Here is an article that looks at how American voters feel about Donald Trump’s approach to Iran:
https://viableopposition.blogspot.com/2019/07/main-street-america-and-another-war-in.html
Should the two co-warriors who currently inhabit the positions of Secretary of State and National Security Advisor use their influence to persuade Donald Trump to enter what would likely be a very lengthy war of attrition in Iran, it may prove to be a very costly move for the Republican Party in November of 2020 given the lack of support for such actions among Main Street Americans.

Posted by: Sally Snyder | Jul 18 2019 17:05 utc | 3

@arata (2)
Obviously, some showcasing to intimidate is going on. It’s a psyop, in short. And its effects are not to be downplayed.
Meanwhile, the status of the tanker and its crew seized by the UK is a bit unclear to me. Has the crew been released? Has the tanker been allowed to go?

Posted by: bjd | Jul 18 2019 17:09 utc | 5

For the ones who still believe China is capitalist:
Dialectical Materialism Is the Worldview and Methodology of Chinese Communists – by Xi Jinping

Posted by: vk | Jul 18 2019 17:28 utc | 7

Is it just me, or is this pedo-Epstein op starting to look like a Bibi op to take Barak out of the election? Yes, Bibi might just be piling on to an existing situation as an opportunity to take out Ehud, but…
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-07-17/camouflaged-israeli-ex-pm-pictured-entering-epsteins-mansion-same-day-hotties-show

Posted by: casey | Jul 18 2019 17:52 utc | 9

Yesterday, I linked to the TASS summary of Lavrov’s interview with Argumenty i Fakty. Now here’s the translated transcript that provides a link to Russian original. The first question:
“Can an improvement in the relations with the United States be expected in the near future?”
Lavrov’s answer takes 6 paragraphs. The interview asks hard questions that many barflies also ask. Lavrov does provide a few gems in his answers. Here’s one:
“We are not afraid of anything. But we will not act like bandits either, because we respect international law.”
In stark contrast to the Outlaw US Empire’s behavior.
And in answer (just partial as it’s 5 paragraph’s long) to the question most want asked, Russia’s Iranian policy:
“Russia sees intrinsic value in its relations with Iran, Israel and all other Middle East countries. Russia has a multipronged foreign policy that is free from the principle of ‘being friends against someone.’ In our contacts with the leaders of all regional countries we are consistent in calling on our partners to find peaceful solutions to the problems that may arise and renounce the use or threat of force.
“The escalating tension in the region we are witnessing today is the direct result of Washington and some of its allies raising the stakes in their anti-Iranian policy. The US is flexing its muscles by seeking to discredit Tehran and blame all the sins on the Islamic Republic of Iran. This creates a dangerous situation: a single match can start a fire. The responsibility for the possible catastrophic consequences will rest with the United States.”
And yes, there’s much more!

