theduran--2020-03-14--Western military presence in the Arctic threatens international security

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by Lucas Leiroz de Almeida , research fellow in international law at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro… This week the US Navy released on a video the emergence of its powerful submarine USS Toledo in the Arctic , in a clear act of military propaganda .
The maneuver was conducted as part of the Ice Exercise ( ICEX ) program , which consists of a series of American military tests in the Arctic to be carried out over the next three weeks .
In addition to the USS Toledo , the equally powerful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Arctic .
When interviewed about these drills , the US Vice Admiral Dary Caudle said that “ the Arctic is a potential strategic corridor – between Indo-Pacific , Europe and the USA [ … ] The submarine force must maintain readiness , training under conditions from the Arctic to ensure that it can protect national security interests and maintain a favorable balance of power in Indo-Pacific and Europe , if necessary ” .
NATO announced for this year the “ Ice Response 2020 ” program , to be conducted by the countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ central role to be played by Norway , due to its geographical conditions .
The program consists of a series of military operations that were to be carried out between 2 and 18 March 2020 .
Undoubtedly , the program has a clear provocative nature and can be compared to “ Defender Europe 2020 ” , both of which are NATO projects to provoke reactions from Russia .
However , the tests were canceled due to the coronavirus epidemic .
In parallel , earlier this year the United States and Canada started another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russian presence in the Arctic , the so-called “ Arctic Edge 2020″ .
In this program , both countries conducted exercises in the Alaskan region , testing their defense ability at low temperatures .
However , the image they both managed to convey was not promising , revealing their weaknesses in this area , not convincing public opinion that the West has sufficient power to contain the Russian presence in the Arctic in the event of a war .
The US has paid too much attention to the Middle East and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Arctic .
For this reason , Washington and NATO are now trying to make up for their losses by conducting increasingly risky maneuvers in the region , which unnecessarily put international security at risk .
The strategic importance of the Arctic has been praised in recent years .
The melting of glaciers has led to the discovery of new reserves of oil and natural gas that had not yet been explored , increasing general interest in the Arctic .
Hal Brands , a researcher at Johns Hopkins University , points out that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future Persian Gulf and will have a strong influence on the international scene .
However , the USA no longer has a place in this region ” .
Russia has expanded its military power in the region , increasing control over maritime routes – mainly the Northern Sea Route – and creating a coast guard system .
President Putin recently declared that “ the realization of the Russian Federation ’ s state policy in the Arctic from 2020 provided [ … ] the creation of a general designation group for the Russian Armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zone , capable to provide military security in different political-military conditions ” .
China has also sought to increase its presence in the Arctic as part of the “ One Belt , One Road Initiative ” .
Faced with this scenario , the West becomes increasingly aggressive .
The United States has expressed interest to deploy small and medium-range missiles in arctic region , shortly after its withdrawal from the INF Treaty .
The Pentagon is developing a defense system in which it intends to deploy 20 interceptor missiles in Alaska by 2023 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deployed .
In addition , NATO created a new North Atlantic command last year , significantly increasing its frequency of exercises in the Arctic .
In October , the Organization made a bid to purchase a set of snow camouflage for winter operations , which includes 78.000 sets of special trousers , jackets and backpacks , all capable of withstanding temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius .
Above all , the question remains : what will be the West ’ s next step ?
Oil and gas certainly explain a considerable part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arctic , but they do not exhaust the reasons why the United States and NATO are increasing their presence in the north .
Truly , the fact that the Russian military presence in some regions of the planet is greater than the American one is already sufficient reason for the Pentagon strategists .
The dominance achieved by the West in the Middle East costed the lack of attention with the Arctic , only now realized .
And Washington will not stop putting the world in danger to seek its hegemony in the region @

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by Lucas Leiroz de Almeida, research fellow in international law at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro…
This week the US Navy released on a video the emergence of its powerful submarine USS Toledo in the Arctic, in a clear act of military propaganda. The maneuver was conducted as part of the Ice Exercise (ICEX) program, which consists of a series of American military tests in the Arctic to be carried out over the next three weeks. In addition to the USS Toledo, the equally powerful submarine USS Connectcut was also sent to the Arctic. When interviewed about these drills, the US Vice Admiral Dary Caudle said that “the Arctic is a potential strategic corridor – between Indo-Pacific, Europe and the USA […] The submarine force must maintain readiness, training under conditions from the Arctic to ensure that it can protect national security interests and maintain a favorable balance of power in Indo-Pacific and Europe, if necessary”.
NATO announced for this year the “Ice Response 2020” program, to be conducted by the countries of the military alliance, with a central role to be played by Norway, due to its geographical conditions. The program consists of a series of military operations that were to be carried out between 2 and 18 March 2020. Undoubtedly, the program has a clear provocative nature and can be compared to “Defender Europe 2020”, both of which are NATO projects to provoke reactions from Russia. However, the tests were canceled due to the coronavirus epidemic.
In parallel, earlier this year the United States and Canada started another military program with the aim of countering the Russian presence in the Arctic, the so-called “Arctic Edge 2020″. In this program, both countries conducted exercises in the Alaskan region, testing their defense ability at low temperatures. However, the image they both managed to convey was not promising, revealing their weaknesses in this area, not convincing public opinion that the West has sufficient power to contain the Russian presence in the Arctic in the event of a war. The US has paid too much attention to the Middle East and the Pacific and neglected the strategic importance of the Arctic. For this reason, Washington and NATO are now trying to make up for their losses by conducting increasingly risky maneuvers in the region, which unnecessarily put international security at risk.
The strategic importance of the Arctic has been praised in recent years. The melting of glaciers has led to the discovery of new reserves of oil and natural gas that had not yet been explored, increasing general interest in the Arctic. Hal Brands, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University, points out that “the Bering Sea could become a future Persian Gulf and will have a strong influence on the international scene. However, the USA no longer has a place in this region”.
Russia has expanded its military power in the region, increasing control over maritime routes – mainly the Northern Sea Route – and creating a coast guard system. President Putin recently declared that “the realization of the Russian Federation’s state policy in the Arctic from 2020 provided […] the creation of a general designation group for the Russian Armed Forces in the country’s arctic zone, capable to provide military security in different political-military conditions”. China has also sought to increase its presence in the Arctic as part of the “One Belt, One Road Initiative”. Faced with this scenario, the West becomes increasingly aggressive. The United States has expressed interest to deploy small and medium-range missiles in arctic region, shortly after its withdrawal from the INF Treaty. The Pentagon is developing a defense system in which it intends to deploy 20 interceptor missiles in Alaska by 2023, where 44 military units are already deployed.
In addition, NATO created a new North Atlantic command last year, significantly increasing its frequency of exercises in the Arctic. In October, the Organization made a bid to purchase a set of snow camouflage for winter operations, which includes 78.000 sets of special trousers, jackets and backpacks, all capable of withstanding temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius. Above all, the question remains: what will be the West’s next step? Oil and gas certainly explain a considerable part of military maneuvers and international interest in the Arctic, but they do not exhaust the reasons why the United States and NATO are increasing their presence in the north. Truly, the fact that the Russian military presence in some regions of the planet is greater than the American one is already sufficient reason for the Pentagon strategists. The dominance achieved by the West in the Middle East costed the lack of attention with the Arctic, only now realized. And Washington will not stop putting the world in danger to seek its hegemony in the region.
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theduran--2020-03-14--EU’s Failure in Dealing with Coronavirus Shows Weakness in the Alliance

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by Paul Antonopoulos , Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies… The European Union has been showing a lack of unity and coordination , something that it fames itself on , in how to handle COVID-19 , or more commonly known as the coronavirus , when it started spreading like wildfire across the continent .
According to the World Health Organization , over 4,613 people have died and over 126,000 have been infected globally , with about 68,000 victims recovering according to Johns Hopkins University .
Coronavirus has been spreading across the European Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but most devastatingly in Italy where at least 1,016 have died and at least 15,113 people infected .
With such devastation across the world , especially in Italy now , it would be expected that the European Union would have mobilized , organized and coordinated to deal with this virus , but thus far , they have completely failed in containing and dealing with the virus .
It seemingly appeared that they were unwilling to make the difficult decisions that China made by closing their borders and imposing strict restrictions and shutting down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as schools and protests .
