Yes, Liberal hypocrites. CNN is going on breathlessly about the many protests they are covering from across the U.S. Usually, they suppress or ignore the mass actions of mere people or feature them as events of crazies. But not today. The good citizens are smiling as they mass to protest the Bad Trump Government.

Posted by: Robert McMaster | Jan 29 2017 20:23 utc | 1

There is a good chunk of what you wrote that is true b but your leaving some import stuff out.

The plan to over throw the Assad government and weaken Iran was initiated under W not Obama. Obama of course had 8 years to stop it and failed to do so.

The decree of the Donald to block Muslims from the countries that that have not resulted in a death of a single American on American soil in the last 15 years, while leaving the door wide open to the countries that did little things like 911 etc. The countries he refused to ban were also the countries that he has business interests in. If he was really interested in protecting Americans he would have banned KSA, Qater etc. But lets be honest. This has nothing to do with protecting Americans. This is another written in Israel law that the US is passing for Israel, to hell with the consequences for the US. That Iran $20B Boeing deal and all the US jobs it would produce? Say bye, bye. That will now go to Airbus. American lives saved 0. This pushes Iran closer to China and diminishes American influence in the region. But at least Israel gets to keep stealing the Palestinians land for now.

Some one is supposed to get outraged by the US attacking AQ in Yemen? The only people that might be outraged by that is the Americas favourite terrorists the Saudis.

Posted by: BraveNewWorld | Jan 29 2017 20:42 utc | 2

thanks b - any chance the protests are organized by ngos under soros sponsorship, or something along those lines?

Posted by: james | Jan 29 2017 21:11 utc | 3

The outcry against Trump's policies are well deserved. Clinton would have done the exact same thing, brand it differently with doublespeak and the fake news presstitude media would have given it their blessing. This sickening travesty wasn't any different under Obama but now, albeit for fake and wrong political reasons, all this gets the deserved attention and who know backlash.

Posted by: xor | Jan 29 2017 21:13 utc | 4

While the current demonstrations against the ban seem genuinely spontaneous, much of the ongoing indignation is ginned up by the mainstream mass media, which appears determined to destroy the Trump presidency, or at the very least damage it so badly that he will not be re-elected in 2020. This commentary by Caitlin Johnstone goes into this in more detail: Corporate Media Is Planning Nonstop Trump Alarmism Until 2020 So A Corporate Dem Can Win

Posted by: Colin | Jan 29 2017 21:15 utc | 5

" Anti-terrorist ban targets weak countries first, then strong ones
Why is terrorist hotbed Saudi Arabia being exempted from the travel ban, while relatively safer countries like Iran are included?

If you look at it from an engineering standpoint, it looks backwards. The ban ought to apply more forcefully to countries that pose a higher risk.

But in the real world, we can't just wave a magic wand and immediately ban Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey, which have wealthy, powerful lobbies in our own country who have compromised key figures at the national level (John McCain being the most egregious example -- the Saudis only love Crooked Hillary Clinton more).

Trump is a pragmatist dealing with real-world relationships, so first he's going after the countries that have no way of retaliating against us, and which do not have powerful lobbies for defense. Failed or anarchic states like Libya, Iraq, Somalia, etc."

http://akinokure.blogspot.se/2017/01/anti-terrorist-ban-targeting-weak.html

Posted by: Arren | Jan 29 2017 21:16 utc | 6

b - You should have touched upon Iran - it sticks out like a sore thumb. Since when has Iran 'exported' terrorists (except in the small minds of the Likudniks)? People are rightfully bitching about the Saudis getting a pass, but say nothing about the curious inclusion of Iran. Iran - that's the country where al Qaeda, ISIS and the 9/11 hijackers came from, isn't it?

I'll also point out that the naval exercise Unified Trident begins in the Gulf next week. That's U.S., British and French ships 'simulating' a confrontation with Iran. Notice how conveniently the U.S. has no aircraft carrier there? Gosh - you would think we would have wanted one there in a simulated naval battle with Iran. At any rate, any American that's been following the string of false flags has probably noticed that there always seems to be some sort of anti-terror exercise happening at the same time. Now, if one were to make an observation about patterns of psychopathic behavior...

Posted by: PavewayIV | Jan 29 2017 21:26 utc | 7

Iran, Iraq, Yemen censure US president’s travel ban on Muslims

US President Donald Trump’s controversial Muslim ban has been met with criticism from Iran, Iraq and Yemen, whose nationals have been targeted by the restrictive measure.

pay no attention to what tee-rump - or any politician or tnc disinformation agent working in the msm - has to say.

pay attention only to what they actually do. turn off the sound on the movie. the soundtrack is only there to distract and disinform.

the most cursory inspection of the 'morality play' that began the 'new american century' reveals 19 jihadists in airplanes ... There were 19 hijackers on 9/11: 15 Saudis, 2 from the United Arab Emirates, 1 from Egypt, and 1 from Lebanon ... all protected and defended by bush xliii, obama xliv, and now trump xlv... not the proverbial dime's worth of difference among them.

the peoples of Iran, Iraq and Yemen have all been the victims of us terrorism. and are again now, while the wahabist terrorists - together with the dancing israelis - go free. to kill again, and again, and again ...

Posted by: jfl | Jan 29 2017 21:37 utc | 8

Top Iraqi cleric wants Americans out over Trump's ban on Muslims

Prominent Iraqi cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, has censured US President Donald Trump over his executive order to ban entry into the US of citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries, calling for the expulsion of American nationals from the Arab country in retaliation.

excellent idea. use tee-rump's grandstanding as the springboard to rid iraq of american terrorists. start with iraq and then include the other six countries, all presently victims of american terrorism.

it's certainly past time to rid these muslim nations of americans, the destroyers of worlds ...

Posted by: jfl | Jan 29 2017 21:47 utc | 9

tee-rump brings a whole new harmonic resonance to the term 'no-brainer'.

Posted by: jfl | Jan 29 2017 21:51 utc | 10

Is it possible that the US military desires to not allow CIA/MI6/mosSAD 'assets' to enter the Continental US? Could this be an element of the plan?

Just me opinion

Posted by: ALberto | Jan 29 2017 22:01 utc | 11

I always thought it rather significant that Trump openly stated that we (the U.S.) should have taken Iraq's oil after we invaded. Maybe he wants a do-over.

I'm kind of thinking Iraq would back Iran if the U.S. false-flags them in the Gulf next week. Heck, if the U.S. invades (once again) Syria, Iraq and Iran... well, hell... that's a lot of oil for 'war spoils' for Trump. Boeing isn't going to complain - the liberated hell-holes left of those three countries will all need aircraft, and the U.S. has plenty of virtual USD to loan them for the purchase. And you just know that Haliburton is clinking champagne glasses every time the coalition bombs another oil wellhead or pump jack in Iraq and Syria today. We need to get this circus started - there's money to be had, and lack of war is just interfering with the oligarchs' ability to acquire it.

Posted by: PavewayIV | Jan 29 2017 22:03 utc | 12

the only thing in competition with the hypocrisy of the outrage of the 'liberals' and 'progressives' who rent their garments and tore their hair over bush's wars and then calmly cashed their paychecks during obama's ... and who now castigate tee-rump for maintaining similarly seamless continuity with obama's policies, just as did obama with bush's ... are the interpreters of tee-rump's rants in tongues who profess to see a difference between tee-rump and his predecessor psotus. believe it when you've seen it. so far, not the proverbial dime's worth of difference. turn off the sound, the collective twits' tweets, and the tnc msm's synchronous screech ... and watch the action. not-hillary, no difference so far.

Posted by: jfl | Jan 29 2017 22:05 utc | 13

The red team & blue team people don't care about "issues", certainly not bi-partisan ones like whatever the empire is doing. They only care about their stupid football team. They're a completely hopeless impediment to any practical changes.

Posted by: Jesrad | Jan 29 2017 22:11 utc | 14

Want to know why liberals and progressives should be really mad?
Trump made campaign promises, the wall, ban and extreme vetting on immigration, cancelling TPP. Just after a few days in power, he's already acted to implement - badly in some cases - these policies.
Obama promised hard to close down Guantanamo. Did he try it in his first 10 days in office? He had full control of Congress, both houses, and he did nothing for 2 years. He didn't close it down in the 6 years afterwards either, of course - I mean, he eventually pardoned Manning, so he could still have done something in his last weeks in office.
How come an ignorant fool like Trump manages to get shit done to an extent, and sticks to his promises, when a good guy like Obama basically turned out to be a wanker? Frankly, if I were a US progressive, I'd be pissed off.

Posted by: Clueless Joe | Jan 29 2017 22:14 utc | 15

Before I post my opinion of this piece; please allow me this moment of rage:

F.....K F.......K F........K!!!!!!

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/saudi-king-agrees-call-trump-213832329.html

Trump doesn't only want safe zones for Syria but for Yemen as well and he's recruiting the Saudis to organize these!!!!!

Okay, many of you said that a Trump/Saudi alliance on Syria was your red line. I'm asking you now; are you going to leave the Dark Side once and for all and join us in fighting this outrage???

Posted by: Circe | Jan 29 2017 22:17 utc | 16

PavewayIV@7 I will bet the US hopes the naval exercise 'Unified Trident' fares better than the Millennium Challenge war game against Iran in 2002 then... "Red, commanded by retired Marine Corps Lieutenant General Paul K. Van Riper, adopted an asymmetric strategy, in particular, using old methods to evade Blue's sophisticated electronic surveillance network. Van Riper used motorcycle messengers to transmit orders to front-line troops and World-War-II-style light signals to launch airplanes without radio communications.

Red received an ultimatum from Blue, essentially a surrender document, demanding a response within 24 hours. Thus warned of Blue's approach, Red used a fleet of small boats to determine the position of Blue's fleet by the second day of the exercise. In a preemptive strike, Red launched a massive salvo of cruise missiles that overwhelmed the Blue forces' electronic sensors and destroyed sixteen warships. This included one aircraft carrier, ten cruisers and five of six amphibious ships. An equivalent success in a real conflict would have resulted in the deaths of over 20,000 service personnel. Soon after the cruise missile offensive, another significant portion of Blue's navy was "sunk" by an armada of small Red boats, which carried out both conventional and suicide attacks that capitalized on Blue's inability to detect them as well as expected. Needless to say At this point, the exercise was suspended, Blue's ships were "re-floated", and the rules of engagement were changed;After the war game was restarted, its participants were forced to follow a script drafted to ensure a Blue Force victory. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Challenge_2002

Posted by: harrylaw | Jan 29 2017 22:21 utc | 17

this is an excellent post b, especially your incorporation of the background on the latest american terrorist attack in yemen, murdering an 8 year old american girl-child in the process, and your clear assessment of zero opposition among the political class to the tnc bush-obama-trump 'new american century'.

excellent.

