William Gruff, Walter, et al–
Jonathan Cook has written a very important essay picked up and published by Consortium News, “How We Stay Blind to the Story of Power, While Those Who Challenge it, Like Assange, Can Wind Up Behind Bars”:
“Power’s main concern is the ability to conceal itself, writes Jonathan Cook. Instead of making itself visible, it depends on ideas that enslave our minds.”
Caitlin Johnstone’s been trying to deliver the same message but via a different angle by directly attacking the Establishment Narrative–the “ideas that enslave”–and it’s what we practice here. But, we need to get this very important point delivered to a much wider audience so they can come together and free their minds and thus become capable of freeing others.
One of the major ways of controlling masses of people is to induce trauma into their lives at a very early age which greatly upsets normal cognitive pathways to learning and relationships–Poverty, Street Crime, Police Crime, Pollution, Drug Addiction are all ways to introduce trauma into lives and conditions that traumatize, like all the various cognitive learning disorders delivered via pollution that’ve impaired a very significant percentage of youth and adults. Essentially, the intent’s been to inject PTSD into as much of the populace as possible while continuing the traditional ways to promote trauma within families and communities. Try organizing a troop of people suffering from ADHD and ADD to do anything functional on a large scale–I’ll tell you now you’ll fail in the effort. Children from communities suffering high incidences of Police Violence grow into adults incapable of trusting others and have high incidences of domestic violence that wreck havoc on their families and communities in a viscous circle manner–one form of trauma reinforces and causes another, and so forth. It’s not for the sake of higher profits that Establishment’s been destroying measures to protect and clean the environment; rather, it’s to keep the poisonous pollution ever present so it can do its work–look at Flint, which still doesn’t have safe water as just one example multiplied thousands of times. Get a copy of Our Stolen Future to learn how pollution works–and that book’s now over 20 years-old.
We know the Establishment’s EVIL; most just don’t know how evil and to what lengths they’ll go to stay in power–history’s a good guide there: look at what the Romans did. The elite of our times are no different from Rome’s elite when it comes to their immorality and lust for power at the expense of the Good. Closely examine what Obama did and what Trump is now doing, and you’ll see they’re doing the same things for the same elite factions. That’s why the Movement supporting Sanders must continue to grow and become further educated about the nature of the Class War they’re engaged in whether they want it or not.

Posted by: karlof1 | Feb 27 2020 17:45 utc | 104

ben | Feb 26 2020 19:04 utc | 24
You seem to have forgotten the WMD! (Weapons of Mass Distraction, aka msm)

Posted by: foolisholdman | Feb 27 2020 18:52 utc | 106

Stories on the Skripals and MH17 at http://johnhelmer.net/
1/”The ongoing release of secret information about nerve agent manufacture and testing at Porton Down, the British Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), indicates that monkeys were used as targets for several years before Sergei and Yulia Skripal suffered poisoning in Salisbury on March 4, 2018.
“The British kill dose and death speed experiments on the monkeys were paid for by the US Defence Department.
“Publication of the experiment details and the number of monkeys and other animals tested show that the Anglo-American nerve agent weapon programme was under way for several years before the Skripal case began, and has continued since then. This gives the lie to the 2018 declaration to parliament by then-Prime Minister Theresa May that “only Russia had the technical means, operational experience and motive to carry out the attack”.
“That was a special kind of deceit. May knew that what she intended the House of Commons and everyone outside to believe wasn’t the whole truth. May’s phrase “only Russia” was false, because the rest of the truth was that the UK and US also had the technical means, operational experience and motive to manufacture and test organophosphate weapons like Novichok. This truth May intended to dissemble. …”
2/”There was a new release of documents by Bonanza Media, Max van der Werff and Yana Yerlashova on Monday morning. They add to the evidence released last week from the files of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) prosecuting the downing of Malaysia Airlines MH17 on July 17, 2014.
“Two secret reports by Major General Onno Eichelsheim, head of Dutch military intelligence (MIVD), have been disclosed in their Dutch origanals. The first told Dutch prosecutors that the MIVD relied on intelligence obtained from “partner informatie” – partner intelligence — to conclude no Russian BUK missile radar and launch units had crossed the border into Ukraine before or on July 17, 2014; no BUK missile radar targeting or firing on MH17 had been detected; and no identified Russian units on the Russian side of the border had launched missiles.
“In his reporting Eichelsheim told the prosecutors his intelligence came from “reliable sources and analyses of all locations”. The prosecutors understood Eichelsheim to be referring to US satellite and airborne electronic surveillance and NATO and British signals monitoring. Despite statements from Washington officials in the aftermath of the shootdown that they had seen US satellite data, and statements from Dutch officials claiming to have been briefed on these data, none has been documented until the Eichelsheim disclosures from the JIT files. Eichelsheim reveals that US intelligence means the opposite of what US officials have told their allies to insist upon. …”

