Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
September 23, 2018

The MoA Week In Review - Terror In Ahvaz - Modi's Huge Weapon Deal Scandal

Last week's posts on Moon of Alabama:

The strategic event of the week:

Netanyahoo will have to do some big favor for Russia to regain standing with it. Israel itself has little to give on its own that Russia wants or needs. But Israeli interests control the Trump administration. It could ask the U.S. to deliver something to Russia. What would be of sufficiently high value to compensate Russia for 15 killed airmen and a very expensive reconnaissance plane?

---

Yesterday terrorists attack an Iranian Memorial Day parade in the southwest Ahvaz region and killed some 30 unarmed conscripts, veterans and civilian bystanders. The United Arab Emirates, the Saudis, and behind them the U.S. are instigating such attacks. The U.S. military in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan is quite exposed and might well become the target of an asymmetrical response.

---

The Hindu-fascist Modi government in India is crumbling. Its crazy monetary scheme put the economy, as MoA predicted, into shambles. A huge new scandal around a weapon deal with France implicates Modi directly. The always recommendable Caravan Magazine exposed the unbelievable deal in a long and detailed writeup (not paywalled): "On a Wing and a Prayer India gambles its defence interests on Reliance Group".

In short: The previous government signed a contract with France' Dassault to buy 126 Rafale jets for $10.6 billion. Thirty percent of the price would flow back from Dassault to the Indian state owned aviation manufacturer HAL, which would assemble most of the planes. Modi flew to Paris and changed the deal without the knowledge of his cabinet and the country's military. India will get only 36 Rafales but pay $8.7 billion for them. Thirty percent of the money would flow back to a private Indian company belonging to the largely bankrupt, privately held Reliance Group for unrelated projects and without any know-how transfer. How much Reliance, owned by the once very rich Ambani family, would hand over to Modi and his party is yet unknown. There are calls for Modi to step down which he is unlikely to do. The issue will escalate.

---

Use as open thread ...

Posted by b on September 23, 2018 at 14:56 UTC | Permalink

Comments

The thing is with the advent of Trump the criminals are getting more bold and daring. Especially in third world hell holes where people are largely ignorant and and devoid any power. Add in a little Nationalism and the bastards keep on churning, enriching themselves to obscene levels , while their people die in poverty.
That is India , a country where 90 % live in dire poverty, and 1 % live in unimaginable wealth. But I guess they like it. Like the Brits , they are also Machoistic , they like being held down by the upper classes. Best slaves we ever had (Skævmund Koldensenssøn) Yes the the vikings love the docile idiocy of the Brits, surprise nothing has changed they are still docile.

Posted by: Den Lille Abe | Sep 23 2018 15:23 utc | 1

It's got nothing at all to do with Trump. While it's possible that his behaviour is as bad as that of many others for decades past - actually, for centuries past - he differs mainly by not trying very hard to conceal his deeds and attitudes.

That is why he is so hated by the elites themselves. They are not against fraud and other financial crimes - on the contrary, they engage in them all the time. What they cannot stand is openness.

Posted by: Tom Welsh | Sep 23 2018 16:06 utc | 2

My sincere condolences to all Iranians.

Posted by: S | Sep 23 2018 16:22 utc | 3

The End is Nigh

The final decline of the Empire
Is clear for all to see.
Just look at the abysmal performance
Of Haley and Pierce at the UNSC.

Like two demon-possessed succubi
Projectile vomiting poison and spite.
Disattached from reality or ethic,
A moral compass bent out of sight.

The adults around the table
Shake their heads sadly and sigh.
As the world teeters on an abyss
The Empire is lost in a Lie.


Posted by: Willie Wobblestick | Sep 23 2018 16:30 utc | 4

Hours after self styled anarchist group "Rubikon" attacked the Iranian Embassy in Athens n September 17 at around 22:00 PM at nighttime allegedly claiming "support for their Kurdish brothels..sorry.. brothers ordeal in dicatorial Iran", an Russian SIGINT airplane was dwned inside Syrian airspace by actions of Israel Air Force.
Many in Greece (that do not directly have connections wth the mafia that Israel uses to run its ratlines trough Med/Balkans and specifically Greece) annot help themselves but to consier this group as just a shadowy front of Israeli Mossad operatives or/at least is a "shared" front operation group with other western intel. agencies.

Hours after Iran's issued strong message agains any relevant enabler of the terrorit attack in Ahvaz that was displayed across many online outles including RT or Sputnik and also several local media (Greece, in Greece it was almost timed to the minute what i link below) This happened:

Massive fire at Crete university leaves Greek city engulfed with smoke (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
https://www.rt.com/news/439156-greece-massive-fire-crete/
The uni. one of several in Crete is located in Heraklion,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraklion
I am not sure about tht one but there are rumors that some uni's in Crete are operating (strongarmed by US intel.) as fronts or covers of illegal US A.I. (also biological) research in Europe. There was a famous case of an individual from Canada that was characterised as a "targeted individual" and indeed had implanted with a device in his brain that only skilled personel from (I believe Uni of Heraklion) were able to remove, since it seems it was the one of only three other places in the world skilled for doing this. That was back in the 70's to early 80's (mind you!) the time the US Navy was operating with full capacity 3 (or 4) SIGINT bases near Athens (appart from their place in the Suda bay base in Crete)

Yesterday some poster (well... it was me) at other threads was suggesting that:

"There Is No Heaven Or Hell There Is Only The Mossad", that Mossad has to be running everal advanced A.I. projects on the internet both for psychological (it can be considered electronic) harassment and intel collection purposes from unsuspected populace across the whole internet. There are Israeli startups that have a presence in Crete. (all israeli tech corps abroad are ussualy an IDF cover).
Same user (me) was also alluding to a kind of secret energy/space program/coupled with weather modification tehnology that Israel covertly is trying to expand from M.E. to Europe through Crete. (There is also a strong rumor going decades back tht Mossad has been preparing ground for an insurgence in Greece that will lead to a "Cretan autonomy" from mainland Greece)

Just sayin...

Second incident at almost 1and a half hours appart:

Not available in English:
https://www.protothema.gr/greece/article/823421/o-rouvikonas-piso-apo-tin-eisvoli-stin-ekklisia-tou-agiou-nikolaou-sta-exarheia/
Rubicon (Rouvikonas) anarchist group invades Saint Nickolas Church at Exarhia
Same group that attacked Iranian embassy attacked a Christian Church during a Sunday mass (there are mainly christian orthodox in Greece) claiming "we do it for the homeless"... Ok whatever. (Exarhia is a district of Athens notorius for its anarchic element that helps agencies and mafias run immigrant/ratlines through Athens)
What was suspicius about this one is that at the same time Archbishop Heronymous was conducting a mass to newly repaired from the fires Church at Mati in Athens in Vrillisia prefecture near Vrillisia Mountain (Penteli) The place with the 3 or 4 notorious former US SIGINT bases, (now "abandoned").
"Mati" which is the places old and current name means "Eye" in English.

