Thursday, August 03, 2017

How to know someone is Congress is actually working

It's not that hard to determine whether they are working or just taking the taxpayers' money under false pretense.

Are they jabbering away with nutty conspiracies about Russia?

They're not working.

Here's what working looks like:

  1.   Jul 31
    Replying to 
    We need to reinstate a 21st century Glass-Steagall Act to keep Wall Street from gambling with people’s savings - a recipe for disaster.
    81 replies709 retweets1,658 likes
     
     
  2.   Jul 31
    I voted against recent attempts to strip consumer protections put in place by the CFPB. This underscores the need for real banking reform.
    29 replies229 retweets634 likes
     
     



Tulsi Gabbard's focused on what will help the American people.

She's working.

Others cannot make the same claim.


Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"


Thursday, August 3, 2017.  Samantha Bee, first do no harm -- and other topics.




  33 minutes ago
Changing your political party name and logo is recycling....
1 reply3 retweets7 likes
 
 



That's the logo for Ammar al-Hakim's new party.  Last week brought news that he was leaving the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and forming National Wisdom.

Again, elections are supposed to coming up in Iraq.  You really don't get that from following coverage in the western media.

But you rarely get any Iraq coverage period.


Yesterday afternoon, Audie Cornish (NPR's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED) spoke with Human Rights Watch's Belkis Willie:
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:  There is a revenge campaign happening in Mosul. This started when Iraqi forces were fighting to retake the city from ISIS, and it's gone on since Iraq regained control of it. Soldiers have been rounding up and prosecuting anyone suspected to be a member of ISIS or related to one or a sympathizer of the terrorist group. In many cases, those detained are abused and executed. Human rights observers say the tactics being used by the military are war crimes.
BELKIS WILLE: I mean in terms of executions, we're seeing men being shot. We're seeing even more grotesque cases - for example, men being thrown off cliffs into the Tigris River and then being shot upon as they land. Numerous cases of really severe torture, sometimes leading to death.


Last week, Human Rights Watch noted:


 An Iraqi army division trained by the United States government allegedly executed several dozen prisoners in Mosul’s Old City, Human Rights Watch said today. Two international observers detailed the summary killings of four people by the Iraqi army’s 16th Division in mid-July 2017, and saw evidence that the unit had executed many more people, including a boy.
 The US government should suspend all assistance and support to the 16th Division pending Iraq’s full investigation of the allegations and appropriate prosecutions, Human Rights Watch said. Under the “Leahy Law,” the US is prohibited from providing military assistance to any unit of foreign security forces if there is credible evidence that the unit has committed gross violations of human rights and no “effective measures” are being taken to bring those responsible to justice.
“The US government should make sure it is no longer providing assistance to the Iraqi unit responsible for this spate of executions but also suspend any plans for future assistance until these atrocities have been properly investigated,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Given the widespread abuses by Iraqi forces and the government’s abysmal record on accountability, the US should take a hard look at its involvement with Iraqi forces.”[. . .]
 Under the “Leahy Law,” the US government is required to suspend assistance to the 16th Division until the Iraqi government takes three steps, which are often known as “remediation components”: impartial and thorough investigations; impartial and thorough prosecutions or administrative actions, as appropriate; and proportional sentencing or comparable administrative actions.
Despite acknowledging that Iraqi forces committed violations of the laws of war during the Mosul operation and promising to punish those responsible, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has yet to demonstrate that Iraqi authorities have held any soldiers accountable for executing, torturing, and abusing civilians or captured fighters.


ABC NEWS covered the abuses.


The other broadcast outlets haven't really made time.

From NPR's broadcast yesterday:
CORNISH: You've said that the persecution of ISIS suspects now could inadvertently drive more people toward extremism. Why do you think that?

 WILLE: I think you really need to look at ISIS and why ISIS for so many years was able to draw in so many recruits - young, Sunni Arab men - throughout Iraq and Syria. And it comes with a history.

