Debts Impossible to Repay With Only Our Honor and Respect
"In our effort to accommodate many Americans by making the last Monday in May, Memorial Day, we have lost sight of the significance of this day to our nation. Instead of using Memorial Day as a time to honor and reflect on the sacrifices made by Americans in defense of freedom, many Americans use the day as a celebration of the beginning of summer." *— Purple Heart Recipient and Former United States Senator Daniel Inouye* *Flanders Field American Military Cemetery - Waregem Belgium, Near My Childhood Home* *In Flanders fields the poppies blow ... more »
“There's A Loneliness Epidemic In The US And It’s Getting Worse: Loneliness Is Literally Killing Us”
*“There's A Loneliness Epidemic In The US And It’s Getting Worse: * *Loneliness Is Literally Killing Us”* by Philip Perry "I’m going through a divorce. It’s amicable, mature, and adult. We just don’t work together as a couple anymore, but we’ll try and remain friends. As a writer, I work from home. I’m alone all day and now, no one is coming home at night. As a result, I’m taking great pains to be social, to go out, to see friends and family, to make phone calls, and to avoid social isolation. There’s no shame in admitting as much, although our rugged individualist society may look ... more »
Picture Of The Day
Army Sgt. Kendrick Cantwell, right, Spc. Aiden Fredrick, center, and Pvt. Andrew Wilson render a salute after placing American flags in front of headstones during "Flags In" at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., May 24, 2018. Cantwell, Fredrick, and Wilson are infantrymen assigned to Company A, 4th Battalion, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as "The Old Guard.” DoD photo by Sebastian J. Sciotti Jr. *WNU Editor:* The above picture came from this photo-gallery .... *Soldiers Participate in 'Flags In' to Honor Fallen* (US Department Of Defense).
Angel Flight...
*may God bless our fallen heroes.* Enjoy your day, but don't ever forget who helped make it possible.
A 'Little Rocket Man Patch'?
*WNU editor:* The above pictures came from this Twitter feed .... *笑脸男人*
When Will It Be Time To Bring Out The Guillotines Again?
You can't imagine what a humongous fan I am of the French Revolution. I also love New Order songs... especially "Age of Consent," so this video above-- Oh God! No guillotines but, by the end, you get the point where all that excess it shows was leading. The French came to refer to Marie Antoinette as *Madame Déficit* and saw her as profligate self-serving, promiscuous (with Count Axel von Fersen, who looks very hot in the clip above) and reactionary. She was executed on the Place de la Révolution, now called the Place de la Concorde-- by everyone but me-- on October 16 1793. Yest... more »
This Is How Countries In Asia Are Trying To Counter China's Growing Power
REUTERS/Jason Lee *Christopher Woody, Business Insider:** Countries in Asia are looking for ways to counter China's growing power — with and without the US's help* China's more assertive posture in its near abroad has its neighbors more concerned about Beijing's ambitions, and President Donald Trump's seeming vacillation on US commitments to the region have many of those countries reassessing their own security and diplomatic relationships. At present, the balance of power in Asia "really is one of contested US primacy," Hervé Lemahieu, a research fellow at Australian think tank t... more »
A Soldier's Reflection For Memorial Day
Graves at Arlington on Memorial Day. Wikipedia. Viewpoint: A Soldier's Reflection For Memorial Day -- Time It is the early days of January 2010, and the company forms to the front of the memorial display at the chapel of the forward operating base in Afghanistan. The backdrop for the small shrine: the crossed staffs of an American flag and the regimental colors. An M4 rifle stands upright, its bayonet lodged into a felt-covered wooden desk in front of the flags, the pistol grip facing the audience. The fallen soldier's helmet rests on the weapon's buttstock, shielding it as it once ... more »
Chinese Companies Are Playing A Big Role In Building Up The U.S. Military
*Michael Peck, National Interest:* *The U.S. Military's Greatest Weakness? China 'Builds' a Huge Chunk of It* "Made in China" is a label that Americans see everyday on everything from clothes to televisions. But when it comes to America's weapons, Made in China is a label you don't want to see. Despite political, military and trade tensions between America and China, Chinese or Chinese-owned firms play a dangerously large role in U.S. defense production, according to a new Pentagon report. For instance, most U.S. military solid rocket engines use a substance called Dechlorane. How... more »
My Three Pics For Memorial Day
The photo, taken by The New York Times’s Todd Heisler, while he was a staff photographer at The Rocky Mountain News in 2005. The night before the burial of her husband’s body, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the coffin, asking to sleep next to his body for the last time. The Marines made a bed for her. Associated Press/Rocky Mountain News, Todd Heisler
Musical Interlude: Neil H, “The Remembering”
Neil H, “The Remembering” - https://www.youtube.com/
"I Hope..."