Is there more than meets the "Eye" here?

Posted by: Greece | Sep 23 2018 16:55 utc | 5

Thanks for the always excellent resource! Kickback schemes as 'American' as apple pie;
the Ulysses Grant administration unleashed a tidal wave of rapacious political officials;
The New York Customs House was the site of innumerable scandals; a reform movement
emerged, and it regularly attacked the corruption, only until it found itself in power...

The Whiskey Ring was just one example of the office-selling & sordid kick-back deals
that infested Congress plaguing the Speaker of the House Blaine (eventually exposed
for taking money from one of the Railroad Barons Stock Companies). The 1860's onward
was an orgy of greed, respectable voices of the time compared it to a house of prostitution.

This unseemly corruption errupted at the hour that the Republic had been saved from
the Empire's plan to turn all of North and South America into an economic slavocracy!

Government corruption can not be appreciated against, as it were, a pink and white sky.
It seems as if corruption were somehow baked into the world's idea of government itself;
In India, we have the purest possible example of a (post) colonial cultural mentality and institutions, whereas in Post Civil War USA, with no need to cow-tow to the hated British
political corruption famously reigned and ravaged throughout the rest of the 19thCentury.

But, isn't modern India the opposite end of the spectum from the post Civil War USA?;
here is an English-speaking colonial culture, owing it's way of thinking to the British
and there is a confident revindicated republic; yet identically both governments indulging
in intense systemic corruption, along with it's evil twin: institutional anti-corruptionism.


Posted by: Guerrero | Sep 23 2018 16:55 utc | 6

Isn't Al Bagdady another "targeted individual" according to Syrian Perspective? (Rollex watch hiding a satelite transmiter, chip implant at the base of his neck, allegedly he had received training and was treated in israel Tel Aviv, before the Syrian war started)

Posted by: Greece | Sep 23 2018 16:59 utc | 7

LAHT: CARACAS – Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Venezuelan counterpart, Jorge Arreaza, signed on Friday in Caracas two agreements of cooperation to strengthen diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Colombia reports: Opposition leader Gustavo Petro has doubled down on his claim that Colombia’s former President Alvaro Uribe should be in jail over crimes against humanity after a court ordered him to rectify. In an court-ordered interview on W Radio, Petro specified that the war crimes claim was his “opinion,” and based on evidence, facts and testimonies that never made it to court.

Colombia Reports: The United States will defend Colombia against possible Venezuelan military aggression, the US ambassador said after Bogota ended its opposition against possible military action against its neighbor.

LAHT: SANTO DOMINGO – President Danilo Medina met here Friday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the first senior official from the Asian nation to visit the Dominican Republic since the two countries established diplomatic relations on May 1. (...) “Twenty years later, the Dominican Republic has become China’s principal trading partner in the Caribbean,” he said.

Posted by: Maracatu | Sep 23 2018 17:14 utc | 8

my condolences to the iranians..

Posted by: james | Sep 23 2018 17:36 utc | 9

Maracatu | Sep 23, 2018 1:14:53 PM | 8

Nothing upsets Americans more than fingering them in their backyards (fat ass Caribbean’s) like the Cuban missile crises. Shifting on their Monroe Doctrine is the best place to hit them and roll them back.

Posted by: kooshy | Sep 23 2018 19:23 utc | 10

OT: @Piotr Berman

Some extra explanations about "Ren": One "Ren" With Two Different Chinese Characters.

Hope you'll see this message left for you.

Posted by: Mali | Sep 23 2018 20:25 utc | 11

RIP.

AOZ will not rest till they finally destroy the world.

This French arm sale scandal reminds me of another infamous French arm deal corruption Taiwan – The Lafayette Affair , which "unraveling of a corruption scandal which continued for 19 years and implicated hundreds of millions of dollars in restitution."


Posted by: Mali | Sep 23 2018 20:47 utc | 12

As usual France is again involved in corruption and money....

Posted by: Virgile | Sep 23 2018 20:57 utc | 13

It is inaccurate to say “Israeli interests control the Trump administration.” Actually, according to the articles you cite, it would be more accurate to write, “Israeli interests control Congress.” Be that as it may, it is disappointing to see you make such a simplistic, categorical statement. “Inordinate influence” for sure. But your formulation feeds reaction. You are replacing “Israeli interests” for the Democrats bogeyman, “Russian interests,” and the result is the same: the capitalist system itself gets off scot-free, as do the large US financial interests, Big Oil, and the armaments, aerospace, and other hi-tech and manufacturing interests associated with the military-industrial-intelligence complex. I know you are more than aware of all the latter, but as I writer myself, I know how difficult it is to let go of a clever or rousing formulation. Who cares, really? But in my opinion, attributing such astounding power to Israel only inflates the rhetoric of the besieged Zionist leaders and their political supporters. Also, truth should not be victim to any political agenda. That’s why I like to read you, b. Do not mistake the tail of the dog for its head.

Posted by: Jeff Kaye | Sep 23 2018 21:04 utc | 14

The arrival of Trump has triggered the exposure to the world of the stupidity, the dirt, greed and manipulation of the US 'democratic' institutions.
It is high time that the world sees that hidden by the glitter and the glamour, the real America is psychotic and repulsive.

Posted by: Virgile | Sep 23 2018 21:05 utc | 15

Note that there is a close relation berween corruption and wild stock bull markets. the 1920s bull thaf ended with the1929 crash was associated with massive corruption at all levels of society. just like today. similar ending likely.

Posted by: Ragheb | Sep 23 2018 21:26 utc | 16

Jeff Kaye@14

There is much more to the Israeli influence around Trump. The Evangelicals he has been taking advice from calling him King Cyrus, the same king who let the Jews return from Babylon. It is beginning to look like these evangelical leaders will be given land and housing in the West Bank for their support. The evidence is shallow but growing.

https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/3/5/16796892/trump-cyrus-christian-right-bible-cbn-evangelical-propaganda

They even coined a coin for Trump..

https://www.timesofisrael.com/who-is-king-cyrus-and-why-is-netanyahu-comparing-him-to-trump/

The whole of our foreign policy in the region is based on Israel's interest, oil, and weapons. Israel wants to demolish its enemies without using their soldiers. They have been very successful. Yesterday I saw two vets who looked like Commander Pike in the old Star Trek series. They were in a box on wheels.

It has been profitable for the MIC. Oil hit 10 dollars a barrel prior to the first Iraq war, it has never looked back. The cutoff of Iran in November may well spike those prices again.

You are correct to say that many of the capitalists controllers have gotten rich of the misery. Look at the interlocking boards of these companies by religion and then look at their sect. Then investigate their sect and it will tell you what is going on.


