Is Our Government Trying To Kill Us ???

Watch this video, and I think you'll at least agree they do not have our best interest in mind:

https://youtu.be/EDM26NST5qQ

Close the borders. Please.

Tragic Kingdom

For seven years, Yeweinishet “Weini” Mesfin lived out of her Honda Civic. A night janitor at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Mesfin decided not to tell family and coworkers that she was homeless, outside of one or two people. When she died, barely a week after her birthday, she was alone in that same car — a 61-year-old woman, worn out, suffering from heart problems. A victim of her own secrecy, nobody in her life could be there to help her.

You can read the rest @
https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/00794db5-5cb2-381d-bb37-5b35de6288e7/ss_the-homeless-disneyland.html

I don't think this is what Walt had in mind when he created Disneyland. But it definitely is what we have become.

When The Cheap Stuff Goes Away

Here is a wonderful analysis by Charles Hugh Smith:

One of the books I just finished reading is The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire. The thesis of the book is fascinating to those of us interested in the rise and fall of empires: Rome expanded for many reasons, but one that is overlooked was the good fortune of an era of moderate weather from around 200 BC to 150 AD: rain was relatively plentiful/ regular and temperatures were relatively warm.

Then one of Earth’s numerous periods of cooling–a mini ice age–replaced the moderate weather, pressuring agricultural production.

Roman technology and security greatly expanded trade, opening routes to China, India and Africa that supplied much of Roman Europe with luxury goods. The Mediterranean acted as a cost-effective inland sea for transporting enormous quantities of grain, wine, etc. around the empire.

These trade routes acted as vectors for diseases from afar that swept through the Roman world, decimating the empire’s hundreds of densely populated cities whose residents had little resistance to the unfamiliar microbes.

Rome collapsed not just from civil strife and mismanagement, but from environmental and infectious disease pressures that did not exist in its heyday.

Colder, drier weather stresses the populace by reducing their food intake, which leaves them more vulnerable to infectious diseases. This dynamic was also present in the 15th century during another mini ice age, when the bubonic plague (Black Death) killed approximately 40% of Europe’s population.

You can read the rest @
http://washingtonsblog.com/2018/03/what-if-all-the-cheap-stuff-goes-away.html

Sound familiar? It should.

The Relationship Between Money And Happiness

Source - http://www.visualcapitalist.com/relationship-money-happiness/

I'd move to Finland if it wasn't so damned cold.

Pharaoh, Moses, and Facebook's Demise

Here is a really cool article from The Jerusalem Post:

In other words, less than 15 years into its birth, and five years since it became one of the world’s 10 most valuable public companies, what was launched as a social gospel has apparently produced a machinery of intrusion, lies and possibly also treason, a golden calf that fused big business, Big Brother and Mother Russia’s spooks.

The cyber era’s three pillars – hardware, software, and content – produced three heroes: Apple’s Steve Jobs, Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg.

Jobs died at 56 and Gates retired at 53. Zuckerberg has yet to turn 34, which may explain why the cybernetic Pharaoh still refuses to admit his outfit’s contamination of the era’s public sphere; the way the biblical Pharaoh galloped into rising waters, still thinking he would repossess his steadily departing slaves.

You can read the rest @
http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Pharaoh-Moses-and-Facebooks-demise-547486

Amen.

An Absurd Comparison

This idiotic screed compares President Trump to Stalin and Ceausescu:

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/03/31/trump-ronny-jackson-va-ceausescu-physician-217765

I think the real issue with the VA is this - should it be run by a medical doctor or a bureaucrat? Caring for wounded warriors should be near the top of the list of our military priorities. If we think we cannot afford to do that any more, then it's time to stop sending them overseas to get wounded and maimed in the first place.

Let's recall and ponder the words of Abraham Lincoln:

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

Here we are 153 years later, and that just and lasting peace still evades us. Whose fault is that? We are the ones who refuse to make peace. Why do we find it so difficult? And why do we tolerate the interference of war mongers like the Israelis who refuse to allow us to be at peace? Let them live out their Old Testament fantasies while we follow The Way given to us by Jesus Christ.

The Killing Of Stephon Clark

Please watch this video of the police killing of Stephon Clark:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/30/us/stephon-clark-independent-autopsy.html

This is the damn dumbest thing I have ever witnessed. Everyone involved in this killing should be fired, prosecuted, and imprisoned.

Clearly it's the police who need to be disarmed, not We The People.

And who gives a damn about a few car windows anyway? That's why we have insurance.

Russians Lurking Near Undersea Cables ???

