No splashy signing ceremony for the cameras on Trump’s latest executive order. I suppose that’s because it’s just a rehash of the first one that bombed so badly.
I guess if he can stem the tide of Muslims entering the US it will free up more resources to deal with undocumented Hispanics. I wonder who’s gonna pick the strawberries. Not the Aryan Brotherhood.
Evidently there’s 20 mil in the DHS budget they can put towards the wall for now. That oughta buy a few rolls of chain link fencing. Should keep the rubes quiet for now.
They say Trump’s pissed at his staff. Go figure. Maybe he’s been watching SNL or the late night talk shows. Just more pawns of the deep state I suppose. They are everywhere.
I’m starting to see insinuations on here that if one doesn’t wholeheartedly join the Trump circle-jerk then they may be paid provocateurs. Anybody know how much they pay or where to sign up?

Posted by: peter | Mar 6 2017 17:49 utc | 204

@ Jackrabbit | Mar 6, 2017 12:39:51 PM | 200
I have great respect for your opinion. But I fear you are not sufficiently paranoid.
You said:
/~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, electronic voting systems are susceptible but there are steps taht can be taken to make it secure: make the software open-source and based on blockchain (the same technology that bitcoin uses).
\~~~~~~~~~~
Well, I have mentioned elsewhere:
/~~~~~~~~~~
I read in some respectable tech journal that for at least the last 5 years (minimum) all CPUs have a tiny “extra” little CPU core that is totally invisible to the giant main cores. It’s only a 32 bit job, even if you have eight 64 bit normal cores. And it can take over invisibly, since the big cores don’t even “know that it is in there with them. Its secret invisible firmware can communicate with the Internet even if you have no operating system or even memory of any kind (and no “hard” drive). They say it operates at the invisible “ring-3” level. Some much less solid sources claim it can even take over your machine with no Internet connection at all, via cell tower transmission.
\~~~~~~~~~~
The public, even the highly trained public, is absolutely no match for the Deep State when it comes to technology. I say voting is a thing that computers can never be trusted with.
(I’m not an expert in computer engineering, but I do a lot of research into a certain kind of very (way too) abstract mathematical logic.)

Posted by: blues | Mar 6 2017 17:57 utc | 206

For years J. Edgar Hoover up-and-down denied the existence of the mafia.
And of course there is no Deep State either.
The Occupy movement furnished the idea of the 99%, and the 2016 election provided the concept of the Deep State.
Now that’s what I call progress.
(But you don’t believe in the mafia?)

Posted by: blues | Mar 6 2017 18:11 utc | 208

@204 Take Me | Mar 6, 2017 12:58:52 PM |

Hasbara trolls are boring and wit-less and totally uncool. The only peeps who read them are sock-puppets. It’s the Law of Diminishing Hasbara Returns.

What is Hasbara, is that the company that makes Dora the Explorer?

Posted by: hopehely | Mar 6 2017 18:23 utc | 210

@blues
Blockchain is designed to be impervious to tampering. It uses the history of previous transactions/votes as a means of ensuring that the records are veritably unaltered. That history is distributed to all nodes so that each node has the valid history. Tampering would require accessing and changing millions of nodes.
Also, most votes are scheduled days or weeks in advance, allowing time for mailed-in paper ballots for those that don’t trust the technology. That is actually a good check on the electronic results.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Mar 6 2017 18:39 utc | 212

Marching on the White House to complain about the president accomplishes nothing. Ever thought if we got off our duffs we could have a march to legalize cannabis? And instead of building a 22 $billion wall, we could start a Marshall Plan to raise the Mexican standard of living so they would not want to cross the border. Persuasion is vastly more useful than constant complaints.

Posted by: blues | Mar 6 2017 18:50 utc | 214

Must see white helmets pic
http://www.activistpost.com/2017/03/1983-cia-document-reveals-plan-to-destroy-syria.html
Check for igor bundy on the page (cant find a permanent url for each comment)

Posted by: Mina | Mar 6 2017 20:04 utc | 216

re 195 Chère Noirette
The criticism you mention of Macron is standard par for the course: he doesn’t have any policies. And he doesn’t have any organisation. The question is, of course, to be posed: does it matter when politicians rarely carry out their manifestos?
Evidently, as a man without a substantial party behind him, if he is elected, he will have to make a coalition. I could see the left going for him.
I think that going for the young could be a new move, which changes the tone, wider than France. Le Pen, Fillon are representatives of the past, in the case of Le Pen old nationalism, which has nothing to say today.
Of course, it could all go wrong. Like Obama, he could be overwhelmed by the Deep State. That’s a danger for all candidates. Fillon is said to be a Thatcherite, but he isn’t really; he’s a traditional provincial French Catholic. He wouldn’t succeed in introducing Thatcherism, as Sarkozy didn’t.
The idea I had is that Macron might be flexible enough to navigate round the philosophies to come up with something appropriate for France. He is reputed to be very intelligent.

