Marklar's Ghost's Posts - 12160 Social Network
2024-03-28T16:25:08Z
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Raytheon Robotics Division Unviels Worker Replacing Robot (Satire)
tag:12160.info,2019-07-07:2649739:BlogPost:1871671
2019-07-07T23:34:21.000Z
Marklar's Ghost
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<p>We've been told that robots will soon replace many low skill workers who do repetitive work but thanks to a technological breakthrough by Raytheon just flipping burgers isn't all they'll be doing. While AI is all the rage it simply doesn't work for for replacing unintelligent unskilled labor very well because it's just too smart.</p>
<p><em>"</em><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/803079444?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" height="505" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/803079444?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="458"></img></a> <em>What is…</em></p>
<p>We've been told that robots will soon replace many low skill workers who do repetitive work but thanks to a technological breakthrough by Raytheon just flipping burgers isn't all they'll be doing. While AI is all the rage it simply doesn't work for for replacing unintelligent unskilled labor very well because it's just too smart.</p>
<p><em>"</em><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/803079444?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/803079444?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-left" width="458" height="505"/></a><em>What is really needed to replace some workers is a control system that is as dumb and crazy as a syphilitic</em> <em>sewer rat,"</em> said Raytheon's VP of Robotics. <em>"We've solved this problem by using an off the shelf technology that has actually been around for a long time - the Magic 8 Ball. The fuzzy logic and unreliability of this old technology makes the Raytheon Magic 8 Bot a perfect replacement droid for politicians."</em></p>
<p>According to Raytheon this isn't the only unskilled labor such hybrid technologies can be applied to. <em>"We have several hybrid bots like this in the works. The second one to come onto the market will probably be our Speak and Spell Lawyer Bot but we are still working on programming the control unit in the most retarded uses of Latin."</em></p>
Veritas Document Shows Google Encouraging Far Left Protest As 'Example'
tag:12160.info,2019-06-27:2649739:BlogPost:1924282
2019-06-27T22:30:53.000Z
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Big tech is purging Project Veritas for exposing Google's bias
tag:12160.info,2019-06-27:2649739:BlogPost:1924431
2019-06-27T20:30:00.000Z
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Google's Censorious Urges are Playing a VERY DANGEROUS Game
tag:12160.info,2019-06-25:2649739:BlogPost:1923703
2019-06-25T21:10:22.000Z
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Insider Blows Whistle & Exec Reveals Google Plan to Prevent "Trump situation" in 2020 on Hidden Cam
tag:12160.info,2019-06-24:2649739:BlogPost:1923673
2019-06-24T19:40:24.000Z
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John Stewart goes off on congress
tag:12160.info,2019-06-11:2649739:BlogPost:1920724
2019-06-11T23:28:19.000Z
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Be Not Afraid (An amazing 14 year old girl will not capitulate to the social media reptiles)
tag:12160.info,2019-05-14:2649739:BlogPost:1914068
2019-05-14T16:30:00.000Z
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Fire At Notre Dame Follows Wave Of Church ATTACKS - Will They Blame The Yellow Vest Movement?
tag:12160.info,2019-04-15:2649739:BlogPost:1901230
2019-04-15T21:49:19.000Z
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House Judiciary committee Hearing on Criminalizing Nationalism for White People
tag:12160.info,2019-04-10:2649739:BlogPost:1899880
2019-04-10T20:02:49.000Z
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Did PewDiePie Just Destroy Google Amazon And Maybe Even PayPal?
tag:12160.info,2019-04-10:2649739:BlogPost:1900037
2019-04-10T19:57:50.000Z
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Jailed For Thought Crimes - Jayda Fransen - 3Fourteen
tag:12160.info,2019-04-08:2649739:BlogPost:1899658
2019-04-08T19:10:58.000Z
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“The Russians are Still Coming” “Without RussiaGate”: The “Fake News” Witch-hunt against the Independent Media
tag:12160.info,2019-04-02:2649739:BlogPost:1898544
2019-04-02T20:30:50.000Z
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<p> By Prof Michel Chossudovsky<br></br>Global Research, March 28, 2019<br></br>Region: Russia and FSU, USA</p>
<p><a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/russiagate-400x217.png" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/russiagate-400x217.png?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="280"></img></a> From one day to the next, following the release of the Mueller report, the shaky RussiaGate consensus created by the corporate media has collapsed.</p>
<p>What the Mueller investigation contends is that there is no proof that the Kremlin interfered in the…</p>
<p> By Prof Michel Chossudovsky<br/>Global Research, March 28, 2019<br/>Region: Russia and FSU, USA</p>
<p><a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/russiagate-400x217.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/russiagate-400x217.png?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-left" width="280"/></a>From one day to the next, following the release of the Mueller report, the shaky RussiaGate consensus created by the corporate media has collapsed.</p>
<p>What the Mueller investigation contends is that there is no proof that the Kremlin interfered in the 2016 presidential elections.</p>
<p>The demise of the RussiaGate narrative, however, does not mean that the Trump administration will renew its relations with the Kremlin. “The Russians are still coming”… without RussiaGate. Russia is still portrayed as a threat to America’s National Security.</p>
<p>In this regard, the objective of the Neocons has been achieved. The Trump administration, with its hawk team of advisers including Pompeo and Bolton, not to mention Gina Haspel at the CIA, is towing the line.</p>
<p>Corporate and Political Rivalries</p>
<p>The RussiaGate narrative was required to sustain the multibillion dollar contracts in favor of the military industrial complex including the 1.2 trillion dollar nuclear weapons program.</p>
<p>What was at stake in 2016 were fundamental rivalries within the US establishment marked by the clash between competing corporate (and political) factions, each of which was intent upon exerting control over the incoming US presidency.</p>
<p>In this regard, Trump was not entirely in the pocket of the lobby groups. He was not a groomed politician. As a member of the business establishment, he had his own corporate sponsors and fund raisers. His stated foreign policy agenda including his “commitment” to revise Washington’s relationship with Moscow did not fully conform with the interests of the defence contractors.</p>
<p>Prior to the elections, a smear campaign was launched by the media on behalf of the “Clinton faction”. At the height of the election campaign Trump was portrayed by the US media as “an agent” of the Kremlin, a modern Manchurian candidate. Barely a month before the November 8 2016 elections, former Secretary of Defense and CIA Director Leo Panetta intimated that Trump represented a threat to National Security. The Atlantic (October 8, 2016), described Trump is a “Modern Manchurian Candidate”.</p>
<p>Belleville National Democrats, Jan 13, 2017</p>
<p>Vanity Fair November 1 2016</p>
<p>The Atlantic October 8 2016</p>
<p>This anti-Trump campaign continued unabated in the wake of the elections. Ironically, Rod Rosenstein who had been nominated for the position of Deputy Attorney General by president Trump in February 2017, acted against Trump almost immediately following his confirmation on April 27, 2017.</p>
<p>Rosenstein’s mandate was to organize the so-called Russia Probe pertaining to alleged Kremlin interference in the November 2016 elections. Rosenstein’s first step consisted in the firing of FBI Director James Comey and appointing former FBI Director Robert Mueller as Special Council to lead the Russia Probe.</p>
<p>Rod Rosenstein had prepared a three page memorandum, which criticized James Comey for his handling of the Clinton email investigation and the release of Comey’s October 28, 2016 “Second Letter to Congress” 11 days before Election Day.</p>
<p>This action by Comey referred to as “October Surprise” (2016) was largely detrimental to Clinton’s candidacy. It certainly did not go against the interests of Donald Trump.</p>
<p>The Fake News Witch-hunt. Clamping Down on Independent Media</p>
<p>RussiaGate was not only a conspiracy against Trump, largely in response to his 2016 election campaign commitment to restore “normal” diplomatic relations with Russia, it also took the form of a Witch-hunt directed against the independent online media, which were casually tagged as “Russian trolls”, “Russian bots”, “political commentators acting on behalf of the Russian government.” etc.</p>
<p>In chorus, the Western media was involved in accusing Moscow of election meddling without a shred of evidence.</p>
<p>In contrast, the lies and fabrications as well as the criminality underlying the Democrats’ 2016 election campaign were the object of independent online media reports which were immediately branded as “fake news” on behalf of the Kremlin.</p>
<p>According to Reuters:</p>
<p>“Russian President Vladimir Putin supervised his intelligence agencies’ hacking of the U.S. presidential election and turned it from a general attempt to discredit American democracy to an effort to help Donald Trump, three U.S. officials said on Thursday.” (emphasis added)</p>
<p>The New York Times (December 15) focussed on Kremlin meddling. Donald Trump is tagged as “a Useful Idiot”:</p>
<p>Kremlin meddling in the 2016 election warrants further investigation, with an eye toward preventive or retaliatory measures. President Obama has asked the nation’s intelligence community to deliver a fuller report on its findings before he leaves office on Jan. 20, …</p>
<p>Mr. Trump’s reaction to the C.I.A.’s findings leaves him isolated, … There could be no more “useful idiot,” to use Lenin’s term of art, than an American president who doesn’t know he’s being played by a wily foreign power. (emphasis added)</p>
<p>According to the Washington Post in a report published one month before the 2016 November elections:</p>
<p>The Obama administration on Friday [October 2016] officially accused Russia of attempting to interfere in the 2016 elections, including by hacking the computers of the Democratic National Committee and other political organizations.</p>
<p>The denunciation, made by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security, came as pressure was growing from within the administration and some lawmakers to publicly name Moscow and hold it accountable for actions apparently aimed at sowing discord around the election.</p>
<p>“The U.S. Intelligence Community is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations,” said a joint statement from the two agencies. “. . . These thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the U.S. election process.” (WP, October 7, 2016)</p>
<p>While the Washington Post (supported by the Deep State?) was spreading rumors on Russia’s alleged election meddling, it was also involved in engineering the Blacklisting of the independent media which was questioning the RussiaGate consensus.</p>
<p>In an “authoritative” Washington Post article, (published 6 days after the November 2016 election) reporter Craig Timberg reviewed an anonymous website called “PropOrNot,” which had blacklisted several hundred independent online news sources intimating that these websites and social media accounts were part of a Kremlin propaganda network. Timberg had no evidence in support of his allegations. The objective was to trigger the crackdown against the online independent media:</p>
<p>“Two teams of independent researchers found that the Russians exploited American-made technology platforms to attack U.S. democracy at a particularly vulnerable moment, as an insurgent candidate harnessed a wide range of grievances to claim the White House. The sophistication of the Russian tactics may complicate efforts by Facebook and Google to crack down on “fake news,” as they have vowed to do after widespread complaints about the problem. (Washington Post, November 14, 2016, emphasis added)</p>
<p>Screenshot of WP article, November 24, 2016</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The Washington Post is “Fake News” at its Best. The report served as an endorsement of the Blacklisting campaign. Sustained by the RussiaGate narrative, a smear campaign was launched. Several hundred online media sites including Global Research were tagged as “fake news” by Facebook and Google.</p>
<p>The Washington based Atlantic Council and NATO’s Centre of Excellency (COE), a “Research Centre” based in Latvia have published several “authoritative reports” which identify the independent online media “with links” to the Kremlin. Much of this “analysis” is fabricated.</p>
<p>The objective was to use the RussiaGate narrative (which had become a broadly accepted public consensus), as a means to suppress critical analysis of neoliberal economic policies, US foreign policy, US-NATO war plans, etc.</p>
<p>What happens now?</p>
<p>While the Mueller report confirms that the corporate media were spreading “fake news” in support of RussiaGate, it is highly unlikely that the mainstream media will indulge in a mea culpa. Moreover, it is also unlikely that social media and search engine censorship against the independent online media will be removed.</p>
<p>What is of course significant is that the broader public is now fully aware that they have been lied to. The public has been deliberately misled by the mainstream media from the very outset of the RussiaGate saga. The corporate media has endorsed war propaganda, it has granted legitimacy to acts of war and military aggression, through lies and fabrications. Under Nuremberg, war propaganda constitutes the ultimate crime: “the Crime against Peace”.</p>
<p>The Skripal Affair<br/>Whither Russiagate?</p>
<p>The Skripal affair –which hit Britain’s tabloids– was an integral part of the RussiaGate Op. It was based on fake intelligence and media disinformation directed against Moscow. Launched by the UK government of Theresa May, a political consensus had unfolded. Moscow was casually accused of conducting a mysterious covert nerve gas attack against a former Russian intelligence operative and his daughter.</p>
<p>While the story was refuted, the objective of the Skripal affair ultimately succeeded. It consisted in pressuring EU member states to jeopardize their diplomatic relations with Russia.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the RussiaGate saga also provided legitimacy to NATO threats against Russia, resulting in massive military deployments at Russia’s doorstep.</p>
<p>US Foreign Policy</p>
<p>The Mueller report does not restore sanity in US foreign policy. Quite the opposite.</p>
<p>What it confirms is that there is no evidence of Russian support of Trump’s candidacy in the 2016 presidential elections.</p>
<p>Since Trump’s inauguration, however, the objective of normalizing diplomatic relations with Russia has largely been scrapped.</p>
<p>With Bolton and Pompeo, the NeoCons control Trump’s foreign policy.</p>
<p>War scenarios with Russia and China are contemplated.</p>
<p>Nuclear war is on the drawing board of the Pentagon.</p>
<p>The RussiaGate narrative against Trump is no longer required.</p>
<p>–<br/>The original source of this article is Global Research<br/>Copyright © Prof Michel Chossudovsky, Global Research, 2019</p>
Electoral Dirty Tricks in Israel. Fake Social Media Promoting Likud and PM Netanyahu
tag:12160.info,2019-04-02:2649739:BlogPost:1898542
2019-04-02T20:20:22.000Z
Marklar's Ghost
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<p>By Stephen Lendman<br></br>Global Research, April 02, 2019<br></br><br></br></p>
<p><a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ballot-box-israel-400x264.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ballot-box-israel-400x264.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="300"></img></a> Why not! Elections in the US, other Western countries and Israel are rife with dirty tricks.</p>
<p>According to Haaretz, the Times of Israel, the Jerusalem Post and other Israeli media, hundreds (maybe thousands) of fake social media accounts are promoting Likud propaganda,…</p>
<p>By Stephen Lendman<br/>Global Research, April 02, 2019<br/><br/></p>
