@ dh 199
The UK has no excuse to hold [Assange] him.
Lawless UK will continue the extradition case on behalf of exceptional special relationships –
And the learned judge has a
Conflict of Interest:Julian Assange’s Judge and Her Husband’s Links to the British Military Establishment Exposed by WikiLeaks

Posted by: Likklemore | Nov 19 2019 15:22 utc | 204

Recall little orange man, the liar, during 2016 campaign for prez hailed WikiLeaks;
5 times Trump praised WikiLeaks during his 2016 election campaign – BusinessInsider
and hours after Assange’s arrest in London
Trump Claims to Know “Nothing” About WikiLeaks – Years After

Posted by: Likklemore | Nov 19 2019 15:35 utc | 206

King Lear’s proposition that China is “cozy” with USA and Wm Gruff’s approving “and why not?” is wrong-headed and dangerous.
It seems clear that China did everything it could to prepare for a time when it could act independently of USA and with Russia’s help that time has come. It built its tech and economy – rebuffing attempts by USA to control these; participated in and constructed alternative financial and trade structures; and patiently forged valuable alliances.
USA ignored these things as long it believed that it would eventually isolate China. USA Deep State shat its pants in 2014 when it became clear that their NWO fantasies had been dashed.
USA certainly would like to split Russia and China and will do everything possible to highlight their differences and create and/or exacerbate any conflicts between the two.
One possible strategm is to pretend that one of the two is willing to cut a deal that will leave the leaders of the other isolated and facing a future of decline until death via violent regime-change.
!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Nov 19 2019 16:03 utc | 208

Walter @ 205
Thanks for the Asia Times articles. For others interested, the link is:
Cold fusion 2: Japan wins with systematic method
I really shouldn’t have lumped LENR in with EmDrive. LENR research is legitimate. I followed LENR for about five years until the over-promising by charlatans got to me. I had seen the Japanese results when they came out, and they are technically solid. The Japanese can attend to detail like no one else, and that’s needed here. I think there really is some nuclear/solid state physics happening in LENR, but commercialization requires both better theory and better development. I like the Widom-Larsen electron capture theory, but that’s just personal preference.
My gripe with areas like LENR is that they easily get caught in the aptly named
Hype Cycle. Then the ratio of real research to charlatans seeking funds gets small, and not worth reading. I guess I should go read this years ICCF proceedings.
I also follow the Polywell folks. Another outfit that does the experiments and doesn’t over-hype.

Posted by: john brewster | Nov 19 2019 16:21 utc | 210

@ old microbiologist
Thank you for the input on the subject.
It is clear that your field of expertise is in the area of “orphan” vaccines or those which are necessary for military and the like.
I would be curious as to your opinion re: what I have been blathering about on moa for quite some time and that is mandated forced vaccination on children, particularly the mmr as the big rub around the debate is unvaccinated threatening immunocompromised with measles.
Every other common childhood vaccine is of little import with regards to the theory of here immunity. The Dtap for children has recently been revealed to not inhibit carriers with whooping cough, contrary to what the cdc has yet to update the public on, as well as their schedule. Every other childhood illness affecting the west has more or less been eradicated through updated infrastructure, hygiene, sanitation, and diet.
The crux of the issue is measles, the mmr, and the unvaccinated.
If you look at my prior posts above, I point out that measles mortality and yes, even case numbers, were in freefall to negligible amounts far before full implementation of the effective measles vaccine that was introduced in 1968.
Knowing this, I would be interested in your opinion as to why forcing this vaccine onto children would be necessary to combat a childhood illness that has greatly fallen in incidence and complications from in the west. Or if you agree that this is an overstep by government?

Posted by: Nemesiscalling | Nov 19 2019 16:32 utc | 212

Correction: *Theory of herd immunity
Pardon the extra post.

