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August 12, 2018

The MoA Week In Review - Open Thread 2018-40

Last week's posts on Moon of Alabama:

Three weeks before the current Canadian-Saudi spat, the Canadian Revenue Agency took away the charity status of an Islamic center and mosque in Ottawa. The mosque had received largess from foreign donors and, it is alleged, featured radical preachers. The event may have caused the otherwise inexplicable Saudi behavior.

Just now the U.S. occupation suffers a new defeat.

On Friday some 1,000 Taliban infiltrated into Ghazni, an important city on the ring-road between Kabul and Khandahar. They have since taken most of the city:

Accounts from residents leaving the city said the only areas still being held by the government were the governor’s office, police and intelligence agencies headquarters, an ancient fort called the Bala Hisar and a few other government facilities.

Early today the Taliban brought the police headquarter under their control:

Intense fighting continues in Ghazni, the police HQ caught fire and collapsed to the Taliban. 113 dead bodies and 142 wounded were taken to Ghazni hospital. The hospital is running out of the capacity for treatment, they are using corridors and other available space.

Only the province government headquarter is still defended. More than 100 police and soldiers have been killed so far. Relief forces sent from Kabul are holed up in an army headquarter some five kilometers away. Telephone communication with the city is down. Some bridges were blown up by the Taliban which makes it difficult for the army bring in more re-enforcements. Some 150,000 civilians live in the city and bombing it to hit a few hundred Taliban would be catastrophic and of little use.  Additionally to the city 15 of the 18 districts of Ghazni province are under Taliban control and it is obvious that they have the support of a significant part of the population.


bigger

The U.S. occupation forces and their Afghan proxy government have long been in denial about the Taliban forces in Ghazni province as well as elsewhere. With the Taliban sitting on the ring-road, the south of Afghanistan is cut off from the center. They may eventually be evicted from the city but the attack is already a huge propaganda success for the Taliban and the negative moral effect on Afghan government forces will be huge. Another U.S. war that the empire obviously lost.

Right now Erdogan is holding a speech in Trabzon. He is defiant:

DAILY SABAH - @DailySabah
LIVE — President Erdoğan: The fluctuation in Turkish lira is a plot against Turkey, but Turkish people will not give in
LIVE — President Erdoğan: We might as well say goodbye to those who sacrifice their strategic partnership with a country of 81 million, alliance over 50 years for links with terror groups

Does that sounds like "Good bye NATO"? The Turkish military would not be happy with that. But by now it is presumably under Erdogan's full control.

Use as open thread ...

Posted by b on August 12, 2018 at 14:26 UTC | Permalink

Comments
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In the 1950's, the French were the colonial masters of Vietnam, an Expeditionary Force
sought to control the rebel forces in a large area, all the way to the highlands of Laos.
The invador detachment occupied a valley that interdicted logistics of the peasant army.

The idea of interdicting the logistics of a popular army is ridiculous on the face of it;
still, that was the way the French miliary command understood the fighting, a great error

Is history repeating itself? Anyway, can't the Taliban read Wikipedia or Berhard Fall?
Is the military scenario unfolding to the eye of a new Giáp? Chiến dịch Điện Biên Phủ?

Posted by: Guerrero | Aug 12 2018 15:09 utc | 1

Is history repeating itself? Anyway, can't the Taliban read Wikipedia or Berhard Fall?
Is this military scenario unfolding to the eye of a new Giáp? a new Điện Biên Phủ?

Posted by: Guerrero | Aug 12 2018 15:30 utc | 2

American military commanders are of course familiar with the famous battle as well;
this might be the manouevering phase, with the Taliban waiting for the right moment.

Posted by: Guerrero | Aug 12 2018 15:40 utc | 3

NATO is not the issue. It does not matter if Turkey remains or not, they did expel US troups during the Iraq war and they can do it again if they wish.

What matters is Russian/Turkish cooperation on Turkstream and cooperation with Iran on gas.

As imports to Turkey are mainly from China, Germany and Russia dealing in - devalued - Yuan and Roubles would help a lot. The fall of the Lira should be good for export and tourism.

So I guess Turkey has a chance to make it, however, to make your son in law finance minister is never a good idea to gain the trust of investors.

Posted by: somebody | Aug 12 2018 15:46 utc | 4

As to fighting in Ghazni, Afghanistan, the bbc reports 1 hour ago On Sunday, Lt Col Martin O'Donnell, US Forces Afghanistan spokesperson, said the Afghan army "continue to hold their ground and maintain control of all government centres".

This falls into the category of never believe a story until it is officially denied.


Posted by: ToivoS | Aug 12 2018 16:17 utc | 5

Today after 20 years the 5 countries bordering the Caspian Sea finaly signed an agreement. There are no military of 3rd countries allowed on the Caspian Sea. So, the rumors about an US military base can be but to rest, and the Iran gets more integrated in an additional economic association.

‘Milestone event’: Five states sign historic deal on status of Caspian Sea

Posted by: Fran | Aug 12 2018 16:18 utc | 6

"Another atrocity in Yemen, another day in Paradise in America".
And other new posts.
and portraits. Last of Viktor Orban, Hungarian PM.
https://me582.wordpress.com/

Posted by: veritas semper vincit | Aug 12 2018 17:54 utc | 7

thanks b... that tidbit on canada revenue agency removing charity status to the mosque in ottawa and possible connection to the shenanigans with ksa makes a lot of sense... as for the taliban - i think the usa needs al qaeda, isis and taliban to continue their warmongering, when they are not seeing nuclear nightmares in the other countries they deem unfriendly - iran, north korea, russia and etc... at some point the usa would benefit from taking a look in the mirror..

elijah j magneir has an article up from yesterday that some might enjoy reading.. getting iraq to do usa's foreign policy agenda is the ongoing story of occupation..

Posted by: james | Aug 12 2018 17:58 utc | 8

and yes - it doesn't sound like erdogan saying good bye to nato, but i would never rely on erdogan to not do another switcheroonie..

Posted by: james | Aug 12 2018 17:59 utc | 9

Nah! Erdogan will never play the NATO card! Only dumbass commentators like karlof1 think he'll do that. And what does he know? Not much, apparently.

Posted by: karlof1 | Aug 12 2018 18:11 utc | 10

@8 vsv - thanks for drawing my attention to the edgar cayce prediction which i searched and found on another site.. the cayce prediction is discussed below..

"In October of 2015, I wrote about this prophecy:

In a series of what he called ‘World Affairs Readings,’ Cayce made many remarkable statements about the future of world finance, world leadership, collective spirituality, and interestingly the role that somehow Russia was to play as a force of right in the coming global turmoil that we see unfolding before our eyes today.

Cayce foresaw that future world crises would hinge on finance, and he pointed to Russia as being the thorn in the side of the financial powers that were organizing themselves against the good of humanity in a post WWII world.

When asked in 1932 about political and economic trends in Europe Cayce zeroed in on Russia:

Europe is as a house broken up. Some years ago there was the experience of a mighty peoples being overridden for the gratification and satisfaction of a few, irrespective of any other man’s right. That peoples are going through the experience of being born again, and is the thorn in the flesh to many a political and financial nation in Europe, in the world… Q. What is the name of that nation referred to? A. Russia! (3976-8)”

Posted by: james | Aug 12 2018 18:12 utc | 11

james: i would never rely on erdogan to not do another switcheroonie..

Yeah, that's my beef with Erdogan also. He has proven to be a craven political manipulator AND a willing participant in Western machinations. Plus, he shows no sign of giving up his claim to Northern Syria and has chosen to make an issue of a pastor instead of Syrian sanctions (thus, he's holding back the vocal support that China-Russia-Iran need as such support would burn bridges with US/West). That's why I think he's just negotiating.