<p><a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ballot-box-israel-400x264.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ballot-box-israel-400x264.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-left" width="300"/></a>Why not! Elections in the US, other Western countries and Israel are rife with dirty tricks.</p>
<p>According to Haaretz, the Times of Israel, the Jerusalem Post and other Israeli media, hundreds (maybe thousands) of fake social media accounts are promoting Likud propaganda, Netanyahu’s party, according to the Big Bots Project online watchdog group, saying:</p>
<p>Despite no clearly identifiable links to Netanyahu, the accounts are promoting the same message in cahoots with Likudniks.</p>
<p>Facing bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges, Netanyahu is desperate to cling to power, hoping to mitigate his post-election indictment and prosecution.</p>
<p>The suspect accounts got over 2.5 million hits, activity increasing five-fold since Netanyahu announced April 9 elections last December.</p>
<p>According to the report, the fake accounts are linked to Yitzhak Haddad. A YouTube channel he’s associated with offered money for “responding on Facebook and on the internet with political messages,” he said, adding:</p>
<p>“You just get political messages and you post them,” admitting he created videos, saying he “post(s) them to Twitter (and) all kinds of places.”</p>
<p>“I don’t want to say tens of millions, but loads of money is being invested here. It takes money. There’s no volunteering here,” adding he’s connected to “very senior people” in Likud.</p>
<p>His attorney denied “what was attributed to him” and threatened a million-dollar libel lawsuit against anyone publishing otherwise.<br/>Netanyahu to be Indicted for Bribery, Fraud, and Breach of Trust</p>
<p>The Hebrew-language report claimed the network of fake social media accounts “operates through manipulations, slander, lies and spreading rumors.”</p>
<p>“On its busiest days, (it) sends out thousands of tweets a day…mobilized at climactic moments for Netanyahu, such as the announcement of the indictment against him.”</p>
<p>According to the report, the network of fake accounts may violate Israeli electoral, campaign finance, privacy and tax <a href="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/t_Article2016_ControlFaceDetect/435047?profile=RESIZE_710x" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/t_Article2016_ControlFaceDetect/435047?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-right" width="300"/></a>laws. A Likud spokesman denied the existence of fake accounts, saying:</p>
<p>“All (party) digital activity is entirely authentic and is based on the great support of the citizens of Israel for Prime Minister Netanyahu and the great achievements of the Likud.”</p>
<p>Image result for Benny Gantz</p>
<p>Big Bot Project’s report was prepared together with a so-called Israeli Alliance group. A suspect network account posting called main Netanyahu rival Benny Gantz a rapist, the accusation reposted on other network accounts.</p>
<p>Another posting was by a woman claiming Gantz sexually harassed her in high school, no evidence cited proving it. Gantz denied the accusation. He sued Israel Hayom’s editor-in-chief Boaz Bismuth for publishing the claim.</p>
<p>He sued him and correspondent Danielle Roth-Avneri for “a series of false reports concerting fictitious charges…published about him.”</p>
<p>Longtime Netanyahu supporter billionaire Sheldon Adelson owns Israel Hayom. Separately, Gantz published videos on social media, accusing Netanyahu of supporting Hamas by backing Israel’s 2005 Gaza disengagement, along with Israel’s high cost of living and healthcare system problems.</p>
<p>Both figures are in a tight race that can go either way, each seeking to get a leg up on the other, dirty tactics part of their strategy.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Note to readers: please click the share buttons below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.</p>
<p>Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)</p>
<p>His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html">http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html</a></p>
<p>Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.<br/>The original source of this article is Global Research<br/>Copyright © Stephen Lendman, Global Research, 2019</p>
Kid Shames Local Government Officials Who have Nothing to Say
tag:12160.info,2019-04-02:2649739:BlogPost:1898409
2019-04-02T19:27:32.000Z
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The Biggest News Day Ever
tag:12160.info,2019-04-01:2649739:BlogPost:1898257
2019-04-01T19:22:42.000Z
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<p><a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UCMSDvp-n74" rel="noopener" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://s3-eu1.ixquick.com/cgi-bin/serveimage?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft0.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcThdZA3Me_PyaOZ19VyCcQusA7-gZ7aea6mqeYhx4fffIYPR8Z9pg&sp=f96d10e0f85a80a598ada95d45bd59e0&anticache=925342" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://s3-eu1.ixquick.com/cgi-bin/serveimage?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft0.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcThdZA3Me_PyaOZ19VyCcQusA7-gZ7aea6mqeYhx4fffIYPR8Z9pg&sp=f96d10e0f85a80a598ada95d45bd59e0&anticache=925342&profile=RESIZE_710x" width="200"></img></a> <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UCMSDvp-n74" rel="noopener" target="_blank">CNN</a> - Venezuelan president Maduro announced…</p>
<p><a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UCMSDvp-n74" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><a href="https://s3-eu1.ixquick.com/cgi-bin/serveimage?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft0.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcThdZA3Me_PyaOZ19VyCcQusA7-gZ7aea6mqeYhx4fffIYPR8Z9pg&sp=f96d10e0f85a80a598ada95d45bd59e0&anticache=925342" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://s3-eu1.ixquick.com/cgi-bin/serveimage?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft0.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcThdZA3Me_PyaOZ19VyCcQusA7-gZ7aea6mqeYhx4fffIYPR8Z9pg&sp=f96d10e0f85a80a598ada95d45bd59e0&anticache=925342&profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-left" width="200"/></a><a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UCMSDvp-n74" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> - Venezuelan president Maduro announced today that he is switching the Venezuelan economy to capitalist norms. Western economists lauded the change saying "Now that the free market is being implemented and all of Venezuelas natural resources are being privatized a real economic boom is comming. Now if you want to eat rats in Venezuela you'll have to pay for it which will drive a great deal of sales tax revenue for the new Maduro capitalist government." Venezuelans are celebrating in the streets in large gatherings by slapping thier foreheads while rubbing thier bellies at the same time.</p>
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<p><a href="https://s17-us2.startpage.com/cgi-bin/serveimage?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft0.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcS63m4_OL1pwbilCjCuL1wockHkXg-sYu4nwp3wP0-gKhg-zlPr&sp=21cea962da3e533a9c7316e315ce7bf3&anticache=864586" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://s17-us2.startpage.com/cgi-bin/serveimage?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft0.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcS63m4_OL1pwbilCjCuL1wockHkXg-sYu4nwp3wP0-gKhg-zlPr&sp=21cea962da3e533a9c7316e315ce7bf3&anticache=864586&profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-left" width="200"/></a><a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YuDTidbziZI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSNBC</a> - President Trump announced that there has been over 120,000 arrests today executed by the Boyscouts of America t the direction of the president. The arrested felons are mostly employers and landlords who are being charged with felonies for aiding and abetting illegal immigrants. In completely unrelated news Hollywood movie studios have canceled over 127 movie projects due to the sudden disappearance of many actors who have not called in for a sick day and cannot be reached by telephone.</p>
<p><a href="http://lotr-conspiracy.tripod.com/pictures/lurtz.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://lotr-conspiracy.tripod.com/pictures/lurtz.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-left" width="200"/></a><a href="http://lotr-conspiracy.tripod.com/index2.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Post</a> - Film maker Peter Jackson has been arrested at his home in New Zealand in connection to the Christchurch mosque shootings. According to police it seems that the shooter was convinced that the mosque attendees were Islamic humans worshipping Allah but because of Peter Jackson's horrific crimes in beating and brainwashing the indigeous Orc population in Mordor (sometimes refered to as New Zealand) the victims of the shooting were orcs exorcising thier legal rights in worshipping thier dark lord Sauron though many still thought they were human. It is also thought that Jacksons pipeweed cartel which helped him brainwash the indigeous non- humans of Mordor as well as humans may have spread to Ausralia making the Australian shooter a pipweed riddled addict who comitted his rampage while high as shit on Jackson's product. "Jackson's crimes against humanity, and orcmanity, end elfmanity, and dwarfmanity have been ignored for too long", said the Cristchurch police chief. Politicians in Mordor are now calling for all citizens to surrender thier palantirs and one rings.</p>
<p><a href="https://s17-us2.startpage.com/cgi-bin/serveimage?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft0.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcSM9LRsOhUu_DZaTy80rOGuFAs6bT5ns7o_uC5LeztWP6ggOnxiBA&sp=664c89208ca09c19dfacb817a801e242&anticache=406768" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://s17-us2.startpage.com/cgi-bin/serveimage?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft0.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcSM9LRsOhUu_DZaTy80rOGuFAs6bT5ns7o_uC5LeztWP6ggOnxiBA&sp=664c89208ca09c19dfacb817a801e242&anticache=406768&profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-left" width="200"/></a><a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3cyGoZHduuE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABCNews</a> - The CDC has released a report on an outbreak of a new venereal disease known by doctors as monkey butt pox which get's it's name from the research physician that discovered it, Dr. Arnold Monkeybuttpox. So far the disease has only been seen in antifa members who blow each other. The horrifying disease causes violent hallucinations, auditory hallucinations and facial diareah causing patients to die from drowning on thier own bullshit. There is currently no cure for the disease and it has a 100% mortality rate according to the CDC. That this disease could break out of the antifa population effecting others who blow each other and spew bullshit has politicians running around in circles and screaming for thier mommys.</p>
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Misgendering a chess piece is now a crime
tag:12160.info,2019-03-27:2649739:BlogPost:1897400
2019-03-27T21:32:34.000Z
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New Study Claims Conspiracy Theorists More Likely to Become Criminals!
tag:12160.info,2019-03-26:2649739:BlogPost:1896961
2019-03-26T02:58:07.000Z
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Pentagon Spent $4.6 Million on Lobster Tail and Crab in One Month
tag:12160.info,2019-03-17:2649739:BlogPost:1894795
2019-03-17T19:00:21.000Z
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<p><br></br>By Joe Setyon<br></br>Global Research, March 15, 2019<br></br>Reason 8 March 2019</p>
<p><a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/lobster-tail.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/lobster-tail.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x"></img></a> The federal government spends a disproportionate amount of its budget for outside contractors in the final month of the fiscal year, as agencies rush to blow through cash before it’s too late. Among the more noteworthy expenditures in 2018, according to the watchdog group Open the…</p>
<p><br/>By Joe Setyon<br/>Global Research, March 15, 2019<br/>Reason 8 March 2019</p>
<p><a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/lobster-tail.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/lobster-tail.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-left"/></a>The federal government spends a disproportionate amount of its budget for outside contractors in the final month of the fiscal year, as agencies rush to blow through cash before it’s too late. Among the more noteworthy expenditures in 2018, according to the watchdog group Open the Books, was $4.6 million for lobster tail and crab.</p>
<p>Such use-it-or-lose-it spending stems from the fact that each federal agency is given a certain amount of money it can spend on outside contractors for the fiscal year. If the agency comes in under budget, Congress might decide to appropriate less money the following year.</p>
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<p>Or as The Office‘s Oscar Martinez explains to Michael Scott in “The Surplus”:</p>
<p>“Your mommy and daddy give you $10 to open up a lemonade stand, so you go out and you buy cups and you buy lemons and you buy sugar. And now you find out that it only cost you $9, so you have an extra dollar,” he explains. “So you can give that dollar back to mommy and daddy. But guess what: Next summer, and you ask them for money, they’re going to give you $9 because that’s what they think it cost to run the stand. So what you want to do is spend that dollar on something now, so that your parents think that it cost $10 to run the lemonade stand.”</p>
<p>It works the same way at the federal level. Just replace that $10 with $544.1 billion—the amount federal agencies spent on contracts in the last fiscal year.</p>
<p>Of that $544.1 billion, almost $97 billion was spent in September 2018, the final month of the fiscal year, including $53.3 billion in the final seven days of the month. That’s compared to $47 billion spent in the entire month of August. As the fiscal year came crashing to an end, bureaucrats apparently did their best to spend as much money as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>The Department of Defense led the pack, spending $61.2 billion in September. The Pentagon was followed not-so-closely by the Department of Health and Human Services ($5.7 billion), the Department of Veterans Affairs ($5.4 billion), and the Department of Homeland Security ($4.2 billion).</p>
<p>Federal agencies spent $402.2 million on food that month, with the Pentagon shelling out $2.3 million on crab and $2.3 million on lobster tail.</p>
<p>Also, “agencies spent $2.1 million on games, toys, and wheeled goods,” Open the Books notes, as well as “$412,008 on paint and artist’s brushes.”</p>
<p>A whopping $490 million went to furniture, including a baffling $9,341 for a Wexford office chair. Agencies also spent $49,515 for skis and ski poles, $11,816 for a foosball table, and $258,901 on pianos.</p>
<p>The biggest recipients of the contracts were a trio of military companies: Lockheed Martin ($8.3 billion), Boeing ($5.3 billion), and Raytheon ($3.4 billion).</p>
<p>That $97 billion last September represents a 16 percent increase from the $83.7 billion federal agencies spent on contracts in September 2017. The figure was nearly $73.6 billion in 2016 and $69.6 billion in 2015.</p>
<p>In August, a bipartisan group of senators that included Kentucky Republican Rand Paul wrote letters to 13 federal agencies expressing their concerns about wasteful end-of-year spending. Their efforts appear to have failed.</p>
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<p>Note to readers: please click the share buttons below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.</p>
<p>Featured image is from Olga Vasylieva/Dreamstime.com<br/>“$8.5 TRILLION In Taxpayer Money Doled Out By Congress To The Pentagon Since 1996 … Has NEVER Been Accounted For”<br/>The original source of this article is Reason<br/>Copyright © Joe Setyon, Reason, 2019</p>
Atheists Under Attack in Refugee Camps
tag:12160.info,2019-03-15:2649739:BlogPost:1894206
2019-03-15T03:42:07.000Z
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Is AIPAC in Violation of Federal Election Law?