"I hope that my achievements in life shall be these- that I will have fought for what was right and fair, that I will have risked for that which mattered, that I will have given help to those who were in need, and that I will have left the earth a better place for what I've done and who I've been." - C. Hoppe “I have undertaken a labor, a labor out of love for the world, and to comfort noble hearts: those that I hold dear, and the world to which my heart goes out. Not the common world do I mean, of those who (as I have heard) cannot bear grief and desire but to bathe in bliss. ... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
"In this beautiful celestial still life composed with a cosmic brush, dusty nebula NGC 2170 shines at the upper left. Reflecting the light of nearby hot stars, NGC 2170 is joined by other bluish reflection nebulae, a compact red emission region, and streamers of obscuring dust against a backdrop of stars. *Click image for larger size.* Like the common household items still life painters often choose for their subjects, the clouds of gas, dust, and hot stars pictured here are also commonly found in this setting - a massive, star-forming molecular cloud in the constellation Monoceros.... more »
Top U.S. General In Europe Wants More Troops And Resources To 'Deter' Russia
European Command head Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti. © Flickr/ UNC - CFC - USFK *Zero Hedge*: *US Commander In Europe Wants More Troops, Resources To "Deter" Russia* Russia has begun substantial multi-year cuts on their own military spending, but that isn’t going to deter Pentagon brass who intend to keep using it for more spending to “counter” them. European Command head Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti is the latest to push this narrative. Gen. Scaparrotti suggested that the “modernization” of Russia’s military means that the US needs to deploy even more troops into Europe, with yet more equip... more »
"The Truth Is Out There..."
“We used to think that secrecy was perhaps the greatest enemy of democracy, and as long as there was no suppression or censorship, people could be trusted to make the informed decisions that would preserve our free society, but we have learned in recent years that the techniques of misinformation and misdirection have become so refined that, even in an open society, a cleverly directed flood of misinformation can overwhelm the truth, even though the truth is out there, uncensored, quietly available to anyone who can find it.” - Daniel C. Dennett
Immigration the most pressing issue facing US
“The latest Harvard/Harris Poll finds that a plurality of 41 percent of Republican voters say immigration is the most pressing issue facing the nation. Meanwhile, 42 percent of conservatives said the same, while 44 percent of Trump voters said immigration … Continue reading →
The Cage on Tohono O'odham Nation -- U.S. 'Dog Kennels' Imprison Migrants and Water Protectors
This photo is of The Cage, the sweltering inhumane outside detention center used by the US Border Patrol on the Tohono O'odham Nation in the Sonoran Desert. When Mohawks came here in 2007, they were joined by Lenny Foster, Dineh, who said this was no more than a "dog cage." This cage was not operating the last time we were there, but these cages are still used, to cage migrants, as they were
#Ramadan Arabian Nights 2018 : The amazing tales challenge Episode 12 “The Prophecy”
It is time to complete our tale for this year, the tale of The Amazing tales challenge. Before we go and listen to tonight’s episode of our Ramadan Arabian Nights Podcast, I would like to share a little trivia. Tonight one of our recurring characters is having a comeback aka King Haddam of the Ifrit Underground kingdom. King Haddam was voiced by famous late Egyptian actor Hassan el Baroudi who is better known as Madbouli in Youssef Chahine’s Cairo Station. Born in January 1890, el Baroudi was from Egypt’s first generation of actors just like Abdel Waress Assar. He started his career i... more »
Russia vs. Germany: The Worst War In All of Human History?
*Robert Farley* *Security, * Millions died. *The civilian population of the territory in conflict suffered terribly from the war, in part because of the horrific occupation policies of the German (and the Soviets), and in part because of a lack of food and other necessities of life. Around 15 million Soviet civilians are thought to have been killed. Some three million ethnic Poles died (some before the German invasion of the Soviet Union, but many after) along with around three million Jews of Polish and another two million of Soviet citizenship (included in the Soviet statisti... more »
Why the Age of the Aircraft Carrier Isn't Over (Yet)
*Robert Farley* *Security, * All of the reasons why. *The biggest threat to the future of the aircraft carrier lies not in missiles or torpedoes, but in the enormous combined cost of the ships, their escorts, and their air wings. This is a problem that has not improved over the past century; carriers have grown ever more expensive, increasing the strain on defense budgets and national governments.* *HMS Furious*, the first real aircraft carrier, entered service in early 1918. A converted cruiser, she displaced about 20,000 tons, and flew about half a dozen Sopwith Camels, an ai... more »
Come Aboard the USS Enterprise: The Navy's Finest Ship Ever
*Robert Farley* *Security, * A ship like no other. *Enterprise won twenty battle stars in the Pacific, more than any other U.S. ship. There was widespread recognition of its service, and several efforts to preserve it as a monument. Despite the advocacy of retired Navy personnel, however, these efforts failed, and it was sold for scrap in 1958. This is now recognized by many as a tragic failure of the United States to properly maintain its military heritage; in the years after Enterprise’s scrapping, several other battleships and aircraft carriers were preserved.* In May 1938,... more »
A Call for Realism in Europe
*Elmar Hellendoorn* *Global Governance, Europe* [image: Anti-Brexit demonstrators wave EU and Union flags outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, January 30, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville] If Europe wants to secure its fate, then it will have to balance European idealism with a renewed realism. President Donald Trump’s abrogation of the Iran agreement indicates again that progressive Europe is increasingly less relevant to the world. At the same time, the world of power politics has an increasing influence upon Europe. Originally, Realpolitiker Konrad Adenauer and Char... more »
A New Russian Cruise Missile For It's Su-57 Fighter?