Posted by: Laguerre | Mar 6 2017 20:18 utc | 218

blues
I think the designers of bitcoin were sufficiently paranoid when designing the system. You should look into blockchain in more detail.
An embedded ‘spy processor’ (for lack of a better word) may allow for spying and alteration but that would have to be done on a massive scale that would be detectable. With blockchain, all transactions are archived and can be reviewed by everyone so I SEE that my votes have been altered I will complain … as will millions of others.
Now, I am not a blockchain expert, or a security expert, or an elections expert. But I think we have have the technical elements for a system that can be relied on. And if you don’t like mail-in votes, then perhaps we need polling places and/or set-time voting (monthly voting?).
The point is, direct democracy is viable. Furthermore, the possibility of people moving in that direction might cause the politicians to reform the current corrupt system.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Mar 6 2017 20:39 utc | 220

blues
The ‘spy processor’ allows for spying and altering documents on someone’s computer in a way that the ‘mark’ can’t easily detect.
Also may be good for tracking/detecting ‘spyware’ of others.
Blockchain relies on massively shared data that is reviewable/auditable by many parties.
But there are also other ways to implement direct democracy.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Mar 6 2017 21:15 utc | 222

@185 fairleft, ‘It’s fundamental that the US uniparty is rabidly Zionist. If you seriously think Schumer/Hillary & the New York Times & Washington Post are _less_ Zionist than Trump & Breitbart, then you just aren’t connected to reality. Since both US parties are rabidly Zionist to the max, there is no Zionist basis for a conflict between Trump and his corporate state enemies. (That doesn’t mean Zionism isn’t a big deal, and involved in lots of important stuff, just not this stuff). ‘
amazing that has to be said … but apparently it does. so thanks for taking the time to say it.

Posted by: jfl | Mar 6 2017 21:45 utc | 224

blues: How many of us can really study the issues?
Now you are saying that direct democracy is inherently flawed.
Then how do propose to effect change?
The Powers That Be are NOT going to allow a change in voting system.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Mar 6 2017 22:02 utc | 226

@226 Jackrabbit

For anyone interested…Circe essentially defends Hillary against charges of Jewish influence.

Here’s my post:
The political system is rigged by Zionists on both sides. [yeah, I wrote BOTH SIDES!]
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/23/sheldon-adelson-trump-super-pac-donation-25-million
Oh, and it’s only a coincidence that they happen to be Jewish and Zionist; lest you be banned for equating the two with the power that runs politics and media.
So I guess we’re smelling the coffee now; too late for those that were banned for seeing this pattern first then daring to expose same and getting run out by a bunch of Zionist rats congregating here in sheep’s clothing.
Posted by: Circe | Oct 28, 2016 6:22:21 PM | 58
Where the hell did I defend Hillary in this post??? And I also posted here the comment I wrote before the election urging everyone to vote for anyone EXCEPT HILLARY! So why would I urge people to vote anyone except Hillary if I was defending her? Your credibility is at ZERO.
Interested??? No one is interested in you effing obsession with me anymore! What’s wrong with you? Let it go ALREADY and stop LYING.

Posted by: Circe | Mar 6 2017 22:27 utc | 228

Dear Circe:
This has gone too far. Time to discuss bathroom politics or something like that. Not argue about October versus November.
It’s already March. The crocuses are coming up. Time to stop and smell the lily of the valleys.

Posted by: blues | Mar 6 2017 22:58 utc | 230

@231
I am ready to put this away now that I squashed JR’s lies about me, and I did have every right to set the record straight. Thanks.

Posted by: Circe | Mar 6 2017 23:18 utc | 232

Dear Circe,
Please start up your own blog and post your own articles there. If you have time to flood the MoA comments forums with opinions, you certainly have time to write your own blog regularly.
Please don’t use the MoA comments forums to pursue your own agenda / mission. The credit for anything you post here at MoA won’t necessarily accrue to you and you will only attract more flak which ends up derailing the entire comments thread so why not open your own blog?
There are many people who visit here who are not interested in the details of US politics and those who are would prefer to come to their own conclusions as to Donald Trump or any other politician’s leadership and decision-making style without having to be bludgeoned by a hailstorm of opinionated comments.
Thank you.

Posted by: Jen | Mar 6 2017 23:23 utc | 234

hopehely | Mar 6, 2017 5:27:53 PM | 230
great to see a real hasbarista holding up the zionist end.
@235 jen
thanks. amen, amen, amen.

