Le Show; 2013-12-29

From deep inside your radio, and from New Orleans, Louisiana, where judging by the trip here to the studio, to the Bayou Lachodome, about two-thirds of the trees still have their leaves. Excellent. Uh-oh. I'll rupert money for that. Ladies and gentlemen, this is another, this is the final edition of the year in Rebuke for 2013. And, um, you know, like, like the, the Roman god Janice, for whom next month is named, I believe, um, it's a time, I believe, unlike certain presidents of the United States, to look both backwards and forwards. So we'll be doing that on today's broadcast for your listening, whatever. So first, looking forward. In news about AFPAC, this is just in from the Washington Post, a new American intelligence assessment on the Afghan war. Hey, never too late,

predicts that the gains the United States and its allies have made during the past three years are likely to have been significantly eroded by 2017, even if Washington leaves behind a few thousand troops and continues bankrolling the impoverished nation. This, according to officials, familiar with the report, the National Intelligence Estimates, which includes input from the country's 16 intelligence agencies. Well, that's the problem. We don't have enough of those. It predicts the Taliban and other power brokers. Gee, are any of them named Karzai will become increasingly influential as the United States winds down its longest war in history? You've clocked that, right? This is our longest war in history in our history. Not in the history of people who've had a hundred years war. This, according to officials who have read the classified report or received briefings on its conclusions or conclusions on its briefings. The grim outlook is fueling a policy debate inside the Obama administration about the steps it should take over the next year

as U.S. military draws down. Like, what steps can you take? Why? Keep the report secret? What, what'd you do? If the intelligence report says, even if we leave troops, it's going to be bad, the report predicts that Afghanistan would likely descend into chaos quickly. If Washington and Kabul don't sign a security pact that would keep an international military contingent, they're beyond 2014. In the absence of a continuing presence and continuing financial support, the assessment suggests the situation would deteriorate very rapidly, said one U.S. official familiar with the report. That conclusion is widely shared among U.S. officials working on Afghanistan, said the official, who was speaking for people who was among five people familiar with the report, who agreed to speak on condition, if don't ever mention my name, or I'll kill you. Some officials have taken an umbrage at the underlying pessimism in the report, arguing it does not accurately reflect how strong Afghanistan security forces have become.

I would like to offer $20 to any of those officials who'd like to wander into a rural area accompanied only by a couple of members of the Afghanistan security forces. 20 bucks on the table right now, right here right now, 20 bucks American. One American official who described the national intelligence estimate as, quote, more dark, unquote, and past assessments of the war, said there are too many uncertainties to make an educated prediction on how the conflict went unfold between now and 2017. Chief among them, the outcome of next year's presidential election. I think what we're going to see is a recalibration of political power territory and that kind of thing. It's not going to be an inevitable rise to the Taliban, said one U.S. official who felt through assessment was unfairly negative. A senior administration official said the intelligence community has long underestimated Afghanistan security forces. Well, that would seem to be a serious error if true. Why don't you fix that? Why are they doing that? How come they're getting that

wrong? An assessment that says things are going to be gloomy no matter what you do that you're just delaying the inevitable. That's just a view, said one of the senior administration officials. I would not think it would be the determining view. What's that whistling sound I hear? U.S. intelligence analyst and not provided a tail mapping of areas they believe are likely to become controlled by specific groups or warlords and coming years said one of the officials, but the analysts anticipate that the central government in Kabul is all but certain to become increasingly irrelevant as it loses purchase over parts of the country, said the official. But wait, there's more. Gets gloom here. Some have interpreted the intelligence estimate as implicit indictment of the troop surge of 2009. Senior administration officials said the surge enabled the development of a credible and increasingly proficient Afghan army. We'll see by no means

as the surge defeated the Taliban, said the official, but it shared goal was to reverse the Taliban's momentum and give the government more of an edge. I think we achieve that. Boy, is that divine defining success down? More of an edge. Just like a human knife sharpener, if you will. Well, for one notion of what we might be in store for, as we leave Afghanistan, we might look at the new Iraq. Looking backwards, I know. Not supposed to do that, but BBC News reports the case you haven't been paying attention. No, I don't know why. The media are all a flutter about it. Iraq remains in the grip of sectarian fighting, which has made this the deadliest year for civilian deaths since 2008, as if our Iraq surge never happened.

