This was an exchange at the end of the "Iran anctions" comment thread. I re-post it here because it was off-topic there and I believe especially important in the age of Trumpism, as it addresses the fundamental question: what to do? I don't have all the answers and obviously my view is surely the unpopular one at MoA. But I believe there are two approaches to systemic change and in fact these are not at all mutually exclusive, but out of necessity must be coordinated: 1. Work within the current system 2. Create a new system.

Apologies in advance for the length and for the hoary writing style of an oldtimer. If this re-post breaks site rules then please do delete....I'm still learning the rules.

________________________

Jackrabbit says:

The love that dare not speak its name: the love of Kool-Aid.

This bar doesn’t serve Kool-Aid but some patrons like to sneak it in.

Morality-based Movements effect change with a small outspoken minority. Examples include Abolition, Sufferage, Civil Rights, 1960’s Anti-War. But Kool-Aid drinkers insist that there can be no change without their precious Party leading the way. They don’t press for moral action, they peddle hope.

Sanders could have led a Movement. He refused to do so. What leader of a moral Movement would ever humiliate themselves by supporting a ‘friend’ (Hillary) that had conspired against him and his Movement? Then we have the example of Obama, who also betrayed his ‘base’. Yet the Kool-Aid lovers keep drinking and pushing it on others.

donkeytale replies to Jackrabbit:

First, thank you for lowering the troll noise-to-signal ratio at least enough to allow (possibly, hopefully) for a conversation.

I believe you are addressing me (and perhaps Karlof1) as the "kool-aid" drinkers in your comment. If we can get beyond your cheap, meaningless, cliched name-calling denigrations to focus on the actual ideas of us "kool-aid drinkers" whom you believe to be engaged in some dastardly war against the "right, good people of the Bar" and whom you so badly wish to represent as their law and order man keeping the threads clean (and let's face it you do represent them badly--and no one other than your better-mannered "good cop" buddy James seems much to care or asking for your ignoble defense of the whiskey bar) then, who knows, maybe this could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship, albeit one consisting of opposing polemics which could add some value to the Bar in ways other than the ersatz camaraderie of fellow Saturday night drunks on a bender.

Sanders could have led a Movement? Uhm, maybe the truth is Bernie's not the type of leader you prefer (Putin/Trump-style authoritarian, top-down leaders)? FWIW, I also was very disappointed in Bernie backing down so easily to the DNC and supporting Hillary but, given his strategy, not at all surprised. He could have killed her IMHO during the debates on the emails and corruption but choosing not to was telling as it disclosed his long term game was to stay within the party for better or worse.

Bernie is trying to foment a long term movement as much as he wanted to be President. And he is old. His time is near done, new leaders are needed if leaders are needed at all.

And strategically he followed the path I have long espoused for such a movement (again for better or worse), that is, reaching inside the existing major party to coopt the structure necessary to build a truly effectve national movement. To date in US History no one has succeeded as a third party venture and with the way of the world it appears to me harder than ever to even contemplate doing so. However, that is the main argument point perhaps between moi and everyon else here, including Karlof1. I'm saying messy and imperfect but doable is a better bet than pie in the sky idealism. This is an idea similar to the one espoused by Lenin against "left wing communism," which he and I both see as ultimately defeatist and reactionary.

For any movement to extend into all 50 states, especially the red states which gain unequal representation in the US system requires the long term commitment of people and resources creating local up building blocks as Karlof1 illustrates so well in his comments. There is ample evidence in fact of Bernie's inspired movement doing exactly this today, so while he may or may not be leading the movement as you wish, the movement is undeniably in existence:

While Sanders conceded the Democratic nomination for president in the summer of 2016, the followers he cultivated haven't gone home and have vowed to remain engaged in politics and reshape the Democratic Party and its platforms.

"This wasn't a one-shot deal," said Chris Kutalik-Couthren, a Sanders supporter who is now a statewide coordinator for Our Revolution Texas, a coalition of former Sanders supporters. "Many of us wanted to keep going."

They have since created nearly 500 chapters throughout the nation with a proclamation: Campaigns end. Revolutions endure.

The results have already shown themselves in local races, with Our Revolution helping recruit candidates and mobilize voters in local races for city councils in San Antonio and school board races in Houston. Now, 2018 offers a chance for the movement to impact congressional races.

Now, you may say, mainstream political parties corrupt the movement so we must change the system, and that is a valid argument, but which do you truly believe to be more possible: changing the foundational political system that has arisen for better or worse since 1781 or ascending political power through seizing control within the party's own machinery?

I see very fresh evidence from the GOP that taking over the Party is doable, as the Tea Party has done and they started as a well-funded-by-insiders anti-Obama movement which quickly evolved from 2010 into the current Trump ascendancy. Trump is a demogogue and decidely his movement is top down authoritarian and racist (imho) and is still controlled by the moneyed interests, but notice how much success they are having wiring the conservative ideology into the fabric of US society against the will of half the nation. Which presents a real opportunity for the opposition to authoritarian racism (which in fact you may not oppose for all I know and read from your comments).

As you suggested elsewhere, the Bernie dynamic is notable because he was funded by small non corporate special interest donations and we have seen this now extending into other congressional, gubernatorial and senatorial races across the country. We are also seeing a flowering of female and minourity candidates in unlikely places such as Georgia and Florida governor races. You denigrate this as "identity politics," which I believe to be the handy cliched rebuke used buy conservative racists to help keep the white vote in line with the GOP no matter whether the white voters are well served by the GOP power interests.

Karlof1 probably doesn't entirely or majorly agree with me and believe me I would also in a prettier world much prefer a Populist Party to challenge and kill off at least one of the duopoly parties and this may also eventually come to pass, as in how a major (Whig) party coalition imploded of its own internal contradictions and was replaced by the abolitionist GOP of the time consisting of many former Whig leaders.

And JR, with all due respect, if you indeed see a better way to "fix the US political system" please by all means your arguments would be enhanced by putting forth some actual ideas to accomplish the fixing.

It's only fair in a debate about ideas to, y'know, have some of ideas of your own instead of merely castigating those of others.

Using your similar debate tactics as Hillary used versus Trump ("his ideas are bad and I have some great ones but I don't have to state them here because obviously everybody already agrees with me and hates him") didn't bring her the win and it doesn't help you either, imho.

Often called 'ultra-lefts', and the subject of Lenin's classic work: '"Left-Wing" Communism: an Infantile Disorder':

https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1920/lwc/

Ultra-lefts are often, but not always, characterised by a black and white approach to theory, strategy and tactics.

So, they will often attack everything that seems to them to constitute a compromise with 'the system', for example, trade unions, elections, united fronts, and so on.

--Rosa Liechtenstein on Quora, responding to a questioner asking for a definition of "left-wing communism."

Posted by: donkeytale | Oct 7 2018 15:41 utc | 1

thanks b for the excellent coverage of world events... regarding the saudi propagandist - Jamal Khashoggi - you sum it up really well... "Should it be confirmed that Saudi goons indeed killed Khashoggi the State Department will - in the harshest terms - condemn Iran and sanction Russia."

here is a really good and relatively short article by paul robinson at irrussianality's site titled "No history, no culture, please." which is worth the read..

on a personal note, i am going to be away for about a month and back nov 6th... next window for the false flag chemical attack is going to be next week - oct 10th or 11th, based on the shorter term astro..

Posted by: james | Oct 7 2018 16:00 utc | 2

The 'victimhood' video is down, already.

Posted by: Yonatan | Oct 7 2018 16:59 utc | 3

Self @2

Sorry false alarm, forgot to try changing Tor route. A new route, and hey presto!

Posted by: Yonatan | Oct 7 2018 17:03 utc | 4

The Kavanaugh circus was a sad spectacle. His wife was Bush's personal secretary. The Democrats used the grievance culture because that is all they have. Focusing on abortion and grievances keeps the public stirred up and diverts attention from some other very serious very troubling issues that they are cashing out on.

It has been ALLEGED that Christine Blasey Ford is a psychologist in the CIA's undergraduate internship program at Stanford. I checked her Stanford profiles and it was scrubbed clean but in place .

Snopes has worked hard to discredit the allegations that came out on some websites that are a bit crazy but the information is interesting. She MAY well have been the intake psychologist for this program. Then again, maybe not. She was doing work at Stanford and the scope of that work is not fully known.

Equally troubling is the family history alleged to be connected to that stellar three letter agency. The dad is alleged to be a long time contractor for the agency running building management, security, and executive protection company's that service the office sites of the highest levels of these types of agencies. These items are easily researched out. That includes personal security for all the major players in the anti Trump wing of the state.

https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=6846922&privcapId=4395750&previousCapId=30029621&previousTitle=American%2520DG%2520Energy%2520Inc.

It is alleged that her brother, Ralph Blasey 3rd, worked for the law firm that represented Fusion GPS
who was behind the phony anti Trump dossier paid for by the DNC.

While this information came out on some crazy websites SOME of it can be confirmed. Who else is going to publish this? CNN?

All in all, IF TRUE (and some of this does appear true), it confirms my THEORY. The CIA backed Hillary and the military backed Trump.

Posted by: dltravers | Oct 7 2018 17:12 utc | 5

Brett Kavanaugh Confirmed, Possibly Most Conservative US Supreme Court Since Lynching Negros Was Outlawed and Women Were Given the Vote!

Let's be clear about one thing, a'right?

Posted by: Anton Worter | Oct 7 2018 17:15 utc | 6

@4 dltravers.. i think your theory has a lot of merit.. "The CIA backed Hillary and the military backed Trump." whatever is going on in the usa, it seems to be coming apart at the seams..

Posted by: james | Oct 7 2018 17:21 utc | 7

dltravers @4--

Yes, CIA backed HRC since WJC was their boy from the time he attended the school of foreign service at Georgetown where he was recruited, which is how he got his law degree and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship. The CIA has either had its own people as POTUS or controlled them via other means since late November 1963. Trump isn't one of them, thus the virulent opposition and collaboration to undermine his office. Now it looks like he's under control, but with Trump you never can tell.

