Down South

The deepstate/neocons are getting desperate, this what Trump meant by the swamp, hopefully he could deliver this declassification as a last blow against them as a president. Considering how much the deepstate whine about this, the documents will show their corruption on the russiagate most definately.

Johnson, Grassley press FBI for all McCabe texts, call delay 'unacceptable'
Trump has demanded the declassification and release of all records related to the Trump-Russia probe
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/johnson-grassley-fbi-mccabe-texts

McCabe claims further Russia declassifications could cast Trump ‘in a very negative light’
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/mccabe-claims-further-russia-declassifications-could-cast-trump-in-a-very-negative-light

Posted by: Zanon | Nov 17 2020 16:30 utc | 201

Zanon @ 197

Russia insists that reports about possible use of NATO aircraft to traffic drugs in Afghanistan be probed into, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.

Posted by: Down South | Nov 17 2020 16:58 utc | 202

In-depth look at BRI: How China's developmental philosophy is different

Posted by: vk | Nov 17 2020 17:08 utc | 203

@203 It's infectious. Even b is not immune.

Posted by: dh | Nov 17 2020 18:06 utc | 204

Thoughts on this story?

China 'used secret microwave pulse weapon to cook Indian soldiers alive' and force them into retreat in Himalayan border battle

Lots of the usual Murdoch owned rags running this story, seems a bit fishy to me. Perhaps Chinese commenters could look into it and confirm? Furthermore, is such a weapon even real? The news article alleges that the laser was fired from the base of the hill towards Indian troops occupying key positions and it made them retreat, don't these weapons required direct line of sight?

Posted by: Anon | Nov 17 2020 18:10 utc | 205

@Posted by: vk | Nov 16 2020 12:17 utc | 106

Yeah, that is with respect his neoimperial ambitions in Africa ( recall here that Morocco, in new war against Polisario Front ( armed froces of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic - SADR ia a France and US ally )

In France proper, and in the middel of a total lockdown, a new law on information has been passed through which you will be jailed in case you film law enforcement forces doing their job, especially agsint demonstrators.
We could find this new law sound us familiar with those of those not so democratic countries we have visited over there..

Meanwhile, waht you read of here about in the press is about the recent controversy laicism/Islam, with a new teeenager involved, who, allegedly, published something harshly criticizing Isñam and after that received death menaces...

Posted by: H.Schmatz | Nov 17 2020 18:51 utc | 206

China's Anti-Poverty Efforts get reviewed in this article:

"The number of people living in poverty dropped from 98.99 million at the end of 2012 to 5.51 million at the end of 2019, and the incidence of poverty dropped from 10.2 percent to 0.6 percent. Regional poverty issues as a whole were basically resolved.

"However, observers said it's not time to be complacent, and it's necessary to closely watch whether some people fall back into poverty. Therefore, the poverty alleviation projects will stay in place.

"He Xuefeng, director of the China Rural Governance Research Center at Wuhan University, told the Global Times that more assistance programs will continue to serve tens of millions of people who have just escaped poverty, despite the successes.

"In the next step, He stressed the importance of ensuring sustainability - meaning that people can still live at a good standard without sponsorship and assistance from the government.

"'Poverty-alleviation resources should be equally accessible to prevent a small group from living solely on government funding and losing their striving spirit,' He said."

One mantra I know we won't hear from China: Welfare Queens, Welfare Queens! We can't end poverty because of the damned Welfare Queens! China's goal of becoming a Moderately Prosperous Nation is still distant as the urban/rural divide is a gap that will prove very difficult to fill as the article suggests. But China's trying whereas the Outlaw US Empire famously just gave up and decided to criminalize the poor while increasing their numbers via economic policy.

Another way of looking at China is to see it as a massive Church with a huge congregation that remains focused on the #1 goal of seeing to it that everybody in the congregation is given whatever aid they need to help themselves prosper with millions of helpers assigned to ensure the aid is productively used--certainly the largest social-welfare undertaking ever. The attitude I see behind this and other undertakings by China is We Must Do This, not just we can do this. The same sort of emphasis now being made by Xi is focused on environmental protection being escalated at the same time as further economic development--indeed, economic development to forward/enhance environmental protection and improvement/solving of earlier environmental sins. What follows are links to three articles about China's green development which will be news to most barflies. For me, they give hope that a genuine balance can be arrived at between environmental sustainability and smart development that will make for a lasting harmony. First article; Second article; Third article.

