Your host is busy with a small household emergency.
By the way, how this Brexit thingy coming along?
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March 14, 2019
Open (Brexit) Thread 2019-14
Comments
The People spoke. The Ruling Class obstructed. That is Democracy. It’s working as it was meant to.
Why would anyone think otherwise?
The problem is folks in the “Democracies” don’t do what is necessary. You have to “terminate” the Rulers if you want your “vote” to matter.
The Magna Carta came about at the point of a knife to the King’s throat and swords drawn.
That is the history of Liberty/Freedom.
Posted by: Red Ryder | Mar 14 2019 17:17 utc | 1
Yves Smith has a good write-up, “Brexit: Send in the Clowns” about how chaotic things have become. A Brexit re-vote went down in flames today in parliament.
There is no clear path forward other than crash out. Parliament should have voted no confidence in May back in January.
Posted by: Mike Maloney | Mar 14 2019 17:30 utc | 3
George Galloway is good:https://www.rt.com/op-ed/453677-may-brexit-defeat-deal/
The problem is that Parliament cannot handle this matter, because it is broken up into factions one of which-the Blairites in the PLP- only cares about one thing-preventing Corbyn from coming to power. They are aided in this endeavour by the imperialists in general and the fascist wing of the zionists in particular.
The situation however in the UK is so dire that if Parliament were dissolved and an election held-as by all rules of the constitution is required- a Corbyn victory on a platform of social and economic renewal is very likely.
Thus instead of voting non confidence and bringing the incompetent May government down a majority of MPs, thinking of their salaries, pensions and privileges, refuse to give this question back to the people by calling for a General Election.
It now looks as if they won’t call for another referendum either, something they have long wanted in the belief that Remain would win.
So, thanks to the Liberals, Blairites, the SNP and the Ulster Unionists the Tories will be propped up and given the time to come up with a less incompetent less discredited leader who will hang on until 2022 by which time the UK will be living in the 1930s, Parliament will receive all its instructions from Brussels and the people will be broke demoralised and impotent.
Posted by: bevin | Mar 14 2019 17:33 utc | 4
Speaking of George Galloway, this was quite enlightening:
Posted by: Uzair | Mar 14 2019 17:39 utc | 5
Second try:
Speaking of George Galloway, this was quite enlightening:
Brexit: The Rise and Fall of the EU | The History Boys (Video)
Posted by: Uzair | Mar 14 2019 17:41 utc | 6
It seems the plan all along was to implode Brexit from the inside and make it look like an accident.
Indeed, the City of London would have a lot to lose with the UK getting out of the EU. It would be really surprising if the people managed to suplant its interests so easily.
Brexit will not happen.
Time is getting very short with Brexit, at this point without an extension to the Article 50 process, which has to be agreed in Parliament and the EU there is no time to get any Withdrawal deal through. Even then they really could have only until 13 April when campaigning for new EU elections starts. I would recommend following Jeff Taylors (UKIP) Youtube channel for lots of detail and Tom Luongo also has some interesting takes on Brexit, and of course the UKIP Official Channel, and there is also UK Column News. And Trump has now described a second referendum as unfair to the winners of the previous one. We do live in very interesting times.
Posted by: TJ | Mar 14 2019 18:07 utc | 8
@8 vk
IANAL, however as I understand it, the City because it is not actually part of the UK was never part of the EU and is therefore unaffected by leaving unless contracts are made with reference to EU law/courts, but then they could be transferred to EU subsidiaries, hence the recent stories regarding the “transfer of assets” (their assets being other peoples liabilities) outside the UK, it might end up being advantagous to the UK if there is another financial crisis as bail -out/ins would be on the EU side not the UKs, but that’s just my speculation.
Posted by: TJ | Mar 14 2019 18:17 utc | 9
@5 bevin “It now looks as if they won’t call for another referendum either, something they have long wanted in the belief that Remain would win.”
What still keeps me expecting a second referendum to be called is that The Economist is and has been trumpeting for one confidently. As with many other narratives, it is often The Economist that leads the charge and sets the tone for the rest of the MSM to fall behind. So it stands to reason that a second referendum still is the preferred or even chosen strategy of the establishment to prevent any Brexit but in name.
The crescendo of Project Fear has reached a mad shrillness. If the calculation of the establishment is correct, a critical part of the 1st time Brexiters will be turned to Remainers and the resulting minority rest of Brexiteers won’t cause too much trouble. Or can anyone imagine Brits engaging in violent, organised rebellion over this?
Posted by: Leser | Mar 14 2019 18:42 utc | 10
Indeed, the City of London would have a lot to lose with the UK getting out of the EU. It would be really surprising if the people managed to suplant its interests so easily.
Posted by: vk | Mar 14, 2019 2:06:04 PM | 8
Indeed, an argument has been made to the precise contrary! Namely, that the real reason for Tory support for Brexit was that the EU threatened transparency over UK tax-havens and City of London global leadership of money-laundering, which the City of London wanted to avoid at all costs.
Like all such matters, we can never determine the ultimate truth with certainty, so it pays to leave the mind somewhat open to all interpretations. Bevin’s argument that Parliament is incapable is rather compelling (like most of what Bevin posts! Thanks Bevin!). The ship is heading for an iceberg at full-steam ahead, while all the crew are gagged and tied to the mast (erm, most of them in rather incriminating positions).
By the way Bevin, how is Corbyn’s position with the Labour Party power structures these days? Has he managed to get any reforms, and can he get the Red Tories ousted, or is he still locked out of his own Head Office?
Posted by: BM | Mar 14 2019 18:43 utc | 11
Brexit is a proxy for all sorts of other issues cauing discontent, and if it doesn’t get implemented, I fear we may have civil unrest along the lines of what we are seeing in France.
Posted by: Tsar Nicholas | Mar 14 2019 18:44 utc | 12
@ Posted by: TJ | Mar 14, 2019 2:17:42 PM | 10
As an agreement to the UK’s entrance in the EU, the Germans gave the City of London the privilege to host the Euro clearing services, among other financial services. It was pure power play, and the UK won that round. This is also the reason the UK still has the Pound Sterling even while still in the EU — a prilivege also enjoyed only by Denmark (which voted against the first version of the Treaty), if memory doesn’t fail me.
That’s why there are many (although not the majority by any means)French and German capitalists, specially from the financial sector, which are in favor of the UK exiting the EU: it would give Paris and Frankfurt even more influence within the EU.
John Oliver on Brexit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaBQfSAVt0s
Tends to believe the voting on Brexit was flawed since large percentage of the population did not really understand what they were voting for, even voting against their own best interests. Argument for letting their elected officials decide, after all, they are supposedly working full time on such issues unlike the general public.
Posted by: Joe | Mar 14 2019 18:58 utc | 14
@14 vk
Paris and Frankfurt have their own problems and are in no way able to replace The City. As for the current clearing situation As a temporary measure meant to avoid market disruptions n case of no-deal Brexit, the EU markets regulator in February authorised the three UK-based clearing houses LCH, ICE Clear Europe and LME Clear to continue serving EU clients for a year after Britain leaves the EU.
Posted by: TJ | Mar 14 2019 19:04 utc | 15
@ Posted by: Joe | Mar 14, 2019 2:58:09 PM | 15
The vast majority of brexiters (if not all of them) want only one thing: close the borders (end of Schengen). They also want to stop paying the annual fee, but I guess they would be willing to give that up if the borders were closed.