Posted by: jfl | Mar 6 2017 23:34 utc | 236

@235

Donald Trump or any other politician’s leadership and decision-making style without having to be bludgeoned by a hailstorm of opinionated comments.

FYI: I wrote 3 comments on this thread before I was stalked and assailed by Jackrabbit’s lies and ad hominems. Second, it’s an OPEN thread. Third, every other comment I made was regrettably to set the record straight in response to Jackrabbit’s lies. I would have preferred debate.
And FYI – for the last effing time: I HAVE NO MISSION!
There are tons of articles and opinions on Donald Trump here and I will give my opinion on Donald Trump as well. You don’t agree with what I write, you don’t like it – too bad. Use your scroll. No one’s twisting your arm to read what I write? More importantly, no one made YOU the blog boss here.

Posted by: Circe | Mar 6 2017 23:49 utc | 238

Israel is a pustule on the Face of Mankind. It ain’t no “state”.

Posted by: ruralito | Mar 7 2017 0:10 utc | 240

Ryancare is an absolute disaster.
from zerohedge:
A breakdown of core aspects removed from the existing law (courtesy of Axios):
All Obamacare taxes
All Obamacare subsidies, including its premium tax credit
Individual, employer mandate penalties
“Cadillac tax”
No longer will limit the tax break for employer-sponsored health coverage
No payments to insurers for cost-sharing reductions
Selling insurance across state lines (can’t be done in the “reconciliation” bill)
Medical malpractice reform (can’t be done in the “reconciliation” bill)
What is being added:
Pre-existing condition coverage
Continuous coverage — 30 percent penalty if people don’t keep themselves insured
Special fund to help states set up “high-risk” pools, fix their insurance markets, or help low-income patients
Enrollment in expanded Medicaid will be frozen
Current enrollees can stay until 2020, and keep getting extra federal funds, until they leave the program on their own
Medicaid will change to “per capita caps” (funding limits for each person) in fiscal year 2020
A new, refundable tax credit will be available in 2020 to help people buy health insurance
Covers five age groups — starts at $2,000 for people in their 20s, increases to $4,000 for people in their 60s
It’s not means tested, but phased out for upper-income people (starting at $75,000 for individuals, $150,000 for families)
Insurers can charge older customers five times as much as young adults

Posted by: aaaa | Mar 7 2017 0:43 utc | 242

@james 175
Thanks. I fully agree with your point – the banks & billionaires should have paid for the crisis, not the average folks. Actually we even did a political campaign with exactly that message…
But I also acknowledge that the govt & CB had to step in to prevent a total crash. There would be no financial system, no banks and maybe no functioning economy today, without these ‘rescues’ – and what’s worse, such a complete meltdown could well have resulted in war or civil war.
In Iceland they did it right: nationalize the banks, keep only the useful parts and let the rest crash, and throw the bankers in jail. We didn’t do it then, but we (US & EU) did introduce new regulation later on to control banking and reduce risk-taking. It’s not perfect, but it works.
Private banks are completely dependent on CBs today, and the latter do work differently imo. They can in principal be politically controlled, and their chief objective is not to maximize profits, but to maximize systemic stability. Even if you assume CBs serve private interests, they are very limited in doing so: In a situation where money supply and asset valuations are already high up, inflating profits through all-too-liberal expansion of private or CB money creation risks blowing the whole system up. They did it for 30 years before hitting a road block – can’t do it any more. For this sole reason, I do trust today’s CBs to do the ‘right thing’ in a technocratic-conservative way. They’re cornered, can’t lower interest rates any further (only the PBOC can) – all actions now are dictated by bare necessity.
Now, if Trump does ‘stupid stuff’, this might change the game somewhat…is he on a mission to destroy? If so, would others let him?
😉

Posted by: smuks | Mar 7 2017 1:47 utc | 244

Talk about thread derailing.. b please dont stay away too long, see what happens then? 😉
To blame Zionism for the ills of this world is sadly misdirection for it is only an agenda among others for the Global Elites. Give it a rest..

Posted by: Lozion | Mar 7 2017 1:58 utc | 246

@244
Where did I abuse anyone here? I’m the one that’s been subjected to ad hominems, false assumptions and bullying. Stop smearing me with your outrageous accusation and threatening me! I have right to my opinions on Trump or whatever the subject is even when they’re unpopular. Who are you to impose anything? You talk about the quantity and length of my comments. OMG. There are times I hardly comment. I had 3 comments here before I was viciously pounced on with ad homs. Other people here comment much more than me and have lengthy comments, and so what! I don’t make a stink about it like you. I read them if they’re interesting or scroll by if they’re not. To each his own. I won’t single them out to you out of courtesy. The ONLY reason I commented more on this thread is because I was unjustly attacked-that’s it. Again, I was the one bullied and personally attacked. I do not attack others on a personal level for their opinions, but I will defend myself when I’m attacked. There is not one person here that wouldn’t. So stop haranguing and threatening me with this bald-faced lie.