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 7 2018 18:19 utc | 8

Putin sucking up to Netanyahu again,

Netanyahu to meet Putin after Russia gives S-300 to Syria
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/10/07/576315/Syria-Israel-Russia-Netanyahu-Putin-plane-crash-S300

Expect Israel start bombing Syria again after this meeting,

Posted by: Zanon | Oct 7 2018 18:37 utc | 9

An update to part of the article on October 5th: the claim that Chinese companies manipulated hardware is being denied by Apple and Amazon. Story and comments here.

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Oct 7 2018 18:49 utc | 10

It was a bit wrong of me to call it an update, on second thought it is more an additional source of comments on the matter and closely related ones.

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Oct 7 2018 19:04 utc | 11

Of course it's being denied and spun up like 9/11. Amazon owns 50% of the e-commerce space and Apple owns 50% of consumer electronics. It would be globally devastating if consumers redirected. But they're sheep. What the big concern is short-sellers sending Amazon and Apple on a long speculative decline if this story gains legs, at a time when both Apple and Amazon are kicking it into high gear for 60% share.

It will all be forgotten by 5/11. Alexandria, you are go for power-up!

Posted by: Anton Worter | Oct 7 2018 19:12 utc | 12

Agree, Zanon. Netanyahu is going to get a green light in some form from Putin. I suspect, though, that Putin is seriously pissing off the Russian MOD at this point. Putin's crony relationship with Netanyahu is so blatant at this point. Putin seems to think that he is politically untouchable. We'll see if that's true.

People wanted to see the real Putin, once he won his last election. Well you are seeing it.

Posted by: paul | Oct 7 2018 19:37 utc | 13

Just came here to say that today is the last day of existence of the Brazilian Sixth Republic.

Polls indicate the neofascist candidate Jair Bolsonaro -- who promised the return of a military dictatorship if elected (and he has the means to do so, since he has full support of the Brazilian Armed Forces, Judiciary and Police forces) -- will win the election.

Even if he doesn't win, he already promised he won't accept the result. The Brazilian Armed Forces have been releasing similar notes to the public.

Bolsonaro's supporters are already posting videos with handguns. This is a poetic invite to a civil war against the Brazilian left.

The aim of the Brazilian elites is to extend the illegitimate President Michel Temer's recessive reforms: the Brazilian working class lost all of its working rights, unions are being systematically destroyed. Bolsonaro's goal is to distract the Brazilian people with an imaginary internal enemy (in this case, the communists).

In an act of desperation, left-wing pseudo-intellectuals in Brazil are calling for an "establishment" coalition, between the forces of the "center" (who gave birth to Bolsonaro in the first place) and the left-wing (the Workers' Party/Partido dos Trabalhadores -- PT in the Portuguese acronym). If this happens, things will only get worse, because it will extend Temer's unpopular reforms while, at the same time, demoralize the left-wing. Contrary to the First World countries, Brazil still has a true left-wing - but that won't last if this Faustian deal is made.

The capitalist economy is scheduled to have another global crash in 2019/2020. Contrary to 1964, the military dictatorship won't have a prosperous wave to surf on. The same case will be true if the establishment wins.

Brazil is set to desintegrate in the short/medium term, thus making American rule in the region stronger.

Posted by: vk | Oct 7 2018 19:39 utc | 14

@5 Anton Worter

Usually I enjoy your posts, Chippy, because you just don't give a f*. But lately you have hit the afterburner button and are filling with the pages here with partisan-kneejerk, fearmongering garbage. (Even if it is amusing garbage)

It is sad that Justice Kavanaugh condoned and opined in favor of torture and various other Bush-era Patriotic-shenanigans. That is inexcusable. I admit that Kavanaugh should have been opposed on these moral grounds, but that stuff (GWB-era) has waned and we find ourselves in another epoch. Scalia and other judges also have defended it. So what's another fly in the ointment, then? Certainly not a legitimate reason to claim that the court will spell the the final nail into the coffin of Joe-Sheetrock's liberty. In fact, here is a case for Kavanaugh's even-handedness as it relates to the "woman's rights" debate. On one side, it references Judge Kavanaugh's ruling in favor of Emily's List, a pro-choice/democratic organization for raising campaign contributions, and on the other side of the coin, he ruled in favor of Religious Institutions which provide healthcare to deny payment for birth control options which is very reasonable if you are not going to infringe upon these institutions. His dissenting opinions were all taken to the Supreme Court and validated by it, EVEN DURING A LIBERAL COURT!

Ironically, after he ruled in favor of Emily's List to contribute to DEMS, they are now throwing him under the bus and saying he is an unfair partisan.

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Oct 7 2018 19:51 utc | 15

Re: biological weapons

"And advanced forms of biological warfare that can 'target' specific genotypes may
transform biological warfare from the realm of terror to a politically useful tool."

PNAC, "Rebuilding America's Defenses", p. 60.

Posted by: Cherrycoke | Oct 7 2018 20:08 utc | 16

Our commenter psychohistorian and others interested in public banking, and the concept of money as a public utility rather than a private (and profit-gouging) instrument, may want to watch the latest Keiser Report, which has an interview with Ellen Brown.

Brown relates that the city of Los Angeles has on its ballot for the November elections a measure to create a city-owned bank. This was put on the ballot by the city council itself, prompted by a groundswell of support coming from constituents.

The rapid-fire interview doesn't go deeply into the politics behind this citizen initiative, but it seems like a happy story of young millennials looking for an alternative to Wall Street banks, and learning from Brown and others about the strong value of the public bank.

An interesting turn of events. The interview starts in the second half of the show at 14:40:

Episode 1289 Keiser Report

Posted by: Grieved | Oct 7 2018 20:13 utc | 17

Most likely, every Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee who was a member of Congress at the time voted to pass the Patriot Act and to acquiesce in, if not approve of, torture. Hence, the idea of making such a case against Kavanaugh would have been a complete non-starter.

Posted by: Rob | Oct 7 2018 20:17 utc | 18

Cherrycoke @15--

Thanks very much for that reminder! It should also be recalled that the Outlaw US Empire used biologicals during Korean War--bubonic plague infected rodents amongst other vectors. Both serve as an excellent reminder as to the depth of evil we're contending with and just how vital it is for its citizenry to regain control of the USA.

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 7 2018 20:27 utc | 19

@ Grieved with the link to Ellen Brown speaking about the initiative on the November ballot in LA for public banking.

YEAH!!!!!!! GO MILLENNIALS!!!!

This is why the drumbeat for war is so loud as well as all the other obfuscation efforts. The core power of the elite is being challenged as never before and them trying to stuff the genie back in the bottle is making the process of disruption quicker.

Any bets that Trump will say something about this issue before the November ballot? I think yes.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 7 2018 20:46 utc | 20

Grieved @16--

Thanks for that link. Hopefully, enough Angelinos will vote for the measure to overcome eletion machine manipulations.

Here's further confirmation of b's assessment of The Intercept and its parent company.

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 7 2018 20:57 utc | 21

This tweet links to a rather interesting compendium of recent pronouncements by the 4+1 actors in SyRaq allowing one to conclude: "It can be said that Russia, Turkey and Iran have made a start toward confronting the U.S."

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 7 2018 21:15 utc | 22

It's good to recall the sort of person newly murdered Khasshogi was; a journalist he wasn't. Some are suggesting his murder ought to derail Saudi/Outlaw US Empire relations. Makes one wonder how many royal family members met a similar fate during MbS's recent "reform" crackdown.

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 7 2018 21:37 utc | 23

# b "The anti-Kavanaugh strategy by the Democratic Party leadership was an utter failure. They could have emphasized his role in the Patriot Act, the Bush torture regime and his earlier lies to Congress to disqualify him."

Perhaps the reason the Democrats didn't go down that road was because the Democrats are in favour of the Patriot Act, torture and lying. From my limited discussions with Democrats that wouldn't rally their "troops". The had no chance to win unless they played the rape card. Here in Canada the media was alive daily with new stories about Kavanaugh. I can't imagine the media being as interested with news on what Kavanaugh did while working for Bush the second.

The video clip below, while being a poke at the confirmation hearings, has a ring of premonition to it, like ignoring Kavanaugh's case history, drinking, protesters and serving in the Bush administration and women.

http://www.unz.com/video/reasontv_what-should-have-happened-at-the-brett-kavanaugh-hearings/

Posted by: Tom | Oct 7 2018 21:45 utc | 24

there's definitely a war between the power factions at the top, but it's ambiguous
exactly who those factions are comprised of, and exactly how many they are--i think there may be a split in the cia, but both sides support clinton and oppose trump. cia/military seems like a useful generalization though. there are neocons in all camps.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Oct 7 2018 22:41 utc | 25

Just talking to myself mostly...
If CIA backed HRC, and US Military backed Trump, and of course the israeli's, (read The Mossad) also backed Trump, then it means that US Military and The Mossad go hand in hand in Global Theater Operations, since they didn't (apparently) trusted CIA enough? Or is it that what we see here is actually just The Mossad doing some moar extortion operations so they get stuff from the CIA or also the Military transferred over to israeli control?
The Brazil elections if the rightwingers (read fascists) win I bet will be a rainfall for israel, since, there you go, full country in upheaval, letaves you with great opportunities to go sell your 5G and your smart dust and let the government keep every dissident in check, without having to relly on third parties (Google/Apple/Microsoft - the bad guys full of chinese chips.) that won't play with you along (israel). So they get to have their first own little country (80 million?) to play with their new tech, and if you count that rgentina is now back at the IMF, you just add the coiuntries now, from North to South: USA + Brazil + Argentina, that's almost the entire Americas (minus Mexico and Canada, (but I gues uncle Trump will make Mexican's comes to their senses with the Wall right?) That's not bad of a "Market" of a lil country with merely 7 million people like Israel and it's "start up" companies, right? No wonder Mossad doesn't like CIA now. They (retired vets?) took out too much of their (could be) market share, right?