Maurizio Massari , Italy ’ s ambassador to the EU , said “ The coronavirus crisis is a test of the EU ’ s cohesiveness and credibility — one that can only be passed through genuine , concrete solidarity .
Europe must act according to the principle of mutual defense and help those members whose security is under threat.
” With the way that Italy has lost control over containing and controlling the coronavirus , it is fair to say that the European Union has failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities began to report coronavirus spreading in Italy , their European partners looked inward and began to worry about only what was happening within their own borders in a naïve expectation that coronavirus would not reach their countries .
This was despite the reality of a borderless European Union .
In other countries like Spain , the Italian example caused indifference .
For reasons of purely partisan interest , the leftist Spanish government did not cancel the massive feminist demonstration held in the country , arguing that the coronavirus crisis did not make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the event , alarms were raised and members of the government became infected .
Naturally , many European politicians accused Spain of being extremely irresponsible , and justifiably so .
Not only were political rallies allowed to continue , but sporting and social events were allowed to go on .
This is in stark contrast to other countries like China that locked down an entire province , or the U.S. who only yesterday announced the halt of all flights between their country and Europe with the exception of the United Kingdom , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brussels , the unofficial capital of the European Union , perhaps “ distracted ” by the migrant crisis on Greece ’ s border , did its usual of only talking and making promises but making very little action , just as it is doing with the Greco-Turkish crisis .
Brussels has taken no initiative to coordinate European Union wide measures and did very little to support Italy and Spain .
As Australia made rapid economic preparation to stimulate the economy , the European Central Bank fumbled even to organize a crisis meeting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Union responses to this crisis .
However , even the economic aspect is miniscule compared to that fact that there has not been a meeting between European Union leaders on how best to manage this crisis and how best to coordinate joint measures to fight this pandemic , as the World Health Organization deemed it , continent wide .
What are some of the measures to be urgently taken by the EU in order to contain spreading of the virus ?
First of all , to significantly reduce flights to China , South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporarily stop granting visas to citizens of these three major coronavirus countries .
There is also need to introduce quarantine regulations for certain areas and ban meetings and entertainment events with mass gatherings , make more screenings and prepare more hospitals for coronavirus patients .
The European Union ’ s lacklustre response and decision making on how best to handle the coronavirus is seeing hospitals strained , the death count rise into the thousands and panic increase all across the bloc .
As Europe slowly creeps towards summer , where it is believed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to survive in the hot weather , the European Union needs to start implementing tough measures that will significantly inconvenience society and prove unpopular , but absolutely necessary to contain the spread and effectiveness of the virus .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by Paul Antonopoulos, Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies…
The European Union has been showing a lack of unity and coordination, something that it fames itself on, in how to handle COVID-19, or more commonly known as the coronavirus, when it started spreading like wildfire across the continent. According to the World Health Organization, over 4,613 people have died and over 126,000 have been infected globally, with about 68,000 victims recovering according to Johns Hopkins University. Coronavirus has been spreading across the European Union, particularly in Spain and France, but most devastatingly in Italy where at least 1,016 have died and at least 15,113 people infected. With such devastation across the world, especially in Italy now, it would be expected that the European Union would have mobilized, organized and coordinated to deal with this virus, but thus far, they have completely failed in containing and dealing with the virus. It seemingly appeared that they were unwilling to make the difficult decisions that China made by closing their borders and imposing strict restrictions and shutting down places that has a mass of people, such as schools and protests.
Maurizio Massari, Italy’s ambassador to the EU, said “The coronavirus crisis is a test of the EU’s cohesiveness and credibility — one that can only be passed through genuine, concrete solidarity. Europe must act according to the principle of mutual defense and help those members whose security is under threat.” With the way that Italy has lost control over containing and controlling the coronavirus, it is fair to say that the European Union has failed in this test. When the Italian authorities began to report coronavirus spreading in Italy, their European partners looked inward and began to worry about only what was happening within their own borders in a naïve expectation that coronavirus would not reach their countries. This was despite the reality of a borderless European Union.
In other countries like Spain, the Italian example caused indifference. For reasons of purely partisan interest, the leftist Spanish government did not cancel the massive feminist demonstration held in the country, arguing that the coronavirus crisis did not make it necessary. A few hours after the event, alarms were raised and members of the government became infected. Naturally, many European politicians accused Spain of being extremely irresponsible, and justifiably so. Not only were political rallies allowed to continue, but sporting and social events were allowed to go on. This is in stark contrast to other countries like China that locked down an entire province, or the U.S. who only yesterday announced the halt of all flights between their country and Europe with the exception of the United Kingdom, a major embarrassment for the European Union.
Brussels, the unofficial capital of the European Union, perhaps “distracted” by the migrant crisis on Greece’s border, did its usual of only talking and making promises but making very little action, just as it is doing with the Greco-Turkish crisis. Brussels has taken no initiative to coordinate European Union wide measures and did very little to support Italy and Spain. As Australia made rapid economic preparation to stimulate the economy, the European Central Bank fumbled even to organize a crisis meeting, a small demonstration on the lacklustre European Union responses to this crisis.
However, even the economic aspect is miniscule compared to that fact that there has not been a meeting between European Union leaders on how best to manage this crisis and how best to coordinate joint measures to fight this pandemic, as the World Health Organization deemed it, continent wide.
What are some of the measures to be urgently taken by the EU in order to contain spreading of the virus?
First of all, to significantly reduce flights to China, South Korea and Iran. Secondly, to temporarily stop granting visas to citizens of these three major coronavirus countries. There is also need to introduce quarantine regulations for certain areas and ban meetings and entertainment events with mass gatherings, make more screenings and prepare more hospitals for coronavirus patients. The European Union’s lacklustre response and decision making on how best to handle the coronavirus is seeing hospitals strained, the death count rise into the thousands and panic increase all across the bloc. As Europe slowly creeps towards summer, where it is believed the coronavirus finds it much more difficult to survive in the hot weather, the European Union needs to start implementing tough measures that will significantly inconvenience society and prove unpopular, but absolutely necessary to contain the spread and effectiveness of the virus.
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theduran--2020-03-14--President Trump calls on country to PRAY as pandemic takes hold

Fox News ran a piece shortly after President Trump declared a National Emergency in the United States in regards to the onset of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 , the sickness it brings .
That piece stated that Sunday , March 15 , is now designated as a national day of prayer .
This declaration and request for everyone to pray holds even as many churches are announcing suspension of or radical alterations to , their church services , including the Eastern Orthodox Christian jurisdictions .
The Fox piece says the following : President Trump declared on Friday a National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , shortly after declaring a state of emergency amid the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic .
“ We are a Country that , throughout our history , has looked to God for protection and strength in times like these….
, ” Trump tweeted .
“ No matter where you may be , I encourage you to turn towards prayer in an act of faith .
Together , we will easily PREVAIL !
” The [ regular ] annual National Day of Prayer is scheduled for May 7 .
Trump ’ s announcement came after he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , in addition to partnerships with several large companies to expand testing for the illness .
Trump has large support from white evangelical Christians and Catholic voters .
As president , he ’ s championed religious liberty and called for greater religious freedoms , such as strengthening prayer in public schools .
In addition to the updated guidance on prayer in schools , the Trump administration also took action across nine federal agencies , releasing proposed rules to ensure religious organizations are not discriminated against by the federal government .
“ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religion , ” he said during his State of the Union address last month .
“ We lift our voices in prayer and we raise our sights to the glory of God.
” One of the most surprising notices to any group of traditionally relgious Americans came from the Orthodox Church in America ’ s Diocese of the South , with its bishop , Alexander Garklavs circulating the following instructions in an encyclical piece : While many other mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic leaders have been reported as taking measures , the Orthodox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until a series of meetings all taking place between March 11 and 13 across several of the large Orthodox jurisdictions resulted in encyclical letters going out from each of the bishops and each of the synods that met to discuss this issue .
President Trump is on to something about the power of God and how He acts when people make their approach to him in prayer .
That goes for anyone and everyone who does so .
One of the more encouraging bits of news was reported by Archbishop Kyrill , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Russia ’ s Western American Diocese : The members of the Faithful are encouraged to increase their prayers by daily reciting an Akathist to the Lord , or the Theotokos , or to our beloved St. John of Shanghai & San Francisco , or to the Saint of their choice , praying for the cessation of this pestilence .