Posted by: bevin | Feb 27 2020 19:20 utc | 108

karlof1 | Feb 27 2020 17:45 utc | 104 Thanks.
Yes, sic transit an’ all that. We get a ringside seat at the freak show of Imperial Delusion…Wm Burroughs said lots about us…sorry I never met him…one of the influential books of his youth (at the ranch school where they made the damn bomb! and, one assumes, the young feller learned about sodomy) was “You Can’t Win” an’ a ‘nuther was The Big Con – if memory and the bios are valid.
@ (RT) “Middle East dystopia? – RT’s Peter Lavelle Interviews Alastair Crooke” we might especially consider the last 30 seconds…
We get to watch. Or participate.
………..
McCain once referred to the JFK affair as a “correction”…and I believe so did B41. I assume you’re familiar with the Jim Garrison interview may 27 of ’69…where he lays out the landscape… What differences today?
Not about Bernie, but about what if…what if Bernie and Tulsi get ‘lected (by astonishments!) and then let’s pretend they both commit suicide by taking poison…or by shooting themselves or whatever…
What then?

Posted by: Walter | Feb 27 2020 19:46 utc | 110

apologies if I should have posted that quote at the other open thread

Posted by: spudski | Feb 27 2020 20:28 utc | 112

karlof1 @104: Jonathan Cook has written a very important essay …
Sorry, in his essay “How we stay blind to the story of power”, Jonathan Cook gets it wrong. He doesn’t see the bigger picture and I think he doesn’t really understand US/Empire politics.
I wonder if he really doesn’t care to look deeper.
Sure, he says some interesting things about power – things that deluded Sanders supporters in particular need to be reminded of – but he fails to see that Sanders has proven himself to be a useful tool of the power establishment and that Sanders’ call for Party unity and his declaration that he will support the Party nominee – whomever that may be – are betrayals of those who support his insurgency (it’s not a proper Movement).
Cook also fails to note that Russiagate is simply warmed-over McCarthyism. Sanders could and should call it out as such. But as Jimmy Dore notes (ht Blue Dotterel @191), Sanders reinforces Russiagate instead of debunking it.
Cook makes it seem as though debunking Russiagate is too difficult when, in fact, it’s easily done: Russiagate is Hillary’s excuse for losing in 2016. The 18-month, $20 million Mueller investigation found no real basis for Russiagate.
That Sanders goes along with the Democratic Party Russiagate farce is further demonstration of his making Democratic Party interests paramount.
Apologists say that Sanders HAS TO play the game. But then they tell us that as a socialist/progressive he’s the real deal. That’s bullcrap. We’ve already seen Sanders betray his movement in 2016 (giving Hillary a pass on character issues like when he declared: “Enough with your damn emails!”). If he wants our trust, he’s got to show that he deserves it.
His continuing deference to Hillary and the Party is a big red flag. Compare Sanders reaction to Hillary’s attack:

[Jokingly:] On a good day, my wife likes me.

with Tulsi Gabbard’s:

[Hillary is the] personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party for so long.

<> <> <> <> <>
Note: Part of this was written in a comment I made two days ago.
!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Feb 27 2020 21:03 utc | 114

karlof1 | Feb 27 2020 20:52 utc | 113
Of course this is merely an exercise, no reason to worry…
@”The Air Force And SpaceX Are Teaming Up For A ‘Massive’ Live Fire Exercise”
Recall Comrade Texas (G2 Donesk Army) said “April show-down”? Exercise is 8 April…
Crooke ended with “we are moving into something that is going to be very tumultuous…and it could end up in a much wide conflict.”
When everything changes, then nothing works, but people go on, and act to get what they need. This is revolution. As such it is never desired, but imposed by circumstance. It seems that we’re headed that a way…
For myself I’d heartily prefer the door into 1960…and go fishing.
(BTW we did live aboard for years, long ago)

Posted by: Walter | Feb 27 2020 21:45 utc | 116

@Jackrabbit #114
“Cook makes it seem as though debunking Russiagate is too difficult when, in fact, it’s easily done: Russiagate is Hillary’s excuse for losing in 2016. The 18-month, $20 million Mueller investigation found no real basis for Russiagate.”
Re-read Cook’s last two sentences reproduced below and you will realize your statement above is not correct.
“Power exists only so long as we consent to it through our blind obedience. But in truth, it is the weakest of opponents – it can be overcome simply by raising our heads and opening our eyes.”
I do not think Cook thinks it is hard to debunk Russiagate. Rather, it is hard for someone else to convince a person to raise their head and open their eyes. I know this from personal experience in failing to convince my entire family of twelve (including in-laws) that Russiagate is a hoax, and my family between them have three PhD’s, three Master’s degrees, four Bachelor’s degrees and an LLD.