The problem is freedom of movement is a red line for the EU. That’s why the Cameron’s negotiations of 2010-2016 ended up in utter failure, and why there was a referendum in the first place.
If we draw the line between legitimate and illegitimate elections on the basis of electorate ignorance, then we would have to consider almost all of the elections that happened in the West’s History as retroactively void. Besides, Article 50 passed through the Commons right after the results came out, so it has the blessing of the Parliament.
@15 Joe
I would call John Oliver a contra-indicator of the preferred outcome. All I can go by is my personal experiences, the people I know and speak to understand full well that the sovereignty of the UK was sold out to the EU by our undoubtedly corrupt political class. Those that voted to be part of the EEC back in the 1970s all think they were lied too about it just being a common market, some even know about Ross McWhirter and have read Treason at Maastricht: Destruction of the Nation State, but we Brits are a funny lot like that.
Posted by: TJ | Mar 14 2019 19:14 utc | 17
May’s strategy is almost certainly to try to run out the clock on Brexit to keep either a virtual or actual Remain in place. While I despise her, even if she was committed to leaving the EU for good reasons (local sovereignty, an end to neoliberal austerity, the ability to run one’s own budget deficits as necessary to support the economy, etc.–none of which she actually supports, of course) the EU agreement is like one of those credit card Terms of Service agreements that takes away all your rights. Entering the EU is much easier than trying to leave its not-so-tender embrace.
This is of course why no one has replaced her as Prime Minister yet. Although she’s an abject failure, no one else wants to be put in her place.
Posted by: worldblee | Mar 14 2019 19:15 utc | 18
Although not specifically about Brexit, Louis Proyect’s “The Boeing 737 Max 8: a Case Study in Uncreative Destruction” touches on what underlies the urge to Brexit and the attraction of Corbyn–the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by Capitalism’s need to generate and profit from Creative Destruction.
It seems to me, if People in UK want a worthwhile future, then Brexit must occur, and the May gov’t. thrown into the streets, while Corbyn becomes PM.
Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 14 2019 19:44 utc | 19
Britain in recent years has offered the most vivid example of genuinely disastrous government.
First, David Cameron, likely the most incompetent Prime Minister in British history, offers a vote to the public about remaining in the EU.
It was something he didn’t need to do at all, and it came after forty years of being part of EU. And, in such a huge and complex matter, not well-understood by the general public, it makes little sense to hold a vote, especially coming at a time of considerable public agitation over refugees and migration, a highly emotional topic where cool-headed facts did not at all feature. If for some reason you insisted on a vote, it should only have been held after, say, a one-year period of public education and discussion and debate. It is a hugely consequential decision.
Leading up to the vote, he ran around flapping his arms and pretending to play statesman, telling people he’d sure stay in the EU with the adjustments in terms he had obtained from Brussels.
Then we have Theresa May spend a few years trying to sort out terms with the EU, making quite a spectacle of herself on several occasions, as having cabinet ministers quit and having votes against the government’s position, as well as forming an alliance from hell to stay in power.
Yet, the bottom line, as they say, remains clear: Britain will suffer in leaving the EU, no matter under what set of terms.
And the EU itself, one of the world’s largest economies, has been given a serious wound at a time of other menacing economic and social problems, and that in a world with many signs of weakness and instability.
May insists, bull-headedly, on going ahead with Brexit, yet so easily she could just declare that she, as Prime Minister, now sees how much damage this is doing and will not proceed, in the national interest. She could easily also hold a second vote, something polls suggest would go the other way from the original vote.
But no, damn the torpedoes, we’re going full-steam ahead.
Rational government? I think not. And it is just one portion of what we see in a number of Western countries and around a number of important issues.
Oh well, maybe people can console themselves with, “At least it’s not quite the vicious lunatic government we see in the United States, rampaging through every country where it finds anything it dislikes, threatening everyone with sanctions or sabotage or war, and, of course, threatening the world’s very stability.”
Does anyone believe the world is going to survive this period and maintain its economic and political and social health? I certainly don’t.
Posted by: JOHN CHUCKMAN | Mar 14 2019 19:48 utc | 20
Leser Mar 14, 2019 2:42:20 PM 11: ‘What still keeps me expecting a second referendum to be called is that The Economist is and has been trumpeting for one confidently.’
economist is rothschild owned and self-confessed liberal demonrats.
Posted by: Ralph | Mar 14 2019 19:52 utc | 21
AND in other news…………. without the link
Mob Hit: Gambino Boss Gunned Down Outside Staten Island Home
Shot 6 times and then run over the story says….
Will this stay an isolated incident?
Posted by: psychohistorian | Mar 14 2019 19:59 utc | 22
Thanks karlof1 #20
Agreed and they fervently want a general election to achieve that end. So we are witnessing TWO fu’s to the englanders at the same time. That will rile them for sure.
So what happens to those labor MP’s who staggered off to their independent ship. Are those seats now open to reselection and how’s that going?
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Mar 14 2019 20:07 utc | 23
many insightful posts.. thanks!
@5 bevin.. thanks for articulating all that.. it makes sense… do you have a response for BM@12? i would be curious.. thanks..
Posted by: james | Mar 14 2019 20:34 utc | 24
@15
This is middle class argument #1. It’s flawed on account of
evidence such as UKIP (here for years previously).
Arguement #2 is that we’re all racist. Again, this is flawed on
account of lack of evidence. A remainer did kill a leave voter,
or at least his actions largely contributed to his death.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/brexiter-brutally-beaten-remain-voter-9047676
The reality is the UK is split 60/40 towards the poor. The rich
minority does not want change, the larger group is desperate for it.
Business has exploited migrants (lack of employment law knowledge
and sheer desperation after arrival) allowing them to stereotype
Brits as lazy and workshy.
I
Sir Rose warned business leaders before Brexit that wages would rise
and he was right. Jobs are becoming more plentiful and wages are
creeping up.
We’re going to be robbed, possibly on both sides, so be prepared for
unforseen circumstances!
Posted by: Some Random Passer-by | Mar 14 2019 20:55 utc | 25
@21
That’s an arrogant assumption! I’m a minimum wage grunt, and I can
clearly see how free movement drags down pay and conditions for
those in the country of destination and I can also see how the
European Parliament is infested with lobbyists, to the detriment of
all the EUs citizens.
Also, why does nobody ever talk about the drain on skills and people
from the country of origin?
People before profit!
Posted by: Some Random Passer-by | Mar 14 2019 21:00 utc | 26
@ 21JOHN CHUCKMAN | Mar 14, 2019 3:48:28 PM |
Careful John. You are sounding rational.
Watching from the outside, it is not clear if this is acceptable.
Posted by: jrkrideau | Mar 14 2019 21:00 utc | 27
rolling back to the beginning, Jonathan Pie rants on the upcoming EU referendum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPWNh28AzRc
Posted by: Desolation Row | Mar 14 2019 21:12 utc | 28
Oh, and those hoping for Labour to get in, they’ve just committed
suicide…it’s either UKIP or the Communist party now
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-politics-47576813
Posted by: Some Random Passer-by | Mar 14 2019 21:21 utc | 29
JOHN CHUCKMAN @21–
John provides a very sparse recap of the Brexit Affair but neglects mention of why it was passed: The vote was seen and acted upon as a referendum on Tory policies that were and are destroying the UK’s economy and social networks–Neoliberal “austerity” weaponizing Blair’s Third Way PPPs–which is part of the Creative Destruction discussed in the link I provided @20. What’s ongoing in UK is very much akin to the policy of Enclosure that makes war on the commonfolk to enrich the fat few. The difference between then and now is the political power held by commonfolk–power they could only dream of then.
