Hey!
Saw a program last night that I think could take it’s place in history.
Netflix – The Social Dilemma
“Social media affects imperceptible changes in actions and perceptions”
that are scaled out to millions of users. These effects are driven by algorithms
that seek to create addictive attention
from users and direct and thus monetize this attention.
Though I was thrilled with this program there was one ironic fly in the ointment.
The program also dealt much with how technology is making it harder and harder
to distinguish truth from falsehood.
It is deliciously sweet irony that the program itself promoted the “Russia Facebook Posts” nonsense
and how Putin was supposedly trying to create discord in this country via these infamous posts.
The “Facebook posts by Russians designed to create discord” that the program pushed on it’s users was face-plant worthy.
Picture an upside down pyramid, at the bottom tiny point of that pyramid are a few thousand “Russian Facebook” posts.
At the ever-expanding top of that pyramid are the millions upon millions upon millions of claims pushed to users
about what those Russian posts were trying to achieve. Which had a wider affect, the Russian posts or the claims
like Netflix pushed to users? The original claim had an agenda that, crudely put, is “Russia is bad and we need to
spend billions in defense against it and Russia was working to help the other side so the other side is suspect”.
The claims originated during the burning heat of the Russiagate period when people were being told that Trump is
a Russian stooge.
(Let us not forget that Mueller’s lawyers dropped the case against those Russians as the only evidence they had
that they worked for the Kremlin was a New York Times article!)
The cynic in me says that the Hollywood-Pentagon connection dropped that fly in the ointment.
Regardless, on the whole I cannot recommend this program more strongly.
It should have a place in history.

Posted by: librul | Sep 10 2020 14:50 utc | 3

Brazil continues to disintegrate as a nation-State. This time, on the economy:
[VIDEO] Famished mob desperately tries to ransack a turned meat truck in São Paulo
Abolition of food security policy makes rice, soy and others’ prices to skyrocked in Brazil
That’s why Lenin and Stalin were right and whoever you believe or your politician believe is wrong: if left unchecked, the peasant class (agribusiness) will starve the proletariat to death.
–//–
Confidence fairy of bourgeois economics (ideology) strikes again:
Mr. Trump Knew It Was Deadly and Airborne: He lied about the coronavirus anyway
You see, kids: one must not, under any circumstances, “spook the markets”. They are a very delicate creature.
–//–
Germany admits it’s lying; starts next stage of hybrid warfare against Russia:
Germany hands over Navalny’s test results to OPCW
The OPCW, however, stated it didn’t receive the test results.
–//–
Self-realizing prophecy?
Deutsche Bank Predicts New World ‘Disorder’, Cold War Between US and China
–//–
Once a shithole, always a shithole:
Huge Fire That Erupted in Beirut Port Month After Blast, Finally Contained
That’s why socialist revolutions happen (or should happen) in the Third World. They always get the short stick in the capitalist game (aka “the game is rigged”). See India.
–//–
Problem? What problem?
‘Nothing nefarious at all’: Backlash as ex-NSA chief, involved in mass surveillance revealed by Snowden, joins Amazon board
There is no injustice in the USA: only losers and winners.

Posted by: vk | Sep 10 2020 15:09 utc | 5

Woodward Book Exposes General James Mattis’ Plot To Overthrow The US Government
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/woodward-book-exposes-general-james-mattis-plot-overthrow-us-government

Posted by: librul | Sep 10 2020 15:14 utc | 7

The Social Dilemma ahh … a non-political topic and one that’s been twisting around in my head
The corporate world is driven by fads, there is a reason that Dilbert is/was massively popular, I work for a well known tech company and our CEO and his immediate minions now believe that working from home is better than the Second Coming.
‘It’s more efficient, I can eat a meal with my family, it’s saving us money’ and have all but declared that they are going to blow up all of our officers forever. BTW this is probably good for some workers but all because it works for you does not mean that it is good for everyone. Not to worry, they will figure that out after a few rounds of layoffs when productivity dives, zoom is okay but it can’t do everything.
In any case, started thinking about the change in the social life of my children … College social life non-existent w/remote classes followed by working from home followed by mostly rude interactions on social media, how are they going to meet people? BTW we are rude to people we do not see face to face, especially when anonymous. I am a pretty lonely person but the few good personal relationships I’ve had have been from work. It’s sad to see that go away.
Hmm … how do I tell my boys to look for visa wives from Vietnam/Thailand or Russia without sounding creepy, I don’t think I can but maybe I can send them a message online anonymously, any opinions on who has the best visa wives?

