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Fri, 05 Nov 2021
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US empire acts like a desperate, cornered animal because that's what it is

Am. Eagle
© Bluestone Healthcare Services
I love Americans. I get friendly flak from some of my more jaded lefty readers whenever I say that, because having to deal with the flaws of one's own countrymen is a very different experience than appreciating them from afar, but I do. I insist that Americans are generally good-hearted human beings, who just happen to also have a lot of ideas swimming around in their heads which benefit their government's war machine and ruling oligarchs.

Indeed, America itself could be described as one gigantic ongoing psyop infecting 323 million otherwise healthy homo sapiens. Propaganda is one of the most under-appreciated and overlooked aspects of human experience; the way those in power use media to manipulate how people think and vote affects every significant issue in a truly massive way, yet it rarely even comes up in conversation. Americans are some of the most aggressively propagandized people on our planet, and their mass media machine keeps acting stranger and stranger.

Pistol

'Take the guns first': Has Trump stumbled on a reasonable idea for gun reform?

TrumpFeinsteinCornyn
© ABC News
President Donald Trump • Senators Cornyn and Feinstein
Yesterday, President Trump cause a big stir by appearing open to -- if not outright endorsing -- a number of dramatic gun control measures during a bipartisan White House meeting, drawing a rebuke from the NRA. Nobody was quite sure how to react. Democrats, accustomed to knee-jerk opposition, seemed astonished and even giddy. Stunned Republicans mumbled about 'concerns,' though precious few have outright rebuffed Trump's comments in the stark terms one would expect from a pro-gun rights party. Trump even ridiculed GOP representatives at the gathering as being 'petrified' of the NRA, adopting a left-wing attack line; it seems as though quite a few lawmakers are more fearful of crossing him than the Second Amendment advocacy group, even as he openly discusses vastly curtailing gun rights and civil liberties. This is undoubtedly true:

Comment: Information gathering. Trump, again, sussed out the Dems' threshold of support by suggesting an outcome they might agree with (to which he is not obligated to follow through) and in turn, the level of Republican push back.

See also: 'Take the guns first', Trump parts with Republicans over gun-control plan


Russian Flag

Putin's clear message: West needs to stop provoking a war we don't want, no one can win

Putin Speech
© screenshot
Does anyone in the West understand what the real point of Putin's comments about Russia's new weaponry?

The Guardian's coverage ("Putin threatens US arms race with new missiles declaration") shows us their masters see this as just another chance to cast Russia as a dangerous rogue state. The Times [the British daily] takes a similar line ("Putin unveils his super weapons to defy the West"). Elsewhere Putin's speech is not only misinterpreted it's also relegated to sidebars in favour of photos of snow (Telegraph), or dropped into the tiny print at the bottom of the page (New York Times).

The western press has basically opted out of analysing this, so let's do it for them. Why is Putin talking about the new generation of weapons? What does he hope to achieve?

First and foremost what Putin's speech - just as all his previous warnings - is ultimately intended to do is avert a pending worldwide catastrophe. The US political class is too fluoridated, too driven by ideologues, too crazy to understand MAD any more. And its current policy, in concert with the EU and NATO, is one of continued unremitting provocation toward Russia, presented through the subservient and frankly stupid corporate media as "responding" to Russian "aggression".

Comment: See also:
Putin Delivers Landmark 'State of The Union' Speech: Puts The Smack Down on US, Shows Off Latest Russian Nuclear Weapons


Russian Flag

Paul Craig Roberts: Putin's remarkable State of the Union

Ruski vojni odgovor: Putin - Nitko nas nije slušao, slušajte sada
Putin has given a remarkable address to the Federal Assembly, the Russian People, and the peoples of the world.

In his speech Putin revealed the existence of new Russian nuclear weapons that make it indisputably clear that Russia has vast nuclear superiority over the United States and its pathetic NATO vassal states.

In view of the Russian capabilities, it is not clear that the US any longer qualifies as a superpower.

There is little doubt in my mind that if the crazed neoconservatives and military/security complex in Washington had these weapons and Russia did not, Washington would launch an attack on Russia.