Posted by: karlof1 | Jul 18 2019 18:35 utc | 11

Yesterday Reuters thought their main headline should inform the world that
Republicans are racists.
(I am a Green Voter by the way)
Reuters main headline was this:
“Republican support for Trump rises after racially charged tweets: poll”
This was important, the world needed to be told. The more racist Trump IS the more popular he is with Republicans.
That is the obvious message from Reuters.
However, if you do more than read headlines (which the majority do not)
you learn something … about Reuters and polls. Not Trump.
The body of the Reuters article tells you that of the “406 Republicans” polled
online “his net approval among members of his Republican Party rose by 5 percentage points to 72%”
over the previous weeks poll.
The last paragraph of the Reuters article, however, tells us that
the poll “has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of 5 points for Democrats or Republicans.”
In other words, the amount of change was statistically insignificant.
However, that didn’t stop Reuters from making a highly charged accusation their main headline.
“Republican support for Trump rises after racially charged tweets: poll”
On top of all that, the numbers in the article do not agree with the numbers you will find
if you actually trouble yourself to read the polling details the Reuters article took it’s numbers from!
“The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online in English and gathered responses from 1,113 adults”
This, number – 1,113 adults – seemingly is the only number Reuters cared to quote accurately.
The Reuters article is comparing the 7/17 Ipsos poll with the 7/10 Ipsos poll. Total Republican approval
in this **online** poll went from 83% to 86%. (I cannot imagine where Reuters got the 72% number that
they reported.) So Republican approval did go up – 3%, but that is less than the “credibility interval”
of 5.6 % (by the way Reuters reported this as 5% and not 5.6%). The change in approval was negligible
per the credibility interval. But that didn’t stop Reuters from being highly, highly divisive.
The Ipsos poll, by the way, uses “Credibility Interval” and not
statistical margins of error. The Ipsos poll
contains this caveat:
“Statistical margins of error are not
applicable to online polls”.
You can see the detailed polling data yourself here:
https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/reuters-ipsos-data-core-political-2019-07-10
https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/reuters-ipsos-data-core-political-2019-07-17
Scroll to near the bottom where you find the word Download and open the available pdf:
https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2019-07/2019_reuters_tracking_-_core_political_congressional_approval_tracker_07_17_2019.pdf
https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2019-07/2019_reuters_tracking_-_core_political_party_strength_matchups_07_10_2019.pdf
To see the Reuters headline itself and read the article you need to go to web.archive.org
I would give you the direct link but this MoA comments section does not parse the URL correctly.
Once at web.archive.org search on http://www.reuters.com and then select July 17. A number of
choices will be offered for July 17, select around the time of 9:30 GMT.
(Sorry, wish the direct link worked from this comments section)

Posted by: librul | Jul 18 2019 18:40 utc | 13

@Mina (1)
Good Point. Another example is the huge public fuzz about potential meddling of foreign powers in the US election. But no outcry when the administration publicly cashes millions to the illegal opposition of the random guy.
Who cares?

Posted by: Cemi | Jul 18 2019 18:45 utc | 15

The ‘Grace 1’ is still anchored off Gib. and the detained crew were granted bail. Maybe they get to do some sightseeing there at least. I’d be happy for them if they could.
Meanwhile the ‘Gib. Chronicle’ reports that their Chief Minister is currently in London to discuss things with the British PM plus also with a delegation from Iran. “The meeting was constructive and positive” is what he says. Declined to go into detail there – so maybe they had to concede a lot to Iran?
—
Replying to gzon from some articles further down (gzon | Jul 14 2019 20:52 utc | 41):
Thank you for your comment! I very much appreciated it and there sure is a lot for me to consider.
You said the tanker was deregistered. I had read that before, back when this affair was still very fresh. Maybe it was you who brought it to my attention in the first place? I wasn’t able to find that bit of information a couple of days later, when trying to dig into the matter. Anyway, since it was bugging me, I searched and searched. Nothing in the MSM, nowhere. Not on any Iranian news, either. Introduced the assumption that the tanker had possibly been deregistered to some other forum, where that notion was seen as a very clever ruse indeed (no flag, no voyage, legitimate pretext). But since I could not back up the assumption, I backtracked. However, since you claimed it in your reply, very matter-of-factly, I did another search, this time involving sources from Panama. Bit of a hassle for me because I don’t know any Spanish. Long story short: you were and are absolutely spot on! We have to accept for a fact that this innocent vessel was deregistered, in mid-voyage.
La Estrella de Panamá: “Al buque petrolero Grace I … se le canceló el registro panameño el 29 de mayo pasado, por lo que dejó de pertenecer al Registro Internacional de Buques de Panamá. Confirmed by the ‘Autoridad Marítima de Panamá‘ and all.
No honest mistake there, to be sure! Given the level of corruption of Panama by US influence, no need to go into particulars in this regard, I’m sure you’ll agree. A very clever ruse that they came up with, involving so many parties. But one that they’re obviously trying to hide. I mean the implications are potentially disastrous – Panama as a flag of convenience is no longer trustworthy, as a ship-owner you may want to think twice. And the poor captain, to have your flag renounced while out at sea just doing your job, trying to get your ship, crew and cargo safely to your destination. An abomination in all respects.