Posted by: Wild Wild West | Sep 23 2018 22:07 utc | 17

The specter of McCain is in service to the Jewish State: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-09-23/rudy-giuliani-vows-regime-change-iran-uprising-event-despite-contrary

"Speaking at a MEK-linked event called the "Iran Uprising Summit" in New York City on Saturday, Rudy Giuliani told an audience that the Iranian government is "going to be overthrown" as soon as revolutionary "conditions" are ripe." The speech came the same day a terror attack on a military parade took the lives of over 24 people and wounded scores more in the southwest Iranian city of Ahvaz, including children and civilians.
Perhaps one of the more bizarre moments of the so-called "Iran Uprising Summit" was the tribute video to John McCain. Immediately after the video the audience began chanting his name..."

The Mojahedin-e Khalq (or MEK that is so admired by Giuliani and his ziocon patrons) "is currently designated as a terrorist organization by Japan and Iraq aside from Iran, and was considered a terrorist organization by the United Kingdom and the European Union until 2008 and 2009 respectively, and by Canada and the United States until 2012." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Mujahedin_of_Iran
It seems that the zionists worked hard to white-wash their friends that have been involved in the terrorist actions in Iran.

"Is Rudy Giuliani a terrorist?" https://www.veteranstoday.com/2018/07/04/is-rudy-giuliani-a-terrorist/

Another famous opportunist, John Bolton "addressed members of the MEK and said that they would celebrate in Tehran before 2019."
How could zionists not love the mustached dodger Bolton? The USS Liberty was never on Bolton's mind but zionists' money is.

Posted by: Anya | Sep 23 2018 22:25 utc | 18


Moon of Alabama commenters singing Rammstein’s Du Hast at an M of A meet-up in Berlin (June 2018)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4CB2N2vKY0

Posted by: mnfarahat | Sep 23 2018 22:31 utc | 19

Khamenei's response to the terrorist attack was rather low-key. Rouhani retweeted Zarif's; I've never seen so many Iranians come onto Twitter to attack the trolls in quite an overwhelming fashion. I'd post links to Zarif's other tweets but I'm not being allowed to do so, but you can get them via the second link--his realism and no-nonsense words regarding diplomacy with an adversary are also wroth reading--light years beyond the capability of the Outlaw US Empire's current personnel to comprehend.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 23 2018 22:38 utc | 20

Simple Illustration depicting Iran's response to terrorists and their sponsors.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 23 2018 22:46 utc | 21

The Israelis' hold on the US government is deep and wide. Not just the Oval Office and NSC and Congress. The CIA, the DOD, the DOS, all the official NGOs, the semi-official mouthpieces of NYT and WaPo, and the cable major outlets, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox, and all major city CBS, NBC, ABC affiliates, and the three old broadcast networks, ABC, CBS, NBC (Media is totally a government controlled propaganda operation and all are in the hands of the Israelis.)

Jews-Khazarians-Israelis are a close Tribe, often one in the same.

It's amazing to see them operate.

They have control of China's American cable outfit also, part of CGTN.

The only cable news of impact not controlled by them is OANN. Which you might recall immediately was the first to debunk the chem attack on East Ghouta.

The American government and all the major states are controlled by this foreign-based tribal force.

Posted by: Red Ryder | Sep 23 2018 22:48 utc | 22

5

Speaking of Cretean Autonomy, Modi was able to con the Indian people into giving up their 24K gold heirloom jewelry in return for fiat government gold bonds, then upend the monetary supply by destroying all the large-denomination bills, so those gold bonds could never be redeemed. He pawned those priceless gold heirlooms to the Queen's Bank of England, in return for Sterling credits, then used those credits, (exactly the way the dual-Israeli Junta in Kiev used the IMF-WB-US credits), to float an even larger issue of fiat government bonds, bonds that Modi and his pals used to buy up the prime ag land and industrial sites in India. The Indian people are now fiat paper pauper 'investors', lol.

So who is the real cretin here? Modi stole a page from the Isreali playbook in Ukraine, and HRH Elizabeth is now pressed with gold heirlooms of the poor into her gold throne. Imagine how big the vault would have to be, to hold the heirlooms of a billion people!

Posted by: Anton Worter | Sep 23 2018 22:59 utc | 23

Ahvaz terrorists HQ's in Netherlands! The result of the Zionist terrorist attack and the EU-based terrorist attack on Iran is increased solidarity in fighting such terrorism by Iran and Russia as expressed by Russia's Foreign Ministry. Those branded neculturny by Russia--the Zionists--are the lowest of the low--serfs were provided greater respect. I expect this edition of the UNGA to be volatile, perhaps the most anti-Outlaw US Empire to-date.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 23 2018 22:59 utc | 24

About the Russian MoD Il-20 downing presentation:
The "Russians" were less than soft here against Israel. In fact they were out in the open with their collusion as if this was something normal - and even asked: why are you doing this to us after all that we've been doing for you?
We all know Russia has been a playing ground for and controlled by Jewish interests from the beginning of the USSR (its "collapse" was a controlled demolition by the same people) but expected a national revival lately (in fact for 20 years already), and to be an exemple for others to follow. But with time, it looks more and more less likely, in fact quite the opposite.
Even if "Russia" establishes a "no fly zone" around Israel, as they seem to suggest elsewhere, it will rather protect the Israeli LAND from OUTSIDE attacks rather than limit its power which is INTERNATIONAL.
It seems to me that the only political and military figures left that truly dare speak truth to power are Nasrallah, Rouhani and... Erdogan (though grossly misunderstood here). Really sad...

Posted by: Alligator | Sep 23 2018 23:05 utc | 25

Nikki Haley was particularly graceless in response to the terrorist event in Iran.

Posted by: jayc | Sep 23 2018 23:24 utc | 26

Then of course, we have the escalating Trade War between the Outlaw US Empire and almost every other nation on the planet. Jack Ma thinks it will last 20 years while Pepe Escobar says 30--until 2049, the 100th anniversary of the PRC's victory. Trump and his team's so inept at most everything; but arguably, it's most inept when it comes to economics. IMO, the best objective statistic about the health of any economy is the % of its people having full time jobs, as any work and thus income is usually better than no work at all and no income. Shadow Stats (SS) Unemployment data shows how dire the situation is in reality versus the government's Alice in Wonderland--the difference lies in the size of the labor force: Tens of Millions are no longer considered by government to be within it, which is a massive mistake, resulting in the gap between U6 and the old formulation provided by SS being 15%! What the Outlaw US Empire's ripe for is a Populist Revolution, not victory in a Global Trade War. And how much further will SS's curve escalate when the next financial crash occurs? My bet is it goes to 40%.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 23 2018 23:43 utc | 27

The US used Saddam against Iran and now seem to be using MBS to provoke Iran and trigger a broader conflict.

