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August 23, 2020
The MoA Week In Review – Open Thread 2020-67

Last week's posts at Moon of Alabama:

> A necessary condition for a person like Donald Trump ever winning a major election is now back in play: No one thinks he is going to win. <

> The Press Secretary's statement quotes Trump distancing himself from We Build the Wall on July 12 this year. That's a year and a half after the private border-wall campaign launched—and the week of ex-U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman's unexpected and unexplained ouster. <

> Navalny said himself that he suffered from diabetes in 2019, giving some credence to this explanation. <

—
Other issues:

Belarus color revolution / coup attempt:

Covid-19:

Syria:

Big bang:

Use as open thread …

Posted by b on August 23, 2020 at 13:05 UTC | Permalink
Comments

William Gruff, I do apologize to you for replying to your rant with a rant of my own. I never intended to call you a liar, as has been suggested, but I should simply have said that what you were saying is not true, or only true in part. We get a distorted picture, I feel, from the press, from those who would do us harm, and from those who can only respond violently to the injustice they are surrounded by in our cities. I don’t live there; I am fortunate to have a peaceful and quiet life. Our cities are so stressed these days, and yet there are peaceful people even there, whose lives are threatened in so many ways.
I do believe most Americans are not warmongers; that is the purview of the plutocrats who rule our lives, even down to picking the candidates we ‘should’ vote for. And any that have run afoul of the law discover as well that they are permanently barred from voting – that has to have a hugely negative effect. It is simply not fair.
The powers that be are pushing the buttons of us all; I am just the latest example of that. I meant you no disrespect; I simply wanted to disagree and did so badly. Again, I apologize. These are frustrating and depressing times. And I lost my cool, sorry.

Posted by: juliania | Aug 27 2020 20:37 utc | 401

Juliania,
Yes we all recall that photo of the young Vietnamese girl running down the street with her back on fire from napalm.
The press would never show us something like that now.

Posted by: arby | Aug 27 2020 21:02 utc | 402

Jackrabbit @391
There is a rather large difference between an earnest young man who doesn’t meet perfection when addressing the bar and a troll with an agenda. The guy is less than perfectly PC. He is nothing like a cop lover. Neither am I. As previously stated my Bureau of Prisons number is 18257-149. Easy enough to check. I am old and could care less who checks.
BS there was no bullying. What this unmoderated uncensored site has become is a playground for bullies. Have at it.

Posted by: oldhippie | Aug 27 2020 21:46 utc | 403

Below is a quote from a ZH posting about the Fed by a banker, Rabobank’s Philip Marey.
”
It was Marey’s conclusion however that was the piece de resistance:
The much deeper problem for the US economy is the asymmetric impact of Fed policies on households and businesses. The Fed’s monetary and regulatory policies have contributed to a form of capitalism where the rewards are going to the 1% and the risks are borne by the 99%. The current crisis response has made it painfully clear again that the Fed’s policies benefit high income individuals and large corporations, while small businesses and low income individuals bear the burden. While the Fed likes to see itself as part of the solution to America’s economic problems, it should ask itself whether it is also part of these problems.
Alas, as we explained yesterday, this won’t happen until the crowds of angry rioters are finally at their rightful place: in front of the Marriner Eccles building. Until then, it is just more smoke and mirrors.
”

Posted by: psychohistorian | Aug 28 2020 4:09 utc | 404

Below is a Xinhuanet posting about China/US relations
”
BEIJING, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) — Some U.S. politicians have doubled down recently on their aggressive behaviors aimed at impeding China’s peaceful development and undermining its sovereignty. In the face of such bullying, China will not flinch, but will take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests.
Indulging in hegemony and power politics, the United States is becoming the largest source of uncertainty in the world and a dangerous disruptor of the international order.
Its blatant acts include, but are not limited to: Politicians including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo constantly spreading lies and fallacies about the so-called “China threat;” a U.S. U-2 high-attitude reconnaissance plane arbitrarily intruding into the no-fly zone for live-fire exercises of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), regardless of the danger of triggering military clashes; and the U.S. administration unilaterally sanctioning Chinese companies and individuals to interfere in China’s internal affairs.
These moves reflect the U.S. government’s malign intention to contain other countries’ development, and its betrayal of a free and open global system in which nations value fairness, justice and the spirit of win-win cooperation.
The unjustified and unreasonable moves of the U.S. side have violated international law and basic norms governing international relations. The U.S. government must correct its mistake and immediately stop meddling in China’s internal affairs.
If the U.S. administration continues down the wrong path, China is ready to defend, on all fronts, its national interests and its legitimate rights of development, and safeguard the international rules for peace and stability.
China will neither dance to the tune of the United States nor will it allow the United States to make trouble.
Meanwhile, it will work with the international community to protect the peace of mankind and the international order from threat of unilateralism and protectionism. China will uphold multilateralism and contribute more to world peace, stability and development.
China doesn’t provoke troubles, but it never flinches when trouble comes its way. It is high time for certain U.S. politicians to recover from their anti-China syndrome and restore their rationality.
”
The sick creative side of me says this coming conflict with China is being set up to start off while the US is fighting internal kabuki and distracted….sigh…may I be wrong

Posted by: psychohistorian | Aug 28 2020 4:27 utc | 405

Below is another Xinhuanet posting that I hope b doesn’t mind because it shows the way China handles its internal discipline
”
BEIJING, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) — A total of 15,799 Chinese officials were punished in July for violating frugality rules, the top anti-graft body said on Thursday.
The officials were involved in 10,719 cases, said a statement issued by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission.
The punished officials include 44 at the prefecture or equivalent level, and 903 at the county or equivalent level, according to the statement.
Among them, 9,327 were found guilty of bureaucratism or the practice of formalities for the sake of it, and 6,124 related cases were handled.
In the meantime, authorities also investigated 4,595 cases of hedonism and extravagant conduct, such as giving or accepting gifts, awarding unauthorized allowances or bonuses, and misusing public funds for banquets, and penalized 6,472 officials, said the statement.
The CPC released its eight-point rules on frugality in late 2012 to combat undesirable work practices.
”

Posted by: psychohistorian | Aug 28 2020 4:36 utc | 406

In fact ISIS was a US (Sunni) construct, mostly former Iraq military guys allowed to enter Iraq in order to (1) create instability, always a US goal (divide & conquer) and (2) modify Baghdad’s pro-Shia (and pro-Iran) stance. Later ISIS was used by the US in Syria to further its aims there. . . .These US strategies will never change.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Aug 27 2020 16:06 utc | 386
Although I don’t particularly agree with your analysis of Da’ish’s origins (for example, I never believed the story of it being mainly Iraqi officers from Saddam’s time – that story suited the US narrative), the main point is that whatever Da’ish once was, is not necessarily what it is today. Today, in Iraq, it is mainly a Sunni resistance movement in the villages. Like all the Wahhabi-style extreme Sunnis, their main hatred is directed at the local heretics – the Yazidis, the Shi’a, and the (Sunni) cult of saints, not the christian foreigners, who according to the doctrine should simply be treated as second-class citizens.

Posted by: Laguerre | Aug 28 2020 7:53 utc | 407

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