theduran--2020-02-16--What Role Has Modern Art Played in the Political Enslavement of Western Society?

In the mid-1990s , a series of exposés featured on the London Independent and elsewhere brought a dark secret to light .
Many were startled by the revelation that the entire evolution of 20th century modern art was directed in large measure by the CIA !
This not only included the direct financing of abstract painters like Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko , whose works now regularly sell for over $ 100 million apiece , but also powerful literary magazines like Salon and Encounter , interpretive dance schools , and the remarkably ugly a-tonal music of Arnold Schoenberg .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the wake of World War II came to be known as the Congress for Cultural Freedom ( CCF ) .
Founded in 1950 with funding from the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations , the CCF was designed to 1 ) promote the de-Nazification of Germany and 2 ) fight the cultural war against the communist world that had just recently been organized by Sir Winston Churchill .
The logic of the Cultural Cold War asserted that since communism and fascism relied on “ realist/rigid iconography ” to advance itself , the “ free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iron Curtain would rely on abstract , emotional “ freedom ” .
Where communism was based on the sacrifice of the individual for the “ good ” of the whole , this Cold War democracy asserted that the needs of the whole were separate from the arbitrary freedom of the individual to “ do whatever feels good ” .
The degree to which the new modernism offended order and logic was proportional to the degree to which it defended “ democracy and liberal capitalism ” .
It is noteworthy that the CCF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same Lord Bertrand Russell who had just a few years earlier called for the pre-emptive nuking of the Soviet Union in order to achieve a one world government .
Russell ’ s active work subverting the arts should not be seen apart from his imperial political views , or his efforts to impose a system of shackles upon the minds of scientists who would forever be rendered creatively sterile due to a belief that fixed mathematics governed the universe as outlined in his Principia Mathematica [ 1 ] .
Zeus can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science ) , the freedom to use it ( politics ) or the instincts to use it well ( culture ) .
It is only by thinking in terms of those three interconnected aspects of the human condition , that one can understand the 20th century or history more generally .
Describing his view of culture Russell wrote in the 1951 Impact of Science on Society : Russell ’ s leading intellectual collaborators within the CCF included such misanthropes as musicologist Theodor Adorno , sociologist Max Horkheimer , poet W.H .
Auden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose theories on music are still considered a gold standard in modern academia and who also ironically created the foundation for the “ top 40 hits ” as part of the creation of a culture for the masses detached from an “ elite culture ” for the oligarchy and its managers , described his ideal of the “ new music ” in the following terms : Since Adorno exemplified the oligarchical belief in the inevitable decay ( entropy ) of all existence and the associated belief that the arts should MIRROR that reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Modern Music that ultimately “ necrophilia is the last perversity of style ” .
It is no wonder that the ultimate enemy of an oligarchy is found in the optimistic belief that moral reason exists within the essence of all human nature as a unique species made in the image of a Good and loving Creator .
What types of art reflect that divine sense of humankind ?
What types of systems of political philosophy express it ?
Is a system of hereditary power equal to a system that posits that “ all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inalienable rights ” ?
Is it true that Bach ’ s Jesu Meine Freud or Mozart ’ s Requiemshould be treated as somehow equal to the “ sophisticated ” atonal music of the 20th century ?
Should a painting by Rembrandt or Davinci be treated as equal to the ink splatterings of Pollock or the blurry squares of Rothko ?
What happens to the powers of judging right from wrong , and truth from lies in a society which embraces an art which is animated by love and beauty vs an art animated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society would be easier to manipulate ?
A Return to the Universal in Art : Schiller as Antidote to the CCF The German poet Friedrich Schiller , who was shaped by the global republican movement that spread in the wake of the American Revolution asked in his Aesthetical Letters ( 1794 ) “ how is the artist to protect himself against the corruption of the age that besets him on all sides ?
By disdaining its opinion.
” If the masses are debased to believe that poison is their drug , then how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desires , no matter how popular ?
To do this requires an extremely advanced moral disposition since both money and fame must be sacrificed in order to challenge a society to become better .
Schiller said that for one to be committed to truth and its corollary Freedom in the highest pursuit of Beauty , an artist had to find a way to balance existing in space and time , but always strive to transcend their temporal society ’ s limitations in a constant search for the eternal .
In his sixth letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were not written in an ivory tower , but were driven by his leading efforts as a playwright , poet and founder of a field of research known as the Science of Universal History .
Although his life was short , he not only left an incredible opus that inspired some of the most noble works of music such as Beethoven ’ s Ninth Symphony , and Verdi ’ s operas , he also directly shaped a network of other artists , scientists and statesmen through the Weimar Renaissance such as both Humboldt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few .
The need to cure society of its tendency to fall under the sway of either extreme of abstract intellectual matters devoid of emotional growth on the one side and emotional chaos detached uninformed from reason on the other was the basis of Schiller ’ s own self-development and his guiding light in the creation of a culture capable of attaining true political freedom .
It is this spirit that the perverted “ end of history ” zombies of the CCF wanted to destroy through their manipulation of global affairs leading into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany under the Versailles Treaty and their financing of Adolph Hitler through Wall Street and the City of London ’ s Bank of International Settlements .
The fact that these same forces who created the world wars and fascist monsters of the 20th century were also given the authority to offer the “ cure ” in the form of the CCF de-nazification of Germany and new “ democratic ” culture of abstract art , modernist music and existential philosophy is akin to allowing the murderer give the eulogy at his victims ’ funeral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Road Initiative is leading a new paradigm of win-win cooperation we are witnessing an inspired re-awakening of popularity in classical artistic standards in music , art , and even architecture .
The choice is once again being placed in front of all citizens : Do we wish to continue to swim in the pigsty of cultural decadence and pessimism unleashed by the CCF , or do we want to embrace a future more becoming of a species made in the Creator ’ s image ?
[ 1 ] Luckily for the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gödel inspired by his studies of Gottfried Leibniz , put an end to this endeavor in 1931 by demonstrating that Russell ’ s belief in a closed mathematical system was impossible as all systems are intrinsically open and thus susceptible to constant perfectibility .
Unluckily for Gödel , Russell never forgave him and made sure that the remaining years of his life were hellish with Gödel finally meeting a tragic end in 1977 convinced that Bertrand Russell and international secret societies were trying to destroy Leibniz and were also trying to poison him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ email protected ] ]

