10 pm MST
The things you get told along the way!
*SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2019In this case, RE Carter Page:* It's possible that your lizard brain won't like our topic today. So it goes in this veil of tears! That said, we plan to continue with our rumination concerning the things you were told, along the way, concerning Carter Page. We can't give you the full story concerning Carter Page. That said, it never seemed especially likely to us that he was part of some major intrigue. Beyond that, we often noted the way our favorite stars were spinning the facts about Page—for example, by playing brain-dead semantic games about his "m... more »
Horowitz’s BS Debunked
Horowitz is an Obama flunky, pure and simple, so his report was a watered-down version not only to lessen the impact of the FBI’s lies, manipulations of the law, and corruption but also to cover for Barky Soetoro, who as most of us realize, is behind the entire Russia, Russia, Russia hoax and the rest of the Lib’s BS. And once again, it takes a foreign reporter to uncover the treason, sedition, lies, and corruption of the Left because the US Media is nothing but a Joe Goebbels-like propaganda outlet. And if you missed this article, enjoy. EXCERPT: “The IG … Continue reading →
Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. - Chris Hatch discusses the glaring contradictions between Canada's lip service to the fight against climate change, and its actions in pushing to expand dirty energy production for decades to come. The Globe and Mail's editorial board rightly recognizes that increasing the production and consumption of natural gas isn't an answer to our climate emergency. And Shanti Nair reports that Chevron and other major oil companies are accounting for a dim future for fossil fuels in their asset valuations. - Meanwhile, Janet French reports on Jason ... more »
The BBC and the earlier parts of the past week
Charles Moore's fine column in *The Spectator *this week also dwelt on "mainstream media triumphalism which equates its own interests with those of the general population," though he focused specifically on the BBC's coverage of the final days of the election campaign. As it chimed with my impressions, I hope it's OK to quote this at length from (Sir) Charles: The following morning, on the BBC Today programme, Nick Robinson — who seems almost obsessively opposed to Boris Johnson, perhaps because of something or other in Oxford days (a failure to gain election to the Bullingdon Cl... more »
"Fukushima Update 12/14/19: 20,685.15 Hiroshima Bombs Today, More Tomorrow
*"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”* - Shiva ◆ *Updated Dec. 14, 2019: Fukushima Equals 20,685.15 Hiroshima Bombs Today, More Tomorrow; There is No Place On Earth to Escape the Rad: *The 3 melted-through cores of the destroyed reactors, now melted together into a single "corium" totaling over *600 tons*, at Fukushima *daily* release the radioactive equivalent of 6.45 Hiroshima bombs directly into the atmosphere and the Pacific Ocean. As of Dec. 14, 2019 - 3,207 days since the disaster began - this equals the detonation of *20,685.15 *Hiroshima atomic bombs and it is s... more »
The BBC's Chris Morris gets dumped (on)
Writing in his fine *Spectator *column, Sir Charles Moore (well, he *should *be!) takes aim and fires again at the BBC's reality-checker-in-chief, Chris Morris: On Wednesday, Chris ‘Reality Check’ Morris seemed to endorse Plaid Cymru’s idea that the ‘lies’ of politicians should be subjected to legal supervision. Behind all this is the conceit that BBC journalism should sit in judgment. This is truly wrong, and quite different from the justified search for accuracy in reporting.The BBC’s constant attacks on social media campaigns are not crusades for truth, but protests by a cartel.... more »
McConnell: ‘No Chance’ Trump Will Be Removed from Office
*21WIRE* | Senators try to reassure their base after being criticized for saying they will not call any witnesses to testify on behalf of the President at impeachment trial.
NATO’s Terrorist Army: Hundreds of Jaysh Al-Izza Defectors Join Turkish-Backed Forces
*21WIRE + South Front* | Terrorist factions continue to join NATO's ranks, as Erdogan tries to sustain his violent proxy war in Syria.
Weekend reads: Stolen identity and peer review; key heart data concealed; psychology’s ‘collective self-deception’
Before we present this week’s Weekend Reads, a question: Do you enjoy our weekly roundup? If so, we could really use your help. Would you consider a tax-deductible donation to support Weekend Reads, and our daily work? Thanks in advance. The week at Retraction Watch featured: The retraction of a paper claiming a link between the … Continue reading Weekend reads: Stolen identity and peer review; key heart data concealed; psychology’s ‘collective self-deception’
Attack of the Loons: America Planned to Strike Germany and Japan with 75,000 Reverse-Engineered Nazi Cruise Missiles
*Sebastien Roblin* *History, Europe* [image: By Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1975-117-26 / Lysiak / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5482824] Some history you may have missed. Exactly one month after the first of thousands of Nazi V-1 “Buzz Bomb” cruise missiles began raining terror and death on London, a Dakota transport plane landed on July 13, 1944, at Wright-Patterson Field in Ohio bearing a sinister cargo: one ton of V-1 parts recovered from dud missiles. The Allies had ample warning of the Nazi missile campaign and undertook massive ... more »
Teenagers in Danger: Flavored Vape Ban May Have Unintended Consequences
*Jeffrey A. Singer* *Politics, Americas* [image: A demonstrator vapes during a protest at the Massachusetts State House against the state’s four-month ban of all vaping product sales in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., October 3, 2019. REUTERS/Brian Snyder] It's not what the doctor ordered... *Key point:* Banning flavored vaping will only push teenagers to seek dangerous alternatives. As of December 2019, eight states have acted to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. Other states are contemplating bans in 2020. I have pointed out here and here why banning flavored vaping product... more »
Move Over, Tomahawk. The U.S. Navy's New SM-6 Is In Town.