To increase the sanctification of our souls and bodies , we are all encouraged to frequently partake of Holy Communion , and also of Holy Water and Prosphora ; to daily anoint ourselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to confess our sins and pray fervently .
Our arms against this epidemic , although spiritual , will be nonetheless powerful .
Already reports are coming in that the Archangel Michael has appeared to many people promising them his powerful help .
Also , the newly-glorified Saint Nikephoros the Leper has appeared in Greece to a pious Orthodox serviceman and assured him that he will intercede for all who ask his prayers to be protected and healed from the Coronavirus .
“ All the angels were awestruck by the courage and fortitude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ascetic deeds and contests , for like another Job he suffered pain , with patience , ever-glorifying God , who has crowned him now with glory , granting him grace to work great , wondrous miracles .
Rejoice , O guide of monastics and their aid , Rejoice O shining beacon of light , Rejoice for thy relics now exude a fragrance bringing joy to all.
” “ The valiant athlete of endurance and fortitude , the steadfast diamond of great patience and long-suffering , was tried by the affliction and pains of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did glorify the Most High God , let us praise and laud the leper Nikephoros , saying unto him : Rejoice , true namesake of victory.
” Let us use this time to draw closer to the Lord in repentance , as once did the citizens of Ninevah .
Much of mankind has fallen so very far away from God : the modern spiritual pandemic has led many of our contemporaries even to fundamentally deny the very nature with which God has imbued us .
We must ask the Saints for intercessions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are sick .
Let us also remember that it is only through earnest repentance and prayer , and not through worry and fretting , that we can influence our circumstances for the better .
With the vast spiritual resources given to us , we must entreat the Lord , who has exhorted us : “ Do not fear , for I am with you ; do not be dismayed , for I am your God .
I will strengthen you and help you ; I will uphold you with my righteous right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Let us “ seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness , ” and all things that we need to get through this crisis will doubtless be provided to us .
( Matt .
6:33 ) Truer words have not been spoken .
This is the challenge for all of us – will we come back to the basics of all of life and pray to God for help , or will we remain intellectually self-sufficient , rejecting this , and with it , the One who has always come through for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears to be the big question .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Fox News ran a piece shortly after President Trump declared a National Emergency in the United States in regards to the onset of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, the sickness it brings. That piece stated that Sunday, March 15, is now designated as a national day of prayer. This declaration and request for everyone to pray holds even as many churches are announcing suspension of or radical alterations to, their church services, including the Eastern Orthodox Christian jurisdictions.
The Fox piece says the following:
President Trump declared on Friday a National Day of Prayer for this upcoming Sunday, shortly after declaring a state of emergency amid the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic. “We are a Country that, throughout our history, has looked to God for protection and strength in times like these….,” Trump tweeted. “No matter where you may be, I encourage you to turn towards prayer in an act of faith. Together, we will easily PREVAIL!” The [regular] annual National Day of Prayer is scheduled for May 7. Trump’s announcement came after he declared a national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic, in addition to partnerships with several large companies to expand testing for the illness. Trump has large support from white evangelical Christians and Catholic voters. As president, he’s championed religious liberty and called for greater religious freedoms, such as strengthening prayer in public schools. In addition to the updated guidance on prayer in schools, the Trump administration also took action across nine federal agencies, releasing proposed rules to ensure religious organizations are not discriminated against by the federal government. “In America we celebrate faith. We cherish religion,” he said during his State of the Union address last month. “We lift our voices in prayer and we raise our sights to the glory of God.”
One of the most surprising notices to any group of traditionally relgious Americans came from the Orthodox Church in America’s Diocese of the South, with its bishop, Alexander Garklavs circulating the following instructions in an encyclical piece:
• All parish and mission events and activities, including coffee fellowship, church school, and the rest, and all services other than the Sunday Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, the Vesperal Liturgy of the Great Feast of Annunciation, and the Presanctified Liturgies, are cancelled through March 29, beginning from today. At which point we will adjust this as the situation warrants. • Everyone in the parish or mission, other than the priest (and deacon), a reader, a server, and no more than two (2) chanters or singers (all of whom are physically strong and at low risk for COVID-19), should remain at home, even at the time of the Divine Liturgy. The holy body and precious blood of our Lord can never be a source of disease, it is after all for the healing of soul and body, but the COVID-19 virus can still be passed through the congregation. Out of love for our neighbor, we must do everything we can to protect the vulnerable by slowing the rate of infection not only in our parishes, but in the greater community, and thereby allowing the hospitals and medical community to more adequately care for those most at risk. All who are “at risk” – the elderly, those with pre-existing conditions, any who are actively sick or exhibiting signs of illness – should absolutely absent themselves from the services. • Priests are instructed to commemorate all of the faithful on the diskos at the proskomedia (as I presume is your practice, regardless). • If possible, the service should be webcast on the internet so that the faithful may participate in the prayers, which are themselves a source of grace and consolation. Every effort should be made to provide the faithful with the service texts. • The clergy are to either: 1. Include the OCA’s petition or prayer in your services, or add into the Great and Augmented Litanies the special petitions from the Molieben in Times of Pestilence (GB of N, vol. IV, pg. 93-94, and111-112 respectively). In our prayers we should especially remember health-care workers. They are going the bear a heavy burden during this time of trial. 2. Offer the Molieben entirely following the Divine Liturgy. • Clergy are reminded that they have the primary responsibility of visiting the sick, but should take care not to expose the faithful and others to the virus. This is not the season of Great Lent we anticipated, but it is nonetheless a fitting Lenten effort: focus on the greater good of our neighbors, recognizing that this initial response to this pandemic will work for the greater good of our faithful and our neighbors. Use this time of “social distancing” for prayer and to keep vigil “in one’s cell.”
While many other mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic leaders have been reported as taking measures, the Orthodox Church had been largely business as usual until a series of meetings all taking place between March 11 and 13 across several of the large Orthodox jurisdictions resulted in encyclical letters going out from each of the bishops and each of the synods that met to discuss this issue.
President Trump is on to something about the power of God and how He acts when people make their approach to him in prayer. That goes for anyone and everyone who does so. One of the more encouraging bits of news was reported by Archbishop Kyrill, the overseer of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia’s Western American Diocese:
The members of the Faithful are encouraged to increase their prayers by daily reciting an Akathist to the Lord, or the Theotokos, or to our beloved St. John of Shanghai & San Francisco, or to the Saint of their choice, praying for the cessation of this pestilence. To increase the sanctification of our souls and bodies, we are all encouraged to frequently partake of Holy Communion, and also of Holy Water and Prosphora; to daily anoint ourselves with Holy Oil from the Saints; and to confess our sins and pray fervently. Our arms against this epidemic, although spiritual, will be nonetheless powerful. Already reports are coming in that the Archangel Michael has appeared to many people promising them his powerful help. Also, the newly-glorified Saint Nikephoros the Leper has appeared in Greece to a pious Orthodox serviceman and assured him that he will intercede for all who ask his prayers to be protected and healed from the Coronavirus. Troparion, Tone 1: “All the angels were awestruck by the courage and fortitude of Saint Nikephoros the Leper, in ascetic deeds and contests, for like another Job he suffered pain, with patience, ever-glorifying God, who has crowned him now with glory, granting him grace to work great, wondrous miracles. Rejoice, O guide of monastics and their aid, Rejoice O shining beacon of light, Rejoice for thy relics now exude a fragrance bringing joy to all.” Kontakion, Tone 8: “The valiant athlete of endurance and fortitude, the steadfast diamond of great patience and long-suffering, was tried by the affliction and pains of illness, and who in this way did glorify the Most High God, let us praise and laud the leper Nikephoros, saying unto him: Rejoice, true namesake of victory.” Let us use this time to draw closer to the Lord in repentance, as once did the citizens of Ninevah. Much of mankind has fallen so very far away from God: the modern spiritual pandemic has led many of our contemporaries even to fundamentally deny the very nature with which God has imbued us. We must ask the Saints for intercessions on our behalf and all those around us who are sick. Let us also remember that it is only through earnest repentance and prayer, and not through worry and fretting, that we can influence our circumstances for the better. With the vast spiritual resources given to us, we must entreat the Lord, who has exhorted us: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Is. 41:10) Let us “seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness,” and all things that we need to get through this crisis will doubtless be provided to us. (Matt. 6:33)
Truer words have not been spoken. This is the challenge for all of us – will we come back to the basics of all of life and pray to God for help, or will we remain intellectually self-sufficient, rejecting this, and with it, the One who has always come through for all of us when asked?