Between the sanctions and escalating terrorism I would guess Iran might be tempted to strike back somehow. Invading Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and closing the Gulf would really mess up the oil markets for years to come not to mention triggering a much broader war that includes US, Israel, China and Russia and destabilizing Iraq, Syria and Lebanon with Shia-Sunni conflicts erupting all over

Possibly this is considered a desirable outcome by those pulling the strings

Posted by: Pft | Sep 23 2018 23:59 utc | 28

Guerero @ 6:

Hate to be the bearer of sad tidings but perhaps you should know this.

"Cattle Folk"
https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/discover/campfire-stories/cattle-folk

"... In 1875, it was proposed that the great state of Texas needed a new capitol building. Short on cash, the state legislature instead set aside 3,050,000 million acres in the Panhandle as payment. An investment syndicate from Chicago, with the backing of wealthy and titled British investors, accepted the proposal in 1882 and began surveying the lands of present-day Dallam, Hartley, Oldham, Deaf Smith, Parmer, Castro, Bailey, Lamb, Cochran, and Hockley counties. The land appeared adequate for raising cattle, and by 1885, barbed wire fenced the acres known as the XIT Ranch and the first 2,500 head of longhorn cattle arrived in Dallam County. Back in Austin, Detroit architect Elijah E. Myers's sunset red granite capitol building was rising from the ground ..."

"The Wyoming Cattle Boom, 1868-1886"
https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/wyoming-cattle-boom-1868-1886

"... Prominent historian of the American West W. Turrentine Jackson estimates that British interests invested more than $45 million in American cattle in the 1880s. Between 1880 and 1900, 181 livestock companies incorporated in Wyoming with an aggregate capitalization of $94,095,800 ..."

"British Gentlemen in the Old West"
http://www.literary-liaisons.com/article007.html

The Wild Wild West ... created by the British.

Posted by: Jen | Sep 24 2018 0:59 utc | 29

@ jayc | 26

"Nikki Haley was particularly graceless in response to the terrorist event in Iran."

I've got to hand it to her. I've never seen her when she hasn't been particularly graceless-- and yet somehow she always finds a way to outdo herself.

Posted by: Ort | Sep 24 2018 1:38 utc | 30

"September 24, 2018
"So much of mainstream journalism has descended to the level of a cult-like formula of bias, hearsay and omission. Subjectivism is all; slogans and outrage are proof enough. What matters is “perception,” says John Pilger."

Full article:http://failedevolution.blogspot.com/2018/09/hold-front-page-reporters-are-missing.html

Posted by: ben | Sep 24 2018 2:35 utc | 31

I'm trying to catch up on news about the Uyghur jihadi threat in the Middle East and China and came across this 2017 documentary, "Undercover in Idlib", made by Jenan Moussa of Al Aan TV in Dubai:
https://syria.liveuamap.com/en/2017/15-may-idlib-story-was-all-filmed-with-cell-phones-by-jenanmoussa

I haven't yet seen it all but the few bits I've viewed are mind-blowing. I had no idea that the numbers of Uyghurs and Central Asians in Idlib were in the tens of thousands. Some towns like Jisr al Shugur have been completely taken over by jihadis and their families.

Posted by: Jen | Sep 24 2018 2:37 utc | 32

FYI

sounds significant for middle eastern politics - this is incredibly strong language


M. K. Bhadrakumar says:

https://twitter.com/BhadraPunchline/status/1043889748803112960

MUST WATCH... A defining moment in Middle East politics... Russia squarely blames Israel for the crash of its plane off Syrian coast Sept 17 killing 15 personnel. Russian MOD calls Israelis uncivilised, ungrateful, duplicitous criminals and liars...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWkrGsq0UVo&feature=youtu.be
Russian MoD details chronology of Il-20 downing off Syrian coast

Posted by: michaelj72 | Sep 24 2018 2:39 utc | 33

sorry I didn't see that Bernard had posted video and his excellent analysis in the sept 23 thread....apologies

Posted by: michaelj72 | Sep 24 2018 2:50 utc | 34

The Wild Wild West ... created by the British.

Posted by: Jen | Sep 23, 2018 8:59:37 PM | 29

Perfidious Albion. Then there's those Mormons, always armed.
It is hard to imagine something bad with the Brits not behind it!

British money kept the USA from going onto the Silver Standard
William Jennings Bryant was the brilliant orator, the Westerners
wanted silver currency, the legacy standard was the gold standard,
the USA would have been a very different if WJ Bryant won in 1896.

Still...

The money that fueled corruption came, from political office-seekers.
And it came from Customs Duty fraud (this was in the high tariff era)

Kickback on Whiskey distribution. Payments from Railroad Companies;
(the government would title them the throughway land, and so on...)

The source of the funds for the corruption cycle came from the USA.
Came from the honest working people out there who paid their taxes.

My source is The Politicos 1865-1896 by Matthew Josephson (1938)

This book is exquisitely written, very impressive literary scholarship.

Posted by: Guerrero | Sep 24 2018 3:02 utc | 35

Where there won't be war.......

There is a lot of geopolitics going on......

I wrote on another thread about how empire keeps trying to find war to keep feeding the cancer it is and how Venezuela wasn't going to happen because China...and then along came the following ZH posting

China's "Peace Ark" Ship Makes Historic Visit To Venezuela After Maduro Visits Beijing

the ending quote
'
Perhaps China's hospital ship currently moored in Venezuela is a direct message to Washington that invasion of the Latin American country is not a viable option.
"

and the world keeps turning......

Posted by: psychohistorian | Sep 24 2018 3:48 utc | 36

jen@32

I watched that video. It shows an AL Nusra training book printed in Turkey with an email address [email protected] It was on the subject of how to deal with female slaves.

How nice of google. A truly egalitarian operation as it concerns itself with smashing thought they do not like.

Posted by: Wilw Wild West | Sep 24 2018 4:39 utc | 37

As I could have predicted, b, commenters have gone ahead and made my point for me. See #22. Will we soon see the resurrection of the Protocols by some of your readers? One can be anti-Zionist without descending to world conspiracy theories, or thinly veiled racist demagoguery (“foreign-based tribal force”).

Posted by: Jeff Kaye | Sep 24 2018 7:28 utc | 38

@38, Jeff Kaye
Yes, you can go ahead, even if you are afraid of conspiracy theorists or racists and demagogues: it's all just talking here, in fact more writing and reading. I had to say this in order to be civilized but I don't have any respect for you. Because I get your point: you don't have any!

Posted by: Aligator | Sep 24 2018 8:44 utc | 39

Russia to supply S-300 to Syria within 2 weeks after Il-20 downing during Israeli raid – MoD (https://www.rt.com/news/439190-russia-il20-downing-reaction/)
Congratulations, Peter Au , you win.

