wakingtimes--2020-01-09--Opposing Iran War Doesn’t Make You Conservative or Liberal, It Makes You Smart

Despite the establishment telling Americans otherwise , the United States is marching directly into a major conflict with Iran that could have catastrophic implications .
The two-party paradigm ’ s grip on Trump supporters has them shifting from previously supporting Trump ’ s anti-intervention stance on which he campaigned , into full on support for a senseless and dangerous war .
This is the exact same scenario that unfolded with Obama when he turned the antiwar Left into pro-war interventionists .
If you stand against this escalation , according to the establishment , you are anti-America .
But in reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To those foolish enough to be supporting such idiotic war games , consider the fact that Iran is not Iraq or Afghanistan or Syria or Libya .
Iran ’ s military is ranked as the 14th most powerful armed forces in the world by Global Firepower ’ s 2019 Military Strength Ranking .
A war with them would not resemble that of a war with Iraq .
Instead , Americans would see large scale cyber attacks on our infrastructure , clandestine operations carried out inside the United States , and potential nuclear fallout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are likely .
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard , who deployed on two combat tours to Iraq , painted the picture perfectly in a tweet pointing out that a war with Iran would make the Iraq war look like a picnic .
This entire debacle started over “ top secret ” claims that the US was under an impending threat from Qassim Suleimani and his forces .
Americans were never once shown any evidence of this .
We are merely supposed to believe them and then go off and die in a war for them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ most dangerous man in the world ” was praised by America just four years ago as his Quds Forces not only helped push back ISIS in Iraq , but lead the action to do it .
To those paying attention , and not buying the same lies , quite literally , that got us into both quagmires in Afghanistan and Iraq , this march to war with Iran started well before Trump came into office .
Iran is a country who is rich in resources and operates outside of the US Dollar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the establishment and slated for invasion .
It has been the plan since Bill Clinton was in office and was documented in the neoconservative PNAC report .
This was even admitted by General Wesley Clark , former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO , that the U.S. planned on going to war with Iran , according to a 2001 memo from the U.S. Secretary of Defense .
Now , we have Mike Pompeo regurgitating the same lines Dick Cheney used to convince Americans that war with Iraq was a good idea .
Last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has “ every expectation ” that people “ in Iran will view the American action last night ( assassinating a general beloved by the country ) as giving them freedom.
” Sound familiar ?
It should .
In 2003 , Dick Cheney said the same thing .
“ I think things have gotten so bad inside Iraq , from the standpoint of the Iraqi people , my belief is we will , in fact , be greeted as liberators .
.
.
.
I think it will go relatively quickly , .
.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , ” he said .
The “ weeks ” have turned into 17 years and hundreds of thousands of innocent lives lost while accomplishing nothing .
Now , these same people are salivating over a similar but far more dangerous intervention in Iran and somehow many Americans think it will be different this time .
Spoiler alert : It won ’ t .
The only thing different this time is the lack of support from US allies around the world who are watching in dismay as America attempts to launch World War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The time is now for Americans to wake up and realize that a war with Iran , with no support from other countries , will make America the bad guys .
Iran isn ’ t invading other countries and bombing them .
America is .
Iran is assassinating foreign leaders on peace missions .
America is .
Iran is building bases around the world and bending nations to their will through threats and drone strikes .
America is .
Do not mistake the anti-Iran war stance as support for Iran .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can be against the Iranian state and still be against the war .
You can be a Democrat and be against the war just like you can be a Republican and be against the war .
It ’ s called thinking for yourself and realizing that this war will be hell .
Iran is no bastion of freedom , but this conflict that will result from further provocation with them will be far worse than any petty tyrant asserting their will in the Middle East .
Supporting this war makes you complicit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It makes you the opposite of a patriot .
It makes you a sheep being willingly led off to slaughter .
Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA .
This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state .
Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world .
Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Steemit , and now on Minds .