China's accomplishments could be seen as a Great Shaming of the West, the Outlaw US Empire in particular as the latter have completely abdicated their responsibility to govern for the best outcomes for their overall citizenry. Clearly China has taken the standard of Yes We Can! while the West led by the USA is demonstrating their deliberate choice as determined by Neoliberal thinking is No We Won't! Where the hell is the Western politician saying Look at what China's doing; There's no reason why can't we do what they're doing.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 17 2020 18:52 utc | 207

"Kawsachun News
@KawsachunNews
·
19h
Bolivian fascist groups in Santa Cruz attacked the headquarters of the campesino union federation today. The workers managed to fend off the violent pro-coup groups. The police were slow to arrive but did intervene in defense of the workers."

Posted by: arby | Nov 17 2020 19:17 utc | 208

BRICS held a videoconference Summit chaired by Putin:

"The topic chosen for today’s meeting is quite broad and covers matters that deal with expanding the strategic partnership between the BRICS countries for the sake of global stability and security, as well as fostering innovative growth of our economies. As usual, we will also discuss current international and regional matters in view of the upcoming G20 Summit, which is to take place very soon, on November 21 and 22. We will compare notes on the key aspects of the G20 agenda."

Here is the lengthy XII BRICS Summit Moscow Declaration that shows better than anything the continuing vitality and importance of BRICS. Despite the intrusion of Bolsonario and foot dragging by Modi, BRICS is a stronger organization than in 2017 which will confront Biden with yet another foreign policy challenge that his presumed appointees will find difficult to handle since they just don't have the right set of skills.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 17 2020 20:45 utc | 209

Zanon | Nov 17 2020 16:30 utc | 201:

The deepstate/neocons are getting desperate, this what Trump meant by the swamp, hopefully he could deliver this declassification as a last blow against them as a president. Considering how much the deepstate whine about this, the documents will show their corruption on the russiagate most definately.
_____________________________________________

Trump and Barr have been fighting the release of Mueller documents for going on two years. Why do you think they want them released now?
http://amylhowe.com/2020/07/02/court-will-take-up-dispute-over-secret-materials-from-mueller-report/

Trump has been saying for 2 years that he is not going to allow access to the Mueller material because there are no "do overs"

Posted by: jinn | Nov 17 2020 20:58 utc | 210

Some very direct language from Russia's Lavrov at the Potsdam Meetings Forum, regarding Russia-EU relations. Those who may be hoping Russia will give up on, or lose interest in, relations with Europe will be disappointed.

https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/4440051

Posted by: Quasi Retired anonym | Nov 17 2020 21:14 utc | 211

The USAi war by drugs is discussed at MintPressNews.

“A Mexican can’t bring drugs into the United States, say 500kg of drugs, and do anything with it,” explains Valentine. “There has to be an infrastructure and people waiting to receive it. Motorcycle gangs like the Hells Angels, Bandidos and other groups collectively referred to as the “Dixie Mafia,” mentioned in Mexico’s March request are used as “frontmen” by powerful American organized crime groups, says Valentine. But, points out that the major markets like New York, L.A., and others are controlled by the mob.

“The Hells Angels aren’t going to be able to New York City and distribute it,” says Valentine, and “to have those systems set up, you need the mafia, which has police protection, political protection”. Such are the networks that Bill Barr seems to be protecting by rebuffing Mexico’s request and pulling a mafia Don move on its southern neighbor by hanging its dirty laundry for the world to see.

“The CIA knows from its surveillance of communications and its agents inside the Mexican army who all the top people are,” and they can drag them out into the sunlight anytime they want to preserve the pretense of law enforcement, justify budget increases or send veiled warnings to other heads of states when they are asking too many questions.

When Harris/Biden gets to propose an appointment to Attorney General, that will be another unsurprising character. Will the nominee comply with the Mexico Presidents request and go after its own corrupt distribution networks. I guess they will keep busy arresting other nationals rather than the USAi mobs couriers and distributors. Wouldn't want to anger the USAi mafia now, would we?

A very good report by Mint Press and worth the read.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Nov 17 2020 21:37 utc | 212

Wondering if b will comment on some of the top news stories in business news, as viewed from Canada:

- Amazon opens online pharmacy
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/amazon-opens-online-pharmacy-in-u-s-shaking-up-another-industry-1.1523504

"Now at amazon.com: insulin and inhalers."

A while back, Trump passed some kind of law, allowing Americans to purchase those items, and other pharmaceuticals, from Canada, due to complaints about very high prices. The one advantage of having Commie neighbours, I guess, is to access cheaper pharmaceuticals, winning voter support. The sad part is that the last I heard, Canada's drug prices weren't very cheap, and the left and centre-left parties are talking about a national pharamcare program. https://www.ndp.ca/pharmacare
Trump should try Cuba.

