Phryne's frock@55

Well my prediction is that Sanders wins the primaries, gets cheated out of the nomination and runs of an Independent ticket.

This place is infested with posters like Jackrabbit who, unfailingly, denounces any progressive candidate as a stooge of the Establishment, just pretending to be principled etc.
In the case of Sanders this is hard: he has been active in politics for decades and his principles and his tendency to compromise are well known quantities.
The notion that he acted as a "sheepdog" in 2016 is utterly ridiculous-in fact a large proportion of his supporters, most of them core Democrats on the left of the party and grassroots activists, refused to follow his advice and vote for Hillary. Far from guiding reluctant voters into the Democratic column, he actually, innocently and despite his persistent advice, was the cause of many long time Democrats finally giving up on the party. Most stayed home and a substantial number voted, holding their noses, for the Donald on the Anyone but Hillary ticket.
I am reminded by the denunciations of Sanders of similar campaigns designed to weaken Corbyn's position- persons claiming to be socialists urging voters to do anything except vote for Corbyn because he wasn't socialistic enough. One influential 'left' critic even suggested that Corbyn was a candidate of the Deep State.
Sometimes things are very simple- and attempts to complicate them by promoting the nonsense that JR comes up with are a form of trolling designed to protect the ruling class.
Sanders is putting forward a very simple and in some ways a time hallowed programme of reforms: he is calling for America to return to tried and proven policies. One of these is Free Tuition-most people of Sanders' generation went to school where tuition fees, for some of the best Universities in the world in Wisconsin for example or California, were either non existent or nominal. It can be argued that much of the US success economically and otherwise was based upon a public education system which mobilised a much larger share of society's talents and brains then in competing countries.
Then there is Medicare for All which bears a distinct resemblance to the programme that Truman was putting forward. It is an anomaly that the US does not have a Healthcare system free and available to all people. And most Americans understand this.
The same is true of tax reform, removing penalties on Union organisers and so on: they aren't new policies but, make no mistake, the oligarchy and its intellectual choirboys, hates them. It will do anything to defeat Sanders. And those who do not either rally to his support or at least put an end to cheap, spurious, dishonest excuses for policy criticisms are working hand in glove with the oligarchs.
Anyone who wants to know how it is that .1% of the population owns as much as 90% of the hard working, talented and inventive people just needs to understand that there is always a substantial number of clowns who would sooner live in dependence and misery than join with other people to make the world a better place.

As to what Chomsky said was he not simply saying that there is a chance of Sanders winning and, if he does, he will need all the help that he can get from ordinary people. Because he will get none from billionaires? And is he not right?

Posted by: bevin | Jan 29 2020 21:29 utc | 101

To Circe:

So tell us all how US policy has significantly changed between Clinton, BushII, Obama and Trump? All the proxy wars on behalf of Israel and the oil corporations still rage, the 17 spook agencies still spy on anyone they please, police forces continue to be militarized, Russia and China still bad, Iran still in the warmonger crosshairs...

Ya voting Democrat makes SO much difference in anything that matters to US citizens and the world.

Killary would have had us all in WW3 by now, I'll say Trumpty Dumbdy at least stopped that... so far.

Posted by: A P | Jan 29 2020 21:30 utc | 102

Another US military plane shot-down in ME?

https://en.mehrnews.com/news/155088/US-military-aircraft-reportedly-crashes-in-Iraq

Posted by: DFC | Jan 29 2020 21:31 utc | 103

There's a Rubicon moment that's flying overhead, many heads. Plebeians whose buying habits are so sought after, and yet are so ignored when the likes of tabloid favourite donald trump decides to grant Binyamin Netantanhyu and the Israeli far right Zionists every wish for money and self preservation.

Major Bonespurs presents himself as a Greeat supporter of the Military..Even though he ran away from fighting Charlie. Like so many other Republican Chicken Hawks..Bolton, Abrams, G Dubya, Cheney and so many more.

People like trump need the police and the military to keep their lying asses safe. Not exactly a great revelation that, but worth mentioning.

You can focus on things like how many Americans were injured when Iran launched missiles on bases in Iraq, or you can focus on what's wrong with America and it's soul.

Like this;

Overturn Citizens United

"Sen. Bernie Sanders told a Senate panel that a constitutional amendment is needed to undo the Supreme Court ruling that let corporations and wealthy individu..."

https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/overturn-citizens-united

What say you?

Posted by: Bubbles | Jan 29 2020 21:40 utc | 104

William Gruff @98--

Thanks for typing those words! Lots of cynics here. The trend is clear that more are becoming aware. Biden's lies and BigLie Media's abetting them are certainly helping. Trump's policy proposals and D-Party complicity is noted as ever more people link via social media. Your term "hysteria" I suggest needs to be redirected at those who generated it--The Establishment--but cleaning that mess will take awhile, perhaps a generation, as the overseas empire gets abandoned.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 29 2020 21:45 utc | 105

https://twitter.com/TheGrayzoneNews

If you missed TRNN Paul Jay and Sharmini Peries (Ousted from The Real News Network in June 2019) My favorite daily/weekly intoxication - TRNN interviewed were: Aaron Mata, Lawrence Wilkerson, Ben Norton now in The GrayZoneNews.

Complete Yves Smith's blog Naked Capitalism

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2019/11/paul-jay-and-sharmini-peries-ousted-from-the-real-news-network-in-june-current-fundraiser-hides-that-fact-falling-viewership-and-liberal-turn-result.html

My favorite NeoCon in FOX News, Tucker Carlson interviewed Anya Parampil (formally RT show In Question) on Venezuela EXCELLENT must watch.

https://twitter.com/anyaparampil

Posted by: JC | Jan 29 2020 21:55 utc | 106

bevin @103--

Thanks for articulating why I refuse to engage the rabbit and have classified it as a troll. Yes, much of what Sanders proposes were Progressive ideas from the 1930s. They were needed then; they're more needed today.

Bubbles @106--

As I wrote to trailer trash above, Seattle passed a law outlawing corporate donations to political campaigns based on the no foreign money rule as all public corporations have foreigners as owners/shareholders. That's one of the main ways to beat Citizen United and remove a large portion of the bad money from the political process.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 29 2020 21:59 utc | 107

>What matters is that Sanders' campaign is opening up a whole range of discourse

Yes that is valuable, to the extent that actually happens. I have nothing against him personally - I even met him once. Is he actually attempting to wake up the class unconscious? If so I have missed it. All I can recall *any* Dummycrat talking about is the undefined "Middle Class" like it is a religious relic. And of course, wage slavery, "a job", is the ultimate life goal of every patriotic "American". At the same time, "working class" is still an insult, rather than a proud tradition. (I still wear blue Dickies workshirts.)

Politicians like ole Bernie can't take us very far, since their role is to be a "safety valve" so that malcontents and troublemakers are shunted into useless activity like registering voters, driving people to the polls, and other approved political activities.

After a while people think, oh, this is the way to political change: just elect the "right people" and follow established procedures, and institutions will crumble and be reborn. Sorry, no. Following the authorized rules will keep us in the cul-de-sac. The street sign says "No Exit" for a reason...

Anyone can see how well it has worked for labor unions to faithfully follow the proscribed procedures laid out by the National Labor Relations Act and the National Labor Relations Board. I can't count how many times I have heard, "We got 50% plus one to sign cards!" only to be inevitably followed by losing the election. Doh!

People don't want to see that the electoral political system is a casino with one rule:

The House Always Wins

The only way to protect one's wallet from the Casino is, don't go in!

Posted by: Trailer Trash | Jan 29 2020 22:01 utc | 108

Here's my " off the wall " scenario on the latest Bolden revelations;

Bolden testifies.

He recants his book revelations.

Impeachment implodes.

Trump wins big in November.

Bolden's Swiss bank account gets bigger.

Oligarchs globally rejoice.

On B. Sanders. We'll never know truly, whether or not he's either real, or sincere, about
fighting for " we the people" unless he's elected. IMO, that's not possible in today's political environment. So the point could be moot.

Still, he has my complete support. No other candidate can match his 40 year or so record.

Posted by: ben | Jan 29 2020 22:02 utc | 109

"Then I plead guilty to being distracted with the stuff that is verifiably true rather than the obvious political nonsense, you might well accuse me of having the ability to think critically, which I know these days is taken as a dangerous Thought Crime!"

TJ AKA Numero Uno Dangerous Thought Criminal since 1969

Posted by: TJ | Jan 29 2020 21:16 utc | 101

As a proponent of the Bulgarian's extra motivated trump pumper site including the in house troll brigade, the last thing I would accuse you of is "having the ability to think critically".

Truth and ethical journalism doesn't appear to be high on the Bulgarians agenda what with the pilfering of other media's articles, the constant editorializing and the incessant GOP / trump friendly spin. Why it's like striving to earn the Goebbels Big Lie and Doom Porn Propaganda of the Year Award.

Posted by: Bubbles | Jan 29 2020 22:04 utc | 110

A good reading about that plane down in Afghanistan.

https://theaviationist.com/2018/11/26/the-u-s-air-forces-e-11-bacn-aircraft-is-so-unique-you-can-only-find-it-in-one-place-kandahar-airfield-afghanistan/

Posted by: ARN | Jan 29 2020 22:10 utc | 111

@David J Valachovic #4

www.cryptogon.com isn't bad for aggregating tech news and developments.

On the question of historical revisionism, it is well known from post-ww2 cinema and FPS video games that ww2 began June 6, 1944 and was won after Brad Pitt and Tom Hanks stormed the Führerbunker.