Am I right or am I right as they say in Texas?

Posted by: Greece | Oct 7 2018 22:45 utc | 26

Kavanaugh showed himself to be a Trump avatar.  Throughout Trumpland, that is how his persona is received, and thats why he received widespread support from the so called Christian Right that makes up the parties base. Thats what will mobilize them in November and be credited with their win. Maybe Dems will blame Russia for their loss in November.

Allegations against Kavanaugh by women are well documented, as they are with Trump, one of whom claimed to be 13 at the time of the assault before dropping the charges filed in court against Trump (paid off like Stormy?). The Christian Right seems not to care. Not very Christian of them.

Besides Trumps mafia connections, widely underreported by MSM until “after” his election, we now know that despite his claims of being a self made billionaire his Daddy left him or gave him half a billion dollars that he somehow was able to get by paying only 5% taxes instead of the much larger gift tax/inheritance tax rates at the time. All this information from records available before the election, so where was the MSM and DNC who supposedly dearly wanted to prevent his election?

Meanwhile, like with Trump the Dems and MSM again failed to play their main cards against Kavanaugh. They failed to focus on how he  saw the PATRIOT Act as “measured, careful, responsible, and constitutional,” despite its mockery of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments which Trumps supporters were outraged to find they were used against Trump. Democrats also never bothered to mention Kavanaugh once ruled that “the Government’s metadata collection program is entirely consistent with the Fourth Amendment” while sitting on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Not to mention documented incidences of perjury which is a criminal act and worthy of investigation before voting on a lifetime position.

Why did they not do so? Because they (DNC and left leaning MSM)support these programs and they by and large support Trumps agenda, but their fake opposition is needed to maintain the illusion of a 2 party Democracy and is carefully measured not to succeed

When they do take power every 8 years (probably by agreement) they have an infinite number of reasons they can’t fulfill their promises due largely to the other parties opposition , which always seems far more successful , and they always have to slip some neoliberal or freedom sucking measures into some of the bills they do pass that don’t get widely reported till they kick in, sometimes after they leave office.

So basically we are a one party system pretending not to be. Thats been the case for awhile. Whats relatively new this century is the blatant support for immorality by the rights voter base. Its almost as if the Christian Right has been subverted by a Satanic Cult, which has been alleged to be true on the left for some time.

If so we walk entirely with Satan (Lucifer) which is the elites one true God. This is the only God that they Trust and in return he blesses them. A theocracy of the wrong kind.

Posted by: Pft | Oct 7 2018 22:46 utc | 27

The Secret Team has matured .

So Bill Clinton was [quietly] expelled from Oxford University on a rape incident?
So Bill Clinton at Oxford was buddies with Stepfan Halper ?
So Clinton and Halper left Oxford and toured Soviet Union for couple years?
So Halper was recruited by both CIA and MI6 [England's Military Intel Div. 6] ?
So Halper let CIA know of Clinton's hidden Oxford rape incident [as if CIA did not know] ?
So Clinton was thus compromised [owned/pwned] by both CIA and MI6, jointly?
So Israel/Mossad thus would also know and share ownership of Clinton?
So Clinton's owners opened the political doors for Clinton to be Governor of Arkansas?
So CIA drugs-for-weapons via Mena, Arkansas was thus enabled by the Governor?
So Clinton would just float-up thru all obstacles to be President of United States?
So under Clinton, the Senior Executive Service, as CIA conduit, would enormously expand its infiltration into all US Gov departments? [re brilliant expansion of (Prouty's) Secret Team]
So any later investigation of Clintons was effectively blocked at FBI/CIA/NSA/DIA/DOJ/DOState [and IRS re: Clinton family pseudo-charities] ?
So under Clinton, Banking and Wall Street operations were freed from the Glass-Steagall anti-fraud reforms?
Etc.?

Posted by: chu teh | Oct 7 2018 22:54 utc | 28

Also do not forget that all invisiblestuff that US army had during the Clinton/HRC era, were easily visible. F-117 in Serbia, Stealth Black Hawk down in Afghanistan, some stealth drone in Iran, F-35 (christmass trees) and so on.
Weren't all these Lakheed Martin projects?

Obviously there was no transparency there during the Clinton years. lol
I'm not trolling I swear.

Posted by: Greece | Oct 7 2018 23:18 utc | 29

Greece @ 25

"Also do not forget that all invisible stuff that US army had during the Clinton/HRC era, were easily visible. F-117 in Serbia,"

See: Comment #43: (very detailed, links to open source US mil docs)

"The idea of ‘stealth’ aircraft is in fact mostly a gimmick designed to enrich the military contractors…it doesn’t actually work very well at all, as proved in 1999 when the Serb air defense, using ancient Soviet surface to air missiles of 1950s vintage, shot down the USAF F117 aircraft…and damaged another that was then written off, and therefore counts as a kill…"

http://www.unz.com/tsaker/s-300s-and-other-military-hardware-for-syria/#comment-2558132

Posted by: pogohere | Oct 7 2018 23:50 utc | 30

can't exactly agree with "victimhood" as part of the sexual assault allegations around kavanaugh/ford. this has all been so hysterically set up that it's in no way an example for victimizing the perpetrators, quite the opposite. you can't just condemn everyone who gets blamed - if that works out, you'll have conveniently timed assault allegations every other day.

Posted by: radiator | Oct 7 2018 23:57 utc | 31

I tried to post this comment yesterday and it got eaten by the Typepad borg...we will see what happens today

The following is a quote from US Senator John (project much) Cornyn at the end of the latest Supreme Court circus:

"Our vote today was important not only because it will allow us to move forward and conclude this process. It was important because it showed that the U.S. Senate will not be intimidated."
"We will not be bullied by the screams of paid protesters and name-calling by the mob."

As karlof1 shared, that must mean the 2400+ law professors and lawyers who presented the petition to the Senate on the 4th are also considered part of "the mob."

Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 7 2018 23:59 utc | 32

This will probably be deleted too but I thought it well said

“A public that can no longer distinguish between truth and fiction is left to interpret reality through illusion.  Random facts or obscure bits of data and trivia are used either to bolster illusion and give it credibility, or discarded if they interfere with the message…
When opinions cannot be distinguished from facts, when there is no universal standard to determine truth in law, in science, in scholarship, or in reporting the events of the day, when the most valued skill is the ability to entertain, the world becomes a place where lies become true, where people can believe what they want to believe.  This is the real danger of pseudo-events and pseudo-events are far more pernicious than stereotypes.  They do not explain reality, as stereotypes attempt to, but replace reality. Pseudo-events redefine reality by the parameters set by their creators. These creators, who make massive profits selling illusions, have a vested interest in maintaining the power structures they control.”
– Hedges, Chris (2009). “Empire of Illusion”, Nation Books, New York, NY, 2009, page 51

Posted by: Pft | Oct 8 2018 0:33 utc | 33

14

It's not that IDGAF at all, Nem! Why, I can choke down the Red- and Blue- Koolaid and Golden Yuan prognosticating bitcoin scam artistry as well as anyone! It's street theater. Haww, haww, haww. But maybe the jibber-jabbering about 'who controls Idlib today' is a little wakawaka, you know, when compared to who controls SCOTUS today, and a -$24,000,000,000,000 hot-money credit-debt death machine that's rolling around the globe.

AFA Kav, all you need do is wayback machine the Dead Reactionary Bork and Roberts 5-4 decisions, the Hanging Chads theft, Citizens United coup, and then the likely outcome by 2020 that USA will be a police state no different from what Brazil will be tomorrow. Oh, they won't legalize lynching again, the cops will take care of that, and they won't disenfranchise the women vote either, not when Melania is "rocking those 5-inch $575 snake skin stilettos in her Prada and Chanel!"

I mean, who TF shows up to the Houston hurricane disaster recovery in 5-inch stilettos!? When did we elect as Czar and Czarina slumlords, and give them Top Secret Clearance and Special Envoy to Israel status?! Pay attention! These purple people-eating lizards inside the Beltway are MONSTERS! Full steam ahead TRUMP Train !!! MAGA !!!! That's Adolf-talk!

MoA is the only blog that I know of that hasn't become gate-keeper'd banned-if-you-dissent. It's all fake echo chambers, posing as 'discourse'. So shouldn't we be chatting about something more important than idle gossip over who's on first?

Posted by: Anton Worter | Oct 8 2018 0:58 utc | 34

@26 pogohere

Thanks for that link. That's an essay in itself, and I'm still reading it. Fascinating and valuable background on stealth.

First takeaway for me is that the Russians invented stealth but considered it impracticable at the time. The US designers took the Russian equations and ran with them, throwing out many other considerations of plane-worthiness in order to promote this dud of a magic bullet.

Posted by: Grieved | Oct 8 2018 1:05 utc | 35

When we were adolescents, my friend told me about a dream he had where the cheerleaders at his school took him aside in the gym and all had sex with him. At the time, he said the dream was so real that he was drenched when he awoke. Now he is thinking about sueing the school administration and cheerleaders personally in a civil RICO action
forgettfully claiming it was a sexual assualt. I'm the only one who knows it was a dream! Help! Am I in legal jeopardy?

Posted by: Guerrero | Oct 8 2018 2:03 utc | 36

@31: Hell G, when I was a teenager, had I been approached sexually by a older woman, I'd have gone to church and thanked the "sky being" or someone for the education.

Posted by: ben | Oct 8 2018 2:42 utc | 37

One of my favorite Chris Hedges pieces, here's an excerpt:

"The political process, as the research by professors Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. Page underscores, no longer advances the interests of the average citizen. It has turned the consent of the governed into a cruel joke. “The central point that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence.” This facade of democratic process eviscerates one of the primary social bonds in a democratic state and abolishes the vital shared belief that citizens have the power to govern themselves, that government exists to promote and protect their rights and interests."

Full article: https://www.truthdig.com/articles/american-anomie/

Posted by: ben | Oct 8 2018 2:54 utc | 38

ben @33--

And just what have myself and others been preaching here for awhile? IMO, more than enough evidence exists to prove federal government dysfunction. My question for several years now: What are us Commonfolk going to do to regain control of the federal government?

