terrorists blowing up “beautiful babies” in Aleppo. Pissed off US Marine. Warning: it’s ugly. https://twitter.com/AngeloJohnGage

Posted by: ruralito | Apr 15 2017 17:53 utc | 3

I’m pretty curious what will happen in/ with Egypt. It’s still one of the key countries of the Middle East, if only for its huge population and army. Well, plus the canal.
Still looks like the logical next target for the jihadis to me, and the recent church blast might confirm that. What’ll Sisi do to keep people quiet? Bread and games?

Posted by: smuks | Apr 15 2017 18:27 utc | 5

(FULL VIDEO) United Airlines Forcibly Drags Doctor Off Plane After Overbooking
Coincidentally early April I travelled standby passenger on SIA with stopover in Hongkong. R/T flights were full. Must admit the best flights ever. The crews were friendly and no one forcibly drags out of the aircraft.
SIA served excellent Western, Asian and Muslim foods. Free beer, wine and liquor on economy class (not sure about liquor me a teetotaler). Flag carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) was named the best airline in Asia in 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaNost5U5BE2017

Posted by: OJS | Apr 15 2017 18:44 utc | 7

Proof that the alleged Syrian Government chemical weapons attack on April 5 was staged, and that the White House either did not care for a professional intelligence check on their draft for the White House Intelligence Report issued on April 11, or did consciously use false claims for justifying a war of aggression act against Syria supporting ISIS:
http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2017/04/video-evidence-of-false-claims-made-in-the-white-house-intelligence-report-of-april-11-2017-by-ted-p.html

Posted by: Kassandra | Apr 15 2017 19:27 utc | 9

Syria — President Bashar al-Assad: “The chemical attack story is a fabrication” from intel today – wordpress.. interesting commentary, and his latest from today on Mike Pompeo

Posted by: james | Apr 15 2017 19:46 utc | 11

@12 Give it a day or two and they’ll blame Assad for not providing security.

Posted by: dh | Apr 15 2017 20:47 utc | 13

@12 curtis…shows what kind of deal the rebels are willing to make… those ‘moderate’ headchopping buddies the usa-israel-ksa continue to supply keep on giving what any sane person would expect them to give… all in the name of regime change, etc. etc..

Posted by: james | Apr 15 2017 22:02 utc | 15

@ 10 paveway.. you made me laugh!!
The only question I have in this is that sometimes a big distraction is needed while other very nefarious stuff is being lined up or prepared. There is almost too much media, and too much PR about this for it to be a credible threat any more. When all the media is chiming in on one topic, especially with this amount of enthusiasm, I find that other much worse things are happening elsewhere.
Any thoughts?

Posted by: les7 | Apr 15 2017 22:26 utc | 17

terrorists blowing up “beautiful babies” in Aleppo. Pissed off US Marine. Warning: it’s ugly.
Uh, no we don’t need to exterminate “them” we need only to stop funding them. The rest will take care of itself.

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Apr 15 2017 22:45 utc | 19

@8 james
very thorough, very incriminating indictment of the mob washed up on the beach with tee-rex and tee-rump.

Posted by: jfl | Apr 15 2017 23:02 utc | 21

Somewhat surprised that none of the Outlaw US Empire’s terrorist allies have claimed responsibility for the VBIED murdering of over 100 women and children and wounding of another 100+ as they’re usually quite prompt. Too bad Syria doesn’t have a couple of guided missile destroyers in close proximity to the USA to deliver the well deserved response.
I bet there’ll be no messages of condolences to the Syrian people from any NATO or GCC nation.

Posted by: karlof1 | Apr 15 2017 23:59 utc | 23

Did anyone see that Thomas Friedman piece in the NYT saying the US should use ISIS as a proxy?
Like it was so insane I couldn’t believe it was real at first. Even for Friedman, who’s the archetypal insane war hungry US journalist, it was over the top.
Almost wish it was a joke. Makes what he said about Iraq and Yugoslavia seem like normal dialogue. Can’t imagine even the NYT would like that article.
Can’t make this shit up.

Posted by: George Smiley | Apr 16 2017 0:22 utc | 25

@25 George Springer
RT reported as well but just from same sources in Seoul. Starting to wonder if this China-Russia-US friction is all a sham and we are all great buddies needing an excuse to keep the peasants at home scared and willing to accept the military spending. Thats probably crazy though.

