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July 10, 2014
Open Thread 2014-15
Comments
Electric Six – Dance Commander
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRrfnvGQG1I
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 10 2014 17:56 utc | 1
Jem – They
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSLvcJ4I1mw
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 10 2014 18:22 utc | 2
I haven’t finished all of it, but I can enthusiastically recommend, based on a reading of the first half, “Surveillance Capitalism: Monopoly-Finance Capital, the Military-Industrial Complex, and the Digital Age,” the feature article by John Bellamy Foster and Bob McChesney in the latest monthly review.
For instance I did not know that Neil McElroy, Procter & Gamble chief, the founding father of corporate branding as well as the soap opera, who would later because Eisenhower’s SecDef, was the guy who led the effort to create ARPANET:
After nine years heading Procter & Gamble, McElroy agreed to become Eisenhower’s new Secretary of Defense. On October 4, 1957 the defense secretary nominee was in Huntsville, Alabama touring the Redstone Arsenal, the Army’s rocket program, and conversing with German émigré Wernher von Braun, considered the founder of modern rocketry, when news of the Soviet launching of Sputnik arrived. Five days later McElroy was sworn in as secretary of defense with all of Washington discussing the question of Soviet technological dominance. The launch of Sputnik II a month later only increased the pressure on the Eisenhower administration. After conferring with Ernest O. Lawrence, a major figure in the Manhattan Project, McElroy proposed the launching of a centralized agency for advanced scientific research projects, drawing on a broad network of scientific talent in universities and corporate manufacturing firms across the country. On November 20, 1957, he went to Capitol Hill for the first time and presented his idea of a “single manager” for all defense research, which would initially focus on ballistic missile, satellite, and space research and development programs, but which would have clear contracting authority and an unlimited, unconstrained research agenda. On January 7, 1958, Eisenhower requested Congress to provide startup funds for the new Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA).
Posted by: Mike Maloney | Jul 10 2014 18:25 utc | 4
Ken Ishii ‘Extra’ Music Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnU51pb47yM
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 10 2014 19:21 utc | 5
About two weeks ago, Merkel and Putin had a meeting in Berlin.
After the meeting, Putin requested that the Duma repeal his authority to unilaterally invade Ukraine, which they did.
Obviously, Putin is trying to show Merkel and Hollande that he will make every effort to keep the peace, be a reliable trading partner, and act rationally.
This must have impressed Merkel who is undoubtedly fed up with Washington’s spying and provocations in Ukraine.
Everyone knows that if Obama told Poroshenko to stop the operations in the east, he would stop immediately. So there is no doubt who is causing the trouble. The USA.
My question to MOA readers is this: Does Merkel have the power to pressure Obama to stop the attacks in the East or is she so dependent on the corporate-banking oligarchy that she is no more free than the puppet Obama???
In other words, is she free to use her own judgment or is she just a tool of big biz?
That’s it.
Posted by: plantman | Jul 10 2014 19:25 utc | 6
Duran Duran – Girls On Film
hehe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCjMZMxNr-0
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 10 2014 19:31 utc | 7
Posted by: Mike Maloney | Jul 10, 2014 2:25:53 PM | 4
Thanks for the link and interesting read
Posted by: jo6pac | Jul 10 2014 19:52 utc | 8
Check this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWPdW1UWQuQ
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 10 2014 19:55 utc | 9
With the concession that on this site the level of discussion has progressed to far more sophisticated issues, can someone outline to me the reason that the Donbas leaders ignored Putin’s wishes and pressed ahead with the referendums (referenda?).
Posted by: chet380 | Jul 10 2014 20:12 utc | 10
chet380
Simply because US lies when they say Russia control whats going on in that region.
Posted by: Anonymous | Jul 10 2014 20:24 utc | 11
@chet380 #10:
After the Odessa Massacre of May 2, the Ukraine stopped existing as a nation. It became completely obvious that the junta would use fascist techniques of repression against people who did not recognize its power, and that people who identify as ethnic Russians would be treated at least as badly as Palestinians are treated by Israel.
Given that, Putin call for a delay of the referendums could not be taken seriously. This call fits into pattern in which the Russian government continuously distances itself from the rebels, while the rebels continue to receive support from the rebels. (It is not known whether the Russian government is involved in that; it could all be provided by private individuals and organizations.)
@plantman #6:
Of course Merkel has no “power to pressure Obama to stop the attacks in the East”. But that’s not because of any German oligarchy, but because Germany is occupied by the Empire, and its government bureaucracy, the intelligence agencies and military especially, are infiltrated by people who are essentially American agents, as are the media and private foundations.
@Paty Kerry #7:
Love that video. The Chauffeur is great, too.
Merkel is a complete puppet and a tool. Not only is the media americanized through and through, but there is a special relationship with the only democracy in the ME.
And why should Obummer stop Choclate King Billionaire? Fascism demands crackdown
and unconditional surrender. Kiev rocket good – Gaza rocket bad.
Posted by: slirs | Jul 10 2014 20:54 utc | 14
Another good read is Jeffrey St. Clair’s “Field Notes From a Mirage” about a road trip the CounterPunch editor takes with his wife, a librarian at Portland State, to Las Vegas to attend the annual conference of the American Library Association. I am a sucker for this genre of time-present first-person narratives from a public intellectual out and about in the world — discussing suicide at the bar of a sports book on the Strip or talking about the impending ecological disaster of sin city with an engineer on the flight in:
On the plane from Portland, I sat next to an engineer who has been working for the last decade at Lake Mead [The source of Las Vegas’ drinking water]. The reservoir is shriveling, drying up before our eyes. The water level drops each year, leaving a baleful white stain on the walls of Black Canyon. His company’s job is to paint the freshly exposed bone-white walls of the canyon back to their accustomed color, so as not to frighten the tourists.