Posted by: jfl | Jan 29 2017 22:22 utc | 18

Where have we seen this type of prolitariat issues driven pseudo intellectual 'we have all of the answers' ideo driven Putsch before? 1923 Munich, 1917 Russia, Iran 1953, etc., etc.

The US unipress are all screaming the same story. Impeach, as a first measure.

A lot of money is Being spent to maintain the authorship of the collective MSM reality. Monies most likely stolen from US taxpayers?

Legal US citizens purchased in excess of 100,000,000 guns during Osama's eight years in office. Does anyone really believe that the common citizen can't read the Bolshevik hand writing on the proverbial wall? Even if it is written in hebrew?

Lot of blood will be spilt before this is all over, if it will ever end?

Just me opinion

Posted by: ALberto | Jan 29 2017 22:31 utc | 19

@ 18

Yes, I echo jfl's sentiment that this is a very good post. Thanks, b. My apologies, jfl, for things I said which I did not mean, and I appreciated your response, which was classy - it was a bad day at the office for me that day.

Apart from everything else Trump has done what he said he would do. And almost to the letter. After this can politics as usual ever be the same? Theresa May said she would put employees on the boards of companies before being annointed. As I watched her deliver those words I knew that was the last we would hear about it.

At Syria Perspective there's a commenter called Canthama who is well worth following for the very recent stuff.

Posted by: Lochearn | Jan 29 2017 22:52 utc | 20

Regarding the U.S. Yemen raid ordered by Trump, Pentagon officials issued a statement making no mention of civilian casualties and even refused to say whether there were civilian casualties and as a result, some of the media are reporting that there were NO civilian casualties; in addition, a Pentagon official stated no prisoners were taken. However, an anonymous source did say civilian casualties could not be ruled out.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-yemen-qaeda-idUSKBN15D08J

This is a blatant effort to conceal the facts. Why try to hide the fact that civilians were killed and prisoners were taken unless they're going to be rendered and tortured then killed extra-judicially?

Posted by: Circe | Jan 29 2017 22:55 utc | 21

Great post.

Of course the left-wing, deep state, and corporate media in the US are hypocrites. They always have been. The central issue is about power. The ruling elites want continual wars to keep the populous in line. (and yes, the conservatives are hypocrites as well)

If you really want the west "to become a more just and social society" then you need to lobby for vastly reduced power in their governments. A relatively laissez faire economy with strong property rights (classical liberalism) built the west by letting people cooperate with each other through the market.

Unfortunately, an economy unfettered by the State will make everyone more prosperous but far less equal as some will be much richer than others. Leftists can't seem to handle that part even if all are better off.

The problem is not that we need to reduce the corruption and evil in the politicians; the problem is how to do away with the State that gives these mad men so much power over the masses.

Posted by: Mark Stoval | Jan 29 2017 22:57 utc | 22

Dear prime minister Trudeau,

A big and sincere thank you for reaffirming Canada's core values as you promptly and effectively took action in support of refugees and dual citizens from the 7 countries sanctioned by the new American administration.

However ... there would be no refugees from Yemen when you stop selling Saudi Arabia $15,000,000,000 worth of arms that the Wahhabi kingdom is using 24/7 to kill and scare away Yemenis

And there would be no Syrian refugees if you, and Qatar and Saudi Arabia and Erdogan stop supporting (and arming and financing and training) religious extremists trying, for 6 years, to overthrow the Syrian government.

Your alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood is not the way you can express solidarity with Canadian or Syrian Muslims... selling arms to the evil wahabi kingdom is not a contribution to a safer Middle East ...

Please take the time to reflect on how you can best put into practice Canada's moral values.
https://www.facebook.com/camille.otrakji/posts/10155692379757977?pnref=story

Posted by: brian | Jan 29 2017 23:02 utc | 23

Jeez b talk of whataboutery - who gives a toss what Oblamblam did we criticised him then, but now we are meant to the let trumpet off - why? Your post reeks of hypocrisy in that you say political grandstanding from Oblamblam is bad but when the current cunt does it it, that is OK? What BS - they are both assholes.

On this Trump is a bigger asshole than the other since his garbage is ruining more lives more profoundly than Obama shot at racist populism. Why is it that people have to have one side 'good' and the other side 'bad' when both sides are low scumbags.
It's like the whole Syrian thing; where anyone with half a brain or more could see that the terrorist violence created by amerika, the gulf states and all the eurohangers-on was bad no problem, but some dingbats decided if those guys were evil that meant the Ba'ath mob must be good. As if everything is a TV show with the good guys Vs the bad guys when the reality is they are all evil, just that some are doing worse than others.

This is why humans keep getting stuck with these awful political structures, some daft drongo derps just cannot see past the bullshit.
It matters - the most evil ethos currently practiced across the planet, neoliberalism came into being in exactly that manner. People hated the small minded pettiness of the previous system so they foolishly, unquestioningly supported a band of greedy sociopaths who promised to get rid of the centralised interference in their life.
Since hardly anyone questioned the motivations beyond the headlines, and any attempt to oppose the assholes was met with whataboutery exactly like the dross you have posted, the neoliberals took over and now it is gonna be a real prick of a job to get rid of them.
Whatever comes next will also need to be properly scrutinised and not dismissed with schoolboy whines of "But mummy he did it first".

Posted by: Debsisdead | Jan 29 2017 23:18 utc | 24

PavewayIV | Jan 29, 2017 5:03:29 PM | 12

And you just know that Haliburton is clinking champagne glasses every time the coalition bombs another oil wellhead or pump jack in Iraq and Syria today.

Many a true word is spoken in jest.

Halliburton posts yearly loss but says it's prepped for a profitable 2017
But after dropping $5.7 billion for 2016, Halliburton looks to a profitable 2017

I wonder why Halliburton are so confident of a profitable 2017.

Posted by: Ghostship | Jan 29 2017 23:24 utc | 25

Looks like a Wahhabi Caliphate will rule the Muslim Middle East thanks to Heir Trump. Basically, Trump wants to bring in the Saudis and UAE in on his Safe Zones plan. No wonder Zionists have been cozying up to the Wahhabi monarchs; they want their help to neutralize the entire region. They don't need ISIS and AQ anymore to destabilize for a takeover! Obama wouldn't commit to safe zones, but they have TRUMP's blessing now. Trump is inviting the foxes into the hen house to gorge themselves.

Basically this will be a forcible occupation of Syria and Yemen. We'll see how Heir Trump plans to secure this shit; drones, fighter jets, Black Hawks patrolling a no-fly zone? And he's already stirring the pot with these Wahhabis on Iran. This is gonna be a blood bath.

“The President requested and the King agreed to support safe zones in Syria and Yemen, as well as supporting other ideas to help the many refugees who are displaced by the ongoing conflicts,” the White House said in a statement.

“They also agreed on the importance of rigorously enforcing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran and of addressing Iran’s destabilizing regional activities.”

Trump also spoke with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan. The two discussed the Islamic State of Iraq & Syria (ISIS) and the crown prince agreed to support safe zones to protect refugees in the Middle East.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/316767-trump-speaks-with-saudi-king

Now answer me this: Why is it that Heir Trump conveniently failed to mention his intent on Safe Zones to Putin in that phone call and only went so far as to mention collaboration on fighting ISIS?

All this stinks.

Posted by: Circe | Jan 29 2017 23:44 utc | 26

What surprises me is just how easily people are letting themselves be manipulated. It does not take an advanced degree to pay attention and compare and contrast the policies of leaders from different parties. There is, for now, a wealth of information on the internet from sources far and wide that shed light onto the nefarious being planned in our capitals.

And yet...and yet people still take "the news" as gospel and simply believe and take at face value what they are being told. (Research? Scepticism? Thinking CRITICALLY? You must be mad, son I trust the person on TV reading from a teleprompter.) Watching these events unfold one can almost see the public twitch and jump as the puppet masters control their minds and tell them when to get outraged and at whom.

For all too many people if "it" happened but wasn't shown in the MSM over and over again "it" did not happen. Conversely, if "it" did NOT happen yet "it" got airtime and column inches in the MSM propaganda networks and papers "it" in fact happened.
So Obama's drone war, extrajudicial executions and discrimination against Muslims? Never happened. But by God is that Trump a uniquely evil dude! The SAA and its allies slaughtering civilians in Aleppo despite compelling evidence suggesting this was fake news pure spun out of whole cloth? Come on, everyone knows the SAA and the Russians are the evil bad guys and the rebels are secular feminist hippies. You must be an Assadist!

I am human (more or less) like the stooges that fall for propaganda time and time again and I live in the same world as they do (more or less)...so why is it that they are so gullible, naive, stupid or whatever? Are they scared that if they know the truth their carefully organized world will fall to pieces and they will be adrift in darkness with nothing to give them comfort? Is it possible they are wilfully deluding themselves to stave off existential despair and anomie? There is a massive research project in this for psychologists, social psychologists and neuroscientists. But in this neoliberal dystopia who will fund and back an in-depth examination of western propaganda techniques and how they influence people in semi-open societies?

This is just the beginning of the ride. The neoliberal faction of the establishment is going to keep doubling down on the lectures, selective outrage and trying to get their people into office. Will they be shocked when far-right parties start winning elections in the EU. Then what? Martial law and a slow slide into civil war and the collapse of the moribund west?

Posted by: Temporarily Sane | Jan 30 2017 0:13 utc | 27

@26 I hope Putin and his people aren't gullible enough to believe they have an honest, fair dealing partner in Trump. Russia, Iran and China must stick together and not let the Americans break them apart with their divide and conquer tactics.

Posted by: Temporarily Sane | Jan 30 2017 0:22 utc | 28

Agreed, there is much hypocrisy in the current outcry against Tronald, but despite that it's correct to heavily criticize his moves. One can't wait till he starts WW3. (And that Clinton would have done seemingly catastrophic is no reason to spare him.)

Posted by: Pnyx | Jan 30 2017 0:24 utc | 29

At the core of the West is a vile and despicable hypocrisy.
It feeds the 'indispensable and exceptional' lunacy in the US.
Killing millions? So what, our boy is doing it.
Later: the horrors, the other party guy is doing it.
Or: so what?
Screw it, the hell with the US.

