Recent Events______________________________________
How the Elites Frame Reality - (2024-04-16)
"The New York Times instructed journalists covering Israel's war on the Gaza Strip to restrict the use of the terms 'genocide' and 'ethnic cleansing' and to 'avoid' using the phrase 'occupied territory' when describing Palestinian land, according to a copy of an internal memo obtained by The Intercept"
Marching orders come from the editors, who receive them from the owners, who are in turn aligned with their own elite faction.
Proxy War Ends, Real War Begins - (2024-04-14)
"During the attack, explosions were heard in cities across Israel, including Tel Aviv. The explosions were also heard in Jerusalem, and air raid sirens sounded in more than 720 locations... Israel's chief military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, said Iran's attack involved more than 120 ballistic missiles, 170 drones, and more than 30 cruise missiles"
How long before Israel and the United States run out of air defense systems? The fact that U.S. forces were involved is a sign that Team Bibi cannot do this alone.
Biden claims his support for Isreal is "iron clad" (fine print: just as long as Bibi doesn't escalate)
AI Directs Airstrike: Precursor to Skynet - (2024-04-04)
"The army almost completely relied on Lavender, which clocked as many as 37,000 Palestinians as suspected militants — and their homes — for possible air strikes."
"Additional automated systems, including one called 'Where’s Daddy?' also revealed here for the first time, were used specifically to track the targeted individuals and carry out bombings when they had entered their family's residences."
"Gospel marks buildings and structures that the army claims militants operate from, Lavender marks people — and puts them on a kill list"
Don't Worry, the Cloud is Completely Safe... - (2024-04-04)
"The panel said the intrusion, discovered in June by the State Department and dating to May 'was preventable and should never have occurred,' blaming its success on 'a cascade of avoidable errors.' What's more, the board said, Microsoft still doesn’t know how the hackers got in."
Microsoft Outlook Spies on Users - (2024-04-04)
"Everyone talks about the privacy-washing(new window) campaigns of Google and Apple as they mine your online data to generate advertising revenue. But now it looks like Outlook is no longer simply an email service(new window); it's a data collection mechanism for Microsoft's 801 external partners and an ad delivery system for Microsoft itself."
Trust no one.
Israel Officially Kicks Off War in Middle East - (2024-04-01)
"Two commanders from its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) were among seven people killed in an Israeli air strike that flattened the Iranian consulate in Damascus"
NATO Seeks to Hedge its Bet - (2024-04-01)
"Nato is drawing up plans to secure a five-year military aid package of up to $100bn, in a bid to shield Ukraine from “winds of political change” that could usher in a second Trump presidency."
Zelensky Lowers Draft Age to 25 - (2024-04-01)
Given Ukraine's stark demographics, this is a sign of desperation more than anything else. If they clear out the youngsters eventually there will be no one to run the country.
Ignore Uncle Sam's Words, Watch His Hands - (2024-03-30)
"The U.S. in recent days authorized the transfer of billions of dollars worth of bombs and fighter jets to Israel, two sources familiar with the effort said on Friday, even as Washington publicly expresses concerns about an anticipated Israeli military offensive in Rafah. The new arms packages include more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, said the sources"
At Least 133 Dead in Attack on Moscow - (2024-03-23)
"The Kremlin did not immediately blame anyone for the attack, but some Russian politicians were quick to accuse Ukraine... Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), an Afghan affiliate of ISIL (ISIS), claimed responsibility for the attack"
Back into the wilderness of mirrors we go...
Biden Tells Zelensky to Knock It Off - (2024-03-22)
"The US has urged Ukraine to halt attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure, warning that the drone strikes risk driving up global oil prices and provoking retaliation, according to three people familiar with the discussions."
Apple Sued by DoJ and 16 States - (2024-03-22)
"Apple has decayed, moving away from its roots as a competitive technology firm, and spending its resources making it harder and harder for consumers and businesses to get out of the Apple ecosystem, and then trying to extend that ecosystem from smartphones into cars, business software, and banks. Apple has become a dangerous corporation, with designs on imposing an authoritarian vision over as much of the economy as it can get away with."
More Civilians Killed in Gaza - (2024-03-16)
"The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said that 20 dead bodies and 155 wounded people have arrived at al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza alone. It said that it is working to retrieve more dead bodies."
U.S. Elites Suffer Cognitive Dissonance - (2024-03-11)
"Traditional cultures have a lot to fear from the West's various progressive leanings and may resist allying themselves on foreign policy with those who espouse them. In a similar way, during the Cold War, the Soviet Union's official atheism was a deal-breaker for many people who might otherwise have been well disposed toward Communism."