Posted by: Mike Maloney | Jul 10 2014 21:17 utc | 15
Demian says: “Of course Merkel has no “power to pressure Obama to stop the attacks in the East”. But that’s not because of any German oligarchy, but because Germany is occupied by the Empire, and its government bureaucracy, the intelligence agencies and military especially, are infiltrated by people who are essentially American agents, as are the media and private foundations.”
Let’s assume you are right. Still that doesn’t change the calculus for Putin who needs to move German public opinion in a way that serves Russia’s interests. Let’s say, Putin decides to do what the US does everywhere, use the media and German friends like Gerhardt Schroeder to cast him as a peacemaker. That would be a cheap way to effect the elections and force Merkel to make concessions.
Putin’s going to have to get more engaged in many areas Russia hasn’t been involved before if he wants to keep selling gas to the EU.
Posted by: plantman | Jul 10 2014 21:29 utc | 16
@plantman #16:
You asked about something with a near-zero probability: Germany having a significant influence over US foreign policy. Germany learning to act more in its own self-interest and to have a certain independence of the US is much more in the realm of the possible, but it will take time, as has been discussed here repeatedly.
And yes, as you say, there are factions in German politics that are more pro-Russia than Merkel’s CDU.
As for Russia not doing more to get the German public on its side, there was a thread about Putin’s strategy of trying to get Germany out of the US orbit over at Vineyard of the Saker, and a commenter observed that RT isn’t available on German TV (which I do find surprising).
@6
The CIA man in Berlin has been told by the Germans to pack his bags .
Posted by: Yul | Jul 10 2014 21:42 utc | 18
Demian: “You asked about something with a near-zero probability: Germany having a significant influence over US foreign policy.”
I don’t think that’s accurate at all. At the very least, Merkel could have an impact of the Southstream decision where the US is presently arm-twisting Bulgaria. This is still essentially a decision EU leaders will decide and Germany’s view will hold considerable weight.
And if southstream goes forward, then Ukraine’s pipelines become redundant and the US is stuck with a country with zero prospects for future growth absent renewed ties with Moscow.
So Germany can have a huge effect on US policy. If Germany gets tired of US actions in Ukraine, it can do things that will make it impossible for Poroshenko to continue.
Posted by: plantman | Jul 10 2014 22:00 utc | 19
@plantman #19:
Blocking US machinations and interference in EU matters, by not letting the US stop the construction of Southstream in this case, is not the same thing as having an influence on US policy.
I think the Austrian president’s strong support of South Stream, against both US and EU pressure, is a good indication that it will go ahead without too much delay. I would imagine that Germany and Austria coordinate their policies in such matters, so Germany may well be putting pressure on Bulgaria to quietly go ahead with South Stream. What point would there be in Austria going ahead with South Stream if Bulgaria has scrapped it? But it is clear that Germany is not yet ready to openly challenge the US on such matters.
Interestingly, in his press conference with Putin, Heinz Fischer said: “No one can explain to me – and I can’t explain to the Austrian people – why a pipeline that crosses EU and NATO countries can’t go 50 km into Austria.” So Fischer pointed out that Austria is a neutral country, not a member of NATO. This may well be why Austria feels more at liberty to openly defy the US than Germany does.
So long as Germany is part of NATO, it cannot be a sovereign country. For all countries other than the US, membership in NATO is subjugation.
for those who missed it, yu may need to stand onm your heads to read this piece where NATO defends its actions viz an viz russia
http://www.voltairenet.org/article183473.html
eg
‘Russian criticism of the legitimacy of NATO military actions – Libya
In seeking to defend its illegal actions in Crimea, Russia has attacked the legitimacy of some of NATO’s operations.
This includes the NATO-led operation of 2011 to protect civilians in Libyan. The NATO-led operation was launched under the authority of two UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR), UNSCRs 1970 & 1973, both quoting Chapter VII of the UN Charter, and neither of which was opposed by Russia. President Putin recently accused NATO of violating the resolutions by bombing Libya. This is entirely inaccurate.
UNSCR 1973 authorized NATO “to take all necessary measures” to “protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack”, which is what NATO did, with the political and military support of regional states and members of the Arab League.
After the conflict, NATO cooperated with the UN International Commission of Inquiry on Libya, which found no breach of UNSCR 1973 or international law, concluding instead that “NATO conducted a highly precise campaign with a demonstrable determination to avoid civilian casualties.”
‘——————-
i recall the reality was very different!
http://stopwarcrimes.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/massacre-in-zliten-85-civilians-killed-in-nato-air-strikes/
‘The 85 babies, children, women and men slain and many others critically injured by the British contingent of NATO were unarmed with no Libyan military presence in the area. Finished with their evening prayers after a day of fasting during Ramadan, most were sleeping in their beds. The capitalist media in New York, London, Paris and other western cities will not show these videos on their television networks. Those media are as guilty of these murders as the pilots who pulled the triggers and the leaders of western countries who are executing this criminal war.
http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_63567.shtml
NATO, the eurotrash war machine is guilty of not just mass murder…but of lying about it
Posted by: brian | Jul 10 2014 23:51 utc | 21
Kurdistan and the Caliphate
by Thierry Meyssan
In a few weeks, two entities to which few people gave a future are taking shape: Kurdistan and the Caliphate. Thierry Meyssan’s analysis indicating these two entities are being propelled by Washington is confirmed by events. He examines the latest developments
etc
http://www.voltairenet.org/article184669.html
Posted by: brian | Jul 10 2014 23:53 utc | 22
I saw somewhere?that that estimable broadcaster Diane Sawyer,that paragon of MSM veracity,pointed out Gaza as being Sderot? or some other part of Israel under attack.