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 8 2018 3:15 utc | 39

@29 Anton

Don't worry, sir. Americans aren't like the Chinese and most of us are on to the gag-order coming down the pipe to alternative media. In fact, the whole Alt-Right label was summoned to stigmatize this growing trend to people receiving their soundbites from youtube, blogs, or the web in general.

I was talking about this to my wife tonight...but it all comes down to the gay-cakes issue again. Are we to allow privately-owned business the right to deny service to those who embody an issue or idea we find hurtful to our own identity or affiliation? I lean libertarian and side with keeping gov't away from private business decisions within reason, (i.e. pollution downstream, employment of illegals, etc.) but I understand then that google and youtube can censor conservative voices as they have been of recent. Your concern about censorship here is shared by me.

However, the problem with gov't enforcement and infringement on business-rights is that when applied, it is applied unevenly and partisan-based, as I just explained with penalizing the little guy baker/homophobe and ignoring the behemoths of media like google/facebook/youtube when they censor voices that shine light on the roaches.

When left to business, at least we know that private liberty is secured and incumbent on individuals to do their due dillegence in parsing their intake of media and patronizing business in general. When regulated by a central authority, you have convenient gaps in service and incest btw the FCC and businesses that generate wealth via the public.

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Oct 8 2018 3:22 utc | 40

Mexico and Canada enslave themselves to Outlaw US Empire via NATA replacement. All nations must beware the Hydra as it attempts to make all pay tribute. I'm aghast that Lopez-Obrador would sign such a document.

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 8 2018 3:30 utc | 41

@ karlof1 with the link that I read and am going to quote...thanks

Lets start with the quote to set the context
"
According to the new agreement, both Mexico and Canada must consult with the United States and effectively ask permission before entering into new trading agreements with any country outside of North America. While this clause represents a degrading assault on the sovereignty of Mexico and Canada, for practical purposes the target of this clause is China, a nation that in recent years has developed an ever more intensely positive relationship with Mexico in particular.
"
While the optics are consistent with the empire view of its world, the reality has to go through some approval process that may negate this bully position before actual ratification by all parties. I think that the leaders of Mexico and Canada understand that the world is evolving quickly, with relationships in stress and reevaluation.

The Western elite are trying to circle the wagons, so to speak. Just what nations are going to obey what edicts of empire? It is not looking like a good list at this time and I see pieces falling off the merry-go-round before the elections if not outright breakdown......the stage has been set purposely, correct?

Onward, into the void! Humanity has the opportunity to shed its chains of slavery to the private finance/everything elite at long last

Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 8 2018 4:07 utc | 42

The common folk never had control of the Federal Government.

The constitution was a creation of the elite at the time, the property class. Its mission was to prevent the common folk from having control. Democracy=mob rule= Bad.

The common folk only had the ability to elect representatives in the house, who in turn would elect Senators. Electors voted for President and they were appointed by a means chosen by the state legislature , which only in modern times has come to mean by the popular vote of the common folk. Starting from 1913 it was decided to let the common folk vote for Senator and give the commonfolk the illusion of Democracy confident they could be controlled with propaganda and taxes (also adopted in 1913 with the Fed)

At the time the eligible voters were males of European descent (MOED), and while not highly educated they were relatively free of propaganda and IQ’s were higher than today.After giving women the right to vote and with other minorities voting the MOED became a minority voter . Bernays science of propaganda took off during WWI, Since MOED’s made up the most educated class (relative to minorities and women) up to the 70’s this was a big deal for almost 60 years , although not today when miseducation is equal among the different races, sexes and ethnicities.

So today with propaganda and education being what it is , not to mention campaign financing laws especially post Citizen United, and MSM under control of 6 companies, the entire voting class is miseducated and easily influenced to vote for candidates chosen by the elites

So how do the common folk get control over the federal government? That is a pipe dream and will never happen. The founders who incited the revolution against British rule were the American Elites (also British citizens) who wanted more. The elites today got everything they want. They have no need for revolution. The common folk are divided, misinformed, unorganized, leaderless and males are emasculated. Incapable of taking control peacefully or otherwise.

Thats just my opinion

Posted by: Pft | Oct 8 2018 4:11 utc | 43

pogohere @26

A must read link you provided for all who felt that the recent Russian supply of "49 pieces" wasn't enough.

Hopefully all F35 pilots read this.

Many thanks.

Posted by: cdvision | Oct 8 2018 4:58 utc | 44

Pft has a point. If there was ever a time for the people to take the republic into its hands, it may have been
just after the Civil War when the Dems were discredited and the Repubs had a total control of Congress.

This was the high-tariff-era and the budget surplus was an issue all through the balance of the 19th Century.
So what were the politics about? 1. Stirring stump (Trump) speechs were all about "waving the bloody shirt"

All manner of political office-seekers devoted themselves to getting on the government gravy train, somehow.
The selling of political offices was notorious and the newpaper editors of the time were ashamed of this.

Then there was the Whiskey Ring. The New York Customs House was a major source of corruption lucre.
Then there was vote selling in blocks of as many as 10,000 and the cost of paying those who could do this.
Then there were the kickbacks from the awards of railroad concessions which included large parcels of land.
If there ever was a Golden Age of the United States it must have been when Franklin Roosevelt was President.

Posted by: Guerrero | Oct 8 2018 5:03 utc | 45

karlof1 @ 34 asked:"My question for several years now: What are us Commonfolk going to do to regain control of the federal government?"

The only thing us "common folk" can do is work within our personal sphere of influence, and engage who you can, when you can, and support with any $ you can spare, to support the sites and any local radio stations that broadcast independent thought. ( if you can find any). Pacifica radio, KPFK in LA is a good example.KPFA in the bay area.

Other than another economic crash, I don't believe anything can rouse the pathetic bovine public. Bread and circuses work...

Posted by: ben | Oct 8 2018 5:13 utc | 46

@38 Pft

The division of representative power and stake in the political process back at the birth of the US Constitution was as you say it was. But this wasn't because any existing power had been taken away from anyone. It was simply the state of play back then.

Since that time, we common people have developed a more egalitarian sense of how the representation should be apportioned. We include former slaves, all ethnic groups and both genders. We exclude animals thus far, although we do have some - very modest - protections in place.

I think it has been the rise of the socialist impulse among workers that has expanded this egalitarian view, with trade unions and anti-imperialist revolutions and national struggles. But I'm not a scholar or a historian so I can't add details to my impression.

My point is that since the Framers met, there has been a progressive elevation of our requirements of representative government. I think some of this also came from the Constitution itself, with its embedded Bill of Rights.

I can't say if this expansion has continued to this day or not. History may show there was a pinnacle that we have now passed, and entered a decline. I don't know - it's hard to say how we score the Internet in this balance. It's always hard to score the present age along its timeline. And the future is never here yet, in the present, and can only ever be guessed.

In my view, the dream of popular control of representative government remains entirely possible. I call it an aspiration rather than a pipe dream, and one worth taking up and handing on through the generations. Current global society may survive in relatively unbroken line for millennia to come. There's simply no percentage in calling failure at this time.

It may be that better government comes to the United States from the example of the world nations, over the decades and centuries to come. Maybe the demonstration effect will work on us even when we cannot work on ourselves. We are not the only society of poor people who want a fair life.

In my view of the fundamental dynamic - namely that of history being one unbroken story of the rich exploiting the poor - representative government is one of the greatest achievements of the poor. If we could only get it to work honestly, and protect it from the predations of the rich. This is a work in progress. It forms just one aspect of millennia of struggle. To give up now would be madness.

In my opinion.

Posted by: Grieved | Oct 8 2018 5:13 utc | 47

It's worth noting that a couple of arabic speakers disagree with Kevork Almassian's claim that Kashoggi praised IS headchoppers who beheaded Syrian soldiers. They contend that what Kashoggi wrote was that he considered the action to be brutal or monstrous but that given the state of the conflict it may be effective.

Whatever is going on between erdy and mbs, erdey the creep certainly gives the impression of being more effective when it comes to playing western media.
Late last night (Aotearoa time) the "Kashoggi was murdered by the Saudi ambassador" story was right down the batting order - last story before the sports news on BBC news. This am when I flicked on the goggle it was the 3rd yarn, first overseas one, ahead of the one about kav the perv joining the supremes.
If erdy keeps this alive for a couple more days by drip feeding info especially tapes of suss saudis carrying boxes of body parts out to their vehicles the story will reach max news tipping point and become self generating, in which case mbs will be dog tucker.

We shall see. I cannot help but think erdy is just hanging out for a big payout and if he gets in within the next day the story will vapourise into nothingness, otherwise it's gonna two arseholes fighting, pass the popcorn please

Posted by: Debsisdead | Oct 8 2018 5:52 utc | 48

Grieved @42 said:

"representative government is one of the greatest achievements of the poor. If we could only get it to work honestly, and protect it from the predations of the rich. This is a work in progress. It forms just one aspect of millennia of struggle. To give up now would be madness."

Here, here! I fully agree with you.

In my opinion, representative government was stronger in the U.S. from the 1930's to the 1970's and Europe after WW2. And as a result the western world achieved unprecedented prosperity. Since 1980, the U.S. government has been captured by trans-national elites, who, since the 1990's have also captured much of the political power in the EU.

Both Europe and the U.S. are now effectively dictatorships, run by a trans-national elite. The crumbling of both is the result of this dictatorship.

Prosperity, and peace, will only return when the dictators are removed and representative government is returned.

Posted by: dh-mtl | Oct 8 2018 6:34 utc | 49

dh-mtl@44

"Both Europe and the U.S. are now effectively dictatorships, run by a trans-national elite. The crumbling of both is the result of this dictatorship."

Exactly!! I feel like the Swedish knight Antonius Block in the movie the 7th Seal. There does not seem any way out of this evil game by the death dealing rulers.

