Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
October 15, 2017

Open Thread 2017-37

Last week's posts at Moon of Alabama:

October 7 - Syria - Erdogan Is Afraid Of Entering Idleb

Turkish forces eventually entered Idleb (see below). But not as the Astana agreement had foreseen.

October 8 - Missing - A Motive For The Las Vegas Killing Spree

There has been no new information on the massacre in Las Vegas. No new gun laws to restrict (semi-)automatic weapons seem to be forthcoming. The whole affair has vanished from the news.

October 9 - Syria - Turkey Violates Astana Agreement - Renews Alliance With Al-Qaeda

Al-Qaeda could do so much damage to Turkey that Erdogan has to ally with it. Here are details of the Idleb arrangement between Turkey and al-Qaeda as narrated by an al-Qaeda member. Turkey will not touch al-Qaeda and enters Idleb only to besiege the Kurds.

October 10 - Impressive Videos Of Santa Rosa Fires

The fires are still raging - 6,000 house so far have been completely destroyed (vids). Only the chimneys are left.

October 11 - Russia Interfered!" - By Purchasing Anti-Trump Ads?

The latest Russia nonsense comes from CNN which, in the headline and lede, say that Russia used the Pokemon game to influence Americans, but down in the piece admits that it has no evidence for the claim.

October 12 - Spy Spin Fuels Anti-Kaspersky Campaign

The U.S. secret services dislike the Kaspersky anti-virus package presumably because it is difficult to hack. They use their bullhorns to practically ban it from the market. This makes the Kaspersky suite the most recommendable anti-virus snake-oil.

October 13 - 8 Out Of 10 Will Only Read This Headline

Recent examples of headlines asserting facts that the pieces below those headlines do not back up or even refute.

October 14 - Iran - Trump Has No Strategy, Only Aims And No Way To Achieve Them

Trump acts like the proverbial bull in a china shop. Fun to watch - until one is part of the china.

Use as open thread ...

Posted by b on October 15, 2017 at 17:33 UTC | Permalink

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The vanishing from the news of the biggest US mass murder in modern times is astonishing.

Posted by: spudski | Oct 15 2017 17:54 utc | 1

Calli Fires in Napa area over 300 people are missing. It might rain this Thursday night in the area. Alaska is on fire also.

Posted by: jo6pac | Oct 15 2017 18:59 utc | 2

It is amazing, but to be expected, that everything political - especially foreign policy - is not left to randomness. To believe that anything that happens on the world stage would be coincidental, prevents seeing the bigger picture.
Humankind is subjected to evolution as much as everything it observes. It denies that, with the religious people leading the protests.
But that, too is to be expected.
From an evolutionary point of view, humanity's failure to reign in and bring to justice those who have and are running a race to exterminate homo sapiens, taking the entire biosphere with it. Behind doors closed to public scrutiny, successful gene manipulation has been achieved. The equivalent of the roundup ready corn - aluminum, barium, strontium, radioactivity resistant replacements is among us.
Homo sapiens evolves into something it can no longer control, if it ever did under the unbroken rule of the same ruling class that orchestrates the present ELE - does it really matter that much, that it is people destroying their own planet, or an asteroid at it?

Posted by: nottheonly1 | Oct 15 2017 19:00 utc | 3

Re #1

Nothing to see there. Move along. Pay no attention to that missing security guard. Toto, get away from that curtain.

Posted by: JSonofa | Oct 15 2017 19:03 utc | 4

Updated "report", with unconfirmed info, on Mandalay Bay Security Guard, Jesus Campos, found here.

Posted by: JSonofa | Oct 15 2017 19:13 utc | 5

Updated "report", with unconfirmed info, on Mandalay Bay Security Guard, Jesus Campos, found here.

Posted by: JSonofa | Oct 15 2017 19:13 utc | 6

By Friday night three civil suits had been filed in Vegas against MGM Resorts that owns Mandalay Bay.

600 killed or wounded, so that leaves 597 more suits to come.

If I was Jesus Campos I'd make myself hard to find too. The big owners in Vegas like to rake money in. They don't like to pay it out, and the questions brought up by Campos are not ones the bosses want asked -- in court or anywhere else.

Posted by: Ken Nari | Oct 15 2017 19:53 utc | 7

Here's the story on the Las Vegas shooter.

https://dissidentvoice.org/2017/10/i-went-to-school-with-the-vegas-shooter/

Posted by: someofparts | Oct 15 2017 20:17 utc | 8

someofparts @ 9: Thanks for the link. Palast is one of the very few who digs for a story.
He does wonderful work exposing election fraud here in the U$.

Posted by: ben | Oct 15 2017 20:44 utc | 9

@ someofparts | 9
______________________________

Well, it was an interesting article. When I saw the headline, I wrongly assumed that Palast was being metaphorical-- that he meant that he attended school with Paddock "types".

But, interesting as the personal connection is, I'm a bit surprised that Palast seems to implicitly accept the sketchy, still-changing official/dominant account of the shootings.

FWIW, I don't have a clear opinion on what "really" happened, or even a pet theory. And even independent investigative journalists may only go into full Skeptic Mode in their areas of expertise and interest.

But I was surprised that Palast's overall reaction to the Vegas official-account "muck" is, "Nothing to rake here-- move along."

Posted by: Ort | Oct 15 2017 20:55 utc | 10

In the final days of the Iran Deal negotiations, August 2015, I completely missed the interview Kerry did with Reuters, https://2009-2017.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2015/08/245935.htm that Mercouris parses for his detailed article proving the Outlaw US Empire's Imperial Policy is now "irrational"--utterly I'd say since for me it's been irrational for decades when weighing the actual interests of the United States's populous. The key excerpt:

"But if everybody thinks, 'Oh, no, we’re just tough; the United States of America, we have our secondary sanctions; we can force people to do what we want.' I actually heard that argument on television this morning. I’ve heard it from a number of the organisations that are working that are opposed to this agreement. They’re spreading the word, 'America is strong enough, our banks are tough enough; we can just bring the hammer down and force our friends to do what we want them to.'

"Well, look – a lot of business people in this room. Are you kidding me? The United States is going to start sanctioning our allies and their banks and their businesses because we walked away from a deal and we’re going to force them to do what we want them to do even though they agreed to the deal we came to? Are you kidding?

"That is a recipe quickly, my friends, for them to walk away from Ukraine, where they are already very dicey and ready to say, 'Well, we’ve done our bit.' They were ready in many cases to say, 'Well, we’re the ones paying the price for your sanctions.' We – it was Obama who went out and actually put together a sanctions regime that had an impact. By – I went to China. We persuaded China, 'Don’t buy more oil.' We persuaded India and other countries to step back.

"Can you imagine trying to sanction them after persuading them to put in phased sanctions to bring Iran to the negotiating table, and when they have not only come to the table but they made a deal, we turn around and nix the deal and then tell them you’re going to have to obey our rules on the sanctions anyway?

"That is a recipe very quickly, my friends, businesspeople here, for the American dollar to cease to be the reserve currency of the world – which is already bubbling out there….." (Bold italics in original.)