And the NYTs headlines the last two days about Israel Palestine make one think its the Palestinians dealing out the hurt,not Israel.A complete bogus narrative by bogus people.
Posted by: dahoit | Jul 11 2014 0:01 utc | 23
“So long as Germany is part of NATO, it cannot be a sovereign country. For all countries other than the US, membership in NATO is subjugation…”
What is missing from this judgement is any sense of movement, change. It is becoming increasingly untenable for Germans to follow US diktats. And the US, which is run by complete incompetents, puts its many friends, agents and allies in Germany in a position approaching the impossible.
In other words, things are changing and they are changing quickly.
In large part because the one thing that is not changing is the arrogance and brutality of Ugly America.
After the revelations that Merkel’s cell phone was being monitored the rational thing for the US to do would have been to back off. Instead, motivated by that urge for self destruction the Greek poets called hubris, Washington simply piled on the pressure. Hillary, for example, quite gratuitously announced that the US had a right to spy on anyone, forever, and ought to do so.
The Embassy, by now also besieged by German demands to explain the fact that it contained a listening station aimed at monitoring all German communications, started paying someone to spy on legislators discussing US spying. And now, there is the news that the US, which through NATO has enormous influence over the German armed forces, is employing-for purposes that are far from obvious- low level spies who report to the CIA.
It is politically impossible, even for Merkel and her ultra Atlanticist friends, not to respond, albeit mildly, to such provocations.
Economic logic compels Germany to balance its relations with the east. This has long been the case, going back to the days of Willy Brandt and Helmut Schmidt. The east is a natural trading partner, a market anxious for both German investment and German manufactures.
The NATO treaty can no more prevent Germany from breaking away from US policies to isolate Russia than the Church’s laws on marriage can prevent youngsters from fucking.
NATO, allah be praised, is falling apart. It cannot last because as Deaian says “membership is subjugation” and governments which advertise their subjugation, by welcoming it, will not endure.
Posted by: bevin | Jul 11 2014 0:21 utc | 24
at the risk of repeating myself, I. Think that Putin needs something that will publicly amplify how reckless and irrational the US has gotten. The ISIS charade provides a good opportunity for that, because whether you think the US is directly funding the jihadis or not, the attacks on Al Maliki appear to be more important to Obama than delivering threats to ISIS. This makes the WOT look like a fraud and makes the US look like a enabler.
If Putin can draw attention to the chaos the US spread across two continents…failed states galore….Putins stock is bound to rise while Uncle SAMs will plunge.
Public opinion will make it hard for politicians to continue their support for Washington.
I think Obama is smart enough to know that public opinion is already shifting away from support for the carnage in Ukraine, which is why I think the US will probably cooking up a false flag operation on the Crimea border.
Posted by: Plantman | Jul 11 2014 0:48 utc | 25
@24 I think it’s a waiting game for Germany and a few others. They want to see what kind of outcome Poroshenko comes up with. The ‘win’ in Slavyansk makes it look like the pro-Russians are finished. With them out of the way they’ll go for Crimea. Then Putin will either fight or they’ll make a deal.
Posted by: dh | Jul 11 2014 1:02 utc | 26
A-ha – Hunting High And Low
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPAzwUhXnzs
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 11 2014 1:03 utc | 27
The way an info war is conducted is not by the head of state being the main spokesman for the desired narrative. Other means are used to spread that narrative.
FWIW, I read a Russian piece today which says that the Russian government is deliberately toning down its rhetoric so that USG thinks Russia is giving up and backing down. This is also to make the Ukie junta overconfident in its “anti-terror operation”. The article also says that USG may by now realize that it has overplayed its hand in the Ukraine, but the Ukies are now in such a frenzy that USG by now couldn’t get them to negotiate even if it wanted to. An interesting point of view. The article was republished in novorus.info, which tends to more often post articles taking the line that Putin is “giving up” Novorossiya.
Putin and the rat king, or operation “Mousetrap” (Yandex trans.)
Oliver Stone on the Kennedy Administration and the Cold War
http://vimeo.com/86219487
Joseph McBride on the U.S. mainstream media and the JFK assassination
http://vimeo.com/86213124
Posted by: jayc | Jul 11 2014 1:28 utc | 30
I tried three times to reply to Plantman’s last post, the last time even removing a link, and none of those posts went through. Let’s see if this post, which doesn’t mention anything about the topic, goes through, or whether I have been summarily and silently banned.
Level 42
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQcGfRT4Tt0
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 11 2014 2:00 utc | 33
@25 I’m not sure Putin needs to be confrontational in anyway. Obama and the MIC are becoming weaker at home and abroad. Afterall, Obama is whining about cynics, so I think the last thing Putin wants is a rally around the flag situation in the U.S. I suspect the U.S. is cash poor, the rich are thieves grabbing everything they can, and I think for Obama to pursue an initiative he needs cash which I suspect has been gobbled up already. Why give Congress a reason to give Obama money before the election?
