State Department Contractor Breaks Russian Visa Law, Whines When Caught
The U.S. State Department is continuing its influence program against the Russian state. It finances "workshops" in Russia to eventually prepare for a "color revolution" there. It hires academic trainers from U.S. universities to work on various parts of the plans. One of those parts is the recruitment and influencing of Russian journalists. When the State Department sends those trainers to Russia it tells them to falsely claim to be "tourists". The Russian found out about practice and told those "trainers" to stop such nonsense.
The U.S. media though used the issue to predicatively"blame Russia". That explains factually false headlines like Boston Journalist Briefly Detained in Russia or even worse Two U.S. tourists detained in Russia:
Two American journalists were briefly detained in Russia and taken to court Thursday for teaching an investigative journalism workshop. Both were found guilty of violating visa regulations, authorities said. The New England Center for Investigative Reporting said that its co-founder, Joe Bergantino, and University of South Carolina professor Randy Covington, were detained for several hours by immigration authorities as they began teaching their first workshop in St. Petersburg.
Since when are "tourists" teaching workshops? Even worse - the same article headline with "U.S. tourists detained" later remarks:
Bergantino and Covington, who had tourist visas, were told they couldn’t continue teaching, but were free to leave the country as scheduled Saturday, the New England Center for Investigative Journalism said.It said the visas the two journalists held were the type recommended by the U.S. State Department for that visit.
The State Department admits that much:
Asked if the U.S. was concerned about what had happened to them, [State Department spokeswoman Jen] Psaki said: “They were there to do a training that we sponsored, so I think our preference would have been for them not to be detained, I think it’s fair to say.
The "tourists" or "journalists" broke Russian immigration laws and had been advised by the U.S. State Department to do just that. What did they expect the Russian immigration service to do? To also ignore Russian law because the U.S. State Department says so?
One of the State Department contractors, Joe Bergantino, who came as "tourist" to Russia to run a U.S. State Department financed influence workshop is pissed that Russia follows the rules of law. He writes an angry open letter to the Russian president:
Let me repeat the question, Mr. Putin: Was all that really necessary? It’s clear that you enjoy playing the tough guy on the world stage and that the Russian people overwhelmingly support your message to the rest of us: Russia is strong and will exercise her will as she sees fit.But let me get personal for a moment.
...
What Mr. Bergantino should have asked, and rather himself than Mr. Putin: "Was it really necessary to come to Russia under false pretense? And was it really necessary to, knowingly, break Russian law?"
And would a real journalist, not a propagandist, really lament foreign "tough guy" nonsense without looking into the homeland mirror? How would the U.S. Homeland Security behave if something similar happened in the United States?
We can answer that question. Since 2003 all journalists from all countries who come to the U.S. must get a special and expensive visa as journalists. Even those from countries, like France or Germany, which have general visa-waver agreements with the United States. What happens when such journalists, not even on a foreign state influence contract but just for real reporting, enter the United States to do their job without a special visa?
On the weekend of May 10 and 11, six French television journalists visiting Los Angeles to cover the massive E3 video-game expo were stopped for questioning by LAX border guards, barred from entering the country, and sent back to Europe. "These journalists were treated like criminals—subjected to several body searches, handcuffed, locked up and fingerprinted," Reporters Without Borders Secretary-General Robert Ménard complained in a letter ..
Now compare that to Mr. Bergantino who was not treated like a criminal, received only an administrative warning and was allowed to stay until his regular departure flight.
Which country here, Mr. Bergantino, really owns the moral high ground?
Posted by b on October 18, 2014 at 18:10 UTC | Permalink
next page »Apparently Bergantino attended the 1960's Saturday morning cartoon school of investigative journalism. Bullwinkle and Rocky detained by Boris and Natasha:
"But across the table were the two who appeared to be in charge: a young man with a stylish dress coat and tie and a woman – decked out in a designer outfit and expensive leather boots – with a cold gaze, almost a caricature of a seasoned spy. They never said a word. A dressed–up version of your KGB?"
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cTeykrG4lE4
Posted by: Nana2007 | Oct 18 2014 19:01 utc | 2
These people as Bergantino where the hell do they come from? Who gave them the right to wreck other nations!?
Posted by: Anonymous | Oct 18 2014 19:16 utc | 3
US planning a major war with nuclear Russia: Analyst
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel issued a warning to US armed forces Wednesday, saying they should be prepared to confront a “revisionist” Russia."Threats from terrorists and insurgents will remain with us for a long time, but we also must deal with a revisionist Russia — with its modern and capable army — on NATO's doorstep," Hagel said.
As Demian rightfully pointed out: it is the United States that is the revisionist power - at least using 1945 and the creation of the UN as a benchmark.
On the other hand, if the US elite does see themselves as implementing a new world order - what kind of world is this that they have created? Chaos throughout the Middle East? Occupation, settlement, and ethnic cleansing in Israel/Palestine? Ethnic cleansing and Naziism in Europe, leading to certain nuclear confrontation? An attempt to contain the world's rising superpower through military power alone? Fostering sectarianism? Upholding monarchies and dictatorships while stomping out existing social states? Bank bailouts, austerity, massive inequality and the spreading of militarism, Zionism, and other forms of right wing disease to once stable and progressive Europe?
It's quite an awful world. It deserves not only to be revised, but for the authors of it to be imprisoned.
Posted by: guest77 | Oct 18 2014 19:17 utc | 4
If human beings can detect one thing, it is unfairness, injustice, and double standards.
It does no good for the State Department lackeys to frown and complain. There are few outside the halls of US power who have any sympathy for their shenanigans.
Countries all over the world - from Latin America to Asia and the Middle East and Africa - should keep a list of all these American "academics" and treat them like the US treats those on it's terror lists. They are hardly any different.
Posted by: guest77 | Oct 18 2014 19:27 utc | 5
@5 make that their "no-fly" lists. We know about the wholesale murder and torture that the US treats those on its terror lists to. That's too much for these regime change artists, they should just be turned away at the border, wether their visa reads tourist or "journalist".
Posted by: guest77 | Oct 18 2014 19:30 utc | 6
@1 I commented w/ a "cut and paste" from the end of this article. we shall see if it passes "moderation."
Don't see any such comment from you in the moderation (spam) list.?