Putin, however, declared that Russia has no territorial ambitions, no hegemonic ambitions, and no intention to attack any other country. Putin described the weapons as the necessary response to the West's firm refusal year after year to accept peace and cooperation with Russia, instead surrounding Russia with military bases and ABM systems.

Comment: Putin Delivers Landmark 'State of The Union' Speech: Puts The Smack Down on US, Shows Off Latest Russian Nuclear Weapons


Snakes in Suits

US State Dept. spokesman snubs journalists during briefing: 'Oh, you're from Russian media? Next question!'

Heather Nauert
© FILE PHOTO: Mandel Ngan / AFP
US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert
US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert's refusal to take questions from Russian TV raised eyebrows, even among US journalists, who took to their Russian colleagues' defense after Nauert implied they are Kremlin agents.

Nauert went on an ill-mannered tirade against the Russian media when she responded to a question from Rossya 1 TV journalist Aleksandr Khristenko during a policy briefing on Thursday. Khristenko asked about the prospects of the US and Russia cooperating on nuclear non-proliferation in light of Russian President Vladimir Putin's remarks during the state-of-the-nation address on Thursday.

In the address, Putin unveiled the newest additions to Russia's nuclear deterrents, including the next-generation Sarmat ICBM that is capable of attacking across the South and North Pole as well as the yet-unnamed nuclear cruise missiles. The speech incorporated videos, which showed missile test launches and a simulation of their trajectory to demonstrate the nearly unlimited range of the ICBMs. The videos did not show the moment of impact or presumable targets of a nuclear-powered strike.

Comment: See how its working now? Everyone - including the press - who dares question anything the US government does now has to think twice about it lest they be accused of "working for RT" or being "an agent of the Kremlin".


Dominoes

US losing 'superiority' as Trump extends Russia sanctions for another year

US President Donald Trump
© Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
US President Donald Trump
President Donald Trump has extended the sanctions against Russia and Russian individuals by another year. The sanctions were imposed by former President Barack Obama in March 2014, in response to the political crisis in Ukraine.

In a letter required under the National Emergencies Act, Trump notified Congress that the White House will continue treating the situation in Ukraine as "an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States," as defined by Obama's Executive Order 13660, dated March 6, 2014.

The US has been gradually expanding the list of people and entities under its Russia sanctions over the years. The latest addition of 21 individuals and nine companies was announced in January 2016.

Comment: See also:


Cowboy Hat

Trump's wild wars at the White House

Hope Hicks and Donald Trump
© Photo: Mark Wallheiser / Getty Images
Hope Hicks on stage with then President-elect Donald Trump during a rally in December, 2016
After a crazy 24 hours, sources close to President Trump say he is in a bad place - mad as hell about the internal chaos and the sense that things are unraveling.

The big picture: Hope Hicks leaving is obviously a huge blow to him. Every time he reads about Attorney General Jeff Sessions, his head explodes. The staff is just trying to ride out the storm.

Propaganda

Vanessa Beeley: US State Dept implores 'mockingbird' media to promote White Helmets

State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert
© Mandel Ngan / AFP
State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert
The information war is perhaps the most fiercely fought in the West to gain influence over the Syria narrative, and recently the US/UK coalition media proxies have been failing miserably.

Western public consensus on Syria appears to have shifted dramatically since Aleppo's liberation in December 2016, which drove a stake through the heart of corporate media misdirection and deception on the Syrian 'crisis.' As Syrian civilians haltingly told their tales of misery, imprisonment, execution, rape and murder under terrorist occupation, the corporate media headed for the hills, unwilling to confront the suffering they had effectively prolonged for over four long years.

Now we have a repeat spin cycle in Eastern Ghouta and other eastern suburbs of Damascus that have been occupied by Al-Nusra Front and its affiliates since 2013. Parallels to the distorted propaganda produced in relation to East Aleppo are unmistakable. The usual UN inflation of civilian numbers, the cries of "chemical weapon attacks," the "starvation" of civilians by the Syrian "regime" and of course the "incessant bombing" of hospitals by Syria and Russia, "targeting exclusively civilians," are as rampant in Western media as they were during the Syrian-led military campaign against many of the same terrorist factions in East Aleppo.

