Trump Caves on Declassification Demands: The Deep State's 5-Eyes Wins Again

http://nomadiceveryman.blogspot.com/2018/09/trump-caves-on-declassification-demands.html

You don't have to love Donald Trump or what he stands for in order to hate tin-pot fascist dictatorships who use State power to influence election results. Just like you don't have to support Marine La Pen in order to be horrified by the current regime in France ordering her a mandatory psychiatric review because she holds a different opinion regarding the sovereignty of the nation she calls home.

Last week, on Monday, Donald Trump issued an order demanding the release of documents related to the Obama administration's efforts to spy on the Trump campaign in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election.

"In an unprecedented move that stunned current and former intelligence officials, President Donald Trump on Monday ordered the public release of highly classified documents and text messages related to the FBI investigation into whether his campaign conspired with Russia.

A statement by the White House press office said Trump had directed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Department of Justice and the FBI to declassify about 20 pages of a highly sensitive application for surveillance against Carter Page, a one-time Trump foreign policy aide...

Trump also ordered the agencies to publicly release, in full, all text messages relating to the Russia investigation of former FBI Director James Comey, Former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, former FBI employees Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, and current Justice Department lawyer Bruce Ohr, a Russian organized crime expert. Those are all people Trump has criticized as out to get him. All had Top Secret clearances granting them access to sensitive government secrets." NBC News

Intel officials immediately clamored to have him cease and desist in that effort. The glorious intelligence agencies were frightened of something.

"U.S. intelligence officials, blindsided by President Donald Trump's order that they make public highly sensitive files in the Russia investigation, are hoping the White House will allow them to conduct a formal declassification review and damage assessment before they are forced to release the documents, current and former officials tell NBC News." NBC News

And as a result, last week, on Friday, The Donald walked-back those demands citing, among other things, requests from "key allies" to keep those documents a secret from the American public.

Apparently the 5-Eyes gave The Donald the stink-eye... and he shriveled up... like a frightened turtle.

"I met with the DOJ concerning the declassification of various UNREDACTED documents. They agreed to release them but stated that so doing may have a perceived negative impact on the Russia probe. Also, key Allies' called to ask not to release. Therefore, the Inspector General has been asked to review these documents on an expedited basis. I believe he will move quickly on this (and hopefully other things which he is looking at). In the end I can always declassify if it proves necessary. Speed is very important to me — and everyone!" President Trump

When the story first broke last week, a number of Trumpites went ballistic in their unbridled excitement (see here, here and here). Finally, they thought, some real "CHANGE" was going to happen. Trump and his swamp-state administration of career politicos and Goldman Sachs globalists were going to expose some real criminality from the Obama days.

The MAGA crowd was all... HOPEY CHANGEY... if you will pardon the irony.

But, alas, turns out the Duke of Orange is about as "real" as his fake progressive predecessor and... nothing happened.

Nothing is going to happen just like Killary Clinton will NOT be "locked up" for the crimes she committed and we aren't going to leave Syria like Trumpster promised during the election and as recently as a couple months ago.

Why? Because the Washington Consensus and the Deep State wont allow a TV star and WWE clown to come to their city and dictate what will and will not happen.

Over a year ago I covered the 5-Eyes Spying program and the core of the Russian-hacking psyop.

Only a few of my articles still remain after the Great Purge of WordPress

Not “Ridiculous Nonsense” Anymore: Yes, British Intelligence and Others Did Spy on Trump Campaign Using the 14 Eyes Program

What you are Not Being Told about the Susan Rice “unmasking” Story: It Wasn’t Incidental Collection Damn It

Yesterday’s Very Odd, Fast Paced Events: Question – Was Judge Nap Right? Are the 5 Eyes Now Spying on Devin?

If you recall, when the story of the Brits spying on opposition candidate first broke, the MSM and the various "intelligence officials" became indignant. How DARE someone suggest our special friends in Britain would use the 5-Eyes program to illegally attempt to influence one of our sacred elections!?!

It was an outrage that posed an existential threat to our glorious institutions and our very way of life!

GCHQ dismisses 'utterly ridiculous' claim it helped wiretap Trump | US ...

Britain's GCHQ Denies 'Ridiculous' Claim It Helped Wiretap Trump

GCHQ boss: 'We get crazy theories thrown at us every day' - BBC News

White House playing 'dangerous game' with GCHQ spying claims ...

But then a funny thing happened on the way to the high horse pedestal... another "respected" news service had to admit... yeah, it was true and since it wasn't Fox News... they had to be taken seriously.

"Britain’s spy agencies played a crucial role in alerting their counterparts in Washington to contacts between members of Donald Trump’s campaign team and Russian intelligence operatives, the Guardian has been told.

GCHQ first became aware in late 2015 of suspicious “interactions” between figures connected to Trump and known or suspected Russian agents, a source close to UK intelligence said. This intelligence was passed to the US as part of a routine exchange of information, they added.

Over the next six months, until summer 2016, a number of western agencies shared further information on contacts between Trump’s inner circle and Russians, sources said.