Posted by: AriusArmenian | Jan 30 2017 0:39 utc | 30

It is interesting to see the Western MSM hating on Trump in many ways similar to the way they hated on George Dubya in 2000. And then not long afterwards, the oh so convenient 9/11 attacks happened which had the MSM not only tolerating, but actively pimping for war and mayhem across the Middle East. Will the US once again receive another convenient attack on its soil which will justify (in the regime media's eyes) all of Trump's bellicose policies? If Clinton had won the Presidency, then the media would largely have ignored (or at least been an apologist for) her warmongering abroad, as they were under Obama for 8 years. They would have framed it all as R2P, except for when the Israelis inevitably slaughtered another 3000 Palestinians of course. But the thing is Trump needs a unifying event. He needs a new Pearl Harbor. I just wonder....

Posted by: Nick | Jan 30 2017 0:45 utc | 31

See also ongoing conflict between Houthis and Saudi-US backed Mansour Hadi forces:
http://www.dailysabah.com/mideast/2017/01/29/over-100-killed-in-clashes-between-yemeni-govt-houthis
Russia appears to be supporting the Huthi opposition over the Saudi-sponsored Hadi government:
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170125-russia-envoy-meets-with-top-houthi-diplomat-in-yemen/
I wonder if this will become a Saudi/Trump - Putin/Iran discussion topic?

Obviously, the inclusion of Iran on both the Obama-era "Visa Waiver Improvement Act" (which was to be fair pushed by Republicans in Congress) and the Trump executive order had nothing to do with vetting potential terrorists from the region; it was likely aimed at appeasing Israeli and Saudi interests.

Note also that the alliance between Saudi Arabia and the US to attack Yemen was clearly an Obama-era decision:
SAUDI MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST THE HOUTHIS CONTINUE, Dec 2009
That's a State Department cable about Saudi demands for more military assistance from the United States to bomb Yemen; Obama clearly gave that assistance. It's equally obvious that the covert action program targeting Syria was another Obama-era project, initiated once it became clear that Syria was not going to cut its ties with Iran. Hillary Clinton, absolute Israeli-Netanyahu loyalist, was certainly a major driving force behind both actions.

The American public seems generally oblivious to much of this, but I'd agree with xor (@4) that the backlash against Trump is somewhat pushing these issues out into the open, and throwing various wrenches into the behind-the-scenes Deep State promotion of war and destabilization in the Middle East. Hillary Clinton would have been running a no-fly zone over Syria and risking WWIII with Russia by now, in contrast, with the media cheering her on. This is a much, much better scenario.

Trump is taking a severe PR beating by the U.S. media, that's for sure: CNN found the case of a family of Syrian Christians who were turned around after flying into the US and put back on a plane out, ouch for Trump. The ol' WaPo basically claims that this will make covert regime change in Iran that much more difficult, more the Obama-Clinton line. Iran's response seems reasonable and moderate in contrast:

"While respecting the American people and distinguishing between them and the hostile policies of the U.S. government, Iran will implement the principle of reciprocity until the offensive U.S. limitations against Iranian nationals are lifted," the statement says.

The Iranians are coming out of this looking all angelic, aren't they? They even said they'd graciously allow those who've already been given visas to travel without restrictions. I predict Saudi and Israeli consternation; the Saudi street will not appreciate a Trump-Saud love-in after this. Hilarious. Stock up on popcorn, this is going to be a long show.

Posted by: nonsense factory | Jan 30 2017 0:47 utc | 32

Yes, absolutely Obama supporters are being hypocrites, but I would not call them liberal as they are nothing close to previous generations of democrats. I don't call republicans conservative either as the republican party certainly in practice is not conservative. Party partisans will take on any belief they are told to take. If Hillary told the democratic party to tatoo her face on their asses, they would gladly do it, and call it ia victory for the party. The republican base thought Obama was a Muslim, and the democratic base has been told Trump is a secret Russian spy--and both bases belief the bullshit of their political masters. It goes back to what Gore Vidal and others have said--one party, two wings.

Both wings of the Property Party are now essentially organized around identity politics, and as would be expected the same hatreds are expressed in different vocabularies. Democrats now talk about Russia in the same way as Trump talks about Mexicans and Muslims. Trump policies seem to be evolving toward Hillary's policies like those on NATO and Russian sanctions. Safe places? Whose foreign policy won out?

Posted by: Erelis | Jan 30 2017 0:48 utc | 33

@30 Yes, that's it exactly.

But the mental gymnastics and self-deception one has to practice in order to be tone-deaf to blatant hypocrisy is alien to me...how do these people do it? And why?? It's almost like they need a leader to worship and obey blindly. And once they have chosen a leader he/she can do no wrong in their eyes. Yet when their leader's Party accuses the guy from the other party of doing what their leader did: silence.

There is something pathological about this.

Posted by: Temporarily Sane | Jan 30 2017 0:57 utc | 34

Of course liberals were blind to Obama's sins. That was why the ptb got him elected. They play the electorate like little dolls, twisting one way and then the other, racheting up the tension points so we can all go mad. But I'll say this: it was no fun to talk about Obama's neoliberal crimes when all my friends thought he was the best thing since sliced (dark rye) bread. Being in the opposition, now that's exciting and fun. Especially against someone as hamfisted as the current prez. 'Twill be interesting to see how this movement holds up when the gloves come off, à la the demise of Occupy.

I'd say the main difference between O's immigration ban and T's, is that T also shut down travel for holders of green cards, legal residents of the US.

Posted by: catlady | Jan 30 2017 1:00 utc | 35

Is an attack in Yemen against an al Queda-linked warlord a sign that Trump is faking his 'America First' principles? That is unclear at best (and I would argue, no).

I think some need to be reminded why the establishment hates Trump: Trump's 'America First' policy orientation is against the interests of the neocon-Saudi-Israeli alliance (aka "The Empire"). Until a real progressive movement arises, criticism of Trump is driven by the Democratic Party and their wealthy (establishment) donors.

Among other things, 'America First' means:

- Energy independence;

- Controlling borders;

- Peaceful, constructive relations with Russia;

- Not being drawn into costly middle-east wars (like Iraq);

- Trade that benefits America instead of vassals of the Empire or China (who has become a strategic adversary);

- Security arrangements (NATO) that don't drain US resources to protect foreign allies;

In short, countries should prize an alliance with America because we are strong, not because they can feed on our dying corpse.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2017 1:16 utc | 36

catlady @35:

I'd say the main difference between O's immigration ban and T's, is that T also shut down travel for holders of green cards, legal residents of the US.

Priebus says Trump's order doesn't affect green card holders

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2017 1:23 utc | 37

Debs @ 24 said.."Why is it that people have to have one side 'good' and the other side 'bad' when both sides are low scumbags."

Exactly debs, there's really no mystery here. It's the same old story. Divide the populace, and you win. right, left, blue, red etc. etc. Meanwhile, it's the same new boss, just like the old boss. The REAL conflict is class, nothing but. Money vs. the working classes. As old as humanity.

Posted by: ben | Jan 30 2017 1:31 utc | 38

During the 'election' fever i posed this question,
'whats the odds that the next potus [clinton/trump] would be different from the previous 44 war mongers ???

Ans
by ian fleming's fundamental law of probability,
the chance is practically ZERO.

once is accidence, twice could be coincidence, thrice.....enemy action !

Why'd anybody be surprised ?
meet the new boss, same as old boss !

agenda never changes, only tactics

As the Public Squabbles, Continuity of Agenda Marches On

http://journal-neo.org/2017/01/27/the-trump-media-circus-and-continuity-of-agenda/

Posted by: denk | Jan 30 2017 1:47 utc | 39

Mr. Trump could win me over in one day. He has thousands of employees. Raise their wages, provide real healthcare, and start making some of the products he hawks, here in the U$A.

Sacrifice some of his wealth to elevate his workers lives. Think that'll happen, I don't.

Prove me wrong Mr. Trump, please.

Posted by: ben | Jan 30 2017 1:59 utc | 40

denk @39 said: "agenda never changes, only tactics

As the Public Squabbles, Continuity of Agenda Marches On"

We're all waiting.

Posted by: ben | Jan 30 2017 2:00 utc | 41

#1
b: “In 2011 Obama stopped processing Iraqi visa requests for six month. That move was quite similar to Trump's current one. Where was the outcry in 2001? In 2011, 2015 and 2016? ”

‘scuse me, but you apparently are missing something. DumboDon’s suddenly jerking visas away from people who are legally enroute to return to the US and who hold valid, legal, authentic visas, is not “quite similar” to Obama’s suspension of visa requests.

And the reason I mention it is that a visa and a visa request are obviously two different things. A person who has filed a visa request has no rights to enter the US whatsoever, and no rights under the Constitution. A person with a valid green card or other valid visa does have such rights, which is why Judge Donnelly entered the order that, essentially, kicked DumboDon in the nuts.

#2
b: “Nothing really relevant has changed.”

Uh . . . ‘scuse me again. When this DumboDon puts a Breitbart-clown on the list of top national security advisers, EVERYTHING has changed.

#3
b: “Where are the protests demanding the repeal of the Patriot Act? Where are the anti-war protests? These died as soon as Obama came into office. They never came back even as Obama pursued polices that were, at best, Republican light and far from any progressive ideal. Only fake liberals, aka "libruls", could agree with these.”

Bingo!! Give the man the Kewpie doll! And don’t forget how the flamin' fems shut their mouths about women’s rights when Bilton was impeached and lied about his attempted rape of Paula Jones.

#4
What the MSM are missing is the point that DumboDon's EO was changed drastically just before it was signed. The draft included Section 6, which was about setting up the "safe zones." I think Putin's people talked DD out of that one. Section 6 was removed. For now.

Both versions of the EO linked to from here:
http://logophere.com/Topics2017/17-01/17_005-Opinion-Trump%20EO.htm

Posted by: Denis | Jan 30 2017 2:03 utc | 42

Thank you for a great post, there is another excellent read on all of this at: [promotion link deleted, commentator banned - b.]

Posted by: frances | Jan 30 2017 2:04 utc | 43

Jackrabbit 36

Are you the one who wrote Trumps script ?
hehehehe

Posted by: denk | Jan 30 2017 2:17 utc | 44

ben 41

its karl rove again,
'we'r the reality creators and you'll the analysis. while you'r analysing it, we'll create new reality
for you to study.....'

ehehhehehe

Posted by: denk | Jan 30 2017 2:22 utc | 45

Thank you b for an objective analysis.