According to this report, those evil Russians are up to no good again:

https://apnews.com/c2e7621bda224e2db2f8c654c9203a09/Could-enemies-sabotage-undersea-cables-linking-the-world

Hey, that's what enemies do to each other - probe, spy, and make plans.

The deep state of the US has needlessly turned Russia into our enemy. If the cables get cut, it's their own damn fault.

Seize Their Ill-Gotten Gains

According to this report, both Comey and McCabe are receiving cash windfalls:

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-03-30/james-comey-cahing-upcoming-book-and-lecture-tour

I thought it was an established principle that people could not profit from their crimes. Instead of rewarding them, shouldn't we arrest, try, and convict them, and seize their assets?

Or are we to excuse their crimes because they supported Hillary ... and apparently excused her crimes?

Jeez !!!

Hollywood Is Clueless About Marriage

According to this article, Hollywood is "redefining" the concept of marriage:

http://newsd.co/famous-celebrities-redefining-concept-marriage-open-relationships/

No, they're not. They're attempting to sanctify adultery and fornication. They have done more to destroy our standards of morality than just about anyone in our nation.

Satan should be very happy. He's even got the Pope trying to deceive you:

http://sainthoward.blogspot.com/2018/03/pope-confused-about-hell.html

20 Valid Questions About The Skripal Affair

You can read about them here:

http://www.theblogmire.com/20-more-questions-that-journalists-should-be-asking-about-the-skripal-case/

This is yet another case of gross misconduct by the intelligence agencies of the West, coupled with a serious lack of professionalism on the part of our so-called "free press".

Something tells me we're gonna have a war with Russia sooner than later, unless We The People stand up and say ENOUGH OF THIS SHIT !!!

By the way, the above report contains a link to 30 additional questions about the Skripal affair. Please read them too if you have time.

Whose Side Is The Intercept On ???

Bad Track Record Gets Worse as New Whistleblower Outed by The Intercept

“I am appalled that yet another whistleblower in touch with The Intercept has been outed and arrested. … [P]erhaps The Intercept should walk away from national security reporting before its lack of journalistic professionalism ruins any more lives.” — CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou

You can read the rest @
https://www.mintpressnews.com/bad-track-record-gets-worse-new-whistleblower-outed-intercept/239822/

I get the feeling they don't want us to know what's really going on.

What Gina Haspel's Career Seems To Demonstrate

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has demanded more information from Haspel, focusing on her role in Bush-era "enhanced interrogation techniques." He has sent her a detailed list of questions about waterboarding, forced nudity, slapping and sleep deprivation.

"We now know that these techniques not only failed to deliver actionable intelligence, but actually produced false and misleading information," wrote McCain, who suffered torture as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

"The use of torture compromised our values, stained our national honor, and threatened our historical reputation," he wrote.

You can read the rest @
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-haspel-cia-director-20180329-story.html

We don't know a lot about Ms. Haspel, but what we do know appears to show that women are just as depraved as men.

Sykes-Picot And John Bolton

Regime Change, Partition, and “Sunnistan”: John Bolton’s Vision for a New Middle East

Bolton is likely to push for the creation of a new sectarian state out of Syrian and Iraqi territory, now that the groundwork has been laid and the path largely cleared to building a “new Middle East.” Iran is currently the only country in the region with the potential to foil that plan.

You can read the rest @
https://www.mintpressnews.com/regime-change-partition-and-sunnistan-john-boltons-vision-for-a-new-middle-east/239714/

Most of the problems in the Middle East were caused by the heavy-handed interference of outsiders. John Bolton is likely to just cause different problems.

Let them sort things out for themselves. And if they attack Israel, so be it. It's none of our business.

Pope Confused About Hell ???

In another interview with his longtime atheist friend, Eugenio Scalfari, Pope Francis claims that Hell does not exist and that condemned souls just "disappear." This is a denial of the 2,000-year-old teaching of the Catholic Church about the reality of Hell and the eternal existence of the soul.

You can read the rest @
https://www.cnsnews.com/blog/michael-w-chapman/pope-francis-there-no-hell

Gee Francis, how do you explain this scripture?

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

Luke 16:19-24 KJV

Was Luke lying? Was Jesus?

I think Francis must have slept through several of his classes at the seminary. Whatever the case, his apparent denial of New Testament scripture is dangerous for the church.

US Appears Responsible For War In Yemen

In a new meeting with reporters, Defense Secretary James Mattis has offered new details about US involvement in the Saudi invasion of Yemen, providing specifics about what the US is doing that contradict long-standing claims of a very limited, non-combat involvement.

