.. and a pretty solstice full moon to all of you.
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December 25, 2015
Merry Christmas
Comments
Seasonal greetings, b! Thanks for a nice year of insightful commentary.
I hope we can enjoy the full moon a little tonight, clear skies but with a cold wind…
Posted by: Philippe | Dec 25 2015 8:25 utc | 1
On IMF mafia and the possible termination of the Greek experiment in 2016. What’s next?
IMFexit?
Posted by: nmb | Dec 25 2015 10:11 utc | 4
Merry Christmas to you, b, with a big thanks for your work, and to all the barflies
Posted by: claudio | Dec 25 2015 10:14 utc | 5
Happy Yuletide to all and many thanks to B for a very valuable blog!
Posted by: Jen | Dec 25 2015 10:39 utc | 6
Happy Holidays to you b and all you other barflies who contribute so much on a continuing basis.
You must have a little Saint Nick in you b, to continue your most worthy and valuable contributions still gratis and free of annoying pop ups and distracting clutter of most every other sources.
My, and I don’t hesitate to include, our appreciation and gratitude go out to you this day and everyday; Thank you!
Posted by: juannie | Dec 25 2015 12:25 utc | 7
Merry Christmas to all, and like others here b… my thanks for service you provide all through MoA un “muddying” the waters of reality. It’s a big thing.
Cheers!
Pepe Escobar’s peredictions for the new year:
Empire of Chaos preparing for more fireworks in 2016
Russian President Vladimir Putin diplomatically insists on treating the West as “partners”. But he knows, and those in the know in China also know, these are not really “partners”. Not after NATO’s 78-day bombing of Belgrade in 1999. Not after the purposeful bombing of the Chinese Embassy. Not after non-stop NATO expansionism. Not after a second Kosovo in the form of an illegal coup in Kiev. Not after the crashing of the oil price by Gulf petrodollar US clients. Not after the Wall Street-engineered crashing of the ruble. Not after US and EU sanctions. Not after the smashing of Chinese A shares by US proxies on Wall Street. Not after non-stop saber rattling in the South China Sea. Not after the shooting down of the Su-24.
***
Ajay Goyal comments on Facebook
Best XMas ever politically speaking.
– First, Indian Prime MInister Modi does a power trip to Moscow. Putin and Modi reaffirm a privileged strategic partnership.
– Then, our Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci give a joint TV greeting to all Cypriots. That can only mean a peace accord between north and south is inevitable in 2016.
– Then in demonstration of great statesmanship Modi flies to Lahore, Pakistan to meet Nawaz Sharif to “greet him on his birthday.”
Posted by: Petri Krohn | Dec 25 2015 13:43 utc | 9
A minor quibble; Solstice was on the 22nd (4:48 UTC) and the full moon is on the 25th.
They do not exactly coincide…
Posted by: V. Arnold | Dec 25 2015 13:43 utc | 10
Wishing b. a happy holiday season– from one of the grateful many who rely on this blog.
Posted by: Glorious Bach | Dec 25 2015 13:48 utc | 11
Best seasons greetings back to you b, thanks for MoA and your service to humanity keeping this shoutblog free from clutter of any kind, mental slavery and otherwise.
Merry Christmas to all the posters and readers!
PS: BTW, whatever happened to jfl? He’s an assiduous poster, haven’t seen his comments for a while. Hope he’s OK.
Posted by: Lone Wolf | Dec 25 2015 14:19 utc | 13
The beginning of the end?
The Syrians rebels, Al Nusra and ISIS fighters and family are leaving Damascus suburbs to celebrate new year in Raqqa and Mareae without arak and dances
It may be their last year alive so happy new year to them…
Buses to ship out 2,000 besieged Syrian Islamist fighters: Hezbollah TV
December 25, 2015 – 5:00:24 pm
http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/
BEIRUT: Two thousand Syrian Islamist fighters are expected to be evacuated soon from besieged, rebel-held areas of southern Damascus in a deal brokered by the United Nations, a Hezbollah TV station said on Friday.