Posted by: Krollchem | Oct 8 2018 6:42 utc | 50

24

Love it. But you fad3d at the end. It was Gingrich, not Rodham, who was behind Contract on America, and GHWBush's Fed Bank group wrote the legislation that would have been Bush's second term 'kinder, gentler' Gramm-Leach-Bliley bayonet up the azs of the American Dream, as passed by a majority of Congress, and by that point Tripp and Lewinski had already pull-dated Wild Bill. God, can you imagine being married to that hag Rodham? The purple people-eating lizards of Georgetown and Alexandria. Uurk.

Posted by: Anton Worter | Oct 8 2018 7:06 utc | 51

40

¿Que tal?

I'm reading a great FDR book, 'Roosevelt and Hopkins', a signed 1st Ed copy by Robert Sherwood, and the only book extant from my late father's excellent political and war library, after his trophy wife dumped the rest of his library off at Goodwill, lol. They could have paid for her next booblift, ha, ha, ha.

Anyway, FDR, in my mind, only passed the populist laws that he did because he needed cannon fodder in good fighting shape for Rothschild's Wars ("3/4ths of WW2 conscripts were medically unfit for duty," the book reports), and because Rothschild's and Queens Bank of London needed the whole sh*taco bailed out afterward, by creating SS wage-withholding 'Trust Fund' (sic) the Fed then tapped into, and creating Lend-Lease which let Rothschilds float credit-debt to even a higher level and across the globe. Has it all been paid off by Germany and Japan yet?

Even Lincoln, jeez, Civil War was never about slavery, it was about finance and taxation and the illegitimate Federal supremacy over the Republic of States, not unlike the EU today. Lincoln only freed the slaves to use them as cannon fodder and as a fifth column.

All of these politicians were purple people-eating lizards, except maybe the Kennedy's, and they got ground and pounded like Conor McGregor, meh?

Posted by: Anton Worter | Oct 8 2018 7:34 utc | 52

What an Audacious Hoax Reveals About Academia

Three scholars wrote 20 fake papers using fashionable jargon to argue for ridiculous conclusions.

Harvard University’s Yascha Mounk writing for The Atlantic:

“Over the past 12 months, three scholars—James Lindsay, Helen Pluckrose, and Peter Boghossian—wrote 20 fake papers using fashionable jargon to argue for ridiculous conclusions, and tried to get them placed in high-profile journals in fields including gender studies, queer studies, and fat studies. Their success rate was remarkable…

Sokal Squared doesn’t just expose the low standards of the journals that publish this kind of dreck, though. It also demonstrates the extent to which many of them are willing to license discrimination if it serves ostensibly progressive goals.

This tendency becomes most evident in an article that advocates extreme measures to redress the “privilege” of white students.

Exhorting college professors to enact forms of “experiential reparations,” the paper suggests telling privileged students to stay silent, or even BINDING THEM TO THE FLOOR IN CHAINS

If students protest, educators are told to

“take considerable care not to validate privilege, sympathize with, or reinforce it and in so doing, recenter the needs of privileged groups at the expense of marginalized ones. The reactionary verbal protestations of those who oppose the progressive stack are verbal behaviors and defensive mechanisms that mask the fragility inherent to those inculcated in privilege.”

In an article for Areo magazine, the authors of the hoax explain their motivation:

“Something has gone wrong in the university—especially in certain fields within the humanities.

Scholarship based less upon finding truth and more upon attending to social grievances has become firmly established, if not fully dominant, within these fields, and their scholars increasingly bully students, administrators, and other departments into adhering to their worldview.

This worldview is not scientific, and it is not rigorous. For many, this problem has been growing increasingly obvious, but strong evidence has been lacking. For this reason, the three of us just spent a year working inside the scholarship we see as an intrinsic part of this problem.”

We spent that time writing academic papers and publishing them in respected peer-reviewed journals associated with fields of scholarship loosely known as “cultural studies” or “identity studies” (for example, gender studies) or “critical theory” because it is rooted in that postmodern brand of “theory” which arose in the late sixties.

As a result of this work, we have come to call these fields “grievance studies” in shorthand because of their common goal of problematizing aspects of culture in minute detail in order to attempt diagnoses of power imbalances and oppression rooted in identity.

We undertook this project to study, understand, and expose the reality of grievance studies, which is corrupting academic research.

Because open, good-faith conversation around topics of identity such as gender, race, and sexuality (and the scholarship that works with them) is nearly impossible, our aim has been to reboot these conversations.’’

To read more, see Areo magazine + “academic grievance studies and the corruption of scholarship”

Posted by: Dr. Buddy Tubside | Oct 8 2018 7:41 utc | 53

38

Even if males weren't emasculated before, with #me too, they are now, then even if all the quivers get full and barefoot, and even if Team Kav, Bork et al make abortions and miscarriage MurderOne, the USAryan MOED population is going to crash, bigly. Who cares? Mexicans work harder and (India)nd work smarter and Chinese work cheaper.

E pluribus get back to work. The next 3Q18 $1,000,000,000,000 tithe-tribute to the purple people-eating Lizardry is due in just 7 days. They want their money, and you damn well better have it!

Posted by: Anton Worter | Oct 8 2018 7:46 utc | 54

Sad news from Bulgaria this morning ! This investigative journalist brutally murderd https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/07/tv-journalist-brutally-murdered-in-bulgarian-town-of-ruse She was exposing EU curuption, this subject should be picket up and carried forward in her memory! This should not deter us, but make us all the more diligent exposing these political thugs !!!

Posted by: Mark2 | Oct 8 2018 9:01 utc | 55

To add to my above comments @50 —-This is some of the corruption Viktoria Marinova was exposing before her rape and murder —- https://bivol.bg/en/documents-consultancy-companies-involved-in-grand-corruption-with-eu-funds-and-public procurement.html she must have been on to something pretty importantant ! Apparently they were shredding thousands of government documents to hide the truth. She intervened and got arrested ! Now this !!!

Posted by: Mark2 | Oct 8 2018 9:53 utc | 56

that tweet exposing the intercept for hosting an even for elliot bellingcat higgins is quite revealing. not surprising, give a lot of the articles they publish. and for whatever reason, glenn greenwald is writing few articles these days.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Oct 8 2018 10:37 utc | 57

RIP Brazil. No matter what outcome the second round of the presidential elections will be, we're doomed.

Posted by: Miranda | Oct 8 2018 13:12 utc | 58

“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers.”

Is that from Samuel H. Flowerman’s Mass Propaganda in the War Against Bigotry?

While this sounds like something Flowerman might have written, the actual quote is from Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow

Posted by: Dr. Buddy Tubside | Oct 8 2018 14:03 utc | 59

B:

Sooner or later the US is going to disable access to moonofalabama.org. The writing is on the wall. Please prepare for that eventuality by setting up a backup site* on a non-US domain (eg moonofalabama.ru etc), preferably with servers in Russia. And let us know the backup domain in advance, so that we know where to go when the inevitable comes.

Of course within the US they will no doubt block the .ru site also, but at least the rest of us will still be able to access from anywhere else in the world except the US, and maybe a few nutter countries like UA, LA etc.

(* of course, technically the way to do it would be to set up the real site in Russia on Russian servers and have the .org site simply point to it).

Posted by: BM | Oct 8 2018 14:03 utc | 60

"representative government is one of the greatest achievements of the poor. If we could only get it to work honestly, and protect it from the predations of the rich. This is a work in progress. It forms just one aspect of millennia of struggle. To give up now would be madness."

Compare to: Sentiments of the Nation:

12º That as the good Law is superior to every man, those dictated by our Congress must be such, that they force constancy and patriotism, moderate opulence and indigence; and in such a way increase the wages of the poor, improve their habits, moving away from ignorance, rapine and theft.

13º That the general laws include everyone, without exception of privileged bodies; and that these are only in the use of the ministry..

14º That in order to dictate a Law, the Meeting of Sages is made, in the possible number, so that it may proceed with more success and exonerate of some charges that may result.

15. That slavery be banished forever, and the distinction of castes, leaving all the same, and only distinguish one American from another by vice and virtue.

16º That our Ports be open to friendly foreign nations, but that they do not enter the nation, no matter how friendly they may be, and there will only be Ports designated for that purpose, prohibiting disembarkation in all others, indicating ten percent.

17º That each one be kept his property, and respect in his House as in a sacred asylum, pointing out penalties to the offenders.

18º That the new legislation does not admit torture.

19º That the Constitutional Law establishes the celebration of December 12th in all Peoples, dedicated to the Patroness of our Liberty, Most Holy Mary of Guadalupe, entrusting to all Peoples the monthly devotion.

20º That the foreign troops, or of another Kingdom, do not step on our soil, and if it were in aid, they will not without the Supreme Junta approval.

21º That expeditions are not made outside the limits of the Kingdom, especially overseas, that they are not of this kind yet rather to spread the faith to our brothers and sisters of the land inside.

22º That the infinity of tributes, breasts and impositions that overwhelm us be removed, and each individual be pointed out a five percent of seeds and other effects or other equally light weight, that does not oppress so much, as the alcabala, the Tobacconist, the Tribute and others; because with this slight contribution, and the good administration of the confiscated goods of the enemy, will be able to take the weight of the War, and pay the fees of employees.

Temple of the Virgen of the Ascencion
Chilpancingo, September 14, 1813.
José Mª Morelos.

23º That also be solemnized on September 16, every year, as the Anniversary day on which the Voice of Independence was raised, and our Holy Freedom began, because on that day it was in which the lips of the Nation were deployed to claim their rights with Sword in hand to be heard: always remembering the merit of the great Hero Mr. Don Miguel Hidalgo and his companion Don Ignacio Allende.

Answers on November 21, 1813. And therefore, these are abolished, always being subject to the opinion of S. [u] A. [alteza] S. [very eminent]

Posted by: Guerrero | Oct 8 2018 14:22 utc | 61

All of these politicians were purple people-eating lizards, except maybe the Kennedy's, and they got ground and pounded like Conor McGregor, meh? Posted by: Anton Worter | Oct 8, 2018 3:34:05 AM | 47

You make a good point Anton. I remain optimistic, however unrealistic salvation may seem.
So long as the Universe is proceeding in its evolutionary long-arc of circular action on a cone,
I be good ok; Catholic doctrine's doubtful, priests are shady dudes, still, there are the miracles,
one never knows if one might happen. I hope to die peacefully and go to a heaven that doesn't exist,
and that humanity catches itself in time to avoid the worst. God bless humanity, even if God is merely
a biological phenomena proceeding from the infant experience of the human and other environmental factors.
I was only hoping that FDR were some creditable hero, because a nation without a hero is almost lost, I think.
Does the great United States have to settle for only a "would-be" hero, like President John Fitzgerald Kennedy?

Posted by: Guerrero | Oct 8 2018 14:59 utc | 62

Grieved @17
I think what you may be talking of here is a Credit Union, popular in European countries for many years now (Since c.1964)to freeze out the loan sharks and ursurers who operate in poorer, more desperate areas. They work very well too and enable local people to take control and prime the local economy. You don't hear that much about them as it is in the interests of the Pharisees to strangle them, but they continue to survive and prosper. Worth a good Google of your time.....

Posted by: Emmanuel Goldstein | Oct 8 2018 15:46 utc | 63

Thanks to everyone in comments here, and before the thread moves on or events do, I did want to thank karlof1
for persisting in providing the link to Putins Q & A on the energy forum. I have discovered I really should
lurk more and post less, so in future that is what I will do. You are all much better informed, and events
seem to be moving at a rapid pace these days, so reading is what I will be doing.

One comment on that Q & A. What I enjoy from Putin's speechmaking is his readability for me - he speaks in
terms that I can understand as I'm an oldie and so often the news is about entities in capital letters I do
not keep in my memory bank. But I do have a caveat, which is that his comments about climate change were,
to me very much off the mark. I realize he was tailoring those comments to the energy corporations assembled,
and that also Russia probably won't be as badly affected as some by global warming, but his 'we won't upset
the applecart' 'scientists say...' was to me, knowing his smarts, disingenuous to say the least, and disappointing.

Posted by: juliania | Oct 8 2018 15:50 utc | 64

Also, just want to add - the effect in Russia might be that Sochi loses some of those magnificent conifers. So,
Russia will be affected, and to me that makes remediation worth the effort, even if it fails.

Posted by: juliania | Oct 8 2018 15:52 utc | 65

Posted by: Grieved | Oct 8, 2018 1:13:32 AM | 47

The division of representative power and stake in the political process back at the birth of the US Constitution was as you say it was. But this wasn't because any existing power had been taken away from anyone. It was simply the state of play back then.

That's certainly not what the 1787 framers thought. On the contrary, they openly said the problem was too much democracy and too little ability to centralize power.

Since that time, we common people have developed a more egalitarian sense...

What do you call the 1776 Pennsylvania state constitution, by far the most egalitarian charter ever enacted in this place? And what do you call Shay's Rebellion? The Whiskey Rebellion? The North Carolina regulators?

The fact is that a major reason the imperial coup ideology of the 1787ers still holds such sway is that these and many other events have been disappeared from the "official" history. As for that 1787 ideology, you can read about it in the Federalist Papers. Hamilton and Madison openly say the main purpose is to concentrate power in order to build a continental empire, and that the existing system was too much democracy for such power goals. Hamilton especially despised the Bill of Rights, meager as it was, which he condemned in terms familiar in today's discourse: He sneered at the fear of government power and slippery slopes in the same terms and tone that today's elites use to sneer at fear of things like police militarization, police surveillance, the Patriot Act, etc.

Indeed the people of today, those you say have a more egalitarian sense, are the same who have casually let the Bill of Rights, meager as it is, be gutted in practice. And if there were a new constitutional convention, those same "egalitarians" would sit still while those rights were formally rescinded.

No, I think you have it exactly upside down. There were some egalitarian human beings in 1787, and they actually fought sometimes; today there's nothing but atomized masses with no agency at all.

Posted by: Russ | Oct 8 2018 16:10 utc | 66

@ Guerrero 61

Unfortunately this quote describes all of modernity far more accurately:

The institution of Slavery is a principal cause of civilization. Perhaps nothing can be more evident than that it is the sole cause. If anything can be predicated as universally true of uncultivated man, it is that he will not labor beyond what is absolutely necessary to maintain his existence. Labor is pain to those who are unaccustomed to it, and the nature of man is averse to pain. Even with all the training, the helps and motives of civilization, we find that this aversion cannot be overcome in many individuals of the most cultivated societies. The coercion of Slavery alone is adequate to form man to habits of labor. Without it, there can be no accumulation of property, no providence for the future, no taste for comforts or elegancies, which are the characteristics and essentials of civilization. He who has obtained the command of another’s labor, first begins to accumulate and provide for the future, and the foundations of civilization are laid…Since the existence of man upon the earth, with no exception whatever, either of ancient or modern times, every society which has attained civilization has advanced to it through this process.

– Pro-slavery ideologue William Harper, 1837. (H/T Derrick Jensen’s Endgame p. 107)

This sums up well the rise and sustenance of civilization. And what about the barbarism of modern civilization’s decline?

As fossil fuels, the ghost slaves of modernity as William Catton called them, upon which all of modern civilization is completely dependent; as fossil fuels become simply unavailable, does anyone really think the elites won’t try to prop up whatever they can of their zombie lifestyles and power by restoring institutional slavery? Does anyone really think their sense of entitlement and will to violence will stop short of that?

Posted by: Russ | Oct 8 2018 16:17 utc | 67

Bernhard is right as usual, instead of focusing on Kavanaugh’s misconduct and bad behavior towards women, his critics of every stripe should’ve focused on his judicial record on a number of very important issues. After all, his decisions on the court affect millions upon millions of people, while his behavior towards women only affects several dozen people at the very most, and only one gender for that matter. This is what happens when one’s criticism of others is centered around and driven by “identity politics,” as is definitely the case with the Kavanaugh confirmation hearing. Identity politics, in this case, as it is in most cases, is causing those who engage in it to think and make decisions that are pennywise and pound foolish and that involve not seeing the forest for the trees, so to speak. I’m obviously at a lose for a better idiom, but you get my drift.

As far as his judicial record is concerned, it makes his record towards women, at least in high school and college, look like a microscopic molehill being eclipsed by the great and mighty Mount Everest! He will never, ever question the unconstitutionality of our too-numerous-count wars of aggression and our big-brother surveillance state. He will rule in favor of big corporations at the expense to small businesses, as well as worker and consumer rights and protections. He will rule that presidents have the sole and absolute authority to use taxpayer money to prop up ObamaCare without having to get any approval or input from Congress.

That’s because Brett Kavanaugh is a pro-corporate extremists, and like all pro-corporate extremists with judicial powers, corporate cronyism and corporate welfare are perfectly ok in his book. And because he is a big-brother, warmongering corporatist extremist, he’ll always rule in favor of the president to wage illegal wars across the globe and to conduct illegally spying on our citizens. And like all big-brother, warmongering corporatist extremists with judicial power, he’ll always put corporate profits over peoples’ lives and safety. Which means he couldn’t care less if we ever win any of our illegal wars of aggression or if any of our illegal surveillance of our citizens ever keeps us safe, home or abroad. He only cares about keeping the defense and national security industry rolling in a huge pile of dough.

Never mind that all this huge pile of dough is derived from the taxpayer. Once again, corporate welfare is perfectly fine in his book, despite the fact that it runs completely counter to free market principles. But given that Kavanaugh has a pretty strong track record for ruling in favor of monopolistic corporations when it comes to anti-trust issues, ruling in favor of the free market is something he isn’t likely to do either.

Posted by: Cynthia | Oct 8 2018 16:31 utc | 68

many really good comments.. thanks.. grieved@47 and @49 dh-mtls response.. good stuff to which i agree..

b - i encourage you to follow thru on BM@60 post comment.. i think BM is correct on that..

@67 cynthia... great comment to which i agree with you on... penny wise and pound foolish is exactly what happened in this kavanaugh saga.. another example of the ordinary person being screwed while identity politics rules supreme..

Posted by: james | Oct 8 2018 16:46 utc | 69

I understand the issue with Kavanaugh specifically. He tried to impeach Bill Clinton with the Monica Lewinsky case, so the Democrats tried to return the favor in kind.

But I don't understand why are people so angry with the #metoo movement on the moral front.

Capitalism is a dog-eat-dog system. To bring your competitor down is as good as propping yourself up. Men have been inventing fairy stories since the Second Industrial Revolution to keep women from the labor market or, if they managed to get in, to keep their wages and promotions scarce.

It's not the women's fault they are using the same tool to bring men down in order to prop themselves up. The #metoo movement inventing lies to remove Kevin Spacey from the movie market (in order to promote more women) is as legitimate -- from the point of view of capitalism -- as men keeping women out of the movie industry because they needed to be housewives narrative.

Posted by: vk | Oct 8 2018 16:56 utc | 70

juliania @64&65--

Thanks for your praise. As I told my students, I just know where to look and how to search, which is what I tried to impart to them. Yes, Putin does recognize the moral aspect of Climate Change and other ecological problems facing Russia and the world. Awhile back in 1993, a damning book was published, Ecocide in the USSR: Health And Nature Under Siege, that was part smear part truth, but the truth component was quite ugly, but not much different from Superfund sites within the Outlaw US Empire. Putin would be well aware of such problems and their source. As you've probably determined, he's quite concerned about promoting proper ethical/moral relations between peoples and nations, and such concerns were plainly visible in his comments. The drastic changes that will occur in Russia's vast permafrost zone are something that must be anticipated and plans made to accommodate.

As for citizen control of federal government, prior to the coup that put in place the 1787 Constitution, the Articles allowed for much easier control as there was no executive to worry about overstepping its authority. There was no Aristocratic legislative body. The economic distribution of the vote was much wider. Much greater emphasis was on State governments from which delegates to the Congress of the Confederation were selected. Turnover of delegates was rapid thanks to a rather restrictive term limits rule. In the debates prior to the vote to ratify the Constitution, the main concern was the very ill defined role of the Executive and the very real potential it had for becoming dictatorial. This consideration was dampened by widespread agreement to essentially appoint Washington the initial POTUS since he could be trusted not to make himself king. Now that history's run its course, we can see very well the initial concerns were very well justified. Another self-inflicted problem was the elimination of one of Madison's power balancing mechanisms--2nd place in Electoral College balloting would become Vice-President--which was quite effective as seen by the Adams-Jefferson administration, 1795-1801. Unfortunately, that was jettisoned by adopting the 12th Amendment thanks to the unforeseen rise of political parties. As to the unrestricted nature of the Executive, I've told a great many people to read Article II and judge for themselves. If obeying the UN Charter--and thus the US Constitution--were rigorously enforced on the Executive by Congress, then we wouldn't have an Outlaw US Empire and executive branch of government to remove from power.

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 8 2018 17:01 utc | 71

@53 Thank you for that Dr. Tubside. I think everybody needs to keep up with developments in Grievance Studies.

Here is the link....https://areomagazine.com/2018/10/02/academic-grievance-studies-and-the-corruption-of-scholarship/

Posted by: dh | Oct 8 2018 17:16 utc | 72

...
But I do have a caveat, which is that his comments about climate change were, to me very much off the mark. I realize he was tailoring those comments to the energy corporations assembled, and that also Russia probably won't be as badly affected as some by global warming, but his 'we won't upset the applecart' 'scientists say...' was to me, knowing his smarts, disingenuous to say the least, and disappointing.
Posted by: juliania | Oct 8, 2018 11:50:04 AM | 64

I suspect that 'disingenuous' is a bit too harsh a label to attach to Vlad's motivations (at an energy forum). If you understood his comments about global energy consumption forecasts then you'd have realised that reducing green-house gas emissions in an electricity-generating environment traditionally dominated by fossil fuels, then it's going to take a long time to switch to 'green' (or nuclear) power sources. And in the meantime it's clearly impossible/impractical to shut down 'dirty' power stations. But, like your good self, I too found it 'interesting' that Vlad has one foot in the "Doubter" camp.

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Oct 8 2018 17:38 utc | 73

Posted by: vk | Oct 8, 2018 12:56:41 PM | 70

I don't understand why are people so angry with the #metoo movement on the moral front.

The moral front is where they have the least legitimacy, for exactly the reason you say: These are upper-class capitalist women who not only would never lift a finger to stop the exploitation and effective enslavement of lower-wealth women around the world, but who actively, gleefully join their male predator brethren in that enslavement campaign. For these women "feminism" means female psychopaths should have just as much of a career opportunity at Goldman Sachs as make psychopaths.

Sure, let the capitalists tear into one another on this front, which like all internecine squabbles among the elites is trivial compared to anything that matters. But they always come together to afflict anyone outside their system. So why would anyone outside that system view this as anything but a fake circus? That, I take it, is b's point.

Of course the flip side of that is anyone from the 99% who takes metoo or so-called "SJWs" seriously in order to dislike them on any grounds other than the one I just gave. Such "critics" are falling for the system's game, same as any woman or minority who gets distracted from real feminism or real anti-racism by the fake corporate liberal versions, just from the opposite side. It's the newest version of the same old divide-and-conquer.

Posted by: Russ | Oct 8 2018 17:48 utc | 74

Forgot to add to my comment above: That of course is why the Democrats, metoo-women just as much as chauvenist men, don't object to Kavanaugh because he's a torturer or warmonger or police statist or corporate totalitarian: Because the Democrat Party and its partisans actively support all those things.

Posted by: Russ | Oct 8 2018 17:52 utc | 75

More damning behavior by Intercept writers; this time Jeremy Scahill. Once decent writers now corrupted by money. Thank goodness for Eva Bartlett and her ilk!

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 8 2018 18:08 utc | 76

Rich vs. Poor.

Wage slavery is an avenue that can get us back to the pure form of Slavery! MAGA - back to the Gilded Age, When Robber Barons were Kings. Because they want it all. They'll pay a dollar an hour and you'll be grateful for the work. They want the Social Security Money. They want you to get sick and die with no healthcare because if you can't afford it, you don't deserve it. Healthcare is a privilege to be administered by the elite to the peons in measured doses (so they'll appreciate the goodness of their masters!)

And they'll drop bmobs on whoever they want and they'll steal all their shit. And use your kids for cannon fodder. And there's nothing you can do about it, you forking communist!

And the Democrats aren't any better. Look at the two corporate boot licking asswholes Obama put on the court.

Posted by: fastfreddy | Oct 8 2018 18:13 utc | 77

Partisangirl confronts Greenwald on apparent Atlantic Council affiliation. Check her main feed for more than just this linked thread on topic. Greenwald equivocates and tries to distance himself, but his credibility's damaged just the same.

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 8 2018 18:27 utc | 78

@68 Cynthia

Yes Kavanaugh is pro-corporate extremist which is just fine with both ends of the uni-party. Of course the Democrats cannot be seen to overtly support this or the sham of choice or difference between the two branches of the uni-party disappears. So to avoid talking about uncomfortable things like how much Kavanaugh hates the 4th amendment or loves the Patriot Act, you pull out a social justice issue which is sure to enrage the Democrat base and activate the Republican base with righteous fury. The media stirring the pot as usual. The Democrats get to look like they "fought the good fight", the Republicans get to feel like the are fighting for "rule of law" while another swamp creature is elevated the the USSC.

Both parties got their preferred pro-corporate extremist. Well played uni-party, well played.

Posted by: Sad Canuck | Oct 8 2018 18:33 utc | 79

To be fair, here's Greenwald's thread answers. I agree with Cheeseman's comment. But, similar comments could be leveled at Pepe Escobar, for example, given the editorial bent of asiatimes.com, although I don't think he's been confronted in the same manner as Greenwald--nor perhaps is he as well known.

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 8 2018 18:40 utc | 80

A novelty: US Congresswoman with balls. Zionist trolls just can't stand for that! Their screed shows how bankrupt are their morals.

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 8 2018 18:45 utc | 81

According to TASS, three battalions of S-300 were delivered to Syria on Oct 1 free of charge.
http://tass.com/defense/1025020

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 8 2018 18:57 utc | 82

donkey tale @ 1.

The USA is a militaristic corporate oligarchy. I almost added the words neo-fascist, but then thought better not, because those terms are not clear, and the f-word riles ppl up.

It is also an ‘Empire’ in the sense that it captures a bunch of vassals it dominates and controls and simultaneously panders to.

It exerts its power by destroying potential rivals and leaving them in chaos as well as by controlling certain fluxes / exchanges (economy, dollar, energy, etc.) The picture of the world it works in, or with, is a ‘globalised’ one, not the world of for ex. WW1 with rival countries etc.

The Wilsonian State which ‘has / claims’ sovereignity no longer exists in the eyes of the US.

That is why Trump is so hated by the establishment, as he wants to return to a previous, older model, with *at the same time* the US (MAGA) at the ‘top.’.. I digress.

Another characteristic is that a globalised ‘hegemon’ is the outcome of a certain dominant group / cabal / informal corrupt mafiosi-like network dominating. It cares nothing about ‘plebs’, ‘deplorables’, ‘peasants’ on the ground. They are no longer of any account (globalisation finds cheap labor or none, so what?), not profitable (as profits are the only score-sheet, see for ex. the end of slavery in the US), and of no interest as it is now clear that they can be easily manipulated / decimated and even if it isn’t a walk in the park, it can be done. (Ex. inciting civil war. Charlottesville, a fabricated fight.. the militarised police in the US..)

Bernie Sanders, or Tulsi Gabbard, etc. are public media figures in a sham democracy. Doesn’t mean they are insincere or evil. Not at all.

Movments: Occupy was shut down smartly - not that I thought it was any use.

Bleak? Yes. Bashing the US? Yes, but others are just as bad.

what can be done... other topic...

Posted by: Noirette | Oct 8 2018 19:00 utc | 83

1

Come on, drink the Blue Koolaid! Bernie's sole function was to Pied Piper the Left, so that Rodham could edge from the NeoLiberal Middle over into the War Hawk Right, and that's why Trump, a NeoLiberal himself, was forced so hard into Adolf Landt.

Once Madame Rodham had Hope and Chained the Middle, and captivated the buffalo women haradins of her Party, Bernie duly delivered the Left, and gracefully bowed out.

This is POWER POLITICS over $4,000,000,000,000 PetroDollars a year! This isn't Church School or Scout Camp. This is RAW POWER over the greatest Vampire Blood Artery in human history!

Now comes the Supra-Catholic Death Cult over and above the US and EU Vampire Oligarchs.

"Global warming must not exceed 1.5C, warns landmark UN report. Carbon energy use would have to be cut by 45% by 2030 – compared with a 20% cut under the 2C pathway – and come down to zero by 2050, compared with 2075 for 2C."

'Come down to zero' is draconian Warlock Code Talk for massively regressive supra tithe-tributes ripped from the pauper penury and paid to the New Energy Carbon Catholic, with the deliberate genocide, not of millions, but of billions. IT'S THE EPOCH OF RAW POWER POLITICS.

Stop buttering your bread rolls with Bernie blather, and please wake the frack up!

Posted by: Anton Worter | Oct 8 2018 19:06 utc | 84

Posted by: Dr. Buddy Tubside | Oct 8, 2018 3:41:22 AM | 53

re fake articles. Not much impressed by this comment. In some areas of theory, of course it's easy to come up with fake stuff. What is theory other than theory? Many will be wrong. 'Humanities' though, in general, is not theory. It is based on evidence. But still opinion. That is the basis of history, for example. It is the interpretation of the record of past events. One historian may see things one way, another another way. You end up with a kernel of what most agree on. Actually, the so-called exact sciences often work in much the same way. Many people do studies, and then the results are aggregated by yet others to arrive at a communal result.

