BREAKING NEWS: C.I.A. Director and former General Patraeus Resigns Due to Extramarital Affair

By John Amaruso

According to sources, C.I.A. Director and former Brigadier General David Petraeus has resigned from his post as Director due to an extramarital affair.

Mr. Patraeus has asked President Obama for permission to resign from the C.I.A. in lieu of the news.

David Patraeus is one of the most highly decorated generals and is credited with many of the successful operations completed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In a statement Mr. Patraeus was quoted as saying "Such behavior is unacceptable" as leader.

After retiring from his post as General, he was appointed as Director of the C.I.A. in September of 2011.

There is no specific details for why he resigned but many assume it's because an affair is a potential security threat to the C.I.A., as potential mistresses can be planted by foreign governments to extract confidential information, more commonly known in the espionage world as a "Honey Trap".

More details will be released in the coming days.

Iranian Fighter Jet Shoots At American Spy Drone

The type of drone shot at by an Iranian fighter jet

By Kenny Brown


       Well it has been less than 2 days since Barack Obama was reelected as President of the United States of America and the Pentagon has confirmed that an Iranian fighter jet fired upon a US Drone over the Persian Gulf last week.
       This is quite possibly the beginning of a war with the Iranian State. Tensions have been boiling in recent months and this could very well be the straw that breaks the American Military Industrial Complex's back.
       Although U.S. drones are used for spying on and bombing other countries we will most likely see a major propaganda message machine begin in full force in the next few weeks. The propaganda usually comes in the form of "threats to our freedom" even though we first destroyed Iranian freedom in 1953 with the overthrow of democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. These facts are commonly overlooked when considering the threat of an Iranian strike and what has caused their hostility towards us.
       I have my fingers crossed we will see this settled peacefully but I will not hold my breath. Keep your eyes open everyone and keep yourself informed. Also try not to believe all of the messages put out by the U.S. Government and the Pentagon, the last time we did that we invaded Iraq on false pretenses. These will be trying times for our nation and for facts so let’s try and stay on the side of truth.

International Support for Dictators Hinder True Democracy

Protestors in Bahrain

By John Amaruso




    The island country of Bahrain in the Middle East has recently been in the news over the large scale demonstrations by the Shiite majority of the country. The ethnic group has been marginalized under the Sunni controlled Sheikdom. They have been reduced to 'second class citizens' and government repression has violated many human rights. While Bahrain is heavily supported by countries like Saudi Arabia and the U.S., the government's grip on power seems unlikely to change anytime soon. Despite this reality and the use of violence against them, the Shiite majority still protest publicly and are in turn met with tear gas and stun guns.
    The Arab Uprising which began in January of 2011 has sparked a wave of anti-government protests and authoritarian regimes have acted very differently. Some have conceded, like in Tunisia and Egypt. Others pursued political reforms like Morocco and Jordan. Then there are those countries; Iran, Syria, and Bahrain which have chosen to clamp down on peaceful protests and do so often through violent measures.

Sheikh Hamad meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon

     The country of Bahrain is very small and has a population of a little over a million people (Foreign & Commonwealth Office). Now while there are no official figures, it is said about 70% of the population are Shiite Muslim while the other 30% are Sunni Muslim (Foreign & Commonwealth Office). Despite being such a large portion of the population, social benefits and economic opportunity is extremely limited and is often reserved for the Sunni minority. This is an anomaly in the Muslim world, where almost 90% of all Muslims are considered to be of the Sunni sect of the faith (Rossi).

     A method that was implemented by the government to quell internal discontent was the implementation of constitutional reforms after Sheikh Hamad's accession to the throne (Minorities at Risk). There was also the annulment of the 1974 State Security Act, the release of all political prisoners, and secret trials were also abolished (Minorities at Risk). These reforms included the creation of a partially elected bicameral legislature which attracted over half the eligible voters in 2002 to the polls (Minorities at Risk). For these reasons it seemed for many in Bahrain that change was on the way. These changes though did not change the situation for the ordinary Shiite Bahraini, as the amount necessary to effectively influence legislation in the parliament was nowhere near the amount available for election after the reforms.