This appears to be the big question.
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theduran--2020-03-14--Jussie And Kesha Need To Stop Digging

Jussie And Kesha Need To Stop Digging

We ’ ve all heard the expression when you ’ ve dug yourself into a hole , the first thing to do is stop digging .
An extreme example of this was the sad case of the senior Australian judge Marcus Einfeld who lied to get out of a $ 77 speeding ticket in August 2006 .
That lie was compounded with lie after lie until he had even dragged in his own 94 year old mother .
In March 2009 , he received a sentence of 3 years imprisonment – 2 years without parole .
This sad , pathetic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James in his monologue The Speeding Judge .
Two American media personalities are currently driving down that same road .
Singer-songwriter Kesha Sebert will face no prison time because her false allegations against her producer were made only in public , in private , and in civil litigation , not to the police .
On the other hand , the actor Jussie Smollett is in a whole heap of legal trouble , because his false allegations against two imaginary Donald Trump supporters led to Chicago police mounting an intensive investigation , wasting precious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent investigating real crimes .
The alleged attack on Smollett sounded absurd from the beginning , but every day police officers around the world hear prosaic stories that turn out to be false and absurd ones that are true , so they can hardly be criticised for taking him seriously .
Or can they ?
Jussie seems to think they can .
Initially , Smollett was let off with a slap on the wrist thanks to prosecutor Kim Foxx going to extraordinary lengths to bury the case with a $ 10,000 de facto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so-called community service .
Smollett ’ s behaviour and the Foxx let off were so outrageous that even Rahm Emanuel spoke out against the combined travesty .
After being re-indicted on essentially the same charges , Smollett could still have done the decent thing , the sensible thing , and admitted the lie .
Instead , he is continuing to protest his innocence in the face of overwhelming evidence of guilt including the testimony of the two men he paid to stage the incident , who are now cooperating witnesses .
His latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions ended in failure when the Supreme Court of Illinois dismissed an application to have the proceedings stayed .
At present , Smollett appears to be unemployed .
Even so , as a once highly paid actor , he could still probably afford to pay the hundred and thirty thousand dollars demanded by the Chicago Police Department , but his latest appeal will have added to that , and if he continues to fight this hopeless case all the way , he will almost certainly end up bankrupt as well as behind bars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That is anybody ’ s guess .
The one aspect of this case which while not exactly a mitigating factor , helps him , is that no innocent person was arrested , as often happens when women falsely cry rape , for example .
All the same , public policy will surely dictate a custodial sentence , and if he is offered a plea bargain of anything up to three years behind bars , he will do well to take it .
Regarding Kesha Sebert , after her last court hearing she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three hundred and seventy thousand dollars in legal fees .
She is appealing this ruling on the grounds that the judge erred in her decision , in particular , Miss Sebert is arguing that the text she sent to Lady Gaga in which she claimed Dr Luke raped Katy Perry as well , is privileged .
In other words , she wants to have her cake and eat it .
If that objection were allowed , then she could in theory text hundreds or even thousands of people in and around the music @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lawyers will undoubtedly have something to say about that , and so will the appeal court .
While she may feel genuinely aggrieved over her contractual obligations , this is nothing new in the music business , and however much talent she has , she would probably not have achieved the success she has without Dr Luke ’ s input .
She would do well to make her peace with him on any reasonable terms .
It is clear from information in the public domain that she has psychological problems , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t end up on Carey Street , she may find no one wants to work with her , or book her , in the not-too-distant future .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
We’ve all heard the expression when you’ve dug yourself into a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. An extreme example of this was the sad case of the senior Australian judge Marcus Einfeld who lied to get out of a $77 speeding ticket in August 2006. That lie was compounded with lie after lie until he had even dragged in his own 94 year old mother. In March 2009, he received a sentence of 3 years imprisonment – 2 years without parole. This sad, pathetic tale was related by the late Clive James in his monologue The Speeding Judge.
Two American media personalities are currently driving down that same road. Singer-songwriter Kesha Sebert will face no prison time because her false allegations against her producer were made only in public, in private, and in civil litigation, not to the police. On the other hand, the actor Jussie Smollett is in a whole heap of legal trouble, because his false allegations against two imaginary Donald Trump supporters led to Chicago police mounting an intensive investigation, wasting precious time and resources that could have been spent investigating real crimes.
The alleged attack on Smollett sounded absurd from the beginning, but every day police officers around the world hear prosaic stories that turn out to be false and absurd ones that are true, so they can hardly be criticised for taking him seriously. Or can they? Jussie seems to think they can.
Initially, Smollett was let off with a slap on the wrist thanks to prosecutor Kim Foxx going to extraordinary lengths to bury the case with a $10,000 de facto fine and a laughable few hours of so-called community service. Smollett’s behaviour and the Foxx let off were so outrageous that even Rahm Emanuel spoke out against the combined travesty.
After being re-indicted on essentially the same charges, Smollett could still have done the decent thing, the sensible thing, and admitted the lie. Instead, he is continuing to protest his innocence in the face of overwhelming evidence of guilt including the testimony of the two men he paid to stage the incident, who are now cooperating witnesses.
His latest attempt to evade the consequences of his actions ended in failure when the Supreme Court of Illinois dismissed an application to have the proceedings stayed. At present, Smollett appears to be unemployed. Even so, as a once highly paid actor, he could still probably afford to pay the hundred and thirty thousand dollars demanded by the Chicago Police Department, but his latest appeal will have added to that, and if he continues to fight this hopeless case all the way, he will almost certainly end up bankrupt as well as behind bars.
What sentence can he expect? That is anybody’s guess. The one aspect of this case which while not exactly a mitigating factor, helps him, is that no innocent person was arrested, as often happens when women falsely cry rape, for example. All the same, public policy will surely dictate a custodial sentence, and if he is offered a plea bargain of anything up to three years behind bars, he will do well to take it.
Regarding Kesha Sebert, after her last court hearing she was ordered to pay plaintiff Dr Luke over three hundred and seventy thousand dollars in legal fees. She is appealing this ruling on the grounds that the judge erred in her decision, in particular, Miss Sebert is arguing that the text she sent to Lady Gaga in which she claimed Dr Luke raped Katy Perry as well, is privileged. In other words, she wants to have her cake and eat it. If that objection were allowed, then she could in theory text hundreds or even thousands of people in and around the music business the same message. Dr Luke’s lawyers will undoubtedly have something to say about that, and so will the appeal court.
While she may feel genuinely aggrieved over her contractual obligations, this is nothing new in the music business, and however much talent she has, she would probably not have achieved the success she has without Dr Luke’s input. She would do well to make her peace with him on any reasonable terms. It is clear from information in the public domain that she has psychological problems, and even if she too doesn’t end up on Carey Street, she may find no one wants to work with her, or book her, in the not-too-distant future.
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theduran--2020-03-14--VP Pence: “We are bringing all of America” in to fight the Coronavirus [Video]

It was not unexpected that the American President would declare a National Emergency regarding the novel coronavirus , which has been rapidly increasing its spread in the US over the past two weeks .
However , unlike anything yet seen elsewhere , the efforts the US is making to deal with this crisis are not based in only government command and control .
President Trump and his task force got giant enterprises in America such as Google and Walmart , Walgreens , Target , CVS Health , and Quest Diagnostics involved , all of whom are expert in their respective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight against this disease that each company is already best suited to handle from its own experience .
The markets responded strongly , with the DJIA making up much of its deep losses yesterday , rising 1,985 points Friday .
Thursday , the market recorded its largest one-day point drop in history , losing 2,352 points .
While market volatility is sure to continue , and while losses are still more likely than not for the near term , the public-private partnership announced today in America is unmatched anywhere else in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prove to be the mechanism other nations try to employ in their own efforts to deal with this crisis .
We will give more analysis of this as needed , but for now , we offer for your own direct viewing and reading both the video taken of the press conference in the Rose Garden today , and the transcript of President Trump ’ s speech .
As the Coronavirus is a global problem , the geopolitical intrigues that are usually such great fodder have taken a large back seat – at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such intrigues that deserve attention , but they are all outside the scope of this piece .