Little to add to my posts from the previous thread ... am still very surprised as to how easily people can be so easily emotively triggered by the MSM ... conditioned(?).

Note John McCain & Lindsey Graham in issuing a 'Joint Statement' are against it, those champions of Human Dignity, Life, Civil & Human Rights, & WAR!*24/7 ?! Note the 'talking points' they make, along with wilful misrepresentations and therefore whose interests they clearly represent in the following link ...

Note, the Trump faction first executed an internal coup within the GOP establishment & leadership, before they won the election/s. This situation is not the old Dems again' the old GOP, anymore.

... speaking on CBS, Mr McCain said the execution of the order has been confusing and could be problematic.

"I think the effect will probably, in some areas, give IS some more propaganda," he said.

Mr Trump took to twitter to respond to the senators' joint statement writing: "The joint statement of former presidential candidates John McCain and Lindsey Graham is wrong — they are sadly weak on immigration.

"The two senators should focus their energies on ISIS, illegal immigration and border security instead of always looking to start World War III."

LOL

Posted by: Outraged | Jan 30 2017 2:27 utc | 46

Thank you b for an objective analysis.

Little to add to my posts from the previous thread ... am still very surprised as to how easily people can be so easily emotively triggered by the MSM ... conditioned(?).

Note John McCain & Lindsey Graham in issuing a 'Joint Statement' are against it, those champions of Human Dignity, Life, Civil & Human Rights, & WAR!*24/7 ?! Note the 'talking points' they make, along with wilful misrepresentations and therefore whose interests they clearly represent in the following link ...

Note, the Trump faction first executed an internal coup within the GOP establishment & leadership, before they won the election/s. This situation is not the old Dems again' the old GOP, anymore.

... speaking on CBS, Mr McCain said the execution of the order has been confusing and could be problematic.

"I think the effect will probably, in some areas, give IS some more propaganda," he said.

Mr Trump took to twitter to respond to the senators' joint statement writing: "The joint statement of former presidential candidates John McCain and Lindsey Graham is wrong — they are sadly weak on immigration.

"The two senators should focus their energies on ISIS, illegal immigration and border security instead of always looking to start World War III."

LOL

Posted by: Outraged | Jan 30 2017 2:27 utc | 47

@31 Nick

Yes, but instead of the gift of 9/11 for W so we could rally around our fuckhead in chief, look for something a little less beneficial for Trump so we can rally around his ouster. I don't think Americans are that stupid to go along with "Trump crashed the economy," right?

Uh-oh...

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Jan 30 2017 2:40 utc | 48

Great timing, b!
Just yesterday I revisited a National Press Club.au Address from late July, 2016, by one of my favourite Yankee nitwits - P J O'Rourke. PJ was in Oz to smear Trump and began his address to the Press Club thus...

"I've just flown in from the US of A or, as I like to think of it, Australia with 278 million more idiots."

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jan 30 2017 2:40 utc | 49

If I'm not mistaken, hiring illegals is against the law. Where is the movement to punish employers who hire them? Seems to me, that, would be a good first step, but I've yet to hear it even mentioned. Is e-verify still in operation?

As far as ISIS is concerned, one phone call to SA, threatening our business relationships might do it.

I'm still waiting.

Posted by: ben | Jan 30 2017 2:47 utc | 50

@32 nonsense factory.. thank you for your post with links...

@ b.. i didn't comment on the number of folks dead, thanks us exceptionalism expressed in yemen.. that is more of the same horrible dynamics and i can't say i expected any of this to change under trump... it seems to confirm just how ''in bed'' with the saudi's the usa is.. nonsense factory's links help confirm this as well..

it is hard not to look at the usa as one pathetic 'exceptional' nation as it careens down a steep hill headed for ground zero.. i look forward to a real wake up call to the many folks living in that country. it can't happen soon enough..

Posted by: james | Jan 30 2017 3:01 utc | 51

#50

Exactly. Too many "Americans" willing to be insulted by Trump. The 2nd amendment folks might handle this, but then the US has the Ayatollah Pence to contend with.

I say, let the women take care of the short-fingered vulgarian and carve a cross for Pence. Ryan, the coward would be gone by then.

Posted by: Bardi | Jan 30 2017 3:04 utc | 52

Although vast majority of protesters are paid protesters by Soros NGOs they are people who bought the lie that Trump is a reincarnated evil.
And in fact it hard to argue with this lies unless one brings to the picture all 44 previous reincarnated evils and their army of minions i.e evil of the very US empire.

So what are they afraid of?

Will we have openly fascist anti-women dictatorship in the US under Trump soon and that's why this sudden rush? No. Not a chance.

The American inverted totalitarianism of S. Wolin is much more effective as it muddles the true intentions and hides absolute unity of objectives shared by the rulers as well as their absolute class morality, solidarity and unity recently not so hidden under nameless government institutions, NGOs, opposition parties, MSM and other social institutions or corporations forming a unified core of the USA Inc., as a 227 y.o. abhorrent Anglo-American corporate regime created of the elite, for the elite, but not by the elite but rather by stolen hard work of millions exploited or murdered slaves and working poor.

A lie about petition of this calcified inhumane regime to remedy people’s grievances is one such a Kafkaesque plots of the inverted totalitarianism, or false political choice peddled unfortunately by phony opposition, a tale of “fake” peaceful transition of power where there is none or phony free speech rights for gagged populace etc., are all phantoms of unreality all the [ruling elite backed] influence peddlers are pushing on desperate population of witting or unwitting slaves, called US citizen.

The biggest advantage of the inverted totalitarianism is that it maintains an illusion of possibility of reform or change by faking a social/political environment of unpredictability of nonexistent public opinion replaced by a astroturf clandestine operation or possibility of change where there is only authoritarian sociopolitical command and control regime we live our strictly regimented lives under while believing we are having rich social and political live.

Inverted totalitarianism is very effective in confusing, manipulating people, dividing people and instigating conflicts that leave ruling elite outside the scope of any struggle or even realm of existence making them arbiters of mitigation or resolution of problem they caused themselves.

Open brutality however, is extremely costly and still has one big flaw, it identifies enemy and hence unifies people in their assessment about who they are fighting against and that is a first step to defeating it.

Only open revolt would make ruling elite to drop this mascara of political farce and only when their very lives or survival as a power center would be threatened.

But this particular two millions marching women is not a revolt, it is not a rebellion or beginning of any true revolution but an attempt to preempt it and usurp it. It is a product of inverted totalitarianism. It serves a purpose of mass intimidation of those hundreds of millions of poor hard working women in the US and all over the world oppressed the same way today and yesterday a month ago, a years ago or decades ago but who did not succumb to politically motivated partisan women activist orthodoxy of hate against a repugnant flat TV persona, a scapegoat, a diversion from previous crimes of the ruling elite.

What more outrageous is that all this hatred is peddled by a Hollywood members of the same power elite of rich and opulent celebrities that Trump is a creation of, and where he truly belongs. How credible is their outrage?

All those fiery women celebrity speakers know well where their class morality resides and where their personal loyalty resides and where their financial interests reside while falsely claiming a kind of kinship with desolated, raped, mistreated poor women, as John Lennon sang “women [who] are [treated also by the ruling elite as] N.. of the world, only because they are too having their vaginas.

It is a lie, they have more in common with abhorrent Trump than with any hard working, two jobs holding woman. Even they often become poor women worst enemies by contributing to Hollywood productions peddling attitudes of misogyny, hatred and belittlement of womanhood or turning women into violent machines, robots, or submissive brainless animals.

Those are paid militants, messengers of chaos to obfuscate reality of vicious class war, a war against working class women and men and their children who are craving among anything stability, physical and economic safety and most of all they want love and unity in their families and communities that are continuously under attack by MSM/Hollywood anti-woman propaganda and devastating economic war pushing them onto a brink of survival.

Hollywood movie or corporate music or TV starlets cannot and will not make a desperately needed revolution happen since they only know how to pretend on a fake set of unreality show that’s all they are good for and that for what they are being paid namely for a harmful also to women mass deception.

We must not be fooled. They are fake leftists, deceitful phony puppets of this ugly regime attempting to hijack true rebellion before it spills all over the country.

When real revolution comes they all, despicable secular influence peddlers of propaganda and entertainment industry, [analogous to biblical daemons], will be swept away together with Trump and his minions to the hell of condemned and forgotten where they all equally belong for being apologists of exploitation, intimidation, torture and murder of poor, working women, men and children as long as paychecks were coming.

http://www.counterpunch.org/2017/01/24/the-womens-march-was-a-dismal-failure-and-a-hopeful-sign/

The Ionesco theater of absurd continues and Trump is being decried for acts considered Obama virtues with the only purpose of that: Setting up a phony controlled opposition to hijack the true revolutions that is brewing.

Posted by: Kalen | Jan 30 2017 3:04 utc | 53

@27 Temporarily Sane
Cannot agree more with your sentiments. The major alternate MSM reality has totally flipped, 180°, with the Trump election - what was 'right' is now 'wrong'...and nothing changed but for one man...even Circe must be forced to admit how easily Trump has exposed this retarded hypocrisy.

You might well have seen it, but if not you may find useful the film 'Propaganda.'

A severe, often graphic, critique upon western culture from the Evil North Korean perspective, 'smuggled' out to order to help cure what ails us. It owns a very unique 'share' value and I have found it quite a powerful device.

TIP: Using the YouTube link alone when sharing achieves the true red pill effect...means to the already unplugged MofA'ers

Posted by: MadMax2 | Jan 30 2017 3:06 utc | 54

Not really, the Democrats were careful to keep these things under warps and incrementally bring them in...sort of the 'slow boiling frog' syndromes.

Not everyone is right up all the politics and issues going on and the US media, by and large worked along with that by simply not bringing things up. A big thing for those who did know was trying to get the word out to others.

Now it is right out in the open and far more people realise what is happening and they are rightly enraged.

No point in criticising them because they didn't know what was going on when there were determined efforts to keep them from finding out.

It is a silly argument, might as well argue that someone who has just found out their child is being abused is some sort of hypocrite because they didn't act beforehand .....

Posted by: Lisa | Jan 30 2017 3:27 utc | 55

@ outraged 47, I agree and this is a good quote from b:

The U.S., like many other "western" countries, needs fundamentally different policies and politicians to become a more just and social society. The "librul" outcries take energy away from achieving such.

