Inside the Asylum

"When you hear the naysayers claim that I'm trying to bring about government-run health care, know this: they are not telling the truth," Obama said.

When a proven liar says something like this, it pretty much confirms that it is true. Obama is trying to bring about government-run health care. What better proof could there be?

How's this further statement for brazen chutzpah: 

He drew hearty applause with a focus on the particular concerns of the medical profession: telling them any system that relies on them "to be bean-counters and paper-pushers" is out of whack and that his push to investigate best-practices and eliminate unnecessary procedures "is not about dictating what kind of care should be provided."

Obama seems to get away with this remarkably often. He raises spending and says "I'm in favor of balancing the budget" ... he pushes for a system that will put bureaucrats in charge of health care and says "I'm opposed to putting bean-counters in charge". Come on people ... the emperor has no clothes!

A Turkish newspaper (Taraf daily) accuses the Turkish military of having a secret action plan targeting the government and the Gulen religious movement. The Turkish military investigates, and says, "no, nothing to see here. Move along. Nothing to see here." 

The plan, allegedly drafted by the General Staff’s operations division, is said to contain efforts to fight fundamentalism, end the activities of religious movements, particularly the ruling AKP and the Gulen movement that are accused of trying to undermine Turkey’s secular order and establish an Islamic state.

 The thing to understand here is that ever since the days of Kemal Ataturk and the foundations of the modern Turkish state (that arose from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire), the army has seen itself as the guardian of the secular republic. Several times throughout Turkey's history it has taken both direct and indirect action to ensure that the foundations of the secular system are not undermined. I remember when I was there, the Turkish military issued a statement that just happened to be in almost the exact same words as a statement that had preceded a military coup. The government promptly fell and a more secular alliance took power. Of course the Turkish military has a plan to intervene if the secular republic is threatened. It's one of its primary goals!

Kim Jong Il attends an opera ... a Sea of Blood-style revolutionary opera no less! (via KCNA)