The deal marks a success for the government of President Bashar al-Assad, increasing its chances of reasserting control over a strategic area just 4 km (2.5 miles) south of the centre of the capital.
Posted by: virgile | Dec 25 2015 14:42 utc | 15
Merry X-Mass and Happy Holidays to our host and to all at the bar!
Posted by: thirsty | Dec 25 2015 14:42 utc | 16
A minor quibble; Solstice was on the 22nd (4:48 UTC) and the full moon is on the 25th. They do not exactly coincide…
Posted by: V. Arnold | Dec 25, 2015 8:43:59 AM | 10
Who said they do exactly coincide?
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Dec 25 2015 15:01 utc | 17
It’s christmas right? It’s about christian. Watch this long video from TRNN.
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=14293
Posted by: Jack Smith | Dec 25 2015 15:01 utc | 18
What If Jesus Had Been Born 2,000 Years Later in the American Police State?
Posted by: Bob | Dec 25 2015 15:05 utc | 19
Je ne suis pas Charlie, translation I am not Charlie.
BTW Max Blumenthal, Paul Jay, Norman Finkelstein, Robert Scheer, Nurit Peled-Elhanan, Jill Stein plus many more which I admires. If Bernies Sander is elected as a peace candidate and lesser of the evils, endless wars will continue….
Posted by: Jack Smith | Dec 25 2015 15:23 utc | 20
Merry Christmas b
and Happy Holidays to Everyone at MoA
and Beyond
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
Peace is not the absence of conflict,
it is the presence of Justice. -MLK
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Dec 25 2015 15:27 utc | 21
It would bring me great joy to know that every neocon and neoliberalcon had visits from the Ghosts of Christmas and will now reform themselves, but unfortunately the Great Fiction remains just that–Fiction.
Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 25 2015 15:34 utc | 22
Time for Erdogan to keep his promises, promises, promises, of resigning if proof was given Turkey buys oil from IS. Proof is out, and gorgeous Maria Zakharova is already asking for Erdogan’s head on a platter. Where would Erdogan go on exile to… Qatar? Saudi Arabia? US? Palau?
Russia: We provided evidence that Turkey sells oil to ISIS – Zakharova
Published December 24, 2015, 16:49 (GMT)
M/S Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova entering
SOT, Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson (Russian): “Russian information about active oil smuggling conducted by ISIS through the territory of Turkey and used as financial sources for their terrorist activity, has been confirmed by other sources. As it turns out, competent Norwegian experts have wanted to get the attention of their authorities to that. Unfortunately, this important aspect was not visibly reflected from Oslo officials in their approaches to the Syrian crisis settlement and the fight against ISIS.”
W/S Press briefing *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson (Russian): “As you known and we have always said, Russia takes actions in order to stop and block the routes of oil supply to the terrorists. We count on active, efficient cooperation with other countries for these purposes.”
W/S Press briefing *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson (Russian): “I would like to remind you that the President of Turkey, Mr. Erdogan, earlier announced his readiness to resign if oil smuggling by Ankara or with the connivance of Ankara is confirmed. I will give you the exact quotation: ‘The allegation that Turkey buys oil from ISIS is unacceptable. And it is amoral to speak about it. And it is impossible to make statements on such issues. It is necessary to present evidence. If such documents exist, let them show them.’ Actually, the documents have been shown. ‘If this fact is proven, I will not keep the presidential chair,’ said Erdogan to journalists on the sidelines of the Climate Summit in Paris. We would like to clarify, what about the chair?” […]
Posted by: Lone Wolf | Dec 25 2015 15:46 utc | 23
Zahran Alloush, the Saudi,Turkey,Qatar backed, US/Western government loved “moderate terrorists” is DED. Taken out by an airstrike this afternoon. This development, although significant, won’t change much in the short term but one thing is clear, the takfiri/wahabi nutjobs have got their days numbered!!!
An excellent Christmas gift to the people of Syria!!!!