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.
Originally published on The Rising Tide Foundation
In the mid-1990s, a series of exposés featured on the London Independent and elsewhere brought a dark secret to light.
Many were startled by the revelation that the entire evolution of 20th century modern art was directed in large measure by the CIA! This not only included the direct financing of abstract painters like Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko, whose works now regularly sell for over $100 million apiece, but also powerful literary magazines like Salon and Encounter, interpretive dance schools, and the remarkably ugly a-tonal music of Arnold Schoenberg.
The instrument selected to re-shape western cultural tastes in the wake of World War II came to be known as the Congress for Cultural Freedom (CCF). Founded in 1950 with funding from the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations, the CCF was designed to 1) promote the de-Nazification of Germany and 2) fight the cultural war against the communist world that had just recently been organized by Sir Winston Churchill. The logic of the Cultural Cold War asserted that since communism and fascism relied on “realist/rigid iconography” to advance itself, the “free world” on the other side of the Iron Curtain would rely on abstract, emotional “freedom”. Where communism was based on the sacrifice of the individual for the “good” of the whole, this Cold War democracy asserted that the needs of the whole were separate from the arbitrary freedom of the individual to “do whatever feels good”. The degree to which the new modernism offended order and logic was proportional to the degree to which it defended “democracy and liberal capitalism”.
It is noteworthy that the CCF was run largely under the direction of the same Lord Bertrand Russell who had just a few years earlier called for the pre-emptive nuking of the Soviet Union in order to achieve a one world government. Russell’s active work subverting the arts should not be seen apart from his imperial political views, or his efforts to impose a system of shackles upon the minds of scientists who would forever be rendered creatively sterile due to a belief that fixed mathematics governed the universe as outlined in his Principia Mathematica [1]. Zeus cannot after all tolerate knowledge of fire (science), the freedom to use it (politics) or the instincts to use it well (culture). It is only by thinking in terms of those three interconnected aspects of the human condition, that one can understand the 20th century or history more generally. Describing his view of culture Russell wrote in the 1951 Impact of Science on Society:
“I think the subject which will be of most importance politically is mass psychology…. Its importance has been enormously increased by the growth of modern methods of propaganda. Of these the most influential is what is called ‘education.’ Religion plays a part, though a diminishing one; the press, the cinema, and the radio play an increasing part…. It may be hoped that in time anybody will be able to persuade anybody of anything if he can catch the patient young and is provided by the State with money and equipment.”
Russell’s leading intellectual collaborators within the CCF included such misanthropes as musicologist Theodor Adorno, sociologist Max Horkheimer, poet W.H. Auden, and philosopher Isaiah Berlin.
Adorno, whose theories on music are still considered a gold standard in modern academia and who also ironically created the foundation for the “top 40 hits” as part of the creation of a culture for the masses detached from an “elite culture” for the oligarchy and its managers, described his ideal of the “new music” in the following terms:
“What radical music perceives is the un-transfigured suffering of man…. The seismographic registration of traumatic shock becomes, at the same time, the technical structural law of music. It forbids continuity and development. Musical language is polarized according to its extreme; towards gestures of shock resembling bodily convulsions on the one hand, and on the other towards a crystalline standstill of a human being whom anxiety causes to freeze in her tracks…. Modern music sees absolute oblivion as its goal. It is the surviving message of despair from the shipwrecked.”
Since Adorno exemplified the oligarchical belief in the inevitable decay (entropy) of all existence and the associated belief that the arts should MIRROR that reality, Adorno wrote in his Philosophy of Modern Music that ultimately “necrophilia is the last perversity of style”.
It is no wonder that the ultimate enemy of an oligarchy is found in the optimistic belief that moral reason exists within the essence of all human nature as a unique species made in the image of a Good and loving Creator. What types of art reflect that divine sense of humankind? What types of systems of political philosophy express it? Is a system of hereditary power equal to a system that posits that “all men are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights”? Is it true that Bach’s Jesu Meine Freud or Mozart’s Requiemshould be treated as somehow equal to the “sophisticated” atonal music of the 20th century? Should a painting by Rembrandt or Davinci be treated as equal to the ink splatterings of Pollock or the blurry squares of Rothko? What happens to the powers of judging right from wrong, and truth from lies in a society which embraces an art which is animated by love and beauty vs an art animated by pessimistic ugliness? Which type of society would be easier to manipulate?
A Return to the Universal in Art: Schiller as Antidote to the CCF
The German poet Friedrich Schiller, who was shaped by the global republican movement that spread in the wake of the American Revolution asked in his Aesthetical Letters (1794) “how is the artist to protect himself against the corruption of the age that besets him on all sides? By disdaining its opinion.” If the masses are debased to believe that poison is their drug, then how could a true artist cater to their desires, no matter how popular? To do this requires an extremely advanced moral disposition since both money and fame must be sacrificed in order to challenge a society to become better. Schiller said that for one to be committed to truth and its corollary Freedom in the highest pursuit of Beauty, an artist had to find a way to balance existing in space and time, but always strive to transcend their temporal society’s limitations in a constant search for the eternal. In his sixth letter Schiller wrote:
“No doubt the artist is the child of his time, but unhappy for him if he is its disciple or even its favorite! He will, indeed, receive his matter from the present time, but he will borrow the form from a nobler time and even beyond all time, from the essential, absolute, immutable unity. There, issuing from the pure ether of its heavenly nature, flows the source of all beauty, which was never tainted by the corruptions of generations or of ages, which roll along far beneath it in dark eddies.”
Schiller’s thoughts were not written in an ivory tower, but were driven by his leading efforts as a playwright, poet and founder of a field of research known as the Science of Universal History. Although his life was short, he not only left an incredible opus that inspired some of the most noble works of music such as Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and Verdi’s operas, he also directly shaped a network of other artists, scientists and statesmen through the Weimar Renaissance such as both Humboldt brothers and Wolfgang Goethe to name a few.
The need to cure society of its tendency to fall under the sway of either extreme of abstract intellectual matters devoid of emotional growth on the one side and emotional chaos detached uninformed from reason on the other was the basis of Schiller’s own self-development and his guiding light in the creation of a culture capable of attaining true political freedom.
It is this spirit that the perverted “end of history” zombies of the CCF wanted to destroy through their manipulation of global affairs leading into World War I, their humiliation of Germany under the Versailles Treaty and their financing of Adolph Hitler through Wall Street and the City of London’s Bank of International Settlements. The fact that these same forces who created the world wars and fascist monsters of the 20th century were also given the authority to offer the “cure” in the form of the CCF de-nazification of Germany and new “democratic” culture of abstract art, modernist music and existential philosophy is akin to allowing the murderer give the eulogy at his victims’ funeral.
Now that China’s Belt and Road Initiative is leading a new paradigm of win-win cooperation we are witnessing an inspired re-awakening of popularity in classical artistic standards in music, art, and even architecture. The choice is once again being placed in front of all citizens: Do we wish to continue to swim in the pigsty of cultural decadence and pessimism unleashed by the CCF, or do we want to embrace a future more becoming of a species made in the Creator’s image?
Footnote
[1] Luckily for the world, Einstein’s close friend Kurt Gödel inspired by his studies of Gottfried Leibniz, put an end to this endeavor in 1931 by demonstrating that Russell’s belief in a closed mathematical system was impossible as all systems are intrinsically open and thus susceptible to constant perfectibility. Unluckily for Gödel, Russell never forgave him and made sure that the remaining years of his life were hellish with Gödel finally meeting a tragic end in 1977 convinced that Bertrand Russell and international secret societies were trying to destroy Leibniz and were also trying to poison him.
The author can be reached at matt.ehret@tutamail.com]
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theduran--2020-02-16--SAS Airlines blames self-hating woke commercial on…RUSSIA! (Video)

The Duran ’ s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the SAS woke , self-hating commercial that received widespread backlash .
SAS is now blaming Russian trolls for negative reactions and reviews of the commercial .
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute .
The Duran Audio Podcast : Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes .
Nothing shows that your values are granite-strong quite like pulling a much-criticized commercial and then reinstating it to a chorus of media voices proclaiming that the negative feedback is just a Russian psy-op .
The Scandinavian Airlines ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essentially all Scandinavian culture is “ copied ” and encourages people to fly to lands both near and far to find more things to borrow , is back in action .
The company says it stands by its message , and that the critical comments and downvotes that befell the video after its initial publication on Monday were just an “ attack ” that “ hijacked ” the ad campaign .
So , SAS told its customers that the things they take pride in are a product of cultural appropriation , but that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When some people freaked out , the airline simply shut down comments on its YouTube channel – because it doesn ’ t want hateful speech on its platform .
Then it took down the video… just because .
Then it published it again , but the comments were closed from the start .
All these actions are definitely part of a consistent values-based position .
SAS did not get cold feet over the wave of negativity .
And it didn ’ t change its mind after realizing that bowing to the pressure – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s woke message – would be even worse .
The benefit of the doubt is absolutely on its side .
The airline kept mum about who could be behind the ‘ attack ’ , but luckily some Scandinavian media were there to explain to their readers what happened .
The key culprit was ( surprise ! )
Russia , the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet said after the video was taken down , adding that SAS should publish it again .
And people who are not happy about the video and are too public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obviously “ useful idiots ” doing “ Putin ’ s bidding.
” And there you have it .
An emboldened SAS goes on with its campaign , posting both a shorter 45-second version of the video and a full original version on social media .
But how could people tell it was a Russian campaign ?
Well , Russian English-language outlet Sputnik spotted the outrage and reported the story .
What other proof do you need ?
Of course , not everyone took the ‘ when in doubt , blame Russia ’ approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swedish pilot association ’ s SAS section , told Expressen the ad debacle simply shows that a lot of people feel passionate about Scandinavian identity and may dislike its increasingly globalized business model .
Rival airline Norwegian poked fun at SAS , saying at least the Scandinavian origin of the modern cheese slicer , which was invented by businessman Thor Bjorklund , was not in dispute .

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.
The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the SAS woke, self-hating commercial that received widespread backlash. SAS is now blaming Russian trolls for negative reactions and reviews of the commercial.
Support Free Speech:
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute.
The Duran Audio Podcast:
Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes.
Via RT…
Nothing shows that your values are granite-strong quite like pulling a much-criticized commercial and then reinstating it to a chorus of media voices proclaiming that the negative feedback is just a Russian psy-op.
The Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) video, which declares that essentially all Scandinavian culture is “copied” and encourages people to fly to lands both near and far to find more things to borrow, is back in action. The company says it stands by its message, and that the critical comments and downvotes that befell the video after its initial publication on Monday were just an “attack” that “hijacked” the ad campaign.
So, SAS told its customers that the things they take pride in are a product of cultural appropriation, but that it’s a good thing. When some people freaked out, the airline simply shut down comments on its YouTube channel – because it doesn’t want hateful speech on its platform. Then it took down the video… just because. Then it published it again, but the comments were closed from the start.
All these actions are definitely part of a consistent values-based position. SAS did not get cold feet over the wave of negativity. And it didn’t change its mind after realizing that bowing to the pressure – and upsetting people who share the ad’s woke message – would be even worse. The benefit of the doubt is absolutely on its side.
The airline kept mum about who could be behind the ‘attack’, but luckily some Scandinavian media were there to explain to their readers what happened. The key culprit was (surprise!) Russia, the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet said after the video was taken down, adding that SAS should publish it again. And people who are not happy about the video and are too public to be dismissed as Russian bots are obviously “useful idiots” doing “Putin’s bidding.”
And there you have it. An emboldened SAS goes on with its campaign, posting both a shorter 45-second version of the video and a full original version on social media.
But how could people tell it was a Russian campaign? Well, Russian English-language outlet Sputnik spotted the outrage and reported the story. What other proof do you need?
Of course, not everyone took the ‘when in doubt, blame Russia’ approach. Wilhelm Tersmeden, chairman of the Swedish pilot association’s SAS section, told Expressen the ad debacle simply shows that a lot of people feel passionate about Scandinavian identity and may dislike its increasingly globalized business model.
Rival airline Norwegian poked fun at SAS, saying at least the Scandinavian origin of the modern cheese slicer, which was invented by businessman Thor Bjorklund, was not in dispute.
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theduran--2020-02-16--30 Years Later Iraq is Still About the Oil (..and gas!)