Since 2003, with the fall of Saddam's government and an incoming Shia government that put Shia fighters into the military and brought in Shia militia, what we saw was rampant abuse that usually took the form of torture, executions, really targeting Sunni Arab men. These were the very men that ultimately joined ISIS, saying, we're sick of this complete impunity for Iraqi armed forces. And if this battle opens the floodgates to that very abuse that pushed men to join ISIS, we're going to continue to see young men wanting to join.



Let's turn to Samantha Bee.

I've not written of the ugly woman here, I believe Ava and I have (we've written of her at THIRD but we may have edited it out of the final draft, I'm not sure right now, I'd have to take a moment to think).

So her basic cable show gets, for her network, good ratings.  Not great ratings.  They haven't had great ratings in years.  But everyone pretends like she's a late night host even though late night hosts need to do at least four days of programming a way if they follow the Johnny Carson pattern (Monday repeat, Tuesdays through Fridays new shows).

Apparently, Samantha can't work regularly.

But she can go to Iraq.

Why?

Because her attempt at being the new Don Rickles needs to spread?

Is she afraid that Iraqi comics might not have mastered her move of piling on thousands of words to say nothing while winding up the rage louder and louder and louder?

In one clip, she claims to find a Bernie Bro in the KRG.  And she explains -- she's trying to sing but she can't carry a tune -- that he didn't call her a bitch or a c**t so she's so happy.

Bernie Bros was a myth created by Hillary's emasculated male supporters.  (I'm not calling all -- or even the majority -- of her male supporters "emasculated" -- I'm referring to the Peters and the Davids).  It was an attempt to paint Bernie Sanders and his supporters as sexist.  To do that, they repeatedly pretended women didn't support Bernie -- even though women did.

Remember when 'feminist' Gloria Steinem went on TV (Bill Maher, isn't that where CIA feminists go?) to 'explain' that young women were supporting Bernie to get "boys"

She's perpetuating lies about Bernie supporters.

But then, her whole act perpetuates lies about feminism: that we're loud and ugly.

I don't get Samantha.  In England, for example, if someone on TV can't be pretty, they generally cultivate a unique look and, through the sheer will of their personality, they become attractive.  But Samantha's convinced a blow out and what appears to be a trip to the Clinique counter will result in a miracle.  It's not happening.

But here's a tip to Samantha, you're an entertainer.

Granted, you're not that entertaining, but that is your profession.

You are in a foreign country.

Maybe don't parade your potty mouth?

Iraqi women are fighting for their rights yet again.

That's why Atwood's HANDSMAID TAIL is so laughable as a TV series in the 21st century -- we can only imagine 'horror' if it happens in the west.  The Water Cooler Set will treat this fantasy as tragic but the realities that Iraqi women -- or any non-west women -- face will not be cause for alarm even though these are realities and not a novel from the 1980s.

Iraqi women are fighting to have a stand in their country.  Your potty mouth visiting (the safer northern region) is not helping them.

You are a foreigner and you become the 'foreign devil' when you break taboos.  Iraqi women fighting for their rights do not need to risk being compared to you.

I get it, you're an ugly woman who overcompensates by being loud and vulgar.  You have serious ego issues so you need to make it all about you.  Fine.  Do that in the US.  Don't go to places where your act will help set back women's rights.


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Wednesday, August 02, 2017

Censorship

Found this very interesting:

  11 hours ago
Robert Parry reports on a documentary blacklisted because it threatened the origins of the New Cold War,
1 reply20 retweets24 likes
 
 


And on the topic of censorship, read Bruce Dixon (BLACK AGENDA REPORT):

