theduran--2020-04-15--Holy Week: A time for silence [Video]

Holy Week: A time for silence [Video]

This is not a usual news article , and it is blatantly and unabashedly “ religious.
” However , one of the great things about religion is that it reminds us all of things that go far beyond our temporal chatter of the moment , with its passions and urgency .
Orthodox Christianity in particular carries a powerful and deep message at this time of year , our Holy Week ( a.k.a Passion Week ) , leading up to the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ , Pascha , often referred to as “ Easter ” in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the theological and cultural wrangling that netizens often divert to about religious debate .
We only want to offer the point of view expressed here by Orthodox Christians and their Church , because it may help us breathe for a little bit and reflect on things that really matter in the eternal sense .
This thought , oddly enough , was inspired not directly by the presence of Holy Week itself , but by my re-reading of a 1959 novel called Alas , Babylon , written by Pat Frank .
That book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinking during the 1950 ’ s at the height of the Cold War against the USSR .
But now , in 2020 , with the Cold War not even a memory in the minds of some of our very uneducated youth , we are led to think that the crisis of the day is “ the worst ever ; it is new ; we need to be worried ” and so on .
Yet , these short excerpts from that book detailing the concerns of the fictitious characters , but reflecting on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different .
: Florence gathered her pink flannel robe closer to her neck .
She glanced up , apprehensively , through the kitchen window .
All she saw were hibiscus leaves dripping in the pre-dawn ground fog , and blank gray sky beyond .
They had no right to put those Sputniks up there to spy on people .
As if it were on his mind also , Frank continued : “ Senator Holler , of the Armed Services Committee , yesterday joined others of a Midwest bloc in demanding that the Air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ espionage if they violate U.S. air space .
The Kremlin has already had something to say about this .
Any such action , the Kremlin says , will be regarded the same as an attack on a Soviet vessel or air-craft .
The Kremlin pointed out that the United States has traditionally cham-pioned the doctrine of Freedom of the Seas .
The same freedom , says the Soviet statement , applies to outer space.
” The newsman paused , looked up , and half-smiled in wry amusement at this complexity .
He turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is a new crisis in the Middle East .
A report from Beirut , via Cairo , says that Syrian tanks of the most modern Russian design have crossed the Jordanian frontier .
This is undoubtedly a threat to Israel .
At the same time Damascus charges that Turkish troops are mobilizing .
.
.
.
” Look somewhat familiar ?
Try this : At eleven , approaching Orlando on Route 50 , [ Randy ] turned on the radio for the news .
Turkey had appealed to the UN for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria charged Israel with planning a preventive war .
Israel accused Egypt of sending snooper planes over its defenses .
Egypt claimed its ships , bound from the Black Sea to Alexandria , were being delayed in the Straits , and charged Turkey with a breach of the Montreaux Convention .
Russia accused Turkey and the United States of plotting to crush Syria , and warned France , Italy , Greece , and Spain that any nations harboring American bases would be involved in a general war , and erased from the earth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the Atlantic , bound for conferences in London .
The Soviet Ambassador to Washington had been recalled for consul-tation .
There were riots in France .
It all sounded bad , but familiar as an old , scratchy record .
He had heard it all before , in almost the same words , back in ‘ 57 and ‘ 58 .
Not much different , is it ?
The more things change , the more things stay the same .
Now this coupled with the crisis du jour of COVID-19 and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we still get a lot of hyperbole even when there is a real problem .
However , it seems that we can often feel “ around the edges ” that there is something contrived about this event , even though it is real .
This is the value of reflection on eternal truths .
The life , ministry , death and resurrection of Christ is held by Christian believers to be the central event in the history of the Universe , if you come right down to it .
The Eastern Orthodox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this , available to anyone who wants to consider it .
For that , for the sake of a little silence and reflection , we offer this production .
It is surprising , shocking , and very beautiful .
It may help to have a “ retreat ” to things like this whether a person considers themselves religious or not .
A glimpse at the Divine Reality and how it intersects with our lives practically is something many of us find very useful .

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.
This is not a usual news article, and it is blatantly and unabashedly “religious.” However, one of the great things about religion is that it reminds us all of things that go far beyond our temporal chatter of the moment, with its passions and urgency. Orthodox Christianity in particular carries a powerful and deep message at this time of year, our Holy Week (a.k.a Passion Week), leading up to the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, Pascha, often referred to as “Easter” in the West.
We will not get into the theological and cultural wrangling that netizens often divert to about religious debate. We only want to offer the point of view expressed here by Orthodox Christians and their Church, because it may help us breathe for a little bit and reflect on things that really matter in the eternal sense.
This thought, oddly enough, was inspired not directly by the presence of Holy Week itself, but by my re-reading of a 1959 novel called Alas, Babylon, written by Pat Frank. That book reveals a great deal of prevalent American thinking during the 1950’s at the height of the Cold War against the USSR. But now, in 2020, with the Cold War not even a memory in the minds of some of our very uneducated youth, we are led to think that the crisis of the day is “the worst ever; it is new; we need to be worried” and so on. Yet, these short excerpts from that book detailing the concerns of the fictitious characters, but reflecting on the reality of the time, show something different.:
Florence gathered her pink flannel robe closer to her neck. She glanced up, apprehensively, through the kitchen window. All she saw were hibiscus leaves dripping in the pre-dawn ground fog, and blank gray sky beyond. They had no right to put those Sputniks up there to spy on people. As if it were on his mind also, Frank continued: “Senator Holler, of the Armed Services Committee, yesterday joined others of a Midwest bloc in demanding that the Air Force shoot down Sputniks capable of military espionage if they violate U.S. air space. The Kremlin has already had something to say about this. Any such action, the Kremlin says, will be regarded the same as an attack on a Soviet vessel or air-craft. The Kremlin pointed out that the United States has traditionally cham-pioned the doctrine of Freedom of the Seas. The same freedom, says the Soviet statement, applies to outer space.” The newsman paused, looked up, and half-smiled in wry amusement at this complexity. He turned a page on his clipboard. “There is a new crisis in the Middle East. A report from Beirut, via Cairo, says that Syrian tanks of the most modern Russian design have crossed the Jordanian frontier. This is undoubtedly a threat to Israel. At the same time Damascus charges that Turkish troops are mobilizing. . . .”
Look somewhat familiar? Try this:
At eleven, approaching Orlando on Route 50, [Randy] turned on the radio for the news. Turkey had appealed to the UN for an investigation of border pene-trations by Syria. Syria charged Israel with planning a preventive war. Israel accused Egypt of sending snooper planes over its defenses. Egypt claimed its ships, bound from the Black Sea to Alexandria, were being delayed in the Straits, and charged Turkey with a breach of the Montreaux Convention. Russia accused Turkey and the United States of plotting to crush Syria, and warned France, Italy, Greece, and Spain that any nations harboring American bases would be involved in a general war, and erased from the earth. The Secretary of State was somewhere over the Atlantic, bound for conferences in London. The Soviet Ambassador to Washington had been recalled for consul-tation. There were riots in France. It all sounded bad, but familiar as an old, scratchy record. He had heard it all before, in almost the same words, back in ‘57 and ‘58.
Not much different, is it? The more things change, the more things stay the same.
Now this coupled with the crisis du jour of COVID-19 and its truly significant effects on the whole planet, we still get a lot of hyperbole even when there is a real problem. However, it seems that we can often feel “around the edges” that there is something contrived about this event, even though it is real.
This is the value of reflection on eternal truths. The life, ministry, death and resurrection of Christ is held by Christian believers to be the central event in the history of the Universe, if you come right down to it. The Eastern Orthodox Church maintains the complete and whole view of this, available to anyone who wants to consider it. For that, for the sake of a little silence and reflection, we offer this production. It is surprising, shocking, and very beautiful.
It may help to have a “retreat” to things like this whether a person considers themselves religious or not. A glimpse at the Divine Reality and how it intersects with our lives practically is something many of us find very useful.
Read Later Add to Favourites Add to Collection Report


theduran--2020-04-15--Backlash in Italy over capitulation to EU “rescue” loans (Video)