The European countries that passed on electronic intelligence – known as sigint – included Germany, Estonia and Poland. Australia, a member of the “Five Eyes” spying alliance that also includes the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand, also relayed material, one source said." The Guardian

Turns out GCHQ had in fact been spying on the Trump campaign team (and others by the way) since late 2015 around the same time it started to look like Trump might just win the nomination.

Since the 5-Eyes program was specifically designed to allow our allies to spy on our citizens on behalf of our government (since that pesky constitution thing doesn't allow direct domestic spying) one might come to the conclusion, if one were to be conspiratorial in their thinking, that the Obama administration was trying to make sure they were followed up in Jan. 2017 by a "like minded" regime like, say, Hillary Clinton would have been.

That's why the texts and the emails from various administration officials that was sought to be released would have been pretty damning for the unDemocratic Party of American. Especially right before a mid-term election in which the banksters are investing heavily in their retaking control of at least one of the houses of congress.

Yes, the Obama administration and the Deep State's intelligence agency assets that lived within it, many of whom still reside in the House of Trump, tried to steal an election back in 2016.

It wasn't Russia. It wasn't Russian bots or trolls or useful idiots.

It was ObamaGod and the Grandmother Candidate Hillary Clinton.

And Friday's development, Trump caving into the demands of those very same Deep State intelligence assets and their 5-Eyes friends proves it, once and for all, beyond any shadow of a doubt.

What is also proves is that you can't vote your way to "CHANGE" The Permanent State has its hooks in way too deep for democracy to actually pose any threat to them.

And... once again... absent any real accountability on this front, we can fully expect this newly ratified by acquiescence tool to be used over and over again by future (or current?) administrations.

The Shining City on the Hill my ass.

More like a Shanty Town Atop a Dung Pile.

Near Pacific Street in Downtown Vancouver. Winter of 2018.

Super Sentai Review: Denji Sentai Megaranger

http://www.jefusion.com/2016/03/super-sentai-review-denji-sentai.html

After writing my Gingaman review, it's time to write my Megaranger review. Just for starters that Megaranger is not a space themed Super Sentai. Instead, it's another Super Sentai season that tries to explore the risks of science without conscience for an entire season.

The heroes

Megaranger returns back to the "teenagers with attitude" trope but instead of "recruit teenagers with attitude" like Turboranger and Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers before it, it had the vibes of a lot of series before it. The whole selection process involves the Megaranger arcade game which selected the main hero Kenta Date. However four of his schoolmates Kouichirou Endo (the de-facto leader even if he's the black ranger), Shun Namiki (Kenta's best friend), Chisato Jougasaki and Miku Imamuri get dragged into it. These teenagers with attitude have their whole lives changed all in one day. The Nezire had just begun its attack (shades of Bioman) and they suddenly get absorbed in the process. Dr. Kubota had no choice but to use the selected roster of teenagers to fight the invaders. Was he going senile when he used the Megaranger arcade game as the selection process? Did he also intend to get teenagers with attitude all along?

Some characteristics of the heroes might bring you back to a bit of its predecessors. I felt like Kenta was named after Kenta Sato, not Kenta/Black Mask. Kouichirou like Turboranger's Daichi was more or less the running brain. Shun did have a bit of Mika Koizumi and Gai Yuki vibe when he tried to leave the group to fulfill his dream. Chisato seems to have a Mika shout-out since it's also her dream to be a photographer except it wasn't her who left the group and returned, it was Shun. If you want a full-season Mika, Carranger has it with Natsumi Shinohara. Midseason, a sixth ranger arrives with Yuusaku Hayakawa whose actor Shigeru Kanai was in B-Fighter as Daisaku Katagiri/G-Stag. He could only use his form in 2.5 minutes which he overcame that flaw at the cost of his incredible powers. Like the Biomen, they also have individual electronic abilities which they use in battle to do stuff like spot the enemy, find hostages, see through disguises and the like.

The villains

The Nezire is an invasion party from another dimension. The visible ruler is Javious whose origins aren't really explored to how he even came to be. Instead, we had Dr. Hinelar the second-in-command who ran most of the show together with his creations Yugande and Shibolena. I always felt like that there were some similarities with evil science during Hirohisa Soda's era. Dr. Hinelar is an expert in robotics and genetic manipulation as evidenced by his creations. Seeking to become the world's greatest genius he also battles the show's mentor Dr. Kubota whose science was for the betterment of mankind. Dr. Hinelar feels like he's the center of Nezire considering he really embodies the wrong direction that science could take.

The organization later had two different eras that entered into the scene. When the Nezire kept losing against the Megarangers, its ruler would later send Gurail to assist them. I felt like Gurail was similar to Saint Sword Bilgenia in Kamen Rider Black, that is a badass villain who doesn't last long. After Gurail gets written off we get the Nezirangers. The Nezirangers are a picture of the perversion of the Megarangers, twisted in every way and also unlike the Megarangers, they were so divided they trolled each other to death. This was also part of Dr. Hinelar's manipulative plot to take over Nezire which he does. Most of his actions were the anti-thesis of Dr. Kubota. Much of the struggle was on robotics. vs life (Bioman),

Final thoughts

While watching Megaranger, I thought of the fact that it's really one of the best series I've ever seen. It might even be seen as a huge tribute to Hirohisa Soda because of how the show went. Even if Soda had no part whatsoever as a secondary writer in contrast to Carranger, his influence still shows up in the writers and producers. Producer Shigenori Takatera was also involved with Carranger somewhat basing it on Turboranger ended up taking more of Takeyuki Suzuki's ideas when he produced Megaranger.

