Comment: Brave words from Sanders and many valid points. But he can afford to speak them because his chances of being elected are virtually nil. Still, Sanders has highlighted a serious societal problem. Rational decisions cannot be made when the information going into the decision is incomplete or skewed. The state of journalism today is not an accident.

Considering that Bernie seems so passionate about restoring true journalism as a necessity for a healthy society, he is utterly mute on the persecution of Julian Assange. Assange, currently being held in Britain's ultra-high security Belmarsh Prison is arguably the most principled journalist of our times. He has exemplified all the qualities Sanders mourns. Someone (a journalist?) should ask him about it.

Comment: RT reports on the missile purchase:

On Wednesday, the Pentagon greenlit the sale of 73 Standard Missile-3 Block IIA missiles to Japan, which are already used in the nation's anti-ballistic missile defense shield. The previous sales of the SM-3s to Tokyo were cleared by the US in November and April.

So Japan was already buying these missiles, it just used NK as an excuse to buy more?

Japan has been beefing up its defenses in recent years amid growing tensions around the Korean Peninsula. Officials expressed concerns as to whether the country remains safe from warheads coming from Pyongyang in case of a possible armed conflict.

Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya warned about the "irregular and lower-than-usual flight path" of the two short-range missiles North Korea had reportedly launched into the Sea of Japan last week. The North Koreans hope that the unusual trajectory will make the missiles harder to intercept, he said, adding that there is "a good chance" Pyongyang can apply similar technology to longer-range nuclear weapons.

Pyongyang has maintained that it is its sovereign right to conduct missile tests, saying it only tests weapons for self-defense.

Meanwhile back in January: Japan and South Korea see US as "major threat" to global security

See also:

• Talks ahead? Trump's "beautiful" letter from Kim excusing missile tests, says drills with South are 'expensive and provocative'
• The Japan-Korea trade dispute debunks anti-Chinese narratives
• Russian, Indian, Australian, Japanese and South Korean warships participate in Chinese Navy's 70th anniversary celebrations

Comment: See also:

• 'We Are The Vaccine Against The Cancer of Unilateralism' - Delegates From 120 Nations Meet in Venezuela to Plot Escape From U$ Hegemony
• "Crimes against humanity": Former UN rapporteur says US sanctions on Venezuela like a "medieval siege"

And check out SOTT radio's: NewsReal: US Regime Change Operation in Venezuela - This Time It's Legit?

Comment: MPs are reaching near hysterical proportions calling the move a "coup", and the 'darkest day for UK democracy' - seemingly forgetting the Iraq war, a decade of austerity, the billions in arms sales for the genocide in Yemen, etc..

MPs accuse Johnson of 'attempted coup' by requesting parliament suspension before Brexit

UK Parliament Speaker of the House John Bercow pulled no punches in his assessment of the current state of affairs, calling the move "a constitutional outrage."

"However it is dressed up, it is blindingly obvious that the purpose of prorogation now would be to stop parliament debating Brexit and performing its duty," he said.

Conservative MP, and the former chancellor of the exchequer under Johnson's predecessor Theresa May, Philip Hammond, echoed the speaker, and also dubbed the move a "constitutional outrage."

Meanwhile, Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott claimed Johnson was "aiming for a coup against parliament" in an overall strategy that she said was designed only to benefit US President Donald Trump.

First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon called for a united front in opposition to Johnson's plan, describing Wednesday as a "dark [day] indeed for UK democracy."

The Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland, which essentially props up Boris Johnson's government, issued a statement welcoming the decision to hold a Queen's speech after what it called "the longest parliamentary session since the union of England and Scotland in 1707."

However, the party stated that its support for Johnson's move was contingent on a review of the so-called 'Confidence and Supply' deal struck between the Tories and the DUP.

Corbyn joins the outraged chorus:

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was "appalled" at Prime Minister Boris Johnson's request to Britain's queen for a suspension of parliament in the weeks leading up to the UK's EU withdrawal.

"If Johnson has confidence in his plans he should put them to the people in a general election or a public vote," Corbyn said, following Wednesday's flurry of Brexit developments. The opposition leader added that Johnson was attempting to "avoid scrutiny" of his Brexit plans.

Corbyn was expected to call for an emergency debate in parliament next week to pave the way for opposition MPs to introduce legislation to prevent a no-deal Brexit, but Johnson's proroguing request outmaneuvered him.

For his part, Johnson denies claims that he was wilfully circumventing parliamentary protocol with the request to suspend parliament, though many opposition MPs claim the move is tantamount to staging a coup.

Corbyn said that when parliament meets again next week, "the first thing we'll do is attempt legislation to prevent what [Johnson] is doing, and secondly to challenge him in a motion of no confidence."

He also accused the prime minister of wanting to run "head-long into the arms of Donald Trump."

He has reportedly written to the Queen about Johnson's request to suspend parliament and asked the monarch for a meeting on the issue.

The EU Brexit-rep considers the move "sinster":

The European Parliament's Brexit coordinator has spoken out against Boris Johnson's moves to suspend the UK Parliament as "sinister," expressing his "solidarity with those fighting for their voices to be heard."

