Puppet MastersS


Airplane

Why did Sen. McCaskill hide her plane records?

Cortney O'Brien
Townhall
Tue, 28 Nov 2017 20:49 UTC
mccaskill
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) is not exactly the most frugal member of Congress when it comes to transportation. She spent about $21,000 in just three months using her private plane during her re-election campaign, the Washington Free Beacon reported last month.

While she supposedly convinced her husband to sell that now infamous plane, they then bought an even more expensive one. Its record of logged miles are hidden from the public, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The company hired by McCaskill to operate the plane, a 2009 Pilatus PC-12/47E, wrote to the FAA earlier this year in April to ask that tracking information on the plane be blocked from the public, according to email records obtained by the Washington Free Beacon through a Freedom of Information Act request.
McCaskill's campaign spokeswoman Meira Bernstein said the request to hide the plane records was made by Aero Charter, not her boss.

"The plane is regularly chartered out to other users, and my understanding is that Aero Charter made this decision to protect the privacy and security of users," Bernstein said. "Claire has been completely transparent about her use of the plane and no taxpayer or campaign dollars are ever used for the plane."

Voters take these things seriously. When it was revealed how HHS Secretary Tom Price took advantage of his position to leave taxpayers with thousands of dollars in airfare, the backlash was so fierce he was quickly pressured to resign.

Comment: Ahem: Senator McCaskill upset over Afghanistan contractor who billed US government for luxury cars

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Blue Planet

Failure of the West to destroy and Balkanize Syria has led to a new ME order

Alex Christoforou
The Duran
Wed, 29 Nov 2017 13:11 UTC
Chess piece
© Greg Groesch
Russia's 2015 intervention in Syria, at the invitation of the legitimate government in Damascus, disrupted sinister western plans to overthrow Assad. With Russia and Iran involved in the Syrian conflict, the defeat of ISIS and consolidation of Assad's legitimate rule was inevitable.

Now as the Syrian war draws to a close, the start of a new Middle East order is taking form.

Via The Strategic Culture Foundation...
In the Middle East and beyond, we are witnessing a series of high-level political meetings between dozens of nations involved directly or indirectly in the Syrian situation. It is crucial to understand all this in order to understand the direction in which the region is going and what the new regional order is.
With the liberation of Abu Kamal on the Iraqi border, the last Syrian town controlled by ISIS, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies have completed the task of eliminating the Caliphate and its control over Syrian cities. ISIS returns to its original dimensions of being a terrorist organization without control of any territory or a city-state proclaimed as its capital.

These are important days, with political conferences about the future of the region and Syria itself occurring from Sochi to Cairo and passing through Riyadh.

Comment: While the situation in Syria is progressively resolving, the empire has yet to throw in the towel and go home. There is no lock on this particular future. However, if this projection turns out to be close to reality, it could be one of the better outcomes.

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Dollar

Trump flips: Wall Street now the victim, not villain

Pam Martens and Russ Martens
Wall Street on Parade
Thu, 30 Nov 2017 20:46 UTC
Trump
© US President Donald Trump Global Look Press
"Populist" candidate for President, Donald Trump, railed against the "political establishment" and Wall Street elites who were "getting away with murder." On October 26, 2016, just days before the Presidential election, Trump spoke at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina and promised to uphold the plank in the Republican Party platform to break up the big banks by restoring the Glass-Steagall Act. He stated:

"The policies of the Clintons brought us the financial recession - through lifting Glass-Steagall, pushing subprime lending, and blocking reforms to Fannie and Freddie. Two friendly names but they're not so friendly. It's time for a 21st century Glass-Steagall and, as part of that, a priority on helping African-American businesses get the credit they need."

Now, as the sitting President, the former populist candidate has become the embodiment of the political establishment he railed against. He has stacked his administration with former bankers from Goldman Sachs; he has placed deeply conflicted Wall Street cronies in key regulatory posts; and he is promising to roll back critical financial reforms. His Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, has disavowed any intention to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act.

To the careful observer, it would appear that the American people have, once again, been played for fools by billionaires who no longer need to hide behind a dark political curtain but have simply seized the reins of power for themselves in broad daylight.
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Magnify

UK: Police confirm journalists who worked on Snowden leaks remain under investigation


RT
Wed, 29 Nov 2017 16:57 UTC
PhoneSnowden
© Dado Ruvic
British journalists who worked with leaked National Security Agency (NSA) documents from Edward Snowden are still being secretly investigated, it has been revealed. Critics say police should immediately end the probe as "journalism is not a crime."