Bergatino should have checked his foundation of righteousness before his attempted launch of a malicious diatribe against Putin and the Russian people. Bergatino's vile baseless projectile against Russia was a failed mission from inception. b, thanks for pointing out this shining example of Russia hating hypocrisy. I got a needed chuckle out of it.
Just read that there is rumours that a submarine from Russia is inside swedish waters right now.
Posted by: Anonymous | Oct 18 2014 19:40 utc | 9
thanks b. very good commentary and overview on your part.. this is good to cover, but i think bozo's like Bergantino have a 'job' to do. if it means they have to lie and say they are 'tourists' and then pronounce shock at the fact their lies are not given a pass, so be it.. i wish he'd read your article and comment, but right now his head is firmly planted in the wrong place!
Posted by: james | Oct 18 2014 19:41 utc | 10
This is hysterical, from The Saker:
http://www.thesaker.net/russia/a-revisionist-russia-on-natos-doorstep/
Posted by: OldSkeptic | Oct 18 2014 20:03 utc | 11
Joe Bergantino founded the New England Center for Investigative Reporting (NECIR) five years ago because -- my estimate -- regular mainstream media no longer has an interest in investigative reporting, if they ever did. So guys like Bergantino have matriculated to NGOs where they have to go scratching for funds as described here in a 2010 article. They've been generally successful doing that.
The NECIR website lists the currently foundations funding NECIR, and as the article describes all these foundations have an axe to grind. They all have an agenda. Somehow NECIR forgot to include the US State Department as a sponsor. In his Dear Mr. Putin undiplomatic bullshit childish diatribe Bergantino does mention that State has sent him not only to Russia but also to China, Serbia and Vietnam among other places.
Of course Bergantino's time would be better spent serving his country reporting, for example, on the eleven US journalists who have been assaulted, gassed, handcuffed and jailed covering events in Ferguson Missouri. But who would pay him the big bucks to cover that? Nobody. So he was off on a paid trip to Russia, on the US taxpayer's nickel, with a US consulate officer from the St.Petersburg consulate as a guide/translator. How nice.
So foreign policy lives in an NGO world, with petty clowns like Joe Bergantino being paid by US taxpayers to write smarmy letters to world leaders about being caught leading "alleged" subversive training sessions in the best Vickie Nuland style, the U.S. State Department In Action (its motto).
I'm astounded by the number of aggressive policies that the US is ready to run at the same time. Russia through Ukraine. HongKong. Syria, Asad plus ISIS. I can understand that the US believes that it can master everything, but it's getting a little unbelievable
Posted by: Laguerre (formerly Alexno) | Oct 18 2014 21:14 utc | 13
@13
The US stirs chaos upon chaos, anytime and everywhere, because what does it has to lose? A bad name? The local media at the place that chaos is being stirred would give it bad press? LOL. Has it ever cared what the hell others think of it? Has it ever cared what it does makes sense or not?
It is the Russian, the Chinese,.......all those other victims before them, who cared TOO MUCH how themselves would look in western press that made these stunts effective. They would go way out of their way to accommodate the hooligans and their stirrers, say things way too lenient and altruistic in regard to the hooliganism, just so as not to look bad in western press. Pathetic!
Posted by: OleImmigrant | Oct 18 2014 21:56 utc | 14
What the Russian government should do is to arrest and detain these 'tourists'. Keep them, say, for a year, on the excuse to investigate whether Russian national security has been breached. To trace what else had they been up to, who had they met and conspired with, and whether they had links to CIA/State, etc. etc. These investigation takes time you know? Then you'll see Muricans squirm, whine, beg, and their president go blah blah and lose face.
See how long it took the US to investigate the background of the Tsarnaev brothers? LOL, for that matter, notice how long it takes the US to investigate anything?
Posted by: OleImmigrant | Oct 18 2014 22:30 utc | 15
' One of those parts is the recruitment and influencing of Russian journalists. '
This guy - these guys - are clearly working for State/CIA. Is it true that there is no coverage at all in Germany of Odu Ulfkotte's book, Bought Journalists
The former editor of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, which is one of Germany’s largest newspapers, was secretly on the payroll of the CIA and German secret service, spinning the news in a way that was positive for the United States and bad for its opponents."I ended up publishing articles under my own name written by agents of the CIA and other intelligence services, especially the German secret service."
He says that there is no German coverage of his book - it's said to be #7 on the German bestsellers list - because "No German mainstream journalist is allowed to report about the book. Otherwise he or she will be sacked."
What sort of journalists with a sense of integrity and independence do work overseas for the State Department? Obviously the job of these whores was to groom young aspiring journalists to work with western NGOs so as to spread disinformation when the planned color revolution starts.
Posted by: Gareth | Oct 18 2014 22:32 utc | 17
@11 oldskeptic
I went over to thesaker's and cread some of the comments. At first I was laughing at the commentary, but after thinking about the butt of the jokes, situations such as this are downright embarrasing on so many levels. US military personnel current, retired and all those who gave their lives for what they deemed just causes deserve better from the US State Department.
As long as we're talking about the State Department's cover stories. There was a vague interview on Morning Edition with Commerce Secretary Pritzger that was less interesting for what was discussed than for what countries have been visited -- and encouraged to foster a climate friendly to American "business and investment." Ukraine: Shock Doctrine here we come:
SIMON: Secretary Pritzker, explain to us the - if that's what it is - the kind of dance you have to go through between talking to people in Ukraine or Turkey. Or for that matter, I would imagine you have to spend some time with the American businesspeople to say, look, this might not seem like a stable environment, but there's opportunity here.PRITZKER: Well, the first step is for leaders like President Poroshenko and Prime Minister Yaksenyuk to recognize that they need to create an environment where businesses want to come and do business. Now obviously Ukraine is in a real transition at this moment. But what I was trying to say with the idea of don't waste the crisis is do the things that, you know, where your parliament can take action. Begin to address the fundamentals so that as the military crisis recedes, which we're hopeful that that happens, you're setting yourself up to where more businesses - and we hope American businesses - will come and be present in Ukraine.
SIMON: You met with President Erdogan of Turkey. I think a lot of Americans may wonder, given the sensitive nature of the relationship United States and Turkey have at the moment, does anybody say or does anybody need to - you help us out with this action we're undertaking an ISIS, and we can help you out with your business questions?
