You know, I'm really pissed that Biden isn't going to mandate his Justice Department to go after Trump.

That's too bad because the only way to finally destroy that S.O.B. is to throw the book at him, and boy is there tons of justification, but Biden wants to coddle the Trump KKKult for the sake of UNITY that ain't ever gonna happen anyway.

He's making the same mistakes Obama did with his stupid rightest team of rivals. Robert Gates is still hounding Obama to this day. GOOD.

This UNITY effort is a DUD that will only serve to weaken Biden and bring back Trump. Dems will never learn. What's needed is a Progressive takeover led by AOC to take charge.

Posted by: Circe | Nov 30 2020 12:31 utc | 101

I knew Flynn would pull something right out of the gate. I can see Trump putting Flynn on the ticket in 2024. Flynn is Trump's Rottweiler. Hell, I can see those 2 trying to stage a coup, right now!

Posted by: Circe | Nov 30 2020 12:43 utc | 102

Christian Chuba @58: "Falsification would require the simultaneous destruction and recreation of paper ballots in sync with the electronic alterations. This would require a conspiracy of a large number of people and is next to impossible to pull off..."

The tragic "Post Trump Stress Disorder" victim that frequently posts shrill screeches here, Circe, would absolutely and without hesitation participate in the rigging process if given the opportunity. Do you imagine there are too few in America likewise suffering from that intense emotional mutilation to satisfy the need for a large conspiracy? Furthermore, in which demographics do these mentally wrecked most-probable-conspirators cluster? Of course, among the white "Professional-Managerial Class", and in particular the ones with non-STEM educations. Finally ask yourself which demographics are most prominently represented in the vote-counting process.

There are many millions of Americans sufficiently damaged to at least go along with the "conspiracy", if not actively and enthusiastically participate in it. These tragic wrecks of humanity clung to Russiagate for four years and still believe it even after Saint Mueller crashed and burned. They are desperate for revenge and relief from their own self-inflicted psychological injuries. They need vindication more than anything, even oxygen. What's even worse, they absolutely believe beyond any possible question that "fixing" the outcome of the election is morally the right thing to do. They must "save" America from the 74 million Americans whom they believe know voted incorrectly due to hate, racism, misogyny, LGBTQXYZ-phobia, and lack of "sensitivity training".

There is actually a plan for what to do with these 74 million subhuman monsters that the beautiful and wonderful neoliberal PMC and their oligarch heroes have to share their most exceptional nation on the planet with: Mandated indoctrination into "Critical Victim Identity Theory" to secure employment, systematic silencing of any questioning of this theory of critical victimhood in all social discourse, and ceaselessly beating the population over the head with it in all mass media infotainment and entertainment. Sit-coms, Hollywood blockbusters, video games, pop music, and even sports will be are infused with this ideology. In precisely the same way that the Catholic Church used the notion of original sin to browbeat the flock into submission in past centuries, the population will be remorselessly assaulted though every channel of communication into accepting that they are fundamentally evil people who require the constant guidance of the PMC to not cause harm to their fellow human beings. Thus the elites plan to secure their control over society using their servile PMC.

But first they must crush the morale of these "deplorables" and put them on the psychological defensive through defeat and public humiliation in a major event like the US general elections. This is what the 2016 election of Clinton was intended to accomplish, and the elites are absolutely not going to let that kind of failure happen again. The election outcome will be as the oligarchy and its servants in the PMC dictate no matter the cost. This is a matter of life and death for the empire (the elites still imagine they have a way out of the trap of market saturation/declining profitability and can save the empire).

The only problem with this plan is that it is based upon a gross departure from scientific rigor. As I have pointed out before the social sciences have been developed on a trajectory orthogonal to reality ever since it was necessary to use them to refute Marxism. That is a topic for a different discussion though.

Posted by: William Gruff | Nov 30 2020 12:55 utc | 103

Trump has a serious problem. He's created so much mistrust of government authorities that his KKKult followers are going to refuse to get the mRNA warp-speed vaccines.

Maybe he should spike them with the KKKult kool-aid juice! Then his followers would start lining up around the block already.

You can lead a horse to water BUT you can't make him drink. HA!

Posted by: Circe | Nov 30 2020 13:10 utc | 104

@ #103

Flynn is a felon even though he has been pardoned. Hence he can never run for office unless the US turn into an authoritarian country where everything goes.

Posted by: Yul | Nov 30 2020 13:12 utc | 105

Posted by: likbez | Nov 30 2020 1:35 utc | @75

likebz, my understanding of Dominion is not as weak as you think. I read Powell's assertion about the barcode but if I addressed that right away I figured that my concise description of Dominion being a system that produces a paper ballot that is electronically scanned, electronically counted, and then archived for recounts would get lost. Most people think it is a pure electronic system and most of Powell's conspiracy allegations would require that to be true but I'll address that now.

(btw people who accuse Dominion should at least read their response and look at their product description rather than search for youtube whackos or take my word for it, it's not that long https://www.dominionvoting.com/)
Here is Powell's 104 pg filing https://defendingtherepublic.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/COMPLAINT-CJ-PEARSON-V.-KEMP-11.25.2020.pdf

The barcode conspiracy part goes like this (pg 41 of filing), the voting booth produces a printed ballot with both the human readable selection and a barcode which the scanner reads. Humans can't read barcodes, fair point.
1. This requires both the voting booth to be the source of the vote switching, she also alleges that it was the operator changing logs before sending the scanned total to the next location, both cannot be true.
2. This requires that the person who scans the ballot never checked or was in on the conspiracy from multiple locations in both the initial count and then the recount. It requires the same personnel counted the same ballots in the recount.
3. If she really believed this then why didn't she file a motion to specifically check either all or a random portion of the ballots to see of the barcode matches the readable portion of the ballot.

If someone asserts that the voter's paper ballot is mutilated in a manner that only the barcoded portion of it is save you will have to show me a citation from a state agency website, a photograph, or something with a degree of credibility. Dominion's product brochure says that it is identical to what is archived in the memory card of the voting booth and what the voter sees.

Posted by: Christian J. Chuba | Nov 30 2020 13:43 utc | 106

@106 Yul

unless the US turn into an authoritarian country where everything goes.

What do you think Trump is attempting? Millions of people, Trump followers, believe Flynn did nothing wrong and was railroaded by the deep state.

Trust me, Trump will have Flynn's record wiped clean beyond expungement.

@107 Christian J. Chuba

You seem pretty knowledgeable, so why don't you master the html tags?

Posted by: Circe | Nov 30 2020 13:58 utc | 107

Yul @Nov30 13:12 #106

Flynn is a felon even though he has been pardoned. Hence he can never run for office unless the US turn into an authoritarian country where everything goes.

AFAICT Flynn had already won his case. He didn't need the pardon. IMO his pardon was meant to squash any political ambitions he may have (and it seems he may have some given his attempt to communication with the American public).

!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Nov 30 2020 14:40 utc | 108

"Posted by: librul | Nov 29 2020 17:28 utc | 23, from the link
Although he had no access to the machines, Dr. Kershavarz has looked at available data about the election and the vote results. Based on that information, he concluded
1. The counts in the disputed states (Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia) show electronic manipulation."

This is appalling. There is no relationship between the internal NW traffic and the reporting of the vote tallies. This is a self-disqualifying statement.
Posted by: Christian Chuba | Nov 30 2020 0:07 utc | 58

Typically for a person with TGS, we see glib repartees while willful ignoring mountains of evidence. For example, my ecologist neighbor reached the same conclusions for Pennsylvania (where we live) by inspecting her meticulous daily records on the behavior of chipmunks, woodchucks and cottontail rabbits. Mind you, there are thousands of affidavits with the same conclusions.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Nov 30 2020 14:56 utc | 109

Piotr Berman @Nov30 14:56 #110

behavior of chipmunks, woodchucks and cottontail rabbits

We've been flocked by birds of a feather!

!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Nov 30 2020 15:15 utc | 110

Posted by: vk | Nov 29 2020 18:04 utc | 30

Just because Annegret Kramp [something] did not serve in military, it does not allow to conclude that she is not qualified to oversee Defense. However, nothing in her biography in Wikipedia suggests that she knows the difference between Clausewitz and Santa Klaus. Since high school, she toiled as an aparatchitsa in CDU in her home Saarland. She had OK looks, motherly demeanor (I guess, proud mother of three), nicely balanced moderate position and led CDU to a victory in that land. While working and nurturing, she got a master in law/politics.

This led Merkel to pick her as a Successorin. But on the federal arena she flopped and was demoted within a year, to the (apparently unimportant) post of defense minister. There she has some really interesting initiatives, like having some navy vessel plying seas of Indo-Pacific to promote freedom of people and navigation.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Nov 30 2020 15:40 utc | 111

Top notch article;

"The Nuremberg Tribunal: 75 Years Later and Still the Basis for Humanity’s Survival"

https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2020/11/29/nuremberg-tribunal-75-years-later-and-still-basis-for-humanity-survival/

Posted by: jef | Nov 30 2020 15:41 utc | 112

This is just effing tragic and probably more widespread than we know;

"In Japan, more people died from suicide last month than from Covid in all of 2020. And women have been impacted most"

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/28/asia/japan-suicide-women-covid-dst-intl-hnk/index.html

Posted by: jef | Nov 30 2020 15:46 utc | 113

b thank you for putting up that Roger Walters link.
I recomend it to all ! On Both sides of the baracade.
You can find it near the bottom under the heading of ‘civil war’. (Chuckle)
As far as I can tell no one has yet mentioned it. It’s a good discussion (long) but worth the time.
Near the end he gives a very real view on this Biden /trump
row.
His view chimes one hundred percent with mine.
Both he and I throughout our lives never got brainwashed.
I can say the best live gigs I ever went to.
——————-
b. When’s your fund raiser should be about now ? Count me in.

Posted by: Mark2 | Nov 30 2020 15:50 utc | 114

@ Bemildred

Interesting take.