The writing also shows some episodes that might remind you Soda's styles. The episode where Shun befriends an android girl feels like the episode in Bioman where Shuichi befriends an android girl named Miki. The episode where Kenta befriends a monster was almost similar to the episode where Hikaru befriended Brain in Bioman. Some of Kenta's focus episodes felt like they were partly based on Riki in Turboranger in some way. A lot of Nezire's typical Super Sentai villains' coming up with convoluted and/or unbelievable plots felt liek they were taken from Soda's era and maybe in extension, from Toshiki Inoue's episodes.

With all that mentioned, I feel like recommending Megaranger as a tribute series. It's a fun ride that really reminds us of the negative consequences of science without conscience. While the idea was not fully explored in Ohranger due to real life events, fortunately Megaranger was able to explore it without being super serious unlike Flashman and Liveman. But in case you were looking for a space-themed season because you're a Power Rangers in Space fan then you might want to check out Changeman instead.

Robert Conquest - Lies about Socialism, Stalin and the USSR

https://rutube.ru/video/28ed778c228ea10534943720bf0c96a7/

This presentation by Mario Sousa - less than an hour in duration - will change your view of history. "Most sane and educated people accept that there were serious human rights abuses in the Soviet Union, during the Stalin period." he says. The evidence is everywhere - everyone says so, and there's no smoke without fire, after all. But what is the evidence? And where does it come from? The present author, Mario Sousa, is a member of the Communist Party in Sweden.

Most Hong Kong citizens are afraid the rioters will succeed

https://thewallwillfall.org/2019/09/25/most-hong-kong-citizens-are-afraid-the-rioters-will-succeed-andre-vltchek/

Andre Vltchek from Hong Kong – It was once a British police station, as well as the Victoria Prison Compound. Hong Kong inhabitants used to tremble just from hearing its name mentioned. This is where people were detained, interrogated, humiliated, tortured and disappeared.

Now, after Hong Kong ‘returned to China’, it was converted into the Tai Kwun Center – one of the biggest and the most vibrant art institutions in Asia.

This transformation was symbolic, the same as the conversion of the former British-era slums into public parks has been symbolic.

But now, as the pro-Western and anti-Chinese treasonous hooligans are dividing and ruining this former U.K. colony, the old-colonialist flags of “British Hong Kong” are being waved alongside the flags of the United States, while Chinese flags are being humiliated, and thrown into the bay.

Rioters seem to remember nothing about those ‘good old times’ (according to them), when signs shamelessly declared: “No Dogs and Chinese”. As they seem to close both eyes and ignore the neo-colonialism and massacres, that both North America and Europe are constantly committing in all corners of the world.

Now, the citizens of Hong Kong are scared. Not of the “government”, not of the police, or Beijing: they are frightened of the so-called protesters, of ninja-like looking young people with covered faces and metal bars in their hands.

Mr. Edmond, who works for the Tai Kwun Center, speaks bitterly about the events in his city:

“What is truly scary now, is that families here in HK are deeply divided. Father does not talk to his son. Silence reigns inside the families. Colleagues do not touch the subject of riots. The situation is thoroughly ruining our city, our society, our families.”

“If someone publicly disagrees with the protesters, they get beaten. They managed to silence people.”

“People come here, to this wonderful art center, and if they are from Beijing, they are now hiding their identity. It is because they are scared.”

Mr. Edmond keeps repeating that “disagreements should be like disputes inside the family”. He means, disagreements between the Hong Kong inhabitants, and Beijing. According to him, the outsiders should not be involved.

This is what the majority of the people feels in Hong Kong now. This is what they felt in 2014, when I wrote about another prolonged and destructive event which was sponsored by the West – the so-called “Umbrella” uprising.

They feel this, but most of them would not dare to express it. The rioters are young, in good physical shape, and armed with sticks and bars. They have no identity, as their faces are covered by scarves. They are drunk on fanatical self-righteousness; stoned on a primitive sense of purpose. Their behavior is not rational – it is religious.

I have been talking to them. In 2014, and now. Most of them know nothing about the foreign policy of the West. They have no clue about the brutality of the British Empire. They do not want to hear about the humiliation and pain of the Chinese people, when their country was invaded, broken into pieces and occupied.

They are selfish; grandstanders, and extremely arrogant.

They wave flags; foreign flags. They spit on their own banners. They do what they are told to do: by the hostile, foreign powers. And they do, what they are paid to do. It is as depressing, as it is embarrassing, to watch.

“President Trump, please liberate us!” “Please Save us, President Trump!” That is what they shout. That is what their posters say.

