“a contemplative, hope- and peaceful Christmas”
nice thought, thank you b, best wishes to you and everybody here

Posted by: claudio | Dec 24 2016 12:31 utc | 4

Been following the hysteria regarding the “genocide” that never happened in Aleppo on twitter. Now that Al-Qaeda, and those thousands of civilians who felt it better to be under their rule (and embrace the possibility of bombs raining down on their and that of their children’s heads once again) than stay and rebuild their lives in peace, have moved out of Aleppo; there’s still some reports of malnutrition, neglect and mistreatment of civilians popping online, but more and more are the positives (such as the christmas celebrations) and actual news taking over the gloom and doom of last week’s social media frenzy.
That western narrative will be completely overtaken soon enough by real news and those same people will move on to the next big atrocity to lament about (#StandwithIdlib perhaps?), when the time comes.
Most people will probably forget Aleppo just as fast as they forgot benghazi or fallujah, but at least the day is ours this time.

Posted by: never mind | Dec 24 2016 12:51 utc | 6

hope…always, for peace. thanks b.

Posted by: annie | Dec 24 2016 13:21 utc | 8

Talked with my Israeli friends. They are horrified at the US proposal to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The seat of power in is Tel Aviv, not Jerusalem. Getting their permits and visas will now involve travel placing a bullseye on their backs as well as the US embassy. It is like a Pence proposal, precipitating the “end of times”, as envisioned by US religious whack jobs calling themselves “evangelists” who are really no different than ISIS.

Posted by: Bardi | Dec 24 2016 15:13 utc | 10

See how Trump makes Israel great again by calling up Egypt’s sissy to pull U.N. Resolution or else, bribery funding to keep Gaza locked up, disappears.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/egypt-sissi-trump-agreed-in-call-to-delay-un-vote-on-settlements/
So Netanyahu, the Zionist King, called Trump, puppet showman to sabotage Resolution; then Trump called al-Sisi and Sissy pulls Resolution.
Now Israel is retaliating against those countries that took up the Resolution after Sissy tried to postpone it until Trump takes office.
Then, on behalf of his Zionist masters; Trump twitters a veiled threat to the U.N. Let’s see what he tries to pull on China and Iran. So sorry to break it to you all, but there won’t be peace with Trump doing the bidding of Zionism.
Trump…Making Zionism Great by putting Israel First.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL.

Posted by: Circe | Dec 24 2016 15:34 utc | 12

Of course Israeli’s don’t want the US Embassy moved to Jerusalem. That would be contrary to their historic bait-and-switch. Cuz once its moved — defacto — the population in Jerusalem is acknowledged and PROTECTED. It’s called PRAGMATIC diplomacy.
Of course Trump is gonna side with Bibi against the UN. It’s called OPTICS. Divide and conquer. Weakening enemies. Don’t forget. Trump is a Gemini. He will whip-saw EVERYONE — friends and foes — to death. Especially those who consider him “a friend”. I doubt if Trump has any REAL friends. Most great men don’t. Cuz they know actual friends are burdensome and tend to get in the way. Rather he maintains and leverages relationships and situations to his advantage. And aligns with those who are useful to get him where his gut tells him to go.
Trump is a very interesting character. One which will be studied BIGLY over the next century. His only weakness is ego (which is where we all tend to fail) and his obvious devotion to his youngest child. That feels genuine. And while he seems to favor Ivanka. He didn’t stand in the way of her marrying an orthodox jew with very unsavory family connections. He likely figured he couldn’t stop her (as a lackluster father) and used it to his advantage. His genius — aka “magick” — is making lemonade from lemons. But thus far — all his progeny are jews. So when you look at what he does — don’t forget where his future DNA is housed. And anticipate accordingly.

Posted by: Take Me | Dec 24 2016 16:37 utc | 14

Hope? Well, sure we are all hopeful. That is a good thing. Alas, hope has an implacable enemy … reality.
Peace? What a concept. It ain’t gonna happen, tho there are those who keep preaching peace as though it can, or has, ever existed.
Still, despite reality … I do hope everyone has both hope and peace for at least a day. That would be a miracle!