I'd say the best policy change would be to give Iran equal status as Israel and Saudi Arabia. This would be a real shot across the bow; a yuge sea change on American foreign policy in the Middle East. There are many benefits to this approach. The Persian people are decent people, take a look, certainly not any worse than the Israelis and the Saudis:
Iranians condemn Trump's 'racist' visa ban
Al Jazeera English

I also like what Tulsi Gabbard had to say about her trip to Syria; it's been buried by the mass media in the US but here's the discussion on CNN via a secondary source (which I can't vouch for, clip of Tusli Gabbard starts at 0:35 - notice how CNN repeats the discredited claim about Assad using chemical weapons against his own people?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FazxlJsifJ4

And getting back to b's point, Tulsi Gabbard is one of the few politicians I could wholeheartedly support. But then, the last one I felt that way about was Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, and some Koch Brothers / McCain-Palin fanatic shot her in the face, so I think Gabbard should have good security around her, having delivered such a kick to the balls to the Deep State apparatus.

Posted by: nonsense factory | Jan 30 2017 3:41 utc | 56

Let's wait for the next terrorist attack in the USA...

Posted by: virgile | Jan 30 2017 3:49 utc | 57

harrylaw@17 - Re: Millenium Challenge, aka Van Riper's Revenge. The only words that come to mind are 'and hilarity ensues'. Anyone that's ever had the misfortune to participate in U.S. military exercises of this sort has to love Van Riper to death. Read a great account of this last year by Micah Zenko on War on the Rocks site: MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE: THE REAL STORY OF A CORRUPTED MILITARY EXERCISE AND ITS LEGACY.

Of course, any self-reflection and lessons learned were entirely lost on the post-911 empty-headed military careerists enjoying their media-manufactured valor. Bush was entirely too dim to understand what it all meant, and Cheney didn't care. I certainly can't speak from the point of having any secret insider Pentagon knowledge of the situation today, but I have little reason to think ANYTHING has changed in the last decade and a half. In fact, I'm almost certain it has become much worse. Bush and Obama have both overseen waves of witch-hunts for loose cannons like Van Riper.

Whatever Unicorn Trident purports to do, it will most certainly not reflect reality. CENTCOM's Naval side is running this exercise (more like a drill, but far more expensive and useless) with a British admiral in charge [biting my tongue here]. It will be rigidly scripted to ensure no hilarity ensues this time. It's being held in an imaginary place called the 'Arabian Gulf' - our Saudi suck-up military still refuses to call it the Persian Gulf.

I would like to think that the three-day exercise isn't nearly enough time for them to really blow this, but it only took Van Riper ten minutes to sink the Blue team's naval task force if I recall correctly. Unicorn Trident will not have any Van Ripers spoiling the show. If there is an opposition force, it will be under the command of some useless tool like Gen. John Allen - the former CENTCOM head who leads the (supposed) anti-ISIS campaign.

The Blue Team is bound to win this time around. Yay! Too bad. Think of what a service to the world Iran would be doing if it did take out all the Gulf nations on the other side of the Persian Gulf. Terrorism across half the earth would pretty much grind to a halt overnight. If we had any brains, we would PAY them to attack the Saudis and GCC.

Posted by: PavewayIV | Jan 30 2017 4:18 utc | 58

@42

The draft included Section 6, which was about setting up the "safe zones." I think Putin's people talked DD out of that one. Section 6 was removed.

Safe Zones are NOT off the table! Trump gave DoD a mandate to come up with a plan on safe zones in 90 days and just today Trump recruited the support of the Saudis and UAE for safe zones in Syria and Yemen.

@36

You have just demonstrated with that propaganda list what a tool you really are for Trump. FYI, Trump is already collaborating with the Saudis and Israelis recruiting the Saudis for his planned safe zones in Syria and Yemen today by phone and banning Iranians from entry to the U.S. to satisfy the Saudis and Israelis and making threats regarding Iran during his phone call to the Saudis. So Trump is Empire Inc.

You have lost the last shred of credibility with that comment. I agree with @44 - you're that transparent.

Posted by: Circe | Jan 30 2017 4:21 utc | 59

I appreciate b's solid analysis. There are times when the question of who is administering policy disasters is actually overshadowed those who are driving the bandwagon, selling it, beautifying and justifying one aggression and covert crime after another. I'm speaking of the mainstream gatekeepers, editors who snuff out crucial stories. With their cooperation the burial of absolutely vital facts has been worked in concert. The MSM superintends news blackouts. It has become the meta network of lies of omission. To some extent the public has caught on.

One thing that I take from b's post, is the idea that if the "liberal press" keeps up its current strategy, along with an all out militancy against Trump, it will only help the new president to consolidate his political power, while convincing enough of the people that the media is just serving an agenda which is not properly its own, but is the reflection of some kind of institutional base, maybe corporate, or somehow a hidden aspect of the power structure.

The idea that the mainstream press is controlled, and has been controlled, is thereby reinforced. A smarter approach is to limit the damage the administration might do, or influence its policy for the better,--which might mean giving encouragement to the president, if, or when, different and more constructive impulses surface.

The howl of a compromised press corps, whom few particularly trust, is not going to drive Donald Trump from the White House.

Posted by: Copeland | Jan 30 2017 4:32 utc | 60

nonsense factory@56 - Gabbard is perfectly safe. While she rails against U.S. actions in Syria, she is 100% behind the U.S. coup and continuing genocide in Ukraine and is staunchly anti-Russian and pro-Israeli. She understands who it is that cannot be criticized. I like her position regarding arming terrorists, but I would not quite want her to have the nuclear codes just yet. She's young - maybe she'll learn.

Posted by: PavewayIV | Jan 30 2017 4:32 utc | 61

@ Posted by: nonsense factory | Jan 29, 2017 10:41:51 PM | 56

The Iranians are not and never have been the possessed 'Demon Spawn' the propagandists constantly acclaim and misrepresent. They are not a Terrorist State, nor terrorists. Exactly the opposite, in fact. Indeed.

We have sustained a duplicate policy re Cuba towards Iran/Iranians ever since they threw us, our installed dictator the Shah (since 1953), our & UK 'corporations' & 'Investments'/'Grants' and our (CIA/Mossad) Evil creation, SAVAK, etc out in '79. They recreated by hand the shredded classified documents from the Embassy & the Local CIA Station, & publicly displayed 'em, long before Wikileaks. ;)

The Trump faction appears to have swallowed whole and assimilated the narrative re Iran since '79, especially DODSec Mattis ... see little chance they will suddenly become, 'aware' re Iran. :(

The CNN interview was startling for the delusional fixed narrative of 'Jake Tapper'(?), as opposed to an intelligent, thoughtful, humanist and fact based series of responses by Gabbard, who cut him off at the knees, oh so politely. Clapper(?) had no effective comeback once his blatant Framing & Snares/Traps were neutered. A disgustingly willing servant of Evil & Inhumanity. Note, once posted on youtube, multiple incomplete, edited versions were uploaded ... hm?

Yes, Gabbard gives every indication of being earnest, sincere & genuine re her statements. Hence, she better have excellent personal security & avoid charter planes & boats ...

Re Western Democracies (Global?) Inverted Totalitarianism and what is occurring re the MSM and the ongoing long term project of incremental nullification, pacification, diversion & manipulation of any effective dissent ...

Wolin, Sheldon (October 2014), "Hedges & Wolin: Can Capitalism and Democracy Coexist?", The Real News

(8-part video interview). It's all good, however, Wolin and Chris Hedges discuss inverted totalitarianism in part 4 of 8, recommended even if one only views that.

Posted by: Outraged | Jan 30 2017 4:34 utc | 62

Been reading this blog for a while. Seems to me that this b character has his head screwed on right. Question though can a screwed head ever be correct? Right, I suppose, or maybe even left?

Found this in an article "The real Doomsday clock passed midnight long ago. The mad race to extinction fueled by the market-forces laissez faire Western system has created a monster: a system that is not really controlled by anyone, but drives itself with only one imperative – to become richer and more powerful, so as to become richer and more powerful.

This monster has no soul; it was not constructed to look after life on the planet. Following the nuclear fallout, and nuclear energy accidents, the depleted Uranium, and now the fracking, background radioactivity is continuously increasing. The fertility rate is falling. IVF is advancing. Cancer is an epidemic in real terms. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but a whimper."

That's hard. You guys whimper almost enough for the whole world. But, I'll continue reading your drivel. It is kinda funny. I suppose.

Posted by: Unjust-me | Jan 30 2017 4:44 utc | 63

Trump is certainly wasting no time fulfilling promises. It looks like he'll gt wall going and he's tearing up trade deals left and right. What all that means ultimately for US relations with its neighbors is above my pay grade.

Now he's forging ahead with his immigration policy. Once again it's exactly what he said he would do. Trump's overall ME policy hasn't been made public yet so we really don't know what it is. It's telling that KSA didn't make the shit list but not surprising. It's also not surprising that Iran and Lebanon made the list. The Yanks will never consider Hezbollah and its sponsor Iran as anything other than terrorists after the Marine barracks bombing all those years ago.

It's the next part of Trump's immigration plan that is really going to test the waters. It's going to involve sweeps looking for undocumented people. That means doors being kicked down in the middle of the night. It will mean families being torn apart and it will mean large detention facilities. He has given no assurances that "Dreamers", people who were brought stateside as children, will be afforded any leniency. It's not going to be pretty and I'm wondering how Trump apologists will spin it.

Maybe Trump will reconsider that part of his agenda. He's ordered an expansion of ICE so maybe it's on. A shout out to all Sheriff Joe Arpaio lovers, you're gonna see his way of operating on a national scale. But I believe that a large majority of Americans will feel revulsion and shame as Hispanics are subjected to abuse. George Soros won't have to cut any checks to get them out on the streets.

Posted by: peter | Jan 30 2017 5:03 utc | 64

Circe @59

That's Trump's agenda, you moron. Who wins and who loses when that agenda is implemented indicates who is against him. Who wants America to be politically weak and easily manipulated?

Everyone is looking for a sign that Trump is just more of the same. I have yet to see a clear sign of that.

Only a dipshit like you would "mis-read" my point and try to turn it into something else.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2017 5:12 utc | 65

Thanks for the post....share thoughts re liberal hypocrisy- it is more than cognitive dissonance. there is a willful resistance to looking with a different lens....they really believe in their own superiority and that only they have the answers. there exude an amazing sense of entitlement and elitism..fear they are unreachable

here is Trumps's presidential memo issued january 28th re Plan for defeating ISIS - safety zones appear to have been removed
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/28/plan-defeat-islamic-state-iraq

Posted by: Marnie | Jan 30 2017 5:27 utc | 66

peter @64:

It's going to involve sweeps looking for undocumented people... doors being kicked down in the middle of the night... families being torn apart and ... large detention facilities.