It is very hard to talk to them. I tried. Most of them do not want to uncover their faces, and to speak. They seem to feel secure only when in packs, in multitudes. When challenged, they reveal that they know very little, even about China; or even about Hong Kong itself.

But they are ready to preach; to lecture.

When faced with logical arguments, which they cannot refute, they become brutal.

Just a few days ago, they attacked a local teacher who was singing the national anthem of China. They beat him up. A child witnessing the event was horrified. He cried. The teacher kept singing.

They are beating those who try to make them stop destroying the city. They are beating those who are shaming them.

Whenever I manage to have longer exchanges with them, it somehow feels the same as when I am confronting religious fanatics in the Middle East. Perhaps, it should not even be surprising, as both are products of the Western propagandists and their allies.

People refusing to accept their leaflets at the airport –get beaten. If visitors to shopping centers challenge the rioters – a public beating takes place.

This covering of faces with black scarves would be illegal in many parts of the West, were the black scarves to be worn by, let’s say, Muslim women, or local rioters. But the Western media, outrageously selective in its coverage, is glorifying it here, simply because it is against the interests of the People’s Republic of China.

Chinese people, with thousands of years of culture, mostly tolerant, are not used to all this. These events of the last three months are something extremely foreign to them. Therefore, many are scared. Very scared. Desperate.

Ninjas of this nature are usually jumping and hitting in all directions, but from the screens of television sets, not right in the middle of the streets.

As I am filming in Hong Kong, as I am reporting for television stations, the picture is becoming clearer and clearer.

There are U.S. flags being carried, the U.S. anthem is sung, then immediately, hundreds of Western media crews start filming.

But when public property is being damaged, subway stations vandalized, pedestrians and motorists attacked, Western cameras are nowhere in sight.

If rioters were to trash Heathrow Airport in London, the army would be called, immediately. Here, the rioters are cheered on by foreigners.

It is obvious that Western mass media outlets and the rioters are working hand-in-hand. They have the same goals.

Fear is mixed with shame. No one in Hong Kong is speaking openly, on the record. Even on such seemingly ‘innocent’ topics like the collapse of tourism.

Those who are destroying the city, are obviously not willing to take responsibility for the hardship they are causing to its citizens.

Those who are with Beijing, those who believe in “one China”, which is the silent majority of the citizens, feel shame, because there are so many traitors living among them, in one overcrowded urban area.

Therefore, silence!

Everyone here in Hong Kong and in Mainland China, understands how dangerous the situation really is. Leaders of the riots, like Joshua Wong, are groomed by Washington, London and Berlin. They are morally and financially supported, not unlike people like Guaido in Venezuela. Mr. Wong is known to associate himself with organizations such as the “White Helmets”, which is working on behalf of the West for “regime change” in Syria.

To damage, to break China into pieces, is now the main goal of Western foreign policy. Beijing is being attacked on all fronts: Uyghurs, the Belt and Road Initiative, Taiwan, Tibet, South China Sea, trade. The more successful China gets; the more attacks it has to face.

Hong Kong used to be a city where “streets were paved with gold”, according to the legend. Mainland Chinese used to see it as a semi-paradise. All this has changed, reversed now. Neighboring cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou, count with much better infrastructure, a greater cultural life, and lesser levels of poverty.

In one of the international hotels of Hong Kong, I was told by a manager:

“Mainland Chinese people do not see Hong Kong as something attractive, anymore. They do not travel here often, anymore. They are not treated well here. They go to Thailand or to Europe instead.”

The citizens of Hong Kong feel frustrated and angry. Their “uniqueness” is evaporating. They are being left behind. Poverty rates are high. English language proficiency is declining, and businesses are moving to Singapore. Hong Kong is the most expensive city on earth, and it is unaffordable for most of its citizens.

Extreme capitalism here has brought nothing spectacular to the people. It is increasingly obvious that the Communist (or call it “socialism with the Chinese characteristics”) system has become much more successful than the old British-style neo-liberalism; in terms of social policies, infrastructure, the arts and general quality of life.

The spoiled, egotistical young people of Hong Kong are outraged. What? They are suddenly not on top of the world? The Commies across the line are better at almost everything they touch?

Instead of working harder, they turn against China; against the Mainland.

They want to convince the entire Hong Kong and even the Mainland, that the ‘Hong Kong way’ is the only correct way. And of course, there is plenty of funding available to support their insane claims. The funding comes from the fellow-collapsing societies – those in the West.

Most of the citizens of Hong Kong are scared that the rioters may succeed.

They have already forced the withdrawal of the Extradition Bill, which could help Hong Kong to fight the endemic corruption and invulnerability of its business elites.

They have already managed to scare the Hong Kong government into compromises.

The rioters are acting like huge, violent gangs, and they are enjoying full propaganda support from the West.

But whether they like it or not, Hong Kong is China. Ask a grocery vendor at North Point, ask coolies, old ladies on a park bench, or an elementary school teacher, and you will understand. These people do not care whether Hong Kong is exceptional or not. They do not need to show-off. They just want to live, to survive, to look forward to a better future.