Posted by: Zico | Dec 25 2015 16:57 utc | 25
Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season to all. Thanks, b, for hosting this never ending info party 😉
Zico
The crumbling of us-qatar-ksa rebels seems imminent.
Posted by: virgile | Dec 25 2015 17:04 utc | 27
Merry Christmas to b and all the great contributors on this site. It will be yet another interesting year, so I am grateful to have somewhere to visit where ppl can get closer to the truth.
Posted by: shadyl | Dec 25 2015 17:22 utc | 28
Merry Christmas Bernhard, I am actually near your hometown right now visiting my wife’s family. were the weather always this mild I would consider moving here.
I would also like to join in the chorus thanking you for a wonderful source of information and insight of how things work. Good luck and einen guten Rutsch.
Posted by: dan of steele | Dec 25 2015 17:44 utc | 29
merry christmas everyone! b – thanks for providing insightful commentary and being a fantastic host..
Posted by: james | Dec 25 2015 17:45 utc | 30
Merry Christmas to you b and all you fellow barmates! If there is one thing we need more of, it is people who can have a heated argument followed by a friendly drink. Ultimately, we’re all on the same team. I’ll raise my glass.
Posted by: Cynthia | Dec 25 2015 17:52 utc | 31
LW@23
Putin folded like a cheap suit after his bluff, about possessing evidence of Erdogan’s involvement in IS oil smuggling, was called by Erdogan. Turning out this BS/PR on Xmas eve by Maria the spokesperson trying to deflect from the fact that he never had and has not come up with any evidence at all and is now depending on a foreign study that provided information but could not be used to draw verifiable conclusions is pathetic.
Posted by: Wayoutwest | Dec 25 2015 18:37 utc | 33
@ Dec 25, 2015 1:37:15 PM | 33
Looks like someone is on tryouts for the part of spokes-idiot at the U.S. Department of State.
Posted by: Formerly T-Bear | Dec 25 2015 18:45 utc | 34
Thanks b for a great blog and an intelligent community. Happy Saturnalia!
Posted by: Andy | Dec 25 2015 19:07 utc | 35
Cumhuriyet: Turkish military wiretapped in communications with ISIS in Syria and Iraq
https://www.rt.com/news/327024-wiretapped-calls-turkish-officers/
Read the same about the Iraqi military catching the US military advisers communications with Islamic State militants.
Posted by: Les | Dec 25 2015 19:30 utc | 36
FTB@34
I speak for myself, no one else and the only one who looks like an idiot this Xmas is Putin for making accusations about Erdogan he knew he couldn’t back up with evidence. Don’t take my picking on Putin as supporting Erdogan or the BS produced by the US State Department.
Posted by: Wayoutwest | Dec 25 2015 19:57 utc | 38
@38 wow.. according to you putin always looks like an idiot and according to most moa folks – you always look like an idiot.. regardless – merry christmas to ya!
Posted by: james | Dec 25 2015 20:10 utc | 39
A very merry Solstice Season to the MoA captain and all who sail with him. Thank you B for another stellar year of connecting the dots and and all you Moonies for the hugely stimulating discussions.
Posted by: Juan Moment | Dec 25 2015 22:27 utc | 40
Hey Wayoutwest @33 & 38
At least have the decency to tip your hat to the host, cretin. Didn’t your mother teach you any manners? That happens to be what this posting is about, good tidings to all.
Thanks again for the hosting and posting b as I have stated seasonally elsewhere.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 25 2015 22:44 utc | 41
9
Modi flew to Islamabad to remind Mamnoon that India is set to receive $10B worth of RUs most advanced S-400 defensive missile system, and then Modi, a rabid Hindu-fascist, wants to remind Mamnoon that Modi believes that a nuclear war is winnable.
Which is fine, have at it, then fewer H-1B Hindus flooding into Silicon Valley and NOVA. Those high-pay high-tech jobs could better be filled by immigrant German-trained Syrian refugees.