Su-57 fighter launch a advanced cruise missiles in Syria, said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. pic.twitter.com/TvEo8AF9Kw — 笑脸男人 (@lfx160219) May 25, 2018 *Warzone/The Drive:* *Russia's Su-57 Fighter Launches A New Cruise Missile From Its Weapons Bay* Russia's new super fighter appears to be in the process of receiving a missile that will drastically improve its deep strike capabilities. Russia's Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has presented video of the country's new Su-57 fighter—you can read our full analysis on this often misunderstood aircraft here—launching a new cr... more »
Angra dos Reis Mayor Declares State of Emergency
By Nelson Belen, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – With the truckers’ strike currently gripping Brazil reaching its seventh day, over the weekend, Mayor of Angra dos Reis, Fernando Jordão, declared a state of emergency for the city. “I have no choice except to declare a state of emergency in Angra dos Reis, because […]
New Book: Lord of Formosa
*Lord of Formosa* Joyce Bergvelt Available from Camphor Press Last month Camphor formally launched its latest offering in an increasingly diverse and interesting library of books about Taiwan, *Lord of Formosa*. Bradley Winterton, the sturdy book reviewer for the Taipei Times, described it: Chinese war junks with crimson sails, diets said to influence the sex of a child and match-makers with painted white faces and red cheeks: Lord of Formosa, which centers on the life of the 17th century warrior and Ming Dynasty loyalist Cheng Cheng-kung (鄭成功, also known as Koxinga), is crammed w... more »
Spanish YPG fighter killed in Deir Ezzor
BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:00 A.M.) – A Spanish volunteer for the People’s Protection Units (YPG) was reported killed on May 13th in the Deir Ezzor Governorate, the YPG announced on Sunday. According to the YPG’s statement, the Spanish national was identified as Kendal Ramon of Madrid; he was killed by a landmine planted by the so-called […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Erdogan’s political rival calls for warmer ties with Assad
BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:40 A.M.) – The leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu stated on Sunday that his political party wants to strengthen Turkey’s ties with the Syrian government, despite several years of turmoil with Damascus. “After stability is ensured in Syria and non-state actors are disarmed, we will support a political solution […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Iraqi forces foil ISIL’s attempt to infiltrate from Syria
BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:20 A.M.) – The Iraqi Armed Forces were able to thwart an attempt by the so-called Islamic State (ISIL) to infiltrate into Iraq from Syria. According to a local report, the Iraqi border guards foiled the Islamic State’s attempt to enter the town of Al-Rutbah, which is located near the Syrian border-crossing. No […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
China accused the US of invading its waters in the South China Sea
Naval vessels of the United States have arbitrarily invaded the territorial waters of the South China Sea, said Wu Qian, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense of the People’s Republic of China. The representative of the defense department called the next maneuvers of American ships a provocation, adding that it was a “violation of the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Leave It To A Liberal Rag Like The New Yorker Magazine.....
....to run a picture like this as part of their Memorial Weekend issue.
"Sometime In Your Life..."
"Sometime in your life, hope that you might see one starved man, the look on his face when the bread finally arrives. Hope that you might have baked it or bought or even kneaded it yourself. For that look on his face, for your meeting his eyes across a piece of bread, you might be willing to lose a lot, or suffer a lot, or die a little, even." - Daniel Berrigan
There Are Only Two Ways This Ends
By AdamKokesh On this episode, Adam discusses the ever-increasing rate of change we are seeing with various technologies. As the rate increases, and the various... more »
CBS News Correspondent Reveals What It Was Like To Visit North Korea And View The Demolition Of Its Nuclear Test Site
Ben Tracy reported from a nuclear testing facility in North Korea last week.Screenshot via CBSnews.com *Business Insider:* *A CBS News reporter reveals what it was like when North Korea blew up its nuclear testing site* * CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy was the only American broadcast news correspondent invited by North Korea to witness the destruction of a nuclear testing facility last week. * Tracy described the trip as secretive and full of strict rules, but reported officials said they wanted journalists at the site to be "transparent." * Tracy was not allowed to pull up the s... more »
Is This a Photograph of a Children’s Concentration Camp in the U.S.?
Debate continues over how temporary holding facility and processing centers for undocumented migrant children should be described.
