Open Thread 2019-57
News & views ...
Posted by b on October 2, 2019 at 15:35 UTC | Permalink
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PeterAU1#101
++
RIP all the fallen moral high ground and whistleblowers.
My own memory is pained by the story of Dr David Kelly who managed to put his own blood over his dining room walls and ceilings the day before his "don't go to war in Iraq" testimony to Tony Blair &Co. sadly after this domestic incident he walked some kilometres and suicides himself, so we had Colin Powell and the UN slight of hand shuffle with no timely UK contrary narrative. Fortunately for Mrs Kelly the local police took the extraordinary measure of painting,decorating and re-carpeting said dining room (not a) crime scene.
The other that I can't reconcile is the FBI agent from Baltimore who's court date testifying at HRClintons data hearing was delayed enough for him to be caught in a multiple murder suicide - and his testimony never heard.
Basically every river and creek in the USA needs dragging, and a few others around the world.
Someone once suggested that if Al Qaida really went in for air terrorism they'd more likely have skipped NYC and flown lengthways through some place in Langley...
Posted by: dennis | Oct 3 2019 14:07 utc | 103
Lots of insightful posts here, and I'm not finished reading, but wanted first to thank Don Bacon @63 for posting on the Steinmeier Formula which Zelensky has signed. I did post that on the last open thread, but didn't get any response - perhaps because I was simply explaining what that is.
Zelensky got a lot of immediate flat from the opposition trying to stage protests to his having given in to the Minsk protocols which set up ways to re-establish peaceful relations in the warring regions. However, it is reported that
such protests fizzled which is a very hopeful sign. Ukraine is the focal point, lest we forget, for US machinations in
a blatant color coup, leading eventually to russiagate. That is what Trump was investigating right after he was exonerated, when he called Zelensky, and that's why he wanted that call out in the open. And that's why then Pelosi in desperation (or those who pressured her to do so) brought up impeachment - to further cloud the issue. It's not about
Biden; it's about the persecution he, Trump, has been subjected to since he took office.
What's the saying? All Roads Lead to Rome?
No, all roads lead to Ukraine. See, it wasn't just to annoy Russia they got themselves snuggled up to the border there - they built a wasp's nest of supposed Russian involvement in US politics with Ukrainians pretending to be Russians! Well, I'll be nice and say not real Ukrainians - real Ukrainians elected Zelensky and many others in their last elections.
No wonder Nancy was scared (or those who pressured her).
Posted by: juliania | Oct 3 2019 14:11 utc | 104
snake@92 - you say that my post at 13 is 'right' but then proceed to say the opposite. Here is what I said:
I'll just give what I think will be the US citizen's overall reaction - a plague on the house of the Democrats, and specifically the House -- where they currently hold the power. Because, not only is what they have done in bringing the charge at this time stopping all other business (and we can say they are not the only guilty ones for that, but they have stepped up to the plate) but the timing is unavoidably not in the interest of US statesmanship."
Please do not lie about my post. I did not say what you have attributed to me in yours.
Posted by: juliania | Oct 3 2019 14:25 utc | 106
@ juliania 109
No, all roads lead to Ukraine
You can say that again!
No, all roads lead to Ukraine
I looks like Zelensky and I hope Putin are closely involved in the Minsk solution to Ukraine. This involves The Steinmeier Formula which Zelensky has agreed to.
from rferl
In 2016, looking for a way to break the deadlock, Steinmeier -- then Germany's foreign minister, now its president -- proposed a slimmer, simplified version of the Minsk agreements. Basically, it was a way to get Ukraine and Russia to agree on the sequence of events outlined in Minsk. Specifically, Steinmeier's formula calls for elections to be held in the separatist-held territories under Ukrainian legislation and the supervision of the OSCE. If the OSCE judges the balloting to be free and fair, then a special self-governing status for the territories will be initiated and Ukraine will be returned control of its easternmost border.//
Europe has many autonomous areas and that's what the ethnic Russians in Ukraine need. The world, including Europe, has many such areas here. It's not a new concept.
Resolution of the Ukraine problem is huge. In the US it would severely complicate the supposed "Russia threat" which has give the huge US Army its only current raison d'etre which has included military exercises on Russia's borders.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Oct 3 2019 14:34 utc | 107
@109 Zelensky agreeing to the Minsk protocol is a major development. The opposition in Ukraine won't like it.....nor will the faction in the US that thinks Trump is too cozy with Putin. According to this article the Russians are giving Trump credit for putting pressure on Zelensky....
"While that disclosure infuriated Ukraine’s European allies, Trump in the now infamous July 25 phone call with Zelensky blamed Ukraine’s troubles on the Obama administration, dismissively concluding “it’s just one of those things” and directing Zelensky to ask for more help from Europe. Since the call’s release, Ukrainians have nicknamed their president “Monica Zelensky,” as a jab referring to his part in the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Trump."
https://www.yahoo.com/news/russians-praise-trump-taunt-zelensky-104936829.html
Posted by: dh | Oct 3 2019 14:35 utc | 108
And thank you, impeachment, for getting US ambassador Kurt Volker, Russia hawk, out of Ukraine.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Oct 3 2019 14:48 utc | 109
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=34&v=TOVsLNmmA70
This is fox news interviewing Rudy Guiliani about his defence of Donald Trump with respect to the Zelensky phone call matters.
Posted by: juliania | Oct 3 2019 15:09 utc | 111
By D. Korowicz, for the Global Geneva Initiative, not too terribly long, discusses global risk. Gathers some stuff together, though a bit self-conscious, wordy, etc. “Casual complacency” is ++ and the “there’s nobody in control” is good too.
.. Brexit is only a fragmentary manifestation of much wider and deeper processes that are rapidly transforming the risk environment to which all societies are exposed. This essay uses Brexit as a leitmotif to explore this transformation. (...) we can observe the casual complacency we share about how our societies function and service our most basic needs, while it becomes ever-more vulnerable as the complexity, efficiency and interdependencies that underpin it grows. (…) stressors, environmental and socio-economic can interact to generate new stresses and tipping points.
(…)
Nobody designed this vast, intricate and synchronized web of supporting conditions, there’s nobody in control. We are not its architect - we are expressions of its emergent living architecture. Its myriad parts, including our own feelings, perceptions and understanding of the world - evolved, interacted and adapted together to create an increasingly singular, global, high-speed, efficient and interdependent human system. People and organizations may have power and control within niches, but they are dependent upon, and constrained by the totality of the relationships.
https://www.genevaglobalinitiative.org/brexit-systemic-risk-and-a-warning
Posted by: Noirette | Oct 3 2019 15:17 utc | 112
PeterAU1 & Don
There was some posting (on a very different zerohedge than today, or possibly sott.net) of a "fast jet" on a parallel course to Malaysia 370 departure (North East). When 370 made a 120° turn to a due West track, fast jet accelerates and drops off radar in vague direction of Marshall Islands. I'll take a go at locating if it still exists. Needless to say the air search was in totally the wrong location, and only a few fragments turned up via fishing boat out of Perth.
The KL warcrimes is interesting, must be a pain for usual suspects to have to fly around Malaysia airspace. Seems a quid pro quo in progress?
Posted by: dennis | Oct 3 2019 15:18 utc | 113
Can Trump back away from trade war in time to avoid recession?
Surveys show China is suffering less than America, quite the opposite of what US president has been telling voters
Keep in mind that the author, David P. Goldman, is from Wall Street and is openly pro-USA. So, we're not talking about a pro-China source here.
On a different register, if Warren becomes the Dem. candidate, Trump will annihilate her.