Posted by: rg the lg | Dec 24 2016 16:57 utc | 16

Thanks, B. Merry Christmas to you and your family

Posted by: Pat Bateman | Dec 24 2016 17:01 utc | 18

Take Me has said some very bad words about Geminis. Not nice.
“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
So true!

Posted by: Gemini | Dec 24 2016 17:09 utc | 20

@ Shadyl | Dec 24, 2016 7:35:33 AM | 5
Thanks. I share your views. Religions have no boundary, curses of society pry equally on the filthy rich and poor. Peace and hope just another dream. Happy holidays everyone.
To each is own.

Posted by: Jack Smith | Dec 24 2016 17:14 utc | 22

Happy Christmas to all. I have been reading this blog and comments avidly for a year now, and am grateful for the insight and education. Let’s hope for peace and truth in 2017. I do think there is hope, tomorrow my Christian family and I will spend the day with 2 Jewish families and a family of Persian Shia muslims. Left to our own devices we humans are quite able to find commonality and friendship among those we are encouraged to distrust.

Posted by: Reload | Dec 24 2016 17:40 utc | 24

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzN1-M37RiY
Found this movie to closely match my own experience in Afghanistan, and has kind of a cinema verite thing going, with an uplifting final message, might interest millenials watching TV at Xmas dinner, since they’ll be the next ones sent off to, ‘fight them over there, so we can immigrate them over here’.
As a Taliban leader joked with me, “I love your Jesus, but hate your Christ!” (then blew up the guest house where we had just left, lol)
Remember, the Wall Street Khazars make money when the market’s going up, but They also make money when you’re screaming ‘Sell!’, waiting for a broker to take your order, because ‘sell at market’ is falling too fast, and you know they won’t close you out until the very low of the day, lol.
Found it enlightening that 2016 only heard one reference to Anne Franke this year, and no Schindler’s List, whew, instead, the Blood Libelers are running heavy psyop on the Barbary Pirates depredations by Islam of MENA and EU Christians some 700 years ago, while glamorizing their Bolshevik Revolution of 100 years ago, you know, where the Khazars slaughtered the Christian Tzar, then sent the Russian crown jewels and bullion off to NYC to fund the private Fed Bank, (the same bullion trick the Israeli Junta Coup used on Christian Ukraine) before sending 65,000,000 Christians off to Siberia to die for Ba’al and Moloch.
But it’s all good. It’s just business, get over it!
On to Tehran for the One Party of Mil.Gov.Corp!
Trumphim ahkbar! Mar-a-lago! Lu-lu-lu-lu-lu!
Give a prayer to Venezuela as you tuck into that plum pudding Sunday, and shout out ‘Hope and Chains!’ that when Modi’s done privatizing India for the Khazars in London, all those disenfranchised 100,000,000s of Hindus and Brahmans don’t emigrate to US and EU.

Posted by: chipnik | Dec 24 2016 18:20 utc | 26

Merry Christmas to you, B, and to everyone on MoA. Thanks for all your heartfelt endeavors after the truth.

Posted by: Cresty | Dec 24 2016 19:05 utc | 28

This must be a good web site.
I never saw one ” Happy Holidays.”
Merry Christmas to all.
So many Christmas’s I have noticed another barbaric event somewhere, designed the spoil things. So far, so good.

Posted by: Joey | Dec 24 2016 19:24 utc | 30

Merry Christmas to all (and God Jul)
The 14 – 0 was a subject for rejoicing.

Posted by: Ejnar Ekström | Dec 24 2016 19:31 utc | 32

I deeply wish a blessed and peaceful Christmas to everyone, safety and solace to the battered regions of the earth who are our brethren all, penitence and redemption to those who blindly continue to crucify our children, and I hope above all for the enlightenment which comes with understanding, for ourselves, our neighbors, our precious and fragile earth. Thank you, b, for all you do.

Posted by: juliania | Dec 24 2016 19:45 utc | 34

Yes, raising my glass to hope, the real hope and not the hopium kind.. Cheers to all!