The Scientific Religion of Newton
Science is the intellectual discipline by which observations of phenomena are explained by extant knowledge on a provisional basis as knowledge is always incomplete. Newton’s law of universal gravitation states that every point mass in the universe attracts every … Continue reading →
Israel’s Parliament Is Considering A Law Banning The Photographing Or Filming Of Soldiers
Image of Palestinian journalist injured by Israeli soldiers in Gaza [file photo] *The Independent:* *Israel considering law to ban photographing or filming of IDF soldiers* *Bill aims to 'silence criticism of the army', critics say* Israel’s parliament is to consider a law banning the photographing or filming of soldiers, in what critics claim is a “dangerous” attempt to undermine scrutiny of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). Under the proposed legislation, entitled the “Prohibition against photocopying and documenting IDF Soldiers”, those found photographing troops “with the int... more »
The Illegitimate President-- "A Mistake We Should All Regret"
*Donald Trump, Jr by Nancy Ohanian* It's been clear for over a year now that Putin crony and deputy governor of Russia’s Central Bank, Alexander Torshin, was funneling Kremlin money into the Trump campaign through the NRA. I've been looking forward to Mueller laying out all the evidence on that one in precise detail when his investigation of how Putin stole the 2016 presidential election is completed. Now Michael Isikoff is reporting that the FBI has obtained secret wiretaps collected by Spanish police of conversations implications Trump Jr and Torshin. José Grinda, who has spearh... more »
Sneaky populists
Being (for some reason) fascinated by the goings-on in Italy, tonight has - from what I've been reading - been quite something. The pro-EU president has provoked a full-blown constitutional crisis by refusing to agree to the appointment of a Eurosceptic economy minister (Paolo Savona) chosen by the would-be, new, democratically-elected Five Star/Lega coalition government - and, fascinatingly, it's the (allegedly left-leaning) Five Star leader Luigi Di Maio rather than the (allegedly far-right) Lega leader who is is now leading the calls for mainstream centre-left President Sergio ... more »
Bias on demand?
Yesterday's Irish referendum result (after voting on Friday) backing liberalisation of Ireland's abortion laws has still been *the* story for the BBC today. The politically-focused programmes on Radio 4 - *Sunday, Broadcasting House *and *The World This Weekend - *all majored on it; indeed, *BH *was a 'Special' broadcast from Dublin. *The World This Weekend *was the one where the focus, signalled in the news bulletins earlier, shifted most emphatically to the calls for Northern Ireland to hold a referendum, against the wishes of Mrs May's proper-uppers in the DUP. And the most-v... more »
Rhode Island Drivers Fined $100 For Cell Phone Use. Research Confirmed Cell Phone Radiation Disrupts Blood Brain Barrier, Causes It to Leak
By B.N. Frank Starting June 1, Rhode Island police officers may pull over drivers who are holding phones and fine them. The new law was... more »
This Is How Russia's Military Moves Around the World
The Il-76 *Charlie Gao, National Interest*: *The Inside Story of How Russia's Military Moves Around the World * When it comes to being air-mobile, the Russian military is second only to the U.S. military. According to the 2018 Military Balance Report, Russia fields 177 heavy to medium transport aircraft. This stands in contrast to America’s 658, China’s 84, France’s 46, and the UK’s 44. Russia’s transport fleet has proven useful in recent operations in Syria, but how did such a numerous fleet evolve in a military that has a strong focus on ground warfare? What unique capabilities ... more »
Bonus Quote of the Day: "I think we are standing in the quicksands of NZ education right now"
*"I think we are standing in the quicksands of NZ education right now... We are going to be going into a deep, dark place in what I see as a lack of responsibility by the adults for the children in this conversation. "I frankly believe that the removal of NCEA Level 1 in the manner that they are describing it - literacy and numeracy and even having a conversation about does financial and civic literacy fit into that definition of literacy - is a very, very dangerous start."*~ Auckland Grammar principal Tim O'Connor, commenting on the Government's "radical changes to senior ... more »
QotD: The law of markets ...
*"Supply facilitates demand, and demand is constituted by supply. If you understand this and the implications, you understand the market economy. And can figure out economic policy."*~ Per Bylund. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Permission to republish is granted, with link and attribution.