Additionally , it helps to postulate about such things when we are physically healthy enough to do that , and the coronavirus presents a threat to our way of life , too , so it seems better to simply focus on getting through this period in our shared history .
Donald Trump : ( 00:00 ) To unleash the full power of the federal government in this effort today , I am officially declaring a National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The action I am taking will open up access to up to 50 billion dollars of very important and a large amount of money for states and territories and localities in our shared fight against this disease .
Donald Trump : ( 00:28 ) In furtherance of the order , I ’ m urging every state to set up emergency operation centers effective immediately .
You ’ re going to be hearing from some of the largest companies and greatest retailers and medical companies in the world .
They ’ re standing right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ m also asking every hospital in this country to activate its emergency preparedness plan so that they can meet the needs of Americans everywhere .
The hospitals are very engaged .
New York and various other places are also various engaged .
I just spoke with governor Cuomo .
We had a very good conversation and we ’ re working very strongly with the many states including New York .
Donald Trump : ( 01:11 ) The urgency orders I ’ m issuing today will also confer broad new authority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Services .
The Secretary of HHS will be able to immediately wave revisions of applicable laws and regulations to give doctors , hospital all hospitals and healthcare providers , maximum flexibility to respond to the virus and care for patients .
This includes the following critical authorities , the ability to waive laws to enable telehealth , a fairly new and incredible thing that ’ s happened in the not so distant past .
I tell you what they ’ ve done with telehealth has incredible .
It gives remote doctors visits and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal license requirements so that doctors from other states can provide services in states with the greatest need .
Donald Trump : ( 02:12 ) Number two , the ability to waive requirements that critical access hospitals limit the number of beds to 25 and the length of stay to 96 hours .
The ability to waive the requirements of a three day hospital stay prior to admission to a nursing home ; big thing .
The authority to waive rules to hinder hospital ’ s ability to bring additional physicians on board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can do as they want .
They can do what they have to do .
They know what they have to do .
Now they don ’ t have any problem getting it done .
Donald Trump : ( 02:51 ) The authority to waive rules that severely restrict where hospitals can care for patients within the hospital itself .
Ensuring that the emergency capacity can be quickly established .
We ’ ll remove or eliminate every obstacle necessary to deliver our people the care that they need and that they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spared .
Nothing whatsoever .
10 days ago , I brought together the CEOs of commercial labs at the White House and directed them to immediately begin working on the solution to dramatically increase the availability of tests .
Donald Trump : ( 03:30 ) Other countries have called us and worked with us and they ’ re doing similar things or will be doing similar things as a result of that action .
Today we are announcing a new partnership with private sector to vastly increase and accelerate our capacity to test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make sure that those who need a test can get a test very safely , quickly and conveniently but we don ’ t want people to take a test if we feel that they shouldn ’ t be doing it and we don ’ t want everyone running out and taking ; only if you have certain symptoms .
Donald Trump : ( 04:08 ) Using federal emergency authorities , the FDA approved a new test for the virus .
We did this within hours after receiving the application from Roche , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We therefore expect up to a half a million additional tests will be available early next week .
We ’ ll be announcing locations probably on Sunday night .
I want to thank Roche , great company for their incredible work .
Donald Trump : ( 04:36 ) I ’ d also like to thank Thermo Fisher .
The FDA ’ s goal is to hopefully authorize the air application within 24 hours .
It ’ ll go very quickly .
It ’ s going very quickly , which will bring additionally 1.4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 million within a month .
I doubt we ’ ll need anywhere near that .
Donald Trump : ( 04:58 ) At the same time we ’ ve been in discussions with pharmacies and retailers to make drive through tests available in the critical locations identified by public health professionals .
The goal is for individuals to be able to drive up and be swabbed without having to leave your car .
I want to thank Google .
Google is helping to develop a website .
It ’ s going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past , to determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location , and we have many , many locations behind us , by the way .
We cover this country and large parts of the world .
By the way , we ’ re not going to be talking about the world right now , but we cover very , very strongly .
Our country stores in virtually every location .
Google has a 1,700 engineers working on this right now .
They ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to stop the spread of the virus and to help all Americans who have been impacted by this .
Donald Trump : ( 06:07 ) Again , we don ’ t want everybody taking this test .
It ’ s totally unnecessary and this will pass .
This will pass through and we ’ re going to be even stronger for it .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
It was not unexpected that the American President would declare a National Emergency regarding the novel coronavirus, which has been rapidly increasing its spread in the US over the past two weeks. However, unlike anything yet seen elsewhere, the efforts the US is making to deal with this crisis are not based in only government command and control. President Trump and his task force got giant enterprises in America such as Google and Walmart, Walgreens, Target, CVS Health, and Quest Diagnostics involved, all of whom are expert in their respective fields to conduct that part of the fight against this disease that each company is already best suited to handle from its own experience.
The markets responded strongly, with the DJIA making up much of its deep losses yesterday, rising 1,985 points Friday. Thursday, the market recorded its largest one-day point drop in history, losing 2,352 points.
While market volatility is sure to continue, and while losses are still more likely than not for the near term, the public-private partnership announced today in America is unmatched anywhere else in the world. If it works, it may prove to be the mechanism other nations try to employ in their own efforts to deal with this crisis.
We will give more analysis of this as needed, but for now, we offer for your own direct viewing and reading both the video taken of the press conference in the Rose Garden today, and the transcript of President Trump’s speech.
As the Coronavirus is a global problem, the geopolitical intrigues that are usually such great fodder have taken a large back seat – at least in my reporting. There certainly are such intrigues that deserve attention, but they are all outside the scope of this piece. Additionally, it helps to postulate about such things when we are physically healthy enough to do that, and the coronavirus presents a threat to our way of life, too, so it seems better to simply focus on getting through this period in our shared history.
Transcript of the President’s speech:
Donald Trump: (00:00)
To unleash the full power of the federal government in this effort today, I am officially declaring a National Emergency. Two very big words. The action I am taking will open up access to up to 50 billion dollars of very important and a large amount of money for states and territories and localities in our shared fight against this disease.
Donald Trump: (00:28)
In furtherance of the order, I’m urging every state to set up emergency operation centers effective immediately. You’re going to be hearing from some of the largest companies and greatest retailers and medical companies in the world. They’re standing right behind me and the side of me. I’m also asking every hospital in this country to activate its emergency preparedness plan so that they can meet the needs of Americans everywhere. The hospitals are very engaged. New York and various other places are also various engaged. I just spoke with governor Cuomo. We had a very good conversation and we’re working very strongly with the many states including New York.
Donald Trump: (01:11)
The urgency orders I’m issuing today will also confer broad new authority to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Secretary of HHS will be able to immediately wave revisions of applicable laws and regulations to give doctors, hospital all hospitals and healthcare providers, maximum flexibility to respond to the virus and care for patients. This includes the following critical authorities, the ability to waive laws to enable telehealth, a fairly new and incredible thing that’s happened in the not so distant past. I tell you what they’ve done with telehealth has incredible. It gives remote doctors visits and hospital check-ins the power to waive certain federal license requirements so that doctors from other states can provide services in states with the greatest need.
Donald Trump: (02:12)
Number two, the ability to waive requirements that critical access hospitals limit the number of beds to 25 and the length of stay to 96 hours. The ability to waive the requirements of a three day hospital stay prior to admission to a nursing home; big thing. The authority to waive rules to hinder hospital’s ability to bring additional physicians on board or obtain needed office space. They can do as they want. They can do what they have to do. They know what they have to do. Now they don’t have any problem getting it done.
Donald Trump: (02:51)
The authority to waive rules that severely restrict where hospitals can care for patients within the hospital itself. Ensuring that the emergency capacity can be quickly established. We’ll remove or eliminate every obstacle necessary to deliver our people the care that they need and that they’re entitled to. No resource will be spared. Nothing whatsoever. 10 days ago, I brought together the CEOs of commercial labs at the White House and directed them to immediately begin working on the solution to dramatically increase the availability of tests.
Donald Trump: (03:30)
Other countries have called us and worked with us and they’re doing similar things or will be doing similar things as a result of that action. Today we are announcing a new partnership with private sector to vastly increase and accelerate our capacity to test for the Coronavirus. We want to make sure that those who need a test can get a test very safely, quickly and conveniently but we don’t want people to take a test if we feel that they shouldn’t be doing it and we don’t want everyone running out and taking; only if you have certain symptoms.