Posted by: Christian J. Chuba | Sep 10 2020 15:45 utc | 9

fear of socialist govts succeeding no matter how small and harmless they are…
Posted by: Christian J. Chuba | Sep 10 2020 13:41 utc | 1
It’s what Chomsky refers to as “the threat of a good example”. Imagine if the profits from harvesting natural resources in the US and other western “democracies” went to pay for healthcare, education and infrastructure. The Horror!!!

Posted by: farm ecologist | Sep 10 2020 16:19 utc | 11

Nord stream II will be ready at the end of the year

Posted by: Nick | Sep 10 2020 16:30 utc | 13

Pompeo and Outlaw US Empire spreading lies as usual or so this Global Times article reveals.
Yesterday I wanted to share this article about China’s proposal for global communications security that’s being rejected by the Outlaw Empire.
This article reveals China has approved 10 vaccine formulas for clinical trials including one that’s a nasal spray. It appears the frequency of China bashing done by TrumpCo is related to growing gap between in abilities as China forges ahead while the Empire continues to drown in its own excesses.
Along with the bashing is the siccing of the Empire’s Australian and Indian vassals to promote tensions with China as this article recaps regarding Aussie efforts. Apparently, key Aussie interests don’t like what’s happening:
“In an opinion article titled ‘Memo to generals: China is our inescapable economic destiny’ this week, the Sydney Morning Herald has raised a long overdue question: people who care about Australia’s economic future are wondering what game the country’s defense and foreign affairs experts think they’re playing.”
Furthermore, “The 53rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings, including the 10th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, kicked off online on Wednesday, and is schedule to end on Saturday.” This article reports on the Empire’s attempts to Divide and Rule while using what remains of its gains from its previous terrorism in the region.
And for those barflies that missed this from the Afghan thread, here again is Bastian’s description of what we’re fighting to reject:
“When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.” — Frederic Bastian

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 10 2020 17:17 utc | 15

Finally, something useful for the F35:
Preparing for False Flags? Renders of Russian Air Force-Skinned F-35s Appear Online
–//–
Trump: If Woodward believed my Covid-19 quotes were ‘dangerous,’ why didn’t he release them earlier to ‘save lives’?
Because he’s cut from the same cloth.

Posted by: vk | Sep 10 2020 17:26 utc | 17

Yesterday I noted Putin’s videoconference with the SCO nations’s foreign ministers and lamented the poor amount of detail in the partial transcript, which has since been rectified, although it remains short since the meeting was brief. This bit I found most interesting as worthy of sharing:
“Meanwhile, it is gratifying to know that other countries and international organisations are increasingly interested in working with the SCO. We have received 16 requests to join our organisation as member states, observers or dialogue partners. This illustrates the authority our organisation enjoys internationally.” [My Emphasis]
The countervailing power arrayed against the Outlaw US Empire and its vassals continues to grow!!
Today, Putin’s addressing Russia’s economy, particularly the employment issue the Outlaw US Empire refuses to deal with:
“We have taken unprecedented measures to support those who lost their jobs. We increased the maximum unemployment benefit to the subsistence wage. But this has put up registered unemployment. Those who did not register for unemployment pay before are doing this now that the payment has improved, and so the number of jobless has grown accordingly. This is clear. We also complemented these payments with child allowance.
“I would like to remind you that these measures were initially a temporary payment for a limited period of time. However, the labour market situation remains serious, as I have mentioned. We must continue to support those who have not yet found new jobs. Colleagues, today I expect you to tell me about your proposals for organising this assistance.
“At the same time, I would like to remind you about the priority objective set to the Government – to restore the 2019 employment level before the end of 2021 by bringing unemployment down to 4.7 percent of the economically active population, as I have already said.”
I doubt if Russia falsifies its employment data like the Outlaw US Empire does, but I’m not 100% certain. That caveat stated, I’ll take the current rate of 6.3% cited by Putin as realistic, which differs massively from the 28% cited by Shadowstats. For further details, I suggest reading the general discussion at Shadowstats home page. The key takeaway is Trump will have to deal with the reality of a very dislocated economy mired in Depression, much but not all related to the ongoing Bush-Obama Depression that began in 2007-8.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 10 2020 17:55 utc | 19

Prof K @20–
Must agree that BigLie Media and D-Party hacks are all accessories to mass murder. I rarely cite this author, but her rant is correct, although it doesn’t go far enough. Woodward long ago morally compromised himself, but sitting on his evidence makes him as guilty as Trump. I wonder how his ex-partner Bernstein views him now since in his words this constitutes “one of the great presidential felonies of all time.”