Pocahontas the House flipper!
Trump accused her of house flipping in 2016 or before. (Search: *E Warren house flipper.*) The hypocrisy is too thick, damning. She turned her expertise into profit against the ‘middle class’ or ‘lower’ that she supposedly defends. Not comparable to a Doc who smokes and tells his patients to stop smoking - he can be an addict and advise against.
Posted by: Noirette | Oct 3 2019 15:50 utc | 115
Okay, disclaimer: I'm about to
p.o. all sides.
Trump finally unveiled his defense strategy against impeachment. Here it is: I can shoot somebody on 5th Avenue and get away with it. So today he brazenly doubled down on inviting foreign intervention in the election again by soliciting help to smear Biden from China which has a trade deal pending with Trump.
This is why Zionists chose Trump and Putin is also all in with him, because they recognized just how dirty, ruthless and conniving he is and that he has no problem breaking all the rules, the law and anyone that gets in his way.
Trump is dragging Biden through the mud and taking down the candidate the majority of Dems feel is most viable. And no matter how much the media and Dems push Warren in our face, she's never going to win because Amerikkka is a chauvinistic, ignorant mass and Trump is their alpha male leader stereotype.
This election is CRITICAL. The judiciary will be changed in an irreversible way for close to half a Century, and other negative changes are happening including the climate crisis and replacing democracy for good. The latter also began some time ago, but another Trump term will ensure its total demise.
Democrats were complacent and ran weak candidates. Now Bernie is hospitalized and he will recover but who knows if his campaign will survive the speculation on his health.
Democrats had one individual who was a sure winner against Trump, the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom. They could have picked anyone else to run California which is Dem country! This is a critical time in history that required their best to blow the Trump threat away, and instead they blew it completely and failed to run Newsom when the urgency demanded it!
Thankfully, there still might be a glimmer of hope as Tom Steyer will be in the next debate. Tom Steyer is a relentless puncher like Trump, so maybe if Democrats grow a brain at the next debate, they'll recognize the street fighter Steyer is, as the only candidate they have left that can KO Trump. I'd buy tickets to that fight! It'll be real ugly and nasty. I say, BRING IT ON. It's necessary.
Posted by: Circe | Oct 3 2019 16:57 utc | 116
Russia prouds itself for being an Eurasian nation. They are now looking East as the West declines secularly.
Speaking of decline:
Dow Jones in Freefall for Third Straight Day Over Depressing Manufacturing, Services Numbers
@103 OT
Think OWS. Who was OWS? If you were going to OWS, you would send wealthy Boomers to Wall Street to blockade the brokers and threaten a coordinated BDS of F500 funds. If you were going to OWS you would send Millennials to WADC in sandals and the-dyes and purple hair to Woodstock Congress and Whiehouse and bring traffic to a stop.
What actually happened? Well, Boomers were marched to WADC to stand around like lost tourists. Millennials were marched to Wall Street to literally be pissed down on from brokerages! In other words, nothing happened. You could not have planned nothing better if you were Dick Cheney standing down.
This OWS observation let me cut immediately through Antifa, Extinction Rebellion and Saint Greta. Just more limited hangout controlled dissent. When marching 'Give Us Free!'mobs clamour for $16,000 BILLION ransom be paid to ... an even DEEPER Deep Corporate:State, that's a limited hangout.
Hillary and Donald are two faces of the same coin. Chicago Mafia versus NYC Mafia, ...and both certainly controlled by Global Bankster Mafias in Bern, London and Rome.
Realizing this frees up your time and energy for more important things, like leaping tall buildings with a single bound, more powerful than a locomotive: I ... AM ... AQUAMAN!!!
And the theater audience lept to their feet cheering, after 2.3 hours of excruciating CGI, because we are all of us easily co-opted, steered, controlled and trolled.
Winter is coming. Get outside and blow the stink off you, as my farmer grandmother, whose hands were big as hams, used to say. 'Go trim the goat hooves! Feed the chickens! Be useful!'
Posted by: Jack Martin | Oct 3 2019 18:56 utc | 118
"Trump is dragging Biden through the mud...
Laughing My After-side Off.
Biden was already wallowing in the mud. Trump is just taking him for a drag.
Instead of whining piteously about their champions getting beat up, why don't the `Crats just select a candidate that doesn't suck? While I know America is full to the brim in trash, I don't buy for a minute the argument that out of three hundred million people garbage like Biden (or Pocahontas or Butt-gig) is the best they can scrounge up.
Posted by: William Gruff | Oct 3 2019 19:09 utc | 119
If you want to read the real story of the day/week/year read the link below to CommonDreams
This story has not been seen by me at ZH, Reuters or other similar sites I skim and yet it represents a huge challenge to the global private finance cult that is brainwashing you to focus on other obfuscatory BS.
I continue to believe we are in WWIII over public/private finance and the fact that this significant event is not being covered in any MSM that I have seen speaks volumes to me about how much of a threat public banking is to the elite that run the Western world
Hat tip to karlof1 who indicates he will not be commenting at MoA because of Hoarsewhisperer's screed against him for what could have been a typepad error that many make and are not taken to the shed about
Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 3 2019 20:48 utc | 120
@120 pschohistorian
The Cali Governor, Gavin Newsom, is doing some impressive things but Dems were too stoopid to run him against Trump. Asshat Trump has tried to block Newsom's policy legislation every which way. Imagine what Newsom could achieve unfettered with the power of the Presidency.
Dimwit Dems.
I'm interested to see how Steyer fares in the next debate. He wants to boot corporate power out of Wasington. That's a good platform to start on.
Posted by: Circe | Oct 3 2019 21:58 utc | 121
I have been trying to understand what the Houthi movement or Ansar Allah actually is. It is neither a religion nor ideology nor political faction. Generally called the Houthi movement because it was began by a leader of the Houthi tribe.
It looks more akin to a constitution, a philosophy or guide for various Yemeni groups to resolve differences without resorting to fighting.
After the takeover of Sanaa, the political party 'General Peoples Congress' led by Saleh allied with the Houthi movement without joining or committing itself to the Ansar Allah philosophy on Yemen social order.
With the recent successes, a lot of Yemenis are now joining Ansar Allah.
I am getting the impression Ansar Allah may well unite much of Yemen.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 3 2019 23:43 utc | 122
US kicking off a color revolution in Iraq.
"Elijah J. Magnier
@ejmalrai
This is not a natural unrest or "people asking for freedom". It is directed against PM Adel Abdel Mahdi for his repetitive stands against #US interference in Iraq's affairs, its plans to overthrow the elected regime and attempting to Gove the power to Army officers with a coup."
https://twitter.com/ejmalrai/status/1179608621153492994
Magnier has a string of comments on it at his twitter acc.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 4 2019 0:33 utc | 123
Just a thought. Erdogan has been making noises for some time now on military action against the Kurds in Syria. Once the crews are trained up on the S-400 systems we may well see this occur.
Turkey's aircraft will be covered by the S-400's and may not be much the US can do about it.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 4 2019 0:41 utc | 124
US tries to steal the thunder from China's 70th anniversary celebrations by sending USS Reagan into the SCS, but the carrier gets itself surrounded by the Chinese Navy.
AFAIK, no MSM is reporting this yet another one fiasco in the recent long string of embarrassing failures courtesy of the US military. I think all of us here knows why.
Posted by: JW | Oct 4 2019 1:25 utc | 125
@120 psychohistorian
thanks for the link, this is the sort of thing that could be earthshaking but gets buried.