The Duran ’ s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the backlash in Italy over the recent Eurozone Covid-19 rescue deal that will plunge Italy back into EU austerity , saddled with unsustainable debt levels .
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute .
The Duran Audio Podcast : Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes .
On Friday , the Italian Minister of Finance unleashed a political storm as he signed a rescue agreement in the euro zone involving the rescue fund of the European stability mechanism of the region , a politically toxic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the ministers who signed an economic package of 500 billion euros on Thursday evening as part of an agreement hailed as a major breakthrough in the fight against the economic suffering caused by blockages linked to the coronavirus .
But he and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte faced an immediate reaction when the details of the arrangement emerged .
Italy has not obtained any explicit reference to the concept of “ coronabonds ” – debt issued jointly subscribed by the member states of the euro area – but at the same time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ providing for a role for the ESM , which is viewed with deep suspicion in Rome .
Mr. Gualtieri ’ s compromise was strongly criticized not only by the opposition Matteo Salvini League party , who denounced the minister as a “ traitor ” and called for a vote of no confidence , but also by the Movement five star , who shares power with the center-left .
Democratic party to which the Italian Minister of Finance belongs .
“ We do not accept ESM now and will not accept it in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal with this crisis and it is very dangerous , ” said Vito Crimi , the political leader from Five Star , in an interview with Radio 1 , an Italian public channel .
Thursday ’ s breakthrough on the economic measures support for businesses , workers and rulers was obtained after the Dutch government abandoned previous requests to subject ESM loans on tougher macroeconomic conditions .
The key elements of the package are the revised pandemic lines of credit of the MES which will be available within two weeks , a strengthening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Investment Bank and a new unemployment insurance scheme of 100 billion euros proposed by the European Commission .
Ministers also agreed to set up a “ temporary and targeted ” stimulus fund to help spark an economic rebound after the foreclosure , but have yet to resolve key questions about the size and sources of funding for the economy .
tool , or even when it is fixed .
to the top .
The very inclusion of MES remains politically dangerous in Italy ; Eurosceptic parties have long claimed that the fund would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loan to besieged rulers .
Reacting to the agreement , Mr. Salvini in a tweet : “ I am horrified and I will ask for the resignation of an economic minister who sold our country.
” For his part , Gualtieri expressed satisfaction with the result obtained by Italy after having “ fought a difficult battle ” , declaring that the critics of the agreement were “ ridiculous ” .
The agreement meant that conditionality for the use of MES funding was “ excluded , ” he argued .
What is more , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea of Eurobonds .
Bruno Le Maire , the French Minister of Finance , told the Financial Times that it was entirely up to Italy to use MES or not .
Italy , he argued , had obtained something that was absolutely critical : there were no macroeconomic conditionalities on the ESM credit lines .
“ This is huge progress .
This is a very important victory for Italy , “ he said in a telephone interview on Friday .
It is far from clear that Italy will want to exploit the MES @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Luxembourg-based entity .
The Eurogroup also left open a major debate on the degree of sharing of the economic burden that will be necessary to revive economic activity after the blockages have ended .
While Italy is one of the countries defending the idea of joint debt issuance under the banner of coronabonds , the northern states , including Germany and the Netherlands , have rejected the concept .
The text of the agreement on Thursday indicates that a new stimulus fund to support the possible economic reconstruction will be “ proportionate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and will help to spread them over time thanks to appropriate funding ” .
But officials have admitted that the drafting documents on the deep divisions over the size of the fund need to be , how it should be set up urgently and how the costs will be shared between the fiscally stronger and weaker capitals .
The “ conceptual frameworks ” for the fund differ considerably from one member state to another , an EU diplomat said on Friday .
“ The debate on debt pooling has once again proved to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the freezer .
This would only divert attention from the real problem in question : the recovery of the European economy after the crisis .
“ Le Maire said he hoped that an agreement could be reached so that the collection fund would be based on future issues of joint debts for a limited period .
EU leaders will meet to discuss finance ministers ’ proposals on 23 April , and one of the main questions will be how to move forward with the stimulus fund – including how and if integrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next seven years of the EU budget .
Lucas Guttenberg , deputy director of the Jacques Delors Center in Berlin , said that the very inclusion of the concept of a stimulus fund in Thursday ’ s package was progress , as it reflected the recognition that existing tools to tackle the crisis economic were not going to be enough by themselves .
It is now up to EU leaders to decide how to move this debate forward at their next summit , he said .
“ There must be a clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant size or not .
”

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 backlash in Italy over the recent Eurozone Covid-19 rescue deal that will plunge Italy back into EU austerity, saddled with unsustainable debt levels.
Support Free Speech:
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute.
The Duran Audio Podcast:
Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes.
Via Thakoni news…
On Friday, the Italian Minister of Finance unleashed a political storm as he signed a rescue agreement in the euro zone involving the rescue fund of the European stability mechanism of the region, a politically toxic prospect in Rome.
Roberto Gualtieri was among the ministers who signed an economic package of 500 billion euros on Thursday evening as part of an agreement hailed as a major breakthrough in the fight against the economic suffering caused by blockages linked to the coronavirus.
But he and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte faced an immediate reaction when the details of the arrangement emerged. Italy has not obtained any explicit reference to the concept of “coronabonds” – debt issued jointly subscribed by the member states of the euro area – but at the same time, it has accepted a set of measures providing for a role for the ESM, which is viewed with deep suspicion in Rome.
Mr. Gualtieri’s compromise was strongly criticized not only by the opposition Matteo Salvini League party, who denounced the minister as a “traitor” and called for a vote of no confidence, but also by the Movement five star, who shares power with the center-left. Democratic party to which the Italian Minister of Finance belongs.
“We do not accept ESM now and will not accept it in the future… It is an unsuitable tool to deal with this crisis and it is very dangerous,” said Vito Crimi, the political leader from Five Star, in an interview with Radio 1, an Italian public channel.
Thursday’s breakthrough on the economic measures support for businesses, workers and rulers was obtained after the Dutch government abandoned previous requests to subject ESM loans on tougher macroeconomic conditions.
The key elements of the package are the revised pandemic lines of credit of the MES which will be available within two weeks, a strengthening of the lending capacity of the European Investment Bank and a new unemployment insurance scheme of 100 billion euros proposed by the European Commission.
Ministers also agreed to set up a “temporary and targeted” stimulus fund to help spark an economic rebound after the foreclosure, but have yet to resolve key questions about the size and sources of funding for the economy. tool, or even when it is fixed. to the top.
The very inclusion of MES remains politically dangerous in Italy; Eurosceptic parties have long claimed that the fund would impose draconian conditions in exchange for any loan to besieged rulers. Reacting to the agreement, Mr. Salvini in a tweet: “I am horrified and I will ask for the resignation of an economic minister who sold our country.”
For his part, Gualtieri expressed satisfaction with the result obtained by Italy after having “fought a difficult battle”, declaring that the critics of the agreement were “ridiculous”. The agreement meant that conditionality for the use of MES funding was “excluded,” he argued. What is more, Italy has not given up on the idea of Eurobonds.
Bruno Le Maire, the French Minister of Finance, told the Financial Times that it was entirely up to Italy to use MES or not.
Italy, he argued, had obtained something that was absolutely critical: there were no macroeconomic conditionalities on the ESM credit lines. “This is huge progress. This is a very important victory for Italy, “he said in a telephone interview on Friday.
It is far from clear that Italy will want to exploit the MES given the political risks associated with the Luxembourg-based entity. The Eurogroup also left open a major debate on the degree of sharing of the economic burden that will be necessary to revive economic activity after the blockages have ended.
While Italy is one of the countries defending the idea of joint debt issuance under the banner of coronabonds, the northern states, including Germany and the Netherlands, have rejected the concept. The text of the agreement on Thursday indicates that a new stimulus fund to support the possible economic reconstruction will be “proportionate to the extraordinary costs of the current crisis and will help to spread them over time thanks to appropriate funding”.
But officials have admitted that the drafting documents on the deep divisions over the size of the fund need to be, how it should be set up urgently and how the costs will be shared between the fiscally stronger and weaker capitals.
The “conceptual frameworks” for the fund differ considerably from one member state to another, an EU diplomat said on Friday. “The debate on debt pooling has once again proved to be very contentious and must be put in the freezer. This would only divert attention from the real problem in question: the recovery of the European economy after the crisis. “
Le Maire said he hoped that an agreement could be reached so that the collection fund would be based on future issues of joint debts for a limited period.
EU leaders will meet to discuss finance ministers’ proposals on 23 April, and one of the main questions will be how to move forward with the stimulus fund – including how and if integrate it into the negotiations currently stalled over the next seven years of the EU budget.
Lucas Guttenberg, deputy director of the Jacques Delors Center in Berlin, said that the very inclusion of the concept of a stimulus fund in Thursday’s package was progress, as it reflected the recognition that existing tools to tackle the crisis economic were not going to be enough by themselves.
It is now up to EU leaders to decide how to move this debate forward at their next summit, he said. “There must be a clear decision as to whether it has a significant size or not.”
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theduran--2020-04-15--The Arab-Israeli alliance is fueling conflicts in the Middle East