Posted by: Chipnik | Dec 25 2015 22:52 utc | 42
happy holidays b & all – still a great blog after all these years and the material won’t subside so here’s to truth, stamina, camaraderie in the shadows of injustice, and plenty more sanity & good sense for all
Posted by: b real | Dec 25 2015 23:08 utc | 43
@psychohistorian@41
Amen!
WoW is a troll with a deluded sense of entitlement. Thanks for calling him on his troglodyte ways, and for the lesson of good manners.
Happy holidays!!!
Posted by: Lone Wolf | Dec 25 2015 23:15 utc | 44
Happy Holidays to everyone. The full moon is amazing.
Posted by: Inkan1969 | Dec 25 2015 23:24 utc | 45
@james@39
@38 wow.. according to you putin always looks like an idiot and according to most moa folks – you always look like an idiot.. regardless – merry christmas to ya!
That in summary, is WoWaste.
His tunnel vision doesn’t allow for any possibility of thinking outside the takfiri ideological box. He’s unable to see that regardless of how much proof the Russians may provide linking Turkey’s Erdogan to oil shopping from IS, the shameless Western “partners” are going to discredit the Russian evidence, as it goes against their interests. Now it appears independent research has been done in Norway that establishes without a doubt Turkey buys oil from IS, and the Russians just piggybacked on the not-so new discovery, asking for Erdogan’s resignation as he, ehem, “promised.”
WoWaste vision is clouded by his ideological tendencies, which definitely make him appear “like an idiot,” as you rightly stated.
Happy holidays!
Posted by: Lone Wolf | Dec 25 2015 23:35 utc | 46
#9- …by now you really should know it is sarcasm -call them “partners” Mr. Putin/Lavrov very well know they are more “sophisticated” backstabbers than Herr Ribbentrop. Check picture of table meeting Kerry with Mr.Putin/Lavrov.Theirs facial expressions toward Kerry say it all…
Posted by: sejmon | Dec 25 2015 23:40 utc | 47
Caught Red Handed: Further Proof of Daesh Smuggling Oil to Turkey
The Russian Aerospace Forces operating in Syria continue to target the chief source of income for Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) – the illegal oil production and smuggling.
During official briefing chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Sergei Rudskoy presented numerous photos and videos depicting Daesh tanker trucks attempting to smuggle oil into Turkey.
Attepmting to evade Russian aircraft, the terrorists disguise tankers as ordinary trucks and usually move their cargo during night.
“In order to avoid losses to Russian aviation, the terrorists move [the oil convoys] mainly at night. Moreover, their tanker trucks are disguised as ordinary trucks, and move in small columns of several dozen vehicles at a time,” Rudskoy said.
Russian Armed Forces have revealed a new Daesh oil smuggling route: first the trucks take the shortest route to Iraq, and from there head to Turkey. Trying to escape Russian aviation’s strikes, “terrorists are changing their tactics and paving new oil smuggling routes,” Rudskoy said.
Posted by: Lone Wolf | Dec 25 2015 23:51 utc | 48
Thank you for all your hard work, b. And to all the posters that bring something to the discussion. Hell, happy holidays to all, including the ones who don’t bring anything but diversion and disinformation. Hug your loved ones, there’s a lot more coming down the pike.
Posted by: Tom in AZ | Dec 26 2015 1:27 utc | 49
@ Wayoutwest | Dec 25, 2015 2:57:13 PM | 38
Thought to give my reply a night’s rest before giving answer. Yes, your voice is your very own; that is not in dispute. What is in contention is the question of your facts or what you use as fact. Take for instance your assertion that ‘Putin is an idiot’ and give it the Snow White Mirror Test. Take your assertion with you and stand in front of a mirror and be honest about what you see. Do you see reflected in the mirror anything like ‘Putin is an idiot’? About the only thing you will see is a reflection of the face of somebody who BELIEVES ‘Putin is an idiot’, and nothing more. Mirrors have this thing about not reflecting something that isn’t there before it; lies get way too complicated to be doing that for mirrors, so they don’t; it would be good practice for you as well. As mentioned above – Happy Christmas to you also.