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 10 2020 18:29 utc | 21

So apparently there is an existing, operating Eilat-Ashkelon oil pipeline, kept rather quiet until now, which may get considerably more significant as Gulf monarchy-Israel relations normalize.
https://www.anti-empire.com/after-uae-deal-israel-set-to-make-a-killing-transporting-gulf-oil/

Posted by: David G | Sep 10 2020 18:32 utc | 23

RE: the social media problem, TED Talks: Filter Bubbles from 2011. Most folks using Google et al were herded into algorithmic echo chambers without even realizing it. It’s similar to being ‘ghost banned’…You can’t figure out why all your searches on really important stuff keep returning absolute dreck.

Posted by: Dr Wellington Yueh | Sep 10 2020 18:38 utc | 25

craig murray on day 8 in the assange hearing…
Your Man in the Public Gallery – Assange Hearing Day 8
@ 15 karlof1.. thanks for highlighting that quote again.. i will respond later.. have some work today to do..
“When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.” — Frederic Bastian

Posted by: james | Sep 10 2020 19:07 utc | 27

@ Dr Wellington Yueh | Sep 10 2020 18:38 utc | 25
– alternative search engine – https://searx.ninja/ – it is a combination of a bunch of search engines, mostly avoiding google..

Posted by: james | Sep 10 2020 19:10 utc | 29

Posted by: librul | Sep 10 2020 15:14 utc | 7
That’s bullshit from ZH. The true story was previously reported. Mattis and Coats were discussing about removing Trump by means of legal ways.
There is a law which permits a supermajority of the President’s staff to dismiss him if they think he’s no more able to do his job.

Posted by: Parisian Guy | Sep 10 2020 19:30 utc | 31

So what is really the reason behind some neocons turning on China regardless of what it means for Israel?
Posted by: recon | Sep 10 2020 18:32 utc | 22
Maybe you should reassess what’s a neocon in year 2020.
Some of them are now pure China hawks, and don’t care so much about Israel anymore.

Posted by: Parisian Guy | Sep 10 2020 19:42 utc | 33

Posted by: ptb | Sep 10 2020 19:37 utc | 32
One or two years ago I had a similar hypothesis about Syria/Russia/Israel
It happened three times that Bibi asked Putin not to deliver S300 to Syria. Every time Putin complied. Nobody knows what Putin was offered in that trade. My guess is that the Israeli lobby in USA pushed to influence the US policy according to Putin’s wishes.

Posted by: Parisian Guy | Sep 10 2020 19:52 utc | 35

Posted by: recon | Sep 10 2020 18:32 utc | 22
Posted by: Parisian Guy | Sep 10 2020 19:42 utc | 33
The War Party’s problems with Russia go to the McKinder “world island” hypothesis, plus the fact we do very little business with Russia, and most of what we do do is embarassing, i.e. fly us up to the ISS, sell us rocket engines. And Russia is the one real peer adversary we’ve had for a long time. So they are familiar and safe as long as we yap away don’t do anything.
China is new in the peer adversary business, and wasn’t supposed to be allowed to actually compete with us at all, like a big Japan, that is what they expected from China. And our new umbrage with China is directly related to that, they are getting uppity, see? So it’s different and more dangerous.

Posted by: Bemildred | Sep 10 2020 19:59 utc | 37

A note for newbie barfly Triden. Since you confess your disdain for video and bias for the written word, here’s something of importance to our overall discussion here at the bar since it deals with the current dysfunctional political-economy imposed upon most of humanity. Hopefully you’ll find the subject matter to your liking. You might also find this by the same author of interest.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 10 2020 20:37 utc | 39

Take 20 minutes now and listen to a speech from JFK.
One of the best speeches I’v ever here’d.
The subject matter is so relevant to our time now, on so many levels.
!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdMbmdFOvTs
This is what a real president sounds like. In case we have forgotten.
Parisian Guy particularly.