It is and it was only a matter of time. Convincing evidence has emerged that Google is actively suppressing public access at least a dozen left wing sites, very likely including Black Agenda Report by algorithms which game the keyword search results it presents to users.
Back in September 2016 Reuters ran an article declaring that the First Draft Coalition, including Google, Facebook, Twitter, New York Times, Washington Post, BuzzFeed News, Agence France-Presse and CNN intended to launch an effort to combat fake news. A shadowy outfit calling itself PropOrNot surfaced in November 2016 with an anonymously compiled list of 199 sites it said “reliably echo Russian propaganda.” More than half the sites were right wing nutjobs, from the nazis at StormFront to the libertarians at the Ron Paul Institute. But about twenty or so were entirely credible sources of news and information to the left of mainstream Democrats, including DemocracyNow! the World Socialist Web Site, Alternet, Naked Capitalism, Counterpunch, TruthOut! and Black Agenda Report. It’s worth noting that Black Agenda Report is the ONLY site owned and run by black people and aimed at an African American audience to be singled out in this manner.
As part of the First Draft Coalition, the Washington Post immediately gave the report mainstream mic time. My colleague Black Agenda Report’s Glen Ford pointed out almost immediately that the Washington Post, Google and most of the players at First Draft contribute far more to Hillary Clinton Democrats than to Republicans. Some like Google are even big donors to outfits flying the Black Lives Matter flag. This, Ford declared was a giant step toward facism implemented by Democrats, not Republicans.


Read him and full and refuse to buy into fake news.

Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"


Wednesday, August 2, 2017.


  Jul 31
Both war profiteer parties are screaming that supporting diplomacy is treason. It was the same during the run-up to attacking Iraq & Libya.
66 replies340 retweets675 likes







Jill's right.  It's the same old story again and again and again.


And please remember Bully Boy Bush's lies included the lies about diplomacy.


It included the lies regarding weapons inspection.

It included so much.

We need to remember that so we don't come off as stupid as Ellen DeGeneres so recently did as she rushed to normalize him on her talk show.





 Dog Eat Dog
It's dog eat dog
I'm just waking up
The dove is in the dungeon
And the white washed hawks
pedal hate and call it love
Dog Eat Dog
Holy hope in the hands of
Snakebite evangelists and racketeers
And big wig financiers

Dog Eat Dog
On prime time crime the victim begs
Money is the road to justice
and power walks it on crooked legs
Prime Time Crime
Holy hope in the hands of
Snakebite evangelists and racketeers
and big wig financiers

Where the wealth's displayed
Thieves and sycophants parade
And where it's made
the slaves will be taken
Some are treated well
In these games of buy and sell
And some like poor beast
Are burdened down to breaking
-- "Dog Eat Dog," written by Joni Mitchell (first appears on her DOG EAT DOG).





View all

Link to headline article
A huge number of Britons want to see Tony Blair tried for Iraq war crimesTony Blair should be tried as a war criminal over the Iraq War, according to a third of Britons surveyed in a new poll. 
Profile image of authorThe Independent
Aug 01, 2017



Oh, it's not just a huge number of Britons -- it's a huge number all over the world.


And click here for ridiculous.



Oliver Miles explains to RT that it's not 'fair' for Blair to be prosecuted unless Bully Boy Bush is.

Bully Boy Bush is not a British citizen.

I don't know how Miles believes you allow a case filed by an Iraqi against Bully Boy Bush to go through in a London court.

There's a thing called jurisdiction.

Does Miles not grasp that?

Guess he also doesn't grasp that should the UK allow a case against Tony to go through, there would be pressure on other countries to allow similar actions.

So, in Australia, John Howard might be sued -- Oliver doesn't appear to remember John.

But if there's a chance to nail anyone of them, that chance should be taken.

As for 'fair'?

I believe it was bombed to death somewhere south of Baghdad in 2004.

As for Oliver?

Why is he being brought on?

He's not an expert on Iraq.

Did he protest against the war or speak out against it?

Nope.

He's a jerk who retired from office long before the Iraq War.

He could have spoken out -- he retired in 1996 -- but he chose not to.

Now he wants to say it would be unfair to prosecute only Tony and not Bully Boy Bush (again, the idiot forgets John Howard).

Don't listen to hacks like Oliver.


Meanwhile in Iraq, people talk of politics.




  19 hours ago
Nay.. nay to Iran in Iraq.. O Mullahs get out.. get out
26 retweets22 likes







Nay . . . nay to Iran in Iraq . . .
O Mullahs get out . . . get out
Amid all official, unofficial visits
By Iraqi officials
to Saudi Arabia
Sadr's visit is of
utmost importance,
major indications
Not only of
nature of
Saudi-Iraqi
ties currently
But also nature
of Iran's presence
in Iraq in particular
Sadr's visit
Given his charismatic
presence in Iraqi street
Has prompted all Iraqis
To demand dismantlement of Iranian
subversive project in Baghdad
And to raise three
Nays in face of Mullahs
No to Iran in Iraq, no
to Khamenei regime
No to Iranian theocracy,
no to Persian nationalism
Iraq is Arab state
As network of iran stooges
in iraq is being dismantled
Including Maliki
henchmen, IMIS, others
Let all chant as they
chanted two years ago
Iran . . . out . . . out



Dropping back to Sunday:



  9 hours ago
: Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman receives Muqtada Al-Sadr, leader of the Sadrist Movement in on Sunday
15 replies148 retweets98 likes




Again, though the western media ignores it, the political season has already started in Iraq.


Shi'ite cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr is fighting for his vision of Iraq.

Nouri al-Maliki's trip to Russia last week was about him attempting to sell himself as the leader Iraq needs.


Baria Alamuddin (ARAB NEWS) notes:

The past week saw the spectacular implosion of leading Shiite faction the Islamic Supreme Council in Iraq (ISCI). The council was put together in 1982 by Iran. It consisted of Iraqi exiles deployed to fight their own countrymen during the Iran-Iraq war. During this same period — with varying degrees of success — Iran was bankrolling militants in Lebanon, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, intended to forcibly overturn the established orders in those countries.
With ISCI and its armed wing, Badr (previously known as the Badr Brigades), perceived by Iraqis as having treasonously fought on the wrong side during the 1980s war (they were notoriously used by Tehran to torture and interrogate prisoners of war), ISCI was understandably regarded with suspicion when they returned to Iraq in 2003.
Iran spent a small fortune re-establishing ISCI on Iraqi soil. Badr capitalized on its dominance of the Interior Ministry for a wholesale takeover of the security forces. Along with the Islamic Dawa Party (led by former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki from 2006), and Moqtada Al-Sadr’s movement, these Shiite factions and their allies could secure around 50 percent of Parliament seats when Tehran coaxed them to act together.


The implosion is actually Ammar al-Hakim leaving to form National Wisdom.  IFP explains:

All Iraqi factions need to have a relationship with Iran. That is why Ammar Hakim has, in his speeches, thanked Iran for its support and assistance.
So, the new council that he has formed cannot be at odds with Iran; rather, it must be seeking a new atmosphere to secure a better social status. One of the new developments is the establishment of the new so-called “National Wisdom” current [created by Ammar Hakim] with national features which go beyond ethnic and religious lines. This has been one of the principles that new Iraqi parties and Iraqi people have favoured. Therefore, the National Wisdom current may be able to have a trans-religious and trans-ethnic performance. Moreover, some high-profile figures with long executive experience are still members of the ISCI. As already announced, they may be able to play a more constructive role in this arena by presenting their new programs and setting aside dynastic limitations.


That's a pretty important development.

Maybe at some point western news outlets will take the time to notice?




4h 4 Hours ago Not
Major openness to in last 6 weeks. Hosted: • PM Abadi in June • Ariji in mid July • Muqtada Sadr today

8 replies44 retweets29 likes







MIDDLE EAST EYE notes:


In April, Sadr told Middle East Eye that "sectarian" PMUs have no place in Iraq.
Speaking from his home in Najaf, he told MEE that he favoured urgent dialogue with Iraq's Sunni politicians so as to prevent clashes sectarian clashes once the country no longer has a common enemy in IS.
"I'm afraid that the defeat of . . . [Islamic State] is only the start of a new phase. My proposal is inspired by fear of sectarian and ethnic conflict after Mosul's liberation," he said.
"I want to avoid this. I am very proud of Iraq's diversity but my fear is that we may see a genocide of some ethnic or sectarian groups."
Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq were severed after Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and were only re-established in 2015.
Last month, Iraq's prime minister Haider al-Abadi met King Salman in Saudi Arabia in a bid to strengthen ties between the two countries. 




  3 hours ago
A curfew has been enforced on Al-Halabsa neighborhood north , no details known yet.
5 retweets8 likes























iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq Iraq
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