US-State motives are always financial even when shrouded in ideological nonsense .
The US military occupation of Iraq and its embassy there is not just for show .
Problematic Key Leader Engagements happen for reasons .
The end result being in US dollars* — or Emirati durham — or GBP sterling .
Unfortunately many people lose their lives over many years as a result of that pursuit .
The US business motivation for its occupation of Iraq is not unique .
Recall that the bin Zayed family ( al Nahyan ) of the United Arab Emirates profits mightily from liquified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example is Brothers Gas which operates in some of the most dangerous regions in the world ( besides Iraq ) including Tanzania , Saudi , Yemen , and Turkey .
Another United Arab Emirates company , Al-Iraqia Shipping , develops and ships liquified petroleum from Iraq to Africa .
UAE ’ s Crescent Petroleum and Dana Gas manage LPG gas operations from the Khor Mor field in Iraqi Kurdistan .
Those UAE operations have recently experienced setbacks as rival factions in Erbil squabble over production from the Khor Mor field .
Another big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bin Sulayem ’ s Dubai Ports World which is perhaps most famous for its business association with George W Bush .
UAE/Dubai ’ s fate in Iraq is thus directly linked to the US occupation of Iraq .
As such the United Arab Emirates operates its oil and gas business in direct intersection with US-State ambitions for the distribution of liquified petroleum gas globally .
The US-State LPG motivation in Iraq is of course opposed by Iran , and the United States competes with Russian petroleum interests which have been shut out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
From Iraqi Kurdistan to Kirkuk the recent protests in Iraq encompass a threat to much more than just the US military occupation .
The economic occupation extends to the usual players : Royal Dutch Shell , British Petroleum and Mitsubishi .
The US of course has its own recent ( 2018 ) contracts in Iraq , for example the Nahr Bin Omar field project with Orion Energy .
The many US-State corporate-related oil and gas deals in Iraq are too numerous to list here .
Let ’ s just highlight that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-term financial significance – and consequence — than the cost of the US military occupation should those contracts be lost .
So when Trump says Iraq must pay back the US for its embassy in Iraq his bluster is simply to divert from the importance of US oil and gas interests there and corporate profits already taken .
The trouble in Kirkuk has been enough to see the withdrawal of British Petroleum ( BP ) from its operations .
The departure of BP from its proposed development of the massive Kirkuk oil field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the alleged fight versus ISIS .
US-State still selectively arms terror groups when it suits the State agenda and US-State hopes to divert from its true interest by focusing on its non-existent battle versus ISIS .
The true Washington concern is the loss of major corporate oil and gas contracts in Iraq due to protests which have now gone badly wrong for the US .
Washington ’ s original idea with the 2019 Iraq protests was to destabilize the Adel Abdul-Mehdi regime since al-Mahdi was considered a tad too comfy with Iran .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ al Sadr is firmly in US Central Intelligence Agency control , Beltway analysts believed that Adel Mahdi could be toppled… and he was .
( Mohammed Allawi is apparently the successor to Adel Mahdi . )
But then with the US political assassination of Iran leader Suleimani — and political assassination it was — State engaged in a huge tactical error and strategic mis-step .
Washington was ill-prepared for what came next with protests versus the US occupation persisting .
By assassinating Suleimani , Trump hoped for short-term political gain and discounted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the consequences will be long-term and ongoing .
Meanwhile , renewed Iraq protests have hit the southern oil field of Nasiriyah too where Shell ’ s Basrah Gas Company operates .
If the threat to operations in Iraq ’ s north and south persists , the economic damage to Iraq and the region will be severe .
Not only Iraq and Washington will suffer from new protests and strikes , all major players aligned with the economic and military occupation will be affected — whether the Netherlands , United Arab Emirates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefitting from Iraq ’ s unrest may be China which already has one major operation in Iraq .
Reports exist that Iraq has approached Russian oil companies too about closer cooperation on development of resources .
But like ending the military occupation in Iraq , there is no way that Washington will allow its economic occupation to end .
The US Federal Reserve has already threatened to shutdown Iraq ’ s bank account should the people of Iraq act on their promise to oust the US occupation .
And so it goes with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deal ’ … when the deal is enforced by threat of arms and bankruptcy .
Who is the loser in all of this ?
Iraq has been losing under US military occupation since 2003 .
All of seventeen years now .
Some military friends have argued that what happened in 2003 is irrelevant now .
That ’ s not true .
The ongoing protests versus the United States presence there attests to that .
The US lost in Iraq too — thousands of soldiers by its occupation .
And the US has lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Because the US occupation and invasion of Iraq was not only unjustified , but criminal… even if very profitable for the US political class .
How Iraq ’ s unrest will develop is unknown .
Iraq ’ s Parliament has decided on Mohammed Allawi as the successor to al Mehdi , and Allawi has allowed the protests and strikes to continue for now .
Whether he will sign into law the resolution passed to oust the US invader from his country is unclear and unlikely .
That ’ s because , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far more at stake for the US occupation of Iraq than just providing a few bases for grunts and military contractors to enjoy their Burger King .
*or sometimes in death .
Steve Brown is the author of “ Iraq : the Road to War ” ( Sourcewatch ) editor of “ Bush Administration War Crimes in Iraq ” ( Sourcewatch ) “ Trump ’ s Limited Hangout ” and “ Federal Reserve : Out-sourcing the Monetary System to the Money Trust Oligarchs Since 1913 ” ; Steve is an antiwar activist , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system , and has appeared as guest contributor to Fort Russ News , Lew Rockwell Report , SOTT , and Strategika51 .
Twitter : @ newsypaperz

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 Steve Brown…
US-State motives are always financial even when shrouded in ideological nonsense. The US military occupation of Iraq and its embassy there is not just for show. Problematic Key Leader Engagements happen for reasons. The end result being in US dollars* — or Emirati durham — or GBP sterling. Unfortunately many people lose their lives over many years as a result of that pursuit.
The US business motivation for its occupation of Iraq is not unique. Recall that the bin Zayed family (al Nahyan) of the United Arab Emirates profits mightily from liquified petroleum gas production in Iraq. One example is Brothers Gas which operates in some of the most dangerous regions in the world (besides Iraq) including Tanzania, Saudi, Yemen, and Turkey. Another United Arab Emirates company, Al-Iraqia Shipping, develops and ships liquified petroleum from Iraq to Africa. UAE’s Crescent Petroleum and Dana Gas manage LPG gas operations from the Khor Mor field in Iraqi Kurdistan. Those UAE operations have recently experienced setbacks as rival factions in Erbil squabble over production from the Khor Mor field.
Another big UAE operator in the region is Sultan bin Sulayem’s Dubai Ports World which is perhaps most famous for its business association with George W Bush. UAE/Dubai’s fate in Iraq is thus directly linked to the US occupation of Iraq. As such the United Arab Emirates operates its oil and gas business in direct intersection with US-State ambitions for the distribution of liquified petroleum gas globally. The US-State LPG motivation in Iraq is of course opposed by Iran, and the United States competes with Russian petroleum interests which have been shut out of US-led oil and gas operations in Iraq.
From Iraqi Kurdistan to Kirkuk the recent protests in Iraq encompass a threat to much more than just the US military occupation. The economic occupation extends to the usual players: Royal Dutch Shell, British Petroleum and Mitsubishi. The US of course has its own recent (2018) contracts in Iraq, for example the Nahr Bin Omar field project with Orion Energy.
The many US-State corporate-related oil and gas deals in Iraq are too numerous to list here. Let’s just highlight that the protests in Iraq may have far greater long-term financial significance – and consequence — than the cost of the US military occupation should those contracts be lost. So when Trump says Iraq must pay back the US for its embassy in Iraq his bluster is simply to divert from the importance of US oil and gas interests there and corporate profits already taken.
The trouble in Kirkuk has been enough to see the withdrawal of British Petroleum (BP) from its operations. The departure of BP from its proposed development of the massive Kirkuk oil field is far more troubling to Washington than the alleged fight versus ISIS. US-State still selectively arms terror groups when it suits the State agenda and US-State hopes to divert from its true interest by focusing on its non-existent battle versus ISIS. The true Washington concern is the loss of major corporate oil and gas contracts in Iraq due to protests which have now gone badly wrong for the US.
Washington’s original idea with the 2019 Iraq protests was to destabilize the Adel Abdul-Mehdi regime since al-Mahdi was considered a tad too comfy with Iran. Since Iraq’s Shia leader Moqtada al Sadr is firmly in US Central Intelligence Agency control, Beltway analysts believed that Adel Mahdi could be toppled… and he was. (Mohammed Allawi is apparently the successor to Adel Mahdi.) But then with the US political assassination of Iran leader Suleimani — and political assassination it was — State engaged in a huge tactical error and strategic mis-step. Washington was ill-prepared for what came next with protests versus the US occupation persisting. By assassinating Suleimani, Trump hoped for short-term political gain and discounted the consequence of that political assassination, ie that the consequences will be long-term and ongoing.
Meanwhile, renewed Iraq protests have hit the southern oil field of Nasiriyah too where Shell’s Basrah Gas Company operates. If the threat to operations in Iraq’s north and south persists, the economic damage to Iraq and the region will be severe. Not only Iraq and Washington will suffer from new protests and strikes, all major players aligned with the economic and military occupation will be affected — whether the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, London, and even Italy.
Potentially benefitting from Iraq’s unrest may be China which already has one major operation in Iraq. Reports exist that Iraq has approached Russian oil companies too about closer cooperation on development of resources. But like ending the military occupation in Iraq, there is no way that Washington will allow its economic occupation to end. The US Federal Reserve has already threatened to shutdown Iraq’s bank account should the people of Iraq act on their promise to oust the US occupation. And so it goes with gweilo’s ‘Art of the Deal’… when the deal is enforced by threat of arms and bankruptcy.
Who is the loser in all of this? Iraq has been losing under US military occupation since 2003. All of seventeen years now. Some military friends have argued that what happened in 2003 is irrelevant now. That’s not true. The ongoing protests versus the United States presence there attests to that. The US lost in Iraq too — thousands of soldiers by its occupation. And the US has lost standing in the eyes of the world. Because the US occupation and invasion of Iraq was not only unjustified, but criminal… even if very profitable for the US political class.
How Iraq’s unrest will develop is unknown. Iraq’s Parliament has decided on Mohammed Allawi as the successor to al Mehdi, and Allawi has allowed the protests and strikes to continue for now. Whether he will sign into law the resolution passed to oust the US invader from his country is unclear and unlikely. That’s because, as we have seen, there is far far more at stake for the US occupation of Iraq than just providing a few bases for grunts and military contractors to enjoy their Burger King.
*or sometimes in death.
Steve Brown is the author of “Iraq: the Road to War” (Sourcewatch) editor of “Bush Administration War Crimes in Iraq” (Sourcewatch) “Trump’s Limited Hangout” and “Federal Reserve: Out-sourcing the Monetary System to the Money Trust Oligarchs Since 1913”; Steve is an antiwar activist, a published scholar on the US monetary system, and has appeared as guest contributor to Fort Russ News, Lew Rockwell Report, SOTT, and Strategika51. Twitter: @newsypaperz
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theduran--2020-02-16--Britain’s Politically Correct Police Are Humiliated