Posted by: Mark2 | Sep 10 2020 20:44 utc | 41

An hour and 47 minutes interview, Lukashenko with a team of Russian MSM led by an overly assertive Simonian and other mainstream journalists. Interesting Lukashenko as a character, at times reminded me of the latin american literature strong man, at times a soldier, factory worker, sly farmer proud of his clean and orderly farm, a simple guy but not someone easy to fool. It was obvious his unstable position facing the RT chief, it almost got to be irrespectful due to the camaraderie even though Lukashenko reacted immediately, over a quarter century as president and longer time as a politician, he knows probably too much about all the soviet and post soviet space. Lots of references to historical and present players. He is not going anywhere, he made it known to whoever wants to listen.

Posted by: Paco | Sep 10 2020 20:58 utc | 43

To clarify my above reference to Parisian Guy.
The link will be of interest to him. No slight intended.

Posted by: Mark2 | Sep 10 2020 21:03 utc | 45

Trump Nominated for 2021 Noble Peace Prize by Norwegian Lawmaker In Wake of Israel-UAE Deal
This gave me a good chuckle.

Posted by: Ian2 | Sep 10 2020 21:07 utc | 47

vk, karlof1
A refreshing take on Socialism (and the infamous “C” word)
Capitalism isn’t working

Posted by: donten | Sep 10 2020 21:16 utc | 49

People believe God is good. But then how do we explain bad things happen? To explain bad things, the idea of the devil was born. Take this a step further, and one ends up burning witches.
Others believe everybody is equal. But then how do we explain inequalities? To explain inequalities, the idea of racism and discrimination was born. We’ll see how things play out this time.

Posted by: passerby | Sep 10 2020 21:47 utc | 51

donten @48–
Thanks for that FYI! One observation from my very brief perusal. Varoufakis says he “addresses” a multitude of issues including the following, “democratic checks and balances on corporations and elected bodies”, which while nice sounding in Madisonian Theory have yet to show they can work in practice, IMO, primarily because the citizenry doesn’t engage in its duties–or worse–doesn’t even know it has duties to perform within its political-economy. One of the many reasons China’s political-economy is more efficient than any in the West is the participation by its citizenry in that system–that it’s their duty to do so. When everyone’s engaged in the business of making everyone better off, there’s little room or time for political divisions to arise since all work in the interests of all. Yes, multiple divisions of labor still exist–but–they are all united in the one overarching purpose just described. As Jack Ma and others have demonstrated, within China’s system there’s still room for entrepreneurs since their efforts still go toward the betterment of all, and the private rewards garnered by Ma et al are seen as acceptable by Chinese society. In contrast, attempts to gain Zero-sum advantages are condemned because they’re exploitive. And those few wanting to try such exploits are free to leave. The biggest problem the Outlaw US Empire faces in its confrontation with China is the Chinese People have already voted with their feet–1.4 Billion opt to live and participate in China’s system.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 10 2020 21:58 utc | 53

Posted by: Bemildred | Sep 10 2020 19:59 utc | 37 And our new umbrage with China is directly related to that, they are getting uppity, see? So it’s different and more dangerous.
It’s the “Yellow Peril” of the late-19th-early 20th Century. I was just re-watching one of Chris Lee’s Fu Manchu movies, based on Sax Rohmer’s famous villain which originated from the concept. To quote Wikipedia’s entry:

The Yellow Peril was a common subject for colonial adventure fiction, of which Dr. Fu Manchu is the representative villain, created in the likeness of the villain in the novel The Yellow Danger; Or, what Might Happen in the Division of the Chinese Empire Should Estrange all European Countries (1898), by M. P. Shiel.[106] The Chinese gangster Fu Manchu is mad scientist intent upon conquering the world, but is continually foiled by the British policemen Sir Denis Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie, in thirteen novels (1913–59), by Sax Rohmer.
Fu Manchu heads the Si-Fan, an international criminal organization and a pan-Asian gang of murderers recruited from the “darkest places of the East”.[107] The plots of the novels feature the recurring scene of Fu Manchu despatching assassins (usually Chinese or Indian) to kill Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie. In the course of adventure, Nayland-Smith and Petrie are surrounded by murderous colored men, Rohmer’s Yellow Peril metaphor for Western trespass against the East.[107] In the context of the Fu Manchu series, and Shiel’s influence, reviewer Jack Adrian described Sax Rohmer as a
shameless inflater of a peril that was no peril at all . . . into an absurd global conspiracy. He had not even the excuse . . . of his predecessor in this shabby lie, M.P. Shiel, who was a vigorous racist, sometimes exhibiting a hatred and horror of Jews and Far Eastern races. Rohmer’s own racism was careless and casual, a mere symptom of the times