Posted by: Pft | Apr 16 2017 0:41 utc | 27

Apparently the failed missile launch was detected by Pacific Command. Is this nose-snubbing? Pence will soon find out.
“U.S. Pacific Command detected and tracked what we assess was a North Korean missile launch at 11:21 a.m. Hawaii time April 15. The launch of the ballistic missile occurred near Sinpo,” U.S. Pacific Command spokesman Commander David Benham said.
http://abcnewsradioonline.com/world-news/north-koreas-attempted-missile-launch-fails-us-officials-say.html

Posted by: dh | Apr 16 2017 0:56 utc | 29

Trump’s CIA Director Pompeo, Targeting WikiLeaks, Explicitly Threatens Speech and Press Freedoms
https://theintercept.com/2017/04/14/trumps-cia-director-pompeo-targeting-wikileaks-explicitly-threatens-speech-and-press-freedoms/

Posted by: Kent | Apr 16 2017 1:17 utc | 31

Isnt it time people like us here take it up a notch.
Past comments here deals with US warcrimes, potential WW3, Cia attacking free speech, Msm supports terrorism etc it doesnt look good. We need to take our commenting here to the sites, blogs, twitters and other social media, as much as I love MoA we just comment to ppl here arguments that we all agree on already, we need to take our knowledge to other spaces. Anyone agree?

Posted by: Kent | Apr 16 2017 1:39 utc | 33

What to make of MSM jumping all over an apparent failed missile test in North Korea. South Korean officials say ‘it probably failed’.
Sounds like a way out for more time that and a pushback on Trump from China. Western MSM of course bloviates on how China cannot control the hermit state. This is more deception and propaganda for the domestic populations in the US and UK, a perfect way for the US to back down right now and for Trump to save what little of his base still is supporting him. It’s clear South Korea really wants to avoid all of this, obviously, and they have said so, any attack must be consulted upon with the all the countries in the region.

Posted by: Gravatomic | Apr 16 2017 1:40 utc | 35

33
that account is
“Not the 45th President of the United States of America”
look at the typo in the link.
real account says nothing at all.

Posted by: somebody | Apr 16 2017 1:50 utc | 37

@32 Kent. I do agree. Storm Clouds Gathering’s vid (linked above: https://youtu.be/1fy0bT4FK9c ) says it all..

Posted by: Lozion | Apr 16 2017 2:04 utc | 39

@20 jfl.. yes, i thought so too..
@25 George Smiley.. re the friedman suggestion of using isis as a proxy – this was discussed muchly in moon of a’s article from 3 days ago found here… i guess you are really new around here!!
@30 kent… intel today has a good article up today highlighting what a liar pompeo is.. too bad he is such a lousy liar.. he must have skipped the ‘lying class’ at langley…
trump.. turning out to be way worse then anyone could have imagined.. oh well.. good front for the military junta, or maybe just a bad front for the military junta at this point..

Posted by: james | Apr 16 2017 2:44 utc | 41

Oh, and high unemployment belongs under II – it’s a great recruitment tool. Notice Soros is never worried about unemployment? Neither is Trump. Every refugee immigrant is a replacement worker for the US citizens you need to send off to war. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that’s WHY there’s such high unemployment (REAL unemployment is at historic levels), it’s just a happy coincidence. Same with debt-slave college grads. ‘Tuition forgiveness’ should be happening for joining up any day now, and it will happen out of the blue as if our magnanimous leaders suddenly thought it up. They planned it this way – debt slaves are useful.

Posted by: PavewayIV | Apr 16 2017 3:07 utc | 43

Today I read something in NYT that stumped me. Apparently, there is absolutely nothing that you can count on. So imagine that: NYT had a positive reference to Prez. Vladimir Putin. In a penultimate paragraph of an editorial on another topic, but still, there for all humanity to see.
Opening of the piece was rather ordinary, if somewhat quirky: badmouthing of Prez. Trump. Of all the stains besmirching the Trump presidency — the ethical lacunae, the spasmodic “policy” fits, the Golf Digest aesthetic — none looms so large as the absence of a White House pet.. And the money quote: Sooner or later, I suspect a pet will take up residence in the Donald Trump White House. If nothing else, he might feel competitive with Russia’s pet-ophilic president, Vladimir V. Putin. Mr. Putin is often photographed hugging dogs and even briefly nurtured a Siberian tiger cub, winning plaudits from the World Wildlife Fund.
Note that this paragraph has a link to RT.com!!!

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Apr 16 2017 4:41 utc | 45

@44 piotr… obviously it was a slip up!!!
@ 45 paveway.. yes, unfortunately i see it the same way.. one can’t talk level with these folks – classic psychopaths as you say… i hope you are wrong on the outcome here.. either way all i can see is all hell breaking lose hopefully later then sooner and with the the west more handicapped by opening up all these warmongering fronts then not.. it is all so insane to be seeing this shit unfold as it is now..