And in that nutty, more than 8,000 people have been killed since January. Many of them in fighting between Sunni and Shia Muslims. The UN has called on Iraq's political leaders to cooperate to end the bloodshed, which has escalated since a Iraqi army raid on a Sunni Arab anti-government protest camp in April 2013 killed dozens. It's not predictive. It's just an indicator of something somewhere sometime. Looking backward and looking forward, ladies and gentlemen, the new Afghanistan and the new Iraq now. Let's look backward at the year just past or almost just past. And starting with the trivial, the profoundly trivial, the final chapter one thinks, unless you guess it's his own TV show next year, which is more than probable in the career of former Congressman Anthony Weiner, who left Congress after it was revealed that he'd been texting

sexual messages with pictures of his own male organ to women. He reconciled with his wife and a top aid to Hillary Clinton and with her encouragement and with her encouraging donors in the Clinton camp, started a campaign for mayor of New York this year, in the middle of which it was learned that he hadn't stopped doing the texting, was continuing to do it under the nom-de-nom-de-internet of Carlos Danger. Once that revelation came out, after some denials, he admitted everything, did a representative Weiner, former representative Weiner, withdrew, I say withdrew from the mayor's race, and now awaits the call from his TV agents. I'll look back at that in the year-and-review. Hello, welcome to the show. He wrote out of the east one day, Silverstein was skyscrapers, hey, but Silverstein was hung out to try, bigger flop than the lone ranger.

You think you know his name, although it's just a game, his picture needs no frame, Carlos Danger. Yes, he shots were always true, as they flashed into the blue, but he wasn't meant for you, Carlos Danger. Carlos Danger. But enough was never enough, for adventuring in the buff. He lived to show off his stuff, naked as a child in a manger. He did it only for sports, for the thrill of a killer retort, only feared was the report that would be a game changer. You think you know his name, although it's just a game, his picture needs no frame, Carlos Danger.

His shots were always true, as they flashed up into the blue, but he wasn't meant for you, Carlos Danger. The other side of his life couldn't be cleaner, he yearned to be a burger, but he was only a winner, the winner. In his conquest, he couldn't count, no peak, that he wouldn't mount, of jokes he's a perfect fount, Carlos Danger. Well, this year we learned that NPR, you've heard of them, please give, was launching a search to

replace their longtime voice, who did the credits, not the credits for the people who produced or wrote the broadcast, but the credits for the people who paid for broadcasts on NPR, the donor credits. And strangely enough, the same thing was happening at a similar network, as we see here in 2013, the year in raping. From CPR, Continental Public Radio, this is Up To Here. Up To Here, CPR's weekly look at the day's news. I'm Milton Getzler. For almost 10 years, all of CPR's broadcasts from all and all to book bag, from as a matter of fact,

to Up To Here, have ended with credits identifying those persons and organizations whose generosity makes these programs necessary. Now, CPR's looking for a new voice to read those credit announcements, and the auditions have just begun. CPR's irresipkin wandered down the hall to be a hopefully unsquashed fly on the wall. We're rolling anytime. Can you cue me, please? Anytime. On your own cue, I'm reading. Okay. Support for CPR comes from the Shettlinger Foundation, making dreams come true and turning truth into dreams. That's fine. Thank you. I'm sorry. That was Shettlinger wasn't it. I don't know. I'm reading. In Studio 3C of CPR's new headquarters building, a very special set of auditions is taking place. Call it the search for the voice of a network, or I'll call it that,

and you just keep listening. Oh, what you're looking for is both evanescent and palpable. CPR has seen your executive producer, Adish Larman. A voice that evokes the CPR mission, and at the same time is a pain to the enduring miracle of wealth. Really? Support comes from the tire foundation. Without tires, you're going nowhere fast. A little down, but excellent. Thank you. My name's Mike Gray. I worked here about 25 years ago when CPR was just starting to gain some fundraising traction. I'd left to work on my head a little bit, and now I think I'd really love to get back into the whole public radio dimension. Recruitment nemesis have flooded the internet, and applicants have come here to Studio 3C from as far away as two metro stops down. And what's remarkable, as always, at CPR, is the diversity.