tag:12160.info,2019-03-15:2649739:BlogPost:1894458
2019-03-15T03:30:00.000Z
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<div class="title"><div class="meta"><div class="post-info"><div class="author">By <a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/author/renee-parsons" title="Posts by Renee Parsons">Renee Parsons</a></div>
<div class="grDate"><a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Global Research</a>, March 14, 2019…</div>
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<div class="title"><div class="meta"><div class="post-info"><div class="author">By <a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/author/renee-parsons" title="Posts by Renee Parsons">Renee Parsons</a></div>
<div class="grDate"><a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Research</a>, March 14, 2019</div>
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<p><em>What newcomer to the US House of Representatives, <strong>Rep. Ilhan Omar</strong> (D-Mn) may not have fully realized is that her critique of Israel influence on American politics would open a door that has previously been hermetically sealed as the third rail of American politics. </em></p>
<p>With its influence carefully concealed behind decades of deceptions, lies and ruthless intimidation and representing a mere <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewish-population-in-the-united-states-by-state">2.1% of the population</a> spread across nine states, <strong>AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee)</strong> and its supporters are like any school yard bully when confronted with a higher ethical authority. They throw down the race card, an archaic accusation of anti-semitism intended to play on a misguided empathy that is no longer effective when confronted with words that speak truth to power.</p>
<p>Rep. Omar first came to our attention during a House Foreign Affairs Committee meeting with an elegant takedown of convicted felon and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZvtMyeUhNc">neo-con purveyor of brutal atrocities</a> <strong>Elliot Abrams. </strong>Abrams is currently President Trump’s point man on plotting future military action in Venezuela.</p>
<p>From there, the controversies around Rep. Omar have whirled with comments purported to be anti-Semitic such as:</p>
<blockquote><p>“<em>It’s all about the <a href="https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1094727576013193216">Benjamins</a> Baby</em>.”</p>
<p>“<em>Israel has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=100&v=3z_w-cW_aeA">hypnotized</a> the world; may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel</em>”</p>
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<p>Before that uproar had died down, she added</p>
<blockquote><p>“<em>I want to </em><em>talk about political influence in this country that says it is ok for people to push for <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-vote-anti-semitism-measure-after-rep-omar-s-israel-n979106">allegiance</a> to a foreign country</em>. <em>Why is it ok for me to talk about the influence of the NRA, the fossil fuel industry or Big Pharma and not talk about a powerful lobbying group that is influencing policy</em>?”</p>
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<p>Bullies in American politics since 1948, the outrage, the denials and the hypocrisy came fast and furious with the usual anti-Semitic card being played and the ‘dual loyalty’ defense as if any one ethnicity or organization is entitled to special accommodating consideration by virtue of ….what exactly?</p>
<p><strong>Rep. Ted Deutch</strong> (D-Fl) responded with a question to Omar that</p>
<blockquote><p>“<em>Jews have dual loyalty</em><strong><em> </em></strong><em>and can’t be patriotic members in the country in which they live</em>?”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As an elected Member of the US House of Representatives, Rep. Deutch has an official, legal Constitutional responsibility that his sole and unquestionable loyalty is to the United States. Mr. Deutch’s ‘..<em>in the country in which they live’</em> is dismissive and a less than overwhelming commitment to the land of one’s birth which happens to be his employer.</p>
<p>Of special concern is whether any AIPAC Congressional supporters possess a security clearance. If so, that clearance, where appropriate, needs to be revoked immediately and if those supporters cannot solely represent the United States with the utmost devotion and independence, they should resign.</p>
<div class="_magnetRelConrel_89-4"><div style="padding-left: 3px; padding-right: 3px;"><div style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; padding: 5px 0px; overflow: hidden; width: 679px; float: left;"><div><div style="padding: 5px 0px; overflow: hidden;"><a title="Voting at the US Congress: No, Dual Loyalty Isn’t Okay" href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/voting-at-the-us-congress-no-dual-loyalty-isnt-okay/5671239" rel="nofollow" class="_magnetRelLkrel_89-4">Voting at the US Congress: No, Dual Loyalty Isn’t Okay</a></div>
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<p>Anti-Defamation League CEO <strong>Jonathon Greenblatt</strong> explained on March 4<sup>th </sup>that</p>
<blockquote><p>“<em>Sometimes referred to as the <strong>dual loyalty </strong>charge</em>, <em>it alleges that </em><em>Jews should be suspected of being disloyal neighbors or citizens because <strong><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-vote-anti-semitism-measure-after-rep-omar-s-israel-n979106">their true allegiance</a> </strong><strong>is to their co-religionists </strong><strong>around the world </strong>or to a secret and immoral jewish agenda</em>.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Mr. Greenblatt takes it even further by contradicting himself in eschewing the dual loyalty meme and then confessing that ‘<em>their true allegiance’ </em>is to another country.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, on March 3<sup>rd</sup>, <strong>Rep. Nita Lowey</strong> (D-NY) tweeted that</p>
<blockquote><p>“<em><a href="https://twitter.com/NitaLowey/status/1102328456820477952">No member of Congress is asked to swear allegiance to another country.</a> </em><em>Throughout history, Jews have been accused of dual loyalty, leading to discrimination and violence</em>.” <strong> </strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is alleged that to raise the issue of dual loyalty is anti-semitic yet both Rep. Deutch and Mr. Greenblatt admit it as all three raised the dual loyalty issue independently as if believing there is an entitlement right to dual loyalty to another country. They do not have that right any more than I have a right to claim dual loyalty to Scotland.</p>
<p>As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and its Oversight and Investigations subcommittee, Rep. Omar is not only correct but, in fact, is <strong>obliged to act </strong>as an elected Member of the House to question the double standard of exactly who is a loyal, true blue American for discussion and debate especially in the context of <em>Article 6</em>of the <em>United States Constitution </em>known as the <em>Oath Clause</em>:</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>“<em>The Senators and Representatives </em></strong><em>and the members of several state legislatures </em><em>and <strong>all executive and judicial officers</strong>, both of the US and of the several states </em><em>shall <strong>be bound by oath or affirmation to support this Constitution</strong></em><strong>…”</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>While the Founding Fathers did not specify in <em>Article VI </em>that any elected member of Congress should not ‘<em>be bound…’ </em>to another country, any Court in the land will validate that Constitutional intent was that loyalty ‘<em>be bound by oath or affirmation’ </em>solely to the United States.</p>
<p>According to Supreme Court Associate Justice Joseph Story (1812-1845) that those sworn in were “conscientiously bound to refrain from <strong>all acts inconsistent</strong>”. During the American Revolution, General George Washington required all officers to subscribe to an oath renouncing any allegiance to King George III and pledging their fidelity to the United States.</p>
<p>In other words, under Article 6 there is no allowance for dual loyalty which would have been considered treasonous in the country’s earliest days and some would consider it treasonous today.</p>
<p>Thankfully, not a shrinking violet when it comes to politics, Rep. Omar responded with “<em>I should not be expected to have allegiance/pledge support to a foreign country in order to serve my country in Congress.”</em></p>
<p>In other words, Rep. Omar is confirming that she has been approached to pledge support since AIPAC’s demand that every single Member of Congress sign a loyalty statement to Israel has been privately reported and is common knowledge although the MSM pretend to be unaware.</p>
<p>In addition, former Representative <strong>Cynthia McKinney</strong> who served twelve years in the House of Representatives <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_VNOk7Wv5A&t=92s">related her experience</a> with the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/They-Dare-Speak-Out-Institutions/dp/155652482X/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_2?keywords=They+Dared+Speak+Out&qid=1552079642&s=books&sr=1-2-fkmr2">pro Israel lobby</a> when she supported the Palestinian people, refused to support military policy as it would benefit Israel or sign the AIPAC loyalty pledge. Instead, her Congressional District boundaries were realigned and she earned a primary opponent who ultimately defeated her.</p>
<p>AIPAC’s stated purpose is to lobby Congress on issues and legislation related to Israel but that they ‘do not rate or endorse candidates for election or appointed office or <strong>directly </strong>contribute’ to a campaign. Who do they think they are kidding? AIPAC dodges registering with the FEC by the use of shell organizations and by <a href="https://readsludge.com/2019/02/11/heres-how-aipac-spends-money-to-influence-congress/">requiring its members</a> to join its Congressional Club and donate to the campaigns of certain members of Congress in order to receive exclusive membership benefits. They also annually sponsor free round trip visits to Israel for Members of Congress otherwise known as junkets.</p>
<p>It is a curiosity that AIPAC, the American Israel Political <strong>Affairs </strong>Committee alleges that it is not a political <strong>action </strong>committee even as it provided $3.5 million in campaign contributions in 2018. According to the <a href="https://readsludge.com/2019/02/11/heres-how-aipac-spends-money-to-influence-congress/">Center for Responsive Politics</a>, AIPAC has not registered its financial activities with the Federal Election Commission as if they have special entitlement.</p>
<p>The backstory is that in 1990, <a href="https://www.jta.org/1990/12/25/archive/aipac-cleared-by-fec-of-charges-it-directs-campaign-contributions">unanimous FEC</a> decision cleared AIPAC from charges of coordinating campaign contributions with 27 other pro Israel PACs since acting in collusion is barred by Federal law. Despite ‘similarities in campaign contributions’ and an overlap of membership and shared officers, FEC General Counsel Lawrence Noble reached a finding of ‘insufficient evidence’ to require AIPAC to adhere to US election law.</p>
<p>To date, AIPAC is not registered with the FEC as a Political Action Committee nor is it registered with the Department of Justice as a foreign agent representing the interests of a foreign country.</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><strong><em>Renee Parsons </em></strong><em>has been a member of the ACLU’s Florida State Board of Directors and president of the ACLU Treasure Coast Chapter. She has been an elected public official in Colorado, an environmental lobbyist at Friends of the Earth and staff member of the US House of Representatives in Washington DC. She can be found on Twitter @reneedove31. </em></p>
<div><div class="copyright">The original source of this article is <a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Research</a></div>
<div class="copyright">Copyright © <a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/author/renee-parsons" title="Posts by Renee Parsons">Renee Parsons</a>, Global Research, 2019</div>
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THINGS I'LL MISS IN THE SJW DYSTOPIA
tag:12160.info,2019-03-15:2649739:BlogPost:1894203
2019-03-15T03:22:07.000Z
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OPCW Report Contradicts Western Gov’t/MSM Claims Of Douma “Chemical Weapons Attack”
tag:12160.info,2019-03-12:2649739:BlogPost:1893928
2019-03-12T17:42:13.000Z
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<p><a href="https://www.activistpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/syria-chem-attack-freemalaysiatoday-1024x587-1-1024x587-1-1024x587-2-1024x587-1-1024x587-1024x587-1024x587-1-1024x587-1024x587-1024x587-1024x587.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-173163"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-173163" height="445" src="https://www.activistpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/syria-chem-attack-freemalaysiatoday-1024x587-1-1024x587-1-1024x587-2-1024x587-1-1024x587-1024x587-1024x587-1-1024x587-1024x587-1024x587-1024x587-1024x587.jpg" width="777"></img></a></p>
<p><span class="entry-meta-date updated"><a href="https://www.activistpost.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">From Activist Post</a>, March 12, 2019</span></p>
<p>By…</p>
<p><a href="https://www.activistpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/syria-chem-attack-freemalaysiatoday-1024x587-1-1024x587-1-1024x587-2-1024x587-1-1024x587-1024x587-1024x587-1-1024x587-1024x587-1024x587-1024x587.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-173163"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-173163" src="https://www.activistpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/syria-chem-attack-freemalaysiatoday-1024x587-1-1024x587-1-1024x587-2-1024x587-1-1024x587-1024x587-1024x587-1-1024x587-1024x587-1024x587-1024x587-1024x587.jpg" alt="" width="777" height="445"/></a></p>
<p><span class="entry-meta-date updated"><a href="https://www.activistpost.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">From Activist Post</a>, March 12, 2019</span></p>
<p>By <a class="easyazon-link" href="https://www.activistpost.com/product/B01MSF4YT1/US/permacultucom-20/?cart=y" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" title="">Brandon Turbeville</a></p>
<p>After the lowest moment of Trump’s presidency to date — the bombing of Syria despite the risk of a third world war — the OPCW released a statement re-affirming that the United States, France, and the UK were wrong about their assertion that the Syrian government used chemical weapons in Douma in April, 2018.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.opcw.org/news/article/opcw-issues-fact-finding-mission-reports-on-chemical-weapons-use-allegations-in-douma-syria-in-2018-and-in-al-hamadaniya-and-karm-al-tarrab-in-2016/">In its then latest Fact Finding Mission report</a>, the OPCW states that</p>
<blockquote><p>OPCW designated labs conducted analysis of prioritised samples. The results show that no organophosphorous nerve agents or their degradation products were detected in the environmental samples or in the plasma samples taken from alleged casualties. Along with explosive residues, various chlorinated organic chemicals were found in samples from two sites, for which there is full chain of custody. Work by the team to establish the significance of these results is on-going. The FFM team will continue its work to draw final conclusions.</p>
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<div id="text-48" class="sb-widget clearfix widget_text amr_widget"><div class="textwidget"><div id="ld-6931-3360" style="max-width: 800px; margin: 0px auto;">So, quite plainly, the decision to bomb Syrian government facilities, research facilities, and civilians in Syria was made on the basis of something that never actually took place. As virtually the entirety of the alternative media was able to report early on before the bombing, there were no chemical weapons used against civilians or terrorists in Douma by the Syrian government. Indeed, shortly after the attacks, clear evidence was presented which demonstrated that the attacks never actually happened. Even more so, clear evidence demonstrated that the attacks were entirely fabricated by the al-Nusra Front propaganda wing known as the White Helmets.</div>
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<p>Now, in March, 2019, the OPCW has released its final report regarding the alleged chemical weapons in Douma on April 7, 2018. Western governments are, of course, claiming that the report is “proof” that chemical weapons were used, the truth is just the opposite. The report does not link any of the alleged 43 deaths to chemical weapons or the claimed chlorine which was allegedly found at the scene of the incident. No sarin was found.</p>