What other items have not been given adequate airplay lately?
1. Epstein
2. diplomatic demarche (most of the sane world vs israel) at the latest UN general assembly
3. ?
there's probably a lot more...
So much noise about fakish stuff (impeachment, greta, etc) stealing column inches away from articles that might really upset those in power.
and, karlof1 come back! the importance of blogs like this is that one can speak one's mind and maybe learn something you won't find anywhere else.
(I also bookmark eurasia future, even though korbyko grates I value his views as a sort of devils advocate).
Posted by: ziogolem | Oct 4 2019 2:43 utc | 126
Adam Schiff's ties to Ukraine here at FoxNews.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who has played a leading role in investigating the Trump-Ukraine scandal, is facing questions about his own connection to a Soviet-born businessman who has raised money for his campaign and whose company has received lucrative defense contracts from Ukraine's government.
That man is Igor Pasternak, the founder and CEO of Worldwide Aeros Corp., which makes blimps for military and commercial customers. His business has also been involved in weapons manufacturing, working with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense to produce a modified version of the M4 and M16 rifles, according to reports.
In 2013, Pasternak hosted a fundraiser in Washington for Schiff, who later came to embrace a strong stance in support of the United States sending military aid to Ukraine during its conflict with Russia.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Oct 4 2019 3:01 utc | 127
once and future @125--
Thanks, but your complement's slighting a really good crew of investigators who are just as deserving of kudos.
Peter AU 1 @122 & 123--
Yes, the Outlaw US Empire's trying but will fail and be in even worse position then than now.
This blog post, "The Houthis’ Do-It-Yourself Air Defenses", provides excellent insight but not the overall picture, although there're plenty of leads to follow. The blogger might even have more at his site; I didn't investigate.
Next up is the First ever Russia-Africa Summit 23-24 Oct in Sochi. Here's a teaser, "Russia-Africa Summit: A New Era of Cooperation".
Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 4 2019 3:35 utc | 128
karlof1
Thanks for the link. I couldn't find who the author is, but a number of articles there gave me a few more leads.
The middle east looks to be the place where the US will be broken. Hezbollah, Syria, and now Ansar Allah are all now solid entities in an allegiance. No solid group with power seems to have formed in Iraq as yet so perhaps still wide open to divide and conquer.
Saleh and the GPC were anti Iran, and prior the war, close to, or on very good terms with the Saudi's. Ansar Allah displayed their first lot of small drones earlier in the year Saleh was killed, but after Saleh's killing, Ansar Allah seems to have formed a much closer allegiance with Iran.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 4 2019 5:10 utc | 129
I want to repeat a part of my comment # 120 and discuss further
"
I continue to believe we are in WWIII over public/private finance and the fact that this significant event is not being covered in any MSM that I have seen speaks volumes to me about how much of a threat public banking is to the elite that run the Western world
"
It is now at least 24 hours since California has enacted a law allowing public finance and there is absolutely no coverage in the US or UK MSM.
Think about that.
This is a BIG deal and the global private finance cult are not allowing it to be reported on. This event in California is not going away and will continue to evolve as it is implemented.....will none of that ever be covered by the MSM? What if Washington State does the same?
If ever there was an example of the meme relating to things/people you can't talk about, the cult of the global private finance elite is obviously one of them. It will be very interesting to watch how the sprouting of public finance in the US continues to not be discussed or reported on.
If any MoA barflies see any reports anywhere about the California Public finance initiatives I hope you share them here...thanks
Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 4 2019 6:04 utc | 130
I am getting the impression Ansar Allah may well unite much of Yemen.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 3 2019 23:43 utc | 122
Nah, not the Sunni south. The Houthis are Zaidis, they'll never attract fairly extreme, nay al-Qa'ida style, Sunnis of Aden and Hadramawt. The basic point is that the Saudis have lost, and difficult to see how they could regain the initiative, as their troops are not willing to fight.
Posted by: Laguerre | Oct 4 2019 9:29 utc | 131
Laguerre
They wont get the AQ types, but Sunni's are joining the movement. Zaidi Shia is very close to Sunni in beliefs. The AQ types seem more to the east rather than south.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 4 2019 9:50 utc | 132
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 4 2019 9:50 utc | 132
Nor the secession movement in Aden. It's not only Sunni-Shi'a, but also a North-South split. The Houthis won't be accepted in the south. They are best described as rather uncouth hillbillies, not very diplomatic. They should have declared themselves the legitimate government when they first took San'a, but they didn't have the courage. All this could have been avoided, had they been a bit more au fait with the politics.
Posted by: Laguerre | Oct 4 2019 11:15 utc | 133
Magnier:
This is not a natural unrest or "people asking for freedom". It is directed against PM Adel Abdel Mahdi for his repetitive stands against #US interference in Iraq's affairs,
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 4 2019 0:33 utc | 123
I can't say that I'm that much convinced by the 'Color Revolution' theory. Abd al-Mahdi is not very much appreciated by the US, and indeed there's a movement in the parliament to oust the US. However the demonstrators are mainly Shi'a from the quarters of Baghdad - the feelings about corruption, maladministration are indeed very strong. But such people are as likely to push for ejecting the US as anyone, accusing the US of preventing the government from governing properly (partly true).
Posted by: Laguerre | Oct 4 2019 11:37 utc | 134
Laguerre
May depend on how the groups in the south are fairing under KSA, UAE, AQ, and ISIS.
Re the houthi when they took Sanna - from what I read, they were only after a say in the government rather than out to control the country. Likely would have got opposition from Saleh as well rather than an aliance.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 4 2019 11:42 utc | 135
Magnier has written about corruption and grievances and so forth.
Your link also backs up what Magnier is saying...
"Most of the demonstrators are 20 or under,.."
"The uprising has no discernible leadership, except at a local level, which means that the government has no one to talk to, even if it wanted to."
"The demonstrators appear to have strong support among all sections of society, from working-class Shia slum districts in east Baghdad, to doctors and engineers sending supportive messages."
It is a made in USA color revolution.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 4 2019 11:57 utc | 136
The Iraqi people are in revolt – pushing the post-Saddam Hussein settlement to the brink of collapse
Quite a good piece from Patrick Cockburn. At least he's on-site in Baghdad. His theory seems to be that people are no longer willing to tolerate the massive corruption and poor functionality of the government, because in fact things are getting better. He did a piece a few days ago about how the restaurants and night-life were thriving in Baghdad, certainly a novelty in recent years.
Posted by: Laguerre | Oct 4 2019 12:06 utc | 137
It is a made in USA color revolution.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 4 2019 11:57 utc | 136
You're obsessed by the US, like a lot of the posters on here.
Posted by: Laguerre | Oct 4 2019 12:08 utc | 138
Use Iraq for a search term and results are swamped with standard color revolution crap.
Iraq departs from US diktat and suddenly protests occur... Only a week ago military that were too close to the US were fired and orders given for Iraq military to keep a separation for US.
After all the shit weve seen the last few years you still think the US is an innocent bystander to what is occurring...nah course the US wouldn't react to being told to piss off.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 4 2019 12:25 utc | 139
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 4 2019 12:25 utc | 139
I don't give a f*ck about search terms and conspiracy theories, nor would I ever think the US innocent (why do you ever think that I would?). But you're just making ignorant remarks.
If you'd bothered to read what I wrote, you'd have realised that if the US chose the Shi'a youth of Baghdad to launch a Color Revolution, they've made a remarkably poor choice of target. Any revolution is just as likely, indeed in fact more likely, to turn against the US, and into demands that the US withdraw. Not that I've ever credited the US policy with intelligence. This business is quite likely to provoke the activation of the so far dormant demand in the Parliament for the US to withdraw. The representatives of the US embassy who attend every session of the Parliament, in order to make sure that no such vote takes place, may have difficulty in preventing a vote, amid all the uproar.
