Puppet MastersS


Gavel

GOP senators convince Speaker Johnson to delay Mayorkas impeachment article delivery

Julia Johnson and Elizabeth Elkind
Fox News
Wed, 10 Apr 2024 21:18 UTC
ron johnson mike lee mike johnson mayarokas
© Getty Images/FileSens. Ron Johnson and Mike Lee, left, Speaker Mike Johnson, right, and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ()
'The House will transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate next week,' Johnson's office says

Republican senators convinced House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to delay the delivery of two impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, citing concerns that Senate Democrats will look to quickly dismiss them once a trial begins in the upper chamber.

"To ensure the Senate has adequate time to perform its constitutional duty, the House will transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate next week. There is no reason whatsoever for the Senate to abdicate its responsibility to hold an impeachment trial," a spokesperson for Johnson told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

At least 10 Republican senators said they were actively pressuring the speaker to delay delivering the articles in order to prevent Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the Democrat caucus from tabling the trial ahead of the weekend and sending senators home shortly after, a source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital.

Comment: The House is unanimous that Mayorkas has been an abject failure on border control. Schumer is playing games with Congressional procedure. What is he afraid will come out of an impeachment proceeding? Marjorie Taylor-Green has a few choice opinions on Speaker Johnson's various U-turns since his elevation:



Read More...
Star of David

French FM threatens possible sanctions to force Israel to boost Gaza aid


Times of Israel
Wed, 10 Apr 2024 20:09 UTC
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne
© Simon Maina/AFPFrench Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne poses with a gift after a joint press briefing with the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for foreign and dispora affairs, Musalia Mudavadi (not in the picture) at his office in Nairobi, on April 6, 2024.
Stephane Sejourne makes remarks as aid transfers reach daily wartime highs, after Israel responds to US pressure following deadly strike on food aid convoy

France's foreign minister said on Tuesday that pressure, and possibly sanctions, must be imposed on Israel to open crossings to get humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, as trucks entering the enclave hit consecutive daily highs since the beginning of the war.

"There must be levers of influence and there are multiple levers, going up to sanctions to let humanitarian aid cross checkpoints," Stephane Sejourne told RFI radio and France 24 television

"France was one of the first countries to propose European Union sanctions on Israeli settlers who are committing acts of violence in the West Bank. We will continue if needed to obtain the opening of humanitarian aid," he said.

Comment: It's not as hopeful as it sound. From no aid at all, to some aid being allowed through, is just Israel trying to improve its position vis a vis the International Court:





Read More...
Eye 1

Marking 6 months of war, Netanyahu says Israel is 'a step away from victory'

TOI Staff
Times of Israel
Sun, 07 Apr 2024 17:04 UTC
netanyahu
© Kobi Gideon/GPOPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the weekly cabinet meeting, April 7, 2024.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday marked six months since Hamas's October 7 massacre, which launched the ongoing war in Gaza, vowing that Israel would achieve "complete victory" over Hamas and calling for unity among Israel's citizens. "We are a step away from victory," he said.

In a statement delivered at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to the goals of the war: "To return all our hostages, to complete the elimination of Hamas in the entire Gaza Strip including Rafah, and to ensure Gaza will no longer constitute a threat to Israel."

"I made it clear to the international community: There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages. It just won't happen," Netanyahu said. "This is the Israeli government's policy, and I welcome the fact that the Biden administration made it clear the other day that this is still its position as well."

Comment: See also:

Read More...
Better Earth

Indigenous democracy: Why Africa should reject the Western way

Moussa Ibrahim
RT
Mon, 08 Apr 2024 17:19 UTC
Two Anlo chiefs holding a palaver, Ghana.
© H. Christoph/Getty ImagesFILE PHOTO. Two Anlo chiefs holding a palaver, Ghana.
African traditional governance models can and should be incorporated into modern socio-political life

In the discourse of global governance, Western democracy often stands as the epitome of political organization and representation. Yet, across the African continent, there exists a critical perspective on Western democratic models.

Many Africans, informed by their rich tapestry of tradition, history, and social structures, believe in the necessity of re-evaluating Western democratic paradigms and advocating for forms of governance that are more rooted in African realities. This critical view stems from a deep-seated belief that Africa should develop its own forms of democracy, inspired by indigenous practices, religions, traditions, and communal values.

