelligence Estimate, the NIE, is the highest-level document generated by the intelligence agencies.

W. PATRICK LANG, Fmr. Defense. Intel. Agency Officer: The National Intelligence Estimate becomes the truth accepted by the United States government. They hold this thing up, the NIE, and they say, "On page 6, it says so and so," and that is an irrefutable truth.

Sen. BOB GRAHAM: The answer that we got from Director Tenet is, "We've never done a National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq, including its weapons of mass destruction." Stunning. We do these on almost every significant activity, much less significant than getting ready to go to war. We were flying blind.

MELVIN GOODMAN, Fmr. CIA Officer: The fact of the matter is, the CIA didn't want to produce one. The White House didn't want one because they didn't want to allow any venting of whatever opposition there was to what they wanted to be the conventional wisdom on weapons of mass destruction.

NARRATOR: And Tenet said the CIA was too busy fighting al Qaeda.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/bushswar/etc/script.html#ixzz1Pxp0HrBW

SharkswithfrikingLazers  05/19/2012 02:38 AM Report

Leave it to our Republican friends to create intelligence, by expanding the Defense Department, in order to go to war.

Oh the hypocrisy.

Another Frontline transcript for Robert Gates to read:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/bushswar/etc/script.html#ixzz1Pxp0HrBW

JAMES BAMFORD, Author, A Pretext for War: Every morning, the presidential Daily Brief, the PDB, will be given. It'll be given both to the president and the vice president. And Cheney complained numerous times that the information coming from the CIA was not very good.

NARRATOR: Cheney was looking for information that linked Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.

JAMES BAMFORD: But they weren't getting that information from the CIA. And so he put pressure, I think, on Rumsfeld and on the Pentagon to come up with their own estimates.

NARRATOR: Rumsfeld saw an opportunity for the civilians in the Department of Defense to finally get in the intelligence business. Inside the Pentagon bureaucracy, he could easily and quietly grow a nearly invisible operation.

SharkswithfrikingLazers  05/19/2012 02:21 AM Report

Robert Gates--in his inaccurate statements about what happened leading up to the Iraq war--would be well served to read this: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/pentagon/etc/script.html

BOB WOODWARD: The night of 9/11, at a small group meeting of the principals, Rumsfeld actually puts Iraq on the table and says, "Part of our response maybe should be attacking Iraq. It's an opportunity." So he was the first to mention it.

NARRATOR: So the neocons now had their opportunity to take on Saddam Hussein, and on September 13th, Wolfowitz personally took the case public.

truegangsteroflove  05/18/2012 05:18 PM Report

Robert Gates is nothing if not a performer. He played the role perfectly and convincingly. Except for a couple of flaws in the script. One was mentioning David Petraeus and his supposedly exclusive expertise in managing occupations. His record reveals otherwise, which Charlie Rose failed to mention.

Even more glaring was Gates's statement that "we" were justified in invading "Iraq" because Saddam Hussein was a liar, and he kicked the weapons inspectors out. Some of us remember what really happened, that Bush ordered the inspectors out. Charlie Rose apparently didn't, or more likely did remember, but for purposes of future "access," chose not to say anything.

I watch this show, but don't like it. The guests tend to be interesting, but Charlie Rose is insufferable. The darkness is creepy, but it makes Charlie Rose look like he has more gravitas and dominance than he would otherwise, such as in this interview, without the darkness. He sank into the background, deservedly.

tabs  05/18/2012 09:13 AM Report

A reprint of ones comment from the latest John McCain interiview of 4/23/12.

tabs 04/24/2012 11:18 PM

The United States spends 700B USD on DEFENSE every year, which is more than the rest of the world combined. Since the USD is the Reserve Currency in which the nations of the world pays for oil, the world has to keep warehouses full of USD in reserve, which the Treasury and Federal Reserve fully know will never hit the streets. Therefore the US government can print Treasury Bonds at will because they can print unlimited USDs(to buy those Bonds) which loses a bit of value for every extra one printed. Thus to help pay for DEFENSE the United States runs huge fiscal deficits and floats all or part of the amount for DEFENSE in the form of Treasury Bonds which amounts to a tax on the world (because those Bonds are paid back in devalued USDs). The World has been sanguine with this state of affairs because the US Military has acted as the keepers of peace and tranquility in the world which translates to stability in which the Global economy can grow. The other benefit the world derives from having the United States pay the freight for Police protection is that they don't have to pony up the money erg resources themselves, which allows them to direct their resources into economic growth. We can call this state of affairs PAX AMERICANA.

The question now becomes what happens if this train should get derailed due to a US debt crisis?

finalfantasytown  05/18/2012 04:33 AM Report

Hearing the noise. The noise generated from system malfunction is caused by unnecessarily competing against each other or for being compatible again on the areas where various parts in the system have same function(s), or by consequence of so-called efficient competition in short term (microsoft for example) to make money. The earth was full of noise in the era of Cronus. All creatures with various combinations competed against each other for energy and positions in hierarchy. Some of them evolved, some reappeared primitive characteristic, others even extinguished. When studying the other six in Seven against Thebes, some of them can be identified as the character of noise.

finalfantasytown  05/18/2012 02:08 AM Report

The revolution in Ares, the domain of Ares, and Seven(or seven gates) against Thebes before Trojan War.