<p>Indeed, the sole basis for the claims made regarding the attack were made by Western-backed terrorists shortly before their inevitable defeat and the Syrian military retaking Douma the next day. The claims were that sarin and/or chlorine were deployed against civilians via the use of two yellow gas canisters modified as bombs.</p>
<p>It should also be noted that, despite having been given the mandate to apportion blame for the incident, the OPCW did not.</p>
<p>Iain Davis of <em>21st Century Wire</em> examined the report in detail and analyzed its most important aspects in his article, “<a href="https://21stcenturywire.com/2019/03/06/opcw-douma-report-indicates-us-uk-france-may-have-attacked-syria-on-false-pretext/">OPCW Douma Report Indicates US, UK, France Attacked Syria on False WMD Pretext.”</a> I highly encourage you to click on the link above and take a look at Davis’ article.</p>
<p>In it, he begins by identifying the “6 locations” that the OPCW focused on. He writes,</p>
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><p>Named Locations.</p>
<p>There are were 6 locations which the OPCW focused upon. These were:</p>
<p>Location 1: Hospital where the alleged victims were treated often referred to as “Point 1” in the report.</p>
<p>Location 2: A roof terrace where a yellow cylinder was found.</p>
<p>Location 4: A bedroom in a building near the Great Mosque where a yellow cylinder was found on a bed.</p>
<p>Sector 3: This is the area allegedly attacked and contains Location 2 and 4. It is also where the White Helmets centre, referred to in the report, is situated.</p>
<p>In addition there was a warehouse and a manufacturing facility, referred to as “the facility,” which the SAR suggested as possible locations for chemical weapons’ storage and manufacture.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Davis also collected a summary of the OPCW findings, reprinted here.</p>
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><p>OPCW Findings Summary:</p>
<p>9.1 The FFM concluded that samples taken at Loc.2 and 4 indicate the presence of reactive chlorine.</p>
<p>9.2 The FFM concluded no nerve agents were detected.</p>
<p>9.3 The FFM concluded there was no evidence of any other chemical agent detected.</p>
<p>9.4 The FFM concluded there was no evidence to support the SAR allegation that the warehouse or the facility were used either for chemical weapons storage or production. Rather they were apparently used to store and produce conventional explosives.</p>
<p>9.6 The FFM concluded, due to the lack of biomedical evidence, it was not possible to say what chemical killed the victims seen in the ‘open source’ videos and photographs.</p>
<p>9.9 The FFM concluded the damage seen at Loc.2 was consistent with the impact of the yellow canister upon the roof terrace.</p>
<p>9.10 The FFM concluded the damage seen at Loc.4 was consistent with the yellow cylinder found on the bed which, having fallen through the roof, continued an altered trajectory.</p>
<p>9.11 The FFM concluded it was possible the yellow cylinders were the source of the reactive chlorine.</p>
<p>9.12 The FFM concluded it was reasonable to state a chemical weapons attack took place. The toxic chemical contained reactive chlorine. The toxic chemical was likely molecular chlorine.</p>
<p>Location 2. The roof Terrace.</p>
<p>The FFM noted that the cylinder had been moved a number of times before their arrival. They noted a very similar crater on an adjacent building which had not been subject to an alleged chemical weapons attack. They did not explain the release mechanism for the alleged chlorine.</p>
<p>Location 4. The Bedroom.</p>
<p>The FFM noted the cylinder had been cleaned and a number of other items moved prior to their investigation. The FFM did not account for how the cylinder had moved from the point of impact to the bed. Nor did they note any damage to the floor where the cylinder allegedly initially landed in the room. No such damage is visible. They did not explain the release mechanism for the alleged chlorine.</p>
<p>The Warehouse</p>
<p>The FFM did not find any evidence of chemical weapon manufacture. The FFM found a yellow cylinder similar though not identical to the two found at Loc.2 and 4. The FFM did not test the contents of the cylinder. The FFM stated the presence of a cylinder, which reportedly contained chlorine gas, was not consistent with the production of explosives.</p>
<p>The Facility</p>
<p>The FFM found no evidence that the facility had been used as a chemical weapons manufacturing facility and no evidence linking the facility to the potential storage of such weapons at the warehouse. Two swabs were taken from large steel mixing tanks. One swab was tested and did not indicate the mixing of chemical agents or reactive chlorine. The FFM noted the lack of ventilation and the absence of protective measures against chemical exposure. The FFM concluded the facility was not used for manufacturing chemical weapons.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Davis then goes through each of the claims made regarding each location and analyzes the OPCW’s findings. He writes,</p>
<blockquote><p>The first thing to note is that the OPCW reported it was the Assad government and the Russian Federation who first requested that the FFM be sent to investigate the alleged attack (3.3). The SAR also requested the FFM investigate the warehouse and the facility. No firm conclusion can be drawn from this, though we might wonder why the supposed guilty party would want to encourage an investigation.</p>
<p>9.1 The FFM concluded that samples taken at Loc.2 and 4 indicate the presence of reactive (molecular) chlorine.</p>
<p>A total of 8 of 16 environmental samples taken at Loc.2, and 7 of 11 taken at Loc.4, tested positive for chemicals consistent with the presence of reactive chlorine (8.5.) this is consistently reported throughout the OPCW report (see below). It seems clear that chlorine contamination occurred at some point.</p>
<p>9.2 The FFM concluded no nerve agents were detected.</p>
<p>Another consistency was the lack of any evidence suggesting any other form of toxic nerve agent was used. However, this does not mean the victims died as a result of exposure to reactive (molecular) chlorine. There are a number of reasons why we might question this (covered below.) Death by some other form of nerve agent was not ruled out because neither the time nor place of death was established.</p>
<p>9.3 The FFM concluded there was no evidence of any other chemical agent detected.</p>
<p>(As above.) While the OPCW only found evidence of the presence of reactive chlorine, this does not mean this is how the victims allegedly died.</p>
<p>9.4 The FFM concluded there was no evidence to support the SAR’s allegation that the warehouse or the facility were used either for chemical weapons storage or production. Rather, they were apparently used to store and produce conventional explosives.</p>
<p>The OPCW appeared to show a remarkable lack of inquisitiveness in their investigation of the warehouse and the facility. Their findings were based upon an observation of the apparent lack of ventilation and their record of the stored chemicals at the site (8.40.) In addition, a bag of Hexamine (explosive) was found at the warehouse which was tested (8.5.)</p>
<p>However, remarkably, the OPCW recorded the testing of just one sample from the facility and none at all from the warehouse (8.5.) This facility sample was a swab taken from the outlet of a metal mixing tank and it did not evidence the manufacture of chlorine gas. Of course others may, but they didn’t take any.</p>
<p>However, they did find a yellow cylinder similar (but not identical) to those found at Loc.2 and 4. The OPCW did not test the contents of this cylinder but conceded that the presence of a chlorine filled cylinder at the site was not consistent with the manufacturing of explosives. So it is regrettable they didn’t examine it.</p>
<p>The OPCW evidence suggests the warehouse and the facility were used to manufacture explosives but certainly does not rule out their use for chemical weapons. The unexplained reluctance to test the cylinder and bizarre lack of sampling means the possibility remains.</p>
<p>The question must be asked. Why were the FFM seemingly so incurious? Why not investigate thoroughly and take far more samples?</p>
<p>9.6 The FFM concluded, due to the lack of biomedical evidence, it is not possible to say what chemical killed the victims seen in the videos and photographs.</p>
<p>The evidence surrounding the victims overwhelmingly came from the <a href="https://in-this-together.com/the-syrian-conflict-deception-part-1/">White Helmets</a> and other unnamed witnesses who weren’t medically trained. The Video evidence raised more questions than it resolved, as did the tweets, blogs and Facebook posts which the OPCW also took as their ‘open source’ evidence (5.1.) Moreover, the claims of the White Helmets were entirely inconsistent with the medical evidence and the testimony of medical professionals.</p>
<p>Firstly the White Helmets claimed the attack took place at 16:00 hrs approximately (8.55.) However this was contradicted by testimony of other witnesses who stated that they heard the cylinder impacts at 19:00 (8.58.)</p>
<p>Medical staff reported they were alerted to the attack a little after 19:00 with casualties arriving shortly thereafter (8.56.) This lends credibility to an attack time of 19:00 approximately and casts doubt upon White Helmet claims of an earlier time for the attack and their associated narrative (8.55.) Similarly, they claimed that people died of chemical weapons exposure in the tunnels leading to the Hospital. They provided many YouTube videos to that effect. The FFM could find no evidence at all to back up any of these claims (8.38.)</p>
<p>This is troubling, because it appears all the bodies were transported to the hospital by the White Helmets (8.57.) The bodies of 3 alleged victims arriving on the evening of the 7th and another 40 on the 8th.</p>
<p>It should also be noted that no medical professional treated any of the casualties at the Hospital for the effects of a chlorine gas attack (8.55.) Rather, they were all treated for the effects of dust and smoke inhalation. The casualties did not apparently present with life threatening conditions. None of the deceased died in hospital (8.48, 8.52, 8.54, 8.78, 8.83, 8.93 etc.)</p>
<p>Medical professionals didn’t know a chemical attack had occurred (they had no reason to suspect one) until an unnamed person shouted “chemical, chemical.” At which point people started being stripped and hosed down by the White Helmets (8.50.)</p>
<p>It is notable that the chaos in the hospital was compounded by the fact that many medical staff had left for the relative safety of SAR controlled areas. Leaving a skeleton staff compliment and an awful lot of White Helmets (8.46.) Not only did the White Helmets bring all the bodies to the hospital, they also took them to the makeshift morgue and buried them. Many said they didn’t know where (8.47.)</p>
<p>Clearly the OPCW report highlights a shocking disparity between the presentation of the casualties, who did not appear to be suffering from the effects of chlorine gas inhalation, and the deceased, who all allegedly died from it. The FFM was provided with 11 biological samples from casualties, none of which tested positive for reactive chlorine (7.3.) The only positive test came from a piece of clothing for which there was no clear chain of custody.</p>
<p>All the evidence relating to the deaths of the alleged 43 victims was controlled by the Western government backed White Helmets. All original footage, showing the deceased, and images were taken by ‘photo journalists’ and bloggers who could operate freely in territory controlled, at the time, by the terrorist groups. The White Helmets also had no problems working with the terrorists.</p>
<p>That the FFM and the OPCW made no comment on the credibility of this evidence is unbelievable. In order to establish how the deceased died, the FFM requested that the bodies be exhumed for analysis. It seems the SAR agreed to this with some unknown provisions. It is unfathomable, therefore, to understand why the FFM did not proceed with the exhumations (7.8.) Why, if they could do so, didn’t they even try to get some meaningful biomedical samples?</p>
<p>Witness statements were inconclusive with some claiming hundreds of bodies and others none at all (8.53.) Consequently the FFM had no idea how any of the victims supposedly perished or how many and were solely reliant on YouTube videos shot by terrorist and the White Helmets.</p>
<p>From the video evidence the FFM said the arching of the bodies appeared to show a sudden, convulsive death, consistent with the rapid onset of chemical poisoning (8.99.)</p>
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<blockquote><p>Without any credible evidence to establish the precise causes of death, for the 43 alleged victims, all the FFM could do was make an unsubstantiated suggestions about where and how the decedents [victims] lost their lives. Something they acknowledged in this conclusions (9.6.)</p>
<p>The Video evidence offered by the terrorist and the White Helmets simply added to the confusion. The FFM didn’t know how, or even if, the alleged victims died at either Loc.2 or 4. They reported that bodies had been moved, the adults showed signs of foaming at the mouth, while children didn’t; the discoloration around the eyes, seen on many, was atypical of death by chlorine inhalation, as was the filmed foaming of the mouth; a number had wet hair, though the ground was dry (suggesting they were moved from somewhere else,) and they had no physical evidence of any corpses. (8.90, 8.93, 8.98, 8.100, 8.101, 8.102.)</p>
<p>The questions that arise from all this are so numerous I’ll leave you to form yours. Personally, I would like to know why intergovernmental organisation, like the U.N, governments and international bodies of inquiry think social media posts, home videos, bloggers rants, terrorists and the groups that work with them are a trustworthy source of information? How can this ever provide a plausible basis for military action against a sovereign state?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, to be clear, the OPCW report could not and did not link any of the deaths to chemical weapons or chlorine, even the samples of chlorine that it allegedly found. What the report did say was very different from what the mainstream corporate press and Western governments have claimed that it said. The report specifically states,</p>
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><p>Many of the signs and symptoms reported by the medical personnel, witnesses and casualties (as well as those seen in multiple videos provided by witnesses), their rapid onset, and the large number of those reportedly affected, indicate exposure to an inhalational irritant or toxic substance. However, based on the information reviewed and with the absence of biomedical samples from the dead bodies or any autopsy records, it is not currently possible to precisely link the cause of the signs and symptoms to a specific chemical.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The report also, as noted by Davis, quotes witnesses who discounted the idea that there were ever any chemicals present at all. These witnesses included medical staff who had treated the alleged victims.</p>
<p>The report stated,</p>
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><p>A number of the interviewed medical staff who were purportedly present in the emergency department on 7 April emphasised that the presentation of the casualties was not consistent with that expected from a chemical attack. They also reported not having experience in the treatment of casualties of chemical weapons. Some interviewees stated that no odour emanated from the patients, while other witnesses declared that they perceived a smell of smoke on the patients’ clothes.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Other accounts, long documented by journalists like Pearson Sharp, indicated that a large portion of the casualties were due to smoke inhalation and dust inhalation. The report states,</p>
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><p>Some witnesses stated that many people died in the hospital on 7 April as result of the heavy shelling and/or suffocation due to inhalation of smoke and dust. As many as 50 bodies were lying on the floor of the emergency department awaiting burial. Others stated that there were no fatalities in Douma Hospital on 7 April and that no bodies were brought to the hospital that day.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>“The conflicting witness reports,” <a href="https://www.activistpost.com/2019/03/opcw-syria-report-cripples-western-chemical-weapons-narrative.html">writes Tony Cartalucci of <em>Land Destroyer Report</em></a>, “the lack of any evidence linking chlorine to even a single death on April 7, and other inconsistencies and contradictions make it impossible to use the report’s conclusions as “proof” that the Syrian government carried out a deadly chemical attack on the eve of its victory in Douma.”</p>
<p>Returning to Davis’ analysis, he continues with the report’s assessment of the damage at “location 2,” the roof terrace. He writes,</p>
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><p>9.9 The FFM concluded the damage seen at Loc.2 was consistent with the impact of the yellow canister upon the roof terrace.</p>