Iran has also a vested interest in Bahraini Shiite dominance in the country, as Iran is the only Shiite ruled government in the Middle East (Rossi). Because of this Iran has been suspected of fomenting revolts and even funding the Shiite majority to overthrow the Sunni government. This has led to sour relations between the two governments, and in particular the Saudi Arabian government, which has an enormous interest in keeping it's neighbor ruled by the Sunni monarchy (Rossi).
    Because of international support, the small kingdom has maintained grip over it's people. When the uprising first happened in February of 2011, at the request of the Bahraini government, Saudi Arabia sent military forces into the country to quell the protests (BBC). Other countries that provided support to the Bahraini government were Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (BBC). It's because of international support like this that the Bahraini government can maintain power and use force willingly against it's own people in an effort to subdue the ethnic conflict.
    This conflict is not bound to simply just Bahrain; this ethnic conflict can be seen all across the Middle East, with Sunnis and Shiites battling in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran and elsewhere. This source of conflict has destabilized the region and has hampered efforts to control the region politically. Between the power play of Shiite dominated Iran attempting to exert it's influence over the region, and the current regional hegemon Saudi Arabia seeking to maintain it's influence, the conflict between the two groups has spiraled out of control. This conflict has quickly accelerated from inter-communal to international. Without a proper assessment of the situation and an attempt to find a common ground between the two sects, the war between Sunnis and Shiites does not look like it's going to dissipate anytime soon.

Who is Anonymous?

By John Amaruso

Who is Anonymous? A product of the new world order. A world in which societies, culture, technology, communications, governments, businesses and all alike are so highly interconnected and dependent on one another that the balance of power has shifted drastically. In such an age, the decentralization of power among nations has declined, in turn bringing rise to global social movements.

Anonymous, a phenomenon within and of itself, is a highly decentralized global network of online "Hacktivists" which have taken the globe by storm. These vigilantes have perpetrated dozens of high profile attacks on governments, corporations and individuals alike. The group seeks to eliminate social injustices and level the playing field for those who are disenfranchised by the current power play system that dominates our politics.

This group, facilitated by instantaneous communication, is made up of rogue, independent actors from all corners of the world, each with various goals in mind. They claim to represent all of mankind and to preserve basic human rights that have been abused. This organization with its efficiency and unstated agenda, has struck fear into the hearts of those with power. Those who seek to exploit, abuse power, and corrupt governments around the world have met their match.

Their moral righteousness, quest for justice and thirst for fairness have led them to disrupt the activities of many of these unethical organizations.

Lockheed Martin, one of the world's largest private security contracting firms, was a victim of Anonymous after their private donations account was hacked, in which millions of dollars were stolen and redirected to various charities.

After PayPal cut services to Wikileaks in lieu of Julian Assange's arrest, Anonymous responded quickly by bringing down PayPal's servers, disrupting it's business and costing it millions.

After the introduction of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) by the U.S. government in 2011, Anonymous almost literally blew up the websites of the FBI, U.S. Department of Justice, Universal Music Group, the Recording Industry Association of America, the Motion Picture Association of America and Warner Music Group, among others.

Figure 1 (Click to Enlarge)

It doesn't stop there- individual targets have been chosen as well.

Current ruler Bashar Al-Assad of Syria was one of many victims, as his personal e-mails were distributed publicly throughout the web.

The C.E.O. of HBGary Federal, another infamous security firm, was a victim after Anonymous hacked it's webpage and replaced the website's main image with a message of it's own (see Figure 1).

Their mission of defending freedom of speech and internet liberty has placed them on the red list of many countries around the world. Their tactics represent the necessary methods in which to combat those that seek to oppress such basic fundamental rights as free speech and peace. Through clever and ingenious ways, Anonymous has assembled some of the brightest minds around the world, albeit anonymously, to further the cause of social justice and freedom for all.