I don't know what makes you think that this is the plan. Trump would have to be pretty dumb to do this when he just needs to deny federal funding to states/cities that are easy on the undocumented.

If undocumented people can't get access to certain necessities at a reasonable price - like healthcare and schooling - then they will leave of their own accord. No need to bust in doors or detain thousands at a time for processing/trial.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2017 5:29 utc | 67

HOAXER SORCHA FAAL WRITES FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES!

The British newspaper of record, The Sunday Times reaches a new level of fake news by emulating the work of the well known internet hoaxer Sorcha Faal of whatdoesitmean.com

Russia holds third man over US hack - The Sunday Times, January 29, 2017

The Kremlin has widened an apparent crackdown on high-level figures implicated in hacking the US presidential elections.

Russian newspapers said last week that Dmitry Dokuchaev, a cyber-spy and former hacker, had been arrested on Kremlin orders. He was the third leading agent to be detained on treason charges since Russia’s interference in the 2016 campaign was exposed.

Sergei Mikhailov, deputy head of information security for the FSB, the KGB’s successor, and Ruslan Stoyanov, a senior researcher at the prominent Russian security firm Kaspersky Lab, were reportedly held earlier in the week.

The developments came as mystery swirled around the unexplained death of Oleg Erovinkin, a former KGB general turned oil- industry executive, who has been linked to the salacious Donald Trump dossier.

As Alexander Mercouris in The Duran states, that source of the article is most likely the British intelligence service. Like Sorcha Faal and the hoax Trump Dossier, the article claims to have fly-on-the-wall level knowledge of the inner workings of the Kremlin and the FSB. It states as fact several thing that are known to be false or unverifiable: 1) The DNC has hacked, not leaked. 2) Russians did it. 3) FSB and its well known Information Security Centre (CDC) is responsible for hacking of foreign governments, instead of the secretive SVR and Spets Svyaz.

The Times takes random events and twists them into a conspiracy narrative, with nothing to tie them together but speculation and "intelligence". In true Sorcha Faal style, the premature death of an "ex-KGB general" elevates him into a central role in the conspiracy. Maybe. The detail is too juicy to be left out of a hoax story.

What really happened is most likely that the leaked Trump Dossier and the classified 50 page US intelligence report exposed a CIA spy ring inside FSB. Interestingly it was most likely the CIA or ODNI that leaked the Trump Dossier.

Posted by: Petri Krohn | Jan 30 2017 6:04 utc | 68

@42

"And the reason I mention it is that a visa and a visa request are obviously two different things. A person who has filed a visa request has no rights to enter the US whatsoever, and no rights under the Constitution. A person with a valid green card or other valid visa does have such rights, which is why Judge Donnelly entered the order that, essentially, kicked DumboDon in the nuts."

Sorry, but this just isn't true. Fact is, you don't even have the right to re-enter under your US passport if the border agent doesn't feel inclined to let you in. A friend of mine from NZ experienced that, and got turned back at LAX. No visit for family, nothing.

In terms of the suspension of human rights and the impairment of human dignity, the only things worse than borders are prisons. You'll find numerous cases of American women being raped by the state at the border to ensure that they aren't transporting drugs. Some even getting sent the bill afterwards.

I've been reading b for a while, and although I agree with arguments, I don't care what label someone considered themself before, depending on what they are resisting and risking to resist now. If an orange headed man has finally been the last straw to trigger a genuine response, so be it. Everyone has a breaking point... And I do agree that the media are trying to channel the protests and protestors to take actions that don't threaten the existing order. (which very much needs to be challenged and changed for any of us to have a future that can be called free) But I hope it fails more often than it succeeds. Only once people can't be controlled by fear or misinformation to support the status quo, can the status quo really be upturned.

Posted by: Out of Istanbul | Jan 30 2017 6:19 utc | 69

Not everybody is politically aware or that interested, they have lives to live, they are busy, they don't have time to trawl through data and information. They have also been systematically lied to by politicians and media, that they might have trusted too much.

Doesn't mean they are not good people, who wouldn't do the right thing if they knew what was going on.

In one sense Trump has done a great thing, he has stripped away the blinders, it is so blatant and cruel that people are reacting in a visceral manner.

This is a classic example of how people can react when things happen in front of them and they react in a positive and humane manner.

"Shared by a friend from her friend.
"I am an ObGyn. My hospital is close to an international airport. We get all airport transfers.
Yesterday, we had several pregnant women from the Middle East holding absolutely valid permanent visas brought in for evaluation and medical clearance for deportation.
They were terrified, humiliated and exhausted. These women and their families were good people. Like you. Like me. Educated. Up-standing. Polite. A scientist. A mom. A classical musician. They live here. They go to work here. They have dreams here. They are our friends. They are our neighbors.
My labor and Delivery unit made me proud. They enveloped these women in their arms. "There, there. It'll all be ok". Even though we didn't know whether or not it would be. We all did what we could.... Which wasn't much. We fed them. We gave them water. Hugged them. Cried with them. My favorite nurse kept apologizing to them. They kept asking why SHE was apologizing. She said she needed to. For herself.
Even the homeland security officers who stood guard outside their rooms looked ashamed. They were so young and innocent. I felt so sorry for them. Why did they have to be the ones to put these good people through so much unexpected and undeserved pain and chaos. We all treated them well, also. Brought them tea and graham crackers. I asked them to shake my hand, on their word of honor, that they would not separate husband and wife. They did. And they kept their word. The "stay" was called. Their papers were cleared and they went to their homes. Their homes. 2O minutes away.
Yesterday, many of you saw detained travelers on TV. I held their hands. I wiped their tears. I tried to convince them that our country has not suddenly changed overnight. I know I didn't succeed. But I tried.
What is happening is not hyperbole. It is real. Take my word for it. I saw it. I felt it. I touched it. It broke my heart.
#weareallinthistogether
Edited to add: I took out every possible detail. So if you would like to share, I'm ok with it. If you block my name, no one will be able to google to my location. I don't care about getting into trouble myself. Just don't want to jeopardize their situation. Thx.""

Posted by: Lisa | Jan 30 2017 6:23 utc | 70

Most intelligent, mature, honest post on this thread:

Posted by: Debsisdead | Jan 29, 2017 6:18:58 PM | 24

Basically says what I wanted to express without a doubt better. Worth re-reading again.

The blame Obama for everything narrative is wearing thin, while Trump unveils his policies and shows his true colors and, it's getting really tiresome. Why can't you just accept reality and stop defending the indefensible with the cover that Obama started it. Actually it started with Bush/Cheney.

Today, Trump ordered an attack on Yemen and it won't be the last time he violates the sovereignty of another country, kills civilians and then tries to hide these facts from the press. Obama did the same in Waziristan, Pakistan, but Obama's out now; and Trump is responsible for this attack and all his actions so far.

The Appropriations Act where Section 203 appears restricting visa access is a bill introduced by a Republican congressman that passed the House with a Republican majority. Obama threatened to veto the bill but ended up signing it. What Trump is doing is much worse and he isn't finished; he's just getting started.

Someone here mentioned Unified Trident which is the name given to joint war games in the Persian Gulf that will start today for four days simulating an attack on Iran. They will be led by the U.K. with the U.S., and France and Australia participating.

In early January, just over two-weeks before Trump took office, a bill was introduced in the House by the Foreign Affairs Committee entitled: Authorization of Use of Force Against Iran. This Bill was intended for Trump as Obama was on his way out. There is something very fishy about this Bill that basically gives Trump the authorization for a pre-emptive attack on Iran at any time. The timing of this bill is very suspicious as is the fact that it was introduced by the Representative who replaced Wasserman Schultz in her Florida District. This is AIPAC/Zionist-manoeuvered legislation and there is more here than meets the eye.

Neither is it a coincidence that six days ago, three Chinese warships embarked on a tour of Gulf states for the fist time since 2010. Although in 2014 two Chinese warships visited Iran to conduct naval exercises with the Iranian Navy. The Chinese are no doubt in the Gulf to survey Unified Trident military games. It's no coincidence either, given these military games, that Trump met first with the U.K. PM.

All this is extremely troubling since just yesterday when Trump spoke with the Saudi King he made threats against Iran. This show of military force in waters near Iran together with the active bill floating in the House that gives Trump extraordinary war powers to attack Iran without oversight is a sign of growing escalation by the U.S. against Iran.

Trump called the Saudis and UAE to get their support on safe zones for Syria AND Yemen, which basically means occupation by the Empire, no-fly and Wahhabi takeover. Obama wouldn't touch safe zones; so what we have here is Obama times ten. No, we have Cheney.

Iran was also included on the banned list with no rational justification. All this is a gift to Netanyahu who tweeted his 100% support with Trump's recent actions.

It's time to change the narrative and expose Trump for who he is: a continuation of the same policies that brought us Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Syria. Nothing has changed; it's even getting much worse. I've been repeating that Trump is more of the same on steroids since he won the election; and Trump is proving me right.

Your commentary would be better if it had been put in a more constructive way; as Chelsea Manning put it in her most recent column in the Guardian, yes, criticizing Obama for capitulating, but not making him the excuse to not criticize Trump's abuse of power, but issuing a warning and suggestion to progressives. This is the same article that Trump tweeted on.

Ungrateful TRAITOR Chelsea Manning, who should never have been released from prison, is now calling President Obama a weak leader.

Quit using Obama as the scapegoat for Trump and start holding Trump's feet to the fire.

Posted by: Circe | Jan 30 2017 7:22 utc | 71

@65

I didn't mis-read you. You're the most obvious Trump apologist here and I'm not the only one who sees it. Worse than that (if that's even possible) your comments are laced with deception.

QUIT WITH THE AD-HOMINEMS.

Posted by: Circe | Jan 30 2017 7:51 utc | 72

The US will be again a white country.Deal with it ! We are not your eggs to be broken for a multicultural omlette.War is on.War on Soros and his bolcheviks ! War on all the traitors and invaders !

Posted by: Valhalla Rising | Jan 30 2017 8:15 utc | 73

craig murray Trump’s Crazy Immigration Freeze

Posted by: james | Jan 30 2017 8:39 utc | 74

Circe@71

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 10 Introduced in House (IH)]

JOINT RESOLUTION:

To authorize the use of the United States Armed Forces to achieve the
goal of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

I wonder what ever happened to that law about cutting all U.S. funding for nations (Israel) that violated non-proliferation policy by covertly building a nuclear weapons capability?