<p>Firstly, at no point, did the FFM clarify how the gas was released from either cylinder. Presumably we are supposed to guess. The FFM stated that the yellow cylinder at Loc.2 landed on the eastern corner of the terrace and punched a hole through the roof. However the cylinder did not fall through the hole but rather fell over. Spilling its allegedly lethal payload through the hole into the building below maybe?</p>
<p>Loc.2 is where the majority of the victims allegedly died, though there is significant reason for doubt (2.14, 8.26, 8.31.) The FFM employed a team of ‘experts’ to generate computer models of how the craters and the impact damage was caused by the cylinders (for both Loc.2 & 4.)</p>
<p>Perhaps the use of the computer models was necessary because the physical evidence didn’t support any of the OPCW’s claims. Firstly, while they assumed the hole in the terrace was caused by the cylinder, a practically identical hole was seen on the adjacent terrace that was not caused by a falling cylinder to anyone’s knowledge. Furthermore the cylinder appeared to have been moved ‘several times.’ Raising doubt about how it got there.</p>
<p>The OPCW reported that the cylinder fell nose first, directly down upon the roof, puncturing a hole by smashing the roofing out of the way. However, they then claimed, rather than fall through the hole or wedge in it, the cylinder somehow bounced (presumably) back out of the hole to rest, on its side, next to it.</p>
<p>The hole was larger than the circumference of the cylinder, so what did it bounce off? The simulation showed the ‘zone of complete disintegration’ where the cylinder completely destroyed the roof beneath it. It can’t have both removed all the debris in its path and bounced back off it. The trajectory suggested by the models did not show the cylinder following the path of least resistance. A first for ballistics I would imagine.</p>
<p>The FFM stated they believed the prior impact upon the corner of the roof terrace wall reduced the velocity of the cylinder, claiming this meant it didn’t have sufficient energy (force) to fall through the subsequent hole. Yet clearly it had enough to create it. The FFM claimed the collision with the terrace wall changed the trajectory of the cylinder. Suggesting, but not showing, the cylinder striking at an angle. However, the shape of the hole appeared to preclude that idea. The FFM noted the 45 degree slope to the hole perimeter, suggesting the cylinder hit the roof terrace perpendicularly, rather than a glancing blow. This is shown clearly in the models they produced. However, the FFM were at pains to point out that the ‘models’ don’t show the strike angle, which brings their relevance into question.</p>
<p>The FFM produced a nonsensical “mish-mash” of contradictory evidence. Both the hole and their ‘expert’ models suggest a nose first, perpendicular impact. In such circumstances, given the greater circumference of the hole, the cylinder should have gone through or wedged in the hole. Gravity is still gravity no matter how fast an object is moving. Yet the cylinder was found in an unexpected position. The FFM were right when they observed the cylinder had been moved. Any notion the FFM can determine the delivery method of the cylinder, from this evidence, would be untenable.</p>
<p>9.10 The FFM concluded the damage seen at Loc.4 was consistent with the yellow cylinder found on the bed which, having fallen through the roof, continued an altered trajectory.</p>
<p>If the FFM’s damage analysis at Loc.2 was confusing their explanation for the final location of the yellow cylinder at Loc.4 bordered upon comical. Firstly they showed the cylinder had stabilisation fins, suggesting it should have dropped nose first. However, perhaps because the hole created was entirely inconsistent with this, they concluded it must have landed on its side without offering any explanation to account for this failure of the fins. The fins are clearly visible as it rests on the bed.</p>
<p>Next, the cylinder landed on the floor of the bedroom, without any evidence of impact and, according to the FFM, “continued an altered trajectory,” landing on the bed. Again, the FFM offered no evidence or explanation to account for how the cylinder performed this sharp about turn. They then appeared to list a number of extremely minor, secondary concerns about some ornaments that had moved and broken shower cubicles.</p>
<p>This appeared to be an ham-fisted attempt at misdirection. By focusing upon trivialities, the FFM avoided any discussion of the fact that the cylinders’ resting place could not be explained. Quite obviously the cylinder could not have possibly fallen through the hole in the roof and ended up on the bed. Someone put it there.</p>
<p>9.11 The FFM concluded it is possible the yellow cylinders were the source of the reactive chlorine.</p>
<p>9.12 The FFM concluded it was reasonable to state a chemical weapons attack took place. The toxic chemical contained reactive chlorine. The toxic chemical was likely molecular chlorine.</p>
<p>Based upon the samples taken this seems a fair statement. There certainly appears to have been a release of chlorine gas in and around Loc.2 and 4.</p>
<p>However, what certainly cannot be said, based upon the FFM report, is that 43 people died in or near Loc.2 and 4 from chlorine gas inhalation. There was no evidence at all to support that assertion. So claiming it was an ‘attack’ is a bit of a stretch. Mass murder by persons unknown at an undisclosed location would be more accurate.</p>
<p>IMAGE: The White Helmets are known to work <a href="https://clarityofsignal.com/2017/02/27/massive-white-helmets-photo-cache-proves-hollywood-gave-oscar-to-terrorist-group/">alongside terrorists as well as share members with multiple terrorist groups</a>, and working exclusively in terrorist-occupied areas of Syria.</p>
<p>The FFM have not provided a shred of evidence clarifying who committed the alleged attack. However the evidence within the report strongly suggests that the most likely culprits would have been either Jaish al Islam, the White Helmets or both. The evidence shows the majority of casualties treated by doctors and medical professionals were not victims of any sort of chemical attack. All medical witness testimony was consistent on this point.</p>
<p>Another consistency was that the only people who had any contact with the decedents were the White Helmets and, quite possibly, members of terrorist organisations. The OPCW don’t have any evidence attesting to how these people died and none showing where they died. They have no biomedical samples and don’t even know where they were buried. They reported evidence indicating that the bodies were moved and showed post mortem injuries inconsistent with death from exposure to chlorine gas. All witness statements recording sightings of bodies came from people who remained in an area deserted by pretty much everyone apart from terrorist and their families.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is important to keep in mind, however, that a similar “yellow canister” were found at a “militant-run weapons workshop” which was investigated by OPCW inspectors. That investigation revealed a sizeable amount of resources for terrorists to work with chemicals to make explosives.</p>
<div class="code-block code-block-1" style="margin: 0px;"><p>The report noted:</p>
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><p>Although the team confirmed the presence of a yellow cylinder in the warehouse, reported in Note Verbale of the Syrian Arab Republic (Annex 10, point 2) as a chlorine cylinder, due to safety reasons (risk involved in manipulating the valve of the cylinder, see Figure A.8.2) it was not feasible to verify or sample the contents. There were differences in this cylinder compared to those witnessed at Locations 2 and 4. It should be noted that the cylinder was present in its original state and had not been altered.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The “differences” to which the report refers, however, are only in the fact that the two canisters at locations 2 and 4 were altered to look like bombs while the one found in the weapons workshop was “unaltered.”</p>
<p>The most important aspect of this part of the report however, is that the OPCW, despite the obvious implications of the presence of the canister at the workshop, did not even bother to test whether or not the canister contained chlorine or some other chemical weapon. In other words, the OPCW came across clear evidence the canisters and potential chlorine attack came from the terrorists and simply decided not to pursue that evidence. This alone calls into question the authenticity of the report and the investigators themselves.</p>
<p>As Tony Cartalucci writes in his article, “<a href="https://journal-neo.org/2019/03/04/opcw-syria-report-cripples-western-chemical-weapons-narrative/">OPCW Syria Report Cripples Western “Chemical Weapons” Narrative,</a>”</p>
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><p>The obvious implications of a nearly identical canister turning up in a militant workshop making weapons is that the militants may likely have also made the two converted canisters found at locations 2 and 4. OPCW inspectors found other improvised ordnance in the workshop including, “a number of 20-litre metallic drums, some fitted with crude cord-type fuses, which appeared to have been filled with plastic explosives to serve as improvised explosive devices.”</p>
<p>Western media organizations have tried to dismiss the presence of the canister at the workshop by suggesting it was a “setup” orchestrated by the Syrian Arab Army. Huffington Post UK senior editor Chris York would go as far <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisDYork/status/1101806851589656576">as referring to the workshop as</a>:</p>
<p>…the rebel explosives lab that had been captured by the SAA days before and which they were desperately trying to make look like a chemical weapons lab.</p>
<p>In reality, the OPCW itself would suggest nothing of the sort, and noted that all of the equipment present was consistent with a weapons workshop. Nowhere does the OPCW suggest anything was altered – including the canister – which the OPCW specifically noted “had not been altered.”</p>
<p>The presence of a canister nearly identical to those found at locations 2 and 4 in a militant weapons workshop provides at least as much evidence that militants staged the supposed chemical attack as the Western media claims the canisters at locations 2 and 4 suggest it was the Syrian government.</p>
<p>In the absence of definitive evidence regarding who created and deployed the canisters found at locations 2 and 4, or how they truly ended up there, a better question to ask is “why” they would have ended up there.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So the United States, UK, and France claimed before the world that they had undeniable proof that not only were chemical weapons used in Douma but that the Syrian government had used them. On this basis, the three powers launched an assault against the Syrian military (to the advantage of terrorists) and put the entire world at the brink of a thermonuclear third world war. But the US, UK, and France lied. They did not have any such evidence because no such evidence existed. Indeed, no such evidence existed because the attack, at least on the part of the Syrian government, never took place.</p>
<p>Indeed, the Douma “chemical weapons” attack was certainly a propaganda ploy concocted by Western media/intelligence agencies and the terrorist White Helmets they have been supporting since day one.</p>
<p>I highly recommend reading my articles on the Douma chemical attack as well as the work of Vanessa Beeley of <em>21st Century Wire</em> and <em>The Wall Will Fall</em>, and Pearson Sharp of OAN in order to understand how the attack has been so thoroughly debunked even before the missiles and bombs began to fall on Syria in “response” to the “alleged” incident.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.brandonturbeville.com/2018/07/after-us-uk-france-bomb-syria-opcw.html">After US, UK, France Bomb Syria – OPCW Report Contradicts Claims Of ‘Irrefutable Proof’ Of Chemical Weapons</a> – Brandon Turbeville</p>
<p><a href="http://www.brandonturbeville.com/2018/04/the-truth-about-syria-chemical-attacks.html">The Truth About The Syria Chemical Attacks – No Evidence of Assad Chem Weapons, Western False Flag Seems Likely</a> – Brandon Turbeville</p>
<p><a href="https://www.activistpost.com/2018/04/us-bombs-syria-to-cover-up-lack-of-evidence-on-chem-attacks-discredits-own-claims-by-doing-so.html">US Bombs Syria To Cover Up Lack Of Evidence On Chem Attacks, Discredits Own Claims By Doing So</a> – Brandon Turbeville</p>
<p><a href="https://www.activistpost.com/2018/04/the-truth-about-the-syria-chemical-attacks-no-evidence-of-assad-chem-weapons-western-false-flag-seems-likely.html">The Truth About The Syria Chemical Attacks – No Evidence of Assad Chem Weapons, Western False Flag Seems Likely</a> – Brandon Turbeville</p>
<p><a href="https://journal-neo.org/2019/03/04/opcw-syria-report-cripples-western-chemical-weapons-narrative/">OPCW Syria Report Cripples Western “Chemical Weapons” Narrative</a> – Tony Cartalucci</p>
<p><a href="https://21stcenturywire.com/2019/03/06/opcw-douma-report-indicates-us-uk-france-may-have-attacked-syria-on-false-pretext/">OPCW Douma Report Indicates US, UK, France Attacked Syria on False WMD Pretext</a> – Iain Davis</p>
<p><a href="http://www.moonofalabama.org/2018/04/syria-manipulated-videos-fail-to-launch-world-war-iii.html">Syria – Manipulated Videos Fail To Launch World War III – Updated</a> – Moon of Alabama</p>
<p><a href="https://21stcenturywire.com/2018/03/29/photo-and-video-diary-from-eastern-ghouta-by-vanessa-beeley/">Photo and Video Diary from Eastern Ghouta, Syria</a> – Vanessa Beeley</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eB78ycwzhI">DOUMA: Testimonies from Kidnap Victims</a> – Vanessa Beeley</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/VanessaBeeley">Follow Vanessa Beeley on Twitter here</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD9C9koRmro">OAN’S PEARSON SHARP REFUTES MSM REPORTS OF ALLEGED SYRIAN CHEMICAL ATTACK</a> – Pearson Sharp</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSXwG-901yU">OAN Investigation Finds No Evidence of Chemical Weapon Attack in Syria</a> – Pearson Sharp</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxIUgNpqjC0">Pearson Sharp Visits Hospital in Douma when white helmets filmed ‘chemical attack hoax’</a> – Pearson Sharp</p>
<p><a href="https://theduran.com/eva-bartlett-blows-the-lid-on-staged-chemical-weapons-attack-in-syria-video/">Eva Bartlett blows the lid on staged chemical weapons attack in Syria (VIDEO)</a> – Eva Bartlett</p>
<p><a href="https://ingaza.wordpress.com/2018/06/03/syrian-civilians-from-ground-zero-expose-chemical-hoax/">SYRIAN CIVILIANS FROM GROUND ZERO EXPOSE CHEMICAL HOAX</a> – Eva Bartlett</p>
<p><em>Brandon Turbeville writes for Activist Post – <a href="http://www.activistpost.com/tag/brandon-turbeville">article archive here</a> – He is the author of seven books, <a href="http://www.thebookpatch.com/BookStoreDetails.aspx?BookID=829&ID=e78aa577-49b0-493b-aa44-c84db9d0c8cf">Codex Alimentarius — The End of Health Freedom</a>, <a href="http://www.thebookpatch.com/BookStoreDetails.aspx?BookID=2235&ID=c3a655cd-5dc7-421a-8a8b-cf74c194ffc5">7 Real Conspiracies</a>, <a href="http://www.thebookpatch.com/BookStoreDetails.aspx?BookID=2800&ID=155692ca-65ff-418c-b267-5ea8549d93a7">Five Sense Solutions</a> and <a href="http://www.activistpost.com/2012/05/dispatches-from-dissident-articles-from.html">Dispatches From a Dissident, volume 1</a> and <a href="http://www.thebookpatch.com/BookStoreDetails.aspx?BookID=19038&ID=6318fa2d-7ac3-42c0-b510-b6aeadfa93db">volume 2</a>, <a href="http://www.thebookpatch.com/BookStoreDetails.aspx?BookID=23813&ID=e489793f-d003-471a-9a4c-02f7e3df4d77">The Road to Damascus: The Anglo-American Assault on Syria,</a> <a href="http://www.thebookpatch.com/BookStore/the-difference-it-makes-36-reasons-hillary-clinton-should-never-be-president/f41a75c2-a316-4932-b4eb-e7efdb9f6a5a">The Difference it Makes: 36 Reasons Why Hillary Clinton Should Never Be President</a>, and <span class="style1"><a class="easyazon-link" href="https://www.activistpost.com/product/1541205626/US/permacultucom-20/?cart=y" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" title="">Resisting The Empire: The Plan To Destroy Syria And How The Future Of The World Depends On The Outcome</a>.</span> Turbeville has published over 1500 articles on a wide variety of subjects including health, economics, government corruption, civil liberties and, most notably, geopolitics and the Syrian crisis. His most recent release is a book of poetry, <a class="easyazon-link" href="https://www.activistpost.com/product/1793022399/US/permacultucom-20/?cart=y" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" title="">Dance, Amputee</a>. Brandon Turbeville’s radio show Truth on The Tracks can be found at <a href="http://ucy.tv/TT">UCYTV</a>. His website is <a href="http://www.brandonturbeville.com/">BrandonTurbeville.com.</a> He is available for radio and TV interviews. Please contact activistpost (at) <a href="http://gmail.com/">gmail.com</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>This article may be freely shared in part or in full with author attribution and source link.</em></p>