Posted by: fritz | Nov 30 2020 15:52 utc | 115

Merkel has no intention to ever leave office, just like Qin Shi Huang she intends to rule forever. If she should really not run for chancellery next year as accounced then she will try to rule Germany as "Grey Eminence".

It is just that at some point it was expected of her to nominate a successor. Since it strengthened her position she did so, but she nominated some second-tier nobody with no power base on federal level who accordingly wouldn`t be a threat to her position but totally dependent on her.

Posted by: m | Nov 30 2020 16:27 utc | 116

Moderna files for approval of COVID-19 vaccine in the US and EU

Notice how Moderna won't even try to ask for approval in the Chinese or Russian markets, because it knows its vaccine is bs.

Posted by: vk | Nov 30 2020 16:28 utc | 117

@ WG 89
I suggest that nobody try to test these "Natural Rights" with a shark, or the coronavirus. Finding out the hard way that those "rights" are far from natural can be extremely unpleasant.

Obviously it is not a natural right to contest a shark and I have not been bothered by coronavirus. Been traveling a lot, for one thing, which I've always enjoyed. I'm sorry if you've not been successful with either. I consider my life is being lived a hundred percent according to what I consider to be my natural rights. Perhaps your natural rights were improperly selected? . . .I guess my main point is that I, not someone else, determines what my natural rights are and I live according to them. I'm sorry you've had problems.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Nov 30 2020 16:46 utc | 118

Taiwan's sorry state:

To poison itself for the sake of the United States: Russia refused, Taiwan is not asked

However, the reason for the performance was very serious - the speech of Prime Minister Su Zhenchang , who tried to explain to the deputies the essence of the rules governing the import of American pork that will start in a month.

It's all about a substance called ractopomin, which is used as a feed additive to increase muscle mass in pigs and cattle.

It is banned for use in dozens of countries around the world, including Russia, China , the European Union ... And in Taiwan - until recently. The reason is that this beta-adrenergic agonist is not safe for human health, as the substance is classified in pharmacology, since it can cause tremors, headaches, muscle spasms, tachycardia, increased blood pressure and other unpleasant consequences in humans.

Could've been importing better pork from China (at a much cheaper price). Instead, it's importing expensive and toxic pork from the USA.

Posted by: vk | Nov 30 2020 16:52 utc | 119

Although there are exceptions, the Rule is Elites hate Commoners and view them as a threat to their Privileges, which they believe only they have a right to, such as the owning of property once was amongst others. Look at the history of attempts to "level" society such that all Class Distinctions are erased and the amount of resistance Elites employed to destroy them. Why do you think the Outlaw US Empire's TrumpCo harasses CPC members when they alit on its shores thus prompting the need for China to respond:

It's all about Class and the Age-Old-War to end the ability of a few to amass wealth and power over the many.

China is the first Civilization & Nation to finally put the interests of its Commoners First. No, it's not perfect, but it's clearly striving for the Ideal, and only a few other nations are actively trying to do that. Perhaps the most vicious nation to wage war on its own people is England, which then conquered its neighbors, forced them into Union, and then ruthlessly exploited their people. The history of those islands is ghastly, and as Pilger proves, it continues to do so unabated.

The primary triumph of the Outlaw US Empire's Elites was their ability to get the Middle Class to keep the Lower Classes down, to become their allies in the Class War. Now the tables are turned and a substantial portion of the Middle Class has found itself stabbed in the back, yet seemingly doesn't know what to do as it still spurns the Lower Classes it's descending into.

George Carlin would have enjoyed the Communist Party of China since it's a Big Club that you Can be a member of, and that's why it's hated by Neoliberals as it threatens their control and their Free Lunch.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 30 2020 17:03 utc | 120

james from prior page--

Hmm... Let's try this link to get to that bit of humor. I checked it on Preview, and it worked.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 30 2020 17:09 utc | 121

Don Bacon @119

You needn't burden yourself with concern for my pursuit of happiness. Just because it is obvious to me that the existence of said "natural rights" are clearly absurd and only exist in fantasy doesn't mean that I do not pursue happiness and all of that other stuff anyway.

"I, not someone else, determines what my natural rights are"

Well then, those rights are not natural if you are the one determining what they are, are they? "Natural" suggests something that exists beyond human volition and agency to me, and what you are talking about doesn't fit that description. Perhaps "natural rights" is just a copyrighted label, like "American cheese", that has little bearing on the meaning of the individual words used? If so then perhaps it is accurate that you enjoy "natural rights" that are neither a product of nature nor rights beyond your ability as an individual to enforce them.

If that is what you are actually talking about then maybe we are on the same page after all.

Posted by: William Gruff | Nov 30 2020 17:13 utc | 122

Posted by: vk | Nov 30 2020 16:52 utc | 120

That pork inflating chemical is so safe that school children won’t be fed with frankenchops. But the picture says it all, Taiwan lawmaker throwing pork entrails to her colleagues. Sounds awful потрошение, evisceration, when we all know that everything in a properly raised pig -like fed with dry figs and grains- is edible, well except the hoof. I love what we in Spain call Cocido, the Russians Schi, a cabbage stew with pig's feet and ears, chick peas, white beans. The feet are best if pre salted with coarse salt for about 12 hours and then pre soaked and rinsed before adding them to the (big) pot.

I can’t remember right now who was the well informed guy that put our digestive system as the most precious one for our well being, ahead of the heart and brain since it is the one to keep them in good shape. Mad cow anyone? Приятного аппетита.

Posted by: Paco | Nov 30 2020 17:14 utc | 123

121 Cont'd--

And as suspected, with Biden likely to eliminate the Outlaw US Empire's Trade War against the EU, the EU has drafted a plan "to establish a global alliance to meet what they call the 'strategic challenge' of rising Chinese influence globally." Just the sort of response we ought to expect from a Neoliberal organization. What does "Chinese influence" consist of? As I explained @121, putting Commoners's interests first in an attempt to create the first Leveled Society in the last 12,000+ years that puts an end to Elite Privilege. Behind a paywall is the Financial Times proposed plan, that supposedly includes the restoration of "democratic principles," which is quite a Howler given the Oligarchic, decidedly undemocratic nature of the EU--it's China that's supposedly "authoritarian" says the European Commission.

China has very generously offered the EU to partner with it in its BRI development project, and Russia has on several occasions asked it to join it in expanding into an Eurasian wide trading area. So, it's not China's economic or technological prowess that the EU fears. As with the Outlaw US Empire, it's the ideological threat of a governance system that puts the interests of Commonfolk first, aims to uplift them out of the poverty they've been enslaved into for centuries, and levels elites out of the picture via a meritocratic system that offers everyone an opportunity to excel. EU elites just can't stomach that anymore than their forbearers, but the closest thing to Hitler to enlist to wipe out the Communists is the Outlaw US Empire.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 30 2020 17:42 utc | 124

Paco @124

If you are ever in the little Japanese islands south of Okinawa; Ishigaki, for instance, then you should give the local specialty "tebichi soba" a try. "Pig foot noodle soup" is roughly how it translates and it was mind-blowing how delicate, rich, and delicious it was.

Good stuff.

Posted by: William Gruff | Nov 30 2020 17:44 utc | 125

Survey: Canadians Reject Efforts to Brand Criticism and Protest of Israel as Antisemitic

apparently this will be released via amnesty international in the next month or so which will create a firestorm...

Posted by: james | Nov 30 2020 17:55 utc | 126

@ Avid Lurker | Nov 30 2020 1:18 utc | 73.. thanks for your link at the bottom... well written and informative..

@ karlof1 | Nov 30 2020 17:09 utc | 122.. thanks karl! that worked! will read it now...

Posted by: james | Nov 30 2020 17:57 utc | 127

karlof1... that article really highlights the race to the gutter with both men, although brennan is on a slightly higher position.. neither of them miss any opportunity to profess deep servitude to israel. it is really quite pathetic - cruz in particular... what a sycophant!

Posted by: james | Nov 30 2020 18:01 utc | 128

@ Mark2 | Nov 30 2020 15:50 utc | 115... i agree with you.. listening to the interview now... living in the uk must be an embarrassment for any progressive type person... i see craig murray has an article up in a similar vein... - The State You May Not Criticise

Posted by: james | Nov 30 2020 18:07 utc | 129

anybody here knows about this news on biden from AFP

#UPDATE US President-elect Joe #Biden has fractured his foot and will likely have to wear a medical boot, his team said Sunday after the 78-year-old was taken to the doctor after slipping while playing with his dog http://u.afp.com/3tMN.

This man is very fragile, we may see President Harris of the City on shining hills even before we expected

Posted by: kooshy | Nov 30 2020 18:19 utc | 130

Posted by: William Gruff | Nov 30 2020 17:44 utc | 126

If we are ever allowed to travel again I’m thinking about the TransSiberian but not at one shot but stopping along the way and then making it to Harbin in northern China. In the old days when there were no refrigerators or European Union rules, every family in my small town would raise a pig and at around this time of the year sacrifice it for winter provisions. La Matanza was done out in the street, as the Marranos or converted jews that stayed in Spain did, to prove their conversion and loyalty, the Inquisition guys would collect the best pieces of the animal, like a veterinarian test for health guarantees ))))

The whole affair was -still is but semi-legal now thanks to the EU- a true feast, the first part to be used and eaten would be Morcilla or blood sausage, together with Migas, which are plain poor man wisdom, just plain fried bread till it separates like a coarse and dry porridge with whatever is at hand added and eaten communally from a big pan.

As of late I almost do not eat any meat, beef since years ago, pork, well a good jamón is a treat, similar but a lot better than Italian prosciutto since it is cured whole and not deboned. And if invited to a Matanza I won’t miss it, a lot of work, a lot of fun.

By the way, your Gruffing reminds me of Woody Guthrie's guitar grafitti. Keep it loud.