And a better future is definitely with Beijing, not with Washington or London.

They already had London. They had enough of it.

“More Beijing, not less”, you would hear if people were not scared to talk. In 2014, when things were not as extreme as now, they used to tell me.

Now, it is not easy to fight the hundreds of thousands of face-covering and metal-bar-waving zealots and fanatics. Their religion is simply “The West”. It is abstract. As are their demands. As are their violent outbursts of inferiority complexes.

Both, the local majority, and Beijing, have to think hard as to what strategy to apply, in order to protect, and to defend Hong Kong and China against those brutal, frustrated, morally corrupt hooligans and treasonous cadres.

Saturn (2004) and The Grand Tour (2003) by John Harris.

Jerry Goldsmith Online Poltergeist II The Other Side

https://www.jerrygoldsmithonline.com/poltergeist_2_review.htm

Poltergeist II The Other Side remains one of Jerry Goldsmith's best scores of the 80's and the fact that this could have easily been a re-hash of the Oscar nominated first score makes this score even more impressive. Goldsmith found a new identity to his score and the film by way of the Indian mystic Taylor, introducing his elegant shaman theme for synths over the opening credits (The Power). The lengthy opening affords the composer a chance to build his theme adding layer after layer with a final presentation of solo trumpet. From here Goldsmith introduces the ominous Kane theme, utilising the character's evil Preacher incarnation and turning the theme into a distorted hymn, finally adding voices for the tortured sound of lost souls.

Things remains a major highlight and opens with an ominous variation on the original Carol Anne theme, before revealing a gorgeous rendition for synths, strings, harp and woodwinds. This is further expanded in the sublime Late Call with its mystical presentation of Carol Anne's lullaby, again for synths but ably supported by warm strings. The Mall signals the ominous arrival of Kane into the lives of the Freelings as Carol Anne's theme is turned into a frantic suspense cue. They're Back is a major turning point for the score developing from chilling 'Omenesque' chorus, minus original lyrics, into a thoroughbred action cue with snare drums and crisp brass.

Butterflies is a short but hypnotic rendition of the Taylor theme and provides a rest bite before the onslaught of evil kicks in. The Visitor is a new cue providing more of Kane's eerie accompaniment, but develops some intriguing latter elements of chanting and stabbing string figures. Wild Braces opens misleadingly with Carol Anne's theme before all hell brakes loose with distorted voices, beeping synths and more orchestral action and chorus.

Leave Us Alone and The Smoke are low key developments of both Kane's and Taylor's theme. The latter cue develops the Kane theme to a crescendo with more chorus as his hideous past is relived before the ceremonial Taylor theme returns to dominate and close. The Worm sequence opens as a propulsive suspense cue, with strings and electronics providing the chanting, before things settle to a chilling and dissonant variation of the Kane theme as Stephen is possessed by a vomit monster. As the creature is rejected and Stephen wins the battle Goldsmith unleashes a maelstrom of snarling brass and thundering percussion for a wild finale. Back to Cuesta Verde introduces the final act with Goldsmith whipping the orchestra into a frenzy with a pulse pounding action piece for a fight with a chainsaw, before melancholy sets in as Carol Anne's theme becomes ominously distant.

Reaching Out signals the final battle between good and evil as the family enters the nether world to destroy evil and retrieve Carol Anne. Goldsmith's lengthy cue is a tug of war between three themes as the family try to pull her back, with Goldsmith's celestial scoring repeatedly thrown between darkness and light. Taylor's theme is now trumpeted with brass, while electronics now take on their true role as evil. Momentarily, with Carol Anne lost, Goldsmith provides a heartbreaking moment with a tragic new variant on her theme, before she is returned to the light signalling a triumphant restatement. Taylor's mystical theme makes one final appearance to close the film and introduces the credits with Carol Anne's touching lullaby for chorus (Carol Anne's Theme).

This is the fifth incarnation of Poltergeist II! Now featuring the complete score from analogue and digital mixes, the remaining short missing cues, alternates, cues minus choir and the unused finale music with and without choir.

Just finished watching Lupin The 3rd: The Hemingway Papers (1990) and A Tiger's Tale (1987)...

Just finished watching The Strawberry Blonde (1941) and Firestarter (1984)...

Mongol Hordes: Tartar Crusaders

https://rutube.ru/video/6f8a62b7928c95276cc7965eec4bdfeb/

Storm From The East

1. Birth Of An Empire
2. World Conquerors
3. Tartar Crusaders
4. Last Khan Of Khans

This series covers the life and accomplishments of Genghis Khan and examines the art, culture, science, and technology of Mongol civilization. Genghis Khan left not only a highly trained army, but the beginning of an imperial administrative framework, a system of taxation, a communications network—all of which were built upon and expanded by his successors. The series was filmed on location in Mongolia and also features battle re-enactments shot at historical locations throughout Europe and Asia. 4-part series, 50 minutes each.