The books were a lot better than the movies. The first movie was back in 1937 and starred Boris Karloff as Fu Manchu. The first 2 Christopher Lee versions in 1965 and 1966 weren’t too bad, but the rest in 1967, 1968 and 1969 were atrocious. I read a lot of the books back in the day – have 3 of them plus a number of other Sax Rohmer books on the hard drive.
The difference now is that China is becoming demonstrably better at being a nation-state than the US is. That adds economic and military concerns to ordinary racism.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Sep 10 2020 22:41 utc | 55

Are you kidding me? [. . . .]
Posted by: Circe | Sep 10 2020 20:23 utc | 3
I swear I don’t.
It wouldn’t be possible since I never spoke to you, and I never thought about your feeling.
This man was a neocon :
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_D._Kaplan
Now he only thinks about the China threat.

Posted by: Parisian Guy | Sep 10 2020 23:10 utc | 57

Posted by: Mark2 | Sep 10 2020 21:03 utc | 44
Thanks. I had no time for watching it for more than five minutes. He looks like kind of a political hero. Well, I believe nobody is 100% good, neither could be 100% bad. And no one does monopolize power. I mean, heroes don’t exist.

Posted by: Parisian Guy | Sep 10 2020 23:28 utc | 59

So is Egypt a Hidasse half full or a Hidasse half empty kind of country? 😛
Sorry I couldn’t resist, yes I can hear the boos XD

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Sep 10 2020 23:32 utc | 61

Mike Lofgren asks: “Is Trump a Murderer?”. He answers: “The Woodward tapes provide the evidence: the president committed political genocide.” [My Emphasis]
Barflies know I’ve advocated this conclusion for months, but few have allied with me. Now we have even more evidence pointing to malice (Malice, a legal term describing the intent to harm.) by Trump, the result being “Political Genocide.” Lofgren continues:
“Perhaps the most distasteful thing Americans must face is not Trump and the relatively small number of conspirators in his administration who carried out his action. It is the millions of citizens who think it’s all just marvelous, even something that reinforces their faith in Donald Trump. It got surprisingly little attention, but an August poll found that a solid majority of Republicans found the number of COVID-19 deaths ‘acceptable [Link at original].’ That was when the toll stood at 170,000. It’s now closing in on 200,000. What would be unacceptable? A million? Ten million?”
Yes, Obama most certainly is a murderer, as are both Clintons, GW Bush–indeed, every POTUS since FDR, but almost none prior, which ought to be an indicator of when Bastian’s system, as noted @15 above, became operational. Biden is complicit with Obama.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 10 2020 23:41 utc | 63

Posted by: Parisian Guy | Sep 10 2020 23:10 utc | 56
US are chained to China.
China owns treasury bonds worth some trillion dollars.
It basically means the US have lost control of their currency. China can inflate or deflate the renminbi versus the Dollar the way they wish. Partnership with Iran and Russia means China does not have to pay for energy in Dollar.
It will be the Chinese economy kickstarting the World’s Economy after Covid-19 not US economy, and China can choose Europe or the US.
The US being able to force tariffs on China has become increasingly unlikely.