Posted by: james | Apr 16 2017 5:04 utc | 47

@41 paveway…
Thanks for those thoughts, lots to chew on…
There is much of what you say that I agree with…
From rumblings I hear, logistics (moving ISIS and Al Nusra units)seem to be pointing toward Lebanon. Until now there it seems there has been a tacit arrangement (originally put in place when a large group of Tripoli’s fighters were allowed out of Al Qusayr via a humanitarian corridor) between Hizbollah and the Sunni fundamentalists to leave Lebanon out of the fray. Sadly, the outside powers seem to have put some big-time funding into re-igniting that part of the conflict. If Israel is to move against Hizbollah, they will probably move on the Palestinians first – something we have seen before previous battles. In this regard the news of ramped up pressure during the last 3 weeks is instructive. Increasing French and German contacts with Lebanon usually precede hostilities there.
By building big bases in the Kurdish areas of Syria and NW Iraq, the US can move their troops out of harms way near Baghdad and the Iranian border – all part of prep for an attack on Iran. A completed pipeline (through Syria) guarantees Europe their oil when Hormuz is closed. A pipeline requires the relocation of Al Nusra and ISIS – which it they hope to base in Lebanon. I believe that will fail. Which means they will probably end up based Jordan and deployed from there to Yemen, Caucus, Kazakstan etc. (and the king will find out just how much his friendship was worth).
for the US, working with the Kurdish forces means that Tabqa and Raqqa are important, along with Hasake and Qamishli. Deir EzZor is not very important to the US or the Kurds.
Deir EzZor is only important to connect to Saudi Arabia – and in the long run the Saudi’s are going to be dropped in favour of Iraq and the Kurdistan (love the ‘Barzanistan’ term!!). There has been little exploration in Iraq for 40+ years and there are huge reserves in the North, while the Saudi’s are trying to do an IPO on Aramco just as it starts to run dry – it may take 15 years but by then Iraq (and in the American dream – Iran), will have replaced it in terms of oil.
Given
1) the published pace of Russian military force modernization, and
2) that Russian pipelines to China will be in place late 2018 (1st) and 2020(second) and as a result end the US’s ability to keep China sidelined during a coming ME conflict with Iran, The KOREAN issue needs to get a resolution before the second pipeline is finished – providing the US/Nato with the same leverage/control/threat against China that Ukraine represents to Russia.
My prediction is that the Israeli lobby will push for a ‘window’ of war with Iran that will be 12 to 18 months from now. That is the central piece of the puzzle around which the rest rotates.
This will translate to continued oil prices just above what is necessary to keep the shale fields going. funny how few went ‘broke’ and can get unlimited credit even when not a one has shown profit on their operations. The price will be kept low to keep pressure on the Russian budget even though it gives a massive short term gain to China to build its’ strategic reserve.
Look to a 9 month campaign of Iranian accusation, 6 months of demonization before the fighting and false flags to precede the hostilities. Also a big build-up in India’s strategic reserve (just started).
As far as Russia, the time for a first strike passed when Russia launched its’ third Borei class sub. I think that the West seeks to humiliate Putin, by using a resounding defeat of Russia’s partners, plus economic pressure/sabotage, plus in-action of partners like China to create resentment and reaction against Putin in Russia.
.

Posted by: les7 | Apr 16 2017 5:20 utc | 49

“A CIA report, drafted in 1986, details the agency’s “purposely provocative” analysis of the regime’s vulnerabilities and the potential to destabilize and oust then-President Hafez al-Assad. ”
https://www.mintpressnews.com/declassified-cia-report-exposes-25-years-u-s-plans-destabilize-syria/225553/

Posted by: Anon1 | Apr 16 2017 7:30 utc | 51

les7@48 – Sounds reasonable. The Korean issue regarding the Russian-Chinese pipeline is interesting. Never really made that connection before.
It’s late and I already forgot who it was that was warning about the flood of North Korean refugees if the government falls. This threatens both South Korea and China. There’s 25 million people in North Korea, and several million would undoubtedly flee across the northern or southern borders if given the chance. That would be an astonishing humanitarian disaster and put a huge strain on either neighbor. Another thing to worry about.

Posted by: PavewayIV | Apr 16 2017 7:52 utc | 53

George Smiley@53
“…The EPA was sadly toothless BEFORE trump and now in it’s current state is in charge of dealing with this. I wonder if they’ll do a proper job?…”
Well, it’s not their job anymore. All Environmental Protection Agency functions have apparently been realigned for one single purpose: promote a revival of nuclear power generation in the US. It’s a PR blizzard. Hexavalent chromium? That only gives you stomach cancer if you have a bad attitude. The EPA doesn’t think anything of the 1700 lbs. they allow industry to legally dump in Lake Michigan every year, so this is just like bonus, free chromium for the little people. We should be grateful. Oh yeah, and build more nuke plants because they never leak hexavalent chromium.