Posted by: Circe | Mar 7 2017 2:19 utc | 248

@ smuks who wrote some internally contradictory stuff, IMO:
“….But I also acknowledge that the govt & CB had to step in to prevent a total crash. There would be no financial system, no banks and maybe no functioning economy today, without these ‘rescues’ – and what’s worse, such a complete meltdown could well have resulted in war or civil war….”
I call this fear mongering BS.
“….In Iceland they did it right: nationalize the banks, keep only the useful parts and let the rest crash, and throw the bankers in jail. We didn’t do it then, but we (US & EU) did introduce new regulation later on to control banking and reduce risk-taking. It’s not perfect, but it works….”
The leap of faith you require to go from “Iceland did it right…” to “…but it works..” is amazing and Please tell us how the fig leaf of regulation of Dodd/Frank is effectively separating public from private fiduciary responsibility?…didn’t Trump just poke another hole in it with not requiring investment advisors to be financial responsible?
“….Private banks are completely dependent on CBs today, and the latter do work differently imo. They can in principal be politically controlled, and their chief objective is not to maximize profits, but to maximize systemic stability. Even if you assume CBs serve private interests, they are very limited in doing so: In a situation where money supply and asset valuations are already high up, inflating profits through all-too-liberal expansion of private or CB money creation risks blowing the whole system up. They did it for 30 years before hitting a road block – can’t do it any more. For this sole reason, I do trust today’s CBs to do the ‘right thing’ in a technocratic-conservative way. They’re cornered, can’t lower interest rates any further (only the PBOC can) – all actions now are dictated by bare necessity……”
I don’t buy that CBs control private finance. Again the leaps of faith from “..can in principal be politically controlled..” to ” …Even if you assume CBs serve private interests, they are very limited in doing so…” to “…They did it for 30 years before hitting a road block – can’t do it any more. For this sole reason, I do trust today’s CBs to do the ‘right thing’ in a technocratic-conservative way….”
What is the road block?
What is the right thing you trust the CBs to do? Is this something that they haven’t done before?
Please tell us who owns the BIS, SWIFT, IMF, etc. and while you are at it share with us the truth about what parts of the Western financial system are private and which are a public/private mix and which are TOTALLY sovereign.
Thanks

Posted by: psychohistorian | Mar 7 2017 2:41 utc | 250

This from an ex-terrorist:
https://trofire.com/2017/03/06/israeli-army-vets-expose-terrorist-empire-files/

Posted by: ben | Mar 7 2017 3:11 utc | 252

The sickness that infected the Democratic Party, Neoliberalism, is leading to the collapse of democracy in America. Democrats are writhing and seething in hypocrisy, instead of looking in the mirror and reflecting on the ugliness they created and the swamp creature they help to spawn. They’re shrieking and howling over the rise of Trumpism after throwing their last hope of redemption, Bernie, under the bus to rescue and prop up the decaying vestige of their progressive liberal pretense in the guise of a shattered ceiling for womankind. What they got is the ceiling crashing down on them — deservedly so!
Chris Hedges:

The liberal elites, who bear significant responsibility for the death of our democracy, now hold themselves up as the saviors of the republic. They have embarked, despite their own corruption and their complicity in neoliberalism and the crimes of empire, on a self-righteous moral crusade to topple Donald Trump. It is quite a show. They attack Trump’s “lies,” denounce executive orders such as his travel ban as un-American and blame Trump’s election on Russia or FBI Director James Comey rather than the failed neoliberal policies they themselves advanced.
Where was this moral outrage when our privacy was taken from us by the security and surveillance state, the criminals on Wall Street were bailed out, we were stripped of our civil liberties and 2.3 million men and women were packed into our prisons, most of them poor people of color? Why did they not thunder with indignation as money replaced the vote and elected officials and corporate lobbyists instituted our system of legalized bribery? Where were the impassioned critiques of the absurd idea of allowing a nation to be governed by the dictates of corporations, banks and hedge fund managers? Why did they cater to the foibles and utterings of fellow elites, all the while blacklisting critics of the corporate state and ignoring the misery of the poor and the working class? Where was their moral righteousness when the United States committed war crimes in the Middle East and our militarized police carried out murderous rampages? What the liberal elites do now is not moral. It is self-exaltation disguised as piety. It is part of the carnival act.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/46603.htm
Those words are intended for you as well, Michael Moore. How could someone like him sink as low as to support Hillary after she threw his preferred candidate and the only hope for sane policy under the bus and then humiliated him by having him declare her over the edge when the super-delegates rigged it all in her favor? Moore has descended in stature to the size of a lizardy gecko.
This is why, I went as far as not only urging everyone to vote for anyone but Hillary, but even urging them to vote for Trump, YES. Even on this site I actually went as far as suggesting people vote for Trump instead of Hillary, and those are posts Jackrabbit didn’t point to in his feverish search thru my comment history and rush to condemn me. That’s how dishonest he is.
It’s true. When all seemed lost for Sanders or a third option, I actually asked people to vote Trump; ANYTHING BUT HILLARY BECAUSE ONE BETRAYAL DESERVES ANOTHER…OBAMA.
Obama deserves to have his legacy shredded and stomped on by Trump, in spite of his 11th hour clemency of Manning and abstention from the U.N. Resolution condemning Israeli settlement expansion. Obama is a spineless traitor to all that is decent. I called him the Drone King. He’s a pathetic coward!
This is who I am; and not the bullshit some assume about me.
Which do I detest more: Trump or they who spawned him with their perverse corruption of liberalism?