Rolling. Live on CPR is made possible by the Life Insurance Institute. Life is for a living. Excellent. And tell us your name once again. I'm Tom Broca, Jr. Wonderful. Thank you. It's so difficult to put your finger on anything let alone what we're looking for here. It's some intangible sense of what it means to be proud of not needing the money. And at the same time, grateful for actually getting it. CPR's goal is to have all the funding credits across all its programs spoken in one consistent voice. But some CPR hosts weren't thrilled with that decision. Well, of course I'd gotten used to doing the credits on my programs, including this one, all in all host Milton Getzler. So it was hard for me for the first few weeks not to take this move personally, but then I

realized it adds to my credibility not to have to mention all those foundations and corporations. And besides it means I get out of the studio 20 seconds earlier every day. So I think it's going to work out. And rolling. Support for CPR comes from pork. So much more than pig meat. That's wonderful. Thank you, honey. Edish Lorman hopes to have the process narrowed down to 20 semi-finalists sometime during the third fiscal quarter of next year. I'm Iris Itkin down the hall in studio 3c. And for now, you're up to here. Maybe for the last time, let me say we had helped today from the Sandler Foundation, making a difference by being different.

Join us next time for another deep dive into the weeds on up to here. I am Milton Getzler in Washington. This is CPR Continental Public Radio. And this is your local public CPR station, I should say. Ladies and gentlemen, let's get to some of the more serious things that went on in 2013. Many of them involved in one way or another, the issue of secrecy. There are reports as recently as this week on the role that on the depth and the breadth of private data brokerage. The business that private firms are in of gathering, aggregating, and selling the data that you and I willingly give to your Googles, your Facebooks, your Twitter's, your PayPal's every day in the

course of using the internet. And certainly that's a topic for concern. It can get you in some trouble. It can't get you in jail or get you killed. And that takes us to the other kind of secrecy that's been a big topic this year. The role of the US government in surveilling, following gathering data, collecting data on its citizens. The precursor to the big news of the year was in March of 2013, when the director of national intelligence, or as I call him, the deny James Clapper. I said James Clapper. Clapper on Clapper off the Clapper. That's the one. Testified before under oath, I should say, before a committee of the Congress. And when asked a direct question as to whether the NSA was

gathering phone or internet data on millions of Americans, pretty much said not that I'm aware of, not winningly. In the days and weeks to come, it turned out that was not a truthful answer. And James Clapper defended himself by saying, well, it was a difficult question because it involved classified material. And therefore, I basically, I gave the least untruthful answer. I gave the least untruthful answer. Now, of course, if you compare that to what his oath required him to say, believe it's the whole truth, the truth holds truth and nothing but the truth, that wasn't true to his oath. So it may not have been, you know, Oliver North got prosecuted for lying to Congress and look at him. So it might not have been faithful to his oath. That phrase was inspiring to our own Do we Gordon? Former lead singer, boys are right. You don't have to lie to me. Don't have to tell the truth. All I want to hear is what you're saying.

Because when I stop believing, it's like when I lose a tooth, and hoping that it's so, it's just like praying. So speak with lots of fibers of your pain. Fight, disbelief. It's another form of cancer. Let me know there are that many shadows of a doubt. Please give me your least untruthful answer, give me your

least untruthful answer, what I want to know from you is more than I can know, it's only that my ignorance is showing. So when I ask you questions, don't let it bring you down, it only means I'm staying, instead of going. So talk to me from somewhere near your heart,

babe, tiptoe through the facts, just like a dancing, don't need a stack of bibles, don't even need to swear I won. Just give me your least untruthful answer, what I want to know from you is more than I can know, it's just like when I lose a tooth, my faith in you, it can't be tarnished, the truth looks better when it's vanished, when it's vanished. So speak with lots of fibers of your pain. Fight, disbelief. It's another form of

cancer. Let me know there aren't that many shadows of a doubt. Please give me your least untruthful answer, give me your least untruthful answer. The

army says it's all got to go. The Afghan say it can't leave, and I say saving bucks starts here. Last time until the next time, the biggest sale of military and outdoor gear said it's custer, sad uncle. How about your own war room? Thousands of square feet for you to strategize your next big move, or just to watch the big game in hyper-secure comfort. The price, too low to mention on the air,