There are 2 camps in the Middle East : those countries which work with ‘ Israel ’ , and those who do not .
The countries which have established relationships with ‘ Israel ’ are Turkey ; United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) ; Saudi Arabia ; Qatar ; Bahrain ; Oman ; Jordan ; Egypt .
This group of countries is backed up by the US and the EU .
The countries which do not have a relationship with Israel are Syria ; Lebanon ; Iraq ; Iran ; Occupied Palestinian ; Yemen ; Algeria .
This group of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Russia and China .
The world is split between 2 spheres of influence , with the US and EU on 1 side , and Russia and China on the other .
This situation is very similar to the ‘ Cold War ’ years when the world was split between the Soviet Union and the US .
The Arab Gulf role in the Middle East conflicts In Syria , since 2011 the Arab Gulf countries , allied with Turkey and ‘ Israel ’ , have sent and trained terrorists , who are following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is not a religion , or a sect .
These countries have bowed to the pressure of the US sanctions on Syria , and have refused to do business with Syria , even on humanitarian items .
They have also waged political war on Syria , by accepting the removal of Syria from the Arab League , which was proposed by Qatar at the beginning of the conflict .
In Libya , the Arab-Gulf countries have been funding both sides of a civil war , while stealing petroleum resources there .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the forces of Prime Minister Sarraj , the UAE , Egypt , and Saudi Arabia are funding and supporting the opposing forces of Field Marshall Haftar .
Recently , it was revealed that the UAE bought Israeli military weapons and sent them to Haftar .
Beginning in 2011 , these countries participated in the ‘ regime change ’ project which saw Colonel Qaddafi removed from power , and murdered .
The chaos that exists in Iraq today began with the US military intervention in Iraq , which included 2 wars .
The Arab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have funded and supported the Iraqi Kurdish separatists , who have been successful in dividing Iraq .
It was the Arab Gulf countries that nurtured and gave birth to the political ideology we know as Radical Islam .
The various terrorist groups , such as ISIS , Jibhat al Nusra , Al Qaeda , and others are all the creation of the Arab Gulf countries .
The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 saw the stealing of petroleum resources , gold bullion from the Central Bank , and antiquities from the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraqi resources is continuing .
The Arab Gulf countries have funded and supported differing Muslim sects to ensure the various groups will continue to fight , thus keeping Iraq weak and divided .
Lebanon may be a small country ; however , it has a big role to play in the region .
The Arab Gulf countries have funded and supported the US and the ‘ Israel ’ during the 2006 war on the Lebanese Resistance movement , and have launched a propaganda war through their media .
On the political side , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lebanese politicians who work as their agents .
The Arab Gulf countries have deported Lebanese workers who belong to a certain religious sect , which fuels the sectarian conflict in the region .
The Arab Gulf countries have waged economical war on Lebanon by freezing bank accounts , under the guise of ‘ fighting terrorism ’ , but in reality , they are fighting the Lebanese Resistance movement .
Saudi Arabia , one of the wealthiest countries on earth , is waging war on one of the poorest countries on earth , Yemen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes , they have failed to occupy Yemen .
It is Saudi Arabia ’ s strategic goal to occupy and annex Aden , the main port of Yemen , which sits on the gateway to the Red Sea .
The UAE is the partner in the war on Yemen .
Like a couple who are not invited to the party , Turkey and its ally Qatar , have been singled out of the Arab Gulf alliance .
Differing political ideologies have created the split : with Turkey and Qatar following the Muslim Brotherhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gulf adhere to the Salafi and Wahabi strain of Radical Islam .
The US-EU-NATO responsibility in the current Middle East conflict zone “ The Arab Spring ” was not a grass-roots movement but was a 3 party project designed in Washington and Brussels .
2011 saw ‘ regime change ’ plans put into action in Libya , Egypt , Tunisia , Syria , Yemen , and Iraq , which has also suffered from a US ‘ regime-change ’ project in 2003 .
The Arab Gulf : UAE , Saudi Arabia , and Qatar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by funding the US-EU-NATO project , at the behest of the ‘ western civilized nations ’ , who used the Arabs as their source of funds .
The Arabs were also used for propaganda purposes , such as Qatar ’ s “ Al Jazeera ” , and Saudi Arabia ’ s “ Al Hadath ” and “ Al Arabia ” .
The US is continuing to steal resources from Syria and Iraq , such as the oil and gas wells they have occupied illegally , in the contrivance of international law .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Syria , and has very severe economical sanctions on Syria which prevent the rebuilding of Syria , and have prevented Syria from buying even the most critical humanitarian items , including supplies to fight the COVID-19 .
Turkey has bought stolen Syrian oil , firstly from ISIS , and later from the Syrian-Kurdish separatists .
Turkey then sells the oil to ‘ Israel ’ through a private Israeli businessman .
Turkey and ‘ Israel ’ work in tandem , and both have played a major role in the 9-year conflict in Syria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Syria .
Turkey is currently occupying parts of Syria , and ‘ Israel ’ has been occupying the Golan Heights of Syria since 1967 .
Both Turkey and ‘ Israel ’ have plans to annex Syrian lands .
Turkey is occupying the Syrian region of Iskenderun since the end of WW1 .

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.
Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator…
There are 2 camps in the Middle East: those countries which work with ‘Israel’, and those who do not. The countries which have established relationships with ‘Israel’ are Turkey; United Arab Emirates (UAE); Saudi Arabia; Qatar; Bahrain; Oman; Jordan; Egypt. This group of countries is backed up by the US and the EU.
The countries which do not have a relationship with Israel are Syria; Lebanon; Iraq; Iran; Occupied Palestinian; Yemen; Algeria. This group of countries has established a very good relationship with Russia and China.
The world is split between 2 spheres of influence, with the US and EU on 1 side, and Russia and China on the other. This situation is very similar to the ‘Cold War’ years when the world was split between the Soviet Union and the US.
The Arab Gulf role in the Middle East conflicts
In Syria, since 2011 the Arab Gulf countries, allied with Turkey and ‘Israel’, have sent and trained terrorists, who are following the political ideology of Radical Islam, which is not a religion, or a sect. These countries have bowed to the pressure of the US sanctions on Syria, and have refused to do business with Syria, even on humanitarian items. They have also waged political war on Syria, by accepting the removal of Syria from the Arab League, which was proposed by Qatar at the beginning of the conflict.
In Libya, the Arab-Gulf countries have been funding both sides of a civil war, while stealing petroleum resources there. While Turkey and Qatar are funding and supporting the forces of Prime Minister Sarraj, the UAE, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia are funding and supporting the opposing forces of Field Marshall Haftar. Recently, it was revealed that the UAE bought Israeli military weapons and sent them to Haftar. Beginning in 2011, these countries participated in the ‘regime change’ project which saw Colonel Qaddafi removed from power, and murdered.
The chaos that exists in Iraq today began with the US military intervention in Iraq, which included 2 wars. The Arab Gulf countries, with their ally Israel, have funded and supported the Iraqi Kurdish separatists, who have been successful in dividing Iraq. It was the Arab Gulf countries that nurtured and gave birth to the political ideology we know as Radical Islam. The various terrorist groups, such as ISIS, Jibhat al Nusra, Al Qaeda, and others are all the creation of the Arab Gulf countries. The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 saw the stealing of petroleum resources, gold bullion from the Central Bank, and antiquities from the National Museum in Baghdad. This looting of Iraqi resources is continuing. The Arab Gulf countries have funded and supported differing Muslim sects to ensure the various groups will continue to fight, thus keeping Iraq weak and divided.
Lebanon may be a small country; however, it has a big role to play in the region. The Arab Gulf countries have funded and supported the US and the ‘Israel’ during the 2006 war on the Lebanese Resistance movement, and have launched a propaganda war through their media. On the political side, the Arab Gulf has invested in certain Lebanese politicians who work as their agents. The Arab Gulf countries have deported Lebanese workers who belong to a certain religious sect, which fuels the sectarian conflict in the region. The Arab Gulf countries have waged economical war on Lebanon by freezing bank accounts, under the guise of ‘fighting terrorism’, but in reality, they are fighting the Lebanese Resistance movement.
Saudi Arabia, one of the wealthiest countries on earth, is waging war on one of the poorest countries on earth, Yemen. After many years, and war crimes, they have failed to occupy Yemen. It is Saudi Arabia’s strategic goal to occupy and annex Aden, the main port of Yemen, which sits on the gateway to the Red Sea. The UAE is the partner in the war on Yemen.
Like a couple who are not invited to the party, Turkey and its ally Qatar, have been singled out of the Arab Gulf alliance. Differing political ideologies have created the split: with Turkey and Qatar following the Muslim Brotherhood ideology, while the rest of the Gulf adhere to the Salafi and Wahabi strain of Radical Islam.
The US-EU-NATO responsibility in the current Middle East conflict zone
“The Arab Spring” was not a grass-roots movement but was a 3 party project designed in Washington and Brussels. 2011 saw ‘regime change’ plans put into action in Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, which has also suffered from a US ‘regime-change’ project in 2003. The Arab Gulf: UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar participated in “The Arab Spring” by funding the US-EU-NATO project, at the behest of the ‘western civilized nations’, who used the Arabs as their source of funds. The Arabs were also used for propaganda purposes, such as Qatar’s “Al Jazeera”, and Saudi Arabia’s “Al Hadath” and “Al Arabia”.
The US is continuing to steal resources from Syria and Iraq, such as the oil and gas wells they have occupied illegally, in the contrivance of international law. The US has made numerous unprovoked military attacks on Syria, and has very severe economical sanctions on Syria which prevent the rebuilding of Syria, and have prevented Syria from buying even the most critical humanitarian items, including supplies to fight the COVID-19.
Turkey-Israel relationship
Turkey has bought stolen Syrian oil, firstly from ISIS, and later from the Syrian-Kurdish separatists. Turkey then sells the oil to ‘Israel’ through a private Israeli businessman. Turkey and ‘Israel’ work in tandem, and both have played a major role in the 9-year conflict in Syria. They share intelligence to coordinate attacks on Syria. Turkey is currently occupying parts of Syria, and ‘Israel’ has been occupying the Golan Heights of Syria since 1967. Both Turkey and ‘Israel’ have plans to annex Syrian lands. Turkey is occupying the Syrian region of Iskenderun since the end of WW1.
Steven Sahiounie is an award-winning journalist
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theduran--2020-04-15--Prague Shows No Respect to Russians Who Liberated It from Nazism