Marx and the Fragment on Machines
This, I suppose, is a fragment on fragments. Those bits and pieces of jottings, letters, notes to self, first drafts and other ephemera that accumulate as the debris of writing. When someone, a novelist, thinker, leader, is canonised careers can be made arranging and debating the detritus deposited in a personal (and oft disorganised) archive. Indeed, the very process of establishing somebody as a somebody often draws on this backstage of their careers, giving them weight and significance, dressing them up resplendently, before thrusting the spotlight upon these private thoughts. F... more »
BBC and Sceptre
If there's one thing the BBC does well (and the BBC still does many things well) it's covering major royal events - despite the glaring exception of the BBC's 2012 Diamond Jubilee coverage, which was widely considered a fiasco. I agree, for example, with what seems to be the general sentiment that their coverage of the Harry-Meghan wedding was excellent. None of my royalist friends at work found anything to object to, or even thought of finding anything to object to. I can well imagine that 18 million of HM's UK subjects watched it, someway or other, mostly on the BBC. Republica... more »
The U.S. Now Have A Drone Base In Greece
*Nick Turse, The Intercept:* *Threats “From the South” Prompt U.S. to Base Drones in Greece for the First Time* As part of its ongoing expansion of operations in and around Africa, the U.S. military has recently begun operating drones from a Greek airfield. MQ-9 Reapers, the more advanced replacement for the venerable Predator drone, deployed last month to Larissa air base in eastern Greece near the Aegean Sea “on a temporary basis as they transition to a different location,” according to Auburn Davis, the chief of media operations for U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Afric... more »
U.S. Gulf Coast Braces for Impact as Subtropical Storm Alberto Approaches
Alberto is the first named storm of the 2018 hurricane season, and has prompted residents of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi to make emergency preparations.
George H.W. Bush Hospitalized and Under Observation for Low Blood Pressure
A spokesman for the 93-year-old former president said he was alert and comfortable in a hospital in Maine.
Update: Russian, Syrian delegations offer terms of reconciliation in several Daraa towns
BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:30 P.M.) – A military source in Damascus informed Al-Masdar News this evening that a joint Syrian-Russian delegation met with the rebel factions in several Dara’a Governorate town to discuss terms of reconciliation. According to the source, the joint Syrian-Russian delegation met with rebel factions and community leaders in Mahajah, Ibta, Da’el, and […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Two Ukrainian security officers killed in Donbass – LPR
Two officers of the Ukrainian Security Service died in clashes with servicemen of the Ukrainian army in the zone of the so-called Joint Forces Operation (JFO) in Donbass, Andrei Marochko, a spokesman for the defense ministry of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), said on Sunday. “According to our data, Ukrainian Security Service officers were […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Developing: US-backed forces clash inside Raqqa city
BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:10 P.M.) – Two factions belonging to the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) began clashing with one another inside Raqqa city tonight. According to locals in Raqqa city, heavy clashes broke out between the predominately Arab Raqqa Revolutionaries Brigade and a Kurdish-led militia inside the provincial capital. The clashes reportedly took place along […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
China urges US to stop violating its sovereignty
China urged the U.S. to stop provocative actions that violate its sovereignty and constitute a threat to China’s national security, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Sunday. Earlier, the Chinese Ministry of Defense confirmed that the destroyer USS Higgins and the USS Antietam guided-missile cruiser took place on Sunday 12 nautical miles from the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Russian fighter jet spotted over Lebanon for first time in months
BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:45 P.M.) – For the first time in several months, a Russian fighter jet crossed over from Syria into Lebanese airspace. Based on the images from locals, the Russian aircraft was a Su-34 fighter jet; it was spotted over the coastal city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon. The Su-34 is currently carrying the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Strongest cyclone on record in Yemen kills 11 people
The most powerful cyclone on record, Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Mekunu blasted coastal and inland regions of Middle Eastern states Yemen and Oman with sustained winds of 112 mph and gusts of up to 124 mph, bringing rainfall amounts of up to eleven inches over a 24-hour period — an astonishing and unprecedented downpour that […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Rebel groups merge under one command in Daraa ahead of upcoming Syrian Army offensive
BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:25 P.M.) – A number of rebel groups in southern Syria have merged together to confront the upcoming Syrian Arab Army (SAA) offensive that is set to take place in the coming weeks. According to pro-opposition activists in southern Syria, several rebel groups have merged under one command inside the Al-Quneitra and Dara’a […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Russia: Crimean citizens witness ships set to guard Crimean Bridge (video)
Crimea residents watched the border guard ships set to protect the Crimean Bridge and the frontiers, Sunday. The vessels and the military equipment were showcased to mark the centenary anniversary of the Border Service of the Russian Security Service (FSB). The Ametist border patrol ship was shown among other vessels designed to patrol and protect […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Israel constructing unique underwater barricade on Gaza border – reports
According to the Israeli Defense Ministry, an underwater barrier which will stretch from the southern Israeli community of Zikim into the Mediterranean Sea, will serve as a blockade to ward off Hamas. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year. “This is the only obstacle of its kind in the world, […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Can The U.S. Fight A War Against North Korea And Iran At The Same Time?
