Puppet MastersS


Bulb

There's a radical idea buried in Trump's State of the Union

Danny Vinik
Politico
Thu, 01 Feb 2018 23:24 UTC
Trump clapping
© Getty Images
The words arrived 26 minutes into President Donald Trump's first State of the Union address, and when they came, they sounded vague: Trump asked Congress "to reward good workers and to remove federal employees who undermine the public trust or fail the American people." He also mentioned a new law making it easier for the Department of Veteran Affairs to fire employees.

The lines weren't widely noted. But in a few places, sudden alarm bells went off: "Trump looks to expand VA's firing authority government-wide," ran a headline in FCW, a publication on government technology. The New Yorker dangled the prospect that Trump might be hinting at firing members of the FBI. Slate bit down harder: "Donald Trump Just Asked Congress to End the Rule of Law," blared a headline.

His plan might not be that extreme, but Trump's words did lay down a marker that could have repercussions throughout the government - maybe even declaring a new front in what former aide Steve Bannon called "the deconstruction of the administrative state."

"This was a quick drive-by in the speech, but it has enormous implications that are only beginning to play themselves out," said Don Kettl, a professor at the University of Maryland who has written extensively on government management.

Comment: Interesting take. The language is suggestive of changing the system - though from a bottom up approach. Is that inline with a plan to drain the swamp? Maybe, maybe not. Although, one way to bring about change is to go for the small fish first and then focus on the big fish - but we're not holding our breath in any case.

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Star of David

'Can't out-crazy Israel!' Crazy Thomas Friedman justifies slaughter of Arab civilians

Philip Weiss
Mondoweiss
Thu, 01 Feb 2018 11:49 UTC
Thomas Friedman
Thomas Friedman
Thomas Friedman had a column in the New York Times yesterday justifying the Israeli slaughter of Arab civilians. Israel needs to go "crazy" in its confrontation with Hezbollah and Iran in Lebanon and Syria because, "This is not Scandinavia."

Friedman's entire column is told from the Israeli perspective. Here is the most credulous passage, passing along Israeli propaganda about "ugly" and "brutal" methods as the necessity when you don't live in Scandinavia.
So what's Israel's strategy to keep its conflict with Hezbollah and Iran on a low flame? First and foremost, it's been to reinforce to Hezbollah and Iran, through many channels, that they can't out-crazy Israel. That is, if Hezbollah and Iran think they can place rocket launchers in densely populated Lebanese and Syrian villages and towns - and expect that Israel will not take them out if it requires large collateral civilian casualties - they are as wrong today as they were in 2006.

Israeli military planners are more convinced than ever that the key reason Hezbollah has avoided major conflict with Israel since the big Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon in 2006 is that Israel's Air Force - without mercy or restraint - pounded Lebanese infrastructure, Hezbollah offices and military targets in the southern suburbs of Beirut - not to kill civilians but not to be deterred by them, either, if they were nested amid Hezbollah weapons or headquarters.

Yes, it was ugly and brutal, say Israeli planners, but it worked. This is not Scandinavia. "The reality here starts where your imagination ends," said one Israeli officer. Sometimes only crazy can stop crazy. And Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, definitely got the message.

Comment: In a strange way, it is a good thing that Thomas Friedman published that article, for it lays out very clearly the fascist and murderous designs of Israel for all to see. He said it himself: You can't out-crazy Israel!

As for the curious phenomenon of liberal Zionism, see: Gaslighting for Israel: Liberal and Leftist Zionists

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Arrow Down

As the EU project falters it reportedly seeks to expand into Balkans to counter Russia


Sputnik
Fri, 02 Feb 2018 10:41 UTC
EU flag
© Sputnik/ Alexey Vitvitsky
The European Union reportedly intends to include six countries into its fold in a bid deal with several major issues the organization is currently facing.

Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the self-proclaimed Kosovo republic are about to be offered EU membership, according to the Financial Times.

According to the newspaper, Brussels intends to make this move because the Balkans serve as a gateway for thousands of migrants seeking to enter Europe

Comment: Many countries already in the EU are considering leaving so one wonders if the Balkans would want to make the same mistake?

Also See:

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Vader

Tillerson hints that Venezuela's Maduro may be kicked out by own military & suggests 'nice' exile in Cuba


RT
Fri, 02 Feb 2018 11:27 UTC
Nicolas Maduro Venezuela soldiers
© ReutersVenezuela's President Nicolas Maduro with soldiers
Issuing an ambiguous threat to Venezuela, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the army has often been an "agent of change" in the Latin American country and beyond in cases when leadership "can no longer serve the people."