We in Britain are constantly being reminded about our wonderful freedoms , especially freedom of speech , and by the same token how repressive are Iran , China , and many other countries by comparison .
People who make these claims are stupid , ill-informed , or simply lying .
Free speech has been under constant attack in Britain since at least the early 1920s , certainly as far as “ nationalism ” is concerned , and in recent years , attacks on free speech in other areas have increased dramatically as well .
Instrumental in these attacks are Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police .
People on the left never tire of branding the police racist , as though that word actually means something ; at the same time people on the “ far right ” are hounded with impunity .
The reason for this apparent contradiction is not far to seek , and their complicity in the persecution of all manner of minorities is nothing new .
The bottom line is that the police like easy targets .
The macho culture of the British police is largely a myth , certainly with rare exceptions they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the little people or heavily outnumbering them .
Rather than chase real criminals who might be armed and shoot back , the police in this country prefer to go after unpopular minorities or those living on the fringes of society .
Twentieth Century Britain saw police harassment of atheists , prostitutes , “ dirty book ” sellers , homosexuals , and certain types of blacks , usually young men who hung around on street corners because they had nothing better to do .
Atheist John William Gott died in 1922 shortly after serving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persecution of porn peddlers was not limited to those who imported or produced what even today would be regarded as extreme pornography , but quite mild stuff , including the “ saucy seaside postcards ” of Donald McGill .
Although homosexuality between consenting adults was legalised with the Wolfenden reforms of the 1960s , as late as 1975 it was reported that undercover police officers were hanging around in public toilets to entrap those who persisted in “ cottaging ” .
After the hysteria generated by the April 1993 murder of the teenager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easily targeted , but “ racists ” , and Islamists like the provocateur Anjem Choudary , remain fair game .
Now though , in the Twenty-First Century , many police officers appear to spend their time scanning social media for offensive content , the word offensive being purely subjective .
When people are arrested for “ offences ” which would be perfectly legal in the United States with its First Amendment , the police routinely seize computers and mobile phones gratuitously as evidence , holding them for extended periods , lying about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroying them arbitrarily while laughing at their victims .
The latest social media blitz is on Twitter trolls , and the latest “ fad ” for persecution is “ transphobia ” .
Transsexualism is a real issue , a serious issue , but one that affects only the tiniest number of people , or did until it became fashionable .
Harry Miller , who is a former police officer , decided to comment on transsexualism on Twitter .
One imbecile complained to the police , and this resulted in Humberside Police contacting Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been committed but to advise him to check his “ thinking ” .
This was in January last year .
Not being the type of man to be messed with , Mr Miller challenged both Humberside Police and the College Of Policing , asking the specific question – who the Hell do you people think you are to tell me how to think or how not to think ?
Or words to that effect .
His judicial review was heard by the High Court on November 20 and November 21 last year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Knowles handed down his judgment , which said in effect that Britain is not yet a total police state , and that the police had gone way over the top .
This 65 page judgment can be found on the Judiciary website .
While this is one small victory for both free speech and common sense , the reader should be left in no doubt that this sort of persecution will continue , and that the police will be willing accomplices , whoever complains .
In fact it continues , because at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Twitter account is suspended .

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 in Britain are constantly being reminded about our wonderful freedoms, especially freedom of speech, and by the same token how repressive are Iran, China, and many other countries by comparison. People who make these claims are stupid, ill-informed, or simply lying. Free speech has been under constant attack in Britain since at least the early 1920s, certainly as far as “nationalism” is concerned, and in recent years, attacks on free speech in other areas have increased dramatically as well.
Instrumental in these attacks are Britain’s increasingly politicised and politically correct police. People on the left never tire of branding the police racist, as though that word actually means something; at the same time people on the “far right” are hounded with impunity.
The reason for this apparent contradiction is not far to seek, and their complicity in the persecution of all manner of minorities is nothing new. The bottom line is that the police like easy targets. The macho culture of the British police is largely a myth, certainly with rare exceptions they are only ever brave when pushing around the little people or heavily outnumbering them. Rather than chase real criminals who might be armed and shoot back, the police in this country prefer to go after unpopular minorities or those living on the fringes of society.
Twentieth Century Britain saw police harassment of atheists, prostitutes, “dirty book” sellers, homosexuals, and certain types of blacks, usually young men who hung around on street corners because they had nothing better to do.
Atheist John William Gott died in 1922 shortly after serving a sentence at hard labour. The persecution of porn peddlers was not limited to those who imported or produced what even today would be regarded as extreme pornography, but quite mild stuff, including the “saucy seaside postcards” of Donald McGill. Although homosexuality between consenting adults was legalised with the Wolfenden reforms of the 1960s, as late as 1975 it was reported that undercover police officers were hanging around in public toilets to entrap those who persisted in “cottaging”.
After the hysteria generated by the April 1993 murder of the teenager Stephen Lawrence, blacks have been less easily targeted, but “racists”, and Islamists like the provocateur Anjem Choudary, remain fair game. Now though, in the Twenty-First Century, many police officers appear to spend their time scanning social media for offensive content, the word offensive being purely subjective.
When people are arrested for “offences” which would be perfectly legal in the United States with its First Amendment, the police routinely seize computers and mobile phones gratuitously as evidence, holding them for extended periods, lying about the retention of data, and at times destroying them arbitrarily while laughing at their victims. The latest social media blitz is on Twitter trolls, and the latest “fad” for persecution is “transphobia”.
Transsexualism is a real issue, a serious issue, but one that affects only the tiniest number of people, or did until it became fashionable. Harry Miller, who is a former police officer, decided to comment on transsexualism on Twitter. One imbecile complained to the police, and this resulted in Humberside Police contacting Mr Miller, not because any crime had been committed but to advise him to check his “thinking”. This was in January last year. Not being the type of man to be messed with, Mr Miller challenged both Humberside Police and the College Of Policing, asking the specific question – who the Hell do you people think you are to tell me how to think or how not to think? Or words to that effect.
His judicial review was heard by the High Court on November 20 and November 21 last year. On February 14, Mr Justice Julian Knowles handed down his judgment, which said in effect that Britain is not yet a total police state, and that the police had gone way over the top. This 65 page judgment can be found on the Judiciary website.
While this is one small victory for both free speech and common sense, the reader should be left in no doubt that this sort of persecution will continue, and that the police will be willing accomplices, whoever complains. In fact it continues, because at the time of writing, Mr Miller’s Twitter account is suspended.
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theduran--2020-02-15--Bolivian elections will be an opportunity to legalize the coup