The reality is that the above situation outlined by Kerry two years ago has only worsened with Trump's inability to understand that reality leading to the current irrationality in policy--unless--Trump is actually trying to further the Neocon policy of Full Spectrum Dominance. If that is indeed the case, then Trump's behavior is rational in that the only alternative facing the Outlaw US Empire in its drive to enslave the planet is to launch a non-proxy hot war to achieve its goals. Or... Trump's smarter than any of us as he expects the neocons to fold when faced with the possibility of escalating the ongoing Hybrid Third World War into one that's no longer Hybrid and promises to bring horrendous amounts of death and destruction to The Homeland.

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 15 2017 21:22 utc | 11

Oops, forgot link to Mercouris article, http://theduran.com/donald-trump-decertifies-iran-us-foreign-policy-becomes-irrational/

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 15 2017 21:23 utc | 12

A discussion on Austria vs Germany? Why does the AfD struggles in Germany (France too) while in Austria, the centre right has taken power 'just like that'?

Posted by: ThatDamnGood | Oct 15 2017 21:25 utc | 13

"Why does the AfD struggles in Germany (France too) while in Austria, the centre right has taken power 'just like that'?"

maybe because they are not that far right? We'll wait for what a German speaker has to say, like 'somebody'.

Posted by: Laguerre | Oct 15 2017 21:59 utc | 14

Posted by: Laguerre | Oct 15, 2017 5:59:13 PM | 15
Yeah could be, but I always put it down to the fact that Austria was once a major imperial power and like with england there are still a substantial number of supremacists - unlike england the Austrians who chiefly colonised other european states haven't had an influx of unwhite humans and have never really been forced to question their culture.
We forget that A Hitler was an austrian and that despite being complicit in the murder of romanys, gays, socialists and jews during the nazi regime, it has generally been germany held accountable and austria sorta ignored for that. I wouldn't be at all surprised if austria didn't have the same determined antifascist education programs that germany had in the post war period.

Posted by: Debsisdead | Oct 15 2017 22:07 utc | 15

Santa Rosa Sheriff's office just released a body cam video. They say 15 officers were doing the same thing. I'm actually kinda surprised they had that many on duty for a Sunday night. It was calm about 8 pm, then Santa Ana winds (from the desert then west to the water) showed up late and furious. Buddy said he nearly got blown off his motorcycle.

We drove through Santa Rosa last Thursday and its up and running like a normal city, except all the gas lines were shut down so all the food vendors were closed. People have kids home from school, half the staff are under evacuation, some lady in the store said she had 20 people at her house.

Also incredible is the 747 dropping flame retardant.

We are going to hear more about the failed emergency response. There are literally hundreds of people still missing.

Yountville still standing!

Posted by: TSP | Oct 15 2017 22:09 utc | 16

@12 karlof1

yes, I just read that Mercouris piece and I was excited to read about that Kerry interview, that everyone seems to have missed. So here's what seems to be the authoritative background on the the Iran deal.

b said in his last piece - October 14, linked in his article above:

Obama pushed sanctions onto sanctions to make Iran scream. But the country did not fold. Each new U.S. sanction step was responded to with an expansion of Iran's nuclear program. In the end Obama had to offer talks to Iran to get out of the hole he had dug himself.

For me this was the first time I'd seen an explanation of why the Iran deal happened, and I really wanted to know more. Now this retrospective by Mercouris shows exactly how accurate b's assessment was, but fills in the detail to show that the EU was already on the verge of a major split from the dollar. Only the deal, which allowed EU to grow its trade with the huge market of Iran, saved this potential run from the dollar by Europe.

I read the full Reuters interview, and I find it debatable how much of Kerry's statement was applied to Russia and China and how much to Britain, France and Germany. I'll parse it as, Asia will say it out loud, Europe will think it silently - the unthinkable, that is. Mercouris seems sure it was Europe:

In other words the US was pushed into the JCPOA somewhat against its will at the insistence of its European allies, who were considering lifting sanctions on Iran unilaterally if the US rejected the deal which was on offer. The US submitted to their demands because it feared that the alternative – threatening economic war on its European allies by imposing sanctions on them – would have hastened the ending of the reserve currency status of the US dollar.

It is rare to say the least for US officials to so much as contemplate in public the possibility of the US dollar losing its reserve currency status. The fact that in August 2015 Secretary of State Kerry actually did so shows the pressure that the US was under.

Astonishing. Here we are two years later trying to think that if Trump does whatever nonsense he does with the Iran deal, it will encourage a rift between the US and the EU - but actually this has already come to be the situation, and two years ago at that.

This is some serious shit, that we all seem to have missed. EU leaders may be craven, but European business wants to trade with Iran, and it's simmering around the point of breaking away from the dollar in order to do it. Surely this calls for a large re-calculation of the situation.

What happens if Iran starts to negotiate payments settled in Yuan? Hezbollah can take down Israel militarily. But perhaps Iran can take down the US financially?

Posted by: Grieved | Oct 15 2017 22:10 utc | 17

karlof1 @ 13: Thanks for the link. Good read. Actually gives a little hope that the adults in the world can reign in the morons now running the U$A.

Posted by: ben | Oct 15 2017 23:27 utc | 18

From TRNN: "Decertifying Iran Deal, Trump Escalates His War"

http://therealnews.com/t2/story:20220:Decertifying-Iran-Deal%2C-Trump-Escalates-His-War

Posted by: ben | Oct 15 2017 23:32 utc | 19

Part of Obama speech.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/08/05/text-obama-gives-a-speech-about-the-iran-nuclear-deal/?utm_term=.aac92dd70db9
..."Moreover, our closest allies in Europe or in Asia, much less China or Russia, certainly are not going to enforce existing sanctions for another five, 10, 15 years according to the dictates of the U.S. Congress because their willingness to support sanctions in the first place was based on Iran ending its pursuit of nuclear weapons. It was not based on the belief that Iran cannot have peaceful nuclear power, and it certainly wasn't based on a desire for regime change in Iran.

As a result, those who say we can just walk away from this deal and maintain sanctions are selling a fantasy. Instead of strengthening our position, as some have suggested, Congress' rejection would almost certainly result in multi-lateral sanctions unraveling.

If, as has also been suggested, we tried to maintain unilateral sanctions, beefen them up, we would be standing alone. We cannot dictate the foreign, economic and energy policies of every major power in the world. In order to even try to do that, we would have to sanction, for example, some of the world's largest banks. We'd have to cut off countries like China from the American financial system. And since they happen to be major purchasers of our debt, such actions could trigger severe disruptions in our own economy, and, by way, raise questions internationally about the dollar's role as the world's reserve currency. That's part of the reason why many of the previous unilateral sanctions were waived."...


Another time when Obama was covincing US to pass the Iran deal, he stated bluntly that not passing the deal would put the US dollar at risk. Have not been able to find it as yet.

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 16 2017 0:19 utc | 20

I debated posting in the LV threads, and maybe I ought to have even though I don't have much to add. Here's a few observations.

I had never heard of a bump stock and my first reaction was that it couldn't be that effective at producing automatic fire. Then I went to youtube and was surprised at how quickly an AR-15 with a bump stock emptied a magazine: the rate of fire is very, very fast. Too fast to match the audio signature of the weapon fire in the videos from LV, however, and too high-pitched as well. The closest match in much of the audio, to my ear, is an M240B machine gun (7.62mm NATO, belt fed), a weapon I am familiar with from military service. Other segments do sound close to the signature of an M249 SAW (5.56mm NATO, belt or magazine fed). The bit that really bugs me are segments where the rate of fire seems to change at the end of a burst. Nothing should produce that, as far as I know.