Orlov’s breakdown of Putin’s State of the Nation Speech inadvertently tells us what/where the Great Divide is between the Socioeconomic goals of the East versus those of the West:
“The government has amassed vast amounts of capital which it will now spend on domestic programs designed to benefit the people, to help Russians live longer, healthier lives and have more children. ‘More children—lower taxes’ was one of the catchier slogans … No opposition to these proposals worth mentioning was voiced in any of the commentary that followed on news programs and talk shows; after all, who could possibly be against spending amassed capital on projects that help the population?” [My Emphasis]
The Neoliberal economic model run by the Outlaw US Empire, aped by EU and forced upon as many nations as possible to feed the fat pigs is the who/what answer. China is busily lifting its remaining millions out of poverty and that accomplishment’s admired and beginning to be emulated by ASEAN through BRI, which is why it’s being targeted by the Empire. Yes, it’s Zero-sum versus Win-Win that lies at the bottom of Brexit and Corbynism.
Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 14 2019 21:23 utc | 30
Pierre Omidyar opens up new Integrity Initiative
Omidyar’s Democracy Fund has also helped to finance the “News Integrity Initiative,” a name that evokes the U.K.’s notorious Integrity Initiative. The latter group claimed to be an independent charity battling foreign disinformation until it was exposed by hackers as a propaganda mill run by military officers and covertly funded by the British Foreign Office to cultivate public opinion in support of heightened conflict with Russia. Leaked communications revealed how the Integrity Initiative mobilized clusters of journalists, self-styled disinformation experts, academics and political figures throughout the West to advocate for a long-term war footing against the Russian menace.
For its part, the News Integrity Initiative is a murky $14 million operation intended to “combat media manipulation” through a network of “journalists, technologists, academic institutions, non-profits, and other organizations.” The set-up is eerily evocative of the influence clusters developed by the British Integrity Initiative. Few specifics are provided, however, on what the group actually does.
A hint about the agenda of the News Integrity Initiative lies in a grant of $1 million it made to an outlet called Internews in 2017. The bulk of Internews’ money — some 80 percent of it — comes from the U.S. government. It has also received backing from liberal financier George Soros and USAID, which provided the group with seed money for a Russian-language television network, helped drive the pro-NATO color revolution in the Republic of Georgia, and published footage of Russian casualties in Chechnya to erode Russian public support for the war.
In countries that are considered official and semi-official enemies of the United States, Internews has organized de facto boot camps for opposition journalists. “In the Middle East,” says Internews founder David Hoffman, “training sessions often begin with discussion of whether Internews is really U.S. propaganda or the CIA.” However Hoffman answers the question, it is abundantly clear that his outlet has advanced Washington’s priorities abroad behind the guise of independent journalism.
In November 2017, the News Integrity Initiative hosted a workshop alongside Internews and the Omidyar-backed First Draft News in Kiev, Ukraine, according to the initiative’s managing director, Molly de Aguiar. Kiev is today a nexus for intelligence-connected media crusaders and a launch pad for projects ostensibly aimed at countering Russia’s “information warfare.” But, what exactly the News Integrity Initiative was doing there was left unsaid.
While Omidyar ploughs his fortune into organizations that claim to be countering “disinformation,” especially of the Russian variety, he has established a culture factory to publicize the supposed feats of the journalists often hyped up by the cartel of media transparency groups and fact-checking sites he funds.
http://failedevolution.blogspot.com/2019/03/how-one-of-americas-premier-data_5.html
Posted by: Blooming Barricade | Mar 14 2019 21:36 utc | 31
It is a genuine shame that Corbyn has chosen to back the remoaner clique of liberal middle class-left, it will keep the heat off maybe from the centrist neoliberals exiting the party but at this rate Labour will lose the next election anyway so you might as well kick them out and get real anti-capitalist anti-NATO pro-humanism socialists into the seats you maintain.
Posted by: Blooming Barricade | Mar 14 2019 21:40 utc | 32
@ 5 bevin
Brilliant comment. You have totally nailed it.
@ 4 Mike
I think Naked Capitalism has been excellent throughout the Brexit process. So advanced are the discussions that I struggle to understand them sometimes.
Posted by: Lochearn | Mar 14 2019 21:41 utc | 33
It’all theatre, probably to aid some currency speculation. The real cooperation continues. Joint military treaties going ahead as usual. See uk column news for details.
Posted by: Corkie | Mar 14 2019 21:43 utc | 34
Is this a FALSE FLAG to get Netanyahu elected again??? This smells fishy. Stay tuned!
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/rocket-alerts-blare-in-tel-aviv-1.7022326
Posted by: Circe | Mar 14 2019 21:51 utc | 35
Is there a FALSE FLAG happening in Tel Aviv to get Netanyahu elected again? The attack that just happened smells very fishy.
Posted by: Circe | Mar 14 2019 21:59 utc | 36
400 years of nasty racist underhand deceitful violent shit from the English aristocracy has finally dissolved into a pathetic attempt to keep its shit afloat in a weird non-acceptance of current reality.
Posted by: Lochearn | Mar 14 2019 22:21 utc | 37
Sorry to break up the Brexit party and change subjects. The Brits will be fine. It is just a messy divorce.
On to more important subjects:
https://www.mintpressnews.com/ricardo-hausmann-morning-venezuela-neoliberal-brain-behind-juan-guaidos-economic-agenda/256185/
Posted by: Alpi57 | Mar 14 2019 22:27 utc | 38
@Circe 37
Netanyahu and his pathetic circus. False Flag for sure. So far two Palestinian groups have denied it. Waiting for Hamas’s response. Only problem is that the poor people of Gaza will pay for it. Hopefully, Israelis wont buy this and send this criminal to jail. Not optimistic though.
Posted by: Alpi57 | Mar 14 2019 22:41 utc | 39
2 missiles were fired into Tel Aviv. Just two and I read in Haaretz Netanyahoo is already rushing to military headquarters to strategize a harsh response. This is a joke, right?! So yahoo’s gonna use Gaza for target practice again to distract from his legal troubles and score a big win in the upcoming elections? A-HOLE! 😈
The usual resistance groups in Gaza IJ and Hamas both denied it was them. No rockets have been fired from Gaza for years now. What is this shet? Is this a FALSE FLAG??? Is Netanyahoo pulling a fast one?
I’m not posting any links because there’s so much Zionist garbage propaganda in them I refuse to spread it.
Maybe one of you can find something credible without all the Zionist crap.
Posted by: Circe | Mar 14 2019 22:50 utc | 40
It’s Bibi’s funeral if a conflict starts, the IDF has been panicking about how they would be unable to win decisively and they have gotten skewered multiple times before. It would be a shame for Gantz to see Bibi out the door just by winning an election, he deserves much worse than that. A defensive war from Palestinians against ever-ongoing Israeli attacks could galvanise the world against the Aparthaid regime and put Israeli barbarism on full display, while putting a stake through the disasterous “deal of the century.” Most importantly, Palestinians in Gaza could get aid under the law of war as opposed to being starved out by the oppressor state.
Posted by: Blooming Barricade | Mar 14 2019 23:01 utc | 41
To understand the EU, or what is left of it-has anyone taken a look at German, French, Italian, Spanish, not to mention eastern european, politics recently?
