Puppet MastersS


Che Guevara

Move over, Fake News Outlets! Trump administration may invite bloggers and talk show hosts to enlarged press briefings at new, larger venue

Oliver Laughland
The Guardian
Mon, 16 Jan 2017 08:56 UTC
Donald Trump
© Justin Lane/EPA Trump calls on a reporter during his latest press conference on 11 January
Talk radio hosts and bloggers could be invited to official White House press briefings once the Trump administration takes office, under a highly irregular proposal being floated that may also remove briefings from the West Wing.

Trump's pick for White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said on Sunday that due to "off the chart" interest in the new administration, the president-elect was considering moving briefings from the James S Brady press briefing room, which has been used by presidents to address the media since 1970, to a venue with a greater capacity.

A report published by Esquire magazine on Saturday indicated the venue could be inside the Old Executive Office Building, just west of the White House.

"I know change is difficult sometimes," Spicer told Fox News. "But sometimes change can actually be better."

Spicer argued the proposal would mean "you can involve more people, be more transparent, have more accessibility". He suggested that this would mean outlets that are not traditionally part of the White House press corps would be able to ask questions during presidential press briefings.

Comment: This just gets better and better!

Out of the way, Fake News outlets; it's time for the adults to take charge.

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Chess

Trump interview: May lift Russian sanctions - Merkel's migrant policy 'catastrophic' - NATO 'obsolete' - Won't quit tweeting


RT
Mon, 16 Jan 2017 08:28 UTC
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump
© Shannon Stapleton / ReutersU.S. President-elect Donald Trump
US President-elect Donald Trump has hinted that the US could lift its sanctions against Russia, called Merkel's migrant policy "a catastrophic mistake" and branded NATO "obsolete" in a new interview for The Times and Bild.

The interview was given in the President-elect's office in Trump Tower, just days before his inauguration.

Trump was quite straightforward in speaking out in favor of some common ground with Moscow.

"They have sanctions on Russia — let's see if we can make some good deals with Russia. For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially," Trump said to the two media outlets.

Comment: Exactly; why quit a good thing?

Trump tweets, the world listens (because the Fake New Outlets that berate him for tweeting make his tweets headline news!).

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Stormtrooper

Can Donald Trump trust the Secret Service to keep him safe?

Adam Garrie
The Duran
Mon, 16 Jan 2017 04:08 UTC
Secret Service agents surround Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a disturbance as he speaks at Dayton International Airport in Dayton, Ohio
© Aaron P. Bernstein/ReutersSecret Service agents surround Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a disturbance as he speaks at Dayton International Airport in Dayton, Ohio
Quis custodiet ipsos custodies is a Latin phrase meaning, who will guard the guards? Much has been said about Trump's need to 'watch his back' do to his high level enemies in the deep state. As with many other solutions Trump has found in order to help go directly to the people rather than rely on mainstream media, similar methods can be used and ought to be explored when it comes to providing Trump's personal security.

Comment: Well the NRA might seem like a reasonable idea, but let's not forget that some people will do nearly anything for money...

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No Entry

China and Russia will respond to US anti-missile systems to be installed in Asia

Peter Symonds
World Socialist Web Site
Sat, 14 Jan 2017 00:00 UTC
THAAD system in South Korea
China and Russia have agreed to take unspecified "countermeasures" against US plans to install a sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system in South Korea. While nominally directed against North Korea, Washington's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) deployment is part of an expanding US network of anti-missile systems in Asia aimed at preparing for war against China and Russia.

The two countries issued a joint statement following a meeting co-chaired by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov and Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou. The countermeasures, the statement declared, "will be aimed at safeguarding interests of China and Russia and the strategic balance in the region."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said yesterday that the US decision to deploy the THAAD anti-missile system "seriously threatened China's security interest" and also undermined the regional strategic balance. "China and other countries have to address our own legitimate security concerns and take necessary measures to safeguard our security interest," he said.
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USA