"Fighting a war based on values requires good values. At a bare minimum it requires an agreement on the values being spread, and the United States is further from such agreement than it has ever been in its history — further, even, than it was on the eve of the Civil War"
"President Biden is misrepresenting his country in presenting it as stable and unified enough to commit to anything. Ukrainians are learning this at a steep cost."
NATO Member Backs Hamas - (2024-03-09)
"Turkish President Recep Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday Ankara 'firmly backs' Palestinian militant group Hamas."
Word vs Actions Regarding Israel - (2024-03-07)
"The United States has quietly approved and delivered more than 100 separate foreign military sales to Israel since the Gaza war began Oct. 7, amounting to thousands of precision-guided munitions, small-diameter bombs, bunker busters, small arms and other lethal aid, U.S. officials told members of Congress in a recent classified briefing."
Don't listen to the words, watch the hands...
Apple Fined $2 Billion - (2024-03-05)
"Apple imposed on app developers which prevent them from informing iPhone and iPad users of alternative music subscription services at lower prices outside of the App Store."
Every company secretly wishes that, like Apple, it had monopoly power.
U.S. Red Sea Mission Not Sustainable - (2024-03-03)
"In most cases, the U.S. is launching $2 million defense missiles to stop $2,000 Houthi drones, a discrepancy that the Yemeni rebel group has noted in its statements mocking Washington. The cost of taking on the Houthis is also becoming more apparent as the defiant fighters show no signs of stopping and could lock the U.S. into a long conflict — and it's throwing the world into a tough spot"
Explaining Bipartisan Support for Certain Issues - (2024-03-03)
"AIPAC is expected to spend $100 million across its political entities in 2024, taking aim at candidates they deem insufficiently supportive of Israel, according to three people with direct knowledge of the figure, who were granted anonymity to discuss private meetings."
Sound Familiar? - (2024-03-02)
"When rural voters in the late 1800s defied New York banking interests and demanded currency reform to allow farmers an escape from one of the original 'rigged games' in finance, relentless propaganda ensued. Rural populists were depicted as dirty, bigoted, ignorant."
Can't Spell CeNsoriNg without "CNN" - (2024-03-01)
"Tight restrictions on quoting Hamas and reporting other Palestinian perspectives while Israel government statements are taken at face value. In addition, every story on the conflict must be cleared by the Jerusalem bureau before broadcast or publication."
Isreali Troops Fire on Starving Civilians - (2024-02-29)
"More than 100 Palestinians have been killed and some 700 others wounded after Israeli troops opened fire on hundreds waiting for food aid southwest of Gaza City, health officials say... Al Jazeera’s Ismail al-Ghoul said that after opening fire, Israeli tanks advanced and ran over many of the dead and injured bodies"
Sweden to Join NATO - (2024-02-27)
"Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has maintained contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin in defiance of Western pressure, withheld approval of Sweden's bid for more than 600 days"
Macron Doesn't Rule Out WWIII - (2024-02-27)
"French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that sending Western troops to Ukraine should not be ruled out, as European leaders concluded a summit on supporting Kyiv."
Would definitely take attention away from all those angry farmers. Because war with another country is better than a civil war.
Germany and Poland, on the other hand, make it clear that Macron isn't speaking for them.
CIA Secretly in Ukraine for over a Decade - (2024-02-26)
So, yes, Putin was right about the CIA being his primary enemy. This story is what's known in the spy business as a "limited hangout." Admitting to post-coup operations only. The CIA has been fomenting regime change abroad since it's early days as the OSS. It goes without saying that American spies were neck deep in the Maidan coup.
Nuland: Why? Because our Defense Sector Likes War - (2024-02-25)
"We have to remember that the bulk of this money is going right back into the U.S. economy to make those weapons, including good paying jobs in some 40 states across the United States."
Ukraine: Think Tank Stooges Get Their Clocks Cleaned - (2024-02-23)
"Ukraine has already lost the war. It's lost 20 percent of its territory, according to my calculations. And it's not going to conquer that territory and get it back, as was demonstrated in the failed counteroffensive of last year."
"The key to understanding where this war is headed is to know that it is a war of attrition. This is two armies that are standing toe-to-toe and beating the living daylights out of each other. And the question is, which army bleeds which army first? And it's quite clear that the Russians are bleeding the Ukrainians white."
"As the setup piece made clear, the Russians have about a 10-1 advantage in artillery. And there's nothing we can do to fix that in the foreseeable future, because we don't have artillery on the shelf that we can give them."