Posted by: somebody | Sep 11 2020 0:02 utc | 65

@56 Parisian Guy
That guy is a Jewish Zionist who served in the Israeli Military. He couldn’t be more Israel first Neocon tool if he tried.
Zionists are looking to neutralize China because it rivals the U.S. in size, economy and military strength, although the U.S. is still on top, and China cannot be trusted to serve the Empire.
Yes, it’s a double-edged sword trying to neutralize China which in turn drives it into the arms of Iran for oil and gas, but Zionists are control freaks who cannot live in a world where they must share power with a powerful state they don’t trust. So they must take on China at the same time as Iran or they can’t sleep at night.
*******************
So to all you Trump bootlickers claiming Woodward should have revealed Trump was downplaying the virus after he taped him on March 19th; Trump held a big rally in Michigan today. So people there were already informed Trump was putting political interest over their health and guess what? They were all crowded together and most of them wore NO masks!
Trump doesn’t care and neither do his supporters.
If most of them end up dead from Covid the collective public IQ of the rest of the mass will rise significantly.
I know-I know; it’s counter-productive to call Trumpers dumb. But, can I help it if they keep on proving me right?

Posted by: Circe | Sep 11 2020 0:36 utc | 67

dirt under the carpet
I learned extradition is dependent on “dual Criminality” I wonder if one of you lawyer types would expand on the meaning of DC.

Posted by: snake | Sep 11 2020 0:58 utc | 69

@ Posted by: bevin | Sep 10 2020 23:29 utc | 59; @ Posted by: somebody | Sep 10 2020 23:40 utc | 61
There’s an interesting hypothesis about the differences of peasant behavior in the Russian and Chinese revolutions, pointed out by Brazilian geographer Elias K. Jabbour (“China Hoje”).
According to him, the Chinese peasant class was completely different from the European peasant class. China had a failed capitalist revolution circa the 16th Century, which resulted in a somewhat distorted feudal system where manufacture production was internalized by the peasant class until the gates of the Republican Revolution of 1911. The same didn’t happen in the Russian Empire, which consolidated itself as the last true feudal Empire in Europe, geopolitically in the position of the last gatekeeper of “the old ways” (i.e. absolutist monarchy) against the Napoleonic threat and beyond.
The Russian peasantry, therefore, was preserved as an extremely reactionary, pro-feudalism class, with a little bit of petite-bourgeois rancor after the failed capitalist reforms of 1863.
China, on the other hand, had a full “entrepreneur” peasantry, which already thought of the world both in agrarian and manufacturing terms. It already had an “urban” mind. It was, according to Jabbour, in fact a true proletarian-peasant class. I use the term “true” here because, if you read Lenin’s first book of his “Complete Works” (available for free on the internet), he begins, right out of the bat, with an analysis of land productivity in Russia of the late 19th Century. He demonstrates that the alleged feudal agriculture in Russia at the time already was essentially capitalist, as most peasants weren’t really peasants: they received such a small and useless piece of land from the czar that they had to sell their labor force to the richer peasants (kulaks) to complement their “income”.
Indeed, the Bolsheviks received ample peasant support in the October Revolution, and many supported the creation of the giant collective farms. If it wasn’t for them, dekulakization wouldn’t have been possible.
China, on the other hand, didn’t have to go through a significant dekulakization process precisely because their peasant class already had a proletarian mind – or, at least, a proto-proletarian mindset which could become a proletarian one with adequate enlightenment/education. After the failure of collectivization of agriculture (Cultural Revolution), the peasantry, more or less peacefully (compared to Russia/USSR), reformed back and accepted the smooth transition to urbanization – a process that’s still ongoing today. The reason for this is simple: many manufacture in China is produced in the rural areas, by the peasants; a Chinese peasant, albeit poorer (as urban areas have a greater organic composition of capital, therefore absorb more value), has access to all the perks of “civilization” (see, for example, Liziqi’s YouTube channel, among others).
Brazil is basically the USA that never had the North. If you want to see what the USA would be if the Confederacy had won the War of Secession, just look to Brazil.

