Welcome to Pottersville 2 (Blogging Against Fascism!): The GOP Continues To Distinguish Itself By Picking REAL Winners (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Speaks) Glenn Beck Terrifying? (Bill Clinton Not Really Black) Gaslighting Blacks? (Hacked Hypocrisy)

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:

_________________
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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Thursday, September 3, 2015

The GOP Continues To Distinguish Itself By Picking REAL Winners (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Speaks) Glenn Beck Terrifying? (Bill Clinton Not Really Black) Gaslighting Blacks? (Hacked Hypocrisy)

The title says it all.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. (photo: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images)

Here's How Donald Trump Responded to My Essay About Him

By Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

The Washington Post

03 September 15

his morning, an essay of mine was published titled, “This is the Difference Between Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.” Trump’s response to my piece is the best, though inelegant, support for my claims. Here again, he attacks a journalist who disagrees with him, not by disputing the points made but by hurling schoolyard insults such as “nobody likes you.” Look behind the nasty invective and you find an assault on the Constitution in the effort to silence the press through intimidation. The full text is below.

Notes from Donald Trump covering Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's work. (photo: The Washington Post)

Dear Kareem,

Now I know why the press always treated you so badly — they couldn’t stand you. The fact is that you don’t have a clue about life and what has to be done to make America great again!

Best wishes,
Donald Trump

Comments:

# bmiluski 2015-09-03 15:18 He is . . . "branding" the Trump name. That's all he cares about. This whole running for president is just a gimmick. He's in a win/win situation. If he wins...cool cus as the bushies have shown us, he'll make a lot of money and be richer than ever. If he loses...cool cus now everybody knows his name and will buy all his stuff, and he'l

# lorenbliss 2015-09-03 14:14
WARNING: Don't forget history, specifically how the opponents of the German Nazi Party (NSDAP) refused -- until way too late -- to believe Hitler would win. (See Shirer, "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich," especially chapters 1-9.) Then, as the fictional Ripley said, "be afraid. Be very afraid."

# bardphile 2015-09-03 14:51
Even more cringe-worthy than the sophomoric response to Kareem is the likelihood that a lot of people will think the Donald got the better of the exchange. I believe KAJ will be on Maddow tonight. Should be interesting.

Glenn Beck’s Terrifying Messiah Complex: What His Giant “All Lives Matter” Rally Says About Modern Conservatives
The conservative mega-star drew 20,000 people to Alabama to re-walk the iconic civil rights march last weekend
Heather Digby Parton

Black America’s “Gaslight” Nightmare: The Psychological Warfare Being Waged Against Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter has been demonized following the unrelated murder of a police officer.

It Was No Compliment to Call Bill Clinton 'The First Black President'
The Government's Hypocrisy on Hacked Information
By John Kiriakou

4 comments:

falken751 said...: I agree with you most of the time but I think you are wrong now, and in the last couple of columns. We had the worst president in history the last 7 years and we certainly do not need anyone running now but Donald Trump. Everyone else in either party that's running is a wimp plus who gives a dam what Lou Alcinder thinks? We have been led down the wrong path for 7 years by a phony liar, a wimp, and it's time for a strong minded man that will make America great, not the 25th, but number one.; September 4, 2015 at 7:18 AM
Cirze said...: Gee,

Thanks for your well-informed comment.

I remember the same type of comments being popular pre-WWII about another strong man who offered to lead Germany out of its economic troubles (and into a host of new ones).

Why does no one think a wise person would be a better leader?

Ignoble strength of Trump's type to my mind usually connotes arrogance and ignorance walking hand-in-hand in a damaged cerebral cortex.

What type of educated citizenry chooses this?

The same type that chose the former leaders?

And, surely, the worst leader was the one before the last, who, at least always campaigned as a progressive. Trump is no progressive and those who believe he is (and has any interest in the common person's well being) will be sorely disappointed if heaven and earth moved and he became president.; September 4, 2015 at 1:04 PM
falken751 said...: We had a wise ass for president for seven years, weren't you here in the US?
Would you rather have a wimp that speaks Mexican? Under the worst president that the united states ever had, he bailed out the banks that caused the depression for hundreds of billions of dollars, and got our country in more wars than Hitler, almost, and only 173,000 new jobs this month. He kills civilians all over the world with his drones. He is a war criminal, why would you want a war criminal as president after saying what you just did?; September 4, 2015 at 3:01 PM
Cirze said...: I'm sorry this is the first day you've read my blog.

Perhaps if you spend a little more time reading, and less time writing inappropriate comments, you'll be more informed about the type of issues I publicize here.

Obama's neolib influence is covered here nonstop. Most of my commenters think I'm too hard on him.

Very few believe I'm too light.

Peace to you.; September 4, 2015 at 10:19 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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Thursday, September 3, 2015

The GOP Continues To Distinguish Itself By Picking REAL Winners (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Speaks) Glenn Beck Terrifying? (Bill Clinton Not Really Black) Gaslighting Blacks? (Hacked Hypocrisy)

Here's How Donald Trump Responded to My Essay About Him

It Was No Compliment to Call Bill Clinton 'The First Black President'

4 comments:

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