USA – Page 3 – Slugger O'Toole

Parliamentary Written Question of the Week…

Pete Baker on June 21, 2013, 8:40 pm | Readers 41

Now that the US President is back home across the pond, it’s probably safe to note the latest candidate in an occasional series. From the House of Commons written parliamentary questions 20 June. US White House Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the Government plans to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the burning of the White House, Washington DC, US by the British army on 24 August 1814; and if she …

The fate of peace: President Obama in Northern Ireland

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on June 19, 2013, 3:37 pm | Readers 130

My marriage is a transatlantic union between a Midwesterner and a Belfast-born Northern Irishwoman. Fittingly, my wife and I were delighted to receive tickets to hear another Midwesterner, President Barack Obama, at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall. With DJ Pete Snodden playing music by American artists, and the 2,000+ crowd performing a Mexican wave, one could be forgiven for thinking a pop concert was in the works. https://soundcloud.com/mrulster/20130617-obama-ni-01-hannah Rather, Hannah Nelson, a 16-year-old student from Methodist College, gave an excellent speech on …

“Adding more weapons to this volatile situation could destabilise the entire region…”

Pete Baker on June 15, 2013, 6:42 pm | Readers 45

The Northern Ireland First and deputy First Ministers were in a sunny Downing Street garden yesterday, welcoming that suspect package, and extolling the virtues of demonstrating “peacefully, positively, constructively” [Is that with, or without, a Thompson sub-machine gun? – Ed] Without, probably… ANYhoo, on the same day Sinn Féin released the text of what appears to be a different speech to that delivered in Downing Street by the Mid Ulster MP Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness – made at …

“As usual, few things are as unreliable as Obama’s speeches and rhetoric…”

Pete Baker on May 30, 2013, 6:52 pm | Readers 53

At the Big G’s Comment is Free, Glenn Greenwald follows up on his excellent analysis of US President Barack Obama’s recent ‘war on terror’ speech to focus in on one of those domestic political problems I mentioned – “the serious threat posed by the Obama administration to press freedoms”. From Glenn Greenwald’s post Outside of the most hardened Obama media loyalists, it’s virtually impossible to find any defenses or even offers of excuses or mitigation for what the Obama administration has been doing …

“Obama may do things you progressives find distasteful, but at least marvel at how thoughtful and torn up he is about it all…”

Pete Baker on May 28, 2013, 2:48 pm | Readers 54

With growing domestic political difficulties – the continued fall-out from Benghazi, the IRS caught targeting political opponents, the increased invocation of the 1917 Espionage Act against troublesome journalists, to name but three issues – US President Barack Obama is probably looking forward to his short June break at Lough Erne. In the meantime, though, take the time to read Glenn Greenwald’s excellent analysis of Obama’s recent ‘war on terror’ speech. From Glenn Greenwald’s post But whatever else is true, what should …

OFMdFM: “as open and transparent as possible”

Pete Baker on May 18, 2013, 7:40 pm | Readers 82

After much foot-dragging, the Northern Ireland First and deputy First Ministers have released the cost [to date – Ed] of their 12-day March junket trip to Brazil and the USA to “Develop and promote political, investment, trade, university and tourism links” – an eye-watering £155,509. As Mark Devenport tweeted So were FM and DFM’s recent investment trips value for money? Costs breakdown published here tinyurl.com/c75mymq — Mark Devenport (@markdevenport) May 16, 2013 It’s difficult to answer the ‘value-for-money’ question in the …

Explosions at Boston Marathon Finish Line

Pete Baker on April 15, 2013, 8:48 pm | Readers 56

The BBC are reporting that there have been two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, three hours after the winners had passed the line. That’s around 5 hours after the race start. Currently the number of people injured is unkown. Live coverage from the BBC here. Adds Guardian live-blog here. Update According to early reports, noted on the Guardian live-blog, 2 people dead and 23 injured after two bombs exploded near the Boston Marathon finish line. And The Guardian notes a holding statement …

“processing it through their stunted, trivial prism of partisan loyalty…”

Pete Baker on March 10, 2013, 7:47 pm | Readers 52

At the Guardian, Glenn Greenwald makes a number of important points about the reaction to US Senator Rand Paul’s 13-hour filibuster against John Brennan’s nomination as head of the CIA. From Glenn Greenwald at Comment is Free Last week’s 13-hour filibuster of John Brennan’s confirmation as CIA director by GOP Sen. Rand Paul was one of the first – and, from the perspective of media attention, easily among the most effective -Congressional efforts to dramatize and oppose just how radical …

Weekend White House memes…

Pete Baker on March 2, 2013, 4:41 pm | Readers 98

After US President Barack Obama mangled his sci-fi/popular culture references with his “Jedi mind-meld”, the White House twitter feed doubled down on the confusion… [The Farce is strong with this one – Ed] Meanwhile, also via the Professor, his critics are having fun with the latest in an occasional series of Presidential denials. Heh. Pete Baker

King 1963: I have a dream. Obama 2013: I have a drone

Patrick Corrigan on January 21, 2013, 11:54 am | Readers 67

In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and gave his famous “I have a dream” speech. Today, fifty years on, in tribute to the great civil rights leader, the US marks Martin Luther King Jr Day with a federal holiday in his name. Today also sees Barack Obama take to the steps of the city’s Capitol Building for his second public inauguration as President of the United States of America. …

“But today, identity seems more central to politics than ever before.”