PRITZKER: Well, we talk in general about the breadth of the relationship. I'm not going to suggest there are specific trades. But the existence of both countries, both on a military, diplomatic and economic standpoint, are intertwined. And what was particularly helpful in our conversations was a number of the issues that our American businesses were raising with the Turkish leadership are the same issues the Turkish businesses are raising with their own government. And my view is you're working together as partners that it can be beneficial both to the companies but also to U.S.-Turkish policy. And that's really commercial diplomacy at work.
Posted by: Rusty Pipes | Oct 18 2014 23:31 utc | 19
@11 oldskeptic.. the link to the video was posted yesterday here at moa on the previous thread if i am not mistaken.. good coverage by matt lee that sums up the insanity quite well..
@12 don bacon.. did you say this? if so - it is quite on the money from my own point of view..thanks.
"Of course Bergantino's time would be better spent serving his country reporting, for example, on the eleven US journalists who have been assaulted, gassed, handcuffed and jailed covering events in Ferguson Missouri. But who would pay him the big bucks to cover that? Nobody. So he was off on a paid trip to Russia, on the US taxpayer's nickel, with a US consulate officer from the St.Petersburg consulate as a guide/translator. How nice."
Posted by: james | Oct 18 2014 23:36 utc | 20
@13 There are a few causes.
-One Obama is weak, and people will do whatever they want because Obama is done.
-Obama is still holding on to the idea he can be a foreign policy president and will pursue or green light activities with promises of low risk/high return.
-The 46 Senators not in Virginia and Maryland want a crack at money being spent abroad and in the DC metro area, and they don't want 1,000 new jobs for DC suburb residents. They want locals hired or at least in the headlines. The MIC might be fine, but the underlings might fall under scrutiny especially if people start to throw less than credible operations under the boat. We have a situation where every interest or even pipe dream has to prove it's worth.
-The Moscow-Tehran-Beijing axis is becoming a serious player. Lesser players can't be bullied by the U.S. because they can consider jumping ship or at least negotiate a better deal. What does Belgium need the F-35 for when the S-400 successors (hypothetical ones; I'm positive someone is working on it) achieve the same goals for way less? Bribes? You say. They can double the bribes and still show the voters how they saved money.
-If Hillary is on the ticket, Team Blue won't take the House. The GOP won't work with Hillary, so money won't flow. Half the GOP caucus is made of true believers.
The result is a free for all, and even back in 2003, the neocons were up front that the competitive advantage the U.S. had to knock countries over was limited.
Posted by: NotTimothyGeithner | Oct 19 2014 0:02 utc | 21
I like this from a speech by Mikhail Khodorkovsky at Freedom House:
European values (or Euro-Atlantic, as it is now the common practice to call them) are first and foremost values of a strong and just state with effective institutions and laws that work.The oligarchs are so desperately afraid of Europe falling out of the Empire's orbit. The insolence of a Russian oligarch who stole Russia's oil wealth lecturing Russia on economic justice is mind boggling.
Igor Strelkov has responded to Khodarkovsky's speech (in which the latter says that the years under Putin were "ten wasted years"), but I haven't read that yet.
@13, exactly, it’s almost impossible to track everything they are doing. Plus, if you get to any kind of debate about all that stuff, people think right away that you are a conspiracy lunatic…But sooner or later something has to give (it would be sooner if there were journalism, of course).
We must expect that with so many spy organizations and security apparatus, all competing with each other, and the speed with which they invent enemies and wars on that or this, the game can’t last for long…It’s not optimism nor wishful thinking, I hope, sill I’m in awe before their pace and the way they are able to transform setbacks in new offenses.
Posted by: AnaQ | Oct 19 2014 0:18 utc | 23
"Joe Bergantino founded the New England Center for Investigative Reporting (NECIR)"
God forbid these clowns actually do "investigative reporting" in our own dear land. God knows they might dig up quite a bit.
The surest sign of a crook and a hypocrite is one who declares that things in a country 5,000 miles away must be investigated, while corruption thrives right under his own nose, right in his own home.
How vile.
Posted by: guest77 | Oct 19 2014 0:30 utc | 24
"Odu Ulfkotte's book, Bought Journalists"
Is there a translation of this? This is a very important book.
The world needs to organize something similar to a Church Committee. Sadly Europe seems to have bought in 100% to US militarism. This is one "success" of Obama.
Posted by: guest77 | Oct 19 2014 0:33 utc | 25
The oligarchs would like, of course, to return Russia to the days where they were the undisputed criminal masters of the country. There were no laws for them. It was a warlord era.
So would the US elite, as that is absolutely the perfect situation of theft for them (apart from, perhaps, several rump bits of Russia, all run by criminals).
Anyway, they won't get it. The United States can talk itself up all it likes. It is a limping behemoth, filled with corrupt individuals. When China pulls the plug, it will all be over.
Posted by: guest77 | Oct 19 2014 0:42 utc | 26
It's not necessary for the US to have interests in Russia, as long as it can portray Russia as the USSR reborn and a giant threat to life as we know it, requiring massive military budgets and the procurement of more war materiel from the arsenal of democracy. Demonizing Putin (as Bad Vlad, etc) is a big part of it. Possibly Joe Bergantino's "letter to Mr. Putin" was drafted at Foggy Bottom, as a part of the Putin demonization, as if Putin was in the room when poor Joe was accosted by the nasty Russian functionaries.
But across the table were the two who appeared to be in charge: a young man with a stylish dress coat and tie and a woman – decked out in a designer outfit and expensive leather boots – with a cold gaze, almost a caricature of a seasoned spy. They never said a word. A dressed–up version of your KGB?
OMG -- a woman decked out in a designer outfit and expensive leather boots, with a cold gaze! Poor Joe. He needs a lesson in manhood, methinks.
It looks like http://cassad-eng.livejournal.com/ is no longer getting updated. Pity. I suppose that should not be too surprising, given that the civil war seems to be quieting down. Anglophones will once more have to rely on only the Saker and http://slavyangrad.org/. Plus, there's now http://russia-insider.com/en , although that does not convey the Russian point of view anywhere near as distinctly as Colonel Cassad or El Murid do. But then, Russia Insider is not a blog.
Speaking of Russia Insider, it has a piece on Oliver Stone, who was in Moscow recently in connection with doing a documentary on Edward Snowden,, and gave an interview to the Russian press. Here is a quote from it:
In my opinion, Russia is a natural ally of the United States.... it’s a shame.I think that's wrong, To borrow an idea from Alexander Dugin, England and the US are maritime powers, whereas Germany and Russia are continental powers. Continental powers are not natural allies of maritime powers. Continental powers are natural allies of other continental powers.