© AFP 2018 / YONHAP *Paul Sonne and Missy Ryan, Stars and Stripes/Washington Post: **Could US fight dual wars in N. Korea, Iran? Strategists say military toll would be almost unfathomable* The seeming collapse of the North Korea summit and the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal have led top officials in the Trump administration to once again make veiled references to military action, with President Donald Trump most recently touting American might in a speech Friday at the U.S. Naval Academy. But beyond the saber-rattling is a sobering reality well known by strategists an... more »
Pure opinion
Meanwhile, Jeremy Bowen, the BBC's Middle East Editor, has been sounding off away from the BBC at his usual non-BBC haunt, *The New Statesman. * *(Come to think of it, how has that 'progressive' magazine managed to avoid a name change? 'Statesman' in 2018? #MeToo). * The Impartial One does his usual thing. He begins by making the Palestinians of Gaza sound like victims and the Israelis look like their oppressors. He then praises those critical of Israel. Next he complains that his pet subject (Israel and the Palestinians) has been neglected in recent year before painting a pictur... more »
"The Inevitability of Snollygosters"
*"The Inevitability of Snollygosters"* by Jeff Thomas "Snollygoster is an archaic term for, “A fellow who wants office, regardless of party, platform or principles, and who, whenever he wins, gets there by the sheer force monumental talknophical assumnancy.” All right, that’s a rather antiquated definition, but then, “snollygoster” is a very antiquated term. It hasn’t been in use since the mid-1800’s. Another definition is, “A shrewd, unprincipled person, especially a politician.” So, of what interest is this bygone nomenclature to us today? Well, the definitions are exactly in kee... more »
THERE WON'T BE A SATURDAY NIGHT MASSACRE BEFORE ELECTION DAY -- THIS MAY BE WHY
This is from a *New York Times* story about the president's war on law enforcement: Sam Nunberg, a former campaign adviser, said the president should not fire [Attorney General Jeff] Sessions, [Deputy Attorney General Rod] Rosenstein or Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel in charge of the Russia investigation, because “they’re perfect foils.” They and James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director fired by Mr. Trump last year, have become symbols of the “deep state” that Mr. Trump says he is fighting. “They have given us every single talking point that we have needed,” Mr. Nunberg said... more »
An Analysis On The U.S - China Trade War
*Roncevert Ganan Almond, The Diplomat*: *The U.S.-China Trade War* *A simple plan: action, confusion, and retreat* Prior to his invasion of Russia, Napoleon reportedly said: “[M]y campaign plan is a battle, and all my politics is success.” However, following a Pyrrhic victory in Borodino, Napoleon found himself without a plan or success. Not anticipating Tsar Alexander I’s refusal to surrender and General Mikhail Kutuzov’s strategic withdraw from Moscow into the vast Eurasian steppe, the Grande Armée was left exposed and exhausted. With the weight of a Russian winter coming, Napole... more »
Ivanka Hits The Campaign Trail In California
*No GOP candidates want Cocaine Mitch campaigning in their districts* Mitch McConnell is the least popular politician in America. Only 16% of Americans have a favorable opinion of him, while 47% have an unfavorable option and 37% have either never heard of him or have no opinion. Among public figures McConnell is even less popular than Jared Kushner (18%), the only elected official who is. Kushner's wife, Ivanka Trump, is much more liked-- 38%-- although her unfavorables are 41%. There are no Republican candidates anywhere asking for McConnell to come stump with them in their distri... more »
Mexico's Color Line and the Cultural Imperialism of Light-Skin Preference
Truthout’s Public Intellectual Page By Robeeto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez The color of the people of Mexico is one of the things that had a most profound effect on my psyche when I first visited the place of my birth in 1976 at the age of 22. The people came in all colors, though primarily different shades of red-brown, owing to the nation's Indigenous roots. Having grown up in a white-dominant society, it was an affirmation of my own brown skin color, in sharp contrast with the artificial color of official Mexico. I was used to seeing government bureaucrats and those that graced the nat... more »
Mayan Woman Murdered by US Border Patrol on Texas Border
An eye witness said Claudia was hiding in the bushes when she was shot in the head and executed by a US Border agent. Aljazeera reports: Immigrant rights groups across the United States have condemned the killing of a young unarmed Guatemalan woman who was shot by a border patrol agent in Texas. The woman, identified as 20-year-old Claudia Patricia Gomez Gonzales, was shot in the head by a
ACLU: U.S. Border Patrol engaged in pervasive abuse of migrant children
. ACLU: U.S. Border Patrol engaged in pervasive abuse of migrant children NEW REPORT IS BASED ON THOUSANDS OF GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS OBTAINED THROUGH THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT THAT DETAIL HORRIFIC STORIESMAY 22, 2018 By ACLU Censored Newsv Read ACLU statement at: https://www.aclu.org/news/aclu-obtains-documents-showing-widespread-abuse-child-immigrants-us-custody . Read more
Turkey, Russia agree on 10 pct discount on natural gas: Erdoğan
*So is Putin helping Erdogan with the upcoming election with this deal?* *Maybe a duo back washing for both parties since Turkey is purchasing the S-400? * *I think there is some of the above mentioned cooperation going on. * *Perhaps some economic help since the west has been playing hardball with Turkey for some time now.* *Daily Sabah* *"President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday said Ankara and Moscow reached an agreement to reduce the price of the natural gas imported from Russia by 10.25 percent after long negotiations.* *Speaking at a rally of the ruling Justice And Developme... more »
