Thanks to Ron Showalter (#3) for this specimen of hybrid-trolling.
Seriously– with features of both the Supercilious Troll and the Concern Troll, this sample ought to be the centerfold in the Troll Bestiary.

Posted by: Ort | Oct 25 2016 17:20 utc | 4

Propaganda, like rhetoric, is a tool. The informational culprits — per 1970s Nader — are misinformation, disinformation and obfuscation.
Elections: What if one recognizes The System as inherently destructive and wishes to withhold legitimization? (Having said that, there is one county commissioner race I will vote in.)

Posted by: Robert Beal | Oct 25 2016 17:40 utc | 6

The problem with doing so, Robert @ 6, is that your posited activity can be thought of as the sound of one hand clapping, in zen terms. Is it a happy decision personally? Yes. And were the system entirely broken, I might be with you. But whilst there is a sliver of hope, in that the Green Party has worked very hard to put Jill Stein on the ballot in so many states, I’m gonna clap with both hands. Because what did happen in 2008 is very fresh in my mind. Young people and the disaffected came out in droves. They expected change. It did not happen. But it could happen, for the right candidate.

Posted by: juliania | Oct 25 2016 17:55 utc | 8

@psychohistorian 9 & ort 4
You are reading too much into it.
His comments are probably best summed up by the seminal American work of self inspection called Homer Simpson: “Boy, everyone is stupid except me.”
http://failbluedot.com/everyone-is-stupid-except-me

Posted by: insanity | Oct 25 2016 18:32 utc | 10

Showalter is a cunning blend of rat and ape

Posted by: Ruben Chandler | Oct 25 2016 18:47 utc | 12

I sat next to a Norwegian lady at a dinner a few months ago. She was very alarmed about what she considered the Russian threat. I have the impression Scandinavian media must really be playing up the new Cold War angle.

Posted by: lysias | Oct 25 2016 19:03 utc | 14

It was on TV
RIGGED voting machines switch Trump votes 2 Hiliary—gov’t stealing our election & Fox hosts laugh! —gf #dtmag
https://twitter.com/tfgnews/status/790938871219490816

Posted by: From The Hague | Oct 25 2016 19:22 utc | 16

Somewhat amusing in EU, the state of Wallonie in Belgium standing against CETA, and stranger still the loyalty of Belgium casting a no vote. Having spent most of my life in the belly of the beat [sic], I find the political integrity of Belgium, at least in this instance, to be a tiny flash of sanity. The stated reasons resemble the objections to TTIP and TPP, namely lack of judicial accountability for foreign corporations and lack of protection for the environment. David and Goliath. Hope it spreads.

Posted by: stumpy | Oct 25 2016 19:25 utc | 18

October 25, 2016 YOU CANNOT MAKE THIS STUFF UP
Rudy Giulisni former Mayor of NYC on September 11, 2001 calls US Government ‘CORRUPT!’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zF0MxY6eSY

Posted by: ALberto | Oct 25 2016 19:39 utc | 20

Hey barkeep b,
Thanks for the open thread. I encourage you to do more of them over the next few weeks to keep your establishment from utter mayhem. As the US (s)election time comes nearer, us American patrons and other may find it hard to stay on topic with other threads that are not specifically related to the current spectacle of “democracy” being rammed down our throat.
Thanks again for such a “friendly” public forum.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 25 2016 20:05 utc | 22

thanks to this site I’m now finding good sources into what’s happening in east Aleppo–this from Oct 21 on the difficulty of getting civilians out (prevented) with a small number getting out and interviewed here (subtitled with English).
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-war-update-southern-aleppo-october-25-2016-jihadist-militant-offensive-imminent/
This site also links to an Oct 25 report indicating a big offense involving 12000 militants is about to unfold against western Aleppo.

Posted by: boilo | Oct 25 2016 20:27 utc | 24

ALberto @21 | Oct 25, 2016 3:24:29 PM
Satan 2 not to be confused with Satan 1
The Satan 2 has impressive specifications
The problem is that it is not due to become operational
until 2020
This must give some in the US military an enormous
incentive to ‘neutralise’ that threat before it becomes
operational. Only after deployment does its counterbalancing
reduce the threat of war. Before then, it increases it

Posted by: DavidKNZ | Oct 25 2016 20:44 utc | 26

@30 DavidKNZ – don’t worry, Satan 1 scared the shit out of them already. Satan 2 comes operational in 2018, that’ll be here before you can say “push comes to shove”
Didn’t read the Gizmodo piece, but Mercouris has a reasonable piece on Duran today, he’s pretty good at summarizing the elements of a situation in a sane way. He points out that the US is way behind in technology in the ICBM race, while Russia has been progressively advancing over the decades. The same story obtains across all weaponry fields of course. So any thought that the US could “neutralize” any innovation coming out of Russia, China or Iran nowadays is without any foundation.
While the US can field the illusion of numbers, it is in true material terms outgunned and out-soldiered by the multi-polar world. Corruption has taken its toll.