Posted by: Paco | Nov 30 2020 18:30 utc | 131

AFAICT Flynn had already won his case. He didn't need the pardon. IMO his pardon was meant to squash any political ambitions he may have (and it seems he may have some given his attempt to communication with the American public).
____________________________________________________

As far as i can tell the case is still ongoing and the judge may still dismiss Flynn's guilty plea. The last action by the judge was to order the DOJ to produce notes by the FBI investigators that show that the FBI investigators did not believe Flynn was intentionally lying and that his answers (whether true or false) had no impact on any ongoing investigation. Both of those revelations mean Flynn was never guilty.

The whole Flynn Flam case was cooked up by Trump, Comey and Mueller. But Flynn's plea was essential because without the plea there is no case against Flynn...

The Mueller investigation Kayfabe hinges on the Flynn Flam story that Flynn lied to the FBI (which never happened). The Mueller investigation was intended to make it appear that trump was doing battle with the deep state and for many years it was made to appear that the deep state was winning but trump pulled off a victory in the end.

Here is a summary of the phony action that kept everybody on the edge of its seat for 2 years:

1* Supposedly Trump tried to twist Comey's arm to go easy on Flynn
2* When Comey refused to knuckle under Trump fired Comey
3* Comey leaks it to the press that he was fired because he refused to go easy on Flynn
4* Comey's leak triggers Mueller appointment (after trunp and mueller meet secretly in the oval office)
5* Comey testifies to Congress that Trump tried to interfere in the prosecution of Flynn which creates a basis for investigating trump for obstruction

So now the stage for the phony kayfabe Mueller investigation with one BOMBSHELL leak after another for the next 2 years

So for 2 years trump did this phony battle with the deep state that was always rigged to end up with the deep state losing.

* all of these events only appear real if you assume Flynn committed a chargeable crime of making material false statements to the FBI and none of Mueller's allegations of obstruction by trump make sense without this underlying crime (which never existed)

Posted by: jinn | Nov 30 2020 18:38 utc | 132

Paco @132--

I do a bit of Charcuterie, and your descriptions are making me salivate! In fact, the wife and I were discussing the merits of pickled pigs feet yesterday, and I knew they were used in other dishes but sadly couldn't bring any to mind.

Back to the political world.

Crooke again provides us with a timely and important essay, "The Digital ‘Iron Curtain’ Descends." Clearly, Neoliberals plan to use opposition to their agenda to try and further entrench their power and position, and part of that is employing digital platforms to coerce and control as we've seen with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. It should be clear by now at least to us barflies that the real threat doesn't have anything at all to do with China, but rather the alternative China and other dissenters from Neoliberalism present.

As I've mentioned before, Culture can be a very powerful force within a society even in its current dysfunctional condition. It's clearly been manipulated for many decades within the Outlaw US Empire, and now the EU's going to see an escalation in its version of the Culture Wars. IMO, the more conservative EU nations may ally with Poland and Hungary, a situation Brussels clearly wants to avoid but may very well exacerbate with its actions.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 30 2020 19:05 utc | 133

Headache@131

That is a very good follow up Review report Corman-Drosten et al. Eurosurveillance 2020, in its abstract:

In the publication entitled “Detection of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) by real-time RT-PCR” (Eurosurveillance 25(8) 2020) the authors present a diagnostic workflow and RT-qPCR protocol for detection and diagnostics of 2019-nCoV (now known as SARS-CoV-2), which they claim to be validated, as well as being a robust diagnostic methodology for use in public-health laboratory settings.

In light of all the consequences resulting from this very publication for societies worldwide, a group of independent researchers performed a point-by-point review of the aforesaid publication in which 1) all components of the presented test design were cross checked, 2) the RT-qPCR protocol-recommendations were assesses w.r.t. good laboratory practice, and 3) parameters examined against relevant scientific literature covering the field.

The published RT-qPCR protocol for detection and diagnostics of 2019-nCoV and the manuscript suffer from numerous technical and scientific errors, including insufficient primer design, a problematic and insufficient RT-qPCR protocol, and the absence of an accurate test validation. Neither the presented test nor the manuscript itself fulfils the requirements for an acceptable scientific publication. Further, serious conflicts of interest of the authors are not mentioned. Finally, the very short timescale between submission and acceptance of the publication (24 hours) signifies that a systematic peer review process was either not performed here, or of problematic poor quality. We provide compelling evidence of several scientific inadequacies, errors and flaws.

Considering the scientific and methodological blemishes presented here, we are confident that the editorial board of Eurosurveillance has no other choice but to retract the publication.

my emphasis

I invite all non-sceptics to consider objections presented in this report, some of which have been pointed out in layman terms in this forum by many, but can now be appreciated under a qualified perspective.

Posted by: Vasco da Gama | Nov 30 2020 20:11 utc | 134

Alastair Crooke's interviewed during the first half--14min--of this Going Underground report mostly about the recent Saudi-Occupied Palestine meet and the change a Biden Regime will have upon the region, specifically on Iranian policy. Crooke expects little to change since Biden/Harris being zealous Zionists like Trump along with the fact that there's no relevant Peace Party within Occupied Palestine aside from the Palestinians.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 30 2020 20:20 utc | 135

NemesisCalling@84 continues the idiocy, simultaneously claiming judges are superseding their proper powers while praying for them to create imaginary citizens in the womb. Judicial "activism" was never a problem when it was the Taney court disappearing the humanity of millions in the Dred Scott decision. The right *not* to bear and unwanted child is exactly the kind of right that should be understood as an unenumerated right reserved to the people! But political conservatives have no interest in the rights of the people, but of property...or sometimes, tactically, the rights of states. Taney was a states' rights man. States' rights are not the people's rights, never were and have always been in opposition to the people's right. The Ninth and Tenth Amendments are in conflict. The Constitution was not an amazing stroke of wisdom, much less divine revelation, it was a hodgepodge of compromises, with deliberate ambiguities (like "well-regulated" militia!) What it meant was often deliberately deferred in hopes that later politics would resolve the issue definitively.

Nor was federalism, states' rights and the Constitution a problem when the Melville Fuller court handed down the Lochner decisions. Again, judicial activism deliberately eviscerated the Fourteenth Amendment to preserve the rule of the minority.

The attempt of the Supreme Court to reverse FDR's election and deny the legislative majority the power to legislate was not a problem for supposed checks and balances, will of the people types. In fact, the real agenda of the ranters against judicial activism was exposed by their fury at the efforts to reign in the Supreme Court, calling it "court packing." That didn't prevent the same kind of people from screaming for the impeachment of Earl Warren...for protecting the rights of the people! The so-called ideas promulgated by the likes of NemesisCalling are incoherent nonsense, based upon a flagrantly false version of history, shameless double standards, and simple-minded piety that takes nonsense about the Constitution protecting "us" from Big Government as meant in good faith. Political conservatives stand for powerful government that can oppress the majority to defend the property of the minority. That was the goal of the Constitution.

Don Bacon@86 cites an imaginary "authority," which is no authority at all. Openly admitting that the Constitution was not a work of genius, that it was a fundamentally reactionary terminus to the American Revolution, roughly homologous to the Directory in France, those are the politically incorrect principles. The moth eaten myths peddled by reactionaries like this are politically correct in the literal sense of the phrase, political ideas that conform to the interests of the powers that be. (Of course, the very phrase, "politically incorrect" is meant to signal virulent opposition to the left, which means rabid commitment to fraudulent history.)

Don Bacon@87 tries to hide the opposition to freedom by claiming "Congress" has no right to legislate against human rights, which is historical nonsense. It is also ambiguous on the repressive legislation by states, which have violated human rights by laws establishing a church, to take a less contentious issue than laws protecting slavery. Also, the common mental reservation whereby "human rights" really only mean "property rights," takes that away even in principle. In principle, judicial review, a doctrine that began not so much with John Marshall, but perhaps Edward Coke, in the resistance to the increasingly absolutist Stuart monarchy, is a defense of the people's rights not just against the king, but against the king's corrupted Parliament. Everyone raving about judicial activism wants the courts to attack human rights, reverse the verdicts of elections the conservatives lose and prevent majority rule by legislatures. Every one of them!

William Gruff@89 postures once again as some sort of scientific thinker, coyly pretending that invoking Marx is some sort of ju jitsu that can turn the left's own authorities against them. Like everything Gruff says, it is ridiculous. The ludicrous pseudo-concept of the PMC in another comment, for instance, is anti-Marxist to the core, being a deliberate conflation of multiple social categories, a deliberate confusion of class as defined as property interest with social status as defined by the speaker's prejudices and a substitution of a quasi-conspiratorial view of politics for a class analysis. In this comment, the claim the notion of natural rights are refuted by a shark merely serves to display the fundamental contempt for humanity that animates Gruff's comments. (What Gruff is like in private life is a different issue, though it seems likely enough that every mirror has justified Gruff's hatred of mankind. But maybe not, maybe I'm just too annoyed by the BS>) At any rate, natural rights of the person facing a shark or a covid-19 virus are matched by the natural rights of the shark and the virus. If the person has a harpoon gun or the governor forbids excessive numbers of people staying in a room for over an hour singing and shouting, the shark and the virus can lose, naturally and rightly.

Of course, the real issue for honest thinkers is, what are the natural rights of people in their dealings with other people Maybe William Gruff should have been beaten to death in the crib by parents who could see what was coming. Talk of natural rights means something when talking of about death squads. Babble about sharks and viruses are like SF writer Robert A. Heinlein covering up his BS by talking the natural right of a man drowning in the ocean. But, if you really want to get tough-minded (not that any political conservative ever is, they're just mean-spirted and small-minded and bigoted,) try this: Natural right is what people can get by force. The thing is, given the need for social peace, the natural right is for the likely winners of a violent struggle to get their way without the cost of actual violence. That is, the natural right is for *the majority* to rule. No political conservative believes in majority rule. There aren't even very many liberals in the US who believe in this!

