Puppet MastersS


Mr. Potato

UK minister tells people to get a 'better paid job' to cope with cost of living crisis

John-Paul Ford Rojas
Sky News
Mon, 16 May 2022 13:17 UTC
Rachel Maclean
Safeguarding minister Rachel Maclean. Labour said the comments by safeguarding minister Rachel Maclean were "disconnected from the realities of people's lives" after she said the government has "already taken action to help people with energy bills and there's more help coming".
A government minister has suggested that people struggling with the cost of living could take on more hours or move to a better-paid job.

Rachel Maclean, the safeguarding minister, told Sky News' Kay Burley that those were some of the ways households could "protect themselves" as prices soar.

Downing Street defended her after opposition parties sharply criticised the comments.

Ms Maclean said that every minister was looking at the issue as consumers face "short term pressures" such as high energy and food bills - and added that there was "more help coming".


Comment: Short term pressures? Says who? Because the Bank of England governor just warned of 'apocalyptic food shortages', and Germany is warning of a global famine that could kill millions. And any help the government has to offer will likely be too little, too late, because they had the chance when farmers and businesses warned them of a collapse in the supply chain but absolutely nothing was done to ameliorate the situation; and worse, the government has actually been paying farmers to 'rewild' their arable land and has been arming the neo-Nazi's in Ukraine whilst sanctioning Russia, cutting the country off from two of the world's largest suppliers of wheat.


Comment: The state of incompetence and corruption in the US threatens the UK's spot at the top:


Also check out SOTT radio's: MindMatters: How Psychopaths Infect and Destroy Hierarchies of Competence




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Jet5

Four Star General shares video game footage as proof Ukraine Air Defense is 'formidable'

Brett MacDonald
Timcast
Mon, 16 May 2022 00:01 UTC
general barry mccaffrey video game
The NBC military analyst has since deleted his tweet.

Retired General Barry McCaffrey, a decorated military tactician who later became an analyst for NBC and MSNBC, shared video game footage to prove that Russians were losing air battles over Ukraine.

"Russian aircraft [are] getting nailed by UKR missile defense," the adjunct Professor of International Affairs at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point tweeted.

"Russians are losing large numbers of attack aircraft," he continued, adding that the Ukrainian air defense systems are finally becoming "formidable."

Comment: What makes the incident even more hilarious is the fact that the footage is quite obviously computer generated. It's good graphics and all, but even a moderately discerning eye can tell this isn't real footage. It's amazing how thoroughly ideology can blind one from the obvious.

See also:

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Cult

Best of the Web: Busted: Biden's 'Minster of Truth' Nina Jankowicz participated in secret NATO-funded cabal to subvert Western democracies using disinformation as cover


Revolver
Mon, 16 May 2022 06:43 UTC
Social media as elite tools
As Revolver and others have covered, Nina "Moaning Myrtle" Jankowicz is a joke. The Harry Potter superfan-turned-propagandrix is now the Biden Administration's chosen head for the "Disinformation Governance Board." Among many other embarrassing videos in circulation is the following clip of Nina Jankowicz bizarrely and emphatically dismissing the notion of the so-called "deep state."


Comment: See also:

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Network

Iran, Tajikistan stress need to boost cooperation in fighting terrorism, securing borders


PressTV
Mon, 16 May 2022 17:55 UTC
Sherali Mirzo
Tajik Defense Minister Colonel General Sherali Mirzo
The chairman of the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces and the Tajik defense minister have discussed ways to fight terrorism in West Asia, establish security in border areas, hold joint military drills and expand military equipment.

Major General Mohammad Baqeri, who is in Dushanbe at the head of a delegation, was officially welcomed by Colonel General Sherali Mirzo, the Tajik minister of defense, on Monday, before sitting for talks on the two countries' relations in various fields.

During the meeting, Baqeri said the armed forces of the two countries should make efforts to boost border security and increase their interaction.

Comment: This announcement follows a particularly alarming albeit rather prescient statement from Tajikistan's President to his people: 'Most challenging period in history': Tajikistan's President urges citizens to stockpile 2 years worth of food amidst global instability

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Attention

Andrey Sushentsov: Ukraine could be just the starting point of a bigger crisis

Andrey Sushentsov
RT
Sat, 14 May 2022 10:12 UTC
Military
© AP/Vadim GhirdaMilitary on patrol
Why do Russian-Ukrainian relations concern every Russian and Ukrainian? To some extent, what is happening is a delayed civil war, which could have happened in the early 1990s with the collapse of the USSR, when the first generation of Russian and Ukrainian leaders boasted that they had avoided a bloody divorce like the one in Yugoslavia.

In Russia, every other person has relatives in the neighboring country, and what is happening there is more a matter of domestic politics. For example, if the Ukrainian government closes Russian Orthodox churches or bans a pro-Russian opposition political party, the story gets immediate coverage on state TV and Russian politicians issue statements.

All post-Soviet countries gained independence on the same day, and each of these states is in some way an experiment in state-building; in establishing foreign and domestic political strategies.

The peculiarity of the Ukrainian state experiment is underscored by the following dilemma: How is it possible to reconcile the two pillars of Ukrainian statehood - Galician Ukraine and the eastern Russian community? At some point, people representing the western regions had a stick in their hands, and they began to use it in their dialogue with representatives of the east — that is why the last Maidan won. The path along which the Ukrainian experiment has developed reflects a gradual curtailment of the presence and interests of Russian identity.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, when trying to enlist support in the east of the country during the elections, promised that he would never ban the teaching of Russian in schools, that he would ensure the status of Russian as a language when communicating with government agencies, and that he would protect the memory of the Great Patriotic War. As soon as he came to power, it became clear that his intentions were to do the exact opposite.

Comment: Truth? The actor on stage is milking the West for all it's worth.

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Arrow Up

Sweden to join NATO with Finland as US-led war on Russia escalates

Alex Lantier
World Socialist Web Site
Sat, 14 May 2022 00:00 UTC
Trooper on guard
© AFPTroops deployed in the Baltic due to rising tensions
A day after Finland pledged to join NATO "without delay," Sweden's ruling social democrats accepted a parliamentary report also calling to join the US-led alliance. NATO is threatening to turn Scandinavia and the entire Baltic Sea into a second front in the war on Russia it has waged since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

Finnish and Swedish troops are joining US and Ukrainian forces in NATO "Hedgehog" war games next week in Estonia, whose border with Russia is just 150 kilometers from Saint Petersburg. The exercise, involving 15,000 troops, will simulate war between NATO and Russia in Estonia. This underscores that Finland's vast,1,300-km border with Russia is becoming a potential war zone.

Asked on Thursday about Finland joining NATO, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov said:
"Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps, both of a military-technical and other nature, in order to stop the threats to its national security that arise in this regard."
Russian officials have said that if Sweden and Finland join NATO, they will try to maintain a regional balance of power by stationing nuclear missiles in Russia's Baltic port enclave at Kaliningrad.

This week, former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev admitted that Europe is rapidly moving towards all-out war:
"NATO countries pumping weapons into Ukraine, training troops to use Western equipment, sending in mercenaries and the exercises of Alliance countries near our borders increase the likelihood of a direct and open conflict between NATO and Russia. Such a conflict always has the risk of turning into a full-fledged nuclear war."

Comment: This is more than a 'shift' in power, it is an all out attempt to solidify a 'one world consortium' without opposition or alternatives. Should it succeed in thwarting Russia, the cabal will turn its evil eye on all other refraining countries who support autonomy.

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Blue Pill

Finland officially announces support for NATO membership


DW
Sun, 15 May 2022 00:00 UTC
Marin/Niinisto
© Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva/AFPPrime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin and President Sauli Niinisto made the announcement in a joint press conference at the presidential palace in Helsinki, Finland • May 15, 2022
The move is a stark U-turn for the country, which held a more neutral stance on the alliance in the past. Sweden is expected to follow suit.

The Finnish government on Sunday formally announced that it will apply for NATO membership after the move received the backing of the country's ruling political party.

The Finnish parliament is expected to greenlight the decision in the coming days. The Finnish premier said:
"We have had wars with Russia, and we don't want that kind of future for ourselves, for our children, and this is why we're making these decisions today and in the upcoming weeks, so there will never again be a war."

Comment: NATO participated in these conflicts:
- Anchor Guard, Kuwait-Iraq 1990 - Ace Guard, Kuwait-Iraq 1991 - Operation Joint Guard, Bosnia and Herzegovina - 1992 Operation Allied Force - Kosovo-Montenegro-Serbia - 1999 Afghanistan War - Afghanistan 2003 NATO Training Mission-Iraq - Iraq 2004 Operation Ocean Shield - Somalia 2009 Military Intervention in Libya 2011

Comment: Follow the leader: Sweden in lock-step with Norway
Sweden's ruling Social Democratic Party has announced its support for the country's NATO membership bid, following a similar move by the Finnish government.

In a statement published on Sunday, the Social Democrats pledged "to work for Sweden to apply for membership in NATO." However, the party leadership stressed that if the application were successful, Sweden would stand "against the deployment of nuclear weapons and permanent bases on Swedish territory."

Finland and Sweden decided to reconsider their long-standing policy of non-alignment following a major change in public opinion after the launch of Russia's attack on Ukraine. According to recent polls, a majority in both countries now support membership of NATO. Moscow has warned Helsinki and Stockholm against joining the bloc and promised an appropriate response should they make such a move.
Turkey wants something out of this shift in allegiance:
Turkey is not seeking to outright shoot down the accession of Sweden and Finland to the US-led NATO bloc, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's top adviser Ibrahim Kalin told Reuters on Saturday. Nonetheless, Ankara's concerns about organizations it deems to be "terrorist" that are operating in these countries must be addressed, the official said.
"We are not closing the door. But we are basically raising this issue as a matter of national security for Turkey."
The official further elaborated on the position voiced by Erdogan on Friday, when the president said Ankara could not support the bids of Finland and Sweden, which are "like guesthouses for terrorist organizations."

To enter the organisation, potential inductees must get the support of all existing members.