Posted by: Scotch Bingeington | Jul 18 2019 18:56 utc | 17

“Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has commented on earlier publications in the media about the seizure of a ship carrying contraband oil, noting that it was a small vessel capable of carrying up to one million litres of oil and not an “oil tanker”, as reports had originally described it as. He added that such anti-smuggling operations occur on a daily basis.” -Sputnik

Posted by: Featherless | Jul 18 2019 18:59 utc | 19

The latest reports of where those missiles went is even more remarkable than the original fake news of Russian-backed Nazi separatists.
Qatar reportedly sold the missiles in 1994 to Spain as part of a deal that included Mirage F1 jet fighters which can carry those missiles. Spain decommissioned the jet fighters in 2013 and sold some of them on to Draken International Inc. which operates a sort of private air force.
Draken showed off a Mirage F1M cockpit earlier this year. During the raid in Italy, police found a cockpit of a military plane. That raises the question of whether the cockpit and missiles came from the same source.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/29028/ex-qatari-that-italian-police-seized-during-raid-may-have-come-from-spain
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/25927/check-out-cockpit-in-draken-internationals-private-mirage-f-1m-aggressor-jet

Posted by: Brendan | Jul 18 2019 19:06 utc | 21

@ Bemildred | Jul 18 2019 18:41 utc | 14
Dershowitz is practically beshitting himself, the big-shot lawyer, hmm, do we believe that? “I kept my undies on.”
__________________________________________
Well, Dershowitz is a distinguished attorney. So his assertion may be factually correct, and simply devoid of the additional detail that he was wearing those undies on his head at the time.

Posted by: Ort | Jul 18 2019 19:08 utc | 23

Ort @23: Yeah, I can see that. Revenge of the Nerds.

Posted by: Bemildred | Jul 18 2019 19:12 utc | 25

casey @22: I think the Rand Paul balloon was another attempt to get Iran to talk to Trump without having to give them anything (The sanctions worked!).
Zarif just said they would sign the additional protocols for permanent intrusive inspection IF Trump lifts the sanctions. Now Trump has to figure out how to refuse. Or maybe he’ll take it. It would be in his interest to do so, politically. Trump, the peacemaker. Can you see it? But I don’t expect he will.

Posted by: Bemildred | Jul 18 2019 19:23 utc | 27

A good article by Whitney Webb from MintpressNews:

Hidden in Plain Sight: The Shocking Origins of the Jeffrey Epstein Case
…
Years later, Samuel Bronfman’s children and grandchildren, their family’s ties to the criminal underworld intact, would later go on to associate closely with Leslie Wexner, allegedly the source of much of Epstein’s mysterious wealth, and other mob-linked “philanthropists,” and some would even manage their own sexual blackmail operations, including the recently busted blackmail-based “sex cult” NXIVM.
…
The significant amount of overlap between Epstein’s and Cohn’s covert activities in sexual blackmail and their ties to many of the same powerful individuals and circles of influence strongly suggest that Epstein was one of Cohn’s successors.
As will be shown in the final installment of this report, Epstein is only the latest incarnation of a much older, more extensive and sophisticated operation that offers a frightening window into how deeply tied the U.S. government is to the modern-day equivalents of organized crime, making it a racket truly too big to fail.
https://www.mintpressnews.com/shocking-origins-jeffrey-epstein-blackmail-roy-cohn/260621/

Rick Wiles of TruNews did a segment about this and the other sordid details yesterday. Worth a listen to (start @18:15):
“>https://youtu.be/voWj44_w_3M

