Puppet MastersS


Eye 1

Why you should NEVER believe your eyes

Illusion
© Off-Guardian
The ad is simple. A bus is held up in traffic after hitting a fruit cart, a young female passenger looks out her window at a handsome young man in a convertible. She gets out of the bus, gets in the car, and the man drives her away like a chauffeur while she's eating a candy bar.

The young woman is Audrey Hepburn.

This has massively significant implications on our perception of the world in which we live, in ways nobody really talks about. But we'll come back to Audrey later.

It doesn't always seem like it, but humans are innately trusting.

Whether an evolutionary development designed to make functioning as a social group easier, or a vestige of thousands of generations of religious thinking, deep down our automatic position is that most people - most of the time - are telling the truth.

This is a natural inclination that tyrants have understood - and taken advantage of - for centuries.

But however much trust we innately place in others, there's something we all trust more - our own eyes.

We are visual creatures, and once somebody has seen something - or believes they have seen something - it is almost impossible to convince them they haven't.

And, these days, would-be tyrants can take advantage of that too.

Unfortunately, the necessary and primal trust our brains have in our eyes lags behind the ability of technology to confound them.

Deep Faking is, as most of us know, a video editing trick that can seamlessly replace one face with another. It's not especially difficult, or expensive. All you need is the replacee to have a passing superficial resemblance to the replacer, a good number of photos showing different facial positions and the right computer software.

4chan "shitposters" do it from the comfort of their own bedrooms for a laugh, replacing porn star faces with those of actresses, celebrities, politicians, and Nicolas Cage.

Simply put, by the very nature of what it is, deep fake technology must make every video showing any face to some degree suspect.

Brain

Really think about what it means that the US president has dementia

debate
© ScreenshotUS President Joe Biden • CNN Presidential Debate
It's very revealing how everybody's focusing on what Biden's dementia-addled debate performance says about his ability to win re-election instead of on the fact that the current, sitting president of the United States has dementia.

If you were lucky enough to have missed the debate, Biden was so confused and zoned out that not only did CNN's audience overwhelmingly say Trump won while the word "dementia" was sent trending on Twitter, but it was also uniformly acknowledged to have been a horrifying catastrophe by Democratic Party operatives and liberal media pundits, who are now widely suggesting that the president should withdraw from the race.


But the conversation has almost entirely revolved around Joe Biden as a presidential candidate, with relatively little attention going to the fact that this person is the president right now. Everyone's talking about whether Biden can assure American voters that he has what it takes to be president, and nobody seems all that concerned about the fact that he is already president and will remain so for half a year.


Comment: We are supposed to pay it 'no mind'.


Microphone

Dems freak out over Biden's debate performance: 'Biden is toast'

DonJoe
© abc11.comFirst Presidential Debate between former US President Donald Trump and current US President Joe Biden
President Joe Biden opened the debate with a raspy voice and disjointed, rambling answers, reigniting Democratic concerns about his age and ability to take on former President Donald Trump.

Many of the president's answers were hard to follow. At one point, seemingly losing his train of thought, Biden said "we finally beat Medicare," misspeaking about his own policy on earned benefits.

In text messages with POLITICO, Democrats expressed confusion and concern as they watched the first minutes of the event. One former Biden White House and campaign aide called it "terrible," adding that they have had to ask themselves over and over "What did he just say? This is crazy."

Another veteran Democratic operative texted:
"Biden seems to have needed a few minutes to warm up. I wonder if the lack of an audience was the right decision. And poor guy needs a tea. Maybe a whiskey."
Jay Surdukowski, an attorney and Democratic activist from New Hampshire who co-chaired Martin O'Malley's 2016 presidential campaign in the state, said, "Biden is toast — calling it now."


Comment: Another debate clip:




Whistle

Fyodor Lukyanov: Julian Assange has become a symbol of resistance to the US government

pic assange
© Getty ImagesJulian Assange supporters • Wired Next Fest 2024 • Castello Sforzesco • Milan, Italy • June 15, 2024
The WikiLeaks founder is a man of great personal integrity who fell victim to changing western attitudes about media freedom.