Analysis done on the bursts of fire indicates 100-round belts of ammunition. Standard 7.62 NATO ammunition cans contain 100-round belts. I just checked, and you can buy 100-round magazines for a 5.56mm AR-15, but you cannot use it with a bipod and have it stand as pictured in the SP death photo. The weapon in that photo has a 30-round magazine attached. Furthermore, the AR-15/M-16 has a reputation for jamming, and 100-roud mag + bump stock doesn't seem like a good combination. The M240B, if fired in sustained bursts indicated by the audio, will require barrel changes every minute or so, something that can be accomplished in ten seconds with a thermal glove.

In my opinion bump stocks and 100-round magazines are gimmicks for playing around on the range with--they are not suitable for actual combat use because of the associated mechanical reliability issues. If you want a machine gun, get an actual machine gun.

@PeacefulProsperity thanks for the MegaAnon links from previous thread. Those Anon types don't seem to pan out, but quite interesting nonetheless.

Posted by: Jim S | Oct 16 2017 0:28 utc | 21

Posted by: Laguerre | Oct 15, 2017 5:59:13 PM | 15

Basically Austrian Social Democrats and Greens had an abysmal election campaign.

Posted by: somebody | Oct 16 2017 0:38 utc | 22

Iraqi forces launch operation for Kirkuk

Two officers with Iraq’s counterterrorism forces, which trained closely with the United States, said their forces were mobilizing as part of the operation. Kurdish peshmerga troops who are defending the area are also U.S.-armed and -trained.

Posted by: somebody | Oct 16 2017 0:50 utc | 23

Jim S @ 22 If you want a machine gun, get an actual machine gun.

Thanks. Don't have the knowledge to agree or disagree.

To my ear, much of the double (or triple) shooting sound like echoes in the glass canyons of Vegas. (Which has nothing to do with what you're saying, but is constantly being brought up everywhere else). Also, when the shooting seems to be closer and then coming from somewhere farther away, that might be because the sometimes the barrel is out the window, sometimes back in the room, and the room is acting as a silencer.

As a kid my friends and I used to shoot in a suburban neighborhood by taking a screen off a window, opening the window a crack and shooting from inside the house way back from the window. The house itself was a great silencer.

As for bump stocks being toys, I know nothing. I do know that Custer's soldiers had single-action, trapdoor Sharps rifles because the Army still thought the lever-action Henrys and Winchesters (13-16 shots), which "won the West" and which many of the Indians had, were only toys. (Also the Army didn't want to issue repeating rifles to Custer's cavalry because the ammo was too expensive.)

Posted by: Ken Nari | Oct 16 2017 2:37 utc | 24

RE: karlof1 | Oct 15, 2017 5:22:59 PM | 12 You write: "Or... Trump's smarter than any of us . . ."

Probably not

see: Donald Trump bodyslams, beats and shaves Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania XXIII
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMKFIHRpe7I

Posted by: Perimetr | Oct 16 2017 2:44 utc | 25

Barzani and KDP are getting their b--t kicked in Tuz Khurmato, Tel Afar and Kirkuk

Posted by: Yul | Oct 16 2017 2:55 utc | 26

I just read this comment by Oh Homer at another site and felt motivated to share it here.

"
Have you met America? That's the country that needs "lives matter" movements because of its prevailing culture of utter indifference to human welfare, but which trips over itself in its eagerness to wage war in defence of the petrodollar.
"

Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 16 2017 3:38 utc | 27

Loftium.com opens, as Seattle's R/E bubble on Craigslist fills with flippers trapped by their overpaid buy, and no Next Greater Sucker to flip to, are putting locks on the bedroom doors of brand new properties, then advertising them as flophouses, something I haven't seen since the post-VietNam recession forced Nixon to go gold, then create Saudi petrodollar regime, and long gas lines, but no jobs. Hard times back then. Looked at one of these New Flophouses, brand new two-story five-bedroom suburb, the owner's daughter living there, just moving boxes full of clothes, no furniture, no cooking utensils, and five mattresses on the bedroom floors, with four already rented out. Even in 1970s we had furniture in the flophouses, so this was a new low. She didn't seem concerned at all. An IT 24x7'r. Told her I paid those 24x7 dues in the 1990s and ain't going backwards. Now got a flophouse owned by young guy, with a military renter, a Green Card alien, and me. 10x12 feet of paradise in the heart of PacNW bubble-mania, where you can have your own mattress on the floor for only $750 a month!! Call now, operators are standing by!

Posted by: Chipnik | Oct 16 2017 3:44 utc | 28

Truck bombing kills probably 300 people in Mogadishu, Somalia, at least another 300 seriously injured. This is comparable to the Las Vegas mass murder. There will be much less media coverage in the U.S., but it's worth remembering that current (mostly unreported) U.S. military operations in Somalia continue to be conducted under the blank check policy declared after 9/11:

Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told members of Congress on Friday [2007] that the strike in Somalia was executed under the Pentagon’s authority to hunt and kill terrorism suspects around the globe, a power the White House gave it shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks.

It was this authority that Mr. Rumsfeld used to order commanders to develop plans for using American Special Operations troops for missions within countries that had not been declared war zones. . .

The State Department and Pentagon took control of Somalia policy in the summer, after a failed effort by the Central Intelligence Agency to use Somali warlords as proxies to hunt down the Qaeda suspects.


www.nytimes.com/2007/01/13/world/africa/13proxy.html

The 2001 AUMF was the subject of a recent Sep 2017 legislative effort:

We’ve been going 16 years without a real debate. There will be no real debate on war unless we pass this resolution,” said Sen. Rand Paul, the Kentucky Republican who led the fight to force a new debate on the breadth of the war on terror.

Posted by: nonsense factory | Oct 16 2017 4:31 utc | 29

See here for a great Twitter thread by Elijah Magnier’s on the current situation in Kirkuk:

https://twitter.com/ejmalrai/status/919780159116468224

Pesh are fleeing..

Posted by: Lozion | Oct 16 2017 5:13 utc | 30

There is lots of news related to the Las Vegas shooting. You don't want to see it, because you are too focused on pushing for gun control legislation on the basis of what is obviously an engineered event (and looking pretty hoaxy at this point).

Posted by: RudyM | Oct 16 2017 5:14 utc | 31

Not a manifesto from the patsy to satisfy your need for a motive, but lots of news here:

http://www.legitgov.org/Las-Vegas-Shooting-Oddities-Compiled-CLG-News

Posted by: RudyM | Oct 16 2017 5:17 utc | 32

From the summary for one of the stories linked to at the above link:

On Tuesday, September 5th, 2017, the board of MGM Resorts International decided to approve a $1 billion share repurchase program. At $17.7 billion today, the program represented a significant portion of its current market cap. By the end of the week, MGM's CEO, James Murren, had coolly divested himself of 80% of the shares he owned in his company. The divestment came just days before the ex-dividend date on September 8th, 2017. The sales were originally disclosed in a document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Murren had previously divested 57,269 shares on July 31st and August 9th, 2017. It's currently unclear why Murren chose to sell when he did...Mr. Murren and his fellow board members were not the only speculators who were bearish on MGM's prospects. Billionaire investor George Soros also bought $42 million worth of puts on the company, according to SEC filings from mid August.