Posted by: Nemesiscalling | Nov 19 2019 16:47 utc | 214

What are the odds of a major escalation / false flag in the coming weeks? Looking at December 12, 2019. Numerologically important date 12/12/2019 (2+0+1+9=12). Exactly 6,666 days since September 11, 2001. It happens to be the same day as the UK general elections, which was placed on that day for a reason (Brexit delays non-stop), and delay of general elections afterwards.
NATO summit coming up early December saying that space attacks will be included in the NATO defense mechanism at the coming summit. Markets at new all time highs. I hate to say so but I feel we’ve been intentionally led on a slippery slope down to war and the tensions are everywhere (Hong Kong/China; NK/US; Iran/US; Russia/Ukraine) not to mention that they could let markets pop any moment. They need not do much more for the spark to ignite. Anyone more upbeat about it all? I wouldn’t mind some encouragement despite the sober outlooks.

Posted by: Alexander P | Nov 19 2019 17:30 utc | 216

I’m agnostic when it comes to decide if the whole thing was a set-up or if there’s a kernel of truth in the Swedish accusations.
That said “Her statements have been coherent, extensive and detailed” isn’t proof-positive. I mean, there are hundreds of professional writers and scriptwriters in Sweden who should be able to write total fictions that are nonetheless coherent, extensive and detailed, and odds are that there are many thousands more Swedes that should be able to do it.

Posted by: Clueless Joe | Nov 19 2019 17:37 utc | 218

There might be a few barflies who know of the Astana Club, Kazakhstan’s version of Russia’s Valdai Club. Pepe Escobar was there reporting on Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif’s speech, described by Pepe as “a searing account of Iran-US relations” fueled by an unnamed “Pentagon analyst’s questioning.” Pepe provides a link, but to our great misfortune it’s not correct. I checked his Facebook page, but nothing other than the promise of a follow-up. Zarif often links to his speech transcripts at his Twitter but again nothing. So, if you want to get the gist of what Zarif said beyond the small excerpt pasted below, you’ll need to click the link:
“Zarif inevitably had to evoke Mike Pompeo: ‘Today the Secretary of State of the United States says publicly: ‘If Iran wants to eat, it has to obey the United States.’ This is a war crime. Starvation is a crime against humanity. It’s a newspeak headline. If Iran wants its people to eat, it has to follow what he said. He says, ‘Death to the entire Iranian people.’’
“By then the atmosphere across the huge round table was electric.”
Wonder how the puke from the Evil Outlaw US Empire felt; his personal reaction? Was he proud, shamed or indifferent? Somewhere there must be a video.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 19 2019 18:04 utc | 220

Alexander P | Nov 19 2019 17:30 utc | 220 (“escalation”)
I do not buy numerology in the slightest. But it sometimes seems as though “they”, the cryptonani PE who schedule their events, do.
Keiser Report recently said dollar crash no more than + 9 months hence. Unequivocal statement.
Comrade President P said either “they will collapse soon” or “it will (meaning dollar) collapse soon. Either was seems pretty clear, as they and dollar are joined.
And the US (nazi)PE is in conflict internally.
Internal processes tend to explode as the parties seek advantage.
Thierry Meyssan wrote>
“Only the three Great Powers can hope to have the means to implement their policies. They can only achieve their ends without war by following the Russian line based on international law. However, the danger of internal political instability in the United States raises more than ever the risk of a generalized confrontation.”
Well yeah. Plan accordingly, fellas.

Posted by: Walter | Nov 19 2019 19:32 utc | 222

Posted by: Walter | Nov 19 2019 19:32 utc | 226
Thanks Walter, to be honest I also did not buy too much into it, especially since one can find ‘meaningful’ dates all the time and then nothing happens. At the same time there is no doubt that the elites that pull the strings do believe in it and are guided by it. Putin’s remarks of the iminent end of the US Dollar as world reserve currency is no coincidence. So far I always convinced myself they’d wait til after Trump’s re-election to pull the plug but I may be wrong. The spending bill has been passed by the House and the Senate needs to approve it next to keep the government funded for another month, this is another canary in the coalmine.