Posted by: PavewayIV | Apr 16 2017 8:27 utc | 55

more US interventionism in Africa – some Empires just don’t learn their lessons. these two neo-con nuts, Mattis and Mcmaster, are ramping up US interventions, large and small, world-wide
http://news.antiwar.com/2017/04/14/us-sending-troops-to-somalia-first-time-in-24-years/
In October 1993, during the Battle of Mogadishu (the Black Hawk Down incident), 18 US soldiers were killed and 73 wounded, with a pair of Black Hawk helicopters shot down. The US responded by ceasing military operations, and within a few months had withdrawn all troops from Somalia. Today, they are headed back.
The new deployment, which US African Command (AFRICOM) is presented as a simple training operation, will be the first time US ground troops are officially deployed to Somalia, though of course the US has had some special forces present on the ground on and off, conducting occasional operations and spotting for US airstrikes.
AFRICOM also insists the new deployment was at the request of the Somali government, though indications in recent weeks has indicated that military officials have been pushing for an escalation of US intervention in the country at any rate, aimed at fighting al-Shabaab…..

Posted by: michaelj72 | Apr 16 2017 10:18 utc | 57

Russian parliamentary delegation visits Saudi Arabia

A top Russian parliamentary delegation arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday on a three-day visit, the Russian TASS news agency reported.
Valentina Matviyenko, the chairperson of the federation council which is the Russian parliament’s upper house, said ahead of the visit that the Saudi kingdom is a partner in combating terrorism, adding that cooperating with it guarantees security in the region.

Saudia Arabia China sign deals worth 65 billion
The united states and the green belt along the arc of Islam

More broadly, the United States spent many years trying to construct a barrier against the Soviet Union along the Soviet’s southern flank. The fact that all of the nations between Greece and China were Muslim gave rise to the notion that Islam itself might reinforce that Maginot Line-style strategy.
Gradually, the idea of a green belt along the arc of Islam took form. The idea was not just defensive. Adventurous policy makers imagined that restive Muslims inside the Soviet Union’s own Central Asian republics might be the undoing of the USSR itself — and they took steps to encourage them.
The United States played not with Islam — that is, the religion, the traditional, organized system of belief of hundreds of millions — but with Islamism. Unlike the faith, with 14 centuries of history behind it, Islamism is of more recent vintage.
It is a political creed with its origins in the late 19th century, a militant, all-encompassing philosophy whose tenets would appear foreign or heretical to most Muslims of earlier ages — and that still appear so to many educated Muslims today.
Whether it is called pan-Islam, or Islamic fundamentalism or political Islam, it is an altogether different creature from the spiritual interpretation of Muslim life as contained in the Five Pillars of Islam.
The mutant ideology that the United States encouraged, supported, organized or funded is, in fact, a perversion of that religious faith.
It is the same one variously represented by the Muslim Brotherhood, by Ayatollah Khomeini’s Iran, by Saudi Arabia’s ultra-orthodox Wahhabism, by Hamas and Hezbollah, by the Afghan jihadis — and by Osama bin Laden.
Long before the advent of the George W. Bush Administration, the United States found political Islam to be a convenient partner during each stage of the U.S. empire-building project in the Middle East.

Saudi Fashion in the 1960’s

Shaath not only cultivated an appreciation for glamorous prêt-a-porter and European haute couture in Saudi Arabia, but was also instrumental in shaping the tastes of generations of Saudi women. “Part of my job was to educate women about the upcoming styles and collections,” she said. Prior to that, members of the royal family and upper class either had live-in-tailors capable of copying styles from fashion magazines, or they traveled to Beirut to purchase gowns.

What happened?
Britain, by the way, seems to be furious about Donald Trump.

Posted by: somebody | Apr 16 2017 10:53 utc | 59

@ Posted by: michaelj72 | Apr 16, 2017 6:18:49 AM | 56
Fark! Been there – done that. This will end badly in Somalia, again, for all parties involved, but especially Somalis. 110% certain of that 🙁
We are a paper tiger, with paper teeth, literally. Full of empty bluff & bluster, trumpeting bellicose aggressive rhetoric towards near peer adversaries and capable of defense/retaliation foes, Russia/China/Iran/NK, yet always looking for yet another, just one more defenseless victim, among Terras 189 nation States, to bully & stomp on with our boot, to raise national, ‘self-esteem’. Yes, indeed, ‘Rally ’round the Flag Boys! For mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!‘, BS. For we are merely ravenous exploitative thieves & brigands, craven cowards, in truth …
@ Posted by: ronny | Apr 16, 2017 7:51:31 AM | 60
All political & media, verbage. No evidence, no facts, nothing verfiable, nor able to be corroborated. Par for the course, alas.

Posted by: Outraged | Apr 16 2017 12:13 utc | 61

This may entertain you and give you food for thought:
Where do the concepts of ‘choosiness’ and a ‘vengeful god’ come from?
https://platosguns.com/2017/04/16/bedtime-story-for-gilad/

Posted by: Taxi | Apr 16 2017 12:48 utc | 63

@58 I’m coming to much the same conclusion. If we’re right Trump is being played like a fiddle.
What next? Does Trump declare victory? Will the armada just quietly leave for Pattaya after a decent interval of time?