Posted by: Grieved | Oct 25 2016 21:00 utc | 28

Ah the gatekeeper trolls are out like vicious little piranhas today. Well said,Ron. These folks seem to be perfectly happy in their little cave, watching the shadows on the wall.

Posted by: paul | Oct 25 2016 22:09 utc | 30

F-35s maybe next year on Japan-based carrier for China containment.
To maintain its presence in the region, the US Navy will deploy the ship, capable of operating the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, to Japan to relieve the USS Bonhomme Richard.
Last Friday, the US Navy announced that the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) will join the USS San Antonio for anti-terror operations. Once this mission is complete, however, the Wasp will take a brief respite before making its way to the other end of the world in the fall of 2017.
https://en.ria.ru/military/201610251046727095-uss-wasp-japan/

Posted by: schlub | Oct 25 2016 22:26 utc | 32

I didn’t realize this went way back twice over, to the glory reign of the Clingon king.
Representatives at the Republican-controlled US House are reportedly set to renew anti-Iran sanctions without any changes for another 10 years.
The GOPers will opt for a “clean” renewal of the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) shortly after the US 2016 presidential election as soon as mid-November, congressional aides told Reuters on Tuesday.
Initially imposed by former President Bill Clinton in 1996, the act is set to expire at the end of this year.
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/10/25/490694/US-House-GOPers-to-renew-Iran-sanctions

Posted by: schlub | Oct 25 2016 23:26 utc | 34

Schlub : Iran sanctions renewed
Too late. The rest of the world’s already qued up for business with Iran. And of course, Iran has not encouraged US companies to bid because they know Israel’s in charge here.
The US won’t have very much luck telling it’s allies to halt lucrative contracts with Iran. The countries that couldn’t compete might be happy, and that’s the crux of the issue – the US’s militarism is it’s substitute for the ability to compete economically.
That worked up until now because the rest of the world’s drawn a line they can’t cross. I believe that the US will rebound.
And I don’t see any what Israel can come out of this smelling like a rose.

Posted by: O’Coner | Oct 26 2016 0:31 utc | 36

Obama: We Have No Idea Who Carried out Massive Cyber Attack
I’ll take that as confirmation that it was the NSA, checking out their new cyber-armament.

Posted by: jfl | Oct 26 2016 1:19 utc | 38

@37 ALberto | Oct 25, 2016 6:36:36 PM
If you are resident in Haifa and intend to reproduce I would be buying lead underpants ASAP.
Haifa???
Your underwear would be carted off to be recyled at the Battery Factory;
Your useful organs to the Organ Donor factory.
Never let a business opportunity pass unplundered 🙂

Posted by: DavidKNZ | Oct 26 2016 1:30 utc | 40

#3 Ron, Pablo and all other hyper-grand conspiracist
If the system needs to spit out someone so OPENLY HOSTILE TO IT like the Fucking Don claims to be, and IF that is the only way safety-valve or even to goad back the hostile plebeian masses, that would mean that those inside the SYSTEM are fully realising it’s basically 1788 and the old guillotines are getting a laser sharpening, as well as that there’s a brand new bulk order from Red China.
So, it doesn’t matter whether the Don is part of the fucking theater or not. My guess is that he is.
What matters is that the guillotines won’t be packed up for another 50 years. Au contraire, if he sells out, his head will be on the chopping block, too.
1789 Redux is coming, baby, and mucha aristocracia y muchas elitas are gonna go headless baby.

Posted by: Quadriad | Oct 26 2016 2:10 utc | 42

OCT 25 EVNG
ALEPPO, SYRIA (6:00 P.M.) – The elite Desert Hawks Brigade (Liwaa Suqour Al-Sahra) traveled to the Aleppo Governorate this week to partake in the military operations against the jihadist rebels, a Syrian Arab Army (SAA) told Al-Masdar News on Tuesday.
Led by their commander Colonel Mohammad Jaber, the Desert Hawks will be responsible for opening a new front in the Aleppo Governorate, absent of the Syrian Arab Army units fighting there already.
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/elite-pro-government-forces-arrive-aleppo/

Posted by: schlub | Oct 26 2016 2:12 utc | 44

Do you think they might try fake “assassination” of Hitlary by “a fanatic Trump supporter” ?
The more she becomes a liability the more probable such operation seems… (Chicago?)
Such another false flag operation (like Gifford shooting, Sandy Hook Newton hoax, Boston bombing”) would as usually serve a set of purposes:
– save the agenda of the “deep state” that Hitlary is the puppet of
– cause immediate wave of sympathy from the population towards Clinton and her camp
– cause immediate rage towards Trump and his supporters
– give Clinton moral high ground
– destroy practically any chances of Trump winning
– turn over the game board thus cancelling current loosing position
– create, by selecting the “perpetrators” (dupes, patsies, mentally unstable, destitute loners – FBI informants) and the people close to them as not only Trump supporters, but also supporters of Russia, Syria, Iran, China, Hizbollah, pro-gun, anti-vaccine, anti-chemtrail, anti-zionist, anti-CETA/TTIP clear targets for the ensuing world campaign against “terror”
– make all the issues, crimes, scandals, affairs surrounding Clintons and their masters “go away” for a long time
– cancel the Iran deal
– more support for Israel
– a redux of the 9/11 situation with more of “Patriot Act”, DHS (Jeff Goldberg as the head?), total information awareness surveillance, more police state controlled by Israelis, more military spending, cutting down on civil liberties, …
– more support for the “free trade” agreements
If she’d be “killed” (of course not in reality) or just ‘”badly injured” or “in a coma” would depend of the potential benefits of each scenario: bury all the scandals with her, or keep her “on ice” for some alter purpose
And later of course the media whores would provide “more shocking detail” of this “heinous act” from “newly revealed documents (conversations, testimonies)” of how bad the enemies of Clintons were and some bizarre twists in the plot – please fill in the gaps…
If I were a Trump supporter in the US I would make sure that NOTHING BAD HAPPENS TO THE HRC FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS – set up guards watching and protecting her closely…
We’ve seen such moves in past where the global cabal being cornered created a game changing “world wide event” to save their positions…

