1st Commandment of U.S. Imperial Pursuits: What’s Good for the Goose is NOT Good for the Gander!

[Magda Hassan]

The 1st Commandment of U.S. Imperial Pursuits: What's Good for the Goose is NOT Good for the Gander!

Sibel Edmonds | February 28, 2014 Leave a Comment
The Sheer Joy of Imperial Hubris & One-Way Equations It is time for our government to put aside diplomatic lingo and modified expressions and just state the facts as they see and believe them. It is way past time for our nation to hear it from our government the BS-free and straight-forward version of the first and foremost principle of our nation's foreign policy. Sure; we have seen it in practice-that is, those of us with eyes wide open, watching our daily imperial operations and executions around the globe. But let's face it, sometimes you need to hear it from the horse's mouth plain and simple, and then, be done with it: Putting aside all pretentions and posturing and fakeries.

Fact: We are currently threading our way through a unipolar world as a super-power nation; unchallenged.
Fact: As a super-power nation with multi-fronted imperial pursuits we lay out the rules; solely.
Fact: As an empire we dictate to and impose our rules on the entire world in a one-way fashion; our imperial entitlement.
Fact: Our empire savors the sheer joy of its hubris and imposed one-way equations; an imperial right.
Fact: Not all nations are equal. There is us, the empire, and then there is the rest of the world; an imperial fact.
Fact: Our empire has the absolute right to state and dictate unabashedly that What's Good for the Goose is NOT Good for the Gander; period.
Allow me to illustrate these facts in action by using recent developments involving US responses to and interactions with the rest of the world- nothing like real-life examples to demonstrate facts that are rarely stated in truthful and plain words.
The Imperial Right to Abuse Human Rights
For years and years the United States has been accusing China of detaining activists and suppressing and imprisoning ethnic separatists and minorities. This is how our imperial operators respond to such practices when countries like China engage in them:

Uzra Zeya, acting assistant secretary in the U.S. State Department's bureau of democracy, human rights and labor, said China should cease using harassment, detention and arrest to silence human rights activists and their families and friends.

…
Of course, as we know, China is our competitor, and it does not fall within US imperial extension territory.
Today the U.S. singles out Syria in a rights report:

The United States on Thursday singled out Syria, Russia, China and Egypt for using restrictive laws to suppress political opposition, minorities and journalists seeking to expose abuses, according to the State Department's 2014 Human Rights Report.
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As we all know, Syria has not yet fallen into our colonial territories.
Yesterday, the United States declared, loudly and clearly, Iran as a nation among the world's worst human rights abusers:

Even as they make gestures toward rapprochement with the West, Iran's leaders remain among the world's worst human rights offenders, according to a State Department report
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Well, Iran is a nation that has remained outside our sphere of influence for quite a while, thus our imperial title given to it as one of the axis of evil- as far as the empire and its interests are concerned.
There are other countries that are engaged in equally or worse practices against human rights- from imprisonment to torture and execution. Some of these countries are considered our colonial extensions here and there. They are under our imperial sphere of influence. We, the empire, do not declare these nations as evil and abusers; in fact, we fortify their power and ability to torture and kill. They are our torturers and murderers. We like them, protect them, and will make sure no one touches them.
Let's talk about Bahrain: a major strategic partner for the U.S. that received $80.4 million in military financing from the U.S. between 2005 and 2010, and is home to a U.S. naval base which houses the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

Thousands of protesters in the small island Kingdom of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf took to the streets calling for government reform in February and March 2011. The Bahraini government's response was brutal and systematic: shoot civilian protesters, detain and torture them, and erase all evidence.
On the frontline, treating hundreds of these wounded civilians, doctors had first-hand knowledge of government atrocities. As a result of their efforts to provide unbiased care for wounded protestors, the government initiated systematic and targeted attacks against medical personnel. This assault on healthcare workers and their patients constitutes extreme violations of the principle of medical neutrality and are grave breaches of international law.
…

As an imperial mini dog within our Middle Eastern colony, our empire neither sought regime change nor strongly condemned Bahrain. Not only that, our empire rewarded and fortified Bahrain to facilitate its ongoing abuses and keep it in power as one of our dogs:

The resumption of arms sales by the US to Bahrain came as a surprise last week as a human rights crisis continues to rage in the small island country…The silence from the US on the crackdown in Bahrain has been particularly deafening.
…

There are plenty of imperial dogs around the world whose abuse, torture, imprisonment and murder practices are deemed rightful, and supported by the empire. Think Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Jordan … Call it imperial discretion. Call it imperial hypocrisy. Call it whatever you want. No matter what you call it the fact remains: What's Good for the Imperial Goose is NOT Good for the Gander Outside the Imperial Colony!
There are Responses to Protests, and then There are Responses to Protests
Do you remember the Occupy Protests here in the States not that long ago? Do you remember the scenes of our police using brutality against peaceful protestors? You should. It wasn't that long ago. Well, if you don't, here, I'll refresh your memory:

A group of legal experts have published a report which contains 130 cases that can be qualified as police brutality against Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York. Researchers at NYU and Fordham University have concluded that NYPD officers acted beyond their powers during their intense crackdown against Occupy protesters.
The study found that police used batons, scooters, horses, and metal barricades to inflict unnecessary force and intimidation on demonstrators. But the barricades were not only used as barriers around encampments.
According to the report, officers threw one protester so hard that she became "semi-airborne" before falling unconscious. An officer then shoved a barricade into her chest. In several instances, officers used pepper spray to disperse peaceful demonstrators.
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Let me refresh your memory even further with some graphic films showing how the United States' police force operated against peaceful activists:






Our imperial government shrugged off all the brutal forces used against its people as its given right to serve and protect… itself from dissent.
Now, similar brutalities have been taking place in Turkey against some protestors. Let's watch a video:




How identical is that? Without the uniform color you couldn't tell the two sets of videos, US police & Turkish police, apart. Both wrong. However, in this similarity, two wrongs don't make it right. But, two wrongs don't make it wrong either. According to our imperial standards, two wrongs make one of them wrong, and the other one right. Here is the US response when the target of the dissent (the protest) happens to be a king that is no longer one of its own cadres of kings:

Multiple U.S. officials have supported the protests citing them as a sign of a healthy democracy. Secretary Kerry spoke to reporters about this topic during a joint press conference on Monday morning: And we are concerned by the reports of excessive use of force by police … Carney, along with the State Department, called for a "full investigation" of the reports of injuries and excessive force by Turkish officials.
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I have been writing articles about the fallout between the US Empire and the current administration in Turkey. You can read them here and here, and watch my interview video here.
So you see, the Bahrain principle doesn't apply here. Not any longer. Of course, the imperial standards of its police conduct on the home front do not apply either. Again, What's Good for the Goose & its goslings is NOT Good for the Gander!
The power and right to unlawfully spy … a power granted only to the Emperor's throne
How does the empire view spying? Is spying a bad thing? It depends; depends on who is doing the spying on whom. Just like free trade, it is 100% one way, and there is no way around it. Not if the empire gets its say and way. Meaning: The Empire can spy on everyone everywhere in the world, and use its data gathered from spying in any way it chooses. Basically, the entire world, with its population, nations, and nations' leaders falls within the empire's fiefdom; they are imperial subjects. Period.
Germany: U.S. might have monitored Merkel's phone
U.S. now bugging German ministers in place of Merkel
Report: U.S. intercepts French phone calls on a massive scale'
NSA France: U.S. Conducted Large-Scale Spying On French Citizens
Trust me, everyone is there: French, Brazilians, Russians, Chinese, Venezuelans … you name it. We have a mammoth surveillance-spy agency fit for the empire: massive, powerful, indiscreet, unaccountable … fit for an empire! But wait, that's an imperial right, and in a unipolar world with one empire, no one else should dare engage in spy trade and spy craft like this. That's a rule; an imperial rule.
Remember the story, the real story, where our imperial operator was caught in the regime changing business in Ukraine? Intercepted F-Bomb Phone Call Shows U.S. Role in Ukraine
Right. This was a major exposé proving how we topple governments and countries, and how we install our own imperial puppets. Not many of us here at BFP needed that proof, but hey, some did. However, even though relevant to our imperial operations, this is not the point I intend to focus on in this article. Here is what I want to illustrate:

The White House on Thursday suggested that Russia, which has jockeyed with the United States and Europe for influence in Ukraine, played some role in the interception or dissemination of the conversation.
"The video was first noted and tweeted out by the Russian government," Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, told reporters. "I think it says something about Russia's role." In a later briefing, Jen Psaki, the State Department spokeswoman, said she had no information about who posted the recording but criticized Moscow for promoting it. "Certainly we think this is a new low in Russian tradecraft," she said.
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The masters of deception and surveillance calling this a new low in Russian tradecraft"? If it establishes lowliness,' how low does that make the much lowlier imperial spy craft? That's the question. Rest assured: arrogance and hubris will never go there. The emperors and imperial operators never do. It comes with imperialism: hubris and arrogance, and the strong notion of the earth revolving in only one direction-the Imperial way.
One-Way Free Trade: Our Way
The story goes something like this:

The United States is party to many free trade agreements (FTAs) worldwide. Beginning with the Theodore Roosevelt administration, the United States became a major player in international trade, especially with its neighboring territories in the Caribbean and Latin America. Today, the United States has become a leader of the free trade movement, standing behind groups such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (later the World Trade Organization).
…

Well, it is a good story, a good fiction story. The empire is pro free trade as long as the trade and its dealers benefit its imperial objectives. Not when certain kinds of free trade practices get in its way. Not when the empire is not a beneficiary; directly or indirectly.
Let me illustrate this how the empire reacts when one of its present or former colonies engages in a free trade arrangement where parties other than the empire become the beneficiary.
Last year Turkey violated one of the top Imperial commandments:

Turkey Mulls Buying Missiles from China, Snubbing NATO
NATO's Mounting Opposition to Turkey's Chinese Missile System
U.S. talking to Turkey about China missile deal concerns
Turkey's Choice of Chinese Missiles Poses Problem for West
U.S. Defense Bill Could Undercut Turkey's Missile Defense Deal with China

It doesn't matter whether the Chinese offered a much better price. It doesn't make a difference whether the purchase and payment agreement terms were far more favorable or not. Turkey's sovereignty as a nation to decide what it purchases or who it purchases from is not relevant. The only thing that matters: who is the beneficiary in this trade deal? Not the empire, then, fu.. Free Trade! The empire doesn't like that kind of free trade. And it won't allow it. Over its dead imperial body!
Maybe the empire should have clarified that right from the start: Certain free trade practices flow only one way-with the empire and its extension at the other end. Period.
Imperially Correct Corruption & Thievery
The other day I was discussing the latest allegation that had surfaced regarding Turkey's PM Erdogan, involving money, bribery and corruption. Here are a few links on the still-developing story:
Turkish president defiant as wiretap scandal swirls
Erdogan overheard telling son to get rid of cash as Turkey corruption probe takes new twist
Turkey protesters clash over fake' wiretap
The gist of the story is this: allegedly the PM and his son had received some money (thirty million dollars) through kickbacks and corrupt arrangements, and they were trying to hide the money and destroy the evidence. Of course, for the empire, the news and allegation of corruption and bribery against one of their men who has fallen from favor has come in very handy. Hundreds of headlines playing this story up have been filling the imperial media outlets every day since the story broke.
Now, back to my discussion with my Turkish acquaintances. They were talking about the fact that almost all leaders in countries in that part of the world are engaged in corruption and wealth accumulation through public positions. I was trying to tell them that it was definitely not limited to that part of the world. That here, in this part of the world, our public officials not only do that, but do it multiple times more. The only difference: they do it in an imperially and politically correct way. The result is the same: thievery and corruption equal thievery and corruption, whether it is done in an imperially-politically correct way or not. A good parallel example would be prostitution: whether it is $10 per act street corner prostitution, or, $5000 per hour Manhattan escort service prostitution, it is prostitution.
Then, I gave an example of our famous Billy & his dame. Here are a few excerpts from a piece I wrote on Billy & Hillary last fall: Running for Public Office & Civil Servant Positions- The Fastest & Surest Path from Rags to Riches