Maybe he's negotiating with BOTH sides but US/West can offer the deal that best lines the Sultan's pockets and ensures his position. IMO megalomaniac Erdogan will do what is best for himself.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Aug 12 2018 18:18 utc | 12

Turkey has a lot of US military aircraft which would need spare parts in the event Turkey breaks away from the US. Erdogan would have to sacrifice his airforce to break with the US.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_aircraft_of_the_Turkish_Air_Force

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Aug 12 2018 18:36 utc | 13

Peter AU@14

Iran still has operational F-4's and helicopters sold in the 70's by US. They are maintained thanks to reverse engineering. Turkey can fo the same, perhaps with help from Russia and China. Not saying they want to do so

Posted by: Pft | Aug 12 2018 19:12 utc | 14

If the uk,us were a person, a physiatrist would surely have certified them criminally insane by now ! Locked them up for there own protection and to protect the general public. Removing all sharp objects. Just saying !

Posted by: Mark2 | Aug 12 2018 19:46 utc | 15

The other impacting news of the week: How Trump has painted himself into a corner

Wednesday 8/7/2018
TRUMP TELLS TRADING PARTNERS: IF YOU DO BUSINESS WITH IRAN, YOU CAN'T DO BUSINESS WITH THE UNITED STATES
LINK

WALMART HD DOLLAR TREE LOEWS are on the red phone to 1600.

Yesterday 8/11/2018, the day recorded
Iran Sanctions Fallout: China Takes Over French Share In Giant Iran Gas Project
LINK


[.] To many the move had been expected, with only the details set to be ironed out. Recall that back in May we wrote that CNPC - the world's third largest oil and gas company by revenue behind Saudi Aramco and the National Iranian Oil Company - was set to take over a leading role held by Total in a huge gas project in Iran should the French energy giant decide to quit amid US sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

That finally happened when the Chinese energy giant took advantage of Trump's sanctions to step in the void left by the French major. As a reminder, Total signed a contract in 2017 to develop Phase II of South Pars field with an initial investment of $1 billion, marking the first major Western energy investment in the country after sanctions were lifted in 2016. South Pars has the world’s biggest natural gas reserves ever found in one place.

[.]And after then the French company said it would pull out unless it secured a U.S. sanctions waiver - which it was unable to do - in June, the deputy head of the National Iranian Oil Company, Gholamreza Manouchehri, said that CNPC would take over if Total were to walk away.

"China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) has replaced Total of France with an 80.1 percent stake in the phase 11 of the South Pars (gas field)," IRNA quoted Mohammad Mostafavi, director of investment of Iran’s state oil firm NIOC, as saying, although there was no immediate confirmation of the IRNA report by CNPC.[.]

So is China willing to risk Trump's wrath and suffer economic sanctions for taking over where Total left off? It certainly looks like it: back in May we wrote that CNPC will use its banking unit, Bank of Kunlun, as a funding and clearing vehicle if it takes over operation of South Pars. The bank was used to settle tens of billions of dollars worth of oil imports during the UN sanctions against Tehran between 2012 and 2015, and is thus well-equipped to skirt US sanctions.[.]

What's the payback for Trump? He insults close friends, and threatens his adversaries? Will he backpedal given the likely downing of U.S. supply chain?


Posted by: Likklemore | Aug 12 2018 20:23 utc | 16

Fran #6 Caspian Sea deal.

Hope this scuttles the plan of NATO to ship military kit to Afghanistan from Georgia to Azerbaijan and across Caspian Sea. Iran may have appeared to have conceded the most economically but would gain a lot of security. CENTCOM will not be happy.

Posted by: Tom | Aug 12 2018 20:35 utc | 17

Mark2@16

Consider that sanity might be an illusion created by false perceptions or the manipulations of Deep State propaganda. The Insane can not distinguish between fantasy and reality, but who controls our perceptions of reality?. Are the insane the elite controllers or the controlled who accept the controllers manufactured fantasy as their reality?

Is certitude of ones sanity not one of several indicators of insanity? If one questions one own sanity does this not suggest one is not insane?

Some things to consider for when the internet kill switch gets thrown and we are cut off from our "reality"

Posted by: Pft | Aug 12 2018 20:45 utc | 18

Mark2 16
The same can be said for almost every government. The truth is the Brits and the Yanks have the biggest wankers with the most firepower in charge, but the people themselves are no worse than anywhere else.

Posted by: dan | Aug 12 2018 20:50 utc | 19

zerohedge is tweeting now about Turkey imposing capital controls or similar.

Posted by: spudski | Aug 12 2018 20:58 utc | 20

A very busy week indeed. It looks like the world is dividing into two alliances: those who will follow the dictates on Iran and Russian sanctions and those who won't. We're in the prelude to a long winter of a cold war or a very hot one, depending on how the USA chooses to enforce those sanctions. Effectively at this point the upcoming sanctions would serve as the equivalent of a blockade. A blockade is an act of war. A much more lively August than any of us expected. The devil is never idle.

Miserable fat scheming twats like Karl Rove have nothing to look forward to on vacation and so delight in poisoning everyone else's. There's a whole warren of similar rats in the Trump administration and over at Langley which is why I mention Rove. While he's not in the current administration, he's a very visceral representation of what the world is up against until we put the neocons and PNACers out of business for good.

PS. I see nhs continues to post tracking links instead of direct links @7. b, I'd really appreciate it (and the rest of the tech savvy audience here would too) if you'd ban tracking links or more positively insist on direct links. Technically speaking all of nhs's posts should be held as he's a serial offender. You can either clean his links for him (sounds like as much fun as fixing his toilet for free) or just delete the comments which contain URL shorteners (tracking links). The latter would make encourage him to clean up his act fast. You'd be surprised how quickly inconsiderate, spying, spamming types like nhs would learn how to post direct links.

Posted by: Uncoy | Aug 12 2018 21:33 utc | 21

There is news that in early July, Viktoria Skripal was invited by A Just Russia Party to run for a seat in Yaroslavl regional elections and she accepted. No idea though if the elections have been held and Viktoria won or lost.

https://en.crimerussia.com/gover/niece-of-skripal-runs-for-yaroslavl-regional-duma-deputy/

Viktoria Skripal spoke to her cousin Julia by phone twice in July: the first time on the 4th, when the two argued and Julia blamed Viktoria for the publicity over the poisoning; the second time towards the end of the month, when Julia apologised to Viktoria after getting Internet access and reading what had been reported in the media. In one of these phone calls, Julia revealed her father was still using a breathing tube.

https://www.theblogmire.com/if-yulia-skripal-now-understands-everything-what-did-they-tell-her-before/

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/sergei-skripal-still-breathing-machine-12987411

Posted by: Jen | Aug 13 2018 0:25 utc | 22

Likklemore @17:

France must be kicking themselves for listening to the US. At this rate, China/Russia will take all the oil business, leaving Western companies sitting on the sidelines. On the other hand, I wonder if US O&G companies are waiting for other Western competitors to go bankrupt.


Uncoy @22:

US sanctions have already failed. Other nations will give lip service, then turn around to continue on whatever they were doing.

Posted by: Ian | Aug 13 2018 0:55 utc | 23

Ian @ 24

Come November we are spectators of the comeuppance.

Imho, US "prosperity" built on debt and avoiding the knock on the door. The Bailiff cometh. How does one go bankrupt? Slowly, then all at once.

We will see if Germany is turning east.
RT Link
US can’t force trade rules on others, Germany must invest more in Iran

Washington cannot dictate trade rules to others, Germany’s economy minister said, adding that his country should be more assertive and defy American sanctions – particularly by investing more in Iran.

