Society's Child

More sanctions backfire: EU car producers could fall victim to US sanctions against Russian aluminum

RT
Fri, 20 Apr 2018 07:34 UTC

© Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters
WVMetalle says unless actions are taken, many car plants in Germany and Europe will be closed, and others will face supply disruption.

Sanctions against top Russian aluminum producers are likely to hit European car production, according to Germany's WVMetalle, a lobbying group for 655 metals companies.

The group says unless actions are taken, many car plants in Germany and Europe will be closed, and others will face supply disruption, Bloomberg reports.

"Re-jigging all of those trade flows is really, really tough. You've cut off the US and Europe from its traditional supplier," Michael Widmer, head of metals markets research at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in London, told Bloomberg.

Comment: How much more of an economic hit will the EU tolerate before it finally grows weary enough of bending the knee to American imperialism?

Pro-Gun Parkland student, Kyle Kashuv, dings Obama essay: 'Seems asinine and un-American'

Debra Heine
PJ Media
Thu, 19 Apr 2018 00:01 UTC

Kyle Kashuv, a pro-Second Amendment student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, roasted former President Obama on Twitter Thursday for writing an essay praising only the school's pro-gun control student activists for Time magazine.

Seventeen people were killed and seventeen more were wounded at the Parkland, Florida, school on February 14, making it one of the deadliest school massacres ever.

On Thursday, Time released its list of the 100 most influential people. It included some Parkland survivors -- but only pro-gun control survivors: Cameron Kasky, Jaclyn Corin, David Hogg, Emma Gonzalez, and Alex Wind.

Comment: See also:

General Khalifa Haftar fate unknown - disaster looms over Libyan oil production

Irina Slav
Oilprice.com
Thu, 19 Apr 2018 20:00 UTC

Is General Khalifa Haftar dead or alive? The leader of the Libyan National Army disappeared from the public eye earlier this month, and now rumors surrounding his health are beginning to circulate. Some media reports say he is dead, others insist he is alive.

If we are to trust a quote by Libyan Express of the French foreign minister, Haftar is alive and recovering after medical treatment in Paris. Yet, the possibility of him losing his position of power has already fueled fears about the future of Libya and its oil wealth. These fears are very likely to stoke oil prices further.

Haftar's LNA, affiliated with the eastern Libyan government based in Tobruk and not recognized by the UN, was responsible for the revival of Libya's oil industry after two years ago it retook the four export terminals in the Oil Crescent from the Petroleum Facilities Guard. The LNA made it possible for the National Oil Corporation to lift the country's daily production rate to 1 million barrels and above. That's up from about 300,000 bpd before the takeover of the terminals.

Comment: Still unconfirmed: Reported death of Libya's CIA asset, Khalifa Haftar, sends shockwaves through the Arab world

Jordan Peterson: A new kind of iconic rapper

Andrew Sweeney
Medium
Fri, 20 Apr 2018 19:45 UTC

Jordan Peterson has become a new kind of iconic rapper. If you don't believe me check out the YouTube channel of the musician/DJ named Akira the Don, who makes what he calls 'JBP wave lo-fi hip-hop'. There you will find artful remixes of Peterson's lectures, fused with surprising sonic intelligence and mantra-like samples of Peterson's maxims and epiphanies.

Dr. Peterson's rise to fame has always had something to do with his appeal to young men, and especially those who are artists, comedians, and marginal weirdos. You could say that Peterson is a 'lo-fi' artist himself: he has used minimal effects (low production YouTube videos) for the maximum result (world superstardom). And like a good gangster rapper, he has shown people the power of the word, or logos. The rappers and Peterson might agree: there is nothing more powerful than the naked human voice to break through the spiritual numbness of the times.