But seriously folks, the US-GenY (and later) understanding of the war is a composite of Hollywood and gaming commonplaces. Fury and Saving Ryan's Privates (to cite the x-rated version) exaggerate and caricature the moralizing pap around the US contribution (which FDR struggled to obtain without the lever of Pearl Harbour—more than a year before they were happy to let Britain burn before picking a side, and it's best not to mention all those Panzers paid for with Reichsbank T-bills in the Bushes vault...). If you have any intellectual curiosity, these fictions can be slightly offset with Soviet cinema (such as Klimov's 1985 masterpiece Come and See) but this is preaching to the faithful who already know their history. But frankly the suggestion that the US Army liberated Auschwitz can only succeed if one assumes in advance that the majority of Americans are ignorant dumbos. Which is the more correct observation.

On the Guardian website they have this little factoid sheet entitled "What Happened at Auschwitz? A Quick Guide". Laughter, tears and nausea all at once. Everything is condensed here: the depressing absurdity of trying to explain this as though on the back of a box of Cornflakes, the reduction of this horror to the banality of a 'quick guide', the criminal forgetfulness of the West, the ignorance of the masses, the staggering arrogance of those who should know better and the young who think they know everything, and so on. The idea that there are adults walking around who need 'a quick guide' explains why this event will happen again, and frankly is happening (Xinjiang, Burma, Off-shore detention in Australia, Palestine...). All I can say is—Dear Primo Levi, I'm so sorry we let you down.

Posted by: Patroklos | Jan 29 2020 22:11 utc | 112

Walter | Jan 29 2020 19:50 utc | 79

Wonderful, what a great surprise! Never expected to find such stuff here. I saw the film many years ago, liked it a lot, but this twist (background illumination) I did not know. W.C. Fields was great.

Posted by: Hausmeister | Jan 29 2020 22:17 utc | 113

The value in Sanders running is so that Dems can see themselves get screwed over again (again again) by the elite controlling the DNC and then finally wake up and walk out the door!

Just kidding...there is no hope whatsover that a lick of sense will dawn on Dem voters.
I just can't wait to see the deer-in-the-headlight look on Dem faces when it happens...again.

Wish I had the skill to insert an appropriate gif right here.
That deer, in my gif, would hold that 1000-mile stare for a few seconds and then, to close,
the deer's tongue would quickly lick a morsel of egg off it's face.

deer-in-the-headlight-with-egg-on-its-face.gif

Posted by: librul | Jan 29 2020 22:19 utc | 114

@106 Bubbles

People like trump need the police and the military to keep their lying asses safe.

Do you think there are no people out there that can make a kill shot from 3000-4000 yards / meters? Do you think that there are no people out there that can use technology to execute the man any time they want? You are living in the past, Trump lives only so he, and the entire USG can be bypassed and made irrelevant in the future.

Posted by: TJ | Jan 29 2020 22:21 utc | 115

karlof1 | Jan 29 2020 21:01 utc | 96

I'll check "the Sting", don't know it. There's a book that influenced the young Burroughs> "The Big Con". As a kid I knew guys like that in TBC as they passed - Hollywood 'way back, Jewish Mafia and bookies and con artists, Mickey Cohen and all that. Fixers, grifters, crooked lawyers, fbi snitches - of course I was a child and had no idea, but that was the days before "organized crime was subsumed into the body of the Imperial whatever it is. I recall the night they nailed Bobby at the Ambassador. I wasn't there, but I wanted to be, just lazy.

Reviewing myself "Sally"....it's a Marxist theory-based movie as well. Great stories run three together, they say. Sally can be seen romantically, baldly, and as class parasitism, and also as a victory for the lower class, and as revolutionary corruption. Reviewing it it's better than I had realized.

Here we are, watching Armageddon. And obscure literature or art, while Romes burns. Go figure.

Posted by: Walter | Jan 29 2020 22:28 utc | 116

Jackrabbit @97

PL is kind of a grumpy guy, some interesting stuff going on in his blog anyway, but yes, I was invited "not to come back", and I accept the invitation, since I seldom post comments in english. I would say there is a bit of bad conscience or remorse for old bad deeds, he had a terrible misspelling referring to AOC, he called her Osorio instead of Ocasio, and that gave him, cause Osorio was the second family name of an infamous Guatemalan general with thousands of victims to his account. PL admitted that he was there and then, that is early 70's. I guess doing advisory work. There is a further sinister step in that lapse, guatemalan students changed one letter in that family name, Osorio became Osario which means ossuary, the guy certainly filled up quite a few of those, his full name was Carlos Arana Osorio.

Posted by: Paco | Jan 29 2020 22:35 utc | 117

TJ @117--

I have the capability to make such a shot, but I have no desire to take it. IMO, there are far more dangerous human game out there than Trump, making them much better targets. But as with Trump, at this juncture I don't have that desire as such measures should only be employed when desperation overcomes all. Years ago on this site I weighed the pros and cons of armed revolt to change the nature of the Outlaw US Empire and concluded going through the political process was still viable, and I haven't seen any reason to alter that.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 29 2020 22:38 utc | 118

bevin 103 - my prediction still has a chance. yours is dead in the water: Sanders has already announced he will support the dem nominee whoever it is. zero chance he will run as an independent according to ... himself.

for crying out loud has ANYONE here besides me bothered to read Yang's policy positions???

“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” (bonus points if u know who said that)

repeat after me: there is no savior coming out of electoral politics as long as the idea to allow gigarich survives.

but at least Yang is coming from a whole new level of consciousness about money,work,wealth,government,justice,families,foreign policy etc etc etc etc

I do NOT need to be lectured by those who haven't done the diligent investigative work I have done, thank you.

You want freedom from tyranny then help murder the idea to allow no-limits to personal fortunes.

Posted by: Phryne's frock | Jan 29 2020 22:41 utc | 119

@ 97 jackrabbit.. that is a particularly testy thread you shared! i was banned from ssr for what seemed like forever, but apparently pl has amnesia and doesn't remember, lol... or - he is in a good mood.. most likely the later.. geminis are hard to pin down!

@ 100 robert snefjella.. thanks robert - i tend to agree with all of this and would say generally when it comes to usa foreign policy there are no adults in the room, or very few and they don't get to call many of the shots..

@ 102 / @105 karlof1 / DFC.. thanks for the updates there!

@ 103 bevin.. sanders as an independent after - i doubt it very very much... lets revisit this after november.. your quote "Sanders wins the primaries, gets cheated out of the nomination and runs of an Independent ticket."

@ 11 ben... it's conceivable!

@ 118 paco.. thanks for the additional comments.. it seems the only one who hasn't 'not been allowed to post' is pl himself!

Posted by: james | Jan 29 2020 22:47 utc | 120

Why this Green voter is voting Democrat in November.

Democrats have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they do not
care about their own democratic rights. The DNC utterly screwed them over
last election cycle yet they voted for the DNC choice anyway.

Not caring about their own democratic rights it was easy to understand why
they didn't care about anyone else's. They rehabilitated the torturing, regime
changing, kidnapping, assassinating CIA and became willing supporters of
a Presidential coup (Russiagate). Dems cared not one whit about the
millions upon millions of people being disenfranchised of their voting rights
by overturning an election.

Dems are warmongers.

And then, as if that is not enough, they come and tell us Green voters that
it was our fault that WWIII Hillary Clinton was not elected. Our votes belonged
to you by default. You don't believe in your own democratic rights, why should
we be allowed to exercise ours?

Why don't you try something original for a change and offer a candidate worthy
of our consideration? That is how you **earn** our votes.
WWIII Hillary Clinton - are you fuxing kidding?

Posted by: librul | Jan 29 2020 22:53 utc | 121

Phryne's frock at approx. # 41 -

Regarding Andrew Yang, he lost any potential support from me when he backed the U.S. government's stance on Julian Assange. Stating he should stand trial - FOR WHAT? They've already argued that non-American citizens aren't protected by the 1st Amendment, yet we're supposed to accept that such a non-citizen can be charged and tried with treason?

Please tell me that Yang has clarified or retracted this as of now, or I will continue to advocate against him among my undecided associates.

Andrew Yang says Assange should be tried

Posted by: Mister Wiggles | Jan 29 2020 22:57 utc | 122

karlof1 @109:

bevin @103--

Thanks for articulating why I refuse to engage the rabbit and have classified it as a troll.

Well I guess you classify Caitlin Johnstone as a troll also - 'cause her and I are saying the same thing.

As I recall, you used to like Caitlin. No love for her now? Now that she writes a pox on BOTH their houses (Republican and Democrat)? LOL.

!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 29 2020 23:14 utc | 123

Mister Wiggles 124 - I had not seen any recent (Christmas til now) news of Yang as I was away from home and without my computer and tv. I based my support on having studied his stated policy proposals that were published many months ago. Thanks very much for that info. If Yang does not retract that position, I wind up in Gabbard's corner or I stay home. I am certainly not giving my support to anyone who persecutes whistleblowers.

Posted by: Phryne's frock | Jan 29 2020 23:17 utc | 124

karlof1 @109

Have a look at my comment @45.

Maybe you missed it.

I quote extensively from Caitlin Johnstone (though I've been saying essentially the same thing for months.)

Cheers

!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 29 2020 23:26 utc | 125

More videos of Gaza on the Seine
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/154784/French-police-violence-against-protesters-sparks-widespread-outrage

Posted by: Krollchem | Jan 29 2020 23:33 utc | 126

in soviet googlag, youtube watches you... line from my friend...

i just installed brave as a browser.. i like it.. no ads for one..

Posted by: james | Jan 29 2020 23:41 utc | 127

If it isn't in your medical record the VA won't pay you...

Posted by: Joe | Jan 29 2020 23:45 utc | 128

Only 10% of Americans asked think that the economy is "the most important problem" right now

That's down from a peak of 86% during the 2008-9 crisis. But note that the last time few Americans thought the economy was fine was just before the crash!

--//--

About the Bernie Sanders question.

Bernie Sanders is definitely an outsider.

That's because, albeit he's a democrat, he from outside the DNC, which is the core and soul of the Democratic Party.