too low to mention it's even on encrypted online, but time's running short, and we've got to move an entire wars where we're geared. Our loss is your game, although since where you, it's your loss, too. It's all here waiting for you, state-of-the-art communications equipment, barracks, great cooking supplies enough uniforms to supply and invading force of your own, anti-insurgent spray, Afghan English e-dictionaries, all you do is charge it, and then you pick it up and pocket the savings. Not with the US government transport of this stuff at home, it might cost double or triple when you'll pay it, B rocks, Afghan close out blowout. And your credit? We've already got your credit report on our health insurance computer, so you're ready to rock and roll. The B Rock Way, but don't take my word for it, listen to this general who works for me. Whether you're looking for camera or ammo, fixed-winger rotor, the only thing better than our guarantee would be a certificate of victory. Heck, I'd love to buy some of this gear for myself, but the Afghans won't let me. They're crazy, and you don't have to go to some showroom warehouse. It's all online at brock.gov. Every night scope,

every canteen, every up-armored bribe bag. The ones army scientists developed for paying off warlords. It's like a strong box in a sack, and they're not just at rock bottom prices. There would be rock bottom prices, but these savings won't last forever. Eventually the sun's gonna die, so log on, click through and agree to the terms of use without reading them. B Rock's Afghan blows out blowout. The best way to line down a weekend and a war. The former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in the news a lot this year, even though she was out of government. She was named by Bill Clinton, or by people associated with Bill Clinton, to be the co-chairman of the Clinton Global Initiative, and I believe Chelsea was also recruited. So it's now really a family foundation, ladies and gentlemen. Of course, controversy continued

right up through today with that New York Times piece on the front page about how the State Department reacted to and responded to the attack on the U.S. Legation in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012, which resulted in four Americans, including the American ambassador, being killed. So there was plenty meat for Clinton something. Clinton something, the wilderness years. Anyway, long story short Hillary, I'm getting major pushback on the idea of a face-to-face

with you and Mr. President Obama. I don't understand James. I never had a problem getting a face-to-face with him before. That's when you were a Secretary of State. You were in his cabinet. You know, damn well, Bill never saw half the people in his cabinet. I'm just telling you what I'm running into. The messaging from the oval is that you can deal with the Benghazi messaging at a lower more messaging-centric level. I'm getting the messaging. But dammit, you think these people wouldn't want to let the punitive 2016 nominee be hung out to dry like this? You might think that. And in fact, they're not living Joe Biden hanging out to dry. James, I know you haven't committed yet, but if you think Biden's got a snowball's chance, you should be committed. Just saying, look what they did with Susan Rice. David are talking points. Put her on every TV show on Sunday that doesn't have football on it. And then they dropped her like a burnt jam when they're talking points to her not to be duck poop. And she was that gal.

You, unyielding. And my gal, I'm very aware of that. Look, I'm not asking them to protect me. I'm a grown-up. I just think we have to work together on this. Look, State Department was decorative shrubbery for CIA and Benghazi. When the thing goes bluey, somehow they blame the shrubbery. I mean, CIA is paid to take the heed. Look at George Bush hung on them. Everything, but Dick Cheney's jock. And look what CIA did afterward. Leaked against him like a catahool of blue with kidney stones. You know, I'd love to help you out and pull some highly-placed strings over there. But the most highly-placed string we had over there was you. And you won't strung yourself. What about Kerry? No, he'll fight for the department as it's currently constituted under him. And not for his distinguished predecessor, the one who sat on the buttold during his presidential campaign. Come on, James. I did some work for him and in some key states. Look, the best thing you could do is what you're doing. Getting your butt in the

bills foundation and coming yourself with all that, do good or fairy dust. A few months of that, some nice high praise, non-political speeches. Benghazi is going to be an issue to nobody, but to crazy ass Republican base and my wife. Well, I think the only reason Bill put me on the foundation is he's afraid he might be running out of his own fairy dust. Really? Yeah. Big meaning in his office right now. I'm just saying, here's David Patres, nice little private equity gig. Mm-hmm. Head of MI5, nice little international bank gig. What have we got on the books this month for me? A commencement speech at Howard University in a public service announcement where I co-star with Smokey the Dan Bear. Mr. President, obviously there are cycles in this business. Right now, we're not enjoying one of our particularly up cycles, but that doesn't necessarily have any predictive power about what the second half of the year may have in store. Damn, man, you're

blowing smoke up an old smoke blower's behind. David Patres. He loses his CIA job by having an affair with his biographer, and he's advising an investment firm. Let me tell you something, Adrian. I know more CEOs on a first name basis. The David Patres has ever even heard of. Well, I'm sure that's true, Mr. President, and at the point I'm making my presentations. In fact, it's top half of the seventh slide. MI5, that's nothing but the FBI's triple AT. And a major international bank with serious reputational difficulties thinks he's going to do a better job and imparting a distinguished celebrity halo effect than I can. Man, that's eight kinds of jive. So there obviously are still plenty of opportunities to both meet our price point and are appropriate. And of course, there's still a million dollars standing on for you to go on QVC. I am not going to go on no QVC. You saved that gig for Hillary. She's going to need those women like in her again. Fine, but your brand has been on the market for quite a while now.

