Puppet MastersS


Eye 1

US reaction to Putin's COVID vaccine both predictable and dishonest

Seraphim Hanisch
The Duran
Wed, 12 Aug 2020 07:17 UTC
Gam-COVID-Vac
© Dmitry Kurakin/Health Ministry of the Russian Federation/TASSThe first vaccine to prevent coronavirus infection is developed by the Gamaleya Federal Research Centre for Epidemiology. Gam-COVID-Vac is a viral vector two-component vaccine based on human adenovirus.
On Tuesday I gave an English lesson, really in the form of practice and conversation, with a student who has become a friend as well. This student is older than I and the work the student does is quite prominent - as an example, our lesson was periodically interrupted by messages from or regarding high ranking government officials. As an older person, the student identifies more closely with the Soviet Union in its final decades than with the Russian Federation, though the student's work enables and even compels honesty in evaluating the differences between centralized and free-market economic systems.

One of the significant pieces of news of the day was TASS' report that President Putin announced the release of a vaccine against the novel Wuhan coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. That vaccine, the article goes on to give a few details:
"As far as I know, this morning for the first time in the world a vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection was registered," the president said.

Putin also stated that one of his daughters had tested a Russian COVID-19 vaccine on herself and that she is feeling well.

The Russian leader noted that the first Russian COVID-19 vaccine forms stable cell and antibody immunity.

"I know this very well, because one of my daughters got vaccinated, so in this sense, she took part in testing," Putin said. He noted that after the first vaccine shot, his daughter had a 38°C fever, and on the next day, a fever slightly higher than 37°C. "And then, after the second shot, she had a slight fever again, and then everything was fine, she is feeling well and has a high [antibody] count," the president informed.

The Russian leader pointed out that "some people do not have any symptoms at all" after getting a vaccine shot.
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Light Sabers

Beirut: A tragedy that threatens the region with war and chaos

Vanessa Beeley
UK Column
Wed, 12 Aug 2020 06:20 UTC
Beirut explosion
On the 4th August 2020 an apocalyptic event took place in the main port of Lebanon's capital city, Beirut. Two explosions tore the city apart. The first explosion was registered on multiple mobile phone videos. The second ripped through the city with terrifying force, killing an estimated 220 and injuring more than 7000. Many victims are still missing as the search for survivors and bodies continues in the aftermath of thirty seconds that has left Beirut and Lebanon reeling with shock.

Three hundred thousand people are reported to be homeless although it is suspected that all estimated numbers are conservative. The damage to property is believed to be in the region of $ 10 - 15 billion. Lebanon's main port is destroyed and will be closed for a year. Lebanon is a country largely reliant on imported goods for its survival so this loss is potentially devastating in addition to the human loss and trauma.

Sarah Fares
© FacebookOne of the many victims of the blast. 25 year old Sarah Fares was a Lebanese female firefighter who was one of the first responders at the Port of Beirut attempting to put the fire out before the subsequent explosion.
There are a number of theories surrounding the blasts being circulated on social media and by journalists keen to conclude that an attack was carried out by Israel using "tactical nukes". While there is a strong possibility that Israel is directly or indirectly involved in the incident, it is too early to rush to judgement based upon doctored videos and images that have been published online.

Comment: See also:

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Fire

Horror in Beirut: Was it an accident or a warning?

Philip Giraldi
The Unz Review
Tue, 11 Aug 2020 00:00 UTC
Beirut explosion
The Establishment explanation for what occurred in Beirut's port on August 5th is that the horrific series of explosions that killed hundreds, injured thousands and left hundreds of thousands homeless was a terrible accident that came about due to a multi-faceted failure by Lebanon's corrupt and incompetent government. Or at least that is the prevalent narrative in the international media, but a more critical examination of what took place is a bit like peeling an onion only to discover that there are layers and layers of alternative possibilities that just might place the catastrophe in a broader context.

The story, which is generally being accepted, is that a Russian-leased but Moldovan flagged ship the Rhosus carrying nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate from Batumi in Georgia to Mozambique wound up unexpectedly in Beirut's port in November 2013 due to a leak in the hull and mechanical problems. It was then impounded and blocked from exiting due to alleged general unseaworthiness as well as its inability to pay disputed debts and docking fees. The dangerous cargo was offloaded and stored in a Hanger number 12 in the port a year later. Ammonium nitrate can be used to make fertilizer but it also can also be used in explosives. The two ton "fertilizer bomb" used to destroy the federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995 killing 168 people was, for example, primarily ammonium nitrate.

The ship and cargo, which was supposedly destined for a Mozambican company that produced commercial explosives, was then de facto abandoned by its lessee and sat in the port with its Russian captain and three Ukrainian crewmen while the issue was being largely ignored by the Lebanese government. The crew were basically being held as hostages by the port authorities, unable to leave the ship and, it was claimed, frequently on the verge of starvation. They were eventually released and allowed to fly home in 2014 while the Rhosus itself, emptied of its cargo, reportedly sank in an unused corner of the port in 2018.