The GOP and the Dems, as I've already told everybody here previously, are not true political parties in the traditional sense of the word. The USA developed a unique variation of the Western Democratic System. From the English system (FPTP), they created another bureaucratic layer - the two aforementioned parties - as some kind of twin-guardians of the districts. The way they enforce such power is through the power of gerrymandering: contrary to the UK, where an independent institution draws the maps of each MP seat, in the USA it is the two parties themselves that do it.

That means there's zero chance - and I'm not rounding down - a third party or independent to ever rise to power in the American federation. Yes, the system evolved organically alongside the American necessities, so there are still some cities and States (the legislative) where a bunch of independents can and do win (Bernie Sanders being one of those) - but they are the exception that confirms the rule (the system).

In conclusion: it is wrong to classify the GOP and the Democratic Party as true political parties in the western tradition (i.e. post-French Revolution). They are the American electoral system itself, which use a façade of two parties in order to give the American people the illusion of choice. The twin-parties are the glooming light hanging on the anglerfish's antenna.

Bernie Sanders is, from the point of view of the American people, by far the best candidate. First, he has a realistically (albeit very small) chance of winning the WH (which puts him apart from the "artificial", rootless Tulsi Gabbard). Second, he's a socialist (a Gaitskellite, but still...). Third, contrary to the other independent candidates that came across America's post-war history, he sees the USA as it really is - and not how he thinks it should be. That's why he put his feet on the mud and his hands on the dirt by entering the Democratic Party machine: he knows, to the limits of his ideology, what it takes to put his ideas into practice.

Posted by: vk | Jan 29 2020 23:57 utc | 129

Bubbles @ 106
constitutional amendment is needed to undo the Supreme Court ruling that let corporations and wealthy individu..."

This is about the Judicial branch which has no right to legislate or create law out of smoke. It is desired by the 1% that corporations become people/human. If a corporation is a person than in addition to the first amendment right to speech it can have access to all the rights given to real people.

This started in 1887 with the court clerk's report on a case, Santa Clara county v Southern Pacific Railroad. In which the clerk reported that the court acted as if corporations were people. Corporations are not listed in our constitution are not persons and should have zero rights but in fact be subject to control by the states and federal government. There is no Stare Decisis for corporations as persons.

Bernie is right but it is much deeper issue. We need to examine the role of activists judges who are legislating from the bench and consider electing all judges to limited terms of service.

Posted by: diveshopingoa | Jan 30 2020 0:03 utc | 130

Summer 2019 - Rudy Guiliani was quite busy on behalf of his client Mr. Trump.

while the Impeachment theater continues in D.C., over in Ukieland it is alleged the looting of international financial aid was shared 30/70. $100 billion!!!! The Ukie High Court ruled an investigation is required and expects US and EU will join the investigation.

Kiev launches corruption investigation involving Obama, Biden, ex-Ukrainian president

Ukrainian lawmaker Renat Kuzmin r explained that the investigation would look into facts expressed by US President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudolph Giuliani regarding corruption in Ukraine.

KIEV, January 29. /TASS/. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) initiated an investigation based on corruption charges mentioning former US President Barack Obama, former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko and former US Vice President Joe Biden, says Ukrainian lawmaker Renat Kuzmin.

"The NABU has initiated an investigation against Poroshenko and Obama for embezzlement and laundering international financial aid," Kuzmin wrote in his Telegram channel, attaching a photo of the NABU notification, announcing the investigation.

The lawmaker explained that the investigation would look into "facts expressed by [US President Donald] Trump’s lawyer [Rudolph] Giuliani regarding corruption in Ukraine."

On January 14, Kuzmin announced that the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine ordered the NABU to "investigate facts on the seizure of power and embezzlement of state budget funds and international financial aid by members of the Obama administration in collusion with Poroshenko," also mentioning the name of former Vice President Joe Biden.

He explained at the time that the NABU investigators would have to find out [.]how embezzled $100 billion and moved it offshore" as revealed by Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani. Kuzmin added that Giuliani "not only accused Obama and Poroshenko of conspiring to seize power in Ukraine, but also stated that the stolen money had been pocketed by Poroshenko, [Hillary] Clinton and Biden in a 30/70 proportion."[.]

Is there anything to this? Why is Hillary named?

Posted by: Likklemore | Jan 30 2020 0:06 utc | 131

@ 131 / 132 Evelyn.. i don't think so.. generally b doesn't block that or posters like yourself who are thoughtful as you were earlier in this thread.. b is pretty hands off, unless someone is over the top crazy.. it happens..

Posted by: james | Jan 30 2020 0:08 utc | 132

"Pentagon Now Says 50 Suffered Brain Injuries From Iran's Retaliatory Missile Attack On January 8."

These reported injuries are curious to say the least. The missile strike analysis done for The Saker shows no bunkers/underground shelters being targeted, yet there're all these reports of concussions. Now I do understand "shell shock"--not the sort related to PTSD--from close proximity to explosive impacts, but the shelters at this base were supposedly designed to be nuke-proof. Plus, the impacts were all quite far away from the base's housing, which is where most were likely sheltered. Just 9 missile hits. I recall a live-fire exercise with 105 & 155 howitzers blasting away for an hour straight, albeit I wasn't on the receiving end, but the din was very impressive.

Perhaps given concussions are difficult to map medically, we have some people wanting out via medical discharge. Wouldn't blame them one bit. One other variable I haven't read anywhere--the timing of the strikes--how close together: rapid succession or spread out at 1/min for 10 minutes or some such? I find it all rather curious.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 30 2020 0:23 utc | 133

While I take note of Bevin's comments at #103, who knows what is in anybody's heart, much less a long term pol such as Sanders I won't resile from my belief that it is a horrible disappointment to see otherwise critically capable people wasting any time, effort or resources on amerikan prez elections.
I absolutely guarantee that whoever wins the distraction will not change amerikan domestic or foreign policy one whit beyond a coupla early cosmetic refurbishment pieces of bulldust.

Even if the candidate was so minded, the allocation of secret service 'spies' posing as bodyguards means that every move a candidate makes is analysed by 'the good ol boys' or whatever you prefer to call 'em to ensure the candidate is not associating with anyone TGOB deem unsavoury.

Of course surveillance will have begun long before then - because in most cases the ridiculously large unmanageable size of the amerikan electorate means only those names which are already known can stand a chance of being elected.

That huge size also means that very few voters can have any personal insight into the character of a candidate, leaving the way clear for corporate media to spin the candidates any way they choose. That is why orange moron's handlers went for public rallies and twitter , the media spins their bulldust one way and orange spins and tweets bulldust in the opposite direction.

It is simply impossible for any worthwhile human being to win this farce of 'democratic choice' which explains why no decent human being has bothered to enter in nearly 100 years.

It isn't for me to tell anyone else what to do, but blathering on about the relative vices of a band of charlatans does seem a peculiarly masochist act.

Lending a hand at any any of the independent, but worthwhile community organisations in your area is an infinitely more valuable contribution to society than speculating which of the drugged beasts being dragged to the start line of a fixed horse race, is more worthwhile.
The only thing you can be certain of is whichever beast wins he/she won't be doing you or anything you care about any favours.

Posted by: A User | Jan 30 2020 0:26 utc | 134

An FYI for all barflies: Pepe Escobar has abandoned Facebook and is now at VK here. VK does not like IE as a browser, so you'll need Yandex, Firefox, Edge, or something else. You'll also need to sign up to comment.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 30 2020 0:36 utc | 135

Evelyn @144--

As James said, there's no full time or part time censor at MoA, and b is the only moderator. Almost all barflies have some sort of problem with the site; I must input my name and email every time I comment when before that was always automatic. Others can't use html tags. Yes, the quirks are maddening.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 30 2020 0:41 utc | 136

Evelyn - Try a different browser or a VPN. Some domains have been blocked by WordPress and others probably by b. That you are able to get some comments to appear but not others, however, tells me that there was something off with your post (perhaps questionable links).

There might also be a blacklist for this site specifically, but who knows. It's a very opaque process, I'll give you that.

Also, please chill - I wouldn't automatically assume you're actively being censored if you are able to get some items to post.

@admins, please feel free to delete this comment

Posted by: Mister Wiggles | Jan 30 2020 0:42 utc | 137

The two-party system in a plurality single seat lower house and a biased upper house and a biased indirect presidential election is pretty much reduced to a bunch of one party districts with only a handful of swing districts/states. The parties are really just INS versus OUTS, with an extremely wide overlap in real (aka $) policies. They are mostly just branded as significantly different. Different favorite hot buttons, is pretty much all. This kind of system is in crisis when the parties actually polarize significantly around genuine ($) policy issues. But, even so, vk@133 is technically incorrect about third parties never winning. If the previous OUTS (like the Whigs in the 1850s) break up, the supposed third party, like the Republicans, can indeed win, even become the new INS. What's happening right now, I believe, is that the current OUTS, the Democrats, are breaking up. Billionaires trying to take over the party as personal vehicles for them to become president is not support but carjacking, so to speak. The financial support for splitting candidates who have no chance at the nomination, like Gabbard (splitting anti-imperialists) or even more so, Buttigieg (the honest version of Warren, but no gay is getting nominated this year, much as Trump would like it,) are also signs of disintegration. (The stalking horse, splitting function requires zero intent on either person's part: Gabbard can be genuinely committed to anti-Mideast war and Buttigies can be genuinely committed to making a serious campaign by a gay candidate.)

Sanders has decades of going along to get along. And his personal sincerity is irrelevant too.

Posted by: steven t johnson | Jan 30 2020 0:43 utc | 138

I tried to provide @evelyn with a possible answer, but my comment also disappeared as soon as I refreshed after hitting "post" - so probably technical issues or a heavy dose of establishment trolls hitting the site today.