Posted by: ProPeace | Oct 26 2016 3:14 utc | 46

US Impunity Erodes World Justice, October 25, 2016, ConsortiumNews

The International Criminal Court charges only Africans with human rights crimes while granting impunity to U.S. officials and their allies, undermining what had been a noble idea of universal justice, writes Nicolas J S Davies.
In the past week, Burundi and South Africa have joined Namibia in declaring their intention to withdraw from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC). They are likely to be followed by a parade of other African countries, jeopardizing the future of an international court that has prosecuted 39 officials from eight African countries but has failed to indict a single person who is not African.
Ironically, African countries were among the first to embrace the ICC, so it is a striking turnaround that they are now the first to give up on it.
But it is the United States that has played the leading role in preventing the ICC from fulfilling the universal mandate for which it was formed …

Excellent, succint article, IMHO, broader content than the title suggests. Well worth a read …

Posted by: Outraged | Oct 26 2016 3:26 utc | 48

I have two questions for the MoA commentariat that I think are pertinent to this time frame.
1. Will they take the internet down and force folks to get info from the MSM to preclude folks from learning reality as it gets uglier and colluding about remedial actions?
2. If they do, what will be the reaction of Americans? Rally round the flag or the guillotines?
I am sure there are more options but I feel confident they will try something to blunt the usefulness of the internet to the masses. What if they just cut access to sites like MoA and pretend like they only outlaw “terrorist” sites?

Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 26 2016 3:57 utc | 50

A good recapitulation of the start of the war against Syria (and check out comments, too):
https://off-guardian.org/2016/10/23/31166/
and a 2003 prediction https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/apr/13/syria.iraq1

Posted by: ThatOne | Oct 26 2016 4:15 utc | 52

From Philippines with love,
Its about Philippines but also Murkka the ‘tormentor’ !
https://geopolitics.co/2016/10/23/the-ongoing-philippine-revolution-is-catching-fire/

Posted by: denk | Oct 26 2016 5:36 utc | 54

Turkey claims that a Syrian attack helicopter just struck FSA positions, killing 2 militants.
http://uk.mobile.reuters.com/article/idUKKCN12Q0GU?rpc=401&

Posted by: Wwinsti | Oct 26 2016 7:10 utc | 56

Questions surround Monday’s plane crash in Malta
The [Malta] government is sticking to its assertion that the Frenchmen who were killed in Monday’s plane crash were involved in a French Customs operation despite their being secret service agents.
The accident prompted a number of questions after the French Defence Ministry confirmed that three of the five men on board were officials from the agency for external security, DGSE.
A spokesman for the Office of the Prime Minister said yesterday that the government would not “entertain speculation of any sort”, insisting the Maltese authorities were informed of the French Customs operation.
However, he added, “as part of the EU, [Malta] is bound to cooperate with other member states to carry out operations”. He did not elaborate.
more here:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/mobile/articles/view/20161026/local/questions-surround-mondays-plane-crash-in-malta.629116

Posted by: Sinc | Oct 26 2016 9:32 utc | 58

Russian Air Force conducts heavy airstrikes over Idlib

According to an Al-Masdar field correspondent, the Russian Air Force conducted more than 10 airstrikes over the Idlib Governorate on Tuesday night, striking Jaysh Al-Fateh at Idlib City, Binnish, Taftanaz, and Ma’arat Al-Nu’man.

Were the people under those bombs the same folks who took the one-way tickets out of Damascus town and other spots in the Syrian South?
I also wonder about the picture accompanying the story …
a. has it any relation at all to the attacks mentioned? or is it just a ‘stock’ photo? AMN seems often to print photos at the head of stories that are totally unrelated to the story itself.
b. does the picture show a white phosphorous attack?

Posted by: jfl | Oct 26 2016 10:56 utc | 60

@39 DavidKNZ – those cool heads at the Pentagon will surely be aware that MAD is still in force. How can they think of preemptive attack without being aware that the US will be destroyed?
The geopolitical fact is that the MAD stalemate still exists, and beneath its overarching realpolitik there are only sub-sets of total war possible. But within this entire matrix of military action, the US appears to be outclassed at every turn. All she has that may work is massive attack, which triggers MAD, or failure propped up by theater and propaganda artifacts.
What else is there for the US? If she were not facing total defeat, we would not be seeing the massive use of the smoke and mirror tools – which increase with each of her failures.