@ Demian #28
Yes, land routes rule. We'll see as stronger allies Germany-Russia-China, connected by rail. There are now three weekly services on the Chongqing-Duisburg route, via Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus and Poland. China is Germany’s third-biggest trade partner.
I'm fascinated by the idea of State Dept-employed lecturers teaching Russian journalists how to present transcribed, Western MSM, nonsense as Investigative Journalism. I know how much I'd appreciate and enjoy sitting in on the lecture which teaches me how to type up a fairy tale with my eyes shut and my fingers in my ears - whilst holding my nose...
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Oct 19 2014 5:02 utc | 30
Erichwwk's comment has still not shown up at the necir.org article. I left one of my own assuming that they could not be so foolish as to block critical comments given that any truly neutral journalism watchdog, such as FAIR, would surely be happy to comment on their hypocrisy.
Posted by: Bran | Oct 19 2014 6:06 utc | 31
All over Latin America the U.S.gov has all the God damned NGOS causing trouble and acting as fifth columns. They get awards, funding, trips and grants and continuing education plus lollipops and giftcards!!!
These bastards men and women believe they are furthering freedom of expression. Yet they are simply manipulators, purveyors of half truths, distorters of reality and coup supporters.
The coup against Chavez and Correa in Venezuela and Ecuador respectively were media, color revolution affairs.
There are YouTube videos with Correa ripping apart a "journalist" from Peru called Mario Saldana I believe. It is hilarious how Correa toys with him and laughs in his face. Then his interview with the beautiful Ana Pastor, the sexual chemistry is tangible.
These pendejo worms should be stripped naked and left in a cold cell for 24 hours and once their balls shrivel, have really pretty girls police women laugh at their little peepee's and say they can leave now, it was all a misunderstanding. Ciao papi.
Posted by: Fernando | Oct 19 2014 7:41 utc | 32
14
Great Shaytan will often give you two opposing choices ... Both of Which are Wrong.
Middle East Forum: In January 2001, Putin received Israel's ceremonial president, Moshe Katzav. The two emphasized that "there can be no negotiations with terrorists." [pre-Sep11] According to the daily Vremya MN, "This was essentially the first time that Putin, who has said on numerous occasions that there can be no dialogue with the Chechen rebels, expressed support for this basic Israeli principle as a whole."
This was a reversal from previous decades where the Soviet Union sided with Arab interests against Israel, that is, before the Great Exodus of Soviets to Israel, post 1989. According to Sevodnya, "Arial Sharon is impressed with Vladimir Putin and has spoken approvingly of Moscow's Chechnya policy, saying that it is what the Israelis should have done in Lebanon."
The Pantheon of Triumphal Exceptionalistas has grown: Russia is a Proto-Zionist now too.
Perpetual Global Oil Wars between the Wahhabists, the Warlocks and Nastoyashchiy Muzhiks.
The Fury ... the Fury ...
Posted by: ChipNikh | Oct 19 2014 8:36 utc | 33
@ChipNikh #33:
Enough already with your Russophobic ravings. The AngloAmerican empire has launched a frontal assault on Russia; it only makes sense that Russia would maintain good relations with Israel to counter that and protect itself.
meanwhile, in the real world (while Saker builds his empire, b talks of truce holding, MSM re. Milan...)
Posted by: Cu Chulainn | Oct 19 2014 8:59 utc | 36
@ChipNikh #37:
"Mythogeny" is not a word. Your ravings are not just Russophobic: they are more universal. Drop too much acid as a young chimp?
In August 2002, the White House contacted news reporters to pressure them to drop stories on Ptech. These included Joe Bergantino of WBZ TV, Brian Ross and John Miller of ABC, and Lisa Myers of NBC. Bergantino would say that the government had claimed that publishing the story would damage the investigation and had threatened to "blame us if their investigation got botched" and "ruin our reputation" if they did run the story.
[Source: Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press, Dec. 2002]
NECIR was founded in 2009 by Joe Bergantino and Maggie Mulvihill, two veteran Boston journalists who together have more than 50 years of investigative reporting experience. It started with close ties to Boston University College with Communication Dean Tom Fiedler, a former Executive Editor and investigative reporter for The Miami Herald. The old website can be found in web archives - http://necir-bu.org/. Later the website dropped the bu (Boston University) link and added foundations as sponsors: The Boston Foundation, The Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation and The Hearst Foundations. Soros' Open Society Foundations had already been part of NECIR. From wikipedia, expansion into Russia became policy in 2014.
The investigative reporting by NECIR under contract by the US State department should become visible in yearly reporting. NECIR is specialized in holding training programs and journalism workshops. Perhaps Joe could offer a program in Lviv for the Right Sektor? Investigative reporting the independent style of New England. Massachusetts must have gotten annoyed by these "private eyes"- report.
Joe Bergantino was accompanied by Randy Covington, Newsplex director at South Carolina University.
Newsplex conducts new media training in RussiaA team from Newsplex, the College's newsroom of the future, journeyed to Moscow in June to train Russian academics on the concepts and techniques of convergent journalism.
"We've been doing these workshops forx almost a decade, and this was one of the most successful we've ever done," said Newsplex Director Randy Covington, who headed a training team included visual communications professor Scott Farrand and former Newsplex resource coordinator Jordan Ellis.
The training was held at Moscow State University and included journalism faculty from that school as well as from several others across Russia. It was funded by USAID through a grant to the U.S non-profit IREX.
Joe Bergantino is married to Candy Altman, VP/News for Hearst Television.
○ I-team reporter Joe Bergantino – biography bishop accountability
@39
Damn!
That Ptech story never went away. [Later name change to GoAgile]
The Saudi multi-millionaire Yassin al-Qadi involved in Ptech and Saudi terror funding has close ties to Al Nusra funding and Turkey's president Erdogan.
Posted by: Demian | Oct 18, 2014 8:10:54 PM | 22
and the serpent was the subtlest beast in the garden
Posted by: brian | Oct 19 2014 11:09 utc | 44
ha ha ha. Swiss bankers for years entered the US as ‘tourists’ to have meetings with prospective and existing clients who had non-declared bank accounts in CH. The US has been trying to catch and jail every single one of these people. Plus those who worked with them, were their bosses /underlings, or somehow knew what was going on. Spouses seem to be exempt though.