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by Lucas Leiroz , research fellow in international law at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro… The next Bolivian presidential elections were scheduled for May 3 .
The scenario in the country remains troubled , marked by the unrest and tensions created by the coup that led to the overthrow of Evo Morales .
On the one hand , candidates from the right stand up enthusiastically with the intention of neutralizing any possible resurrection of the left .
On the other hand , Morales , although with undeniable popular support , currently does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right forces .
Bolivia is currently going through one of the worst phases in its history .
A real drop , if we take into account the situation of economic stability that the country lived recently , with the policies of an indigenous and socialist nature of Evo Morales .
The coup d ’ état carried out by pro-Washington groups last year is one of the most advanced activities on the United States ’ agenda in Latin America .
The failure of the planned coup d ’ état in Venezuela was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hands of external enemies .
The illegality of the political maneuver that brought down Morales is undeniable .
The aggressiveness with which the Bolivian opposition acted makes clear the intentions and modus operandi of groups interested in putting an end to the socialist government .
Now , however , with the new elections , the right has its chance to mask the coup with the varnish of legality , thus perpetuating a Bolivian zombie state , totally hostage to the actions of groups outside the national interests .
The popular preference for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The 60 % majority that declared a preference for the former president makes clear the real popular interest .
Never before has Bolivia , the poorest country in South America , experienced such economic growth and such autonomy and freedom for the traditional communities of indigenous peoples .
Now , however , the coup perpetrators intend to go back on all the points on which Morales has made progress , subordinating the national economy to the international market and intensifying the policies of repression against native peoples .
MAS – Movimiento Al Socialismo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have as candidate the former minister of the economy , Luiz Arce .
In contrast , reactionary options abound , including , notably , Jeanina Añez , the “ self-proclaimed ” president of the country , and Luis Fernando Camacho , the businessman who led the protests against Morales at the head of the powerful Santa Cruz Civic Committee , in addition to Carlos Mesa , former president with a more moderate behavior .
It is speculated that Añez and Camacho will unite on a single front in a possible second round in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popular left and Mesa ’ s moderate reactionarism .
However , it is not just the popular will and full confidence in the legality of the conduct of the elections that should be used to analyze this case .
In fact , South America is going through a terrible time in political , economic and geopolitical terms .
With the exception of Venezuela , which survives under a serious economic crisis , all other countries are taken over by governments strongly committed to Washington ’ s agenda .
This means that their direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate will be minimal and , in return , the pressure for a coup victory will be exaggerated and cruel , with emphasis on the role played by Brazil , currently governed by Jair Bolsonaro , a neoliberal who has already made clear several times his intentions to use all of Brazil ’ s regional power to guarantee the full functioning of the interests of the USA – having even , on several occasions , threatened to intervene militarily in neighboring countries , such as Venezuela .
Furthermore , Bolivia ’ s legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently undergone a coup d ’ état and finds itself hostage to the articulations and clashes of different groups .
This means that it is possible and likely that there will be fraud and sabotage in the elections if the expectations of the coup perpetrators are not met at the polls .
In any case , the coup makers will do their best to win , because they know that the victory would guarantee them a mask of legality , guarantee their international recognition , since for the West the only thing that @ @ @ @ @ @

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, research fellow in international law at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro…
The next Bolivian presidential elections were scheduled for May 3. The scenario in the country remains troubled, marked by the unrest and tensions created by the coup that led to the overthrow of Evo Morales. On the one hand, candidates from the right stand up enthusiastically with the intention of neutralizing any possible resurrection of the left. On the other hand, Morales, although with undeniable popular support, currently does not seem to have enough strength to face the right forces.
Bolivia is currently going through one of the worst phases in its history. A real drop, if we take into account the situation of economic stability that the country lived recently, with the policies of an indigenous and socialist nature of Evo Morales. The coup d’état carried out by pro-Washington groups last year is one of the most advanced activities on the United States’ agenda in Latin America. The failure of the planned coup d’état in Venezuela was not repeated in Bolivia, which fell into the hands of external enemies.
The illegality of the political maneuver that brought down Morales is undeniable. The aggressiveness with which the Bolivian opposition acted makes clear the intentions and modus operandi of groups interested in putting an end to the socialist government. Now, however, with the new elections, the right has its chance to mask the coup with the varnish of legality, thus perpetuating a Bolivian zombie state, totally hostage to the actions of groups outside the national interests.
The popular preference for Morales is undeniable and absolutely noticeable. The 60% majority that declared a preference for the former president makes clear the real popular interest. Never before has Bolivia, the poorest country in South America, experienced such economic growth and such autonomy and freedom for the traditional communities of indigenous peoples. Now, however, the coup perpetrators intend to go back on all the points on which Morales has made progress, subordinating the national economy to the international market and intensifying the policies of repression against native peoples.
MAS – Movimiento Al Socialismo, party of Evo Morales – will have as candidate the former minister of the economy, Luiz Arce. In contrast, reactionary options abound, including, notably, Jeanina Añez, the “self-proclaimed” president of the country, and Luis Fernando Camacho, the businessman who led the protests against Morales at the head of the powerful Santa Cruz Civic Committee, in addition to Carlos Mesa, former president with a more moderate behavior.
It is speculated that Añez and Camacho will unite on a single front in a possible second round in the elections, harming both the MAS popular left and Mesa’s moderate reactionarism. However, it is not just the popular will and full confidence in the legality of the conduct of the elections that should be used to analyze this case.
In fact, South America is going through a terrible time in political, economic and geopolitical terms. With the exception of Venezuela, which survives under a serious economic crisis, all other countries are taken over by governments strongly committed to Washington’s agenda. This means that their direct support for the election of a socialist candidate will be minimal and, in return, the pressure for a coup victory will be exaggerated and cruel, with emphasis on the role played by Brazil, currently governed by Jair Bolsonaro, a neoliberal who has already made clear several times his intentions to use all of Brazil’s regional power to guarantee the full functioning of the interests of the USA – having even, on several occasions, threatened to intervene militarily in neighboring countries, such as Venezuela.
Furthermore, Bolivia’s legal situation is catastrophic. The country has recently undergone a coup d’état and finds itself hostage to the articulations and clashes of different groups. This means that it is possible and likely that there will be fraud and sabotage in the elections if the expectations of the coup perpetrators are not met at the polls. In any case, the coup makers will do their best to win, because they know that the victory would guarantee them a mask of legality, guarantee their international recognition, since for the West the only thing that matters is the democratic appearance.
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theduran--2020-02-15--Senate report gives cover to Obama White House targeting Trump (Video)

The Duran ’ s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss a study by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence which found that the Obama White House was “ not well-postured ” to deal with the $ 4,000 Facebook ad spend by Russian social media firms that apparently subverted the multi-billion dollar presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton .
The report failed to investigate why the Obama White House was conducting meetings on the 2016 elections and the Trump campaign , failing to document their discussions and leaving no paper trail of their conversations .
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Duran Audio Podcast : Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes .
Russia ’ s attack on the 2016 presidential election caught then-President Barack Obama off guard , and he and advisers were partly paralyzed with indecision over how to respond , a new Senate report concludes .
The study by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence found that the government was “ not well-postured ” at the time Obama ’ s administration began to detect and assess the wave of active measures launched by Russia against the presidential race .
Moreover , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the extent of Russian capabilities , official dithering and more constrained the Obama response , the report said .
“ Frozen by ‘ paralysis of analysis , ’ hamstrung by constraints both real and perceived , Obama officials debated courses of action without truly taking one , ” said Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr , R-N.C .
Lessons Learned From The Iowa Caucuses , And Danger Signs Ahead The silver lining , he said , is the extent to which the sometimes painful lessons of 2016 have been taken to heart across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States , from the federal government on down .
“ Thankfully , as we approach the 2020 presidential election , we are in a better position to identify foreign interference efforts and address vulnerabilities Russia and other hostile foreign actors may seek to exploit , ” Burr said .
“ We must continue building on the lessons of 2016 , including making sure we have strong response options at the ready.
” Vice Chairman Mark Warner , D-Va. , echoed what he called the importance of preparedness and underscored that the look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purely academic exercise — the political atmosphere hasn ’ t gotten any less charged since Obama ’ s time , and that will continue to complicate decisions about how to respond to active measures .
“ I am particularly concerned however , that a legitimate fear raised by the Obama administration — that warning the public of the Russian attack could backfire politically — is still present in our hyper-partisan environment , ” Warner said .
He alluded to weeks ’ worth of debate within Obama ’ s team in 2016 about how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about what intelligence officials were discovering about Russia ’ s interference , to the degree they understood it then .
Obama and advisers feared that revealing Russia ’ s active measures might undermine Americans ’ confidence in the election or open Democrats up to accusations that Obama might be trying to help Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump .
Russia launched a wave of active measures aimed at helping Trump and hurting Clinton .
Eventually the administration did publicly announce that assessment , one later strengthened by subsequent reports from the intelligence community , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert Mueller .
Officials from the Obama era told Senate investigators they moved as fast as they responsibly could .
Then-national security adviser Susan Rice , for example , is quoted in the report making clear that she believed the right decision was to wait until the case was airtight before acting .
“ That took longer than we would have hoped or anticipated , ” she said .
“ But you couldn ’ t have it bad ; you had to have it when it was done and ready and that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to determine.
” The Gang of Eight The problems in 2016 weren ’ t only the fault of the Obama administration , said Sen. Ron Wyden , D-Ore. , who appended a minority report to the Senate study .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , complicated matters because he didn ’ t agree to issue a bipartisan statement decrying Russian interference , Wyden charged .
Compounding the problem , he argued , is that an informal process and incomplete record-keeping means it ’ s impossible to reconstitute now what members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The missing details of these interactions are critically important because of what happened next , ” Wyden wrote .
“ I believe that warning the public about a foreign influence campaign should not depend on the support of both parties , particularly when one of the parties stands to gain politically from that campaign.
” Obama ’ s administration did , however , and Wyden quotes then-deputy national security adviser Avril Haines as saying that the absence of a bipartisan condemnation from Congress “ tempered our response options.
” Sen. Martin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s criticisms of the process for briefing the “ Gang of Eight ” — the small cadre of legislative leaders in both chambers Congress that receives specialized , selective briefings about intelligence and other matters .
“ The decision to limit engagement with Congress through the Gang of Eight mechanism meant that no formal records were kept of the various interactions between administration principals and congressional leaders , ” Heinrich said .
“ As a consequences , we can not know precisely what was shared in these meetings or how members of Congress @ @ @