Look, man, Tony Freak and Blair has this $15 million deal with the president of Kazakhstan. We were, as you might recall, very much in the mix on those conversations. And as I do recall, we were offering me at a lower price. I think that was one of the strategies we'd suggest as a persuasive lever for the president. I am not discount merchandise, Adrian. Our customers think they're getting the better deal when they pay more for somebody. You see how much Colin Powell's believability has gone up since he raised his price for speeches? You are. And I said that's what the utmost respects are. Well, I consider one of our prime legacy properties. And that means we have the privilege of being more selective, not only of what we accept, but in what we're being offered. Man, you're talking about me like I'm an old-timer. I played sax on the arsonio show for God's sake. That's on slide 10. Unfortunately, many of the buyers out there now in the international

ex-official marketplace just happened to have never heard of arsonio. He's coming back, you know. Well, maybe they'll have heard of them then. Wow. Well, sir, this is the day I need to remember from my next memoir. Well, Mr. President, they're all honest. I don't think. No, Adrian, this is a true pivot point. After all this time, this may be the day I stop thinking about tomorrow. Middle-aged angst and youthful ambition, together they add up to Clinton something, the wilderness years. From New Orleans, this is Lesho and now the apologies of the week. The Italian distributor of 12 years of slave is apologized for posters that placed the focus

on Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender at the expense of star. I'm going to mispronounce the name. Chuitel, a G4. Sorry about that. There is no pronunciation guide listed with this. We apologize for creating and releasing unauthorized posters for 12 years of slave in Italy featuring Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender in a manner inconsistent with approved advertising materials. Said, B-I-M-D-D-D-Struppute-Cionne. All inappropriate materials have now been withdrawn. We were very proud of the film and we got any distraction. This incident may have caused. The apology came three days after the first news of the posters emerged. Pitt, who produced the film, has a minor role in 12 years of slave. Fassbender is in a supporting role both are white, while a black actor, Edgeo 4 appears in virtually every scene in the film. The head of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in a video message last Sunday apologized, apologized for a hospital attack. In Sinai, Yemen, earlier this month that left dozens of people

dead, the attackers were directed not to assault the hospital or mosque in an attack against the Yemeni Ministry of Defense compound, but one fighter made a mistake and attacked the hospital, according to al-Qaeda leader Kusim Al-Rhaimi in the video. We confess to this mistake in fault. We offer our apologies and condolences to the families of the victims. Rhaimi said in the video. We did not want your lost ones. We did not target them on purpose. This is not the religion. This is not of our religion or our morals. Unquote, the apology comes after Yemeni government officials released surveillance video showing the hospital under attack. It showed patients nervously looking out of hospital windows then running after an explosion. This apology, though, rare isn't the first time al-Qaeda or its affiliates have apologized. In November, Syrian rebels with al-Qaeda ties apologies apologized for mistakenly be heading a wounded rebel fighter after assuming he supported President Al Assad. In 2009, an al-Qaeda spokesman released a video message offering condolences to unintended Muslim victims

killed in several attacks. Cracker Bowel was apologized to its customers after pulling duck dynasty merchandise off its shelves. The restaurant chain decided to stop selling certain duck dynasty branded products after Phil Robertson of the program made controversial comments about gay people and black people in an interview with GQ Magazine. We continue to offer other duck products in our stores, said the original statement. We removed selected products which we were convinced might offend some of our guests while we evaluate the situation. But Cracker Bowel's executive is backpedal less than 48 hours later after customers berated the company for the decision. Dear Cracker Bowel customer, the company wrote, when we made the decision to remove and revaluate certain duck dynasty items we offended many of our loyal customers. Our intent was to avoid offending but that's just what we've done. You told us we made a mistake and you weren't shy about it. We listened. Today we're putting all our duck dynasty products back in our stores and we apologize to you and we apologize for offending you. We sincerely hope you'll continue to be a part