Posted by: Formerly T-Bear | Dec 26 2015 9:16 utc | 50
P@41
It’s hard to get into the Xmas spirit or be thankful when people are celebrating bloody mayhem as a Xmas gift. Santa dropping barrel bombs or stockings stuffed with body parts are images I would rather avoid.
Posted by: Wayoutwest | Dec 26 2015 15:14 utc | 51
FTB@50
Perhaps you should have had more rest and coffee before replying, you contradict your own assertion about the reason for my comment and then misquote what I wrote.
My comment about Putin was an observation/opinion based on the known facts, this PR/deflection release shows that Putin had no evidence to base his accusations on and was called on that fact by Erdogan which makes Putin appear/look foolish. I am not a believer, as many here appear to be, in unproven assumptions and speculation, just the facts.
Posted by: Wayoutwest | Dec 26 2015 15:31 utc | 52
@ 52
It appears you love to argue so much you won’t eat food that agrees with you.
Posted by: Formerly T-Bear | Dec 26 2015 15:42 utc | 53
This is indeed the place; thank you, b, for hosting all of us!
Some come to dance, and some come to play
Some merely come to pass time away
Some come to laugh, their voices to ring,
But as for me, I come for to sing!
Some folks enjoy me, and others do not
Some like to extoll on what I ain’t got
But I don’t mind; it don’t mean a thing –
I’ll keep on coming, ’cause I come for to sing!
Happy Solstice and Merry Christmas to everybody!
Posted by: juliania | Dec 26 2015 22:09 utc | 54
WHY IS RUSSIA PLACING S-400 MISSILES IN THE ARCTIC?
Are the missiles there to protect the missile bases or the Eurasian landmass? RT writes on December 8th, 2015:
Russia deploys S-400 missile defense systems in Arctic
Over the past year, two S-400 regiments have been deployed in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago and in the Yakutian town of Tiksi,” the source said. The military base on Novaya Zemlya has also been reinforced with Bastion-P complexes armed with P-800 Yakhont anti-ship cruise missiles.
Do these anti-ship missile bases really need the S-400 for air defense? Wouldn’t these scarce missiles find better use in Syria or Armenia? Is the long range really needed to protect the tundra?
Cold War missile defenses built rings around Moscow, no more that 100 km from the city. Are these missiles protecting Russia from American strategic bombers? Or are they a missile shield against ICBMs? Is it possible to build a missile ring 10,000 km long around Eurasia? This has never been tried before.
A partial answer might be found in this second article from April:
Russia boosts air defense in face of US Prompt Global Strike capacity
The potential threat of Prompt Global Strike by the United States against the Russian Federation is one of the top challenges for the Aerospace Defense Forces. Washington’s PGS has an overall structure similar to that of a nuclear triad. It first of all aims to conduct swift strikes from land and sea using already existing inter-continental and submarine-based ballistic and cruise missiles.
There is a danger here: A system effective against Prompt Global Strike is also effective against a U.S. nuclear strike. Russian missile defenses would erode U.S. nuclear deterrence, possibly give Russia a first strike capability and cause global instability. The same can be said about U.S. anti-ballistic missile defenses, but Russian missile technology might be a bit ahead of the U.S.
***
The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation has published photos of the missiles on Но́вая Земля́ on Facebook.
Posted by: Petri Krohn | Dec 27 2015 1:20 utc | 55
Arctic S-400 sites would be precautionary tit for tat, probably a direct response to some beefing up of US Arctic preparations. The Arctic became significant in the 1960s when it was realised that an ICBM capable of striking targets on the opposite side of the world, could also be used by Russia & the US to target each other via the Polar Route. If there aren’t any US ICBMs in Canada, there’s Alaska and a strip of US territory running up one side of Canada.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Dec 27 2015 13:36 utc | 56
The hell bitch must be performing poorly among the black voter;Todays lying times tells US she went undercover? to help black voters back in 72 in the south.Right after she joined the marines,I guess.
Posted by: dahoit | Dec 27 2015 15:53 utc | 57