Puppet MastersS


Better Earth

This Russia-China founded bloc represents half the world's population and will help forge the new world order

Dmitry Trenin
RT
Tue, 30 Aug 2022 07:06 UTC
The 5th Meeting of Ministers of Health of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
© Uzbek Health Ministry / Handout / Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesThe 5th Meeting of Ministers of Health of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on June 08, 2022.
The international system is going through a deep crisis and the group is poised to achieve greater relevance.

Over 20 years after it began as an attempt at cooperation between five-Russian led post-Soviet states and an emerging China, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has become a major global institution, representing close to half of the world's population.

From September 15-16, Samarkand, one of the ancient centers of human civilization, will host the annual summit of the group. The Uzbek presidency's priorities include strengthening the SCO's capabilities in assuring regional security and stability; promoting friendship and good-neighborliness; raising its global profile; countering threats in the information and ideological spheres; expanding parliamentary links; energizing economic interaction; enhancing connectivity; intensifying cultural and humanitarian contacts; and raising the general effectiveness of the collective and its mechanisms.

All of this looks impressive, but quite anodyne, and the documents to be formally approved at the summit do not promise any major sensations - beyond the long-expected admission of Iran as the SCO's ninth member state.

Comment: See also:

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Eye 1

Best of the Web: Joe Biden crosses lines in grotesque national address, heckler spoils his party

Bonchie
RedState
Fri, 02 Sep 2022 01:45 UTC
Joe Biden
© Twitter videoJoe Biden gives speech attacking "MAGA Republicans."
As RedState reported, excerpts from Joe Biden's "MAGA speech" previewed a gross abuse of the Executive Office of the President. Sure enough, that's exactly what was delivered as the president appeared in Philidelphia, standing in front of a blood-red background, flanked by Marines.

Lines were crossed that can't be uncrossed, from the use of the military as props in a blatantly political speech to Biden suggesting that nearly half the country is a "danger" to the republic. This was a speech that went far beyond anything seen in the modern era of presidential addresses.

Of course, because we are dealing with a decrepit, senile old man, things didn't start off well. The president couldn't stop coughing as he tried to get into his remarks.

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Better Earth

A sensation that went unnoticed: The UN "cancelled" Ukraine

Sergey Latyshev
The Stalker Zone
Fri, 26 Aug 2022 00:00 UTC
United Nations
© UnknownUnited Nations General Assembly
In New York, where the UN headquarters is located, an event happened with a true meaning that remains unclear:
The world is burying Ukraine, Russia is winning the battle for the minds and hearts of people.
The West and its vassals have not had to experience such shame for a long time. Despite the wringing of hands for six months, threats and blackmail, only 54 UN members from 193 countries signed a statement directed against Russia on the situation in Ukraine, which was prepared by Britain - this curator of the Ukrainian drama. The shameful document was announced by the permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN, Sergey Kislitsa. Having listed the countries that supported the statement, which contains criticism of Moscow's actions in Ukraine and calls for Russia to immediately cease hostilities, he said on behalf of the signatories:
We remain committed to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. That is, with Crimea, Donbass and all other territories that are no longer Ukraine.

Comment: Representative of Ukraine to the UN, Sergey Kislitsa takes questions after reading the formal address cited below:

United States Mission to the United Nations
New York, New York
August 24, 2022

Joint Statement on Six Months of Russia's Full-Scale Invasion Of Ukraine

The following is a joint statement by Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Korea, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, the Federated States of Micronesia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.

Today marks six months since the beginning of Russia's unprovoked, full-scale, and illegal invasion of Ukraine. We recall the UN General Assembly's resounding conclusions that the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine is a violation of the UN Charter that impacts not only the people of Ukraine, but millions of people around the world. We deplore the Russian Federation's failure to implement UN General Assembly resolutions A/ES/11-1 of 2 March 2022 and A/ES/11-2 of 24 March 2022 as well as its failure to comply with the legally binding order by the International Court of Justice of 16 March 2022 in particular its failure to immediately cease its use of force against Ukraine.

All States have an obligation under Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State and to settle their international disputes by peaceful means. No territorial acquisition resulting from the threat or use of force shall be recognized as lawful. We call upon the Russian Federation to stop its total disregard for its obligations under international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

Today, we reaffirm our solidarity with the people of Ukraine, pay tribute to all those who have sacrificed their lives for the independence of Ukraine and express our deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims of the ongoing aggression against Ukraine.

We condemn in the strongest terms sustained missile strikes by the Russian Armed Forces on the territory of Ukraine, which have repeatedly hit residential areas and civilian infrastructure, resulting in harms to, displacement and death of thousands of civilians during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

We remain committed to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters. Today, once again, we reiterate our demand for the immediate cessation of hostilities by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, of all attacks directed against civilians and civilian infrastructure, and the full, immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the Russian forces and military equipment from the territory of Ukraine.


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Oil Well

Europe's energy armageddon from Berlin and Brussels, not Moscow

F. William Engdahl
New Eastern Outlook
Wed, 31 Aug 2022 00:00 UTC
Habeck
© UnknownGerman Green Economy Minister Robert Habeck
On August 22 the exchange-traded market price for natural gas in the German THE (Trading Hub Europe) gas hub was trading more than 1000% higher than a year ago. Most citizens are told by the Scholz regime that the reason is Putin and Russia's war in Ukraine. The truth is quite otherwise. EU politicians and major financial interests are using Russia to cover what is a Made in Germany and Brussels energy crisis. The consequences are not accidental.

It is not because politicians like Scholz or German Green Economy Minister Robert Habeck, nor EU Commission Green Energy Vice President Frans Timmermans are stupid or clueless. Corrupt and dishonest, maybe yes. They know exactly what they are doing. They are reading a script. It is all part of the EU plan to deindustrialize one of the most energy-efficient industrial concentrations on the planet. This is the UN Green Agenda 2030 otherwise known as Klaus Schwab's Great Reset.
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Pocket Knife

America's wars take on a divisive edge

Alastair Crooke
Strategic Culture Foundation
Tue, 30 Aug 2022 00:00 UTC
Parade
© dpa/Chrustiog GateauSoldiers in Berlin honor soldiers serving 2 decades operation in Afghanistan
Before Putin relinquishes the pressure on EU nations, he is still likely to insist that American influence from Western Europe is withdrawn.

It is August - Ukrainian Independence Day, and the anniversary, too, of Biden's disastrous withdrawal from Kabul. Washington is only too aware that these painful images (Afghans clinging to the undercarriage of Hercules planes) are about to be replayed, in the lead-up to the November elections.

Because events in Ukraine are unfolding badly for Washington - the slow, calibrated steamroller of Russian artillery fire shreds the Ukrainian army. Ukraine has been notably unable to reinforce besieged positions, or to counterattack and to hold re-conquered territory. Ukraine has used HIMARS, artillery and drones to hit some Russian ammunition depots, but these, so far, are isolated incidents, and are more media 'plays', than constituting any shift in the strategic balance of the war.

So, let's change the 'narrative': Over the last week, the Washington Post has been busy curating a new narrative. In gist, the shift is quite simple:
U.S. intelligence, in the past, may have got things disastrously wrong, but they 'nailed' it this time. They warned of Putin's plan to invade. They had it down to the Russian militaries' detailed plans.
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Handcuffs

Ukrainian troops captured during raid on nuclear plant - official


RT
Thu, 01 Sep 2022 11:18 UTC
On guard
© RIA Novosti/SputnikRussian serviceman on guard at Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Station
Three Ukrainian soldiers, who participated in a botched attempt to capture the Russian-controlled Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant on Thursday morning, have been taken alive, Vladimir Rogov, a council member in the Moscow-allied administration of Ukraine's Zaporozhye Region, has claimed.

Of the three, two have been injured and are in serious condition, the official said in an interview with Russian television. Doctors are fighting to save them, he added. An estimated 12 Ukrainian troops are still fighting against Russian forces, he claimed.

The Russian Defense Ministry previously claimed that early in the morning, Kiev launched an operation apparently aimed at taking the nuclear site ahead of an inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).


Comment: UN team arrives at Zaporozhye:
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors have reached the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine amid reports of renewed shelling and combat.

The Russian news agency RIA Novosti published a video of the convoy with UN experts arriving at Europe's largest nuclear facility on Thursday.

The visit comes hours after the Russian Defense Ministry accused Kiev of dispatching commandos in an attempt to seize the plant. According to Russian officials, the attack has been repelled.

International experts led by IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi are planning to assess the situation on the ground and examine the damage done to the plant.
Red Cross Chief offers a warning:
Robert Mardini, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, has warned that fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces around the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant must be halted immediately before a "massive incident" causes a humanitarian catastrophe. Mardini told a news conference on September 1 during a visit to Ukraine:
"In the event of a nuclear leak, it will be difficult if not impossible to provide humanitarian assistance...and this is why fighting should stop. It is therefore time to stop playing with fire and instead take concrete measures to protect this facility, and others like it, from military any operations.... The slightest miscalculation could trigger devastation that we will regret for decades. The scenario could be a massive incident, and...there is very little anyone can do to mitigate the dire consequences of this."


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Calculator

Biden's IRS auditor army will disrupt economic recovery

Julio Gonzalez
Real Clear Politics
Tue, 30 Aug 2022 00:00 UTC
Pelosi's pen
© AP/Susan WalshHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosie and pen
The Biden administration's decision to recruit nearly 90,000 new IRS auditors could have a chilling effect on small businesses and economic growth, permanently impeding our nation's ability to recover from its current economic malaise.

As part of the misleadingly titled "Inflation Reduction Act," President Biden and his allies secured roughly $80 billion in new IRS funding to hire 87,000 auditors.

This is bad news for the American economy.

One of the many ways that small businesses can succeed and help grow the economy is by taking advantage of tax credits and deductions which leave more money in the hands of owners to reinvest in their businesses and offer more competitive pay for their employees.

But with the looming threat of a veritable army of auditors being mobilized by the Biden administration, it is highly likely that many small businesses will decline to seek the benefits of those credits and deductions, lest they face the costly headache of aggressive audits from the IRS.

Comment: How else is Biden going to replace the mega-billions he sent to Ukraine? By targeting those who can least fight back.

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Bizarro Earth

Did Boris Johnson scuttle the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine?

Noah Carl
Daily Sceptic
Thu, 01 Sep 2022 17:37 UTC
Johnson/Zelensky
© Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/ReutersUK PM Boris Johnson • Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky
Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia have been frozen since July, and there's no indication they're about to restart. However, evidence has emerged that talks in early April bore fruit - only to be scuttled by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

On 8th April (shortly after Russian forces withdrew from Kiev) Johnson made a "surprise visit" to Ukraine's capital, where he met with President Zelensky. At the meeting, Johnson pledged his "unwavering support" to Ukraine and promised another $130 million worth of "sophisticated weaponry".

Yet according to Ukrainska Pravda (a pro-Western newspaper in Ukraine) pledging support wasn't the only reason for Johnson's visit. "Sources close to Zelenskyy" told the newspaper that Johnson was an "obstacle" to peace talks because he'd brought "two simple messages".

Comment: Johnson was/is merely the messenger boy for greater powers. He is also trying to protect his "legacy" of punting support for Ukraine against Russia. He only has a few more weeks in office, so when the inevitable collapse of Ukraine arrives, he can put it on his successor. The Duran team comments:



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Eye 2

Best of the Web: Fauci's Covid disaster: A summary

Ian Miller
Brownstone Institute
Thu, 01 Sep 2022 16:24 UTC
fauci propaganda trust
© ShutterstockA yard sign of Dr. Anthony Fauci in Washington, D.C. from October 2020
Some of his greatest mistakes, revisited

News that Dr. Anthony Fauci is finally leaving his post after what seemed like an endless reign at the helm of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases should be a time for celebration.

But it's not.

Fauci has caused such tremendous damage throughout the past few years that it's almost impossible to comprehend.

In nearly every area of life in the United States, as well as in many other parts of the world, Fauci's influence has been a key contributor to massive amounts of human suffering.
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Attention

Allegations of political bias, widespread misconduct prompt FBI agents to call for Wray to step down

Kerry Picket
The Washington Times
Tue, 30 Aug 2022 00:01 UTC
christopher wray
© Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald via APFBI Director Christopher A. Wray speaks to journalists at the Omaha FBI office on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022. Wray addressed threats made to law enforcement after agents raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Fla.
Rank-and-file FBI agents say they cannot see how FBI Director Christopher A. Wray stays in his position after The Washington Times' exclusive report about a senior bureau official stepping down under scrutiny for suspected political bias affecting investigations.


Comment: See: Top agent exits FBI amid charge of political bias undermining Hunter Biden probe, sources say


Kurt Siuzdak, a lawyer and former FBI agent who represents whistleblowers at the bureau, said agents tell him that Mr. Wray has lost control of the agency and should resign.

"I'm hearing from [FBI personnel] that they feel like the director has lost control of the bureau," he said. "They're saying, 'How does this guy survive? He's leaving. He's got to leave.'"

Comment: The decision to raid Mar-a-Lago is probably going to be remembered as the beginning of the downfall of the FBI. It brings all the previous egregious abuses by the agency into stark relief and has people questioning why the Democrats have their own personal Gestapo.

See also:

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