*David Axe* *Security, Americas* [image: The guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) launches a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) as apart of a joint ballistic missile defense exercise. America's Sailors are Warfighters, a fast and flexible force deployed worldwide] It can do anything but fight in space. *Key point:* The SM-6 may be the most versatile missile yet. The U.S. Navy in late January 2019 confirmed the designation of its newest cruise missile, in the process clarifying its long-term plan for arming its growing fleet of warships. The plan heavily leans on one missile, ... more »
This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 14
1927 Agreement made over new Anglo-Iraq Treaty Wasn’t signed due to Iraqi complaints (Musings On Iraq book review *Supremacy And Oil, Iraq, Turkey, and the Anglo-American World Order, 1918-1930*) 1983 State Dept memo said that major setback for Iraq would be strategic defeat for West (Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War) (Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper on Iran-Iraq War) (Musings On Iraq book review *The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988*) (Musings On Iraq book review *Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988*) (Musings On Iraq b... more »
Stoking Big Climate Business
Rupert Darwall writes from Madrid to Real Clear Energy The Business of Climate Change. Excerpts in italics with my bolds. Saving the planet takes money, and lots of it. Money is both the theme and the subtext of the latest round of UN climate talks being held here—a vast river of cash flows through the […]
Another Day in the Chilean Uprising
Another Day in the Chilean Uprising By photolangelle on December 14, 2019 Santiago: where militancy, music and art meet and complement each other Copy and all photographs by Orin Langelle Protesters tear up the sidewalk to make projectiles for later street fight with the Carabineros (national police) Santiago, Chile – Last night, 13
Cop Found Guilty After Video Caught Him Beating Innocent Man in a Hospital, Lying About It
[image: beating]A Fort Worth police officer has been found guilty after he was caught on video punching an innocent man in the face and having his fellow officer jump in to continue the beating.
F*ck Boris...
*Confirmed: Commie/libtards are ugly, crude, and stupid no matter where they live.* I'm watching an *exclusive video over at Breitbart* showing the anti-Boris Johnson protesters in London and, trust me on this, they're repulsive. When you wander over to watch, please note all the professionally pre-printed signs just ready to go for their pathetic little march against the prevailing wisdom of the British voters. At just 20 seconds in we have a women wearing a "f*ck Boris" T-shirt (classy) calling Johnson a pig and she's so ashamed that he's been elected prime minister and wishes h... more »
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Suzuki – A capitalist who enjoys wealth, travel & activities that emit lots of CO2
“David Suzuki’s carbon footprint is immense,” reads the headline. Excerpts from an article by Colin Craig, in the Toronto Sun, April 30, 2018. “David Suzuki has spent years telling Canadians that we all need to pay carbon taxes and reduce our carbon footprint. Yet, Suzuki himself loves to travel and has a massive carbon footprint. ... Read moreSuzuki – A capitalist who enjoys wealth, travel & activities that emit lots of CO2 The post Suzuki – A capitalist who enjoys wealth, travel & activities that emit lots of CO2 appeared first on Ice Age Now.
While Trump Fiddles, Our Crucial Task Is Saving Mankind-- And Planet Earth-- Before It's Too Late
What's the absolutely single most important thing Bernie can achieve if he's elected president in 2020? Yeah, I know they're all import but pick just one. *Medicare-for-All?* *•* Create a Medicare for All, single-payer, national health insurance program to provide everyone in America with comprehensive health care coverage, free at the point of service. *•* No networks, no premiums, no deductibles, no copays, no surprise bills. *•* Medicare coverage will be expanded and improved to include: include dental, hearing, vision, and home- and community-based long-term care, in-patient ... more »
Unstopable Solar Cycles – A Video Resource
A very nicely done video, making the case for natural solar driven climate cycles. Continue reading →
Another typical week in the Palestinian territories…
News from the Palestinian Territories, Dec. 7-14, 2019... a typical week... Israeli forces attack, demolish, abduct, etc – news reports from IMEMC (almost none of this is reported in US media... The post Another typical week in the Palestinian territories… appeared first on If Americans Knew Blog.