Posted by: Lozion | Dec 24 2016 21:27 utc | 36

Merry Christmas to all and may 2017 be a good year for B and everyone here at MoA, readers, visitors, lurkers all!
Let’s wish that the war in Syria has finally been won with the liberation of Aleppo and other cities and towns in Syria, and that the nation can finally rebuild and send out messages of hope and reconciliation, and be an example to the rest of us.
Thanks B for all your efforts in shining a light in the darkness in which we presently live. Thanks also to the various regular contributors for their discussions and support.

Posted by: Jen | Dec 24 2016 21:47 utc | 38

I love this sentence : Hope for walls to come down!

Posted by: طراحی سایت | Dec 24 2016 22:07 utc | 40

What C. Dickens’ Tiny Tim said, seems adequate.

Posted by: Formerly T-Bear | Dec 24 2016 22:21 utc | 42

b, 27 alain b
I went to the Bethlehem Association site, backed off the now-nonexistent main page, and discovered that the new president lives in Orange County CA, USA. There may have been a coup at the Bethlehem Association?

Posted by: jfl | Dec 24 2016 23:20 utc | 44

@ nur… does ‘hope’ always have to be associated with religion in your mind? ever thought that it might be independent of religion and have a life of it’s own? try it sometime, LOL!

Posted by: james | Dec 24 2016 23:28 utc | 46

This is probably a good time to remind every one that even though things look bleak in the Middle East and it looks like no two religious groups can get along, that isn’t actually the full truth and isn’t always the way it has been. As black as Syria has been the last few years any one following this site knows it isn’t the full story. Muslims helping Christians put their churches back together, multi-denomination prayers, a Shia choir singing Silent Night are all things we have seen on the other side of the ledger in Syria.
But there are others people may not be aware of.
Jews and Arabs used to get along quite well in Palestine for example.
https://972mag.com/before-zionism-the-shared-life-of-jews-and-palestinians/118408/
Even today they can still get along if they want to.
https://972mag.com/how-thousands-of-palestinian-and-israeli-women-are-waging-peace/122801/
Christians and Muslims working together to save their holy sites.
https://electronicintifada.net/content/christianity-palestine-misrepresentation-and-dispossession/6280
Any one that follows American news sites know one thing with certainty. Iranians are born to kill Jews which is why they have all been forced to flee Iran. Except that isn’t even remotely true either.
http://forward.com/news/318930/a-jewish-journalists-exclusive-look-inside-iran/
http://forward.com/news/319269/irans-jews-win-secure-place-in-mullahs-world-with-strings-attached/
Christians protecting Muslims in Egypt
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1353330/Egypt-protests-Christians-join-hands-protect-Muslims-pray-Cairo-protests.html
It’s not a panacea out there. But neither is it all black. Peace.

Posted by: BraveNewWorld | Dec 25 2016 0:01 utc | 48

Anybody putting hope in religions for their utter ignorance of the truth definitely needs ‘god’s help.Religion is just tools used for slavery of the ignorant.Christianity and Islam, whats their contribution to humanity come on look at the facts its staring in your eyes!..fools…hope yeah hope religious beliefs help us!

Posted by: Nur Adlina | Dec 25 2016 0:21 utc | 50

hope died along time ago, if she ever existed.

Posted by: Sabine | Dec 25 2016 1:09 utc | 52

Merry Christmas to all.
And many thanks to the barkeeper.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Dec 25 2016 1:23 utc | 54

A beautiful Christmas card for your appreciative readers, b.

Posted by: Glorious Bach | Dec 25 2016 1:26 utc | 56

Merry Christmas and a happy fucking New Year!

Posted by: blues | Dec 25 2016 2:04 utc | 58

Joyous News From Palestine
It might be argued that Obama’s decision not to veto the Resolution shows his true decent instincts once political machination is no longer a factor. I have been undecided whether he is a decent but timid man prepared to go along with the machinations of hard power without any fights that would make his own life less comfortable, or a total charlatan who was always just a puppet of the powerful. It took eight years for me to tend towards the slightly less appalling option. Certainly Hillary, an uncompromising Zionist who refused to condemn illegal settlements when Bernie Sanders did so, would have vetoed the resolution. In a strange way, Trump’s victory allowed it to pass; if Clinton had won, Obama would have very probably felt bound to defer to her wish to veto it.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2016/12/joyous-news-palestine/