According to an investigation by the Intercept, 'Operation Curable' is being led by a counterterrorism unit within London's Metropolitan Police. "The investigation is still ongoing. In addition to this, I can also confirm that it is still under the direction of AC Mark Rowley," a spokesperson said in reply to a Freedom of Information Act request.

The investigation has now been active for more than four years. The force has declined to provide any information about the amount of funds spent or the number of officers working on it, instead insisting that it does not hold records of these details.

The National Union for Journalists (NUJ), the UK's largest journalists' organization, called for the investigation to be halted immediately. Spokesperson Sarah Kavanagh said news reports based on the Snowden documents had exposed unlawful covert surveillance activities in the public interest.

"The media are often the only group in society able to reveal the intelligence and security forces have exceeded their legitimate powers and remit," Kavanagh told the Intercept. "The Met Police should be condemned for keeping journalists under investigation because they worked on the Snowden leaks. The investigation should be halted immediately. Journalism is not a crime."


Comment: Criminal Offense: Never mind the origin, investigate instead the messenger.

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Heart - Black

Hypocrite Hillary says we need to "empower" women to come forward about sexual assault


True Pundit
Wed, 29 Nov 2017 20:35 UTC
clinton laugh
In an interview with The Washington Post Tuesday, Hillary Clinton basically admitted she holds a double standard on when to believe women's stories of sexual assault.

Of course, Clinton has first-hand experience of dealing with women who've accused her own husband of sexual assault and rape. She responded at the time by attacking their character and trying to discredit them. And when asked about these women today, she still accuses them of lying, telling a conservative radio host a few days ago that her husband's accusers were "misremembering or misinterpreting history."

"One of the things we're all talking about, today is you name the profession there are now men who stand accused, who have lost their jobs, women are coming forward and taking the power in their own hands to stand up to what's happened to them. I'd love to get your thoughts on what's happening," he prompted.

Clinton had her pro-women empowerment message ready, praising those who've come forward as "courageous" even in the face of possibly facing persecution for doing so.

Comment: You gotta give it to Hillary: somehow, despite her age and repeated humiliating failures, she still manages to get more vile by the day. Now that's an accomplishment.

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Rocket

Donald, Kim Jong-un is not crazy, and China has no magic 'solution'

Doug Bandow
The National Interest
Sat, 03 Jun 2017 00:00 UTC
Kimxitrump
© Yonhap News
Admittedly no one should expect linear thinking from President Donald Trump. Still, it was a bit jarring to hear him go from calling North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un a "pretty smart cookie" and "gentleman" who the president would be "honored" to meet to a "madman with nuclear weapons."

Not that the recent phone call with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was the first time President Trump questioned Kim's sanity. Last year candidate Trump said Kim was "like a maniac."

Thankfully President Trump indicated that he didn't want to use America's vastly more powerful military against Kim. The president still looks to Beijing for the answer: "I hope China solves the problem. They really have the means because a great degree of their stuff come[s] through China. But if China doesn't do it, we will do it." The president didn't explain what "it" might involve.

Comment: Obviously, the issues have since not resolved and progress, unless behind the scenes, has not been forthcoming, except for Kim's nuclear program. Perhaps China truly doesn't have a magic solution and perhaps Kim is a little bit not crazy.

See also:

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Brick Wall

Four impacts of the blockade against Venezuela

Misión Verdad
telesur
Wed, 29 Nov 2017 00:00 UTC
Venez Blockade
© Lo Cole/KJN
The financial blockade directly affects routine international payments for goods and services. No doubt remains that the blockade of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is intended to deepen the sabotage of the Venezuelan people's social and economic life.

1. Funds were frozen for the import of insulin

Ever since President Donald Trump's decree towards the end of this year, the Venezuelan state has confronted various difficulties trying to import medicines and foodstuffs not produced domestically. The financial blockade directly affects routine international payments for goods and services.

The Venezuelan government has repeatedly denounced this. On Sept. 7, President Nicolas Maduro denounced in the National Constituent Assembly the hold up in an international port of a cargo of over 300,000 doses of insulin, thanks to the "Donald Trump-Julio Borges pact."