Posted by: Grieved | Oct 26 2016 13:54 utc | 62

Must read, for Petri and all.
http://www.alternet.org/world/exclusive-interview-seymour-hersh-dishes-saudi-oil-money-bribes-and-killing-osama-bin-laden

Posted by: Mina | Oct 26 2016 15:41 utc | 64

@ Augusin L 49.
Greg Palast is one of those rare things, an investigative journalist (who I’ve followed since his writings on Exxon-Valdez). He has a bit of leftward bias but is good at hitting (some of) the elites pretty hard which is why he’s at BBC and his writings languish at RS. The GOP’s been using caging lists and other tactics like few machines in large districts for at least 2 decades. But the recent O’Keefe videos show some shenanigans by DEMs do take place. When you throw in media coverage, huge money from corp/WallStreet interests, the whole thing is crooked and corrupt. Palast’s revelations are bad indeed but only part of a larger more sickening whole.

Posted by: Curtis | Oct 26 2016 16:27 utc | 66

@Jackrabbit 61
Cheers, and yeah, so it is. Bill has taken his Still Report 1292 offline, jumps straight to SR1293 on his channel now.
We’ll see whether it disappears for good…though, it should be said that Trump has used the Still Report on occasion and it has increased his web traffic a tonne, perhaps he was asked to take it down seeing as though he made reference to rigging while Soros was fumbling his words when speaking on Trump Clinton at Davos back in August. A small potential for libel perhaps.
In any case, you can scroll past the annoying accent to 1m:30s to see what Soros said.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I7ICyTkhDQc
Soros:
“…Trump will win popular vote in a landslide, but Hillary wins the electoral vote…”
“…we are a small minority of extremists…”

Posted by: MadMax2 | Oct 26 2016 17:00 utc | 68

Ron Showalter @ 3, I think who wins the elections is decided by the oligarchs and not necessarily in accordance w the votes. Which of the two masks they choose to elect is not very important. Doubtless the endless dramatics of this election is an excellent distraction to the continued progress of globalist rule. In the past the revelations of Assange and Wikileaks have been to the disfavor of countries whom the US wished to control or punish. So it appears that the whole Assange op is a Deep State project. As such their attack on Hillary and the DNC might seem counter-intuitive. Particularly since the DNC is being sued for rigging the primary
Ron Showalter @ 3: I’m encouraged that someone can see thru at least one layer of the deception, but I think there are potentially additional layers. Of course you’re correct that The Saker is being ridiculous when he admonishes a victorious Trump to “strike hard like Putin.” If I understand you correctly you think Hillary must win because the establishment wishes it, as clearly shown by media bias. Right? But aren’t TPTB usually less straightforward? They commonly clash two sides to bring about the resolution that they want. Going one layer of deception deeper the opposition to Trump might be to brand him as an “outsider,” and thus more electable. Or their purpose may be deeper than securing public consent for their choice of which of two masks to wear for the next 4 years: It scarcely matters for realpolitik as each wd be almost entirely controlled if not willing participants in the oligarchic plans for us.
On a deeper layer of deception election theatre is probably for larger purposes than our distraction. While none of us knows what may happen next, I’ll take a stab at it. I’d say the US is being set up for destabilization:
–racially in the phoney police murders of blacks;
–monetarily as the SDR system w digital money for the masses w/b imposed when the decision is taken to crash the dollar, and domestic economic order w it.
–economically as disclosed by the locales of the phoney “terrorist” incidents which permit drills for the protection of oligarchic warehouses & the function of ports against civil unrest. US port oligarchs btw are often the Chinese, as US & Chinese oligarchs have swapped control of each others assets/infrastructure for the sake of one-world integration.
–politically (domestically). The illegitimacy of the govt is being leaked & played up, but w/o decentralization (democratization) of power ever presented as a remedy. On the contrary, the UN or other foreign actors will in all likelihood be seen to attempt a “rescue” of our faltering democracy, at least in words. Consider the shock and discouragement of the American people as domestic illegitimacy is deemed a failure of democracy itself. Hillary’s use of a double in Orlando campaigning & elsewhere. The media’s use of greenscreen to create another Hillary “appearance.” The Veritas videos of DNC consultants bragging that they provoked violence at Trump events. The perhaps-true story that she used a lectern teleprompter during the debates. Increasingly visible corruption in the early voting and the count. Beck & Lee’s class action suit against the DNC for the rigging of the Democratic primary against Bernie.
In the Soviet Union the lifting of censorship of Glasnost (a good thing) was coupled with idealization of the false ideal of the West and failure to remedy the torrent of exposed faults in their own system. This reduced domestic moral legitimacy, which was a factor in the failure to defend the State.
–Geostrategically. US oligarchs haven’t any loyalty to the US. It’s just a tool to bring about their global oligarchy, to make neoliberal economics universal. It’s never been the plan for US hegemony to be permanent, and it looks like the decision has been taken to begin its geostrategic denoument, perhaps quite rapidly. The class action Saleh v Bush lawsuit on Nuremberg principles as applied to aggression on Iraq could become a factor in the sudden “realization” of US moral illegitimacy. More & more countries could suddenly sign on to “resistance to US hegemony” which will be conflated with resistance to the NWO. But of course the “multipolarity” that they sign on to will be the regional adminstration of the NWO. The victory of the rule of law will be conflated with the rise of that quintessential oligarchic institution, the UN. The UN with its Agenda 21. The UN with its implementation of the many Rockefeller eugenics projects. And its global Strong Cities Network which comprises an organizational alternative to existing nations. And its IPCC-driven hoax against efficient energy, the basis of the modern world’s technology.
Chaos. Do you remember how quickly the USSR came apart & how manipulated it all looked? Yeltsin even suppressed that Soviet citizens had voted to remain together in one country. It appears TPTB are doing drills in taking down the internet. The recent transfer in control of domain names, etc is probably related to this, if only to establish blame & innocence for the outages. If the internet is down during a major incident, or martial law, or civil unrest, or a limited US/Russia confrontation, we will be dependent only on the MSM. So much easier to manage us that way. We won’t know what’s happening in other parts of the country, or internationally. Perhaps the secessionist movement will be enabled to win, as a temporary measure, before we’re all submerged in the developing merger of Canada/US/Mexico. The NAFTA Highway, like the Silk Road, will help to do away w the nationstate leaving humanity with nothing at all between them and a brutal culling by the corporate oligarchy.
The entire Globalist project can be defeated, and decentralized democracy and nationstates’ sovereignty reinstated if enough people commit themselves to knowing the truth. If enough people put aside the illusions of identity politics which serve as the handles by which they are manipulated.

Posted by: Penelope | Oct 26 2016 18:08 utc | 70

Media’s Debate Agenda: Push Russia, ISIS, Taxes; Downplay Climate, Poverty, Campaign Finance
http://fair.org/home/medias-debate-agenda-push-russia-isis-taxes-downplay-climate-poverty-campaign-finance/

Posted by: Saloem | Oct 26 2016 18:17 utc | 72

Europe’s Battle: Nationalists vs. Elites

There are two potential directions: a wholesale change in the policies of the E.U. institutions, without modifying their essential structure, or a step back from the process of cancellation of national sovereignty.
At this point a return of decision-making power to national governments is becoming inevitable: not in order to stop international cooperation, or to reject shared values, but because the model pursued by the supranational institutions and their allies in the financial world has failed, and risks producing both serious internal conflicts, and unacceptable strategic failures in an increasingly complex world.

From my point of view devolution of ‘decision-making power to national governments’ is a step along the road to the real rainbow’s end : devolution of decision-making power to the sovereign peoples of those national governments, and the reconstitution of international relations from the world’s peoples up.

Posted by: jfl | Oct 26 2016 18:51 utc | 74

|@ jdmckay | Oct 26, 2016 12:23:38 PM | 65
Two decades and some ago, I, like the propaganda claimed, voted with my feet. The last time I tried voting was 2004, the patriotic duty of a citizen was to replace the administration illegally installed to power. The electorate responded by giving the national finger to its patriots. Never again, there are a metastases of cancers in the body politic, untreatable, unsurvivable. The average lifetime of a Republic form of government is about 200 years until the driving impulse deteriorates. The country has reached its ‘use by’ date. The combination that secures the nation’s values has been discovered, the laws shredded, the treasury purloined and power usurped. Not a single effort will undo what is now firmly written in history, restoration is fruitless; all that is left is to try to find the path that most closely meets our needs and interests. As jolly well sounding as Dr. Jill Stein may seem, it is only an illusion of restoring some manner of status quo. If that is in your best interests, by all means cast your ballot so, I haven’t the intention to disparage you for it. My intention was to bring to your attention what the results would be, by both mathematic calculation and logical conclusion. Other than that, I realise the portion of the population that has any significant ability in numeracy to be about 1 or 2% at best and few will appreciate what is to come. Thanks for the effort in responding, nonetheless.
I also am having problems streaming RT/on line. I suspect the problem is with their servers and the exponential increase in demand. What might be the technical differences between Russian and western power systems? and would that have an effect?

Posted by: Formerly T-Bear | Oct 26 2016 19:02 utc | 76

Formerly T-Bear @ 76
Thanks for thoughtful, civil response. Appreciate it.
I’m not as pessimist as you (eg. “reached it’s used by date”). And a minor quibble:

restoration is fruitless

The kinds of things Stein is proposing are not “restoration”: most of her proposals are not rooted in or taken from the past, they are looking to the future. In life personally, I have found living this way harder but far more satisfying and delivering more happiness. The more a society can summon the will to do this, the healthier it’s future. Regardless who’s elected, I’m not going to spend the next 4 years stewing and lamenting this outcome. Only got one life to live, and I intend to enjoy it.

I also am having problems streaming RT/on line. I suspect the problem is with their servers and the exponential increase in demand. What might be the technical differences between Russian and western power systems? and would that have an effect?