Posted by: PavewayIV | Jan 30 2017 8:48 utc | 75

@70

In one sense Trump has done a great thing, he has stripped away the blinders, it is so blatant and cruel that people are reacting in a visceral manner.

Exactly! Some people here seem to think that the protests are some kind of vast conspiracy orchestrated by Soros. They just can't figue out that scum elicits spontaneous rage and disgust.

HOWEVER, this is not to say that Soros or the media or foreign agents of influence i.e. Zionists aren't trying or won't try to exploit the protests for their own agenda. The point is to never discourage the protests, because it's about time people revolt, but to make people aware that there are those that want to steer the narrative away from exposing and attacking the deep-state suborned system; the Democrat/Republican monopoly in Washington that is diminishing rights and subverting democracy and destroying the lives of millions of people in Muslim countries on behalf of a world order agenda benefitting a select few. There is no difference with either party in their level of corruption and Trump is merely the latest figurehead for that corruption. He's a fascist con and a continuation of imperial domination steered to fulfill a Zionist agenda in the Middle East.

I must include this from @69

If an orange headed man has finally been the last straw to trigger a genuine response, so be it. Everyone has a breaking point... And I do agree that the media are trying to channel the protests and protestors to take actions that don't threaten the existing order. (which very much needs to be challenged and changed for any of us to have a future that can be called free) But I hope it fails more often than it succeeds. Only once people can't be controlled by fear or misinformation to support the status quo, can the status quo really be upturned.

Thank you!

The protests must grow but they must be directed at the entire system: Washington, the MIC, Wall Street and Zionism that is at the root of all the destructive policies since Bush first took office and even before Bush. Obviously, the U.S. was in the business of domination with its many bases before Zionism started to infect Washington, but Zionists exploited U.S. power to achieve their Yinon, Clean Break, expansionist-control agenda in the Middle East.

All manoeuverings to hi-jack the protests for ulterior agendas should be exposed, but the protests should not be undermined or discouraged. They represent hope for a better future.

I'll take this opportunity to expose the duplicity of Chuck Schumer when he stood at a press podium with a Muslim refugee family shedding crocodile tears. This individual is part of the Zionist-suborned corrupt system. He put on that tearful spectacle as a pretense to make himself appear like the honorable alternative to the Republicans and Trump when in fact he is just as bad and even worse. Someone should have asked him why he doesn't shed a tear or his heart doesn't break for the millions of Palestinian refugees living in camps and ghettoes dispossessed of their homes and land? The only reason he exploited those refugees is because they are the product of a proxy war that Zionists had a major role in creating and justifying. Chuck Schumer is a HYPOCRITE and should be exposed for what he is. He is part of the system that will try to exploit the protests to justify an agenda.

Regardless, the protests are essential; they must continue or we are doomed.

Posted by: Circe | Jan 30 2017 8:50 utc | 76

@24 DiD

i think you've missed b's point entirely and substituted your favorite screed for analysis of what b actually wrote.

b's point is not whatever obama did, b's point is the differential 'liberal' reaction to 'their' guys vs the 'opposition', and the weird, tangential, irrelevant criticisms they make of actions taken by either of the dichotomous powers that alternately are: they never cut to the quick and go after the wars themselves, us imperialism itself, the terrorism and war crimes committed by 'both' sides of the one-sided, irrelevant american political class, of the american ruling class, of the western ruling class.

that 'irrelevant' extends only to real american politics, of course, they are at ground zero of death, devastation, and destruction here on earth ... and they are incapable of speaking clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today: our own us government, alternately composed of themselves and the 'opposition'.

Trump already filed for reelection. Who really wants to beat him will have to attack him on fundamental issues. That is a problem for the "libruls". Obama and Clinton stand for the same terrible policies Trump is pushing for. They are not as loud as Trump and paint their aims in softer colors. But the difference is only one of degree.

The U.S., like many other "western" countries, needs fundamentally different policies and politicians to become a more just and social society. The current "librul" outcries take energy away from achieving such.

and don't take b's noting the inability of the 'liberals' to beat trump at their common game as somehow being an endorsement of or limitation of that game to the powers that are ... he is not 'wishing' the liberals would 'shape up', i feel sure. if the trump and the 'liberals' ... the two faces on the single coin, the same bad penny ... are to be turned out of power it is going to be accomplished by those of us who have not been in the game, not by the current players.

read the text first ... at least look at the pictures ... bloviate later. unsurprisingly circe - who also plays all night and plays all day, until he's driven his friends away, 'cuz he himself never plays nothin' but old zip coon - heartily approves your unchanging negative rant, wherever you can stick it in.

Posted by: jfl | Jan 30 2017 8:57 utc | 77

b:
The current "librul" outrage about Trump's announced policies is somewhat amusing. Yes, these policies are bad, very bad. Trump is bad.

After the women's march we now have bernhard's march?

Posted by: From The Hague | Jan 30 2017 8:58 utc | 78

I just want to add a final note: the coin imagery is perfect. However, someone stated the Revolution would be delayed with Clinton and accelerated with Trump; therein lies the difference. You're right, Democrats cover up better than Republicans; that's why the Revolution wouldn't happen with Clinton. This is what people need to see. No party or figurehead on either side is going to save them. People have to tear down this corrupt system collectively as a movement and rid government of Zionist-influenced policy.

Posted by: Circe | Jan 30 2017 9:09 utc | 79

@ PavewayIV

Iran - that's the country where al Qaeda, ISIS and the 9/11 hijackers came from, isn't it?

Yes, it is :) I kid you not - US court ruled Iran is responsible for 9/11 and stole billions from its frozen accounts. The very same court ruled out Saudis responsibility for 9/11. Kangaroo court at its finest.

Gabbard <..> is staunchly anti-Russian and pro-Israeli.

Tulsi Gabbard is the only bright spot in US politics in recent years. The way she stood up against arming terrorists took a LOT of balls. Tulsi went against entire US establishment and even traveled to Syria to meet Assad, and returned with the exact Resistance message they tried to convey in Western MSM for years.

As for anti-Russian and pro-Israel stance, you have to understand she is a politician. You have to know what battles to take and when, otherwise she would end up dead in the ditch the next day instead of achieving any change. For example, she has to take pro-Israel view sometimes, but she isnt a zionist. Actually she REFUSED to sign "Israel First" policy contract which is handed to all new Congress members, blasted them on CNN and found such practice appalling.

She is very smart, beautiful, and isnt dead inside as pretty much all other US politicians are. She reminds of German Sahra Wagenknecht, both woman have a lot in common.

Posted by: Harry | Jan 30 2017 9:17 utc | 80

http://theduran.com/breaking-trump-accuses-mccain-graham-looking-start-world-war-iii/
BREAKING: Trump accuses McCain and Graham of looking to start World War III

Posted by: okie farmer | Jan 30 2017 9:22 utc | 81

This is why alternative news is so important today, and this is the problem for liberals/MSM; they cant accept the different views of others simply because they dont believe that no one else but them have legitimate views.

This fake attitude on muslims, well bombing them is apparently just fine for these hypocrite liberals/MSM!

Posted by: Anonymous | Jan 30 2017 9:28 utc | 82

Unjust-me says:

...This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but a whimper

and whimpering aplenty,

what with pet euthanasia in decline,

and all.

Posted by: john | Jan 30 2017 11:43 utc | 83

Sorry but mosque attack in Quebec is direct result of Trump's transforming the US in a no-Muslim-fly-zone. It happened just after Trudeau said he will accomodate the people who have problems entering the US, isn't it?

Posted by: Mina | Jan 30 2017 12:04 utc | 84

These people are outraged that Trump has prevented access to the US to a specific demographic, yet barely register when he targets the same demographic with drone strikes, along with any civilian bystanders.

An ardent anti-Trump protester surely can't trust his judgement on whether or not a muslim deserves death, especially if they seem him as a xenophobic serial liar, which they do.

So where is the outrage? Last I checked murder is the ultimate crime, yet they are far more concerned that he touched someones pussy.

Posted by: Bob | Jan 30 2017 12:08 utc | 85

@ Posted by: nonsense factory | Jan 29, 2017 10:41:51 PM | 56
@ Posted by: Harry | Jan 30, 2017 4:17:51 AM | 80

Re Tulsi Gabbard, the ever reliable Guardian has vomited up a wall-to-wall hit piece, just jam-packed with Mega-Media-Corpses ... Truths? ...

Tulsi Gabbard reveals she met Assad in Syria, without informing top Democrats

Hawaiian congresswoman claims she went on a ‘fact-finding,’ mission in support of ‘peace’ for Syrian people, but characterized US-backed rebels as ‘terrorists’

Democrats were silent on Thursday as Tulsi Gabbard, one of the party’s sitting lawmakers in Congress, announced that she had met with Bashar al-Assad during a trip to war-torn Syria and dismissed his entire opposition as “terrorists”.

...

Democratic leaders were mum on the decision by one of their sitting lawmakers to meet with a dictator whom the US government has dubbed a war criminal for his use of chemical weapons against civilians.

Gabbard’s trip raised alarms over a potential violation of the Logan Act, a federal statute barring unauthorized individuals from conferring with a foreign government involved in a dispute with the US. The US currently has no diplomatic relations with Syria.

...

Pelosi told reporters on Wednesday that she had no knowledge of Gabbard’s unannounced trip, which drew scrutiny over who arranged and paid for the travel.

“She hasn’t reported or brought anything to our office as far as I know,” Pelosi said at a press conference held before Gabbard’s revelation about her meeting with Assad.

“So when I know more about it, I’ll have something to say about it.”

Adam Kinzinger, a Republican congressman from Illinois, was among few lawmakers to immediately condemn Gabbard’s actions.

“It is sad and a shame and a disgrace,” Kinzinger told reporters at a Republican policy retreat in Philadelphia. “In no way should any member of Congress, should any government official, ever travel to meet with a guy that has killed 500,000 people and 50,000 children.”

Kinzinger called on leadership in both parties to condemn Gabbard’s trip and questioned how it was financed.

...

Senator John McCain, who went to Syria in 2013 to meet opposition groups and was criticized by the Assad regime for doing so, reportedly said Gabbard’s visit “send[s] the wrong signal”.

“It kind of legitimizes a guy who butchered 400,000 of his own people,” the senator from Arizona said.