I know one person (one ex. amongst several) who was jailed, for many weeks, she learnt basic Spanish and lost 10 kgs. in the US and finally deported because she played in a concert - just one, and it was pretty impromptu - but it was a paid venue. She had a tourist visa and didn’t think anything of it, she was flattered to be asked to play, and wasn’t even paid. Needless to say one of her nationalities while not ‘muslim’ is of a country that the US dislikes.
US double standards show up in absolutely every area, what is amazing to me is that the US ppl involved seemingly don’t ‘get it’ - they just think they are somehow immune. And those around, accept it. I’ve seen it often in my own work (educational and of no security etc. concerns), raise the hair on your neck, incredible. (OK CH is deathly afraid of the US.)
Posted by: Noirette | Oct 19 2014 12:56 utc | 45
@Demian & Chip Nikh:
You're both wrong. The courtship between Russia and Israel is over. The Russians are clearly siding with Iran on Syria: Putin: We will defend Syria’s Assad from the American plots regardless of all possible costs. Uncle Scam & Friends are playing with fire in the ME.
Posted by: Seamus Padraig | Oct 19 2014 13:37 utc | 46
The State Department's purpose for training investigative journalists is to provide the raw materials for portraying a society in profound crisis, riddled with crime and corruption. Some of the actual investigators may be good people, exposing injustice and trying to make a better society. It's the editors and publishers who remove all reality and balance, delete any reporting that shows good things, normalcy and progress, in order to create the picture of a society in violent anarchy, on the verge of breaking down. You see this negative distortion of reality on corporate media 'news' pages everywhere in the world -- on a local, regional, national, or international level -- wherever the right wing wants to take power (back) from a populist or otherwise left government.
Hey, lots of good comments here, as usual. Always good to visit moon site.
So this "Demian" troll makes tons of "hero-worshipping" comments about Russia, and when the veracity of his simpleton-like mythologising of "All things Russian" is questioned, he declares, like a complete buffoon, that the questioner is "Russiaphobic!!"
What a tard
Posted by: anon | Oct 19 2014 13:52 utc | 48
> guest77 @ 4, Alexno @ 13, OleImmigrant @ 14
The US holds world-supremacy thru military might and the attendant ‘scare’ factor. Why ppl pussy-foot around this fact is beyond me.
The US can wage war anyway it likes, can assume any and all contradictions and have them accepted (control at many levels, down to local media out of country, by paid journalists, to take up that theme.)
Nobody is challenging the US.
Not France, Germany (vassals), or even Russia, who still maintains it is ready to collaborate, imho genuinely so, while protecting its interests. Not the BRICs or China. The so-called traditional enemies (Iran for ex.) just hunker down.
For now, large Corporations such as Shell, BP, Monsanto, Cargill, etc. and the financial sector, hesitant and biding their time, cannot challenge the ‘master’ outright, as they are in symbiosis and count on Gvmt-Corp melding.
Ordinary ppl on the internet who bitch vent scream and then nothing are of no account.
As the US-PTB has no interest in supporting its ppl - world domination by elites turns the locals into useless eaters, of no interest even for slave labor - so chaos and killing ppl off is normalised.
The deeper reasons, though there may be many ways of analysing the whole-world situation, are that ressources constraints (oil, gas, coal, minerals, water, arable land, over-population, the possibility of keeping transport running, etc.) are potentially shrinking -or will soon shrink- the world economy, therefore only some some parts will ‘grow’ and ultimately ‘survive.’ Endless growth is not possible. See the Finance sector, which gave up long ago on the ‘real’ economy to embrace casino finance, massive fraud and manipulation, arm-twisting, blackmail, power grabs.
The elephant in-da-room question is will the US PTB, no matter how one describes that nexus, retreat quietly and give up some power, wilingly or coerced, will it accept a ‘multi-polar’ world, or will it prefer to lash out and destroy indiscriminately? For now, it appears to be triumphant with multi-range attacks against any entity that may be a target, for any reason, in any way.
Posted by: Noirette | Oct 19 2014 14:35 utc | 49
@ Noirette #49
The US holds world-supremacy...
That's a myth, a product of Washington propaganda. The world is full of governments thumbing their noses at the US, including many in Latin America, East Asia, Russia, China, India, Iran...etc. Sure, the US has more giant aircraft carriers, but they are only good for launching bombing runs on defenseless countries. For the rest, they are not impressed with these shows of "supremacy."
@30 Hoarsewhisperer
Hopefully they're also teaching them the western journalistic style of using odd clichéd phrases rather than describing things. Like "ragtag militia" or "tectonic shifts."
Posted by: Crest | Oct 19 2014 15:21 utc | 51
Here's another State Department contractor at work.
On Oct 15 several US congress-critters sent a letter to SecState Kerry complaining about VOA in Iran (VOA-PNN) not covering Iran executions--
"We have received complaints from our Iranian-American constituents[sic] that VOA-PNN programs have neglected to cover the abysmal situation of human rights violations in Iran..over 900 hangings have been ordered during Rouhani's first term in office."
Tracing it back, that figure originated with the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center which works out of Yale University in Connecticut. Going to the IHRDC website, it has thankfully inclosed a link to its 2013 IRS 990S, including Schedule B, Schedule of Contributors:
--Blaustein Institute, New York, NY $32,500
--United States Department of State, Arlington, VA $563,013
So now a few in Congress are telling Kerry that he's got what he paid for, do something about it. The circle is completed. Half a million US taxpayer dollars gets State some numbers it can work with on Iran. US financial sanctions on Iran, by the way, are for several reasons beyond nuclear, on of them being "human rights abuses." This from the world center of imprisonment and torture.
Promotion of "journalism" has also been carried out in Central America.
State, Apr 30, 2013
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Jane Zimmerman traveled to San Salvador on April 29 to participate in the launch of a regional Journalism Security Hub, in conjunction with World Press Freedom Day (May 3). The new hub, established through a Memorandum of Understanding among El Salvador’s Catholic University, implementing partner IREX, and the Department of State, will provide training to journalists in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras on online journalism and how to work safely in dangerous environments. The hub will be located on Catholic University’s campus in San Salvador.The Department of State has committed $1 million to the Journalism Security Training Hub program. The hubs will provide real-time support to journalists who receive death threats, are under surveillance, are jailed, or when they or their family members are kidnapped.
