Stephen Lendman

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a meeting
of the "Friends of the Syrian People" at the MFA Con-
ference Center July 6, 2012 in Paris, France.

She may become America's 45th president. Humanity may not survive its 44th. The fullness of time will tell.

She was Washington's 67th Secretary of State. She served from January 21, 2009 - February 1, 2013. She's arguably America's worst. From 2001 - 2009, she was US Senator from New York. In 2008, she challenged Obama for the Democrat party's presidential nomination. Supporters urge her to run again in 2016. She's noncommittal. When asked, she says "I am not thinking about anything like that right now." She also said she'll "do everything (she) can to make sure that women compete at the highest levels, not only in the United States but around the world." Husband Bill urges her to run. Some suspect she already made her move.

With or without her support, a "Ready for Hillary" political action committee was formed. It's raising money for 2016. Campaigning never ends. America's electoral season is seamless. Hillary for 2016 T-shirts are on sale. Friends of Hillary Facebook send regular messages. When launching her 2008 campaign, she said "I'm in to win." Insiders say she hasn't changed her mind. In 2016, she'll be 69.

In December, she scored high in public approval. A Washington Post/ABC News poll showed 57% of Americans support her presidential ambitions. Over 80% of Democrats back her candidacy.

Two-thirds of US women do. Two-thirds of Americans give her high marks as America's top diplomat. She scored higher than any previous Secretary of State in 20 years of polling. In four years, she visited 112 countries. She traveled nearly a million miles. She self-promoted everywhere. She has larger than life ambitions.

More »

Stephen Lendman

Israeli soldiers stand guard next to a road sign showing the
distances to Jerusalem, Baghdad, Damascus and other lo-
cations, at an army post in the annexed Golan Heights.

Israel and America are longstanding imperial partners. Washington OK's naked aggression on Syria. Doing so declared war. Admitting it may or may not follow later. Events require close watching. Disturbing ones occur regularly.

Late Sunday, Tyre, Lebanon was rocked. A suspicious explosion occurred. Lebanon's Future TV said an "Israeli aircraft might have detonated an electronic transmission device. Hizbollah cordoned off the area."

Lebanon's NNA news agency said "Israeli aircraft did not leave Lebanese airspace over the South all through the day."

Lebanon's Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour said "Israeli jets continue to invade Lebanon's airspace every day. We must stand up against the Israeli attacks but not just with calls, statements and condemnation." Overflying another country's airspace without permission violates international law. Israel does it regularly. Lebanon is violated multiple times daily. Doing so is longstanding.

Tyre is in southern Lebanon. It's about 12 miles from Israel's border. Lebanese media accused Israel of striking. Reports followed days of IAF "mock raids." Some claim Israel targeted a Hezbollah listening post. Others said a communications site. Hezbollah reported the strike. Later its initial account changed. It now blames a "stun gun" or stun grenade. Little more is known at this time. Israel maintains silence. What follows bears watching.

More »

Anonymous/Paul Craig Roberts

Introduction by Paul Craig Roberts

The article below is the most comprehensive analysis available of “Obamacare” – the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The author, a knowledgeable person who wishes to remain anonymous, explains how Obamacare works for the insurance companies but not for you.

Obamacare was formulated on the concept of health care as a commercial commodity and was cloaked in ideological slogans such as “shared responsibility,” “no free riders” and “ownership society.” These slogans dress the insurance industry’s raid on public resources in the cloak of a “free market” health care system.

You will learn how to purchase a subsidized plan at the Exchange, what will happen when income and family circumstances change during the year or from one year to the next, and other perils brought to you by Obamacare. It is one of the most important articles that will be posted on my website this year. Americans will be shocked to learn the extent to which they have been deceived. The legislation neither protects the patient nor are the plans affordable.

The author shows that for those Americans whose income places them between 138% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Level, the out-of-pocket cost for one of the least expensive (lower coverage) subsidized policies ranges from 2% to 9.5% of Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI), a tax base larger than the adjusted Gross Income used for calculating federal income tax.

What this means is that those Americans with the least or no disposable income are faced in effect with a substantial pay cut. The author provides an example of a 35 year-old with a MAGI of $27,925. The out-of- pocket cost to this person of a Silver level plan (second least expensive) is $187.33 per month. This cost is based on pre-tax income, that is, before income is reduced by payroll and income taxes. There goes the car payment or utility bill. The lives of millions of Americans will change drastically as they struggle with a new, large expense – particularly in an era of no jobs, low-paying jobs and rising cost of living.

More »