Posted by: JasonT | Feb 28 2020 0:36 utc | 118

Modi and Trump’s speeches are worth reading.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-prime-minister-modi-india-joint-press-statement-2/
Modi..
“In the last eight months, this is the fifth meeting between President Trump and myself. Yesterday, the unprecedented and historic welcome for President Trump yesterday in Motera will always be remembered….
…This relationship is the most important partnership of the 21st century. And therefore, today, President Trump and I have taken a decision to raise our partnership to the level of a comprehensive global strategic partnership. President Trump’s contribution in raising our relations to this level have been invaluable.”
“The increasing defense and security cooperation between India and the United States is a very important aspect of our strategic partnership. Cooperation in ultra-modern defense equipment and platforms will enhance India’s defense capabilities. Our defense manufacturers are becoming a part of each other’s supply chains.
Indian forces are today doing the maximum training exercises with U.S. forces. In the last few years, there has been an unprecedented increase in interoperability between our armies, friends. In the same way, we are also increasing our cooperation in the area of homeland security and in fighting international crime.
Today, the decision taken on homeland security will further strengthen this cooperation. We have also taken a decision today to further increase our efforts in order to hold supporters of terrorism responsible.”
Trump rattled on a bit US, India, Japan, Australia partnership. 5G and energy. Looks like he has his US-India alliance to use against China.
Both rattled on about democracy and freedoms while Indian’s were rioting and killing each other in the streets, though the bits I’ve read it was hindu nationalists killing muslims.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Feb 28 2020 1:22 utc | 120

Today I stumbled upon information that made me shiver with anxiety:
The Global Affair [outfit that is a part of government] paper follows the tradition of Canadian intelligence and foreign policy professionals cautioning political leadership against viewing China through rose-coloured glasses.
Former CSIS director Richard Fadden warned in a CBC television interview in 2010 that China was seeking to infiltrate and influence Canadian institutions, including provincial and local governments and universities.
In March 2018, CSIS published a paper entitled “Rethinking Security: China in the Age of Strategic Rivalry”. The report used New Zealand as an example of a country that had allowed its public life to be penetrated and influenced by China to an alarming degree.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Feb 28 2020 2:39 utc | 122

RT are reporting that Russia sold to the U.K. nearly £6B of gold in 2019. Up some 10 fold on the previous year.
Similar increases in the sale of silver and platinum.
I find this astonishing.

Posted by: Mike Smith | Feb 28 2020 12:30 utc | 124

Russia seems to have the same policy for Turkey that it has towards Israel: you are invited to kill as many Syrian soldiers as you want and to destroy as much of the SAA as you want, as long as you keep us informed.

Posted by: paul | Feb 28 2020 17:27 utc | 126

This weekend’s damned good read for a student of empire is The Looting Machine” by Tom Burgis, a copy of which may be found here.
Learn why it is the inhabitants of by far the wealthiest continent in the world are by far the poorest on this planet. Did you know that more than 80% of the money generated by Cameroon each year is held by France?

Posted by: A User | Feb 29 2020 4:37 utc | 128

Dmitry Yazov, the last marshall of the USSR, has died on February 25:
La vida del último mariscal de la Unión Soviética está unida a Cuba

Posted by: vk | Feb 29 2020 14:37 utc | 130

Greg Palast has been onto the funny-business with rigging elections for many years. He’s interviewed today on “Going Underground (RT)
From the site>
“Greg Palast about alleged voter suppression and vote rigging in the US. He discusses how millions of voters, primarily of color, have been purged from voter rolls, the necessity of voter suppression for the Republicans, partisan control of elections, the obstacles Bernie Sanders faces from the Democratic Party in allowing people to vote and more!”
He knows some stuff.
I am particularly interested in his million + claim about 2016…he goes into detail. Seems he might have the opinion that Bernie won but they lost those votes… It’s the old army game anyway and he shows us some of the tricks they’re game runs on.

Posted by: Walter | Feb 29 2020 16:32 utc | 132