Puppet MastersS


Attention

Robert Reich: American democracy seems rigged...it is

Robert Reich
Truthdig
Mon, 07 Jan 2019 00:00 UTC
Robert Reich
Former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich
The most important thing we must do to save our democracy is get big money out of politics. It's a prerequisite to accomplishing everything else.

Today, big money continues to corrupt American politics - creating a vicious cycle that funnels more wealth and power to those at the top and eroding our democracy.

In the 2018 midterm elections, wealthy donors and Super-PACs poured millions into the campaigns of the same lawmakers who voted to pass the 2017 tax cuts, which gave them huge windfalls.

Consider conservative donors Sheldon and Miriam Adelson, whose casino business received an estimated $700 million windfall, thanks to President Donald Trump and Republicans' tax cuts. The couple then used some of this extra cash to plow more than $113 million into the 2018 election, breaking the record for political contributions by a single household.

That's not a bad return on investment - for them.

Comment: Apparently Adelson's contributions weren't quite enough. See also:
Sheldon Adelson was a huge loser in midterms and Trump is letting him know it

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Boat

US Marines have entered the Black Sea 'to reassure our NATO allies and partners'

Tom Winter
FRN
Mon, 07 Jan 2019 00:00 UTC
USS Fort McHenry
© Reuters/US NavyUSS Fort McHenry
A large landing ship of the US Navy entered the Black Sea, Kiev, January 7th. -Kharkov News Agency

The large landing ship of the US Navy Fort McHenry passed through the Dardanelles and has entered the Black Sea. On board the ship are soldiers of the 22nd expeditionary detachment of the US Marine Corps.

The ship's visit to the Black Sea was announced last month, when some officials in Washington claimed that the sending of American forces to the Black Sea was connected with the provocation of Kiev in the Kerch Strait.

The commander of the Sixth Fleet of the US Navy, which is responsible for the Mediterranean Sea and the adjacent waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Vice-Admiral Liza Franchetti called the ship's entry into the Black Sea necessary for security in the region, as well as for strengthening US ties with NATO allies and partners. [We note that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization members with a Black Sea Coast are Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey.]

Comment: Another 'in your face' move by the West.
See also: US Navy landing ship headed to Black Sea citing 'advance security and stability in Europe'

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Chess

Ocasio-Cortez booed by colleagues the first time she speaks in congress


I Love My Freedom
Fri, 04 Jan 2019 19:58 UTC
Ocasio-Cortez booed congress
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., spoke for the first time in Congress on Thursday and she was instantly booed by her colleagues.

Democrats regained control of the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday.

During the process of transitioning power, all 435 members of the lower chamber voted on Rep. Nancy Pelosi being nominated for Speaker of the House.

When going around the room, each lawmaker would simply say the first and last name of the official they were nominating.
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Arrow Down

'Creepy Uncle Joe' thinks he's the only Democrat that can defeat Trump in 2020


RT
Mon, 07 Jan 2019 19:49 UTC
Joe Biden
© Yuri Gripas / ReutersJoe Biden who has a penchant for fondling young girls refers to Trump supporters as 'dregs of society'. How rich!
Former vice-president Joe Biden has reportedly said that he is the Democrats' best chance of reclaiming the White House in 2020, arguing that other candidates just don't have what it takes to challenge President Donald Trump.

Biden stoked rumors of him running for election last month, when he called himself "the most qualified person in the country to be president."

The New York Times has now reported, citing the veteran politician's allies, that he is inclined to run, and a formal announcement is likely to follow within the next two weeks. The 76-year-old politician reportedly believes he is the only viable choice the Democrats have if they want Trump out.
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Arrow Up

Italy is renovating its embassy in Damascus with plans to reopen in near future


South Front
Mon, 07 Jan 2019 00:00 UTC
italian embassy reopen damascus
Syrian sources reported that Italy is preparing to reopen its embassy in Damascus in order to restore a part of Syria’s relations with the European Union.
Italy is renovating its embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus in order to reopen it in the near future, the Lebanese al-Nashrah news outlet reported on January 6 citing its correspondent in Syria.

In the last two weeks, many Syrian pro-government sources reported that Italy is preparing to reopen its embassy in Damascus in order to restore a part of Syria's relations with the European Union, which placed strict sanctions on the country since late 2011.

Italy, which had large investments in Syria, maintained a low level of relations with the country throughout the war unlike other European countries. Furthermore, Rome was not a part of Washington's failed plans to arm and train Syrian opposition fighters and didn't participate on the recent strike on the war-torn country.

Comment: Italy has joined with several Arab countries in normalizing diplomatic ties with Syria:

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Eye 1

US navy ship sails in disputed South China Sea amidst trade talks with Beijing


CNBC
Mon, 07 Jan 2019 16:54 UTC
USS McCampbell
© Konstandinos Goumenidis/US Navy via Getty ImagesUSS McCampbell carried out a 'freedom of navigation' operation by sailing within 12 nautical miles of the Paracel Island chain
A U.S. guided-missile destroyer sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea claimed by China as U.S. officials meet their counterparts in Beijing for talks during a truce in a bitter trade war.

The USS McCampbell carried out a "freedom of navigation" operation, sailing within 12 nautical miles of the Paracel Island chain, "to challenge excessive maritime claims," Pacific Fleet spokeswoman Rachel McMarr said in an emailed statement.

The operation was not about any one country or to make a political statement, McMarr said. The statement comes as trade talks between China and the United States are under way in Beijing, the first round of face-to-face discussions since both sides agreed to a 90-day truce in a trade war that has roiled international markets.

Comment: The US has been sailing through these waters knowingly antagonizing China for a while now but to do so the first day of trade talks, amidst already strained relations, is very suspicious: Engdahl: Is Canada's Huawei arrest an attempt to sabotage Trump-Xi talks?

