Puppet MastersS


Chess

Will Russia's Alleged Downing of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight Overturn the Great Game Board in the Caucasus?

Conor Gallagher
Naked Capitalism
Sun, 05 Jan 2025 00:00 UTC
Embraer 190 Crash
© Public Domain
There are plenty of theories of what brought down Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 on Christmas Day. The plane, which was traveling from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to Grozny in the Russian region of Chechnya, ran into trouble over Russia and made an emergency landing in Aktau, Kazakhstan, in which 38 of the 67 people on board were killed.

The black boxes from the aircraft are currently being analyzed at Brazil's Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents, but what's already clear is that some have already made up their minds that Russia is responsible. Media in the US and Europe were of course quick to point the finger. That's unsurprising; they blame Moscow for every stubbed toe and spilt coffee.

What is surprising is that the president of Azerbaijan — whose country has maintained strong ties with Russia despite the with-us-or-against-us Western pressure in recent years — is on the same page as the Western media.

Comment:
Previous articles about the crash: In May 2024, there was about the helicopter that took off from Azerbaijan: In early January of 2020, Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 crashed near Teheran. At the time there were headlines like: On July 17, 2014, the MH17 crashed over Eastern Ukraine: Cui bono?

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Chess

Italian PM Georgia Meloni pays visit to Mar-a-Lago

Paul Serran
The Gateway Pundit
Sun, 05 Jan 2025 20:15 UTC
Giorgia Meloni
The Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, chosen by POLITICO the 'most powerful person in Europe', was yet another head of state to make the pilgrimage to Palm Beach, Florida, to have dinner with incoming US President Donald J. Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

Besides the US and Italy being important allies, and Trump and Meloni having a somewhat similar approach to policy in a wide range of subjects, there is also an interesting question of timing.

Meloni's visit, after all, comes just days before she is to receive outgoing President from hell Joe Biden, who will travel to Rome and the Vatican on Jan. 9, in his final trip overseas.

Comment: Georgia is clearly the only worthwhile member of this sorry lot:
g-7 meloni trudeau biden von der lyen
© CopyrightThe G-7 meets in 2024. Although not noted, at the time of the photo,  Italian PM Georgia Meloni (center) had a whopping 41% approval rating from her citizens.


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Bullseye

Best of the Web: The January 6 "insurrection" that wasn't

Thomas Buckley
Mises Institute
Mon, 06 Jan 2025 16:56 UTC
Jan 6 billboard FBI tipline snitch
© Kristi Blokhin
Typically, coup attempts do not wrap up in time for dinner.

But over the next few days, with the anniversary of the 2021 January 6 Capitol riot having become a progressive political holiday worthy of obsessive memorialization, the nation will be deluged with tales of attempted government overthrow, Trumpian lunacy, and the FBI desperately trying to explain why it has yet to catch a person who — on video — placed two pipe bombs in DC that day but has somehow gloriously managed to track down and prosecute 1,000 trespassers.

Despite what the endless and tedious and inaccurate anniversary media coverage — all delivered with a joyously smirking "kid in a candy store/evil Republicans" tenor — will be claiming, the January 6 riot had all (maybe really only some) of the hallmarks of, well, a riot, and none of the indicators of an actual "insurrection," let alone an attempted coup d'état.

For an actual and successful coup, one need look no further than the inglorious defenestration of Joe Biden last summer.
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Question

Will the Cuban revolution survive the storm of 2025?

Danny Shaw
Strategic Culture Foundation
Fri, 03 Jan 2025 00:04 UTC
Che Fidel
© Perfecto Romero/Nicolas Raymond CC BY 2.0/KJNChe Guevara • Fidel Castro • Cuban flag
Danny Shaw has been traveling to Cuba since 1995 in support of the country's socialist revolution. Unsatisfied with the official proclamations and guided tours for international leftists, he embarked on a project of first-hand ethnographic research across the country over the decades. With a command of Cuban Spanish, Shaw wandered off the beaten path, independently evaluating conditions in the country. Surveying the perspectives of some of the most marginalized populations in Havana, he assesses their responses to the US unilateral blockade and Cuba's isolation.

On Jan. 1, Cuba officially joined the international grouping known as BRICS, as one of 13 nations incorporated as "partner states." The date, which coincides with the 66th anniversary of the triumph of their revolution, could mark a turning point for the beleaguered socialist state. But unless the country's leaders embrace a strategic fiscal shift in the face of an asphyxiating US blockade, the prospect of state collapse - and the unraveling of over a half century of revolutionary social development - can not be dismissed.

Comment: Shaw offers an incredibly intense and ominous article concisely revealing decades of Cuban strife, suppression and now starvation...courtesy the USA. BRICS has officially made Cuba a member, should it stabilize and weather its storm. The overview and 'underview' is a compelling/disturbing read.

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Mr. Potato

Prank-O-Rama

James Howard Kunstler
Kunstler.com
Mon, 06 Jan 2025 00:00 UTC
medalHillary
© Unknown"A lot tighter please!" Hillary's 'reward'
"They found a cure for gluttony. Now do narcissism."
— Peachy Keenan
Poor "Joe Biden" can't help himself as the suns sets on his ignominious career. He ordered the American flag to fly at half-staff into January 20, inauguration day, to signal grief and distress at Donald Trump's swearing-in — not realizing, apparently, that Mr. Trump's first act in office will be to order the flags raised back up, signaling symbolically the end to America's grief and distress under "Joe Biden."

You might wonder: what other sort of vicious mischief the Party of Chaos has in store in the final ramp-up to a momentous change of government? Well, no sooner had ol' "JB" draped the Wegovy-slenderized neck of Hillary Clinton with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, than Bill Clinton went on ABC's The View to declare he was "open to talking with ['President Biden']" about a preemptive pardon for Hillary.