Posted by: RudyM | Oct 16 2017 5:20 utc | 33

@Ken Nari 25 I'll correct myself and say that if you want a fully-automatic rifle, a Kalashnikov or a FN is a far better choice than an AR-15, bump stock or illegally modified. It's not supposed to be that difficult to do.

In messaging terms, "bump stock" is a catchy phrase for a newsreader to bandy around; we've seen this with "pressure cooker bomb". In terms of fragmentation, what does a pressure cooker bomb do that a pipe bomb can't? (a pipe bomb would probably do a better job of shredding a backpack, apparently). Anarchists have been throwing pipe bombs for 100 years. "Pipe bomb" just doesn't sound as pornographic coming from a CNN reporter's mouth as "pressure cooker bomb". The audience would get bored.

Posted by: Jim S | Oct 16 2017 7:46 utc | 34

>>>> nonsense factory | Oct 16, 2017 12:31:13 AM | 30

Truck bombing kills probably 300 people in Mogadishu, Somalia, at least another 300 seriously injured. This is comparable to the Las Vegas mass murder.

Not really comparable given the populations (US ~330 mill, Somalia <15 mill), the truck bomb in Mogadishu was equivalent to more than two US 9/11s.

Posted by: Ghostship | Oct 16 2017 14:53 utc | 35

Pyotr Pavlensky, an artist from St. Petersburg who gained worldwide notoriety after nailing his scrotum to the cobblestones of Moscow’s Red Square, has set the entrance to the Bank of France in Paris on fire. So far the only part of the western MSM that has reported this is the Sacramento Bee. No mention so far according to Google in the NY Times, Washington Post and Guardian.
The other issue is that Pyotr Pavlensky fled Russia after he was accused of sexual assault and given political asylum by France which reminds me of what happened to Julian Assange after he was accused of sexual assault.

Posted by: Ghostship | Oct 16 2017 15:04 utc | 36

Grieved @18-

Good questions! The extremely rare candor shown by Kerry, as Mercouris notes, isn't being shared by the Trumpsters and is likely responsible for their outward state of high anxiety and knee-jerk reactions to just about anything. Iran says it has a plan: "Speaker of Iran's parliament Ali Larijani said that Iran 'had a developed plan and a certain law,' should the United States withdraw from the agreement on Tehran's nuclear program, adding that Washington would 'regret it.'" https://sputniknews.com/world/201710161058275364-iran-plan-us-nuclear-deal/ RT reports Larijani thusly: "'We have a plan… We’ve recently approved in parliament what we should do given the Americans undertake certain steps,' Larijani told reporters Monday on the sidelines of the Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting in St. Petersburg. 'We will take steps so that the Americans will regret it.'" (Emphasis in original.) https://www.rt.com/news/406851-iran-has-plan-if-us-withdraws-nuclear/ If that is so, then what Iran plans to do ought to be discerned by looking at its parliamentary actions on the subject by those able to read Farsi. I rather doubt it's bluff and bluster. And the EU won't support Trump's decertification: "After a closed-door meeting [of EU Foreign Ministers at Luxembourg] chaired by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on how best to proceed on the Iran issue, ministers issued a joint statement saying that the 2015 deal was key to preventing the global spread of nuclear weapons." https://www.rt.com/newsline/406844-iran-eu-us-mogherini/

I can easily envision a joint announcement by Russia, China and Iran that all trade conducted with them must be transacted in Yuan, Ruble, Rial, or Euro--that the dollar is no longer welcomed. And given the utter stupidity of the Republican controlled US Congress, more sanctions will be applied to Iran thus sealing the onset of the Outlaw US Empire's international isolation.

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 16 2017 15:30 utc | 37

The prevalent explanation is that Paddock "just snapped". But media provides no interviews with psychologists that might shed light on why he "snapped".

Why? Perhaps because that would detract from the focus on guns as "the cause" of this tragedy.

Likewise, mainstream media is silent about Campos bailing on multiple scheduled interviews last Thursday.

Inquiries regarding Campos has been completely shut down(!). Campos is in hiding (protected by 'private security' from a security company that can't be found) and the LV Sheriff won't answer any questions(!).

The "Today Show" (Democratic Party-friendly NBC) interview with the "Building Engineer" Schuck was designed to confirm Campos' story. There were no probing questions asked and no info provided about the background of either Campos or Schuck. Despite this 'set up' the interview only raised more questions.

The above only adds to these facts:

>> No motive has been found for the massacre.

>> There's no video evidence of Paddock bringing the guns into the hotel (and he's not around to say if he did or didn't)

>> Paddock supposedly made at least two reservations to stay at places that overlooked other venues - but he didn't show up (strange for someone that is so methodical).

>> Paddock inexplicably stopped shooting minutes before the police arrived.

>> Paddock (supposedly) killed himself in front of a note that contained info that he wouldn't written BEFORE he started shooting, not after. Somehow he managed to place a gun over his leg after doing so.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 16 2017 15:43 utc | 38

Imho, the US political establishment, as publically projected, is moving closer to a realm where words, be they snide remarks, lofty pronouncements, declarations of intent, or vile accusations, become substitutes for action.

Likewise, minor symbolic moves like withdrawing, “quitting” which is ambiguous, from e.g. UNESCO - *US didn’t pay dues in any case.*

Trump is not alone, all the Dem. Russia-bashing/blaming leads nowhere, the Trump denigration as well, Trump threatening NK is similar.

The word is sufficient to itself! As are incantatory spells, religious appeals, etc. All one clumsy step beyond the Rovian “when we act, we create our own reality..” which rests on the power to act and transform reality (sometimes with sleight of hand, mirages..) transferring that power to symbols with hope and 'belief'... That’s the comforting take.

US overt behavior is hapless unless entered into with cold calculation, a specific hidden aim in mind, and levers of control somewhere. Not the case imho, but dismissing Trump as a fool is not useful. We see symptoms of floundering, weakened, posturing Empire — imho empty sorts o’ threats (Iran, NK) are often dismissed by others, rightly so, but that is dangerous too: the US has to play the military domination position combined with the unpredictability card. Extremely volatile situation.

Remember when Trump said he would never do a first nuke strike? :)

Posted by: Noirette | Oct 16 2017 17:21 utc | 39

Noirette @40--

Interesting observations. I think they'll evolve after reading this short essay by economist Richard Wolff, https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/10/13/the-political-economy-of-obamatrump/

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 16 2017 19:25 utc | 40

Perhaps Psychohistorian will find this more intriguing than other barflies: Russia has created the Crypto-Rouble, and Putin endorses its creation, http://theduran.com/russia-launch-first-state-sanctioned-cryptocurrency-world/ Will we now soon see a BRICS-Coin?

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 16 2017 22:51 utc | 41

Off topic: Does the WashPost come to senses, or ist this a unique aberration: https://www.wsj.com/article_email/you-cant-buy-the-presidency-for-100-000-1508104629-lMyQjAxMTE3MDE4NjgxNTY1Wj/

Posted by: aquadraht | Oct 16 2017 23:11 utc | 42

@ karlof1 with the hat tip about Russia creating a currency with the control/transparency of bitcoin....at least at first read.

This has the potential to be very significant and I expect China to do the same thing......not sure about BRICS coin yet because of associated geo-politics. Even if this move does not further blow the private money system up this move will provide for an education or further brainwashing about what money really is and the parameters around its creation past and present.

As long as the losers don't nuke the joint on the way out, things are looking more positive than before, IMO.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 17 2017 0:59 utc | 43

And more to the point going forward is the global debt situation.

When the music stops and the global elite come forward and say that the pension funds and ma/pa are holding all the lesser positions than themselves, we will find out what humanity is made of or has evolved to or not.


When the debt bubble bursts humanity will have the opportunity to stand up and say no more to the God of Mammon money system and associated social values/mores.

After centuries of usury maybe we should try another way.......

Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 17 2017 1:45 utc | 44

psychohistorian--

Thanks for your reply and input. It'll be interesting to see what happens next since I think it's China. I also think such a move is a part of Iran's plans.

Cheers!

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 17 2017 2:29 utc | 45

Here are a couple of links that show China coming out of its shell and stating its values

Enlightened Chinese democracy puts the West in the shade

Revival of Chinese civilization: through kaleidoscope of old capital

I will take central planning like China is doing over jackboot back room private finance owners decisions focused on usurious debt, war and greed.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 17 2017 4:18 utc | 46

@karlof1 & psychohistorian:

Via The Automatic Earth, we have this 'duh'-moment article at Business Insider: Electricity Required For Single Bitcoin Trade Could Power Home For A Month.

It was clear several years ago that bitcoins were quickly receding from the grasp of 'home brew' miners. By the time bitcoin was hitting tech pubs (Ars Technica, AnandTech, etc), mining one coin required leaving a high-end gaming rig running for about a week. That's the equivalent of turning on a hair dryer (or a microwave oven) and leaving it running for a whole week...about 1500 watts * 168 hours.

Posted by: Dr. Wellington Yueh | Oct 17 2017 4:22 utc | 47

@ Dr. Wellington Yueh who I think is missing the point about cryptocurriencies.

I do not believe that Russia or other countries that develop cryptocurrencies will create actual currency of any sort other than conversion to Rouble or national currency. While the conversion back and forth between actual currencies and the digital version may not be a game changer the invisibility it gives both parties in using the cryptocurrency could very well be, IMO.

The US dollar is a cryptocurrency in some ways......based on faith in the "system".

Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 17 2017 5:36 utc | 48

@49 psychohistorian:

The intent is to decentralize. Remove power from whomever is currently in control of all the money. That's the issue of exchange vs private party. The exchanges are an attempt to regain centralized control.

Trouble is, the compute power required to solve the chain for each new transaction goes up (theoretically) for ever. Thus, bitcoin (and doge, blah blah) exchanges will eventually absorb as much compute/net/storage as currently do cute cat pictures. I guess, on the bright side, it's an incentive for someone to really tackle power efficiency.

Posted by: Dr. Wellington Yueh | Oct 17 2017 10:21 utc | 49

edit my #50:

...blah blah) transactions will...

Posted by: Dr. Wellington Yueh | Oct 17 2017 10:22 utc | 50

Russia's primary interest is in the block chain, to facilitate international trade, bypassing the dollar. The crypto-rouble will be backed by gold via the SCO.
Economic sanctions will be useless in a system such as this.
IMO. it's a brilliant move by Russia. A game changer in the most literal sense.

Posted by: V. Arnold | Oct 17 2017 10:52 utc | 51

@49 psychohistorian:

The US dollar is a cryptocurrency......based on extortion, enforced by war.

There! I fixed it for you.

Posted by: nudge | Oct 17 2017 11:24 utc | 52

@49 V. Arnold:

A true game-changer would be if it would be backed by a "basket of items" whose intrinsic value has a direct impact on improving life for everyone on the planet; not just a subset. Discuss!

Posted by: nudge | Oct 17 2017 11:32 utc | 53

nudge | Oct 17, 2017 7:24:59 AM | 53
The US dollar is a cryptocurrency...

No, it most assuredly is not a crypto-currency.
Your lack of economic literacy and crypto, is showing.

Posted by: V. Arnold | Oct 17 2017 11:36 utc | 54

nudge | Oct 17, 2017 7:32:18 AM | 54

Your empathy is noted; if a bit nieve, in the world as it is...

Posted by: V. Arnold | Oct 17 2017 11:40 utc | 55

Ukraine warming up (if accurate)...?


Tuesday, October 17, 2017 - 13:33
The Ukrainian authorities are preparing for a possible violent confrontation with participants of the protest action, which has been announced by a number of political forces today in Kiev, including supporters of Mikhail Saakashvili.

poroshenko-panic-double-national-guard-cordon-set-around-verkhovna-rada

Posted by: x | Oct 17 2017 11:47 utc | 56

@56 V. Arnold:

Yes...naïve; in that I have never fallen for the myth equating scarcity to value.

Posted by: nudge | Oct 17 2017 11:54 utc | 57

@55 V. Arnold

I plead guilty to the same economic illiteracy which hears the term, "Quantitative Easing", and think it means that someone is easing a deluge from their bladder into my eyes, and then calling it rain.

Posted by: nudge | Oct 17 2017 11:57 utc | 58

nudge | Oct 17, 2017 7:54:11 AM | 58

Ugh, yes I mis-spelled naïve (and didn't catch it), my bad.
Please expand on the myth of scarcity to value.
I'm not sure Greaber would agree...

Posted by: V. Arnold | Oct 17 2017 12:09 utc | 59

And, in fact, I do not agree either.

Posted by: V. Arnold | Oct 17 2017 12:11 utc | 60

@60 V. Arnold

It's the ageless myth where a scant number of overlords retain high value to their lives by forcing a majority into institutional slavery.

Posted by: nudge | Oct 17 2017 12:39 utc | 61

nudge | Oct 17, 2017 8:39:54 AM | 62

No; ageless? Historically that's wrong. Your view of history is way too short.
Your beliefs, do not history, support.
You're entitled to your own beliefs; but not your own facts.
I would suggest you read David Graeber's; Debt; the First 5,000 years.
I think we're done...

Posted by: V. Arnold | Oct 17 2017 13:01 utc | 62

@nudge 54

"A true game-changer would be if it would be backed by a "basket of items" whose intrinsic value has a direct impact on improving life for everyone on the planet; not just a subset. Discuss!"


An interesting question. I think this can be taken to mean, how do we provide 'sufficiency provisioning' for the greatest number of people.

Any country can print money and use it to hire local labor and pay for locally derived goods and services.

The problem comes when it needs to reach out of its currency space to get resources. Ie, how strong is that currencies exchange rate.

A 'hard currency' can be defined as one that has international authority/acceptance. This is what Russia/Iran/China are trying to develop to challenge the US Dollar.

Global sustainability programs need to take a closer look at how to overcome this sort of social injustice dealt to people with soft currencies. Sufficiency provisioning also means that trade would be discouraged rather than encouraged.

Largely taken from Mary Mellor's book 'Debt or Democracy'

Posted by: financial matters | Oct 17 2017 13:45 utc | 63

@Jim S | Oct 15, 2017 8:28 You are welcome.

The shooting smells a false flag to high heavens, if it weren't the Trump's presidency we'd already had a "common public knowledge consensus" endorsing the ridiculous "lone nut gunman" theory like many times before.

At this point we have unstable timeline, contradicting narratives, official story full of glaring holes, key witnesses killed and missing, the MSM busy burying the story.

Let's keep a close eye on this one, they can't get away this time.