ICYMI: Primitive Blogging Edition
The only functioning device I have to my name is my phone (which won't hold a charge) and my work computer (which is, you know, at work). And it's finals time, and final grade time. In recognition of my outstanding whining, my wife has loaned me her laptop for a bit. My second try at a new functioning desktop is due this week; I don't know what I'm going to do about the tablet. Enough about my over-privileged first world problems-- I should be back to normal action soon. But in the meantime, here's some reading for you from tis week. *What They Said Before and What They Are Saying N... more »
U.S. lost 1,500 migrant children, repeating horror of stolen Native American children
Vice.com "Trump's inhumane border policies are tearing families apart and traumatizing children." https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/43539q/what-separating-migrant-families-at-the-border-actually-looks-like U.S. lost 1,500 migrant children, repeating horror of stolen Native American children Article by Brenda Norrell Censored News The New York Times reports that the Department of Health
Twittering
I know that some people hereabouts (naming no names, but elsewhere from *ITBB*) aren't too keen on posts highlighting BBC activity on Twitter. But Twitter (however much we may dislike it) matters. And BBC reporters are bound by impartiality guidelines even when they're tweeting. And many of them not only put their BBC credentials into their 'Twitter handles and bios', they use their Twitter feed - just as the BBC encouraged them to do - as a key part of their official BBC reporting. (And they use it to plug their books too). So it most certainly *isn't* incidental or trivial if ... more »
China Issues Warning To U.S. Warships To Leave The South China Sea
*CGTN:* *China warns US warships to leave South China Sea * The Chinese army acted immediately and dispatched warships to warn US warships to leave, China's Ministry of National Defense said on Sunday, in response to two US warships' entry into the South China Sea. On May 27, two US Navy warships, Higgins, a guided-missile destroyer and Antietam, a guided-missile cruiser, arbitrarily entered waters surrounding China's Xisha Islands. The defense ministry said that the Xisha Islands are an inherent part of China's territory. China resolutely opposes the US actions which go agains... more »
Woman Held Captive Slips Note to Veterinary Employee
Florida authorities say a woman who was beaten and held captive for two days at gunpoint by her boyfriend escaped when she convinced him bring their dog to an animal hospital - and then slipped a note to a staff member.
Bad News: Russia And China Could Soon Shoot Down Stealth F-22s and F-35s
*Dave Majumdar* *Security, * What can the air force do about it? With Boeing and the United States Navy explaining in detail how a combination of long-wave infrared search & track combined with high-speed multi-ship data networking and advanced sensor fusion algorithms can generate a weapons quality track on an enemy stealth fighter, it is only a matter of time before adversaries such as Russia and China develop similar capabilities. Both Moscow and Beijing have most of the elements needed to develop and field counter-stealth technologies similar to that demonstrated by the U.S... more »
When people pull the Nazi card, they better have a good reason
Republican Congressman Peter King of New York has pulled the Nazi card. He said NFL football players who choose not to stand for the national anthem are being Nazis. The President said during one of his ramblings that maybe these … Continue reading →
"$21 Trillion Missing From The Pentagon - Remember 911 And The Missing $2.3 Trillion?"
*"$21 Trillion Missing From The Pentagon - * *Remember 911 And The Missing $2.3 Trillion?"* by Lee Camp "The day before 911 Donald Rumsfeld announced that the Pentagon could not account for $2.3 Trillion! The very next day the General Accounting Office at the Pentagon was hit by a "plane” and everyone therein was killed! These sums of money are beyond imagination. What is the Pentagon doing with amounts like this? How can these monies be unaccounted for? *Twenty-one trillion dollars.* The Pentagon’s own numbers show that it can’t account for $21 trillion. Yes, I mean trillion with ... more »
Back
Hmm. I know Sunday is usually the day for an *Andrew Marr Show ft Rob Burley *post here at *ITBB*, but BBC Executive Editor Rob has (quite rightly) been exercising his prerogative to ignore the usual mass seething of left-wing BBC critics who attend each and every edition of his former baby. But... He chose (on Twitter) to criticise Gary Neville instead. Big mistake. His Twitter timeline is now full of furious Gary Neville fans fulminating against him. Maybe R Rob should stick to beating up Corbynista haters of Andrew Marr. He's very good at that. And it would probably be far... more »
Fighting And Massacres Are Being Reported In The English Region Of Cameroon
*SCMP/AFP:* *Cameroon clashes leave 22 people dead as English-speaking separatists push for greater independence* Violence between insurgents and government forces has occurred almost daily in the region since a political crisis escalated in late 2016 Twenty-two people have been killed in clashes with the army in Cameroon, an opposition MP said on Saturday, in the latest violence to hit the restive northwest, where separatists from the English-speaking minority are fighting for greater autonomy. The identity of those killed was not immediately clear, with the army describing them ... more »
Creative Road Signs Warn Maine Motorists in Funny Ways
Motorists traveling around Maine this holiday weekend will see residents' creativity on display.