Posted by: dh | Apr 16 2017 13:47 utc | 65

Related to the primary Thread, would assert in order to understand a core aspect of our conduct since Plymouth Rock, may I suggest, we have to go back, way back, in time, to around 1209, or thereabouts …
We need to consider the likes of the slaughter of the Heretic Cathars, during the Albigensian Crusade, 13th century or thereabouts, the first(?) ideological genocide, under the authority of Papal legate and Cistercian abbot Arnaud Amalric, at the Massacre at Béziers, France.
‘I’ll give you my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead hands‘ and ‘Kill em all, let God sort ’em out!‘
You’ve probably heard either aggressively stated at some point, or even just seen such on a bumper sticker, or possibly a line from a Hollywood B grade movie script or two.
Well, it’s the modern incarnation of the following … regardless of predominance of Presbyterians, Methodists or Baptists, etc, and a current revival/resurgance of Nativism and antipathy to ‘foreigners’ & immigrants, culturally would assert we adopted the embodiment of the Evil™ Popes ideology and methods from the Dark Ages:
The fortified city of 10s of thousands in southern France contained a mix of devout Catholics, yet also, heretic Cathars …
When the Popes Plenipotentiary ordered the sanctioned Knights, with all their Men-at-Arms and hired mercenaries to storm the city and deal with the Cathars, the Devout Knights became concerned for their souls, and the risk of future refusal re entry to Heaven, in the afterlife … so, after discussing it for a bit, they approached the Popes Plenipotentiary for guidance, and possible dispensation/absolution, in advance, for what was to come ?
Basically, once they stormed the fortified city, and started all the rapine & pillage, how would they be able to know who was a devout Catholic and who was a, Heretic Cathar ? A terrible dilemma, for a devout ‘Man of the Sword’.
The answer they received: ‘Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius!‘
Essentially: ‘Kill them all. For the Lord knows those that are His own.‘
And, therefore, with a Bless-ed clear conscience, and full of the ‘Spirit‘, knowing their eternal souls were safe from damnation, they proceeded to do, exactly that.
Hence the modern bastardization of the original dispensation … I’m sure a soulless rat bastard like Petraeus and his proxy McMaster understands such a solution/rationalization from his ‘informed’, perspective, is sometimes needed too, and that all will be well … in the afterlife … for those that matter … probably explains why he performed so well, and with a Smile and a clear conscience, as the Theater Commander responsible and fundamental primary enabler of the Iraqi Abu Ghraib tortures, murders and disappeared, as well as the subsequent expansion of ‘Black Sites’, and follow-on simultaneous bribing, literally ‘buying off’ and arming Sunni Insurgents in the Sunni Awakening, to kill ‘apostate’ Shia in Iraq under cover of the Faux ‘Surge’, as opposed to and in preferance to, the USA ‘Occupiers’, and so on.
Also hence, how the disproportionate deaths & maimings of civilian non-combatants for generations now whilst using supposed advanced technological ‘precision weaponry’, targeting & strikes, happens so very frequently, it is so unremarkable, completely ubiquitous. Let alone in the days of colonization …
Damned Faux Christians and religious fundamentalists.
Hm, Orthodox religions, IMHO, especially Fundamentalists, even when they are manipulated, have a lot to answer for …

Posted by: Outraged | Apr 16 2017 14:05 utc | 67

Turkey referendum – preliminary result via Zio Jazeera.
Traditionally, 84% of Turkish voters participate.
17% of votes counted/ 30% of ballot boxes.
61% YES vote for Emperor Erdogan.

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Apr 16 2017 15:22 utc | 69

Turkey later preliminary (Z-Jazeera).
65% ballots counted.
YES 55%: NO 45%.

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Apr 16 2017 15:42 utc | 71

Meanwhile, it sounds like Team Erdogan has taken some lessons from Team Bush. “You’re either with us or with the terrorists.”
“Erdogan has sought to ridicule CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, playing videos of his gaffes during rallies, and has associated the ‘No’ vote with support for terrorism.”
from:
http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/16/turkish-referendum-turkey-votes-in-historic-ballot-on-expanding-erdogans-power.html

Posted by: Curtis | Apr 16 2017 15:59 utc | 73

Madmax2 70
Sad but true.
I wondered what happened with the passing of the debt ceiling back in March. Trump has put it off by slashing some budgets. But you’re right. The day of reckoning is coming especially with big pushes for increased military spending. Someone will blink. But it could be a fight with congressional conservatives if Demoncraps join in. (as pointed out in the article)
“Barack Obama pushed things right to the brink a couple of times, but he was savvy enough politically to never let things go over the edge.” In the end, the US did go over the edge multiple times. Obama double the debt he inherited just like Bush. And what do we have to show for it beyond buying time and enriching those who didn’t need it?