Posted by: Mister Wiggles | Jan 30 2020 0:43 utc | 139

"Is he actually attempting to wake up the class unconscious?" --Trailer Trash @110

It doesn't matter if that is his intention or not, the important point is that Sanders IS awakening class consciousness... at least somewhat, and his campaign is opening the door that will allow class consciousness to develop further.

Class consciousness is a prerequisite for changing the global socioeconomic order (capitalists already have it; the other 99.9% of us need to develop it). It is undeniable that there has been a surge in class consciousness in the US since 2015, and it is obvious that Sanders' 2016 election campaign was the vehicle for that surge.

Perhaps you have a better idea of how to spur the growth in class consciousness? Something that we can actually implement? In the meantime, Sanders is "moving the ball downfield" in that regard, whether that is his intention or not. Sure, progress is slower than I would prefer, but it is undeniable that where consciousness is concerned we are far beyond where we were in 2015.

It sure would be nice if we could go from here to the perfect society in one step, but that isn't going to happen. The gap between here and there is just too great. We have to "tack" towards that destination, like a sailboat beating upwind. We have to throw our support behind society's moves when it's course is bringing us closer to that perfect society, even when we know that society will miss that target and will have to change course again later anyway.

Posted by: William Gruff | Jan 30 2020 0:44 utc | 140

unz link experiment...

Posted by: james | Jan 30 2020 1:00 utc | 141

i just tried a unz link experiment... i can't remember, but it looks like b doesn't let the unz come thru here..

Posted by: james | Jan 30 2020 1:01 utc | 142

Much is said here about the futility of participation in the political process. While that's true, refusal to participate is the worst choice.

Find a candidate you believe in, research his/her record, and then send them some $, or volunteer your time to see your choice move forward. If nothing else, the therapy is very rewarding.

Doing nothing, as some people suggest, is your worst choice, and guarantees the continuance of the status-quo.

The elite wealthy buy their reps, the working classes must do the same. Any amount will do.

Support this site, and the people you believe in. There's more of us, (working folks) than them.

As Circe rants, this November is an important election. Get off you cheap asses and do something.

Posted by: ben | Jan 30 2020 1:13 utc | 143

Old hippie @60 and 64,

I have deep respect for Robert Parry and all the reporters and writers who have succeed him at Consortium News, perhaps second only to standalone b and his site here. So if Yves Smith continues to write posts painting them or any other key and important figure from the antiwar community, including b and MOA course, as some kind of paid stooge for the Russian government, believe you me, I will not only stop frequenting her site, but I may even take revenge measures, and they won’t be pretty! The last thing the antiwar community needs is a turncoat like Yves and with her expertise in finance and economics to undermine us and our efforts to end yet another costly Cold War between Russia and the West!

Posted by: Cynthia | Jan 30 2020 1:22 utc | 144

Circe @ 48

I am beginning to see your point with the forces being marshaled against Sanders. I think his end in politics, as he is so advanced in age, will tell us where his heart and sympathies lie. In other words, who will be his successor?

I would not know how people here define a movement but after his loss to Hillary there were meetings held throughout the country on how to organize for the next go around. It wall all grassroots organizing and networking at its best. It may be paying off for him and that, in my opinion, is the beginning of a movement.

If Sanders brings Tulsi and Yang on board in leadership roles then the Democratic party will have their knickers caught so deep in their crack they may well have to drop their knickers on the convention floor. If Sanders roles over like a sheep dog on cue then we will know we have been had again.

I do not trust any of them.

Posted by: dltravers | Jan 30 2020 1:31 utc | 145

steven t johnson @149:

The parties are really just INS versus OUTS, with an extremely wide overlap in real (aka $) policies. They are mostly just branded as significantly different. Different favorite hot buttons, is pretty much all.

Wrong!

As has been noted many times at moa, BOTH Parties agree on the Empire.

They just don't want the people to know it.

If a poll were taken of all Presidential candidates, I expect EVERY ONE would say that they are Zionist. ("Zionist" = pro Empire)

Except Bernie. He was asked (in 2015) ... and did his level best to obfuscate. Naturally, this is a sensitive issue because he's Jewish and spent a year in Israel when he was young so everyone expects him to support Israel - and he does! But he also talks about being fair to Palestinians and supports a 'two state' solution - while avoiding the fact that Netanyahu/Israel relying on help from AIPAC Congress, neocons, and USA's Zionist political leaders, have all but abandoned negotiations for diktat (even before 2015).

!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2020 1:36 utc | 146

Well, as i mentioned in the other thread the number of actual people who are infected with the coronavirus are vastly understated since they are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, especially younger people.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/
2020-01-29/10-year-old-boy-raises-fears-wuhan-virus-could-spread-undetected

Also, according to this study

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/31607599/

“Receipt of influenza vaccination was not associated with virus interference among our population. ....Vaccine derived virus interference was significantly associated with coronavirus and human metapneumovirus; ...”

So basically getting a flu shot increases susceptibility to corona virus infection. Hmmm. Yet CDC is recommending getting a flu shot as a response to coronavirus outbreak (of course flu is far more prevalent and CDC profits from flu shots since they hold patents related to flu vaccines and other vaccines as well)

China this year ordered twice as much flu vaccine as last year to keep up with increased demand. One expects this means they gave out twice as many flu shots.

Curiously although not being reported in MSM according to this earlier chinese report (in chinese) the median age of deaths from corona virus was about 75 yrs with a few of the younger persons having other diseases

http://www.nhc.gov.cn/yjb/s3578/202001/
5d19a4f6d3154b9fae328918ed2e3c8a.shtml

Don’t know if the median for the latter fatalities are still the same though. You would think this would be a key number that reporters would be all over. Perhaps I have missed it

China as you know has an aging population which is creating a burden since they only had 1 child to rely on to support them in their old age, unlike in past generations where there was a larger family to support the elderly. Not saying there was any intent here though, but a pandemic that targets mostly elderly or sick people probably has a silver lining to technocrats.

I broke up a couple of the links to preserve the formatting here

Posted by: Pft | Jan 30 2020 1:47 utc | 147

US Special Operations Command C-27J Spartan crashed in Iraq

coincidence?

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fz5h64q92x9.net%2Fproxy_u%2Fru-en.en%2Fhttps%2Fcolonelcassad.livejournal.com%2F5602350.html

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rusdialog.ru%2Fwar%2F194063_1580308519&sandbox=1

Posted by: Dracula | Jan 30 2020 1:56 utc | 148

Circe @ 48
"We Can't Tail After Democrats"

"We need a new, progressive political party in the U.S. because on almost every important issue the Democratic and Republican Parties, both controlled by Big Money, are indistinguishable.”

“We need a new, progressive political movement in this country because the Democrats and Republicans are not only incapable of solving any of the major problems facing this country, they are not even prepared to discuss them.”

“The U.S. people, as almost never before, are rejecting the “two-party” system and are crying out for a political alternative….Everyone instinctively knows that the current system is failing, but the progressive movement is not getting out an alternative vision of society or an alternative program of immediate demands.”

“The boldness and clarity that we need to articulate can never be done through the compromised and corrupt Democratic Party – dominated by Big Money…. We must begin to have the courage to fight for power – not handouts. We are the majority of people and must act accordingly.”

“I understand the enormous difficulties that confront us when we take on the Democratic and Republican Parties and the economic oligarchy that controls this country. if we stop thinking about all the reasons as to why it can’t be done, and go out in the streets and do it, we can succeed. We can create a third party. We can raise the important issues which the Democrats and Republicans ignore. We can win.”

So said Bernie in his article "Democratic and Republican Parties Are Indistinguishable" published in the Guardian of September 27, 1989, and archived here. Too bad he sold out to sheepdog credulous Dems into the deadly arms of the corrupt warmongering Democratic wing of the war party.

Posted by: Trisha | Jan 30 2020 1:57 utc | 149

I see many misguided comments here and elsewhere in the comment section regarding the US presidential race. Why misguided? Let me explain.
Your vote simply does not count, unless you are a member of Electoral College or as in Y2K, the Supreme Court. All else is a made for TV show. A year-round-multi-billion-dollar jobs program.
The talking heads on the tube, get paid. The carpenters setting up the podiums, get paid. The bus drivers, get paid. The political consultants, get paid. See where I’m going with this. I think there is show called the Circus that covers what it truly is: A Circus. Now here is an idea, let’s cover what we are already covering, put it together, and call it the Circus.
A circus to keep everyone talking about the horse race. The suspense of who is ahead. Will he? Won’t he? Will she? Won’t she. HE SAID. SHE SAID.
So, please let me know if you are a member of the above-mentioned group. I’d like to see how the sausage is made. All others, he said, she said, that’s all.

Now, gunning for the tape, coming from behind is, yada, yada, yada.

Posted by: Sakineh Bagoom | Jan 30 2020 2:16 utc | 150

ben @156:

... refusal to participate is the worst choice.

Sanders has the best policy mix of any candidate. Because it's the most progressive thus the most SANE.

But that doesn't mean 1) that he wants to win, or 2) that he will be allowed to win, or 3) that he will deliver the CHANGE that voters want.

1) He was the better candidate in 2016 too. But he didn't want to win. DNC-Hillary collusion didn't really prevent him from winning - SANDERS HIMSELF tied his hands and pulled punches! That's why he's called a 'sheepdog'. His only real purpose was to round up the progressive sheep and bring them into the Democratic Party fold.

He wouldn't attack Hillary on character issues (famously giving her a pass when he exclaimed: "Enough with your damn emails!) AND he failed to counter Hillary's assertion that she "never traded her vote for money" with the WELL KNOWN EXAMPLE (first described by Warren, actually) of Hillary's having done so (to the Credit Card industry) during the MUST WIN NYC debate.

2) EVEN IF Sanders wants to win THIS TIME, it's likely that he won't be allowed to. USA elites have no interest in seeing a socialist choice, and Zionists are unlikely to want a Jewish President who might face resistance when helping Israel and/or aggressively defending the Empire's interests.