of our Cracker Bowel family. It's family. The communications director fired over a tweet evoking AIDS and race that was sent as she was headed to Africa as apologized, saying she's the same for her incitivity to the millions of people living with the virus. Justine Sako formerly a PR executive for the internet giant IAC which owns match.com and Vimeo was fired over a tweet that came from her account that read quote, going to Africa, hope I don't get AIDS just getting I'm white unquote controversy erupted while Sako was reportedly bid flight with no internet access. When she landed, she said my greatest concern was this statement reached South Africa first. After sending her statement to the South African newspaper, the star Sako shared the following apology quote words cannot express how sorry I am and how necessary it is for me to apologize to the people of South Africa who might have offended due to a needless and careless tweet. There is an AIDS crisis taking place in the country that we read about in America but do not

live with or face on a continuing basis. It is terribly easy to be cavalier about an epidemic that one has never witnessed firsthand for being insensitive to this crisis which does not discriminate by race gender or sexual orientation and to the millions of people living with the virus I am ashamed. This is my father's country and I was born here. I'm very sorry for the pain I caused. I AC distanced itself from the tweet in a statement and said she has been fired. Chinese Express delivery company apologized on Saturday after parcels branded, sorry, tainted by toxic chemicals, killed one recipient and caused seven others to become ill. A man in East China's Shandong province died of methyl floro acetate poro acetate poisoning after he accepted shoes delivered by Shanghai YTO Express. The Bureau of the post office said four parcels delivered by the Shanghai based company were found to be contaminated, five delivery workers and two recipients were also poisoned.

Package containing the chemical leaked during transport said a spokesman for the express company. The package was sent by a chemical plant in Central China's Hubei province who claimed it was inoxious. The company said it would not shun its responsibilities and was cooperating with police in the investigation. But there are apologies for not delivering packages too. And I'll find them or maybe I won. Yes, here they are right here. Nordstrom has profusely apologized to customers who didn't receive packages in time for Christmas in Amazon.com offered a $20 gift card to customers inconvenienced by UPS's inability to deliver packages in time for the holidays. I sincerely apologize for leading you down. We also realize we're accountable for meeting your expectations and take responsibility for what happened here. Wrote Jamie Nordstrom, President of Nordstrom's online operation. Yes, there's a Nordstrom at Nordstrom's. Two students, part of Nathia Society at the London School of Economics were issued an apology from the university after being asked to cover up pictures on their t-shirts

depicting the profits Jesus and Mohammed. They were manning an atheist booth at the London School of Economics freshman's fair when they were asked to cover up their t-shirts which used pictures from the satirical comic strip Jesus and Moe. Two students formally appealed to the school and have now received a public apology from the London School of Economics director Craig Calhoun. He said staff had faced difficulties in dealing with the situation. He said in hindsight the t-shirts did not amount to harassment nor did they violate any LSE policies. The apology comes amid concerns that universities in the UK are pandering to Muslims. The Martin is apologized after making a joke that he later considered was highly inappropriate. He was engaging with fans on Twitter and asked them to submit questions about grammar when one asked is this how you spell LaZonia, L-A-S-O-N-I-A, he replied it depends. Are you in an African-American neighborhood or an Italian restaurant? He quickly realized his joke could have been viewed as offensive and deleted it. He apologized and later shared a fuller explanation online. And Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Dantoni after an embarrassing loss against the Phoenix Sons, the team he

previously coached, said fans who were feeling down about the team should, quote, find another team to root for. He quickly realized he lost his emotional control and apologized. He said, I was an idiot last night. I was out of my mind. I was ticked off. We didn't play well and I said some stuff I shouldn't have. It was stupid. That's me. I just made a mistake. Unquote Mike Dantoni. Because they don't have Kobe anymore. So who's going to hog the ball? The apologies of the week latest gentleman, a copyrighted feature of this broadcast, moving swiftly along one of the major issues this year was what to do about the ongoing struggle in Syria. President Obama had said there was a red line that Syria should not cross, that involved the use of chemical weapons. There was a report that chemical weapons were used this year and much controversy about whether there was proof that it was the Syrian government