<p><em>Support us at <a href="https://www.patreon.com/activistpost">Patreon</a>. Follow us on <a href="https://www.minds.com/ActivistPost">Minds</a>, <a href="https://steemit.com/@activistpost">Steemit</a>, <a href="https://somee.social/profile/activist-post/timeline">SoMee</a>, <a href="https://www.bitchute.com/channel/ActivistPost/">BitChute</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/activistpost">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ActivistPost">Twitter</a>. Ready for solutions? Subscribe to our premium newsletter <a href="http://countermarkets.com/">Counter Markets</a>.</em></p>
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“Gimme Some Truth”. John Lennon’s Message Resonates
tag:12160.info,2019-03-12:2649739:BlogPost:1893918
2019-03-12T17:16:22.000Z
Marklar's Ghost
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<div class="title"><div class="meta"><div class="post-info"><div class="author">By <a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/author/philip-a-farruggio" title="Posts by Philip A Farruggio">Philip A Farruggio</a></div>
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<p class="yiv2024136707ydp9387a9dfyiv6142189263MsoNormal" style="padding-left: 270px; text-align: right;"><strong><i>Gimme Some Truth</i></strong></p>
<p class="yiv2024136707ydp9387a9dfyiv6142189263MsoNormal" style="padding-left: 270px; text-align: right;"><i><a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=john+lennon&filters=ufn%3a%22john+lennon%22+sid%3a%2213bbd1a8-5f16-21b4-b773-f8a8a885acc6%22&FORM=SNAPST" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect">John Lennon</a></i><i>, <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=plastic+ono+band&filters=ufn%3a%22plastic+ono+band%22+sid%3a%22a9066556-fa31-cc7f-c059-c6d3181836b3%22&FORM=SNAPST" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect">The Plastic Ono Band</a></i></p>
<p class="yiv2024136707ydp9387a9dfyiv6142189263MsoNormal" style="padding-left: 270px; text-align: right;"><i>I’m sick and tired of hearing things from<br clear="none"/>Uptight short sided narrow minded hypocritics<br clear="none"/>All I want is the truth, just give me some truth<br clear="none"/>I’ve had enough of reading things<br clear="none"/>By neurotic psychotic pigheaded politicians<br clear="none"/>All I want is the truth, just give me some truth</i></p>
<p class="yiv2024136707ydp9387a9dfyiv6142189263MsoNormal" style="padding-left: 270px; text-align: right;"><i>No short-haired, yellow-bellied<br clear="none"/>Son of tricky dicky’s<br clear="none"/>Gonna mother hubbard soft soap me<br clear="none"/>With just a pocket full of hopes<br clear="none"/>Money for dope, money for rope</i><b><i> </i></b></p>
<p class="yiv2024136707ydp9387a9dfyiv6142189263MsoNormal">John Lennon wrote that song in 1971, and its value as message resonates even better today. His lyrics refer to some as ‘uptight, short sided (he meant ‘sighted’?) narrow minded hypo critics (he may have even meant those in the media who ‘critique’ the news) ‘. <strong>How sad that almost 50 years have passed and our A) Mainstream Media B) Politicians and C) The Corporate Consumer machine are still at it.</strong></p>
<p class="yiv2024136707ydp9387a9dfyiv6142189263MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/JohnLennonpeace.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/JohnLennonpeace.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-left" width="273"/></a>They are <i>equal opportunity bullshit artists</i>, undertaking the task of distorting the truth about what is affecting our society. Of course, behind the OZ curtain stand the <i>wizards</i> who control how we working stiffs should think, vote and shop. There was a cogent scene from Robert DeNiro’s 2006 film <i>The Good Sheperd</i>. In the film Matt Damon plays a CIA official who visits a Mafia leader (played by Joe Pesci), asking for some covert help. At the end of their visit, Pesci says (I am paraphrasing) ‘Let me ask you a question. Every group has something that they are known for. You know, the Niggers have their music, we Italians have the family… what do your people have?’ Damon looks at him and answers’ We have America, and you’re all just visitors.’</p>
<div class="_magnetRelConrel_89-4"><div style="padding-left: 3px; padding-right: 3px;"><div style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; padding: 5px 0px; overflow: hidden; width: 679px; float: left;"><div><div style="padding: 5px 0px; overflow: hidden;"><a title="Australia’s Naval Base in Papua New Guinea: Power Play in the South Pacific against China" href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/australias-naval-base-in-papua-new-guinea-power-play-in-the-south-pacific-against-china/5654761" rel="nofollow" class="_magnetRelLkrel_89-4">Australia’s Naval Base in Papua New Guinea: Power Play in the South Pacific against China</a></div>
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<p class="yiv2024136707ydp9387a9dfyiv6142189263MsoNormal">The brainwashing has been going on for so long that it’s tough for minds to be <i>deprogrammed</i> through basic human discourse. Case in point: This writer has written consistently about my idea for a 50% Flat Surtax on any income over and above $1,000,000 a year. The first one million would be taxed at the regular rate of around 37% (before deductions) and would have no bearing on the surtax. When I discuss the plan with many working stiffs out there, the <i>overwhelming majority</i> of them tell me ‘Oh that’s too much! Why not start at $ 5 million?’ There you have it. The American Dream is alive and well in the psyche of our fellows. A good analogy to remember regarding the mainstream news outlets, electronic and print, is this: You will know when you hear of a good, viable idea when the mainstream news rarely or hardly ever covers it. Ditto for our sacred elected officials. As far as our great <i>Military Industrial Empire</i>, stop believing the lies that are filtered out by both the Pentagon and of course the corporate world. Commercials as to our brave military that keeps us ‘ FREE’ , or commercials about how the ‘for profit’ health care industry <i>cares</i> about your wellbeing…. mute that boob tube! Folks, there is no ‘truth in advertising’!</p>
<p class="yiv2024136707ydp9387a9dfyiv6142189263MsoNormal">March 19th will be the 16th anniversary of one of the most <i>heinous</i> acts by our government… right up there, most assuredly, with 9/11. In both cases, elements within the inner circles of the Bush/Cheney Cabal must have skewed all that they could to arrive at what transpired. The sacrifice of tens of thousands (in NYC and environs, what with the after effects of the towers being destroyed) and perhaps millions of Iraqi civilians, along with the destruction of one of the most modern countries in the Middle East, should give any decent person the desire, NO the drive, for truth. Those two actions by covert actors is why there is such a refugee crisis in Europe. It is also why there even is an ISIL or whatever our government calls those religious fanatics. If not for US imperialist (a word not used enough nowadays) actions in the Middle East, there would be maybe a few thousand fanatics in all those nations.</p>
<p class="yiv2024136707ydp9387a9dfyiv6142189263MsoNormal">John Lennon was spot on in 1971. Without the mass of working stiffs demanding just that, TRUTH, our nation will continue to go down that rabbit hole.</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">Note to readers: please click the share buttons below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><i><strong>Philip A Farruggio</strong> is a son and grandson of Brooklyn, NYC longshoremen. He has been a free lance columnist since 2001, with over 400 of his work posted on sites like Global Research, Greanville Post, Off Guardian, Consortium News, Information Clearing House, Nation of Change, World News Trust, Op Ed News, Dissident Voice, Activist Post, Sleuth Journal, Truthout and many others. His blog can be read in full on World News Trust, whereupon he writes a great deal on the need to cut military spending drastically and send the savings back to save our cities. Philip has a internet interview show, ‘It’s the Empire… Stupid’ with producer Chuck Gregory, and can be reached at</i> <i><a href="mailto:paf1222@bellsouth.net" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">paf1222@bellsouth.net</a>.</i></p>
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Trump’s Dystopian Budget Proposal. Slashing Social Programs. More Money for War
tag:12160.info,2019-03-12:2649739:BlogPost:1893836
2019-03-12T17:00:00.000Z
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<p><em>Trump’s dead on arrival budget proposal to Congress is all about funding greater militarism and belligerence, along with serving corporate interests and high-net worth households – while gutting vital social programs.</em></p>
<p>It’s a proposal only Wall Street, the military, industrial, security complex, Big Oil, and monied interests could love.</p>
<p>Totaling $4.75 trillion, Trump wants an increase of $34 billion in war spending, euphemistically called “defense” – at a time sharp cuts are needed.</p>
<p>Washington’s only enemies are invented ones. No real ones exist. He wants $8.6 billion more for wall construction along the southern border with Mexico.</p>
<p><strong>His priorities include slashing Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, housing assistance, student loans, and other essential social programs – along with big cuts in environmental protection programs.</strong></p>
<p>He wants about $1.5 trillion cut from Medicaid spending in the next decade, $845 million less for Medicare over the same period, $25 billion from Social Security and disability spending, a 9% reduction in non-defense spending across the board – funds shifted to “defense” priorities, corporate handouts, and other initiatives benefitting high-net worth households.</p>
<p>Other proposed cuts over the next decade include $220 billion less for food stamps, $21 billion from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), $207 billion less for student loans, along with billions more cut from housing assistance and other social programs.</p>
<p>Note: In February 2017 during his first address to a joint congressional session, Trump pledged “no changes” to Social Security and Medicare.</p>
<p>He said</p>
<blockquote><p>“America must put its own citizens first…Above all else, we will keep our promises to the American people…Our obligation is to serve, protect, and defend the citizens of the United States.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>He broke virtually every positive promise made to ordinary Americans, serving monied interests exclusively. His FY 2020 budget proposal calls for more of the same, disdainful of the general welfare he doesn’t give a hoot about.</p>
<p>He wants funding for renewable energy initiatives slashed by 70% – from around $2.3 billion to $700 million. He favors eliminating the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy altogether, wanting energy innovation left entirely to the private sector at its discretion.</p>
<div class="_magnetRelConrel_89-4"><div style="padding-left: 3px; padding-right: 3px;"><div style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; padding: 5px 0px; overflow: hidden; width: 679px; float: left;"><div><div style="padding: 5px 0px; overflow: hidden;"><a title="Trump’s Neoliberal War Budget" href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/trumps-neoliberal-war-budget/5629251" rel="nofollow" class="_magnetRelLkrel_89-4">Trump’s Neoliberal War Budget</a></div>
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<p>According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,</p>
<blockquote><p>“(e)ach of the past two Trump budgets has targeted benefits and services for individuals and families of modest means for deep cuts, even as it has supported tax cuts conferring large new benefits on those at the top of the income scale,” adding:</p>
<p>“If (his proposed FY 2020 budget is) enacted, these cuts would have increased poverty and hardship, leaving more people struggling to afford basics like food and rent.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The type society Trump and hardline ideologues in his regime favor is all about serving privileged interests exclusively, wanting ordinary Americans left on their own sink or swim – social safety net spending abolished in their ideal world.</p>
<p>One way he aims to increase military spending for warmaking is by increasing a so-called overseas operations (slush) fund from $69 billion this year to $165 billion in 2020.</p>
<p>The budget includes $33 billion in greater “defense” spending to counter the “malign influence” of Russia China, Iran, North Korea, and other sovereign independent states. It calls for development of new land-based, sea, and aerial weapons, along with around $10 billion for cybersecurity.</p>
<p>Trump wants increased funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), along with more for Customs and Border Protection.</p>
<p>Article I, section 9, clause 7 of the Constitution states: “No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law…”</p>
<p>Spending bills originate in the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. They need majority House and super-majority (60-vote) Senate approval to pass.</p>
<p>Presidents have veto power over appropriations bills, not so-called line-item authority – so congressional-adopted budgets must be signed into law entirely or vetoed. A two-thirds majority in each house is needed to override it.</p>
<p>Congress and the president have until September 30 (the fiscal year’s end) to agree on a budget for the following FY. Often used continuing resolutions keep government funded for a specified time period when agreements aren’t reached.</p>
<p>Otherwise, government shutdowns are triggered until bipartisan differences are resolved.</p>
<p>Trump’s request for $8.6 billion more for border wall construction alone assures another spending fight if he’s unbending on this issue.</p>
<p>According to a senior regime official, his budget proposes “more reductions in spending than any (previous US) president in history” – taking pride in what demands shame.</p>
<p>House Appropriations Committee chairwoman Nita Lowey slammed Trump’s proposal, saying the following:</p>
<p>He “managed to produce a budget request even more untethered from reality than his past two. With such misguided priorities, (his) budget has no chance of garnering the necessary bipartisan support to become law.”</p>
<p>*</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>Note to readers: please click the share buttons below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net</a>. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><a href="http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html</a></em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>Visit his blog site at <a href="http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sjlendman.blogspot.com</a>.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><em>Featured image is from Strategic Culture Foundation</em></span></p>
<div><div class="copyright">The original source of this article is Global Research</div>
<div class="copyright">Copyright © <a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/author/stephen-lendman" title="Posts by Stephen Lendman">Stephen Lendman</a>, Global Research, 2019</div>
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An Ocean of Lies on Venezuela - Abby Martin and UN Rapporteur Expose Coup
tag:12160.info,2019-02-23:2649739:BlogPost:1889864
2019-02-23T06:02:36.000Z
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Jussie Smollett tries to Join Evil Social Network - Gets Rejected (Satire)
tag:12160.info,2019-02-22:2649739:BlogPost:1889555
2019-02-22T07:55:42.000Z
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Homeless Encampments and Luxury Apartments: Our Long Strange Boom
tag:12160.info,2019-02-22:2649739:BlogPost:1889547
2019-02-22T05:36:31.000Z
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<div class="entry-meta"><span class="meta-prep meta-prep-author">From <a href="https://washingtonsblog.com/">washingtonsblog.com</a></span></div>
<div class="entry-meta"><span class="meta-prep meta-prep-author">Posted on</span> <a href="https://washingtonsblog.com/2019/02/homeless-encampments-and-luxury-apartments-our-long-strange-boom.html" rel="bookmark" title="6:18 pm"><span class="entry-date">February 21, 2019</span></a> <span class="meta-sep">by…</span></div>
<div class="entry-meta"><span class="meta-prep meta-prep-author">From <a href="https://washingtonsblog.com/">washingtonsblog.com</a></span></div>
<div class="entry-meta"><span class="meta-prep meta-prep-author">Posted on</span> <a href="https://washingtonsblog.com/2019/02/homeless-encampments-and-luxury-apartments-our-long-strange-boom.html" title="6:18 pm" rel="bookmark"><span class="entry-date">February 21, 2019</span></a> <span class="meta-sep">by</span> <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn n" href="https://washingtonsblog.com/author/charles-hugh-smith" title="View all posts by Charles Hugh Smith">Charles Hugh Smith</a></span></div>