The other issue is he is already winning. American tech and defense companies are losing business over U.S. policy. Short of miraculous plan from the U.S., why stop doing what’s works? It’s not just at the national level. It’s every local government and business who will demand more favorable deals or go with a non-American alternatives.
Posted by: NotTimothyGeithner | Jul 11 2014 2:02 utc | 34
“If people reflexively and instinctively laid the blame for the continuous litany of war crimes at the feet of the US/Zionists where it deserves to be no one’s feelings/egos would be hurt and – gasp! – we might actually start saving people’s fucking lives.” J.Sorrentino Ofcourse one may question why Hamas are giving the Israelis the excuse to commit these war crimes but the utter despair and horror you and I feel cannot possibly compare with that of the Palestinian victim each of whom have experienced for over sixty years every day every season all the time thousands of random acts of violence and now the serious and criminal use of superior military force crushing peace, destroying normal life utterly utterly. there surely cannot be a moment for rational thought or developed resilience in thousands of households. And how do these people without water or regular good food live their fractured cruel lives at the mercy, at root from innocence, of a tyranny they cannot be responsible for and did not create, while the international laws that forbid this are utterly utterly ignored by all national governments of the world, Is there going to be a movement in history by the conscience of mankind, if we have such a shared resource, that brings the Israel government to the Law Courts? The EU of which we in Ireland are now a colony, refuses to cooperate when thousands of appeals for justice have been made. What event can possibly change this . – we have seen the worst possible events, we know all too well of the constant criminal life that presently floats over and penetrates the entire Middle East – because these Middle East Arabs and Muslims are the victims of insane military acts by far distant western countries who want valuable natural resources……….. does our voice fade away dear friends? What can we do? We cry for the action of International Law because money does not alter the matter. The International Law that Putin, from maligned Russia, was absolutely careful to use and abide by in Ukraine and Crimea , the Law that has been caste aside by both the EU and America and UK. Caste aside dear friends, law that was set up to aid us from the seemingly impervious acts of financial war and military barbarism. We can hardly release our own feelings because we have never been re-assured by either parent or education that feelings have true meanings and have to be carefully explained and respected as were the feelings and knowledge of the originators of International Law who differed not one wit from you and I.
Posted by: Jocelyn Braddell | Jul 11 2014 2:07 utc | 35
What does it cost to own the media of a country? How long does it take to acquire same? Is it even possible to counter-bid on the media currently owned by the US? What might be the dangers of such activities?
These are questions I don’t have the beginnings of answers for, but it seems to me that righting many of the wrongs of this world can be done by changing the narrative, just as we have been shown by the Ukraine situation how easily the US can attack a sovereign state with orchestrated terrorism simply because it owns the media of its entire constituency. It can even commit blunders and get away with really bad tactics because it is unaccountable in the media.
I read once that at the beginning of the 20th century, maybe it was JP Morgan who set his people to determine how many newspapers one had to own in order to control the political discourse of the United States. The answer was 25 newspapers.
Posted by: Grieved | Jul 11 2014 2:31 utc | 37
The Germany-U.S. estrangement is real. First, the cold shoulder on further Russian sanctions; then Merkel hooking up with Xi in Beijing on the 77th anniversary of the Sino-Japanese War; now the espionage arrests. What more proof do we need?
But like an old friend who you run into on the street and assure you will call to get together soon but then never do, both parties will pretend that the friendship is evergreen and relations shall continue on as of old. But they don’t, do they?
Posted by: Mike Maloney | Jul 11 2014 2:44 utc | 38
@37 Yes…but still Merkel needs to be sure. She can’t go full Ost-politik until Donbass is fully in Poroshenko’s hands. She may have a long wait.
Posted by: dh | Jul 11 2014 3:32 utc | 39
@dh #38
Speaking about that, here is an interesting article (translated):
Putin and the rat king, or operation “Mousetrap”
I am repeating part of a previous post that wasn’t accepted, for troubleshooting purposes.
Rammstein (“Das Model”) – Domino
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7C6W0M5ME0
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 11 2014 5:21 utc | 41
Toto – Africa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTQbiNvZqaY
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 11 2014 5:50 utc | 42
@jocylyn 34,don’t know what to say.idf can shoot “fish in a barrel”(Gaza) with impunity,with heartless arrogant ruthlessness,over and over and over again.does israel understand how hated they (as a nation) are becoming? hubris is a bitch, they will be bitch-slapped. doesn’t bring back the dead tho.
All of a sudden, the terrorists have turned into rebels.
spiegel. It’s german, but you can recognize it from the headline alone. Nah, I’m sure they are americas fierce enemies, these rebels.
Posted by: peter radiator | Jul 11 2014 5:52 utc | 44
@peter radiator #43:
All of a sudden, the terrorists have turned into rebels.
I was hoping that was about Novorossiya. Oh well.
Just watch this, live from the horse’s mouth – Merkel in Stuttgart last year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx0BQk5ouTQ
“We came quite a bit forward regarding the souvernity issue…”
Mucho fun.
Posted by: T2015 | Jul 11 2014 6:21 utc | 46
The recent Facebook experiments are extremely interesting, but are only a tiny, tiny glimpse into the level of manipulation that humanity now faces from those who control such powerful means of communication. That such news would come out only means that others have been at it for many, many years.