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by Paul Antonopoulos , Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies… Marshal Ivan Konev , the famous Soviet general who was responsible for liberating most of Eastern Europe from Nazi Germany and its allies has been a figure of respect .
He has been immortalized in a series of busts and statues that can be found throughout Eastern Europe , including Russia , Ukraine , Poland and Slovakia .
However , Czechia is a country that is beginning to act in a very “ un-European ” way after removing a monument of Marshal Konev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Allied commander to enter the Czechslovakian capital after the Prague uprising in 1945 and was immortalized when a monument to him was erected in 1980 .
However , this cultural and historical monument was defiled when it was removed on April 3 by Prague District 6 mayor Ondřej Kolář .
Kolář used the coronavirus state of emergency to remove the statue to avoid protests from “ strange people from both the right and left scum , ” as he described the people who opposed the statues removal .
Czech President Miloš Zeman shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an abuse of the state of emergency , ” but is yet to have the monument reinstated in Prague or delivered to Russia .
Although Zeman may be friendly to Russia , there is little doubt he is an anomaly in a country that is continually moving towards Western liberalism .
The actions of Kolář is rather much closer akin to that of authoritarian and historical revisionist Ukraine who has long embarked in a process of removing all traces of the Soviet Union ’ s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soviet Union and its guiding socialist ideology , even in liberal United Kingdom , the grave and monument to Karl Marx is preserved and not harassed in Highgate Cemetery , along with other communist figures like Mansoor Hekmat and Claudia Jones .
Czechoslovakia surrendered to the Nazi war machine in 1938 without a fight by handing over all their weapons , unlike the Polish who resisted in 1939 .
Czechoslovakia only had its statehood restored when the Soviet Union expelled the Nazis from the entirety of Eastern Europe .
Until its liberation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest collaborationist states with the Wehrmacht and saw the near complete extermination of its Jewish population .
Czechoslovakia then carried out brutal deportation and ethnic cleansing at the end of World War II in the Sudetenland region against ethnic Germans .
Around 2.5 million Germans were expelled , decimating the minority community in the country .
Despite this stain on its history , Czechia continues to proceed in the de-Sovietization of the country , refusing to pay respects to figures from its past .
The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in addition to the Russians , Ukrainians , Belarusians and other nations of the then Soviet Union , fought for our liberation .
The statue of Marshal Konev is a war memorial and is covered by the 1993 Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation , but the relocation of the statue does not contradict its wording .
The MFA expects the statue to be treated with dignity.
” The Ministry then states “ If the Russian Federation were interested in obtaining a statue of Marshal Konev , it would have to negotiate with its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MFA .
“ Effectively , although the Ministry claims it respects all victims of the Soviet Red Army and expects the statue to be treated with dignity , it is wiping its hands clean of taking any responsibility for the defiled monument .
Czechia is not willing to go beyond words to defend its own history and those who died for its own statehood , and rather Mayor Kolář has free reign to do as he wants with no repercussion from the state .
Kolář should be restrained at the state level and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretexts of non-interference in local self-government .
In other European countries – such as Germany , Austria , France , Belgium , the Netherlands – this would be absolutely unthinkable and only political marginals and radicals are capable of this .
Yet Czechia , that has submissively swung towards the West , is acting in a manner that not even the West engages in .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by Paul Antonopoulos, Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies…
Marshal Ivan Konev, the famous Soviet general who was responsible for liberating most of Eastern Europe from Nazi Germany and its allies has been a figure of respect. He has been immortalized in a series of busts and statues that can be found throughout Eastern Europe, including Russia, Ukraine, Poland and Slovakia. However, Czechia is a country that is beginning to act in a very “un-European” way after removing a monument of Marshal Konev from Prague.
Konev was the first Allied commander to enter the Czechslovakian capital after the Prague uprising in 1945 and was immortalized when a monument to him was erected in 1980. However, this cultural and historical monument was defiled when it was removed on April 3 by Prague District 6 mayor Ondřej Kolář. Kolář used the coronavirus state of emergency to remove the statue to avoid protests from “strange people from both the right and left scum,” as he described the people who opposed the statues removal.
Czech President Miloš Zeman shared outrage over the removed statue as “an abuse of the state of emergency,” but is yet to have the monument reinstated in Prague or delivered to Russia. Although Zeman may be friendly to Russia, there is little doubt he is an anomaly in a country that is continually moving towards Western liberalism.
The actions of Kolář is rather much closer akin to that of authoritarian and historical revisionist Ukraine who has long embarked in a process of removing all traces of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Although Western countries may oppose the Soviet Union and its guiding socialist ideology, even in liberal United Kingdom, the grave and monument to Karl Marx is preserved and not harassed in Highgate Cemetery, along with other communist figures like Mansoor Hekmat and Claudia Jones.
Czechoslovakia surrendered to the Nazi war machine in 1938 without a fight by handing over all their weapons, unlike the Polish who resisted in 1939. Czechoslovakia only had its statehood restored when the Soviet Union expelled the Nazis from the entirety of Eastern Europe.
Until its liberation in 1945, Czechoslovakia was one of the biggest collaborationist states with the Wehrmacht and saw the near complete extermination of its Jewish population. Czechoslovakia then carried out brutal deportation and ethnic cleansing at the end of World War II in the Sudetenland region against ethnic Germans. Around 2.5 million Germans were expelled, decimating the minority community in the country.
Despite this stain on its history, Czechia continues to proceed in the de-Sovietization of the country, refusing to pay respects to figures from its past.
The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: “Czechia respects Red Army soldiers, where in addition to the Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians and other nations of the then Soviet Union, fought for our liberation. The statue of Marshal Konev is a war memorial and is covered by the 1993 Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, but the relocation of the statue does not contradict its wording. The MFA expects the statue to be treated with dignity.”
The Ministry then states “If the Russian Federation were interested in obtaining a statue of Marshal Konev, it would have to negotiate with its owner. This is not for the MFA. “
Effectively, although the Ministry claims it respects all victims of the Soviet Red Army and expects the statue to be treated with dignity, it is wiping its hands clean of taking any responsibility for the defiled monument. Czechia is not willing to go beyond words to defend its own history and those who died for its own statehood, and rather Mayor Kolář has free reign to do as he wants with no repercussion from the state. Kolář should be restrained at the state level and Prague should not keep aloof under far-fetched pretexts of non-interference in local self-government.
In other European countries – such as Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, the Netherlands – this would be absolutely unthinkable and only political marginals and radicals are capable of this. Yet Czechia, that has submissively swung towards the West, is acting in a manner that not even the West engages in.
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theduran--2020-04-15--COVID-19 will make us think about peace and war

World political leaders focus on strategic “ threats ” while forgetting “ natural ” dangers .
The result is an untenable trade off between military and welfare expenditure .
The COVID-19 сrisis has shown us just what the real priorities should be .
Militarization is the wrong path for the world to take and it fuels tensions and raises the potential for war and conflict .
This is one of the most critical issues of our time and will make a real difference to world stability and security .
World leaders must put disarmament and peace at the center of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for disarmament that also includes banning nuclear weapons .
The world ’ s annual military spending is about $ 1.8 trillion .
$ 1 trillion will be spent on new nuclear weapons in the next 20 years .
Anti-NATO activists have raised concerns about U.S. preparations for nuclear conflict .
In their view , the major military conflict that Defender-Europe 20 military exercise was designed to prepare for , would never occur .
An armed clash between NATO and Russia would inevitably be nuclear .
The victims of this conflict would be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States .
So , on February 25 , 2020 , during a hearing in the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services , General Tod D. Wolters , commander of U.S. European Command and NATO ’ s Supreme Allied Commander Europe , declared , “ Nuclear forces are the supreme guarantee of the security of the Allies , and…

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.
World political leaders focus on strategic “threats” while forgetting “natural” dangers. The result is an untenable trade off between military and welfare expenditure. The COVID-19 сrisis has shown us just what the real priorities should be.
Militarization is the wrong path for the world to take and it fuels tensions and raises the potential for war and conflict.
This is one of the most critical issues of our time and will make a real difference to world stability and security. World leaders must put disarmament and peace at the center of policy making and develop a new agenda for disarmament that also includes banning nuclear weapons.
The world’s annual military spending is about $ 1.8 trillion. $ 1 trillion will be spent on new nuclear weapons in the next 20 years.
Anti-NATO activists have raised concerns about U.S. preparations for nuclear conflict. In their view, the major military conflict that Defender-Europe 20 military exercise was designed to prepare for, would never occur. An armed clash between NATO and Russia would inevitably be nuclear. The victims of this conflict would be the inhabitants of Europe, including the Baltic States.
So, on February 25, 2020, during a hearing in the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, General Tod D. Wolters, commander of U.S. European Command and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, declared, “Nuclear forces are the supreme guarantee of the security of the Allies, and…
Read more: https://balticword.eu/covid-19-will-make-us-think-about-peace-and-war/
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theduran--2020-04-14--A Close Look At Rape Crisis Scotland (Part 2)