At the heart of the African critique of Western democracy lies the recognition of the dissonance between imported political systems and the diverse socio-political landscapes of African nations. Western democracy, often characterized by ultra-individualism, elitist power structures, and a focus on "progressivist" values, may not fully resonate with the communal ethos prevalent in many African societies. In contrast, traditional African governance systems, such as those found in various kingdoms, chiefdoms, and tribal structures, prioritize consensus-building, communal decision-making, and the integration of spiritual beliefs into governance.

Comment: The West, or a significant part of it, has clearly shown most recently through how they deal with Israel and Ukraine what they understand as democracy, and through their military actions since the NATO bombings of Yugoslavia, and before that Iraq, how they pretend to defend their so-called value system. In addition financial institutions controlled by the west, have debt trapped many countries.

See also:
How NATO undid decades of post-colonial development in mere months
Adieu, colonizer: France's malign influence still hangs over Africa, and that needs to change
'Likely future leader of South Africa, Malema, calling for genocide of 4 million whites' - Elon Musk
Foreign spies trying to punish South Africa for taking on Israel - minister
Finally: Africa needs permanent seat on Security Council says UN chief
Africa's Che Guevara: How France pulled off the 'dirtiest trick' to assassinate a popular reformer
Winning hearts and minds: Russian training programs to help Africa keep control over resources West looks panicky over Africa shift East
Global South, Pakistan, Turkey, UAE, amongst those backing South Africa's ICJ genocide case against Israel
France lost Africa. Macron just can't accept it
Remember, no colonialism: Why Russia did not participate in the 'Scramble for Africa'


Read More...
Star of David

Israel, Hamas downplay report of progress in truce talks amid optimism from Egypt


The Times of Israel
Mon, 08 Apr 2024 09:52 UTC
4 guys
© Collage/AP/AFPL to R: CIA chief William Burns • Egyptian intel chief Abbas Kamel • Mossad chief David Barnea
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani
Egyptian report says 'significant progress on several contentious points of agreement,' claims deal could be finalized this week; Hamas delegation leaves Cairo for consultations...

Israeli and Palestinian officials on Monday downplayed reports that a truce and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas could be reached as early as this week. Citing a senior Egyptian official involved in the talks, the Egyptian outlet Al-Qahera reported early Monday that talks in Cairo have made "significant progress on several contentious points of agreement."

Egypt, Qatar and key Israeli ally the United States have mediated previous rounds of negotiations, but a deal has remained elusive.

The state-linked Al-Qahera reported that Qatari and Hamas delegations had left Cairo and were expected to return "within two days to finalize the terms of the agreement." US and Israeli delegations were due to leave the Egyptian capital "in the next few hours" and consultations were expected to continue over the next 48 hours, the outlet added.

The report, which was not comfirmed by any of the parties in the talks, came after Israeli officials had indicated cautious optimism on the chances for a deal in comments carried by Hebrew-language media, with Jerusalem giving its delegation wider leeway to make concessions toward an agreement. "This time is different, we are the closest we've been in months to a deal," Channel 12 news quoted a source close to the talks saying.

On Monday, however, Israeli and Hamas officials downplayed the progress cited in the Egyptian report.

Comment: See also:

Read More...
Megaphone

'Democracy' means never having to hear 'You're Fired!' On fortifying managed democracy from 'political interference'

N.S. Lyons
The Upheaval.substack.com
Tue, 09 Apr 2024 00:00 UTC
trump finger
I try not to let myself get dragged into writing quick reaction pieces on breaking news or stuff other people write. It's a bad habit of the internet age. But what can I say, sometimes I just can't help it. Sometimes something is just too juicy to resist. Sometimes something is just too pertinent an example of what I've been trying to talk about here. Sometimes something causes me to eye-roll so hard I briefly pass out and come to with a burning desire to tweet something - except I don't have Xitter, only Substack, so...

I just came across an article fresh from the online pages of Government Executive ("From Swamp Parasites, For Swamp Parasites" is the magazine's tagline, I assume). It's mundanely titled "OPM issues its final rule for Schedule F protections," and while that may not mean much to you it's worth us taking a closer look at it, because this is one of those great examples of where the quiet part gets said (almost) out loud.