The long running and epic prosecution of Julian Assange seems to be coming to an end. The defendant has pleaded guilty to one of the charges against him - conspiracy to obtain and transmit classified information. He was sentenced to the time he has already served in a British prison, fighting extradition to the US. And now the case is closed.

Assange's deal with the US Department of Justice is a relief for everyone. The journalist and activist himself cannot be criticized for agreeing - he has repeatedly demonstrated his personal integrity and courage. And there is no point in sacrificing himself for nothing. As for the American side, Assange's hypothetical deportation to the United States would trigger another social and political conflict. And a confusing one at that. In favor of the WikiLeaks founder are many on the left and some on the right. Namely those who consider their own government to be anti-citizen and dictatorial. Against him are the official bureaucracy, nowadays more-so on the left, and conservative patriots who consider him a traitor. There's already a lot of strife and polarization in American politics, so they hardly want to add more in the middle of an election campaign.

Anyway, if this is indeed the case, one can only be glad. It is also interesting to see how the overall situation has changed over the years for WikiLeaks. Assange himself has undoubtedly become a symbol of resistance to the American government, a legend and hero to like-minded people around the world. But the perception of the information made public by his work has changed over the twenty years of his activity.

Comment: Times have changed. Author offers an important analysis comparing the culture and mindset of early Wikileaks America with current societal 'protocol' and governmental agendae.


Cardboard Box

US can't trace $62 million of military aid sent to Ukraine - watchdog

weapons
© Sean Gallup/Getty ImagesAmerican weapons, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, are unloaded at Borispol Airport near Kiev, Ukraine • January 25, 2022
The Pentagon does not know whether defense items were "lost or destroyed," an investigation has found.

The US Defense Department is unable to locate $62 million worth of weapons given to Ukraine, according to a report released on Wednesday.

The conclusions were presented by the Pentagon inspector general after an assessment on whether the DoD is effectively monitoring defense items provided to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The watchdog found that as of late November last year, a total $62.2 million in hardware designated for enhanced end-use monitoring (EEUM) was reported as missing. Among them are night vision devices, Javelin anti-tank missiles, and missile launch units.

According to the report, the US Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) in Ukraine "cannot tell which of these items were lost and which were destroyed." The Ukrainian army has not yet provided clarification, it adds.

Comment: Who benefits?


X

West 'unable to negotiate' - Lavrov

Lavrov
© Maxim Blinov/SputnikRussian FM Sergey Lavrov • 10th Primakov Readings Forum • Moscow, Russia
US "vassals" are willing to breach any agreements at Washington's orders, the Russian foreign minister says.

The West has repeatedly displayed its "inability to negotiate," which has now become evident to everyone, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

Western "vassals" of the US are willing to breach "any agreements" and violate international law upon receiving "orders" from Washington, Lavrov claimed at the Primakov Readings International Forum in Moscow.

Russia had been interested in a mutually beneficial relationship with the collective West, but building one has proven to be effectively impossible, the top diplomat argued.
"Our interest was much broader and more comprehensive, but the West was not ready for mutually beneficial, equal cooperation. When it needs to do something on orders from Washington, it resorts to breaking any agreements, any violations of international law."
Moscow is now seeking to ensure its security and prevent any threats emanating from the "Western direction," Lavrov said.

Gavel

Here it comes!

Bydone
© Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty ImagesUS President Joe Biden
"Leftism might actually be noble if their concern for the marginalized wasn't simply an incidental externality to their seething hatred of the normal and the good."
— David Pivtorak on "X"
Did you entertain feelings of doom during last week's brain-withering heat-wave? The sheer anxious waiting and wishing for it to end was a nice analog to the stifling psycho-political miasma oppressing this nation — alternately known as the republic (for which we stand) and "our democracy," as "Joe Biden" likes to style his regime of lawfare, warfare, and garish state-sponsored depravity. Well, rejoice and ring them bells! The political weather is breaking. The week ahead looks like an all-you-can-eat, steam-table banquet of consequence.