Posted by: Alexander P | Nov 19 2019 20:31 utc | 224

Sputnik News has produced a report that should be read concerning Spain:
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201911191077342086-has-the-blackest-page-in-spains-history-been-closed-with-francos-exhumation/
These ‘forces’ are still active in Spain and acknowledge no limits to their ‘rights’. Catalonian separatists are feeling full force repression at this time for exercising their political rights as members of the EU; the ascension of Spain to that union guaranteed those rights despite some clause in the Spanish constitution’s edict supposedly prohibiting. It appears there are no qualified judges sitting on Spain’s supreme bench, political charlatans all at the beck and call of exPM Rajoy, himself unqualified to that position, but he did know where political skeletons were buried, the only qualification of a mid-level clerk. Dangerous times await in the wings in Spain. The patience and guidance of the King Emeritus’ reign has been squandered – needlessly.

Posted by: Formerly T-Bear | Nov 19 2019 20:57 utc | 226

As usual, I came across yet another important publication, “ENERGY STRATEGY of RUSSIA FOR THE PERIOD UP TO 2030”, while reading another. Published in 2010, it’s likely been updated, but the overall thrust likely remains.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 19 2019 21:36 utc | 228

@233 Thanks Jen. I thought Assange was jailed in UK for ‘breaching bail conditions’ or some such pretext. He was sentenced to 50 weeks in jail I believe.
I don’t understand what is stopping the UK authorities from simply extraditing him to the US.

Posted by: dh | Nov 19 2019 21:45 utc | 230

Ah, should have added that those hydrocarbons will all be bought and paid for without dollars. Lots of additional monies to use for furthering Russia’s development.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 19 2019 22:08 utc | 232

Sorry to add to the clutter on this thread. I thought Californians ought to read this part, as well as other interested parties. Yes, I’m impressed, and it’s no wonder Russia has no worries over its relations with Georgia:
“Electricity grids are the backbone of domestic energy supplies and are therefore imperative for the development of an economy, which is why they are usually under government control. Russia has grown rapidly in electricity exports to China and Central Asia. The Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) is developing a regional energy market that will have a considerable impact, irrespective of divergent interests by its member states (Pastukhova & Westphal, 2016, p. 1). A single market for electricity is also evolving between Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Iran following an agreement on harmonizing electricity grids. These efforts are to be replicated in Central Asia and in the Far East by creating a common supergrid system with China, South Korea, and Japan. A circular electric power system is also sought to encompass Siberia, China’s Western regions, Kazakhstan, and other Central Asian states.”

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 19 2019 22:16 utc | 234

@NemesisCalling #132
While I understand your political concern, you yet again failed to address the 2 questions I asked several times:
Is vaccination ineffective?
Does vaccination do more harm than good at a societal level?
Your statements to date are that vaccination is not a primary reason for improved health, but this doesn’t address the first question. And if the answer to the first question is “some effectiveness”, the 2nd question comes into play.
Your argument seems to be a libertarian version of the precautionary principle: allow no government dictates in case they are abused. You’re perfectly entitled to this opinion, but your opinion would be one of many.
If the many vote against you, will you accept it?
As for poop therapy: never said it was a cure or proven that Crohns is due to autoimmune.syndrome. However, the type of a damage it causes spans so many types and lifestyles that it is hard to see it as anyone except an environmental poison, but no one has ever found anything remotely feasible.

Posted by: c1ue | Nov 20 2019 0:27 utc | 236

@pogohere #168&169
No, I haven’t looked at those reports. I am not a medical professional, but I have looked at anti-vaxxer documentation and have found it to be highly unconvincing.

Posted by: c1ue | Nov 20 2019 0:41 utc | 238

bevin @239–
Well, given the clutter & drivel on the Iran thread, the article at your link does beg at least one question: When is it properly called an impeachment? Yes, the hearings are called impeachment hearings and it’s impeachment testimony all aimed at drawing up Articles of Impeachment; but it’s also the impeachment process which includes the trial in the Senate, and one can be impeached but not convicted. The Free Dictionary notes these conundrums which the press exacerbates by its own improper usage of the term.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 20 2019 0:51 utc | 240

@242 Thanks again. I don’t think the Swedish case is a factor anymore. The Swedes have washed their hands of it.
He was technical free on Sept 22nd. But they put him back in jail, without bail, pending an extradition hearing in Feb. The US will presumably make a formal application. I fear it’s all just a formality anyway. They will do what they want with Assange.