Donald Trump: (04:08)
Using federal emergency authorities, the FDA approved a new test for the virus. We did this within hours after receiving the application from Roche, a process that would normally take weeks. We therefore expect up to a half a million additional tests will be available early next week. We’ll be announcing locations probably on Sunday night. I want to thank Roche, great company for their incredible work.
Donald Trump: (04:36)
I’d also like to thank Thermo Fisher. The FDA’s goal is to hopefully authorize the air application within 24 hours. It’ll go very quickly. It’s going very quickly, which will bring additionally 1.4 million tests on board next week and 5 million within a month. I doubt we’ll need anywhere near that.
Donald Trump: (04:58)
At the same time we’ve been in discussions with pharmacies and retailers to make drive through tests available in the critical locations identified by public health professionals. The goal is for individuals to be able to drive up and be swabbed without having to leave your car. I want to thank Google. Google is helping to develop a website. It’s going to be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past, to determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location, and we have many, many locations behind us, by the way. We cover this country and large parts of the world. By the way, we’re not going to be talking about the world right now, but we cover very, very strongly. Our country stores in virtually every location. Google has a 1,700 engineers working on this right now. They’ve made tremendous progress. Our overriding goal is to stop the spread of the virus and to help all Americans who have been impacted by this.
Donald Trump: (06:07)
Again, we don’t want everybody taking this test. It’s totally unnecessary and this will pass. This will pass through and we’re going to be even stronger for it.
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theduran--2020-03-15--A 70-Year War on ‘Propaganda’ Built by the CIA

Authored by Cynthia Chung via The Strategic Culture Foundation : “ Hell is empty and all the devils are here ” – William Shakespeare ( The Tempest Act 1 Scene 2 ) War has always depended on a reliable system to spread its propaganda .
The Arthashastra written by Chankya ( 350-283 BCE ) who was chief advisor to the Emperor Chandragupta ( the first ruler of the Mauryan Empire ) discusses propaganda and how to disperse and apply it in warfare .
It is one of the oldest accounts of the essentialism of propaganda in warfare .
Propaganda is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is absolutely imperative that the people , who often need to make the greatest sacrifices and suffer the most , believe that such a war is justified and that such a war will provide them security .
To the degree that they believe this to be true , the greater the degree of sacrifice and suffering they are willing to submit themselves for said “ promised security ” .
It is crucial that when the people look at the “ enemy ” they see something sub-human , for if they recognise that said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the jig is up so to speak .
And thus we are bombarded day after day , hour after hour of reminders as to why the “ enemy ” is not human like us , not compassionate like us , not patient , just and wise like us .
No doubt , war has been a necessary response when tyranny has formed an army to fight for its cause , but I would put forth that most wars have been rather unnecessary and downright manipulated for the design of a small group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dec 25th 1914 , something rather unexpected occurred and a series of widespread unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front took place between the French/British soldiers and the German soldiers .
Some even ventured into “ no man ’ s land ” , given its name since none left it alive , to mingle with the “ enemy ” and exchange food and souvenirs .
There were joint burial ceremonies and prisoner swaps .
A game of football took place as well .
It is said that these truces were not unique to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more widespread during the holiday season .
These fraternisations would understandably make it quite difficult to return to combat against one another…for no apparently good reason .
Some units needed to be relocated since they had developed friendships with the opposing side and now refused to fight them .
The lesson was quickly learned and propaganda was heavily pumped down the throats of the Allied countries , and by the course of just a few years , they no longer viewed the Germans as human .
For us to understand the implications of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in warfare today , our story starts post-WWII with Churchill ’ s announcement of the “ Iron Curtain ” which launched the Cold War and has kept the East and West divided to this day .
Quickly after the Cold War was announced by Churchill , it was necessary to create a fervor of fear and paranoia amongst the American people in order to have them quickly forget the fact that the Russians were their greatest allies during both WWI and WWII , and to replace it with the image of a ghoulish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remember that the Russians had fought valiantly during WWII and had paid by far the largest sacrifice to the cause , that they had in fact been their comrades in arms against the brutality of fascism , if this were remembered then the Cold War division could never occur , and that was something that could not be tolerated by Churchill and the Empire .
Thus terror was unleashed on the American people and McCarthyism was given precedence over the people ’ s right to question and form conclusions for themselves .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tolerated when the “ enemy ” could be anywhere ; they could be your neighbour , your child ’ s teacher , your co-worker…your partner .
In order to combat the “ threat ” of Soviet “ propaganda ” entering the U.S. and seducing Americans , Operation Mockingbird was created as a form of “ control ” over information dissemination during the period of McCarthyism .
Operation Mockingbird was an “ alleged ” CIA program that was started in the early 1950s in order to control the narrative of the news .
Though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in the CIA Family Jewels report compiled in the mid-1970s , it is confirmed that Project Mockingbird did exist as a CIA operation and that it was guilty of wire-tapping journalists in Washington .
At the helm of this project was none other than CIA Director Allen Dulles , an enemy of JFK , who by the early 1950s “ allegedly ” oversaw the media network and had major influence over 25 newspapers and wire agencies .
Its function was to have the CIA write reports that would be used by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
By these “ credible ” reporters spreading the CIA dictated narrative , it would be parroted by unwitting reporters ( mockingbirds ) and a successful echo chamber would be created across the world .
The Office of Policy Coordination ( OPC ) , originally named Office of Special Projects but that was thought to conspicuous , was a covert operation wing of the CIA and was created by the United States National Security Council ( NSC ) .
For those who are unfamiliar with the origins of the NSC and its close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ born on the same day , refer to my paper on the subject .
According to Deborah Davis ’ biography of Katherine Graham ( the owner of Washington Post ) , the OPC created Operation Mockingbird in response to addressing Soviet propaganda and included as part of its CIA contingency respected members from Washington Post , The New York Times , Newsweek , CBS and others .
The Family Jewels report was an investigation made by the CIA to investigate…the CIA , spurred in response to the Watergate Scandal and the CIA ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The investigation of the CIA would include any other actions that were deemed illegal or inappropriate spanning from the 1950s-mid 1970s .
We are told “ most ” of the report was declassified on June 25 , 2007 ( 30 years later ) hoping that people would have lost interest in the whole brouhaha .
Along with the release of the redacted report was included a six-page summary with the following introduction : “ The Central Intelligence Agency until revelations of illegal wiretapping , domestic surveillance , assassination plots , and human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 1970s.
” The most extensive investigation of the CIA relations with news media was conducted by the Church Committee , a U.S. Senate select committee in 1975 that investigated the abuses committed by the CIA , NSA , FBI , and IRS .
The Church Committee report confirmed abundant CIA ties in both foreign and domestic news media .
It is very useful that there exists an official recognition that false news was not only being encouraged by the CIA under the overseeing of the NSC during the Cold War period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in actually detailing the specific narrative that they wanted disseminated , and often going so far as to write the narrative and have a “ credible ” reporter ’ s name stamped on it .
But the question begs , “ Did the Cold War ever end ?
” and if not , why should we believe that the CIA ’ s involvement in such activities is buried in its past and that it has “ reformed ” its old ways ?
Western Journalists for Hire : How the CIA Buys News In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us visit the sad case of Udo Ulfkotte .
Udo Ulfkotte is a well-known German journalist and author of numerous books .
He worked for 25 years as a journalist , 17 of which were for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung ( FAZ ) , including his role as editor .
In his 2014 book “ Journalists for Hire : How the CIA Buys News ” Ulfkotte goes over how the CIA along with German Intelligence ( BND ) were guilty of bribing journalists to write articles that either spun the truth or were completely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pro-NATO bent , and that he was one of those bought journalists .
In an interview , Ulfkotte describes how he finally built up the nerve to publish the book , after years of it collecting dust , in response to the erupting crisis in Ukraine stating “ I felt that the right time had come to finish it and publish it , because I am deeply worried about the Ukrainian crisis and the possible devastating consequences for all of Europe and all of us…I am not at all pro-Russia , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow and publish whatever the NATO press office provides .
And this type of information and reports are completely one-sided ” .
In another interview Ulfkotte stated : “ it is clear as daylight that the agents of various Services were in the central offices of the FAZ , the place where I worked for 17 years .
The articles appeared under my name several times , but they were not my intellectual product .