who had used the chemical weapons and then there was the question of what do you do if a red line has crossed? And President Obama then said, it wasn't my red line. You know, you know, you know, I'm the press. I mean, I lead, you know, you've been led fine. You've probably heard someone say, I drew a red line. It was a headline that were up against a deadline, but it makes as much sense as saying on standing in a bread line. I'm far from broke. My financial state is oak and getting ochre. The bank sent me a broker. We'll be well-fed and that line is surely red, but it's not mine. It's an international line and it's not my credibility that's a stake. That's an error you could make. I like a daisicle mistake, but my cred's prime. If you miss the boldly hurled, that line belongs to Congress and the world. And in case behavior threatens to get

worse, that red line belongs to the universe. Violating norms is what it bars. And it's not my line. You can trace it straight back to Mars. There's no way it's my red line. I was sailing through the back nine. And like all lines in the sand, sand will shift and lines will slide. And lines look different when you see them from the inside. I'm John from Arizona. I'm sort of a loner. Used to be Mr. Straight Talk. Now I'm Mr. Don't wait, talk. I was tortured in a war. In fact, my shoulders are still sore. But I think bombing is just a bore. We need lots more. Change the regime and the begin.

Keep redrawing that old map. Anything less is Democrat crap. I met the rebels. They had cotton. I had coffee. I used to hang out with Gaddafi till the tables turned. If you play with fire, you get burned unless your bunkers led lined. But look, it's not my red line. There's no way it's my red line. I was in the meat depressed green room at nine. And like all lines in the sand, sands will shift and lines will slide. And lines look different when you see them from the inside. I'm a different John. And Vietnam, I was in it. Then I testified to this Senate. Said you don't want to be the last American to die for a mistake. That was my big break.

Now I'm Secretary of State. When I testify these days, a lot more is at stake. Some say I lied when I testify that the rebels aren't Al Qaeda. But I'm not a fact provider. My job is to add moral weight. When you take over in state, you're not captain of your fate. I'll make the case and save my face. It's the younger me who would have chosen to resign. But it's not my red line. There's no way it's my red line. I was win sailing the whole time. Like all lines in the sand, sands will shift and lines will slide and lines look different when you see them from the inside. It's international norms we're protecting. No matter what, yours is much better. This is nothing like Iraq. The backstory was right with ancient ethnic strife. This time I'm not sticking around. No books on the ground. Trust some in the air. This precise is my hair. We're only there to show we have some spine.

But it's not my red line. And then is a surprise solution to the quandary of what to do about a red line that nobody wanted to take credit for. But the yet was violated in step Russian President Putin with a solution. And over to Moscow for a meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov went Secretary of State Kerry to seal that deal. But before he went, he stopped in for some timely advice. 2013, the year in repute. Mr. Secretary, thank you for coming in this morning. I can't tell you what this means to me.

Yeah, right. I've heard your recent speeches. Well, you certainly know this office as well as any personal life. Yes, it was the office of my library when I was national security advisor. And he was Secretary of State. That would be Bill Rogers. You are free to speak his name. And then it was my office when I climbed over the lifeless corpse of his career. Can I offer you a beverage of your choice? It's before noon, isn't it? Yes, sir. My plane takes off. Then it won't be the beverage of my choice. I'll have some water. Yeah. Well, we've got some fine State Department spring water right here for you. Thank you. There you go. I had to do have to say on a personal note, when I was a soldier, just back from Vietnam, and I threw my ribbons or my medals over the capital fence, I never dreamed that I'd be sitting here pouring you water today.

Hmm, well, of course, back in those days, my boss wanted you arrested and charged with something akin to treason, so I never dreamed you'd be sitting in my old chair. We actually replaced the chair. Well, it's been a while. I did have Christian on my staff prepare these for you. These would be your medals. Now, it's that you're defending unilateral American military action contrary to what's laughingly referred to as international law. You deserve them. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I'm so very close to being moved. Now, obviously, sir, I reached out to you because I have some meetings coming up with Foreign Minister Lavrov. Girl, you don't have to reach out and sitting right here. No, of course. And I thought you might have some thoughts on dealing with Russian, or in your case, Soviet foreign ministers, or either, or both. Well, of course, the Russians, and before them, the Soviets, and before them, the Russians,

take a very geopolitically focused view of the world. They see Syria very close to some of their former republics as part of their access of influence. So they will be far more responsive if that point of view is acknowledged. Yes, sir. If I may, that seems almost obvious. If I may, listening to your recent speeches, I thought that those of the obvious might be in order. So to take a concrete example, when we engineered the coup that ousted the Yandén Chile, the Soviets and their friends made a lot of noise about him being democratically elected and so forth. But basically, that was our sphere, and they acknowledged that. So you're saying that Lavrov and Putin are expecting us to make a lot of noise about Syria, but not too much of anything? I think we're all expecting that, Mr. Secretary. Yandén actually was democratically elected, though, wasn't he?