Trump wins trade war with China
The left has been telling us that Trump's crusade to end predatory Chinese trade practices that steal jobs from America would never work. But now China has waved the white flag and is agreeing to a deal that will help level the economic playing field and American consumers haven't had to pay a cost in terms of higher prices to win. While there's still a long way to go China's agreement shows that Trump was right and the globalists and leftists were wrong. While the left is desperately trying to nullify the 2016 election Trump has been working to help the American people.
What Adam Schiff left on the cutting room floor
Schiff's secret hearings were auditions. They were held in secret so that Democrats could find out what people would say and pick the ones who would help Democrats as the ones who would testify in the public hearings. For example Catherine Croft, State Department special adviser for Ukraine negotiations, wasn't called to testify in public because in the Star Chambering hearings she testified that Trump had expressed anger at corruption in Ukraine 18 months before the infamous phone call with Zelensky. *"Croft: The President was skeptical of providing weapons to Ukraine.Q: Why?... more »
Those Torture Drawings in the NYT
[image: undefined] The New York Times last week published shocking drawings by Guantanamo prisoner Abu Zubaydah showing in graphic detail the types of tortures he endured at the hands of CIA officers and contractors at secret prisons around the world. The drawings were sickening. With a child’s simplicity, they showed the irrational cruelty of the CIA’s torture program, which weakened our country, violated domestic and international law and ended up saying so much more about us, as Americans, than it did about the terrorists who wished us harm. The Times did its duty of reminding u... more »
THE SUPREMES WOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN THE TRUMP RECORDS CASE IF THE GOP MAJORITY DIDN'T KNOW THE OUTCOME
In this case, there's only one possible outcome: The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to decide whether President Trump can block the release of his financial records, setting the stage for a blockbuster ruling on the power of presidents to resist demands for information from prosecutors and Congress. The court’s ruling, expected by June, could require disclosure of information the president has gone to extraordinary lengths to protect. Or the justices could rule that Mr. Trump’s financial affairs are not legitimate subjects of inquiry so long as he remains in office.... The court sa... more »
Did Greta Thunberg call for the execution of politicians who don't agree with her?
In Italy Thunberg said: “Unfortunately, we probably already know the outcome. World leaders are still trying to run away from their responsibilities but we have to make sure they cannot do that. We will make sure that we put them against the wall and they will have to do their job to protect our futures,” Now for adults who are familiar with left wing jargon putting someone against a wall means executing them by a firing squad. In Greta's defense she may have been saying that we need to pressure the politicians by putting their backs against a wall. That we can't know for sure what... more »
Russia's New Warships Will Soon Be Armed With Hypersonic Missiles
Russian warships launching Kalibr land attack missiles against targets in Syria. Kalibr is much slower than Zircon but the latter would launch in a similar fashion. TASS *Popular Mechanics*: *Russia's New Warships Will Pack Hypersonic Missiles* *It's a new era of naval warfare. * * Russia's new Zircon missile travels at a whopping Mach 9, or almost 7,000 miles an hour. * The sea-launched missile can strike targets on land or at sea. * All of Russia's modernized or upcoming warships will carry Zircon, giving them a weapon that even the U.S. Navy might not be able to stop. All ... more »
A Photo Gallery On Nuclear Submarines Under Construction
*Warzone/The Drive:* *No These Aren't Starships In Space Dock, They Are Nuclear Submarines Under Construction* Nuclear submarines have many parallels to fictional starships, but in this case, these super high-tech vessels are made to dive down, not fly up. The image above looks like it could be ripped from a space action science-fiction thriller, the classic shot of hulking and futuristic starships under construction in orbit, but its origin is far more down to earth than that. It was taken at BAE Systems' Devonshire Dock Hall located in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The ma... more »
Insider Attack Kills 25 Afghan Security Forces
*VOA: **Insider Attack Kills 25 Afghan Security Forces* ISLAMABAD - Officials in Afghanistan said Saturday Taliban infiltrators have killed at least 25 government security forces in the eastern volatile Ghazni province. The overnight insider attack happened in the Qarabagh district where a group of seven security personnel Friday night turned their guns on fellow soldiers at a local Afghan army base. District chief Ghulam Habib Zerak told VOA the assailants collected arms and a military vehicle from the base before fleeing and rejoining insurgents in the area. He said at least tw... more »
#FakeNews media equates Barron Trump and Greta Thunberg
A hyper partisan Democrat law professor made a joke about Trump's 13 year old son and the Democrats in the House laughed at it. Republicans naturally condemned this because Barron isn't in the public eye and the American tradition has always been that the children of politicians who aren't in the public eye aren't to be attacked. Then Trump pointed out that always angry Greta Thunberg needs to chill out and the #FakeNews media declared that Republicans were hypocrites. But of course unlike Barron Greta is doing everything she can to be a public figure and hence opening herself to cr... more »
Ash dieback
It's a question we've discussed before and now Guido Fawkes is raising the issue too: *Media Guido*: In the post-mortems the effect of the platforming of far-left types just because they were extremely active on Twitter on current affairs shows should be reflected on. It normalised people who would in the past have only been only selling Trotskyite papers outside train stations. So, what's the right balance between encouraging the broadest diversity of opinion and making a star of Ash Sarkar?