Posted by: Laguerre | Oct 4 2019 12:43 utc | 140
About passive radar...Ivan speaks to this...and is up on it @ Fort Russ
(they say) "The Tropa radar station, invisible for aircraft and reconnaissance drones, has just been developed in Russia, Aleklsandr Petrov, managing director of the manufacturing company OKB-Planeta, said."
Well, yeah. Did the Murkansi expect Ivan to continue to illuminate the target - the radar itself?
Happy Sputnik Day (04 Oct 1957)
So the Germans tracked the F35 with passive radar...
And cruise missiles cost? (DIY cruise missile on YT) and (aardvark co nz "Danger of Low-Cost Cruise Missile"...)
mene mene tekel uparsin...the writing was on the wall...
I am waiting for the iphone app that gives passive radar in your area...which ought to be fairly easy to do...
Film at 11...
What a Freak Show! Dumb as a bag of hammers...
Posted by: Walter | Oct 4 2019 13:43 utc | 141
Laguerre
None of the Shia leaders nor Iran allied militias have joined the protests so the US don't have much to fear from that direction.
Looks to be a lot of social media stuff on kicking out Iran and others on overthrowing the government but make no mention of the grass roots type problem.
If not the US, then who is behind it.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 4 2019 13:45 utc | 142
Since it is Sputnik Day I looked up the history of Soviet/American NGOs and discovered an essay @ uchicago. Some might say "scholarly", but I found it very insightful so far as providing background within which to see the antiruski rhetoric and actions now.
see "The National Council of American-Soviet Friendship and Art in the Shadow of the Cold War" Some really interesting art, and people, and events, and implications too.
Posted by: Walter | Oct 4 2019 14:44 utc | 143
Another day and still no MSM coverage of California putting into law the ability to have public finance.
In May of 2018 it was reported that California is the 5th largest economy in the world, passing the UK and the largest in the US. It is reportedly ahead of India and just behind Germany. If any Western country was to announce that they were establishing public banking would it not get reported also?
This takes control of the public narrative to new levels and I keep wondering how "they" are going to continue to keep a lid on it. What a hoot!!!
Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 4 2019 14:46 utc | 144
Public finance sounds great in theory, but that's how you end up with the 1st and 2nd Bank of the United States.
The ultimate issue is regulatory, not structural.
Whether private or public, will there be other criteria for bank behavior than short term profit?
The Babylonians did it with priests and kings, because they recognized the true purpose of finance: to strengthen the state by strengthening the economy and the people, overall.
Simply making a public finance option is only building to the next crisis: the bureaucrats in the public bank becoming king makers.
Posted by: c1ue | Oct 4 2019 15:48 utc | 145
@ c1ue who wrote
"
Simply making a public finance option is only building to the next crisis: the bureaucrats in the public bank becoming king makers.
"
Please explain to me and other MoA barflies how this is the case in China with its public finance system
Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 4 2019 16:15 utc | 146
Important
More Panic from Flynn Prosecutors? by Larry C Johnson.
And enlivened by Larry's engaging commentary:
This is the type of tyranny that led my ancestors to take up arms and fight the Brits and kick their ass out of the United States.... Honey Badger came armed, like a good honey badger, with claws primed to tear the testicles off of an arrogant lion.
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 4 2019 16:18 utc | 147
c1ue @145--
Regulatory vs Structural is a red herring. It's what the bank is chartered to do--act in the public's interest first and foremost, or act in the interest of its shareholders, just as it is with all corporate charters. The point psychohistorian makes above about the importance of California's legislation and resulting BigLie Media blackout is supremely valid. There is a MoneyPower, and it's humanity's ultimate and most implacable foe, which ties into why I'm commenting.
I stopped by not to dispute the above, but to advertise this Strategic Culture editorial, "Western Zero-Sum Geopolitics is a Dead-End," wherein is asked the #1 question of our time:
"For the sake of world peace and progressive development, all nations must adhere to the concept of multilateralism, mutual respect and genuine cooperation, free of stereotyping and demonizing others for propaganda gains.
"The question is though: can US corporate capitalism and its militarist machine abide by that reasonable, minimal demand for international cooperation?"
The Outlaw US Empire has worked 24/7/365 since it ratified the UN Charter in 1945 in order to continue its unilateralism. Lavrov's UNGA speech provided one type of message, Venezuela's resistance provided another, which I hope will be read and widely distributed.
Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 4 2019 16:33 utc | 148
@ karlof1 | Oct 4 2019 16:33 utc | 148
Good! Loosing you as a commentator would had been a major loss.
Posted by: Hmpf | Oct 4 2019 16:52 utc | 149
dear karlof1, I just heard you left this place?? this is for you - I hope you come back and read it, dearie:
What has freedom to pursue unlimited fortunes given humanity? Freedom for everyone, from richest to poorest, to be embroiled in super-extreme escalating violence, rising to nuclear extinction soon, freedom for 99% to be underpaid, freedom for 90% to be paid less than 100th of average pay per unit of work, freedom for 1% to perpetually try to fight off the 99%, and the others in the 1%.
Freedom for everyone to be extremely poor in enjoyment, peace, safety, leisure, relaxation, company, community, health, sanity, order, maturity, education, trust, generosity, kindness, beauty. Freedom for everyone to be extremely rich in danger, labour, war, crime, fatigue, insanity, mis and dis and un education, corruption, horror, terror. Nuclear fear fatigue will not stop nuclear extinction coming. Global extinction bombs and super-extreme (giga-astronomical) pay injustice, increasing fast, means a boiler, relief valve stuck, pressure gauge in the red and rising. It must blow soon.
The defense costs are exhausting the first world, as they exhausted every empire and plutocracy in history. We can no longer afford a war. A 60th of the bombs will create enough fires to put up enough smoke to drop the temperature 25 C, three times colder than a natural ice-age.
It is no time for closed-mindedness, immaturity or delay. It is time to get real like we never got before. Bite the bullet of the adamantine golden rule: don’t hit people, they hit back. Pay justice or misery and extinction. Pay justice is not a hardship, is not a loss. It is social, economic and psychological riches. 100-fold happiness.
Would anyone (outside a madhouse, or even in a madhouse) suggest taking 90% of wealth off 90% of people and giving it to 1%? No, not in a million years. So take to deepest heart the fact that we have pay injustice, and misery, over a million times worse. Take to heart the fact that we can be super-extremely happier, like children who stop all-grab-all with the sweets and eat 10 sweets each ($200,000 per family) and then play together.
I am not talking about giving money to people regardless of whether they deserve it. I am talking about giving money back to people who have earned it.
Learn to hate the false justifications for pay for no work as you hate misery and extinction, because that is what they are. Exorcising the false justifications for pay for no work will lift you and everyone up into maximal freedom, unimaginable happiness, incredible productivity and progress, extreme reduction of war and crime
We are supposed to be the adults. In light of what is happening to us all around us, we are compelled to build some mental muscle, prioritize correctly, focus on pay injustice because it is the issue that all other issues hinge on, overcome our inertia and start to learn and teach principles of pay justice. We do not have time nor right to continue to wallow in the far-too-manyness, seeking agreement on answers to all the wrong questions...
Posted by: Phryne's frock | Oct 4 2019 16:56 utc | 150
@ karlof1 148
"The question is though: can US corporate capitalism and its militarist machine abide by that reasonable, minimal demand for international cooperation?"