Opposing Iran War Doesn’t Make You Conservative or Liberal, It Makes You Smart
Matt Agorist, The Free Thought Project
Waking Times
Despite the establishment telling Americans otherwise, the United States is marching directly into a major conflict with Iran that could have catastrophic implications. The two-party paradigm’s grip on Trump supporters has them shifting from previously supporting Trump’s anti-intervention stance on which he campaigned, into full on support for a senseless and dangerous war. This is the exact same scenario that unfolded with Obama when he turned the antiwar Left into pro-war interventionists. If you stand against this escalation, according to the establishment, you are anti-America. But in reality, you’re just smart.
To those foolish enough to be supporting such idiotic war games, consider the fact that Iran is not Iraq or Afghanistan or Syria or Libya. Iran’s military is ranked as the 14th most powerful armed forces in the world by Global Firepower’s 2019 Military Strength Ranking. A war with them would not resemble that of a war with Iraq. Instead, Americans would see large scale cyber attacks on our infrastructure, clandestine operations carried out inside the United States, and potential nuclear fallout. Hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties are likely.
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who deployed on two combat tours to Iraq, painted the picture perfectly in a tweet pointing out that a war with Iran would make the Iraq war look like a picnic.
“As someone who understands the situation in Iraq and Syria, I can tell you that if we do not get our troops out of Iraq and Syria now, we will be dragged deeper and deeper into a quagmire and war that will make the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan look like a picnic,” she wrote. We agree.
This entire debacle started over “top secret” claims that the US was under an impending threat from Qassim Suleimani and his forces. Americans were never once shown any evidence of this. We are merely supposed to believe them and then go off and die in a war for them. What’s more, this “most dangerous man in the world” was praised by America just four years ago as his Quds Forces not only helped push back ISIS in Iraq, but lead the action to do it.
http://twitter.com/Ian56789/status/1214723405817294848
To those paying attention, and not buying the same lies, quite literally, that got us into both quagmires in Afghanistan and Iraq, this march to war with Iran started well before Trump came into office. Iran is a country who is rich in resources and operates outside of the US Dollar. This makes them an enemy to the establishment and slated for invasion.
It has been the plan since Bill Clinton was in office and was documented in the neoconservative PNAC report. This was even admitted by General Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, that the U.S. planned on going to war with Iran, according to a 2001 memo from the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
“This is a memo that describes how we’re going to take out seven countries in five years,” Clark said. “Starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and finishing off with Iran.”
Now, we have Mike Pompeo regurgitating the same lines Dick Cheney used to convince Americans that war with Iraq was a good idea. Last week, Pompeo on CNN said the US has “every expectation” that people “in Iran will view the American action last night (assassinating a general beloved by the country) as giving them freedom.” Sound familiar? It should.
In 2003, Dick Cheney said the same thing. “I think things have gotten so bad inside Iraq, from the standpoint of the Iraqi people, my belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators. . . . I think it will go relatively quickly, . . . (in) weeks rather than months,” he said. The “weeks” have turned into 17 years and hundreds of thousands of innocent lives lost while accomplishing nothing.
Now, these same people are salivating over a similar but far more dangerous intervention in Iran and somehow many Americans think it will be different this time. Spoiler alert: It won’t.
The only thing different this time is the lack of support from US allies around the world who are watching in dismay as America attempts to launch World War III. As Thomas Luongo points out:
Normally when something like this happens the U.S. has all of its allies lined up with statements at the ready. A gaggle of the usual suspects behind lecterns pledging support replete with the requisite hand-wringing and virtue signaling. That didn’t happen this time. Only arm-twisting by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cajoled a few lukewarm responses from European allies stunned by Trump’s violations of International Law and escalation of hostilities. It’s clear Trump stunned them into silence. Because they know the world is more dangerous today than it was a week ago.
Indeed.
The time is now for Americans to wake up and realize that a war with Iran, with no support from other countries, will make America the bad guys. Iran isn’t invading other countries and bombing them. America is. Iran is assassinating foreign leaders on peace missions. America is. Iran is building bases around the world and bending nations to their will through threats and drone strikes. America is.
Do not mistake the anti-Iran war stance as support for Iran. This is the tactic of the establishment. You can be against the Iranian state and still be against the war. You can be a Democrat and be against the war just like you can be a Republican and be against the war. It’s called thinking for yourself and realizing that this war will be hell.