The article reports with some self-interested excitement that:

For context, "Schedule F" was a measure Trump came up with (unfortunately only at the tail end of his presidency) to make it easier to actually fire permanent, non-appointed employees of executive branch federal agencies, aka the administrative state or "deep state" (or, as its denizens prefer to call it, the "civil service.")
Read More...
Gavel

Trump, co-defendants seek review of judge's decision not to dismiss Georgia case based on First Amendment

Katelynn Richardson
Daily Caller
Mon, 08 Apr 2024 05:31 UTC
Fani W
© Dennis Byron/Getty ImagesFulton County District Attorney Fani Willis
Trump and his co-defendants are seeking to review a judge's decision not to dismiss their Georgia racketeering case based on the First Amendment.

Judge Scott McAfee denied last week Trump's bid to dismiss the case based on the argument that the indictment "directly targets core protected political speech and activity" in violation of the First Amendment, finding that the state "alleged more than mere expressions of a political nature." Defendants asked McAfee to grant a certificate of immediate review allowing them to appeal his ruling because their challenges would "bar virtually every count of the Indictment against virtually every Defendant" if successful.

The filing states:
"Immediate appellate review is warranted because the challenges relate to Defendants' core political, free speech rights in the context of then-ongoing aftermath of the 2020 Presidential election. While Defendants cited a plethora of U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Circuit Court cases supporting their position, no Georgia appellate courts have addressed whether the challenged Georgia statutes can survive the criminalization of Defendants' core political speech."
The defense attorneys wrote:
Under the state's "novel" theory would mean: "Any First Amendment challenges (let alone core political speech challenges) are dead on arrival and can never support a demurrer in Georgia.

"That is because to hurdle the high First Amendment barriers to speech restriction, all the State would need to plead is that a defendant's speech constituted a Georgia RICO violation (for instance) and nothing more."
Read More...
Toys

Delusional: Zelensky pledges another counteroffensive


RT
Wed, 10 Apr 2024 19:17 UTC
Zelensky Avdeevka
Zelensky posted a photo in front of the entrance to Avdeevka just a few weeks ago, though many questioned if it wasn't just stagemanaged in a studio. A few weeks later and Avdeevka fell.
The Ukrainian president says he is determined to recapture territory which is now part of Russia

New deliveries of Western military technology can enable Kiev to launch a new counteroffensive against Russia, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky believes.

Ukraine's leader made the same claim last year before Kiev's failed attempt to recapture land lost to Moscow in 2022.

While his forces are presently being pushed back on the battlefield, Zelensky hopes to turn the tide, he told the German tabloid Bild this week.

Comment: Zelensky has clearly taken himself to another planet

Read More...
Attention

Russia and China sketch the future as the world awaits Iran's next move

Pepe Escobar
Sputnik News
Wed, 10 Apr 2024 18:11 UTC
lAVROV AND wANG yI
© Sputnik / Пресс-служба МИД РФ /
The whole planet awaits with bated breath the avowedly inevitable Iranian response to the attack against its consulate/ambassador residence in Damascus by the biblical psychopaths responsible for the Gaza genocide.

Enveloped in an aura of secrecy, each passing day betrays the immensity of the challenge: the possibly asymmetrical response must be, simultaneously, symbolic, substantive, cogent, convincing, reasonable and rational. That is driving Tel Aviv totally hysterical and the deciding instances of the Hegemon extremely itchy.

Everyone with a functioning brain knows this wet dream of a stunt from the point of view of hardcore Zionists and US Christian zio-cons was a serious provocation, designed to draw the US to the long-cherished Israeli plan of striking a decisive blow against both Hezbollah and Tehran.

The IDF's Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi all but gave away the game, when he said this past Sunday that "we are operating in cooperation with the USA and strategic partners in the region."

Translation: never trust the Hegemon even as the notion is floated - via Swiss mediators - that Washington won't interfere with Tehran's response to Tel Aviv. One just needs to remember Washington's "assurances" to Saddam Hussein before the first Gulf War.