There are a weak-kneed, namby pamby kind of political conservatives who have some vague notion that the law's the law and that makes everything that happens according to the legal forms just. I can only remind you, that by this standard, Shylock should indeed have gotten his pound of flesh. The notion that the means justifies the ends, instead of the other way round, is strictly for moral imbeciles. (The real problem with the means justifying the ends, is and has always been, the difficulty of separating means and ends in real life.)

Posted by: steven t johnson | Nov 30 2020 20:29 utc | 136

karlof1 @134

Wow

While it is gratifying and confirming to see someone of Crooke's calibre digging straight to the core of the threat posed by neoliberal faux-left "progressivism" that I have been worrying over for the last several years, I have secretly been yearning to be proven wrong. After all, I wore the label "progressive" decades ago as a substitute for "socialist" or "Marxist" when those latter labels were still seen as too threatening by most people in the US. It is discouraging to see the terms; the very language used to discuss issues of importance being appropriated by the bosses and corrupted to mean their opposites. When left becomes right, progressive become regressive, and fascist becomes anti-fascist, then we have to invent whole new vocabularies just to discuss the problems that humanity is facing. What is worse though is that upending the language of political society in this manner makes the amassed knowledge from the past less accessible to the present. I suppose that is the point though.

One of Crooke's conclusions is stated in rather optimistic terms: "...we may witness a powerful turn towards political self-determination". That is a very pleasant way of talking about a process that will probably not end up being very pretty.

Posted by: William Gruff | Nov 30 2020 21:13 utc | 137

@ Posted by: Vasco da Gama | Nov 30 2020 20:11 utc | 135

Thanks for posting a link to the Review report “Corman-Drosten et al. Eurosurveillance 2020“ critiquing PRC test method. It is absolutely fascinating! I am not a subject matter expert but do have several colleagues who are. I’ll definitely share this with them and am curious about their opinions!!

Posted by: Nathan Mulcahy | Nov 30 2020 22:19 utc | 138

@137 steven

Wow, talk about off the rails.

Can't make hide nor hair of most of your post. Syntax issue or just a ramblin' man?

I will challenge your argument about the right to any abortion.

What about the rights and liberties of the human being you carelessly created?

Do they have no rights?

Properly understood, "rights" mean the protection from naked abuse of power.

"Rights" can not by definition infringe upon the "rights" of others. That is a contradiction which upends your argument entirely.

You bring up sharks and viruses as if we are not speaking of the world in which man has clearly been able to differentiate himself from the animals by his ability to take his own life. No other animal can do this knowing of the consequences. What other aspects of human life separate it from the animal? Many, as philosophers and writers have posited, though the suicide question is sufficient to understand the fundamental difference of human beings.

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Nov 30 2020 22:32 utc | 139

NemesisCalling @140

Can't make hide nor hair of most of your post.
_______________________________________

HA HA Ha of course what he said is beyond you. That was completely predictable

you wrote:
"What about the rights and liberties of the human being you carelessly created?"

If you are so concerned about the rights of the unborn then pay the women not to have abortions. I figure if you pay each woman who plans to have an abortion one million dollars to carry their baby to term, that will reduce the number of abortions a lot more than repealing Roe v Wade. And it would cost about as mich as one B1 bomber.

But of course you will oppose that because you don't give a damn about reducing the deaths of unborn children that is not what you care about. You don't even care if repealing Roe v Wade would increases the number of deaths by abortion.

The real world doesn't matter. Only the ideology matters to you. Thousands of deaths by a virus is not your concern as long as your right to go around yelling at people without wearing a mask is protected.

Posted by: jinn | Nov 30 2020 23:11 utc | 140

jinn @141--

Yes, the woman has the right to terminate her pregnancy prior to birth. She has the right to not become a slave to the species. People have the right to remain healthy, the right not to become ill. Ultimately, healthcare is a service that ought to be considered a right for all, not the privilege available only for a few. Some aspects of this argument are recent, but at bottom it's ancient. Only when all the slaves are freed can humanity claim to be free; currently, billions are enslaved, so nobody is truly free. Even those in their penthouses aren't free since the slaves are always capable of revolt thus enslaving such people to the fear of such a revolt and revulsion of their immoral hold on power. Dickens explored such fears in his A Christmas Carole. Hammurabi sought to protect the rights of the weak and poor through Law. Yes, the ongoing war continues, and men shall never be free until women are.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 30 2020 23:50 utc | 141

Since I haven't seen mention of this piece Jonathon Cook posted on his blog today, I thought I might link to it.

Cook's piece under the self explanatory headline "Establishment journalists are piling on to smear Robert Fisk now he cannot answer back"
defends Mr Fisk from attacks by so-called journalists who to quote Cook "the biggest “adventure” most of them have ever experienced is an expense-account lunch at El Vino’s."

Worth a read especially as Cook points out that it has become essential to slander Fisk now he is dead because his large following has caused too many to doubt the Douma gas attack lie. Now that Fisk is dead any lie about him can be created & repeated secure in the knowledge that a lawsuit cannot follow - the dead have no standing to sue. Hence no one spoke out while he was alive even though if they were correct in their denunciations surely a lawsuit could have easily been defended.

Posted by: Debsisdead | Nov 30 2020 23:54 utc | 142

OT: Paco, William Gruff and karlof1

Your discussion about cooking of pig feet reminds me of the typical Chinese braised pork feet:

- Cut the fresh pig feet into some chunks, then soak them in the cold water for one or two hours to let go the blood inside;

- Wash and then put them inside a pot with cold water to cook for ca 10 minutes with a few slice ginger and cooking wine (optional) to get rid of any other unpleasant smell.

- Take them out, wash and drain again, threw away the boiled ginger slices;

- Pour some cooking oil inside the pan and add two or tree table spoon of sugar inside the oil; Once it starts to caramalise, you add the drained pig feet inside the pan to cook and turn them around till all get goldenish;

- Add some star anise (if you have, if not just skip it), ginger, bay leaves (optional), chili (optional), soy sauce, cooking wine and water (alternatively, just use cans of beers) to cover the pig feet;

- After it turns boiling, turn down the stove to medium - low heat and keep on cooking ca 30-minute till they are well done.

You can eat with the cooked pig feet with rice, bread or anything your prefer.

The pig feet would taste even better the next day. You can also add some potato chunks, carrot and cabbage into the leftover to make some stew.

Give a try, you will not disappointed.

Haven't eaten meat for ages, now I am hungry!

Posted by: lulu | Dec 1 2020 0:18 utc | 143

Ouch!

US Navy Decides to Scrap Amphibious Assault Ship Bonhomme Richard After Catastrophic Fire

[Rear Admiral Eric] Ver Hage said that rebuilding the amphibious assault ship back as she was before the July fire would have cost between $2.5 and $3.2 billion and taken between five and seven years.
[...]
Instead, the ship will be decommissioned, a process that will take just one year and cost $30 million.

Posted by: vk | Dec 1 2020 0:40 utc | 144

@141 jinn

Well, proper punctuation and avoiding run-on sentences surely helps readability.

...

So you want to give a million bucks to every woman who has a child, huh?

Why would you even entertain such a fantastical thought?

Was that an attempt at a "gotcha comment?"

No, I am genuinely concerned about the culture of death which our government sanctions at home and abroad.

What did Wittgenstein say about the unsayable? "We must pass over it in silence."

So it is that millions upon millions of unborn children have been murdered and we as Americans believe that it is a right.

What a chasm between us and our own selves.

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Dec 1 2020 0:57 utc | 145

On a serious note: really enjoy all the discussions from different perspectives and information provided by MoAers.

@karlof1: I read your article about China, and always enjoy your erudite posts and the many info links you provided, which broadens my horizon.

The Chinese system is not perfect, it has its own problems and pitfalls, and needs to be improved basing on changing time, emerging problems, mistakes, our history and our culture.

Have you come across Eric X Li: A Tale of Two Political Systems? Eric X Li Shimo is a US Berkeley educated Chinese venture capitalist and political scientist.

A short version of his speech "A Westerner always assume multipart election with universal suffrage is the only source of political legitimacy."
Yet many ppl forget about the real legitimacy: EXPERIENCE and COMPETENCY

He dispels the myth of western democracy as a precondition for economic development and success.

Chinese governance model is not to replace Western/US model, it simply proves there are alternative ways for countries to develop in according to their own situation/history/culture. US/European model shouldn't and can't be the only one for the whole world.

Posted by: lulu | Dec 1 2020 0:58 utc | 146

@ William Gruff | Nov 30 2020 21:13 utc | 138 who wrote
"
...
When left becomes right, progressive become regressive, and fascist becomes anti-fascist, then we have to invent whole new vocabularies just to discuss the problems that humanity is facing. What is worse though is that upending the language of political society in this manner makes the amassed knowledge from the past less accessible to the present. I suppose that is the point though.
"

I don't think we need to make up new vocabularies but instead be clear about what is being discussed. The new vocabularies are only need to cover up reality in some magic way.

Reality tells me that there is top/bottom in the West instantiated by global private finance who's owners are the top and most of the rest of us not being puppets for the top are the bottom. To me all other economic and social vocabulary stems from this beginning and it is that beginning that is societies problem, IMO. And the elite seem to be quite successful keeping you and others focused on other than the core vocabulary of our social system, private finance instead of public.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 1 2020 1:32 utc | 147

Btw, just saw the latest WHO media briefing: #Wuhan Seafood Market "is likely to have been a point of amplification. It's clear that there are cases that preceded that event at the Wuhan market." "The case zero may not be the case zero."

Unlike Italy, Spain and France, it seems that none of the five-eye countries has published any studies on sewage samples or samples taken from early respiratory patients in 2019.