Posted by: jsb | Jul 18 2019 19:30 utc | 29

Bemildred @27–
Got a link for that? Zarif usually tweets such information but he’s silent today as is Khamenei. Paul’s Twitter’s also silent on Iran.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jul 18 2019 19:38 utc | 31

casey @9: starting to look like a Bibi op to take Barak out
bemildred @14: That has seemed to be one thing it is being used for
Epstein’s remaining in jail will make many powerful people nervous. They must be wondering if Epstein will get special treatment from the intelligence agencies once again, or if Epstein will make a deal to save himself.
What people that matter would dare to publicly object to war with Iran when they know that they could be named by Epstein as part of a plea bargain (that includes Trump, of course).
Ultimately, it may all turn out to be a farce as the intelligence agencies will likely insist on another sweetheart deal (or, more likely, that the former sweetheart deal must be honored). But the timing of Epstein’s time in jail seems very advantageous to Israel’s goal to spark a US-Iran war.
Now USA downs an Iranian drone – just as Paul starts a peace initiative. LOL.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jul 18 2019 19:49 utc | 33

My immediate reaction to the news of the UK’s seizing the Grace was that the Iranians have something the Brits want back.

Posted by: Montreal | Jul 18 2019 19:58 utc | 35

Here’s an interesting clip showing the “liberal” pres. candidate, a “progressive” guest, and a “conservative” guest discussing foreign policy. The dog’s gone crazy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAbn1INcc68&t=144s

Posted by: kabobyak | Jul 18 2019 20:01 utc | 37

Jack Rabbit @33: I’ve seen that argument in a couple of places now, that he’s been fingered in order to put pressure on lots of people, perhaps intentionally “caught” as we wondered about before. I haven’t made up my mind about it. Those sort of people have been known to hit back when threatened. But then, we aren’t dealing with rational people, so it may well be. “They always double down.”
It seems very workable as a way to get at Trump too, he has looked coerced for some time now, and it’s clear at least some parties are having a go at that, attacking Trump with Epstein.
Mostly, I like to see our “elites” at war with each other, it distracts them from other mischief. And if it did get Trump that would be great, I can see it dragging on relentlessly in the media all the way to the election.

Posted by: Bemildred | Jul 18 2019 20:14 utc | 39

@13, most deplorables and neo-confederates will cheer and applaud racist tirades from Boss tweet. That’s why they elected a known conman who pushed the Obama birther stories for years. While Chump fancies himself as the great white hope, his administration of dominionist degenerates and neo-confederates are destroying whatever pillars of american power that remains. Let’s just hope stable genius will not send us all back to the stone age to save his behind. Après moi le déluge…

Posted by: Sol Invictus | Jul 18 2019 20:41 utc | 41

RT reports the USS Boxer shooting down an Iranian drone. Iran is upping the ante.

Posted by: bjd | Jul 18 2019 20:51 utc | 43

@h #40
Interesting! And people dismiss, ridicule the NWO thesis with our Death Psychopath Culture as a distraction. How can we even trust our news if AI takes over — the Mandela effect will be in full effect — Hard copy newspapers and real journalists disappearing. What happens when you have no cash currency — with the question of who will control, what, and when you can buy your products even live! Wish people would wake up.

Posted by: Jayne | Jul 18 2019 20:55 utc | 45

“NYFed Williams basically implied ZIRP is coming back and soon and that sent the market’s expectations for July rate cuts soaring (50bps now at 65%!)…”
“Do not think that the stock market has reached new highs for any other reason than organized support or affirmative action for stocks. Notice that lazy writers of most articles still expect the financial markets to correct in the same way markets have always changed direction. 
That is not the case. Markets have been completely manipulated and are still being manipulated. Organized support will fail. At that time, new bailouts will begin immediately. Bailouts will begin before a bear market is even officially acknowledged. The market is barely off new highs and there is an aura of panic in the air already.  Waiting too long is risky.
It is better to begin the bailouts before the public has time to gain information and raise objections.
Stealth bailouts have already begun. When Federal Reserve members and other economists say that inflation is needed, what they are really saying is that we need to bail out borrowers.”
http://quillian.net/blog/
bailouts-begin-when-organized-support-fails

Posted by: Saoirse | Jul 18 2019 21:09 utc | 47

“send her back’ xenophobic bullshit… if folks didn’t need a wake up call on who trump supporters are, that sure did it..
here – send this back to where it came from..
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/09/drone-somalia-al-shabaab-al-qaeda-terrorist-africa-trump/569680/