Why would the MIC do that? It would mean deviating from the current strategy that "US interests" are global, and so are the US military bases which enforce US world hegemony.
Example: Currently the US "defense strategy" is that "China is a strategic competitor using predatory economics to intimidate its neighbors while militarizing features in the South China Sea."
So the US has no intention of cooperating; it's competition not cooperation (a guy thing). That's to be expected in a "security state" that thrives on appointed enemies to justify a huge military budget. The US isn't threatened by any country, the military is acting to "safeguard US interests" which can only be corporate interests. . .Remember the South China Sea!
Could this ever change? Not in a non-democratic country where the people have absolutley no say on foreign affairs. None.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Oct 4 2019 17:47 utc | 151
@ Jackrabbit 147
General Flynn got on 'the list" because (IMO) years ago in his Defense Dept. Intelligence assignment he reported that the US was assisting ISIS. This charge, while true, went against US policy and even law enforcement when US citizens were sent to prison for even wanting to join ISIS, or supporting ISIS in any way.
They had to get Flynn.
. . .from Johnson:
the Government charged Flynn with lying and coerced him into signing a plea in order to keep the Feds from ruining his son. . .Honest prosecutors would not have accepted a plea of guilty for lying
Flynn should not have admitted to something he didn't do. That was a mistake, and I suspect that his son would agree.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Oct 4 2019 18:06 utc | 152
@148 who wrote> "can US corporate capitalism and its militarist machine abide by that reasonable, minimal demand for international cooperation?" You nailed The Question.
Well, as you say, more or less, probably not. This, however, begs questioning the assumption implied, that the "CCMM" can survive under the emerging circumstances. Can civil discipline continue without that CCMM establishment?
Two related Grand Strategy changes are dictated by these new circumstances. These are obvious. They are 1) restructure so as to exist under new conditions, eg without plunder (the fundamental method since 500 years) and , 2) make a deal with the established empires, eg Persia, Russia, China, India and so on, eg return to Diplomacy.
Each depends on the other.
Absent such adaptation, the dissolution of the US into regional and curated small states seems to be the default, post hoc.
Posted by: Walter | Oct 4 2019 18:18 utc | 153
Posted by: Roy G | Oct 2 2019 17:37 utc | 14
How Bill Clinton and American Financiers Armed China
https://mattstoller.substack.com/p/how-bill-clinton-and-american-financiers
Really extraordinary behaviour! Meanwhile Britain was not allowed to sell woolen bathing costumes to the USSR for fear that they would unpick them and use the wool to make uniforms. I thin the suggestion that this was a racist attitude that "little yellow men could never challenge the exceptional Americans" was part of it and partly a belief that the Chinese would ally themselves with the USA against Russia. (Well, I suppose something like that might have happened if Yeltsin had lasted longer or Putin had continued Yeltsin's policies or the "Capitalist Roaders" in China had continued to get their merry way.)
Stoller digs into the machinations that led to Mil contractor consolidation and legalized price gouging, and the misguided / crooked actions that allowed critical mil tech transfer to China. McDonnell-Douglas figures prominently in the story, and shades of Boeing, we hear a first-hand account of an engineer who realized what was being allowed to happen, but was powerless against the Executive suite and their cronies in the Pentagon.
This is another reason to think that the MIC and the Israel Lobby are not going to get the USA to declare war on Iran or Venezuela or anyone able to fight back. The prospect of war, frightens them (or at least the soldiers that would have to do the fighting) and the torrent of money that is coming their way anyway might be interrupted by a war. One of the real benefits of Exceptional American Greed!
Posted by: foolisholdman | Oct 4 2019 18:38 utc | 154
ben | Oct 2 2019 18:38 utc | 18
DJT is going nowhere, as long as the party of $ Dems keep pushing the "Russia did it"/ Ukraine meme.As noted above, there's much more reality around to act on...
Yes but if the Dems did, DJT could simply reply "Well! That is what you did too!"
Posted by: foolisholdman | Oct 4 2019 18:46 utc | 155
Peter AU 1 | Oct 2 2019 19:22 utc | 21
I can no longer access the Houthi news site.
https://english.almasirah.net/index.phpI find a lot of sites connected with the alliance centered on Iran to be blocked, yet the ISIS site Amaq was always available.
MSM would quote from it and I had it bookmarked and would check on it from time to time.
Using Chrome just now, I got through to it, no bother. Not even marked as "Not Secure" unlike news.cn/english and Global Times and Unz.com.
Posted by: foolisholdman | Oct 4 2019 18:58 utc | 156
Just a quick report on the US Fed's QE4 which translates to privatizing the profits and socializing the losses
Last month the Fed grew its balance sheet by $185BN
Instead of talking about the shinny thing of the day maybe the public should ask why private finance folks are getting bailed out again like 2008
Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 4 2019 19:50 utc | 157
"None of the Shia leaders nor Iran allied militias have joined the protests so the US don't have much to fear from that direction."
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 4 2019 13:45 utc | 142
If those people haven't supported the movement, then it's a nothing. The Shia will obey Sistani, but he is very old.
I thought about the demonstrations in Basra last year, where the Iranian Consulate was invaded. Yes, the US might have been involved, but in that case, it was a failure. As indeed this time.
Posted by: Laguerre | Oct 4 2019 20:58 utc | 158
Thank you Miss Lacy #95, glad to hear of more peace candidates.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Oct 4 2019 21:46 utc | 159
Thank you Circe #116 Democrats were complacent and ran weak candidates.
Actually I read it as complicit rather than complacent. The Democrat machine is there more so for its enrichment and perpetuity. It will not tolerate any candidate that seeks to decouple BIG $$ from politics. That is its raison d'etre. Venality rules and to hell with the rest. They have pollster contracts to dish out and huge dollars for companies like Cambridge Analytica (who will gladly take it from both sides.)
The Democrat machine is a self serving, self devouring madness best represented as a snake eating its tail.
The Demoncrats don't want any sure winner like Sanders or anyone of that ilk. Especially they don't want Gabbard.
The Democrat Machine did not lose the opportunity, they seized the moment to grab more dollars from Trump haters to fund their current boondoggle. They are scumbags.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Oct 4 2019 22:38 utc | 160
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/iraq-set-to-join-chinas-belt-and-road-project-amid-violent-anti-government-unrest/
"Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi announced during a state visit to Beijing on Sept. 23 that Iraq will sign on to China’s “Belt and Road” international infrastructure project, according to the Asia Times.
“Iraq has gone through war and civil strife and is grateful to China for its valuable support,” Mahdi said during a visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, trade between the two countries recently exceeded $30 billion.
“China would like, from a new starting point together with Iraq, to push forward the China-Iraq strategic partnership,” Xi stated. He said the two countries would collaborate on oil and infrastructure projects. Iraq is China’s second biggest oil supplier, while Beijing has become Baghdad’s biggest trade partner over the last few years."
............
Iraq Syria border opened, Iraq military told to keep separate from US, some fired for being too close to US military, Israel aircraft declared fair game after attacking sites and militias around the border crossing plus the China deal.
And now riots that nobody leads...twitter now in full color revolution mode...
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 5 2019 4:01 utc | 161
Hi all, nice to see Noirette and William Gruff on this thread. Not to mention our prolific scholar karloff1.
Clue or whatever the moniker, is giving wrong information about the white image we sometimes see in certain posts.
I will add clue to my skip list. Open thread with tons of info, thanks y'all.