So was the Muslim brotherhood in Egypt. We didn't overthrow them, though. You didn't have to. Anyway, foreign policy is a lot like playing a game of chicken on the highway. The first player who takes his hands off the steering wheel has the advantage. Well, but of course, now we're playing that game with a huge domestic and worldwide audience. That was Nixon's great talent. He didn't like Jews, and he was a bit of a drinker, but he didn't care what people thought. So he could feel free to take his hands off the steering wheel first, and he did over and over again. Of course, I had to tell him when to do it, but... Again, sir, I'll do respect. At my age, I need you to get to the point more than I need to respect. Fine. We've just been through two wars started by a foreign policy team that didn't just take their hands off the steering wheel. They nailed the accelerator to the floor and through the brake pedal out the window. I don't think in a world dominated by social media that

transcends borders, a world leader can operate that way with all due respect, Mr. Secretary. I think a leader has to demonstrate some degree of concern for world opinion. Oh, don't tell me, Mr. Secretary, tell Basar Al Assad. Look, when I entered the White House, the Chinese reviewed as a grave threat to the free world. Partly thanks to your old boss. Sure. But 10 years after the old man left office in supposed a disgrace, I had consulting contracts with the Chinese worth 20 million. That's the magic of smart diplomacy. So you're saying... I'm saying that if you play your cards right, you can end up with a multi-million dollar consulting contract in Syria. I mean, if not you, who, Lavrov? Look, your president clearly doesn't want to be in another war. No, he ran to end wars, not I know, and my president had a secret plan to end war. More importantly, your president has a congress that won't let him

get into a war he doesn't want to be in. Mr. Putin has generously offered to humiliate him by getting him out of his own jam. I suggest you find a way to let him. Then you'll really have those methods. I appreciate the time, Dr. Kissinger. If this works out, maybe both you and my president will have earned your peace prizes. We both should live so long. And finally, political fact, call this The Lie of the Year. You know, if you like the way you look, and you like the cut of my gym, if nothing's changed in the last four years, you've been still eating without needing a bib. If you like New York and June, and if you like your current health plan,

yeah. It's no lie. No wish on the moon. You can keep it. You know, if you like the White House Facebook page, if you like movies and walks on the beach, if you're insurance plan is robust enough, the current premiums almost within reach. If you don't know art, but you know what you like. And if you like your current health plan, it's no joke. No call, third strike. You can keep it. You know, if you like me, or if you're just like me, if you like mine health insurance on your own,

if you like the good things of life, and spending days online, and on the phone, if you're insurance company still likes you, and you like your current health plan, yeah. It's no drive. I'm certainly not the man. You can keep it. Hey, I had to truncate the last first for you, ladies and gentlemen, because we're out of time, plurum out of time. For this week's edition of the show, the program, it turns next, we get the same time over these same stations at PR, WorldWorth, throughout Europe, used in 440 cables, systems, Japan, around the world through the cities of the American forces network. I'll put down these coast of North America by the shortwave giant WBCQ, the planet,

7.49 omega shortwave around the world by the internet at two different locations live in archive whenever you want at harryshirror.com and kcsn.org on the 19104 in Berlin, available for your smartphone through stitcher.com and it's available as a free podcast from www.no.org, SoundCloud, and several others to vague dimension at this moment. And it'll be just like 2014, coming right up. If you'd agree to join with me then, will you already thank you very much. Typically the show cha po to the San Diego Pittsburgh Chicago next island Hawaii desks. Thanks as always to Pam Hallstead. Thanks to Jenny Lawson here at www.no.no.org for help with today's broadcast. Playlist of what you hear on this program of always available at harryshirror.com where everything in the store is still $5 and I'll be yakin' at you 140 characters at a time at the harryshirror on twitter.

The show comes to you from century of progress productions and originates through the facilities of www.no.org's flagship station of the Change ZZ Radio Network. Happy New Year.