"In the history of Venezuela and South American countries, it is often times that the military is the agent of change when things are so bad and the leadership can no longer serve the people," Tillerson said at the University of Texas in Austin on Thursday.

When the people's patience runs out, the military then "will manage a peaceful transition," Tillerson said, avoiding terms usually associated with such a chain of events, such as "military coup" or "overthrow."

The ousting of Maduro is not something Washington aspires to or plots, Tillerson said, noting that "whether that will be the case here or not, I do not know."

Comment: So much for subtleties! Tillerson spoke like a cartoon gangster: 'It would be a shame if your government suffered an unfortunate accident. Better leave it under the Don's protection already'.

Could the threats have anything to do with any of the items below?

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Flashlight

FBI memo fight puts fresh spotlight on controversial FISA law

Josh Meyer and Josh Gerstein
Politico
Thu, 01 Feb 2018 10:46 UTC
Carter Page
© J. Scott Applewhite/AP PhotoThe Republicans’ memo, according to people who’ve seen it, claims the bureau inappropriately used a controversial dossier on alleged ties between Trump and Russians to get permission to spy on ex-Trump aide Carter Page.
The battle between the White House, FBI and Congress over a classified GOP memo alleging misconduct by bureau officials again pushes into the spotlight a hotly debated law governing how the government uses its most invasive surveillance powers.

The law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, allows authorities to secretly obtain permission to covertly gather intelligence on suspected spies or terrorists on U.S. soil. Republicans say FBI officials acted improperly when they sought a court's approval under the law to spy on a former campaign adviser to President Donald Trump, and they want to release a classified memo they wrote on the subject.

The national security community and privacy advocates have long battled over the law, with Republicans and Democrats alike often criticizing aspects of FISA. But the latest controversy has played out along purely political lines.

Republicans' memo, according to people who've seen it, claims the bureau inappropriately used a controversial dossier on alleged ties between Trump and Russians to get permission to spy on the ex-Trump aide, Carter Page. The FBI said Wednesday the memo contains "material omissions of fact," and Democrats say it mischaracterizes classified intelligence to make its point.

Comment: The latest on the now (hopefully!) imminent release of the FISA memo:

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Stock Down

Kremlin report: Why the US effort to sap Russia is doomed to failure

Yunus Soner, Volkan Ozdemir
Sputnik
Thu, 01 Feb 2018 20:43 UTC
Kremlin by night
© Sputnik/ Alexey Kudenko
The US' Kremlin Report sends an unambiguous signal to Russia's foreign partners and domestic financial elites not to deal with Moscow, Turkish political observers told Sputnik. However, they believe that Washington's recent initiative is largely doomed to failure.

The so-called Kremlin Report is directed not only against Russia, but also against the countries of Eurasia which are cooperating with Moscow, Yunus Soner, deputy chairman of Turkey's left-wing Vatan Party (the Patriotic Party), told Sputnik Turkey.

"This list is yet another attempt by the United States, which is sinking further into isolation on a global scale, to maintain its [dominant] positions," the Turkish politician suggested. "Washington is concerned that the Eurasian Economic Union is emerging as a real alternative to American hegemony. However, the actions of the US authorities will prove unsuccessful..."

Comment: The US can't admit it no longer has the influence it once had, so while these tactics may have worked in the past, they are no longer effective; they're actually bordering on masochistic, alienating themselves and their allies in the international community, and the world is seeing just how desperate and destructive they are: Previous sanctions have served only to bolster Russia's position and push it to become more efficient, self reliant and to make deals with other countries outside of the toxic influence of the US: Also See: The Truth Perspective: Bill Browder, the Magnitsky Act, and anti-Russia Sanctions: Interview with Alex Krainer

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Mr. Potato

State of Delusion Address: Maxine Waters calls for media censorship of President Trump in cringe-worthy rant

Sean Hannity
Hannity.com
Thu, 01 Feb 2018 23:47 UTC
maxine waters
© Mike Segar / Reuters
California Congressman Maxine Waters delivered her scathing response to President Trump's State of the Union Wednesday night, saying a "parental advisory" warning should appear when the Commander-in-Chief speaks on television.

The liberal legislator issued her rebuttal in a pre-recorded message on BET, blasting Trump as a "dangerous, unprincipled, divisive, and shameful racist" who is a "terrible role model for our children."

Comment: Nut case Maxine Waters is likely jealous that the President is actually able to inspire people in his address rather than making them cringe. She might want to consider saying something new instead of trotting out the same old "racist" accusations and Russian interference false talking-points.

