Puppet MastersS


Star of David

Best of the Web: Proscribed speech: Florida cites Poway synagogue shooting as it outlaws criticism of Israel


RT
Tue, 30 Apr 2019 23:40 UTC
synagog guy
© Reuters/John Gastaldo
Just days after the fatal shooting at a California synagogue, the Florida Senate passed an anti-Semitism bill that critics say will criminalize any criticism of Israel.

The bill prohibits anti-Semitism in Florida public schools and universities, and defines it broadly as any speech that makes stereotypical depictions of Jews, Holocaust denial, inciting of violence or explicit expressions of racial hatred - as well as "criticizing the collective power of the Jewish community."

Such a broad definition could be used to outlaw the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement, critics have pointed out, arguing that the bill violates the freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

Comment: You must say these pronouns to these people.

You must not say these things about these people.

What could possibly go wrong with the proliferation of proscribed speech?

EVERYTHING.

See also:
Sequence complete? Now gunman opens fire at a San Diego synagogue, on Jewish Sabbath - 1 person dead, 3 injured

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Stock Down

US military stops reporting how much territory puppet government controls in Afghanistan (because its share has tanked)


RT
Wed, 01 May 2019 10:06 UTC
military jeeps
© Abdul Malik/ReutersAfghan National Army troops in Helmand province, Afghanistan. August 2016.
A US government watchdog said it became even harder to gauge whether Washington's mission in Afghanistan is successful or not after the military stopped measuring how much territory is controlled by Western-backed forces.

The US-led NATO mission Resolute Support stopped measuring how much of the nation's territory is controlled by the Western-backed government in Kabul, the US special inspector general for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), John Sopko wrote in a quarterly report.

The mission explained its decision to drop the metric by claiming that it was "of limited decision-making value" to its commander. The report further noted that "no other product or forum through district-level control data is communicated to the command."

Sopko, whose job is to oversee the way the US spends money on its military presence in Afghanistan, told Reuters that the command's move is another blow to the already diminished transparency of Washington's policies in the country. "This much is clear: There's even less information for American taxpayers to gauge whether their investment in Afghanistan is a success, or something else."
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Network

Iran sends special message to Washington, increases oil output to partners despite sanctions


Sputnik
Wed, 01 May 2019 18:57 UTC
iran oil
© AP Photo / Iranian Presidency Office
Earlier, Washington indicated that it would not renew the exemptions granted to eight major importers to its tough sanctions on Iranian crude oil exports once they expire later this week, with economists fearing the restrictions may impact the global energy market.

Iran is building up its gas refinery and transmission infrastructure to significantly expand its gas exports to countries such as Iraq and Turkey, National Iranian Gas Company CEO Hassan Montazer Torbati has said.

"Last year, we exported gas to Turkey, Baghdad and Basra with an average of over 40 million cubic meters a day, and this year, gas exports to Iraq will reach more than 35 million cubic meters per day," Torbati said, speaking to reporters at an energy conference in Tehran on Wednesday.

According to the official, Iran, which has the second-largest proven natural gas reserves in the world, will increase its gas refinery and transmission capacity to over a billion cubic metres a day by February 2020.
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Attention

Russia calls on France to investigate police attack on RIA Novosti journalist during May Day protests


Sputnik
Wed, 01 May 2019 18:37 UTC
May Day protest France
© Sputnik
The journalist was filming the demonstrations from the centre of the unrest on her mobile phone. In a bid to disperse the protesters, the police started using batons.

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday called on France to carry out a thorough investigation into the attack on a RIA Novosti correspondent during May Day riots in Paris, saying that the use of violence was unacceptable.

"We consider unacceptable the use of violence against journalists who carry out their professional duties. We urge France to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. [We also call upon] human rights organizations and NGOs to keep this issue under control," the ministry said in a statement.
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Cowboy Hat

Globalization has been on a downward trend for seven years

Sue-Anne Tang
CNBC
Tue, 30 Apr 2019 18:04 UTC
Trump United Nations
Globalization is waning, and a U.S.-China trade deal would do nothing to reverse that phenomenon, according to a global investment strategist.

Peak globalization has actually already come and gone, according to David Roche, president and global strategist at London-based Independent Strategy.

