Unforeseen Consequences

This is what happens when you don't think your foreign military adventures through. 

Let's look further back in time: 

Mohammad Mosaddegh, Iran's secular and democratically elected leader, was overthrown in a 1953 coup orchestrated by the UK and the U.S., who then propped up a secular but undemocratically elected and autocratic regime whose excesses led to the rise of an unsecular, undemocratically elected autocratic regime in opposition to U.S. interests. America soon threw its support behind an secular, undemocratically elected autocratic regime at war with Iran . . . 



. . . who became an adversary and whose demise - in addition to the human and financial costs involved in bringing it about - helped lead to the advent of the Islamic State as described in the first link.

The Constitution trumps The Declaration of Independence (which people should quit invoking.)

Some people quote the Declaration of Independence to make claims about what the Founders of this nation valued and thus the character of this nation's fundamental values.

These people should stop. The only part of the Declaration that had force of law was the declaration that the U.S.A. was coming into being. All the other words were, to put it bluntly, unnecessary. 

On the other extreme, every word of the U.S. Constitution is law - "the supreme law of the land." As soon as it came into existence, it rendered the Declaration a historical artifact. 

If someone tries to support their political views by referring to the Declaration - particularly when it conflicts with the U.S. Constitution - don't let them. 

Hoist on its own "evenhandedness"

I feel like the (ugh, hate the phrase) "mainstream media's" general unwillingness to identify lies as such outside of the editorial pages/shows over the 2K's is finally coming around in a way it doesn't like. If the NyTimes presents birther screaming as a tenable point of view (even if just by implication/omission) it shouldn't be surprised when candidates feel no obligation to substantiate any assertions. 

http://www.nytimes.com/.../candidates-stick-to-script-if...

Candidates Stick to Script, if Not the Truth, in 2016 Race

NYTIMES.COM|BY MICHAEL BARBARO