One must consider that these methods of manipulation have already been put into practice during events like Maidan and the Arab Spring.
The only answer is that these means of communication must be owned by those who engage there and produce the content – meaning everyone – and will require rules, regulations, and social agreements comparable to national constitutions if these technologies are not to become methods of social control and tyranny.
Posted by: guest77 | Jul 11 2014 6:23 utc | 47
@ Paty, will you please stop posting nonsensical music vidoes? It’s nice that you have a personal taste, but most of us don’t share it and this is not a music forum. It feels like spam.
Posted by: T2015 | Jul 11 2014 6:23 utc | 48
1 on 1 with me, i think you shit in your pants 🙂
only body talk 🙂
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 11 2014 6:29 utc | 49
also I am disturbed of so many links to videos (music???) – otherwise this is a very good blog. Kind regards to alle fr
Stockholm.
Posted by: Atta Troll | Jul 11 2014 6:53 utc | 51
Paul Craig Roberts
Washington’s Arrogance Will Destroy Its Empire
Washington reeks of the stench of evil
Russia is strong enough to refuse to comply with Washington’s orders.
So what did Washington do?
The city upon the hill, the light unto the world, the “indispensable, exceptional government,” kidnapped Roman Seleznyov, the son of a Russian MP, in a foreign country, the Republic of the Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean. Seleznyov was seized by Washington as he boarded a flight to Moscow and was spirited away on a private plane to US controlled territory where he was arrested on bogus fraud charges.
The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Washington of kidnapping a Russian citizen in “a new hostile move by Washington” against the Russian people.
There is no doubt whatsoever that Seleznyov’s kidnapping is illegal–as is everything Washington has done since the Clinton regime. Seleznyov’s father, a member of the Russian legislative body, believes that Washington kidnapped his son in order to exchange him for Edward Snowden.
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2014/07/09/washingtons-arrogance-will-destroy-empire-paul-craig-roberts/
Posted by: okie farmer | Jul 11 2014 7:41 utc | 52
25
Countering that is Breitbart, Huffpost, NYTimes, Wapo….
all feeding febrile disinformation and virulently zionist dialogue into the ‘just finish them off, then glass Tehran’ trope-o-sphere, and Haaretz notices that the Generation Next of Israeli Youth are (the media claims) violently anti-Arab, which is always the fruit of fascist gentrification moving globally around the globe towards a Final Solution.
It would be like trying to wave the flag of renaissance vacuity and free love at the 1935 Munich Olympics during the swastica mass-marching pre-game show…you’d be clubbed to death and disappeared.
That what always seems odd to me about MoA, the penchant to rattle on like old pensioners sailing on the Titanic. Nobody cares about your Greta Garbo theory once the missiles fly.
Posted by: Chip Nihk | Jul 11 2014 7:57 utc | 53
Bradrakumar
US – Afghan Pact Remains Elusive
Melkulangara BHADRAKUMAR | 09.07.2014 | 00:00
The sudden appearance of the US Senator John McCain in the Hindu Kush Mountains last weekend reminds the regional powers that there is more to Afghanistan’s presidential election than meets the eye.
McCain himself is not new to the frontline. He is a frequent visitor to Syria’s neighboring countries to shore up the sagging regime change agenda against President Bashar Al-Assad. His missions to Ukraine aimed to ensure that the gains of the regime change in February did not get dissipated. His Afghan mission may seem on surface to be somewhat atypical; he is cast in the role of an umpire in democratic election rather than a ‘cold warrior’. But in reality he was undertaking a typical McCain mission in Afghanistan – namely, to remove the road block that delays the signing of the US-Afghan security pact leading to the establishment of US military bases and advancing the ‘pivot’ to Asia.
http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2014/07/09/us-afghan-pact-remains-elusive.html
Posted by: okie farmer | Jul 11 2014 8:18 utc | 55
160 best of arnold graundschweiger 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDxn0Xfqkgw
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 11 2014 8:23 utc | 56
You can do something STARTING NOW about the cowardly, murdering, blood stained people in “Israel”. If you do nothing you are ALSO guilty.
All Palestinians are being punished. it is called COLLERATAL DAMAGE.
YOU HAVE THIS WEAPON- USE IT. Or stop complaining
BOYCOTT ALL JEWISH GOODS AND BUSINESS. BOYCOTT ALL JEWISH GOODS AND BUSINESS
Spread the message. BOYCOTT ALL JEWISH GOODS AND BUSINESS
Posted by: boindub | Jul 11 2014 8:55 utc | 57
Jocelyn Braddell@34, I agree with your heartfelt pleas for states to implement International law and sanction Israel, unfortunately Israel has virtual veto wielding powers at the UNSC thanks to the US and its backing every criminal act Israel does. Also it does not help that Abbas has disgracefully made a commitment to the US not to pursue Israel through the ICC, this is separate from Abbas’ reluctance to move on the issue, Abbas recently told [I think it was the NYT] “I don’t like to go to the courts. I don’t like courts. I want to solve my problems directly between the parties”. Abbas was threatened by an Israeli General several years ago,revealed in that Wikileaks communication http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/02/10TELAVIV417.html to the effect that if the Palestinians used the ICC, Israel would regard that as an act of war, they also told the US to put pressure on Abbas. So who knows what nefarious dealings are going on behind the scenes.
Posted by: harry law | Jul 11 2014 9:02 utc | 58
I think I have a new formula for stupidity – the number of caps is inversely proported to the IQ.