Posted by: Curtis | Apr 16 2017 16:08 utc | 75

BBC prelim Turkey vote, 88% of ballots counted.
YES 52.8%
(Istanbul vote rumored to be 88% NO)
(Brewing storm over whether some ballots should be declared invalid)

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Apr 16 2017 16:11 utc | 77

This site has an excellent article on the latest Syrian slaughter of innocents: https://willyloman.wordpress.com/2017/04/16/rashidin-massacre-trumps-moderate-terrorists-bomb-a-bus-full-of-refugees-and-babies-babies/

Posted by: frances | Apr 16 2017 16:46 utc | 79

CBS News had about 10 seconds on the latest massacre of 100+ at the buses. How’s that for a corrupt and biased media?

Posted by: Curtis | Apr 16 2017 17:28 utc | 81

By the way, it was not easy to find that article, it is not “trending” etc., you have to click “columnists”, select “Thomas Friedman” and there you have it. So the Lords of NYT distanced themselves a bit, while “What kind of pet should Donald Trump get” is displayed prominently (with an entire paragraph on a good Putin’s example on that issue, with nary a disclaimer). Seems that spring winds in Manhattan are changing directions faster that we can follow.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Apr 16 2017 17:32 utc | 83

@Curtis 72
What I don’t get about that attack: If Fuah and Kafraya are evacuated – would that be part of some (planned) deal to partition western Syria, leaving the moderate head-choppers in control of Idlib?
(actually, I first thought the evacuees were from Zabadani)

Posted by: smuks | Apr 16 2017 17:39 utc | 85

On the theme of “winds of Spring”: USA Today reports criticism of MSNBC news anchor who was gushing with happiness while reporting Trumpian missile attack.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Apr 16 2017 17:46 utc | 87

115 people killed, it breaks my heart.
Terrorists love western msm, no one could do a better job supporting them with endless propaganda. These journalists are psychopaths.
Noam Chomsky on worthy/unworthy victims:

“A propaganda system will consistently portray people abused in enemy states as worthy victims, whereas those treated with equal or greater severity by its own government or clients will be unworthy.”

Posted by: Anon1 | Apr 16 2017 18:26 utc | 89

By the way, it was not easy to find that article, it is not “trending” etc., you have to click “columnists”, select “Thomas Friedman” and there you have it. So the Lords of NYT distanced themselves a bit, while “What kind of pet should Donald Trump get” is displayed prominently (with an entire paragraph on a good Putin’s example on that issue, with nary a disclaimer). Seems that spring winds in Manhattan are changing directions faster that we can follow.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Apr 16, 2017 1:32:19 PM | 83
They also removed his explicit reference to ISIS. Maybe the cached version has it still. It wasn’t as hard to find originally as it is now either.