"That One..."
“Man gives every reason for his conduct save one, every excuse for his crimes save one, every plea for his safety save one; and that one is his cowardice.” - George Bernard Shaw
White Trash in the White House
*Trump's letter to Kim [proof-read/edited version]* Trump recently telling press that meeting may still be "on" because "*Everyone plays games*." *Trump: "Everybody Plays Games"* *When Asked Why He Wrote Formal* *Letter Cancelling Meeting with NK* Back in the 1800's nobody would have guessed that a member of the "white trash" lower social class of America would become president and take up residence in "The White House". Here is a snippet from the description/definition of "white trash" that appears in Wikipedia: "...The label signifies lower social class inside the white popul... more »
Two New Collections of Documents about the Central Event in American History
The last month has seen the publication of two remarkable collections of documents relating to the run-up to the conflagration of 1861-1865 and the government of the ostensible Confederate States of America. Dwight T. Pitcaithley has published, with the University Press of Kansas, *The U.S. Constitution and Secession: A Documentary Anthology of Slavery and White Supremacy. *I should note that it includes an extremely enthusiastic foreword by yours truly, for I am indeed extremely enthusiastic about the book. It focuses on speeches and other interventions particularly between Li... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Villars-sur-glane, Fribourg, Switzerland. Thanks for stopping by!
"Humanity Hanging From A Cross Of Iron..."
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities. It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals. It is some fifty miles of concrete pavement. We... more »
“Sullivan Ballou’s Letter Home, 1861”
“Sullivan Ballou’s Letter Home, 1861” From Ken Burns’ PBS Documentary “The Civil War” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh_NvtXebmc
Sea Ice Extent (Global Antarctic and Arctic) – Day 146 – 2018
Originally posted on sunshine hours: South / North
As 40% of Americans Can’t Pay $400 Bill, Pentagon Spends $1 BILLION Developing Killer Robots
By John Vibes The Pentagon reportedly plans to spend more than $1 billion over the next few years developing advanced robots for military applications that... more »
Families of MK Ultra Victims File Lawsuit Over Government Mind Control Experiments
By John Vibes Most of the government mind control programs that exist are kept secret, but over the years there is one that managed to...more »
"Remembering the Dead"
*"Remembering the Dead"* by Bill Bonner "Monday is the day set aside by the US federal government for us to remember our war dead. Here at the Diary of a Rogue Economist, we always do as we are told. So, today, we will turn our thoughts back to Vicksburg, Mississippi... which gave the country enough corpses to remember... and from where we've just returned. We were born south of the Mason-Dixon line. More importantly, we were born south of Pratt Street in Baltimore, giving us Southern tendencies from the start. Even as a child, we felt a sentimental attachment to the Old South an... more »
Musings On Iraq In The News
I was cited by Ibrahim al-Marashi in "Iraq elections: The curious case of the Communist-Sadrist alliance" for Middle East Eye.
Review SABOT Publications, M1A1 in Iraqi Service
*Review SABOT Publications, M1A1 in Iraqi Service, Warmachines 04 Photo reference book, St. Charles: SABOT Publications, 2017* Iraq’s 2014-17 war against the Islamic State gained international attention. It was inevitable that this conflict would raise interest in Iraq’s military as well. That explains the publication of SABOT’s *M1A1 in Iraqi Service*. The book is for modelers and tank aficionados, and consists of 65 pages of color photos and illustrations of M1A1 Abrams tanks of Iraq’s 9th Division and the Special Division Tank Regiment, although there appears to be one photo of ... more »
European and Mid-Sized American Banks Engineer Risk Shift
The financial crisis of 2007-2008 led to enhanced regulation that was designed to preserve the power hierarchy of banks, while regulating their risk production in the US and Europe (see my book here). Wall Street has been attacking Dodd-Frank legal reforms instituted after the 2007-2008 financial crisis since they were instituted. Consider this article from 2015 that describes the Republican-led assault: Weisman, Jonathan and Lipton, Eric. In New Congress, Wall St. Pushes to Undermine Dodd-Frank Reform. January 13, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/14/business/economy/in-new-c... more »
This Day In Iraqi History - May 27
1917 UK Col Clayton worried Sykes-Picot would create opposition by Sharif of Mecca against UK taking Baghdad 1941 Operation Regulta began British forces marched north from Basra to Kut and onto Baghdad 1941 British forces moved from Fallujah to cut Baghdad-Mosul road and railway 1941 PM Gaylani told Italians he was disappointed with Axis assistance 1947 Month after returning to Iraq Mustafa Barzani started another revolt against govt 1991 Kurdish parties threatened to go back to fighting if deal not reached with Baghdad over autonomy 1993 UN Resolution ... more »
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