- Warren Buffett bets on vaccine makers, while cutting banks

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/buffett-s-berkshire-bets-on-vaccine-makers-while-cutting-banks-1.1523299

- Canadians sitting on largest cash hoard ever recorded, says CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce)

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/canadians-sitting-on-largest-cash-hoard-ever-recorded-cibc-1.1523872

“We're in a very weird situation in which the economy is down, but the level of cash in the economy is rising.”

The report also said the savings rate for households was likely about 13 per cent in the third quarter, compared to about 3.6 per cent before the pandemic.

Is this trend happening anywhere else?

- RSA accepts Intact's US $9.6B bid in year's biggest UK takeover

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/rsa-accepts-intact-s-us-9-6b-bid-in-year-s-biggest-u-k-takeover-1.1524036

"RSA Insurance Group Plc accepted a 7.2 billion-pound (US$9.6 billion) takeover offer from Canada’s Intact Financial Corp. and Danish insurer Tryg A/S, the biggest acquisition of a U.K.-listed company this year."

Busy busi(ness) news day!

Posted by: Quasi Retired anonym | Nov 18 2020 15:32 utc | 213

Ethiopian conflict, apart from going from civil war into regional conflict including so far Ethiopia and Eritrea, starts showing the geopolitical actors in play...in case they were not yet obvious, showing clearly the goal of attacking Chinese interests in the country/region

WHO head Thedros Adanom Ghebreyesus has been accused by Ethiopia Army Chief and Abyi Ahmed´s government of supporting TPLF. Ghebreyesus is a Tigrayan himself, former Health Minister of Ethiopia under TPLF government. Of course, he is not going against his own people. But this accusations on him being an active part seeking support for the Tigrayans are clearly directed at getting him out from the head of WHO. Recall it was Trump who most attacked WHO and its head during the whole pandemic.

Also, just in recent days, in spite of initially adopting a neutral stance, chief security of the African Union, a Tigrayan, has been dismissed. He was not security chief for nothing except that African Union HQ is located in Addis Ababa, and Tigrayans are quite battleharded people after the war against Eritrea. This is why it is easy to understand that, apart from banning them form government or any political activity in the country and cutting off of essential services there once they decided to celebrate theri own elections when after Ocotber 5th the pretended legitimacy of i the nterim government of Abyi Ahmed legaly ended, the fact that Abyi Ahmed allied with Eritres in crushing this Ethiopian people acted as added provocation by the central illegitimate government against the Tigray region, in a clear intend of blowing up the country´s, allegedly pursued, unity.

The Tigrayans find themselves in a pinzer, by Ethiopian government of Abyi Ahmed and his ally in Eritrea, thus the Tigrayans, in fact opposing two countries´ armies, already suffering famine and with thousands of refugees already crossing towards Sudan, in what at all lights resembles an intend of erasing this ethnia, direct descendants of the Saba Kingdom with their own language and culture, from the face of Earth. As an important point for the current worries at UN offices level, the Tigray region, as a prosperous one, was already hosting several thousands of refugees itself, now obliged to move again.

Recalll here that Tigray region is the most prosperous of Ethiopia and the one with best future prospects of development, having found lately their opportunities for Chinese investments stopped by Abyi Ahmed. On whosw behalf that was made, wonder yourself.

There is currently an information blackout in Ethiopia right now decreed by the "democratic" government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ahmed. Not even Amnesty International, a Western NGO, is able to discern who is commiting current massacres, more than probable false flags commited in the style of the well known Maidan snipers foreign or local thugs to cause hatred and increase mayhem. There is at all light intend to commit another genocide in this country similar to that commited in Rwanda. Anyone who have researched the topic, or better, have traveled to Kigali and have taken the trouble to make a consicnetious visit of the Memorial Museum is aware that the Rwandan genocide was instigated by foreign actors based on geopolitical interests.

On the information blackout, this is not the first time "democrat promise" Abyi Ahmed decrees one. This past summer, as consequence of widespread protests by oppositional forces of his own ethnic group, the Oromo, which culminated in the assassination of a popular musician, an informational blackout was decreed during which around 200 people were killed, in what points all the way at the modus operandi of this illegitimate government to get rid of annoying oppositional forces of any ethnicity for its and foreign masters´ goals.

Source:

https://twitter.com/Political_Room/status/1328731295191592962

Posted by: H.Schmatz | Nov 19 2020 23:07 utc | 214

Posted by: Anon | Nov 17 2020 18:10 utc | 20

Murdoch would love to see China and India get into a fight. You would think all those cooked Hindus would have made good evidence of the crime, but what do we have? Nothing.

There are such things as microwave weapons but they are energy hogs and still experimental. I think the Russians are farthest along with that stuff using chemically driven lasers. But anyway, if they did that, we would hear about it. The China hawks would love it.

Posted by: Bemildred | Nov 19 2020 23:26 utc | 215