Posted by: jonku | Oct 5 2019 4:39 utc | 162
US is now battling corruption in Mongolia. This piece dated 8yt August
https://www.transparency.org/news/feature/how_the_us_can_help_mongolia_get_to_grips_with_corruption
"The US Secretary of Defense is in Mongolia today, building on a trip to Washington D.C. last week by Mongolia's President, Battulga Khaltmaa, who met with President Trump at the White House."
"In Washington, the two countries signed a ‘Declaration of Strategic Partnership’ which includes a commitment to “Intensify cooperation as strong democracies based on the rule of law through safeguarding and promoting democratic values and human rights, including the freedoms of…assembly, and association; anti-corruption and fiscal transparency.”"
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 5 2019 9:55 utc | 163
Checking to see what news items turn up using Mongolia for the search term.
https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2019/mongolias-journalists-wont-get-left-behind-on-the-worldwide-trend-of-fact-checking/
Nestled between the borders of Russia and China — two nations internationally notorious for their state-backed disinformation campaigns — lies Mongolia, a country now preparing to fight electoral false news.
The country will elect a new parliament in 2020 and a new president in 2021, and in light of this has just launched a fact-checking collaborative project with 20 television, newspaper and radio outlets from around the country.
FactCheck Mongolia started a few weeks ago...."
https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Russia-renews-interest-in-Mongolia-to-counter-Chinese-influence
"A sign of this came in September, when Moscow announced it would set up a $1.5 billion investment fund to finance infrastructure projects in Mongolia
According to the Mongolian Customs General Administration, trade between Russia and Mongolia reached $1.8 billion in 2018 -- a nearly 40% increase from the preceding year."
"OCTOBER 03, 2019 15:35 JST
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga attend a welcoming ceremony ahead of their September talks in Ulaanbaatar. © Reuters
MOSCOW -- Russia is rebuilding financial and military ties with Mongolia, partly to create new opportunities in Asia but also to counter Beijing's growing influence in the country.
A sign of this came in September, when Moscow announced it would set up a $1.5 billion investment fund to finance infrastructure projects in Mongolia
According to the Mongolian Customs General Administration, trade between Russia and Mongolia reached $1.8 billion in 2018 -- a nearly 40% increase from the preceding year.
Almost three decades on from the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia is finding particular success in reaffirming its role as Mongolia's primary energy supplier. Following a series of agreements signed in 2014, Russia's share of the Mongolian oil market rose to 80%. At the St. Petersburg Economic Forum last year, Russian state oil company Rosneft signed $2.1 billion worth of contracts with several Mongolian importers.
The impetus for Russia's return gained new momentum in 2014, when Western sanctions over the annexation of Crimea prompted Kremlin's pivot to the east. Some Russian officials began to speak of rebuilding ties with Mongolia as a means of increasing economic access to the rest of Asia, describing the country as a key transit corridor.
"Russia and Mongolia are also cooperating more in the security realm, with the latter joining Russia and China last September for Vostok 2018 -- the largest military exercise since the end of the Cold War. In August, Mongolia hosted about 1,000 Russian troops for the annual Selenga joint drills."
"During his most recent visit to Mongolia in early September, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga signed the Treaty on Friendship and Strategic Partnership.
Putin later backed Mongolia's offer to build a gas pipeline to China through its territory, after which the president summoned Alexei Miller, CEO of state-controlled energy giant Gazprom, to the Kremlin in September to flesh out plans for the new pipeline."
.................
With the so called fact checkers moving in for the election, it looks like the US has some polititions they would like to see elected..
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 5 2019 10:11 utc | 164
Someone posted a link to the most devious and diabolical article on the latest thread.
The author Matthew Ehret (producer previously of a number of very dubious articles) seriously needs to be confined to a straitjacket in a mental asylum, for the protection of humanity.
His wilful mental acrobatics in distortion of reality and selective misrepresentation of scientific data is breathtaking. Take for example:
The fact is that to this day, not one Fukushima death is traceable to radiation exposure ... Those deaths which did occur in the aftermath, had more to do with heart attacks ...or
Also of note, scientists studying A-Bomb survivors who received ionizing radiation in WWII were surprised to discover abnormally long life spans and low rates of cancer.or
the toxic waste caused by those photovoltaic cells far outpaces anything produced by the dirtiest nuclear reactor.or
Disproving the very definition of “renewable energy”, wind mills (which are as tall as a Boing 747) cannot produce the energy density to melt the steel and produce the material needed to build a windmill.[energy density is an irrelevant misdirection] or
Another surprising 2010 study proving the benefits of radiation followed 250 000 nuclear workers found a much lower rate of cancer mortality relative to control groups.
Matthew Ehret, how much blood-money did you receive from the nuclear industry for your blatant dishonesty? Will it ever repay your debt of deception?
Posted by: BM | Oct 5 2019 15:25 utc | 165
Lozion,
"Colour revolution sponsored by the US/CIA. Nothing to see here, no legitimate grievances of the people."
Posted by: donkeytale | Oct 5 2019 16:25 utc | 167
Meet PeterAU1 everybody.
He's the complete fucking retard who keeps fucking up the thread with his inability to competently use something as simple as an html "a href" statement
Posted by: FRS | Oct 5 2019 18:46 utc | 168
Allowed HTML Tags:
<B>Text</B> → Text
<I>Text</I> → Text
<U>Text</U> → Text
<BLOCKQUOTE>Text</BLOCKQUOTE>
<A HREF="http://www.aclu.org/">Headline (not the URL)</A> → Headline (not the URL) [****]
------------
[****] highlighted specifically for PeterAU, so's he can work on that astounding incompetence regarding something as simple as an html tag
Posted by: FRS | Oct 5 2019 19:15 utc | 169
FRS
If you check through my links, you will find those URL's which will break the page have been shortened.
If they do not break the page in preview, I post the full link so readers know what site the link leads to.
Quite the retard yourself.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 5 2019 19:32 utc | 170
@ FRS and Peter AU 1 about HTML links
It is sad that this has become such a contentious issue at MoA
Commenter S has provided a potential fix that may not be acceptable to the blogging service typepad or b...we don't know
That said I want to note that with most browsers when one hovers over an HTML link the contents will show at the bottom...this is not true for the Mikeee graphic nor with the "tinyurl" options which should not be used here, IMO
I mostly always use the HTLM capability provide by b and wish others would as well or not provide the link.....I have offered before to those want help creating proper links to ping me through my moniker and I would be happy to share my methods of creating such as a lazy old techie.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Oct 5 2019 20:20 utc | 171
@Posted by: donkeytale | Oct 5 2019 16:25 utc | 167
This is a coup, amt be a parliamnetarian one a la mixed Maidan/Guaidó style, with snippers and all that...The US hand is everywhere..
Moqtada al-Sadr, spiritual leader of main faction in parliament, has stated that the demands of the "protesters" must be met and has demanded the parliament to support the "protesters"...
I have always thought this "cleric" has all the face of a intrigant...and of a bad person...
Amongst the claims of the "protesters"... ending Iran influence in Iraq and disable Hashd Al Shaabi militias...as if there were no more accuciant problems in Iraq.....like US presence in the country...The "protesters" fail to recognize that Hashd Al-Shaabi militias surged to fight ISIS within the country, a thing the US was supposed to do, when it, ISIS, really grew at pleasure under US occupation of the country, to be then spread to Syria and the rest of the ME...
Posted by: Elora Danan | Oct 5 2019 20:32 utc | 172
psychohistorian
I doubt the only two comments FRS has posted at MoA are about page margins. More to do with content, Perhaps the election op the US is now running in Mongolia.