Posted by: claudeS | Sep 24 2018 9:27 utc | 40

ref the India deal, it is ever more juicy than that,
Hollande, a real character of the French IVth republic, now explains that his mistress Julie Gayet benefitted from Ambani's favor, i.e. funding for a movie she was shooting
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/rafale-deal-journalist-antton-rouget-interview-francois-hollande-1346388-2018-09-22

Posted by: Mina | Sep 24 2018 9:46 utc | 41

karlof1 | Sep 23, 2018 7:43:48 PM | 27

Thank you again Karlof1, the Trumpsters sure are inept. Hubris obviously dulls the mind and combined with perhaps the most polluted water supplies in the 'advanced' world, the lead dulls it even further.

It sure looks like the USA could see insurrections but I would be certain they would be extremely brutally crushed. The USA establishment detests anything slightly socialist. They are rabid in their punishing blowback. Howard Zinn recorded the vile extremism of that hatred.

Time will tell.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Sep 24 2018 10:21 utc | 42

I checked the Iranian terror attack on photo and one video and I conclude it was staged.

Many pictures are photoshopped, people pasted in such as mothers and children. No real injuries to be seen, fake blood, too many children in close up going nowhere. This was a psy-op. Watch the flowers at the podium, changing collors in many pictures.

Posted by: Nils | Sep 24 2018 10:31 utc | 43

On September 18, I posted this:

Doesn't Putin operate a 'three day rule'?

Posted by: et Al | Sep 18, 2018 3:19:11 PM | 144

http://www.moonofalabama.org/2018/09/syria-israel-provocation-kills-russian-soldiers-russia-will-take-political-revenge.html#c6a00d8341c640e53ef022ad3924a41200d

Sorry. I was a little out with the timing.

Posted by: et Al | Sep 24 2018 10:42 utc | 44

claude@40

it also appears that the s300 was delvered yesterday...will take the 2 weeks to become operational...

Not too many hasbara bois on that link...hahaha

Yay!! just Yay!!

regards

OY

Posted by: oldenyoung | Sep 24 2018 11:04 utc | 45

Israeli own goal?
https://www.rt.com/news/439190-russia-il20-downing-reaction/

Also, has anyone heard that Russian jets forced Israeli jets out of Lebanese air space over the weekend?

Posted by: Anunnaki | Sep 24 2018 11:11 utc | 46

So I've been reading Philip Agee's first CIA book. Below is an interesting excerpt regarding CIA organization and how it has tried to put in place a firewall around intelligence on Israel in order to protect against "possible divided loyalties" of the CIA's own Jewish employees...

"In my dealings with the Counter-Intelligence staff on these sensitive cases I have discovered the solution to a seldom-discussed mystery in headquarters [of Deputy Director Plans, DDP (aka Clandestine Services, CS)]. During the weeks of study of the headquarters bureaucracy during formal training in 1959, there was never any mention of an Israeli branch or desk in the Near East Division. When someone once asked about this the instructor gave one of those evasive answers that suggests the question was indiscreet. Now I find that the Israeli branch is tucked away within the Counter-Intelligence staff so that its secrets are more secure from Israeli intelligence than they would be if the branch were in 'open' view in the Near East Division*. One of my CI staff contacts said that this is unfortunately necessary because of the possible divided loyalties of Jewish employees of the Agency."

From Inside the Company: CIA Diary, page 502 (hardback, 1975), by Philip Agee, former CIA Officer (promoted at least as high as GS-11), serving in the Western Hemisphere Division (specifically at the Quito, Ecuador, Montevideo, Uruguay, and Mexico City stations.

*DDP/CS, at that time, consisted of 10 subdivisions and three staff divisions -- foreign intelligence (FI), counter-intelligence (CI) and covert action (CA). The 10 subdivisions include the geographical area divisions (Soviet Bloc, Western Europe, Near East, Far East, Africa and Western Hemisphere) plus Technical Services, Records Integration, Domestic Operations, and D divisions (D division supports the NSA in cracking codes of foreign governments)]

Posted by: Tom in HD | Sep 24 2018 12:06 utc | 47

Israeli own goal?

In the middle-game (chess), tension increases as the opponents seek positional advantage.

When tension becomes very intense, the greatest masters find the way to increase further.

In the end game as well: opponent is presented with as many ways to go wrong as possible

Posted by: Guerrero | Sep 24 2018 14:02 utc | 49

FINALLY!

SOMEONE NAILED IT!

Give this kid a medal!

Climate Global Control Trading LLC Creates & Steers Hurricanes with Ionospheric Modification and Cloud...
https://youtube.com/watch?v=OgmCMhgO4do

Steering clouds and humidity away, dump it in the ocean, then sell your OWN WATER back to you, and even create a crypto coin for this purpose so transactions remain anonymous!

THEY TOOK USURY IN TO ANOTHER LEVEL!
Type civilisation 1 usury methods!
Woah these people can steal the land under your feet and sell it back to you I tell ya!
IRAN was right! They indeed steal their humidity and rainfall. In to the video there is even a method of how they do it over the Persian Gulf pretending they are suppresing sandstorms in Oman.
10 kilometer cloud walls, gigawats of electricity being steered around over unsuspected peoples heads! Space weapons environmental shaping ad it's all right there! Not far away now until they present their Next Gen Space weapons. Anti missile shields created from steering thunderstorms and looming electric gigawat potential in the atmosphere burning everything it approaches. Add some particle accelerators in to the mix and LET THERE BE MAGIC!

WOAH! WATCH THE VIDEO!

Posted by: Greece | Sep 24 2018 17:25 utc | 50

But there is more than meets The Eye here...
The method these guys use is a stolen invention from Tesla, the Tesla Umbrela, who owns the patent? These things (and assorted tech) do way more than just ionospheric heating, this is Environment Shaping/Supresion, Quantum potential inhibitors/enablers. Yes Quantum. There can be seriou weapon use from this.They can teleoprt ordinance right to your face, conceal an entire fleet, render bases invisible. Control gravity. It's way out there tech.

Posted by: Greece | Sep 24 2018 17:30 utc | 51

Caduceus (greek: Kurekeion)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caduceus

Symbolizes both the Electrical and Magnetic energies that excite potential in an biological organism (example: humans/dolphins) and in the earth (gaia/planet: atmosphere/ground/sea) itself it is not a representation of human DNA helix, though it could also be concealing another piece of knowledge.

Most of times this knowledge is depicted as one of the "snakes" in the kurekeion depicted as BLUE and the other one as RED.
RED is for ELECTRICITY. BLUE is for MAGNETISM.
They intertwine.
RED/Electricity is for normal everyday use in the form of power consumption.
BLUE/Magnetism is for types of technologies like what Tesla (re)discovered.
The famous Spear of Athena sometimes acompanied with a single snake sometimes also called Ray of Athena, symbolizes the use of magnetism which is depicted as BLUE.
Therefore "Have Blue", "Blue Beam", "Blue Book" etc. projects have the word BLUE in the project title and asorted names that have to do with ancient Godess ATHENA and some times APOLLO, brother of ATHENA. Apollo denominates a general aim, an intented target, ATHENA is always about type of technology and what medium it affects. Athena is about magnetism.