<div class="entry-meta"></div>
<div class="entry-content"><p><span style="color: #000000;"><b>It’s been a long, strange economic boom since the nadir of the Global Financial Meltdown in 2009.</b> A 10-year long boom that saw the S&P 500 rise from 666 in early 2009 to 2,780 and GDP rise by 43% has been slightly more uneven for most participants.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><b>First and most importantly, household income hasn’t risen by the same percentages as assets, GDP or costs of big-ticket expenses such as rent, healthcare and college tuition.</b> The broadest measure of income, median household income, has registered a 23% increase in the past decade, roughly half of GDP gains and a mere fraction of stock market and housing gains.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><b>It’s well known income gains have skewed to the top</b>, as revealed by Census Bureau data: <a style="color: #000000;" href="https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-income-households.html" target="resource">Historical Income Tables: Household</a> (US Census Bureau).</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">The bottom quintile (20%) registered income gains of 20% from 2009 to 2017, while the middle quintile (roughly speaking, the middle class) gained 25.5% and the top 5% enjoyed a 31.6% gain.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">The raw numbers tell the story in a slightly more visceral fashion:</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Upper limit of bottom quintile: $24,638 up 20% since 2009</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Upper limit of middle quintile: $77,552 up 25.5% since 2009</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><b>Lower limit of top 5%</b>: $237,034 up 31.6% since 2009 </span><br/> <span style="color: #000000;">(the median household income is much higher–around $350,000 according to <a style="color: #000000;" href="https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/statistics/household-income-quintiles" target="resource">Household Income Quintiles</a> the Tax Policy Center.)</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">So the top 5% earn at a minimum 10 times the lowest quintile income and around 4 or 5 times the middle quintile income.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><b>Here in Northern California, this has manifested in rapidly expanding homeless encampments a stone’s throw away from new luxury rental apartments </b>charging $3,000 and up for one-bedroom flats and $4,000 and up for two-bedroom flats.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><b>Meanwhile, the streets are filled with potholes and cracks.</b> Maintaining streets–presumably one of the core missions of local government–is simply not being done in a timely manner. Major streets are in such disrepair that local businesses have taken to raising banners demanding “pave our street now.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><b>Let’s look at three charts of the long, strange boom from 2009:</b> median household income (up 23%), national rents (up 31%) and rent in the San Francisco Bay Area (up 52.4%). Rents are double the gains in median household income in many cities.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><img class="wide" src="https://www.oftwominds.com/photos2019/median-household-income2-19.png" border="0" align="middle"/></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><img class="wide" src="https://www.oftwominds.com/photos2019/rent2-19.png" border="0" align="middle"/></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><img class="wide" src="https://www.oftwominds.com/photos2019/rent-SFbay2-19.png" border="0" align="middle"/></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><b>The tens of thousands of pricey rentals being built in the region assume an endless expansion of well-paid techie jobs</b> filled by young techies who are happy to sacrifice all hope of ever owning a home in the region ($900,000 for a 100-year old bungalow on a 5,000 square foot lot) or having a family unless they cash in on an IPO or marry a techie who already cashed in.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Sadly, the affordable housing fees collected by cities (up to $10 million per project) are not enough to address the unprecedented need for affordable housing and low-cost housing solutions for the homeless and near-homeless.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">What’s behind the soaring cost of housing? It’s really pretty simple: the extended near-zero interest rates and unlimited liquidity pushed by the Federal Reserve as the “solution” for recession have impoverished the bottom 80% and put ownership of capital out of reach for all but the top 5%.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Though the mainstream media punditry and the political class will deny this, the cold truth is <b>homelessness and soaring rents are the only possible outputs of central bank policies that inflate asset bubbles</b> that inevitably outpace the wages needed to pay the soaring cost of rent and housing. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><i><a style="color: #000000;" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KMKWQWZ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07KMKWQWZ&linkCode=as2&tag=charleshughsm-20&linkId=c75aa078c89424fde33f09985292e73a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pathfinding our Destiny: Preventing the Final Fall of Our Democratic Republic</a> ($6.95 ebook, $12 print, $13.08 <a style="color: #000000;" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MH3LR64/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07MH3LR64&linkCode=as2&tag=charleshughsm-20&linkId=afb78438bd34d85bff7cb38f76456985" target="_blank" rel="noopener">audiobook</a>): <a style="color: #000000;" href="https://www.oftwominds.com/Pathfinding-Our-Destiny-sample2.pdf" target="resource"><b>Read the first section for free in PDF format.</b></a></i></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><i>My new mystery <a style="color: #000000;" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G7R9Y9B/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07G7R9Y9B&linkCode=as2&tag=charleshughsm-20&linkId=f2eedd137f2f10768d49846b931e6f21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Adventures of the Consulting Philosopher: The Disappearance of Drake</a> is a ridiculously affordable $1.29 (Kindle) or $8.95 (print); <a style="color: #000000;" href="https://www.oftwominds.com/TCP-sample2.pdf" target="resource">read the first chapters for free (PDF)</a></i></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><i>My book <a style="color: #000000;" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077S8PJ5Y/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B077S8PJ5Y&linkCode=as2&tag=charleshughsm-20&linkId=d3a935e067cb9a216e52fce67fa627b6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Money and Work Unchained</a> is now $6.95 for the Kindle ebook and $15 for the print edition.</i> <a style="color: #000000;" href="https://www.oftwominds.com/Money-Work-free.pdf" target="resource"><i>Read the first section for free in PDF format.</i></a> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><i>If you found value in this content, please join me in seeking solutions by <b><a style="color: #000000;" href="https://www.patreon.com/charleshughsmith" target="resource">becoming a $1/month patron of my work via patreon.com</a>.</b></i></span></p>
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Trump Regime Pursuing Nuclear Technology Sales to the Saudis
tag:12160.info,2019-02-22:2649739:BlogPost:1889492
2019-02-22T05:22:21.000Z
Marklar's Ghost
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<div class="post-info"><div class="author">By <a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/author/stephen-lendman" title="Posts by Stephen Lendman">Stephen Lendman</a></div>
<div class="grDate">Global Research, February 21, 2019</div>
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<p><em><a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Bin-Salman-Trump-Reuters-400x266.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Bin-Salman-Trump-Reuters-400x266.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="222"></img></a></em> <em>Saudi Arabia is a fascist dictatorship run in cahoots with religious extremists – the Middle…</em></p>
<div class="post-info"><div class="author">By <a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/author/stephen-lendman" title="Posts by Stephen Lendman">Stephen Lendman</a></div>
<div class="grDate">Global Research, February 21, 2019</div>
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<p><em><a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Bin-Salman-Trump-Reuters-400x266.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Bin-Salman-Trump-Reuters-400x266.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-left" width="222"/></a></em><em>Saudi Arabia is a fascist dictatorship run in cahoots with religious extremists – the Middle East’s most dangerous regime after Israel. </em></p>
<p><em>Other than nations already with nukes, it’s likely the last regime on earth anti-war activists would want to be nuclearized with a potential military component.</em></p>
<p>The possibility should terrify everyone, mass destruction regionally and beyond greatly heightened if the Saudis have this capability.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/Trump%20Saudi%20Nuclear%20Report%20-%202-19-2019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">US House Oversight and Reform Committee report</a> raised the issue, saying the following:</p>
<blockquote><p>“(M)ultiple whistleblowers came forward to warn about efforts inside the White House to rush the transfer of highly sensitive US nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia in potential violation of the Atomic Energy Act and without review by Congress as required by law—efforts that may be ongoing to this day,” adding:</p>
<p>Trump regime relations with the Saudis are “shrouded in secrecy,” <strong>Jared Kushner</strong> involved with crown prince <strong>Mohammad bin Salman</strong> on what’s going on – MBS once saying he’s got Trump’s son-in-law “in his pocket.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Saudi Arabla is a highly valued US client state, the most important in the Arab world one because of its huge oil reserves and around $750 billion of its wealth invested in US assets.</p>
<p>Trump has gone all-out to assure nothing interferes with US/Saudi business and political relations. He’s had longstanding business ties to the kingdom, including distress sales to royal family members when needing cash to meet debt obligations.</p>
<p>Saudi prince <strong>Alwaleed bin Talal</strong> earlier said he bailed Trump out twice. Businessman Trump created and registered eight companies to do business in Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>During an August 2015 campaign rally, he said</p>
<blockquote><p>“Saudi Arabia, I get along great with all of them. They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>According to the Wall Street Journal in January 2017, the Washington-based Trump International Hotel was paid about $270,000 by the Saudi lobbying firm Qorvis MSLGroup – for lodging, catering, and related expenses – plus another $200,000 spent at the hotel.</p>
<p>As president, Trump chose Saudi Arabia for his first foreign trip, sealing what he called a $110 billion arms deal, along with a memorandum of intent to supply the kingdom with weapons worth around $350 billion over the next decade.</p>
<div class="_magnetRelConrel_89-4"><div style="padding-left: 3px; padding-right: 3px;"><div style="overflow: hidden;"><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; padding: 5px 0px; overflow: hidden; width: 679px; float: left;"><div><div style="padding: 5px 0px; overflow: hidden;"><a title="White House May Share Nuclear Power Technology with Saudi Arabia" href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/white-house-may-share-nuclear-power-technology-with-saudi-arabia/5621193" rel="nofollow" class="_magnetRelLkrel_89-4">White House May Share Nuclear Power Technology with Saudi Arabia</a></div>
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<p>Much of the $110 billion deal was ordered before his tenure began, worth tens of billions of dollars, much less than Trump’s touted figure.</p>
<p>The $350 billion figure exists on paper alone. Saudi purchases over the next decade will likely be far short of this inflated amount.</p>
<p>Whatever comes to fruition or not, Trump clearly wants as much Saudi revenue coming to the US as possible. Selling highly sensitive nuclear technology to the kingdom would be reckless, a threat to regional and world security.</p>
<p>According to the House report, <strong>the Trump regime is fast-tracking “the transfer of highly sensitive US nuclear technology” to the kingdom without required congressional review</strong> – in violation of the 1954 Atomic Energy Act, US law regulating civilian and military uses of nuclear material.</p>
<p>The NEA prohibits the transfer of US technology to another country if there’s a risk that it can be used to develop nukes. The NEA’s Section 123 states that nuclear technology transfers abroad are subject to congressional approval.</p>
<p>The House Oversight and Reform Committee is investigating allegations of Trump regime efforts to sell sensitive nuclear technology to the Saudis that can be used to develop and produce nukes.</p>
<p><strong>Kushner</strong>, former national security advisor <strong>Mike Flynn</strong> and Trump fundraiser <strong>Thomas Barrack</strong> reportedly support the scheme backed by US commercial interests, standing to make billions of dollars constructing and operating nuclear facilities in the kingdom.</p>
<p>Last year, MBS said “(w)ithout a doubt, if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible.” The Islamic Republic abhors these weapons, wanting them eliminated everywhere.</p>
<p>According to the House report,</p>
<blockquote><p>“whistleblowers who came forward have expressed significant concerns about the potential procedural and legal violations connected with rushing through a plan to transfer nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia.”</p>
<p>“They have warned of conflicts of interest among top White House advisers that could implicate federal criminal statutes. They have also warned about a working environment inside the White House marked by chaos, dysfunction, and backbiting.”</p>
<p>“And they have warned about political appointees ignoring directives from top ethics advisors at the White House who repeatedly and unsuccessfully ordered senior Trump Administration officials to halt their efforts.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The White House allegedly aims to pursue a “Trump Middle East Marshall Plan,” involving the construction and operation of “dozens of (regional) nuclear power plants” in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan through a company called International Peace Power & Prosperity (IP3).</p>
<p>The House report warned that Trump met last week with “nuclear power developers at the White House about sharing nuclear technology with countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.”</p>
<p>According to the whistleblowers, the Saudis refuse to agree on prohibitions against enriching uranium and processing plutonium unlike other regional countries.</p>
<p>IP3 maintains Russia and China seek to build and operate Middle East nuclear power plants – dubiously claiming only the US can assure nuclear safety, security and regulatory oversight.</p>
<p>In her books titled “Nuclear Madness,” “Nuclear Power Is Not the Answer,” and “The New Nuclear Danger,” Helen Caldicott explained that nuclear power plants are atom bomb factories.</p>
<p>A 1,000 megawatt nuclear reactor produces 500 pounds of plutonium annually, 10 pounds alone needed as fuel for a bomb able to devastate a large city, irradiate it, and make it too unsafe for human habitation.</p>
<p>Of all energy forms, nuclear power is the most dangerous. Safe, renewable energy sources are the only acceptable ones – including wind, solar, hydroelectric, biomass, ocean, and geothermal.</p>
<p>Saving the planet and its life forms may depend on shifting from fossil and nuclear energy to these sources exclusively.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>Note to readers: please click the share buttons below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net</a>. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><a href="http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html</a></em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>Visit his blog site at <a href="http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sjlendman.blogspot.com</a>.</em></p>
<div><div class="copyright">The original source of this article is Global Research</div>
<div class="copyright">Copyright © <a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/author/stephen-lendman" title="Posts by Stephen Lendman">Stephen Lendman</a>, Global Research, 2019</div>
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Why Are So Many SJW Characters Mary Sues?