It’s not “power” (electricity) or even bandwidth infrastructure I’m sure. Most likely simply hosting service not keeping up with increased “hits” (more hits then they can open sockets… pretty routine to fix). Given how much effort they’ve put in tailoring their content to US visitors, I’d bet they’ll get this ironed out pretty soon.

Posted by: jdmckay | Oct 26 2016 19:24 utc | 78

jdmckay @ 65, You say that solar is now producing the cheapest energy in the US without subsidies.
Direct federal subsidy for solar electricity per megaWatt is $231.21 ! https://onsizzle.com/i/coal-0-53-federal-electric-subsidies-per-unit-natural-gas-and-2964158 The sourcing here is back to the EIA raw numbers & the table was originally from the WA Times.
According to the EIA, (US Energy Information Administration), direct federal subsidies to solar energy increased from $1.1 B (2010) to $5.3 B (2013). http://www.eia.gov/analysis/requests/subsidy/
There are also some city, state and county rebates for installation of solar.
These numbers are as of 2013, so you may have something more recent. Please let us know if you do.
Thanks

Posted by: Penelope | Oct 26 2016 22:03 utc | 80

jfl @ 74, “From my point of view devolution of ‘decision-making power to national governments’ is a step along the road to the real rainbow’s end : devolution of decision-making power to the sovereign peoples of those national governments, and the reconstitution of international relations from the world’s peoples up.”
Bravo, jfl, bravo
I would like to add that an economic consquence of free trade agreements among countries has a strong tendency to freeze the development of the less developed, which then have no oppty to protect their infant industries.
“The crisis that has been shaking the eurozone is not a surprise. It is an avatar of the two principles governing this zone: a single capital market and a single currency. More broadly speaking, it is the consequence of the mindset shaping European integration, which is based on the priority given to the interests of major private industrial and financial corporations, the active promotion of private interests, the fact that within the eurozone, economies and producers of unequal strength have been put in direct competition with each other, the desire to withdraw a growing number of activities from the public services; the competition created between employees from and within different countries, and the refusal to standardise employees’ health care and other social rights upwards. All of these aspects are part of a clear objective – to favour the accumulation of the maximum amount of profit for the private sector, in particular by providing Capital with a labour force that is as malleable and precarious as possible.” —http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-euro-crisis-contradictions-between-countries-in-the-periphery-and-centre-of-the-european-union/5359408 Written in 2013 & still true.

Posted by: Penelope | Oct 26 2016 23:53 utc | 82

Penelope @ 80
> These numbers are as of 2013,
If your data on solar is more then 6 months old, it’s obsolete.
> so you may have something more recent.
I’ve read what I said in multiple sources in recent months, don’t have direct links at hand from sources (based on experience when you and I were discussing GW issues) I think you would trust. My quick google turned up tons of links I don’t have time to go through. If you do a few combo searches (for ex: “Solar PV vs. Coal kwp (or mw) cost”, just the link’s captions/summaries will give you a lot of info, not least being PV price drops in 2016 alone.
You may want to readthis and this (Joe Romm) for global overview.
You don’t have to look to far to see what I said is so; over last few quarters globally, the largest open-bid commercial energy generation are, for first time, being awarded to solar PV contractors.

Posted by: jdmckay | Oct 27 2016 0:40 utc | 84

@50 psychohistorian,
Is there a Picasso mockingbird circling a ‘cyber dawn’ beyond Libya’s borders? Fret not! The BBG has government/corporate anti-surveillance tools in a box, downloads available, for those who believe in the good fight of dismantling the masters house with the masters tools like Tor. It’s not designed to hide intelassets in the signals like D-Company, John McAfee, or Jeeffrey Epstein et al or this one.

Posted by: Shadow Nine | Oct 27 2016 4:36 utc | 86

@87, to which Pando article are you referring which I have linked to none?

Posted by: Shadow Nine | Oct 27 2016 6:22 utc | 88

The drums of WWIII are beating louder
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nato-russia-idUSKCN12P31W
The above is: NATO’s aim is to make good on a July promise by NATO leaders to deter Russia in Europe’s ex-Soviet states, after Moscow orchestrated the annexation of the Crimea peninsula in 2014.
Another take away from the article
Diplomats said it would also send a message to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who has complained that European allies do not pay their way in the alliance.
And another Reuters article say this in its entirety so no link
Russian and Syrian warplanes have not flown closer than 10 kilometres (6.21 miles) of Syria’s Aleppo for nine days, the Russian defence ministry said on Thursday.
Rescue workers and a monitoring group have said air strikes by Syrian or Russian warplanes on Wednesday had killed at least 26 people in a village in the rebel-held province of Idlib, which is in northwest Syria near Aleppo.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 27 2016 6:47 utc | 90

After terrorizing America with Zika scaremongering, Washington Post now admits Zika virus doesn’t cause brain deformities after all
http://www.naturalnews.com/055770_Washington_Post_ZIKA_infections_brain_deformities.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/world/the_americas/scientists-are-bewildered-by-zikas-path-across-latin-america/2016/10/25/5e3a992c-9614-11e6-9cae-2a3574e296a6_story.html
the rate of neurological birth defects in most countries approached zero. Via the Washington Post’s own graphic: (partial list)
Venezuela: 60,791 Zika infections… ZERO birth defects
Honduras: 31,933 Zika infections… ONE birth defect
Guadalupe: 30,969 Zika infections… ZERO birth defects
Puerto Rico: 29,084 Zika infections… TWO birth defects
Mexico: 4,837 Zika infections… ZERO birth defects
From the WashPost article:
Brazilian officials were bracing for a flood of fetal deformities as Zika spread this year to other regions of the country, Marinho said. However, “we are not seeing a big increase.”

