Puppet MastersS


Snakes in Suits

Best of the Web: Our global cancer: Machiavelli and oligarchic democracy

Lorenzo Del Savio and Matteo Mameli
Truthout
Sat, 20 Sep 2014 18:51 UTC
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Machiavelli wrote that when we are trying to understand politics and the history of human societies, much can be explained in terms of the eternal conflict between two fundamental desires. One is the desire of the grandi - that is, the super-rich and the super-powerful - to protect their wealth and power, and to accumulate more wealth and power. The other is the desire of ordinary citizens - that is, anyone who is not super-rich or super-powerful - to live in peace and freedom without being subjected to the predatory activities of the grandi. As stressed by John McCormick, Machiavelli thought that the predatory tendencies of oligarchs were the gravest threat to the liberty and well-being of ordinary people.


Comment: Not only is it the gravest, it's ultimately the only real threat to the masses: all other threats stem from this one.


Machiavelli was right. Many things have changed, but what was true then is still true today. Oligarchic appetites are an enormous threat to liberty and freedom. Machiavelli used his writings to try to convince those in power that oligarchic greed needed to be curbed; his critique of oligarchic domination has often been misunderstood.


Comment: Irony of ironies: that bastion of 'liberty and freedom', the U.S., is in reality an oligarchy - the 1%. Just look at the people they support, like puppet president Poroshenko (oligarch, worth $1.3 billion) in Ukraine, and their 'darling martyr for democracy' Khodorkovsky (oligarch, once worth $15 billion) from Russia.


But who are the oligarchs today in our corporatized and financialized world? They are the super-rich and more generally those who command massive concentrations of wealth, even if they do not own it, or even if they own only a fraction of it, such as the individuals in charge of multinational corporations and financial firms.

Comment: And who exactly are these heartless, ruthless, greedy oligarchs? Psychopaths.

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Snakes in Suits

Voting fraud in action: The Scottish referendum for independence was rigged to fail

Shawn Helton
21st Century Wire
Sat, 20 Sep 2014 18:36 UTC
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Was voter fraud committed during the Scottish Independence referendum?

It has been confirmed that the names of 10 people were already crossed off a voter list prior them voting inside a polling station.
According to reports, the Glasgow City Council confirmed that there were ten cases of suspected electoral fraud occurring at polling stations following the Scottish referendum vote on the 18th. As authorities have been investigating thousands have gathered outside in George Square, Glasgow, which has been dubbed "Independence Square," in the time leading up to the vote.

Scotland on Sunday published a piece in early September suggesting the integrity of the electoral register was called into question a month prior to the historic vote:
"With less than two weeks to go before the independence vote on 18 September, Scotland on Sunday has learned that a formal complaint is to be made by Labour to the returning officer at East Ayrshire Council after activists discovered that at least four children in the area aged between three and 11 have received polling cards."
Continuing, the recent polling concerns were put into context:
"The revelation has echoes of the problems which beset the 1979 devolution referendum, in which some dead people were given the vote, undermining public confidence in the result which did not meet the threshold set by the Callaghan government for creating a Scottish Parliament."
What would be the motive for keeping Scotland in the UK?

Comment: See also:

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No Entry

Moscow says U.S. hindering peace process in Ukraine


RT
Mon, 22 Sep 2014 18:18 UTC
poroshenko
© Reuters/Kevin LamarqueUkraine President Petro Poroshenko addresses a joint meeting of Congress in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, September 18, 2014.
Moscow is bewildered by Washington's warmongering rhetoric, which accompanied President Petro Poroshenko's visit to the US. Russia has also noted all the Russia-unfriendly opinions voiced recently by hawkish American politicians.

"We'll keep in mind all signals, including those unfriendly towards Russia, that were heard during the visit of the Ukrainian president to Washington," commented Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov. "We do regret that there are quite influential circles [within the American establishment] that are unambiguously working against the emerging stabilization [in Ukraine]," Ryabkov said.


Comment: If you have the stomach, you can view Poroshenko's obsequious, nauseating, obviously scripted speech in Washington here: Pass the sick bag! Poroshenko's speech in front of the Imperial Senate


In short, US senators urged to supply Ukraine with arms to fight against Russia and President Putin.

Senator Robert Mendez, a Democrat who runs the Foreign Relations Committee told CNN, "We should provide the Ukrainians with the type of defensive weapons that will impose a cost upon Putin for further aggression.


Comment: Mendez, and the entire Imperial Senate and Congress, seem to be living in a fantasy world. No wonder the Russians no longer wants anything to do with them.