3) Obama was also the most logical choice in 2008 - first against Hillary and then against McCain-Palin. But he didn't deliver on his campaign promises or his promise as a 'progressive'. In hindsight, he was a faux populist that worked for the establishment, not the people.

What happens if Biden wins the Democratic nomination? A revolt against the Democratic Party? HELL NO! If that was going to happen, it would've happened after 2016. It would've happened after the DNC argued in court (and won) that they don't have any obligation to be fair or democratic in their candidate selection.

And 'Democracy Works! propagandists will urge you to vote for Biden - BECAUSE WE MUST BEAT TRUMP!! And all the sheep will quietly blame the Democratic Party and FORGET that Sanders could've started an independent Movement but chose not to. A replay of 2016.

<> <> <> <> <> <> <>

So the worst choice is thinking that your vote is all-that-is-necessary and all-that-you-have. The worst choice is allowing yourself to be played - again.

!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2020 2:26 utc | 151

Comment 161
It seems that quite a few planes crashed this week. We have the 27th crash of the USAF 11-358 and, possibly, a helicopter in Afghanistan. Now we have a crash of another military aircraft in Iraq.
This could be anomalous. It could just be mechanical failure, pilot error, combination thereof but if it continues it will become pretty difficult for the U.S. to shrug off.
I would very much prefer to see a rational foreign policy coming out of DC.
When I see the Palestinian Peace Plan being led by Jared Kushner, an intellectual zombie, I find it hard to actually take the Trump administration seriously. Maybe I'm an elitist but I would rather see a guy like Victor David Hanson brought in as an advisor to work on an honest plan that would truly solve the problem facing the Palestinians and Israel. What I'm seeing from Trump seems to be another instance of using foreign policy to boost domestic politics during an election year. This just leads me to continue to lose respect for Trump and hope that a sincere movement begins for a 3rd party. Sorry, I just don't buy Sanders and his radical communist international brigade.

Posted by: dorje | Jan 30 2020 2:32 utc | 152

Moscow pips Pompeo at the Syrian post

indian punchline from today..

Posted by: james | Jan 30 2020 2:50 utc | 153

All the commenters here convinced the French government is about to fall. I can't see any sign of it myself. I didn't even notice myself the demo concerned, and it's disappeared from the media today, disappeared down a memory hole. Maybe Mina has something to tell us. What was to see in the videos is par for the course in France, nothing special.

The fact is, the unions went for broke to defend some luxurious retirement programmes, and they haven't really succeeded. The rail workers are back at work now in the main. It's very understandable that people are very worried about their retirements, but you need a realistic plan if you're going to take action in the streets.

Posted by: Laguerre | Jan 30 2020 2:52 utc | 154

pomparse talking about how to deal with the usa-israel trojan horse in iraq-syria.. the usual lies and b.s.

Joint Statement by the Political Directors of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS

Posted by: james | Jan 30 2020 2:54 utc | 155

@ laguerre, i am reminded of the gil scott heron song - the revolution will not be televised...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnJFhuOWgXg

Posted by: james | Jan 30 2020 2:56 utc | 156

Bernie rally live in Iowa City. In case you wanna hear what Naomi Klein, Michael Moore, Jane Sanders and Kendrick Sampson say about him. Bernie's stuck in the Senate tonight for q & r.

https://youtu.be/AxFJR7dtxQU

By the way the pro Israeli superpac started airing their dirty ad on Sanders and Bernie received 1.5 million in contributions in one day since it started running. Keep airing that trash you ziofascists!

Posted by: Circe | Jan 30 2020 3:08 utc | 157

bevin #103

As to what Chomsky said was he not simply saying that there is a chance of Sanders winning and, if he does, he will need all the help that he can get from ordinary people. Because he will get none from billionaires? And is he not right?

Thank you bevin and a BIG YES to your entire post. On Chomsky he is spot on and if Sanders wins people will need to be on the streets regularly celebrating every positive move he makes and making their own media coverage as the entire mendacious media mongrels will be incessantly undermining him. Equally the people will need to be vigilantly holding their state governments to the task of rebuilding and persistent in outing the do nothings blocking the stairways and the halls.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jan 30 2020 3:10 utc | 158

A prominent Harvard professor appeared in shackles in US court yesterday, charged with misrepresentations to federal investigators over ties to Chinese outreach programs - an event which coincided with the announcement of joint US gov/ US academic institution programs designed to curb "academic espionage". The professor's activities date back to 2012, while the federal decision to consider previously encouraged outreach programs as threats to national security began only in 2018. No actual transfer of proprietary or national security materials is alleged. The distinguished professor, it appears, did not agree with the political decision to consider all outreach with China as a security threat and so he was put in chains to serve as an example.

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/1/29/lieber-federal-charges/

This seems the roll-out to new harsh measures in the US to interpret all interaction with China as inherently suspect, following the aggressive campaign in Australia.

Posted by: jayc | Jan 30 2020 3:14 utc | 159

Jrabbit @ 164: Hooray, let's all get depressed and do nothing but join some do nothing movement.

Christ rabbit, you sound like a friggen' Neo-Con mole.

Choose a side people, and open your wallets. Short of torches and pitchforks, which ain't gonna' happen, it's ALL you can do.

Posted by: ben | Jan 30 2020 3:22 utc | 160

This seems the roll-out to new harsh measures in the US to interpret all interaction with China as inherently suspect, following the aggressive campaign in Australia.

Posted by: jayc | Jan 30 2020 3:14 utc | 172

The charges may not stick, but that doesn't matter. The purpose is to scare scholars from collaborating (or, "collaborating"). It's still effective if the charges are dropped. Still have to pay dem lawyers a bundle.

Posted by: occupatio | Jan 30 2020 3:23 utc | 161

Likklemore
22

This is good news!
Thanks for posting.
How can they put some teeth into it?
Make freeing Assange some kind of preconditoin for going ahead with Brexit discussions?

Posted by: Really?? | Jan 30 2020 3:41 utc | 162

All the people who don't, can't see what FB is tracking them for.
. . ..

Posted by: c1ue | Jan 29 2020 17:33 utc | 43

You seem to be saying that FB can track people who do not have accounts on FB. ??

Posted by: Really?? | Jan 30 2020 3:42 utc | 163

@172 and 174 - ZeroHedge ran an article on it yesterday. Lieber_Harvard
I read the article. It sounds stupid to me that he lied if his connection went back several years and can be documented. But I don't really care. I'm sure some level of corruption was involved. No one's hands are clean.
I take ZeroHedge with a medium sized grain of Pink Himalayan sea salt, but more often than not I enjoy what they have to offer. Better than most. Moon of Alabama is my favorite, but Zero Sum has its place on my searchbar.

Posted by: lex talionis | Jan 30 2020 3:48 utc | 164

Reuters, WORLD NEWS JANUARY 24, 2020 / 7:33 AM / 6 DAYS AGO

Hodeidah, which has an active frontline on its eastern edge where the United Nations is trying to enforce a ceasefire and troop withdrawal, is reporting the highest number of suspected dengue cases and deaths, an International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) report said.

The WHO said 76,768 suspected cases, including 271 deaths, were recorded last year across Yemen, although numbers started to fall in recent weeks.

“The dengue cases began in mid-November,” said Ahmad Mu’ajam, a doctor at Thawra hospital in Hodeidah. “With time, there were fewer cases in the countryside areas, but they increased inside the city.”

Authorities in the parts of Hodeidah city controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthi group have been filling in pools of stagnant water to remove mosquito breeding grounds, said Abdrahman Jarallah, the head of Hodeidah’s health department.

But frontline areas are hard to access, and most cases in Hodeidah are coming from those areas, the WHO said. Communities there, who collect rainwater for drinking in open basins, are being advised on how to reduce mosquito breeding grounds themselves.
------
This is a vignette of despicable behavior of Western allies, castrated "UN officials" who "administer ceasefire", and explanation why Sunni tribes do not rise against Huthis (except for the secessionist in the South Yemen who despise "the internationally recognized government" too. "Iran-aligned Houthi group" tries to eliminate the sources of dengue fever, but this is not possible on the frontline... why? because "someone", not named by the intrepid reporters of Reuters, is shooting at them when they try, while UN people who are present do not complain at that behavior. At least, not in the way that percolates up.

It is KSA/UAE behavior that inflicts hunger, cholera, denge fever etc. on all Yemenis -- it is not like the "lucky guys" outside Houthi control have full stomach, lack of epidemics etc. The "internationally recognized government" seems to the most despicable collection of malfunctioning puppets I have read about.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Jan 30 2020 4:01 utc | 165

"This seems the roll-out to new harsh measures in the US to interpret all interaction with China as inherently suspect, following the aggressive campaign in Australia.

Posted by: jayc | Jan 30 2020 3:14 utc | 172"

==========

If you read the story in the "Crime" I do not think you will describe these measures as "harsh" or disproportionate. Read what Lieber is charged with having done. There doesn't really seem to be an innocent explanation, if he has done what he is charged with doing.

Posted by: Really?? | Jan 30 2020 4:10 utc | 166

ben @173

1) You've agreed with many of my comments over a long period of time. So I think you know that "neocon mole" is untrue.

Other commenters in this thread as well as prior threads have agreed with the view that elections appear to greatly benefit the establishment over the people. In fact, Bernie once held a similar view (that Democrats and Republicans are "indistinguishable") as Trisha notes @162.

Caitlin Johnstone has also recently written of the need for more than voting (see my comment @45).

2) I wrote that Bernie has the best policies. But my endorsement comes with important caveats and a warning not to rely solely on voting.

3) I can't stop anyone from voting for Sanders or giving money. I'm arguing for doing MORE than voting. To do so, I have to explain how voting has NOT worked in the past. Sadly, Sanders and Obama failed us. Shouldn't we learn from that?