This is the video of the Russian Avangard Missile complex that cleverly makes use of colors BLUE and RED in its presentation:

Putin's Weapons | Number 5: hypersonic 'Avangard' missile
https://youtube.com/watch?v=m4CzqHWNrHo

by all posibilities sending "messages" to the other side. It can detect and fly around BLUE domes and RED domes, that probably means, electrical shielding technology and magnetic shielding technology in the atmosphere/stratoshpere. Like what they probably try to (USA/Israel/Britain) shield the Persian Gulf with around for stoping Iran having balistic delivery capabilities.

Posted by: Greece | Sep 24 2018 18:14 utc | 52

I used to read Prof. Joshua Landis' website and twitter about Syria, but what is he doing with this type of statement? Oman, Russia, Syria, Turkey Condemn Attack in Iran - Silence from others

Is he just ignorant or trying to spin the MSM narrative to show how "isolated" Iran is? Propaganda war undergoing?

Did a quick search and found out China was not silent: Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said that China condemn terrorism in all shapes and forms, and send the deepest condolence to the victims.

(FYI: Now is low time in China, for this is a long weekend in China because Sept. 24th is Chinese tradition holiday: Zhongqiu Festival/Mid-Autumn festival)

Posted by: mali | Sep 24 2018 19:51 utc | 53

Red Ryder @22

Don't know GNTV America, but I know CCTV international (now renamed GNTV, IIRC) has been keeping its local Syrian station open all the time: there was interview of Pres. Assad (long before RT or any other Western MSM did), the Chinese team with local staffs were among the first media going into East Ghouta, which I followed live at that time.

Here are two of their reportage:

- CCTV Journalist Visits Chemical Lab Found in E. Ghouta (March 15, 2018)
- CCTV Journalist Visits E. Ghouta (April 09, 2018)

AOZ has been trying hard to brainwash Chinese journalists/academics/universities/film industry for quite decades (partially rather successful, esp. before 2008), but I don't think it has taken control over CCTV as it has done with American MSM and Hollywood. China is still a commie country, remember?

Posted by: mali | Sep 24 2018 20:12 utc | 54


قاوم يا شعبي قاومهم الشاعرة دارين طاطور

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1qnlN1WUAA

Posted by: Mona Ahmed Zaki | Sep 24 2018 20:37 utc | 55

karlof1 @27

Personally I think Trump's trade war against China is a very good thing, a wake-up call for China and Chinese in general.

Chinese have been brainwashed by the Western MSM or I'd say mind-colonised by the neocon and neoliberal ideology for far too long. Quite a number of CPC government officials, academics/universities/journalists/film-makers/musicians and ordinary citizen have totally embraced the bullcraps that the unhinged "free market" and money-controlled "democracy" would cure all sort of problems facing China, such as corruption, pollution, high house prices, etc. Some of them believe if we adopt "American Way" then China will become like the splendid US, and Chinese will live the same good life like Americans as shown in Hollywood films.

They truly and naively believe US is trying to bring democracy and freedom to China. Now the total trade war and sanctions, -(latest is sanction against China purchase of Russian S-400 and fight jets)-, imposed by Trump & Co make these Chinese see with their naked eyes the real bully and treacherous behaviour of Trump and US establishment, which is waking up more people, and force Chinese companies to invest more in R&D, innovation and upgrading their manufacture capability instead of buying ready-made US products and technologies.

This is actually how Chinese Space industry has developed and taken off after both US and Europe refused to let China join in their space projects.

In long term, this will bring positive impacts on China's economy, Chinese and the nation as a whole.

Posted by: mali | Sep 24 2018 20:47 utc | 56

Orwellian’ move: Facebook teams up with US government to police ‘fake news’ in foreign elections
https://www.rt.com/usa/439249-facebook-us-funding-fake-news/

Posted by: facebook=cia | Sep 24 2018 21:45 utc | 57

A couple of links I don't know if have been provided

First is Chris Hedges and I encourage all to read to end and his answer to a question about hope and resistance.

China's "Why the American empire has lost control—and its failure is imminent

Second is an article that more clearly than I states the evolution of the multi-polar world

Tensions Grow as China, Russia and Iran Lead the Way Towards a New Multipolar World Order

The concluding words from the second link
"
What fascinates many analysts is the stubbornness and stupidity of US policy-makers. The more they try to prolong the US unipolar moment, the more incentive they give to other countries to jump on the multipolar bandwagon.

Even countries that probably have deep ties with the United States on an oligarchic level will have no alternative other than to modify and redesign their strategic alliances over the next 30 years. The United States continues along the path of diplomatic arrogance and strategic stupidity, mired in a civil war among its elites, with no end in sight.

Each scenario involving the US now has to be viewed with two factors in mind: not just the attempt to maintain an imperialist posture, but also an internal struggle involving its elites. This adds a further level of confusion for America’s allies and the world in general, who strain to decipher the next moves of a deep state totally out of control.
"

I think 30 year transition time frame is high but probably not much less than 20 years....I will be gone likely but hope to see the transition well on its way.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Sep 25 2018 5:40 utc | 58

yah, Modi is wrong,But don't talk about shit congress scams. I respect MOA but he is wrong about india.

Posted by: Manoj | Sep 25 2018 9:35 utc | 59

Some details about the French Indian Rafale deal
https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/international/210918/en-inde-francois-hollande-s-invite-dans-l-affaire-des-avions-rafale (paywall)
...Reliance Defence Limited est par ailleurs, notent-ils, « une société privée sans expérience dans la fabrication d’avions de chasse », qui plus est enregistrée « douze jours » avant l’annonce, le 28 mars 2015, de l’achat de 36 avions Rafale par Narendra Modi, lors d’une visite à Paris....
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/rafale-talks-were-on-when-reliance-entertainment-helped-produce-film-for-francois-hollandes-partner-5333492/
...Tout était presque normal donc, jusqu’à la diffusion d’un communiqué par le mécène indien Anil Ambani, le 24 janvier 2016. Le patron de Reliance, une des plus grosses firmes du pays, leader dans les télécommunications, annonce « un partenariat franco-indien unique » avec les productrices Julie Gayet, de Rouge international, et Elisa Soussan, de My Family, qui gère les films de Kev Adams. Et c’est le jour de l’arrivée de François Hollande à New Delhi pour une visite d’État de trois jours. Le nom provisoire du film : Nomber one.... [admire the Fr journalists capacities in English, sic]
...Joint par Mediapart, François Hollande certifie qu’il n’était « pas du tout informé » de ce partenariat et qu’il « ignorait tout » de l’entreprise d’Ambani. Le voyage présidentiel est en effet consacré à d’autres enjeux, puisqu’il s’agit de conclure la vente des Rafale – un possible troisième marché pour l’avionneur, après l’Égypte et le Qatar. Le premier ministre indien Narendra Modi fait savoir, dès le 25 janvier, qu'il a « trouvé un accord intergouvernemental » avec François Hollande sur l’achat des avions....