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.
The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss a study by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence which found that the Obama White House was “not well-postured” to deal with the $4,000 Facebook ad spend by Russian social media firms that apparently subverted the multi-billion dollar presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton.
The report failed to investigate why the Obama White House was conducting meetings on the 2016 elections and the Trump campaign, failing to document their discussions and leaving no paper trail of their conversations.
Support Free Speech:
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute.
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Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes.
Via NPR…
Russia’s attack on the 2016 presidential election caught then-President Barack Obama off guard, and he and advisers were partly paralyzed with indecision over how to respond, a new Senate report concludes.
The study by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence found that the government was “not well-postured” at the time Obama’s administration began to detect and assess the wave of active measures launched by Russia against the presidential race.
Moreover, the highly partisan environment, unanswered questions about the extent of Russian capabilities, official dithering and more constrained the Obama response, the report said.
“Frozen by ‘paralysis of analysis,’ hamstrung by constraints both real and perceived, Obama officials debated courses of action without truly taking one,” said Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C.
Lessons Learned From The Iowa Caucuses, And Danger Signs Ahead
The silver lining, he said, is the extent to which the sometimes painful lessons of 2016 have been taken to heart across officialdom and at many levels in the United States, from the federal government on down.
“Thankfully, as we approach the 2020 presidential election, we are in a better position to identify foreign interference efforts and address vulnerabilities Russia and other hostile foreign actors may seek to exploit,” Burr said. “We must continue building on the lessons of 2016, including making sure we have strong response options at the ready.”
A “hyper-partisan environment”
Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., echoed what he called the importance of preparedness and underscored that the look back at 2016 wasn’t a purely academic exercise — the political atmosphere hasn’t gotten any less charged since Obama’s time, and that will continue to complicate decisions about how to respond to active measures.
“I am particularly concerned however, that a legitimate fear raised by the Obama administration — that warning the public of the Russian attack could backfire politically — is still present in our hyper-partisan environment,” Warner said.
He alluded to weeks’ worth of debate within Obama’s team in 2016 about how or whether to alert Congress or Americans about what intelligence officials were discovering about Russia’s interference, to the degree they understood it then.
Obama and advisers feared that revealing Russia’s active measures might undermine Americans’ confidence in the election or open Democrats up to accusations that Obama might be trying to help Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump.
Russia launched a wave of active measures aimed at helping Trump and hurting Clinton. Eventually the administration did publicly announce that assessment, one later strengthened by subsequent reports from the intelligence community, the Senate Intelligence Committee and special counsel Robert Mueller.
Officials from the Obama era told Senate investigators they moved as fast as they responsibly could. Then-national security adviser Susan Rice, for example, is quoted in the report making clear that she believed the right decision was to wait until the case was airtight before acting.
“That took longer than we would have hoped or anticipated,” she said. “But you couldn’t have it bad; you had to have it when it was done and ready and that was the [intelligence community’s] to determine.”
The Gang of Eight
The problems in 2016 weren’t only the fault of the Obama administration, said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who appended a minority report to the Senate study.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., complicated matters because he didn’t agree to issue a bipartisan statement decrying Russian interference, Wyden charged. Compounding the problem, he argued, is that an informal process and incomplete record-keeping means it’s impossible to reconstitute now what members of Congress were told and how they responded.
“The missing details of these interactions are critically important because of what happened next,” Wyden wrote. “I believe that warning the public about a foreign influence campaign should not depend on the support of both parties, particularly when one of the parties stands to gain politically from that campaign.”
Obama’s administration did, however, and Wyden quotes then-deputy national security adviser Avril Haines as saying that the absence of a bipartisan condemnation from Congress “tempered our response options.”
Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., echoed Wyden’s criticisms of the process for briefing the “Gang of Eight” — the small cadre of legislative leaders in both chambers Congress that receives specialized, selective briefings about intelligence and other matters.
“The decision to limit engagement with Congress through the Gang of Eight mechanism meant that no formal records were kept of the various interactions between administration principals and congressional leaders,” Heinrich said. “As a consequences, we cannot know precisely what was shared in these meetings or how members of Congress created.”
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theduran--2020-02-15--EU is Now Deaf to Their Coming Defeat