To understand it you have to realise that its purpose is to protect property from democracy. This was what the Austrian economists saw as the first duty of government and it is what the EU has inched towards in recent years.
When we talk of losing sovereignty what we mean is losing, legally through EU institutions, the right to nationalise industries, to set up state owned utility monopolies, to keep private profit makers out of the NHS and away from old age homes and various other powers basic to democracy.
There is nothing racist about that.
And there is nothing racist either about men who have served long apprenticeships, patiently learning trades and forming Trade Unions to bargain collectively to protect their living standards insisting that cheap immigrant labour should not be allowed to push down their living standards or make them unemployed.
The reality is that, after decades of neo-liberalism-the should be a sign at Dover “Thatcher started here”- the working people of the UK have had enough. (So have the French.) They want to be able to tell the government what they, their children and posterity need and watch the politicians do it. That is sovereignty. It’s not racism.
As a matter of fact nobody has been more struck by the fate of the Greek people (now losing their homes to EU banks; where suicide is at a record level; where living standards have fallen about thirty per cent; where the national infrastructure is now owned by foreign capitalists) than those who support Brexit. They know who is next and it won’t be the chattering intellectuals in London who share their thoughts with the world and desperately want to ‘stay in Europe’ so that they can press their own olive oil and be there when the vintage is fresh in the vineyards.
As to Corbyn, James, I really don’t know but I like to think that he is in the same frame of mind that Frederick the Great of Prussia was when, surrounded by enemies, outnumbered and outgunned he said “I’ve got them just where I want them.”
Personally I think that the UK is very close to a pre revolutionary situation. It will take just a few sparks and the people will explode. And God knows if ever a working class had reason to explode , after the miseries inflicted on them by the Tories and the Blairites, the British have reason.
As to the Economist, it is wrong. It has, I suspect no idea what people in Oldham or Tadcaster or Swindon or Staines are thinking. It, like John Oliver etc, thinks that poor people, working folk, ordinary families are so much cattle to be milked until there’s nothing left to do but to butcher them. It thinks that they allow themselves to be cheated and mistreated because they are stupid and incapable of thinking for themselves. “If they had any sense” they reason “they wouldn’t let us pick their pockets; monopolise the best jobs; own the slums they live in and steal their public properties one by one, starting with enclosing the land, now down to PPP scams, private prisons, running the NHS for the drug and insurance companies and charging old ladies dying of cancer of the spine twelve hundred pounds a week tor ‘care’. They must be mad” the clever crowd tells us “otherwise…”
When the French revolution began Dr Guillotin was just one more delegate from Paris…but I digress.
Posted by: bevin | Mar 14 2019 23:06 utc | 42
The Iron Dome has failed, despite claims by the MSM to the contrary, to stop the Gaza rockets. Now the Israeli government is flailing.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/03/14/591070/Israel-Gaza-missile-Iron-Dome-Tel-Aviv
Posted by: Blooming Barricade | Mar 14 2019 23:08 utc | 43
@43
You hit the nail on the head there on sovereignty- it’s about the ability of the public to determine how to use resources and protect the environment, make decisions on a popular basis against private wills (banks, multinationals, etc). It should be and in fact is the only truly left wing position- if you’re an anarchist, you fundamentally believe in sovereignty but not in state based sovereignty. Those who would pass on their rights to control their lives to multinational institutions, business rules and trade treaties, or dilute it with corporate bribed political systems, are giving away their rights and their children’s rights to the future. Of course, no one “gave” anything, it was all stolen….
Posted by: Blooming Barricade | Mar 14 2019 23:12 utc | 44
JOHN CHUCKMAN @ 21
Sorry but your comment on Cameron not having to hold a referendum is just wrong, it was simple self preservation.
He was fighting UKIP and if he hadn’t then Conservative voters would have left in droves. He didn’t of course expect the result.
Posted by: JohninMK | Mar 14 2019 23:12 utc | 45
bevin @43 et al–
Thanks for the confirmation as to Brexit’s roots in Tory policies. I follow Corbyn’s twitter where he often runs Labor’s ads that attack May’s policies. Very much of what he campaigns for could be said of the USA. IMO, UK Public’s political awareness and knowledge of their history is far superior to their counterparts within the Outlaw US Empire; the same could be said of the Tories and their allies, which is why the political fight is far more intense and war-like. I also think it’s correct to say the Brexit struggle is also Europe’s struggle for the vast majority of all Europeans are being mined for their wealth through the EU structure.
Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 14 2019 23:42 utc | 46
@Bevin, 43.
thanks for that description of the EU.
To understand it you have to realise that its purpose is to protect property from democracy.
You hit the bull’s eye with that sentence.
Posted by: cirsium | Mar 14 2019 23:43 utc | 47
Fellow barflies,
I am taking the liberty of copying a recent comment into the last Open Thread
You see this napkin? In 24 hours, we could have the signatures of 70 Senators on this napkin.
–Steven Rosen, AIPAC
Questioning support for the U.S.-Israel relationship is unacceptable.
–Rep. Juan Vargas, D-CA
If this capitol crumbled to the ground, the one thing that would remain would be our commitment to aid — I won’t even call it aid — our cooperation with Israel.
–Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-CA
AIPAC now seems acutely sensitive to the appearance of dual loyalty. The theme of this year’s AIPAC conference was “Israel, an American Value”.
–Jeffrey Goldberg, The New Yorker
Posted by: Anonymous | Mar 14, 2019 5:16:31 PM | 109
Posted by: psychohistorian | Mar 14 2019 23:47 utc | 48
@ Blooming Barricade #44
That rocket attack was a puzzling thing to me, for Hamas has no obvious motives for stirring things up. From your link:
No Palestinian groups have claimed responsibility for the attack.
Since the apartheid Jewish state has an election coming up, and the current PM is on the ropes, a person might suspect the rockets were not necessarily fired by Hamas.
Israel strikes Gaza in reprisal for 2 rocket launches
Israeli media reported that Islamic Jihad, not Hamas, claimed responsibility for the rocket attack. Islamic Jihad quickly denied responsibility, says Slier. So did Hamas, apparently, with a group’s official telling Israeli media that Hamas is “not interested in an escalation” and does not know who fired the two rockets.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, in an extremely rare move, Hamas reportedly offered its assistance to Israel in finding the perpetrators of the attack.
Making a wild guess here, but I’d wager the cesspool state arranged for those rockets to be fired — if it didn’t sneak over soldiers to do the job themselves.
All that remains to be seen is how much Palestinian blood has to be shed to placate God’s Favorite People. And also how much slaughter the leaders of those noble citizens figure they can get away with without starting something bigger.
On another subject,
What President Trump, Fox and Breitbart Are Not Saying About Climate Science Denier Patrick Moore
Despite getting decent money for their prostitution work, I suspect most of these old guys want the publicity and would work for free to wallow in it.
Posted by: Zachary Smith | Mar 14 2019 23:54 utc | 49
@44 “The Iron Dome has failed”
Not to worry, Americans to the rescue.