It's impossible to take Hegemon back-channel assurances at face value. The White House and the Pentagon occasionally dispense these "assurances" to Moscow every time Kiev strikes deep inside the Russian Federation using US-UK satellite intel, logistics, weaponry and with NATO in de-facto operational control.
Read More...
Quenelle - Golden

Slovakia elects pro-Russia Pellegrini as president, joins outspoken PM Fico


Al Jazeera
Wed, 10 Apr 2024 17:16 UTC
slovakia Peter Pellegrini
Parliament Speaker Peter Pellegrini wins second round of presidential election, cementing the grip of pro-Russian PM Robert Fico.
Slovak nationalist-left government candidate Peter Pellegrini has won the country's presidential election, cementing the grip of pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico over the country.

Pellegrini had 53.26 percent of the vote, versus 46.73 percent for pro-Western opposition candidate Ivan Korcok, results from 99.66 percent of voting districts showed on Saturday.

Fico, who took power for the fourth time last October, has turned the country's foreign policy to more pro-Russian views and initiated reforms of criminal law and the media, raising concerns over weakening the rule of law.

Comment: Regarding the election, Mike Shedlock writes:
Decline of the EU Center

The EU is increasingly fragmented over Ukraine, agricultural policy, and energy policy. There is no chance that the EU increases its push towards EVs.

The European parliament elections are in June and the centrists rate to take some huge losses, especially in France, but all across Europe.

The EU is increasingly dysfunctional. Rules make it near impossible to implement any major changes on the Euro, trade policy, and fiscal policy rules, areas that require unanimity to make changes.

In areas where countries can decide individual actions such as support for Ukraine, Slovokia now firmly joins Germany and Hungary in a pro-Russia stance.


Germany?? Evidently: 'Germany yet to be fully deNazified' - Russia's Zakharova


Hungarian Leader Victor Orban Congratulates Pellengrini


Macron is increasingly isolated in France for wanting to stand up to Putin. That will hurt him the parliamentary elections.

European Council President Calls on Europe to Switch to a War Economy

On March 21, I reported European Council President Calls on Europe to Switch to a War
As a way to create jobs, EC President Charles Michel promotes a war economy. Where that would lead is obvious.

Solidarity With Ukraine

Solidarity with Ukraine is drying up everywhere. Support is "so deep" that in the EU it died over wheat. Seriously. It's not just Poland. Farmers across the EU are hopping mad over Ukrainian wheat and corn.
Fortunately, Michel's call is going nowhere for two reasons.

The first is support for Ukraine is waning. The second and more important is fiscal rules would prevent it.

And it's impossible to change the fiscal rules.

Expect a Financial Crisis in Europe With France at the Epicenter

The EU never enforced its Growth and Stability Pact or Maastricht Treaty rules. The crisis is coming to a head with France and Italy in the spotlight. The first casualty will be Green policy.

For discussion, please see Expect a Financial Crisis in Europe With France at the Epicenter

Ukraine Won't Win the War, It's Time for a New Strategy

On March 16, I noted Ukraine Won't Win the War, It's Time for a New Strategy
Support for Ukraine is waning in the US and has totally dried up in Germany. French president Emmanuel Macron is making a symbolic last stand but it's more likely to backfire than help Ukraine.
In Germany, SPD, the lead party in the ruling coalition, openly supports a partition of Ukraine.

In the US, Biden is making a big push for Ukraine with no stated goals or endgame.

It will be interesting to see what concoction Speaker Mike Johnson come up with, but more money will do nothing but prolong the war.

Why is this our battle anyway when Europe increasingly does not give a damn? Don't we have enough problems here on our own border?
Further background regarding Slovakia:


President-elect of Slovakia Pellegrini:

My idea is peace and an end to the killings. I clearly state that I am a politician who will never allow a Slovak soldier to go to fight in Ukraine. Therefore, I think that we did not scare people, but on the contrary. I actually assured every mother and every father in Slovakia that their son would not go to fight in Ukraine. Let's see what's happening in the world.

The President of Poland said that war is just around the corner and he does not know in what year this will affect his country. In Sweden, leaflets are distributed describing how to survive in the event of an invasion and military conflict. In Germany, the head of the Ministry of Defense says that children need to be taught the rules of behavior during war and somehow protected.

So from this point of view, it is not yet clear how this conflict will end. I am very glad that I joined the circle of politicians. Obviously, there are many opinions, but I will say it bluntly, as I have said more than once. I would rather listen to the words of the Pope than, in this case, the President of France Emmanuel Macron. Although I know him, we are at odds.




Read More...