Mattis now admits the US is “doing the planning” in Yemen strikes, and has shown the Saudis how the concept of a no-strike zone is supposed to work, and engaged in a maturing process of “battlefield management” intended to see Saudi strikes killing fewer civilians.

Mattis also tried to spin the already established US involvement in mid-air refueling as beneficial for civilians being bombed. He warned Saudi bombers would make “rash or hasty decisions” if they had to worry about running out of fuel before bombing a place, and might take less time to avoid hitting civilian targets.

You can read the rest @
https://news.antiwar.com/2018/03/28/mattis-admits-us-involved-in-planning-saudi-strikes-in-yemen/

If Yemenis are in fact responsible for terror attacks in the US or allied countries, I suppose we have an obligation to do something about it. However, I doubt that widespread bombing and starvation of civilians is the best way to go.

On the other hand, if the Yemenis are motivated by a desire to thwart the actions of despots (e.g., the Saudis), then why aren't we helping them instead?

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

At $75,560, housing a prisoner in California now costs more than a year at Harvard.

You can read the rest @
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-prison-costs-20170604-htmlstory.html

Can't we find a better way to deal with this?

Former Justice Stevens Is Full Of Crap

He wrote this in his op-ed which advocates repeal of the Second Amendment:

Concern that a national standing army might pose a threat to the security of the separate states led to the adoption of that amendment, which provides that “a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” Today that concern is a relic of the 18th century.

You can read the rest @
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/27/opinion/john-paul-stevens-repeal-second-amendment.html

It's not a "relic", and what Stevens described has actually happened - the federal government is now a dire threat to the security of the separate states. It does NOT protect us from attack, invasion, or terrorist threat; and now it wants to permanently prevent us from doing that ourselves by seizing weapons held by private citizens.

Dear John Paul - Please stop being a tool. Enjoy what is left of your retirement, and leave us alone. We're quite happy with our constitution the way that it is. Our only complaint is that people like you (and Congress) don't want to follow it any more.

And by the way, I think The Founders didn't want their children to have a political voice. That too is not a "relic"; it's a very wise choice. These kids don't know squat.

Was Skripal Poisoned By Drone ???

Take a look at this report:

http://truepublica.org.uk/global/caught-on-camera-israel-targets-civilians-with-a-chemical-weapon-drone/

This does not prove that Israel gassed Sergei Skripal and his daughter, but it definitely suggests they had the means to do so.

Perhaps the wrong diplomats spies are being expelled.

By the way, it's being reported that the highest concentration of the alleged poison was found on Skripal's front door. Novichok is HIGHLY toxic; anyone personally applying it to a door handle would have to be wearing a moon suit with an air supply to protect themselves from danger. Was anything like that seen in the vicinity? If not, this suggests that a drone would have been the perfect delivery method.

Is John Bolton Guilty Of Treason ???

John Bolton, while serving as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, went behind his boss’s back to supply Israel with crucial information on American plans at the UN and redirect U.S. policy.

That’s according to Israel’s former UN ambassador, Dan Gillerman, and former prime minister Ehud Olmert, who spoke to The Daily Beast on Tuesday. Bolton’s past, especially his controversial tenure at the UN, has come under fresh examination since President Trump named him to be his next national security advisor.

You can read the rest @
https://www.thedailybeast.com/john-bolton-told-israel-condi-rice-sold-you-out-ex-official-says

If you believe, as I do, that Israel is our enemy and not our friend, then you also may agree that John Bolton is a traitor to the United States. At the very least, he is disloyal to his superiors.

There is no way this man should be our "national security adviser". He appears to have no idea what is good for We The People and our security. He should be required to register as the agent of a foreign government (Israel).

Two Related Rebellions

Two related rebellions are underway:

(1) Teachers - see https://www.globalresearch.ca/teachers-rebellion-spreads-on-four-continents/5633896

and

(2) Students - see https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/02/parkland-students-power/554399/

How are they related? As robots and AI take over our world, most of these students will grow up to be useless eaters. And since the robots and AI are better at teaching than their human counterparts, today's teachers will fall into the "redundant" category, too. No wonder they're finally acting up.

One thing puzzles me, though. Most of today's "workers" also are rapidly becoming redundant. Why aren't they rebelling? Are they worried about being labeled as Luddites?

Is US About To Invade Syria ???