Posted by: dh | Nov 20 2019 1:25 utc | 242

Thanks very much for responding to my post, snake @ 143, but if you read the transcript of the address you will see that Barr is not saying any such thing as you accuse him of – that is, he is addressing the balance of powers that the founders were intent upon creating – you mention ‘the federalist’ by which I presume you mean The Federalist Papers, which were and are articles written by certain of those persons to explain elements of the Constitution. I have read those but I confess it was some time ago. I do still have a copy, and your advice to reread it is well founded. We all should, at least, those of us who are in the US ought to.
Barr does say that it was envisioned there would be a healthy back and forth (my words not his) on matters of policy and power between the three segments of government, but he also gives compelling arguments that instead the judicial and the legislative branches have ganged up and taken power from the executive branch, even installing departments within the executive branch that work against the president. (You will have to consult the speech to see exactly what he says on this.)
And thank you, too, uncle tungsten @ 164. I agree with much of your post, just as I agreed with much of Barr’s address. However, when it comes to assertions concerning his conservative views, you seem to cast in concrete that appellation and throw it into the river – condemning the text of his remarks because you have an opinion about conservatism that outweighs any need to go further.
This man is the Attorney General of the US now, not at any previous time. His understanding of Constitutional issues is worth reading. He deserves to be listened to for his arguments, and those arguments are what my post is about. I’m not questioning his character, any more than I do the character of posters here. I want to know if what he says has merit. So far nobody but Likklemore and I seem to have read the entire address. And that’s a pity.

Posted by: juliania | Nov 20 2019 3:10 utc | 244

Now thats a damned good question….
Considering that murikkans are so enthusiastic rooting for ‘rev’
everywhere else…
hehehehhe
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/52561.htm

Posted by: denk | Nov 20 2019 3:31 utc | 246

Below is another link to a Xinhuanet article and this one supports my contention that China has public finance at its core
China’s central bank urges financial sector to serve real economy
A month or so ago I read another Xinhuanet posting that was too short and vague to bring to MoA but it basically said to me that annually some China group of banking/political bureaucrats get together and figure out where to apply “Debt Jubilee” to the finance system….just like Michael Hudson says use to happen and is sorely needed in the West.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Nov 20 2019 5:48 utc | 248

Thank you Juliania for reading my response to your discussion about Barr @117. But I did not accuse Barr of anything.. I responded to your comment at the end of your post”.
<== I take strong objection to.. the attempt by many at the constitutional convention to make the position of the President so powerful the position would carry the powers of king (Many wanted Washington to be king) . I think calling the result (which was "President" is far from a miracle). The position is so powerful, and so secret and no even within the voting power of non electoral college Americans, and in my opinion that power in one person accounts for a substantial part of the problems we in America face today. to be clear.the part of your comment that I responded to was "Things changed by the Constitutional Convention of 1787. To my mind, the real “miracle” in Philadelphia that summer was the creation of a strong Executive, independent of, and coequal with, the other two branches of government..."Posted by: juliania @ 117 at 245 ". Just want to make clear my response was not about Barr, but about your comment at the bottom of your post. as cited herein.

Posted by: snake | Nov 20 2019 7:16 utc | 250

It is said that website “natural news” is recently suppressed by algorithm or otherwise in search-engines. Although I always took their claims with considerable skepticism, I also know that even liars and lunatics often say true things…as the witches in MacBeth do…and since “they” took the trouble to suppress it, I read it more carefully than previously.
Speaking of MacBeth…and the porter, the clown, may mind some of That Good Man, Trumpie.
Accordingly, NN posted a fairly convincing story about attempts to do away with “Duncan”.
I suggest it’s quite possibly valid…it does seem to pass the test of consilience.
naturalnews [dot] com title (alas, lurid!) >”EXCLUSIVE – President Trump makes unscheduled stop at military hospital to undergo battery of tests for possible deliberate poisoning of food with “time delayed” chemical agent; food tester gravely ill – White House connected source”
Yeah, suspect source, but think about what happened to FDR, think about the lies.