"Furthermore, in terms of manpower, they are in absolutely terrible shape. They say they need a mobilization and will bring into the force 500,000 troops. They are not going to be able to mobilize 500,000 troops. In my opinion, they will be lucky if they can mobilize 150,000 troops."
"And they're already greatly outnumbered by the Russians, because the Russian population is five times bigger than the Ukrainian population. So when you look at the metrics that really matter in a war of attrition, the Ukrainians are in a terrible situation, and this situation only gets worse with time."
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a major PBS sponsor, probably thought they were getting some free air time so they could whip up interest in more military spending. In a truly rare instance of actual balance PBS brought out a certifiable expert and he mopped the floor with the think tank "fellows."
Misery Continues in Gaza - (2024-02-23)
"Palestinian health officials said 97 people were confirmed killed and 130 wounded in the last 24 hours of Israeli assaults on Gaza, but many more victims were still under rubble... Gaza's Health Ministry estimates more than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli military launched air and ground offensives in Gaza in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas-led militant attack on southern Israel."
Then there's this:
"I am personally proud of the ruins of Gaza, and that every baby, even 80 years from now, will tell their grandchildren what the Jews did"
Avast Sold User Data - (2024-02-22)
"Avast Limited told consumers that using its software would protect their privacy by preventing the tracking and collection of their browser information. But according to the FTC, from 2014 to 2020, guess who was tracking consumers' browser information and then selling it to more than 100 other companies through an affiliate called Jumpshot?"
What could go wrong if you install software on a system that has complete access? That goes double for auto-update! This is why the machine containing the Snowden Documents was air-gapped and physically secured.
Israel's Economy is Cratering - (2024-02-20)
"Israel's war in Gaza has taken a toll on the country's economy. In the fourth quarter of 2023, Israel's economy contracted almost 20% compared to the previous quarter, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics"
How many more months can this last?
Israel Sabotaged Iranian Pipelines - (2024-02-18)
"Israel carried out covert attacks on two major natural gas pipelines inside Iran this week, disrupting the flow of heat and cooking gas to provinces with millions of people, according to two Western officials and a military strategist affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps."
State Dept's Domestic Censorship - (2024-02-18)
"There are simply too many agencies that have adopted the attitude that the entire federal government is one giant intelligence service, entitled to secret budgeting and an oversight-free existence."
Ukraine Forces Exit Avdiivka - (2024-02-17)
"Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the front-line city of Avdiivka, the new army chief announced, after months of heavy fighting and little progress in repelling Russian forces in the country's eastern front."
Ukraine Has Security Deals with France, Germany, and UK - (2024-02-17)
"Germany committed to not only support Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion 'for as long as it takes,' ...Scholz also announced a new €1.1 billion military support package for Ukraine"
Bold words for a country that's currently de-industrializing.
"Paris pledged to 'contribute to the long-term structural and comprehensive strengthening of Ukraine.' The agreement will remain valid so long as Ukraine is not part of NATO, Macron said... In 2024, France will provide up to €3 billion in additional support"
"Instead of offering a direct path to NATO membership, G7 countries pledged to sign bilateral security deals with Kyiv to signal their long-term support"
This, in addition to a deal signed a few weeks back with the UK.
"Sunak said the U.K. would provide a total of £2.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine in the 2024/25 financial year"
Second Front Escalation in Middle East - (2024-02-15)
"The civilian death toll from two Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon has risen to 10, Lebanese state media reported... Hezbollah confirmed three of its fighters were killed"
Deep State Election Meddling - (2024-02-15)
"Transgressions range from Justice Department surveillance of domestic political targets without probable cause to the improper unmasking of a pre-election conversation between a Trump official and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to WMD-style manipulation of intelligence for public reports on alleged Russian 'influence activities'"
Airstrikes Hammer Rafah - (2024-02-13)
"Israeli forces rescued two hostages early Monday, storming a heavily guarded apartment in a densely packed town in the Gaza Strip as airstrikes carried out to cover the raid killed at least 67 Palestinians, including women and children"
Texas Backed by 25 States - (2024-02-11)
" Half of America's Governors, including those here with me today, have banded together to make one thing clear: Americans stand with Texas and our right to protect and defend our state from the crisis at our southern border"
Team Biden in Damage Control Mode - (2024-02-10)
"In a closed-door meeting with Arab American leaders in Michigan this week, one of President Biden's top foreign policy aides acknowledged mistakes in the administration's response to the war in Gaza, saying he did not have 'any confidence' that Israel's government was willing to take 'meaningful steps' toward Palestinian statehood."
Don't listen to what the White House is saying; watch the hands. As yet another tent city gets pounded with U.S. weaponry.
