Examples . . .

. . . of bad U.S. choices do NOT justify the current administration's stance of Saudi Arabia, but indeed illustrate is error, IRRESPECTIVE of relative administrations' political affiliation. . . ((It's not blue against red, black against white, liberal against conservative, them against us.  It is CORRECT against INCORRECT)



(from https://allthatsinteresting.com/us-dictator-alliances)

". . . In 1964, the U.S. overthrew (Brazilian President João) Goulart in one of the most violent CIA-backed coups up to that time. . . Goulart’s U.S.-backed successor, General Castelo Branco, would have a devastating impact on the Brazilian population. . . The Branco regime had tens of thousands of Brazilians — many of whom supported the coup — arrested and tortured to death. . . General Augusto Pinochet, who was grateful to the US State Department for its help in making . . . (itss) coup possible. . . Security officials herded labor leaders and other troublemakers into the National Soccer Stadium and forced them to sit in the stands while military police took them down by ones and twos to the field and shot them. Pinochet dispatched Allende ally General Ramos in a helicopter “Caravan of Death” to the north, where he had tens of thousands of “leftists” rounded up and disappeared. . . (During Nicolae Ceausescu's) 23 years in power, the regime liquidated all potential political opposition at home and funneled Romania’s resources out through an elaborate network of public-private partnerships that made the Communist dictator one of the world’s richest men. . . And through it all, as Romania’s foreign debt more than tripled, the US Treasury-backed IMF was always there with an open line of credit to ensure Ceausescu never had to reform. . . the CIA-supported, anti-communist Syngman Rhee (who) ran the Republic of Korea in the south. Rhee regularly arrested and occasionally even killed those he suspected of harboring communist sympathies, even presiding over several massacres. . . Indeed, In 1950, just before the Korean War, Rhee had approximately 20,000 supposed communists imprisoned, and in June of that year ordered the execution of those who he believed posed a threat to his regime. . . Then, in 1961, South Koreans — who were at this point poorer than North Koreans — saw the rise of Park Chung-Hee, who seized leadership via a coup tacitly supported by the U.S. Upon entering office, Park declared the rule of martial law and amended the constitution to support his own authoritarianism. . . While the South Korean economy did begin its decades-long boom under Park, it came at the cost of political repression, corruption, and even violence. Park used sham elections to legitimize his rule by decree, which on the less harmful end of things, included dictating the length of men’s hair and women’s dresses. . . While all of the dictatorships mentioned so far ended long ago, Uzbekistan’s continued until very recently — a fact that Washington doesn’t seems to mind much, likely due to the nation’s geography and its erstwhile leader’s shared interest in combatting Islamic extremism. . . The Karimov regime engaged in what the United Nations has called “institutionalized, systematic and rampant” acts of torture, which Karimov directed toward the Muslim community in particular. . ."

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Thoughts . . .

and prayers. . . 

(from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/04/opinion/thoughts-prayers-nra-funding-senators.html)

Below are the top 10 career recipients of N.R.A. funding – through donations or spending to benefit the candidate – among both current House and Senate members, along with their statements about the Las Vegas massacre. These representatives have a lot to say about it. All the while, they refuse to do anything to avoid the next massacre.

Senate

1.		John McCain Ariz.	“Cindy & I are praying for the victims of the terrible #LasVegasShooting & their families.”	$7,740,521 FROM THE N.R.A.
2.		Richard Burr N.C.	“My heart is with the people of Las Vegas and their first responders today. This morning’s tragic violence has absolutely no place here in America.”	$6,986,620 FROM THE N.R.A.
3.		Roy Blunt Mo.	“Saddened by the tragic loss of life in #LasVegas. My thoughts are with all of the families affected by this horrific attack.”	$4,551,146 FROM THE N.R.A.
4.		Thom Tillis N.C.	“Susan and I send our deepest condolences and prayers to the families of the victims of this horrific and senseless tragedy in Las Vegas.”	$4,418,012 FROM THE N.R.A.
5.		Cory Gardner Co.	“My family and I are praying for the families of those injured and killed in Las Vegas last night.”	$3,879,064 FROM THE N.R.A.
6.		Marco Rubio Fla.	“I’m praying for all the victims, their families, and our first responders in the #LasVegas #MandalayBay shooting.”	$3,303,355 FROM THE N.R.A.
7.		Joni Ernst Iowa	“My prayers are with all of the victims in Las Vegas, and their loved ones affected by this senseless act of violence.”	$3,124,273 FROM THE N.R.A.
8.		Rob Portman Ohio	“Jane & I mourn the loss of innocent lives in this horrific attack in Las Vegas last night. We are praying for those taken from us, their families & all those injured in this attack.”	$3,061,941 FROM THE N.R.A.
9.		Todd Young Ind.	“We must offer our full support to the victims and their families as our nation mourns.”	$2,896,732 FROM THE N.R.A.
10.		Bill Cassidy La.	“Following closely the horrendous act of violence in Las Vegas. Our prayers are with those who were injured, killed and their families.”	$2,861,047 FROM THE N.R.A.