My heavens, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras are dangerous environments? I wonder if it might be the legacy of US death squads, especially under Reagan.
Noirette @ 49: Good synopsis.
Don Bacon @ 50: "That's a myth, a product of Washington propaganda."
Except for the "Petro Dollar" fact, that statement might have some validity. When you can create money from thin air, as the Fed does, you may have an edge globally.
Posted by: ben | Oct 19 2014 17:12 utc | 54
@49 Noirette.. it seems to me the usa's hold on it's unipolar world is more tenuous now then ever. the us does hold world supremacy on a few things, perhaps the most important is the us$ which is still the currency valued more then all others. this gives an advantage of being able to spend with funny money what others have to use with real assets.. the us$ is only real until it's military strength can be challenged or comes apart.
as for bozos like Joe Bergantino - he knows what he's doing.. any pretense of shock at being challenged on his bs is all a part of the same script too. the script is to paint russia out to be something that it isn't for all the bozos back in the western world unwilling to look at any of this, outside of the way they are being propagandized to look at russia.. that funny money gets spent a lot of ways, but not for the well being or betterment of the usa people, or only in so far as they serve the malevolent controlling interests of the banking and military sector..
Posted by: james | Oct 19 2014 17:29 utc | 55
@ben #55
So "you may have an edge globally" translates, for you, to "the US holds world-supremacy?"
That's illogical claptrap, below the usual standards of this site. Your stupid remark cheapens it.
@56 james
I agree the unipolar world is coming to an end. Now as to how fast the multi polar world ascends to power depends on USG and EU moves. If the USG and the EU continue to play their hands like they have done in Ukraine, then the multi polar world may become the dominant more rapidly. I feel a multi polar world will spur peace, creativity, innovation and economically benefit the global 99%ers.
@ 57 Don: " Your stupid remark cheapens it."
Mmmmm. Good thing yous doesn't. Atta' boy.
Posted by: ben | Oct 19 2014 17:54 utc | 58
Slightly OT, but I think it still fits here:
German journo: European media writing pro-US stories under CIA pressure (VIDEO) — RT News
German journalist and editor Udo Ulfkotte says he was forced to publish the works of intelligence agents under his own name, adding that noncompliance ran the risk of being fired. Ulfkotte made the revelations during interviews with RT and Russia Insider.
“I ended up publishing articles under my own name written by agents of the CIA and other intelligence services, especially the German secret service,” Ulfkotte told Russia Insider. He made similar comments to RT in an exclusive interview at the beginning of October.
Posted by: Fran | Oct 19 2014 18:13 utc | 59
@57- Don thanks for pointing this out. If the US held world supremacy, why then engage paid media whores to propagandize for color revolutions around the globe? What we have more than anything is a 'show' of supremacy to go along with our 'show' of democracy.
Posted by: Nana2007 | Oct 19 2014 19:40 utc | 61
@57 don and @63 nana... some of us happen to think the fact the us$ is the defacto world currency, price of oil is based in us$ amounts and etc. etc., that it gives the usa an unfair and huge economic advantage.. now whether that is 'supremacy' or not, i am not into nitpicking, but without an understanding of world financial mechanisms, let alone completely ignoring these same mechanisms/instititions at work that maintain this us$ as the worlds primary currency, i am curious if either of you think that it doesn't?
the usa gov't annually spends in excess of 10 times the next closest country on it's military industry. now whether that translates as world supremacy, it's hard to say as they seem to only pick on much weaker non nuclear countries when they are pushing for 'regime change'.
using obama's speech at the UN where he singled out 'russia' as 1 of 3 of the greatest threats facing the world today, we're led to believe obama is either a lying sac of shit, or that he's functioning as a thinking person realizes the financial and military system that he is a political figurehead for and that he really believes all of the propaganda regularly seen in the western MSM.. it is one or the other.. frankly, i think he agrees with the agenda which makes him a lying sac of shit.. he has to lie in order to keep up appearances..
of course keeping up appearances is what propaganda is all about and yes, the puppetmasters need to keep on paying for that.. when you are paying with monopoly money, what does it matter! and, if someone thinks that this implies the us has a particular place of supremacy as a result of having to pay for the propaganda, there is nothing i can tell them to convince them of the fact that the us, thanks the us$ is still enjoying a place of power and affluence way beyond the weight it carries in terms of it's own population.. if that isn't a type of 'supremacy', i don't know what it is..
i'm with ben and FFS.
Posted by: james | Oct 19 2014 19:54 utc | 62
@2 amar.. thanks for sharing that article.. it is nice to see a major newspaper willing to cover that controversial topic as it raises too many painful questions for western gov'ts in general.. our local bozos baird and harper are in the same mold as all the rest of the western 'political' leaders in not having a shred of integrity.. hey, but they wear nice suits - empty suits is what they are!
Posted by: james | Oct 19 2014 20:01 utc | 63
@64-James, fair enough. My point is that the US hold on hyper reality is as you said, very tenuous. It wouldn't take much, say a Russian hold on oil production, to wipe out our flimflam financial clout and with that our exceptional status. The great game is past overdue for the dustbin.
Posted by: Nana2007 | Oct 19 2014 20:31 utc | 64
James, its all well and good to disagree with Don, but why give credence to a troll who is only trolling? And using two screennames,no less, while doing it?
its like saying someone who honestly wants to see more democracy in the world point to a speech by Jen Psaki to make the point. Yeah, she might say something vaguely reasonable once in a bluemoon, but we all know what is behind it.
Posted by: guest77 | Oct 19 2014 21:03 utc | 65
@67- I was referring to the June sale of oil futures- 150 million barrels, and the recent market glut- it would call the Saudi bluff and bust the cracking bubble.
Hyper Reality, I was being facetious. WTF is flame baiting again?
Posted by: Nana2007 | Oct 19 2014 21:18 utc | 66
Speaking of the State Department, the State Department's German propaganda outfit, Der Spiegel, has come out with a new attack on the Novorossiyan freedom fighters:
German Intelligence Claims Pro-Russian Separatists Downed MH17
Funny that it's German intelligence and not US intelligence saying that. Maybe the earlier Spiegel report saying that the German government has no certain information about the downing (in German) made too much of an impression on the German public. As this Dutch Spiegel watcher says:
The BND is little more than a branch of the CIA. Der Spiegel does not provide any details nor a time horizon for the release of these data. If the US can force the Europeans to impose sanctions against their will, as was revealed by US VP Joe Biden, then it should be possible to instruct organizations like the BND to publicly support the US interpretations of events.Personally, I think there enough Russia haters in the BND to make it not necessary for the USG to force anything on the BND.