Slava!
It must be half a century of living with the BBC but I tend to think of Friday night as being Music Night. And I* should* have posted this yesterday on that very night. It's one of my favourite pieces of music - the Election Scene from Mussorgsky's opera *Boris Johnson. *Please look for the moment, one-and-a-half minutes in, when Huw Edwards rushes in to announce the exit poll. (Gawd help us when Carole Catwalladr spots a possible Kremlin influence here).
Leftist's everywhere are intolerant
YouGov did a poll about the attitudes of voters in Britain and found that leftists were much more likely to judge anyone who didn't vote like they did negatively than were votes who supported Brexit. Labour voters (41%) and Remain voters (40%) are much more likely to judge someone else negatively for voting differently to them than Conservative voters (19%) and Leave voters (13%)https://t.co/vYue4Qi3lk pic.twitter.com/WtdsFrlCIG — YouGov (@YouGov) December 9, 2019
The #FakeNews media lies to you about Trump and antisemitism
Democrats Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib have openly called for the destruction of Israel, "Palestine from the river to the sea", and the #FakeNews media has treated them with kid gloves. On the other hand Trump has stood strong in support of Israel and the rights of Jewish Americans. Yet the #FakeNews media is condemning Trump for antisemitism while letting the Democrats off the hook for their support for Omar and Tlaib:
US Finally Giving Boot to Official Foot Measurement
To reduce the chance for errors and confusion, the federal government has announced it’s finally giving the boot to the survey foot.
The Israel Lobby’s Hidden Hand in the Theft of Iraqi and Syrian Oil
The outsized role of U.S. Israel lobby operatives in abetting the theft of Syrian and Iraqi oil reveals how this powerful lobby also facilitates more covert aspects of U.S.-Israeli cooperation and the implementation of policies that favor Israel. by Agha Hussain and Whitney Webb KIRKUK, IRAQ — “We want to bring our soldiers home. But … Continue reading The Israel Lobby’s Hidden Hand in the Theft of Iraqi and Syrian Oil →
Your History Book Has It Wrong: This Battle Won World War II—Not D-Day
*Connor Martin* *History, Asia* [image: Picture of the only survivor of six Torpedo Squadron Eight (VT-8) Grumman TBF] Just because it was lesser-known doesn't mean it wasn't important. *Key point:* the Battle of Midway may not be as famous as D-Day, but it was a turning point in the war. Thursday, June 6th saw the 75th anniversary of the Allied invasion at Normandy, the amphibious assault phase of Operation Neptune, or what we commonly remember as D-Day. U.S. troops who landed at Normandy – particularly at Omaha Beach – waded ashore amidst a storm of chaos, a blizzard of mach... more »
If You Saw This Picture, an Aircraft Carrier Just Went to the 'Bottom' (In a Simulation)
*David Axe* *Security, * You don't want to be in a submarine's way. *Key point:* submarines can be nearly unstoppable—a terrifying reality for surface navies. A photo taken in 2016 depicting an American nuclear-powered submarine poking its periscope above the waves—within shooting distance of a British aircraft carrier during a war game—is a useful reminder of one of the most important truths of naval warfare. For every sailor who’s not in a submarine, submarines are real scary. Stealthy and heavily-armed, subs are by far the most powerful naval vessels in the world for full-sc... more »
How South Korea and America Should Respond to the Next North Korea Crisis
*John Dale Grover* *Security, Asia* Washington must continue to combine deterrence and diplomacy while working with its ally Seoul. The chances for any nuclear or peace deal with North Korea are rapidly dwindling. Kim Jong-un’s end-of-year deadline for a 2019 agreement will likely come and go without any significant progress. Pyongyang has repeatedly announced that its deadline is approaching, insisting that it is up to the United States to break the impasse. However, the question is whether or not North Korea’s rhetoric really means that 2020 will see a return to the norm of in... more »
The Russian Navy Has a Big Decision to Make: Time to Give up on Aircraft Carriers?
*James Holmes* *Security, * What will Moscow do now that its carrier just had another major setback? Fire aboard ship is never funny. Not to anyone who has served aboard ship and witnessed firsthand the perils of operating a metal box brimming with flammables and explosives amid the salty waste that is the sea. Even prospective foes deserve sympathy—not mockery. On Thursday *Russia Today* reported that the aircraft carrier *Admiral Kuznetsov*, Russia’s lone flattop, was ablaze at its berth in Murmansk while undergoing repair work. Six people were reportedly injured. Another is m... more »
When I was growing up Hispanics were White
When I was growing up in the 1960s and 1970s everyone I knew thought of Hispanics as being just like Italians; ethnically unique white people. The creation of the idea that Hispanics weren't white was part of the Democrats efforts to divide and balkanize America in order to make it easier to rule over us. The Claremont Review of Books has an article that explains the details of how Hispanics were convinced they were different here. The article is free for a limited time as part of an effort to get people to subscribe to the Claremont Review of Books. What's interesting is how the ... more »
AND DIANE ABBOTT??!???!!!
*Dead Ringers *has a long tradition of being the most even-handed political comedy show presently broadcast by the BBC. (It pretty much has the field to itself). Though *The Dead Ringers Election Special 2019* was undoubtedly at its most fierce towards Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg (with Jan Ravens doing a superb election night Theresa May), it took satirical potshots at all sides - including Hugh Grant and Laura Kuenssberg - and was often laugh-out-loud funny. Here are some of my favourite jokes (a biased selection if ever I saw one!): *Nick Robinson*: Despite things lookin... more »
Is A Naval War About To Erupt Off The Coast Of Libya
*Zero Hedge:* *Greece To Help Tripoli 'Block Turkish Ships' As Libyan War Spills Into Mediterranean* The years-long war for post-Gaddafi Libya now threatens to spill over into the Mediterranean as Turkey and Greece line up on either side of the conflict. Each side is now threatening the others' allied ships in southern waters after a controversial maritime deal expanded Turkish claims off Libya's coast. On Thursday Benghazi-based General Kalifa Haftar declared his Libyan National Army has begun its "final decisive battle" to wrest control of the capital of Tripoli from the UN-bac... more »
What Do CIA Spies Wear To Work?
Suzanne Matthews with her husband, Jason, in Athens, Greece, in 1979. Courtesy of the Matthews family *Huffington Post: **My Mom Was A Spy For The CIA, And This Is What She Wore To Work* Over the course of a career that spanned from 1975 to 2007, this is how my mother ― an agent working for the CIA ― blended in with her surroundings. I distinctly remember my mother getting home from work every evening around 4 p.m. She would hustle to her bedroom before properly greeting us — a one-inch kitten heel flying in one direction, a tweed brown blazer in the other. I always found it pecul... more »
Horowitz testified that Schiff and Democrats lied about the basis of the FISA warrant
For two years now Democrats and the #FakeNews media have been lying to you about the justification for the FBI turning the full power of the Intelligence Community(IC) against Carter Page and through him the Trump campaign. Nunes said that the only source was unverified opposition research, the Steele dossier, compiled by a foreigner who admitted to hating Trump and which was based on anonymous Russian sources and paid for by Hillary Clinton. Adam Schiff wrote a memo saying that wasn't so. The #FakeNews media said he was right and Nunes was wrong. But the IG investigation showed t... more »
No witnesses, no long trial. Republicans want quick end to Ukraine impeachment hoax (Video)
The Duran Quick Take: Episode 404. More The post No witnesses, no long trial. Republicans want quick end to Ukraine impeachment hoax (Video) appeared first on The Duran.
What is MD?