Comment: See also:

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Black Magic

If Bill Gates Was President...

Spiro Skouras
Activist Post
Fri, 07 Aug 2020 00:00 UTC
Bill Gates
Bill Gates was recently asked by Yahoo Business what would he do if he were president. In this interview James Corbett of CorbettReport.com joins Spiro to ask the very same question, only to arrive at a much different conclusion.

Corbett and Spiro also analyze the events that have led up to today's current situation regarding the virus and the response to it. From the beginning of this crisis, we have all asked... Will the cure be worse that the problem? It seems evident at this point that the answer to that question is a resounding yes!

Spiro and Corbett delve deep into the problem-reaction-solution perspective known as the Hegelian Dialectic we are seeing play out in this manufactured crisis. The end game is clear. The only question is... Will the people accept what the social engineers have in store for humanity?

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Chess

Germany warns US against imposing sanctions on Nord Stream 2, says no country has right to 'dictate' its energy policy


RT
Tue, 11 Aug 2020 23:05 UTC
nord stream
© REUTERS/Anton Vaganov; REUTERS/Murad Sezer
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has warned the United States not to interfere with the completion of the Russian-led Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, stressing that Europe has the right to choose its own energy sources.

"Sanctions between partners are definitely the wrong way to go," Maas said during a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, adding that any attempt to prevent the pipeline from completion would be a violation of his country's sovereignty.
Ultimately, it remains our sovereign decision where we get our energy from. No country has the right to dictate Europe's energy policy with threats. That won't be successful.
On Monday, Maas said he expressed his "displeasure" to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after US lawmakers threatened "crushing legal and economic sanctions" against a German firm involved in the energy initiative.
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Star of David

Netanyahu blames Washington for stalled West Bank annexation, says Trump 'busy with other things'


RT
Wed, 12 Aug 2020 23:03 UTC
netanyahu
© Pool via REUTERS / Tal Shahar
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed frustration over stalled plans to annex the West Bank, blaming the hold-up on Washington's reluctance to approve the move.

"It was clear from the start that the application of sovereignty would be done only with agreement from the United States. Otherwise, I would have already done it a while ago," Netanyahu told Israel's Channel 20. He claimed that US President Donald Trump was now "busy with other things" and that "issues of importance to Israel" were not a top priority for Washington at the moment.

The annexation, which is part of Trump's 'peace plan' for the region, was originally slated to begin in July. Under the White House plan, Israel would absorb 30 percent of the occupied territory that it captured from Jordan during the 1967 Six Day War. The rest of the West Bank would be governed by Palestinians, but security and border policy would be decided by Israel.
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Bad Guys

The Saker: A quick update on Belarus


TheSaker.is
Wed, 12 Aug 2020 12:00 UTC
Belarus
© REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoPolice vehicle rams barricades setup during a rally following the presidential election in Minsk, Belarus August 11, 2020.
A quick update on the events in Belarus:

To make a long story short, two major developments have happened:
  1. My guess is that by now Lukashenko has now figured (again) that the West wants him dead AND he has figured out that he has been conned by the Ukie SBU and, most likely, elements inside his own KGB.
  2. The Belarusian security forces (riot police and KGB) have ruthlessly cracked down on the opposition and right now they seem to be in control of the situation.
I base my first conclusion on the clear and sudden change of tone of Lukashenko who, yet again, praises Putin and Russia and who is now playing nice hoping that the Kremlin will forget what just happened (it won't)

Comment: See also: Lukashenko: Short-term victory, long-term defeat - Belarus protests overview

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Black Cat

Kamala Harris was always Biden's running mate, and here's why

Joe Cunningham
RedState
Wed, 12 Aug 2020 22:41 UTC
Kamala Harris
© AP Photo/John BazemoreFormer Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks during a Democratic presidential primary debate, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in Atlanta.
Back on May 4th, I pointed out that one of the biggest tells in determining who a running mate could be is found in Wikipedia.

If you look at the history of Vice Presidential picks over the last several elections, you'll see that nominees' picks will have Wikipedia pages that are heavily edited in the days or even weeks leading up to the pick. Kamala Harris — or someone who believed she was a favorite to win — has been editing her page for months, making changes here and there to tidy up the page.

After all, when a running mate is picked, what's the first thing most people who aren't heavily tuned into politics do? They search Google, and in cases like this, Wikipedia is at the top of the search results. It's the very first place people go to learn about this political figure. So that page has to be as neat and clean as possible.

Comment: Someone seems to have given Wikipedia the early head's up. The Intercept reported July 2:
At least one highly dedicated Wikipedia user has been scrubbing controversial aspects of Harris's "tough-on-crime" record from her Wikipedia page, her decision not to prosecute Steve Mnuchin for mortgage fraud-related crimes, her strong support of prosecutors in Orange County who engaged in rampant misconduct, and other tidbits — such as her previous assertion that "it is not progressive to be soft on crime" — that could prove unflattering to Harris as the public gets to know her on the national stage. The edits, according to the page history, have elicited strong pushback from Wikipedia's volunteer editor brigade, and have drawn the page into controversy, though it's a fight the pro-Harris editor is currently winning.
with Breitbart following up:
Changes not mentioned include removals of the alleged role nepotism played in her early political career and significant favorable additions about Harris.