See also:

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Chess

China's top economic official's unexpected appearance at US trade talks signals their importance to Beijing


Bloomberg
Mon, 07 Jan 2019 08:44 UTC
Liu He, China Trade Minister
© Qilai Shen/BloombergLiu He
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He unexpectedly attended the first day of talks aimed at resolving the trade dispute between the world's two biggest economies, according to people familiar with the matter and a photo seen by Bloomberg.

Liu is the top economic adviser to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who led previous negotiations in Washington that produced a deal that President Donald Trump then repudiated. China had previously said the talks would be led by a lower-ranking official from the Ministry of Commerce.

It's unclear how long Liu stayed, or what he discussed. The Ministry of Commerce didn't immediately respond to a fax seeking comment on Liu's appearance. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is expected to meet with Liu later this month, a person familiar with the situation said last week.

Liu's participation in the meeting, held at the ministry's premises, signals that China is attaching high importance to the talks, even if the main participants this time are mid-level officials. While markets have rallied the past few sessions, a wider downturn over the past month and a deepening economic slowdown are increasing pressure for a deal.

Comment: NPR adds that the US is seeking concessions in business practices from China in exchange for elimination of tariffs:
U.S. and Chinese officials have begun talks aimed at ending the trade war that has imposed hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs over the past year. The U.S. is seeking concessions in Chinese business practices; in exchange it will eliminate tariffs recently imposed on Chinese goods.

"Top administration officials are confident they have enough leverage to win significant changes," NPR's Shanghai correspondent Rob Schmitz reports, "including an end to China's practice of forcing US companies to hand over key technology in return for gaining access to China's market, and an agreement to buy more products from the U.S."

If the talks this week between the mid-level U.S. trade officials and their Chinese counterparts go well, senior Chinese officials are likely to head to D.C. in the coming weeks to continue negotiations, Schmitz reports.

Beijing is prepared to buy more American products, Schmitz told NPR's Steve Inskeep. "But what's going to be difficult for the Chinese side is to level the playing field for U.S. companies inside of China. And to do that properly would require significant changes in how China manages its economy - changes that would put the Chinese government and its state-owned enterprises in a vulnerable position."


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Lemon

Schumer whines about Twitter memes in attack on Trump, gets bombarded by hail of memes


RT
Mon, 07 Jan 2019 17:27 UTC
TrumpSchumer
© Kevin Lamarque/ReutersPresident Donald Trump, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in the Oval Office.
US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer inadvertently activated the meme-generating powers of President Donald Trump's supporters after criticizing his handling of the government shutdown on Twitter.

"Enough with the memes. Just quit hurting innocent people and re-open the government," Schumer tweeted on Saturday in response to a 'Game of Thrones'-inspired meme that Trump had tweeted earlier to champion his border security fence project.

Trump tweeted a photo showing a barrier of steel slats below an image of his frowning face. The photo was captioned "The Wall is Coming," channeling the famous "Winter is Coming" motto from the popular HBO series.
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Bullseye

Some suggestions for Trump to truly 'solve' the North Korea challenge

Doug Bandow
The National Interest
Sun, 06 Jan 2019 16:59 UTC
north south korea military border dmz
© AlamayNorth and South Korean soldiers have made several friendly meetings follow a diplomatic rapprochement between North and South Korea
So what to do? Start afresh with a new negotiating strategy. First, maintain denuclearization as the ultimate objective, but set intermediate goals that would enhance security. For instance, create permanent communication channels, make permanent the suspension of missile and nuclear tests, halt nuclear development and production, mothball and destroy missile and nuclear facilities, reduce conventional threats, and more. The United States needs to offer corresponding concessions along the way.

Second, follow Kim's script. He set up wide-ranging official meetings, encouraged cultural, sporting, and other private exchanges, and ended the travel ban (both on Americans going to the DPRK and North Koreans coming to the United States). Offer to initiate diplomatic relations, with the proviso that all issues would be in play, negotiate a treaty formally ending the Korean War, which ended more than sixty-five years ago anyway. At the same time, challenge the North Koreans to respond with steps moving forward on denuclearization. Lock in any concessions, including some of those listed above, while looking for opportunities to encourage full denuclearization.

Comment: Much as he is mocked, Kim Jong-un is not a stupid man. He understands the only thing that deters a bully is to have as big a stick as the bully is carrying.

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Arrow Down

Former IDF chief Lieberman slams Netanyahu's cabinet for not being violent enough


Sputnik
Mon, 07 Jan 2019 17:09 UTC
israeli tank
© AP Photo / Baz Ratner
Sirens went off near the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon as the Iron Dome missile defence system intercepted a rocket that was reportedly fired from the Gaza Strip during the night between Sunday and Monday.

Former Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman levelled harsh criticism against the cabinet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over its response to the latest rocket attack from the Gaza Strip.

"This morning we again heard the cabinet members threatening Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The problem is that the terrorist leaders, at best, laugh at Israel's threats", Lieberman wrote on his Facebook page.

He also slammed the cabinet over the reported conditions of the truce between Tel Aviv and Hamas that was reached on 13 November. Lieberman accused the Israeli government of paying $30 billion to Hamas, providing broader fishing areas to the enclave's inhabitants and immunity to Hamas leaders instead of showing a firm military response.

"This is a complete bankruptcy of the government", Lieberman added.

Comment: Lieberman is a moral troglodyte. So, to put his recent criticism in perspective, remember this:
"The vision I would like to see here is the entrenching of the Jewish and the Zionist state.... I very much favour democracy, but when there is a contradiction between democratic and Jewish values, the Jewish and Zionist values are more important."


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