Thebes, in ancient time, was a city built for an experiment designed to randomly combine five pure models to form human being society. This city was experiencing a decline, which is disastrous, when Oedipus' two sons Polynices and Eteocles battled for ruling the city. This event demonstrated the whole society in the city had been genetically unstable. Amphiaraus initiated the Seven against Thebes. Why Amphiaraus? Amphiaraus means doubly-cursed, or double-Ares(or bingo I say), which occurs 0.00001% with possibility. Although in mythology no discussion among Gods on Amphiaraus, it was clear that they gave up this possibility of 1 out of a million. Amphiaraus' wife persuaded him to attack Thebes and triggered Seven against Thebes.

SharkswithfrikingLazers  05/18/2012 01:58 AM Report

We are told Pakistan is hedging their bets because we have abandoned them four times: twice in wars with India, once when the Soviets left Afghanistan and with the Pressler Amendment http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Pressler#Pressler_Amendment_involving_Pakistan

Yes we do seem to walk away on our allies.

How much extra in aid do we give after we do this?

SharkswithfrikingLazers  05/18/2012 01:47 AM Report

He tells us he has dealt with ISI for years (probably since his CIA days) and they don't have rogue elements but rather independent elements.

So the ISI has their own version of James Bond? That could be a funny sit-com.

SharkswithfrikingLazers  05/18/2012 01:40 AM Report

“My God not again!” when the helicopter crashed during the raid.

I am with you.

SharkswithfrikingLazers  05/18/2012 01:38 AM Report

He tells us that he was briefed that there was a 40 to 80% that bin Laden was there. No single person could tell him bin Laden was in the building.

40 to 80 percent chance? Who does his intel? I have heard better weather forecasts.

With that kind of intelligence, Robert Gates seems to have been the one in the room who was really thinking.

SharkswithfrikingLazers  05/18/2012 01:31 AM Report

We are told that the Chinese military is aggressive and their leash is being pulled by civilian leadership. Their military programs are a worry on a regional basis. They are not going to bankrupt themselves like the Russians.

Or bankrupt themselves like US and our two wars and outrageous spending.

Just listen to Alan Simpson:

Military expenditures for the United States are greater than the combined spending of the next 14 largest nations.

The United States has led the global increase since 2001, with an 81 percent rise in military spending compared to 32.5 percent for the rest of the world.

http://www.politifact.com/ohio/statements/2011/dec/05/alan-simpson/alan-simpson-says-us-military-spen ding-outpaces-to/

China is smart. Are we?

SharkswithfrikingLazers  05/18/2012 01:20 AM Report

Charlie, he completed his list of three. Most of the time we don't get the full list. We usually start a list and then head off on a tangent. Additional evidence that Robert Gates can lead.

3 Choices with Iran: military attack (ignite a war), allow Iran to go forward (probably ignite nuclear arms race, missiles that can hit Israel and then later Europe), put pressure on Iranian government that nuclear weapons will harm them (sanctions are really biting).

So then he tells us that changing policies of the regime is really the goal. If Israel does something it is worse than us doing it.

Perhaps those countries that support Iran can put their respective arms around Iran and steer them with carrots since we are using the stick(s). We will then probably have to use carrots with those friends of Iran.

SharkswithfrikingLazers  05/18/2012 01:08 AM Report

We are told that corruption is big in all developing countries. It is not unique to Afghanistan.

Yes, but we aren't spending hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of billions in these other developing countries.

Quit wasting our money on supporting corrupt government. If you can't even leave the airport without paying a bribe then we have failed.

SharkswithfrikingLazers  05/18/2012 12:53 AM Report

Here is where Washington Monthly says Texas A&M is the number one school in the country:

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2007/0709.natlrankings.pdf

Of course the categories are social mobility (poor to middle class), Research (get those PhDs out the door and making Tom Friedman like discoveries) and Service to our country (not the Peace Corps so much at this school but the military).

rxkeenan  05/17/2012 10:59 PM Report

Giant! Bravo!! We need more heroes such as Bob Gates!!!

tabs  05/17/2012 10:46 PM Report

It is obvious why Bin Laden was able to hide like Poe's "Purloined Letter" in the midst of the ISI and Pakistani army. He was a well respected friend who had come to Afghanistan to slog it out with the Russians. The Pakistanis have loyalty towards their friends and when it came to where Bin Laden was hiding they just turned their heads away, with nobody knowing anything.

Chief Gates under Charlies interrogation revealed that the Bid Laden operation was a to Kill Mission. The first words out of Chief Gates mouth about the operation was that it was "To Kill" and at no time did the word capture enter into the interview either about its planning or action phase. It would have been a political inconvenience for the Obama administration to have captured Bin Laden.

Chief Gates laid out 3 possible scenarios with regards to an Iranian nuclear capability. Everyone of them contains significant blow back which would destabilize the world. There is a fourth course of action and that is REGIME CHANGE in Tehran. An old solution made new again?