Posted by: Mina | Sep 25 2018 10:07 utc | 60

"I respect MOA but he is wrong about india."

Yay Hindutva. Could only find two Hindutva websites in English when I looked into it.
Sanskrit does not machine translate well.
You clowns think you will rule the world.. Chinese commies bad, US neo-cons fighting for the rights of people all over the world good. Other than a very large and uneducated population, you clowns have nothing going for you with your dreams of ruling the world.

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Sep 25 2018 10:37 utc | 61

"Use as open thread ..."

The Altai band from Mongolia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RujKG9hmCY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrwpdRe7meM

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Sep 25 2018 12:34 utc | 62

61

Further to my post on 23, today India launches 'Modicare', world's biggest health 'scheme', and shows just how craven Modi is, that he would first disenfranchise all non-Hindus, then brazenly steal the 24k gold heirloom wealth of arguably some of the world's most wretched people, then Connie with Queen of England and Bank of London to pawn those heirlooms for credit underwriting to massively issue junk bonds for his fascist party dwindle of the best at lands and industrial sites, exactly like the craven dual-Isreali junta in Kiev did to Ukraine. Now he's mobilizingthose same poorest of the poor with Obamaesque Hope and Chains to win re-election, when that mob should be dragging him out of his mansion, and hanging him in the public square. When will the citizens ever rise up again? When they have to eat dirt?

Posted by: Anton Worter | Sep 25 2018 17:34 utc | 63

Europe bypassing SWIFT to trade with Iran-

Europe Unveils "Special Purpose Vehicle" To Bypass SWIFT, Jeopardizing Dollar's Reserve Status

Posted by: TJ | Sep 25 2018 18:07 utc | 64

56

After Russia refused to take anymore Chosen of Meat surplus chicken and pork, launching the economic sanctions on Russia, and after US GMO grain exports led to massive Chinese bird flu and swine flu epidemics, China was forced to import US Chosen of Meat surplus, to be able to feed it's people. If you live at the edge of the cities, you eat the ears and the entrails, as you get closer to the shining towers, you get the hicks and shoulders but only the elites get cuts of meat. In return, their industrial slave population, that lives on Ramen and weak tea, supplied US with cheap electronics and iPhones, that the Chosen of Big Retail sell at 600% markup to the rubes and geeks on the street.

Now, thanks to Trump, the entire trade is completely and totally tracked. US farmers who are mostly indentured servants growing out grains and meats for Chosen consortiums, are going to go bankrupt in huge waves. The hurricane Florencecwas an absolute godsend, wiping out huge surpluses of pork and poultry, but the challenge of oversupply remains.

At the other end, the supply of electronics is drying up fast, there are huge layoffs, and shipment delays have pushed out into late October or indefinitely.

US manufacturers, who rely on those chip components are delaying their own retail shipments and seeing order cancellations.

Our product initiative hit the trade tax wall just days from rollout, when our suppliers posted they have no chips and no idea when or if they will ever have them again. I have spent the last week scouring the sources and they all have 'out of stock' posted.

This will cause immediate and catastrophic credit-debt financing losses that will ripple like tsunamis through both markets, and absolutely crush the 2018 Christmas shopping season, even as retailers see back to back worst retail in 30 years. Bankruptcy time!

VC and bank loan Vampires behind Trump stand ready to scoop up these bankruptcies for c's on the $, then cheat all the vendors and suppliers.

Fewer words? Trump's 25% Fed VAT trade tax is a TRAIN WRECK for the US and Chinese economies, and his cronies are going to make $100s billion from it. That will panic voters into voting Red, then Le Deluge.

Posted by: Anton Worter | Sep 25 2018 18:07 utc | 65

"More Than Meets The Eye".

Yay!
Less China electronics = more Tel Aviv dual use hardware. Better efficiency cycles for the A.I. monster of Tel Aviv. Moar control of the online content, moar succesfull brainwash. Welcome to the Matrix. Electronics/Media world will be becoming jewisher and jewisher.

Posted by: Greece | Sep 25 2018 20:54 utc | 66

3, 52, 53

"U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton asserted on Monday that the United States does not expect to limit its presence in Syria unless Iran and its terrorist proxies fully withdraw from the country.

Speaking outside of the United Nations, where the General Assembly’s annual debate began Tuesday, Bolton asserted that the Trump administration’s policy was not “regime change,” but that the threat that Iran poses on every part of the globe that it attempts to impose its Islamist policy is a major national security concern for the United States.

Citing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Bolton noted that “we’ve imposed very stringent sanctions on Iran. More are coming. And what we expect from Iran is massive changes in their behavior.” Iran should not expect an end to President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy, he added."

---

Yom Kippur is over! Bombing recommences at 09:30AM Tehran time, 05/11/18. Another 'll'!
Rumors are the US/UK military action has been dubbed: 'Operation Virtuous Onthophagus'
Trump is already busy doing pre-operation psyop, by blaming OPEC for the $81/bbl crude.

Posted by: Anton Worter | Sep 25 2018 22:41 utc | 67

Judge Kavanaugh will almost certainly be approved to sit on the Supreme Court on Friday morning.

The nomination process has been pure theater. Kavanaugh is suspected of being against abortion rights and the "left" has focused on that. Some dubious allegations of sexual abuse grabbed headlines for several weeks but have (predictably) had no substance.

Because of these spurious allegations, women's voices are now suspect. The move to a more conservative and authoritarian society requires that women are shut up.

But with these headline-grabbing allegations the Democrats have done more than undermine the credibility of women, they have also caused serious questions about Kavanaugh to be ignored. Chief among these is his record wrt national security and Presidential power. It's hard to find a more pro-executive branch judge than Kavanaugh.

Along those lines, Kavanaugh's work in the Bush Administration has been hushed up. His Bush-era work may have involved such things as the legal case for rendition and torture.

With Kavanaugh and Gina Haspel, we are seeing promotion of useful idiots that solidify "Deep State" control and ready a move to full authoritarian rule.

Thanks to 'sheep-dog' Sanders, 'Goldwater girl' Hillary, and the Clinton's cult-like machine politics, the plutocratic 'establishment consensus' (my term) continues unabated. We are sleep walking into dystopia.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Sep 26 2018 3:02 utc | 68

Agreed Jr, good post, but I believe Ford should continue the theater, and challenge Mr. K to submit to a poly-graph. I heard she's already taken one and passed. Regardless of the outcome of her challenge, it would be great theater on live TV. Perception matters. It may be the only thing to sway the public opinion of the on-going circus.