“We don’t let Washington dictate [their will] on trade relations with other countries,” German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told Bild newspaper on Saturday. He said the US sanctions on Iran are one instance in which America’s neglect of its partners are clearly shown.[.]

Posted by: Likklemore | Aug 13 2018 2:28 utc | 24

spudski @21

zerohedge looks like a controlled opposition, a fake "alternative" website to me.

zerohedge is bashing China, Iran, etc while supporting Russia. TRUE alternative website won't be picking which countries mounting resistance against us regime to support.

zerohedge purposely didn't report on us regime controlling the rich in Venezuela hoarding foodstuffs and other daily necessities while on the other hand it is bashing Venezuela for being "socialist", "communist", etc.

zerohedge also got caught with pants down when it changes direction by supporting bitcoin while not so long ago it was bashing it.

What zerohedge doing is not different from western corporate media, cherry-picking news benefiting its own agenda.

While zerohedge think so highly of itself, it is nothing but a double-standard, racist hypocrite.

Posted by: Face The Fact | Aug 13 2018 3:34 utc | 25

Jackrabbit @13

Completely agree with you.

While it will be the best if erdogan truly ditches nato and go all the way with the east, he is an opportunist who might change his mind in the last minute.

Posted by: Face The Fact | Aug 13 2018 3:38 utc | 26

Likklemore@25

Only 1/3 of US debt is owed to foreigners and that is denominated in their own currency. They just print whatever is due.

A country with the land and natural resources the US has to go along with with its agricultural, human and military capital can never go bankrupt, especially when they control the debt collectors

As for Germany they are an occupied country, as are many countries. Between the military bases and CIA controlled NGO's they dance to whatever musuc is played. Some squawking is permitted for appearances sake so people can maintain their illusions of nationalist control.

I dont rule out a major financial adverse event in the US (and global) soon so the elite can profit off the collapse and shrink the wealth of the bottom 90%, but that wont affect much at all and much of the world will suffer in much the same way

When one looks at the major financial disasters over the last century, many seem to come in the 8th-9th year of the decade. After the elections we should see a great fall as bubbles are burst and the 17 trillion dollar + investment firms that maintain liquidity will swoop in and buy low. This time around the banks wont need a government bail out as the laws have authorized them to seize deposits like what was done in Greece.

Posted by: Pft | Aug 13 2018 3:40 utc | 27

@26 ftf

Zerohedge is unabashedly libertarian for better or worse. Just because they do their best to heap scorn on the tenets of socialism does not mean that they are controlled opposition. It is only so from your perspective of your ideological stance. Of course you would view them as controlled opposition if you want to impose a socialist order on the US. I am aiming much lower by merely hoping for a receding empire and multipolarity. Can zerohedge really be that bad if that is what they are pushing for as well?

For what it's worth, I am no fan of China's rampant theft of intellectual property and patent infringement. It is true that they have not played fair. OTOH, Russia has superior military technology through their own innovation, mostly, I would venture to guess, and the fact that they are a resurgent Christian nation gives them familiar and likeable status from the perspective of the antiglobalists, as I believe zerohedge identifies strongly with.

As for their Iranian coverage...I guess 2/3 ain't bad (though with Yemen, they are firmly calling out the whole bullying affair as terrorism by KSA and the US)...but from their perspective, I am assuming here, best to get in DJT's corner regardless as he has done more to unhitch the US wagon from the NWO by sowing dissension among allies.

More and more, I believe that is where the US is heading...and as b stated a while ago regarding a more isolationist stance, it is indeed a very welcome change.

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Aug 13 2018 5:24 utc | 28

@26 ftf

My mistake for writing "you" instead of "if one wanted to turn the US socialist." Bad assumption. My apology. If you meant that regarding your post, disregard this apology. ;)

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Aug 13 2018 5:38 utc | 29

Likklemore @25:

Sadly, it's going to be a long time before Germany regain their independence.


Face The Fact @26:

ZH ownership have changed over the years. IMO, they should never have strayed from their economic focus. A shame really, I've always enjoyed reading the comments but now it's a disgusting mess, like YouTube.

Posted by: Ian | Aug 13 2018 5:59 utc | 30

Thought for the day...
The Rent-a-Crowd critics of Jeremy Corbyn's alleged 'antisemitism' enjoy Freedom Of Screech.

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Aug 13 2018 6:51 utc | 31

@6 fran... thanks for sharing that.. i read it somewhere else and was going to comment about it, but see you have.. i think it is important to note at this juncture..

Posted by: james | Aug 13 2018 6:58 utc | 32

Posted by: Pft | Aug 12, 2018 11:40:17 PM | 28

Self delusion - any sovereign state can go bankrupt. Too many amerikans still fail to acknowledge the obvious, that those who call the shots at the Fed & Treasury feel no allegiance to anything outside of their personal situation.
When the time comes, as it inevitably will, that the amerikan ptb see a better result for themselves in letting the amerikan economy go down the drain cause they've all been shorting the buck or whatever, these types will be hard at work greasing the skids. People who live in the global south have been watching the scum of the earth bribe/blackmail local pols to enable the super rich to have easy access to their boltholes for more than 20 years.

Right now many of these types are getting out of bonds and into gold-backed, crypto and vast chunks of the global south's still resource rich land holdings. A 'stronger' dollar can hugely increase the equipment and manpower costs of installing local administrations sensitive to the concerns of the arseholes who have bought up vast resource deposits in the south.
The buck fails, then costs for staging a takeover become more affordable. Quick n dirty.
As soon as a relatively stable alternative means of buying, selling and keeping count becomes a reality the usual crew won't be able to stop themselves - an opportunity too good to miss that if they did forgo would cost em big. Say no more.

Posted by: Debsisdead | Aug 13 2018 8:06 utc | 33

Vis the Canada - KSA ding-dong, my big take from it all is the silence from other countries and lack of overt support. Not relly surprising, but even Germany stayed clear. What happens behind closed doors we do not know and the media is not telling. Business as usual!

Posted by: et Al | Aug 13 2018 10:58 utc | 34

et-Al @ 35.
At this stage Canada USA and Saudia Arabia should realise all three have been played /tricked by Israil into doing Israiles bidding, for Israiles benifit. This has been done useing the power and influence of the world bank the people who control that bank, plus there lobby groups/ and advisers close to trump.pulling the strings of all free countrys leaders purely for Israiles interest. Your country's should be run for the interest of the people in that country. Not for the benifit of a bank or a tiny little country squatting on Palestine territory .

Posted by: Mark2 | Aug 13 2018 12:10 utc | 35

Posted by: Mark2 | Aug 13, 2018 8:10:13 AM

You hit the nail on the head....shekels everywhere....

Posted by: notlurking | Aug 13 2018 12:26 utc | 36

it doesn't sound like erdogan saying good bye to nato

Posted by: طراحی سایت حرفه ای | Aug 13 2018 12:32 utc | 37

he, he, he....another one. He rejected offer than he order it, :‑O shock...he order it. Ah those Muslim's dictators...

http://www.euronews.com/2018/08/13/iran-s-leader-orders-governent-not-to-talk-to-u-s

Iran's leader orders government not to talk to US

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banned holding any direct talks with the United States, state TV reported, rejecting an offer last month by U.S.

He said "It was my mistake to allow the government for starting The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. I gave the permission for the negotiations because of the insistence of the gentlemen".

President Donald Trump for talks with no preconditions with Tehran.

"I ban holding any talks with America ... America never remains loyal to its promises in talks ... just gives empty words ... and never retreats from its goals for talks," Khamenei was quoted as saying by TV.

Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif told Al Jazeera that Iran will not change its policies in the Middle East because of US sanctions and threats.

Posted by: partizan | Aug 13 2018 12:50 utc | 38

Debsisdead @34

The only way the US goes bankrupt is if a calculated political decision is made to default on its loans. The decision won't be economic or financial. It will be a matter of choice done for calculated reasons. The first likely default, if any, would be the US government's refusal to repay the funds it borrowed from the social security system.

It would not be a lack of funds that would precipitate that event--the government essentially borrowed from itself when it made those loans and to repay itself is only a bookkeeping entry--it would be to destroy the public pension system.

Posted by: sleepy | Aug 13 2018 13:12 utc | 39

the video showing the yemeni kids playing on the bus moments before the bomb dropped
http://www.alalam.ir/news/3721241

Posted by: occidentosis | Aug 13 2018 13:52 utc | 40

@39 dont talk about something you understand nothing about.

"I wonder at the arrogance of a haughty and vain person. Yesterday he was only a drop of semen and tomorrow he will turn into a corpse. I wonder at the man who sees people dying around him and yet he has forgotten his end"

Posted by: occidentosis | Aug 13 2018 13:59 utc | 41

I think you are premature to call it over for the US in Afghanistan. The US is willing to stay in Afghanistan for as long as possible if it means preventing the Taliban from retaking the country. This is not Vietnam, the US public although weary does feel it is legitimate to stay and fight. Reinforcements sent raising troops from 15,000 to 20,000 can hold the Taliban from further gains.

Posted by: quote | Aug 13 2018 14:17 utc | 42

Good question.
Erdogan: “What is the cause of this storm? There is no economic reason. It’s an operation against #Turkey”

Maybe this.
https://twitter.com/HussainBukhaiti/status/1028195599575863296

Posted by: partizan | Aug 13 2018 15:06 utc | 43

the US killed 51 Yemeni on 11th August.

Turkish currency crisis on 12th August.

Posted by: partizan | Aug 13 2018 15:12 utc | 44

Another imperial crime in the US Overseas Territory.

https://twitter.com/BitarSaif/status/1028977314351198208

Probably Raytheon's Hellfire.

Posted by: partizan | Aug 13 2018 15:24 utc | 45

bus full of kids was a target of 500 pound bomb and probably f-16!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_82_bomb

Posted by: partizan | Aug 13 2018 15:39 utc | 46

@ Posted by: partizan | Aug 13, 2018 8:50:05 AM | 39

Oh, yeah, those evil "Muslim dictators" -- always interfering with elected governments foreign trade policies:

Mattis orders Brazil to distance itself from China (12 August 2018)

Posted by: vk | Aug 13 2018 15:40 utc | 47

forced capitalism is so much better than 'forced' socialism. IN fact socialism is what most people want, though they don't want it by that demonized name

Posted by: paul | Aug 13 2018 15:53 utc | 48

I guess you are right. But that is false dilemma, like "lesser evil".

You must be have read Hannah Arendt's Origin of Totalitarianism (financed by CIA). Now we have a notion that Stalin and Hitler
are equally murderous. Go figure.

Posted by: partizan | Aug 13 2018 16:15 utc | 49

https://twitter.com/evoespueblo/status/1028788332778672128

Terrible news Samir Amin died. :(

Posted by: partizan | Aug 13 2018 16:27 utc | 50

These days don't trust the label on the tin ! It's what's in the tin that counts, good or bad ! If it's bad the quicker you chuck it out the better ! I swear the western stench is truly unbearable !!!

Posted by: Mark2 | Aug 13 2018 16:31 utc | 51

… the sound of motors … the roar of exhausts … public transport drivers … they are protesting with their horns: ¡pip, piip! … drivers with private cars make as if they were angry: ¡¡¡Pi, piii, piiiiiiiiiii, piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, piiiii!!!! … these folks have conformed to the law of money … i have not understood this force … maybe it’s because … there is almost no money … in my home town … money doesn’t affect poor persons as much … as it does the people here … they look more worried than poor people … they seem preocupied … palid … but …the sun shines hard on Iguala … here come… more persons … over the sidewalks … also hurried … with all that they still have to sell or buy… and this is before the rain comes … it’s gathering in the mountains now …

Posted by: Guerrero | Aug 13 2018 16:34 utc | 52

46

Maybe had the "snake eye" tail fins.

CIA Wikipedia explains to its readers that American-made, General Dynamics brand bombs are really cool, streamlined, customizable and that thousands of them are sold to some countries. And that thousands of them are dropped on various other countries.

Not one word about killing - anyone or any thing. Especially civilian peasants, mothers and fathers; and children in school buses.

Posted by: fastfreddy | Aug 13 2018 16:40 utc | 53

17

It's entirely possible that Trump is using China as a 'straw dog' to institute his illegal 25% Fed VAT sales tax slush fund (aka 'tariffs') in order to plunge-protect the $800B deficit crack his No Taxes for the Rich created. 25% tariff on a China that pays labor $120 a MONTH will have zero MAGA, but generate $100Bs of unaccounted for slush. Then the South China Sea bit has always seemed to me just a way to grow the Pentagon budget, so they can plunge-protect their own $100Bs crack in MIA funds, as is Pence's Space Command bit, when we already have a MDA!

Big Oil may use more that military adventurism in MENA to control EurAsia. They may prefer China instead of Total in Iran. After all, China invested $110,000,000 in Trump Empire. 'There is the known known, and there is the unknown unknown. It may take 5 days, or 5 weeks. Certainly no more than 5 months.' The Chosen of MAGA are totally unaccountable. I would take nothing at face value.

Posted by: Chipnik | Aug 13 2018 16:52 utc | 54

52

Big fan of your anecdotal onsite real-time expositions.

Posted by: Chipnik | Aug 13 2018 16:56 utc | 55

Main export product of USA , UK and Israil ? Mass murder profiting only mass murder's. Second main export ? Curuption and destablisation of other country's benefiting the banks !!!

Posted by: Mark2 | Aug 13 2018 17:01 utc | 56

Paul Craig Roberts has an interesting article asking why Russia and China - who hold all the cards in his view - are not doing much in response to the US trade war(s). Neoliberalism.
https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2018/08/12/the-self-imposed-impotence-of-the-russian-and-chinese-governments/

Posted by: spudski | Aug 13 2018 19:15 utc | 57

@spudski. I believe Russia sees the sanctions for what they are. A crude attempt to provoke them into a hasty reaction. It is virtually certain they won’t react in a childish or inconsidered way. Paul Craig Roberts is well behind the curve when it comes to what is believed about the west in Russia politics. A clue might be in the fact they have just reduced their $ reserves to 14 billion, down from nearly 200 4 or so years ago. Like Iran, the Russians know the U.S.A. Is about as reliable as a third hand condom and just as classy.

Posted by: Beibdnn. | Aug 13 2018 20:33 utc | 59

The terrific, genuinely left-wing/socialist site, Popular Resistance has a take on the recent BRICS meeting in South Africa worth considering.

Yes, BRICS is deeply, even systemically aligned with the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund.

As South African president (and mining tycoon) Cyril Ramaphosa put it, “We confirmed our commitment to the World Trade Organisation, as the most effective mechanism available to ensure a rules-based transparent, non-discriminatory, open and inclusive multilateral trading system.” In late 2015, the BRICS signed on to the last major revision of world trade rules in Nairobi – which effectively terminated the prospect for food sovereignty remaining a public policy option.

The BRICS were at the same time in the process of establishing the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) as a supposed alternative to the IMF but upon closer examination, once a country borrows 30% of its quota from that fund, it must go to the IMF and get a structural adjustment programme to access the remaining 70%

“The expert group suggests a voluntary network of well-established credit rating agencies registered in each of the BRICS nations be formed.”