Posted by: james | Jul 18 2019 21:31 utc | 49

Jayne @45 – crazy times we’re living in. About people waking up, well, I read a gazillion comments back in ’08 by earnest folks who didn’t quite understand what was happening here in the U.S. but sensed the country being taken in an unfamiliar direction. They were right. I don’t see a lot of those kinds of comments like I used to, sure some make them, but no where near the extreme level I witnessed then. That said, I wholeheartedly believe more and more and more are seeking and the best any of us can do is help lead them to sources who don’t propagandize, who don’t sell fear, who hate’s any on the right, but rather providing factually based/sourced information about whatever the policy/political topic may be.
As for that article, whew, it’s a tough, thought provoking and damned scary read.

Posted by: h | Jul 18 2019 21:51 utc | 51

Odd comment librul #13
I would give you the direct link but this MoA comments section does not parse the URL correctly.
Once at web.archive.org search on http://www.reuters.com and then select July 17. A number of
choices will be offered for July 17, select around the time of 9:30 GMT.
(Sorry, wish the direct link worked from this comments section)
All the other links you posted did work.
You can always pass links through tinyURL.com That works everytime and gives respect to those readers that have inadequate browsers to handle formatting.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jul 18 2019 22:03 utc | 53

karlof1 @48 & 50: I think one of these days something is going to come along and decide we look like a big pile of food.
I assumed the Iranian drone shootdown today was another TrumpFact(tm), one thing all of these bullies share is the fear of “looking weak”.

Posted by: Bemildred | Jul 18 2019 22:20 utc | 55

It was a blone, not a drone. Not a drone, a balone. That’s the ticket, a baloon. It was a kid’s balloon.

Posted by: Kristan hinton | Jul 18 2019 22:34 utc | 57

karlof1 @58: I think we are only beginning to understand what is going on with microbial life, what alchemy was to modern chemistry. But yeah, it’s their world, and we just live in it. The thing with those multi-resistant strains is it is not worth it to have those immunities unless they are in a hospital where all those drugs are used a lot. Same with feedlots, they give rise to “superbugs” because of slapdash use of drugs to “boost growth”. So what they really are is highly specialized bugs adapted to live in the perverse environment we have created in our hospitals, where they run amok among the weak and injured. The fact it is out in the wild now is not a good sign. I wonder how prevalent anti-microbials are these days in the Gulf? It suggest a new robustness. Ebola seems to be evolving too.

Posted by: Bemildred | Jul 18 2019 23:08 utc | 59

sparkling example of us diplomacy at work… malevolent fucks..
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980427000185

Posted by: james | Jul 18 2019 23:18 utc | 61

Since Open Thread I can add a shout out to bevin that I have my $25 copy of William Cobbett’s “Paper against Gold” and look forward to the read and sharing at MoA
To karlof1…it came from the “Hallidic Library of the University of California” I wonder why they surplussed it?

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 19 2019 0:03 utc | 63

@karlof1 – 31
Zarif on Thursday signaled he’s open to meeting with American senators to discuss potential routes to ease the current tensions but did not say whether he was meeting with Paul specifically, The New York Times reported.
“I am seeing people from Congress,” Zarif said.
Tea Party Peace-Nicks
They may sit down and talk informally but Rand Paul is in no position to get anything accomplished. The nations course is not one of peace in the region but a radical change of culture in the region. Smashing the region into competing tribes infighting, carve up parts of countries and give them away, and smash infrastructure that civilized countries need to support their citizens. Who wins in that deal?

Posted by: dltravers | Jul 19 2019 0:30 utc | 65

Bread and Epstein. My tax dollars hard at work.

Posted by: C I eh? | Jul 19 2019 0:58 utc | 67

Zarif’s job, and dealing with the US (etc) nitwits, sounds exhausting. Didn’t he want to quit recently, and his boss said no ? Kudos to him for staying in the game.

Posted by: Featherless | Jul 19 2019 1:07 utc | 69

I wonder if the news about a US warship bringing down an Iranian drone is really a smoke-n-mirrors story to cover up an incident on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in which a sailor went overboard and is now missing in the Persian Gulf. Four warships from three countries (including Pakistan and Spain) are helping in the search.
Perhaps we should demand that the US navy produce visual evidence of the Iranian drone that was brought down.