The reality is that rape is always prosecuted where the allegation is considered credible while false rape allegations are prosecuted infrequently , in the UK at least .
Here are a few examples from the same time period to illustrate the point .
On January 23 , 2011 , a woman claimed to have been raped in Warminster .
She soon admitted she had lied , and received an £80 fixed penalty notice .
Later the same month , Susan Bradley claimed to have been raped in Sheffield by two Eastern European men .
Two months later she admitted she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too received an £80 fixed penalty notice .
April 4 the same year , a teenager in Bletchley claimed to have been raped by a former lover .
After he was arrested , she admitted the lie , and likewise received an £80 fixed penalty notice .
May 4 , 2011 : a woman is allegedly raped in Aylesbury .
When the truth comes out , the police refer her for “ support ” rather than prosecution , a sadly common reaction .
February 18/19 , 2012 : late at night a woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Two men are arrested .
No action is taken against them , nor against the woman who accused them .
And these are only the cases reported by the national , regional and local press .
Many rape allegations are ruled unfounded at an early stage when the police realise they have been sent on a wild goose chase .
Most of these false allegations are due to alcohol and regret sex .
A classic case of regret sex happened in Scotland 25 years ago when teenager Caroline McKinlay became the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to youth detention for making a false rape allegation .
She told the court : “ I was happy enough until the sex was all over but later I didn ’ t want it to have happened.
” You got ta laugh at that one !
Rape crisis centres worldwide would have us believe there are armies of sexual predators out there preying on drunken women or even lacing their drinks with date rape drugs .
This can and does happen , but most allegations of alcohol or drug-related rape are due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have less tolerance for alcohol than men , which can result not only in loss of inhibitions but to problems with memory .
A woman who seems perfectly sober may wake up the next morning or some time later with fragmented memories of having sex because her short term memory has not transferred into long term memory .
This is something of which the police are acutely aware .
In 2008 , a senior police officer told the Irish Independent : “ We have had cases where having received an allegation , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the complainant and the accused and there is CCTV footage where you see the girl with the guy and they are all over each other .
The next day she wakes up , doesn ’ t know what has happened or even who she was with.
” Predictably the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre didn ’ t like this candid statement , because like Rape Crisis Scotland the people who run it believe women should never have to take responsibility for themselves .
The reference to CCTV is most fitting , because today probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by it than actual rapists , which begs the question , how many totally innocent men have been convicted worldwide down through the years and have paid a heavy price for it ?
It isn ’ t only short term memory that can be affected though .
At times when soap operas or documentaries have featured storylines which include rape or sexual abuse , many women and sometimes men contact rape crisis centres claiming to have been “ triggered ” to remember something that happened to them , usually in their childhood .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A particularly sad case of this was a young woman named Carson who contacted the rape crisis center in Cleveland , Ohio , after claiming to “ remember ” being raped by a neighbour when she was three or four years old .
This was almost certainly a confabulation because few of us have clear memories of anything that happened at that age .
Instead of explaining this to Carson , the imbeciles who run the center put her into counselling .
Rape Crisis Scotland is just as bad if not worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre recommends The CourageTo Heal as part of its “ specialist trauma-informed support services ” .
If you haven ’ t heard of it , this is one of the most toxic books ever published .
Written by two lesbians , it encourages women to believe they have repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse .
After it was published , troubled young women would go into therapy with eating disorders and come out believing they ’ d been raped by their own fathers .
A little discussed aspect of rape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in particular the worldwide rape crisis network is a gravy train for the sexual grievance industry including social justice warriors and plain man-haters .
The homepage of the Rape Crisis Scotland website includes introductory videos in several languages , one of them in Mandarin !
At the 2011 census , there were fewer than 35,000 ethnic Chinese resident in Scotland , most of whom probably speak passable if not fluent English anyway .
There is even an introductory video in French , a nationality that does not register in the census .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centres in Scotland .
There are seventeen of them in a nation of fewer than five and a half million .
Each of these seventeen centres receives £50,000 a year from one official fund , that is without charitable donations , fund-raising , and other income , including from well-meaning but gullible members of the public .
Rape crisis centres also hold therapy sessions and counselling , which are likewise funded by national and local government , charitable trusts , etc .
It is then little wonder that Rape Crisis Scotland prefer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encounters as rape rather than face up to the fact that they have simply made bad choices .
The page “ 10 Top Tips to End Rape ” begins with “ Don ’ t put drugs in women ’ s drinks ” and continues in the same vein .
An alternative version can be found here .
Perhaps the worst advice on their website is suggesting women should decide whether or not to report to the police .
Any woman who has been raped should report to the police immediately , and should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of action is a no-brainer .
In conclusion , like every other rape crisis organisation worldwide , Rape Crisis Scotland does more harm than good , if it does any good at all , and should be shut down .
Don ’ t expect that to happen any time soon if ever .

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 reality is that rape is always prosecuted where the allegation is considered credible while false rape allegations are prosecuted infrequently, in the UK at least.
Here are a few examples from the same time period to illustrate the point.
On January 23, 2011, a woman claimed to have been raped in Warminster. She soon admitted she had lied, and received an £80 fixed penalty notice. Later the same month, Susan Bradley claimed to have been raped in Sheffield by two Eastern European men. Two months later she admitted she had made it up, and she too received an £80 fixed penalty notice.
April 4 the same year, a teenager in Bletchley claimed to have been raped by a former lover. After he was arrested, she admitted the lie, and likewise received an £80 fixed penalty notice.
May 4, 2011: a woman is allegedly raped in Aylesbury. When the truth comes out, the police refer her for “support” rather than prosecution, a sadly common reaction.
February 18/19, 2012: late at night a woman is allegedly rape in an Ipswich park. Two men are arrested. No action is taken against them, nor against the woman who accused them.
And these are only the cases reported by the national, regional and local press. Many rape allegations are ruled unfounded at an early stage when the police realise they have been sent on a wild goose chase. Most of these false allegations are due to alcohol and regret sex.
A classic case of regret sex happened in Scotland 25 years ago when teenager Caroline McKinlay became the first person in that country to be sentenced to youth detention for making a false rape allegation. She told the court: “I was happy enough until the sex was all over but later I didn’t want it to have happened.”
You gotta laugh at that one!
Rape crisis centres worldwide would have us believe there are armies of sexual predators out there preying on drunken women or even lacing their drinks with date rape drugs. This can and does happen, but most allegations of alcohol or drug-related rape are due to the behaviour of the accuser. Women have less tolerance for alcohol than men, which can result not only in loss of inhibitions but to problems with memory. A woman who seems perfectly sober may wake up the next morning or some time later with fragmented memories of having sex because her short term memory has not transferred into long term memory. This is something of which the police are acutely aware.
In 2008, a senior police officer told the Irish Independent: “We have had cases where having received an allegation, we go back to a nightclub attended by the complainant and the accused and there is CCTV footage where you see the girl with the guy and they are all over each other. The next day she wakes up, doesn’t know what has happened or even who she was with.”
Predictably the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre didn’t like this candid statement, because like Rape Crisis Scotland the people who run it believe women should never have to take responsibility for themselves. The reference to CCTV is most fitting, because today probably more false rape accusers are caught out by it than actual rapists, which begs the question, how many totally innocent men have been convicted worldwide down through the years and have paid a heavy price for it?
It isn’t only short term memory that can be affected though. At times when soap operas or documentaries have featured storylines which include rape or sexual abuse, many women and sometimes men contact rape crisis centres claiming to have been “triggered” to remember something that happened to them, usually in their childhood. These are not real memories but confabulations. A particularly sad case of this was a young woman named Carson who contacted the rape crisis center in Cleveland, Ohio, after claiming to “remember” being raped by a neighbour when she was three or four years old. This was almost certainly a confabulation because few of us have clear memories of anything that happened at that age. Instead of explaining this to Carson, the imbeciles who run the center put her into counselling.
Rape Crisis Scotland is just as bad if not worse than the Cleveland, Ohio center. Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre recommends The Courage To Heal as part of its “specialist trauma-informed support services”. If you haven’t heard of it, this is one of the most toxic books ever published. Written by two lesbians, it encourages women to believe they have repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse. After it was published, troubled young women would go into therapy with eating disorders and come out believing they’d been raped by their own fathers.
A little discussed aspect of rape crisis centres is the financial one, in particular the worldwide rape crisis network is a gravy train for the sexual grievance industry including social justice warriors and plain man-haters.
The homepage of the Rape Crisis Scotland website includes introductory videos in several languages, one of them in Mandarin! At the 2011 census, there were fewer than 35,000 ethnic Chinese resident in Scotland, most of whom probably speak passable if not fluent English anyway. There is even an introductory video in French, a nationality that does not register in the census.
Now look at this map of rape crisis centres in Scotland. There are seventeen of them in a nation of fewer than five and a half million. Each of these seventeen centres receives £50,000 a year from one official fund, that is without charitable donations, fund-raising, and other income, including from well-meaning but gullible members of the public.
Rape crisis centres also hold therapy sessions and counselling, which are likewise funded by national and local government, charitable trusts, etc.
It is then little wonder that Rape Crisis Scotland prefer to encourage women to reinterpret their sordid sexual encounters as rape rather than face up to the fact that they have simply made bad choices.
The page “10 Top Tips to End Rape” begins with “Don’t put drugs in women’s drinks” and continues in the same vein. An alternative version can be found here.
Perhaps the worst advice on their website is suggesting women should decide whether or not to report to the police. Any woman who has been raped should report to the police immediately, and should also seek medical attention. That course of action is a no-brainer.
In conclusion, like every other rape crisis organisation worldwide, Rape Crisis Scotland does more harm than good, if it does any good at all, and should be shut down. Don’t expect that to happen any time soon if ever.
Back to Part 1.
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theduran--2020-04-14--A Close Look At Rape Crisis Scotland (Part 1)