EU is Now Deaf to Their Coming Defeat

Yanis Varoufakis once described negotiating with the European Union like you ’ re singing the Swedish National Anthem .
No matter what proposal you put in front of them , they acted like they didn ’ t understand and simply reiterated terms .
But , at least then they heard something .
It may have been gibberish to them , but at least sound waves made it to their ears .
Today , these people are like overwhelmed autistic kids needing noise canceling headphones to blot out the unwanted stimuli .
It may be therapeutic but it doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is complete the EU has gone one step further , blocking out the very real strategic and tactical disadvantage they are in dealing with the United Kingdom in trade deal talks .
The arrogance and intractability of the EU when it comes to negotiations is supposed to be their biggest weapon .
They project a strange combination of strength and indifference that can only come from people thoroughly insulated from personal accountability for their mistakes .
Lead negotiator , the revealed to be inept , Michel Barnier has laid out his negotiating stance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejected by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in October , the so-called “ level playing field ” of “ regulatory alignment ” as the basis for any kind of trade deal .
Has Barnier learned nothing from his last failure ?
Does he really think he can cover his ears , curl up in the corner and hope this all goes away ?
Because if he does then he ’ s catastrophically misread the state of the game board .
Moreover , he ’ s convinced the European Council and Parliament that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing the same things that just failed .
Since they just overwhelmingly approved Barnier ’ s strict negotiating demands to the U.K. further signaling that they have no idea of the hornet ’ s nest they ’ ve just whacked with a baseball bat , oblivious to the buzzing and warnings coming from the U.K. Mr Barnier said : “ Any future agreement will need approval from MEPs .
The deadline for the transitional period can be extended but the UK is still insisting on a deal being done by December 31st.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s now U.K. Law Mike , or did you miss that too ? }
He again warned that if there ’ s no agreement by then , the UK will leave the customs union and single market and go back to WTO terms , meaning quotas and tariffs on British products .
{ Tom ’ s response : and so what ?
Y ’ all run a trade surplus with the U.K. Or are you economically ignorant as well as stupid ? }
Michel Barnier said : “ I would like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear to certain people in the United Kingdom bearing authority that they should not kid themselves about this – there will not be general , open-ended , ongoing equivalence in financial services.
” The EU would “ retain a free hand to take our own decisions ” .
{ Tom ’ s response : Free to ignore reality at your own peril } Barnier threatening the financial sector is an empty threat to get City of London bankers and traders to pressure Johnson into standing down .
They were the loudest complainers during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understands something Barnier refuses to admit , because , as always , he doesn ’ t listen he just demands .
Brexit was won in spite of London .
Its political power is waning .
Without the support of the Midlands and the hollowed-out industrial north , Johnson isn ’ t Prime Minister .
Barnier tried for three years to leverage City of London and failed .
Ladies and gentlemen I give you Mike Barnier , walking Einstein quote machine .
This is an empty technocratic threat issued by a career bureaucrat with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The U.K. holds all the negotiating levers here and they ’ ve accelerated the time table while Barnier is oblivious .
Barnier has until the end of June to take off his headphones and let information into his brain that comports with reality .
The collapse of the Remain coup in October was a strong message to the EU that they are vulnerable and that Barnier ’ s schtick is tired .
And because of this Boris Johnson has not only hardened his tone but also gone further than he did on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Canada-style free trade deal may not be enough .
Now he ’ s invoking Australia as a proxy for a WTO-style ‘ hard Brexit.
’ And all Barnier can do is threaten tariffs and trade war .
This is exactly the kind of idiocy that the British just fought three and a half years to divorce themselves from .
And this is coming from a political body with no hope of passing a budget this fall when a politically paralyzed Germany takes over the Presidency of the European Commission .
A budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staring at a €10+ billion hole thanks to the loss of the U.K .
The possibility of German political upheaval is causing the euro to crash uncontrollably .
After a massive move up on the final day of January to avoid a technical breakdown the euro is not flirting with a crash to the 2017 low of $ 1.034 The fear here is a quick steepening of the German yield curve which is now flat to inverted out to 7 years .
No wonder Mario Draghi restarted QE before he blew town to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without that in place there would be real trouble in European sovereign debt markets .
But a political disunion that is deaf not only to what its external critics are telling it but its internal ones as well has a limited self-life of invest-ability .
Once momentum traders stop front-running the ECB and the euro ’ s weakness forces the unwinding of carry trades at that point someone will have to tap Barnier on the shoulder and tell him to listen to something approximating reason .
By this point , to be honest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Irish elections were a huge rebuke of the EU and how it handled Brexit negotiations .
It was an outright embarrassment to have Sinn Fein coalesce the Irish Euroskeptic vote .
And yet , the EU hasn ’ t learned a thing because they refuse to listen .
So what happens when we wake up one morning and Angela Merkel is no longer Chancellor of Germany , the Yellow Vests overthrow Emmanuel Macron in France or Matteo Salvini wins an Italian snap election from a jail cell in Rome ?
Will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gates then or will they continue to console themselves with dreams of Sweden ?
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Authored by Tom Luongo via Gold, Goats, ‘n Guns blog:
Yanis Varoufakis once described negotiating with the European Union like you’re singing the Swedish National Anthem. No matter what proposal you put in front of them, they acted like they didn’t understand and simply reiterated terms.
But, at least then they heard something. It may have been gibberish to them, but at least sound waves made it to their ears.
Today, these people are like overwhelmed autistic kids needing noise canceling headphones to blot out the unwanted stimuli. It may be therapeutic but it doesn’t solve the situation.
Now that Brexit is complete the EU has gone one step further, blocking out the very real strategic and tactical disadvantage they are in dealing with the United Kingdom in trade deal talks.
The arrogance and intractability of the EU when it comes to negotiations is supposed to be their biggest weapon. They project a strange combination of strength and indifference that can only come from people thoroughly insulated from personal accountability for their mistakes.
Lead negotiator, the revealed to be inept, Michel Barnier has laid out his negotiating stance using the same language that was thoroughly rejected by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in October, the so-called “level playing field” of “regulatory alignment” as the basis for any kind of trade deal.
Has Barnier learned nothing from his last failure? Does he really think he can cover his ears, curl up in the corner and hope this all goes away?
Because if he does then he’s catastrophically misread the state of the game board.
Moreover, he’s convinced the European Council and Parliament that the way to ultimately win is to keep doing the same things that just failed.
Since they just overwhelmingly approved Barnier’s strict negotiating demands to the U.K. further signaling that they have no idea of the hornet’s nest they’ve just whacked with a baseball bat, oblivious to the buzzing and warnings coming from the U.K.
Mr Barnier said: “Any future agreement will need approval from MEPs. The deadline for the transitional period can be extended but the UK is still insisting on a deal being done by December 31st.” {Tom’s response: because it’s now U.K. Law Mike, or did you miss that too?} He again warned that if there’s no agreement by then, the UK will leave the customs union and single market and go back to WTO terms, meaning quotas and tariffs on British products. {Tom’s response: and so what? Y’all run a trade surplus with the U.K. Or are you economically ignorant as well as stupid?} Michel Barnier said: “I would like to take this opportunity to make it clear to certain people in the United Kingdom bearing authority that they should not kid themselves about this – there will not be general, open-ended, ongoing equivalence in financial services.” The EU would “retain a free hand to take our own decisions”. {Tom’s response: Free to ignore reality at your own peril}
Barnier threatening the financial sector is an empty threat to get City of London bankers and traders to pressure Johnson into standing down. They were the loudest complainers during the fight over Brexit.
But Johnson understands something Barnier refuses to admit, because, as always, he doesn’t listen he just demands. Brexit was won in spite of London. Its political power is waning.
Without the support of the Midlands and the hollowed-out industrial north, Johnson isn’t Prime Minister. Barnier tried for three years to leverage City of London and failed.
Ladies and gentlemen I give you Mike Barnier, walking Einstein quote machine.
This is an empty technocratic threat issued by a career bureaucrat with an over-inflated sense of his own relevance.
The U.K. holds all the negotiating levers here and they’ve accelerated the time table while Barnier is oblivious.
Barnier has until the end of June to take off his headphones and let information into his brain that comports with reality. The collapse of the Remain coup in October was a strong message to the EU that they are vulnerable and that Barnier’s schtick is tired.
And because of this Boris Johnson has not only hardened his tone but also gone further than he did on the campaign trail, saying that even a Canada-style free trade deal may not be enough.
Now he’s invoking Australia as a proxy for a WTO-style ‘hard Brexit.’ And all Barnier can do is threaten tariffs and trade war. This is exactly the kind of idiocy that the British just fought three and a half years to divorce themselves from.
And this is coming from a political body with no hope of passing a budget this fall when a politically paralyzed Germany takes over the Presidency of the European Commission. A budget, I might add, that is staring at a €10+ billion hole thanks to the loss of the U.K.
The possibility of German political upheaval is causing the euro to crash uncontrollably. After a massive move up on the final day of January to avoid a technical breakdown the euro is not flirting with a crash to the 2017 low of $1.034
The fear here is a quick steepening of the German yield curve which is now flat to inverted out to 7 years. No wonder Mario Draghi restarted QE before he blew town to leave this mess to Christine Lagarde, without that in place there would be real trouble in European sovereign debt markets.
But a political disunion that is deaf not only to what its external critics are telling it but its internal ones as well has a limited self-life of invest-ability. Once momentum traders stop front-running the ECB and the euro’s weakness forces the unwinding of carry trades at that point someone will have to tap Barnier on the shoulder and tell him to listen to something approximating reason.
By this point, to be honest, it will likely be too late.
The Irish elections were a huge rebuke of the EU and how it handled Brexit negotiations. It was an outright embarrassment to have Sinn Fein coalesce the Irish Euroskeptic vote. And yet, the EU hasn’t learned a thing because they refuse to listen.
So what happens when we wake up one morning and Angela Merkel is no longer Chancellor of Germany, the Yellow Vests overthrow Emmanuel Macron in France or Matteo Salvini wins an Italian snap election from a jail cell in Rome?
Will they hear the populist barbarians at the gates then or will they continue to console themselves with dreams of Sweden?
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theduran--2020-02-15--Pompeo’s Sinophobic Pressure Campaign Runs Amok at National Governors’ Association Convention

Of all the things the CIA is good at , insecurely threatening people who may potentially wish to work with Russia and China is at the top of the list .
This insecure passive aggressiveness shined with blinding intensity on February 8 during an annual National Governors ’ Association event which saw 44 American state governors come together from Feb. 7-10 in Washington , DC .
During his speech , Pompeo ’ s niceties quickly ended in order to launch into his main agenda behind speaking at this venue : To threaten all participants to stay away from China because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you.
” Pompeo warned the attending governors not to make bilateral deals with China “ that could undermine national policy ” , and stated : “ Whether you are viewed by the CCP as friendly or hardline , know that its working you , know that its working the team around you .
Competition with China is happening inside your state and it affects our capacity to perform America ’ s vital national security functions.
” Faced with Trump ’ s often re-stated desires to build positive relations with China and achieve a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone on overdrive pushing to sabotage this dynamic by promoting the support of Taiwan and Hong Kong independence , while working hard to shut down as many American-based Confucius institutes which had grown to 90 at their max .
In recent months , FBI and CIA pressure has resulted in the closing of 29 of the 100 Confucius institutes in the past 6 years .
Most recently , under pressure of the new National Defense Authorization Acts of 2018 and 2019 , 22 Institutes have been forced to shut down with sinophobe senators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the charge on the republican side and sinophobe democrats like Seth Moulton running the pressure campaign for the democrats .
On top of this , hundreds of Chinese scholars , and scientists have been fired from their positions as professors and researchers in universities , and slandered as espionage agents by the new McCarthyite Witch hunt run under the Christopher Wray ’ s FBI .
The policy is blunt and simple : Sever as many intellectual and cultural connections between America and China as humanly possible to prevent any alliance from forming .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ conference was a major part of this fanatical campaign since the oligarchy is aware that American governors like Matt Bevin of Kentucky , Bill Lee of Tennessee , Nebraska ’ s Pete Ricketts , and many others see China ’ s desire to invest in American infrastructure and agricultural products as a life line for survival where no federal relief appears visible and an economic meltdown looms overhead .
The irony which leading deep state operatives managing the anti-China/Russia campaign refuse to acknowledge is that America ’ s oncoming economic collapse can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reorganisation of Wall Street and a new alliance with actually viable nations like Russia and China who wish to help America rebuild its decayed agro-industrial foundations .
Matthew Ehret is the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Patriot Review and has authored 3 volumes of ‘ Untold History of Canada ’ book series .
His works appear regularly on The Duran , Strategic Culture , Sott , Fort Russ , Zero Hedge , Global Times , L.A. Review of Books , LeSaker.fr , Vigile Quebec , South Front and Veterans Today .
He is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 Matthew co-founded the Montreal-based Rising Tide Foundation .
He can be reached at [ email protected ]