President Maduro explained that the U.S.-based Citibank financial institution refused to receive the money Venezuela was depositing to pay for the importation of this huge cargo of insulin for diabetic patients. As a result, the insulin shipment was held up for many days in port. President Maduro explained, "Even though we have the money to pay, they do not accept it."

"Starting this week, I hold Trump and Borges responsible for the blockade of medicines," President Maduro said, referring to the requests during 2017 from the leader of the Justice First party for these boycott measures.

Comment: See also:

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Camcorder

Official docs of New Zealand's Operation Speargun surveillance program vindicate Snowden cover-up revelations


Sputnik
Wed, 29 Nov 2017 10:01 UTC
KeySnowden
© Getty ImagesNew Zealand PM John Key • Edward Snowden
Official New Zealand government documents show that a mass surveillance program, which former Prime Minister John Key insisted had been halted, had in fact continued during his time in office, according to an investigation by the New Zealand Herald.

Whistleblower Edward Snowden has accused Key, who was in office from 2008 to 2016, of "stealing" the 2014 general election by falsely claiming that the program had been stopped.

​Shortly before the election, investigative reporter Glenn Greenwald, who examined the files Snowden leaked from the NSA, and Snowden alleged that the New Zealand government was carrying out mass surveillance of its residents. Snowden warned New Zealanders that "If you live in New Zealand, you are being watched," and accused Key of "not telling the truth about mass surveillance."

Comment: Election by way of deception. Seems to be a lot of that going around.

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Star of David

Israel, Google, YouTube to censor Palestinian videos of conflict


IMEM News
Mon, 27 Nov 2017 06:04 UTC
Censored
© RT/KJN
The Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister, Member of Knesset Tzipi Hotovely, held meetings this week with representatives of YouTube and Google, to find ways of cooperating to censor Palestinian videos from occupied Palestine, videos she dubbed as "inciting violence and terrorism." Israeli daily Maariv said Hotovely will be working with Google and YouTube officials in a joint mechanism that will be in charge of "monitoring and preventing" any publication of materials deemed by Tel Aviv to be "inflammatory."

Hotovely announced in a Hebrew-only press release that she met with YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, and Google's Director of Public Policy, Jennifer Oztzistzki, at Google's Silicon Valley Offices.

Hotovely said that she received a comprehensive review mechanism for companies to monitor the films that allegedly incite violence, claiming that the supposed 'incitement videos' drive young children to go out and stab: 'The attacks daily in Israel are the result of youths and children incited by the education system and the social networks, this is a daily war of incitement.'

She said that Google agreed to strengthen the bilateral relations with Israel's Foreign Ministry, and build a mechanism of "collaborative work" that would make both parties partners in monitoring the published materials and censoring them.

The Israeli move comes amidst escalating tension in occupied Palestine, and a large number of videos, including those showing Israeli soldiers and officers killing Palestinians execution-style after injuring them, and many videos that in general highlight the suffering of the Palestinian people, living under the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine.

The Israeli coordination with Google and YouTube has very serious implications, and many journalists have spoken out in opposition, saying it is a direct assault on the Freedom of the Press.

Comment: Google (Alphabet) and Youtube (a Google subsidiary) have become self-appointed gatekeepers on information, freedom of expression, and censorship. The public has the means to censor them back.

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Heart - Black

Pentagon blocks report on child sex abuse by US allies, troops forced to remain mum

Matt Agorist
The Free Thought Project
Tue, 28 Nov 2017 00:00 UTC
Bacha Bazi
© Protothema.grBacha Bazi - 'boy play'
Despite 93 members of Congress requesting information on the horrific sexual abuse of children by US allies in Afghanistan, the Pentagon has denied it.

U.S. soldiers stationed in Afghanistan often witnessed acts of sexual abuse committed by US allied commanders against local children. As the Free Thought Project reported at the time, it was later revealed that the soldiers were told to look the other way and keep quiet about it - or face punishment. Now, according to a bombshell report, it appears that the Pentagon was complicit in the cover up too.

According to the NY Times, the Pentagon tried to block an independent assessment of child sex abuse crimes committed by Afghan soldiers and police, instead insisting on the creation of its own report offering a far less authoritative review of human rights violations perpetrated by U.S. allies, according to an aide to Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).

Comment: See also:

US troops ignored child sex abuse in Afghanistan because they were taught it was 'culturally acceptable'

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