Other Wikipedia editors have begun working to undo the changes made to the Harris page, although many details remain missing. On Twitter, the Wikipedia editor responsible for most removals was identified as Bao Nguyen, a former volunteer organizer for the Harris campaign. Similarly, editors previously created pages for fellow Presidential candidates Pete Buttigieg and Andrew Yang without disclosing their connections to them.

Not mentioned were other removals of unflattering material by Nguyen. These included details about Harris benefiting in her early political career from a relationship with future San Francisco mayor Willie Brown, then the Speaker of the California Assembly, who she dated. Also excluded were the substantial salaries she earned at positions to which Brown appointed her and a quote from Brown's mayoral campaign manager about how the relationship benefited Harris. Another editor subsequently removed all mention of Brown, claiming "sexist" framing. Mention of Brown's appointments was later restored, though only noting them and briefly stating she and Brown were in a relationship at the time.

One other detail removed involved how Harris handled an investigation into the death of Mitrice Richardson, a black woman who, after being detained by the Malibu sheriff's department for not paying her bill at a diner, was released in the middle of the night without a car or phone and was later found dead in a canyon. Harris eventually closed an investigation she had opened into the death under pressure from the public, stating there was insufficient evidence for criminal charges. Mention of the Richardson case is still absent from the article.

Many edits Nguyen made to the article on Harris also added positive material.

Update — After the publication of this article, Bao Nguyen admitted his involvement with both the Harris and Biden campaigns. On a page for discussing concerns about editors with conflicts of interest, Nguyen admitted he was a volunteer on the Harris campaign. He also mentioned briefly volunteering for Biden's presidential campaign. In response to concerns, Nguyen committed to recusing indefinitely from further edits to the Harris page. Due to this disclosure, an administrator imposed a restriction on Nguyen prohibiting him from editing articles about Harris, Biden, and other political figures for whom he has volunteered.


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Attention

Best of the Web: Proof Ukrainian SBU altered phone intercept - conversation had nothing to do with MH17

Christelle Néant
Donbass Insider
Wed, 12 Aug 2020 21:31 UTC
mh17
MH17 crash site in Ukraine
On 10 August 2020, the famous Ukrainian blogger Anatoly Shary, published a video containing the full phone tape of Igor Bezler, from which a part was provided by the SBU (Ukraine's secret service) as an evidence to the investigation team and the Dutch justice in the MH17 case. The whole recording proves that the SBU tried to deceive the Dutch justice and the investigation team by cutting elements of context, and lying on the date of the discussion.

The SBU edited the Bezler phone tape to make people believe he was talking about MH17

The authenticity of the phone tapes provided by the SBU is put into question since a long time. Audio analyses done by an expert on two of these phone tapes published on YouTube have already shown that there is evidence they were tampered with.

And the phone tape concerning the involvement of Igor Bezler (nickname "Bes") in the MH17 was one of the most evidently falsified ones. It begins with the end of a sentence ("I understood, damn"), which shows that the recording was not the full one, but just a piece of it. The risk to have an extract put out of context was then very high. And that's exactly what happened.

Here is the discussion we can hear in this SBU extract:

"- ... I understood, damn.
- We just shot down a plane. The group of "Miner". It fell behind Enakievo. I went...
- Pilots? Where are the pilots?
- We went to look for and photograph the downed plane. It smokes...
- How many minutes ago?
- Well, about 30 minutes ago."

The SBU published this phone tape as a "proof" that Bezler admitted they shot down the MH17 (even if they never mention it was a Boeing, or a passenger plane, the "context" is given exclusively by the assertion of the security service of Ukraine, a country which is a potential culprit).
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Bad Guys

Governors abuse newly acquired power, use coronavirus for indefinite state of emergency

Molly McCann
The Federalist
Tue, 11 Aug 2020 20:40 UTC
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia often noted that the primary safeguard of our constitutional liberties is the structure of our government. Every banana republic has a bill of rights, he once said, but the strength of the American system is the separation of powers.

At the federal level, there are three separate, co-equal branches of government that must operate together for our representative republic to function properly, and this balance of power is mirrored at the state level. Unhappily, our system today is not functioning as designed.

Since March, the separation of powers has been off-kilter, shifted disproportionately to state executives, who are ruling outside the boundaries of their proper authority. In a moment of national panic, Americans permitted their state and local executives to take power — to declare states of emergency and to implement lockdowns — and now those executives won't give that power back.

Comment: Governors have no interest in 'reopening' because by doing so they would give up the many great powers being bestowed upon them. They have a vested interest in keeping lockdowns going, no matter the devastation it brings to the states they are elected to serve.

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