"The actual reversal of globalization started over seven years ago," well before the rise of U.S. President Donald Trump, as countries worldwide instituted more protectionist policies, Roche told CNBC's "Squawk Box" last week.

In fact, even China - whose leaders are now some of the loudest proponents of global systems - will see most of its future growth come from domestic pursuits, he projected.


Comment: China is hardly just a mere 'proponent of global systems'. It's OBOR project is connecting the poorest regions of the world together that also happen to hold the heavy majority of the world's population. The potential for interconnected growth is immense for China and the near 70 countries participating in the project. What Roche is at pains to admit is that Western globalization is headed down the tubes while China is actually picking up the slack and doing a much better job at it.

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Light Sabers

British security state targets dissident peers by branding them 'Moscow's Men' in London Times hit-piece


RT
Wed, 01 May 2019 17:58 UTC
State Opening British Parliament
© Global Look Press via ZUMA PressState Opening of British Parliament
The UK government wants to curb Russian paid influence peddlers among members of the House of Lords - or at least that's what the Sunday Times has seemingly insinuated, singling out three peers as "Moscow's men."

Last week's edition of the newspaper ran two news stories (plus an op-ed) on the sinister threat of "red money" - which is like "dirty money" but worse because it comes from Russia and China. One article switches between the perceived threat of Huawei's 5G equipment to British national security and that of having peers with business interests in Russia sitting in Parliament. The other raises the alarm specifically about Russia and a report that seven members of the House of Lords have declared business links with the country.

Comment: Russophobic Tide Rising as Tory Government Fends Off Corbyn And Brexit
As British old-age-pensioners shiver in the bleak midwinter, as millions of our children are revealed by the United Nations to be living in poverty some of them literally going hungry, as a crime and murder wave breaks around our shores we discover that our 4th estate - the media - instead of on all or even any of these things have chosen to cloister instead with their Intelligence "handlers" to obsess about... Russia. And, most ominously, about Britain's Parliamentary Opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

The Russophobic tide in Britain has risen in inverse proportion to the country's perceived decline, something which can hardly be hidden, or a co-incidence. One doesn't need to be a psychologist to conclude that this is classic displacement activity. "Look over there" is the new motto on the imperial crest.
See also: Ramping up Russophobia: New UK study finds that every second Russian in London is a spy

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Quenelle - Golden

Fake News: CNN's Tapper claims 'Maduro troops are firing on own people'


RT
Wed, 01 May 2019 16:25 UTC
government soldiers maduro
© Federico Parra / Agence France-PresseRebel troops, wearing Guaido's signature blue arm bands, attempt to take the La Carlota military base.
CNN's Jake Tapper has come under fire for claiming Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is firing at his own citizens after he shared a misleading tweet showing army defectors on the opposition side wielding guns.

"CNN live in Venezuela as Maduro government mows down citizens in streets," Tapper tweeted with a link that leads to a CNN video report starting with an image of a number of army defectors fighting on the side of the opposition. The video includes footage of what appears to be a National Guard truck hitting civilians, but Tapper's tweet implies Maduro is gunning down citizens by using an image of soldiers with weapons.
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Target

Is Trump about to deliver a stunning blow to the deep state?

C. Mitchell Shaw
New American
Fri, 19 Apr 2019 00:00 UTC
Trump
After two years of being on the defensive as the Deep State and its political allies attempted to undermine and deligitimize his presidency, President Donald Trump now appears ready to strike back. And if recent revelations are an accurate indicator, the fallout for the Deep State and Democrats could be phenomenal.

Late last week, President Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he will declassify "everything" related to the FISA warrant applications used to illegally spy on him and his campaign. When Hannity asked President Trump if he planned to remove the classified status from the FISA applications, the president did not miss a beat before simply saying, "yes." Trump then added, "Everything is going to be declassified and more - much more than what you just mentioned. it will all be declassified." As to why he waited so long to strike back with this move, Trump said, "I'm glad I waited because I thought that maybe they would obstruct if I did it early and I think I was right. So I'm glad I waited and now the attorney general can take a very strong look at whatever it is."

This fits very well with another piece of the puzzle that was also revealed recently.