Last month ’ s acquittal of Alex Salmond on multiple charges of sexual assault including two of attempted rape should be seen as a vindication of due process .
Alas , it goes without saying that not everybody was happy with the verdicts , including Sandy Brindley , the Chief Executive of Rape Crisis Scotland .
It also goes without saying the “ victims ” were not happy .
In an open letter quoted by Karin Goodwin in The National , March 29 , nine of the complainants said they were “ devastated ” by the verdicts but hoped “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would “ protect and empower ” .
Brindley said this open letter was a “ powerful and important statement.
” Let ’ s get this straight , nine women were devastated that Alex Salmond will not be spending many years in prison , what at his age could be a life sentence , because the jury did not accept their skewed view that his unwanted and apparently clumsy sexual advances amounted to attempted rape or indecent assault .
Is that about right ?
Brindley fellow traveller Hannah Rodger took to Twitter to opine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for speaking out at the end of what must have been one of the worst weeks of their lives ” .
These women are not brave ; they are pathetic .
Former ambassador Craig Murray had the perfect response : “ They are not brave women they are anonymous cowards amplifying their lies rejected by a largely female jury .
They conspired to invent the lies including via a WhatsApp group .
This joint statement is a continuation of their political conspiracy.
” The same day Sandy Brindley endorsed these liars , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspaper to air her views on rape , views that are sadly as embedded in establishment thinking as they are demonstrably wrong .
Her Sunday Times article is called Despite # MeToo , it ’ s still hard to call out the behaviour of powerful men , and as might be expected , peddles feminist rape myths galore .
For one thing , it has never been even moderately difficult for women to call out powerful men who behave badly , in the sexual sphere or otherwise .
Politicians and other public figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalists and sundry commentators .
Sometimes they earn far worse than contempt .
To give a very recent example , when Sheila Oakes suggested that Boris Johnson deserved to be in intensive care ( where he nearly died from the coronavirus ) , no sooner had she made this ill-advised remark than she was sacked as Mayor of Heanor , Derbyshire and from her post as a paralegal .
Women who are active in politics need to be made of sterner stuff , whether or not they aspire to high office themselves .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a man in his place for allowing his hands to wander or telling a blue joke can ’ t be expected to exercise authority , much less delegate it .
Sandy Brindley is more concerned with allegations of actual rape though , something of which Mr Salmond was not accused .
In her Sunday Times article she continues with a familiar whine about rape statistics : “ Most cases never get to court : in 2017/18 , there were 2,255 rapes and attempted rapes reported to the police , but only 247 prosecutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence from research using mock juries that rape myths – that is , false assumptions about rape and how someone will or should react – impact on jury decision-making in these cases.
” Miss Brindley is referring in particular to the twin myths , not the feminist version but the reality .
It is longstanding feminist dogma both that the vast majority of rapes go unreported and that false allegations of rape are extremely rare .
Rape Crisis Scotland has been and remains in the forefront of promoting both these myths .
Let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Why would women not report rape ?
Because they ’ re terrified they won ’ t be believed , we were told .
And that the legal process is too much of an ordeal , they fear retribution , stigma , etc .
This is also used to explain or rather to explain away purported delays in reporting rape , something which is attributed to rape trauma syndrome , an imaginary condition .
This is not to say that women are not traumatised by rape ; people of both sexes can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but there is no medical condition known as rape trauma syndrome .
The second reason for delay in reporting rape is said to be tonic immobility .
Again , this is a real condition , none of us knows how we will react to especially sudden and unexpected trauma , but the idea that a significant number of rape victims freeze when attacked is bunk .
In order to boost this nonsense – and contribute to convicting the innocent – Rape Crisis Scotland made a series of videos three years ago which were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2010 , Kathryn Moore was stabbed by a mugger at Lakeland , Florida .
This video was viewed only 183 times in a decade .
A woman who is attacked by an armed assailant who is clearly interested only in her money can be forgiven for failing to resist , indeed this is probably the wisest course of action , but most victims don ’ t freeze .
Here is a video of a 12 year old girl in Derby fighting back against a thug intent on stealing her phone .
Brave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done better to let it go .
( Her attacker received a mere three year sentence ) .
If a 12 year old girl can defend her mobile phone against a bigger , stronger attacker , can not a grown woman defend her honour ?
Rape Crisis Scotland would have us believe no .
Because rape is a crime that leaves physical evidence , and most women are not the damsels in distress Rape Crisis Scotland would have us believe , to explain away the apparent disparity between the number of rapes charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Scottish courts ( and courts elsewhere ) , they also promote the myth that false allegations are extremely rare , and that juries refuse to convict because they adhere to the aforementioned “ rape myths ” .
Here is how Rape Crisis Scotland views false allegations .
Pay particular attention to the pie chart .
An example of their dishonest rhetoric appears on the same page : “ A study produced by the Crown Prosecution Service in England & Wales in March 2013 revealed that over a 17-month period between January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false allegation cases were referred to the DPP – there were 5,651 prosecutions for rape , but only 35 for making false allegations of rape .
”

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.
Last month’s acquittal of Alex Salmond on multiple charges of sexual assault including two of attempted rape should be seen as a vindication of due process. Alas, it goes without saying that not everybody was happy with the verdicts, including Sandy Brindley, the Chief Executive of Rape Crisis Scotland. It also goes without saying the “victims” were not happy.
In an open letter quoted by Karin Goodwin in The National, March 29, nine of the complainants said they were “devastated” by the verdicts but hoped “shining a light on their experiences” would “protect and empower”.
Brindley said this open letter was a “powerful and important statement.”
Let’s get this straight, nine women were devastated that Alex Salmond will not be spending many years in prison, what at his age could be a life sentence, because the jury did not accept their skewed view that his unwanted and apparently clumsy sexual advances amounted to attempted rape or indecent assault. Is that about right?
Brindley fellow traveller Hannah Rodger took to Twitter to opine: “I applaud these brave women for speaking out at the end of what must have been one of the worst weeks of their lives”.
These women are not brave; they are pathetic. Former ambassador Craig Murray had the perfect response:
“They are not brave women they are anonymous cowards amplifying their lies rejected by a largely female jury.
They conspired to invent the lies including via a WhatsApp group. This joint statement is a continuation of their political conspiracy.”
(Shades of the Ghomeshi conspiracy in Canada?)
The same day Sandy Brindley endorsed these liars, she was given space in a UK national newspaper to air her views on rape, views that are sadly as embedded in establishment thinking as they are demonstrably wrong.
Her Sunday Times article is called Despite #MeToo, it’s still hard to call out the behaviour of powerful men, and as might be expected, peddles feminist rape myths galore. For one thing, it has never been even moderately difficult for women to call out powerful men who behave badly, in the sexual sphere or otherwise. Politicians and other public figures of both sexes are regularly savaged by journalists and sundry commentators. Sometimes they earn far worse than contempt. To give a very recent example, when Sheila Oakes suggested that Boris Johnson deserved to be in intensive care (where he nearly died from the coronavirus), no sooner had she made this ill-advised remark than she was sacked as Mayor of Heanor, Derbyshire and from her post as a paralegal.
Women who are active in politics need to be made of sterner stuff, whether or not they aspire to high office themselves. A woman who can’t put a man in his place for allowing his hands to wander or telling a blue joke can’t be expected to exercise authority, much less delegate it.
Sandy Brindley is more concerned with allegations of actual rape though, something of which Mr Salmond was not accused. In her Sunday Times article she continues with a familiar whine about rape statistics: “Most cases never get to court: in 2017/18, there were 2,255 rapes and attempted rapes reported to the police, but only 247 prosecutions and 107 convictions. There is considerable evidence from research using mock juries that rape myths – that is, false assumptions about rape and how someone will or should react – impact on jury decision-making in these cases.”
Miss Brindley is referring in particular to the twin myths, not the feminist version but the reality. It is longstanding feminist dogma both that the vast majority of rapes go unreported and that false allegations of rape are extremely rare. Rape Crisis Scotland has been and remains in the forefront of promoting both these myths. Let us deal with them in that order.
Why would women not report rape? Because they’re terrified they won’t be believed, we were told. And that the legal process is too much of an ordeal, they fear retribution, stigma, etc. This is also used to explain or rather to explain away purported delays in reporting rape, something which is attributed to rape trauma syndrome, an imaginary condition. This is not to say that women are not traumatised by rape; people of both sexes can be traumatised by all sorts of things, but there is no medical condition known as rape trauma syndrome.
The second reason for delay in reporting rape is said to be tonic immobility. Again, this is a real condition, none of us knows how we will react to especially sudden and unexpected trauma, but the idea that a significant number of rape victims freeze when attacked is bunk. In order to boost this nonsense – and contribute to convicting the innocent – Rape Crisis Scotland made a series of videos three years ago which were advertised with the hashtag #IJustFroze.
In 2010, Kathryn Moore was stabbed by a mugger at Lakeland, Florida. This video was viewed only 183 times in a decade. A woman who is attacked by an armed assailant who is clearly interested only in her money can be forgiven for failing to resist, indeed this is probably the wisest course of action, but most victims don’t freeze. Here is a video of a 12 year old girl in Derby fighting back against a thug intent on stealing her phone. Brave though she was, she would have done better to let it go. (Her attacker received a mere three year sentence). If a 12 year old girl can defend her mobile phone against a bigger, stronger attacker, can not a grown woman defend her honour? Rape Crisis Scotland would have us believe no.
Because rape is a crime that leaves physical evidence, and most women are not the damsels in distress Rape Crisis Scotland would have us believe, to explain away the apparent disparity between the number of rapes charged and the number of convictions actually obtained by the Scottish courts (and courts elsewhere), they also promote the myth that false allegations are extremely rare, and that juries refuse to convict because they adhere to the aforementioned “rape myths”. Here is how Rape Crisis Scotland views false allegations. Pay particular attention to the pie chart.
An example of their dishonest rhetoric appears on the same page: “A study produced by the Crown Prosecution Service in England & Wales in March 2013 revealed that over a 17-month period between January 2011 and May 2012 – when all false allegation cases were referred to the DPP – there were 5,651 prosecutions for rape, but only 35 for making false allegations of rape.”
To Part 2.
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theduran--2020-04-14--Why at Least America Will Be in Another Great Depression