Posted by: mauisurfer | Dec 25 2016 2:24 utc | 60

Everybody heaves a great sigh of relief, they elected the ‘lesser evil’ Trump, but at least he stops ww3 in the nick of time !
If you think Clinton is vile…….
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2016/12/23/pers-d23.html
Sorry to spoil the festive fun,
but this ‘great white HOPE’ looks more and more
like the ‘great white HOAX’.
HEHEHEHEHHE

Posted by: denk | Dec 25 2016 3:02 utc | 62

Many thanks and good wishes to b and his merry mooners – but I gotta say that hope is not a strategy for peace. Active justice is.

Posted by: Taxi | Dec 25 2016 5:13 utc | 64

@virgile, I second your thoughts regarding trump and Israel. Bibi might be in for a surprise next year.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. Long live this blog, and all the merry makers here. Wish I had time to read very comment…

Posted by: Shadyl | Dec 25 2016 5:31 utc | 66

happy everything, to one and all.. what ever you believe, please try to actually live the belief.
you da’ best b, thank you!

Posted by: ben | Dec 25 2016 7:35 utc | 68

@virgile, @shadyl
well, it says hope at the top of the post … so i, too, hope that ‘hope’ triumphs over experience in this case along with yourselves.

Posted by: jfl | Dec 25 2016 8:09 utc | 70

Sadly the plane carrying the Russian military choir Alexandrov and others crashed this morning into the Black Sea on its way to Syria. A western cultural institution vanishes. The consequences for family, friends and nation are of course incalculable. Another notable loss.

Posted by: Quentin | Dec 25 2016 12:36 utc | 72

Merry Christmas to all and especially to B who brings sanity to an otherwise insane media…..

Posted by: georgeg | Dec 25 2016 16:04 utc | 74

There can be no peace in the Holy Land with Bibi raising hell for not getting his way via the US/UN for any criticism of his actions. At least he can be criticized for this in Israel itself in places like Haaretz. (see how twisted US media is) He’s a squeaky wheel that needs to be greased and we have the mechanics and grease guns to do so.
Meanwhile Turkey’s loco logic is on display. Now they’re going to finally go after those they claim they’ve been fighting all along?
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-24/erdogan-seeks-to-join-forces-with-trump-against-is-in-syria
Let me get this straight. Turkey opens its borders to and supports fighters to overthrow Assad. But somehow they expected the Kurds to help but not seek independence.
In the meantime, Merry Christmas to all. I would far rather get my news from an alt (“fake”) news source like this one than the big boys … who should get coal in their stockings along with pink slips.

Posted by: Curtis | Dec 25 2016 16:40 utc | 76

Joining Quentin and Felicity in expression of sympathetic grief at the tragic loss of so many of Russia’s finest artists who were travelling to bring the joy of music to hard pressed Syria. Christmas time is always a time of light in the darkness, and while the Russians celebrate Christmas thirteen days from now, the season has already begun. The first words of God in Genesis took on the task of separating light from darkness, which ongoing task John echoes in the opening verses of his Gospel:
“The light shines in the darkness
and the darkness has not overcome it.
I read that the Russians are setting up light towers surrounding the scene of the crash. It was said at RT that the weather was good for flying, so these lights stand watch and are emblematic as the darkness descends.
The light shines in the darkness
And the darkness has not overcome it.
Memory eternal for these beautiful souls.
The light shines in the darkness
And the darkness has not overcome it.

Posted by: juliania | Dec 25 2016 18:48 utc | 78

Such a great person writes this column. Such wonderful people read it and respond with love and empathy for all humanity. Thanks to the Man on the Moon who brings us truth. God bless you and Merry Christmas.