READ MORE: 'Truth is the 1st casualty of war': Syria's East Ghouta battleground distorted by MSM propaganda

Western media "hysteria" has reached unprecedented levels, all manner of analogy is being utilized to convey the message of civilians "driven to their knees" under a "brutal onslaught by Syrian armed forces and allies who are hell-bent on slaughtering the Syrian people" - of course nothing could be further from the truth. As in East Aleppo, there is a high probability that many of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) soldiers giving their lives to liberate Eastern Ghouta from the clutches of Al-Nusra Front affiliates have family in those areas. The SAA is the Syrian people, it is an army of conscripts from all walks of Syrian life. It is not some disembodied Assad-loyalist entity, despite what that Western media would have you believe. It is from the people and it is for the people, it is most certainly not deliberately targeting the people who are being used as human shields by the extremist factions.

Comment: The Syrian government has repeatedly denied any accusations of using chemical weapons, insisting that the country "simply" had none in its possession.
Terrorist groups in Syria's Eastern Ghouta are preparing to stage an attack with the use of chemical weapons and then blame it on the Syrian Arab Army, SANA reported, citing an unnamed military source.

According to the source, speaking on condition of anonymity, the leaders of such groups as Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Nusra Front), Faylaq al-Rahman and Ahrar al-Sham have received instructions from the United States, the United Kingdom and its allies to use chemical agents near the front lines with the Syrian army, as well as to target civilians and accuse Damascus of those actions.

READ MORE: US Mulls Holding Russia Accountable for Situation in Eastern Ghouta

On February 26, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that the leaders of the militant groups were preparing provocation with the use of poisonous substances in Eastern Ghouta in order to accuse Damascus of using chemical weapons.

Earlier the same day, the infamous White Helmets, which have repeatedly falsified facts and information, claimed that the Syrian Government had deployed chlorine gas against the town of Al-Shifoniya town in Eastern Ghouta, killing one child and causing "widespread suffocation" among the local populace, the Anadolu Agency reported.



Rocket

Yeah, right: US 'not surprised' by Russia's new nukes, boasts about own 'unmatched' arsenal (VIDEO)

Russian arms
© Novosti
The US White House and Pentagon have dismissed Russia's new nuclear arsenal as "no surprise." American officials took the opportunity to accuse Russia of treaty violations and boast that their arsenal is "second to none."

"We've been watching Russia for a long time. We're not surprised," said Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White following Vladimir Putin's state of the nation address. Putin had unveiled a new Russian strategic arsenal that he said was bound to make Washington stop looking down on Moscow. Russia's new deterrent, Putin said, is invulnerable to interception.

"America is moving forward to modernize our nuclear arsenal and make sure our capabilities aren't being matched," White bragged in response.

Comment: Some background


Light Saber

Rep. Devin Nunes says FBI may have committed crimes in FISA spying scandal

sessions Trump Nunes
© Washington Press
Jeff Sessions (L) Donald Trump (C) Devin Nunes (R)
Representative Devin Nunes (R-CA) on Thursday states that the Federal Bureau of Investigation may have violated numerous federal statutes in direct ignorance of the law in order to perpetuate their desires to bring down the President of the United States of America and extend their prowess as an all-powerful intelligence agency.

The FBI and DOJ have trampled on the Constitution

We've watched for months now as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been exposed as the behemoth of corruption and criminal wrongdoing in America, misusing the tools available at their discretion to harass American citizens and violate their Constitutional rights.

By using the now-infamous Fusion GPS Dossier, which was funded directly by Hillary Clinton's campaign for President and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) as a grounds to submit a FISA warrant application, the FBI essentially branded itself as an arm of the Democratic Party, and that's outright terrifying.

Comment: That Nunes is committed to the investigation and that Flynn was set up is clear. The author however,may be overly optimistic about the prospects for a real investigation, even with facts as glaring as has been recounted. Only time will tell if Sessions is as noble. or Trump as clever, as the author seems to think.