Kudos to everyone here uncovering the truth about the event.

@Susan - you've been exposed here as a pathetic paid agent trying to deflect the investigation. I pity you.

Posted by: PeacefulProsperity | Oct 17 2017 14:48 utc | 64

@62 V. Arnold

Awaiting correction re my use of "ageless" (noting that you did not discount "scant number of overlords retain high value to their lives by forcing a majority into institutional slavery").

When is it factually correct to assert the beginning of the continuing saga where "scant number of overlords retain high value to their lives by forcing a majority into institutional slavery"?

Posted by: nudge | Oct 17 2017 15:38 utc | 65

@64 financial matters

A more urgent question is the one you dare not broach: How do we prevent the Empire from stifling self-sufficiency in countries around the world?

With self-sufficiency attained, why would a country need to reach out of its "currency" space?

Wouldn't global sustainability become the automatic result of domestic self-sufficiencies?

More questions:
Isn't dollar hegemony the main stumbling block to self-sufficiency around the globe?

Isn't it true that the dollar has no value; that its use is only mandated under threat of war?

Posted by: nudge | Oct 17 2017 16:14 utc | 66

@67

Not many countries have the totality of resources for self-sufficiency. A more globally leveling system is needed. Somewhat similar to what Keynes was proposing with the bancor.

Arab socialism (the struggle between exploiting and exploited nations) was being tried in Iraq, Libya and Syria and threatened this dollar hegemony. This attempt to destroy Syria has been rebuffed and Iran and Russia have a chance to rework/protect/extend this Arab socialism project.

Power does play a role in the value of money. This is largely accomplished by the imposition of taxes and fines. People are forced to sell their goods and services to accumulate some money to pay these taxes and fines. This allows the government the power to redistribute resources. Not that taxation directly funds expenditures but that it allows resources to change hands.

Global politics play out in the currency exchange market. This exchange market is also a huge waste of resources via speculative trading.

Posted by: financial matters | Oct 17 2017 17:13 utc | 67

@67 financial matters

When you wrote: "Not many countries have the totality of resources for self-sufficiency," you fail to provide the root-cause for this; a realistic yard-stick for this; but you were quick to come up with Keynes' cover for all his theories - "all things being equal" - used by the empire to bludgeon the world into submission.

Why are you so timid in making the imposition that taxes & fines to be the culprit (globally? please!)? Stop troubleshooting downstream issues; focus on the source of our ills!

Posted by: nudge | Oct 17 2017 17:54 utc | 68

From what I understand, crypto currencies cannot be owened by a state. Dollar, Yuan, Ruble, are owned by the countries that issue them. This I think is the difference between crypto/blockchain currency, and fiat currency and gold backed currency.

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 18 2017 1:46 utc | 70

Russia is apparently developing a cryptoruble which would have state control. This seems to offer more overall validity to me.

CryptoRuble

"According to the official, the state issued cryptocurrency cannot be mined and will be issued and controlled and maintained only by the authorities.

While the announcement means that Russia will enter the cryptocurrency world, it is in no way an affirmation or legalization of Bitcoin or any other decentralized cryptocurrency. On the contrary, Putin quite recently called for a complete ban on all cryptocurrencies within Russia.

The statement from Putin seemed apparently to contradict the earlier comments from other ministers who seemed pro-crypto, but only with regulations, as well as Putin’s recent meetings with Buterin and others. Now, with the issuance of the CryptoRuble, the apparent contradiction has been made clear."

Posted by: financial matters | Oct 18 2017 2:14 utc | 71

financial matters | Oct 17, 2017 10:14:18 PM | 72

That is interesting. Crypto currency as known seems like gold. A miner can mine it, but once traded has no further ownership of it. If a state were to mine it, once traded, the state would have no further ownership.
How will the Russian crypto currency as per your link be made? The way it is described in the article, it sounds like ones and zeros on a computer screen that can be exchanged for ruble. from what I can see of current Russia there will be a lot more to it than that...

Gold, even if it is minted as a coin, can be sold as bullion if bullion is worth more than the face value of the coin. This, plus the fact that no state has control, seems to be the attraction of crypto currencies to date.

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 18 2017 2:37 utc | 72

Peter AU 1

Beats me. :) I don't understand blockchain technology and can understand people wanting it decentralized but I think there needs to be more control.

But, I don't think there is anything magical about the USD or the SWIFT system. I'm also not big on the gold standard but I can understand the yuan using gold backing to get started in the international market. But I don't think there is enough gold to handle all the trade transactions.

Posted by: financial matters | Oct 18 2017 2:59 utc | 73

financial matters | Oct 17, 2017 10:59:35 PM | 74

My son in law is right into it at the momemt. has a couple of gaming computers running 24/7 making a crypto curency. From what he told me, making a crypto token is solving equations or something similar. Blockchain is one computer solving part of the equation and then others solving other parts of it so a number of people may have ownership, or asset in one crypto currency unit.
An interesting part is that he can make one of these units every few days with a couple of high end gaming computers, but he was saying if say China were to put some of their big computers on the job, they would be pumping out a number of these crypto currency units every minute.

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 18 2017 5:08 utc | 74

The Highway 91 10/1 LV shooting official investigation is going nowhere, alternative outlets are doing much better job revealing all the inconsistencies.

In the meantime it seems that very soon there will be huge announcement regarding the evil witch Hitlary Killton and her criminal enterprise.

Maybe her current stay in London, where the headquarters of the global murderous City of London Crown Corporation are, is an attempt to flee from prosecution and seek asylum at her puppeteers courtesy?

Wikileaks exposed her role in global crime via e.g. the Panama Papers, and the recent assassination of that investigative journalist in Malta may be related.

Stay tuned for some breaking news soon (Sean Hannity).

Posted by: PeacefulProsperity | Oct 18 2017 12:54 utc | 75

Can't wait...

CIA Urges Trump To Delay Release Of 3,000 Never-Before-Seen Documents On JFK Assassination


According to The Gateway Pundit Roger Stone and Gerald Posner, two New York Times bestselling authors who are polar opposites about who killed JFK, have joined together to urge Donald Trump to release all the remaining classified files on Kennedy’s assassination.

About 3,100 files are still sealed in the National Archives. Under the 1992 JFK Records Act, the Archives have until October 26 to decide which of those files to publicly disclose.

Some of the classified documents include a CIA personality study of Oswald, top-secret testimony of former CIA officers to congressional committees, transcripts of interrogations with Soviet defector and Oswald handler Yuri Nosenko, letters about the case from J. Edgar Hoover and Jackie Kennedy, the CIA file on Jack Wasserman, the attorney for New Orleans mob boss Carlos Marcello, and the operational file of E. Howard Hunt, career spy and Watergate burglar.

Roger Stone, in his bestselling 2013 The Man Who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against LBJ, set forth the case that LBJ was the mastermind of plot that included the CIA, the Mob and Big Texas Oil to kill Kennedy.

Gerald Posner, in his 1993 bestselling finalist for the Pulitzer for History, Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK, concluded that the Warren Commission conclusions are correct and Oswald acting alone had killed Kennedy.

Posted by: PeacefulProsperity | Oct 18 2017 13:14 utc | 76

Re cryptocurrencies and Blockchain.

Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology. What that translates to out of jargonese is a shared record keeping process for transactions among a group of people. It can be used for anything that requires keeping a record of transactions, currency transactions (such as Bitcoin) are just one example.