A US journalist? teaching an "investigative journalism workshop" seems like a classic contradiction!
Really?
Teaching something like that?
I know it is old, but I can not get over how no US journalist or news media knew that "Narijih?" who started the 1st gulf war was a total farce and a PR stunt by the "Hill & Knowton" PR firm in New York.
Where were the so-called "investigative journalist" then?
And where were they on all of the lies of the 2n gulf war?
Posted by: RCS | Oct 19 2014 21:30 utc | 69
@75- "I know what you were referring to.
Thats why i also know that you dont know much about them, just from how you phrased it"
Am I being flame baited?
Posted by: Nana2007 | Oct 19 2014 21:36 utc | 70
@80- right by a commodities trader...isn't the library about to close? I suppose you'll be off to explain how oil and finance works to the bums in the park tonight. We can continue this discussion tomorrow after you comb the leaves out of your hair
Posted by: Nana2007 | Oct 19 2014 21:46 utc | 71
I don't look down on the homeless, just assholes buddy
Posted by: Nana2007 | Oct 19 2014 22:03 utc | 72
PS- and I'm sorry to hear about your life situation. I guess we all learned something today, courtesy of Oscar the Grouch. Cheers mate!
Posted by: Nana2007 | Oct 19 2014 22:08 utc | 73
I can tell you're sore, just from how you phrased that mate.
Posted by: Nana2007 | Oct 19 2014 22:17 utc | 75
The obvious truth is, if the Russian Journalists or professors came to the US on a similar such mission from the Kremlin, they would now be in jail and facing espionage or possibly "terrorism" charges. There is absolutely no doubt of this at all. Russia needs to crack down on these hired state department criminals . A message needs to be sent. It isn't 1993 anymore.
Posted by: nomas | Oct 19 2014 23:05 utc | 76
@ 92
I don't know where your from , but there is no European or Canadian who can whine about "dumb yanks" anymore. Canada, Britain and all the "countries" of the Eurozone are a cesspit of state department intrigue, and fully on board with any and all schemes emanating from same. In fact their own govt's. are launching their own similar operations now.The media of these same countries are at least as despicable and dishonest as the worst US media and the majority of the citizens of Canada and Europe are apparently as "dumb" and "exceptional" (obnoxious) as any "yank" or Israeli ever was.
Posted by: nomas | Oct 19 2014 23:12 utc | 77
@ 95
I've travelled quite a bit also. And I've been around a long time now. There was a time when I knew that any 9 out 10 people I chatted with on the street in London would know more about American history than most Americans would about their own. That day is Long over. I miss the intellectual, leftist Europe much more than Europeans do, apparently. The same is true, generally of Canadians, although they were never as bright compares to Americans as they loudly insisted they were. But at least in the 60's and 70's their governments weren't falling over themselves to become war criminals on behalf of American finance capital
Posted by: nomas | Oct 19 2014 23:54 utc | 78
b, I think it is time to ban ffs. He has nothing of substance to say. All he does is ridicule and insult a number of long time posters that, as far as I can see, refrain from personal attack, who offer substantive comments, often with interesting links and also with interesting analyses of relevant information that has been presented. ffs does nothing but insult others on this site without any analysis of his own. If fact, his posts are so empty of content that I have difficulty even understanding where he is coming from.
ffs seems to hate America. Other than that it is difficult to know what he stands for. Here in response to guest77 he writes:
68
You truly are one of the dumbest f*cktards ive ever encountered on the net
You are a completely unimaginative dumb stalinist alinskyite lying piece of shit,
So it seems he also hates Alinsky and Stalin. But other than this vitriol he has nothing to say. This looks like a pure troll just trying to stir up s***.
Posted by: ToivoS | Oct 19 2014 23:58 utc | 79
@FFS:
What country are you from? We want to know because we're curious about what country could have produced an idiot like you. You hate both Russians and Americans, so Poland is a top candidate.
Now that we are in the interregnum, imprecise precision abounds.
Posted by: Jay M | Oct 20 2014 1:29 utc | 81
The U.S. has become an international criminal enterprise masquerading as a democracy.
Posted by: the machinist | Oct 20 2014 2:40 utc | 83
@ #104:
So why are you so ashamed of your nationality that you won't tell us what it is? And please don't say that you sometimes work in Russia, so you are afraid of the KGB.
@66 nana2007.. thanks for responding to my question/s.. i tend to agree with FFS based on my understanding of how financial markets work.. nothing russia does at this point short of a nuclear war, will stop the undue advantage the us$ has at this point with reference to the world economy..
@103 (the machinist) summarizes it very succinctly : "The U.S. has become an international criminal enterprise masquerading as a democracy." that is it in a nutshell.. it is no longer about the USA, but instead the financial/military monster which works primarily thru the world financial system centered for the most part in new york and london..
@68 guest77.. you will note ( or not) that don has not responded to me a couple of times on this thread. this is something i observe regularly with don, going back to my comment @20 directed to him specifically.. no response on that or my post @64.. it's not a big deal, but i make observations on people based on what little interaction i have with them here on this site. as for FFS.. i really don't care one way or the other whether someone is classified as a troll or not.. what i care about is whether they say something relevant that has substance.. i find myself agreeing with FFS, so i say so! i don't agree with FFS's negative characterizations on other posters, or the hostilities and all that, but i still see substance in FFS comments.. if FFS gets banned, he/she can come back as GGT or whatever.. the whole thing about asking b to ban someone gets tiring when the posting format allows one to change their handle in order to continue to post!
as for one's nationality, i can only speak for myself.. i don't identify that closely with it myself.. this might have to do with the fact i was born in canada and i am always thinking in a more universal context.. i think if we could think like we were one big family on the planet that had to learn how to appreciate our similarities and cherish our differences, we'd be a lot further along.. but, obviously i am idealistic!
Posted by: james | Oct 20 2014 3:41 utc | 86
@111- "based on my understanding of how financial markets work.. nothing russia does at this point short of a nuclear war, will stop the undue advantage the us$ has at this point with reference to the world economy.."