Bill Clinton, unlike other presidents, did not inherit any wealth, made almost no money prior to his public service career, and gained little net worth during 20 plus years of his public service. However, magically, between the time he left office and 2010, his individual personal net-worth reached an estimated $55,000,000; that is $55 Million Dollars. Here is what USA Today reported on Clinton's wealth accumulation in less than 8 years after leaving the White House: But since leaving office we estimate that Clinton has earned more than $125 million before taxes.
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As reported by Wall Street and other publications, Clinton didn't come from a wealthy family or have a high-paying job before becoming president, but earned most of his money from speaking fees. Of course, we all know what speaking fees' stand for: The surest and safest way to bribe public officials in their postpublic office careers for favors and services rendered during their public service careers; here is what I mean…
…
You would think that would ring an alarm bell or two among those concerned with government corruption, ethics, bribery of public officials, and some such. No? Rest assured, content with their regular invitations to the Clinton Dynasty cocktails and balls, neither the liberal NGO parasites nor the socialist-wanna-be media outlets have uttered a single word or waged any finger-pointing. Well, we've never expected that from those obvious parasitic colonies, anyway…
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The point I was trying to make was this: There are corruption and thieveries, and there are corruption and thieveries. Although the same acts, judgments and consequences (or lack of) depend on who is committing them, and whether they are committed in an imperially-correct way. Let me give you another example, this one from another imperial dog who is about to fall from imperial favor:

It's been a rough year for the politician, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 56-year-old Hamid Karzai has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money's top 10 highest-paid politicians for 2014 with an estimated $82 million in combined earnings.
The Afghan politician has an estimated net worth of $245 million. He owes his fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. He also owns several restaurants (the "Fat Karzai Burger" chain) in Kabul, a Football Team (the "Kandahar Angels"), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderkarzai Afghanistan), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Hamid) and a fashion line called "Hamid Karzai Seduction".
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Mind you, the channels identified by the imperial members of the press are imperially and politically correct ways of channeling corrupt money and covering actual sources such as: heroin money, bribery, extortion …
As always, and as on many other topics, I could go on and write a fairly lengthy novella on this subject, and fill it with hundreds of facts and examples: The Imperial Detention & Torture in Guantanamo and Bagram, the Imperial Kidnapping, Torture & Black Sites, the Imperial Creation and Use of WMD Again and Again, The Imperial No Fly List, The Imperial NDAA, The Imperial's Perpetual Wars, the Imperial War on Whistleblowers & Dissent … Most importantly: The Imperial Immunity, thus, the Imperial Hubris & Arrogance that claims: What's Good for the Goose is NOT Good for the Gander!
# # # # Sibel Edmonds is the Publisher & Editor of Boiling Frogs Post and the author of the Memoir Classified Woman: The Sibel Edmonds Story. She is the recipient of the 2006 PEN Newman's Own First Amendment Award for her "commitment to preserving the free flow of information in the United States in a time of growing international isolation and increasing government secrecy" Ms. Edmonds has a MA in Public Policy and International Commerce from George Mason University, a BA in Criminal Justice and Psychology from George Washington University.

http://www.boilingfrogspost.com/2014/02/...he-gander/

[David Guyatt]

Fact: We are currently threading our way through a unipolar world as a super-power nation; unchallenged.
Fact: As a super-power nation with multi-fronted imperial pursuits we lay out the rules; solely.
Fact: As an empire we dictate to and impose our rules on the entire world in a one-way fashion; our imperial entitlement.
Fact: Our empire savors the sheer joy of its hubris and imposed one-way equations; an imperial right.
Fact: Not all nations are equal. There is us, the empire, and then there is the rest of the world; an imperial fact.
Fact: Our empire has the absolute right to state and dictate unabashedly that What's Good for the Goose is NOT Good for the Gander; period.

When I read this article, I realised something important was missing from it....


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Ah, that's better...