Buying Back the “Iron Dome” from Israel – Phil Giraldi
U.S. taxpayers are being ripped off as U.S. Army buys back what we paid to develop.
https://www.globalresearch.ca/buying-back-iron-dome/5671240
“The U.S. Army is committed to buy two Iron Dome batteries for deployment next year for $373 million as a first phase of a possible $1.7 billion procurement to develop an enhanced mobile missile defense capability. It is believed that the purchase could lead to far bigger deals if Rafael proves able to upgrade Iron Dome …”
“According to a report examining the Iron Dome project, the United States has already provided at least $5.5 billion of the development costs of the system …That means that Washington is buying back a system that it paid to develop and is therefore paying for it twice. …it is a complete rip-off of the American taxpayer. The fact that no one in Congress is complaining is perhaps attributable to the willingness of the government to do favors for Israel, including favors that undercut the U.S.’s own defense industries, as Israel will undoubtedly use reports of the sale to boost its own efforts to market the product worldwide.”
Posted by: pantaraxia | Mar 14 2019 23:55 utc | 50
OT?
I really could care less about Brexit. What I find interesting is the number of declared candidates for the Dem. run for the POTUS.
Ever hear the old saying, “too many cooks spoil the broth”? With all these folks running,
the message will be so diluted It’ll never fly with the American public, no matter what it is, which I believe is the whole objective.
Unless the Dems can coalesce around a few simple truths,(medicare for all, increased minimum wage, and infrastructure repair), to name a few, DJT will prevail in 2020.
I guess my point is, the Dems, IMO, will find a way to lose the next election by design.
Big organised money rules the globe now.
Posted by: ben | Mar 15 2019 0:05 utc | 51
Irish independent MPs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace battle against imperialist sell-out MPs in the Irish Parliament on the issue of Venezuela: Venezuela Facts You Don’t Hear from the Mainstream Media. Great watch.
Posted by: S | Mar 15 2019 0:08 utc | 52
Maduro assassination attempt via drone confirmed as Outlaw US Empire operation.
Well Pelosi, here we have attempted murder as a high crime to Impeach Trump, Pence, Pompeo, Bolton and Abrams with, or is that something too “trivial” for you!
Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 15 2019 0:21 utc | 53
@5 Bevin
“…the Blairites in the PLP- only cares about one thing-preventing Corbyn from coming to power. They are aided in this endeavour by the imperialists in general and the fascist wing of the zionists in particular.”
There is a coup taking place within the Parlimentary Labour Party with Tom Watson replacing Corbyn as its de facto leader.
from the Evening Standard:
“Hundreds of Labour councillors and grassroots members want to align themselves with deputy leader Tom Watson’s moderate group, his team said today.
The deputy leader set up the Future Britain Group to “develop social democratic policy ideas” in the wake of nine MPs quitting the Labour Party. Critics have described it as a “party within a party” and a challenge to Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.
More than 150 Labour MPs and peers attended its inaugural meeting in Westminster last night, including New Labour figures David Blunkett and Peter Mandelson. But its influence is already spreading further down the party’s democratic structures, according to Mr Watson’s team.”
And Corbyn?….MIA.
Posted by: pantaraxia | Mar 15 2019 0:47 utc | 54
@54
The Democrats could have removed Trump 2 years ago, even though the RussiaGate investigation is based on intelligence agency fabrications, the firing of James Comey was obstruction of justice despite the fact that the “justice” in question was based on lies. They don’t actually want to remove Trump for that let alone actual crimes like regime change and illegal war (every President since Truman broke the Nuremburg Laws, with the Congress often complicit, so all impeachment attempts (petty burglary and lying over an affair) have to be like getting Al Capone for tax evasion.).
Posted by: Blooming Barricade | Mar 15 2019 1:13 utc | 55
Netanyahu just attacked Gaza.
Here’s a raw video of the Tel Aviv rockets https://ruptly.tv/#/en/videos/20190315-001
Posted by: Blooming Barricade | Mar 15 2019 1:33 utc | 56
I have to say I don’t understand the Brexit difficulties any more than I understood why Greece’s ‘Oxi’ vote didn’t mean exiting the EU for the Greek population. Nor do I find it to be explanatory when folk say that those who voted in these referendums didn’t really understand what they were voting for. You might as well say the persons (whoever they were) who voted those countries into that union didn’t know what they were voting for – because they actually didn’t. The EU hadn’t come to be then, but now it has.
But I am not one involved in these matters as the populations who have lived through all that has happened since the entity came into existence are. They know, they knew what they were voting for. The enormous frustration has to be when difficulties are raised and considered insurmountable at least in the ‘public discourse’ that seem from the outside to be a power play with no real substance – very similar to how Obama pretended to be something he was not his whole term of office (I am not going to call it a presidency). In other words, ‘You want this, people? Over my- no, your! – dead body!’
I don’t feel sorry for the politicians; I feel sorry for the people.
Posted by: juliania | Mar 15 2019 2:07 utc | 57
The coup on Corbyn started the moment he became Labour leader. From that moment he was public enemy no. 1 for Zionists. He’s been smeared in the Western mainstream all over the place: UK, U.S., Australia, and Canada. Then Zionists brought on the fake anti-Semitism charges and that divided the party, set the stage for exodus and sealed his fate. Don’t blame him when he keeps a low profile. How do you fight this? He’s getting hammered on all sides. There is no democracy wherever Zionists rule. This was a no holes barred Zionist war on his leadership. I’m not sure how he survives this. I hope he does. I hope he’s strategizing on how to take this on.
On the subject of the 2 rockets fired at Tel Aviv, Netanyahoo didn’t waste any time exploiting this convenient occurrence. Already, he gave orders to strike Gaza. Hamas adamantly denies involvement and so do other groups. This whole scenario grows increasingly more suspicious.
Israel launches Gaza strikes
Imagine having lying-ass Zionist thugs using you for target practice to score political points? Trash.
Posted by: Circe | Mar 15 2019 2:11 utc | 58
@ 52: Sorry, I meant to use “can’t” instead of can coalesce..
Posted by: ben | Mar 15 2019 2:45 utc | 59
It’s a tough call between which is more mind-numbingly boring and ridiculous–Brexit or Russiagate. And unfortunately both show no signs of ending anytime soon. I might try to put myself into a coma. Even having stopped watching any TV news a decade ago, Brexit and Russiagate pervade everywhere, like a sewage leak. It wouldn’t be so bad if the planet wasn’t about to be destroyed in the Holocene. But Brexit and Russiagate is news? This is a horrible time to be alive. I hope after humans go extinct no other similarly intelligent species arise. Humans are the worst. Chimps suck too.
Posted by: Soft Asylum | Mar 15 2019 2:45 utc | 60
ben @52
Here’s another old saying (which GWB famously mucked up):
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Dumbed-down, dumbass Americans seem to like being fooled because they are fooled over and over and over again.
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Mar 15 2019 3:27 utc | 61
9 confirmed dead, many more injured, in a mass shooting at 2 mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. The incident was timed deliberately for when many would be present at their time of prayer. One in custody, others thought to be at large. Possibly getting ahead of myself, but it seems a shameful day to be a New Zealander…
Posted by: tspoon | Mar 15 2019 3:30 utc | 62
@60
Prosecuting those who dared to blow the whistle on John Podesta’s email inbox and preserving the power of the City media class are way more important than a small thing like a 20-year timeframe for human extinction! You must be a red-brown anti-Semite paid by Putin!