Posted by: Daniel | Aug 13 2018 20:44 utc | 60

This may be an important new book:

Giants: The Global Power Elite, follows in the tradition of C. Wright Mills’ work the Power Elite, which was published in 1956.

Giants reviews the transition from nation state power elites, as described by Mills, to a transnational power elite centralized on the control of global capital around the world. The global power elite function as a non-governmental network of similarly educated, wealthy people with common interests of managing, and protecting concentrated global wealth and insuring its continued growth. Global power elites influence and use international institutions controlled by governmental authorities like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), World Trade Association (WTO), G-7, G-20, and others.

The top 17 of these trillion-dollar investment management firms—which I call the Giants— controlled $41.1 trillion dollars in 2017. These firms are all directly invested in each other and managed by only 199 people who are the decision makers on how and where global capital will be invested.

The global power elite are self-aware of their existence as a numerical minority in the vast sea of impoverished humanity. Roughly 80% of the world’s population lives on less than ten dollars a day and half live on less than three dollars a day.


Posted by: Daniel | Aug 13 2018 20:50 utc | 61

Posted by: Peter AU 1 @ 13

"Turkey has a lot of US military aircraft which would need spare parts in the event Turkey breaks away from the US."

Yep. Should we watch for Iran/Contra take two? (spare parts for US jets and other weaponry was one of the first deliveries made to the Ayatollah's Iran... through Israel.... in early 1981.)

Posted by: Daniel | Aug 13 2018 21:14 utc | 62

Debsisdead @ the Masoically-meaningful comment #33.

Yes! The PTSB have zero allegiance to any nation-state. Any allegiance they do have is to the supra-national financial cabal. This has been true for some of the bankster dynasties for centuries, but has metastasized to become ubiquitous in the ruling elitists for decades.

Posted by: Daniel | Aug 13 2018 21:34 utc | 63

Debisdead@33

Sovereign states can not go bankrupt. Only non sovereign states whose currencies are not truly fiat (pegged to other currencies or gold)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/pascalemmanuelgobry/2012/10/19/no-the-united-states-will-not-go-into-a-debt-crisis-not-now-not-ever/#720ef0da2a86

Dont confuse bankruptcy with financial depressions in the US created by the PTB. As i pointed out these are regularly orchestrated by them to profit by

Your point on how the elite are not nationalists but globalists is one I have made a number of times. Daniel just linked to an upcoming book "Giants " that I had linked to the other day in another thread on this subject. That said the US is a safe base for the PTB and one of the worlds great tax havens. They control the government, media and the worlds currency and the military is directed to defend their markets. They wont get a better deal elsewhere

Posted by: Pft | Aug 13 2018 21:54 utc | 64

@ 28 Nemesis Calling

Excellent analysis of Zerohedge. What is interesting about libertarians in relation to Latin America is they masquerade their neocolonial thinking with criticisms of socialism. Like the Borg they can't help thinking of Latin America as their backyard, to do with as they wish.

Posted by: Lochearn | Aug 13 2018 22:17 utc | 65

Pft @ 64
Never do a deal with the devil ! May seem like a good deal, but it will cost you your soul !!!

Posted by: Mark2 | Aug 13 2018 22:22 utc | 66

PCR makes the point , perhaps not as bluntly as I, that China and Russia are basically under neoliberal control. Neoliberalism is the religion of the Global Elite who have penetrated and recruited Russians and Chinese.

https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2018/08/12/the-self-imposed-impotence-of-the-russian-and-chinese-governments/

The conflicts we see, real or not, serve a purpose. Neoliberalism causes distress for the bottom 90% not only in the West but Russia and China as well. The best way to prevent your population from turning on you is to give them a foreign enemy . This works for China and Russia as much as it does for the US. This also diverts funds available for social welfare to military. Russia for example spends more as a percentage of GDP on military than the US.

As Trump would say this perceived conflict is "winning" for all.

In Orwells 1984 we saw a world with perpetual conflict between 3 great powers fighting to exploit the resources of the rest of the world. No matter that enemies would frequently change sides and become allies and require history to be rewritten. Yesterday Russia was a partner and today an enemy. So maybe this is the New New World Order. The GWOT sort of fizzled out although served a useful purpose to converting much of the world into police states curtailing privacy and basic rights not to mention the chaos is the Middle East

The NWO is a living ideology and constantly evolving. Unfortunately it seems to be descending Jacobs ladder and not ascending.

Posted by: Pft | Aug 13 2018 22:40 utc | 67

@Pft | Aug 12, 2018 11:40:17 PM | 27

A country with the land and natural resources the US has to go along with with its agricultural, human and military capital can never go bankrupt, especially when they control the debt collector

That is almost true if "bankruptcy" is narrowly defined. However, being technically non-bankrupt doesn't mean the U.S. won't suffer greatly.

[The U.S. just prints] whatever is due.

That's what the Weimar Germans thought they could do in the 1920s, that they could pay off their debts by printing money. They got hyperinflation.

The U.S. dollar will also hyper-inflate when (not if) the rest of the world stops accepting the printed currency. And the U.S. will be forced to keep printing: the debt -- whether it's owed domestically or to foreigners -- is just too gigantic to repay in any honest fashion. Therefore, hyperinflation is very likely. Probably with that in mind, the Russians have already dumped their dollars. And the Chinese have trimmed their dollar exposure from over $3 trillion to $1 trillion.

@Debsisdead | Aug 13, 2018 4:06:14 AM | 33

Self delusion - any sovereign state can go bankrupt.

Agree, if we use "bankrupt"'s more common meaning of "crash".

Posted by: Cyril | Aug 13 2018 23:29 utc | 68

Spudski @ 57: Thanks for the link. A so true excerpt from Roberts:

"Neoliberal economics is a hoax, and the Russians have fallen for it."

"So have the Chinese"

Don't 'ya just wish some country with the where-with-all would "grow a pair" and push back against the BS spewed daily by the moron-in-chief?

Posted by: ben | Aug 14 2018 0:00 utc | 69

More from the Roberts link at #57:

"Turkey is a perfect opportunity for Russia and China to step forward and remove Turkey from NATO. The two countries could offer Turkey membership in BRICS, trade deals, and mutual security treaties. China could easily buy up the Turkish currency off foreign exchange markets. The same could be done for Iran. Yet neither Russia nor China appear capable of decisive action. The two countries, both under attack as Turkey is from Washington, sit there sucking their thumbs. "

This link really needs to be read. It's absolutely spot on....

Posted by: ben | Aug 14 2018 0:10 utc | 70

Cyril@68

The reasons for Weimars hyperinflation was due to enormous war debts and reparations payable in hard currency or foreign currency, and not paper Marks. It did not have enough gold or foreign exchange reserves to cover the Versailles reparations or maintain faith in its war debt. So the paper marks were devalued as more paper marks were issued to rebuild Germany which was devastated by War. Compounding the issue was a shortage of goods in supply which by itself caused inflation

The US situation is not even close to that of Weimar Germany. Oversupply of goods, dollars hoarded by the top 1%, debt payable in USD and not foreign currency. The low inflation of the past decade in the face of vast printing of dollars is proof of this

China and Russias combined USD holdings is 6% of US GDP and less than 20% of US foreign debt, and only 5% of its total debt. China has a large investment in USD denominated assets that they dont want to risk. In fact the world has over 20 trillion invested in USD denominated assets in the US beyond debt. USD is too big to fail unless the global elite collectively choose to do so

Posted by: Pft | Aug 14 2018 1:04 utc | 71

Michael Hudsons new book release of "…and forgive them their debts" has coincidentally or not been delayed until after the US election

http://michael-hudson.com/2018/08/and-forgive-them-their-debts/

I suspect he was forced to tone it down a bit from this

http://michael-hudson.com/2017/12/he-died-for-our-debt-not-our-sins/

I guess I just have to wait and see.