Guy Verhofstadt drew on the 'Leave' slogan in his criticism of the push to prorogue Britain's parliament at a crucial point in the Brexit timeline, tweeting: "'Taking back control' has never looked so sinister."

Brits want it over with while MPs, who overwhelmingly don't want Brexit to happen at all, want to fillbuster at every turn. It's worth noting that Conservatives who don't want Brexit to happen aren't so impassioned that they'll risk losing power by teaming up with other parties for a no confidence vote:

Brits just want it over with

Johnson's ploy, however, is "understandable in the context" of Brexit negotiations having dragged on for so long already, journalist Neil Clark told RT. "The mood of the country is just to get [Brexit] done, it's gone on too long — whether Remainer or Brexiter, something's got to happen," Clark said.

The timing of Johnson's decision was interesting, Clark added, coming a day after Labour and other opposition MPs came together to agree a program to attempt to stop a no-deal Brexit.

"I think that's probably what triggered Johnson this morning," he said.

Opposition MPs don't want a deal, they want no Brexit

While many MPs are "rightly" warning that a no-deal Brexit in October could be bad for Britain, the issue is that "most of them don't want Brexit at all" and parliament has been very "pro-Remain or pro-very-very soft Brexit."

Despite their complaints, however, the opposition will still have "ample time" to debate Johnson's Brexit plans and introduce legislation aimed at stopping a no-deal exit, journalist and historian Adel Darwish told RT, noting that there will be seven sitting days between the Queen's Speech and October 31. Johnson and the opposition are simply "using the tools in their legal and constitutional toolkit."

In Darwish's view, while opposition MPs claim to want to avoid no-deal, "what they actually want is to stop Brexit altogether."

Parliament v direct democracy

Those views were echoed by Alan Sked, Professor Emeritus of International History at the London School of Economics, who founded the UK Independence Party. The opposition, Sked said, is "trying to bring down the government and overthrow the result of the 2016 referendum and stop Brexit."

"It's not as if [Johnson's] government is preventing [the opposition] from passing a vote of no confidence, so I don't see why it's a constitutional outrage," Sked said, though he added that Johnson had "outmaneuvered" the opposition for now.

Sked noted that the current parliament is dominated by pro-remain MPs — and even they voted against the deal agreed with Brussels by former PM Theresa May.

"If parliament has voted three times against the only deal the EU will accept, it's difficult to blame [Johnson], because the EU will not renegotiate and parliament has turned down the only deal it will accept," he said.

Clark said the crux of the issue is a clash between direct democracy (referenda) or indirect democracy (parliament).

"Where you stand depends on whether you believe direct democracy is more valid or overrides indirect democracy," he said. "If you believe referenda are the purest form of democracy, then we must leave the EU and parliament must enact that."

Bojo get's Trump's support:

US President Donald Trump has once again waded into the murky waters of Brexit and British politics, tweeting that PM Boris Johnson is "exactly" what the UK has been waiting for.

"Boris is exactly what the UK has been looking for," and he will prove to be "great" at the job, Trump wrote. "Love UK" he added.

Or, like in the US, you get what you deserve.

It's not the first time Trump has offered his personal take on Brexit and Johnson. The US president previously lavished praise on the new Conservative PM, calling him a "very talented guy" and a "friend." The blond-haired pair also appeared to hit it off at the G7 summit last week.

Johnson's feelings haven't always been so clear, however. When Trump claimed there were dangerous "no-go areas" in London, then-mayor Johnson accused him of "stupefying ignorance" and said he was "frankly unfit to hold the office" of US president.

RT reports that just one quarter of the Britons support Johnson's suspension of parliament. However, one wonders whether, amidst the melee, they actually understand what it is and what the implications are (if any), and, as noted, most voted based on their whether they wanted Brexit or not:

Only 27 percent of Britons are in support of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's month-long suspension of the UK's parliament, according to a new poll carried out by YouGov. The move comes just weeks before the Brexit deadline.

The snap poll of 5,734 Britons was conducted by the market research company on Wednesday, the same day Johnson announced the decision, and found that 47 percent of British people are against what critics have called an attempted coup.

Results also showed that opinions on Johnson's request were largely based on their preference for staying in the European Union. Half of Brexiteers backed the suspension, compared to just 9 percent of those who want to remain.

See also:

• Alastair Crooke: Germany stalls and Europe craters
• Coralling Trump and BoJo: US Senators threaten to block trade deal with Britain if Brexit imperils open Irish border
• Still Confused About Brexit? It's Actually Pretty Simple...
• Brexit: A Political Farce Based on a Public Lie

And check out SOTT radio's:

• NewsReal #26: Globalization vs Nationalism - The Hidden Causes of The Yellow Vest Protests in France
• NewsReal: Yellow Vest Protests, Brexit Farce - Revolutionary Climate in Western Europe?
• NewsReal: California Wildfires, Climate Change, And The Impossible Brexit

Comment: War has become the default for American foreign policy and to maintain it requires 'unconditional' support from both the politicians and the public. America has chosen the most difficult path for the least constructive returns. Blind faith, detachment, go-with-the-flow...are now aspects of the war psyche necessary to sway millions of tax payers to accept, without question, the war machinery of the MIC where lives are expendable and profit is the bottom line. If we, the people, try to change it...will it turn on us?