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The U.S. is at the epicenter of a worldwide economic meltdown

Brandon Smith
Alt-Market
Wed, 20 Jan 2016 00:00 UTC
Duck and cover

Most Americans seem to be taking the 'duck and cover' approach to economic bad news - which is to say that they are grossly misinformed about its causes and fallout, if they are informed at all.
While the economic implosion progresses this year, there will be considerable misdirection and disinformation as to the true nature of what is taking place. As I have outlined in the past, the masses were so ill informed by the mainstream media during the Great Depression that most people had no idea they were actually in the midst of an "official" depression until years after it began. The chorus of economic journalists of the day made sure to argue consistently that recovery was "right around the corner." Our current depression has been no different, but something is about to change.

Unlike the Great Depression, social crisis will eventually eclipse economic crisis in the U.S. That is to say, our society today is so unequipped to deal with a financial collapse that the event will inevitably trigger cultural upheaval and violent internal conflict. In the 1930s, nearly 50% of the American population was rural. Farmers made up 21% of the labor force. Today, only 20% of the population is rural. Less than 2% work in farming and agriculture. That's a rather dramatic shift from a more independent and knowledgeable land-utilizing society to a far more helpless and hapless consumer-based system.
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Camera

Fascism: Erdogan advisor convinces court to censor online photos of him kicking a protester

Efe Kerem Sozeri
Daily Dot
Fri, 22 Jan 2016 09:36 UTC
Psychopath
© Reuters
Yusuf Yerkel, advisor to then Turkish Prime Minister and current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, kicks a protester already held by special forces, Wednesday, May 14, 2014.
In May of 2014, Yusuf Yerkel, a senior Turkish government advisor, injured his leg. He'd been kicking a man protesting the prime minister's response to the worst the worst mining accident in the country's history. To Yerkel's embarrassment, the moment was caught by a Reuters photographer, meaning the entire world got the chance to witness that moment.

But not Turkey.

For more than two years, Turkish government officials have made extensive use of a powerful legal tool to censor online content. But few have taken advantage like Yerkel, an advisor to then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Since publication of the photo, Yerkel has gone on a tenacious crusade to censor it, convincing a court to legally compel Turkey's Internet service providers to censor 357 URLs for their users. His current tally includes 123 YouTube videos, 190 Turkish news articles, 22 international news articles, 10 popular forums, four cartoon blogs, four Dailymotion videos, and one tweet.


That Yerkel even had such a legal option at his disposal is thanks to Turkey's decision, in the wake of a corruption scandal surrounding Erdoğan, to amend its Internet Law (Art.9), to allow censoring of online content that constitutes defamation. The legal procedure is so expedited that judges can give ban orders within a day, with no hearing, no entitled right of defense for the accused. ISPs are ordered to block the online content within four hours of a judge's decision.

The law has become Turkish government officials' go-to tool for censoring the Internet: More than 4,000 orders were issued by Turkish courts over the last two years, banning about 25.000 URLs. The bulk of these banned addresses are Twitter and and Facebook posts, YouTube videos, and news articles. According to the data collected by cyber law professor Yaman Akdeniz, Erdoğan, now the country's president, and Ahmet Davutoğlu, who succeeded him as prime minister, lead the censorship requests.

Comment: The fascist state of Turkey is becoming more and more overt.

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Treasure Chest

Give us more or else: Turkey wants more EU money to tackle refugee crisis


Sputnik
Sat, 23 Jan 2016 22:06 UTC
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (L) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel
© REUTERS/ Bulent Kilic/Pool
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (L) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel chat during their meeting in Istanbul, Turkey.
The EU promised Turkey three billion euros for its assistance in resolving the current refugee crisis. While EU member states are still arguing about the funding, the Turkish government made it clear that the proposed amount of money is insufficient, German newspaper Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten reported.

From the perspective of the Turkish government, the EU needs to spend more money to tackle the current migration crisis.
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Bomb

US drops 23k bombs on 6 mid east countries in 2015: Still totally ineffective against ISIS


Sputnik News
Sat, 23 Jan 2016 21:30 UTC
US bombs dropped on middle east
© AP Photo/ Lefteris Pitarakis, File
Following the terrorist attack in Istanbul, Turkish newspaper Milliyet began to question the purpose of US airstrikes across the Middle East if terrorists only seem to have become stronger.

Expressions like 'a malicious attack' and 'a flagrant act' that are used in the headlines to describe the recent horror in Istanbul have lost their effect on people, according to Melih Aşık.

After the explosion Turkey's PM Ahmet Davutoğlu said that "Today's act is caused by the breach in Syria," and "the biggest source of terrorism is the civil war in Syria."

Comment: People are beginning to ask the right questions: "If the US bombings of supposed terrorists have increased, why haven't the terrorist attacks reduced?" The answer, of course, is because the US has no intentions of destroying that which it created: ISIS

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SOTT Logo Radio

The Truth Perspective: Interview with Joachim Hagopian


Sott.net
Sat, 23 Jan 2016 19:00 UTC
Sott Talk Radio logo
Broadcasting from deep in the heart of the American Empire, join your host Elan Martin, and fellow Sott.net editors, as they discuss everything from current events and the latest machinations and manipulations of the global elite to history, science, and religion, and how it all fits together.

This week on The Truth Perspective Joachim Hagopian returns to discuss the biggest geopolitical developments we see in the world today. Always putting these events into broader context, Joachim's insightful analysis can be found on his blog American Empire Exposed, as well as his regular contributions to Sott.net.

He is also the author of a manuscript entitled Don't Let the Bastards Getcha Down which is an account of his experiences as a West Point graduate and former US Army officer. And has worked as a licensed therapist in the mental health field for nearly 25 years.

The Truth Perspective is brought to you by the SOTT Radio Network and SOTT.net, your one-stop source for independent, unbiased, alternative news and commentary on world events.

Live every Saturday from 2-4pm EST / 11am-1pm PST / 8-10pm CET.

Running Time: 02:07:00

Download: MP3

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Handcuffs

Politicians and bankers exposed as drug-dealing thugs in viral meme

Claire Bernish
The Free Thought Project
Sat, 23 Jan 2016 17:35 UTC
Drug war meme
Though the justice system in the United States might continue to be represented by Lady Justice, whose blindfold and scales symbolize the fair and equitable application of law without prejudice, regardless of one's station in life, few could argue how that original intent has actually played out. With the blindfold long ago ripped off, Lady Justice metes out sentences based solely on power, privilege, and the size of one's wallet.

This is, of course, most clearly evident in the State's absurd War on Drugs — far more fittingly called a War on the People. A war in which, just as a recently viral meme describes, "anti-drug" politicians deal drugs, banks launder that illicit profit, the president supplies the cartels with badly needed weapons, and the military ineptly loses massive shipments of drugs — and all of this is carried out with complete impunity. However, if you are not an agent of the State and happen to be caught with one of the most medicinally beneficial plants on Earth in one of the State's arbitrary areas where possessing or using that plant remains a no-no, it's guaranteed you will not receive the same treatment.
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Pirates

Speaker Larijani: Occupation, military aggression can't stop terrorism


Press TV
Sat, 23 Jan 2016 04:46 UTC
meeting Iran China
© IRNA
Chinese President Xi (2nd L) and Irani Parliament Speaker Larijani (1st R) meet in Tehran, January 23, 2016
Iran's Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani has warned against the deterioration of the security situation in the region, saying occupation and military action will fail to stop the spread of terrorism. The issue of terrorism in the region will not be solved through occupation and acts of military aggression Larijani said in a meeting with the visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tehran on Saturday, adding that the measures only lead to more insecurity and instability. He stressed the importance of improving bilateral economic relations in oil, gas, railway and technology sectors.

The Majlis speaker said some Western powers have exerted great pressure on the Islamic Republic for more than 30 years following the establishment of a popular government in Iran, but stressed that resistance of the Iranian people have rendered all such moves futile.

China keen to help Iran progress: Xi

The Chinese president urged Tehran and Beijing to boost political confidence and firmly support one another in the international arena. Xi expressed China's keenness to play a more effective role in Iran's development in different areas. He said the two countries should work to reach a common stance on matters of mutual interest and viewpoints in the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on issues including the developments in Iraq, Yemen and Syria.

Xi added that the implementation of a nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), will provide a proper opportunity for the promotion of cooperation. The Chinese president, whose country is a member of the P5+1 group, added that the negotiations between Iran and the six global powers on Tehran's nuclear program were an example of a successful experience which can be used to solve regional problems.

Comment: Xi and Larijani, a couple of voices of reason, it seems. Now that the JCPOA is finally being implemented, it is time to see what effect Iran and China will have on the international scene and to what end the West will object and obstruct.

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Question

Is the US unleashing a deadly virus in Donbass, Ukraine?

Stephen Lendman
Activist Post
Sat, 23 Jan 2016 17:07 UTC
biohazard
Is Washington intending biological war on its area residents?

Chemical, biological and radiological warfare is longstanding US practice, used in direct and proxy wars, Syrians and Yemenis notably affected.

On January 22, the Donbass International News Agency (DINA) headlined "Deadly virus leaked from US laboratory - DPR Army and Intelligence," saying:

"More than 20 Ukrainian soldiers have died and over 200 are hospitalized," affected by a virus "immune to all medicines."

Thousands of Ukrainian troops are stationed menacingly in areas bordering Donbass. Intermittent shelling continues, civilians largely threatened.

The lab in question is located in Shelkostantsiay, about 30 km from Kharvov near Donbass. "US military experts" operate there, said DINA.
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Cult

Saudi Arabia sees Israel as an ally, says Netanyahu


Press TV
Sat, 23 Jan 2016 11:12 UTC
Netanyahu
© AFP
Netanyahu at the World Economic Forum
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Saudi Arabia now sees Tel Aviv "as an ally rather as an enemy" as he claims "a great shift taking place" in the Arab policy toward the Palestinian issue. "Saudi Arabia recognizes that Israel is an ally rather than an enemy because of the two principle threats that threaten them, Iran and Daesh," he told CNN's Fareed Zakaria on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos Friday.

Both Saudi Arabia and Israel are fiercely opposed to a nuclear accord between Iran and the West which came into force recently. They are worried the agreement could boost Iran's role in the region. Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel was actively seeking to strengthen ties with Arab powers in the wake of the nuclear deal with Iran.

Daesh ideology is rooted in Wahhabism which is widely promoted by Saudi clerics and tolerated by the kingdom's rulers. Both Saudi Arabia and Israel support Takfiri groups fighting in Syria. Meanwhile, there is no known case of a Daesh attack on either Saudi or Israeli targets.


Comment: Don't fight the hands that feed you?


Netanyahu also said "there is a great shift taking place" in the Saudi-led policy toward the Palestinian issue, citing Israel's "relationships" with unknown Arab states. "By nurturing these relationships that are taking place now with the Arab world, that could actually help us resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and we're actually working towards that end," he said.

Comment: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Sudan...who knew that Israel was making BFFs all over the Middle East? Solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Nah. Netanyahu wants two things...to usurp Palestinian land and nail Iran as the regional enemy.

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Snakes in Suits

War monger Mitch McConnell moves to grant the President unlimited war powers with no expiration date

Michael Krieger
Liberty Blitzkrieg
Sat, 23 Jan 2016 13:51 UTC
Mitch McConnell
The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but of the products of human labour. War is a way of shattering to pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking in the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable, and hence, in the long run, too intelligent.

- From George Orwell's, 1984
This morning, I came across an extremely important story with tremendous long-term negative implications for freedom in these United States. It relates to the fact that the always shady Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is moving to fast track an Authorization of Military Force (AUMF) for the President that would allow for unrestricted warfare against ISIS. There would be no time or geographic restrictions on this authorization. Rather than being a favor to President Obama, this is primarily a means to ensure that whoever takes control in 2017 receives a blank check for unrestrained militarism with no expiration date. This is terrifying.
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