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Bad Guys

Best of the Web: Directed Mass Migration: NGO caught red-handed coaching migrants in Greece how to trick EU border agents


RT
Tue, 13 Nov 2018 12:00 UTC
Migrants crowded on the Greek border March 11 2016.
© Reuters / Stoyan NenovMigrants crowded on the Greek border March 11, 2016.
A group that helped over 15,000 refugees and migrants to get into Europe has been caught on tape admitting to systematically training asylum seekers to exploit screening interviews by feigning trauma and persecution.

Ariel Ricker, the executive director of Advocates Abroad, a major non-profit NGO which provides legal aid to migrants, has been caught on tape openly discussing how she teaches refugees to lie to border agents. The video was released by Canadian right-wing activist, author and internet personality, Lauren Southern, and will be a part of her new documentary film project 'Borderless,' which takes on the European migration crisis.


On its website, Advocates Abroad claims to have helped as many as 15,000 migrants cross the Greek border, and 2,500 more outside of Greece. The organization is massive, taking volunteers from major universities, and was even featured in a documentary film by the International Bar Association.

Comment: More from Southern here.



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Family

Best of the Web: Washington's and NATO's criminal wars and government austerity policies at the heart of European & US migration turmoil

Finian Cunningham
RT
Tue, 13 Nov 2018 14:44 UTC
migrant woman child
© AFP / Jorge GuerreroA migrant woman holds a baby upon her arrival aboard a coast guard boat at Malaga's harbour on September 23, 2018
Europe has certainly adopted more fortress-like controls against would-be refugees. A concomitant rise in anti-immigrant political parties has in turn fueled popular resentment towards EU institutions.

But the debate requires much more than "moral appeals."

A recent study entitled 'Building Walls' puts the growth of EU internal and external border barriers into stark perspective. In the 1990s, there were two border walls. Now the number has grown to a total of 17, with most of the structures built over the past three years.
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Stop

Best of the Web: Trump: Forged ballots have 'infected' Florida recounts of governor & Senate votes


RT
Tue, 13 Nov 2018 11:23 UTC
Lauderhill voter recount rally
© ReutersA U.S. President Donald Trump cutout is pictured before a ballot recount in Lauderhill
Recounts to decide Florida's next governor and senator have been tainted by foul play, Donald Trump has claimed, sparking accusations that the president is undermining the democratic process by pushing conspiracies.

Ascending once again to his presidential Twitter pulpit, Donald Trump wrote on Monday that the Florida recounts were a sham and that the elections should be called in favor of outgoing Governor Rick Scott and former US Representative for Florida's 6th congressional district Ron DeSantis, both Republicans holding slim leads in their respective races for Senate and governor.

Comment: Also see:

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Attention

Best of the Web: American 'liberation': New report breaks silence on US slaughter in Raqqa, civilian deaths at least 25x higher than admitted


RT
Sun, 11 Nov 2018 15:08 UTC
raqqa
© AFPSyrians walk along a destroyed street in Raqqa, February 18, 2018.
Entire families perished in US-led strikes on Raqqa that may have claimed more civilian lives than those of ISIS, NPR said in a shocking report tilting the Western media narrative on what has become of the "liberated" city.

The retaking of Raqqa from Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) extremists, was hailed by the mainstream media as a major victory for the Western coalition one year ago - even despite harrowing reports of civilian casualties and unhinged destruction caused by the offensive. One year later, the Syrian city, where people are living side-by-side with rubble and human remains, barely makes a blip in Western media.
raqqa
© Reuters / Erik De CastroA baby stroller is pictured near a burnt vehicle in Raqqa, Syria October 18, 2017.
But now a new report, supplied with a warning it "contains descriptions of dead bodies," is bringing harrowing testimonies of people, working tirelessly to recover corpses from under the ruins, to the Western readers. Those may be surprised to discover that US-led airstrikes apparently left more civilian casualties than publicly acknowledged.

Comment: The 'liberation' of Raqqa by the US military and their Kurdish allies was an indiscriminate slaughter. Russia has been pointing this out for the last year, but no one has listened. While US politicians and media virtue signalled by decrying the (actual) liberation of cities like Aleppo and Damascus by the Syrians and Russians, they were totally silent about their own slaughter in Raqqa. Even worse, the Russians at least put in the effort of surveilling potential targets for civilians. The Americans bombed anything and everything without a second thought. And after the liberation of Syrian towns and cities, the Russians help clean up and rebuild. The Americans simply left Raqqa to rot. Who are the barbarians here?

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Attention

Best of the Web: Military coup plot uncovered in Germany - Sensational report claims special forces and military vets planned to execute 'unwanted' politicians 'en masse'


RT
Sun, 11 Nov 2018 09:24 UTC
commandos
© Reuters / Michaela RehleFILE PHOTO
A far-right underground network made up of members of Germany's elite commando force and military veterans planned to kill top politicians upon the collapse of order in the country, a sensational media report claims.