Re links. I much prefer seeing the site in the link and rarely look at others that are just part of a comment. If a link is too long in preview, I use the first part of the URL as the headline in HTML.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 5 2019 20:33 utc | 173
With regard to the broken format, it should be noted that solutions also exist at the user end, not only at the site end.
On the desktop the solution is simple with the right choice of browser, and learning how to resize and reformat text yourself, in your own browser, by your own hand.
I gather phone is more difficult, but for decades in this frontier-land known as the Internet, it has always been an option, and still remains today, to copy the entire thread and paste it into a text program of choice, or print it directly to a pdf file, for ease of consuming.
Certainly there has never been a need to abuse another commenter - such an activity is despicable in its own right and there is never any justification for it.
In sum, one could take one's problems as one's own, and solve them oneself.
~~
There is the story of the man who wanted to cover the surface of the whole world with leather so that he and others could walk more comfortably over the ground. In the end, he covered the soles of his own feet with leather instead. This proved effective.
Posted by: Grieved | Oct 5 2019 20:41 utc | 174
@Posted by: Elora Danan | Oct 5 2019 20:32 utc | 172
Iraqi security forces denounce that unknown snipers have opened fire in Baghdad causing the death of two members of the security forces and two protesters.Chii cleric Muqtada Al Sadr has made new statements about the crisis in the country. Calls for
the resignation of the Prime Minister and the call for new elections.Former Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi seems to join the request to call early elections. His formation has 42 seats in the House of Representatives.
It is important to note that, in accordance with article 64 of the Iraqi constitution, the House of Representatives can be dissolved by an absolute majority. The Al-Sadr and Al-Abadi formations total 96 seats. 166 would be necessary.
Thus....This is a parliamentary factions´ coup... against the current government who had showed a bit of sovereignty.... especially in foreign policy related to the harassment of iran by US/KSA...Venezuela anywhere?..In fact, this coup has mixed elements from the "Yerevan velvet parliamentary coup", Maidan coup, and Venezuela coup...
Attacks are occurring against the offices of most of the media in Baghdad. Masked armed men have attacked the offices of AlArabiya, AlHadath, NRT, Fallouja, Alghad Alaraby, Al-Sharqiya and Skynews Arabia.In the (10) attacks numerous journalists have been assaulted and cell phones, cameras and other pieces of equipment destroyed. Power outages are reported in some areas of the city.
The situation in Baghdad is worse than in the previous nights.
Posted by: Elora Danan | Oct 5 2019 20:49 utc | 175
Thank you psychohistorian #171 re PeterAU 1 and the FRS explosion
I use tiny url usually with a preface notifying source for those with wary tendencies. I have NEVER encountered the paging problem people get heated about (firefox or adblock browser used here) either on android tablet, phone or even windows or Ubuntu laptop. No apples here.
But I can assure you the screen formatting is always consistently excellent at MoA from my experience over years and have not seen this affliction.
In respect of your information regarding previewing link detail by hovering, I will perfect my practice with HTML as peace and tranquility between allies is a desirable gift.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Oct 5 2019 21:01 utc | 176
Elora Danan
It is difficult to tell if Al Sadr is just a fool wide open to divide and conquer, or he is working with the Saudi's and US.
All the signs are there for a US color revolution regime change operation, and comes after Iraq sacked military who were too close to the US and warned the military to keep separated from the US. Open season was also declared on Israeli planes attacking the militias near the Syrian border, plus the Iraq Syria border crossing has just been opened, and all that on top of Iraq ignoring US sanctions and continuing to trade with Iran.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 5 2019 21:02 utc | 177
Grieved psychohistorian
There has been a run of new three letter user names plus few others that have appeared on the site recently to attack regular commentators. Running their user name in the site search brings up any previous posts.
These three letter usernames that only appear to attack a regular and have no previous history may well all be one and the same person.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 5 2019 21:10 utc | 178
Oh and I should also thank FRS in that I immediately took his vehement attack as a ploy to distract me from the Peter AU 1 comment at #164.
I would urge others to read it carefully as Mongolia is of enormous global significance to the USA in disrupting energy supplies to China, wealth and self sufficiency to Mongolia and trade and investment by Russia. This 'great game' of smash Russia etc has been going on for two centuries at least and it is run by the global capitalist cartel and oligarchs. The constant blocking and fragmenting of nations is the current game. Today we see Iraq has a gang of smashers on the loose to assist the same blocking tendency.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Oct 5 2019 21:14 utc | 179
Iraq sacked military who were too close to the US and warned the military to keep separated from the US.
Of course, otherwise, how could the country prosper, keeping the enemy inside?
No people siding with the US who bombed the country into smithereens should be trusted for nothing, except migrating along with US forces and officials.
A consensus amongst Iraqi factions and tribes must be reached for natinal construction.
You can not allow the destroyers of the country inside the country while you try to rebuild something there.
The Yemenis have it clear...eventhough some "intelligence military analysts" out there claim all day that there is no union amongst yemeni tribes...
https://twitter.com/Ruptly/status/1180213499403718658
Posted by: Elora Danan | Oct 5 2019 21:24 utc | 180
Elijah Magnier has posted his analysis on the vents in Iraq...
He points at the cause of this new "maidan":
The recent decisions of Abdel Mahdi made him extremely unpopular with the US. He has declared Israel responsible for the destruction of the five warehouses of the Iraqi security forces, Hashd al-Shaabi and the killing of one commander on the Iraqi-Syrian borders. He opened the crossing at al-Qaem between Iraq and Syria to the displeasure of the US embassy in Baghdad, whose officers expressed their discomfort to Iraqi officials. He expressed his willingness to buy the S-400 and other military hardware from Russia. Abdel Mahdi agreed with China to reconstruct essential infrastructure in exchange for oil, and gave the electricity deal to a German rather than an American company. The Iraqi Prime Minister refused to abide by US sanctions and is still buying electricity from Iran and allowing the exchange of commerce that is bringing large amounts boosting the Iranian economy. And lastly, Abdel Mahdi rejected the “Deal of the Century” proposed by the US: he is trying to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia and therefore is showing his intention to keep away from the US objectives and policies in the Middle East.
Abdel Mahdi can not solve in just a year what the US has destroyed and takes stubbornly care not to allow being rebuilt. he is tryign with other better intentioned actors and there you have the result...
Posted by: Elora Danan | Oct 5 2019 21:31 utc | 181
Peter AU1 #164
Re Mongolia trade information I discovered https://tradingeconomics.com/mongolia/exports”> this
Mongolia exports mineral products (copper, coal, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold), natural or cultured stones, jewelry, textiles, animal origin products, hides and skins. Mongolia's main exports partner is China (80% of total exports). Others include: Canada and Russia. This page provides - Mongolia Exports - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. Mongolia Exports - actual data, historical chart and calendar of releases - was last updated on October of 2019.
It seems to me that the USA only has direct bribery as its means of winning Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga to its side. Perhaps a Joe Biden should be appointed the envoy to Mongolia and that way Trump could solve two problems at once.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Oct 5 2019 21:35 utc | 182
ooops apologies for the stuffed HTML. will try again to get it right.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Oct 5 2019 21:36 utc | 183
Abdel Mahdi gave the electricity deal to a German rather than an American company...Well, it would have been outrageous enough, for any people with a bit of proud and any sense of justice towards their own, to give it to those who made of Iraqi electric infrastructure one of the main military targets in the first days of the attack on the country, so as to add to the horror of carpetbombing, that of total obscurity and unrest plus total isolation and disconnection from each other, as they got Baghdad population...