"It can't happen here" - Color revolution in America

Bernhard
Moon of Alabama
Sun, 15 Jan 2017 22:58 UTC
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin
© AP/Evan Vucci
The "Donald Trump likes Russia" and "Russia bad" strategy was propagated by the Clinton election campaign. It build on constant U.S. incitement against Russia after the U.S. coup in Ukraine partially failed and after the Russian intervention on the side of the government in Syria. Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State was the main force behind the original anti-Russian campaign. When Clinton lost the election to Trump the theme connecting Trump and Russia was continued and fanned by parts of the U.S. intelligence community.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI published a propaganda report claiming nefarious Russian cyber activities during the election without providing any evidence. The report came together with the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats by the Obama administration. The DHS then planted a false story of Russian cyber-intrusion into a Vermont utility with the Washington Post.

The Director of National Intelligence Clapper followed up with a "report" of alleged Russian interference with the election. Even the Putinphobe Masha Gessen found that to be a shoddy piece of implausible propaganda. The DNI then helped to publish an MI6 "report" of fakes asserting Russian influence on Trump. In an unprecedented threat escalation the Pentagon sends a whole brigade and other assets to the Russian border.

Now the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, John Brennan, warns the President elect to "watch his tongue". Is there any precedence of some "intelligence" flunky threatening a soon to be President?

This has been, all together, a well though out propaganda campaign to reinforce the scheme Clinton and her overlords have been pushing for quite some time: Russia is bad and a danger. Trump is aligned with Russia. Something needs to be done against Trump but most importantly against Russia.

Propaganda works. The campaign is having some effects:

Comment: Not as far-fetched an idea as you may think. Violence would provide the perfect excuse for instigating martial law and ham-stringing Trump's presidency right out of the gate. Blaming Russia would be the icing on the cake.

SOTT Exclusive: A Purple Color revolution in the U.S.? Learn the signs of color revolutions

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Info

Return to Aleppo: A squandered legacy

Fehim Taştekin
Al Monitor
Thu, 12 Jan 2017 23:48 UTC
Damaged old city of Aleppo
© GEORGE OURFALIAN/AFP/Getty ImagesA general view shows Syrian pro-government forces walking in the ancient Umayyad Mosque in the old city of Aleppo, Dec. 13, 2016.
This is the second in a series of stories from Al-Monitor correspondent Fehim Tastekin, who is traveling in Syria.

When I finally arrived in Aleppo from Damascus, accompanied by Damascus-based Turkish journalist Hediye Levent, I discovered the Meridien Hotel we'd wanted to stay at was totally booked because of a government meeting. The hotel general manager found us places at Hotel Riga, once one of the best in the city. We had thought it was not operating because of the war.

When we reached the hotel, we were challenged by Russian security personnel who would not allow us in. We contacted its manager, who told us the hotel is reserved for the Russian military and hasn't had any other guests for a long time. He called the Meridien manager, security units were mobilized to check our credentials and, finally, we were given rooms. There was no water, no electricity, no heating, no breakfast, not even tea-coffee service. But the price was the same as before: $110.
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Attention

Rex Tillerson moves up date for China war!

Peter Lee
Newsbud
Sun, 15 Jan 2017 23:09 UTC
Rex Tillerson
Intentionally or Not Tillerson Has Put Down a Marker

Rex Tillerson, Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, stirred up the South China Sea, along with China, Asia, and the entire globe with this statement: "We have to send China a clear signal that the island building stops and second your access to those islands is not allowed."

Oh baby.

It was a bit amusing to see the China hawks from both Republican and Democratic Parties, who have vociferously condemned the Obama administration for its deficiencies of sack in standing up to the PRC in the South China Sea, shrinking back in dismay at this one and deploying their own temporizing arguments.

But the world can relax. Kinda.
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Blue Planet

Andrew Korybko's 2017 Forecast: USA & Global Trends

Andrew Korybko
Katehon
Sun, 15 Jan 2017 22:02 UTC
usa map
Summary

The Clintonian Counter-Revolution against Trump will continue, albeit in different forms of varying and uncertain intensity, though one thing is for sure and it's that there will be "deep state" tension between and within the US' permanent military, intelligence, and diplomatic bureaucracies. More concretely, however, one can foresee that a slew of problems will expectedly unfold as President Trump follows through on his pledge to deport 2-3 million violent illegal immigrants but meets municipal and state resistance from the mayors and state legislatures which have promised to oppose him, possibly leading to a constitutional standoff which could have far-reaching implications for American domestic stability and US-Mexican relations.