Posted by: Circe | Mar 7 2017 4:07 utc | 254

Zionists have been hoping all along that ISIS wins in Syria.
http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.701749
Netanyahu is going to meet with Putin again, and he’s going to DEMAND… So, lemme get this straight, Syrians, Iranians and Russians spent treasure in Syria, but Netanyahu wants to make demands. Netanyahu’s really worried about that pipeline from Iran through Syria to the EU and potential oil reserves in the Golan that really belong to the Syrian people he wants to pounce on after he steals the ones in Gaza’s offshore.
http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.775305
In case that article is truncated, you can read about Netanyahu’s demands here.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-says-putin-meeting-to-focus-on-averting-iranian-entrenchment-in-syria/
Meanwhile Nato with U.S. participation as usual is preparing Joint Viking 2017. Readiness, just in case Trump ends up not liking Putin and Putin doesn’t fold to Netanyahu’s demands for Syria.
https://www.rt.com/news/379641-8000-nato-exercise-russia-norway/
This is a joke. The Empire still dictating while Trump lies low.

Posted by: Circe | Mar 7 2017 5:40 utc | 256

“Sad to see so many here fall under the spell of Circe the sorceress.”
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Mar 5, 2017 3:59:43 PM | 136
Now you’re going back through his comment history to attempt to expose him as a ‘hypocrite’ and a ‘shill.’ Over 20+ posts from you in this thread just about that. Can you stop electing yourself as the moderator for MoA? People here can form their own opinions. If anything, I took Circe more seriously after seeing you make wise crack after joke after insult in reference to him. When he used to claim you literally followed him around thread to thread, I thought he was overly sensitive and paranoid, but he was right.
Call Circe what you will, I disagree with him PLENTY myself, but he’s passionate about what he believes and adds to discussion in his own way. Maybe not the discussion that YOU want everyone to conform to, but hes making political comments on a politcal thread. Half the time you just make jokes at his expense and misrepresent him. If you added something to the discussion, even something I disagreed with wholeheartedly, then it’d be one thing. Hey i get it – he gets to be a one note song sometimes and maybe writes too much other times, but to make it your personal mission to ruin the guys credibility, and to insinuate he’s a shill and anyone agreeing with him must be “brain dead” is not adding to discussion one iota and causing a torrent of back and forth. The ratio of Circe posts to Circe hating posts is probably >1:5 in this thread.
Circe may not be totally innocent but he’s passionate, at least is adding _something_ to discussion, and not just being snide. Give it a rest dude. When you see posts like this don’t you feel embarrassed?
“Sometimes reading MoA is like listening to the proverbial blind men describing an elephant. Each one touching a different part.
Circe is the blind man with his hand up the elephant’s ass.”
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Mar 4, 2017 2:43:38 PM | 28
It takes away from discussion and makes this community unnessecarily toxic. You can refute him by adding substance to the debate and not being snide. Attempting to label someone a ‘shill’ or a ‘hypocrite’ is dead end for discussion too. You can never prove he’s a shill and even if he’s a hypocrite, it doesn’t even automatically make him wrong about something (look up Hypocrite’s Fallacy). I never got either vibe from him personally, but even if you’re right, you’re just bringing the discussion to a place where it’s gonna devolve into pointless back and forth. Take his points and refute them. Don’t attack the messanger.
Just stop the following him from thread to thread. You seem to be initiating the back and forth yourself more often than not. I used to take you 100x more seriously before you made Circe your private little cross to bear. I don’t try to scroll over anyone’s posts (and always read names of poster last to not cloud my perspective) but you’re edging into that territory. If you added discussion beyond ‘Circe is a stupid shill better beware everyone’ I wouldn’t care, even if I found the view abhorrent. I like getting info from all perspectives, I don’t come here for an echo chamber and to reinforce beliefs I already hold.
And now others are talking about going as far BANNING him? Because he’s vocally voicing a unpopular view? Maybe he’s a little long winded on his posts, but he’s adding to the discussion in his own way. Not in the vien you may want everyone to continue to, but he makes points. You just make jokes 50% of the time and the other 50% just follow him around trying to convince everyone else that ‘he’s just so stupid and how can you believe him, the paid shill.’
Again, I disagree with the man PLENTY but maybe I’m still “brain dead” and have “fallen under his spell” to some extent. How belittling man. Stop the private mission. Maybe I’m just shilling for him though, who knows. Maybe you can follow me around thread to thread instead of Circe?
Please give it a rest. People are more intelligent than you give him credit for, they can make their own decisions and form their own opinions without you being some sort of a pseudo-gatekeeper and the arbiter of who’s worth listening to and who’s not, and you constantly harping on him and making him your pet project takes away from what you say (when you’re actually saying something) more than it helps.
I refuse to go back and forth with you like Circe will, and I feel embarrassed I need to write this in the first place, but i felt you really need to hear this. You’d be better served talking to him as an equal than as someone to just look down on and bully. I’m sure you’d have a better chance of getting him to agree with you.
Just my 2c.