House

1.		French Hill Ark.	“Martha and I are praying for the families and victims of this senseless act of evil. […] We must continue to work together to stop this kind of terror.”	$1,089,477 FROM THE N.R.A.
2.		Ken Buck Co.	“I'm praying for all of those impacted by the evil events in Las Vegas last night. Our country must stand together in support of the families of the victims and the community.”	$800,544 FROM THE N.R.A.
3.		David Young Iowa	“My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families and friends of the horrific and evil tragedy in Las Vegas.”	$707,662 FROM THE N.R.A.
4.		Mike Simpson Idaho	“Though no words can heal our hurt, and no explanation will ever feel sufficient, I pray that all involved may find comfort as we process this devastating tragedy.”	$385,731 FROM THE N.R.A.
5.		Greg Gianforte Mont.	No statement released.	$344,630 FROM THE N.R.A.
6.		Don Young Alaska	“Anne and I are praying for all those involved or impacted by this heinous act of violence.”	$245,720 FROM THE N.R.A.
7.		Lloyd Smucker Pa.	“Horrific act of violence in Las Vegas. Cindy and I pray for the victims, their families, and the first responders.”	$221,736 FROM THE N.R.A.
8.		Bruce Poliquin Maine	“My thoughts are with all those effected in the horrifying attacks in Las Vegas. The nation is with you.”	$201,398 FROM THE N.R.A.
9.		Pete Sessions Tex.	“My deepest sympathies are with all who were harmed by this horrific tragedy.”	$158,111 FROM THE N.R.A.
10.		Barbara Comstock Va.	“I am heartbroken by the mass murder that took place last night in Las Vegas and I am praying for the victims, families, and first responders.”	$137,232 FROM THE N.R.A.

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Attitude . . .

. . . adjustment 

. . . required

Mohammad Rasheed Ahmad, a student at the Ghousia Madrassa, or Islamic religious school, said he was disappointed so few came out to honor hérif and Saïd Kouachi, the Islamist terrorist brothers behind the Charlie Hebdo magazine massacre at funeral in absentia in the city of Peshawar recently.

"We saw tens of thousands of people gathered in France to show solidarity with their slain men, but Muslims didn't come to take part in the funeral of the two heroes who did this great job," he said.

Do you think maybe there's a REASON for that?!

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Stretch?. . .

. . . you decide. . .

 (by David Horsey)
"It is not too much of a stretch to say the National Rifle Association profits from mass killings like the slaughter at the theater in Aurora, Colo., and the killings at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis. The NRA is, after all, a fundraising machine that runs on fear and a sense of crisis, even when the fear is false and the crisis manufactured.

A former Republican lawmaker has made public a four-page fundraising letter from the NRA's executive vice-president, Wayne LaPierre, that was sent out to gun enthusiasts just three days after a young man styling himself as the Joker turned a showing of the new Batman movie into a bloody massacre. The Republican whistleblower apparently found the timing of the solicitation just a bit unseemly. At the same time, he insisted on anonymity. Even an ex-officeholder does not want to end up on the NRA's hit list.

In the NRA's defense, such mailings for money generally take weeks to prepare, so it is highly unlikely the letter was sent in response to the Aurora incident. Still, it was convenient timing. In the days after the Joker went wild, sales of firearms and ammunition boomed. The gun-loving populace, it seems, has been convinced by years of NRA propaganda that any mass shooting will be used as an excuse for government agents to start confiscating firearms, so they rushed to stock up before the feds came to their door.

Mr. LaPierre's fundraising missive was yet another example of this fear mongering. In the letter, the NRA leader says President Barack Obama's re-election would lead to "confiscation of our firearms" and, potentially, a "ban on semi-automatic weapons."
Follow @BaltSunLetters for the latest reader letters to The Sun.

"The future of your Second Amendment rights will be at stake," writes Mr. LaPierre. "And nothing less than the future of our country and our freedom will be at stake."

The truth, of course, is that most Democrats have given up the fight to restrict guns, and Mr. Obama has shown no inclination whatsoever to renew that battle. Nevertheless, the NRA needs money, and the money will not come if gun owners do not think they need the lobbying power of the NRA to protect their right to keep and bear arms. In recent years, revenue from NRA membership dues has dropped, as has total income for the organization. So, increasingly, Mr. LaPierre and company have come to depend on contributions from freaked-out gun nuts.

One steady stream of NRA dollars comes from an interesting source. A 1986 law erased the ban on interstate sales of ammunition. Since then, consumers have been encouraged to add a little extra to the total when they buy their bullets online or by mail order. That tip goes to the NRA. Since 1992, these nifty gratuities have reportedly brought in $9.3 million to the organization. That means that every time there is a run on ammo in the wake of a mass shooting, Mr. LaPierre's budget gets a nice boost.

There is a sick symbiosis between the deranged acts of the lone gunmen and the revenue stream of the NRA. In no way can the NRA be blamed for the actions of the shooters, of course, but it sure would be nice to see Mr. LaPierre take a day off from stoking the fear and raising the dough, at least while families mourn the dead."

[Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner David Horsey is a political commentator for the Los Angeles Times. Go to latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/ to see more of his work]

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This'll help. . .

. . . don't you think?

(from http://www.businessweek.com)

Colorado Gun Sales Surge After the Aurora Massacre
By Caroline Winter on July 24, 2012  Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Google Plus 10

Background checks for people wanting to purchase firearms in Colorado spiked more than 40 percent this past weekend, after a gunman opened fire in a suburban Denver movie theater, killing 12 people and wounding 58 more.

During the three days following the July 20 shooting, gun dealers submitted 2,887 requests for state background checks, compared with 2,012 during the same period a week earlier, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

Booming gun sales following mass shootings are not unusual. Immediately after a Glock-wielding gunman killed six people at a Tucson shopping center in January 2011, for example, one-day sales of handguns in Arizona jumped 60 percent, to 263, according to FBI data obtained by Bloomberg.

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