Posted by: Aristonicus | Oct 27 2016 10:49 utc | 92

When I first saw this at The Daily Banter, I didn’t think it necessary to cite it. But with the place awash in Green Tea Trumpism, it is sadly timely.
As Trump’s Supporters Go Batsh*t Insane, Liberals Must Stop Helping Trump Whip Them Into A Violent Frenzy. This is rather akin to my repeated advice — do not blow shit up, if you do not have a plan and organization so you know where the pieces will land and can get them back together.

I know hating Hillary is a way of life for far too many on the far left but I urge you to reconsider giving ideological cover to a group of people that want to start a race/civil war in order to reinstate open and aggressive white supremacy in America. At some point, you’ve gone past cutting off your nose to spite your face and you’re cutting off the nose of every minority group and woman in the country.
Go ahead and hate Hillary. Complain that she’s not liberal enough. Scream that she’s corrupt. But for the love of all that’s good in the country, don’t give Trump’s rabid followers the excuse they need to go on a violent rampage.
If hating Hillary is more important then the lives that will be lost because you propagated the lie that she stole the election, just admit it. Own your disregard for your fellow human and wallow in hate just like the right does.

“But – but – but – he’ll disrupt the status quo!” Yeah, maybe, but rather like Hitler or Mussolini did.
And on a related note, neither is The Daily Banter inclined to give much ground before Trumpism.

Sure, everyone has understandable grievances. It doesn’t mean that Trump voters are sensible and responsible people deserving of the benefit of the doubt….
All told, they’re willing to let millions upon millions of people die or lapse into poverty by electing the most dangerous candidate to ever make it this far. They’re willing to sacrifice our democratic way of life without fully understanding the long term damage to the republic he’s already manufactured….
It represents a willingness to hubristically embrace ignorance, incompetence and lies as political dogma. And knowing how many Americans and non-Americans alike will be irreparably harmed by the votes of these Trump supporters with whom we’re supposed to find common ground, it’s impossible to see any other course of action beside vigorously marginalizing them while working with reasonable members of both sides to return the process to the grown-ups.

That will give Bannon, Fetzer, the alt-right, and other assorted rightist rabble plenty to chatter about. The page hits — and ad revenue — will be huuuuuuuge
And ah yes, that old historical favorite, the hubris of stupidity, inability, and perfidy.

Posted by: rufus magister | Oct 27 2016 12:05 utc | 94

re: 95& 94
Being lectured to about supporting “fascism” by a guy that openly supports the Judeo-fascists in Israel who have built an Ethno-Theocratic-Militarist fascist state on stolen land, never gets old.

Posted by: Killary PAC | Oct 27 2016 12:36 utc | 96

Hillary Clinton’s Strategic Ambition in a Nutshell
For the record, here it is.
She has big ambitions, which she does not spell out for fear of frightening part of the electorate, but which are perfectly understood by her closest aides and biggest donors.
She wants to achieve regime change in Russia.
She enjoys the support of most of the State Department and much of the Pentagon, and Congress is ready to go.
….
Hillary Clinton’s ambition – made explicit by her own and her close aides’ statements about Libya in emails at the time – is to gain her place in history as victorious strategist of “regime change”, using open and covert methods (“smart power”), thus bringing recalcitrant regions under control of the “exceptional, good” nation, the United States.
—————

At last,Israel on its own,twisting in the wind of its own making.
That would be awesome.
Posted by: dahoit | Oct 27, 2016 9:49:30 AM | 97
It would be but DTrump is very unlikely to make that happen given his equally shameless fawning over Israel, when compared to Killary

Posted by: Killary PAC | Oct 27 2016 14:24 utc | 98

Penelope @ 91

Incidentally, China hasn’t really gone green either. They do have more renewables than anybody else, but also more coal-fired power plants than anyone. They announced they were phasing out coal, but it still provides 2/3 of their power, and they are building cleaner, hi-tech coal plants at the rate of 2 per week! It’s in the July Forbes.