Posted by: Laguerre | Oct 8 2018 19:16 utc | 85

@ dh 72

One of the papers they got published in Gender, Place and Culture was called “Human Reaction to Rape Culture and Queer Performativity at Urban Dog Parks in Portland, Oregon” which claimed to be based on in situ observation of canine rape culture in a Portland dog park.

“Do dogs suffer oppression based upon (perceived) gender?” the paper asks.

This utter BS not only got published but received a lot of praise

and the result is called Modern Educayshun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKcWu0tsiZM

Posted by: Dr. Buddy Tubside | Oct 8 2018 19:16 utc | 86

Noirette 82

The USA is a militaristic corporate oligarchy. I almost added the words neo-fascist, but then thought better not, because those terms are not clear, and the f-word riles ppl up.

Actually right there you summed up the two things the US has most in common with classical fascism: Extreme militarism, and a planned economy based on government contracts/corporate welfare for private corporations. Economically the US attained full "fascism" a while ago. The only difference may be in the relative power of the government vis the corporate oligopoly sectors to formulate the central plans. But in both systems the corporate state taken as a whole plans the economy for the purposes of war and corporate profit.

Posted by: Russ | Oct 8 2018 19:20 utc | 87

Greenwald also originally supported the Iraq War. Then when he became embarrassed over how badly it went, he did the ole' "If I'd known then what I know now about the administration's lies, I wouldn't have supported it."

Which of course is total horse sh%t: Anyone with the brain of a pebble knew from the start that the US goals were purely aggressive and predatory. No one but an imperialist-by-blood ever could have believed them, and no natural anti-imperialist ever could have believed it.

I have more respect for the die hard neocons than for the lukewarm neocons who help start these criminal wars but lack the belly to go all the way (unless they have a billionaire like Omidyar paying them to keep going).

Posted by: Russ | Oct 8 2018 19:30 utc | 88

FYI--Former Indian Ambassador M. K. Bhadrakumar finally has his blog up and running again on a new platform, Indianpunchline where his current post centers on the disappearance and possible murder of Daesh supporter Khashogghi. Here he anticipates Erdogan will announce to the press that Saudi had him murdered.

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 8 2018 19:37 utc | 89

Laguerre @84--

There are theories and hypotheses--the former is backed by facts whose results must jibe with other investigators results, while the latter is an unproven premise without factual backing. The misuse of the term theory is deliberate and meant to confuse and mislead. Thus statements like this must be made: The Theory of Evolution is a fact. Theories are not "wrong;" rather, they remain unproven hypotheses.

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 8 2018 19:55 utc | 90

Posted by: Russ | Oct 8, 2018 3:30:41 PM | 87

Greenwald also originally supported the Iraq War. Then when he became embarrassed over how badly it went,

You do understand, do you, that it was not only the US that was evil, but also Saddam? It was a competition about how bad you can be. Only a few people knew in advance what the US was going to do (I knew some who did). The real problem only emerged once the US was in Baghdad.

Posted by: Laguerre | Oct 8 2018 19:59 utc | 91

Cynthia @ 68

Of course uni-party got the corporate extremist they desired for the USSC. Having torture lady as CIA Director supported by both parties was a bit embarrassing so they had to put on a better show to keep the sheep who still believe that the United States is a functioning republic engaged. Instead of having a real discussion of Kavanaughʻs role on the Patriot Act, 4th Amendment, torture, corporate control (plenty of material there) you play the social justice card with an incredibly weak case to enrage the Democratic base and activate Republican base in righteous fury. The media stirs well, and in the end, the guy they wanted gets the job and both the Republican and Democratic base feel like they "fought the good fight". Viola, the facade of democracy is refreshed.

Well played uni-party. Well played indeed.

Posted by: Sad Canuck | Oct 8 2018 20:08 utc | 92

Trump is protecting his second best friend, the criminal tyrant butchering Yemeni children, MBS, after a Saudi dissident journalist was disappeared at the Saudi Embassy in Turkey. The shet is starting to hit the fan and if Trump remains silent, like the hypocrite he is, he's gonna get splatter on him too. GOOD. No one deserves it more. Stinking hypocrite.

Posted by: Circe | Oct 8 2018 20:18 utc | 93

Bellingcat and the Insider have positively identified the second suspect in the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal by the Russian government (https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2018/10/08/second-skripal-poisoning-suspect-identified-as-dr-alexander-mishkin/). About a month ago, Putin had this to say about the two GRU agents identified as suspects on CCTV in Britain (New York Times):

".......“We of course checked who these people are. We know who they are, we found them,” Mr. Putin said at the economic forum. “They are civilians, of course.”

He said that he would like the two to come forward. “It would be better for everyone,” he said “I can assure you that there is nothing special, nothing criminal there. We will see very soon.”......."

Putin already established himself as a willing accomplice to Russian lies when he denied there was an invasion of Crimea - an invasion that he personally oversaw! Thus after the outing of Colonel Chepiga, Putin called Skripal a "scumbag" and a "traitor". The Russian government has a policy of lie and deny reinforced by a policy of plausible deniability (like the Wagner group fighting in Eastern Ukraine or the Russian mafia working with the government). So one must take the statement by Lavrov about the four GRU agents arrested and deported from the Netherlands as just another Russian lie (Russia Dismisses Suspected Spy Actions as Routine Dutch Trip https://nyti.ms/2Cu1HkU):

Last week, Dutch officials alleged that four agents of Russian GRU military intelligence tried and failed to hack into the world's chemical weapons watchdog, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

"There was nothing secret in the Russian specialists' trip to the Hague in April," Lavrov said at a briefing after talks with Italian counterpart Enzo Moavero Milanesi. "They weren't hiding from anyone when they arrived at the airport, settled in a hotel and visited our embassy. They were detained without any explanations, denied a chance to contact our embassy in the Netherlands and then asked to leave. It all looked like a misunderstanding."

Lavrov is taking the heat for Putin to keep him from the embarrassment of the lies told by Putin in the Skripal case. None the less, based on MH17, the bombing of the Red Crescent aid convoy, the invasions of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine and the clear attempt to influence the US election - all falsely denied by the Russian government - the Russian government has given up any claims to credibility. Lavrov is lying - plain and simple.

Posted by: craigsummers | Oct 8 2018 20:18 utc | 94

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 8, 2018 3:55:25 PM | 89

For me a theory is an idea, backed or not by evidence. A hypothesis is a preliminary idea, which will be subsequently be proved or disproved by experiment. The Theory of Evolution was and is an idea which has subsequently been largely proved to be true.

Posted by: Laguerre | Oct 8 2018 20:21 utc | 95

@donkeytalem#1

We are also seeing a flowering of female and minourity candidates in unlikely places such as Georgia and Florida governor races. You denigrate this as "identity politics," which I believe to be the handy cliched rebuke used buy conservative racists to help keep the white vote in line with the GOP no matter whether the white voters are well served by the GOP power interests.

That overly simplistic view of the objections to identity politics does not help the discussion. The "grievance culture" link provided by b has a good exploration of how pernicious identity politics has become. Its proponents are one of the most powerful constituencies within the Democratic Party and any movement that works within the Democratic Party will have to make a decision as to how they approach it if they truly want to make an impact. Every indicator thus far points to the Sanders Socialists taking the wrong approach, being co-opted by the phony "resistance" and the identitarian wing. IMO the opportunities for the movement are limited as long as it takes on the baggage of the Democratic power brokers. The movement needs to throw down a much broader challenge that includes foreign policy issues. It needs to broaden its appeal to those outside of the Democratic base who are concerned with workers' issues, and blindly following the party establishment's lead on identity issues prevents them from doing that. If the movement doesn't take some bold steps to define itself as something neither Democrat or Republican, it will keep carrying the baggage of the Democratic establishment and it will ultimately go nowhere.

Posted by: Thirdeye | Oct 8 2018 20:23 utc | 96

@85 Very amusing Doctor. I read “Human Reaction to Rape Culture and Queer Performativity at Urban Dog Parks in Portland, Oregon” and will be much more careful where I step.

But I think you should apologize to Laguerre. He feels violated.

Posted by: dh | Oct 8 2018 20:25 utc | 97

Caitlyn Johnstone channels En Vogue's 1992 hit Free Your Mind in her latest essay: True Revolution which it seems many barflies need to read. I very much agree with Caitlyn on the following point:

"So if there is to be a people’s revolution which is effective in both (A) removing our oligarchic oppressors from power and (B) leading to the creation of a healthy, harmonious new paradigm, it will necessarily come from a place that is historically unprecedented. It will involve people rising up against existing power structures not because things got so bad they had no choice, nor because they were manipulated into it by other rival power structures, but because people realized collectively that it is in their best interests to do so." [My emphasis]

The bolded text is what I've seen as my job as an educator. But along with enlightening, outlining goals is also required thus providing the reason why becoming enlightened is required.

The essay's short and on point. She ends with the following exhortation:

"Know thyself, oh rebel. Know thyself and save the world."

Long ago, I signed emails with, Logos=Gnosis, which is essentially: To understand and know the universe, one has to first understand and know oneself. Revolution was much easier before the age of multi-media propaganda when people actually met and discussed important events instead of sharply focusing on the trivial.

Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 8 2018 20:29 utc | 98

Bellingcat and the Insider have positively identified the second suspect in the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal by the Russian government

Fatuous. Bellingcat is only feeding the news from the UK intelligence services.

craigsummers supports it by a ridiculous reference to "four agents of Russian GRU military intelligence tried and failed to hack into the world's chemical weapons watchdog, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons." While failing to mention, as b has done, that Britain, back in 2012, did exactly the same.

Posted by: Laguerre | Oct 8 2018 20:32 utc | 99

This may be a dumb question, but wonder why Syria and Russia do not target Israel bases with missiles in response to Zionist attacks. would be much cheaper and probably more effective than expensive AA systems. Israel must suffer serious consequences if the persist in attacking Syria.

Posted by: Ragheb | Oct 8 2018 20:46 utc | 100