Posted by: George Smiley | Apr 16 2017 20:18 utc | 91

The Unrealistic Circumscribed Speculations Of Feckless Election Methods Cognoscenti.
95% of all the calamitous “problems” that we, most unfortunately, feel a need to discuss here, could presumably have been avoided if we had such a thing as democracy in the U.S.A. (and elsewhere too). But we are stuck with a “choose-one” voting method, which automatically results in a “spoiler effect” that causes it to be pointless to vote for candidates of small parties, other than the major two parties, that are not backed by the entrenched political apparatus. Also, it surely must be obvious that we need decentralized hand counting of paper ballots, with results announced prior to being sent to larger counting centers — we must not use voting machines of any kind.
For the last 13 years I have been studying election methods to find a method that can effectively disrupt the spoiler effect, and thus the two-party “system”. There is a method called “ranked voting” (“IRV” is a form of this) which is being promoted by giant corporate think tank. If anything, it is much worse than choose-one voting. It has been described by blogger Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com as a virus. Then there is something called “approval voting”, whereby the voter can give (or withhold) one vote to (or from) as many candidates as they wish. This is rather lame and does not mitigate the spoiler effect very much. At the end of the day, “strategic hedge simple score voting” is really the only thing that can work effectively. Yet it is ignored by the feckless election methods cognoscenti.
Here is some email material between myself and Warren D. Smith at The Center for Election Science (a “Google Group”):
https://groups.google.com/forum. . .
(I have already posted some of it at the Moon of Alabama website.)
/~~~~~~~~~~
email — [blues]
Apr 6 (10 days ago)
Sent
From:
[blues]
To:
[warren d smith]
Subject:
Strategic Hedge Simple Score Voting Is The ONLY Method That. . .
Date:
Thursday, April 06, 2017 6:42 AM
Size:
1 KB
. . . .does not treat elite interest involved elections as if they were
casual “hobby club” elections. Therefor it is able to effectively
disrupt the spoiler effect, and thus, the two-party “system”.
The Approval method is inadequately differentiative for degree of
preference, and thus cannot support any strategy to overcome the spoiler
effect. Other methods are more complex, and increased complexity,
however slight, generally leads to follow-on dilemmas that favor the
strategies of the elites. The Strategic Hedge Simple Score Voting
method is the only one that can effectively overcome elite strategies.
You might be interested in my post at:
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/04/ignoring-the-people-where-the-left-of-the-aisle-side-fails.html#c6a00d8341c640e53ef01b7c8ea4d7b970b
Thank you in advance for your kind attention.
Sincerely,
blues
\~~~~~~~~~~
Reply from W. D. Smith:
/~~~~~~~~~~
email — Warren D Smith
Apr 6 (10 days ago)
From:
Warren D Smith
To:
[blues]
Subject:
Re: Strategic Hedge Simple Score Voting Is The ONLY Method That. . .
Date:
Thursday, April 06, 2017 1:23 PM
Size:
7 KB
On 4/6/17, [blues] wrote:
. . . .does not treat elite interest involved elections as if they were
casual “hobby club” elections. Therefor it is able to effectively
disrupt the spoiler effect, and thus, the two-party “system”.
The Approval method is inadequately differentiative for degree of
preference, and thus cannot support any strategy to overcome the spoiler
effect. Other methods are more complex, and increased complexity,
however slight, generally leads to follow-on dilemmas that favor the
strategies of the elites. The Strategic Hedge Simple Score Voting
method is the only one that can effectively overcome elite strategies.
You might be interested in my post at:
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/04/ignoring-the-people-where-the-left-of-the-aisle-side-fails.html#c6a00d8341c640e53ef01b7c8ea4d7b970b
Thank you in advance for your kind attention.
blues
–Wonder what [blues] is talking about?
Consulting said post, he wrote in his key paragraph:
QUOTE
Strategic hedge simple score voting can be described in one simple
sentence: Strategically bid no vote at all for undesired candidates
(ignore them as though they did not exist), or strategically cast from
one to ten votes (or five to ten votes, for easier counting) for any
number of candidates you prefer (up to some reasonable limit of, say,
twelve candidates, so people don’t hog voting booths), and then simply
add all the votes up.
END QUOTE
Well, not exactly a “simple sentence,” sorry.
I do not know what he meant. It seems like he meant either
(a) What I call “score voting” aka “range voting,” sum-based version:
Each ballot provides a numerical score for each and every candidate
on an 0-9 scale;
candidate with highest sum of scores wins; treat unscored candidates
as scored 0 by that ballot.
or
(b) What has been called “cumulative voting”:
Same as (a) except the sum of all the scores on your ballot is
required to be <=10. Either interpretation, I fail to see the "strategic hedge" new contribution, if any. Cumulative voting is neither as good nor as simple as range voting. And I think average-based scoring, with unscored candidates treated as "unscored" not as "0," is superior to the sum-based version in (a) above. In any case I would recommend to [blues] that he actually clearly state what the hell he is talking about, in step-by-step fashion that is absolutely impossible to misinterpret. Rather than just spew enthusiastic incoherence. -- Warren D. Smith http://RangeVoting.org
\~~~~~~~~~~
/~~~~~~~~~~
(Original comment at MoA):
Of the now literally hundreds of “fancy” voting methods all over the Internet, Strategic Hedge Simple Score Voting is the only one that specifically enables the common voters to win elections against the two-party empowered deep state. All of the many others treat elite interest involved elections as if they were casual “hobby club” elections. These distracting, ill-considered, unworkable election methods are the products of a booming academic “industry” erected by a large contingent of “election methods cognoscenti”. If the common voters are to ever defeat the elite deep state apparatus which will, of course, always utilize strategy, those common voters must have the ability to effectively vote strategically.
Too bad we don’t have simple score voting. Then we could give between 1 and 10 votes to many candidates. But no votes at all for Hillary the war monger. We might place 8 “hedge” votes for Bernie (since he is less bad than Hillary (or more accurately, was previously though to be)), 10 write-in votes for Jesse Ventura, and 10 write-in votes for Dennis Kucinich.
Strategic hedge simple score voting can be described in one simple sentence: Strategically bid no vote at all for undesired candidates (ignore them as though they did not exist), or strategically cast from one to ten votes (or five to ten votes, for easier counting) for any number of candidates you prefer (up to some reasonable limit of, say, twelve candidates, so people don’t hog voting booths), and then simply add all the votes up.
We must also abolish deep state subvertible election machines (“computer voting”), and get back to hand counted paper ballots, with results announced at each polling station just prior to being sent up to larger tabulation centers.
It should be obvious that congresspeople and presidents should be limited to one-year terms of office.
The Direct Democracy (e.g. Liquid Democracy) advocated by Iceland’s Pirate Party (and Jackrabbit) may also represent a very beneficial alternative to the spoiler effect imposing choose-one method. See:
How the German Pirate Party’s “Liquid Democracy” Works
http://techpresident.com/news/wegov/22154/how-german-pirate-partys-liquid-democracy-works
Posted by: blues | Apr 6, 2017 5:34:35 AM | 16
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/04/ignoring-the-people-where-the-left-of-the-aisle-side-fails.html#c6a00d8341c640e53ef01b7c8ea4d7b970b
\~~~~~~~~~~
I responded 6 days ago, but have not heard back in any way:
/~~~~~~~~~~
Further Reasons {1}
[blues]
Apr 10 (6 days ago)
to [warren d smith]
Sent
Subject:
Further Reasons {1}
Date:
Monday, April 10, 2017 10:00 PM
Size:
2 KB
I painstakingly shun “social media” such as Facebook, Google Plus, etc.
in order to make a token defense of what remains of my privacy.
Strategic Hedge Simple Score Voting is indeed not technically distinct
from Score (or Range) voting, except for some inconspicuous details that
are mandated by its special objectives. Its objectives include:
(+) It must effectively disrupt the spoiler effect, and thus end the
two-party system.
(+) It must be very resistant to the influence of the entrenched
political apparatus.
(+) It must be, and also give the appearance of being, very simple and
comprehensible.
(+) It must be completely compatible with the decentralized hand
counting of paper ballots.
For example, the possible votes on a ballot are: Ignore a candidate on
the ballot as if they did not exist; give from one (or, say, five) to
ten votes to a candidate on the ballot; or write in a candidate and
similarly give from one (or, say, five) to ten votes to that candidate.
And that is all.
Why give from one (or, say, five) to ten votes rather than give from
zero to nine votes? Well, the common voters must employ strategy if they
are to defeat the entrenched political apparatus. And having ten as the
greatest vote simplifies this strategy, since giving eight votes is
clearly seen to produce a sacrifice of 20% of the influence of a given
vote entry, giving six votes produces a sacrifice of 40%, etc.
There is no point in offering a “zero” vote. It only invites election
officials (the entrenched political apparatus) to demand a “full
ballot”. Thus tossing out votes of those who are too dignified to cast
“zero” votes (blaming with faint praise).
(To be continued.)
See:
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/04/open-thread-2017-14.html#c6a00d8341c640e53ef01bb098f2c38970d
Thank you again,
[blues]
\~~~~~~~~~~
I hope this is not too long and confusing. However THIS is how we ended up with candidates such as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump! Meanwhile, these election methods cognoscenti continue with their “intellectual glass bead game”, playing in their “operative election methods tar pit”. These people are teaching useless college courses and spilling endless digital ink at Wikipedia while war horses breed at the border!
I also have a blog about things related to election methods:
Simple Score Voting — Democracy Was Always Sabotaged
https://simplescorevoting.wordpress.com/