Comment: See also: Fmr CIA analyst: 'Attempted Russiagate coup against Trump biggest violation of Constitution in US history'

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Eye 2

British court sentences Assange to 50 weeks on bogus bail charge

Caitlin Johnstone
caitlinjohnstone.com
Wed, 01 May 2019 15:21 UTC
assange court sketch
© Julia QuenzlerCourt sketch from Julian Assange hearing on bail charges.
Following seven years of imprisonment at the Ecuadorian embassy fighting US extradition, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been sentenced to 50 weeks behind bars for an entirely bogus bail charge.

Sky News reporter Jordan Milne live-tweeted events as they unfolded, reporting that Assange's defense argued that his fears of rendition and torture at the hands of the US government were well-founded. His life in the Ecuadorian embassy and the physical and psychological detriments which came with it were described, including deteriorated health and depression. The judge rejected his entire defense and delivered nearly the harshest sentence possible.

"Your continued residence in the Embassy has necessitated a concentration of resources, and expenditure of £16 million of taxpayers' money in ensuring that when you did leave, you were brought to justice," Judge Deborah Taylor told Assange upon his sentencing.

Comment: Reaction to Assange's sentence was swift. WikiLeaks condemned it as 'shocking & vindictive'
assange demonstrators
© Reuters / Henry NichollsPeople hold signs during a protest outside Southwark Crown Court, where Julian Assange was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison
WikiLeaks has slammed a UK court's sentencing of its co-founder Julian Assange as "vindictive." It also raised major concerns about whether Assange will be treated fairly during an upcoming extradition hearing.

The sentence "is as shocking as it is vindictive," WikiLeaks said on Twitter on Wednesday, shortly after Assange received almost a year in prison for violating bail conditions.
We have grave concerns as to whether he will receive a fair extradition hearing in the UK.
Julian Assange skipped bail in 2012 while wanted in Sweden over rape allegations (the case was later dropped). The journalist then spent the next several years living under asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, out of fear Britain would hand him over to the US. He was forcibly dragged out of the building last month after the South American nation decided to evict him.
According to former London mayor Ken Livingstone "We should be giving Assange an honor, not arresting him":
The ex-Labour MP claims that the establishment do not want the 47-year-old Australian to get away with exposing the truth. He insists Britain should be doing its best to protect Assange from extradition to the US, adding that he believes UK courts will be reluctant to hand him over to officials stateside.
We should be proud of people doing that... we should be giving people like Assange an honor not arresting them and getting ready no doubt to extradite to the United States of America.

Other commentators weighed in:




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Cult

Trump's support of Saudi-led Wahhabism was correctly called out by Tulsi Gabbard

Phil Butler
New Eastern Outlook
Mon, 29 Apr 2019 00:00 UTC
Tulsi Gabbard
In a recent tweet by US presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard, the Army colonel and congresswoman called President Donald Trump out on America's controversial support of Saudi Arabia. The candidate's record and her recent gestures are at the center of what will be a pivotal American presidency. The 2020 elections are right around the corner and my countrymen need to know the real score. Here's the latest on Donald Trump's questionable intentions.

Gabbard is bringing to the forefront suspicions that the Trump/Pence team is hiding the fact that it is the Saudis who are a fundamental cause of the recent attacks on Christians/Christian churches in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. In another Tweet, the Hawaii representative railed at Trump for doing business with a regime many consider one of the instruments of Middle East chaos. Gabbard tweeted directly to POTUS:
"Hey @realdonaldtrump: being Saudi Arabia's bitch is not 'America First."
This came on the heels of President Trump announcing his administration would take no actions against Saudi Arabia's rulers regarding the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump sided with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who allegedly ordered the killing. The CIA reported to various news outlets that it had concluded the Saudi Prince did, in fact, order the killing.

President Trump made a statement saying, "It could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event - maybe he did and maybe he didn't!" In the same statement, Trump outlined how the US needed Saudi support to help fight terrorism and to help keep oil prices low. Right after this chain of events, oil prices plummeted. Here is the President's Tweet to the American people:
"Oil prices getting lower. Great! Like a big Tax Cut for America and the World. Enjoy! $54, was just $82. Thank you to Saudi Arabia, but let's go lower!"
Now, unless you are a fanatical right-wing extremist Trump supporter, another American president kissing the Saudi leadership's behind should be an easy vision for you. Tulsi Gabbard made the call for us all. I have no doubt that Rep. Gabbard is focusing on the real Achilles heel of Trump and the deep state on the other side of the political aisle. If you'll allow me to explain.
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