Just wondering what if they did a re-examination of those samples taken in end-June/early July, 2019 from the patients in VA retirement communities, which are not very far away from Fort Detrick, which was then shut down in July:

- Respiratory Outbreak at Greenspring Retirement Community;

- Another Respiratory Outbreak Found Burke Retirement Community;

- and Virginia Retirement Community Respiratory Illness Outbreak

Or, how about run some antibody tests on some of the patients who were suddenly taken down by Respiratory Illness caused by Vaping in Octbor last year?

Posted by: lulu | Dec 1 2020 1:32 utc | 148

Don Bacon @81: "We all have the right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

I hate to sound so flip on such an emotive issue, but I suggest that nobody try to test these "Natural Rights" with a shark, or the corona virus. Finding out the hard way that those "rights" are far from natural can be extremely unpleasant. by: William Gruff 89 <=useful situation, that can be used to demonstrate several principles of rights.. the most prominent of which is that which the deplorable govern license can be summarily rescinded.
1. rights are enforceable if and only if the masses insist on their enforcement.
a. A million people in the water would probably scare the shark off?
b. A single person facing a hungry shark or an infectious virus is helpless
(but helpless against evils explains why individuals agree to be ruled by
a government). There is power in numbers of persons able to assist and to
help both in the immediate situation and by development of specialized tools
capable to assist the helpless in that kind of situation.
c. The numbers element is much greater than just a bunch of people it also
includes the knowledge from prior or similar experience of others
encountered when facing threatening situations, and
d. There is probability that someone in the crowd is expert or possessive of
talents or experience likely able to protect the helpless from victimization
of the type in your example.

2. Individuals take the risk of abuse, usurpation and absolute despotism, to form governments and to appoint from among their masses, persons to be governors allowed to operate Governments because of just such evils your example presents. <=government is a powerful plural assistant when in good hands, and weapon of tyranny when in evil hands. .

3. but as the Declaration of independence states => When abuses and usurpations, prove to be pursuing invariably the same Object, (which object) evinces a Design [in either the constitution or the behaviors of those leading a government a constitution enables] to reduce the governed masses(deplorables) to a conditioned state of "absolute despotism" ; it is the right (of the deplorable). it is the duty of the deplorable to provide new Guards [and a better constitution) for their future Security.
a. so when the power of government and its use by those who are placed in charge to operate expresses behaviors that amount to despotism <=it imposes a different duty of the governed deplorable. The change is one from obedience to the governors, to remove and replace the governors and use the experience to improve the constitution.
i. from conforming to the will of the government and its leadership, to a replacing both the
despotic leaders and the constitution such leadership uses to accomplish their depotism.
ii. despotic experience switches duty of the governed..

4. so what seems impossible odds in the singular becomes a tamed beast in the plural.

Posted by: snake | Dec 1 2020 1:50 utc | 149

For those people who have had difficulty realizing a life enjoying the right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. I would recommend reading Henry David Thoreau's Walden. The answers are there including:
>Our life is frittered away by detail... simplify, simplify.
>Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.
>The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.
>It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
>All good things are wild, and free.
>In wildness is the preservation of the world.
>If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.
>A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 1 2020 2:10 utc | 150

I’m rewatching the movie “The Matrix”.

WHY is the city of the resistance called Zion ???

Yes, obviously, Hollywood is Jewish-controlled, but otherwise.

Posted by: Featherless | Dec 1 2020 2:13 utc | 151

Confucius
'Its rude not to return a favor'

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/china-demands-probe-into-aussies-crimes-in-afghanistan/2058111#

hehehehe

Posted by: denk | Dec 1 2020 3:08 utc | 152

@ denk 153
china-demands-probe-into-aussies-crimes-in-afghanistan
There has been a probe, of sorts.
The Aussie drama is entertaining:
. . . .news.com.au:

Scott Morrison warned Australia’s Defence Force Chief Angus Campbell that he expects the top brass to be held accountable for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, not just the rogue soldiers who were on the frontline.
In his strongest comments to date, the Prime Minister has told Radio 4BC that the “chain of command” needs to be looked at closely.
His remarks follow calls by broadcaster Alan Jones that the Prime Minister should “sack” General Campbell and not accept the Brereton Report’s acceptance that the top brass should not be blamed because they were kept in the dark by rogue soldiers and didn’t know what was going on. . .here

Posted by: D | Dec 1 2020 3:46 utc | 153

and to add insult....
China refuses to apologise over gruesome Australia soldier post . .Officials double down on Australia saying country should be ashamed of alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan. . .China has refused to apologise for a controversial image depicting an Australia soldier cutting the throat of an Afghan child. . . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 1 2020 3:55 utc | 154

d 154

This Afghan debacle is just kindergarten stuff
compared to Nam,Cambodia, Laos, INdonesia, Kosovo,
Iraq [Fallujah anyone], Libya, Syria, ...Yemen.

We dont even need any whistle blower.
There'r enuff evidence in the west very own MSM
to put the entire [[[five liars]]] leadership behind'
bar.

China take note.
Dont get mad, get even.
Two can play at this game.

Posted by: denk | Dec 1 2020 4:14 utc | 155

There are some aspects of the 'shock horror' Aussies commit war crimes, the details of which can be found across the net perhaps this Sydney Morning Herald article which was written at the time the summary of the Brereton Report was published, rather than now a couple of weeks later, after those Chinese people have provided an unwitting distraction - or rather one that has got every 'little Aussie battler' angry at China for pointing out the depth of Oz perfidy, instead of remaining angry at their taxpayer funded serial murderers.

What started off as a seemingly honest sense of outrage in the Oz media has since deteriorated, even before the rather clumsy China tweet, into a lot of back-pedalling, featuring an every man for himself display of pathetic buck shoving.

At least one of the murderers is the recipient of the highest honour one can 'earn' in the Australian military, the Victoria Cross (V.C.), at the time the report was released Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell stated he was going to have all medals & unit honours awarded to the culprits and the units they served in rescinded. Of course the RSL (the Oz overseas veterans Association), kicked up an almighty fuss at that, and it now seems Campbell has backed down. No surprises there.

However one of the worst aspects of the inquiry report has been the claim that "unfortunately no commissioned officers knew what was going on".

That has been a feature of the Special Forces program, not a flaw. The Duntroon College graduates (long rumoured to be a gay beat for Oz politicians) who serve as the commissioned officers in charge of the Australian SAS, do not undergo the intensive, legendarily difficult to complete SAS training, therefore they rarely accompany their men on stunts, they issue orders, set the objectives and send the SAS troops out.

Stories of what SAS troopers get up to are not new, neither is the concept of ensuring everyone has been 'blooded' i.e has killed someone.

During the Vietnam war englander special forces were seconded in the Australian SAS for exactly that purpose, to get blooded. When Australia & Aotearoa had no wars on, their SAS troopers were seconded across to the brit SAS to get blooded in Belfast.

The reason is both sick and simple. You cannot send a mob of troopers in to an embassy ( or chocolate shop) to kill all the 'terrorists' not knowing if all your chaps are going to pull the trigger. The theory seems to be that the first murder is the hardest, that it gets easier and easier as a chap stacks up his bodycount.

Now for obvious reasons Oz defence Force careerists who have spent 3 or 4 years getting their bachelors degree in warfare are not keen on being out on a stunt where it is highly likely people will be killed by their sub-ordinates - looks bad on the old CV should something happen - eg like a war crimes inquiry. So Australian SAS patrols are headed up by a non-commissioned officer for that exact reason.

Now I agree, China taking a ping at the SAS war crimes is fair enough given all the unsubstantiated tosh Oz has levelled at China. However, the Australian response, to make it seem as though putting the killers and their bosses on trial would be an act of cowardice, backing down in the face of the enemy, was predictable.

Still if it hadn't been China, the Oz government & defence forces would likely have found another excuse

Posted by: Debsisdead | Dec 1 2020 5:30 utc | 156

When left becomes right, progressive become regressive, and fascist becomes anti-fascist, then we have to invent whole new vocabularies just to discuss the problems that humanity is facing. What is worse though is that upending the language of political society in this manner makes the amassed knowledge from the past less accessible to the present. I suppose that is the point though.

But is reality Henry Ford quote “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black.” is perfectly applicable to any US elections and political life in general.

Some commentators here for some reason think that Biden (yes, this semi-senile Biden, a marionette from the very beginning; senator from credit card companies; the worst enemy of working class in Congress ) is somehow preferable to Trump (yes, this Trump, a marionette of Zionists, the President who completely betrayed his electorate, best friend of billionaires and Pentagon; kind of Bush III replicating both intellectual level of Bush II and his policies, including a tax cut for the rich).

I don't disagree with the idea that Trump should go (he is clearly incompetent for this position), but to think that Biden (personally also completely incompetent due to his health condition, and even before that; can you imagine this second rate politician summit with Macron, Merkel, or Putin even if we ignore his current health problems ), in some ways, will be an improvement is pretty optimistic.

Biden administration will be especially dangerous in foreign policy where Russiagaters mafia clearly returned to power, (and chickenhawks like Nuland are in demand again; as well several other flavors of "national security parasites")

Both are puppets of approximately the same social force -- the union on neoliberal oligarchy and MIC (aka Uniparty.) Biden mafia simply will be slightly more polished, and less "in your face." But both are brutal gangsters, both domestically and on foreign arena. And that's pretty depressing. And one great service of Trump administration was that it exposed what is behind the fake facade. Biden will try to rebuild this fake facade, this Potemkin village again.

Posted by: likbez | Dec 1 2020 7:04 utc | 157

Three generations of english imperialists - two full on who neatly sandwich a boomer neolib 'orientalist'.
Bart Moore Gilbert and Kylie Moore-Gilbert - could they be somehow related?

Iranians don't pissfart around harrassing innocents - the fact that Thailand was pressured into releasing three alleged terrorists to free one spy indicates her value to the 5 eyes mob.