Why is 'missile defense' misnamed? Why is it provocative and dangerous as the Pentagon uses it to encircle China and Russia on Navy Aegis destroyers and Army ground-based launchers? What is MD's military role? Video by Will Griffin
CNN admits two Democrats in Congress lied about what Trump said
First the radical Democrats intent on telling we the people who we can and can't elect lost Rolling Stone magazine now they've lost CNN; well at least partially. A key claim by Democrats in their coup attempt is that Trump asked Ukraine for a personal favor. But the actual transcript says that Trump asked Ukraine to do us, the US as a country as is clear in context, for a favor. But just as Adam Schiff deliberately fabricated a conversation between Trump and the President of Ukraine, Zelensky, and acted as though it was the truth until forced to admit it wasn't Democrat's Veronica ... more »
Democrats declare that whatever party controls Congress can say who is President
Since the day Trump was elected Democrats and the #FakeNews media have been trying to figure out how to "fix" the "mistake" we the people made. First they tried to hack the electoral collage. When that didn't work corrupt officials in the FBI and DOJ implemented their "insurance policy" and wages war against Trump based on information they knew to be false; the Steele dossier. When Mueller showed that was all bogus Democrats used a dishonest CIA agent to create a bogus controversy about Trump. The very worst "crime" the Democrats have declared that Trump is guilty of, without actua... more »
US Seeks Thai Opposition for Anti-China Alliance at ASEAN Summit
Why is the US talking "democracy, human rights and justice" with an opposition who lost recent elections, abuses human rights and works daily to undermine and evade justice? *November 2, 2019* (Joseph Thomas - NEO) - Time was precious at the 35th ASEAN Summit. Leaders from across Southeast Asia converged on Bangkok, Thailand to discuss economics, diplomacy, defence and a whole host of other issues. With so much to discuss and do, it was particularly surprising to see the US spend much of its time coercing local leaders to take up its flagship regional crisis centred on stirring up... more »
US Seeks Thai Opposition for Anti-China Alliance at ASEAN Summit
Why is the US talking "democracy, human rights and justice" with an opposition who lost recent elections, abuses human rights and works daily to undermine and evade justice? *November 2, 2019* (Joseph Thomas - NEO) - Time was precious at the 35th ASEAN Summit. Leaders from across Southeast Asia converged on Bangkok, Thailand to discuss economics, diplomacy, defence and a whole host of other issues. With so much to discuss and do, it was particularly surprising to see the US spend much of its time coercing local leaders to take up its flagship regional crisis centred on stirring up... more »
WATCH: Sexually Abused Mentally Ill Woman Thrown in Men’s Jail, Where She’s Being Tortured
[image: mentally ill]A sexually abused mentally ill, 20-year-old woman is forced to stay in an all-male jail indefinitely and she is being tortured while inside.
The Republican Cesspool
Two days ago, Mitch McConnell announced that he was going to violate his oath to do "impartial justice" in Donald Trump's impeachment trial. He was, he said, coordinating everything he did with Mr. Trump's defence lawyer. He went further. He did not, he said, expect any Republican senator to vote to convict Trump. It was a bald admission of the utter corruption of the modern Republican Party -- a party which is hell bent on dooming the American republic and the planet. Paul Krugman writes: A new federal report finds that climate change in the Arctic is accelerating, matching what ... more »
Expect Tensions Between The U.S. And North Korea To Intensify In The Coming Weeks
*CBS:* *Trump administration's shadow war with North Korea likely to intensify in coming week*s The Trump administration's shadow war with North Korea is set to intensify in the next three weeks, as Pyongyang appears to be preparing an end to its more than 18-month moratorium on testing of its nuclear program, and as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's self-imposed year-end deadline for diplomacy draws near. A trio of events looms at the year's end, including North Korea's plenum — a rare gathering of senior leaders in Kim's ruling Worker's Party — an ominously promised "Christmas g... more »
Top U.S. And Chinese Generals Are Doubling Down On Military-To-Military Diplomacy Over Tensions In The South China Sea
US Navy personnel pull down an American flag during a maritime exercise on the USS John S McCain in the South China Sea near waters claimed by Beijing in a file photo. Photo: AFP/Noel Celis *Richard Javad Heydarian, Asia Times: **US, China step back from brink in South China Sea* *Pentagon-PLA engage in telephone diplomacy while seeking new naval protocols to head off a brewing conflict* Top US and Chinese generals have recently doubled down on military-to-military diplomacy after months of rising tensions, as the two sides bid to head off conflict in the hotly contested South Chi... more »
Symposium on Mary Anne Franks, The Cult of the Constitution: Collected Posts
Here are the collected posts for our Balkinization symposium on Mary Anne Franks' new book, The Cult of the Constitution (Stanford University Press, 2019). Frank Pasquale and Danielle Keats Citron, Introduction to the Symposium Anupam Chander, Mary Anne Franks as Constitutional Truth-Teller Joseph Blocher, The Second Amendment of Things (and Grievances) Claudia Haupt, First Amendment Fundamentalism and Doctrinal Disarray Jack Balkin, An Anti-fundamentalist Believer in the Church of the American Constitution Leslie Kendrick, A Tale of Two Cities: Mary Anne Franks’s The Cult of th... more »
Untitled
From Jenna Orkin Russian official with ties to lawyer in Trump Tower meeting dies in helicopter crashTrump Agrees to Limited Trade Deal With China Resolution - Craig Murray Goodbye to ToxMap–and Our Environmental Right-to-Know Study: Weeds are More Nutritious than Store-Bought Produce 'Like a furnace': Massive heatwave could roast Australian records Global stocks and the pound soar as euphoric traders cheer progress towards a US-China trade deal and a landslide UK election result Jo Swinson resigns as Liberal Democrat leader after losing her seat in a shock general election result *Swi... more »
The U.S. Navy Needs 20 Years to Fix Its Shipyards
*Michael Peck* *Technology, Americas* [image: https://i.redd.it/xgryt5wyq9bz.jpg] Why? Maintenance for U.S. Navy ships is so backlogged that the problem will take decades to fix. “The Navy has several efforts underway to improve its maintenance operations, but they will take years to implement, and will require sustained management attention and funding above current levels,” according to a Government Accountability Office report. “For example, the Navy estimates it will take 20 years to improve the infrastructure at its shipyards, 4 years to restore ship crew levels, and severa... more »
U.S. Launches New Missile Formerly Banned by Arms Control Treaty
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, * The missile will not carry nuclear weapons--for now, anyway. The United States Air Force tested a new intermediate-range ballistic missile this week. The missile blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and headed west, into the Pacific Ocean. The still-unnamed missile was developed after the U.S. government accused Russia of cheating on the 1987 INF Treaty, which Washington later abandoned. Preparations for the missile were detected the day before, when a NOTAM, or “Notice to Airmen” was put out for what was pretty clearly a launch fr... more »
Can the Air Force Make the B-2 Bomber Even More 'Invisible'?