According to this report, there is a huge buildup of US forces and equipment going on in Jordan:

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-03-26/war-preparations-leaked-images-allegedly-show-us-military-tanks-arriving-jordan

This easily could herald the start of World War III. If you live in one of these cities, be prepared to bend over and kiss your ass goodbye:

Source - https://crisisboom.com/2011/01/04/nuclear-target-america/

I live near Austin, so I'll be one of the first to go.

But if you'd rather not know about such things, just keep looking at Stormy Daniels' big boobs. I'm sure you'll find some comfort there.

The Saker Fears For Our Future

If you want to know what is about to happen, without the bias of CNN and the other US war mongers affecting your judgment, read this:

http://thesaker.is/what-happened-to-the-west-i-was-born-in/

If he's right, we're in serious trouble.

Dear America

Here is a wonderful essay by Caitlin Johnstone:

Dear America: Please Stop This Shit. Signed, The Rest Of The World.

They want you arguing over who should and shouldn't be called a terrorist based on what ideology you subscribe to and what color the latest killer's skin was. They do not want you talking about the way the label "terrorist" itself is being used to justify unconstitutional detentions, torture, mass surveillance, and wars.

They want you arguing over whether to support the Democrats because the Republicans will take civil rights away from disempowered groups or Republicans because the Democrats will take away your guns and force you to bake gay wedding cakes. They don't want you talking about the fact that both parties advance Orwellian surveillance, neoliberal exploitation and neoconservative bloodshed in a good cop/bad cop extortion scheme to keep Americans cheerleading for their own enslavement.

They want you arguing about whether Trump did or did not collude with Russia. They do not want you looking at what preexisting agendas the CNN/CIA Russia narratives are advancing and who stands to benefit from them.

They want everyone fighting over table scraps while they pour unfathomable riches into expanding and bolstering their empire. They psychologically brutalize you with propaganda day in and day out, and then expect you to look to them for protection from the phantoms they invented.

They don't want you paying attention to the growing number of signs that the current administration is gearing up for a major military bloodbath which may lead our species into a third and final world war. They want you talking about Stormy Daniels instead.

And by "they" I of course mean the loose transnational alliance of plutocrats and defense/intelligence agencies who control the US-centralized empire, whose primary agenda is always to expand their own power and influence.

You can read the rest @
https://steemit.com/trump/@caitlinjohnstone/dear-america-please-stop-this-shit-signed-the-rest-of-the-world

FBI Involvement In Pulse Massacre ???

According to this report, the father of Omar Mateen (the Pulse nightclub gunman) was an FBI informant:

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/noor-salman-trial/motion-reveals-pulse-gunmans-father-was-fbi-informant

If you dig deep enough, you will find the FBI's fingerprints all over just about every such incident on US soil. Why is that?

And how many times does this have to happen before we blame someone other than the shooter patsy?

Cold War 2.0 Underway

Several EU nations are recalling their ambassadors from Moscow and expelling Russian diplomats. You can read about it here:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/eu-countries-recall-ambassadors-russia-reports-180326093003454.html

In my view, Russia should follow the advice of Dr. Paul Craig Roberts:

To avoid war Russia should turn her back, but not her eyes, on the West, stop responding to false charges, evict all Western embassies and every other kind of presence including Western investment, and focus on relations with China and the East. Russia’s attempt to pursue mutual interests with the West only results in more orchestrated incidents.

You can read the rest @
https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2018/03/24/washington-declared-hegemony-war/

Dear Russia - If you want to know what's in store, consider the fate of the American Indians. The Great White Father decided to exterminate them, and that was that. You're next, so you better get ready for Armageddon.

Yes, She Really Did

According to this report, one of the student radicals did not tear up the US Constitution:

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/theres-fake-picture-parkland-teen-ripping-constitution-people-sharing-190303807.html

In my view, that is exactly what she and her ilk are doing. And it's not just over guns - our entire constitutional framework is being attacked.

And it's sad that kids who (for the most part) have sacrificed NOTHING for this country are in the forefront of those now trying to tear it down.

The US Version Of The Taliban

The Taliban in Afghanistan are "students" who have been and are waging an insurgency.

Yesterday, we in the US witnessed the birth of a similar movement. You can read about it here:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/parkland-school-shooting-survivor-march-lives-start-revolution/story?id=53981583

You may not see the similarity, possibly for reasons such as these:

• The US students have a different religion than do the Afghani students; and
• The US students are against firearms, while the Afghani students embrace them.

But make no mistake - they are similar movements, and both will be around for a long time.