Posted by: blues | Apr 17 2017 1:09 utc | 93

Two articles at Reuters..
US booting up the shale
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-shale-funders-analysis-idUSKBN17J0BK
And three US carriers heading to NK.
https://sputniknews.com
Looking very much like the US is gearing up to try and take down China.
Trumps two target countries were Iran and China.
Targeting Iran may well shut down Persian gulf oil which will make life hard for China.
Mattis is busy building up a coalition of the willing to attack Iran. GCC + Israel.
War to end all wars. Peace in our time. With nukes there will not be another major war?
Right through history there has always been war between major powers. We are very close to the next one now, because the US will have to be taken down.

Posted by: Peter AU | Apr 17 2017 6:37 utc | 95

@ Posted by: Peter AU | Apr 17, 2017 2:37:36 AM | 95
IF there were corroborated reports of now three CV groups to be stationed near NK, then that would no longer be ‘routine’, ‘could’ be an indicator re a possible punitive strike re NK, tho NOT war with China. War with China requires far greater preparation/re-deployments, unless unrealistic (Insane(?) to attempt ?) MAD first strike. War with China means withdrawal and re-deployment of CVs ‘away’ from NK/China, likely well SSE of Taiwan re additional land-based ABM screen/cover against Sino DF-21+ threat.
There would have to be reports of heightened alert, preparations and further deployments to Kadena, Okinawa, etc as well as Diego Garcia & Guam, as well as ingress of additional bombers & strike aircraft into SK. Even then, that would only indicate the possibility of a punitive strike on NK.
Any such strike, a profound misjudgement of the local strategic situ re RF/China/NK, also NK/SK enmity towards Japan, re US/Empire, IMV, would risk an unwelcome retaliatory strike, conventional or asymmetric, and then what re escalation ? A unilateral strike on NK will only force China to move further away from and respond more aggressively re US/Empire provocations, will not engender ‘compliance’, from NK either, and nudge SE Asian nations further towards China and away from the US/Empire, IMHO.

Posted by: Outraged | Apr 17 2017 7:56 utc | 97

Couldn’t the extra US ships bound for NK be part of the routine joint US/SK exercises aimed at disrupting NK’s Spring crop-sowing…
Operation Cretins in Wonderland or whatever they choose to call the 2017 pantomime?

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Apr 17 2017 8:11 utc | 99