Posted by: Elora Danan | Oct 5 2019 21:43 utc | 184
question for
"2. diplomatic demarche (most of the sane world vs israel) at the latest UN general assembly"
Posted by: ziogolem | Oct 4 2019 2:43 utc | 126
What happened, I totally missed this:( Thank you
Posted by: frances | Oct 5 2019 21:46 utc | 185
uncle tungsten
Found the site. Main trading partner is China by the looks, but I guess its the Russia to China pipe lines that US is desperate to stop. Trump's main strategy I believe is cutting China's energy supplies.
Apart from Israel this is the reason for his attacks on Venezuela and Iran, though I believe the Trump moves against Iran also include gaining full control of Persian gulf oil which will give US control over much of Asia and Europe who depend on oil and gas imports.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 5 2019 21:51 utc | 186
re: Mongolia
Apparently Bolton's visit there this past summer (while Trump was in Korea) failed to stop Russian progress.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Oct 5 2019 22:08 utc | 187
Thank you, Peter AU 1 # 186 and I agree that it is energy supplies to China that the USA and the five eyes want to disrupt. With Mongolia it is evident that a colour revolution attack there will injure both Russia and China as well as reduce Mongolia to rubble.
There is this from Forbes too:
“No country has put itself in a better position to become the world’s renewable energy superpower than China,” says the report, which was issued by the Global Commission on the Geopolitics of Energy Transformation – a group chaired by a former president of Iceland, Olafur Grimsson.
The USA is adamantly opposed to any country racing toward renewable energy replacement for fossil fuels. With China on a rush to that future with energy production as well as electric vehicle manufacture, the USA policy makers must be apoplectic.
Australia has the answer.
I have posted this 1 hour video before but permit me to repeat it from time to time.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Oct 5 2019 22:21 utc | 188
@ Peter 186
. . . its the Russia to China pipe lines that US is desperate to stop
Yes, that's why the US is confronting China oil imprts on several other fronts besides Mongolia:
>the South China Sea, a principal China tanker transport route, connected to
>the Indian Ocean, where the US has new interest, re-naming its Pacific Command the Indo-Pacific Command, coming from
>the Persian Gulf, US Fifth Fleet headquarters. Iran just announced that it would build an onshore oil pipeline worth US$1.8 billion to a terminal just outside the Strait of Hormuz . .here.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Oct 5 2019 22:23 utc | 189
Update on Iraq:
The situation is escalating at full speed. ▪️The leader of the local council of al-Bahar in Basra has been killed by unknown shooters. ▪️There are reports of the formation of an armed group in Dhi Qar and Wasit to defend against masked shooters.▪️The Sunni Muttahidon bloc has joined the voices demanding the fall of the government.
▪️Dozens of explosions are reported in Sadr City (Baghdad)
▪️Unknown shooters have opened fire in Baghdad against protesters and security forces.
Posted by: Elora Danan | Oct 5 2019 22:24 utc | 190
If the "revolution" in Iraq would not be managed and organized by the US, would not be them calling for evacuation of all their personnel, at least at embassy level...???
But they are there, so quiet...
Posted by: Elora Danan | Oct 5 2019 22:27 utc | 191
So quiet... also all the usual US military blogs who comment and analyze on ME issues...this, when things are developing in Iraq for about several days already....
Posted by: Elora Danan | Oct 5 2019 22:29 utc | 192
.. .lotta stuff going on....
>Iraq just recently opened a long-closed entry point to Syria, the Al Bukamal (or Al-Qa'im) crossing, which was soon attacked by Israeli aircraft. Iraq militia pledges to counter. There seems to be no connection with the unrest in Baghdad.
from SouthFront . .
>Swamp Draining Begins: Trump Orders Cuts To Security Council Amid CIA Whistleblower “Coup”
>Turkey Could Launch “Operation Well Of Peace” In Northeastern Syria In 48 Hours – Report
>Saudi Arabia Halts Airstrikes On Yemen: Al-Mayadeen
Posted by: Don Bacon | Oct 5 2019 22:48 utc | 193
uncle tungsten
Thanks for linking to the Forbes piece. I had only looked at oil and move to alternative in terms of price - as oil becomes more expensive and alternate becomes cheaper ect, but sovereignty and self sufficiency will also make it attractive to some countries.
Australia was doing well in the alternate energy tech until the lib government come to power and pulled the plug on it.
First pilot molten salt solar power station had been built, but now any advances on that has come to a stop and I see China is building them.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 5 2019 22:57 utc | 194
Elora Danan 190 reports: "Unknown shooters have opened fire in Baghdad against protesters and security forces."
So the violence there really is a CIA regime change operation after all. That has been claimed by other posters here at MoA, but this report clinches it as a certainty for me.
Posted by: William Gruff | Oct 5 2019 22:59 utc | 195
Don Bacon
It would be interesting to know if the Turk S-400 crews are still training or is they had been trained in Russia prior to delivery.
Us may well retreat back to the Deir Ezzor oilfields, but I think the will be determined to hold that part of Syria as it is the northern end of the Persian gulf oilfields plus not having access to them makes life harder for Syria.
Going by the color revolution they've kicked off, the US is determined to hold its position in Iraq.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 5 2019 23:04 utc | 196
>California reports that it met its 2020 goal of 33% renewable retail electricity sales, heading for 60% in 2030. . .here
>Apparently Oz is 23% or so . .here
Posted by: Don Bacon | Oct 5 2019 23:05 utc | 197
@Posted by: BM | Oct 5 2019 15:25 utc | 165
Is he not a LaRouche guy, like this crazy woman?
https://twitter.com/Ruptly/status/1180131666205069313
Trump supporters...btw...as if there was no tomorrow...
Posted by: Elora Danan | Oct 5 2019 23:15 utc | 198
Iraq/Syria crossing area
Russia, Syria, Iran hold military drills near US forces in Deir Ezzor . .here
At the same time, a source from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) said reinforcements from the 17th Reserve Division have arrived in the Deir Ezzor Governorate this week. This move by the Syrian Arab Army came shortly after the announcement of the Albukamal border crossing’s opening by the Syrian authorities.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Oct 5 2019 23:19 utc | 199
re: Turkey invasion of Syria (planned)
tweet
Brett McGurk Verified account @brett_mcgurk Brett McGurk Retweeted Bloomberg
Will @POTUS stand up for American personnel deployed in Syria on his orders? Or is he looking for an excuse to pull them all out? A Turkish attack will increase risks to our people, fracture the SDF, and enable ISIS’s resurgence. Clear picture.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Oct 5 2019 23:26 utc | 200
The comments to this entry are closed.
Regarding F-35, it's still in development undergoing delayed operational test and evaluation. But the US has gone ahead and manufactured hundreds of what I call prototypes, and put most of them are in 'training squadrons.' We don't know for sure b/c no news 'journalist' will touch it.
The F-35 has small radar cross section forward, not so much from other angles especially from the rear. The -35 has one engine, the largest and hottest engine ever put in a fighter jet, so going away especially on afterburner (after a strike, say) it has a huge infra-red heat signal. I'm no aircraft expert, but on the milblogs I visit I often mention the high possibility that an F-35 strike mission has a high probability of being a one-way trip, and there's a name for that. I never get a good response. Maybe that's why the US Air Force has a huge shortage of fighter pilots (> 1,000).
The Houthis have recently shown us what a stealth strike looks like at a fraction of the cost and with no loss of life.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Oct 3 2019 13:55 utc | 101