This program explores Europes initial response to the Mongol onslaught, which was to presume it some form of divine retribution sent to punish a sinful world. In 1243, Pope Innocent IV sent forth a series of emissaries to glean the will of the Mongol lords and persuade them to consider Christianity. Unexpectedly, the papal envoy discovered a government of ambassadors and emissaries that actively encouraged religious tolerance, resulting in the widespread flourish of Christianity.

“I Feel Their Paaaaaiiiiiiiinnnnnn!” Bill Clinton Makes His Apology for the Neoliberalization of Haiti as He Gears Up to Do It Again

https://nomadiceveryman.blogspot.com/2019/02/i-feel-their-paaaaaiiiiiiiinnnnnn-bill.html

I wish I could tell you this was an April Fools joke. I really do.

About a month ago Bill Clinton sat in congress and admitted that he played a vital part in the willful destruction of the agricultural base of Haiti in order to “relieve them of the burden of producing their own food so they could leap right into the industrial revolution“. Not only does he try to pass off their neoliberalization scheme as a “mistake” but he admits it was really only good for ”some of my farmers (subsidized rice farmers) in Arkansas“.

Well, not only was it good for “his farmers” from his home state who just happened to be political donors as well, but it was also very good for another interest he had back in the day; the company that created a Board of Directors chair for his wife when he became Governor of Arkansas.

You see, the “leap into the industrial revolution” Bill Clinton was talking about was the predicted migration to the urban centers that the population of the rural farming areas had to make. This “blight flight” produced a vast number of dislocated migrant workers living in shanty towns who would work for next to nothing in all the sweatshops that Bill Clinton helped set up.

And of course who benefited from that? Walmart. Bill Clinton’s good old friends, the Forbes 500 top ten billionaire Walton Family.

“Since 1981, until about a year or so ago we started rethinking it, we thought that we rich countries that produce a lot of food should sell it to poor countries and relieve them of the burden of producing their own food so that, thank goodness, they can leap right into the industrial era. It has not worked. It may have been good for some of my farmers in Arkansas but it has not worked. It was a mistake. It was a mistake that I was a party to, I am not pointing the finger at anybody, I did that. I have to live everyday with the consequences of the lost capacity to produce their rice crop in Haiti to feed those people.” Bill Clinton, March 2010

Clinton’s mia culpa is clearly too little too late, especially considering the fact that he has been appointed, by his Secretary of State wife no less, to become the defacto emperor of Haiti.

In short, what Bill Clinton is saying is he purposefully and willfully destroyed the economy and the standard of living for millions of Haitians, so naturally of course, we should hand over to him complete control of all the money donated and raised for the rebuilding of that same nation. A $10 billion dollar fund will be handed over to one of the chief architects of the neoliberalization of Haiti …and no one bats an eye.

What Bill Clinton actually did was just an extension of the neoliberal scheme started by Reagan and Bush 41. The idea was to collapse the agricultural base of targeted nations by opening up their markets to corporate produced agribusiness food products that were subsidized by the US taxpayers.

This allowed these businesses, “my farmers” as Clinton refers to them, to get in and sell cheap products that would undermine rice prices in Haiti to the point where local farmers could not afford to compete. Top that with forcing the Haitian government to pass laws requiring local farmers to buy seed and fertilizer from our companies at inflated rates, and you have a recipe for deliberately wiping out the entire indigenous agricultural base.

Once that income source was cleared out, the rural communities that surrounded the agricultural industry of Haiti would soon be forced to relocate into the urban centers in order to simply survive. And those people moved right into Bill Clinton’s other neoliberal trap in Haiti, the sweatshop garment industry.

Forced to live like peasants and work like dogs for slave wages, the people of Haiti suffered for decades as a direct result of Bill Clinton’s and George H. W. Bush’s neoliberalization of a nation. The people suffered horrible lives for decades while the friends of Bill Clinton got rich selling those shirts and sneakers at Walmart. Of course those products being flooded into America ultimately undermined our textile industry and the strength of their realted unions and thus the viral infection of neoliberalization spread.

In a more recent interview, also covered on Democracy NOW!, Clinton again talks about the “mistake” they made back then, only this time he leaves out the “my farmers” part. But he does go a bit further in explaining the deeper destruction his neoliberal policies caused the people of Haiti. Policies that were basically enacted at gunpoint. Keep in mind the notion that the same process is happening here as you read his comments.

“We really believed for 20 years that if you moved agricultural production there (I suppose hes talking about “his” farmers in his home state again) and then facilitated its introduction into poorer places (forced open markets) you would free those places to get aid (impoverish the nation so the IMF and World Bank could come in) to skip agricultural development and go straight into an industrial era (garment factory sweatshops) and it’s failed everywhere its been tried… and it also undermines a lot the culture, the fabric of life, the sense of self-determination…. we genuinely thought we were helping Haiti…” Bill Clinton, late March 2010

As he delivered that last little part, the part where he says they thought they were helping the people of Haiti, you can see a little smirk on his face. He actually breaks out in a little smile as he says it.

Instead of flowing directly to the Haitian government, the aid will be managed by a proposed Interim Haiti Recovery Commission co-chaired by former President Bill Clinton and Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive. Democracy NOW!