There can also be private Blockchain applications, peer to peer decentralised Blockchain applications and currencies, and central bank controlled / endorsed Blockchain currencies.

Here is a series of lectures from Princeton on Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies:
https://piazza.com/princeton/spring2015/btctech/resources
I recommend skipping lecture 1 which is all about cryptography maths principles and going straight to lecture 2 which has a good overview of Bitcoin.

Also, the central banks are most definitely considering how to control this. See this paper from the Bank of International Settlements on the topic - Central Bank Cryptocurrencies
http://www.bis.org/publ/qtrpdf/r_qt1709f.pdf
Note that this paper presents a very particular central banker view of the world, one that slants things towards their position. I think people working in the peer to peer cryptoworld would possibly have a different way of representing things.


Posted by: 9308305K | Oct 18 2017 13:46 utc | 77

Bruma, allied with EU/US commit rape and murder against civilians:

Amnesty: Myanmar committed crimes against humanity
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/amnesty-myanmar-committed-crimes-humanity-171017190744359.html

Posted by: Anonymous | Oct 18 2017 16:32 utc | 78

FWIW, Campos was interviewed (not sure when) by Ellen Degeneres to be aired this afternoon

CNN.

Posted by: Susan Sunflower | Oct 18 2017 18:11 utc | 79

Posted by: PeacefulProsperity | Oct 18 2017 19:33 utc | 80

RIP Kymberley Vegas Survivor Who Died Suddenly Had Planned Group To Expose Cover-Up


In the days following the massacre, friends reached out to Suchomel over a October 4 post in which she described someone setting off “fire crackers” near the venue, and detailed being chased by numerous people, concluding at one point “There was more than one gun firing. 100% more than one.”

One longtime friend of Suchomel’s, who asked to remain anonymous, provided Infowars with screenshots of a conversation he’d had with her, in which she indicated planning to “organize a group of survivors” in order “to piece things together.”

“You can share my comment for sure. And you can leave my name,” Suchomel says in a Facebook message to her friend. “I’m trying to organize a group of survivors so if anyone wants to contact me they can. Because this fucked up shit doesn’t make sense and we are trying to piece things together.”

“The media can suck it. They have no idea what went down!” she added.

Posted by: PeacefulProsperity | Oct 18 2017 20:53 utc | 81

PP @81

In his interview, Schuck said that as he saw that Campos was wounded then had to duck for cover. When he called in a report, calming asking the dispatcher to "call the police", he didn't mention that Campos was shot. At the end of his call (seconds later), he says: "security is here" - and again doesn't mention that "Security" has been wounded.

Campos ALSO didn't mention that he was shot, fucking SHOT! during his report.

In his TV interview, Schuck's eyes can be seen darting back and forth - a sign of lying. In Campos' interview, Campos looks downward or to Ellen so that we can't see his eyes. Even so, he stumbles. Schuck puts his hand on his back as if to steady/support him. Something that I would NOT do to another guy unless I knew them well.

Both interviews were conducted with media outlets that have a Democratic establishment bias.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 18 2017 21:09 utc | 82

It looks like they are dressed in identical grey suits.

Bromance or Agency issue?

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 18 2017 21:21 utc | 83

@Jackrabbit

They locked him in isolation to coach him for that interview. Degenerate is part of the cabal, so everything is scripted. Pathetic.

And After Las Vegas, Democrats are jumping straight into the gun-control debate, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Oct. 2 that Congress must "pass laws that keep our citizens safe.",..., notable Democrats in Congress ... demanding changes to gun laws

so that Antifa ... [could] stab innocent Trump supporters and corner them.


We see how the producer dressed up, wired up, then infiltrated the Antifa group. How Antifa has become paranoid after the negative media attention in August after their violent attacks on peaceful right-wing protests led to five people being attacked and 13 people being arrested, that they now require face-to-face meets with recruits as they add "encryption" applications onto those recruits phones in order to privately discuss their tactics going forward. We also see a discussion where they discuss weapons, guns, as well as seeing illegal knifes being handed over to other group members to attack people with, and one segment where an Antifa member is telling others where to buy "K-Bar" knives, explaining what they are stating that "since this one is like tiny, so you have to really stab them," before talking about where to "lure" the victims.

By the end of video coverage we also see that Crowder offered the same video footage that they handed over to law enforcement, which according to him resulted in at least one arrest, to multiple media personalities that were on the scene, and not only did they not accept the evidence to report on, but did not report the existence of the evidence, even after violence did indeed break out at the University of Utah on Wednesday, as a conservative speaker was appearing.

That 18 billion U$D of Soros "charity" money cannot go to waste...

Posted by: PeacefulProsperity | Oct 18 2017 21:56 utc | 84

Interesting developments around Wikileaks, Panama Papers (investigated by late Daphne Galitzia in Malta), Clinton Foundation donors: March Rich, Sandy Weill; and the US Senate has just launched a probe into Clinton-Russia ties...

Posted by: PeacefulProsperity | Oct 18 2017 22:10 utc | 85

Remember Ukraine? There has been a remarkable development there. Corrupt ex-president of Georgia, Sakashvili wants to remove corrupt president Poroshenko. And they can't even blame the Russians.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/saakashvili-assails-ukraine-president-mass-kiev-rally-165110366.html

Posted by: dh | Oct 19 2017 0:32 utc | 86

EXCLUSIVE: Documents expose how Hollywood promotes war on behalf of the Pentagon, CIA and NSA
https://medium.com/insurge-intelligence/exclusive-documents-expose-direct-us-military-intelligence-influence-on-1-800-movies-and-tv-shows-36433107c307

Posted by: Anonymus | Oct 19 2017 7:25 utc | 87

@ psychohistorian, who clearly mis-understands blockchain.

" While the conversion back and forth between actual currencies and the digital version may not be a game changer the invisibility it gives both parties in using the cryptocurrency could very well be, IMO."


Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 17, 2017 1:36:16 AM | 49

Blockchain transactions are anything but "invisible" - that is the whole point of the blockchain

Posted by: Just Sayin' | Oct 19 2017 12:45 utc | 88

MoA Bar flies, I am kinda curious. How is it HRC broke her toe a few days ago – the “official tale” is she fell running down the stairs in heels, cuppa coffee in hand on the morning of the about-to-be-exposed “Uranium One Deal” – the $145 millions netted to the CCFF kitty.