*Kris Osborn* *Security, * [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/LIBYA-USA--GM1E73L0T1H01.html] Here is the plan. *Key Point:* The B-2 has been one of the most useful planes in the U.S. arsenal, and the Air Force is desperate to keep it modern and updated. The US Air Force and Northrop Grumman are integrating new composite “hot trailing edge” materials into the upper surface of the B-2 bomber to increase the stealth aircraft’s service life, improve durability, enhance sustainment and eliminate the need for field repairs, service and industry officials said. The new comp... more »
North Korea Tried to Blackmail $1 Billion Out Of Israel By Selling Missiles To Its Enemies
*Michael Peck* *Security, Asia* Dr. Evil would be proud. *Key point: *Plenty of Middle Eastern countries are interested in missile technology. In 1999, North Korea tried to blackmail Israel: give us a billion dollars, it said, or we will sell ballistic missiles to your enemies. But the Israelis turned them down. That’s the claim made in a new book by a senior North Korean diplomat who defected to South Korea in 2016. Thae Yong-ho’s book, “Cryptography From the Third-Floor Secretariat,” drew attention with its juicy revelations about Kim Jong-un’s family, including corruption an... more »
Should NATO Be Worried About Russia's T-14 Armata Tank?
*Michael Peck* *Security, Europe* It has had some problems. *Key point:* Innovation comes at a price. Does Russia’s much-vaunted T-14 Armata tank have problems? There is evidence that the next-generation tank, which has caused a stir in Western defense circles, has run into difficulties, according to Russian defense publication Military-Industrial Courier. Writer Oleg Falichev uses a bit of inductive reasoning. He first starts with the premise that Armata manufacturer Uralvagonzavod was awarded a contract for 132 experimental Armata models, including T-14 Armata main battle tan... more »
Japan Built 10 Million of These Rifles to Win World War II
*Warfare History Network* *History, Asia* The Arisaka Type 99 was a beast. *Key point:* The Arisaka Type 99 was built for a world of gun battles and bayonet charges alike. As militarism grew in Japan in the early 1930s, conscription began at the age of 19, and the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) cadet entered military service. After harsh and rigorous training with other cadets from his geographical district in the home islands, the new soldier was designated to a specific class ranking dependent on his capabilities. Officers and noncommissioned officers (NCOs) began to indoctrinat... more »
In 1978, Four Terrorists Burned 420 Movie-Goers Alive in Iran
*Sebastien Roblin* *History, Middle East* [image: By Unknown - http://ana.ir/fa/news/15/257319/%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%B4%DA%A9%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%82%D9%8] It reshaped the history of America and the middle east forever. At 9 PM on August 19, 1978, four men entered the lobby of the Rex Cinema in Abadan after having been disappointed to find the nearby Soheila cinema closed. After snacking on grilled kebabs, they entered the theater to... more »
Russia's Stealth Fighter Failure: Meet the Su-47
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, Eurasia* A legend—just in video games... *Key point:* The Su-47 was impressive on paper, but it didn't stack up in real life. In 1996, the March/April issue of Russian military periodical *Air Fleet Bulletin* published an innocuous-seeming photo of a meeting between Russian military chiefs and aviation industry counterparts. Sitting on the table before them were two model airplanes. One was an advanced variant of the by-then well-known Flanker multi-role fighter. *(This first appeared last month.) * The other was a strange black jet with forward sw... more »
We All Know the AK-47. But It's Not Russia's Only Super Gun.
*Charlie Gao* *Security, Eurasia* Here are the top five—the list might surprise you. *Key Point:* Russia isn't afraid to use foreign guns—if they do the job. The Russian military and security services field quite a variety of firearms, Western and domestic. But from all of these guns, which could be considered the best? Here is a few to consider: *1. AK-74M:* The AK-74M is ubiquitous in the Russian Armed Forces. In 2018, it is even replacing the shorter AKS-74U as the armament for support crew. The rifle is light, reliable, has low recoil and compact with the standard issue fo... more »
Is a Blockade the Ultimate Way to Win a War Against China?