There is a lot of complacency and it's exacerbated/driven by people that focus our attention on VOTING as the answer - the ONLY answer, when history of the last 30 years shows us that it is not.

<> <> <> <> <> <>

The secretive Zionist Movement doesn't rely on voting. They do what works, not what's convenient. The results speak for themselves. While ordinary people in USA struggle for decent schools and healthcare Israel gets billions and USA spends trillions on futile ME wars.

The real "neocon moles" don't want you to know that. They want you to waste your time and your energy in the electoral "circus" (as Sakineh Bagoom @163 calls the political show).

!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2020 4:25 utc | 167

Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 29 2020 21:59 utc | @109
"As I wrote to trailer trash above, Seattle passed a law outlawing corporate donations to political campaigns based on the no foreign money rule as all public corporations have foreigners as owners/shareholders."

How does this stop AIPAC money from filtrating into the political system?

Posted by: trill | Jan 30 2020 4:30 utc | 168

Bernie Sanders is leading in the polls and some are excited that he might win the nomination. I doubt it. He must have 50% of the delegates going to the convention to win. If he has less, after the first vote corrupt Democratic party rules allow the unelected corporate sponsored “superdelegates” to vote who are all against Sanders. Since the other leading candidates are all corporate funded, they will cut deals and one will emerge as the Democratic party candidate. Meanwhile, Trump will survive impeachment because he does 90% of what his fellow billionaires want. He is their best candidate to run against Sanders. If Trump is ousted, the Republicans will nominate a corporate clown and lose millions of voters, some of whom would vote for Sanders to upset the system.

Posted by: Carlton Meyer | Jan 30 2020 4:45 utc | 169

Jrabbit @ 180; "Rome wasn't built in a day" rabbit, it's really about choosing a side, or movement, and funding it.

In this world, at this time, it's all about the $. Voting is at least, therapy. As are the comments we all make here at MoA.

Posted by: ben | Jan 30 2020 4:46 utc | 170

P.S. Unless, of course, your paid to make comments..

Posted by: ben | Jan 30 2020 4:48 utc | 171

@ 184; make that a you're...

Posted by: ben | Jan 30 2020 4:51 utc | 172

Flynn's Defense Files Motion Saying His Former Legal Team "Betrayed Him"

Why the heck Flynn was using Covington is beyond me.

It really appears that Flynn didn't know how deeply he was hated by the establishment.

Covington is 110% establishment and deeply connected to an Obama Administration that was angered when Flynn revealed that the Obama Administration had made a "wilful decision" to allow ISIS to grow. Even Wikipedia notes:

In July 2015, Holder rejoined Covington & Burling, the law firm at which he worked before becoming Attorney General. The law firm's clients have included many of the large banks Holder declined to prosecute for their alleged role in the financial crisis. Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone opined about the move, "I think this is probably the single biggest example of the revolving door that we've ever had."

!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2020 4:56 utc | 173

ben @156:

... refusal to participate is the worst choice.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2020 2:26 utc | 164

So the worst choice is thinking that your vote is all-that-is-necessary and all-that-you-have.

I agree with ben. I gave up on strategic voting a while back, which necessitates taking the long view. Thus I have gotten comfortable voting for candidates who have little chance of winning (usually greens). At worst it's a display of dissatisfaction with the status quo, and at best if enough voters do it may lead to the emergence of genuine alternatives and/or proportional representation. (Note that I don't live in the US, where the deck is even more stacked against alternative parties than elsewhere.)

Posted by: farm ecologist | Jan 30 2020 5:06 utc | 174

ben @184: Unless, of course, your paid to make comments..

Wow. It's not enough to write that I think Sanders has the best overall policies, I have to go 110% batshit crazy for Sanders to avoid smears like this?

You haven't answered my question: shouldn't we learn from the failings/disappointments of prior "progressive heros"?

And who do you think would pay me to write what I did in the last two paragraphs @180?

!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jan 30 2020 5:10 utc | 175

Trump probably believed what he said back in 2016-17 about reining in the empire. Since then he has learned a lot and events have moved on.

Western civilization as it exists today is 100% dependent on burning prodigious amounts of fossil fuels. Global warming concerns, whether real or imagined, are completely irrelevant to the existential concerns of empire except as they can be used by the US to extend the timeline of its hegemony (as, for example, to help in blocking access of Canadian oil to world markets).

Western civilization can only exist as long as global transport systems keep running and transport systems run on oil. When the oil stops, civilization, as we know it, stops. Modern warfare is also 100% dependent on oil.

There is conventional oil, which has a high energy return on energy invested (EROEI), and unconventional oil (e.g. oil sands and shale or tight oil), which has a much lower EROEI. Global production of conventional oil peaked in 2005; as conventional oil production slips down from its highs on the peak oil curve the EROEI of conventional oil falls to approach that of unconventional oil.

Every spike in the price of oil since the end of WWII has been followed by recession. The recession of 2008-09 that followed the large oil spike of 2007-08 was so severe that it resulted in the only year over
year drop in global energy consumption since the time such consumption records have been kept.

As the world's economies began to recover from the recession, the price of oil shot back up to over $100 per barrel and the economy again began to falter. Central banks, through their co-ordinated policies of ZIRP, QE and NIRP, were able to increase US shale oil production enough to bring oil prices in 2014 down to where they don't threaten recession.

Over the years that the US has been the world hegemon, its economy has evolved from being the major producer of the world's goods to being a major producer of only war goods, some agricultural products and money. The world's money, its international reserve assets, is the US federal debt. The success of this system for maintaining US hegemony depends on US control over the ability of other countries to effect international payments. This control is backed by threats to restrict country access to international payment systems and by military threats.
..
The rise of China as a major economic power has made China a strong competitor for dominance of world oil markets and an existential threat to US hegemony.

Russia, under Putin, has developed defensive weapon systems that can effectively counter US offensive systems and has done so at a cost that is a small fraction of what the US spends to maintain its military.

Russia and China have become the nucleus of an ever-growing number of countries that are working toward replacing uni-polar US hegemony with a multi-polar system.

The position of elites in most countries around the world is dependent to one degree or another on maintenance of the existing US dominated financial order. Even Russia and China want the present system to endure while they continue to develop a robust alternate international payment system and a strong network of countries committed to the new system.

The US, and therefore also the elites of the world, has a predicament. That predicament is maintaining the current low price of oil without crashing the US economy or furthering the aims of its economic rivals.

The early days of the shale oil boom looked quite promising for the US as technical advances led to increasing production efficiencies. The EIA made rosy predictions of US energy self-sufficiency that would carry on for many years. The predictions are turning out to be wrong. Keeping the uneconomic production of shale oil going is a huge cost to the overall US economy and cannot be sustained much longer. ZIRP will be insufficient to keep money flowing into an enterprise that has generated nothing but losses. And the kicker is that all attempts so far to replace US based production with equivalent production from other sources where the benefits flow to the US have so far not succeeded. The carefully-crafted plan to take over Venezuela oil production was a dismal failure. This failure led to the current desperate attempt to force Iraq to cede control of its oilfields to the US. This one is still somewhat up in the air but looks very unlikely to succeed. Adding further pressure is Haftar shutting in Libyan oil production and Canada starting construction of a new oil pipeline to its west coast.

Apart from outright military action, the best the US can hope to do is get Haftar to keep the oil flowing, get global-warming activists to continue delaying the Canadian pipeline and press ever harder on Iraq to relinquish control of its oilfields. None of these actions are likely to produce a sufficient result in time to avert disaster.

How far will the US go in its desperation? What will the EU do if the US goes for its full military option? The US must make its move before the economy collapses or it will have no move to make.

There is almost no time left before the atomic pile that is the world economy goes critical.

Posted by: oilycan | Jan 30 2020 5:15 utc | 176

ben @173, Jackrabbit @180

Bernie Sanders looks to be the best of the bunch to beat Trump. The 2016 campaign was a long shot for Bernie, a steep and daunting uphill effort; and he was up against a hot wired Convention and the dynastic inevitability (so it was thought) of Hillary. I believe Sanders wants to win now, and sees a real opportunity to succeed in this election.

It do cause any good to throw cold water on Bernie's enthusiasm or belittle his strong refusal to knuckle under to pressure, or capitulate to the bastards.

I saw Warren fold like a cheap suit when confronted about the assassination of Iranian General Soleimani; only being capable of mouthing the establishment line, while her eyes bugged out in panic. There was such a stricken look on her face as she caved in. It was disappointing; and she doesn't seem have the mettle to be president.

The last thing we need is the toxic cynicism that says that we are beaten before we begin in this, or any other important election. Changes come from the grassroots, building up in the soul of a nation. People rise to the occasion when they have endured more than they can bear; and the strongest revolt against injustice comes on behalf of others, when we are more offended by the the wrongs done to them, than the blows we have received.

Posted by: Copeland | Jan 30 2020 5:32 utc | 177

#190 typo: "It does not cause any good to throw cold water on Bernie's enthusiasm or belittle his his strong refusal to knuckle under to pressure, or capitulate to the bastards."

Posted by: Copeland | Jan 30 2020 5:38 utc | 178

Jrabbit @ 188: I wasn't speaking of you, just in general. There are, you know, folks that are paid to be here.

Have a good one.....

Posted by: ben | Jan 30 2020 5:40 utc | 179

Saudi Publishes Mistranslated Quran For Trumps Peace Deal Of The Century!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g8cyaOxoLI

Posted by: Rick Happ | Jan 30 2020 6:07 utc | 180

Cynthia #53

Perhaps this is why I find myself increasingly distancing myself from Naked Capitalism and everyone who post there. I really think that more and more people there are starting to fall for various forms of anti-Russian related nonsense. Regardless, hearing your take on this would help me draw a more educated, more sensible conclusion about it.