Hudson has been trying to educate the Chinese on the evils of neoliberalism, hope they are listening

Posted by: Pft | Aug 14 2018 1:27 utc | 72

Pft @67. That's pretty much exactly as I see it. And I would say, how the facts describe it as well.

The article I linked @60 goes into some detail in how bought into the neoliberal/globalist scheme are Russia and China (and all the BRICS).

I've also pointed out other articles about how the IMF/World Bank are fully invested into the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. From the AIIB website:

From the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank website:

We have signed a co-financing framework agreement with the World Bank.

We have also signed Memorandums on joint cooperation and co-financing with… the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank… and the World Bank Group.

AIIB Press Release: Washington, April 23, 2017

“World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President Jin Liqun today signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation and knowledge sharing between the institutions.

The memorandum of understanding provides an overall framework for cooperation between the World Bank Group and AIIB in common areas of interest, including development financing, staff exchanges, and analytical and sector work. It paves the way for the two institutions to further enhance coordination at the regional and country levels. “


Posted by: Daniel | Aug 14 2018 2:01 utc | 73

@Pft 7

US debt levels are projected to reach astronomical levels and Medicare will run out of money in 2026, social security will run out of money in 2034.

Pension funds are also massively underfunded.

In 2028 anual budget deficits will be 7% of gdp and the interest paid on debt will be 1 trillion $ per year, bigger than the military budget. These are massive numbers. Unfunded liabilities are 200 trillion dollars and growing. And all of those debts are projected to continue to increase until the country bankrupts itself. And all of those numbers are projected if there are no recessions in the future. In other words the real situation will be way worse.

Meanwhile the US is projected to become economy number 3 in 2050 (smaller than China and India) which means that the US dollar will lose its reserve currency status.

Posted by: T | Aug 14 2018 2:37 utc | 74

@Pft | Aug 13, 2018 9:04:28 PM | 71

The reasons for Weimars hyperinflation was due to enormous war debts and reparations payable in hard currency or foreign currency, and not paper Marks. It did not have enough gold or foreign exchange reserves to cover the Versailles reparations or maintain faith in its war debt. So the paper marks were devalued as more paper marks were issued to rebuild Germany which was devastated by War. Compounding the issue was a shortage of goods in supply which by itself caused inflation

Nice try at obscuring the fundamental issue. My point was that hyperinflation occurs when the rest of the world refuses to take your printed currency -- and you keep printing. Which will happen to the U.S.


Posted by: Cyril | Aug 14 2018 2:54 utc | 75

@NemesisCalling 28

Is there ANY guarantee that us regime is not stealing ANY intellectual properties from other countries including China?

us regime doesn't have any moral high ground to play victims and accusing other countries of doing anything bad, not playing fair, etc since it more often than not, turns out they are doing it on larger scale, in (much) more sophisticated ways.

Take the subsidy issue for example, anyone knows that us agricultural products are heavily subsidized. I don't need to point out that bottles of plain water for example, are more often than not is more expensive than the carbonated ones.

There is no such thing guaranteeing a country of being completely, 100% invent/create/build something out of nothing since later inventions are built upon earlier ones.

There is also spying factor making it even more difficult to pinpoint how much info are stolen from others. Immigration factor such as engineers/scientists migrating to other countries also needs to be considered - think of ex-nazi engineers building us rocket industry. etc, etc.

I can argue that soccer ball for example was invented during Song dynasty in China and FIFA should pay royalty fee to China which of course is not happening since there is no patent law at that time. What about paper? What about gunpowder? There are also other stories such as monks smuggling silkworm eggs to Byzantine.

BETTER alternative websites are not judging countries defending their national interests against us regime and its ilk based on their religion, ethnicity, ideology, etc.

Want another example? eurasiafuture is one of them. Even when I personally don't agree with how they are still portraying trump in a somewhat positive way (It is much more likely that trump is just a figurehead, reading from prepared scripts), at least they are not picking up which countries defending their national interests (against us regime and its ilk) to support.

And yes, since this website is also not cherry-picking countries to support against us regime and its ilk, it is also one of the better alternatives.

Posted by: Face The Fact | Aug 14 2018 3:25 utc | 76

T @74. First, I fully expect a global economic depression.. at least in the Western part of the globe. I also fully expected runaway inflation in the US as a result of QE, but we apparently "offshored" much of our debt and inflation, delaying but I doubt avoiding it.

But I must correct your Social Security claim. Currently, the SS trust is fully funded until 2034. But it wouldn't suddenly go bankrupt then. At that point, it would pay out 75% of its benefits.

When I was in my 30s, we were told that SS would go bankrupt before I reached retirement age. But then, President Reagan and Speaker of the House O'Neill worked out a deal that fully funded SS for another 1/2 century.

Today, we could fully fund SS for the foreseeable future simply by lifting the "cap." That is, require the same rate to be paid into the fund on all income. Currently, workers only pay into the fund on the first $130,000 they make... and "unearned income" slides completely. So, basically, working people pay a much higher rate than rich people.

So, not even "progressive" fees, but a simple "flat" rate would secure Social Security in perpetuity.

Posted by: Daniel | Aug 14 2018 3:25 utc | 77

@Daniel

The Social Security problem can not be fixed due to demographic changes; this isn't America from the 80s. Back then the population was very young and there were few retirees.

Such demographic changes never happened in human history.

Simply put, there will be more and more old people and less and less young people, and this change will continue until everything goes down. When at some point you have 50 percent of the population above 65, that simply can not be sustained (unless you eutanise them). The situation is even worse in Europe and Japan. So the older population will keep growing and keep growing and keep growing until..

Posted by: T | Aug 14 2018 4:05 utc | 78

Face The Fact @76:

"Is there ANY guarantee that us regime is not stealing ANY intellectual properties from other countries including China?"

Given what I've read from Wikileaks and the revelations from Snowden, NONE.

Posted by: Ian | Aug 14 2018 4:34 utc | 79

@ben 70

Here's an article giving some insight of why Russia often does not act like what the alt-media expected.
thesaker.is/no-5th-column-in-the-kremlin-think-again

As for China, this is the blowback of China's policy of sending students to western countries. Some of these returnees having high positions in the government idolizing anything "western" are being too lenient towards the west despite west irrationality while there are others despite having educated overseas prioritize China's interest.

The same can also be said of pollution in China, being the blowback of rapid industrialization. And yet, if China take too much time to industrialize by overly worrying about the environment then it will be too late by then for China to be truly independent since the west was leading by decades or even centuries ahead. Even now, us regime is already preparing for the next step of its plan, by trying to weaponize outer space.

As for PCG, I want to criticize him for being supportive of trump as if trump is "still fighting" against the establishment despite his dismal records. It is much more likely that trump like his predecessors are nothing but figureheads with no real power.

That's why trump personally has grudging respects towards Xi by calling him "King of China" and also towards Putin despite of us policy towards those countries.

Posted by: Face The Fact | Aug 14 2018 4:55 utc | 80

rampant intellectual robbery wouldn't happen if you actually developed proprietary products instead of Amazon and McDonald's.

most companies go to China only seeking to piece together products and then print their logos on it. a very large majority are wholesalers. the screws in ur apple products were made in r.o.c. before the owner had to go to China it is not Foxconn. he researched and developed and manufactured his own screws with special coke from near china and the metals from China. and apple took their entire expertise and placed their logo on it. in exchange for money. this is called business but the other way around is called rampant theft... business is dirty. America did develop a sort of business it's called printing money and killing small businesses. the inflation has been put on check by China imports and Mexican laborers. and now the finale frack to become petroleum producer.....how many Americans really know how to drill oil... how many really know how to refine it. and where does the catalyst and petroleum anhydrous material come from? very few.