Posted by: Blooming Barricade | Mar 15 2019 3:51 utc | 63
@43 bevin… thanks for your additional comments.. you share a fascinating and relevant perspective on where we are here.. i don’t believe it is all that different here in canada or the usa.. i personally think topics like brexit are important, just like congresswomen omars comments are relevant, in spite of the fact i live in neither the uk or the usa.. i don’t think of this as brexit so much as about something bigger where many are realizing they are being screwed and are seeking a way to change this.. of course corbyn will be demonized like everyone else is demonized who gets in the way of neo-liberalism and all that it encompasses… i liked your description of the origins of EU politics – “its purpose is to protect property from democracy”.. that is a fascinating description i’d never heard anyone state before..
@52 ben.. last line.. i am surprised you can’t see the relevance of brexit in the context of your last line.. it isn’t so much brexit as the fact what is going on in many parts of the world is interconnected and adds up to a similar outcome – – as your last line notes.. finding a way to break that will not come from just one direction or country.. as the yellow jackets have demonstrated, some to which i now will quote! – “Big organized money rules the globe now.”
Posted by: james | Mar 15 2019 4:09 utc | 64
Open thread stuff:
Meghan McCain
Since the news broke that wealthy individuals have been accused of using bribery to get their kids into elite colleges, there’s been a lot of public conversation about the advantages that money can buy. While some feel this dynamic is a problem, Meghan McCain, daughter of late senator John, decided to stick up for the real victims: rich kids.
Same person:
“I take this very personally,” McCain said. “I would go so far as to say I probably verge on being a Zionist as well.” While she doesn’t have Jewish family, she began to tear up as she described former Sen. Joe Lieberman and his wife Hadassah as her family. “I take the hate crimes raising in this country incredibly seriously and I think what’s happening in Europe is really scary. And I’m sorry if I’m getting emotional.”
“Just because I don’t technically have Jewish family that are blood-related to me doesn’t mean that I don’t take this seriously,” she added. “And it is very dangerous—very dangerous—and I think we all collectively as Americans on both sides—and what Ilhan Omar is saying is very scary to me and a lot of people and I don’t think you have to be Jewish to recognize that.”
Megan McCain – even more Jewish than an typical apartheid-state illegal settler.
Everybody knows about her daddy, the genius who chose Sarah Palin. The fellow a lot of Navy men suspected of nearly sinking the USS Forrestal. Lots and lots more if anybody cares to use ‘the google’.
Then there was Grandpa McCain. Quoting the famous Senator Son:
John McCain Praises Father’s Whitewashing of Israel’s Attack on the USS LIBERTY!
Take a look at the Amazon reviews of the Cristol hack job. I’ve gone cold-turkey with the publisher of that BS.
Great Grandpa was the last one who didn’t get into the shallow part of the gene pool. He did have the misfortune to be connected with Halsey during much of his WW2 sea duty. Famous Halsey, despite multiple screwups, was ‘teflon coated’ each time.
Posted by: Zachary Smith | Mar 15 2019 5:10 utc | 65
@ tspoon #62
You have my sympathies about the murders. On the ‘positive’ side, there is an outside chance some practical moves will be made to stop the carnage down in the Southern hemisphere. When grade school kids here are slaughtered and the only newsworthy event is chatter about faked deaths and professional actors, I have to conclude it’s hopeless. Until the US elites decide to crack down on the Second Amendment nuts, the episodic murders will continue. For now those elites find the fringe groups like the GW Deniers and the antivaxxers and never-enough-guns characters useful.
Posted by: Zachary Smith | Mar 15 2019 5:25 utc | 66
Am I the only one still up? I’m definitely keeping with my old habits, and never mind what the clock says.
Anyhow, some interesting chit-chat from Naked Capitalism.
A Way-Too-Early Handicapping of the 2020 Presidential Race
It comes down to this. If the Democrats nominate a genuine change candidate, she or he will likely win comfortably. I could easily see a 55-45% popular vote split, with an even greater margin in the Electoral College.
If the Democrats nominate a “status quo” or “change-y enough” candidate, on the other hand, the race could be tight, as it was in 2016.
The key is the “wrong track” independents. Will they vote for Trump, vote just to vote against Trump, or stay home? Remember, shrinking the voting pool means shrinking the number of “wrong track” independents who actually vote; many of those lost votes will be lost by the Democrat.
I pretty much agree with this, though I don’t especially like it! The part which aggravates me is the possibility of history repeating itself. They rammed Hillary down out throats in 2016, and a version of the same thing could happen again. What on earth could I say to a Trump voter if he had the choice between the Orange Disaster and the impossibly awful Biden? Or some smiling quasi Republican like Beto.
Point is, we may not get a real choice, and that’ll be just fine with the DNC & fellow travelers. I’m quite positive they’d prefer Trump again (or Pence) to a candidate who puts the US of A ahead of eternal Wars For The Apartheid Jewish State. Or anygbody who really wants to fight Climate change. Or any threat whatever to Big Bankers/Big Anything.
Posted by: Zachary Smith | Mar 15 2019 5:53 utc | 67
Posted by: Blooming Barricade | Mar 14, 2019 7:08:24 PM | 44
The Iron Dome has failed, despite claims by the MSM to the contrary, to stop the Gaza rockets. Now the Israeli government is flailing.
——————–
Globes, 13 Jul, 2014 12:54
In an interview last Thursday with Radio 103, Israel Defense Prize winner and aerospace engineering expert Dr. Moti Shefer stated simply that Iron Dome was one of the biggest bluffs ever seen.
He said, “There is no missile in the world today able to intercept missiles or rockets. Iron Dome is a sound and light show that is intercepting only Israeli public opinion, and itself, of course. Actually, all the explosions you see in the sky are self explosions. No Iron Dome missile has ever collided with a single rocket. Open spaces are a myth invented in order to up Iron Dome’s current interception percentages. The rockets announced as intercepted by Iron Dome either never reach the ground, or are virtual rockets invented and destroyed on the Iron Dom control computer. To this day, no one has ever seen an intercepted rocket fall to the ground.”
He continued, “What lands here is what’s launched. The parts we see on the ground are from Iron Dome itself. We’re shooting at ourselves, mainly virtually. The virtual rocket was invented in order to increase the vagueness surrounding Iron Dome. Assume that a real rocket arrives. What does the command and control system do? It creates nine more virtual rockets, and transmits their paths on computer graphics to the rocket launcher operators. The launcher operators see 10 rockets and launch 10 Iron Dome interceptors. People hear 10 booms, one rocket enters, and you get a 90% success rate.”
According to Dr. Shefer, Iron Dome is a part of a broad conspiracy, in which two interested parties afraid of peace are participating: the defense industries and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Posted by: John Doe | Mar 15 2019 6:45 utc | 68
Update from Christchurch, the death toll has risen to 40, maybe more. 4 persons, 3 male and 1 female are in police custody, 1 of the males is said to be Australian born. At this point the terrorists look to be white supremicists, and, sickeningly, many of the murders were livestreamed and viewed by many online.
Posted by: tspoon | Mar 15 2019 6:54 utc | 69
Posted by: Blooming Barricade | Mar 14, 2019 7:08:24 PM | 44
The Iron Dome has failed, despite claims by the MSM to the contrary, to stop the Gaza rockets. Now the Israeli government is flailing.
——————–
The National Interest, February 2, 2019
Despite the system’s popularity in Israel, critics have questioned whether officially successful Iron Dome intercepts are actually effective at neutralizing incoming projectiles, though some of the more sweeping critiques themselves appear flawed when given scrutiny. A more measured 2018 assessment by Michael Armstrong argues the system’s success rate against projectiles landing in populated areas may lie between 59 percent to 75 percent.
Posted by: John Doe | Mar 15 2019 7:20 utc | 70
Posted by: pantaraxia | Mar 14, 2019 7:55:41 PM | 51
Not to worry, Americans to the rescue.
Buying Back the “Iron Dome” from Israel – Phil Giraldi
U.S. taxpayers are being ripped off as U.S. Army buys back what we paid to develop.
————————-
Another “great” deal:
US Taxpayers On the Hook for Nearly $1 Billion in Saudi Arabia’s Recent Missile Defense Purchase
Posted by: John Doe | Mar 15 2019 7:31 utc | 71
@b
Hope your emergency isn’t too serious, and that you have it under
control
Posted by: Some Random Passer-by | Mar 15 2019 7:32 utc | 72
Stratfor, Mar 14, 2019 | 16:56 GMT:
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was founded in April 1949. Its first secretary-general, Hastings Ismay, was brutally clear about what it was for: “to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.” With just three weeks to go to NATO’s 70th birthday, however, its efforts appear to have produced precisely the opposite results. In ways that were unimaginable just a generation ago, Europe seems to be entering an era in which the Russians are in, the Americans out and the Germans up.
Posted by: John Doe | Mar 15 2019 7:44 utc | 73
Atilio Borón. El apagón en Venezuela: un crimen de lesa humanidad
Google translating:
Atilio Borón. The blackout in Venezuela: a crime against humanity
Posted by: John Doe | Mar 15 2019 8:08 utc | 74
Atilio Borón. El apagón en Venezuela: un crimen de lesa humanidad
Google translating:
Atilio Borón. The blackout in Venezuela: a crime against humanity
Posted by: John Doe | Mar 15 2019 8:08 utc | 75
LoL. There’s a clip in tonight’s News of Trump telling us that he warned Mrs (Would I Lie to You) May that Brexit negotiations with the EU had to be handled skillfully. “I gave her some advice on how to do that but she chose to ignore it.”
I’m keen to hear what his advice was and doubt that he’ll keep it to himself for long, given UK’s role in Russia-gate and Russo-phobia bs.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Mar 15 2019 8:11 utc | 76
NZ mosque shooting latest stats. 49 dead, 48 in hospital with gunshot wounds.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Mar 15 2019 8:13 utc | 77
There is no such thing as (voluntary) Brexit. If you look at seemingly tiny technical details, you will see that Brexit cannot be a political decision. It has to “happen” as an accident or a coincidence. Good short piece on that subject:
https://medium.com/the-politicalists/theres-no-such-thing-as-brexit-3a9354126e4e
Posted by: Jerome FABRE | Mar 15 2019 8:29 utc | 78
Please recall that the Brexit Referendum was non-binding. To ignore it would not be in violation of any law or a betrayal of Democracy, it would just be a major embarrassment to the supporters of the Leave movement, who would probably find themselves in a minority if the vote were held again.
Since those MPs would rather go No Deal and wreck the economy than to admit their failure and back down, then the UK will get the Worst possible Case scenario.
The EU is simply quite clear: free movement of goods and capital also involves the free movement of people. They will make no deal that does not provide for both.
Posted by: ralphieboy | Mar 15 2019 8:35 utc | 79
@ Posted by: ralphieboy | Mar 15, 2019 4:35:28 AM | 79
Article 50 was voted in the Commons days after the referendum’s result came out. The Parliament consulted and accepted the result.
Article 50 was triggered NINE MONTHS after the referendum vote.
And we crash out on March 29th. As planned. The smart money has been on that outcome since last spring.
Posted by: Bored With Brexit | Mar 15 2019 11:52 utc | 81
NZ mosque shooter supported Brexit in his manifesto, will May come out and give that as reason enough to now thwart the referendum result and remain in the EU?
Posted by: TJ | Mar 15 2019 12:09 utc | 82
Now, to the important news.
Yesterday night(Western time)China substituted its three FDI Laws with a new, unified one, the Foreign Investment Law (FIL — note that this English name, as is the Chinese recent tradition, will probably be provisory: they are still learning the art of soft power):
China adopts foreign investment law
This is an important Law, since one which was substituted was the joint venture one — the fearsome Law that haunted the West for almost 40 years. The Chinese said the Law died of old age, not because of external pressure.
Harley Seyedin, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China, said that “For foreign companies in China, I think everyone is waiting for the law to be passed, as it will create a level playing field”. I don’t take these Chamber of Commerce personel seriously because their public statements are often hyperbolic, but I didn’t read the new Law so I won’t make premature conclusions.
@53
Claire Daly runs in my constituency, happy to say she had my vote.
On Brexit, speaking of Cameron and May’s catastrophic mistakes, I think nothing matches the hubris of May calling an election to secure her position and ending up losing her majority and depending on the DUP. The backstop is a sensible measure considering the good friday agreement, when applied to Northern Ireland. But because the DUP won’t truck with that, the entire UK needs to be included in the backstop, which makes it an un-sensible measure. Polling suggests a majority of NI voters would prefer checks between NI and the UK to a hard border on the island of Ireland. Even among protestant background voters there are a majority in favour checks between NI and the UK over a hard border.
I think May’s unnecessary election will go down in history as one of the biggest political balls up of all time.
Posted by: brokenkeyring | Mar 15 2019 13:07 utc | 84
This article at PressTV has a bearing on the recent saboatage in Venezuela. Evidently an Iranian engineer was offered $250,000 if he would carry out an act of sabotage against the power grid in Tehran. That was during the post election protests in 2009.
Regarding the Mosque attack in Christchurch it ought to be a priority to investigate the links between Israel’s government and islamophobia. It is well established that millions from Zionists are spent on anti-muslim propaganda. Is there any doubt that the Israeli government fosters a hatred which is very useful to it in winning acceptance for its brutal policies in Palestine.
The Bush line that “they hate us for our freedom” is an old Israeli explanation of Palestinian anger.
Posted by: bevin | Mar 15 2019 13:21 utc | 85
re 86 Here is the link,
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/03/15/591106/US-target-Tehran-powergrid
Posted by: bevin | Mar 15 2019 13:27 utc | 86
@86 bevin
You can read his screed here.
@b I am in no way endorsing the above, just adding it for discussion, this is your site and if you wish to remove it I will not repost it.
Posted by: TJ | Mar 15 2019 13:45 utc | 87
According to this article Sweden supported anti-apartheid organisations in South Africa to the tune of over 4 billion Kronas (US$400) between 1972 and 1994.
Refreshing to see such information about a positive EU government action. The project was initiated by Olaf Palme, apparently. Wonderful that the project was not axed after Palme’s murder. These days the Swedish government prefer to support a different type of activist, namely White Helmets, ISIS, Al-Qaida, white supremacists, bankers, billionaires annonomous, etc.
Posted by: BM | Mar 15 2019 13:51 utc | 88
Open Thread Rant: At the Naked Capitalism site I just saw a headline which stopped me cold in my tracks.
Want to Help Fight Climate Change? Have More Children
What kind of a dingleberry would have written this? I clicked on his linked name to find some more of his “output”:
A Nuclear First Strike Should Still Be an Option for America
and
One Shutdown Lesson Is That Americans Need to Save More
Like Americans are permitted to have even living wages, let alone enough left over to “save”.
Ivanka as President of the World Bank? Don’t Laugh
I’m trying not to laugh…
The Good News From Africa
The continent is mostly at peace — and is reaping the economic, political and social benefits.