I was once approached by someone from German Intelligence and the CIA , who told me that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was trying to secretly build a chemical weapons factory in Libya .
I had no information on any of this , but they showed me various documents , I just had to put my name on the article .
Do you think this can be called journalism ?
I don ’ t think so.
” Ulfkotte has publicly stated : “ I am ashamed of it .
The people I worked for knew from the get-go everything I did .
And the truth must come out .
It ’ s not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system that ’ s corrupt all the way.
” Udo Ulfkotte has since passed away .
He died January 2017 , found dead in his home , it is said by a hear t attack .
His body was quickly after cremated and thus prevented any possibility of an autopsy occurring .
You Can ’ t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks The Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act is a bipartisan bill that was passed into law in December 2016 , it was initially called Countering Information Warfare Act .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act ( NDAA ) .
This bill was brought into effect just weeks before Trump was to enter office….hmmm , foreshadowing much ?
Soon after the 2016 U.S. election , the Washington Post led the charge asserting that it was due to Russian propaganda that the U.S. elections turned out the way it did , that is , that Hillary had somehow , inconceivably , lost to Donald Trump and that the American people had been turned against her like a child caught in the middle of a messy divorce case .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the record straight on Hillary , when Hillary herself has done suffice damage to any illusion of credibility she once had .
That ultimately not even Hillary could hide the fact that her closet full of skeletons turned out to be the size of a catacomb .
But we are told that citizens do not know what is best for one ’ s self .
That they can not be trusted with “ sensitive ” information and in accordance act in a “ responsible ” manner , that is , to have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ best ” for their country .
And therefore , fear not subjects of the land , for the Global Engagement Center ( GEC ) is here to make those hard decisions for you .
Don ’ t know what to think about a complicated subject ?
GEC will tell you the right way !
The National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) would allow for the Secretary of State to collaborate with the Secretary of Defense , and other Federal agencies in the year 2017 to create the Global Engagement Center ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purpose in life is to fight propaganda from foreign governments and publicize the nature of ongoing foreign propaganda and disinformation operations against the U.S. and other countries .
Let us all take a moment to thank the GEC for such a massive task in the cause for justice all around the world .
The GEC had a very slow start in its first year , however , it has been gaining momentum in the last year under Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , who seems especially excited over the hiring of Lea Gabrielle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mike Pompeo was the CIA Director from 2017-2018 .
On April 15 , 2019 , Pompeo participated in a discussion at the Texas A & M University where he voluntarily offered the admission that though West Points ’ cadet motto is “ You will not lie , cheat , or steal , or tolerate those who do.
” , his training under the CIA was the very opposite , stating “ I was the CIA Director .
We lied , we cheated , we stole .
It was like we had entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It reminds you of the glory of the American experiment ” .
This is apparently the man for the job of dealing with matters of “ truth ” and “ justice ” .
Lea Gabrielle was approved for her position by Mike Pompeo , what are her “ qualifications ” ?
Well , Gabrielle is also CIA trained , and while assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency ( DIA ) , she “ directed and conducted global clandestine strategic intelligence collection operations.
” Gabrielle also “ deployed in tactical anti-terrorist operations in hostile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ active duty service , Lea Gabrielle became a television news journalist , who worked at NBC and FOX News .
The CIA really does not have the best track record for their role in “ managing ” foreign wars and counter-insurgency activities .
In fact , they have been caught rather red handed in fueling such crisis situations .
And these are the people who are deciding what information is fit for the American public , and western public in general , and what is not fit for their ears .
Hear No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No Evil On March 5 , 2020 , Lea Gabrielle testified on the role of GEC in countering state-sponsored and non-state propaganda and disinformation .
Gabrielle states : “ We have the full support of Secretary Pompeo who is committed to deploying a broad suite of tools to stop America ’ s adversaries from using disinformation , malign propaganda , and other tools to undermine free societies.
” She goes on to acknowledge that the hearing is focused on countering Russian government and CCP disinformation and propaganda .
She then goes on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no factual detail or evidence but rather generalised accusations and criticisms , obviously pulling from her experience as a news journalist for NBC .
Following this , Gabrielle proceeds to outline her “ rules of engagement ” in countering this offensive with what seems to be the beginnings of McCarthyism 2.0 , amounting to a threat to anyone who dares not take a hard stance against Russia and China , that such a person will be considered complicit in essentially committing treason .
Hell , if Bernie Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard ( who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final democratic presidential debates ) have both already been accused of being a Russian agent , what can we expect for the average Joe ?
Gabrielle concludes , “ Both the Russian government and the CCP view censorship , media manipulation , and propaganda as appropriate tools to control public opinion .
Both exploit open , democratic societies to further their own ends while tightening controls around their own countries.
” Don ’ t worry , the CIA will eventually admit that they are elbow deep in all of the above , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 years from now…In the meantime , I wouldn ’ t believe everything you read in the newspaper to stoke the fires for another war .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Authored by Cynthia Chung via The Strategic Culture Foundation:
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here”
– William Shakespeare (The Tempest Act 1 Scene 2)
War has always depended on a reliable system to spread its propaganda. The Arthashastra written by Chankya (350-283 BCE) who was chief advisor to the Emperor Chandragupta (the first ruler of the Mauryan Empire) discusses propaganda and how to disperse and apply it in warfare. It is one of the oldest accounts of the essentialism of propaganda in warfare.
Propaganda is vital in times of war because it is absolutely imperative that the people, who often need to make the greatest sacrifices and suffer the most, believe that such a war is justified and that such a war will provide them security. To the degree that they believe this to be true, the greater the degree of sacrifice and suffering they are willing to submit themselves for said “promised security”.
It is crucial that when the people look at the “enemy” they see something sub-human, for if they recognise that said “enemy” has in fact humanity, the jig is up so to speak.
And thus we are bombarded day after day, hour after hour of reminders as to why the “enemy” is not human like us, not compassionate like us, not patient, just and wise like us.
No doubt, war has been a necessary response when tyranny has formed an army to fight for its cause, but I would put forth that most wars have been rather unnecessary and downright manipulated for the design of a small group of people.
During WWI, on Dec 25th 1914, something rather unexpected occurred and a series of widespread unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front took place between the French/British soldiers and the German soldiers. Some even ventured into “no man’s land”, given its name since none left it alive, to mingle with the “enemy” and exchange food and souvenirs. There were joint burial ceremonies and prisoner swaps. A game of football took place as well. It is said that these truces were not unique to the Christmas period but that they were much more widespread during the holiday season.
These fraternisations would understandably make it quite difficult to return to combat against one another…for no apparently good reason. Some units needed to be relocated since they had developed friendships with the opposing side and now refused to fight them.
The lesson was quickly learned and propaganda was heavily pumped down the throats of the Allied countries, and by the course of just a few years, they no longer viewed the Germans as human.
The CIA’s Family Jewels and Operation Mockingbird
For us to understand the implications of modern propaganda and how it is used in warfare today, our story starts post-WWII with Churchill’s announcement of the “Iron Curtain” which launched the Cold War and has kept the East and West divided to this day.
Quickly after the Cold War was announced by Churchill, it was necessary to create a fervor of fear and paranoia amongst the American people in order to have them quickly forget the fact that the Russians were their greatest allies during both WWI and WWII, and to replace it with the image of a ghoulish race of boogeymen.
If Americans were to remember that the Russians had fought valiantly during WWII and had paid by far the largest sacrifice to the cause, that they had in fact been their comrades in arms against the brutality of fascism, if this were remembered then the Cold War division could never occur, and that was something that could not be tolerated by Churchill and the Empire. Thus terror was unleashed on the American people and McCarthyism was given precedence over the people’s right to question and form conclusions for themselves. That sort of thing could not be tolerated when the “enemy” could be anywhere; they could be your neighbour, your child’s teacher, your co-worker…your partner.
In order to combat the “threat” of Soviet “propaganda” entering the U.S. and seducing Americans, Operation Mockingbird was created as a form of “control” over information dissemination during the period of McCarthyism. Operation Mockingbird was an “alleged” CIA program that was started in the early 1950s in order to control the narrative of the news. Though this role has never been confirmed entirely, in the CIA Family Jewels report compiled in the mid-1970s, it is confirmed that Project Mockingbird did exist as a CIA operation and that it was guilty of wire-tapping journalists in Washington.