With regards to Iraq, all anybody has to do is pull up Iraqi history since independence in the late 20's to know there never was any stability in country until the supremacy of the Bathists and Saddam starting in the 60's.If anyone in the GW Bush admin had cared to look at that history they would have known that their non existent plan for reconstruction of Iraq was a delusion that bordered on criminal negligence. Further the Iraqi Shites are not going to be dominated by the Iranian Shites as there are Shite Shrines in Iraq which gives them a sense of empowerment for lack of a better term.

SharkswithfrikingLazers  05/17/2012 09:22 PM Report

So he is writing two books—subject one is Secretary of Defense under two Presidents and subject two is leading change in public institutions like the CIA, Texas A&M and the Defense Department.

Sounds like the Presidential Candidate that Americans Elect is searching for.

Then again perhaps Czar of Congress where he can really be tested on leading change.

finalfantasytown  05/17/2012 08:12 PM Report

The distinction of Athena and Ares as war God. Athena is born from Zeus head. She is the goddess of wisdom, strategy, inspiration because of purity. Thus, in terms of defense or offense, she can build, make up through sabotage, or undo to her enemies. Why is Ares violent as war God? The only reason is that Ares is THE SON OF PURITY GODS THROUGH HERA! IT IS GENETIC COMBINATION! For defense or offense, it is impossible for Ares who contains diverse cultures to teach his enemies through war what Ares' democracy is. Historically, each enemy of Ares has one culture. Corruption, or democracy, or religious issue, etc are not the reason for Ares for war. The reason is destruction. If a civilization cannot be made up or undone, it has to go back to very ancient time by destruction, which is the best option. That is the stand of Ares as a war God. But when rethinking the history having gone through, are Americans in this direction? I don't understand why in mythology Ares is from boar.

finalfantasytown  05/17/2012 08:07 PM Report

The distinction of Athena and Ares as war God. Athena is born from Zeus head. She is the goddess of wisdom, strategy, inspiration because of purity. Thus, in terms of defense of offense, she can build, make up through sabotage, or undo to her enemies. Why is Ares violent as war God? The only reason is that Ares is THE SON OF PURITY GODS THROUGH HERA! IT IS GENETIC COMBINATION! For defense or offense, it is impossible for Ares who contains diverse cultures to teach his enemies through war what is Ares' democracy is. Historically, each enemy of Ares has one culture. Corruption, or democracy, or religious issue, etc are not the reason for Ares for war. The reason is destruction. If a civilization cannot be made up or undo, it has to go back to very ancient time by destruction, which is the best option. That is the stand of Ares as a war God. But when rethinking the history having gone through, are Americans in this direction? I don't understand why in mythology Ares is from boar.

curious1aboutpol  05/17/2012 05:04 PM Report

China remains the elephant in the room regarding Afghanistan. It is the source of the Taliban's piggy bank and is colluding with Pakistan to get arms and supplies over the border like we did in the 80's.

ShalomFreedman  05/17/2012 02:42 PM Report

With all due respect Secy. Gates does not in outlining three options for preventing a nuclear Iran truly thinking this out to the end. He says the good option is putting pressure on the Iranian regime to stop its progress toward nuclear weapons. But Iran has not halted its nuclear work, and gives every sign of going ahead despite the pressure. In other words his option is a very dubious proposition.

It is also important to know that Secy. Gates served in an Administration, the Bush Administration which promised to halt Iranian nuclear development and did not do so.

Secretary Gates it seems to me talks a far better game than he has played.

NoPardonforMichaelMilken  05/17/2012 02:14 PM Report

A most refreshing interview.

Robert Gates offered an honest, perceptive, experienced assessment of U.S. foreign policy on several fronts.

Gates was sometimes direct and other times a bit guarded for obvious reasons. Gates clearly does not wish to become campaign fodder and his comments should not be viewed as such.

More important, Gates displayed, in his commentary and in his life, the most vital skills in a democracy: the willingness to work with different political parties for the common good of the nation and the desire to offer one's self and one's talents to our common good.

Bob Gates is a leader and, thankfully, not a politician. May more people like Gates reemerge in American society and may leadership, not partisan victory or, per Jamie Dimon, quarterly profit, regain its place among the most valuable of our national treasures.

REMant  05/17/2012 12:24 PM Report

"All Kingdoms and Commonwealths in the World that depend upon Trades, common Honesty is as necessary and needful in them, as Discipline is in an Army, and where is want of common Honesty in a Kingdom or Commonwealth, from thence Trade shall depart. For as the Honesty of all Governments is, so shall be their Riches. And as their Honour, Honesty and Riches are, so will be their strength. And as their Honour, Honesty, Riches and Strength are so will be their Trade, These are five Sisters that go hand in hand, and must not be parted." --Andrew Yarranton, "England's Improvement by Sea and Land," 1698.

(A leading Roundhead and projector, and accounted Britain's first political economist, Yarranton argued the English should stop fighting the Dutch and compete with them. A sort of Tom Paine, he was ridiculed and persecuted for his views, and met a violent death.)

I don't, incidentally, see any difference between Iraq and Afghanistan, on the one hand, and Libya, Syria and Egypt on the other, or Algeria and Tunisia, for that matter.