German police have reportedly uncovered a clandestine far-right network which allegedly had "concrete plans" for what they called "Day X" - the moment when Germany's civil order would collapse, Focus magazine reported. The harrowing plan included bringing "unwanted" political figures to a remote place and killing them en masse.

The names of people on the group's "hit list" have yet to be established, but it is thought that Dietmar Bartsch, head of the Left Party's parliamentary group, was one of those to be taken out.

Comment: Is this a liberal German establishment putting the worst possible face on whatever it is they actually uncovered... or is this as nuts as it sounds?

We can't help but wonder if and/or how this is connected to the discovery last year that German soldiers are embedded as 'refugees' throughout Germany with a view to carrying out terror attacks to be blamed on Muslims...


See also:

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Snakes in Suits

Best of the Web: In bizarre WW1 centenary speech, Macron claims nationalism is evil because it 'erases moral values'


RT
Sun, 11 Nov 2018 21:14 UTC
macron louvre
Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism, Emmanuel Macron said in his speech before the world leaders in Paris and caused a storm on Twitter, with the French President getting praise and bashing in equal parts.

Macron delivered a powerful address during the celebrations of the 100th anniversary since the end of World War I in the French capital on Sunday, with Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and other heads of state being among his audience.

"Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism. Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism," the French leader proclaimed, adding that nationalism erases the most important thing for any country: "its moral values."


Comment: Specious, postmodernist, claptrap.


macron nationalism ww1
© Reuters / Ludovic MarinFrench President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during a commemoration ceremony for 100 years after the end of the World War I at the Arc de Triomphe, in Paris.
With days of their 'bromance' far behind, Macron's jab might've been well directed at Trump, who previously proudly declared himself a nationalist and promotes the "America First" agenda.

The Twitterati shared photos of what they believe was the US President's annoyed reaction to the words of his French counterpart and discussed the few weak claps Trump gave to the whole speech afterward.

Comment: Trump's is a healthy reaction to Macron's paramoralism (an insincere or deceptive moral argument or line of reasoning).

The King of Morocco's was another healthy reaction:


Here's the relevant clip from Macrons' speech:


The dictionary definition of patriotism, in English, is:
the quality of being patriotic; vigorous support for one's country.
synonyms: nationalism, patriotic sentiment, allegiance/loyalty to one's country, loyalism
And vice versa for nationalism:
patriotic feeling, principles, or efforts."an early consciousness of nationalism and pride"
synonyms: patriotism, patriotic sentiment, allegiance/loyalty to one's country, loyalism, nationality
Which means that the two terms, as commonly understood, are synonymous and thus interchangeable.

Macron's sophistry merely accentuates the fact that we're going through a 'great global culture war' - arguably the World War of our time - and that the primary faultline is that separating the globalist worldview from the nationalist worldview.

That he feels it imperative to reach for and claim 'monopoly of the moral good' on such a public stage speaks to the insecurity his 'side' feels in the face of their nationalist challengers...

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Attention

Best of the Web: Jo Johnson resigns from UK govt, calls for second Brexit referendum


RT
Sat, 10 Nov 2018 10:59 UTC
jo johnson
Brexit negotiations have put Britain on the brink of the greatest crisis it has faced since the Second World War, Transport Minister Jo Johnson warned in his resignation letter. He called for a new public vote on leaving the EU.

Johnson said Brussels offered Britain a chose between "vassalage and chaos" and that the document was "a failure of British statecraft on a scale unseen since the Suez crisis."

Comment: He thus follows his brother, who resigned from govt in July over Brexit. Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, for now, is sticking to 'Brexit means Brexit', saying "We can't stop it. The referendum took place. Article 50 has been triggered."

It'll be an interesting day if the Conservative govt finds itself initiating a second referendum, and backing it, while a Labour opposition government campaigns for leaving the EU...

See also:

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Pistol

Best of the Web: Another mass shooting in the USA: 12 dead in California bar shooting, including gunman and police officer - UPDATES


RT
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 11:57 UTC
mass shooting
At least twelve people, including an officer, have been killed after a gunman went on a shooting spree in a packed bar in Thousand Oaks, California. The suspect is also dead, police announced.

SWAT officers, FBI and ambulances rushed to the scene following the rampage. A bomb squad has been requested as well. It is understood that approximately 30 shots have been fired. Ventura County Sheriff's Dept. Sheriff Geoff Dean told a press conference that at least 12 victims have been confirmed killed by the gunman.

Among the dead was a 29-year police veteran, Ron Helus, who along with a Highway Patrol officer were the first responders to the scene. Dean said Helis was expected to retire in the next year.

Comment: UPDATE 8 November

RT reports that local police have named the gunman as 28-year-old former US marine Ian David Long, an Afghanistan war veteran.

The Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, California, is known for its live country music and was packed that night with college students.

Long is reported to have opened fire there Wednesday night with a Glock 21 .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun.