Sure it is.
The White House Says Socialism Is a Threat. It’s Right.
Which is why “SOCIAL Security” must be killed, “SOCIALIZED single payer” medical care cannot be permitted, and “Socialized” interstate highways are starting to be turned into Toll Roads.
A Nobel Prize in Honor of Economic Growth
Alfred Nobel didn’t set up any “Economic” prize. A big bank bought that with a huge cash payment – like naming an arena. “The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel”
No link – I’m not going to provide an easy “hit” to a billionaire’s dignified version of Ann Coulter.
Posted by: Zachary Smith | Mar 15 2019 13:57 utc | 89
The fascist Zionist state launched 100 strikes overnight on Gaza because of 2 measly rockets! But get this: now, Israel is claiming rockets were A MISTAKE. WTF!!! A mistake or SABOTAGE of the truce. A MISTAKE or 10 poll points for Yahoo??? This all stinks!
Israeli defense officials said after a preliminary investigation that the Gaza rockets that hit the Tel Aviv area were apparently fired by mistake.
The officials were quoted Friday in Israeli media. The Israeli military declined to comment on the reports.
It was not immediately clear if the rocket fire was a result of human error or technical malfunction. The Israeli daily Haaretz quoted the officials as saying the two rockets were fired during maintenance work.
https://www.apnews.com/84f958d1d74e4a5ca13642f4a742cadb
Riiight, daily maintenance work, BY WHOM??? Mossad or Shin Bait Collaborator? There’s bullshet going on here from the start.
One more thing: the scumbag who killed 49 Muslims in NZ was an AUSTRALIAN White NATIONALIST. Why am I not surprised? I’ll bet he loves Nationalist Trumpy too. ARRGH!
Posted by: Circe | Mar 15 2019 14:31 utc | 90
Here’s hoping that Bill of Rights hating nuts get cracked down on heavily by the government, as they fully deserve…
For the rest of us, lets hope that the Bill of Rights is sustained and expanded, the mestastisizing police state/surveillance state rolled back…
Re Brexit: no doubt xenophobia played a big role in galvanizing public support for Brexit. That’s a bad thing. But Brexit is necessary and should be merely a first step. Grexit would be a good follow-up. The EU is an anti-democratic, socially regressive monster. It represents a fundamentally good idea perverted into a horrible project.
Re. Venezuela: how weird that the corporate media in America have suddenly started doing something edging in the direction of actual truth telling. What can possibly be motivating this? I see it as a sign that the Hegemon has acted too blatantly in Venezuela, showing its true face. The US establishment is trying to walk that back a little, starting by making a show of the US media being something other than lying propaganda mouthpieces.
Posted by: paullllllll | Mar 15 2019 14:34 utc | 91
Bellingcat and Alexander Reid-Ross sickeningly capitalise off of mass shooting by extreme right dickpilled gamer psycho. The issue (Islamophobia) is in reality built up by Israeli Hasbara, anti-Refugee conservative electioneering, neo-Nazism, and “muscular liberalism” a la Standpoint Magazine, Harry’s Place feeding into “liberal” MSM and far-right owned dailies.
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/rest-of-world/2019/03/15/shitposting-inspirational-terrorism-and-the-christchurch-mosque-massacre/
Posted by: Gaza Under Attack | Mar 15 2019 14:45 utc | 92
BM:
Yes, if only some social democratic governments had the guts today to fund Palestinian solidarity programs, I guess they’d rather sign off on the IHRA and pour billions into North Atlantic Terrorist expansion.
Posted by: Gaza Under Attack | Mar 15 2019 14:48 utc | 93
Posted by: bevin | Mar 15, 2019 9:21:26 AM | 86
(Christchurch massacre)
I don’t know whether the current NZ govt leans Left or Right but if it’s Right-wing and pro-“Israel” then there’s not a snow flake’s chance in Hell that they’ll display any curiosity about “Israel’s” role in promoting the Fake War On Terror/Islam.
There’s a grim irony to this event. In recent years brave souls from SBS.au and ABC.au have interviewed, or reproduced interviews with, Prez Assad or one of his senior spox. In every interview Syria has warned that the Ter’rist problems Syria is having today will eventually bite the West on the bum. Robt Fisk has concurred with this view on several occasions (knowing whose ter’rists they really are).
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Mar 15 2019 14:52 utc | 94
First let’s be honest: Zionist policy, AZ Empire PNAC Wars are responsible for the massive Muslim exodus from the Middle East. It’s these wars in Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and Yemen that caused the worst refugee problem in history! But get this: ISRAEL and the U.S., the main authors of these wars are the countries to take in the least number of refugees, even vilifying and discriminating against them while flooding everyone else with the victims of their wars. Let’s be truthful about which countries are destroying humanity and inflicting hardship on everyone else.
Posted by: Circe | Mar 15 2019 15:00 utc | 95
@ Hoarsewhisperer #97
It’s a fact that coincidences really do exist. For example, the blackout issues and exploding oil tanks in Venezuela may be entirely unrelated to the US Imperium. Speaking of Venezuela, New Zealand has been misbehaving in that regard:
Venezuela crisis: New Zealand refuses to back Guaidó as interim president
Yes, really bad boys and girls on that southern island nation.
NZ condemns Israel’s actions along Gaza border
Connections? Impossible to tell, but it’s known that some “actors” are extremely vindictive whenever they’re crossed in any way.
Posted by: Zachary Smith | Mar 15 2019 15:09 utc | 96
Oh, and Zionists started Muslim cleansing by expelling over A MILLION Palestinians from their homeland Palestine and are still in the business of ethic cleansing with total impunity. Zionists can all go straight to hell where their Master rules!
Posted by: Circe | Mar 15 2019 15:09 utc | 97
49 confirmed dead in New Zealand. The shooter live streamed the whole thing. He shot cowering women and children. In the live stream on 8chan people were congratulating him for each kill. Each shooting of the mosques took 8 minute each. The police was 3 to 4 minutes away. He published his guns and his manifesto several days before where he thanked many politicians for being his inspiration. Among them Candice Owens who posted a Twitter laughing at the shooting.
Posted by: Occidentosis | Mar 15 2019 15:23 utc | 98
Correction:ethnic cleansing.
Zionist Nationalist Trumpy in my previous post, cause let’s call a spade a spade! This is exactly what the lying braggart ass-hat is.
@99 ZS
There are no coincidences. I see all of that as collective punishment sabotage inflicted by the gangster AZ Empire
Posted by: Circe | Mar 15 2019 15:23 utc | 99
@ bevin | Mar 14, 2019 7:06:48 PM
Another excellent comment, but I would like to pick a bone with you regarding this part:
The reality is that, after decades of neo-liberalism-the should be a sign at Dover “Thatcher started here”- the working people of the UK have had enough. (So have the French.) They want to be able to tell the government what they, their children and posterity need and watch the politicians do it. That is sovereignty. It’s not racism.
What about sovereignty of the rest of the World during last 400 years of British Empire? Why do you request sovereignty when you do not respect sovereignty of others? Do you really think that UK, France, Spain … would be able to have the standard of living they had enjoyed last few centuries without plundering rest of the World, and in the process killing hundreds of millions of savages?
Andre Vltchek wrote excellent article recently :
What Happens If the French Yellow Vests Win?
Posted by: ex-SA | Mar 15 2019 15:27 utc | 100