*Sean Mirski* *Security, Asia* [image: U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan conducts military drills during Keen Sword, a joint field-training exercise involving U.S. military, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel and Royal Canadian Navy, at sea November 3, 2018.] Only if done right... *Key Point:* China would not be able to withstand a well carried-out blockade orchestrated by America and its allies. The mounting challenge presented by China’s military modernization has led the United States to review existing military strategies and to conceptualize new ones, as... more »
The F-22 Rapots Is Transforming How America Fights Air Wars
*David Axe* *Security, * The F-22 will soon help other jets fight better. *Key point: *2020 could be the year the Raptor finally fulfills its promise as the world’s best fighter. Thirteen years after entering service with the U.S. Air Force, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor stealth fighter finally could gain the capability wordlessly to communicate with ships, ground forces and other planes. The Air Force and Lockheed in 2020 plan to begin installing on the roughly 180 F-22s the Link-16 datalink, which allows U.S. and allied forces to swap location and targeting data via voiceles... more »
F-35s and Guns for Everyone: America Sells Lots of Weapons All Over the World
*Michael Peck* *Security, Americas* [image: Military Jet] And, in fact, the top 5 arms manufacturers are American. Some will hail it as a triumph of American capitalism. Others will say that it is a bloodstained badge of shame. But either way, the world’s top five arms manufacturers are all American companies. The top 100 defense companies accounted for $420 billion in 2018, up 4.6 percent from 2017 and 47 higher than in 2002, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which publishes a list of the world’s top 100 arms vendors by annual sales. “The growt... more »
Iran vs. Israel: A (Nuclear?) War That Should Never Be Fought:
*Robert Farley* *Security, Middle East Latin America* Who would win? How many people would be impacted? Would America get dragged in? Worries over war in the Middle East have largely shifted away from the tense relationship between Iran and Israel. Turkey’s ongoing conflict with the Kurds and Iran’s own jousting with Saudi Arabia have taken center stage, although Israel’s concern over growing Iranian influence has not abated. In such an unpredictable security environment, however, war remains a possibility. How might a hot war between Israel and Iran play out? *Causes* Contrary... more »
China's J-20 Stealth Fighter Can't Beat The F-35, But It Can Shoot Farther
*Mark Episkopos* *Security, Asia* How important is missile range? *Key point:* Stealth vs. range. Who wins? The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force made waves at the 2018 Zhuhai Airshow with the latest showing of their flagship fifth-generation stealth fighter, the J-20. As is common with airshow coverage, large swaths of the ensuing commentary focused on the J-20’s handling and maneuverability as it performed a series of rolls and a climb. But this elides what is perhaps the most significant aspect of the J-20’s Zhuhai showing: its weapons system. During the performance... more »
Australian GPs prescribing placebos to patients
Most Australian GPs have used a placebos in their practice and believe prescribing drugs in this fashion to patients is justified, according to new research. The research has revealed doctors are openly deceiving patients by giving them medicine proven not to work for discussed conditions, ranging from water-based injections to unnecessary antibiotics.
Cancel Culture: Two Arguments To Help Decide
While definitions vary, to “cancel” in today’s lingo means to remove people and cultural products from consumption and popular conversation. This is done in light of actions that make them unworthy of praise or critique. read more
The Myth of Universal Human Nature
The idea that there is a trait called universal human nature is a myth which was first propagated during the Age of Enlightenment by intellectuals who dreamed of unifying mankind under a global political and moral system. But a global political system is a utopian project which can never be achieved. Human beings have always been deeply divided on lines of race, religion, nationality, geography, and language. Universal nature is one thing that the human beings don’t have. Since there is no universal nature, there can be no universal moral law or universal form of government. Differe... more »
UN Denounces “Serious Human Rights Violations” During Protests in Chile
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, led by Michelle Bachelet, twice President of Chile (2006-2010 and 2014-2018), published on Friday a report in which it denounces "a large number of serious violations of human rights" during the recent popular protests. "These include the abusive or unnecessary use of […] The post UN Denounces “Serious Human Rights Violations” During Protests in Chile appeared first on The Rio Times.
Brazilian Government Plans to Auction 44 Infrastructure Assets in 2020
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - The Minister of Infrastructure, Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas, said yesterday, December 13th, that the government plans to hold auctions of between 40 and 44 infrastructure assets next year. Projects for the concession of ports, airports, highways, and The post Brazilian Government Plans to Auction 44 Infrastructure Assets in 2020 appeared first on The Rio Times.
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