Posted by: Jen | Jul 19 2019 1:23 utc | 71

@72 jen.. thanks.. i hope they find the person..
in other news – caitlin johnstone article – Twitter Restores Assange Activism Account In Response To Backlash
anyone who believe twitter is neutral needs to give their head a shake… another paid for corporation with shitty ideals and values..

Posted by: james | Jul 19 2019 1:45 utc | 73

DH @ 75:
Thanks for the correction. Some media sites are still reporting the loss of the sailor in the Persian Gulf.

Posted by: Jen | Jul 19 2019 2:37 utc | 75

@ 74 said;”anyone who believe twitter is neutral needs to give their head a shake… another paid for corporation with shitty ideals and values..”
Yep, and incidentally, that’s the megaphone favored by the latest U$A regime, and covered daily by the subservient MSM..

Posted by: ben | Jul 19 2019 2:54 utc | 77

Is the Veterans Today website a disinfo/limited hangout propaganda site ?
I just read an article there on “The Khazarian Mafia” that seems like a mix of truth and made up stuff, ultimately to get folks to discard any “baby with the bathwater”, I’d guess.
How legit is Veterans Today ?

Posted by: Featherless | Jul 19 2019 2:57 utc | 79

I used to love the BBC, Australian ABC and US NPR. I once thought I was getting real news from The Guardian and NYT or Sydney Morning Herald.
I initially viewed RT with suspicious curiosity. But over the years have come to value it far more than the above mentioned media. Ultimately I’ve come to trust my own capacity to read widely and follow independent journalists like the late Robert Parry and his award winning ConsortiumNews, or James Corbett of Corbett Report, MoA here, Mintpressnews, Abby Martin, Chris Hedges, Philip Giraldi, Caitlin Johnstone, Southfront etc, and that it makes sense to read across the political spectrum eg from Moonofalabama and Truthdig to Unz Review and Zerohedge. .
As Finnian Cunningham called it – George Orwell met Monty Python in the recent British conference on ‘media freedom’ when they banned Russian media RT and Sputnik attending.
It seems all the mainstream media journalists who want to both do proper journalism and still get a salary (as distinct from relying on Patreons) have gone to RT. Here’s a good expose of the evidence pointing to an Epstein Mossad connection:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4IhW9Z_ARGo
Here’s Max Kaiser analysing fracking, corporate-government corruption and environmental issues:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gTFZOs1irpU

Posted by: PJB | Jul 19 2019 3:43 utc | 81

@7 vk
I cannot thank you enough for the link. You have consistently offered sound economic and political views of China and this one is rather amazing.
This is Xi Xinping in 2015 addressing a study group that derived from the 18th CPC National Congress of 2012, and now published this year.
He speaks and thinks like a Taoist, rooted in the observation of the natural, material world, and with an eye to heaven above. I didn’t know this is how dialectical thought goes, but the Dialectical Materialism of Marx, in Chinese hands, comes alive with wisdom, and an unwavering commitment to be realistic above all else.
~~
I found myself abashed to encounter a mind that had the cultural depth and breadth to think in these terms:

Today, in order to unite the people and lead them in realizing the Two Centenary Goals and the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation, our Party must continue to draw on the wisdom of Marxist philosophy, and more consciously uphold and apply the worldview and methodology of dialectical materialism. At the same time, in the course of our practical work, we must better balance the relationships between phenomenon and essence, form and content, cause and effect, contingency and necessity, possibility and reality, internal cause and external cause, and generality and specificity. By doing so, we will be able to enhance our capacity for dialectical thinking and strategic thinking, and perform more effectively in all areas of our work.