Posted by: T2015 | Jul 11 2014 9:23 utc | 59
boindub,
even better, let’s make a big bonfire and burn works by Jewish authors!
Posted by: ralphieboy | Jul 11 2014 9:56 utc | 60
This ‘the Americans made us do it’ routine from the Germans is … beneath them.
They are copping out … doing what they want to do and blaming it on the Americans.
Posted by: john francis lee | Jul 11 2014 11:32 utc | 61
You mean nazis on dinosaurs maybe? Or which Germans? Those with over 300 american and british bases and some 100000 foreign soldiers on the ground?
Here’s an incomplete sample from Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Army_installations_in_Germany
Did you click my link above where Angela Merkel herself speaks live about the sovereignty issue and confirms that Germany is not sovereign yet?
Posted by: T2015 | Jul 11 2014 12:01 utc | 62
Babi panggang
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babi_panggang
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 11 2014 13:05 utc | 63
37;Just the fact that Hamas,the last Palestinian resistance to the Zionists exists,is enough provocation to these monsters.
And yeah,the hatred didn’t come from the homes of the Israeli youths,says the NYTs;Oh,no,their parents were and are the greatest thing since sliced wonder bread,it must be the Arabs themselves which create the hate.
Posted by: dahoit | Jul 11 2014 13:09 utc | 64
they New York TImes, on Friday Jul 11 2014 wrote:
“The decision by Chancellor Angela Merkel to publicly announce the expulsion of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Berlin station chief was seen as a highly symbolic expression of the deep anger and hurt that German officials have felt since the exposure of the American espionage operations.”
I see – not that the guy lied to them, mislead them, befooled them, and made a lot of promises he apparently had no intention of fulfilling. No its “highly symbolic” – the Times’ so delicate way of conveying that “Merkel got her knickers in a twist”.
Posted by: rackstraw | Jul 11 2014 13:10 utc | 65
Todd Terje – Inspector Norse (Official Music Video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHiqPG0526U
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 11 2014 13:10 utc | 66
Todd Terje – Ragysh [Video]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DwUYCrY1_0
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 11 2014 13:24 utc | 67
Come play some BF4 i’m Zenocolo 🙂
http://emblemsbf.com/emblem-38758.html
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 11 2014 14:01 utc | 69
Seems to be some kind of troll-detection-test? None of its posts is without a link.
Posted by: peter radiator | Jul 11 2014 14:07 utc | 70
An excellent warning from Fareed Zakaria
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/fareed-zakaria-obama-caves-to-conventional-wisdom-on-syria/2014/07/10/6a60ad74-085c-11e4-a0dd-f2b22a257353_story.html
“The Syrian people started this revolution through peaceful demonstrations,’’ said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) — one of many to make the case that the struggle has turned sectarian because Washington was passive while it grew more intense. “These radical Islamists are hijacking the revolution,” Graham explained.
In fact, radical Islamists have been the core of the opposition to the Assad regime from the very beginning, decades ago. Bashar al-Assad’s father, Hafez al-Assad, came to power in a coup in 1970 and was the first non-Sunni to rule the country. By the late 1970s, he faced an armed Islamist insurgency that spread across the country’s major cities. Between 1979 and 1981, it killed more than 300 supporters of the regime in Aleppo alone. Assad, in turn, ordered crackdowns that killed some 2,000 Islamist opponents.
….
With this history in mind, it is difficult to believe that three years ago a modest American intervention of arms and training would have changed the trajectory of events in Syria. But can anyone now believe that a modest American intervention is going to find genuine democrats in the maelstrom, help them win against Assad and also the radicals, and stabilize Syria? Or is Washington’s new activism more likely to throw fuel onto a raging fire?
Posted by: Virgile | Jul 11 2014 17:50 utc | 75
Obama found his moderates : The Talibans
Afghan Taliban warns jihadists to avoid Islamic State extremism
Statement urges fighters in Iraq and Syria to unite and refrain from judging others without evidence, in latest sign that advance of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s group is unnerving other jihadist groups
Posted by: Virgile | Jul 11 2014 18:06 utc | 76
Does Merkel have the power to pressure Obama to stop the attacks in the East or is she so dependent on the corporate-banking oligarchy that she is no more free than the puppet Obama???
There are several assumptions here. First is that Obama (or the US Gvmt.) could stop the attacks in the East. Imperialists! Or apologists for imperialism (it is Israel’s fault) are perhaps a little misguided about what the US can or cannot do. (See for ex. South Sudan.) So that would have to be discussed first, one might conclude, yes Obama could, or NO.
Upstream, one has to discuss whether he would wish to stop / continue / or is indifferent.
If the Ukr. army withdraws entirely and does nothing the Donbass will be in the hand of ‘separatists’ who would…do exactly what is not clear.
Certainly the population would not rise up or object or fight for a long time. They would remain passive.
One of the “W” conditions for aid (EU, IMF, etc.) is that Ukr. remain in one piece in its present borders. The “W” does not want partition (with part of the Ukr. coming under Russian control or semi-dominance), for obvious geo-political reasons, but also merely because nobody will want to invest or take over facilities (etc.) in a country that is in a state of civil war or at high risk for it. – Chevron, MacDonalds, IT cos, etc.- (Btw, the argument that the PTB want to keep the Donbass because it is the rich part of the country is most dubious.)
This might be shortsighted on their part, but it is what it is.