Posted by: Debsisdead | Dec 1 2020 10:40 utc | 158

Posted by: likbez | Dec 1 2020 7:04 utc | 158

"When left becomes right, progressive become regressive, and fascist becomes anti-fascist, then we have to invent whole new vocabularies just to discuss the problems that humanity is facing. What is worse though is that upending the language of political society in this manner makes the amassed knowledge from the past less accessible to the present. I suppose that is the point though."

Yes, that's what the gaslighing is all about, but the problem - as our self-designated betters are finding out now - is that you cannot run a sucessful competitive modern society that way, banana republics do not get to rule the world.

Even the Nazi Henry Ford understood he had to take good care of his employees.

Biden is going to have his hands full without looking for any more trouble.

Posted by: Bemildred | Dec 1 2020 11:06 utc | 159

Debsisdead @157

There is more to the ritual of being "blooded". Ritualistic murder is an initiation rite for criminal gangs and CIA death squads (same thing). It is a kind of "bonding" among psycho killers that assures gang loyalty.

About the Chinese bursting Australians' grossly overinflated sense of moral superiority, that's long overdue and a service to humanity. Sure, Australians will just retreat deeper into delusion like Americans do, but that is the death of culture. It is cultural suicide. Good riddance.

Posted by: William Gruff | Dec 1 2020 13:07 utc | 160

Maybe of interest to some:
"Sudan boycotts Nile dam talks, further complicating negotiations" by Al-Monitor 20201128 link.

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Dec 1 2020 13:18 utc | 161

China doesn't have the moral authority.

They sent arms and funded Pol Pot in the 70s up to the 90s, and cooperated fully with the CIA.

They also funded the Mujahideen with arms along with the US to push out the Soviet back in the 80s.

I'm surprised the Aussies haven't shot back with these facts.

Posted by: Smith | Dec 1 2020 13:59 utc | 162

Posted by: Debsisdead | Dec 1 2020 10:40 utc | 159

She was traded, when, she no more held any information value. except liability. It was a smart move to trade her for what had value for Iran.

Posted by: kooshy | Dec 1 2020 14:03 utc | 163

William Gruff @Nov30 21:13 #138

When left becomes right, progressive become regressive, and fascist becomes anti-fascist, then we have to invent whole new vocabularies just to discuss the problems that humanity is facing.

There is no better example of the inversion on the right than Trump who declares corporate-owned, establishment media to be "fake news" (mostly because it pretends to be anti-Trump), and claims that his tax cuts and anti-China actions are for the people because they will bring jobs back. But WE KNOW that USA is an oligarchy that takes the lions share of all commercial activities (hence the greatest wealth disparity since the Gilden Age) so those jobs, if they come back at all, will not provide all the benefits that working-class Americans hope for. And WE KNOW that the US Deep State/establishment want to smack-down China so they can rule the world - and that rule will favor the wealthy and well-connected not the people.

So we are afflicted by a double-whammy from our craven, corrupt establishment. If people were allowed to think this through there would be a revolution. That's why we see massive propaganda and psyops via media that offer to think for us with in-the-tank pundits and experts that go-along-to-get-along.

!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Dec 1 2020 14:22 utc | 164

Just in case no one knows.

US has never signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The US Declaration of Independence is not law. Just an historical document.

Posted by: oldhippie | Dec 1 2020 14:45 utc | 165

@ WG 161
There is more to the ritual of being "blooded". Ritualistic murder is an initiation rite for criminal gangs and CIA death squads (same thing)
...and also police forces
"Vallejo police bend badges to mark fatal shootings . . .They call it, “The Badge of Honor.” For a generation, a secretive clique within the Vallejo Police Department has commemorated fatal shootings . .". . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 1 2020 14:51 utc | 166

@ oldhippie 166
US has never signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The US has never ratified UNCLOS either, yet it takes great pride in enforcing it against dastardly forces (China & Russia).
The US Declaration of Independence is not law. Just an historical document.
Like the Bible? We shouldn't need laws to live by, should we. Like Thorea's Walden. . . there he goes again.. . .just in case no one knows.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 1 2020 15:00 utc | 167

@163 "I'm surprised the Aussies haven't shot back with these facts."

Give it time. Boris Johnson hasn't commented yet. This thing will probably go back to the Opium Wars.

Posted by: dh | Dec 1 2020 15:05 utc | 168

Fred Reed on China vs. USA

. . .America draws its scientists and engineers from roughly 200,000,000 STEM-capable whites. Blacks and Latinos contribute, if not negligibly, then almost so. China depends on a billion STEM-capable Han Chinese. These are the people who dominate America’s elite technical high schools and universities. Thus, it can potentially put five times as many scientists and engineers to work on tech work. As America’s schools deteriorate under the assault of social-justice warriors, China expands its already-rigorous schooling. Add that psychometricians put the East Asian IQ about five points higher than that of Eurowhites. Thus, many more and somewhat smarter STEM people from demanding universities against fewer and less intelligent from inferior schools. Then add stable, focused government versus rule by chaos. Arguably, massive Chinese technological superiority might seem likely.
Increasingly America does not compete with China, but strongarms it because it cannot compete. For example, in Five G China is ahead in technology, manufacturing capacity, and turnkey systems. Unable to produce an equivalent product, Washington banned Huawei Five G in the US and has twisted arms to keep countries that it controls from using Huawei. Seeing that Huawei had very attractive smartphones that would have competed with Apple, it banned these also. What America can’t do, it seeks to keep anybody else from doing. . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 1 2020 15:32 utc | 169

@ Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 1 2020 15:32 utc | 170

This Fred Reed guy is full of bullshit.

USA's STEM has not deteriorated because of "assault of social-justice warriors". It has deteriorated because the private sector has stopped investing on it. The rise of finance initiated a brain drain from tech to finance, absorbing the number guys to Wall Street. It was financialization - not cultural degeneration - that weakened American STEM. Reed's rationalization doesn't even make any sense, as SJWs don't even get into STEM to being with.

Another problem are IQ tests. They are not scientifically valid way of measuring intellect. It was a so-so test invented by a random American officer at the beginning of the 20th Century to try to quantify the intellectual power of his recruits that somehow got enshrined by the far-right.

The division between races is also pseudo-scientific. There is not evidence that there is such a thing as "Eurowhites" or "Han". By that I mean the literal genetic mapping of world populations indicates his division is wrong. There are no evidence human races exist - indeed, there's evidence of the opposite - evidence brought up by literal genetic mapping, not some random sociological theory.

Psychometry is pseudo-science. It really doesn't make sense from a scientific point of view.

Ironically, those pseudo-science adherence is stronger precisely among the group that most touts intellectual superiority: the racist far-right. The dumber group uses pseudo-science mixed with ideology to claim it is the smartest group.

Posted by: vk | Dec 1 2020 15:57 utc | 170

NemesisCalling@140 concedes defeat by pretending my responses to three commenters was incomprehensible and rambling. Generally if something in a comment is incomprehensible, people respond by skipping over it or, shockingly rare, asking for clarification. NemesisCalling doesn't know any more than I do when a group of cells becomes a person, which destroys the presumption. There is no other argument showing how the birth of unwanted children is a moral good.

But along the way, NemesisCalling dares to tell us that properly construed, right means protection from "naked abuse of power." Since naked abuse of power means violating rights, this is not a useful definition at all. One thing I will say about properly construing rights is that purely negative definitions are not truly useful, unless the goal is to obscure. In the case of rights, genuine rights can and should be construed as duties or obligations to perform some action. (I copy this from the philosopher Mario Bunge, by the way.) The rights of citizenship are the duties of citizenship and no embryo is a citizen. Indeed, this is why children do not have the rights of adults. Natural right a la William Gruff would imply that any parent is free to get rid of their parasitic offspring, not just before birth but after! After all, what have they done for their progenitor? The only other thing I will add about rights and duties is that there should be no invidious distinctions, because no claim to superiority by any group has ever been empircally justified, not ever. Most people want to live, moral rights and duties are those necessary for people to survive. (The problem of knowing what is necessary, given that necessity changes throughout history, is why there are politics. Morality may have a certain objectivity but as a science it's far more like meteorology or climatology than mechanics or the periodic table, much less accounting.)

Posted by: steven t johnson | Dec 1 2020 16:01 utc | 171

smith 163

Dummy

[[[Five liars]]] are the 'moral authority', at least thats what
they claim.
These days Oz is the [[[five liars]]] spokesman, lecturing China
over Xinjiang, HK, Tibet, Covid....

China is the one shooting back.
If scomo is stupid enough to heed your advice, he'd be
asking for it.
Oz has been up to its eyeballs in fukus wars since ww2,
its hands are drenched in blood, du, agent orange...

Xi to scomo..
You really wanna compare notes ?
Bring it on and make my day !

hehehehhe

Posted by: denk | Dec 1 2020 16:24 utc | 172

@karlof1 #142:

Yes, the woman has the right to terminate her pregnancy prior to birth.

I’m surprised to learn that you hold such an extreme position. Here’s a video of a preterm Russian baby born after 6.5 months of pregnancy. Here’s another video of a preterm American baby born after 6.5 months of pregnancy, shown at the age of 1 month, that is, at 7.5 months after conception. According to your position—or maybe it’s not really your position, maybe you simply repeat uncritically what passes for “prevailing wisdom” in the deranged U.S. society—women must have the right to kill these living creatures just because they haven’t popped out of their vaginas yet.

It’s not “their bodies” either. A baby’s DNA is the combination of its father’s and mother’s DNA, so it’s a living creature that has been created by two other living creatures and temporarily deposited in the mother’s uterus. It’s “in her body”, not “her body”.

The cut-off should be at 2–3 months tops, except in cases where there’s a very high chance of the mother dying if abortion is not performed.