Posted by: FecklessLeft | Mar 7 2017 6:11 utc | 258

Well, now this is intriguing..
https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/838910359994056704

Posted by: Lozion | Mar 7 2017 6:18 utc | 260

should read “No one here has a superior rank” — I must be too pissed off to type.

Posted by: stumpy | Mar 7 2017 6:50 utc | 262

Regarding my post @260. Read this if interested. Its about a potential 500mb wiki data dump set for tomorrow 9:00am called Vault 7:
http://heavy.com/news/2017/03/what-is-wikileaks-vault-7-photos-clues-theories/

Posted by: Lozion | Mar 7 2017 7:01 utc | 264

It’s evident from harsh rhetoric by administration officials, continued US aggression in multiple theaters, including Pentagon terror-bombing of Yemen on the phony pretext of combating al-Qaeda Washington supports.
It’s clear from provocatively maintaining thousands of US-led NATO forces on Russia’s borders, challenging China in its own waters, harsh rhetoric on Iran, and Secretary of State Tillerson saying he’ll seek “transition to democratic rule in Venezuela” – code language for plotting regime change.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/trump-abandons-cooperation-with-russia/5578050
One more thing, and ben is smart to insist on this point: Trump can de-classify all intelligence regarding the alleged interference in election AND he can de-classify whatever exists on the alleged wiretapping with a snap of his fingers. So what is taking him so freaking long?
If he doesn’t de-classify, especially the wiretapping issue, then this was all a deflection from something else going on at the time he tweeted the wiretapping allegation and it’s a grotesque manipulation.
I’m seriously believing that Trump is a master manipulator. I knew he was a manipulator but this is ZEN manipulation. I’m starting to suspect that his real motive for trashing the media (which is deserved btw) is not because he really gives a damn about the ethical aspect of their deception and indoctrination of the masses; it’s strictly to serve his own purpose, because if he can get people to lose total trust in the media; he will have their blind faith and loyalty and his truth will prevail. When Trump arrived on the campaign scene, he knew that people were losing trust in the media and that fruit was ripe to be picked and he’s been squeezing every drop of that sorry situation since to his advantage and people are lapping it up like a new reality show. However, what he threw out there is no joke; he has to come clean on this now.
Trump needs to de-classify AND release his taxes and stop playing effing mind games with the public and people need to stand up and demand this and stop falling for the show. The jig is up. No one’s that stupid.

Posted by: Circe | Mar 7 2017 7:28 utc | 266

Donald Trump’s Greatest Allies Are the Liberal Elites

The liberal elites, who bear significant responsibility for the death of our democracy, now hold themselves up as the saviors of the republic. They have embarked, despite their own corruption and their complicity in neoliberalism and the crimes of empire, on a self-righteous moral crusade to topple Donald Trump. It is quite a show. They attack Trump’s “lies,” denounce executive orders such as his travel ban as un-American and blame Trump’s election on Russia or FBI Director James Comey rather than the failed neoliberal policies they themselves advanced.

… and once advanced, the point is then elaborated upon.

Posted by: jfl | Mar 7 2017 8:04 utc | 268

..which is why I say watch not what they say but what they do..