The victims include a security guard outside the bar and a sheriff's deputy who was among the first to respond to the shooting. Long was also found dead at the scene, so it's assumed he killed himself before SWAT entered the building.


Police report that Long's firearm was legally purchased in Ventura County, although he "used an illegal extended magazine clip in order to carry more ammunition."

Law enforcement had several interactions with Long, most recently in April this year when police responded to a disturbance at his residence (which appears to be his mother's house).

Describing him as "somewhat irate," and "acting a little irrationally" at the time, the local sheriff said a mental health team was called to assess Long's mental health, but he was cleared and no further action was taken.

Previous incidents had included a minor traffic collision and in 2015, while Long was the victim of battery in earlier bar incident in Thousand Oaks.

UPDATES 9 November

There are contradictory reports about the use of smoke bombs/flash grenades. The authorities have dismissed such reports twice now, though eyewitnesses continue reporting that such were used...
John Hedge, who was standing at the front door with his stepdad at the time, said he saw the shooter "throwing smoke grenades all over the place."

Footage of the actual shooting:


A number of those in attendance were also in attendance at last year's mass shooting at the Route 91 country music festival in Las Vegas:


As with so many other mass shootings in the USA, there's still no apparent motive, though it could have something to do with this:



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Seismograph

Best of the Web: USGS seismic data points to 2,000% increase in major earthquakes since 1900

Gary Walton
The Big Wobble
Tue, 06 Nov 2018 13:11 UTC
chart
Last week we looked at the state of our planet...Two-thirds of all animal and insects extinct by 2020: Dying oceans fish replaced by plastic: One in five of the world's plant species threatened.

Today we will see the incredible rise of major quakes since 1900 and the mindblowing fact these statistics are not mentioned on MSM or even mentioned by our religious leaders, below is the famous quote from Jesus to His disciples...

Luke 21: 10,11. Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in one place after another food shortages and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and from heaven great signs.
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Smiley

Best of the Web: Epic troll: #Pr0udBear billboards pop up in UK celebrating Putin's Brexit victory


Reuters
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 21:59 UTC
putin brexit
Spoof billboards celebrating Russian President Vladimir Putin's "contribution" to Brexit have been put up in London by a satirical group which says it wants to secure recognition for the role Russian military intelligence played in the referendum.

Britain has said it found no evidence that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit vote and Moscow has repeatedly denied even trying, though opponents of Brexit have repeatedly questioned whether the Kremlin played a role.

In the referendum, 17.4 million voters, or 51.9 percent, backed leaving the EU while 16.1 million, or 48.1 percent, backed staying. Britain is due to leave on March 29.

The posters in London showed a picture of Kremlin chief Putin winking and holding the Russian flag beside the slogan: "Lets celebrate a Red, White and Blue Brexit." The "r" of Brexit was reversed to give it the look of a Cyrillic letter.

In a statement, the people claiming to be behind the campaign said they were a group of Russian military intelligence (GRU) officers who wanted their true role in the Brexit vote to be recognized.

"The group hopes to counter recent unwarranted negative publicity about the GRU by putting up advertisements highlighting their part in Britain's imminent liberation from the EU," said the group, which calls itself Proud Bear.

Comment: ProudBear's Twitter account is hilarious. What's even funnier is how many people seem to have been unsure whether or not it was a hoax...







The IRA "troll farm" is back in the news too. The Daily Beast, among others, are taking claims seemingly from IRA itself 'declaring victory in the U.S. election and warning the "citizens of the United States of America" that "your intelligence agencies are powerless."'
"Despite all their efforts, we have thousands of accounts registered on Facebook, Twitter and Reddit spreading political propaganda," read a statement attributed to the St. Petersburg-based organization. "These accounts work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to discredit anti-Russian candidates and support politicians more useful for us than for you."

The statement appeared on a website titled the "Internet Research Agency American Division" that popped up over the weekend. Featuring a clip art logo of a green goblin typing on a laptop, and packed with absurd boasts about the IRA's prowess, the site at first appeared to be a lampoon. But on Tuesday night it posted a previously unseen list of 100 IRA Instagram accounts that Facebook confirmed as authentic.

It's still not entirely clear if the website is intended as self-parody, a parody of U.S. perceptions of Russian information operations, or an earnest effort to terrify the American citizenry and cast doubt on the midterm results.
That's worthy of only one response: LOL. It gets funnier:
"Hundreds of your fellow citizens are our unintentional agents unaware of the fact that they actually act for the good of the Russian 'troll farm,'" the statement declared. "We have allies and spoilers intervening the political campaigns of the candidates for both parties. The victory of the Democratic party is our top priority in these midterm elections."

"Soon after November 6, you will realize that your vote means nothing," the statement reads. "We decide who you vote for and what candidates will win or lose. Whether you vote or not, there is no difference as we control the voting and counting systems. Remember, your vote has zero value. We are choosing for you."
Followed by more and more people in all seriousness taking this very, very seriously...

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