See:

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Mr. Potato

Pelosi throws tantrum: Demands Devin Nunes' removal as House Intelligence Committee chairman (UPDATE)

Al Weaver
The Washington Examiner
Thu, 01 Feb 2018 17:32 UTC
pelosi Nunes
© Associated Press"Chairman Nunes' deliberately dishonest actions make him unfit to serve as Chairman, and he must be immediately removed from this position, Rep. Nancy Pelosi wrote to House Speaker Paul Ryan.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday called on House Speaker Paul Ryan to remove Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee because of his effort to publish a GOP memo outlining surveillance abuses at the FBI.

"Chairman Nunes' deliberately dishonest actions make him unfit to serve as Chairman, and he must be immediately removed from this position," Pelosi, D-Calif., wrote to Ryan, R-Wis.

"House Republicans' pattern of obstruction and cover-up to hide the truth about the Trump-Russia scandal represents a threat to our intelligence and our national security," she said. "It is long overdue that you, as Speaker, put an end to this charade and hold Chairman Nunes and all congressional Republicans accountable to the oath they have taken to support and defend the Constitution, and protect the American people."

Comment: More from Breitbart:
Nancy Pelosi Calls on Paul Ryan to Remove Rep. Nunes as House Intel Committee Chair for Releasing the FISA Memo
by Sean Moran
1 Feb 2018

...

Democrats and their allies have recently started attempting to discredit Rep. Nunes ahead of the release of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) memo.

MSNBC analyst John Heilemann asked two Democratic lawmakers in two separate interviews whether Chairman Nunes was "compromised by the Russians" or a "Russian agent."

Heilemann asked Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), "Is it possible that the Republican chairman of the House intel committee has been compromised by the Russians? Is it possible that we actually have a Russian agent running the House intel committee on the Republican side?"

Murphy rebuked that question, suggesting that there was "no information to suggest that it is" the case. Heileman responded, "[Nunes is] behaving like someone who's been compromised, and there are people in the intelligence community, and others with great expertise in this area, who look at him and say, 'That guy's been compromised."

Rep. Pelosi added, "It is long overdue that you, as Speaker, put an end to this charade and hold Congressman Nunes and all Congressional Republicans accountable to the oath they have taken to support and defend the Constitution, and protect the American people."

Pelosi concluded, "The integrity of the House is at stake. We look forward to your immediate action on this subject."



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Document

Feeling the memo already? Comey rips 'weasels and liars,' invokes Joe McCarthy in Twitter rant (VIDEOS)

Samuel Chamberlain
Fox News
Fri, 02 Feb 2018 10:17 UTC
James Comey
James Comey
Former FBI Director James Comey lashed out at unnamed "weasels and liars" on social media late Thursday, hours before President Trump was expected to declassify a controversial memo about purported surveillance abuses over the objections of Democrats.

"All should appreciate the FBI speaking up. I wish more of our leaders would," Comey wrote on Twitter. "But take heart: American history shows that, in the long run, weasels and liars never hold the field, so long as good people stand up."


Comment: The memo hasn't even been realeased yet and Comey is already protesting too much. And the reference to McCarthy is rich! In other words: Whatever the memo says, remember that 'the Soviets' have taken over America!

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Info

'Release the Memo' is a political stunt, but just release it already

Michael Krieger
Liberty Blitzkrieg
Thu, 01 Feb 2018 14:51 UTC
pandora's box
Before I get started, I want to put my cards on the table. I don't trust Republicans like Devin Nunes for a moment. He doesn't care about the civil liberties of Americans, and it's become clear to me the whole "release the memo" thing is largely a political stunt. I'm not claiming there isn't anything important in there, but rather that they don't have the best interests of the U.S. citizenry in mind. Nevertheless, I'm very much in favor of it being released for a variety of reasons.

First, I want to offer a little advice. It's always tempting to immediately take a side on whatever issue happens to be dominating the news cycle at any given moment, but this is typically a poor decision. One thing I've learned over the years is you should always wait at least a few days before coming to any sort of conclusion on most big stories being aggressively hyped by partisan pundits in the media.

From my seat, both Republicans and Democrats in Congress are being dishonest about the memo, which makes perfect sense because the vast majority of politicians in Washington D.C. are corrupt liars who pretend to hate each other while consistently passing bipartisan legislation to abuse the American public. If that's not obvious to you by now, I don't know what it'll take.

Comment: Just release the freaking memo already! They've been talking about this for weeks!

See also:

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