At the helm of this project was none other than CIA Director Allen Dulles, an enemy of JFK, who by the early 1950s “allegedly” oversaw the media network and had major influence over 25 newspapers and wire agencies. Its function was to have the CIA write reports that would be used by a network of cooperating “credible” reporters. By these “credible” reporters spreading the CIA dictated narrative, it would be parroted by unwitting reporters (mockingbirds) and a successful echo chamber would be created across the world.
The Office of Policy Coordination (OPC), originally named Office of Special Projects but that was thought to conspicuous, was a covert operation wing of the CIA and was created by the United States National Security Council (NSC). For those who are unfamiliar with the origins of the NSC and its close relationship with the CIA, who was born on the same day, refer to my paper on the subject.
According to Deborah Davis’ biography of Katherine Graham (the owner of Washington Post), the OPC created Operation Mockingbird in response to addressing Soviet propaganda and included as part of its CIA contingency respected members from Washington Post, The New York Times, Newsweek, CBS and others.
The Family Jewels report was an investigation made by the CIA to investigate…the CIA, spurred in response to the Watergate Scandal and the CIA’s unconstitutional role in the whole affair. The investigation of the CIA would include any other actions that were deemed illegal or inappropriate spanning from the 1950s-mid 1970s.
We are told “most” of the report was declassified on June 25, 2007 (30 years later) hoping that people would have lost interest in the whole brouhaha. Along with the release of the redacted report was included a six-page summary with the following introduction:
“The Central Intelligence Agency violated its charter for 25 years until revelations of illegal wiretapping, domestic surveillance, assassination plots, and human experimentation led to official investigations and reforms in the 1970s.”
The most extensive investigation of the CIA relations with news media was conducted by the Church Committee, a U.S. Senate select committee in 1975 that investigated the abuses committed by the CIA, NSA, FBI, and IRS. The Church Committee report confirmed abundant CIA ties in both foreign and domestic news media.
It is very useful that there exists an official recognition that false news was not only being encouraged by the CIA under the overseeing of the NSC during the Cold War period, but that the CIA was complicit in actually detailing the specific narrative that they wanted disseminated, and often going so far as to write the narrative and have a “credible” reporter’s name stamped on it.
But the question begs, “Did the Cold War ever end?” and if not, why should we believe that the CIA’s involvement in such activities is buried in its past and that it has “reformed” its old ways?
Western Journalists for Hire: How the CIA Buys News
In order to answer this question, let us visit the sad case of Udo Ulfkotte. Udo Ulfkotte is a well-known German journalist and author of numerous books. He worked for 25 years as a journalist, 17 of which were for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), including his role as editor. In his 2014 book “Journalists for Hire: How the CIA Buys News” Ulfkotte goes over how the CIA along with German Intelligence (BND) were guilty of bribing journalists to write articles that either spun the truth or were completely fictitious in order to promote a pro-western, pro-NATO bent, and that he was one of those bought journalists.
In an interview, Ulfkotte describes how he finally built up the nerve to publish the book, after years of it collecting dust, in response to the erupting crisis in Ukraine stating “I felt that the right time had come to finish it and publish it, because I am deeply worried about the Ukrainian crisis and the possible devastating consequences for all of Europe and all of us…I am not at all pro-Russia, but it is clear that many journalists blindly follow and publish whatever the NATO press office provides. And this type of information and reports are completely one-sided”.
In another interview Ulfkotte stated: “it is clear as daylight that the agents of various Services were in the central offices of the FAZ, the place where I worked for 17 years. The articles appeared under my name several times, but they were not my intellectual product. I was once approached by someone from German Intelligence and the CIA, who told me that I should write about Gaddafi and report how he was trying to secretly build a chemical weapons factory in Libya. I had no information on any of this, but they showed me various documents, I just had to put my name on the article. Do you think this can be called journalism? I don’t think so.”
Ulfkotte has publicly stated: “I am ashamed of it. The people I worked for knew from the get-go everything I did. And the truth must come out. It’s not just about FAZ, this is the whole system that’s corrupt all the way.”
Udo Ulfkotte has since passed away. He died January 2017, found dead in his home, it is said by a hear t attack. His body was quickly after cremated and thus prevented any possibility of an autopsy occurring.
You Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks
The Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act is a bipartisan bill that was passed into law in December 2016, it was initially called Countering Information Warfare Act. It was included together with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This bill was brought into effect just weeks before Trump was to enter office….hmmm, foreshadowing much?
Soon after the 2016 U.S. election, the Washington Post led the charge asserting that it was due to Russian propaganda that the U.S. elections turned out the way it did, that is, that Hillary had somehow, inconceivably, lost to Donald Trump and that the American people had been turned against her like a child caught in the middle of a messy divorce case. But there is no need here to set the record straight on Hillary, when Hillary herself has done suffice damage to any illusion of credibility she once had. That ultimately not even Hillary could hide the fact that her closet full of skeletons turned out to be the size of a catacomb.
But we are told that citizens do not know what is best for one’s self. That they cannot be trusted with “sensitive” information and in accordance act in a “responsible” manner, that is, to have a strong enough stomach to do what is “best” for their country.
And therefore, fear not subjects of the land, for the Global Engagement Center (GEC) is here to make those hard decisions for you. Don’t know what to think about a complicated subject? GEC will tell you the right way!
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would allow for the Secretary of State to collaborate with the Secretary of Defense, and other Federal agencies in the year 2017 to create the Global Engagement Center (GEC). The GEC’s purpose in life is to fight propaganda from foreign governments and publicize the nature of ongoing foreign propaganda and disinformation operations against the U.S. and other countries.
Let us all take a moment to thank the GEC for such a massive task in the cause for justice all around the world.
The GEC had a very slow start in its first year, however, it has been gaining momentum in the last year under Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who seems especially excited over the hiring of Lea Gabrielle as special envoy and coordinator of GEC.
Mike Pompeo was the CIA Director from 2017-2018. On April 15, 2019, Pompeo participated in a discussion at the Texas A&M University where he voluntarily offered the admission that though West Points’ cadet motto is “You will not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do.”, his training under the CIA was the very opposite, stating “I was the CIA Director. We lied, we cheated, we stole. It was like we had entire training courses. (long pause) It reminds you of the glory of the American experiment”.
This is apparently the man for the job of dealing with matters of “truth” and “justice”.
Lea Gabrielle was approved for her position by Mike Pompeo, what are her “qualifications”? Well, Gabrielle is also CIA trained, and while assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), she “directed and conducted global clandestine strategic intelligence collection operations.” Gabrielle also “deployed in tactical anti-terrorist operations in hostile environments”. After 12 years of active duty service, Lea Gabrielle became a television news journalist, who worked at NBC and FOX News.
Noticing a pattern?
The CIA really does not have the best track record for their role in “managing” foreign wars and counter-insurgency activities. In fact, they have been caught rather red handed in fueling such crisis situations. And these are the people who are deciding what information is fit for the American public, and western public in general, and what is not fit for their ears.
Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, See No Evil
On March 5, 2020, Lea Gabrielle testified on the role of GEC in countering state-sponsored and non-state propaganda and disinformation. Gabrielle states: “We have the full support of Secretary Pompeo who is committed to deploying a broad suite of tools to stop America’s adversaries from using disinformation, malign propaganda, and other tools to undermine free societies.” She goes on to acknowledge that the hearing is focused on countering Russian government and CCP disinformation and propaganda. She then goes on to outline her criticisms of both governments with no factual detail or evidence but rather generalised accusations and criticisms, obviously pulling from her experience as a news journalist for NBC.
Following this, Gabrielle proceeds to outline her “rules of engagement” in countering this offensive with what seems to be the beginnings of McCarthyism 2.0, amounting to a threat to anyone who dares not take a hard stance against Russia and China, that such a person will be considered complicit in essentially committing treason. Hell, if Bernie Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard (who was unconstitutionally prohibited from participating in the final democratic presidential debates) have both already been accused of being a Russian agent, what can we expect for the average Joe?
Gabrielle concludes, “Both the Russian government and the CCP view censorship, media manipulation, and propaganda as appropriate tools to control public opinion. Both exploit open, democratic societies to further their own ends while tightening controls around their own countries.”
Don’t worry, the CIA will eventually admit that they are elbow deep in all of the above, it just won’t be released until 30 years from now…In the meantime, I wouldn’t believe everything you read in the newspaper to stoke the fires for another war.
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