The U.S. Investors Behind China's Chip Industry - (2024-02-09)
"In total, more than $1 billion into more than 150 semiconductor companies"
GGV Capital, GSR Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, Sequoia Capital and Walden International. Elites in the United States have a long history of building up their future enemies. It's the Hegelian Dialectic at work.
Carlson Interview: Deep State's Role - (2024-02-09)
"The CIA replied: 'We have been working with the opposition in Russia. We believe that this is the right thing to do and we will keep on doing it.'"
"Twice you've described US presidents making decisions and then being undercut by their agency heads. So, it sounds like you're describing a system that is not run by the people who are elected, in your telling."
"Technically they did everything right, they achieved their goal of changing the government. However, from political standpoint, it was a colossal mistake. Surely, it was political leadership’s miscalculation. They should have seen what it would evolve into."
The true leader of Ukraine isn't Zelensky, it's Victoria Nuland.
Climate Change vs. Food Sovereignty - (2024-02-09)
"Farmers' protests have broken out in many countries across Europe in recent weeks, with the industry expressing discontent over the EU's green policies. Some of the largest demonstrations have been in Germany, prompted by a cut to diesel subsidies. Brussels has faced calls from industry groups and some political parties to lay out a 2040 climate pathway that doesn’t ignite further anger."
Mass Grave in Gaza - (2024-02-06)
"Palestinian authorities have demanded an international investigation after a mass grave was found in Gaza with the decomposing bodies of Palestinian detainees who were blindfolded and handcuffed. At least 30 bodies were found in 'black plastic bags' near the Hamad school in northern Gaza"
Private Sector WMDs - (2024-02-06)
"What is truly secret is not necessarily how to design the weapon —much of that exists on the Internet or in the public domain —but the processes necessary to make the critical materials, like highly enriched uranium."
"Jenkins suggested that biological weapons could be privatized more easily than nukes because fewer facilities are involved and they’re harder to detect."
Mad Dog The Mercenary - (2024-02-06)
"U.S. officials swiftly approved Mattis's request. Then they fought to conceal his advisory role in the war in Yemen and his work for Mohamed"
War Expands in Middle East - (2024-02-04)
"The US military said it hit 36 Houthi targets in 13 locations... The US military said its forces struck 85 targets in Syria and Iraq linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and political and military groups."
Honey Badgers just don't care. The cost of continuing attacks for Yemen is much less than what's being spent to conduct Western airstrikes. The impact on global trade will be nontrivial.
Data Contradicts "Soft Landing" Narrative - (2024-02-03)
As the price of basic necessities "jumped more than 11 percent in 2022 and 5 percent last year." The economy is still overheated.
E.U. Agrees on Ukraine Aid - (2024-02-01)
"European Union leaders unanimously agreed on Thursday to extend 50 billion euros ($54 billion) in new aid to Ukraine, sending a message to the United States split on whether to keep backing Kyiv in its fight against Russia's invasion. The agreement overcomes weeks of resistance from Hungary and comes amid uncertainty over the future of U.S. aid. Kyiv relies heavily on Western support as the war, the biggest conflict in Europe since World War Two, nears its third year."
Farmers Block Access to Paris - (2024-01-30)
"Protesting farmers encircled Paris with traffic-snarling barricades on Monday, using hundreds of lumbering tractors and mounds of hay bales to block highways leading to the French capital that will host the Summer Olympics in six months. Protesters came prepared for an extended battle, with tents and reserves of food and water. The government announced a deployment of 15,000 police officers, mostly in the Paris region, to stop any effort by the protesters to enter the capital."
No Bail Out for Evergrande - (2024-01-30)
"Evergrande, the Chinese property developer, was worth just $275m on Monday, down 99% from its peak in 2017. It owes more than $300bn to various creditors, according to its most recent financial report."
Ukraine: Standing in the Winner's Circle? - (2024-01-30)
"US weapons sales overseas rose sharply last year, reaching a record total of $238bn (£187bn), as Russia's invasion of Ukraine stoked demand. The US government directly negotiated $81bn in sales, a 56% increase from 2022, the state department reported. The rest were direct sales by US defence companies to foreign nations"
A mountain of cash on the level of Evergrande's debt...
NSA Buying Data - (2024-01-26)
For years Big Tech told us that they're only using the massive silos of data they're collect to market products. Neglecting to confess that once the data goes up for sale, anyone can buy it -- including Security Services. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Mass surveillance has gone corporate, there's plenty of money to be made violating people's privacy, so don't expect it to stop anytime soon. The Feds are just jumping on the bandwagon with Wall Street and Park Avenue.