Posted by: vk | Sep 11 2020 1:22 utc | 71

As Patrick Armstrong put it, ” Now they come right out and tell us they think we’re stupider than pond scum:”. You have to give them credit. They try to cover all the bases but end up creating a tangled web of lies. The Novichok is the new, improved time release extra strength nerve agent. Sounds like the Bundeswehr should go into marketing. Oh wait… The nefarious FSB agent must have had his/her cloaking device on as no one could see the agent dripping the poison into the tea. The Bundeswehr believe the operation wasn’t the result of some Oligarch wishing to silence Navalny as it was too complex, new, lethal and would require a special laboratory to prepare the weapon. If this version of the “truth squared” can’t be pounded into that round hole, please ignore while we create a new reality. Please be patient.
“the German government no longer has any doubt internally as to who is behind the attack: a Russian secret service commissioned by the Kremlin. Navalny, ….was poisoned with a novel advancement of the Novichok chemical weapon – a variant that the world did not know until this attack, but which is said to be more vicious and deadly than all known offshoots of the Novichok family. The scientists found similar residues on Navalny’s hands and on the neck of a water bottle from which he had been drinking.”
“This new Nowitschok variant is supposed to be slower than the previously known ones. The Germans suspect that one of the agents of the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB, who shadowed Navalny, or a specially smuggled intelligence agent, dripped the poison into the tea or prepared the cup surface with it. Navalny should have died aboard the plane. The fact that he is still alive, it is said in Berlin,is only due to a chain of happy circumstances, such as the rapid reaction of the pilot who made an emergency landing the aircraft, and the doctors in Omsk, who immediately injected Navalny with the antidote atropine.
“An operation with such a lethal and complex poison can only be carried out by an intelligence service, the German experts believe. The very existence of the new Novichok variant precludes a Russian oligarch from slammed on his own. The two-component poison requires a special laboratory and is not to be controlled by ordinary criminals. German services also consider it unthinkable that a foreign intelligence service operated on Russian soil – under the eyes of the FSB, which closely monitored Navalny. All this leaves only one plausible conclusion: it was the Kremlin that tasked with eliminating an unwelcome critic. “He should be silenced,” Merkel had put it.”
https://patrickarmstrong.ca/
https://www.zeit.de/2020/38/deutsch-russische-beziehung-alexej-nawalny-nord-stream-2

Posted by: Tom | Sep 11 2020 2:08 utc | 73

Read on Twitter that Boris Johnson was reneging on his agreement with the EU.
But according to Tom Luongo:
”
The Withdrawal Act’s validity and applicability to the future relationship between the EU and the U.K. is predicated on two things.
1) Both sides negotiating a Free Trade Agreement in good faith.
2) A free trade agreement is actually signed by the two parties.
If either of these things do not come to pass Section 38 of the Withdrawal Act upgrades the power of the U.K. government since it asserts the sovereignty of the U.K. parliament as a law-making body for the whole of the United Kingdom.
This includes Northern Ireland.
”
Anyone here care to refute his argument?

Posted by: groucho | Sep 11 2020 2:43 utc | 75

Prof K #20

WSWS points out the obvious: the Woodward tapes reveal Trump’s crime against the country (lying about the looming pandemic and about China’s forthrightness) but also the crime of the media and Democrats who knew the crisis was coming and said nothing! The tapes are just as much an indictment of the US media for sitting on these revelations! Every lie of American liberalism is being exposed, in this case that the existence of a privately owned media guarantees public security.
“>https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/09/10/pers-s10.html

Yes that was a good report. These are truly revealing times.
I just spotted a great line – from a report at Common Dreams by Norman Solomon The Presidential Election: ‘A 200-Pound Sack of Concrete’ vs. ‘The Orange Menace’.
That sums it up nicely :))

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Sep 11 2020 3:35 utc | 77

Posted by: Circe | Sep 11 2020 0:36 utc | 66
He served in Tsahal 40 years ago. Therefore, according to you, he’s a Zionist for life. You forgot to explain it’s engraved in its chromosomes, isn’it ?
I repeat : he don’t care about Iran, but only China. You can Google and check his latest published work.
This fact – he was in Tsahal decades ago – does not demonstrate your point, but mine.

Posted by: Parisian Guy | Sep 11 2020 3:45 utc | 79

a blow to the US. . .peace in the Himalayas–
from The Hindu
LAC standoff | India, China agree on 5-point plan for resolving border tension

After a two-and-a-half-hour-long meeting that went into the night in Moscow, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said they had agreed on a five-point course of action to de-escalate the four-month-long standoff between troops at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
“The two Foreign Ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interests of either side. They agreed, therefore, that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions,” said a joint press statement issued after the first face-to-face meeting between the two ministers since the standoff.. . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | Sep 11 2020 4:34 utc | 81