And this is the leader of what could be called the world’s greatest nation, addressing his peers and colleagues in the leadership of that nation. No wonder they talk about following “Xi’s Thought”. And as the perfect analog for the Chinese people’s relationship with its government, they will follow it just as long as it perfectly articulates and mirrors the mind of China.
~~
As to the way forward, Xi makes it clear (my emphasis):

…we have formulated an overall plan to complete a moderately prosperous society in all respects, while emphasizing that the measurement for moderate prosperity lies in the rural areas; we have created a top-level design for furthering reform, while promoting targeted reforms in key areas and links; we have designed systematic plans for advancing the rule of law, while emphasizing a Chinese-style socialist rule of law system; we have committed to strengthening Party discipline, while improving Party conduct and upholding integrity, striving to eliminate the Four Malfeasances that are so strongly opposed by the public, namely going through the motions, excessive bureaucracy, self-indulgence, and extravagance, so as to ensure officials do not dare to be, are not able to be, and do not want to be corrupt.

~~
I could quote the whole thing, but instead I’ll recommend it unreservedly for a clear look into the mind of China. And finish with Xi’s last point that he discussed in this talk, which is the dynamic, working relationship between theory and practice. He quotes several masters from the ancient culture of China to the same effect as my own Buddhist teachers who speak of the two wings of View and Practice: one cannot progress very far without the other catching up.
This is actually the grounded pragmatism of the Chinese that I had always heard about but never understood, and their impatience with ungrounded theory. Finally I see it, through a Taoist, a Buddhist and a Marxist lens – all one lens.
And courtesy of the President of the People’s Republic of China. Remarkable. Astonishing. Greatly satisfying.
Many thanks again, vk.

Posted by: Grieved | Jul 19 2019 3:55 utc | 83

Well, the rumors of an Iranian offer from Zarif is now confirmed by this article:
“Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has offered to immediately ratify the JCPOA Additional Protocol in exchange for the immediate removal of US sanctions. Under the original 2015 JCPOA deal, the Protocol was intended to have been ratified in 2023.”
My comment at Sputnik:
“Okay, fine. But how and who will guarantee the Outlaw US Empire’s illegal sanctions will remain removed, as this whole affair proves the Empire cannot be trusted whatsoever.”
Iran has raised the pot once again as soon as it was announced that Rand Paul would be the designated go-between instead of the BigLiars Pompeo and Bolton. Zarif has some choice words, but I’ll let you click and read them.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jul 19 2019 4:38 utc | 85

Ray McGovern reports on the opening phase of what Russiagate will become–Deep State-gate:
“Unaccountable Media Faced with Dilemma in Next Phase of Deep State-gate”
The Dilemma spelled out:
“As the truth seeps out, there will be plenty of crow to go around. To avoid eating it, the Democrats on the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees, the stenographers who pass for journalists at the Times and Post, and the “Mueller team” will need all the time they can muster to come up with imaginative responses to two recent bombshell revelations from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
“Perhaps the most damning of the two came last Monday, when it was disclosed that, on July 1, Judge Dabney Friedrich ordered Mueller to stop pretending he had proof that the Russian government was behind the Internet Research Agency’s supposed attempt to interfere via social media in the 2016 election. While the corporate media so far has largely ignored Judge Friedrich’s order, it may well have been enough to cause very cold feet for those attached to the strained Facebook fable. (The IRA social-media “interference” has always been ludicrous on its face, as journalist Gareth Porter established.)
“Ten days is not a lot of time to conjure up ways to confront and explain Judge Friedrich’s injection of some unwelcome reality. Since the Democrats, the media, and Mueller himself all have strong incentive to “make the worst case appear the better” (one of the twin charges against Socrates), they need time to regroup and circle the wagons. The more so, since Mueller’s other twin charge – Russian hacking of the DNC – also has been shown, in a separate Court case, to be bereft of credible evidence.”
Ouch!!! Deep State-gate and Epstein at the same time plus the Concentration Camps, Iran, Turkey, China Trade War, “Send Her Back,” and a host of other distractions all at the same time! Oh to run a Tabloid! There’s more at the link above–click it and read!

Posted by: karlof1 | Jul 19 2019 5:20 utc | 87

Psychohistorian @ 83:
China’s policy on religion at this link.
Also go to this Wikipedia post and click on all the highlighted links.