I went there regularly in past years and was always aware of a sense of disquiet, incomplete analysis, paper tiger criticism. Its all very nice and never ruffles the feathers. Like a coffee at Starbucks - not really coffee and delivered by a less than authentic company. It was a good place to start and then one day someone there linked to Moon and the gravity of b and the orbiting commenters has held me here for some time.

There are many other haunts I frequent and even NC gets a moment but then I bump into some 'evil Russia' line and stay away till the venom wears off. I maintain an eclectic browse as would any decent political forager. Today at MoA someone linked me to Craig Murray (who I do like) and I stayed a while, slayed a dragon, posted a few remarks etc and back again with a glass of shiraz and fresh made bread for a while. I do love the company and the joust.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jan 30 2020 6:22 utc | 181

james #77

@ 39 karlof1 quote "... Yes, there's a chance Sanders may turn out to be Hopium a la Obama. But look at the alternatives;"... this seems to be the problem - no good options, so people are forced to make the least bad option... quite the system this is..

There is always a chance that one's expectations in politics will be dashed. As there is in love, the sunrise, the tide. Sanders is an evolutionary manifestation in US politics and a quite extraordinary one at that. He is doing exactly the right things to raise up the people who have been hugely suppressed in that country. He is describing a future that is eminently achievable and speaking into the place where people's grievances live. ALWAYS speak into where the people are listening.

Sanders almost always speaks into the place where the establishment fears the sound, let alone the message of opposition. Sanders incites, reproduces clones conveying the message: this is the mortal fear of the establishment. Sanders never makes the mistake (folly) of talking about Marx, Chou En Lai, Ho Chi Minh, Fidel Castro because they are not his heros. Sanders speaks of the people of the USA who are heroic in standing up with him AND his successors.

The establishment thinks they might play for time and when he is too old the whole damn thing will go away. They nearly ejaculated when he had a stint or two inserted and walked out smiling. Made my day. But also made the day of millions of USians that hear him because he talks into where they are listening.

If Sanders is stymied this time I guess he might just be around in four more years to do it again. Maybe not the candidate but still listening, still talking.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jan 30 2020 6:41 utc | 182

Below is a Xinhuanet link

China firmly opposes U.S. House approval of Tibet-related bill: spokesperson

The question I would throw out is, can't the same be said with how empire is treating the Bolivian public? And Tibet is contiguous with China and its not like Bolivia is part of a contiguous empire.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jan 30 2020 6:51 utc | 183

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jan 30 2020 6:41 utc | 195

I read NC regularly and post occasionally, and I don't get the sense that there are very many Russophobes on the page or in the comments. Oh, there's always some trolls, but I'm pretty sensitive to Anti-Russian nonsense, and I don't get that vibe at all.

Posted by: Carson | Jan 30 2020 6:59 utc | 184

It isn't cynical, much less toxic cynical to point out that in over a century of trying to vote for some decent person who won't cave in to corporate or DC establishment pressure, amerikans have never succeeded in getting a decent prez. Name any prez in the last hundred years and you know there is overwhelming evidence of them having been at least a sell out, at worst a warmongering, careless with the lives of citizens sell out.
Everybody's favourite FDR spent years ploting and conniving to ensure a desperate and starving (FDR was the first sanctions prez) Japan attacked amerika as a response to amerika's unjust & indefensible naval blockade of Japan thereby creating a perfect excuse for going against the wishes of the electorate & declaring war on the Axis.
JFK waged war on Latin American & Caribbean social justice movements at the same time as he encouraged his brother who had nepotistically been appointed attorney general, waged war on the amerikan proletariat by attacking and using dodgy evidence and rigged grand juries to harass and imprison working peoples' union leaders.
This prez game has been fixed for a very long time and cannot be remedied while 'democracy' claims to serve such a large electorate of such an over centralised administration.
These issues cannot be overcome because amerika the nation has far too large a population for anything other than corporate/special interest driven lowest common denominator politics.

I will state it one more time, I can absolutely guarantee that in 2020, just as I said in 2016, 2013, 2008, 2004 in this blog, that whoever wins will be a disappointment, one who cannot even if he/she wanted to, deliver anything other than the same old same old permanent war with any state who refuses to let amerika steal their resources, while further oppressing the disadvantaged & impoverished domestic population.

This predicament has been in existence much longer than citizens united - there is no way to reach sufficient citizens to win without cutting a deal with the owners who control the media.
Expecting anyone to do that much less a 79 year old bloke who has voted to reject climate change (2015), voted against Blocking common sense arms control (2013), against moves to close Guantanamo Bay (2013) and abstained on a bill aimed at preserving citizens' right to digital privacy (2012).
Is Sanders a corporate whore or simply a patsy? Who knows or cares, one thing is for sure in the unlikely event he did get elected only a ninny would expect him to behave with principle, rather than the political 'reality' method of trading off principles for advantage he has always utilised in the senate.
Con't believe here is the record of Sanders squalid compromises.

Wishful thing has never changed jacksh1t. Change comes from planning and fighting for change - not from sending some well past his use by date tosspot a couple hundred bucks then ticking a box.

Posted by: A User | Jan 30 2020 7:20 utc | 185

Dracula #161

US Special Operations Command C-27J Spartan crashed in Iraq

coincidence?

For the martyr Soliemani they will fall just as tears at his funeral.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jan 30 2020 7:42 utc | 186

Who's been pushing a Global Chinese Exclusion Act on Chinese Companies, Chinese nationals, Chinese students, astronauts, on frivolous 'security concern' , so much so that even Chinese scientists were purged from US Cancer research centers ???
How does cHINESE advance in Cancer medicine pose a threat to '[[[their]]] national securities' ??

Who has been pushing the UN to sanction China for its so--called 'gulags in Xinjiang' ?

Who imposed a decades old embargo on China since the 50's , so draconian that even penicillin were on the forbidden list, were they trying to cull the Chinese people ?

Who is pushing the WHO to declare China a pandemic risk , which'd requires quarantine, that would be the ultimate Chinese Exclusion Act, a wet dream of you know who ?

Who had tried to push WHO to issue a Global lock down on China during the SAR's attack, yes you heard me right, the SAR attack.

China got away that time , before [[[they]]] succeeded to arm twist WHO to comply with the quarantine.

China is racing again time.
WHO'S under tremendous pressure from you know who.

But [[[they]]] aint gonna wait for the Chinese...

Who's evacuating their nationals from Wuhan, trying to induce a international exodus from China, thus retching up the pressure on WHO to impose a quarantine ??

All the answers point to the same [[[usual suspects]]] who did Mh370, Mh17 , amongst others.

Posted by: denk | Jan 30 2020 7:45 utc | 187

US Special Operations Command C-27J Spartan crashed in Iraq
coincidence? <-- Dracula

As you sail through the Gate of Tears (Google it, find on the map), you enter the Lands of Fubar* where there are no coincidences. The weak are strong and the strong are weak, a single moving finger can give you luck or doom with no way to resist it.
----
Fittingly, the legendary lost city of Ubar was found buried in the sands in Oman, uninhabitable beyond any repair as it lost is ancient source of water. The region has many wonders, antiquities, graveyards of imperial armies, flying carpets, jinns... so many ways to die.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Jan 30 2020 8:06 utc | 188

Forget Bernie Sanders. They are all wolves and sheepdogs. With our present choose-one election system we are trapped in elite faction lock-in, and there is no way out. Tens of millions of dollars are being fronted to promote 'ranked choice voting', which is even more opaque than our choose-one system.

I am sort of depressed. I know the way out of this trap. Why not cheer me up by leaving nice thoughts as comments on my blog? It is called 'Ranked Choice Voting Is A Fraud'. I know how to escape the 'two-party trap'. But the path of escape is littered with very subtle red herrings!

Let me show the path of escape! Encourage me. I do meed it now.

https://rankedchoicevotingisafraud.wordpress.com/

Thanks in advance!

Posted by: blues | Jan 30 2020 8:48 utc | 189

Laguerre@167

Perhaps you never attended Bastille day celebrations in small towns of France. Firefighters are highly respected while the CRS, BAC and gendarmes (military police) are not! Note that the local police have generally been against the military police as you would remember the confrontation between the Police general and the enforcers that support Macron.

While the retirement benefits of unions are excessive in many cases it is nothing compared to the looting by the corporate and banking interests that back Macron. Note that the CEO of Blackrock received the Legion of Honor from his friend Macron! Then there is all the overseas conflicts such as Mali that is sapping the treasury of France.

As for support for the removal of Macron I do not know of any segment of French society other than the Foulards Rouges and his minions in the Interior department, National Assembly and Senate. The situation reminds me of the "Angola Variant", where a leader is installed to loot a country with his masters paying him and the security forces of suppress the local tribal groups.

Unfortunately, most other politicians in France do not represent the people either. I really do not know any major politician in France who is neither a Zionist and/or high level Freemason.

The protests will continue until the government falls despite your claim to the contrary. I do agree that the protestors are not effective in disposing the government because they have failed to isolate and drive away the CRS (and their families) that any decent French call assassins.

The lack of organization by the French people and the control of society by the elite will in the end result in the collapse of France as a society. Unfortunately, collapse of French culture is just what Macron and fellow EU leaders want.

The wild card is that with the UK Brexit the economic condition of the EU is weakened by the loss of net UK contributions. Add to this Trump's sanctions on the EU as a means to weaken Russia, China and Iran and we may see other countries wanting to exit the EU (e.g. Poland, Hungary, Finland, Sweden).

There will also be a conflict over who controls the EU between the Industrialists and the bankers. Macron has installed his surrogate and chair of the ECB and Merkel has installed her former Defense Minister to replace Junker the drunker as President of the EU. Note that the EU is not a democracy but a technocracy.

The devolution of the EU reminds me of the 14th Century war between the princes and the guilds of the Hanseatic League.

Like Putin, all I can do is watch and eat my popcorn as the US political system is just as bad as the EU.