It’s not hard to understand the real nature of what the Bill Clinton led program actually has in store for Haiti as that the signs are already there for all to see.

Last week Clinton and George (wipe my hands off) Bush traveled down to Haiti to strong-arm the puppet president there to pass a law which would allow the new neoliberal Clinton regime to take any land they saw fit from whomever they wanted for the reconstruction process. Its kind of an eminent domain law which the donors at this weeks conference wanted as an assurance prior to investing their “donations”. It basically allows for any corporation that Clinton is shilling for to take any land they want in order to basically do anything they want with, as long as it is going to turn a profit.

“of course this entire conference is the culmination of the final takeover of Haiti by the US… its pretty much a US run show. The World Bank is going to be deciding who gets the money.”

Clinton has apparently turned over a new leaf, even though he is still surrounded by the same financial advisors he had with him back in the days when they were “mistakenly” destroying the “fabric of life” of the Haitian people and others in Africa and so on. This new leaf seems to be to reintroduce agricultural business back into Haiti. I wonder if “his farmers”, the massive agribusiness companies, will be looking to move down to Haiti to set up corporate farms down there. The soil should be choice at this point considering it hasn’t been farmed for decades. Should get pretty good crop yields per acre wouldn’t you say? And with all that cheap labor waiting for “aid” down there, profits should be through the roof.

Only in a country this fucked up could a story like this one just slip under the radar of the main stream media.

When you have a political dynasty (one of two) so entrenched in our corrupt system that the secretary of state can anoint her own husband to manage $10 billion in reconstruction aid for a country that he has admittedly decimated, on purpose, for decades… and that story gets nearly zero coverage, and what little coverage it does get is actually positive, its beyond ridiculous. Just beyond ridiculous.

No wonder Clinton was practically laughing when he talked about thinking he was helping the people of Haiti. He was laughing at us. We are the April Fools joke here. and that ain’t no joke.

Just finished watching Godzilla: King Of The Monsters (2019) and Missing Link (2019)...

Anne Applebaum farts during live debate

Please, Mrs. Applebaum. Try to keep it in.

Near Victoria Park in North Vancouver. Winter of 2018.

Soltaniyeh

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1188

The mausoleum of Oljaytu was constructed in 1302–12 in the city of Soltaniyeh, the capital of the Ilkhanid dynasty, which was founded by the Mongols. Situated in the province of Zanjan, Soltaniyeh is one of the outstanding examples of the achievements of Persian architecture and a key monument in the development of its Islamic architecture. The octagonal building is crowned with a 50 m tall dome covered in turquoise-blue faience and surrounded by eight slender minarets. It is the earliest existing example of the double-shelled dome in Iran. The mausoleum’s interior decoration is also outstanding and scholars such as A.U. Pope have described the building as ‘anticipating the Taj Mahal’.

Brief Synthesis

In north-western Iran’s city of Soltaniyeh, which was briefly the capital of Persia’s Ilkhanid dynasty (a branch of the Mongol dynasty) during the 14th century, stands the Mausoleum of Oljaytu, its stunning dome covered with turquoise-blue faience tiles. Constructed in 1302-12, the tomb of the eighth Ilkhanid ruler is the main feature remaining from the ancient city; today, it dominates a rural settlement surrounded by the fertile pasture of Soltaniyeh. The Mausoleum of Oljaytu is recognized as the architectural masterpiece of its period and an outstanding achievement in the development of Persian architecture, particularly in its innovative double-shelled dome and interior decoration.

The Mausoleum of Oljaytu is an essential link and key monument in the development of Islamic architecture in central and western Asia. Here, the Ilkhanids further developed ideas that had been advanced during the classical Seljuk phase (11th to early 13th centuries), during which the arts of Iran gained distinction in the Islamic world, thereby setting the stage for the Timurid period (late 14th to 15th centuries), one of the most brilliant periods in Islamic art. Particularly relevant are the mausoleum dome’s double-shell structure (an inside shell and an outside shell), and the materials and themes used in its interior decoration. The very large 50-m-high dome is the earliest extant example of its type, and became an important reference for the later development of the Islamic dome. Similarly, the extremely rich interior of the mausoleum, which includes glazed tiles, brickwork, marquetry or designs in inlaid materials, stucco, and frescoes, illustrates an important movement towards more elaborate materials and themes. The Mausoleum of Oljaytu thus speaks eloquently to the Ilkhanid period, which was characterised by innovations in structural engineering, spatial proportions, architectural forms, and decorative patterns and techniques.

Excavations carried out in the 790-ha Mausoleum of Oljaytu property have revealed additional vestiges of the old city, and a large part of this property has retained its archaeological character. As the ancient capital of the Ilkhanid dynasty, Soltaniyeh represents an exceptional testimony to the history of the 13th and 14th centuries in Iran.

Criterion (ii): The Mausoleum of Oljaytu forms an essential link in the development of the Islamic architecture in central and western Asia, from the classical Seljuk phase into the Timurid period. This is particularly relevant to the double-shell structure and the elaborate use of materials and themes in the decoration.