Posted by: charles shamey | Dec 25 2016 19:08 utc | 80

@juliania #79:
Joining Quentin and Felicity in expression of sympathetic grief at the tragic loss of so many of Russia’s finest artists who were travelling to bring the joy of music to hard pressed Syria. Christmas time is always a time of light in the darkness, and while the Russians celebrate Christmas thirteen days from now, the season has already begun.
I’m Russian, but I’m celebrating Christmast today, because I’m Lutheran.
Here is a nice pagan song to get a feeling of the divine on Christmas:
Lush – When I Die
There is little doubt that the latest loss of a Russian plane was an act of terrorism.
Demian is now known as Adalbrand

Posted by: Adalbrand | Dec 25 2016 20:45 utc | 82

Hope is also Eva Bartlett, an independent Canadian journalist, Vanessa Beeley and Patrick Henningsen 21st Centuries Wire. They independently exposed the White Helmets to the world. Without them most of us remain clueless.
If you are agree with me – here a video Jimmy Dore breaks it down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9F-cHc5Qog

Posted by: Jack Smith | Dec 25 2016 21:22 utc | 84

If not for the three recent attacks, my first thought would be mechanical failure. However, in context, the loss of the Tu-154 looks like an attack against Russian values – it’s magnificent choir on one of its holy days. This is possibly an attempt to stir up Russians against Putin’s perceived inaction in defending Russians (i.e. Putin isn’t following the US script where he is supposed to lash out when provoked so the US can then totally sanction Russia).
The international reaction is interesting:
Russian liberals and Ukrops are united in the joy at the death of Russians.
The leaders of DNR, Spain, Germany, Syria, Turkey, Italy, Belarus and Israel personally expressed their condolences, some directly to Putin. Germany’s foreign minister also expressed condolences.
The leaders of the US and UK didn’t consider the event worthy of their attention and left it to the obnoxious US ambassador to Russia (US) and the ‘Haircut in Search of a Brain’ (UK) respectively.
In memorium, my favorite Red Army Orchestra piece: Damn the bastards who did this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLg83QMmlGs

Posted by: Yonatan | Dec 25 2016 23:22 utc | 86

Wishing the blog author and all contributors a safe festive season. It is a special place this old-school venue…the thirst for informed truth found here, without fanfare, makes it a triumph of the collective human spirit..about as religious as I get.
Fuck Disney.

Posted by: MadMax2 | Dec 26 2016 0:04 utc | 88

Bibi, being of Lithuanian stock, should know fine and well that you simply do not piss the Russians off or they will kill you, probably in a cruel and painful fashion; just ask the Germans what Russian vengeance is like. Mossad is certainly not above eliminating a leader and as Jeffrey Silverman, VT’s man in Russia and himself a Jew points out that:
“It might be a ploy within Mossad to get rid of Bibi, as Mossad is too independent minded to take him too seriously, and he is a greater threat to the Jewish State than any enemy, “real or perceived.”
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2016/12/25/did-israel-down-a-russian-jet-over-unsc-smackdown/

Posted by: ALberto | Dec 26 2016 0:26 utc | 90

A hundred years is but a blink of the eye to the White Russians.
Just me opinion

Posted by: ALberto | Dec 26 2016 1:04 utc | 92

****** Bitdefender 2017 gives a big warning when clicking on the link provided under the photo to Bethlehem Association
just saying

Posted by: Malware Warning | Dec 26 2016 5:13 utc | 94

Merry Christmas to you and yours, b. I share your wishes for hope and peace. A lot of people are using “peace” as a signoff or salutation here now, which hasn’t been a widespread thing for decades.
Of course the warmongers constantly worry about it and are always going on about the perils of the American public’s tendency toward “isolationism”. Most people worry about war. Our warmongers worry about not enough of it.

Posted by: Joanne Leon | Dec 26 2016 11:10 utc | 96

aaaa @ 100
I believe he campaigned on DOPE, successfully too as our Streets and Avenues are awash in a sea of cheap Afghan Heroin killing our young men by the thousands. Pair that with 4,000+ dead blacks in his hometown of Chicago. Pretty high body count for a Nobel Prize Winner?

Posted by: ALberto | Dec 26 2016 23:01 utc | 98

Here’s another link to b’s picture of Bethlehem and The Wall, and one to a billboard in the USA depicting Mary and Joseph approaching The Wall, and last, but not least, a link to those who made The Wall possible.

Posted by: jfl | Dec 26 2016 23:52 utc | 100