This truly global social movement is one that deserves much needed respect. For all of us little people out there the idea of battling these overwhelmingly powerful forces on our own seems futile. Even while peaceful protest and assembly have proven fruitful and effective, these forms of conscientious objection have also been met with oppression and censorship.

That's where Anonymous comes in. They do what we can't- strike at the heart of the oppressors. While we march around in the streets demanding rights, the powerful sit in their high rise buildings looking down upon us from their proverbial thrones made of money and influence. This has changed after Anonymous has penetrated the financial workings of these power mongers, making their actions more costly than profitable.

While our political mobility may be limited to influence legislators, Anonymous has the resources and expertise to carry out those goals of change and progress. We as individuals are just as much members of anonymous as anyone else, as our value as people and individuals have been thrown to the waste side in favor of those with the finances to bankroll new elections for corrupt politicians.

While these shadowy, influential and powerful entities are able to influence lawmakers to do their bidding, a similar, shadowy, influential, and powerful entity is one step ahead of them; Anonymous. The only difference is, the latter seek to defend the rights of the powerless, the voiceless, and the disenfranchised.

So next time you ask yourself "Who is Anonymous?", just remember; each and everyone of us is Anonymous.





Original post appeared in my blog, JtPolitik. Check out the site for other articles.

Sick of Obama and Romney? The Third Party Presidential Debate Shows Us Our Other Options

By John Amaruso 
Video found by Bryant Clark

While many of us complain that there aren't enough options in our two party dominated system, 3rd party candidates have done something to tackle that problem. Circumventing the Commission on Presidential Debates and the Federal Election Committee, the Free And Equal Elections Foundation (www.freeandequal.org) have hosted the Third Party Presidential Debate at the Hilton Chicago, the first of it's kind, hosted by Larry King.

The debate includes Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson, Green Party candidate Jill Stein, Constitution Party candidate Virgil Goode, & Justice Party candidate Rocky Anderson.

Below is the video if you want to see what other options there are out there besides Coca-Cola and Pepsi. I heard MelloYello is delicious.

Man Arrested Stealing Dinosaur Fossils From Mongolia

 By John Amaruso

Like something out of a bad Nicholas Cage movie, a Florida man was arrested after allegedly smuggling dinosaur fossils through U.S. customs Wednesday. Among his rare fossils was an almost complete Tyrannosaurus Bataar skeleton.

The Tyrannosaurus Bataar skeleton was to be sold at an auction for $1.05 million dollars until it was revealed that the bones were in fact stolen from the Mongolian government.

Eric Prokopi, the man arrested for the crime, calls himself a "commercial Paleontologist" who buys and sells dinosaur fossils (I had no idea that job even existed). Nonetheless, Mr. Prokopi's theft of the ancient bones landed him various charges, including one count of conspiracy to smuggle illegal goods, another of possession of stolen property and making false statements to officers.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara was quoted as saying that they uncovered a "one-man black market in prehistoric fossils"

The fossil heist is the largest- and perhaps the only one of it's kind in history.

Dude, Where's My Democracy?

              This post originally appeared on my blog, JTpolitik, but since it remains a relevant and pressing issue in this year's election and future elections, I felt it appropriate to re hash this. For other articles, check out- www.jtpolitik.blogspot.com


By John Amaruso

             Does anyone see what is going on here? The fundamentals of our very democracy are eroding right in front of us. Slowly our basic human rights- access to our government, political mobility, our very essential right to vote is being taken away by the very forces that benefit off the suppression of the common person.

      Since Obama's election in 2008, conservatives, Republicans, special interest groups and corporations have done all they can in their power to assure another 'Washington outsider' (aka individual minded person) can never have the power to take away their power. Those who seek to exploit the many for the benefit of a few are threatened by the very idea of the people electing leaders who do not serve their interests.