Forbes is terrible reference for anything positive about renewables, just say’in.
d
August 2016

China’s coal production was down 13.1% year on year (yoy) in the month of July 2016, and down 10.1% yoy in the seven months to July 2016, triple the rate of decline experienced in 2014 and 2015.
(…)
While solar’s contribution remains small in absolute terms,it was reported that more than 20 gigawatts (GW) of solar were installed in the first half of 2016 alone, well above the 15GW installed in the whole of 2015 (which was itself a world record at the time).
China’s total coal production was -10.1% with the 13.1% yoy drop in the month of July 2016, following a staggering 16.6% decline in the month on June 2016. As such, the rate of decline in production and consumption continues to accelerate since peaking in 2013 (down 3% pa in 2014 and -4% 2015).
Policy moves are only accentuating this trend, with the Chinese government last month moving to ban the construction of new coal fired power plants countrywide, as the average Chinese thermal power plant utilization rate hit a record low of 47.8% YTD July 2016.

…

and they are building cleaner, hi-tech coal plants at the rate of 2 per week! It’s in the July Forbes.

Oct. 2016

Chinese leaders have called a halt to construction work on 30 large coal-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 17GW — greater than the UK’s entire coal fleet.
This unprecedented move indicates just how serious the Chinese authorities are about bringing the country’s coal power bubble under control.
And those 30 plants aren’t the only ones that are being stopped.
The policy also dramatically scales down plans for transmitting coal-fired power from the west of China to the coast through a network of very long-distance transmission lines.
Another 30 large coal plant projects, for which transmission lines were already under construction, are being axed.

Sounds like Forbes hasn’t kept up with this. I’ve been reading same thing (China canceling ongoing Coal generation plants on huge scale) since spring this year. This is summarized (from above link):

China has taken huge steps this year to slow and stop the runaway coal sector, cancelling approximately 100 GW of projects in permitting stage this April.

And as I see it, this statement (also from above link) captures big difference between how China’s attacking climate change by uber-aggressive move to renewable/green compared to U.S.:

This means China is stopping work on the equivalent of the combined coal-fired capacity of UK and Spain.
Up to now, the Chinese government had avoided interfering in projects that had already been contracted and financed, and where construction had started.
The cancellations will be painful, and entail major commercial losses and disputes.
But spending money to complete these unneeded coal plants would have been even more wasteful — it would likely have cost well over $20 billion.

E.G. China’s making massive changes in it’s economy wrt going renewable in multiple sectors, directed by GOALS and not short term ROI. They’ve done this in many different sectors for most of last decade, and I’ve read US economic experts repeated interpretation predicting their imminent near term economic collapse. Haven’t been right… once.
U.S. is moved by Wall St; bottom lines/profits. Rare to see discussion here in economic circles of what is needed. China is repeatedly, on huge scale, for some years now… making huge changes like this based on need, very willing to give up short term profit on huge scale to do so.
As example of what I mean by definition of “need”: the reality of man made climate change is state policy in China: it is for them, fact. Their green/renewable mobilization is in response to this “need”. U.S. isn’t even close to this: 1/2 (repubs) are committed to eviscerating EPA and US coal regulations. China is close to outlawing the same.
FWIW, in my view this illustrates much of what is so sick in our ugly election season. People… and especially “progessives” are hellbent on endless redux of HRC’s “evils” and Trump’s superiorities, or vice versa for HRC supporters. Green/renewable energy & climate change is barely on the radar. If conservatives/republicans have their way, they will cancell BO’s support for Paris Climate accords… a step which would only get us started but which China has already done so much as I describe only a little.
I’ve also read details of China’s massive worker retraining programs. Coal workers are getting 1st rate education in multiple sectors of green/renewable (and enginnering needed for both) identified as needed to rebuild this entire infrastructure. As I recall, includes over 10m people. Already well on its way.
Those from either of these “camps” belittle the minority Stein supporters (not just here, it’s pretty much US culture right now) and I hear/read it all the time: her “Green New Deal” is a “pipe dream”.
And in real time, now… China’s doing a close enough approximation of Stein’s “Green New Deal”. And we’re talking about pussy grabbing and Podesta emails. China’s going forward. We’re living in the rear view mirror.
It’s not so hard to see why U.S. has suffered ongoing, stagnant economy since “financial crisis”. The world is passing us by while we slumber.
…
As far as all your solar subsidy stats, yes… I’m aware of those. I’m not going to spend anymore time Goggling stuff I’ve read over course of last year, you can/will reach your own conclusions. You seem to have misinterpreted my “without subsidy” statement, Googled and found current solar subsidies and drawn conclusions from that alone. Your choice.
What I said about cost per kw, Solar passed coal this summer here as cheaper takicg into account those subsidies. Data is out there if you want to look for it. This includes cost of rebates you cite. Doesn’t take rocket science to take note of unsubsidized commercial energy generation contracts awarded on multiple continents this year for first time ever… to publicly held companies that will build PV farms. If someone is guided only by market trends, there you go!!!
One of the (sick, as in another difference between US and China’s economics these days) is… rarely are the subsides, costs of health consequences from coal, environmental costs in destroyed peripheral real estate and lost water supplies (this had been massive in increase since GWB gave green light to turning back clock on regulations in Applachia)… all of which comes back in final calculus for cost.
You don’t believe in man made climate change (at least as of last time we talked about it), so maybe that colors you view in evaluating true costs.

Posted by: jdmckay | Oct 27 2016 16:40 utc | 100