...

A spokesman for New York congressman Eliot Engel, the ranking Democrat on the House committee on foreign relations, told the Guardian: “Mr Engel’s position on Assad is well established,” the spokesman, Tim Mulvey, said in a statement. “He’s a war criminal and a murderer, he has supported and benefited from terrorism, he has close ties to Russia, and he cannot have a role in Syria’s future.”

...

But in 2015, she was one of just 47 Democrats who sided with Republicans and backed a GOP-sponsored measure that would essentially block Syrian and Iraqi refugees from resettling in the US. Gabbard was also a vocal critic of the Obama administration – which repeatedly called for Assad to step down – for arming Syrian rebel groups.

... she has often clashed with party officials and resigned from her position as vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee amid tensions over the 2016 presidential primary. Gabbard went on to endorse Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and became one of his most visible surrogates during the campaign.

Spokespeople for both Sanders and the DNC declined to comment on Gabbard’s meeting with Assad and subsequent refusal to criticize the dictator.

Posted by: Outraged | Jan 30 2017 12:37 utc | 86

@ Posted by: Bob | Jan 30, 2017 7:08:40 AM | 85

But, but, Bob, & others, it's perfectly reasonable to regularly drone them based on a possible/unconfirmed/maybe cell-phone location, including consequent civilian 'collateral', as well as arm/supply/support/train/finance 'moderate' blunt knife wielding child videophile Wahhabist Head-Chopper mercenaries, who also have a penchant to kill, enslave, rape, torture, maim, ethnically cleanse, starve them by the 100,000's+ across those nominated nation's, as well as provide International diplomatic cover/protection/succor/representation, over-throw their governments, destroy their economies & national infrastructure, turn their nations into failed states, sanction them, shoot down civilian airliners, endlessly threaten Total War & Destruction(Iran), routinely assassinate politicians/leaders/scientists/academics, extraordinarily rendition whomsoever one wishes on a whim, and generate a swathe of millions of dispossessed refugees and massive human suffering as a direct result, etc, et al. Perfectly reasonable, don't ya know. /snark

However, it's simply outrageous, extraordinarily outrageously outrageous, to extend an already previously legislated Obama Administration Visa/Immigration ban 'temporarily' whilst new Administration policies/actions are implemented ... just incredibly outrageously outrageous, don't ya know. Morally, as a matter of principles & basic Human Rights/Decency, there can be no comparison, surely ? Yes, yes, it is as clear as day. /snark

Peace.Salaam.Shalom.

Posted by: Outraged | Jan 30 2017 13:11 utc | 87

okie farmer 81

Who's the GWHOAX trying to kid ?

Trump himself threatens to challenge the 'one China' red line,
Tillerson wants to declare SCS off limit to the Chinese,
Navarro has a master plan to 'win an all out war with China',
PACOM CIC Harris suggested 'live firing excercise within the Chinese claimed EEZ'.....

With crazies like these who needs Mccain ?

Posted by: denk | Jan 30 2017 13:45 utc | 88

The visa ban is not about terrorism, it is about race and culture. Trump wants to do his part, God Bless him, to stop the browning of America. It's just that simple. As a white person, I simply am not comfortable with the idea of being rendered a minority in my country, therefore I support Trump. Brown people simply create cultures that are impossible for white people to exist in, therefore white people have a political and biological interests in keeping browns out of our homelands. We won't be talked out of this most sensible and rational policy course, either.

Posted by: Old Ez | Jan 30 2017 13:51 utc | 89

@ Paveway IV 7
The "exercises" always seem to stir things up. Sometimes bad things happen afterward, sometimes not. The US/Israel had maneuvers with Georgia forces just before Saakashvili made his stupid moves. The exercises with South Korea enraged Kim Jong Un. Then we have them with Poland and others on/near Russia's border. And now in the Persian Gulf. What do they prove or accomplish?

Posted by: Curtis | Jan 30 2017 14:07 utc | 90

b
Hypocrisy all around! The two sports team like political parties claim one thing during campaign only to do the same when in power. To me it's like the media - selling impressions. Bush/GOP/FNC complained of "moral relativism" of DEMs via Clinton and then proved they could be just as immoral. GOP faithful cheered. DEMs/Obama get power in 2006/2008 on Hope/Change. Like you pointed out anti-war protesters went silent. The anti-WalStreeters eventually arose but were quickly routed. Back to business as usual.

Posted by: Curtis | Jan 30 2017 14:16 utc | 91

To get an idea of the countries providing terrorists it is enough to see the list of those who are in Syria. The Saudis at the head, the Tunisians, and many others that count in thousands come from Europe. Yet these countries are not affected by the ban. Considering Iran as a country that sends terrorists is ridiculous

Posted by: Abdiche | Jan 30 2017 14:19 utc | 92

@ Nemesis 48.
I wondered the same thing. One article I read noted that "Trump has inherited a stable economy and a government that is on track to run a $559 billion budget deficit for the ongoing budget year." So if Wall Street drops from its 20k high, if there is any other unstability, if the budget deficit increases, look to blame Trump as if he has all the power over the economy.

Posted by: Curtis | Jan 30 2017 14:21 utc | 93

Difference in our two parties... One is covert...while other is overt ...Narcissist/Psychopaths one side of the coin or the other!

Posted by: Trixie from Dixie | Jan 30 2017 14:30 utc | 94

As has been pointed out earlier in this thread, Trump's EO simply extended Obama's. Therein lies the hypocrisy. And yesterday the Trump Administration said that Green Card holders would not be prevented from returning (see @37).

Lisa @70 and Old Ez @89

These comments appear to be Democratic narratives to energize the base.

Mina @84

Are you blaming Trump or Trudeau?

If US leaves the 'Assad must go!' Coalition and starts to work with Russia, do you think we might expect terrorism as a result? Isn't it logical to prepare for that? Wouldn't this be a first step to including other states in a travel ban (like Saudi Arabia, Qatar)?

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2017 14:42 utc | 95

Naturally Trump had to make some *seemingly* strong moves in the direction of his ‘base’ after all the hot air and promises about illegal immigrants, the Mexican Wall, ‘islamic terrorism’…

His base is concerned with illegal immigration as related to job loss, lowered wages, ‘foreign’ presence - and the old horse ‘terrorism’ which is polarised on ‘muslims.’ Outsourcing though is more important to most.. Checking reddit, the Trumpists are pretty silent about the ‘immig’ exec. order, and a few have posted critical comments, which is extremely rare (1 in 50 ++ posts or so.)

A F-U to deluded dems sporting pussy hats to provoke them which could be seen as, well, fair game (from a Trumpeter pov.)

The US is entering an age of public, strident, cultish hysteria, which is a common outcome when politics (in its broadest sense, socio-cult-econo- etc.) has become an empty shell of posturing, ‘fake news’, with puppets dancing to the tune of various masters, coup and counter-coup behind the scenes. Trump seems to be encouraging this state of affairs.

Of course, Trump’s exec. order is poorly conceived, unclear, not well defined, far too broad, and was obviously hastily composed without consultation with relevant parties, and working out ‘proper’ application measures. Screaming about it, protesting is legit…at least it is a concrete issue in contrast to a Soros guided "Womens' March."

So it goes. In fact, Trump’s exec. order is - thinking it out now - more or less exactly what one might expect from a tough bizman (such as when dealing with a Union, striking workers, for ex.) A wild stab in the dark, trumpeting (sic) power, creating chaos, to then backtrack somewhat, make concessions, fixing this or that, giving some crumbs here or there, waiting for opposition to dissipate, and so on. Ergo, Trump conceives of his power as very personal and situated more in a ‘corporate’ than an ‘international politics’ frame. Expect more of the same…!

However, Trump taking up the ‘terrorism’ / ‘ppl from countries which present risks’ —or whatever it is supposed to be— card in this way shows a continuity (see b) and testifies to a lack or originality, and, down the road, courage. And it doesn’t really speak to his base, mark my words on that.

Of course all the hoopla from both sides - Trumpists and pwogressives - has absolutely nothing to do with ‘terrorism’, sigh…as should be obvious…discussions of what countries do or do not contribute to terrorism is just more ethnicist/nationalist ‘branding’, an all-time favorite for colonialist dominators.

Polarisation on a ‘fake’ issue…manipulations on both sides while behind the scenes others are active.

Posted by: Noirette | Jan 30 2017 14:45 utc | 96

Circe@59

Indeed, safe zones are not off the table.

I will have to backtrack on my slight of RT, because this morning they have the following quotes from Lavrov:

* * *

“If this is about the people who were forced to leave their homes by the conflict, […] getting their basic needs covered, […] then I think that the idea to create areas within Syria for those internally displaced could be discussed with the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees and other organizations."

Though promising, the proposal would require negotiations with Damascus to agree on the principles of creating such safe zones on Syrian territory, Lavrov added.

He noted that the US initiative is completely different from what Western countries proposed at various stages of the Syrian war.

"There have been ideas of creating some areas where an alternative Syrian government could sit, and use those areas for regime change."
* * *

I'm so thrilled to be in the company of two masters of analysis - Lavrov and Circe; who would have thunk it?

Posted by: juliania | Jan 30 2017 14:58 utc | 97

Some commenters here don't really care about the hypocrisy. They just want Trump out.

Circe has been spouting anti-Trump hysteria since early November.

Others don't seem to understand what Trump's agenda is, or what comprises his opposition. They just focus on whatever issue arises at the moment.

Please see try to see the forest for the trees (see @36).

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2017 15:00 utc | 98

Sens. John McCain(R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.):

“Our most important allies in the fight against ISIL are the vast majority of Muslims who reject its apocalyptic ideology of hatred,"

"This executive order sends a signal, intended or not, that America does not want Muslims coming into our country. That is why we fear this executive order may do more to help terrorist recruitment than improve our security."

“We should not stop green-card holders from returning to the country they call home. We should not stop those who have served as interpreters for our military and diplomats from seeking refuge in the country they risked their lives to help,”

“And we should not turn our backs on those refugees who have been shown through extensive vetting to pose no demonstrable threat to our nation, and who have suffered unspeakable horrors, most of them women and children,”

Trump:

"The joint statement of former presidential candidates John McCain & Lindsey Graham is wrong - they are sadly weak on immigration. The two Senators should focus their energies on ISIS, illegal immigration and border security instead of always looking to start World War III."

Posted by: From The Hague | Jan 30 2017 15:01 utc | 99

Juliania @97

Did you forget the /sarc tag?

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2017 15:03 utc | 100