tag:12160.info,2019-02-18:2649739:BlogPost:1888662
2019-02-18T19:35:11.000Z
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What the Press Hides From You About Venezuela
tag:12160.info,2019-02-10:2649739:BlogPost:1886527
2019-02-10T16:33:34.000Z
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<div id="container"><div id="content"><div class="post-73443 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-general tag-corruption tag-cover-up tag-deep-state tag-democracy tag-fascism tag-neofeudalism tag-oligarchy tag-propaganda tag-russia tag-syria tag-ukraine tag-venezuela" id="post-73443"><h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://washingtonsblog.com/2019/02/what-the-press-hides-from-you-about-venezuela.html" rel="bookmark" title="12:37 pm"><span class="entry-date">February 8,…</span></a></h2>
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<div id="container"><div id="content"><div id="post-73443" class="post-73443 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-general tag-corruption tag-cover-up tag-deep-state tag-democracy tag-fascism tag-neofeudalism tag-oligarchy tag-propaganda tag-russia tag-syria tag-ukraine tag-venezuela"><h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://washingtonsblog.com/2019/02/what-the-press-hides-from-you-about-venezuela.html" title="12:37 pm" rel="bookmark"><span class="entry-date">February 8, 2019</span></a></h2>
<h2 class="entry-title"><span class="meta-sep">by</span> <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn n" href="https://washingtonsblog.com/author/eric-zuesse-2" title="View all posts by Eric Zuesse.">Eric Zuesse.</a></span></h2>
<div class="entry-content"><p class="p1"><strong>— A Case of News-Suppression</strong></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>INTRODUCTION</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>This news-report is being submitted to all U.S. and allied news-media, and is being published by all honest ones, in order to inform you of crucial facts that the others — the dishonest ones, who hide such crucial facts — are hiding about Venezuela. These are facts that have received coverage only in one single British newspaper: the Independent, which published a summary account of them on January 26th. That newspaper’s account will be excerpted here at the end, but first will be highlights from its topic,</i> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20190130200411/https://chicagoalbasolidarity.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/un-report-on-venezuela-and-ecuador-alfred-de-zayas.pdf"><span class="s2"><i>the official report to the U.N. General Assembly in August of last year, which has been covered-up ever since</i></span></a><i>. This is why that report’s author has now gone to the Independent, desperate to get the story out, finally, to the public:</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>THE COVERED-UP DOCUMENT</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">On 3 August 2018, the U.N.’s General Assembly received <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20190130200411/https://chicagoalbasolidarity.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/un-report-on-venezuela-and-ecuador-alfred-de-zayas.pdf"><span class="s2">the report from the U.N.s Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order, concerning his mission to Venezuela and Ecuador</span></a>. His recent travel though both countries focused on “how best to enhance the enjoyment of all human rights by the populations of both countries.” He “noted the eradication of illiteracy, free education from primary school to university, and programmes to reduce extreme poverty, provide housing to the homeless and vulnerable, phase out privilege and discrimination, and extend medical care to everyone.” He noted “that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and Ecuador, both devote around 70 per cent of their national budgets to social services.” However (and here, key paragraphs from the report are now quoted):</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">—</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">22. Observers have identified errors committed by the Chávez and Maduro Governments, noting that there are too many ideologues and too few technocrats in public administration, resulting in government policies that lack coherence and professional management and discourage domestic investment, already crippled by inefficiency and corruption, which extend to government officials, transnational corporations and entrepreneurs. Critics warn about the undue influence of the military on government and on the running of enterprises like Petróleos de Venezuela. The lack of regular, publicly available data on nutrition, epidemiology and inflation are said to complicate efforts to provide humanitarian support.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">23. Meanwhile, the Attorney General, Tarek Saab, has launched a vigorous anticorruption campaign, investigating the links between Venezuelan enterprises and tax havens, contracting scams, and deals by public officials with Odebrecht. It is estimated that corruption in the oil industry has cost the Government US$ 4.8 billion. The Attorney General’s Office informed the Independent Expert of pending investigations for embezzlement and extortion against 79 officials of Petróleos de Venezuela, including 22 senior managers. The Office also pointed to the arrest of two high-level oil executives, accused of money-laundering in Andorra. The Ministry of Justice estimates corruption losses at some US$ 15 billion. Other stakeholders, in contrast, assert that anti-corruption programmes are selective and have not sufficiently targeted State institutions, including the military. …</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">29. … Over the past sixty years, non-conventional economic wars have been waged against Cuba, Chile, Nicaragua, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in order to make their economies fail, facilitate regime change and impose a neo-liberal socioeconomic model. In order to discredit selected governments, failures in the field of human rights are maximized so as to make violent overthrow more palatable. Human rights are being “weaponized” against rivals. Yet, human rights are the heritage of every human being and should never be instrumentalized as weapons of demonization. …</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">30. The principles of non-intervention and non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign States belong to customary international law and have been reaffirmed in General Assembly resolutions, notably [a list is supplied]. …</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">31. In its judgment of 27 June 1986 concerning Nicaragua v. United States, the International Court of Justice quoted from [U.N.] resolution 2625 (XXV): “no State shall organize, assist, foment, finance, incite or tolerate subversive, terrorist or armed activities directed towards the violent overthrow of the regime of another State, or interfere in civil strife in another State”. …</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">36. The effects of sanctions imposed by Presidents Obama and Trump and unilateral measures by Canada and the European Union have directly and indirectly aggravated the shortages in medicines such as insulin and anti-retroviral drugs. To the extent that economic sanctions have caused delays in distribution and thus contributed to many deaths, sanctions contravene the human rights obligations of the countries imposing them.Moreover, sanctions can amount to crimes against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. An investigation by that Court would be appropriate, but the geopolitical submissiveness of the Court may prevent this.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">37. Modern-day economic sanctions and blockades are comparable with medieval sieges of towns with the intention of forcing them to surrender. Twenty-first century sanctions attempt to bring not just a town, but sovereign countries to their knees. A difference, perhaps, is that twenty-first century sanctions are accompanied by the manipulation of public opinion through “fake news”, aggressive public relations and a pseudo-human rights rhetoric so as to give the impression that a human rights “end” justifies the criminal means. …</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">39. Economic asphyxiation policies are comparable to those already practised in Chile, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nicaragua and the Syrian Arab Republic. In January 2018, Middle East correspondent of The Financial Times and The Independent, Patrick Cockburn, wrote on the sanctions affecting Syria: <i>There is usually a pretence that foodstuffs and medical equipment are being allowed through freely and no mention is made of the financial and other regulatory obstacles making it impossible to deliver them. An example of this is the draconian sanctions imposed on Syria by the US and EU which were meant to target President Bashar al-Assad and help remove him from power. They have wholly failed to do this, but a UN internal report leaked in 2016 shows all too convincingly the effect of the embargo in stopping the delivery of aid by international aid agencies. They cannot import the aid despite waivers because banks and commercial companies dare not risk being penalised for having anything to do with Syria. The report quotes a European doctor working in Syria as saying that “the indirect effect of sanctions … makes the import of the medical instruments and other medical supplies immensely difficult, near impossible”. In short: economic sanctions kill. …</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">41. Bearing in mind that Venezuelan society is polarized, what is most needed is dialogue between the Government and the opposition, and it would be a noble task on the part of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to offer his good offices for such a dialogue. Yet, opposition leaders Antonio Ledezma and Julio Borges, during a trip through Europe to denounce the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, called for further sanctions as well as a military “humanitarian intervention”. …</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">44. Although the situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has not yet reached the humanitarian crisis threshold, there is hunger, malnutrition, anxiety, anguish and emigration. What is crucial is to study the causes of the crisis, including neglected factors of sanctions, sabotage, hoarding, black market activities, induced inflation and contraband in food and medicines.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">45. The “crisis” in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is an economic crisis, which cannot be compared with the humanitarian crises in Gaza, Yemen, Libya, the Syrian Arab Republic, Iraq, Haiti, Mali, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Somalia, or Myanmar, among others. It is significant that when, in 2017, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela requested medical aid from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the plea was rejected, because it ”is still a high-income country … and as such is not eligible”. …</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">46. It is pertinent to recall the situation in the years prior to the election of Hugo Chávez. 118 Corruption was ubiquitous and in 1993, President Carlos Pérez was removed because of embezzlement. The Chávez election in 1998 reflected despair with the corruption and neo-liberal policies of the 1980s and 1990s, and rejection of the gulf between the super-rich and the abject poor.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">47. Participatory democracy in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, called “protagónica”, is anchored in the Constitution of 1999 and relies on frequent elections and referendums. During the mission, the Independent Expert exchanged views with the Electoral Commission and learned that in the 19 years since Chávez, 25 elections and referendums had been conducted, 4 of them observed by the Carter Center. The Independent Expert met with the representative of the Carter Center in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, who recalled Carter’s positive assessment of the electoral system. They also discussed the constitutional objections raised by the opposition to the referendum held on 30 July 2017, resulting in the creation of a Constitutional Assembly. Over 8 million Venezuelans voted in the referendum, which was accompanied by international observers, including from the Council of Electoral Specialists of Latin America.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">48. An atmosphere of intimidation accompanied the mission, attempting to pressure the Independent Expert into a predetermined matrix. He received letters from NGOs asking him not to proceed because he was not the “relevant” rapporteur, and almost dictating what should be in the report. Weeks before his arrival, some called the mission a “fake investigation”. Social media insults bordered on “hate speech” and “incitement”. Mobbing before, during and after the mission bore a resemblance to the experience of two American journalists who visited the country in July 2017. Utilizing platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, critics questioned the Independent Expert’s integrity and accused him of bias, demonstrating a culture of intransigence and refusal to accept the duty of an independent expert to be neutral, objective, dispassionate and to apply his expertise free of external pressures. …</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">67. The Independent Expert recommends that the General Assembly: (g) Invoke article 96 of the Charter of the United Nations and refer the following questions to the International Court of Justice: Can unilateral coercive measures be compatible with international law? Can unilateral coercive measures amount to crimes against humanity when a large number of persons perish because of scarcity of food and medicines? What reparations are due to the victims of sanctions? Do sanctions and currency manipulations constitute geopolitical crimes? (h) Adopt a resolution along the lines of the resolutions on the United States embargo against Cuba, declaring the sanctions against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela contrary to international law and human rights law. …</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">70. The Independent Expert recommends that the International Criminal Court investigate the problem of unilateral coercive measures that cause death from malnutrition, lack of medicines and medical equipment. …</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">72. The Independent Expert recommends that, until the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court address the lethal outcomes of economic wars and sanctions regimes, the Permanent Peoples Tribunal, the Russell Tribunal and the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Commission undertake the task so as to facilitate future judicial pronouncements.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">—</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">On January 26th, Britain’s <i>Independent</i> headlined <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/venezuela-us-sanctions-united-nations-oil-pdvsa-a8748201.html"><span class="s3">“Venezuela crisis: Former UN rapporteur says US sanctions are killing citizens”</span></a>, and Michael Selby-Green reported that:</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>The first UN rapporteur to visit Venezuela for 21 years has told The Independent the US sanctions on the country are illegal and could amount to “crimes against humanity” under international law.</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>Former special rapporteur Alfred de Zayas, who finished his term at the UN in March, has criticized the US for engaging in “economic warfare” against Venezuela which he said is hurting the economy and killing Venezuelans.</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>The comments come amid worsening tensions in the country after the US and UK have backed Juan Guaido, who appointed himself “interim president” of Venezuela as hundreds of thousands marched to support him. …</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>The US Treasury has not responded to a request for comment on Mr de Zayas’s allegations of the effects of the sanctions programme.</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>US sanctions prohibit dealing in currencies issued by the Venezuelan government. They also target individuals, and stop US-based companies or people from buying and selling new debt issued by PDVSA or the government.</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>The US has previously defended its sanctions on Venezuela, with a senior US official saying in 2018: “The fact is that the greatest sanction on Venezuelan oil and oil production is called Nicolas Maduro, and PDVSA’s inefficiencies,” referring to the state-run oil body, Petroleos de Venezuela, SA.</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>Mr De Zayas’s findings are based on his late-2017 mission to the country and interviews with 12 Venezuelan government minsters, opposition politicians, 35 NGOs working in the country, academics, church officials, activists, chambers of commerce and regional UN agencies.</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>The US imposed new sanctions against Venezuela on 9 March 2015, when President Barack Obama issued executive order 13692, declaring the country a threat to national security.</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>The sanctions have since intensified under Donald Trump, who has also threatened military invasion and discussed a coup. …</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>Despite being the first UN official to visit and report from Venezuela in 21 years, Mr de Zayas said his research into the causes of the country’s economic crisis has so far largely been ignored by the UN and the media, and caused little debate within the Human Rights Council.</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>He believes his report has been ignored because it goes against the popular narrative that Venezuela needs regime change. …</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>The then UN high commissioner, Zeid Raad Al Hussein, reportedly refused to meet Mr de Zayas after the visit, and the Venezuela desk of the UN Human Rights Council also declined to help with his work after his return despite being obliged to do so, Mr de Zayas claimed. …</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>Ivan Briscoe, Latin America and Caribbean programme director for Crisis Group, an international NGO, told The Independent that Venezuela is a polarising subject. … Briscoe is critical of Mr de Zayas’s report because it highlights US economic warfare but in his view neglects to mention the impact of a difficult business environment in the country. … Briscoe acknowledged rising tensions and the likely presence of US personnel operating covertly in the country. …</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>Eugenia Russian, president of FUNDALATIN, one of the oldest human rights NGOs in Venezuela, founded in 1978 before the Chavez and Maduro governments and with special consultative status at the UN, spoke to The Independent on the significance of the sanctions.</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>“In contact with the popular communities, we consider that one of the fundamental causes of the economic crisis in the country is the effect that the unilateral coercive sanctions that are applied in the economy, especially by the government of the United States,” Ms Russian said.</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>She said there may also be causes from internal errors, but said probably few countries in the world have suffered an “economic siege” like the one Venezuelans are living under. …</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>In his report, Mr de Zayas expressed concern that those calling the situation a “humanitarian crisis” are trying to justify regime change and that human rights are being “weaponised” to discredit the government and make violent overthrow more “palatable”….</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world and an abundance of other natural resources including gold, bauxite and coltan. But under the Maduro government they’re not easily accessible to US and transnational corporations.</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i>US oil companies had large investments in Venezuela in the early 20th century but were locked out after Venezuelans voted to nationalise the industry in 1973.</i></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Other than readers of that single newspaper, where has the public been able to find these facts? If the public can have these facts hidden from them, then how much trust should the public reasonably have in the government, and in the news-media?</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">(NOTE: Zeid Raad Al Hussein, who “reportedly refused to meet Mr de Zayas after the visit,” is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeid_Raad_Al_Hussein"><span class="s4">Prince Zeid Raad Al Hussein</span></a>, a Jordanian Prince. Jordan is a vassal-state in the U.S. empire. But Prince Hussein is a Jordanian diplomat who served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2014 to 2018 — hardly an unbiased or independent person in such a supposedly nonpartisan role.)</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">(NOTE: Here is the garbage that a reader comes to, who is trying to find online Mr. de Zayas’s report on this matter: <a href="https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G18/239/29/PDF/G1823929.pdf"><span class="s4">https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G18/239/29/PDF/G1823929.pdf</span></a>. As intended, the document remains effectively hidden to the present day. Perhaps the U.N. needs to be replaced and located in Venezuela, Iran, or some other country that’s targeted for take-over by the people who effectively own the United States Government and control the U.N.’s bureaucracy. The hiding of this document was done not only by the press but by the U.N. itself.)</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">(NOTE: On January 23rd, Germany’s <i>Die Zeit</i> headlined<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> <a href="https://www.zeit.de/2019/05/christoph-fluegge-internationaler-strafrichter-unabhaengigkeit-justiz"><span class="s4">“Christoph Flügge: ‘I am deeply disturbed’: The U.N. International Criminal Court Judge Christoph Flügge Accuses Western Nations of Threatening the Independence of the Judges”</span></a>. Flügge especially cited U.S. President Trump’s agent, John Bolton. That same day, the Democratic Party and Labour Party organ, Britain’s <i>Guardian</i>, bannered <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/law/2019/jan/28/international-criminal-court-icc-judge-christoph-flugge-quits-citing-political-interference-trump-administration-turkey"><span class="s5">“International criminal court: UN court judge quits The Hague citing political interference”</span></a>. This news-report said that, “A senior judge has resigned from one of the UN’s international courts in The Hague citing ‘shocking’ political interference from the White House and Turkey.” The judge especially criticised Bolton: “The American security adviser held his speech at a time when The Hague was planning preliminary investigations into American soldiers who had been accused of torturing people in Afghanistan. The American threats against international judges clearly show the new political climate. It is shocking. I had never heard such a threat.” Flügge said that the judges on the court had been “stunned” that “the US would roll out such heavy artillery”. Flügge told the <i>Guardian:</i> “It is consistent with the new American line: ‘We are No 1 and we stand above the law’.”)</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">(NOTE: On February 6th, a former UK Ambassador to Syria vented at an alt-news site, 21st Century Wire (since he couldn’t get any of the major-media sites to publish it), <a href="https://21stcenturywire.com/2019/02/06/a-guide-to-decoding-the-doublespeak-on-syria/"><span class="s2">“A Guide to Decoding the Doublespeak on Syria”</span></a>, and he brazenly exposed there the Doublespeak-Newspeak that the U.S. Government and press (what he called America’s “frothing neocons and their liberal interventionist fellow travellers”) apply in order to report the ‘news’ about Syria. So: how can the public, in a country such as the U.S., democratically control the Government, if the government and its press are lying to them, like that, all the time, and so routinely?)</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">—————</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s6">Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Theyre-Not-Even-Close-Democratic/dp/1880026090/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1339027537&sr=8-9"><span class="s7"><i>They’re Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records, 1910-2010</i></span></a><i>,</i> and of</span> <span class="s8"><i> </i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007Q1H4EG"><span class="s7"><i>CHRIST’S VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that Created Christianity</i></span></a></span><span class="s6">.</span></p>
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