Posted by: Walter | Nov 20 2019 11:51 utc | 252

Old Microbiologist | Nov 20 2019 11:46 utc | 252 (your reply to Walter)
I can’t find fault in what you wrote, and I agree with it so far as I know about things.
The point, my point, is not that the international law will be obeyed. Rather otherwise.
And a cogent argument can be constructed to support the idea that the US’s entry into I.L. (treaties, generally) has been fraudulent, since deep policy since at least march of ’44 has been to conquer Russia (Groves quote / Alperovtz). Thus a rationalization might be made for doing what they want to do.
I am surprised by the bald and stark scene you described as on the horizon. I was only vaguely aware – but the post brought a lot together. We’re pretty isolated I guess (and hope).
Thanks.

Posted by: Walter | Nov 20 2019 12:22 utc | 254

Walter, I agree with you completely. There isn’t a single treaty that the US hasn’t broken or threatened to break. This is not new only more obvious under Trump.
It is actually a lot worse than I stated. Pharmaceutical companies are now no longer doing any research whatsoever for new antibiotics. It was decided it is not profitable and too high risk (risk/gain ratios). The same problem exists for vaccines but worse. Most zoonotic diseases that have the potential for mass epidemics are in places too poor to afford vaccines and it is not profitable to do this work as there are no buyers for them other than the government so it is a one-off proposition. The Gates Foundation has done a lot in the way of funding some of these but that is insufficient. The military has actually cut vaccine development to a point where we won’t see any results at all now. This is despite massive increases in overall military funding which apparently mostly goes into plutocrat’s pockets or weapons designed to not work but costs a lot of money to improve.
One other problem, and this a big one, is that to actually perform this work you need experience and training. Because the military and NIH have gone to entrepreneurial management, meaning you must go find your own funding and funding is no longer central, there are fluctuations in money supply to keep people on staff during lean years. There was a time the command had a requirement and assigned the project to a leader and his group along with funding in 5 year increments. If you make progress then the funding continues. If not it gets put over to a new group. THat is no longer the case. My commander had no clue what projects we were working on at all. That even extended up to the MACOM level. Only the Defense Threat Reduction Agency had a clue and even then they go through contractor program managers roughly every 6 months (they have over 400 of them) and they are only interested in making progress charts and GANTT charts, all of which the researcher has to do himself on the monthly reports). You rarely meet them or even speak to them and even if you did the guy you were working with is usually gone too soon to even understand what is happening on a given project even assuming they have a clue to begin with. As Reagan said about government the scariest words are “I am from the government and I am here to help”. So, expecting government to respond to this in any meaningful fashion is ridiculous at best. They will pad someone’s pockets, you can be sure of that but the outcomes are always way down the road.
Once people are trained up and that takes a minimum of 4 years for doctoral level scientists, if they get cut they don’t come back. I suffered under this problem trying to keep a staff on board when the military whacked our vaccine off the priority list because it was a non-lethal agent. I was able to scramble and get different funding for other projects by reaching out to others to prostitute my services for animal studies performed under high threat containment conditions which is a relatively scarce commodity. After my retirement they completely closed our labs entirely because the security and management costs were so high. High consequence pathogen work is tough and hard to do and requires a ton of regulatory oversight. Such is life. All my people have spread to the four corners of the world (doing whatever they can to survive as scientists) and none are ever willing to come back to work for the US government again. The guy I left in charge following me was not up to the task of fighting off pencil-necked geek bureaucrats. He thought he had to work within the chain of command so got closed in the process. I knew better and thought I had trained him well but he turned out to be a pussy and gave in under threats. Most blame me for retiring but frankly I couldn’t work in a space suit 12 hours a day any more lugging around heavy monkeys and working through 3 layers of glass inside glove boxes doing aerosol exposures in a negative pressure suite working with agents that have 100% lethality and no treatments. Physically, it was too much for me.
I have buddies in the pharmaceutical industry who have horror stories much worse than mine. Academia is even worse.