I don't claim to be an expert on finance, nor do I remember anything substantive said on that count, but from what I understand from people who work in the oil industry here in Houston TX, there is some consternation about the price of oil at around $80 a barrel, however strong the dollar is. The one financial success the Obama administration can lay claim to is the US energy boom, which is heavily leveraged x times over. If the shale plays collapse it's possible they could take the US economy along with them. It could be the Fed can print money to infinity- is that your understanding?
Posted by: Nana2007 | Oct 20 2014 4:06 utc | 87
@113 nana.. yes, 80us$ a barrel might be somewhere around break even point for all the fracking and tar sand action that i believe is behind the us energy boom.. i don't believe in the us energy boom myself, but perhaps there is a boom if the price of oil is high..
i don't claim to be any kind of an expert on financial matters either. i know a little bit, have traded futures and have some understanding of the derivative markets, or what warren buffett refers to as 'weapons of mass destruction'.. the financial world today is probably more fragile and extreme then it has ever been at any time.. derivative markets are a good part of this.. so much of the financial markets are smoke and mirrors..
Posted by: james | Oct 20 2014 4:27 utc | 88
Dear James you complain that Don has not responded to some of your questions and you then post i don't agree with FFS's negative characterizations on other posters, or the hostilities and all that, but i still see substance in FFS comments.. That is your problem right there. There is no substance in fss comments. If you can't see that it places you at a certain intellectual level that many might find it difficult to even engage with you. I happen to be more liberal and will tell you that much.
Posted by: ToivoS | Oct 20 2014 4:45 utc | 89
@117 toivos.. i didn't complain about don's lack of response.. i referred to it as as an observation.. frankly, i don't have a problem!! in fact their is substance in FFS's comments as @116 attests to.. if you would like to brand me a certain and in what i would call an infantile manner - go ahead.. if you, or anyone else doesn't want to engage with me for whatever right or wrong reason they conclude, that is fine too.. cheers - james
Posted by: james | Oct 20 2014 4:56 utc | 90
@116-I don't disagree it's overblown, but then the entire US economy is overblown and entirely dependent on Fed money printing given out gratis to inflate the assets of high value traders- i.e. speculation in pyramid schemes like horizontal drilling, stock buy backs, rental derivatives and subprime auto loans. The only real growth sector is in munitions- again based on debt and the gullibility of the American public. Oh and burgers- never underestimate the power of the almighty burger.
Posted by: Nana2007 | Oct 20 2014 5:10 utc | 91
Might be a bit off topic, but for a quick recap on where the american economy is actually at read the wwww.fabiusmaximus.com post on the economy and fighting the illusion.. I totally agree with him. We are definitely charting new waters.
Posted by: MKTP | Oct 20 2014 6:25 utc | 92
ATTENTION: Re-posting this for those commentators who arrived after b posted this.
"...Some commentators are blocked from this blog and I will continue to aggressively block those who fall in one of these categories.
1. One issue folks: Everything happening in this world must be the result of the deft work of the Zionists, the British royals, the freemasons, the Jews, Islam, the Pope or who/whatever your favorite personal demon is. Sorry, the world is not that simple. If that fact is beyond your mental capacity go elsewhere. Such simpleminded themes do not help to gain knowledge but detract from the discussion of the issues at hand.
2. People who use (too many) four letter words and lack general manners. Those who constantly attack other commentators or the proprietor of this blog. If you have a difference in opinion use arguments, not foul speech.
3. People who only comment to promote another blog.
4. Folks who use many many one-liner-comments thereby disrupting the flow instead of collecting their thoughts and writing one comment that fits the purpose...."
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.moonofalabama.org/2014/08/open-thread-2014-17.html&sa=U&ei=L7xEVPW-JuOHsQTFxIHYBw&ved=0CB4QFjAH&usg=AFQjCNGr4KXRIqEHeityHph4WY3jvhutEg">http://www.moonofalabama.org/2014/08/open-thread-2014-17.html&sa=U&ei=L7xEVPW-JuOHsQTFxIHYBw&ved=0CB4QFjAH&usg=AFQjCNGr4KXRIqEHeityHph4WY3jvhutEg">http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.moonofalabama.org/2014/08/open-thread-2014-17.html&sa=U&ei=L7xEVPW-JuOHsQTFxIHYBw&ved=0CB4QFjAH&usg=AFQjCNGr4KXRIqEHeityHph4WY3jvhutEg
Here is a bitter consequence of Victoria Nuland's "F the EU" policy with regards to the Ukraine. She might has well added "F the EU's/USA's banking sectors" too. A shining beacon of shooting oneself in the financial foot with misguided sanctions via belligerant color revolutions. Rediculous...
@123- thanks really. Perhaps they can expand that to include trolls like James who use several screen names...jeez what a piece of work.
Posted by: Nana2007 | Oct 20 2014 11:00 utc | 95
@Nana2007 #125:
james a troll? What are you smoking? There is no one here who is more courteous, or who makes more of an effort to respond to others' comments, so james plays an irreplaceable role in maintaining continuity within threads. [Please do not suggest now that I am james using a different "screen name" (aka handle).]
WikiLeaks @wikileaks 7h7 hours ago
Calls to assassinate #Assange? Just fine with #GamerGate's "SJW"'s http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/2/assassinate-assange/ … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-DIZvcK6Rc …
the war against america? american paranoia to justify murder
Posted by: brian | Oct 20 2014 12:38 utc | 97
Posted by: anon | Oct 19, 2014 9:52:48 AM | 48
well russia looks pretty good these days! much better than EU or US
Posted by: brian | Oct 20 2014 12:42 utc | 98
@104 FFS
'Thats a whole buncha dumb right there.
Dumb squared, that is.'
that could almost be american
Posted by: brian | Oct 20 2014 12:44 utc | 99
@33
' "Arial Sharon is impressed with Vladimir Putin and has spoken approvingly of Moscow's Chechnya policy, saying that it is what the Israelis should have done in Lebanon."'
Moscows policy in chechnya was to make peace, once the terror situation had been stabilised....that was what Putin achieved.
Israel policy in lebanon has just been to massacre civilians...and kill patsies like Hariri
Posted by: brian | Oct 20 2014 12:48 utc | 100
The comments to this entry are closed.
Thanks, Bernard. I commented w/ a "cut and paste" from the end of this article. we shall see if it passes "moderation."
Posted by: erichwwk | Oct 18 2014 18:50 utc | 1