China is a US enemy because it doesn’t follow ‘the rules of the road’ established by the US, where world-wide corporate interests rule strategy. China operates differently with major corporations owned by the government. This elevates long-term advantages for the government to a level impossible for the US where short-time profits rule. The US now is attempting to destroy those China corporations, starting with Huawei (electronics) and CCCC (construction). . .It probably won’t work.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Sep 11 2020 5:07 utc | 83

Posted by: Christian J. Chuba | Sep 10 2020 13:41 utc | 1 — “We are such evil hypocrites….. it’s all about power, bullying, and fear of socialist govts….”
So now we see that the world hates the US leadership for its unspeakable evil, for its continual bullying, for its unending grasping after power. Certainly not for your much-vaunted western value called “freedom”….. unless its your self-serving “freedom” to eat other peoples’ lunches.
Yes, make america grate again…. Your leaders certainly make us grit our teeth each time they make another smug proclamation.
Oh, and Guileless Guido cannot stop trucking on now. If he should ever tire of his will to be an useful idiot of Empire, he will be skripalchok’d. Or navalchok’d. Same difference.

Posted by: kiwiklown | Sep 11 2020 5:12 utc | 85

@ f.e. 85
Wrong — Bill Monroe’s high lonesome sound IS bluegrass (to everyone but you).

Posted by: Don Bacon | Sep 11 2020 5:22 utc | 87

One the eve of the 19th anniversary of the dastardly 9/11 false flag crime, it’s refreshing albeit saddening to read Pepe Escobar’s current article in Asia Times, From 9/11 to the Great Reset, and to recall his previous article in 2019, We are all hostages of 9/11. If we in the U.S. are not free to pursue justice, then the veneer of “freedom” only hides a deeper horror and despair.

Posted by: norecovery | Sep 11 2020 5:38 utc | 89

Something’s unreliable in this comment system. I properly posted two URLS from Asia Times, but only one showed up with the wrong title. Pepe Escobar’s current article is “From 9/11 to the Great Reset” <“>https://asiatimes.com/2020/09/from-9-11-to-the-great-reset/>

Posted by: norecovery | Sep 11 2020 5:40 utc | 91

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 10 2020 17:17 utc | 15 — “It appears the frequency of China bashing done by TrumpCo is related to growing gap between in abilities as China forges ahead while the Empire continues to drown in its own excesses.”
Stop Press: Evil Empire Drowns In Own Emissions…. errr, make that Effluents….
You are simply more polite than me, Karlof1….. :o)
And thanks for that Frederic Bastian reminder: not everything legal is just.

Posted by: kiwiklown | Sep 11 2020 5:53 utc | 93

@ Grieved | Sep 11 2020 5:38 utc | 89 with the response to my comment, thanks
I agree with your status quo baseline read of the (s)election tea leaves
I keep waiting for the next moves on the finance front like China greatly increasing their selling of US Treasuries to force more fetid behavior by both sides before the (s)election.
There is, as can be seen by the rabid in this bar, substantial evidence that there are Derangement Syndrome victims on both sides and it is those that we keep trying to wake up to the top/bottom reality of the world beneath the smoke and mirrors.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Sep 11 2020 6:00 utc | 95

On the eve of the Sept 11 attack on USA by Saudi wahabbi criminals, pause to consider this (from Sputnik):
“Arab tribal leaders in Deir ez-Zor Governorate issued an ultimatum to the US forces and their “proxies”, the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), demanding that they pull out of the region within a month. They also condemned the US-led coalition for the murder of Syrian sheikhs in the region. Tribal representatives of Aleppo joined the chorus and vowed to support a Syrian popular resistance against the “occupants”.
What date was the 1 month deadline given? August 11.
If the Sheiks implement their plan, USA will attack the Syrian Government, whether they have a hand in it or not, as this is the correct ‘mafia’ response.
Well, the US election is very close.
This may be ‘high noon’.

Posted by: powerandpeople | Sep 11 2020 8:53 utc | 97

Richard Steven Hack | Sep 11 2020 6:06 utc | 95
another film that achieved cult status even though it was not a commercial success is King of Hearts
it really leaves you shaking your head when seeing people in an insane asylum seeming much more sane than those who put them there. my favorite short film of all time was shown before the movie started.
re racism in the military, it is still there but not obvious. it is quite subtle and white folks don’t even see it…but it is still there.

Posted by: dan of steele | Sep 11 2020 9:12 utc | 99