Posted by: ben | Sep 26 2018 4:28 utc | 69

Jr @ 68 said in part:"Along those lines, Kavanaugh's work in the Bush Administration has been hushed up. His Bush-era work may have involved such things as the legal case for rendition and torture."

K has also lied under oath in 2004 & 2006 about stolen Dem e-mails. Recently retrieved e-mails this week prove he saw them, and lied about them under oath.

http://grassrootsdempolitics.com/index.php/2018/09/07/emails-prove-kavanaugh-lied-to-congress-under-oath-several-times

Posted by: ben | Sep 26 2018 4:43 utc | 70

"Too Much Winning: Fed Hikes Rates for Third Time in 2018, Signals More"

"MEANWHILE: $850B SPENDING BILL ‘GOOD FOR SWAMP’ — FAILS TO FUND WALL!"

The Trump-GOP Congress' burn rate, annualized, is $5,200B a year at current spending. The increase in borrowing for the Deficit created by No Taxes for the Rich, is annualized at $2,400B if they keep borrowing at this rate.

Private Fed Bank Interest-Only ... FOREVER ... on the now $23,500B illegal onerous odious Wall Street-Pentagon gambling 'Debt' is pushing towards $500B (see first headline above) ... but that is NEVER discussed, and instead, it's being sold at an attempt to 'cool an overheating economy'. MAWWGAWW!!

Meanwhile Trump-GOP Congress' $850B Omnibus Debt Bill Two has been reduced from the previous six months ago $1,500B draw, (e.g. a $2,350B annual Deficit) largely due to Trump's illegal Fed VAT trade tax, which is capturing $100Bs, not from the 'overheating economy', not from America's 'trade enemies', but from consumers' back pockets.

Today Trump announced he's raising 25% tariffs on Canadian-assembled vehicles, added $5,000 to the cost young families will have to pay at the dealer, in a country where more than half of the citizens have less than $500 in savings. MAWWGAWW!

The Saudis must be on a buying spree, now that all that prime USA agriculture land is being bankrupted by Trump-GOP Congress' illegal 25% Fed VAT trade tax with China. At least the small farmers. Corporate already has their bailouts. MAWWGAWW!!

Bombing recommences at 09:30 local Tehran time, 05/11.

Another 11 Event for the Chosen. WINNING!!

Posted by: Anton Worter | Sep 27 2018 4:14 utc | 71

The Kavanaugh Circus Could Destroy The "Me Too" Movement

All of this will add up to the average person, who naturally wants justice for survivors, being less inclined to take sexual-abuse allegations seriously, the exact opposite of what the Me Too movement has promised and until now largely delivered. Because these accusations against Kavanaugh have so clearly been weaponized as a partisan tool, it only makes sense that onlookers will dismiss stories presented by biased politicians or shoddy reporting.

And who "weaponized" these accusations? The Democratic Party - which eagerly sacrificed "MeToo" for ... what? Nothing! And which has also chosen to ignore Kavanaugh's extreme pro-executive, pro-security state viewpoint.

Smells like a setup to me. Because THAT's what the Democratic Party does: protects the establishment.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Sep 27 2018 13:40 utc | 72

@ 72 Jr said in part;"Smells like a setup to me. Because THAT's what the Democratic Party does: protects the establishment."

Setup or opportunity, it doesn't really matter, as the old saying goes, "what goes around, comes around".

Both political parties, and 99% of the politicians in them, have been playing "good cop, bad cop" while servicing the needs of their real constituencies, the super-wealthy..

Posted by: ben | Sep 27 2018 15:14 utc | 73

listening to the kavanaugh show today it becomes obvious that some of the accusations have been spun up by his own side to muddy the waters and allow him to go on the defensive playing the victim of a conspiracy by the 'left', as he referred to it. this is likely why they are adamantly blocking any outside fact findings of the allegations or scheduling add'l witnesses, all in the rush to secure the vote. icing on the cake is graham then coming in and castigating 'the other side' for the blatant ideological power grab his partners in crime are actually engaged in. quite a show and not sure how far things will go and whether this leads to a state of u.s. society where appointments for life can end quite suddenly.

Posted by: b real | Sep 27 2018 22:04 utc | 74

I am providing a link to a posting but mostly want folks to read the great take away quote below the link

BRETT KAVANAUGH: A MULTIPLE TRAIN WRECK IN MANY DIMENSIONS

The quote
"
I will pass over Kavanaugh’s judicial practice, safe to say that he is the most perfect example I have found so far of conservative legal theory: in Frank Wilhoit’s words: “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect." Kavanaugh is extreme here, but not unusual except perhaps that he is one of those who believes that above all the law protects but does not bind Republican presidents, even—or perhaps especially?—those named Trump.
"

Posted by: psychohistorian | Sep 28 2018 5:10 utc | 75

james

Kudos to you!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Sep 29 2018 23:59 utc | 76

jackrabbit, lol... thanks!~

Posted by: james | Sep 30 2018 1:14 utc | 77

DAMASCUS, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian Ministry of Transportation declared on Saturday that the logistic preparations have been done for the re-opening of the Nasib Border Crossing with Jordan slated for Oct. 10, state news agency SANA reported.

A ministry statement said the border crossing will begin to receive the movement of trucks and transit to and from Syria next month.

The border crossing was closed in 2015 when the rebels took over the Nasib area and the crossing in the countryside of Daraa Province in southern Syria.

The Syrian army captured Daraa and the border crossing in July after the rebels in the province surrendered to the army and agreed to evacuate to rebel-held areas in northern Syria, mainly the northwestern province of Idlib.

Last week, the Transportation Ministry declared raising the transit crossing fees that should be paid by trucks passing in and out of Syria whether they are loaded or empty.

Ahead of the crisis, the Nasib crossing was the busiest border crossing in Syria as it is situated on the Damascus-Amman international highway.

The crossing is also considered one of the most important land crossings in the Middle East as it was the main crossing for Syrian exports to Jordan and the Gulf countries.

Lebanon would also benefit from the re-opening of the Nasib crossing as the small Mediterranean country has crossings with Syria only and through Nasib it can do trade business with Arab markets.

The closure of the Nasib border incurred major losses in Lebanon, as 70 percent of the agricultural exports, 32 percent of the food industry and 22 percent of the total industry exports in the country passed through Nasib ahead of its closure, according to Nabil Itani, chairman and CEO of the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon.

The Lebanese businesses had to resort to sea shipment when Nasib was closed, which is much more expensive and costly compared with the land shipment.

The crossing is also important for Jordan which is suffering from economic problems.

Since the crossing was closed in 2015, the kingdom has suffered heavy losses as 70 percent of its exports and imports went through Syria, according to Nabil Ruman, head of the investor's board of the Jordanian Free Zone.

Reports said the loss of the Jordanian transport sector from the border closure is estimated at around half a billion U.S. dollars.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Sep 30 2018 2:48 utc | 78

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