      This is all being done in independent, but by no means unrelated means.

      For example, Governor Walker in Wisconsin's attempts to effectively strip Unions of their collective bargaining rights is an attempt to deconstruct the very fabric of the working class, limiting their ability to make an affordable wage. In turn leaving worker's helpless to decide their own economic fates

      This has lowered the standard of living for Union members and workers across the country. Once the wages for Union workers are lowered, the market responds appropriately. Private employers no longer have to compete with the fair wages Unions offer, thereafter they lower the wages of their own workers. This spiral down of wages decreases the livelihoods of millions around the country.

      This growing inequality in America has been rising rapidly to the point where political cynicism runs rampant. Due to this new economic form of enslavement, people feel powerless to affect change even in their own workplace, let alone their own government. It has disillusioned millions across the country, as their will to vote has been undermined by their perceived inability to compete with the economic powerhouses who currently control our system. 

      The necessity of economic power has become so essential in today's politics, it is disturbing. A dollar is the new vote and the value of that vote has been steadily rising.

      With the Citizens United decision, unlimited and undisclosed campaign donations can be made by corporations and even foreign entities. This in turn blurs out any chance of a common person effecting change from their elected leader, as now even the most well intentioned of officials have to compete with this wave of cash polluting the political arena and instead they ignore the needs of their community. It's hard to see the masses over that large pile of money on top of your desk.

      We now live in a system where two individuals, the Koch brothers, are legally allowed to donate over $400 million dollars to an election campaign. That's $400,000,000. That's more money than most of us could ever hope to see in our lives, yet is the price these power hungry fat cats are willing to pay to silence our voices in favor of theirs.

      These two scenarios combined are a vicious cycle. By lowering wages, workers have less to spend, meaning less economic mobility, meaning less time, less resources. Less purchasing power, less opportunity to compete with the wealthy who buy off our politicians. By permitting the exorbitant expenditures by corporations to politicians, we have effectively said "your vote is no longer valid, please pay for your ballot here".

      Meanwhile Voter ID restrictions are being passed in multiple states, disenfranchising lower income families. The only legal way to vote in some of these states is to present a valid driver's license. There are millions of people in this country who do not drive, let alone can even afford to buy a license. These potential voters are being suppressed, providing only more power for the wealthy to pick and choose their candidates.

      Overall this is an extremely troubling phenomenon. This increasing trend of concentrating wealth to the top, has in turn concentrated political power to the top. It is a frightening day when a man like Sheldon Adelson, a virtually unknown billionaire, is able to donate, by himself, $100 million dollars to a candidate. It feels like we are living in the early 20th century America, with Tammany Hall and the political machines that dominated American politics.

      It's come to a point where President Obama, who had denied funding from corporations in his 2008 campaign for President, has resorted to despicable means just to simply stay alive financially against his pro business opponent. President Obama has attended more fundraisers this year alone than President Bush did in his entire time in office.

      Since the Democratic Party has vowed to take the moral high ground and reject any private donations from corporations, the party has been reduced to begging for donations from the public. Even in such degrading and humiliating ways, like having to ask couples who are getting married to instead of asking their wedding guests for presents, re route that money as campaign donations to Obama's re-election staff.

      These factors have created a perfect storm. A decrease in income for all, an increase in political mobility for a few and restrictions in voting access for many has diluted our democracy to a government of the people, by the people, and for the people... who can afford it.

      This election has very serious consequences. It has underlying implications that can echo for generations. It's a choice to decide what kind of country we are. The choice between the powerful, the wealthy, the elite, and the choice between the people, the workers and the common man.

      This is what it has come down to. We must decide that enough is enough and we have to let our voices be heard, because if we don't our right to our voices will be taken away forever. We must let those in power know that what they are doing is wrong and that we can not accept it. A democracy is only as effective as it's people demand it to be. And for that, I say we demand much more.