Posted by: Lozion | Mar 7 2017 8:53 utc | 270

‘Turkey, Russia, US military chiefs meet in Turkish city’

The Turkish army says its chief of the general staff has met with his Russian and American counterparts in Turkey, discussing the situation in Iraq and Syria among other things.
The meeting among Gens. Hulusi Akar, Valery Gerasimov, and Joseph Dunford took place in the southeastern city of Antalya on Tuesday, the army said.
“Common issues relating to regional security, in particular Syria and Iraq, are being discussed at the meeting,” it said in a statement.

can anyone even imagine such a meeting taking place under the dnc? here’s the picture.
i credit the russians with this. the turks? c’mon. someone in the usa had the sense to send dunford, though, didn’t they? dunford’s on record as to what’s at stake.

Posted by: jfl | Mar 7 2017 9:52 utc | 272

2270 lozion, ‘..which is why I say watch not what they say but what they do..’
that’s always the truth … but shaping up here, especially. i think, truth to be told, tee-tump is the last one to know what ‘his’ administration is up to.

Posted by: jfl | Mar 7 2017 10:38 utc | 274

@275
interesting excerpt from a nytimes exit poll cited in the article above …

83% of the Neo-Liberal Progressive Party voters said the economy was ‘excellent’.
79% of those who voted Trump said the economy was ‘poor’.
72% of the Neo-Liberal Progressive Party voters said their family financial situation was ‘better today’.
78% of those who voted Trump said their family financial situation was ‘worse today’.
78% of the Neo-Liberal Progressive Party voters were ‘enthusiastic’ about the works of the federal government.
77% of those who voted Trump were ‘angry’ about the works of the federal government.

… looks like the folks who are designing and manufacturing predator drones, and firing hellfire missiles; who are designing spiPhones to be manufactured in china; who are judges, prosecutors, cops or are working as guards in the prison industrial complex; or who are ‘working’ on Wall Street, who are ‘enthusiastic’ about the government’s handling of the ‘excellent’ economy, and whose family financial situation is ‘better off today’ as a result of same … looks like those are the ‘neo-liberal progressives’ the rest of us – ‘poor’, ‘angry’, and ‘worse off today’ – are up against.

Posted by: jfl | Mar 7 2017 12:09 utc | 276

Posted by: jfl | Mar 7, 2017 4:52:35 AM | 272
Neither, the US, Russia, Turkey intend to heavily invest in boots on the grounds. So this is decided by boots on the ground ie Kurdish politics.
The US have placed some protective tanks at Manbij to prevent Turkey from attacking.
Barzani’s forces seem to have clashed with YPG/Yezidis at Sinjar.
The US support all of them. They are in an impossible situation.
But what is the goal of all this? To secure pipeline routes. I guess they finally figured out – after 15 years – they can only do it together.

Posted by: somebody | Mar 7 2017 12:41 utc | 278

Posted by: somebody | Mar 7, 2017 7:41:03 AM | 278
Add) This here is Bhadrakumar dreaming of a Russian/Chinese/US cooperation in Syria and Afghanistan
It is likely. They’ve come to the conclusion that it is in their interests to secure trade routes together.

Posted by: somebody | Mar 7 2017 13:41 utc | 280

LOL! Circe cites a couple of comments a day or two before the election as “proof”.
But he has made DOZENS of over-the-top anti-Trump comments since the election.
Thank you for “clarifying” that, Circe.
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Mar 6, 2017 12:39:51 PM | 203
Yes indeed! And a hearty “Well Spotted” to you, Jackrabbit.

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Mar 7 2017 14:14 utc | 282

Posted by: stumpy | Mar 7, 2017 8:44:57 AM | 281
Guess how surprised I’m not?

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Mar 7 2017 14:20 utc | 284

JFL, your link at #275 brought this to my attention. Reprintable paper is being developed.
https//theconversation.com/reprintable-paper-becomes-a-reality-73184

Posted by: jawbone | Mar 7 2017 14:35 utc | 286

@ jfl | Mar 7, 2017 7:36:43 AM | 278
“what was Park Geun-hye’s stance on the provocative us military build-up in south korea?”
I can only infer from what’s been happening that she was ‘less than enthusiastic’ indeed – indirectly and behind closed doors of course, East Asians would never openly dissent for fear of losing face.
Note that the official opening of Jeju Naval Base was eternally delayed, and so far it’s only used by SK navy afaik, not jointly as previously planned.
Oh, and what a convenient coincidence that NK just fired some rockets and issued huge new threats!
re. Your post on Barzani, Yazidis and other Kurds:
It’s weird that the US supports all sides in the conflict, yes – at least if we believe their goal is a clear ‘win’ of one side. But if you assume that they just want to keep the war going for as long as possible, to weaken all sides, perpetuate the rifts and play ‘divide and rule’, it makes perfect sense.
This isn’t about some boring pipeline – it’s about leverage (outside power tipping the scales) and control of the region. Same playbook as 80s Iraq-Iran war.

