Welcome to Pottersville 2 (Blogging Against Fascism!): Happy Christmas!

Ukraine Disinformation Battle: Little Green Men, Hamsters and the Fog of War

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There has always been a gap in how media on both sides of the former Iron Curtain have reported world events, and it’s growing as the crisis in Ukraine escalates. It has become increasingly difficult to obtain reliable information from any side — west, east, or further east — about what is going on in Eastern Ukraine. While powerful propaganda machines fill the public space with smoke and mirrors, one of the few facts that can be positively established in Eastern Ukraine is that the body count is steadily growing: a testament of just how easy it is for self-interested foreign powers to start, either intentionally or recklessly, a civil war in the heart of Europe. Continuing coverage is available at this link and this link.

Paul Krugman:

Paul Craig Roberts:

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US Media _________________
"Anyone who depends on print, TV, or right-wing talk radio media is totally misinformed. The Bush administration has achieved a de facto Ministry of Propaganda."

"The uniformity of the US media has become much more complete since the days of the cold war. During the 1990s, the US government permitted an unconscionable concentration of print and broadcast media that terminated the independence of the media.

Today the US media is owned by 5 giant companies in which pro-Zionist Jews have disproportionate influence. More importantly, the values of the conglomerates reside in the broadcast licenses, which are granted by the government, and the corporations are run by corporate executives — not by journalists — whose eyes are on advertising revenues and the avoidance of controversy that might produce boycotts or upset advertisers and subscribers.

Americans who rely on the totally corrupt corporate media have no idea what is happening anywhere on earth, much less at home."
_________________
War On Terror _________________
Roberts asked "Is the War on Terror a Hoax", and claims it has "killed, maimed, dislocated, and made widows and orphans of millions of Muslims in six countries". Roberts called the attacks "naked aggression" on civilian populations and infrastructure which constitute war crimes. _________________
Republican Party _________________
Roberts is seriously dismayed by what he considers the Republican Party's disregard for the U.S. Constitution. He has even voiced his regret that he ever worked for it, avowing that, had he known what it would become, he would never have contributed to the Reagan Revolution. _________________
American Democracy and Oligarchy _________________
Roberts has been increasingly critical of what he deems as the lessening of democracy in the U.S.; instead accusing it of being run by oligarchs by stating:

"The west prides itself that it is the standard for the world, that it is a democracy. But nowhere do you see democratic outcomes: not in Greece, not in Ireland, not in the UK, not here, the outcomes are always to punish the innocent and reward the guilty.

And that's what the Greeks are in the streets protesting. We see this all over the west. There is no democracy, there are oligarchies, some of these smaller European countries are not even run by their own governments, they are run by Wall Street... There is probably more democracy in China than there is in the west.

Revolution is the only answer... We are confronted with a curious situation. Throughout the west we think we have democracy, we hold ourselves up high, we demonize China, we talk about the mafia state of Russia, we talk about the Arabs and so on, but where is the democracy here?" _________________
Farewell Speech _________________
"Truth Has Fallen and Taken Liberty With It,"

Roberts effectively announced his journalistic retirement. The article, published at Counterpunch.org, begins:

"There was a time when the pen was mightier than the sword. That was a time when people believed in truth and regarded truth as an independent power and not as an auxiliary for government, class, race, ideological, personal, or financial interest."

It proceeds to a bitter chronicle of the demise of American intellectual integrity, particularly that of financial journalists and economists. These have been thoroughly corrupted by monetary inducements to misrepresent and ignore what has been, in effect, the systematic dismantling of the nation's productive life, in the name of globalization.

He holds the members of his own journalistic profession largely responsible for abetting relentless outsourcing of American industry, thereby gutting the American middle class and effectively dooming the nation's future.

He describes his own ostracism from mainstream media access, the consequence of his relentless and unflinching criticism of the demolition process over the past decade. His column ends, "The militarism of the U.S. and Israeli states, and Wall Street and corporate greed, will now run their course. As the pen is censored and its might extinguished, I am signing off." _________________

Liberal?