Kalin explained that Ankara is particularly concerned about the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), recognized as a terrorist organization in Turkey, as well as in the EU and the US. The issue relates primarily to Sweden:
"What needs to be done is clear: they have to stop allowing PKK outlets, activities, organizations, individuals and other types of presence to...exist in those countries. Of course we want to have a discussion, a negotiation with [our] Swedish counterparts. NATO membership is always a process. We will see how things go. But this is the first point that we want to bring to the attention of all the allies, as well as to Swedish authorities."
NATO says no problem - to get both Norway and Sweden, it might say anything! Snow job?
NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana has said he is sure the organisation will be able to overcome Turkey's objections to Finland and Sweden becoming new members.

On Sunday, Helsinki said it had officially decided join the bloc, but the move still needs approval from parliament. A similar announcement is expected from Stockholm within days, according to media reports.
"Turkey is an important ally and expressed concerns that are addressed between friends and allies. I am confident if these countries [Finland and Sweden] decide to seek membership in NATO we will be able to welcome them, to find all conditions for consensus to be met."
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told reporters at the meeting that Berlin "has prepared everything to do a quick ratification process" of the Finnish and Swedish bids, adding that NATO ministers agreed that the process, which usually takes a year, should be accelerated.
See also:

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Brick Wall

China tells G7 to mind its own business


RT
Mon, 16 May 2022 12:28 UTC
China US buildings
© SupChina/KJN
China has responded to the G7's request that Beijing cease support for Russia amid extensive Western sanctions, stating that the country decides its own position and policy based on the "merits of the matter itself," and that the seven member nations should focus on their own issues instead of intervening in other countries' internal affairs.

The statement came after the foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7), which includes the US, Germany, Italy, Canada, the UK, France and Japan, issued a statement on Saturday calling on Beijing to "resolutely" urge Russia to stop the war in Ukraine and refrain from providing economic and military assistance to the Kremlin. The group also insisted that China "support the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine" and "urge Russia to stop its military aggression against Ukraine."

The lengthy statement went on to warn Beijing:
"Not to assist Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine," "Not to undermine sanctions imposed on Russia" and Not to justify Russia's actions in Ukraine through the use of "information manipulation, disinformation and other means."
During a press conference on Monday, Chinese Foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian slammed the demands and urged the G7 countries to stop imposing illegal sanctions and provoking other countries and instead focus on other important global and internal issues. Zhao told reporters during a press conference on Monday:
"We call on the G7 countries to truly focus on peace and development throughout the world, to stop applying double or even multiple standards, to stop sending military aircraft and ships to the borders of other countries with or without reason to demonstrate their strength."
Zhao also insisted that the seven nations
"Stop going to other countries to organize 'color revolutions' at every opportunity" and stop imposing sanctions on sovereign countries using "extraterritorial jurisdiction."

Comment: The truth be told.

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Eye 1

Cambridge Analytica reborn? Private spy agency weaponizes Facebook again

Kit Klarenberg
MintPress News
Wed, 11 May 2022 00:00 UTC
montage
© Noah Berger/AP
On April 4, plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit brought against Facebook over its data-sharing practices following the eruption of the Cambridge Analytica scandal filed a fresh motion, charging that the social media giant deliberately obstructed discovery of information revealing the scale of its malfeasance.

It's the latest development in a wide-ranging controversy that began in the first months of 2017 and shows little sign of abating. In brief, Cambridge Analytica exploited a Facebook loophole to harvest the personal data of up to 50 million Americans, in order to manipulate voters on behalf of a number of right-wing candidates — potentially including Donald Trump — and political campaigns in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Since then, the company and its parent, SCL Group, have folded, with official investigations into their activities conducted in several countries, while Facebook has been fined a record $5 billion by the Federal Trade Commission for egregious breaches of user confidentiality. The entire dispute raised serious public concerns about online privacy and the malign influence of behavioral advertising and microtargeting, which endure to this day.
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Oil Well

US troops smuggle 70 oil tankers out of Syria


The Cradle.co
Sun, 15 May 2022 00:00 UTC
Oil Tanker
© MEHR NewsStolen Oil
US occupation forces continue to loot Syrian oil from the northern Al-Jazeera region of Syria's Hasakah governorate, as a US military convoy of around 70 oil tankers reportedly made their way towards Iraq through the illegal Al-Waleed border crossing on 14 May.

According to local sources in the Al-Yarubiyah countryside, the convoy was accompanied by an additional 15 trucks carrying military equipment as well as six armored vehicles.

A day earlier, 46 US vehicles were reportedly transferred out of Syria through the same border crossing.

US troops and their proxy in northern Syria - the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - are in control of most of the oil fields in Hasakah and Deir Ezzor and have been regularly smuggling Syrian oil out of the country to sell it abroad.

Dozens of similar US convoys have been reported over the last year and a half. On 18 December 2021, nearly one hundred oil tankers were smuggled into northern Iraq through the same illegal crossing.

Comment: Apparently the US is not despicable enough, it needs to rob countries of their resources like a thief in the night.

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