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Footprints

'Protests' in Russia, but no Russian Maidan

The Saker
The Vineyard of the Saker
Sun, 21 Sep 2014 18:35 UTC
moscow march
© ReutersWhy are they marching? Moscow has been the only party doing anything to finally achieve peace in Ukraine.
Demonstrations in Russia

According to RT, 5'000 to 26'000 people have marched in the streets of Moscow demanding peace in the Ukraine. According to Vzgliad, 20 people demonstrated in Petrozavodsk and Saratov, 50 in Perm, up to 100 in Ekaterinburg, 10 in Novosibirsk, 15 in Syktyvkar and a few people in Barnaul. What are important here are not the actual figures, but the order of magnitude. What we clearly see is that these demonstrations were tiny, at least by Russian standards and when RT's Anissa Naouai reports that there was a "very high turnout" she is plain wrong. Also, and this is no less important, let us be very careful about what these demonstrations were all about: for peace in the Ukraine and against war. With such a vague and yet doubleplusgoodmeaning slogan, even refugees from bombed out Donetsk could agree (maybe even especially them).

What we have here is a typical propaganda ploy: get people in the streets in support of peace, love and happiness all over the world, and then present that as an "opposition" protest against the government policies. But, come on, seriously, who wants war in the Ukraine? The Kremlin?

The other important point is this: even if, for argument's sake, we agree that 100% of the demonstrators were fierce opponents of Putin or Russian policies in the Ukraine, that is less than nothing compared to Putin's 80%+ approval rate.

So what did not happen?
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Quenelle

Fear mongering as a prelude to another false flag attack?

Stephen Lendman
Activist Post
Sun, 21 Sep 2014 15:35 UTC
terrorist threat
© docstoc
Fear-mongering is sinister. It's reprehensible. It's longstanding US policy. So are false flags. Merriam-Webster calls them "deliberate gross distortion(s) of the truth used especially as a propaganda tactic." Wikipedia says they're "covert operations designed to deceive the public in such a way that the operations appear as though they are being carried out by other entities."

Official reports hype Big Lies. MSM scoundrels regurgitate them. Truth is systematically buried. Deception substitutes for reality.

False flags are pretexts for militarism, wars, occupations, colonization, resource theft, and exploiting populations for profit. They facilitate ruthlessness. They foster police state repression against freedom. Post-9/11, global war on terror lawlessness followed. It rages out-of-control. One country after another is ravaged, destroyed and pillaged. No end of conflicts loom. Permanent war is official US policy.
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Star of David

Manufacturing anti-Semitism: Yale University Episcopal chaplain forced out by Zionist attacks

Fred Mazelis
Word Socialist Web Site
Thu, 18 Sep 2014 15:30 UTC
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Bruce Shipman, former Chaplain - Episcopal Church at Yale
After a two-week campaign, the Yale University Episcopal chaplain was forced to resign over a letter to the New York Times in which he explained that actions such as the recent Israeli war on Gaza were breeding anti-Semitism in Europe and elsewhere.

The Rev. Bruce Shipman, in a three-sentence letter that was published in the Times on August 26, responded to an Op-Ed article by scholar Deborah Lipstadt discussing European anti-Semitism. Shipman's letter read, in its entirety, as follows:
"Deborah E. Lipstadt makes far too little of the relationship between Israel's policies in the West Bank and Gaza and growing anti-Semitism in Europe and beyond.

"The trend to which she alludes parallels the carnage in Gaza over the last five years, not to mention the perpetually stalled peace talks and the continuing occupation of the West Bank.

"As hope for a two-state solution fades and Palestinian casualties continue to mount, the best antidote to anti-Semitism would be for Israel's patrons abroad to press the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for final-status resolution to the Palestinian question."

Comment: The "spirit of collaboration and collegiality" at Yale is apparently one that seeks to maintain cooperation with the brutality and genocidal psychopaths of Israel. America's educational institutions have always been more about indoctrination than actual education. Zionists have been playing victim and trying to cover their crimes with cries of anti-Semitism for far too long. People must speak out, and thankfully people like Rev. Chapman are doing so.

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Eye 1

Georgia Guidestones officially updated with the year 2014


Activist Post
Sun, 21 Sep 2014 15:26 UTC
The elite's cryptic monument to depopulation and world government just became more mysterious (and creepier) - somebody has officially updated it with an engraved cube marking the year 2014 inserted into the English/Spanish slab of the 'new 10 commandments' for the 'Age of Reason' desired by its creators.