Posted by: krollchem | Jan 30 2020 8:56 utc | 190

When it comes to France, there are here around some fools (or just trolls), and some deluded people who are deep into wishful thinking. We're talking France, not Guyana or Laos, seriously. If there were major troubles brewing, we would know it because there are enough people on this site who live there or know French people. If the country was on the edge of revolution, some of us would've heard about it - and not from some 5th grade obscure poster in some 5th grade website that's barely known in MoA. I mean, I personally know a couple of guys who went regularly to the Parisian Yellow Vests demonstrations in late 2018-2019, and the bulk of my French acquaintances loathe Macron; if he was on the verge of losing control of the country, they'd be aware of it.
I disagree to an extent with Laguerre when it comes to the legitimacy of the retirement protests - some degree of reform was necessary and overdue, but Macron went full liberal and attacked this with a sledgehammer, as usual, because he doesn't want to improve the system but to push for private interests. What's very sad is that these protests/strikes and even more the SNCF strike about the gutting of the public railways last year were far more legitimate than most strikes of the last few decades in France, but French people are basically suffering strike fatigue - for decades, this method has been used so often for ridiculous reasons that most French are pissed off and have enough; the one time railways went on strike for good reasons, last year, was the last straw, after numerous ludicrous strikes from some irresponsible unions, and that one time they were 100% right to do a hardcore strike, it was already too late and people had had enough of it. Granted, more people supported the retirement protests and strikes, but Macron cynically launched his reform at the end of the year, when people were busy with the holidays - some people who supported the strikes were quite upset when the whole thing went on during Christmas, instead of a few days of truce before going back on strike after the New Year.
Sure, Macron is bleeding popular support with every new uber-liberal reform, but considering how barely democratic the French political system is, there's not much the people can do - except a general strike of the whole society or downright armed popular rebellion. The people obviously aren't ready for the latter (French government cynically spared most of the security forces in the gutting of the public pensions, because they're the only line of defense they have left), and there aren't major political parties left to try to organize the former, right now - sadly, Melenchon got too entangled into the usual wannabe-leftist identity politics to keep his former massive support.

Posted by: Clueless Joe | Jan 30 2020 9:27 utc | 191

The protests will continue until the government falls despite your claim to the contrary.

Posted by: krollchem | Jan 30 2020 8:56 utc | 203

So you're another one one believes excitable anti-EU English-language media.

You obviously don't understand the basic principles of French politics. The presidency in France is so well-seated that it's almost impossible to overturn. Even if they did succeed in overturning the pension reform, the next president would only do the same again. It's nothing to do with Macron himself, or his government. Macron can be accused of moving too fast, and that's probably right, but any attempt to reform the pension system was bound to run into opposition. As I say the train strike has petered out without result. It appears that people gulped a bit when they read their salary statements for January, and saw 0€ in the to-be-paid column. I saw a vox pop about that yesterday. French unions aren't well-financed

And by the way your prediction of the imminent demise of the EU is just a word-for-word repeat of 40 years of predictions by the Brexiters, the far right, and the hyper-nationalists. There was a recent poll about the popularity of the EU, and it's like 80% yes. An incredibly high figure, virtually all round Europe.

Posted by: Laguerre | Jan 30 2020 9:40 utc | 192

but considering how barely democratic the French political system is,

Posted by: Clueless Joe | Jan 30 2020 9:27 utc | 204

Really? Worse than the US, or particularly the UK? Difficult to believe that. Yeah, there are a few countries better, but not a lot. Most people get elected in France (as opposed to Britain, for example).

Posted by: Laguerre | Jan 30 2020 10:36 utc | 193

@ oilycan | Jan 30 2020 5:15 utc | 189 (Oil and efficiency)

Scanning through yous caught my eye and brought to mind the seldom discussed and even more rarely examined Wm. S. Jevons and his work in economics, particularly his "Coal Question" work, which seem to operate with "resources" generally, and particularly with respect to oil.

What it amounts to is that better fires use less "wood", but result in more fires and using more "wood" until the "wood", which had been in a fairly stable forest, is rapidly used and the forest cut down. For "wood" and "fire" substitute any "resource".

It's complex, and since some have asked me why "my posts are so long" I won't try to expand on Jevons here. see> "The Efficiency Dilemma" Newyorker,/2010/12/20/the-efficiency-dilemma.

Run as search too> "jevons paradox"

b might be particularly interested in Jevons.

Posted by: Walter | Jan 30 2020 10:58 utc | 194

That Laguerre person sure knows a lot about politics in France (not) if you can be bothered searching back to when the yellow jackets kicked off you will discover he made repeated posts here for the first few weeks of yellow jacket action, claiming the yellow jackets were all right wing neo-nazi types. Yep, he is so well connected to France's resistance movement that he had no idea that most of the yella fellas were dedicated socialists determined to rid their nation of Macron.
This is a commenter who never seems to fail to allow his personal beliefs or wishful thinking to influence his woeful commentary.

Posted by: A User | Jan 30 2020 11:37 utc | 195

@ Posted by: Laguerre | Jan 30 2020 9:40 utc | 192

And that's why the Yellow Vests will, ultimately, lose: they can't see a world outside the bourgeois representative system. They want the undesired reforms out - but without the correspondent structural change. Call it the social-democrat (center-left) disease - the same disease that crushed the German Revolution of 1918-1919 and paved the way to the rise of Nazism.

11 years after 2008, Western Democracy system still has the sacred Merovingian long hair. It still has that vaunted "legitimacy", as the art experts say (with which you can sell a banana taped onto a wall for USD 120,000). Its beauty and shine alone still paralyze the working class movements.

Posted by: vk | Jan 30 2020 11:42 utc | 196

Laguerre: it's simple: any system where the people merely elect a few dunces once every few years and then have to shut up and let their representatives do all the work isn't truly democratic. Sure, it's a Republican system, but not a genuinely democratic one. At the very least, the people should have the ability to decide to hold referendums on whatever issues they wish for, and definitely on any government or parliament's decisions - this shouldn't be the sole prerogative of the President. And of course you're right to point out that at the end of the day, there are very very few countries that come close to being genuine democracies.

Posted by: Clueless Joe | Jan 30 2020 11:46 utc | 197

"...whoever wins will be a disappointment..." --A User @185

Absolutely! But disappointment in a population clinging to delusional fantasies is a good thing, is it not? An opportunity for healing; for maturation; for growing up and getting real. The childish dreams of a savior setting everything aright without the population having to get off their couches needs to be dashed before the population gets off their couches and gets to work themselves on implementing the changes they want.

There is also the possibility that Sanders somehow wins, and once in office he will need leverage to force Congress and the Senate into enacting his policies. Sanders knows how to do this, which is to do the opposite of Obama: Keep the campaign rolling after the election and get his supporters to mob the congresscritters' offices with torches and pitchforks. Obama's supporters would have done that if he had only asked. Sanders knows this and could very well make that request of the US population, which, by the way, many in the US are just waiting for. Sanders making this request to force through one of his policies, let's say Medicare for All, will dramatically accelerate the learning process for Americans and significantly advance the schedule for real political change in America.

Posted by: William Gruff | Jan 30 2020 11:58 utc | 198

I like the smell of desperation at breakfast:

Japan’s economy plagued by virus risk - Japan's economic addiction to China reveals its downside as the coronavirus wreaks havoc on outlook for 2020

[didn't know the Japanese economy was still alive to be "infected"...]

Coronavirus Spreads, and the World Pays for China’s Dictatorship

Never read any article in the Western MSM ("Free Press") warning the Chinese government to take more effective and efficient measures against a future epidemic between 2003 (the end of SARS) and 2020 (beggining of the new coronavirus). This blindsided the "enlightened" westerners too.

Coronavirus panic shows how little China has learned since SARS

Uhm, well, let me see the differences between SARS and this new coronavirus: the first one was a mutation from ducks that infected chickens which mutated again to infect humans. China has a lot of ducks, a lot of chickens (which are used for food) and a lot of humans, so it was inevitable. The new coronavirus still has unknown origin, but it is suspected it came from a very exotic, over the top bat soup - which is not at all common in China, 99,999% of the Chinese people never saw this soup in their lives, let alone eat it - which infected an individual who eat it and, given this virus exceptional infection rate, spread quickly and under the radar.

In other words, two completely different cases. How could the Government predict some random individual were taking some extremely exotic dish somewhere in Wuhan? The most you could criticize is the mayor of the city, who was unable to warn the central government this bat soup was a thing. But then, not all mayors are graduated infectologists (not even in the Western Democracies).

China has a lot of people, with a lot of different cultures, in a vast and diverse territory a lot of animals with a lot of its original forests and other habitats still intact (as opposed to, e.g. Europe, where only 0.5% of its original forest still exists). A lot of wild animals still interact with humans and animals for food. The challenges the CCP daily face dwarves the challenges all those micro-nations from the European Peninsula put together in a decade.

Imagine the level of degeneration one has to reach in order to go to a point of cheering for an epidemic to ravage an entire nation of 1.4 billion people. You don't have to: just see with your own eyes.

Posted by: vk | Jan 30 2020 12:00 utc | 199

Yep, he is so well connected to France's resistance movement that he had no idea that most of the yella fellas were dedicated socialists determined to rid their nation of Macron.

Posted by: A User | Jan 30 2020 11:37 utc | 195

Somebody who believes propaganda is hardly in a position to criticise others. The Gilets Jaunes weren't left-wing, other than in socialist propaganda. It turned out in the end that most of the gilets jaunes were apolitical, just wanting not to be left behind, nothing to do with Macron, who'd only been in power less than a year, but rather the whole series of recent presidents. But there was also a violent core of "black blocs", black-masked violent lot, that I've never seen properly explained. The right say they were far left, the left try to slide over them. That sort of person these days is usually far right.

Posted by: Laguerre | Jan 30 2020 12:14 utc | 200