Actually, the young men who follow Peterson are not the deplorable 'fan boys' or 'alt-right nazi scumbags' that Peterson haters say they are. Young fans of Peterson are clued-in to the cultural zeitgeist in a way that the 'champagne socialists'-who have snidely called Peterson 'the stupid man's smart person' - are not. These academics and journalists have reacted hysterically to Peterson-calling him a 'fascist mystic' and other less pretty names-and they have also attacked his fans. This is reminiscent of the way that Hilary Clinton called working people 'deplorables'- 'fanboy' is just another word for deplorable here. The implication is that Peterson fans are a lesser species of mongoloid, or at best lower class. But actually Peterson fans are diverse and intelligent and they span the the political spectrum.

Comment:

Russian Envoy Yakovenko: OPCW's work on Skripal poisoning lacks transparency

RT
Fri, 20 Apr 2018 14:28 UTC

The investigation of OPCW experts into the poisoning of ex-Russian double agent Sergei Skripal lacks transparency as it wasn't conducted in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Russian envoy to the UK said.

The probe by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) team "was conducted under control" of the British side, Russian Envoy to the UK Alexander Yakovenko said at a press conference in London.

The OPCW team only checked samples which were given to them by UK officials. "They checked only the sites designated by the UK beforehand," he said. The official stressed that the chemical weapons inspectors identified the substance after it had already been named by top UK officials.

"What we discovered is that the OPCW experts' work in the UK was not in accordance with the CWC standard procedures, but in bilateral format with the UK, which lacks transparency," he said.

Yakovenko once again stressed that the formula of the nerve agent A-234, also known as Novichok, which allegedly poisoned Skripal, "can be made and researched in any chemical laboratory." He raised suspicion of the sample being analyzed so quickly. It could happen only if the sample "was available beforehand," he noted, suggesting that London might have handed over its own A-234 for comparison.

Scientist warning: Toxic levels of Novichok in Salisbury 'hotspots' despite earlier reassurances

RT
Fri, 20 Apr 2018 09:35 UTC

Toxic levels of the nerve agent reportedly used against the Skripals may still be present in multiple "hotspots" across Salisbury, a government scientist says.

According to experts, the residue of the A-234 agent, now widely known as 'Novichok,' which the UK claims poisoned former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, could be as potent as during the alleged attack six weeks ago.

The Skripals are thought to have been targeted with a small amount of the deadly substance in liquid form, while "high concentrations" were found on Sergei's front-door.

The revelations came during a public meeting in the city, where members of the public complained about the length of the clearing process.

Ian Boyd, the chief scientific adviser at the government's environment agency, told one critic: "You are underplaying the toxicity of this chemical. You're also underplaying how the chemical has been spread."

Comment: The UK is trying to find the last ounce of traction for its blame-game fakery, but alas, no one else has succumbed to this poison or tactic. As Lavrov stated in Fort Russ News regarding the findings from the Spiez Laboratory in Switzerland: "Based on the results of the investigation, traces of the toxic chemical BZ and its precursors, related to chemical weapons of the second category under the Chemical Weapons Convention, were found in the samples. BZ is a nerve gas that temporarily puts a person out of action. The effect is achieved within 30-50 minutes and lasts for up to four days."

See Sott Focus: Skripal Case Bombshell: Swiss Lab Reports 'BZ Toxin' Used In Salisbury - Chemical Not Produced In Russia, Only NATO States

UK Violent crime surge continues as 60 killed in London so far in 2018

Sputnik
Tue, 17 Apr 2018 19:40 UTC

Major cities across the UK have witnessed a sharp rise in the number of violent crimes, such as stabbings, being committed. So far this year, 60 people have been murdered in London, with close to 200 murders forecast to occur in 2018 if this trend continues.

The most recent murder took place in the late hours of Monday in the Forest Gate area. The victim - who is believed to be in his late teens - died at the scene at around 23:30 BST on April 16.

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is yet to make any arrests in connection with the murder, but has appealed for eyewitnesses or anyone will potentially useful information to get in touch with them.

Comment: London experiencing unprecedented levels of gun and knife crimes

Down Syndrome activist blocked by Twitter for posting pro-life material

Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D
Breitbart
Fri, 20 Apr 2018 19:41 UTC

Charlotte "Charlie" Fien, a British pro-life activist with Down syndrome, was reportedly blocked by Twitter for 24 hours this week after posting pro-life materials.