Therefore crushing the separatists (“attacks in the East”) is a no-brainer, as nobody apparently has any alternative proposal (negotiate, etc.)
Add in that many factions have an interest in war per se. (..another story.)
Plus perhaps consider that Russophobia in Ukr. (traditionally rabid in some parts and perhaps now whipped up to alarming heights, but that is another discussion) is irrepressible and will take its course.
Merkel (Hollande, EU, etc.) share this pov – in fact they are drivers of it. So the concept that Merkel might even wish to stop ‘attacks in the East’ is fanciful. Of course that originates from an EU_US alignement..or US domination of the EU to keep it from making a coalition with a natural partner, Russia.
Merkel is, and has been, a huge champion an support of the crazily anti-Russian Timoshenko and actually got the braided lady out of jail. Her hope for New Leader of Ukr. was Klitschko…nuff said.
That she is a slave of corporations and banks – well everyone is in to some degree (Obama probably more than Merkel, but who knows), but what does that imply? The interests of German business, of the German ppl (jobs, social net, trade with Russia, gas, on which she is dependent nonetheless, etc.) is not clear here, there are too many variables.
On to the question: Merkel’s power facing Obama.
Not consequent. She can argue, put forward different points, make minor threats, resist by digging in feet and not responding, do some minor finance things, but no frontal opposition can take place, as the stronger party has control. All the stuff about spies and so on are storms in teacups for the Media and the public who will be outraged for 3 weeks.
Posted by: Noirette | Jul 11 2014 18:10 utc | 77
Summer Sundance Mix 2014 by Dr. Black
https://soundcloud.com/user176237043/summer-sundance-mix-2014-by-dr
Enjoy 🙂
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 11 2014 18:42 utc | 78
@ Noirette: “Btw, the argument that the PTB want to keep the Donbass because it is the rich part of the country is most dubious.”
How so? Donbass “belongs” to the PTB guy Rinat Achmetow, he wants to “keep” it.
As for Merkel, see links above – she publicly confirmed that Germany is not sovereign (posted above), as did Wolfgang Schäuble, the finance minister:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab1lyuTyu0U
Beginning at sec. 22: “We in germany have not been sovereign at any moment ever since the 8th of May 1945”.
That’s as hard a confirmation as you will ever get. Again, this is the current finance minister of Germany.
Posted by: T2015 | Jul 11 2014 18:55 utc | 79
George carlin 2005 full
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOdHg6adizs
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 11 2014 19:38 utc | 80
Biggest Pyramid in the world is in Bosnia, Europe.
http://www.semirosmanagic.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4xu3CsHUz4
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 12 2014 4:13 utc | 81
Obama, the Muslim president:
US Muslims support Obama more than any other religious group
The Gallup Poll, conducted from January through June, found that 72 percent of Muslims approve of Obama’s performance, compared to 55 percent of Jews, 44 percent of Catholics and 37 percent of Protesants. […]
The Muslim support should not come as a surprise given Obama’s Muslim roots. Though a practicing Christian, Obama’s father, Barack Obama Sr., was a Muslim from Kenya.
Being proud of how you personally manage America’s kill list doesn’t sound like practicing Christianity. It is more like engaging in jihad.
@ Paty Kerry
“Open thread” at MoA means that one is not restricted to a particular topic or question. Your posts on other threads have lent to the subject… at Moa we have never (at least not in my 15+ years of lurking and posting) posted links to music.
Please discontinue posting links to music. Thank you,
Posted by: crone | Jul 12 2014 15:03 utc | 83
Obama’s ratings in the Muslim world have been lower than Bush’s on average.
Posted by: truthbetold | Jul 12 2014 16:54 utc | 84
At 80, 82. History (boring details for some..)
2000: Bush vs Gore, (Buchanan 1%, Nader 3% of total)
For Bush:
Blacks: 9% – these traditionally vote 10-12% for a R candidate, so leaned a bit more Dem than usual (in case not clear, vote massively for Dem.)
Hispanics: 35% (also vote majority Dem but this time much less. Bush got more than a third of the Hispanic vote.)
http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/elections/how_groups_voted/voted_00.html
Muslims (who previously voted Dem in a huge majorities):
72% Bush, 8% Gore, 19% Nader (Nader got the green muslim vote, plus he has Lebanese origins)
or “More than 80% for Bush” according to some.
“Bush’s talk about outreach and inclusion had extraordinary results—the Muslim community went 2-1 for Bill Clinton [in 1996] and almost 8-1 for Bush.”
but see caveats in the paper:
http://www.meforum.org/13/how-did-muslims-vote-in-2000
“Polls in 2000 showed Muslims favored Bush over Gore by a wide margin – some showed support in the 90 percent range – and some groups argued that some 60,000 Muslim votes put Bush over the top in Florida.”
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0817/p09s01-codc.html
Bush’s good relations with the Arab world were well known, public. See… Prince Bandar.
======
Muslims appear to vote for the person they see as most tolerant of them, or most open to them, most tied or close to them, i.e. they vote a straight identity politics issue on very slim evidence or hidden clues, and only that. Which is what they are supposed to do.
Posted by: Noirette | Jul 12 2014 17:57 utc | 85
crone @81
Your experience differs from mine, over the few years I have been visiting this blog several people, rememberinggiap, for example have posted music links for me.
I have been very grateful. Surely if you don’t like Paty’s links it is easy enough to ignore them, leaving them to those who will appreciate them?