Posted by: Old Microbiologist | Nov 20 2019 13:14 utc | 256

This is funny:
Stoltenberg Reveals Why NATO is Spending Twenty Times More on Defence Than Russia

“When it comes to these figures and numbers, we are an effective alliance and we have effective armies, but the cost level is much higher, reflecting just a higher standard of living,” Stoltenberg said, speaking at a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday.

So, those Paradise on Earth like Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Montenegro, Greece, Croatia, Sloveina, Turkey and Albania must be rolling!

Posted by: vk | Nov 20 2019 13:19 utc | 258

I briefly saw Schiff on TV making impassioned speach for why Trump is guilty (seems even mock trial is really a waste of taxpayer dollars).
Before I could change the channel (remote batteries are low), he said that the Trumps had held-up military aid and had released it only once they were caught – hands in cookie jar.
Does evidence tend to support this claim. I was confused where was the substance behind “trial” – that warranted formal proceedings.
I do not find anywhere a balanced analysis.
I do find it surprising that this sort of double-dealing Vindman is in a position to incriminate Trump – is he credible I wonder.

Posted by: jared | Nov 20 2019 13:38 utc | 260

Here’s Putin’s thinking right now: Aye! Why can’t bumbling Trump do subterfuge with the same finesse as me…oh well another one bites the dust.

Posted by: Circe | Nov 20 2019 14:03 utc | 262

Circe @ 165
I can’t say I understand all of your allusionary (spellcheck doesn’t like – I did say ‘all’ not ‘ill’) post, but first up I did notice RT has a segment with Zelensky looking unhappy about all the focus on Ukraine in the impeachment effort (which we have also focused on here, whistleblower and all). The comment I remember seeing in passing was that Zelensky felt he had enough to deal with at home and didn’t need what is presently going on in the US to distract from his own priorities there. Perfectly understandable, that. Unfortunately the buck does stop there in some respects. O what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!
I see that you are hauling Barr over your coals; that is hopeful 😉

Posted by: juliania | Nov 20 2019 14:18 utc | 264

Very good joke, by Brazilian China expert Elias Jabbour (from his Facebook page):

CAPITALISMO DE ESTADO OU SOCIALISMO?
O pressuposto é o seguinte: “a China é uma variante asiática de capitalismo de Estado”. Tudo bem. Agora pensem: se nos EUA, o partido Democrata mudasse seu nome para “Partido Comunista Estadunidense” e o Partido Republicano para “Partido Comunista dos EUA”. O termo “marxismo-leninismo” apareceria por mais de 30 vezes na constituição do país. Mudasse a bandeira para vermelha. Atos contínuos: estatização de todo sistema financeiro e das 100 companhias localizadas nos setores estratégicos da economia. Mais: toda empresa privada obrigatoriamente teria que aguentar uma célula de um dos dois partidos observando todas as decisões de investimento. Afinal, como você classificaria os EUA: “socialista” ou “capitalismo de Estado”?

Translation:
STATE CAPITALISM OR SOCIALISM?
The following presupposition is: “China is an Asiatic variant of State capitalism”. Ok. Now, think about this: if, in the USA, the Democratic Party changed its name to “American Communist Party” and the GOP to “Communsit Party of the USA”. The term “Marxism-Leninism” would show up more than 30 times in its Constitution. Changed its flag to Red. Following acts: statization of all the financial system and of the 100 main corporations from the strategic sectors of the economy. One more: every private company would be forced by Law to have a cell of one of the two main parties observing all of its investment decisions. After all that, would you classify the USA as “socialist” or as “State capitalist”?

Posted by: vk | Nov 20 2019 14:26 utc | 266