The 22-year-old English girl with just under 2,000 followers was up in arms over Twitter's heavy-handed move, especially since the social media giant routinely allows pro-abortion users to post anything they want without censorship.

"Funny how Twitter allows willy pics and boobs," she cracked. "Funny how Twitter allows paedophiles and other scum. Funny how Twitter doesn't like my Pro Life pics and blocks them."

Palestinian Nasreen al-Najjar: She wishes to return

Eitan Bronstein Aparicio and Eleonore Merza Bronstein
Mondoweiss
Tue, 17 Apr 2018 15:54 UTC

Screen shot of Nasreen al-Najjar approaching the fence that separates the Gaza Strip from Israel.

This is Nasreen al-Najjar. She walks toward the fence separating the Gaza Strip from Israel. Alone, only her clothes on her body, she waves the Palestine flag.

She approaches the fence and tense soldiers keep her in their sights. They are amazed at her courage. They try to discern if she is hiding explosive, but do not see any. She moves slowly, she sometimes smiles at them. The commander of the unit suddenly stands and orders them to take down their rifles, lest any of them fire a bullet at her. He instructs two of them to go down to the fence and open an entrance for her so she can pass. She walks by them, greets them and continues on her way to visit the place where her parents were born. There she picks up vine leaves and other native plants that have continued to grow since that time.

She breathes in the air of her house, a house she was prevented from reaching until now. Neighbors come to ask if she needs anything. They want to know if they can help organize for a her real return, beyond this brief visit.

Total of 696 farmers commit suicide in 3 months across Maharashtra, India

Shilpa Shaji
News Click
Thu, 19 Apr 2018 19:22 UTC

The government has chosen not to intervene in the market prices of the seasonal crops, forcing farmers to deal with the debt and the crisis on their own.

Despite the Maharashtra government's farm loan waiver scheme to "settle" the agrarian debts of farmers, the number of farmers committing suicide in the state continues to rise. The state has witnessed a total of 696 farmer suicides in the initial three months of 2018. Though the state government had declared farm loan waiver in June last year, the figure is much higher than the number of cases that were reported during the same period last year, which was 672.

The Vidarbha region has recorded a slight dip in the cases with 329 cases, compared to 353 cases of last year. However, the Vidarbha region has marked the highest number of agriculturists committing suicide. On the other hand, Marathwada, Northern Maharashtra and Western Maharashtra regions have been seen a rise in the farmer suicides.

New Lt. Governor of Virginia Winsome Sears: "We're going to have safer neighborhoods, safer communities, and our children are going to get a good...

parzival

Bill Gates is going to be the one with the uncertain future,,, * New Lt. Governor of Virginia Winsome Sears: "We're going to have safer...

parzival

The more we hear about adverse affects the more we will merely shrug. It's a catch 22. Is that an asteroid trail in the photo?

sass

Welcome to the new normal. The more sensory exposure we have about such things, the less it is an issue.

sass

more misbehaving phuqqin' jewzskies starring on the sott; speaks for itself

Jibrish

Society's Child

More sanctions backfire: EU car producers could fall victim to US sanctions against Russian aluminum

Pro-Gun Parkland student, Kyle Kashuv, dings Obama essay: 'Seems asinine and un-American'

General Khalifa Haftar fate unknown - disaster looms over Libyan oil production

Jordan Peterson: A new kind of iconic rapper

Russian Envoy Yakovenko: OPCW's work on Skripal poisoning lacks transparency

Scientist warning: Toxic levels of Novichok in Salisbury 'hotspots' despite earlier reassurances

UK Violent crime surge continues as 60 killed in London so far in 2018

Down Syndrome activist blocked by Twitter for posting pro-life material

Palestinian Nasreen al-Najjar: She wishes to return

Total of 696 farmers commit suicide in 3 months across Maharashtra, India

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