Plane Crashes in Russia - (2024-01-25)
"The Il-76 crashed in a huge ball of fire in a rural area of Russia, and authorities there said all 74 people on board, including 65 POWs, six crew members and three Russian servicemen, were killed."
U.S. Natural Gas Bonanza in Europe - (2024-01-21)
"The European Union has slashed its intake of Russian gas to less than a third of the 155 billion cubic meters it imported in 2021, according to estimates by the EuroGas trade association. It did that by tripling its imports of U.S. liquefied natural gas, which reached 60 billion cubic meters in 2023."
Houthis Disrupt Europe's Energy Imports - (2024-01-21)
"Less Middle Eastern crude is heading to Europe, with the volume nearly halved to about 570,000 barrels per day (bpd) in December from 1.07 million bpd in October, Kpler data showed."
Houthis Double Down - (2024-01-20)
"With its decision to attack, the Biden administration appears to have opened itself up to a geopolitical checkmate by the Houthis. Escalating the strikes against the rebels will likely bring more shipping disruptions — potentially counterproductive to mitigating economic consequences — and risk a full-blown regional war"
Do the math:
"US Navy has used Standard SM-2 missiles costing US$2.1 million in the Red Sea to destroy Houthi drones worth just $2,000"
Germany is "Sick Man" of Europe - (2024-01-20)
"The German economy contracted in 2023, due to persistent inflation, high energy prices and weak foreign demand, but it avoided a recession at the end of the year. Gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 0.3% over the full-year 2023, the Federal Statistics Office said"
The Donor Class Changes its Mind on Ukraine - (2024-01-18)
"What seemed at first to be the start of a Third World War has turned out instead to be a Second Yugoslav War: a local conflict on the edge of Europe triggered by a slow-motion imperial collapse."
Which empire? The one that fomented a coup back in 2014? The one whose emissary said "F* the EU" and who is likely still saying it?
"The Russian economy is doing well despite persistent inflation, the imbalances caused by rising military expenditure, and record-high interest rates. GDP grew 3.5 percent in 2023, and there was 7.4 percent growth in manufacturing, helping to smooth out some of the inequality between poorer and wealthier regions. Moscow continues to reap large profits from oil and gas exports. Economically speaking, it’s clearly possible for ordinary life in Russia to continue despite the war"
Pakistan Strikes Back - (2024-01-18)
"Pakistan has launched missile strikes into Iran, killing nine people, after Iran carried out strikes in Pakistan late on Tuesday. Pakistan said its strikes had hit 'terrorist hideouts' in Iran's south-eastern Sistan-Baluchestan province."
Davos 2024 Theme: "Rebuilding Trust" - (2024-01-16)
Good luck with that. Western elites assemble to reinforce their collective delusions while the status quo shifts under their feet. The presence of Team Zelensky a potent reminder of just how much the past is slipping away.
War Rages in the Middle East - (2024-01-13)
"More than 30 Palestinians, including young children, were killed in Israeli bombardments overnight into Saturday in the Gaza Strip, officials said, while a new U.S. strike against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen heightened fears that the Israel-Hamas war could escalate into a regional conflict."
Next Front Opens Up in Middle East - (2024-01-12)
"A U.S.-led military coalition struck Iran-aligned Houthi militants in Yemen on Thursday, a dramatic escalation after the group ignored repeated warnings from the Biden administration and other governments to stop attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea."
The Empire strikes back, and the Honey Badgers of the Middle East known as the Houthis just don't care...
Ecuador Declares a State of Emergency - (2024-01-10)
"At least 10 people have been killed in Ecuador in a series of attacks blamed on armed gangs, as the country plunges into chaos in what the new president has called an 'internal armed conflict'"
The 1st Amendment Will Not Save You - (2024-01-07)
"If you are a little fish like me, they’ll censor you, defame you, and prosecute you on trumped-up 'hate crime' charges. If you're a bigger fish, and, say, running for president, they will declare you a 'traitor' and remove you from the ballot... The global-capitalist ruling classes... are going totalitarian on us"
Iranian Memorial for Soleimani Bombed - (2024-01-04)
"Dozens of people have been killed and more than 200 others wounded in explosions near the tomb of former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) General Qassem Soleimani during a ceremony marking four years since his assassination."
California's Demographic Shift Hits Home - (2024-01-01)
"State budget analysts recently projected a record $68 billion deficit in the next fiscal year because of a 25% drop in personal income tax collection in 2023... California is heavily dependent on high earners to meet government fiscal needs. Tax filers in the top 1% of income, earning around $1 million and above, have typically accounted for 40% to 45% of the state’s total personal income tax revenue"