Posted by: bevin | Jul 12 2014 18:29 utc | 86
crone: my apologies. I have just reviewed the thread above: you have a point!
Posted by: bevin | Jul 12 2014 18:33 utc | 87
you/re fine bevin… I think I counted 20 links, little much.
Posted by: crone | Jul 12 2014 18:54 utc | 88
ditto others asking paty kerry to cease and desist.. i love music, but i will not open a music link on this site as it is not what i come here for.. stop the nonsense paty.. thanks.
Posted by: james | Jul 12 2014 18:55 utc | 89
The rescued baby in Syria rubbles was a boy and the event happened 1 month ago.
Initially the team mistakenly identified the child as a girl, but an
AFP correspondent met the mother and child on Saturday.
….
Activists blamed regime warplanes for the deadly raid
….
AFP could not initially independently verify the authenticity of the video, which was posted nearly a month after the event, apparently because of technical problems.
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2014-07-13/mother-of-rescued-syrian-baby-pulled-from-rubble-after-airstrike-appeals-for-help/1342334
Posted by: Virgile | Jul 13 2014 0:03 utc | 90
via zerohedge
Merkel Slams Obama’s “Cold War” Espionage “Doesn’t Belong In 21st Century”
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 07/12/2014 – 21:08
On the heels of John Kerry’s accusation that Russia’s behavior does not belong in the 21st century, Germany’s Angela Merkel has come out swining against the escalating spying scandal with the US (which saw allegations that the US had recruited two Germans to sell secrets this week). During an interview with ZDF, the German leader blasted “that we have different perceptions on the work of intelligence services,” adding that “we don’t live in the Cold War anymore.” The White House’s response, so far, a shrug of ‘business-as-usual’ from Josh Earnest; which fits with Merkel’s conclusion: “I think it’s not that easy to convince the Americans … to completely change the way their intelligence services work.”
Posted by: crone | Jul 13 2014 2:12 utc | 91
@crone #90:
I haven’t looked at the German press at all since the first US spy was revealed. He was paid a surprisingly small amount to betray his country. I think his main motivation was admiration of the US. Believe it or not, there are even Russians like that: one was arrested recently for placing razor blades in aid packages being sent to Novorossia.
I am suspicious of the story that the way the mole in German intelligence was caught was that he made overtures to the Russians, to spy for them too (by sending them an email, supposedly how he contacted the Americans, too!). I’ve never heard of anyone spying for both sides (unless he is being run by one side or the other). A commenter at the Saker suggested that what really happened might have been that the Russians tipped of the Germans about the mole.
I’ll have to look at the German press to try to get a feel to whether this amounts to some sort of shift, no matter how small, in the German governments attitude towards atlanticism, or whether this is nothing more than placating German public opinion, while business will be carried on as usual. If the Germans were serious, they should have released the name of the CIA chief. The Russians certainly know how to parade American spies in front of cameras.
(Hehe, now I always copy text that I am about to post here now. One never knows when a comment will be rejected.)
@ 91
Interesting Demian… let us know what you discover.
Merkel and Putin are scheduled to meet in Brazil tomorrow.
Posted by: crone | Jul 13 2014 3:21 utc | 93
In Memory of Michael C. Ruppert – Full Interview – “Zeitgeist: Moving Forward” by Peter Joseph
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwysfmKNNkQ
Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jul 13 2014 21:01 utc | 94
Fareed Zacharia on CNN: “Radical Islamists have been the core of the opposition to the Assad regime from the very beginning decades ago.”
http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2014/07/14/is-u-s-throwing-fuel-on-middle-east-fire/
Posted by: Virgile | Jul 14 2014 16:11 utc | 95
http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-finally-speaks-his-mind/
Posted by: Taiwan-hand | Jul 15 2014 3:27 utc | 96
@crone #93:
Well, I haven’t looked at the German press yet, but Jason Ditz over at Antiwar.com thinks that the Germans are making a serious effort to rid themselves of American spies. As I observed here a while back after I read a piece on Putin over at Center for Syncretic Studies, the first step in Germany’s route to sovereignty is to purge its intelligence community of US spies. The most fundamental aspect of a country being in control of its own destiny is to have the people in its intelligence services be loyal to it.
The Germans have realized that there are a lot of traitors in their intelligence ranks, and they appear to be trying to do something about that. Another fail by Obama. If the Americans knew what they were doing, they could have placated the Germans, but the US national security state is on autopilot.
UN Human Rights Council, and law professor Richard Falk, is under fire from the usual suspects for expressing skepticism about the official 9/11 story. This is what Falk had to say about 9/11 on his blog:
http://mycatbirdseat.com/2011/01/richard-falk-under-fire-for-911-comments-on-his-personal-blog/
Posted by: crone | Jul 15 2014 14:57 utc | 98
@ 98
Please ignore my posting… having a senior moment (or day!). Article was posted years ago. My bad.
Posted by: crone | Jul 15 2014 15:00 utc | 99
THE ROVING EYE
BRICS against Washington consensus
By Pepe Escobar
The headline news is that this Tuesday in Fortaleza, northeast Brazil, the BRICS group of emerging powers (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) fights the (Neoliberal) World (Dis)Order via a new development bank and a reserve fund set up to offset financial crises.
The devil, of course, is in the details of how they’ll do it.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/World/WOR-01-150714.html
Posted by: crone | Jul 15 2014 16:00 utc | 100