By the way, the US Taliban also have much in common with Mao Zedong's Red Guards, with the exception (once again) that they are against firearms. But they don't need firearms to accomplish their goals. Mao said that "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun", but today there are three kinds of guns which wield such power:

• firearms (lethal force)
• the barrel of a syringe (drugs)
• the barrel of a video gun (TV)

Our new Taliban eschew the first two, but fully embrace the third.

MBS Woos US Deep State

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman — known in the West as MBS — is meeting with an array of America’s biggest power brokers, including Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Ari Emanuel, during whirlwind stops in New York, Hollywood and Silicon Valley.

You can read the rest @
https://pagesix.com/2018/03/24/saudi-prince-touring-us-to-meet-with-americas-moguls/

These so-called power brokers are part of the US deep state. They decide what happens, and your "votes" are meaningless.

Considering that they are sucking up to a man who is more or less a despot should tell you what kind of government we really have. The problem is not that W and Trump have joked about being a dictator-for-life, the problem is that the deep state appears to be unanimously in favor of such a thing ... as long as they get to pick who sits on the throne.

Quote For The Day - 3/25/2018

"The problem with Mark Zuckerberg is that he's profoundly uneducated."

[Overheard on the Austin NPR station this morning.]

I guess that's what happens when you go to Harvard but don't complete your degree.

(Honorary degrees don't really count.)

Swiss Armed To The Teeth, But No School Shootings

Switzerland hasn't had a mass shooting since 2001, when a man stormed the local parliament in Zug, killing 14 people and then himself.

The country has about 2 million privately owned guns in a nation of 8.3 million people. In 2016, the country had 47 homicides with firearms. The country's overall murder rate is near zero.

You can read the rest @
https://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/Switzerland-has-a-stunningly-high-rate-of-gun-12709383.php

The Swiss are patriotic. We are not. We confuse xenophobia with patriotism.

The Swiss are patriarchal. We are not. The US is in the process of destroying its patriarchal structures.

The Swiss have EXCELLENT schools. We do not. We have social engineering factories masquerading as public schools.

The Swiss don't have a massive drug problem. We do, and it's driving our murder rate.

The Swiss have a sound economy. We do not, and it's driving many of our problems.

The Swiss are proud of their culture and want to preserve it. We are not, and do not.

The Swiss are prepared to defend their land. We are not, and we do nothing while the US is overridden and destroyed by a flood of refugees and drugs.

You can take away all the weapons you can find in the US, but it won't solve our basic problems or prevent our ultimate collapse.

Nor will turning our political process over to student radicals and strippers.

Will Ending Conflict End Hunger ???

The United Nations Security Council is being urged to tackle the link between conflict and hunger.

At a special session of the council, the 15 members heard how hunger and famine continue despite huge technological advances because wars lead to the erosion of humanitarian laws and access of the most needy to food security.

David Beasley, the head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), said that warring parties “won’t stop shooting at each other” which is why the Security Council – which is mandated to maintain peace and international security – should play a greater role in ending conflict.

Conflict over the past two decades has seen the number of hungry rise; in the past three years, specifically, the number of people on the brink of starvation jumped from 80 to 124 million, the UN says.

“There is no reason that there should ever be famine in the world today. There’s actually no reason that there should be hunger in the world today when we have $300 trillion available wealth,” David Beasley, the executive director of the World Food Program, told the Security Council in a briefing.

“The question we should ask ourselves today is what is driving this extreme hunger rate. And the answer … is man-made conflict.”

You can read the rest @
http://thebricspost.com/end-conflict-and-you-end-hunger-unsc-told/#.WrfILC7wapo

Uh ... we really DON'T have "$300 trillion available wealth". It belongs to rich people who profit from conflict, and they are HAPPY to use the lack of food as a weapon. If we want to end hunger, we're going to have to deal with that, too.

And we'll have to keep crazies like John Bolton from driving our foreign policy.

Are We The Problem Or The Solution ???

Here is a report about a cool initiative in New Zealand:

Two years ago, New Zealand embarked on an ambitious effort to rid the country of every single rat, stoat, and possum. The invasive mammals were killing around 25 million of the country’s native, flightless birds each year, and the government wanted to give its rare fauna a chance at survival.

If New Zealand stopped controlling its invasive mammal populations, “we would lose more than 95 percent of our native birdlife,” says Dan Tompkins, who’s in charge of the science strategy for Predator Free 2050 Limited, a government-created company tasked with making this plan a reality. Tompkins feels strongly that the government’s plan is the right thing to do for New Zealand, but he knows it won’t be easy.

You can read the rest @
https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/xw7dxd/kids-in-new-zealand-are-out-to-kill-the-countrys-invasive-mammals

The "invasive species" didn't fly, swim, or walk there by themselves. Humans brought them when WE invaded New Zealand.

WE spread invasive creatures all over the world.

WE polluted the oceans.

WE poisoned the air, water, and soil.

WE are wrecking this planet.

To think that WE are anything other than the problem is a fantasy at best, and a fatal delusion at its worst. We can't fix things by killing off "invasive species" ... unless Homo sapiens is at the top of the kill list.

And I am NOT advocating mass murder. If we truly are "wise humans", we are capable of finding another way.

New Silk Road Good For The Middle East

The New Silk Road could give the Middle East significant economic growth.

You can read the rest @

https://deutsche-wirtschafts-nachrichten.de/2018/03/18/neue-seidenstrasse-chinas-stabilisiert-muslimische-laender/ [translation required]

Sounds good, no? And we in the US will be cut out of this due to our own stupidity (and the meddling of Israel).

Calling A Spade By Its Real Name

More than a decade ago, former US president Jimmy Carter incurred the wrath of Israel’s partisans in America by suggesting that Israeli rule over Palestinians in the occupied territories was comparable to apartheid. While his bestseller book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid” broke a taboo, in many ways it added to the confusion surrounding discussions of Israel. Since then, others, including John Kerry, when US secretary of state, and former Israeli prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak, have warned that Israeli rule in the occupied territories is in danger of metamorphosing into “apartheid” – though the moment of transformation, in their eyes, never quite seems to arrive.

It has been left to knowledgeable observers, such as South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu, to point out that the situation for Palestinians under occupation is, in fact, worse than that suffered by blacks in the former South Africa. In Tutu’s view, Palestinians under occupation suffer from something more extreme than apartheid – what we might term “apartheid-plus”.

There is a notable difference between the two cases that hints at the nature of that “plus”. Even at the height of apartheid, South Africa’s white population understood that it needed, and depended on, the labor of the black majority population. Israel, on the other hand, has a far more antagonistic relationship to Palestinians in the occupied territories. They are viewed as an unwelcome, surplus population that serves as a demographic obstacle to the political realization of a Greater Israel. The severe economic and military pressures Israel imposes on these Palestinians are designed to engineer their incremental displacement, a slow-motion ethnic cleansing.

You can read the rest @
http://truepublica.org.uk/global/israel-apartheid-state/

In my view, it is the people of the USA who are the worst enemies of the Palestinians, for it is we who are enabling their demise.

War Is The Health Of The State

The last minute signing of the $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill in the US is a big windfall for the Pentagon, who will be getting the majority of the money, in the realm of $700 billion. This includes 14 new ships, 28 new helicopters, and 56 of the costly F-35 warplanes. This $700 billion does not include other military-related spending, including the VA.

This is part of a $61 billion spending increase over the previous year, and virtually every aspect of the Pentagon is getting more money, more equipment, higher pay, and just general boosts in funding.

You can read the rest @
https://news.antiwar.com/2018/03/23/majority-of-1-3-trillion-us-omnibus-spending-bill-goes-to-military/

I think we need a strong, capable military, but this is getting to be ridiculous.

The Beginning Of A Golden Age ???

Here are three highly contradictory statements, all of which appear to be correct:

(1) “If you could hold a conference about the beginning of a golden age, why wouldn’t you?” [Amazon CEO Jeff] Bezos asked a field packed full of rocket scientists, AI researchers, and roboticists. “I really do believe that we are on the leading edge of an incredible renaissance.”

You can read the rest @
https://qz.com/1234822/inside-amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-private-mars-conference-for-a-new-golden-age/

(2) Humans are sleepwalking into a mass extinction of species not seen since the dinosaurs.

You can read the rest @
https://www.indy100.com/article/humans-are-sleepwalking-into-a-mass-extinction-8269776

(3) A Grandville kindergarten student was sodomized by fellow classmates, with portions of the assaults recorded and shared, leading the boy to “cover himself with mulch’’ to avoid more harassment, according to a lawsuit filed this week.

You can read the rest @
http://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/local/grandville/child-sodomized-by-classmates-assaults-recorded-on-school-issued-ipads-lawsuit-claims/69-531027866

The world being created by Bezos and his fellow billionaires is one full of human monsters, and which is soon to be devoid of all other forms of life. That's not a "renaissance" or a "golden age" - that's a DISASTER !!!

Or are we now supposed to measure everything in terms of how it benefits the wealth of Jeff Bezos?

Is Pentagon Lying About Plutonium Pits ???

According to this report, the Pentagon says they need to produce new plutonium pits for "our" nuclear weapons:

http://www.newsweek.com/us-nukes-will-be-useless-without-more-plutonium-military-warns-857441

But are they telling us the truth?

Here is a detailed discussion on the subject from the Los Alamos Study Group, which contains this important information:

The U.S. has about 23,000 pits, of which about 10,000 are in weapons and roughly 13,000 are in storage at the Pantex Plant near Amarillo , TX .

Nearly all the pits in the stockpile were made between 1978 and 1989. No one knows how long pits will ultimately last, but weapons experts and congressional studies have said that pits will last at least 60 years. No signs of degradation or any upper limit on working age have been found. All deployed pits will thus last through 2038 at a minimum. Through accelerated aging experiments, NNSA is gathering an additional 14-16 years of pit “longevity” data each year, raising serious questions about the rush to spend billions of dollars on a new pit production factory.

At LANL, pit production is being established to build W88 pits, an existing type used in warheads for Trident submarine missiles. NNSA now plans to curtail W88 production in favor of a new type of pit, called the “Reliable Replacement Warhead” (RRW), which is to be the prototype of a family of new (and untested) warheads meant to replace all existing U.S. warheads.

You can read the rest @
http://www.lasg.org/campaigns/PUPitProd.htm

So ... the issue is not the longevity of the pits, it's the desire of Trump and the Pentagon to produce NEW nuclear weapons which are more "usable" and more devastating.

My two cents ... DO NOT waste money on this abomination. We SHOULD NOT enable and embolden the US government to EVER use nuclear weapons again.

Are Paddock And Conditt The Same Guy ???

Please read these findings about the presumed Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock:

Primary findings from the LVPD's report:

• Paddock acted alone. Thousands of hours of digital media were reviewed and after all the interviews conducted, no evidence exists to indicate Paddock conspired with or acted in collusion with anybody else. This includes video surveillance, recovered DNA and analysis of cellular phones and computers belonging to Paddock.
• No suicide note or manifesto was found. Of all the evidence collected from rooms 32-135 and 32-134, there was no note or manifesto stating Paddock’s intentions. The only handwritten documentation found in either room was the small note indicating measurements and distances related to the use of rifles.
• There was no evidence of radicalization or ideology to support any theory that Paddock supported or followed any hate groups or any domestic or foreign terrorist organizations. Despite numerous interviews with Paddock’s family, acquaintances and gambling contacts, investigators could not link Paddock to any specific ideology.
• Paddock committed no crimes leading up to the October 1st mass shooting.
• Nothing was found to indicate motive on the part of Paddock or that he acted with anyone else.

You can read the rest @
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-03-22/cctv-footage-las-vegas-reveals-stephen-paddocks-last-acts-massacre

From what I gather about the Pflugerville bomber, the preliminary findings about him are these:

• Conditt acted alone.
• No suicide note or manifesto was found.
• There was no evidence of radicalization or terrorist ideology.
• Conditt committed no crimes leading up to the bombings.
• Nothing was found to indicate motive on the part of Conditt.

Sound familiar?

Although separated by time, space, and MO (shooting vs. bombing), these two presumed killers carried out nearly identical crimes ... by themselves, and for no discernible reason. Pretty spooky, no?

What's going on here? I have no clue.

Why Can't We Leave Colombia Alone ???

On Brink of a Stable Peace, Colombia Faces Familiar US-Backed Right-Wing Elements Seeking to Subvert It

Colombia’s peace agreement with the FARC has been threatened by continued violence against social leaders and now, with elections approaching, a potential far-right resurgence fueled by fear could trigger a return to militarism.

You can read the rest @
https://www.mintpressnews.com/on-brink-of-a-stable-peace-colombia-faces-us-backed-right-wing-element-forces-seeking-to-subvert-it/239389/

Are we REALLY supporters of "democracy", or merely in love with every military dictator in the world?

Let me ask this another way - since we're so in love with military dictatorships, how come we hate Putin so much? That would imply that Russia is a DEMOCRACY, wouldn't it?

What Are Stormy's Motives ???

Stormy Daniels seems to be everywhere in the "news" these days. Here is an example:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stormy-daniels-60-minutes-donald-trump-interview-to-be-broadcast-sunday/

Is she motivated by a sense of civic responsibility or by the possibility of personal gain?

I have my opinion - what do you think?

What Were The Bomber's Motives ???