Pete Baker on November 22, 2012, 5:17 pm | Readers 48

Brian’s noting of the advice from Richard Haass to the Israeli government reminded me that there are other places, and administrations, who have received similar ‘lessons’ from The Process™ here. Afghanistan, for example. Of course, it always helps to have well-placed friends [writing your speeches! – Ed]. And it’s worth noting that Richard Haass’ role here was not without criticism… His successor, Mitchel Reiss, has been more forthright in his recounting at times. ANYhoo… There’s also Iraq. Where the BBC now reports Almost every …

A historic vote just took place in the USA. Oh, and Obama won too…

Andrew Gallagher on November 7, 2012, 10:55 pm | Readers 59

I’ve no idea how this flew under the radar, but the outside world (bar the BBC) has largely ignored the most historic American plebiscite since the 1950s. Obama’s re-election, important though it is in itself, might find itself eclipsed by what just took place in Puerto Rico – a clear popular vote in favour of statehood. If ratified by Congress (there is bipartisan support for the idea, although getting it though today’s cantankerous House may be tricky), PR will become …

The [animated] view from Taiwan… Redux

Pete Baker on October 5, 2012, 12:40 am | Readers 42

Everyone’s favourite Taiwanese animators have neatly summarised last night’s first 2012 US Presidential debate. Ouch! Via the Professor’s stand-in team. And with the incumbent heading for a more comfortable platform on which to revise his debating points after the fact, there’s this for true believers to consider. The fact is that Mr Obama has a talented, cynical team around him who have been successful in constructing a narrative in which Mr Romney is a comic villan who wants to ruin the …

“Obviously, people are never going to be seized by the exact same patently bullshit sense of destiny they were last time around…”

Pete Baker on September 5, 2012, 10:31 pm | Readers 49

The Onion reports, prematurely it would appear, from the Democratic Party’s National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. From the Onion slice. According to sources, none of the students in attendance appeared to be discussing proposals for college debt-relief with quite the same degree of unthinking, asinine fervor as they did in 2008, nor did the older convention-goers seem quite as transfixed by the magic spell of actually believing they could retire with financial stability. Moreover, not a single woman has …

The US Presidential Election: For what we are about to receive…

articles on September 1, 2012, 11:08 am | Readers 47

Reading Glenn Greenwald’s piece in Pete Baker’s previous post will reinforce in the minds of many their negative views of the American political process and the Presidential elections, and that’s even before we start getting personal about US presidents with our own favourite stories about their stupidity and iniquity. This negative coverage will increase exponentially as the election reaches a climax, it always does, and many will sneer and feel superior little realising USA today, UK tomorrow alright at the next …

US Presidential Election: “the process is the ultimate deceit. And the ultimate distraction.”

Pete Baker on August 31, 2012, 10:32 pm | Readers 50

Something for Mick’s late night panel to consider, perhaps… The Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, had a reasonably successful convention in Tampa by most accounts, and has followed up by stealing a march on the current president. But I’d tend to agree with most of Glenn Greenwald’s take on the US presidential election process. [If not the sub-editor’s? – Ed] Indeed. From Glenn Greenwald’s Comment is Free post But mocking CNN is to pick low-hanging fruit. The real issue is …

Boston College: “No pledge of privacy nor oath of secrecy can avail against demand for the truth in a court of justice.”

Pete Baker on July 7, 2012, 2:14 pm | Readers 70

The Boston Globe reports on the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruling in the PSNI/HET’s attempt to access some of the material in the Boston College Belfast Project archive. The project director, Ed Moloney, and researcher Anthony McIntyre had been trying to head the US Government off at the pass. And they’ve already opened another legal front… From the Boston Globe report A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court’s ruling ordering Boston College to turn over confidential materials …

Bilderberg 2012: “Like a corporate cross between Santa Claus and a big friendly squid.”

Pete Baker on June 1, 2012, 9:44 pm | Readers 54

It’s just as well that Ireland said ‘Yes’ to the Fiscal Treaty. I can only imagine the embarrassed silences Irish Finance Minister, Michael Noonan, would have experienced this weekend if the result had gone the other way. Where is Michael? He’s in the US. Virginia, since you ask. In Chantilly. At the 60th annual Bilderberg conference… It’s quite a list of attendees. Some names you might recognise include Lord [Peter] Mandelson and US Senator John Kerry, as well as the chairmen …

Euro crisis: “It is nice to have a big umbrella…”

Pete Baker on April 23, 2012, 5:04 pm | Readers 39

The Guardian’s Economics blog starts with an interesting observation Those who watched Dominique Strauss-Kahn at the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund a year ago say he played a blinder. Although he was to leave Washington under a cloud shortly afterwards, DSK impressed with his no-nonsense approach to his fellow Europeans. The IMF‘s managing director asked Jean-Claude Trichet, then president of the European Central Bank (ECB), and Christine Lagarde, at the time France’s finance minister, who they thought they …

Odyssey Marine surrenders ‘Black Swan’ treasure to Spain

Pete Baker on February 25, 2012, 4:10 pm | Readers 272

It looks as if the 5 year legal battle between US company Odyssey Marine Exploration and the Spanish government over the ‘Black Swan’ treasure is finally coming to an end. As I mentioned previously Browsing through the Odyssey Marine press archive brings an update on their previous big find. Also mentioned in my earlier post Odyssey is currently being sued by the Spanish government over a previous treasure of “17 tonnes of silver coins plus a few hundred gold coins”, …