Posted by: Jen | Jul 19 2019 5:48 utc | 89

Iran Should Never Trust a US Promise Again…nor should anybody else!
https://www.greanvillepost.com/2019/07/12/%e2%80%a2-iran-should-never-trust-a-us-promise-againnor-should-anybody-else/
“The US government has made more than 500 agreements, promises, and treaties with Native American tribes, all of which it breached, in one way or another.
During the 20th century the US has failed to honor its word on many agreements, such as the broken 1950’s Geneva Agreements that led to the Korean War in 1950, and the Vietnam War that lasted for decades after World War Two. It is estimated that as many as 8 million people were killed in those two conflicts.”

Posted by: curious man | Jul 19 2019 7:02 utc | 91

But Iran says on the presstv.com website that not one of their drones is missing from anywhere.. https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/07/19/601296/Iran-Araqchi-US-drone-Persian-Gulf-Strait-Hormuz-
the following Posted by: PavewayIV @ 60 thanks..
Interdasting. Iranian offer to accept enhanced inspections for an end to sanctions.
The Iranian offer will be categorically rejected by Tel Aviv and their D.C. poodles. Netanyahu got Trump to axe the JCPOA because – as an afterthought – Israel wants to prohibit Iran from any space program (spy satellites), ‘nuclear-capable’ missiles (every missile larger than a tactical missile and anything capable of reaching Israel) and any long-range IRANIAN DRONE capability. Netanyahu mentioned as much while screeching about the newly-passed JCPOA back in 2015.
Now we have the USS Boxer blowing away what is claimed to be an ‘Iranian drone’. It doesn’t matter if it really was or not: MSM narrative of ‘scary Iranian drone threat’ delivered. See how that fits in to the Israeli/US demands that a ‘new’ JCPOA include some kind of ban on Iranian drones? Let’s see now… that only leaves the ‘scary Iranian nuclear-capable missiles’ narrative to be planted in the skulls of us U.S. knuckledraggers. False flag Iranian missile attack in 5… 4… 3… 2…
Posted by: PavewayIV @ 60 thanks.. but Iran says on the presstv.com website that
not one of their drones is missing from anywhere.. just now.. https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/07/19/601296/Iran-Araqchi-US-drone-Persian-Gulf-Strait-Hormuz-

Posted by: snake | Jul 19 2019 7:28 utc | 93

Social Psychopathy and Tyranny
https://journal-neo.org/2019/07/06/social-psychopathy-and-tyranny/

Posted by: curious man | Jul 19 2019 7:42 utc | 95

What the Epstein case reveals about the US is that either this country is so poor that it finds completely normal to have dozens, or rather hundreds, of 15 years old girl going directly from school to an old pervert’s appartment ‘give a massage’ or more for 200 bucks or it wants to impose this kind of society as a model. In places that have as many cameras as the luxury avenues of NY? Without any reaction from the police?
No one questions the fact that the dozens of people working for Epstein and Maxwell (butlers, cooks, stewards, etc) did not go to the police.
Is the country so poor that it lets its citizens in a state of survival so extreme that in order to get a few bucks and eat a daily meal, they have to accept being witnesses of horrors and keep their mouths shut?
Only in the US it is glamour to have a yacht “that has an operating room and a morgue” or to be able to send girls as bribes before signing a contract, as mentioned in the following article!
Here is a bio of Epstein’s model, and given the years of activity, he may have filled in after the guy was no more able to come to the US
https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/1989/9/khashoggis-fall-a-crash-in-the-limo-lane

Posted by: Mina | Jul 19 2019 8:08 utc | 97

About China?
Keyu Jin:
What The World Can Learn From Chinese Innovation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5QC-73Col4
Godfree Roberts
China Trade War: America’s Policy Dilemma
http://www.unz.com/article/china-trade-war-americas-policy-dilemma/
http://www.unz.com/article/hong-kongs-poisoned-chalice/

Posted by: JC | Jul 19 2019 9:03 utc | 99