The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) teased last week with an opening round of lesser decisions on bump stocks for rifles, abortion pills for women inconvenienced by motherhood, and a few other interesting cases. The court's term draws to a close with the end of June. Pending are several cases liable to rattle the windows and shake down the walls.

One is the question as to whether the government can use private company proxies to censor constitutionally protected free speech (Murthy v. Missouri). The case has been simmering for years, with lower court actions that took a dim view of the intel blob's coercive intrusions into social media. Probably the most galling part of the story is that virtually every act of censorship and de-platforming was committed against those telling the truth about some vital public issue, whether it was the danger and ineffectiveness of the Covid vaccines, or the probity of the 2020 elections, or the existence of Hunter Biden's laptop and its dastardly contents. That is, the government's actions were entirely in the service of lying to the American people.

Vader

Biden won't drop out of presidential race - campaign official

US President Joe Biden
© Getty Images / Derek WhiteUS President Joe Biden
US President Joe Biden will not drop out of the 2024 election race despite his poor performance during Thursday's first presidential debate with Donald Trump, campaign spokesperson Seth Schuster has announced.

Following the debate, in which Biden was largely panned, even by fellow Democrats, many in the party suggested that the president should be replaced on the November 5 ballot.

In a text message seen by The Hill, Schuster is apparently attempting to reassure the president's supporters that he will continue his efforts to be reelected.

"Of course he's not dropping out," the campaign spokesperson wrote.

Another member of the president's team told Politico that Biden will stay in the race because he is "the only person who has ever beaten Donald Trump. He will do it again."

Biden himself has also dismissed the notion that he should bow out of the race, explaining to reporters at a Waffle House following Thursday's event that "it's hard to debate a liar."

Meanwhile, according to Politico, the Democratic Party is reportedly "panicked" by Biden's "faltering" display against Trump and is actively discussing the possibility of replacing him with another candidate.

Comment: Biden is going to keep running even if he has to be hooked up to a portable, personal life support system like Darth Vader's to do it!


No Entry

Lavrov reveals BRICS expansion stance

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
© Getty Images / Mert Gokhan Koc; dia imagesFILE: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Both nations are apparently seeking to spark major regional wars, Russia's top diplomat has suggested
The BRICS group of nations has voted to temporarily suspend new membership applications and focus on integrating the countries which have joined most recently, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on Wednesday.

In a statement published on the ministry's website, Lavrov revealed that the Group of Ten BRICS members had decided to "take a break with the accession of new members in order to process the new arrivals, who have doubled the composition of the group."

BRICS was initially founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining the group in 2010. This year, five more countries officially joined the organization, including Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.

In his statement, Lavrov said that while the new arrivals are being integrated into the group, a new category of "partner countries" would be formed as a "stepping stone" to full BRICS membership.

"We will certainly promote our Belarusian friends as well as a number of other like-minded allies," the minister said.

Comment: Much has to still be worked out between these countries. That the group has doubled this year with many more applying knowing that a stipulation is not participating in the sanctions against Russia says much about how little the world regards the US these days.


Star of David

Jeffrey Epstein claimed to be Israeli spy - lawsuit

Federal prosecutors announce charges against Jeffery Epstein, July 8, 2019 in New York City
© Stephanie Keith/Getty ImagesFederal prosecutors announce charges against Jeffery Epstein, July 8, 2019 in New York City.
The allegation of Mossad involvement was contained in a rape complaint by an ex-girlfriend.

Disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein once boasted of being a Mossad agent just like Ghislaine Maxwell's father Robert, according to the allegations made by a former girlfriend who is now suing his estate.

Epstein worked as a financier and socialized with the rich and famous for years, introducing them to dozens of young women - some of whom were underage at the time - and flying them to his private island in the Caribbean.

The California woman who filed the lawsuit was identified only as Jane Doe 200. She claimed to have met Epstein in Los Angeles in 2000 and became his girlfriend, until he violently raped her in late 2001.
"Despite being in a committed relationship often spending nearly around-the-clock time together, what Epstein did for work was not clear," said the lawsuit, filed at the Manhattan federal court earlier this week.

Comment: See also: