Monday, July 23, 2018

Bernie The Caver Sanders

Bernie Sanders. I supported him in the primary.  I think he’s disgusting.  I thought it was stupid for him to support Hillary.  That was in real time.  Now that she’s trashed him in her latest ghost written book, he really has no reason to be polite even.  But he still does and he looks stupid for it.  Hillary lost.  She lost because she was lousy. 
 
As bad as his support for Hillary was and is, now he’s preaching the Russia hysteria and I’m sick of it.  He’s an embarrassment.  This is from Patrick Martin (WSWS):

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders appeared on the CBS Sunday interview program “Face the Nation” Sunday and fully embraced the anti-Russia campaign of the US military-intelligence apparatus, backed by the Democratic Party and much of the media.
In response to a question from CBS host Margaret Brennan, Sanders unleashed a torrent of denunciations of Trump’s meeting and press conference in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin. A preliminary transcript reads:
SANDERS: “I will tell you that I was absolutely outraged by his behavior in Helsinki, where he really sold the American people out. And it makes me think that either Trump doesn’t understand what Russia has done, not only to our elections, but through cyber attacks against all parts of our infrastructure, either he doesn’t understand it, or perhaps he is being blackmailed by Russia, because they may have compromising information about him.
“Or perhaps also you have a president who really does have strong authoritarian tendencies. And maybe he admires the kind of government that Putin is running in Russia. And I think all of that is a disgrace and a disservice to the American people. And we have got to make sure that Russia does not interfere, not only in our elections, but in other aspects of our lives.”
These comments, which echo remarks he gave at a rally in Kansas late last week, signal Sanders’ full embrace of the right-wing campaign launched by the Democrats and backed by dominant sections of the military-intelligence apparatus. Their opposition to Trump is centered on issues of foreign policy, based on the concern that Trump, due to his own “America First” brand of imperialist strategy, has run afoul of geostrategic imperatives that are considered inviolable—in particular, the conflict with Russia.
Sanders did not use his time on a national television program to condemn Trump’s persecution of immigrants and the separation of children from their parents, or to denounce his naming of ultra-right jurist Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, or to attack the White House declaration last week that the “war on poverty” had ended victoriously—in order to justify the destruction of social programs for impoverished working people. Nor did he seek to advance his supposedly left-wing program on domestic issues like health care, jobs and education.
 
 
Bernie’s selling out.  There’s no reason for him to do so.  So if he’s selling out when there’s no reason to, makes me wonder if he’d stand strong.  What I’m trying to say is that his actions since trying to get everyone to rally around Hillary have me not wanting to support him if he runs in 2020.  I don’t think he’ll stand up for me in tough times if he can’t stand up for what’s right in easy times.
 
And I supported Bernie in the primaries.
 

Ava and C.I. really wrote a great piece this week “TV: Twittervist Alyssa learns the internet bites back ” – they are real reporters.  But I’m also mentioning it because Olivia from FRINGE has a new show to NETFLIX – THE SECRET CITY.  Make a point to stream it.  I had to pause episode two.  I thought I could watch and blog but I wasn’t getting anything accomplished.  It is amazing.  As for MIND HUNTER?  I skipped it.  I saw the trailer on NETFLIX.  If they’d included Anna Torv in that trailer, I’d already have streamed it.  Now I’ll wait and stream it after I finish THE SECRET GOVERNMENT.


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


Monday, July 23, 2018.  An attack in Erbil catches more attention from the western media than the attack on protesters.

Let's start with this from Justin Raimondo (ANTIWAR.COM):

In an unprecedented move, the Justice Department has released the FISA application submitted by the FBI to spy on Carter Page, the rather hapless would-be advisor to the Trump campaign who has been smeared as a “Russian agent” – but has not been charged after almost two years.
We’ve never before even seen a FISA application, in which law enforcement agents explain to a judge why it is necessary for them to conduct surveillance on an American citizen, and so this is a special treat. The document that came out of this unique Freedom of Information Act request shows that the FBI had an ulterior motive in going after Page – and that they lied to the FISA court judge.
In order to get the judge to agree to the surveillance, the FBI had to establish a fairly convincing probable cause: at a minimum, agents had to identify multiple sources indicating that an act of espionage may have occurred or is about to occur imminently. This FISA application shows that the FBI had a single source: the unverified “dossier,” compiled by “former” MI6 agent Christopher Steele, bought and paid for by the Clinton campaign to dig up dirt on Trump. The other ostensible “sources” were news articles by journalists whom Steele had leaked to. There was a clear intent to deceive the judge who read this application.

This technique is a familiar one: remember how the neocons used to quote each other as “proof” that Saddam had “weapons of mass destruction”? It’s the old echo chamber trick, and every third-rate smear artist deploys it. The question arises: so is this how the FBI carries out its “investigations” into espionage?



Why did we start with that?  KPFA couldn't tell us about Iraq on Sunday's KPFA EVENING NEWS but they could lie about what Justin just covered.  Woops!  They lied again.  This time their lies are so bad, you can't even defend them.  KPFA needs to get its mouth out of the gutter and its head out of its ass.  Lying to listeners does not build trust.

If you can not lift the injustice At least tell everyone Ali. Shariati
 
 



A good motto.  Sadly, it's not the motto of KPFA.

Is this how KPFA will go out?  Lying to listeners?  There's no reason for anyone to donate to hear lies.

While we're correcting the lies of cowards, let's also note this -- I saw it on ANTIWAR.COM.




"Pornography passing as news coverage."  Stephen Cohen is exactly right.  And we're noting the above because his hideous and cowardly wife stabs him in the back.

BREAKING: Gunmen storm the governorate building in Erbil, the seat of the Kurdistan gov't in northern Iraq
 
 


ALJAZEERA reports on violence in the KRG where an attack in the capital (Erbil) has resulted in several deaths.  How many people are dead?




TRT (above) reports that 1 KRG employee was shot dead by assailants and states that there were three assailants and all were shot dead.  That would be four killed.  There are conflicting reports with some identifying suicide bombers as part of the attack (FRANCE 24 says there were two suicide bombers who detonated).

TRT notes a car bombing 3 years ago and how violent attacks are rare in Erbil.

The attack follows by less than a week Brett McGurk's announcement of an attack on the Makhmour Mountains.


Our supported joint coordinated operations between Iraqi Security Forces and Kurdish yesterday against hideouts in the Makhmour Mountains.
 
 



The attack follows by two weeks the announcement by the US government that construction had started on a US consulate in Erbil (a new one, there's already one consulate in Erbil):


The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Breaks Ground on the New U.S. Consulate Compound in Erbil, Iraq
In a demonstration of enduring friendship and the important bilateral partnership, U.S. Ambassador Douglas A. Silliman and U.S. Consul General Ken Gross broke ground today on the new U.S. Consulate Compound in Erbil, Iraq.
The new U.S. Consulate Compound will provide a secure, modern, and environmentally sustainable platform for diplomacy.  The project is expected to be completed in 2022.
EYP of Albany, New York is the design architect for the project and B.L. Harbert of Birmingham, Alabama is the construction contractor.  
Since 1999, as part of the Department’s Capital Security Construction Program, the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) has completed 144 new diplomatic facilities and has an additional 57 projects in design or under construction.
OBO’s mission is to provide safe, secure, and functional facilities that represent the U.S. government to host nations and support staff in achieving U.S. foreign policy objectives.  These facilities represent U.S. values and the best in U.S. architecture, engineering, technology, sustainability, art, culture, and construction execution.  
July 7th, the KRG noted:

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani attended the ground breaking ceremony of the new US Consulate General compound in Erbil, alongside with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Mr. Douglas Silliman, U.S. Consul General in Erbil, Mr. Ken Gross, and a number of Kurdistan Regional Government officials.
Prime Minister Barzani, in a speech during the ceremony, described the relations between the Kurdistan Region and the United States as important. He also commended the role of the U.S. forces in assisting the Kurdistan Region to defeat ISIS.
He said building a new compound for the U.S. consulate in Erbil is an important step, and a sign of the U.S. interest in the Kurdistan Region. He hoped that the United States will further strengthen its relations with the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

The new U.S. Consulate compound is being constructed on a 51-acre with a total budget of 795 million Dollars. The environmentally-friendly compound, which also houses a permanent art collection, is anticipated to be completed in 2022.



 In Iraq, protest continues.  So does the abuse of protesters.



THE DAILY STAR notes:

Fresh protests hit southern Iraq Sunday as medical sources said 11 demonstrators were killed in two weeks of unrest, sparked by ire over corruption and lack of public services. Security forces remained deployed around Baghdad after struggling Friday to disperse crowds of angry protesters who took to the streets.
Demonstrations have roiled swaths of southern and central Iraq since erupting in the oil-rich port city of Basra on July 8, when security forces opened fire killing one person.


TRT adds:

Shamefully, much of the international media has barely covered the eruption of popular protests that have swept mainly southern Iraq over the past few weeks. Iraqis in the oil-rich south took to the streets, calling on the federal government to end corruption, institute effective policies to ensure Iraqis had gainful employment, and to put an end to foreign interference, primarily coming from Iraq’s ever troublesome neighbour to the east, Iran. 
In response, the protesters have faced police brutality, and abduction at the hands of pro-Iran Shia militias who have a vested interest in crippling Iraq and making sure that it continues to be a gangland that they can milk dry.



As the protests continue, Hayder al-Abadi has so little to offer that he has to depend upon others.


Emir of ready to assist Iraq amid protests by placing a investment worth $3 billion🇰🇼🇮🇶♥️ its time for neighbouring countries to help aid if the iraqi government itself couldn't gaf
 
 
 


ALSUMARIA adds that the US is stating it will help as well.  "Help," promised by the US Embassy in Baghdad is left undefined.





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