Say, whu. . . ? What crimes did Bill have in mind that such a pardon might avail? Skolkovo? Uranium One? The Clinton Foundation's sketchy activities in Haiti after the earthquake there? Bill preemptively mentioned the old emails bidness as a ruse. Nothing to see there, folks, he protested. (Just don't look anywhere else!)

Comment: Question is...did he sniff her hair?

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Igloo

South American leader makes Antarctica sovereignty claim


RT
Sun, 05 Jan 2025 01:13 UTC
chilepres
© Social mediaChilean President Gabriel Boric • South Pole • January 4, 2024
The Chilean president and defense chief visited a US base during a historic South Pole trip.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric has made history as the first Latin American leader to visit the South Pole, reaffirming Chile's sovereignty claim over part of Antarctica.

Accompanied by Defense Minister Maya Fernandez, Environment Minister Maisa Rojas, and senior military officials, President Boric embarked on the trip on January 2, 2025, departing from Punta Arenas in southern Chile on board a Hercules C-130 military transport plane. His first stop was Chile's research station on Union Glacier before proceeding to the South Pole.

Later that day, the delegation visited the United States' Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, where they spent approximately two hours meeting researchers and observing scientific projects. The presidential office described the visit as occurring "at an important moment for Chile's scientific endeavors in the region."

"This is a milestone for us," Boric said in footage broadcast on Chilean television. "It is the first time a Chilean president has come to the South Pole and talked about Chile's Antarctic mission." Boric also declared that the visit was "a confirmation of our claim to sovereignty" over part of the continent.

Comment: They may find out 'the ice' holds unexpected surprises.

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Nuke

US 'concerned' by Russia's nuclear doctrine - Blinken


RT
Sat, 04 Jan 2025 08:29 UTC
Blink
© Getty Images/EPAUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken • Ankara, Türkiye • December 13, 2024
Washington is worried Moscow could consider using nuclear weapons, despite the Kremlin saying it views them as a "last resort".

The United States is "very concerned" that Russia could be considering the use of nuclear weapons, outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview with Financial Times published on Saturday.

His comments came in response to questions about Moscow's alleged "nuclear sabre-rattling," apparently referring to changes it made in its nuclear doctrine last year.


Comment: We can safely bet those particular questions were asked as part of his interview script.


Russia announced updates to its nuclear doctrine after deliberations by Ukraine's Western backers, including the US, on whether to allow Ukraine to use foreign-made weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.

Comment: Blinken's job is perception management and will use whatever it takes to twist reality to his advantage.

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Snakes in Suits

Trudeau Out: Canadian Prime Minister To Quit As Liberal Party Leader, To Stay On As PM Until Successor Is Chosen

Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge
Mon, 06 Jan 2025 16:59 UTC
trudeau blackface
© @WeAreCanProud /Twitter
As expected, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is resigning after more than nine years leading Canada, amid a collapse in approval ratings and a rebellion within his political party.

Trudeau, 53, currently the longest-serving leader of any G-7 country, announced Monday he plans to step down as head of the governing Liberal Party. He will remain as prime minister until a new leader is selected, and parliament has been suspended until March 24 while that process is underway.

The winner of the Liberal leadership contest is set to become Canada's 24th prime minister and will have to quickly prepare for an election, which the Conservative Party is the clear favorite to win, according to public opinion polls.

A national vote is due by October, but it's likely it will come sooner. The three major opposition parties in parliament have said they will back a motion of non-confidence in the government. If they follow through on that threat, they would bring down the government, and an election campaign would begin.
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Oil Well

Another stab in the back: Biden stealth-bans most affordable gas-powered tankless water heaters

Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge
Mon, 06 Jan 2025 16:45 UTC
gas tnaklss water heater
Tankless water heaters became an attractive alternative to conventional tank units: They deliver an endless supply of hot water while using a fraction of the energy.
In a significant regulatory shift that took place quietly the day after Christmas, the Biden administration finalized new climate rules targeting natural gas-powered instantaneous water heaters. The Department of Energy (DOE), which traditionally issues a press release for such regulations, chose not to announce these changes publicly, raising eyebrows across various sectors.

According to the Free Beacon, the new regulations aim to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, a move aligned with broader climate change mitigation efforts. However, the regulations are set to remove approximately 40% of the current tankless water heater models from the market by 2029 (between gas and electric). This shift is expected to force consumers to opt for either more expensive or less efficient alternatives.
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SOTT Logo Radio

SOTT Focus: NewsReal: New Year's Day Twin Terror Attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas: Connecting the Dots


Sott.net
Mon, 06 Jan 2025 15:30 UTC
vegas orleans terror newsreal
© Sott.net
Pure coincidence that two trucks were rented by two military guys and used to commit terror attacks in two US cities late on New Year's Eve? We think not!

This week on NewsReal, Joe, Niall and guest Adam review the farce of an 'investigation' into the sickening 'crowd-plow' in New Orleans - blamed on 'ISIS' - and the equally nonsensical explanations for why an active-duty Green Beret super-soldier rented a Cybertruck and detonated it outside Trump Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. If it looks and feels like a psy-op, that's because it probably is! But WHAT message was being sent here, presumably to Trump (and Musk)? And does this twin attack give us any clues about the System's plans in 2025?

Last half-hour: what is Musk up to, bashing the British government and sparking a furor over 'ethnic-specific grooming gangs' in England? Final word on the FOG of information war: the likely reasons for widespread, persistent, 'chemical-smelling' fog currently being observed across North America.

* Due to technical difficulties, sound becomes clear only from 23:08 *


Running Time: 01:36:40

Download: MP3 — 88.5 MB

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