"If by a 'Liberal' they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a “Liberal,” then I’m proud to say I’m a “Liberal."

John F. Kennedy, 1960
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Citizen's United

"[T]his Court now concludes that independent expenditures, including those made by corporations, do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption. That speakers may have influence over or access to elected officials does not mean that those officials are corrupt. And the appearance of influence or access will not cause the electorate to lose faith in this democracy."

– Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
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Saturday, December 24, 2011

For all time.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...: Thinking of you today. Merry Christmas!; December 25, 2011 at 7:20 AM
Cirze said...: Thank you, sweetie!

Hope you and your loved ones are having a wonderful holiday season.

Hoping for a much better new year!

Suzan; December 25, 2011 at 3:36 PM
A13 said...: Merry Christmas Suzan :)
Regards and Cheers
A13; December 25, 2011 at 6:11 PM
Cirze said...: The same wish for merriness to you and yours, A!

Hope things are going well for you all.

Love ya,

S; December 25, 2011 at 6:16 PM
(O)CT(O)PUS said...: Cephalo-Festivus (i.e. what y’all call Season Greetings) is that time of year to contemplate the meaning of life. This may come as a shock to you, but cephalopods do not worship Cthulhu – only readers of H. P. Lovecraft do that. We prefer the Tetragrammaton, ‘WAHU’ (pronounced “wah-hoo,”) which has nothing to do with holy mackerel or monkfish. Sometimes, we attend the Universal Universalist Church of C-D (pronounced ‘cod’), which has nothing to do with pious carp. Most cephalopods are free thinkers.

This week in The Times of India science section, there was report on spiders, specifically why female spiders nibble off the heads of males. It prolongs copulation and ensures insemination. Not so odd, I thought. Among human beings, there are close correlations between sex and headless males.

For black widows, cannibalism results in healthier babies, since head munching the male transfers nutritional benefits to the offspring. Not so odd, I thought. How many human males lose their heads raising teenagers.

Cephalopods also experience a close correspondence between Eros and Thanatos, since propagation of the species is our last undertaking in life. After we find a mate and exchange Wows, Mr. and Mrs. Octopus irrigate and nurture the clutch without rest or food until we drop from exhaustion – falling easy prey to predators. It’s an inglorious and ignominious end to an otherwise sublime and contemplative life.

Nevertheless, I consider myself fortunate. At least our young come into this world fully programmed to survive without intervention from the parents. It means no encumbrances such as life insurance, mortgages, retirement annuities, or college savings plans.

What my human friends tell me: They have spent a lifetime saving for retirement and their kids’ education. Yet, their IRAs, 401Ks, 529s, and homes are all underwater.

Underwater is natural for a cephalopod but apparently bad news for a human being.; December 28, 2011 at 2:02 PM
Cirze said...: Thanks, Octo!

I truly "appreciate" the instruction as I've come to think my relationships also have a strong connection to thanatos, but I'm hoping for further positive input.

I was thinking the other day of saving all my life for my own offspring's college education and how I got that done right before the market ensured that my savings would not be available to me for any type of retirement.

The only good thing, of course, is that the rest of the world (outside of the predators who rigged the game and then bet big against us) are faring just as badly.

Now, if we'd only "smarten up" before we all go down in the next "humanitarian" or "self-defense against monsters" war(s).

Thanks again for the comments!

S; December 28, 2011 at 7:11 PM

"A man of peace is not a pacifist; a man of peace is simply a pool of silence. He pulsates a new kind of energy into the world, he sings a new song. He lives in a totally new way his very way of live is that of grace, that of prayer, that of compassion. Whomsoever he touches, he creates more love-energy. The man of peace is creative. He is not against war, because to be against anything is to be at war. He is not against war; he simply understands why war exists. And out of that understanding he becomes peaceful. Only when there are many people who are pools of peace, silence, understanding, will the war disappear."
Osho

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Saturday, December 24, 2011

Happy Christmas!

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