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Gold Bar

Rush to buy gold bars by the super rich

John Ficence
Commoditie Futures.com
Mon, 22 Sep 2014 15:07 UTC
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The super-rich are looking to protect their wealth through buying record numbers of "Italian job" style gold bars, according to bullion experts.

The number of 12.5kg gold bars being bought by wealthy customers has increased 243pc so far this year, when compared to the same period last year, said Rob Halliday-Stein founder of BullionByPost.

"These gold bars are usually stored in the vaults of central banks and are the same ones you see in the film 'The Italian Job'," added David Cousins, bullion executive from London based ATS Bullion.

The bars which are made from pure gold and are worth more than £300,000 each at today's prices of $1,223 (£760) an ounce.

Mr Cousins added that he has seen more confidence from gold buyers this year as prices remain stable after sharp falls in the price of gold last year.
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V

Scotland's First Minister: Scots were tricked into voting 'No'


RT
Mon, 22 Sep 2014 10:36 UTC
sunday herald
London politicians gulled Scottish voters out of independence by making a false "vow" to grant Glasgow extra powers, First Minister Alex Salmond has said. He also raised the prospect of another referendum, saying the break-up is inevitable.

Alex Salmond, leader of the 'Yes' campaign and the outgoing head of the Scottish National Party (SNP), told the BBC's Sunday Politics program that the UK government won last Thursday's referendum vote by 55-45 percent by deceiving the people ahead the referendum and promising to rapidly expand Scottish autonomy.

"I think the vow was something cooked up in desperation for the last few days of the campaign and I think everyone in Scotland now realizes that," said Salmond.

"It is the people who were persuaded to vote no, who were misled, who were gulled, who were tricked effectively," he added. "They are the ones who are really angry."

Comment: All Scots should be outraged right now and use that rage to fuel their next action! Both those who voted either for or against Independence. Not only they were tricked through empty promises and propaganda campaigns, but their referendum result was undoubtedly rigged!

"They have stolen this landslide referendum victory from Scots, who have always been fiercely independent. [...] I encourage Scots to gauge for themselves just how many of their fellow Scotsmen voted Yes or No, perhaps by forming local committees to conduct informal polls, then watch as you learn that the true result was 70%+ in favour of independence."


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Snakes in Suits

Psychopathic criminal and former oligarch Khodorkovsky wants to lead Russia's opposition movement against Putin leadership

Ilya Khrennikov
Bloomberg
Sun, 21 Sep 2014 04:00 UTC
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© BloombergFormer Russian oligarch and arch crime boss Mikhail Khodorkovsky is now trying to re-create the conditions that allowed him to build his former energy empire and further subject the Russian population to his criminal whims.
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the one-time oil tycoon who spent a decade in President Vladimir Putin's prison, staked a claim to the leadership of Russia's opposition, which staged its biggest demonstration in years.

Khodorkovsky, living in exile in Switzerland since his release in December, called on supporters help influence the nation's 2016 parliamentary elections as he restarted his Open Russia movement. In interviews with major European newspapers including France's Le Monde, Spain's El Pais and Germany's Der Spiegel, he made the case that Putin is making mistakes that may hasten his departure.

Russia's opposition yesterday staged its biggest event since 2012, when Putin returned to the Kremlin after four years as prime minister amid the largest protests against his rule. His popularity has rebounded to near record highs since then as the conflict in neighboring Ukraine intensified. Even so, the government has been making mistakes that cost Russia and people will eventually realize that, Khodorkovsky told El Pais.


Comment: Mistakes like what? Not allowing Russia and the Crimeans to fall under the thumb and subjugation of the U.S./NATO/Banking elite via their fascist puppets in Kiev? Right here we see what side Khodorkovsky's bread is still buttered on.


"Khodorkovsky is seeing that the protest movement in the country remains quite significant, while among existing politicians almost none aspire to ally with him and be a moral leader," Mikhail Vinogradov, head of the St. Petersburg Politics Foundation, said by e-mail yesterday.


Comment: Khodorkovsky and those aligned with him - "moral leaders"? Where do these guys come up with this stuff?? Khodorkovsky is about as moral an individual as Wall Street ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff. Far worse actually considering the amount of economic and social damage he reaped on the people of Russia while he was lining his pockets with $15 Billion.


The "peace march" in Moscow drew about 26,000 people yesterday, according to Dmitry Nesterov, a coordinator for the Union of Observers for Russia. Estimates of the crowd size ranged between 5,000 according to police, and as much as 100,000 according to Boris Nemtsov, an opposition leader.

Comment: Khodorkovsky is simply a parasitical opportunist with a will to power who has no sincere aspirations of making anything better for the Russian people, or anyone else. Only himself.

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