America ’ s bailout package to overcome the coronavirus ‘ recession ’ is twofold : One part is printing money for employees and consumers , so that they won ’ t be thrown out onto the streets for non-payment of debts such as mortgages , car-loans , credit cards , and student loans .
Another part is printing money for bondholders and stockholders , so that their investments will still have value and there won ’ t be panicked selling of them as corporations accumulate soaring losses because consumers are staying home and are cutting way back on expenses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the part for investors ) will merely add to the wealth of the already-wealthy , while everybody else sinks financially into oblivion .
( On April 9th , the Zero Hedge financial site explained in detail why even bailing out the airlines would hurt the economy more than help the economy . )
The top-down part supplies the money to the corporations instead of to their employees and consumers , and is therefore supply-boosting instead of demand-boosting .
Supplying money to the corporations that the Government selects to protect will enable those corporations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the crisis are being auctioned off by the ones that go out of business , and this will leave the nation ’ s wealth in even fewer hands than before the epidemic struck .
The bottom-up part ( the part for workers and consumers ) will be exactly the opposite of that : it will help prevent another Great Depression .
By boosting purchases , instead of bailing-out billionaires and such , it will enable the economy to keep functioning , and it will not increase the concentration of wealth .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have many lobbyists , but billionaires do , and billionaires also own ( through political donations and lobbyists ) almost all members of Congress ( and also the mainstream press ) , and they not only own , but are represented by , one inside the White House , who is surrounded there by others , and by representatives of others , so that the concerns of the wealthiest will be very well represented by America ’ s Government , and will end up dominating the bailouts , so that only the insiders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be protected .
( And Joe Biden would be no improvement over Donald Trump , though his rhetoric is different . )
Already , we see , in the ‘ news ’ -reports , that there is ‘ chaos ’ etc .
in the U.S. Government ’ s response to the crisis , but what ’ s not being reported in the mainstream ‘ news ’ -media is that there very much is method to this seeming madness , and it is the method of the well-practiced and well-funded takers , definitely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ( and their Government ) have been , and now increasingly are , taking .
The takers own the Deep State , and are protected by it .
The vast bulk of the bailouts will go to them .
The vast bulk of the bailouts will go to suppliers ( investors ) , not to their workers and consumers .
Printing money for bondholders and stockholders will predominate .
It won ’ t be like Franklin Delano Roosevelt ( FDR ) did during the first Great Depression , when the federal money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the megacorporations ; it will be the opposite .
This will be a supercharged concentration of wealth .
Money is power , and the power of billionaires will thus be enormously increased ; the power of the public will go to zero .
The inevitable result of this will be enormous spreading poverty , and , ultimately , so many dollars being owned by the billionaires , so that hyperinflation will result if this continues for more than a few months , and it will not be able to be overcome by any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will instead be a problem about the distribution of actual wealth ( not mere money ) ; and , as Raoul Pal phrased this problem , “ Money printing does not make the dollars available .
They get stuck in the financial system and hoarded ” ( by the wealthy ) , at a time like this .
So : there still will be wealth , but increasing percentages of it will be owned by the super-rich ; and , so , their corporations will experience plunging sales .
Everything ( except , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will actually be worth less than it was before , even though inflation will be soaring .
More dollars will be chasing fewer goods and services that are actually being purchased .
The stock and bond markets will then crash .
The result will be like Germany during the Weimar Republic .
But the cause of it will be different ; it won ’ t be war-reparations payments ; it will instead be the almost unimaginable corruption at the very top of the U.S. Government and economy .
Whereas Germany had a deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and most of America ’ s billionaires are Republicans ( unapologetically elitist psychopaths ) , which means they want there to be even less of that : simply dog-eat-dog ( survival of the ‘ fittest ’ ) amongst everybody else — not their own class .
Although Democratic politicians will probably sweep the November elections , those individuals are deeply indebted to Democratic Party billionaires , for their very careers .
These billionaires must be served first — it ’ s the American way , “ Greed is good ” ( at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reasons why Weimar-era Germans gravitated politically rightward was that Germany at that time did not have a right-wing-populist Government ; and , so , right-wing-populist politicians didn ’ t get the blame .
Hitler came to power then .
America now does have a right-wing-populist Government .
Right-wing populism will therefore get the blame .
If the leftwing-populist , democratic socialist , Bernie Sanders had been chosen by Democratic Party voters , then America would not be facing its present very dire prospects , and congressional Democrats ( because their Presidential candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now be blocking — instead of passing into law ( as it now is ) — the bailouts for millionaires and billionaires ; but there is no such leadership , at this crucial time .
( As a leader , Joe Biden is already a failure . )
This is why America now faces a near certainty of another Great Depression .
It comes from the leadership , and the leadership don ’ t represent the public .
The result when a right-wing-populist country faces collapse is a police-state , facing a revolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public .
If Democrats win the November elections , then Democratic Party billionaires , and not Republican Party ones , will be making the decisions .
Biden is no FDR .
Perhaps there exists no close historical precedent for understanding what the outcome of that would be .
If there instead turn out to be Republican billionaires continuing to make the decisions , then there will be massive bloodshed , and increasing defections from the Government , and an increasingly unmanageable revolution , which will be a hell for any predictions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there will be at least a possibility of fundamental reform .
Perhaps someone like FDR will arise after Joe Biden ’ s corruption and incompetency ( he won the nomination by cheating ) will have been sufficiently displayed for a few years .
Therefore , maybe , starting in 2024 ( after Biden ’ s failure ) , things will be able to start turning around , for the better , by means of a new set of primaries for the Democratic Party ’ s nomination ( or else by a Constitutional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Electoral College ) .
The fundamental problem , right now , is that the sheer corruption at the very top of the U.S. Government will cause trillions of dollars of federal bailouts to go to the very wealthiest Americans , at a time when there is soaring need by the public .
The idea that America will be able to succeed no matter how corrupt its Government is , is now being tested , and I don ’ t see any way that such an idea will be able to pass such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell .
We ’ re now in an enormous experiment — that ’ s for sure .
There is one reason to hope that the bleak scenario described here might be averted .
The most advanced software for predicting Covid-19 cases and fatalities in the United States provides projections at the “ Health Data ” site , which started on April 7th , by projecting that the peak in cases will be on April 15th and that by May 21st there will have been 81,000 deaths , and that by August 4th the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 81,766 .
Three days later , on April 10th , the projections were instead that the peak will be on April 11th and that by May 22nd there will have been 60,000 deaths , and that the final death will be recorded on August 4th , at 60,415 .
( But that estimate suddenly soared back up on April 13th to 68,841 . )
This 26 % ( or now 16 % ) reduction in the ultimate total death estimate , within only 3 ( or 5 ) days , indicates that perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generally been thought to be the case .
However , if optimistic projections turn out to be true , so that almost no Americans will die from Covid-19 after May 22nd , then the question will still remain : With tens of millions of Americans having gone for so long without income , what will be the consequence to the American economy ?
It will still be another Great Depression .
In fact , on April 9th CNBC headlined “ JPMorgan now sees economy contracting by 40 % in second quarter , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Total GDP-contraction during the Great Depression was a decline of 46 % during 1929-1933 , the steepest such plunge in U.S. history .
Peak unemployment that was reached during the Great Depression — also a U.S. record — was 19 % , in 1938 . )
But maybe it won ’ t last as long as the first one did .
Furthermore , if the Government ’ s response to the crisis will be the opposite of what FDR ’ s was and will bail out the megacorporations instead of bail out only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will there be afterwards ?
That ’ s the problem — the insatiable and enormous grabbing by America ’ s super-rich , by means of their ( not our ) Government .
As the liberal billionaire Warren Buffett observed in November 2006 , “ There ’ s class warfare , all right , but it ’ s my class , the rich class , that ’ s making war , and we ’ re winning.
” Now , nearly 14 years later ( and especially after the current round of bailouts ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won .
America is a dictatorship by the rich ; no longer a government “ of the people , by the people , for the people.
” Not only do Republican voters want to retain this dictatorship by the rich , but Joe Biden ’ s victory against Bernie Sanders proves that many Democratic voters also want it to continue .
Sanders was the only candidate calling for “ revolution , ” and that call by him was spurned .
That decision by the voters , which was guided by the lobbyists and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billionaires , shapes America ’ s future .
Also on April 9th , the New York Times bannered “ Fed ’ s Plan Far Exceeds Its 2008 Rescue ” .
That ’ s virtually unregulated money flowing to investors , unlike what will be going to workers and consumers .
The Fed even “ stopped short of applying limits on offshoring.
” And , as the article also noted , this money that the Treasury will lend through the Fed includes “ Help for corporations , ” “ Limited support for risky debt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and city governments ” ; and any of these Fed loans that end up not being repaid will increase Americans ’ future federal taxes .
Though investors will be protected , “ offshoring ” of workers ’ jobs will continue , and the public ’ s descendants will be left holding the bag of any losses .
Then , on April 13th was the announcement that “ Morgan Stanley warns that a potential second wave of infections could strike around November/December ” .
The firm said “ We believe the path to re-opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It will require turning on and off various forms of social distancing and will only come to an end when vaccines are available , in the spring of 2021 at the earliest.
” How will it then be possible to avoid a Second Great Depression ?
Will the Fed be able to continue printing money without limit ?
Would an immense financial crash be avoided even if it can ?
The realistic outlook now appears to be super-grim .
Perhaps sooner than anyone now expects , every investor will start selling into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at anything like today ’ s prices .
Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author , most recently , of They ’ re Not Even Close : The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records , 1910-2010 , and of CHRIST ’ S VENTRILOQUISTS : The Event that Created Christianity .