Russia is building up its country and infrastructure with this oil money. where is the USA money going?I suspect the us is plugging holes with this money mainly paying interests to the moneychangers with it who will fund their projects and generals. I definitely don't see new projects unless u consider maintenance on the Boston tunnel a project worth getting paid for.

Posted by: Jason | Aug 14 2018 5:36 utc | 81

...
As for PCG, I want to criticize him for being supportive of trump as if trump is "still fighting" against the establishment despite his dismal records. It is much more likely that trump like his predecessors are nothing but figureheads with no real power.

That's why trump personally has grudging respects towards Xi by calling him "King of China" and also towards Putin despite of us policy towards those countries.
Posted by: Face The Fact | Aug 14, 2018 12:55:54 AM | 80

I love it when Trump critics get their noses out of joint when the manner and sequence of His plan to Drain The Swamp isn't obvious and doesn't comply with their own Would-a Could-a Should-a daydreams.
All US Citizens had the opportunity, theoretically, to Drain The Swamp as POTUS but Trump was the only one with the balls to give it a try. That fact, alone, makes it worth extending Him the benefit of the doubt until he DOES something Hillary-ish. It hasn't become Traditionally Boring yet and is unlikely to do so.

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Aug 14 2018 6:13 utc | 82

The western banks, governments and business interests are mainly interested in cheap labour from China. This benefits all three at the detriment of the general public, dragging wages down to the bare minimum in western country's. Selve interested greed at the direct cost to western voters. There not doing what's best for you, but what's best short term for them! The working class west right now has been rendered obsolete and personally unviable as human beings!
It also does not help the poorer country's encourageing vertual slave labour, hidden outsourcing without rule or regulation.
I don't admire the blind optimism of the trumpites here or elsewhere. That's the mind set that will see us pushed over the cliff. The mind set that led to hitler, the lets waite and see .how does that help us when we'v got cancer!!

Posted by: Mark2 | Aug 14 2018 8:50 utc | 83

Cyril @ 75:

Pft @ 67 is correct - the Weimar government in Germany in the early 1920s certainly did print too much money but did so to pay off the war debts it inherited plus the reparations demanded by the British and the French. On top of that, reparations had to be paid in gold or in foreign currency, not paper money.

In 1914, the Germans gambled that the war against France would end in a quick decisive victory, just as they had beaten the French back in 1871, forcing the downfall of Emperor Napoleon III. Hence they borrowed money - and kept on borrowing money as the war progressed - rather than raise taxes or introduce income tax as some other countries (like France and the US) did. The German decision to finance the war by taking on debt proved to be disastrous.

So in order to get the hard currency to pay both the debt and the reparations, the Weimar government kept on printing paper money.

What's more important though is how Weimar Germany ended hyperinflation (creating a new central bank, issuing a new currency pegged to the gold standard, and the Dawes Plan, in which US banks lent Germany money to pay off its debt and other obligations - and Britain and France paid US banks - in what eventually turned out to be everyone's downfall once the Great Depression hit) and what lessons Germany learned from that episode.

Posted by: Jen | Aug 14 2018 11:13 utc | 84

@ Posted by: spudski | Aug 13, 2018 3:15:29 PM | 57

Russia is neoliberal, but China isn't. China is socialist.

There are many reasons China not only is not neoliberal (never was), but that it is not capitalist at all (by capitalism meaning a society where capital is dominant, which doesn't mean it is non-existent). I will just lay out two reasons.

1) China uses "fixed" currency (that is, the government openly determines how much the Renminbi must value at a certain point in time). That alone excludes, antagonistically, every version of neoliberalism, which preches for freely fluctuating currencies all the time.

2) An historical exercise: in 1975, Brazil and China had virtually the same GDP (with Brazil, obviously, having a much bigger per capita GDP). After 1975, they took completely, opposite paths to economic development. Since we know Brazil took the genuine, Washington Consensus, version of neoliberalism since then (there proto-neoliberalism until 1986, then neoliberalism proper) and we all know the difference between Brazil and China is the difference between water and wine, we can infer that either neoliberalism is an umbrella definition that is completely useless or that China followed a polar opposite solution to neoliberalism.

Posted by: vk | Aug 14 2018 14:38 utc | 85

An interesting video of the aftermath of the 2008 war instigated by Georgia. The Russians captured loads on new NATO equipment - weapons and telecomms - along with textual and video documentation. The Georigans filmed themselves deliberately firing tanks shells at civilian buildings in order to burn them down to the ground. The Israelis also cooperated with the Georgians to destroy the Jewish quarter in Tskhinvali - presumably after looting the religious texts and artefacts. The Georgians made no attempt to destroy weapons and secret materials as they were routed. It seems like they were expecing it to be a 'slam-dunk'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-EIuAG0VCQ

Posted by: Yonatan | Aug 14 2018 15:07 utc | 86

vk @85
Still, the really important thing is: Is China capitalist or not? Being capitalist but not fully neoliberal is a minor point, if the country is still fully committed to capitalism as such, even an apparently less inhumane version. That'd be pretty much the same level of difference between a Catholic and an Orthodox - both are still believers and still Christian.

Posted by: Clueless Joe | Aug 14 2018 15:30 utc | 87

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-EIuAG0VCQ

Posted by: Yonatan | Aug 14, 2018 11:07:09 AM | @86

It is so funny how the Georgian solders were addicted to selfies; the fact that that they
were directly implicating themselves in serious war crimes evidently never crossed their minds!
The wry humor of the Russian military narrator is precious. For sure: a recommendable documentary.

Posted by: Guerrero | Aug 14 2018 16:05 utc | 88

@87 Clueless Joe, 85 vk

A good read is the book by Jeff Brown - an undisputed expert on China - called, "China is Communist, Dammit"

Another way to understand China's system is to read Ramin Mazaheri's 8-part series at the Saker. I'll offer the last piece because it contains all the links to the previous seven. The whole series is eye-opening, and I strongly recommend that interested readers go to the beginning and read all the pieces. China’s only danger: A ‘Generation X’ who believes they aren’t communist

Mazaheri quotes extensively from Brown, and also from the prevailing western propaganda, to show that we know nothing about China, and that it's time to learn. We should learn because what China is doing with its socialist society and economy is a new thing. Just as Iran's socialist economy and society are a new thing.

What the socialist countries are doing with their nations is demonstrating how to live with sustainable security in this world using socialist principles and tested methods. Their examples offer perhaps the only hope I can see for a better world in the future.

Posted by: Grieved | Aug 14 2018 16:12 utc | 89

@78 how convenient for you to ignore the 1% superrich, who own what, 50% of the nation's total wealth now? Trump and the Rupugnants continue to give them even more tax breaks and more of a break. How can we have social security in a neofeudalist country? Of course it's going to collapse eventualy.

Posted by: aaaa | Aug 14 2018 16:14 utc | 90

Facebook's anonymous censors take down Latin America's Telesur, and nothing can stop them
https://on.rt.com/9cdi

Posted by: test | Aug 14 2018 16:14 utc | 91

76

An American business associate of mine had a heart attack and died in Shanghai trying to sell the environmental technology he developed, only to see the same technology sold back into the US by a Chinese IPR thief. He said bitterly, "You will only sell one unit into China."