Criterion (iii): Soltaniyeh, as the ancient capital of the Ilkhanid dynasty, represents an exceptional testimony to the history of 13th and 14th centuries.

Criterion (iv): The Mausoleum of Oljaytu represents an outstanding achievement in the development of Persian architecture, particularly in the Ilkhanid period, characterised by its innovative engineering structure, spatial proportions, architectural forms, and the decorative patterns and techniques.

Integrity

Within the boundaries of the property are located all the elements and components necessary to express the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, most importantly the Mausoleum of Oljaytu. The exterior decorations of the mausoleum have suffered severe decline, which has affected its integrity. Nevertheless, the internal decorations have remained intact to a large degree. Urban development around the property represents a potential threat, though such development is slow.

Authenticity

The historical monument of the Mausoleum of Oljaytu at Soltaniyeh is authentic in terms of its form and design, materials and substance, and location and setting. Restoration work has carefully respected the authenticity of the monument, utilizing traditional technology and materials in harmony with the ensemble.

Protection and management requirements

Soltaniyeh is state owned, and protected as a national monument on the basis of the Iranian Law on the Conservation of National Monuments (1982) and the Law on City Properties (1982). Parts of the buffer zone are in private ownership. The principal management authority of the property is the Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicraft and Tourism Organization (which is administered and funded by the Government of Iran) through its local office in Zanjan. There is a management plan with short-term (1-year), mid-term (3-year), and long-term (5-year) objectives related to equipment, research, restoration and conservation, and development of tourism at Soltaniyeh. Financial resources for the property are provided through national budgets.

Sustaining the Outstanding Universal Value of the property over time will require continuing to respect scientific standards and to properly safeguard the monument when undertaking conservation and restoration projects; controlling the effects of urban development around the property by devising and executing appropriate management strategies in this regard; and directing studies of the Mausoleum of Oljaytu (including, among others, studies of the decorations, reinforcement projects, and scientifically justified tourist attraction programs) toward specific, detailed outcomes that maintain and/or enhance the Outstanding Universal Value, integrity, and authenticity of the property.

Just finished watching The Great Race (1965) and Dark Phoenix (2019)...

Koch-Tied Firm Conducts Mass Layoffs After Trump “Job Creating” Tax Cut Bill

https://www.prwatch.org/news/2018/05/13353/koch-tied-firm-conducts-mass-layoffs-after-trump-%E2%80%9Cjob-creating%E2%80%9D-tax-cut-bill

Last year, Koch Industries was the second largest, privately held company in the United States. This year it will be the largest; with its acquisition of glassmaker, Guardian Industries, its revenue will surpass agricultural giant Cargill for the number one spot.

Trump’s first year in office has been marked by almost a complete lack of major legislation. The exception was the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the massive corporate tax bill sold to the public as a job creation measure. The bill permanently dropped the corporate tax rate from 35 to 21 percent and temporarily implemented modest tax relief for the middle class.

The Koch brothers made securing the massive tax cuts for themselves and their corporation their top priority for their sprawling political network in 2017, as internal documents revealed. The Kochs’ Americans for Prosperity astroturf group lobbied hard for the bill and spent some $20 million on ads spinning the bill and pressuring recalcitrant politicians.

Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity, said the tax plan is “about to ignite a new era of growth, and we’re going to make sure that Americans understand how they and their community stand to benefit.”

But as the Center for Media and Democracy reported last week, many companies simply pocketed the cash. Instead of creating jobs, they created layoffs. CMD detailed nine American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) companies that implemented layoffs, and ALEC’s private sector board chair, Koch Industries, is no exception.

RAKING IN THE KOCH CASH, LAYING OFF MORE WORKERS

Koch Industries is a privately held company, but it is expected to rake in between $1 billion and $1.4 billion a year due to the tax cuts.

Last year, the Koch brothers made a $650 million investment in Meredith Corp. to help the publishing giant complete its purchase of Time magazine. Now Meredith is announcing the layoff of 1,200 employees for 2018, with cuts at Time, Sports Illustrated, Money, and other subsidiaries, along with closing its office center in Tampa, laying off 500 employees.

Other Koch subsidiaries have announced layoffs as well:

In November, already knowing there would be some tax cuts, Koch announced that its Georgia-Pacific facility in Camas, Washington, operating for 134 years, would close with the loss of 300 jobs. Koch bought the paper and pulp company in 2005.

In April, Koch announced it would cut 25 jobs from its gypsum plant in Marysville, Kansas. A Koch spokesperson, Julie Davis, who apparently got to keep her job, said, “This is no reflection on the employees. When the market improves we’d certainly encourage those folks to come back.” She did not say when that would happen.

Koch Industries has its own commodities trading company, and it has announced layoffs in that subsidiary.

Invista, Koch’s fiber company, laid off 52 employees at its Athens, Georgia, plant ten days before Congress passed the tax cut bill.

The estimated $1 billion in tax cuts for Koch this year surely could have covered the cost of keeping some of these workers as the company goes through a temporary downturn in sales of some of its products.

Just finished watching Herbie Rides Again (1974) and The War Of The Worlds (1953)...