So far, the only thing revealed about the Pflugerville bomber is that he was homeschooled, belonged to a "Christian survivalist group", and didn't like homosexuality. You can read about some of that here:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/austin-bomber-mark-anthony-conditt-110349128.html

I don't see anything there which explains what he did. Do you?

I hope they are not painting him with the same brush used on David Koresh. A true Christian wouldn't kill anyone, so PLEASE don't use this to attack Christianity.

The Federal Budget

Shame, shame. A pox on both Houses - and parties. Here’s the 2,232 page, $1.3 trillion, budget-busting Omnibus spending bill we received with just hours to try to read it before voting. Congress is broken.

[Source - Senator Paul's Facebook page]

You are so right, Senator Paul.

We are headed for a calamitous fall, maybe sooner than most think.

US Stealing Syria's Oil

You can read about it here:

https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-march-20-2018-u-s-building-military-garrison-to-control-largest-syrian-oil-field/

How is this different from ISIS stealing Syria's oil?

Is the US government anything other than a criminal enterprise?

Self-Driving Manslaughter In Tempe, AZ

Please watch this video showing Uber's car killing a woman in Tempe, AZ:

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-03-21/tempe-police-release-disturbing-footage-fatal-self-driving-uber-accident

Saying "the victim abruptly stepped from the shadows" is TOTAL BULLSHIT. These systems don't use visible light to navigate, so the so-called "shadows" are irrelevant.

Someone needs to go to jail for this, and I suggest we start with all the morons who think autonomous cars are a good idea.

New Silk Road - The Northeast Passage

Finland and Norway want to connect the Finnish city of Rovaniemi and the port city of Kirkenes, located in the far north of Norway, with a railway line. The approximately 500-kilometer long track would be the first link between an EU state and an Arctic port. The cost of the project is estimated at 3.6 billion euros. Experts expect a construction period of around ten years. The connection is scheduled to go into operation in 2030.

Finnish Transport Minister Anne Berner said that the railway will be connected to the tunnel to be built between Helsinki and the Estonian capital Tallin. Tallinn also plans to build a railway route to Warsaw. In this way, in a little more than ten years, a modern rail link between the extreme north of Europe and the east of central Europe will exist.

The route could also gain importance for European-Asian trade. Due to climate change, the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia is increasingly passable for shipping. In August 2017, Russian gas anchor Christophe de Margerie tackled the 11,000-kilometer route between the extreme north-west of Russia and South Korea in a record time of 19 days, with no icebreaker escort. If the ship had taken the usual route through the Suez Canal, it would have had to cover exactly twice the number of kilometers with 22,000.

You can read the rest @
https://deutsche-wirtschafts-nachrichten.de/2018/03/20/eisenbahn-zur-arktis-nordeuropaeer-suchen-anschluss-an-china/

While the US is whining about climate change and doing little or nothing to prepare for it, many Europeans are taking advantage of the inevitable.

It would not surprise me if much of the EU decided to dump the US in the not too distant future. Exactly what do we do that benefits them?

The Importance Of Snowden

Here is a wonderful discussion about the continuing importance of Ed Snowden:

http://theantimedia.org/start-paying-attention-edward-snowden/

Other than Julian Assange, I don't think there is ANYONE who comes closer to telling us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

But if you prefer, just keep listening to shills like Maddow and Hannity. Their shows are tailor made for the modern American doofus.

Facebook - The Other Vampire Squid

You can read all about it here:

https://www.theautomaticearth.com/2018/03/facebook-six-degrees-of-giant-squid/

Shut it down, impound its resources, jail its criminals.

Yes, Joe Biden Is A Moron

Joe Biden boasts he would have beaten up Donald Trump in high school:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-beat-hell-trump-high-school-disrespecting-women/story?id=53897309

Just what we need - another politician who advocates vigilantism and violence in our schools and society in general.

What a dumbass.

Don't Know Much About History

The University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point is reportedly discussing a plan to eliminate 13 majors including English, philosophy, history and Spanish. 

The campus — one of 11 campuses in the University of Wisconsin system — would instead focus on programs that have "clear career pathways," The Washington Post reported.

Under the proposal, the school would expand areas such as marketing, management, graphic design and computer information systems — areas that "have demonstrated value and demand in the region," according to the school.

You can read the rest @
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/379456-university-of-wisconsin-campus-proposes-plan-to-eliminate

Just wonderful. Why bother understanding our history or asking questions like "what is the meaning of life"? Obviously the meaning of life is to work for the market-state and always do what you're told.

Shoot ... why not eliminate college altogether and send our kids to trade school instead?

What is it about Wisconsin that attracts so many morons?