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.
Eric Zuesse, originally posted at Strategic Culture
America’s bailout package to overcome the coronavirus ‘recession’ is twofold:
One part is printing money for employees and consumers, so that they won’t be thrown out onto the streets for non-payment of debts such as mortgages, car-loans, credit cards, and student loans.
Another part is printing money for bondholders and stockholders, so that their investments will still have value and there won’t be panicked selling of them as corporations accumulate soaring losses because consumers are staying home and are cutting way back on expenses.
The top-down part of the bailout (the part for investors) will merely add to the wealth of the already-wealthy, while everybody else sinks financially into oblivion. (On April 9th, the Zero Hedge financial site explained in detail why even bailing out the airlines would hurt the economy more than help the economy.) The top-down part supplies the money to the corporations instead of to their employees and consumers, and is therefore supply-boosting instead of demand-boosting. Supplying money to the corporations that the Government selects to protect will enable those corporations to buy up assets and corporations which during the crisis are being auctioned off by the ones that go out of business, and this will leave the nation’s wealth in even fewer hands than before the epidemic struck.
The bottom-up part (the part for workers and consumers) will be exactly the opposite of that: it will help prevent another Great Depression. By boosting purchases, instead of bailing-out billionaires and such, it will enable the economy to keep functioning, and it will not increase the concentration of wealth.
However, employees and consumers don’t have many lobbyists, but billionaires do, and billionaires also own (through political donations and lobbyists) almost all members of Congress (and also the mainstream press), and they not only own, but are represented by, one inside the White House, who is surrounded there by others, and by representatives of others, so that the concerns of the wealthiest will be very well represented by America’s Government, and will end up dominating the bailouts, so that only the insiders, who are well-connected in Washington, will be protected. (And Joe Biden would be no improvement over Donald Trump, though his rhetoric is different.)
Already, we see, in the ‘news’-reports, that there is ‘chaos’ etc. in the U.S. Government’s response to the crisis, but what’s not being reported in the mainstream ‘news’-media is that there very much is method to this seeming madness, and it is the method of the well-practiced and well-funded takers, definitely not of their victims, from whom they (and their Government) have been, and now increasingly are, taking. The takers own the Deep State, and are protected by it. The vast bulk of the bailouts will go to them. The vast bulk of the bailouts will go to suppliers (investors), not to their workers and consumers.
Printing money for bondholders and stockholders will predominate. It won’t be like Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) did during the first Great Depression, when the federal money went to the public instead of to the megacorporations; it will be the opposite. This will be a supercharged concentration of wealth. Money is power, and the power of billionaires will thus be enormously increased; the power of the public will go to zero.
The inevitable result of this will be enormous spreading poverty, and, ultimately, so many dollars being owned by the billionaires, so that hyperinflation will result if this continues for more than a few months, and it will not be able to be overcome by any form of monetary response, because it will instead be a problem about the distribution of actual wealth (not mere money); and, as Raoul Pal phrased this problem, “Money printing does not make the dollars available. They get stuck in the financial system and hoarded” (by the wealthy), at a time like this. So: there still will be wealth, but increasing percentages of it will be owned by the super-rich; and, so, their corporations will experience plunging sales. Everything (except, perhaps, gold, etc.) will actually be worth less than it was before, even though inflation will be soaring. More dollars will be chasing fewer goods and services that are actually being purchased. The stock and bond markets will then crash. The result will be like Germany during the Weimar Republic. But the cause of it will be different; it won’t be war-reparations payments; it will instead be the almost unimaginable corruption at the very top of the U.S. Government and economy. Whereas Germany had a deeply rooted social-welfare system, America does not, and most of America’s billionaires are Republicans (unapologetically elitist psychopaths), which means they want there to be even less of that: simply dog-eat-dog (survival of the ‘fittest’) amongst everybody else — not their own class. Although Democratic politicians will probably sweep the November elections, those individuals are deeply indebted to Democratic Party billionaires, for their very careers. These billionaires must be served first — it’s the American way, “Greed is good” (at least after 1980).
One of the reasons why Weimar-era Germans gravitated politically rightward was that Germany at that time did not have a right-wing-populist Government; and, so, right-wing-populist politicians didn’t get the blame. Hitler came to power then. America now does have a right-wing-populist Government. Right-wing populism will therefore get the blame. If the leftwing-populist, democratic socialist, Bernie Sanders had been chosen by Democratic Party voters, then America would not be facing its present very dire prospects, and congressional Democrats (because their Presidential candidate would then be leading them) would now be blocking — instead of passing into law (as it now is) — the bailouts for millionaires and billionaires; but there is no such leadership, at this crucial time. (As a leader, Joe Biden is already a failure.) This is why America now faces a near certainty of another Great Depression. It comes from the leadership, and the leadership don’t represent the public.
The result when a right-wing-populist country faces collapse is a police-state, facing a revolution: military guns and tanks, facing the public. If Democrats win the November elections, then Democratic Party billionaires, and not Republican Party ones, will be making the decisions. Biden is no FDR.
Perhaps there exists no close historical precedent for understanding what the outcome of that would be. If there instead turn out to be Republican billionaires continuing to make the decisions, then there will be massive bloodshed, and increasing defections from the Government, and an increasingly unmanageable revolution, which will be a hell for any predictions. But with Democratic Party billionaires taking charge, there will be at least a possibility of fundamental reform. Perhaps someone like FDR will arise after Joe Biden’s corruption and incompetency (he won the nomination by cheating) will have been sufficiently displayed for a few years. Therefore, maybe, starting in 2024 (after Biden’s failure), things will be able to start turning around, for the better, by means of a new set of primaries for the Democratic Party’s nomination (or else by a Constitutional Amendment doing away with political parties and the Electoral College).
The fundamental problem, right now, is that the sheer corruption at the very top of the U.S. Government will cause trillions of dollars of federal bailouts to go to the very wealthiest Americans, at a time when there is soaring need by the public. The idea that America will be able to succeed no matter how corrupt its Government is, is now being tested, and I don’t see any way that such an idea will be able to pass such a test. But only time will tell. We’re now in an enormous experiment — that’s for sure.
There is one reason to hope that the bleak scenario described here might be averted. The most advanced software for predicting Covid-19 cases and fatalities in the United States provides projections at the “Health Data” site, which started on April 7th, by projecting that the peak in cases will be on April 15th and that by May 21st there will have been 81,000 deaths, and that by August 4th the final death will be recorded, at 81,766. Three days later, on April 10th, the projections were instead that the peak will be on April 11th and that by May 22nd there will have been 60,000 deaths, and that the final death will be recorded on August 4th, at 60,415. (But that estimate suddenly soared back up on April 13th to 68,841.) This 26% (or now 16%) reduction in the ultimate total death estimate, within only 3 (or 5) days, indicates that perhaps the outlook is less dire than has generally been thought to be the case. However, if optimistic projections turn out to be true, so that almost no Americans will die from Covid-19 after May 22nd, then the question will still remain: With tens of millions of Americans having gone for so long without income, what will be the consequence to the American economy? It will still be another Great Depression. In fact, on April 9th CNBC headlined “JPMorgan now sees economy contracting by 40% in second quarter, and unemployment reaching 20%”. (Total GDP-contraction during the Great Depression was a decline of 46% during 1929-1933, the steepest such plunge in U.S. history. Peak unemployment that was reached during the Great Depression — also a U.S. record — was 19%, in 1938.) But maybe it won’t last as long as the first one did. Furthermore, if the Government’s response to the crisis will be the opposite of what FDR’s was and will bail out the megacorporations instead of bail out only the public, what type of country will there be afterwards? That’s the problem — the insatiable and enormous grabbing by America’s super-rich, by means of their (not our) Government. As the liberal billionaire Warren Buffett observed in November 2006, “There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.” Now, nearly 14 years later (and especially after the current round of bailouts), we can say, simply: they won. America is a dictatorship by the rich; no longer a government “of the people, by the people, for the people.” Not only do Republican voters want to retain this dictatorship by the rich, but Joe Biden’s victory against Bernie Sanders proves that many Democratic voters also want it to continue. Sanders was the only candidate calling for “revolution,” and that call by him was spurned. That decision by the voters, which was guided by the lobbyists and news-media, which were guided by the billionaires, shapes America’s future.
Also on April 9th, the New York Times bannered “Fed’s Plan Far Exceeds Its 2008 Rescue”. That’s virtually unregulated money flowing to investors, unlike what will be going to workers and consumers. The Fed even “stopped short of applying limits on offshoring.” And, as the article also noted, this money that the Treasury will lend through the Fed includes “Help for corporations,” “Limited support for risky debt,” and “Help for state and city governments”; and any of these Fed loans that end up not being repaid will increase Americans’ future federal taxes. Though investors will be protected, “offshoring” of workers’ jobs will continue, and the public’s descendants will be left holding the bag of any losses.
Then, on April 13th was the announcement that “Morgan Stanley warns that a potential second wave of infections could strike around November/December”. The firm said “We believe the path to re-opening the economy is going to be long. It will require turning on and off various forms of social distancing and will only come to an end when vaccines are available, in the spring of 2021 at the earliest.” How will it then be possible to avoid a Second Great Depression? Will the Fed be able to continue printing money without limit? Would an immense financial crash be avoided even if it can? The realistic outlook now appears to be super-grim. Perhaps sooner than anyone now expects, every investor will start selling into paper investment-markets that suddenly have no buyers at anything like today’s prices.
—————
Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of They’re Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records, 1910-2010, and of CHRIST’S VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that Created Christianity.
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