The Clintonian Counter-Revolution

The author analyzed over the summer that there was tension in the "deep state" between the institutional supporters of Trump and Clinton, with his article "National Leadership Styles And The "Deep State": Trump And Hillary" predicting that Trump would 'clean out' hostile elements if he won the Presidency and would consequently make his final judgement about important matters independent of these entities' lobbying. Near the tail end of the election season, the FBI surprisingly reopened its investigation into Hillary's private email server, which the author interpreted as having been done due to irresistible pressure from the patriotic rank-and-file agents who make up the majority of the Bureau. Although Director Comey eventually walked back on his accusatory implications right before the election, that doesn't change the fact of what he had previously done, nor his motivations for doing so. This further proves that there were "deep state" intrigues going on behind the scenes during the election, and which will be elaborated on shortly in the next analysis.

Comment: Further reading:

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Eye 1

Gloves off! Brennan warns Trump against tweeting truth to American people: In response, Trump tweets suggestion that CIA Director is 'fake news leaker'


RFE/RL
Sun, 15 Jan 2017 23:03 UTC
John Brennan
© ReutersA not-so-happy John Brennan
Outgoing CIA Director John Brennan has called on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to watch what he says and posts on social media, saying spontaneity is not in the interests of national security.

Brennan said "talking and tweeting" is not an option for Trump, who will be inaugurated as the 45th U.S. president on January 20.

"Spontaneity is not something that protects national security interests and so, therefore, when he speaks or when he reacts, just make sure he understands that the implications and impact on the United States could be profound," Brennan said in a January 15 interview with Fox News.

Comment: And here is Trump's response:
In a matter of hours, Trump responded with a two-tweet outburst questioning whether the CIA director had leaked a recent unsubstantiated dossier to the media. The dossier claims that Russia had gathered compromising personal information about Trump.

"Just look at Syria (red line), Crimea, Ukraine and the build-up of Russian nukes," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Not good! Was this the leaker of Fake News?"

On January 11, the day after the dossier was released by BuzzFeed, Trump also said on Twitter that intelligence agencies "should never have allowed this fake news to 'leak'" before asking, "Are we living in Nazi Germany?"



The BuzzFeed publication triggered a week of finger-pointing between Trump and intelligence leadership. On Fox News, Brennan said Trump's reference to Nazi Germany was an insult to US intelligence officers.


"What I do find outrageous is equating an intelligence community with Nazi Germany," he said. "I do take great umbrage at that, and there is no basis for Mr. Trump to point fingers at the intelligence community for leaking information that was already available publicly."
Brennan's response mush be a joke. The CIA was practically stocked full of literal Nazis after WWII (chief among them, Reinhard Gehlen, not to mention Allen "Never Met a Nazi I Didn't Like" Dulles)!

This is better than any movie! Pass the popcorn!

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Footprints

No more power, no more money: 22 Clinton Foundation staffers are getting the sack

Alex Christoforou
The Duran
Sun, 15 Jan 2017 22:31 UTC
Clinton Foundation
© Getty Images
Now that Hillary Clinton will not be US President, the Clinton Foundation has lost its main driver of revenue...the pay-per-play business model that the Clinton's perfected and hid under the guise of a charity.

The Clinton Foundation has announced that it is laying off 22 staffers on the Clinton Global Initiative. The round of layoffs is said to keep in line with earlier plans to deal with the negative effects placed on the foundation, due to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

The Clinton Foundation, in a filing with the New York Department of Labor on Thursday, said that the layoffs will take effect April 15, citing the discontinuation of the Clinton Global Initiative.

The real reason for the layoffs is simple. The Clinton Foundation has no more services to offer "donors" now that it has been locked out of government.

Since Hillary's election loss to Trump, various state actors have cut back or completely stopped their donations towards the foundation. Australia has cut its donations to $0. Norway cut its donations by 87%.
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