Sort of puts Russia-gate and $100,000 Facebook Ads to swing the election and Trump’s collusion to bed (pardon the pun stolen from Steele’s dodgy dossier).
Special Prosecutor Mueller is slimed the carrier boy of the stolen uranium sample to the Russians.
Mueller appointed Special Prosecutor to do what exactly?. And legacy media will not touch this bombshell - two years ago was dismissed as Alt-media conspiracy:

Here:
FBI Informant "Threatened" After Offering Details Linking Clinton Foundation To Russian Bribery Case
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-18/fbi-informant-says-he-was-threatened-after-offering-details-linking-clinton-foundati

Here:
"Trump: Russian Uranium Deal "Is The Biggest Story That Fake Media Doesn't Want To Follow"

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-19/trump-russian-uranium-deal-biggest-story-fake-media-doesnt-want-follow

Fast forward to this week when thanks to newly released affidavits from a case that landed one of the Russian co-conspirators, Vadim Mikerin, in jail, we learned on Tuesday that not only was the Obama administration aware the Russians' illegal acts in the U.S. but it may have also been fully aware that "Russian nuclear officials had routed millions of dollars to the U.S. designed to benefit former President Bill Clinton’s charitable foundation during the time Secretary of State Hillary Clinton served on a government body that provided a favorable decision to Moscow."
It gets better: in an unexpected twist, the FBI's investigation into this particular Russian plot began in 2009 under none other than Robert Mueller, now the special counsel in charge of the Trump case... and ended in late 2015 under the controversial, former FBI Director James Comey who was relieved of his duties by President Trump. "Surprisingly" when the DOJ finally arrested Mikerin in 2014, following 5 years of investigations in a massive international bribery and money-laundering scheme, rather than publicly celebrate, they seemingly swept it under the rug. In fact, there was no public release concerning the case at all until a full year later when the DOJ announced a plea deal with Mikerin right before labor day.
* * *
Putting all that together, it is not difficult to see why the story has gotten precisely zero mainstream media coverage in the past 48 hours, or past year for that matter.


From the Hill:
Bill Clinton sought State’s permission to meet with Russian nuclear official during Obama uranium decision

http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/356323-bill-clinton-sought-states-permission-to-meet-with-russian-nuclear

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
What say you Mr. Mueller? Just like that accidental meeting on the tarmac to discuss golfing.
This goes beyond just a broken toe, lapse of memory and a vast right wing conspiracy.

Posted by: likklemore | Oct 20 2017 1:23 utc | 89

@ JustSayin for calling me on my description of that invisible part of blockchain.

I apologize for not being clear that it is the users of blockchain transactions that get to be invisible while the transactions themselves are visible to the world as the basis for trust.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 20 2017 2:08 utc | 90

anon 79

Aung San was Washington's postal girl so why's Myanmar under attack by
ISIS and targetted by AI ?
What gives ?

She committed the one cardinal sin...
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/83570000/jpg/_83570658_83570657.jpg

Take it easy with that 'crimes against humanity' bit ,
Kosovo, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Syria, ..................
Fool me once, .....

Posted by: denk | Oct 21 2017 3:24 utc | 91

US, EU funded think-tank list names of RT guests, labels them ‘useful idiots who undermine Western democracy’
https://tinyurl.com/y93g8lqs

Report made by this neocon propagandist:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/monika-richter-2b605336

Posted by: Anonymous | Oct 21 2017 7:10 utc | 92

denk

Burma is not attacked under ISIS, how gullible are you?
Millions of civilians in Burma is getting killed, raped, burned, why do you even support that?

Posted by: Anonymous | Oct 21 2017 7:16 utc | 93

'why do you even support that?'

Is that supposed to be a 'coup de grace' question to stop all questions?

'How could you support genocide' , they asked those who question the official line about
Kosovo, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Sudan, TAM, Tibet., Xinjiang , ....

The doubters were subsequently proven right every single time.!

"gullible'

Say who ?

hhhhhh

Posted by: denk | Oct 23 2017 2:25 utc | 94

95

You are just stupid, there are tons of evidence whats going on. Not everything is a lie in this world, especially when kids are burnt up,

Rohingya: Videos purportedly show burned bodies, children shot by police in Myanmar
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-13/rohingya-myanmar-videos-purport-to-show-violence-death/8898636

Posted by: Anonymous | Oct 23 2017 9:15 utc | 95

anon 96

So these videos purportedly 'prove' that
'millions have been killed, raped' ?

WTF !
You couldnt even make out what'r those stuffs on the ground !
It would be thrown out of any decent court of law !

Dont forget either,
The accusations fly both way.
'Rohingyas 'purportedly' committed genocide and mass rapes !

But Unlike you, kid,
I wouldnt call these 'tons of evidence' either until its proven in a proper court of law., meaning that the ICC would be out of the question.

hhhhhhh

Posted by: denk | Oct 24 2017 8:48 utc | 96

denk

Jesus christ, if you believe a holocaust denier word on the jewish holocaust weigh as much as someone who speaks from facts, you are clearly demented.

Maybe this link will get you to realize whats going on,
Israel Refuses to Stop Arms Sales to Myanmar, Despite Its Campaign of Rape, Torture and Massacres Against the Rohingya
read more: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.814266


Posted by: Anonymous | Oct 24 2017 12:05 utc | 97

-------------------
What 'facts' have you offered so far ,
Those videos ?
Gimme a break. !

'Maybe this link will get you to realize whats going on,'

No it doesnt, not until its verified by truly independent investigators.
Sorry but 'UN medics' conjures up the images of the 'white helments' in Syria.
Im very cynical , its fukus fault. !
............................................................................

Images of refugees, allegations of mass rapes, ....
where did we hear all these before ,
Kosovo, Sudan, Libya, Syria......rings a bell ?

' Indeed, the [fill in the blank] crisis is following a pattern which is so well-worn now that it has almost become routine. Saturation reporting from a crisis region; emergency calls for help broadcast on the electronic media (such as the one recently on the BBC Radio 4 flagship ‘Today’ programme); televised pictures of refugees; lurid stories of “mass rapes”, which are surely designed to titillate as much to provoke outrage; reproachful evocations of the Rwandan genocide;
demands that something must be done (”How can we stand idly by?”, etc.); editorials in the Daily Telegraph calling for a return to the days of Rudyard Kipling's benevolent imperialism[6]; and, finally, the announcement that plans are indeed being drawn up for an intervention.

In fact, the routine is now so well established that life even imitated satire'

......................
'Intervention will allow Western forces to control an oil rich region, and perhaps to expel the present holders of concessions. The fact that the biggest of these is China, and that America's other foreign adventures also seem to have as their goal the control of energy supplies to that strategic rival, only adds further piquancy to what is, otherwise, an all too banal case of modern imperialistic meddling. '

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/27e/764.html

Posted by: denk | Oct 25 2017 2:18 utc | 98

denk

Facts? Well start with the link I just gave you, or why dont go to any ngo BEING in Burma and reporting? No you dont do that, you think that the fact that kids and other civilians getting raped and burned alive is a lie.

What on earth does Kosovo, Syria have to do with kids getting murdered?!
Why not threw in Tribinklia and deny that that ever happend to? Crackpot.

Posted by: Anon | Oct 25 2017 10:14 utc | 99

'you think that the fact that kids and other civilians getting raped and burned alive is a lie. '

They told the same story in Kosovo, Iraq, Libya,Syria, TAM, Tibet, Xinjiang...

For the last time,
I believe nothing until its proven in an impartial court.

YOur link accuse of Rakshine actrocities,
My link accuse of Rohingya actrocities,
FOR ME, ALL ARE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION


'crackpot'

Smartass,

Fukus engineered the breakup of ex-Yugo, Sudan....
turned them into failed states, did that to Libya too,almost succeeded in Syria,
They are trying it in Myanmar now.

In the UN assembly, those assholes who turned Fallujah to shards and just wiped Raqqa off the face of earth, are banging at the table, veins bulging on the forehead, shrieking for action to punish the 'genociders' in Myanmar !!

I saw that obscenity on TV when passing by a shop front.
Jeeze,
almost wanted to smash that screen right then !

What are you,
their witting/unwitting enabler ?

Posted by: denk | Oct 27 2017 4:11 utc | 100

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