Posted by: S | Dec 1 2020 17:20 utc | 173

lulu @147--

Thanks for your several replies and suggestions! Chinese are wise enough to know perfection is an ideal that while it can't be obtained must still be consistently sought. Long ago when a student then instructor in Karate, I learned that same maxim. For some reason, what's called the West never learned that aspect of being human, accepts mediocrity and sees no need to improve--examples of that behavior abound. For example, the need to continually improve the human condition through poverty alleviation and education such that the fundamental foundation for a meritocratic system where everyone has an opportunity to become Premier/President can be realized. As I see it, that's a level of Freedom that exists in China that cannot be reached in the West. Why? Because those in the top tier don't want their position to be assailable--they keep things mediocre because mediocrity serves their purpose. The outcome of the competition between those two ways of thinking is very predictable: China, Russia, Vietnam, and other nations striving for the ideal will soon pass and leave the West in their wake, which is why those nations are demonized since that's the only tool the West has remaining. That why we see increasing censorship because mediocrity must be maintained.

When you've spent 500+ years living off the fruits of your plunder, it's difficult to imagine the need to alter your system. Yet, the point has been reached where--again--the only source of plunder resides within your own nation and those linked to it. So, the easy-way-out is taken to plunder yourself instead of altering your system to improve yourself so you can compete with those you once plundered. It's the Neoliberal Way.

Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 1 2020 17:26 utc | 174

@172 steven

No I did not concede.

And speaking of a negative construction of rights, the founders documents can be construed as documents informing the negatively-constructed, innate, and implied rights which "governments shall not infringe upon."

It grants nothing other than freedom and liberty from an overbearing government. These documents can be constued as negatively constructed by assigning the role of boogeyman right off the bat to where it truly belings: government.

In that case, we must look to philosophers when it comes to the issue of rights. And I have been informed by John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty."

In a nutshell, the idea is you can enjoy yourself to any degree you choose but not in any situation where it infringes upon the rights of others.

For instance, gays can form a civil union as granted by the state but religions have the right to refuse marrying services and recognition of such a union.

It gets hairy when you start talking about gay couples ability to adopt children who are wards of the state. In this case, legislation would be needed to be passed at the state level on a case by case basis where states could then naturally qualify themselves as Christian-centered and can invite a reputation of this. By doing so, states will be able to show that Christians states are more properly run and can be an example as to other states and this pattern would repeat itself until this reality is proven as a true phenomenon at the national level.

As of now with Rowe vs. Wade, which is an overbearing Federal ruling, states can not differentiate themselves as to being more Christian-centered and can not reflect an identity which the majority of a state wish to assign to their own. It is a travesty of the naked abuse of power of an overbearing Federal government, as per the Founders' rational.

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Dec 1 2020 17:36 utc | 175

Nemesis write
So you want to give a million bucks to every woman who has a child, huh?
____________________________________

That (or some other effective solution) is what you should want if you were truly interested in reducing the number of abortions. But as I pointed out already you don't really care how many of the unborn die.

Why would you even entertain such a fantastical thought?

Posted by: jinn | Dec 1 2020 18:02 utc | 176

@176 addendum

"Boogeyman" was certainly the wrong wording. My wires got crossed. Apologies.

"Assigning the role of enemy to natural rights" to where it truly belongs: government.

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Dec 1 2020 18:04 utc | 177

S @174--

Thanks for your rational reply on this very sensitive issue. I value life as Priceless, but I live is a society where that isn't the case whatsoever--just look at the numbers allowed to die/killed off, the homelessness, poverty, degradation, hunger and continual attack on the meagre systems offering some mitigation of those huge social ills that ought not to exist. Given the announced wealth of the USA, not one soul ought to fear any shortcoming, but the opposite is the reality and fear is everywhere. The natural urge for a woman is to give her child life, but the reality is that all too often the circumstances she finds herself in powerfully negates that urge. Although I'm male, I know all about the issues of abortion having had to face them with my partner. My second wife knew how to throw her body into miscarriage and did so three times. Altogether as a father, I'm one for six. Certainly, my life's path would've been quite different, and we wouldn't be having this discourse. If the USA and its people actually valued life, then we'd provide support systems for life so all could strive for the ideal; but even promoting such striving isn't even valued. That was 40+ years ago and it's worsened since then. 30+ years ago, Neil Young wrote Rockin' in The Free World, and then as now you can take the imagery of the crack girl with her baby and multiply it by a million or more--going back to the initial invasion of North America, life of those not in the 1% isn't valued. Perhaps if that were to change and all life be valued the impregnated woman would also value the not yet born life within her, and the abortion controversy would finally be put to rest.

Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 1 2020 18:21 utc | 178

@ S 174
Forcing a woman to give birth to an unwanted child, with the mother then being forced to provide long-term care to this unwanted child is wrong, with the government which writes these bad laws not providing much aid, especially in these days where birth control is being made more and more difficult to obtain. It's not fair to the mother, and it's not fair to the unwanted child.
There is often not a man around to do more than enjoy the initial performance. Women unfortunately are required to bear the brunt of religious doctrine such as Genesis 3:16: To the woman he said, "I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 1 2020 18:42 utc | 179

Yesterday,from Reuters - Election authorities in Georgia have opened investigations into progressive groups trying to sign up new voters in advance of twin January elections that will determine control of the U.S. Senate, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said on Monday.
Raffensperger, a Republican, said his office was examining registration efforts by America Votes, Vote Forward and the New Georgia Project. He said some groups had been encouraging people who lived outside Georgia to register to vote in the state.

Too bad they didn't think of this BEFORE the presidential election - Biden could've won by even more. ;-)

Posted by: spudski | Dec 1 2020 19:21 utc | 180

Earlier today, Lavrov conducted an interview with the Kazinform International News Agency, a Kazakh outfit. The following question was asked to which a very detailed, lengthy reply was given, informing us that much is happening regarding Eurasian Integration not reported in media:

"What is Moscow’s view on the further development of bilateral integration processes, including Russia-Kazakhstan interaction within the framework of the EAEU, the CSTO and the SCO? What are your priorities for the near future?"

From Lavrov's very long reply, I found this paragraph most interesting in light of the recent trade developments between China and the ASEAN:

"One of the main objectives of our joint efforts is to create a broad and open space of common security and mutually beneficial economic and humanitarian cooperation in Greater Eurasia. An increasing number of our partners have supported President Putin’s initiative to establish a Greater Eurasian Partnership of EAEU, SCO and ASEAN member nations, as well as other interested countries and multilateral associations. This was set out in the founding documents of the EAEU and in the Moscow Declaration of the SCO Council of Heads of State adopted several days ago."

As you read, small but firm steps forward are being made toward the goal of Eurasian Integration. IMO, this is all very welcome!

Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 1 2020 19:28 utc | 181

How very nice that we can all commiserate over the poor condition of the world and let this be an excuse for a far greater evil: the willful murder of a perfectly unique human being.

Let us call him Steve.

There are many Steves in the world, but this Steve is unique.

He can only be born at a certain time and by a certain set of parents. Born a microsecond later, a human being could be named Steve as well, but this second-younger Steve would not be the Steve aforementioned. He would look differently. He would smell differently. His personality would be different. Nothing about the second Steve would be the exact same as the first.

Time has stamped this particular human being with a unique signature. And yet here we talk about not welcoming Steve because his bed is not ready. Because there is no dad in the picture. Because the world is a cold, sad place. We turn our back on this precious life because of inconvenient timing.

How sad. How avoidably sad.

Stop deluding yourself into thinking it would be better to never have been born.

Steve is a human being at all moments of his existence and you want to rub him out.

And yet people can not make the connection between the culture of death we export abroad and the culture of death we foster at home.

Woe to us.

You can tell me about a raped 11 year old girl and I would never turn my back on the life she was tending to.

How disgustingly immoral to decide what is the perfect condition for life to occur. Not to mention entirely deluded.

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Dec 1 2020 21:28 utc | 182

There is a posting (link below) from Global Times that is a great takedown of Australia....I am quoting the final lines

"
As a warhound of the US, Australia should restrain its arrogance. Particularly, its warships must not come to China's coastal areas to flex muscles, or else it will swallow the bitter pills.
"

https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1208561.shtml

Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 1 2020 21:29 utc | 183

Putin on Petrochemicals at Tobolsk reveals Russia's increase in its vertical organization of its petrochemical industry and importantly the sector's focus of doing so in an environmentally sound manner. I hope the transcript will later include Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak's portion of the discussion; as for now, it only contains Putin's important remarks.

The following two paragraphs provide an example of the sort of hybrid political-economy at work in Russia, which is very similar to the process in China:

"Again, we need to vigorously promote Russian petrochemical products domestically and abroad, to increase efficiency and production volumes. To do that, the industry must implement large-scale projects with total investment in the region of 5 trillion rubles. The two biggest ones, the Amur gas refinery and the facility to process ethane-containing natural gas near the seaport of Ust-Luga in Leningrad Region are already in the works with the support of Vnesheconombank. We actually have a total of 14 such projects, with 17,000 highly qualified and well-paid jobs to be offered at these facilities in the future.

"I would like to note that such large projects with a high multiplier effect are important for the national economy as a whole. And of course, the state supports and will continue to support such undertakings. As you know, the State Duma in October adopted a law establishing a reverse excise tax on ethane and liquefied hydrocarbon gases in exchange for investment in those hydrocarbon refining projects that would convert them into petrochemical products. I have signed that law."

Earlier in the presentation, Putin noted additional hybrid connections:

"That same year, SIBUR began work on creating the Western Siberian Petrochemical Plant. Also in 2014, I decided to use the National Wealth Fund to invest in that project (I have just discussed this matter with Chairman of the SIBUR Board Dmitry Konov). The deal was executed with the participation of the Russian Direct Investment Fund."

When I first heard of the "Third Way" approach to political-economy, I envisioned something along the lines of what China, Russia and other nations are doing with the aim at bettering their entire polity, not just the 1% as Tony Blair and Bill Clinton's Neoliberalism does--their Third Way being a euphemism for the already ongoing Parasitism of Neoliberalism. What's occurring now within the heart of Eurasia is the beginning stages of a powerful political-economic dynamo that other nations want to link to and emulate and is the sole reason for the triad of Iran, China and Russia to be targeted as enemies by the Neoliberal nations--they don't want to participate; they want total control so they can extract more Plunder.

Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 1 2020 21:30 utc | 184

@ denk

It's clear neither sides (East and West) hold the moral authority, both were partners in crime in the 80s, happily helping each other to contain the USSR.

What's weird to me is that these chinese war crimes are easily ignored/forgotten, everyone knows the things Western allies did in Iraq and Afghanistan, but who remember the Sino-Soviet split, Pol Pot and the Mujahideen?

Posted by: Smith | Dec 1 2020 22:07 utc | 185

Good one from Vanessa Beeley:

On Sean Penn as possible US deep state tool

Article also touches upon:

-reclusive Israeli billionaire, Vivi Nevo, who sounds from the write-up like a latter day Jeffrey Epstein replacement figure

-use of covid rt-Pcr tests in US under ulterior motives as a HIPPA dodge to mass-collect DNA for Big data/Big tracking and other purposes.

The PCR test, DNA harvesting and false positives

The validity of the PCR tests in diagnosing Covid-19 has been the subject of much scientific discussion with a growing number of medical experts and analysts dismissing the PCR test as unreliable and inconclusive due to the high percentage of false positives. It is also claimed that this widespread DNA collection under the pretext of Covid-19 could be a covert genetic information harvest on the pretext of extracting viral DNA from all the genetic material.

I spoke with a medical expert who will remain anonymous for security reasons and he informed me that the PCR test is “not designed to diagnose disease.” He told me:

“The test identifies a genetic sequence being present in a sample and then copies it, thereby increasing the amount of genetic material. Each test cycle copies and increases the genetic material. A specific amount of GM is required to meet a threshold of detection. The test will keep copying until it is possible to say the virus is “detected”. Therein lies the problem. After “Covid” infection, when the virus has been removed by the immune system, some viral genetic debris can remain for many months. A tiny fragment viral, genetic material debris will be found and multiplied by many, many cycles until the detection threshold is reached. This is a false positive.”

He informed me that most labs are running upwards of 40 cycles. “In at least 4 examples of RT PCR testing in the US, it was found that 90% of the positive tests were actually false.”

He also told me “the real reason they are pushing the testing is control. They want a rapid test to be used every day, multiple times per day to gain entry to school, work, restaurants, entertainment centres etc. It is conditioning.”

The sinister question is whether all this genetic DNA information is passed on to undisclosed entities for “research purposes” without the patient’s knowledge.

Posted by: gm | Dec 2 2020 0:16 utc | 186

Clear explanation of meaning of "Ct" (cycle threshhold) in nCoV "+" pcr test [ie What's garbage and what's not]:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWqNl4UUlH0

Posted by: gm | Dec 2 2020 1:37 utc | 187

smith 186

China never assume 'moral authority', its calling out
[[[five liars]]] arrogance.

AFTER the USSR/China split, Soviet was a hostile superpower,
China was happy to have the USA as an 'ally'.
Whats the problem ?

yoU think Oz should remind China about the Taliban
and POl Pot when Canberra was up to its eyeballs
in Afghan and Cambodia itself in team USA ?

what a stupid cunt.

Posted by: denk | Dec 2 2020 1:55 utc | 188

Below is a Reuters link followed by my comment about the title and content of the piece

U.S. Senators say pandemic relief plan would give airlines $17 billion over four months

Notice that the verb in that title is GIVE, not loan. The US government is picking winners and losers but can it guarantee those results? If we are going to throw money down the rathole of giving then why not spread it out evenly instead of loans for small business and gifts to larger ones...based on what decision criteria?

The "profit for my friends" shit show continues showing the US has the best government money can buy

Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 2 2020 2:20 utc | 189

@ denk

After the Soviet split, it was China who teams up with the USA to start troubles all over the world, even SEA and even Afghanistan.

While USA, and thus Australia, are guilty, so is China.

Both sides have no moral authority to point fingers at each other.

Posted by: Smith | Dec 2 2020 2:29 utc | 190

Idiot

Get it into your thick skull,.
China never claim any 'moral authority',
go tell that to your murikkan daddy.

Its always the [[[five liars]]] who cast the first
stone.

YOu wasted lots of my time in UNZ already,
go fuck yourself

Posted by: denk | Dec 2 2020 2:51 utc | 191

@ denk

You seem kinda angry for pointing out China's misdeeds and crimes.

But it's OK, if the world doesn't remember, I will remember.

Posted by: Smith | Dec 2 2020 2:59 utc | 192

the 78-year-old was taken to the doctor after slipping while playing with his dog http://u.afp.com/3tMN.

This man is very fragile, we may see President Harris of the City on shining hills even before we expected

Posted by: kooshy | Nov 30 2020 18:19 utc | 131

That could be a divine/poetic justice for a president that spend least amount of time in the office. Speaking of poetry

Children:
We are the mediocre Presidents.
You won't find our faces on dollars or on cents.
There's Taylor, there's Tyler, there's Fillmore and there's Hayes,
There's William Henry HARRISon.
HARRISon:
I died in thirty days!

By the way, while having no particular record for his presidency, WHH election campaign features my favorite slogan: "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too". Rhyme, alliteration, rhythm! They don't make such slogans anymore.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Dec 2 2020 18:50 utc | 193

The Skripals are back in the news as their saga continues:

"The recorded conversation reportedly took place on November 21. Reporter Lev Speransky deduced that Yulia was using SIP phone technology to hide her phone ID, as the call displayed a St Petersburg number on Viktoria's phone. The newspaper did not run a voice pattern match on the recording, but Viktoria said she was convinced it was Yulia on the line."

The detailed Russian media report is here.

Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 2 2020 19:53 utc | 194

In his self-described "most important speech ever", Trump vows to do something he has no control over, "to protect US election system," which is the responsibility of the states. Federal involvement only comes into play with insuring the right to vote. Highly Ironically IMO, Trump detailed why he's a complete failure as POTUS:

"As president, I have no higher duty than to defend the laws and the Constitution of the United States,"

a DUTY he grossly failed to perform from day one by not arresting Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and a host of others from that Swamp he vowed to drain. I wonder how many media outlets will tell us that truth.

Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 3 2020 0:04 utc | 195

I highly recommend the short 39 second video provided in the link below from Xinhuanet

Dance class! Chinese primary school kids go viral with Mongolian folk hit

There are sparks of humanity in our world that fuel our drive for one that is less aggressive than what is being played out before us on the global stage.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 3 2020 7:03 utc | 196

Reply to the world at large:
Choosing Tanden should make perfect sense if one doesn't ignore Clinton and Obama, same for Harris, even Biden.

Plain consolidation of power is what it looks like, I don't really get why anyone "political" or "analytical" wouldn't see it or admit to seeing it. Is it too brazen for their comfort? All timing?

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Dec 3 2020 14:15 utc | 197

The US has recorded more than 3100 COVID-19 deaths in a single day, obliterating the record set at the start of the pandemic, while the number of Americans hospitalised with the virus has eclipsed 100,000 for the first time and new cases are topping 200,000 a day, according to new figures.

US obliterates record as coronavirus deaths top 3100 in a single day

Posted by: Bemildred | Dec 3 2020 15:39 utc | 198

RE: Posted by: lulu | Dec 1 2020 1:32 utc | 149

"Or, how about run some antibody tests on some of the patients who were suddenly taken down by Respiratory Illness caused by Vaping in Octbor last year?"

...As well as any of those "Frederick Flu" survivors from several area rest-homes last year.

Its not being reported much in the controlled western media yet but a research team from Yokohama City University following 376 recovered Covid patients finds that 98% of them still are carrying measurable nCoV neutralizing antibodies in their blood *6* months after infection.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/12/03/national/coronavirus-immunity-study/

A Japanese research team has detected antibodies that neutralized the virus that causes COVID-19 in 98% of people who had been sick with the disease in tests performed six months after they became infected.

The team, led by Yokohama City University professor Takeharu Yamanaka, said Wednesday it plans to conduct a follow-up survey to see whether the people will still have such antibodies a year after their infections.

In the latest survey, which was the largest of its type conducted in the country, the team checked blood samples from 376 people who had already recovered from COVID-19. The samples were collected six months after they were infected.

“In general, people with neutralizing antibodies are believed to carry a low risk of reinfection,” Yamanaka told a news conference.

“This gives some hope” in relation to the vaccines set to be released, with the study showing that immunity obtained through natural infection can last at least six months, according to Yamanaka.

He cautioned, however, that immunity acquired through natural infection is not necessarily the same as that obtained from a vaccine.

The study was conducted on individuals who expressed an interest in participating, mostly from Tokyo, Kanagawa and Osaka prefectures. The average age of the participants, with equal numbers of men and women, stood at 49.

Of the participants, 71% had mild symptoms, 19% moderate symptoms and 6% severe symptoms, while 4% showed no symptoms.

The neutralizing antibodies were detected in 97% of the participants who were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms and 100% of those who experienced moderate or severe symptoms. Antibodies tended to be stronger in those whose symptoms had been more severe.

The team is now planning to check their study group to see the percentage that are still antibody-positive after one year covid post-infection.

Posted by: gm | Dec 3 2020 15:58 utc | 199

kooshy @Nov30 18:19 #131

This man is very fragile, we may see President Harris of the City on shining hills even before we expected ...

Ask yourself: what's more likely a Harris Presidency -OR- that Hillary returns in 2024 to fulfill her hope ... goal ... destiny as USA's first woman President Empress? IMO, it's the latter. She will be positioned as the ONLY ONE capable of delivering a just peace(tm), fixing what Trump broke, and uniting the Empire country.

Still uncertain: will Pelosi serve as Speaker of the House through a Hillary Administration (Pelosi will be 84 in 2024)? With baby blood and collagen injections, 84 is the new 60! Bonus: She'd makes Hillary look young.

!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Dec 3 2020 17:02 utc | 200