Posted by: smuks | Mar 7 2017 15:48 utc | 288

Trolls are “people who come into a discussion and posts comments designed to upset or disrupt the conversation”.
My vote for most interesting conversations on MoA:
(1) Details on military operations in Syria and Iraq by various forces that go entirely unreported in the U.S. media. This is the best part of MoA, I think.
(2) Deep State activities particularly with relation to domestic political agendas (in the last election cycle, the Deep State went hog-wild for Hillary Clinton and was shocked to find its efforts failed, and is now trying to direct the policy of the Trump Administration by various underhanded means). This is good too.
In between we’ve got a fair amount of regurgitation of talking points put out by the Democratic and Republican leadership, various efforts to disrupt the conversation with loud-mouthed hysterical trolling, etc. Anyone with half a brain can figure out which is which.

Posted by: nonsense factory | Mar 7 2017 16:27 utc | 290

jfl 273
Marine General Joseph Dunford, said that the Pentagon would be presenting Trump with a “political-military plan” to deal not only with ISIS in Iraq and Syria, but to “advance our long-term interests in the region.”
In relation to Iraq, Dunford signaled US intentions to maintain a US military occupation long after the campaign against ISIS is completed.
Dunford’s comments echoed those of Secretary of Defense James “Mad Dog” Mattis —he also suggested that plans are being developed for a permanent US military presence in the country.
[1]
rings a bell ?
PNAC…..
‘The plan shows Bush’s cabinet intended to take military control of the Gulf region whether or not Saddam Hussein was in power.
It says: ‘The United States has for decades sought to play a more permanent role in Gulf regional security. While the unresolved conflict with Iraq provides the immediate justification, the need for a substantial American force presence in the Gulf transcends the issue of The regime of Saddam Hussein.‘ [2]
20 yrs after the invasion, 3 yrs after obama promised to ‘pull out’ ,murkkans still fighting wot in iraq !
‘Saddam and his ‘wmd’, isis, aq, Assad gassed his own people’, those are just pretext for murkkan boots on the ground.
once uncle sham got in he stay put !
to paraphrase madeline albright, [3]
we’ll try to bushit our way in if we can, else we’d just do it if we must !
i dunno how dunford is going to deal and wheel his way about syria but by all accounts uncle sham intends to stay put in syria as well !
empire watch rule 1
agenda never changes, they only change the bogeyman….and potus !
[1]
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/02/25/iraq-f25.html
[2]
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article1221.htm
[3]
albright on murkkan unilateral actions,
‘we’ll do it multilaterally if we can, we’d just do it unilaterally if we must’.

Posted by: denk | Mar 7 2017 17:35 utc | 292

@ Jackrabbit | Mar 7, 2017 1:08:00 PM | 294
Well lets just say that, regardless of the motivation of individual actors, the Shadowmasters of the Deep State derive their virtually unlimited power from all public attention being focused upon their political puppets.
They pretend to despise Trump because they can’t deal with the fact that they temporarily lost control of the American public. The Deep State Media is constantly attacking Trump, while conveniently ignoring the Deep State itself, which generally rules us.

Posted by: blues | Mar 7 2017 22:56 utc | 294

@ Jackrabbit | Mar 7, 2017 6:15:26 PM | 296
I actually wonder now. The proof that you have power over people is your ability to force them to act against their own interests. Most of us put our own interests first this time. Unforgivable!
I keep saying; they’re not much afraid of Trump himself. They are afraid of us. Maybe Trump hatred is merely their fig leaf.
What if they are really afraid of us?

Posted by: blues | Mar 8 2017 1:19 utc | 296

It appears disingenuous to claim that there are Trump supporters here. There may be one or two.
The really big issue is that the Deep State, through its control of the security/media apparatus has shown its face. They commanded us to vote for Hillary and we disobeyed. That has never happened before, and their reaction was to launch an all-out assault on Trump.
And, I would say, this Deep State with its anti-Trump response is what we are now opposing. That is the real situation here.

Posted by: blues | Mar 8 2017 13:29 utc | 298

@ Outraged | Mar 8, 2017 8:35:57 AM | 300
Thanks Outraged!
I have discovered that the Deep State’s security/media apparatus’ virtually global all-out assault on Trump is generally not denied even by many of the people who really hate Trump.
The people can actually see that they are being cynically indoctrinated in real time. This in itself could turn out to be the most significant event since 9/11.

Posted by: blues | Mar 8 2017 14:18 utc | 300