Another brilliant technology associate sold single units in different config all over China on different environmental projects, but he used custom grabbed chips and flashed firmware to beat the IPR thief. Still China demanded the chip design, so he never sold more than those single units.

Another business associate resorted to a secure control room inside the pilot plant they built for China. No Chinese were allowed in or out of the control room and the software was compiled into machine language before it left his country. China demanded he train Chinese control room operators, so even though the pilot plant exceeded its objectives, and the sale would have been huge, he walked away, rather than lose IPR.

Another business associate of mine was in China scouting for surplus mobile cranes from China's tapered building boom. He found a low-hours 150T crane for a low asking price, and giddy with the promise of a huge commission, called the US OEM for the operational history report. The US OEM said no such crane existed in their inventory, it had been completely reverse-engineered in China.

Now one anecdote, maybe two, you might scoff, but these are personal associate tech leader stories laughing and shaking our heads over dinner, not conspiracy theory on Alex Jones.

China has an IPR theft reputation that is well-deserved. You will only ever sell one unit in China.


Posted by: Chipnik | Aug 14 2018 16:16 utc | 92

@92 From my own 2nd hand experiences, everything you said is completely valid. Chinese corporate espionage is rampant.
With that said, they are merely exploiting the insanity of our capitalist setup. American MBAs and economists have had no problem destroying American jobs with outsourcing.

Posted by: aaaa | Aug 14 2018 16:31 utc | 93

83

China pays their factory workers $120 a MONTH and bunks them 6 to a room, in some cases, 'hot bunks' them in shifts, 12 to the room. The US is fighting for a $15 an hour minimum wage, that's $2,500 a month, 20x the Chinese worker salary.

Now, I've heard stats anywhere from 40:60 to 20:80 for labor:materials ratio, lets use the worst case, China can bring in FINISHED PRODUCTS for the equivalent of $1000 a month, or 40% of just US labor costs alone. Add Trump's illegal 25% Fed VAT sales tax, that's still ONE HALF of US labor alone, and plenty of markup for US retailers to keep buying China.

Trump's just building an *unaccounted for* Fed VAT slush fund to paper over his -$800B Deficit from No Taxes for the Rich, and that's why next month he'll sign the next $1,500B Omnibus Debt Bill Two, pushing US Debt to $23,000B, as the private Fed Bank interest-only ... FOREVER ... debt service is set to climb to a HALF TRILLION A YEAR sucked out of health and human services.

Young American factory workers might as well take opioids, play shuffle-board and sing Nearer My God to Thee. The Pentagon sure as hell is only interested in 'defending' (sic) Big MIC, as Trump just signed yet another huge budget increase today.

Get on the Blue Team, or die trying.


Posted by: Chipnik | Aug 14 2018 16:38 utc | 94

China's approach and mindset to "intellectual property" would come as no surprise to anyone with a basic knowledge of the history of silk-making: top technologies should be highly protected and regulated, and never allowed to be easily copied by other societies and countries.
For instance, I'm still amazed at the sheer idiocy of liberal Germans who destroyed their whole solar-power industry just because of ideological beliefs into free-trade. In any self-respecting society, the fools who fucked up big time would've been lynched.

Posted by: Clueless Joe | Aug 14 2018 17:03 utc | 95

Chipnik @ 94
Say's someone who puts a link to a snuff video in his comments be warned readers this person is a psychopath . A plausible fantasist.

Posted by: Mark2 | Aug 14 2018 17:09 utc | 96

@95 The solar industry is/was predicated upon infuriating schemes that involve making green-washing capitalists rich in exchange for providing their unreliable and overpriced electricity to the public. Chinese businessmen, once again, exploited the industry to their own advantage.
I can't blame China for their activities, because in one sense, piracy is a good thing if it liberates technology from the few in exchange for the many. The downside is that the workers of the world get screwed over. Ultimately, Western zero-sum greed undoes itself.

China's activities (assuming this is the case) in Eurasia and Africa indicate a more nuanced view of trade - they create a market as they supply their own market, rather than military blackmail and exploitive colonization

Posted by: aaaa | Aug 14 2018 17:20 utc | 97

@89 Grieved

What the socialist countries are doing with their nations is demonstrating how to live with sustainable security in this world using socialist principles and tested methods. Their examples offer perhaps the only hope I can see for a better world in the future.

Then the felony was forged. April 10, 1919, Zapata, calm, accompanied by a small escort went to an appointment with Colonel Guajardo in the Chinameca hacienda. There, the welcoming troops presented arms, simulating to pay honor to the strong man; and shot him in the back, point blank.

Yet in Guerrero, even before this blow fell, the influence of the Zapatista movement had reached its limit and was receding, because well-heeled financial, political and military elements of the Carrancistas had been forging alliances with the large land owners, merchants, politicians, mercenaries, money lenders, foreigners, mining operations and port authorities.

When they considered that the greatest danger had passed, these interests resumed their familiar lucrative privileges and exploitation over the peasant and indigenous population of the state and, for the moment, the effects of the Revolution were not translated into socioeconomic benefits for the people. The new bosses were the same ones who had exploited them before the Revolution; however, now they reigned with some respect.

Mexicans had to wait until the 1930’s and the six years of the Presidency of Lazaro Cardenas, when the land repartition and other decisions of social justice were given, in a reading of the Mexican Constitution, similar to the reading President Franklin Delanor Roosevelt, gave to the Constitution of the United States.

The Mexican Constitution has indeed been most welcome in the South since it invited the diverse communities to develop in accordance with their own respectable traditions. The idea of having a right by law is generally pleasing to the common citizen, and it is conditioning the population to become constructive and cooperative.

Article 2 states that Mexico is pluricultural, and that indigenous peoples own their own cultural identity and that it is protected by law. Article 3 of the Constitution states that every Mexican has the right to education and that which the State imparts must tend to develop all the faculties of the human being, including love for the country and respect for the rights of its citizens.

Additionally, a Labor Law was established governing employer employee relations and guaranteeing the rights and benefits of the workers and the obligations of employers. Article 1 states: Slavery is prohibited in the United Mexican States. Foreign slaves who enter the national territory will, by that fact alone, attain their freedom and the protection of the laws.

Article 27 of Mexico's Constitution begins thus: The ownership of lands and waters included within the limits of the national territory, correspond originally to the Nation.

So, apparently, Mexico has the resources to do what it wants and the people have already paid their share of blood in the Revolution; it was supposed that, on account of the sacrifices of her patriots, Mexican rights were universally regarded as well-earned.

In southeast post revolutionary Mexico, in 1923, in Tabasco, in the first free textbooks of primary school, printed on the first page the following legend of encouragement:

The human being is a social being. Anyone who isolates himself is selfish. Those who want to have everything for themselves, and those who try to monopolize land and money in a few hands, impoverish everything and bring general discontent and misery to the majority. The worker must alternate between tools and books, between workshop and cornfield and the school so that, by cultivating his intelligence and forming his sensibilities, he becomes a conscious being, dignifying himself and his family.

The institution of the school without dogmas and of natural rational teaching, was examined in multiple pedagogical congresses at the national level, and not only in the South.


Posted by: Guerrero | Aug 14 2018 17:24 utc | 98

The European solar and wind turbine manufacturing industry was proved to be largely a mafia scam devoted to defrauding EU hand outs i e defrauding you and me ! To the benifit of the curupt rich and politicians ! So nice comparison but no thanks. I'm no fool and never should you be. Ha ha ha ha! Clueless @ 95 he he

Posted by: Mark2 | Aug 14 2018 17:37 utc | 99

It's easyer to fool someone than convince them they'v been fooled. ------- Mark Twain ! Sigh

Posted by: Mark2 | Aug 14 2018 18:27 utc | 100

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