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.
Of all the things the CIA is good at, insecurely threatening people who may potentially wish to work with Russia and China is at the top of the list.
This insecure passive aggressiveness shined with blinding intensity on February 8 during an annual National Governors’ Association event which saw 44 American state governors come together from Feb. 7-10 in Washington, DC.
During his speech, Pompeo’s niceties quickly ended in order to launch into his main agenda behind speaking at this venue: To threaten all participants to stay away from China because “China is watching you. Working you.”
Pompeo warned the attending governors not to make bilateral deals with China “that could undermine national policy”, and stated: “Whether you are viewed by the CCP as friendly or hardline, know that its working you, know that its working the team around you. Competition with China is happening inside your state and it affects our capacity to perform America’s vital national security functions.”
Faced with Trump’s often re-stated desires to build positive relations with China and achieve a trade deal, the deep state has gone on overdrive pushing to sabotage this dynamic by promoting the support of Taiwan and Hong Kong independence, while working hard to shut down as many American-based Confucius institutes which had grown to 90 at their max.
In recent months, FBI and CIA pressure has resulted in the closing of 29 of the 100 Confucius institutes in the past 6 years. Most recently, under pressure of the new National Defense Authorization Acts of 2018 and 2019, 22 Institutes have been forced to shut down with sinophobe senators Mark Rubio, and Ted Cruz leading the charge on the republican side and sinophobe democrats like Seth Moulton running the pressure campaign for the democrats. On top of this, hundreds of Chinese scholars, and scientists have been fired from their positions as professors and researchers in universities, and slandered as espionage agents by the new McCarthyite Witch hunt run under the Christopher Wray’s FBI. The policy is blunt and simple: Sever as many intellectual and cultural connections between America and China as humanly possible to prevent any alliance from forming.
Pompeo’s deployment to the Governors’ conference was a major part of this fanatical campaign since the oligarchy is aware that American governors like Matt Bevin of Kentucky, Bill Lee of Tennessee, Nebraska’s Pete Ricketts, and many others see China’s desire to invest in American infrastructure and agricultural products as a life line for survival where no federal relief appears visible and an economic meltdown looms overhead.
The irony which leading deep state operatives managing the anti-China/Russia campaign refuse to acknowledge is that America’s oncoming economic collapse can only be stopped by a FDR-styled bankruptcy reorganisation of Wall Street and a new alliance with actually viable nations like Russia and China who wish to help America rebuild its decayed agro-industrial foundations.
Matthew Ehret is the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Patriot Review and has authored 3 volumes of ‘Untold History of Canada’ book series. His works appear regularly on The Duran, Strategic Culture, Sott, Fort Russ, Zero Hedge, Global Times, L.A. Review of Books, LeSaker.fr, Vigile Quebec, South Front and Veterans Today. He is a correspondent/BRI Expert for Tactical Talk. In 2019 Matthew co-founded the Montreal-based Rising Tide Foundation. He can be reached at matt.ehret@tutamail.com
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theduran--2020-02-17--1,100 DOJ Alumni Call for William Barr to Resign

On Sunday February 16 , 1,00 former Department of Justice attorney ’ s and officials signed an open letter calling for Attorney General William Barr to resign .
The call to resign comes as a reaction to Barr lowering Roger Stone ’ s 9 year prison sentence handed out Monday , after President Trump tweeted his displeasure with the prison sentence .
Why the Alumni is Angry The letter represents the anger of DOJ alumni that have served in Republican and Democrat administrations .
In their legal opinion , what Barr did was nothing short of the “ interference in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are outraged because they feel Barr failed in allowing the law to be applied equally regardless of ones social status .
This action won ’ t come as a surprise to most legal professionals and indeed voters that did not vote for President Trump .
However , non-legal professionals including pundits will deem the action as an anti-Trump agenda , and all 1,100 former DOJ officials Never Trumpers .
Appearance of is All That Matters The action taken by the former DOJ officials is actually a perfect example of why A.G. Barr said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job with the President tweeting about ongoing investigations and cases .
Whether President Trump was signaling Barr to intervene doesn ’ t matter .
Whether Barr had Stone ’ s sentencing on his radar with plans of his own to intervene doesn ’ t matter after the fact .
What matters to the former DOJ officials is that it gives the appearance of intervening in the application of justice , by exerting presidential power on the Attorney General through the court of public opinion .
I personally don ’ t know what Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but , I can admit to the appearance the tweet gave .
I can also understand the precarious position William Barr found himself in , and has found himself in since becoming AG .
Investigators and attorneys do their best work out of the public purview .
This is for many reasons , all of them professional .
DOJ lawyers not only take an oath but , they also are expected to follow the DOJ ’ s rulebook , The Justice Manual .
The Justice Manual states that decisions of the Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Barr ’ s action in lowering Stone ’ s sentence following President Trump ’ s tweet , simply gives the appearance of Barr being influenced by political power .
In the words of the DOJ alumi themselves , ” Governments that use the enormous power of law enforcement to punish their enemies and reward their allies are not constitutional republics ; they are autocracies.
” Why Being Out of the Public Purview Matters While I am not accusing President Trump of leading us into an autocracy , having studied law and investigating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public purview environment in which legal professionals and investigators prefer to work .
It makes it easier to stay focused on where the evidence leads .
There is less apprehension about decisions made becoming decisions questioned .
It all but eliminates the court of public opinion calling into question bias , integrity , and ethics .
Just a jurors are kept from being publicly influenced during cases they will decide , it works the same way for investigators and attorneys .
Whether they are government or private legal professionals or investigators .

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.
On Sunday February 16, 1,100 former Department of Justice attorney’s and officials signed an open letter calling for Attorney General William Barr to resign. The call to resign comes as a reaction to Barr lowering Roger Stone’s 9 year prison sentence handed out Monday, after President Trump tweeted his displeasure with the prison sentence.
Why the Alumni is Angry
The letter represents the anger of DOJ alumni that have served in Republican and Democrat administrations. In their legal opinion, what Barr did was nothing short of the “interference in the fair administration of justice.” They are outraged because they feel Barr failed in allowing the law to be applied equally regardless of ones social status. This action won’t come as a surprise to most legal professionals and indeed voters that did not vote for President Trump. However, non-legal professionals including pundits will deem the action as an anti-Trump agenda, and all 1,100 former DOJ officials Never Trumpers.
Appearance of is All That Matters
The action taken by the former DOJ officials is actually a perfect example of why A.G. Barr said it makes it impossible to do his job with the President tweeting about ongoing investigations and cases. Whether President Trump was signaling Barr to intervene doesn’t matter. Whether Barr had Stone’s sentencing on his radar with plans of his own to intervene doesn’t matter after the fact. What matters to the former DOJ officials is that it gives the appearance of intervening in the application of justice, by exerting presidential power on the Attorney General through the court of public opinion. I personally don’t know what Trump’s intentions were with the tweet, but, I can admit to the appearance the tweet gave. I can also understand the precarious position William Barr found himself in, and has found himself in since becoming AG. Investigators and attorneys do their best work out of the public purview. This is for many reasons, all of them professional.
DOJ lawyers not only take an oath but, they also are expected to follow the DOJ’s rulebook, The Justice Manual. The Justice Manual states that decisions of the Department “must be impartial from political influence.” Barr’s action in lowering Stone’s sentence following President Trump’s tweet, simply gives the appearance of Barr being influenced by political power. In the words of the DOJ alumi themselves, ” Governments that use the enormous power of law enforcement to punish their enemies and reward their allies are not constitutional republics; they are autocracies.”
DOJ Alumni Open Letter
Why Being Out of the Public Purview Matters
While I am not accusing President Trump of leading us into an autocracy, having studied law and investigating, I can appreciate the out of public purview environment in which legal professionals and investigators prefer to work. It makes it easier to stay focused on where the evidence leads. There is less apprehension about decisions made becoming decisions questioned. It all but eliminates the court of public opinion calling into question bias, integrity, and ethics. Just a jurors are kept from being publicly influenced during cases they will decide, it works the same way for investigators and attorneys. Whether they are government or private legal professionals or investigators.
James Cheef
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