(I happen to believe this is a completely misguided bill. At a time when we should be reaching out and using diplomacy with Iran, we're seriously considering punishing the people and workers of Iran? - promoted by TwoPuttTommy)
A stick in Iran's eye, sabotage Obama foreign policy, state of Minnesota looses up to half a billion dollars. Sounds like a hell of a deal! It is if you're AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) or JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Council). For the rest of us, not so much.
An atrocious bill (SF0131 and HF 0111) Divestment from Iran, is being highballed through the MN legislature. There's no basis for this action other than to poke a stick in the eye of the Iranians while Obama is laboring against all his naysayers to engage Iran on productive diplomacy. Iran is not now nor has it been a threat to the US. Iran has never started a war against anyone. One of the justifications for this bill is that Iran is a terrorist state?
The state has real problems. This isn't one of them. This bill costs the state $2 - 3 million in transfer fees and from $250 - $500 million in lost equity. A high state official described it is fiscally irresponsible. |
| Minnesotans have no stake in this issue. This is a distraction from real issues. It's hard to believe we are interested in further destabilization of region.
Winners: AIPAC and JCRC prove they have control of Minnesota Legislature. JCRC was the force demanding that St. Thomas uninvite Nobel Peace Prize winner, Bishop Desmond Tutu from speaking on the campus. An effort justified by proven false claims of anti-Semitism. This incendiary bill is being pushed by a neo-con agenda left over from the Bush-era. It is attempting to get state and local governments, with bipartisan support, to demonize Iran. It is an effort leading toward an eventual military attack on Iran, much as the federal legislation did to justify war on Iraq on the pretext that it was an imminent nuclear danger.
I listened to part of a recording of Senator Betzold's Finance Committee hearing on Friday April 18, 2009. At the conclusion of an economist's testimony on the financial losses to the state in a hearing that supposed to be confined to financial issues only, no political comment allowed, Senator Terri Bonoff one of the co-authors of this bill, made an astounding comment. She claimed UN Ambassador Susan Rice told her that that the political impact of this bill is compatible with the Obama State Department policies. What? Who in State is encouraging sabotage of Obama's stated policy?
This is a very troubling parallel with what happened in the closing days of the Kennedy administration.
The last half of 1963 saw many weird events ending in the assassination. That period of history has been rewritten so many times the truth may be obscured forever. One of the frightening facts in recent revelations was the depth and breadth of the traitors in the Kennedy administration. After JFK's American University speech, Vietnam Ambassador Lodge and many high officials in the administration turned traitor and did everything possible to stop his Vietnam policies. They succeeded.
If State Department officials are indeed backing this Minnesota action, we have frightening problems in the State Department. Is AIPAC now running the State Department?
Unfortunately, this bill may well pass. I assume the Republican automatons will have their usual 100% on anything that is against Obama policy and they are joined by a bunch of misguided Democrats who apparently think they are doing Israel a big favor. If so, we the people lose again.
Senate sponsors: Bonoff, Limmer, Latz, Robling, Rest
House sponsors: Winkler, Kohls, Winkler, Kelliher, Seifert, Thissen, Kahn, Simon, Kalin, Hornstein, Gardnerr, Hoppe, Morgan, Murphy E. |