Iran is no bastion of freedom, but this conflict that will result from further provocation with them will be far worse than any petty tyrant asserting their will in the Middle East. Supporting this war makes you complicit in the hellish reality that will ensue. It makes you the opposite of a patriot. It makes you a sheep being willingly led off to slaughter.
About the Author
Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project. Follow @MattAgorist on Twitter, Steemit, and now on Minds.


wakingtimes--2020-01-09--Atlanta Police Make Monumental Move, Disband Entire Drug Unit to Focus on Actual Crime

Atlanta , GA — In one of the most revolutionary moves we ’ ve reported on to date , the Atlanta Police Department announced this week that they are disbanding their narcotics unit so they can fight actual violent crime .
This move is both revolutionary and heartening and is another nail in the war on drugs ’ coffin .
According to a report from WSB-TV Atlanta , the massive change was confirmed on Tuesday .
The department confirmed with WSB-TV reporter , Mark Winne , noting that all the officers in the drug unit will be assigned to other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal narcotics trade is often at the center of criminal activity fueled by guns and gangs .
The Department is de-centralizing its Narcotics Unit in recognition that the violence that surrounds this trade should be the focus of the entire Department , not just one team .
We have had tremendous success at targeting the sale of illegal narcotics by tracking violent criminals and getting illegally-possessed guns off the streets .
“ Violent crime and gang activity must be the Department ’ s primary focus and where we will have a greater impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victimized in our communities.
” Imagine that !
Instead of focusing their efforts on kicking in doors in the middle of the night over people possessing a plant , Atlanta cops will focus on stopping actual violence against the citizens .
This is huge .
Naturally , the cops who make a living kicking in doors and confiscating money , drugs and property from drug dealers with all their expensive militarized gear , are not happy .
“ Absolutely , it ’ s a risky move , ” a veteran APD narcotics officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified .
“ I ’ m sure there was a lot of thought put into it .
I don ’ t have all the numbers that the higher-ups in APD have , but I wouldn ’ t recommend it .
“ I hope in the long run that this move is successful .
I wish Atlanta the best .
I hope it was well calculated , ” the officer told Winne .
Although they still acknowledge the perpetuation of the drug war in no uncertain terms , the fact that officers will now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people for drugs is monumental .
Hopefully , this move catches on and departments across the country follow suit .
As TFTP has reported before , in the land of the free , those tasked with ‘ protecting ’ society — often and with extreme prejudice — fall far short of providing anything resembling actual safety .
Instead , law enforcement in America often chooses profit over people .
One particularly egregious example of this choice is the fact that tens of thousands of raids on people for suspected illegal substances take place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of rape kits collect dust in police departments across the country and murders continue to go unsolved .
If you were murdered today , there ’ s only a 60 % chance of police catching the person who did it .
That number drops to 3 % if you ’ re raped .
50 years ago , that number was much higher .
What happened ?
The answer to that question can be found by looking at where police — everywhere except Atlanta — allocate much of their time and resources .
Civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dealers by the dozen and confiscating their drugs , guns , cars , houses , and money pays .
Writing tickets for victimless crime pays .
Pulling you over for window tint , seat belts , arbitrary traveling speeds , and expired license plates to go on fishing expeditions for drugs ; these are the things that pay—not solving crimes .
In criminal justice , clearance rates are used as a measure of crimes solved by the police .
The clearance rate is calculated by dividing the number of crimes that are “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) by the total number of crimes recorded .
In the United States , the murder clearance rate in 1965 was more than 90 percent .
Since the inception of the war on drugs , the murder clearance rate has plummeted to an average of less than 60 percent per year .
This decline is in spite of there being far fewer murders .
It is also in spite of new technological developments to help police solve crimes , like DNA testing , advanced forensic labs , and unethical spying devices like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the constitutional protections against unlawful search and seizure , the clearance rate for murder and violent crimes continued to free fall .
This highlights the fact that no matter how many rights are given up or freedoms diminished , police can not guarantee your safety .
For now , it appears that the Atlanta Police Department is moving in the right direction .
Other departments would do well to pay attention .
Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the world of government corruption and the American police state .
Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world .
Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project .
Follow @ MattAgorist on Twitter , Steemit , and now on Minds .

Atlanta Police Make Monumental Move, Disband Entire Drug Unit to Focus on Actual Crime
Matt Agorist, The Free Thought Project
Waking Times
Atlanta, GA — In one of the most revolutionary moves we’ve reported on to date, the Atlanta Police Department announced this week that they are disbanding their narcotics unit so they can fight actual violent crime. This move is both revolutionary and heartening and is another nail in the war on drugs’ coffin.
According to a report from WSB-TV Atlanta, the massive change was confirmed on Tuesday. The department confirmed with WSB-TV reporter, Mark Winne, noting that all the officers in the drug unit will be assigned to other areas.
In a statement, the department told Winne (emphasis added):
“We know that the illegal narcotics trade is often at the center of criminal activity fueled by guns and gangs. The Department is de-centralizing its Narcotics Unit in recognition that the violence that surrounds this trade should be the focus of the entire Department, not just one team. We have had tremendous success at targeting the sale of illegal narcotics by tracking violent criminals and getting illegally-possessed guns off the streets. “Violent crime and gang activity must be the Department’s primary focus and where we will have a greater impact on the crimes affecting those most often victimized in our communities.”
Imagine that! Instead of focusing their efforts on kicking in doors in the middle of the night over people possessing a plant, Atlanta cops will focus on stopping actual violence against the citizens. This is huge.
Naturally, the cops who make a living kicking in doors and confiscating money, drugs and property from drug dealers with all their expensive militarized gear, are not happy.
“Absolutely, it’s a risky move,” a veteran APD narcotics officer told Winne, asking not to be identified. “I’m sure there was a lot of thought put into it. I don’t have all the numbers that the higher-ups in APD have, but I wouldn’t recommend it. “I hope in the long run that this move is successful. I wish Atlanta the best. I hope it was well calculated,” the officer told Winne.
Although they still acknowledge the perpetuation of the drug war in no uncertain terms, the fact that officers will now focus on preventing harm rather than attacking people for drugs is monumental. Hopefully, this move catches on and departments across the country follow suit.
As TFTP has reported before, in the land of the free, those tasked with ‘protecting’ society — often and with extreme prejudice — fall far short of providing anything resembling actual safety. Instead, law enforcement in America often chooses profit over people. One particularly egregious example of this choice is the fact that tens of thousands of raids on people for suspected illegal substances take place every year, while hundreds of thousands of rape kits collect dust in police departments across the country and murders continue to go unsolved.
If you were murdered today, there’s only a 60% chance of police catching the person who did it. That number drops to 3% if you’re raped. 50 years ago, that number was much higher. What happened?
The answer to that question can be found by looking at where police — everywhere except Atlanta — allocate much of their time and resources.
Civil asset forfeiture pays. Busting low-level drug dealers by the dozen and confiscating their drugs, guns, cars, houses, and money pays. Writing tickets for victimless crime pays. Pulling you over for window tint, seat belts, arbitrary traveling speeds, and expired license plates to go on fishing expeditions for drugs; these are the things that pay—not solving crimes.
In criminal justice, clearance rates are used as a measure of crimes solved by the police. The clearance rate is calculated by dividing the number of crimes that are “cleared” (a charge being laid) by the total number of crimes recorded.
In the United States, the murder clearance rate in 1965 was more than 90 percent. Since the inception of the war on drugs, the murder clearance rate has plummeted to an average of less than 60 percent per year.
This decline is in spite of there being far fewer murders. It is also in spite of new technological developments to help police solve crimes, like DNA testing, advanced forensic labs, and unethical spying devices like the stingray.
Despite the near complete erosion of the constitutional protections against unlawful search and seizure, the clearance rate for murder and violent crimes continued to free fall. This highlights the fact that no matter how many rights are given up or freedoms diminished, police cannot guarantee your safety.
For now, it appears that the Atlanta Police Department is moving in the right direction. Other departments would do well to pay attention.
About the Author
Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project. Follow @MattAgorist on Twitter, Steemit, and now on Minds.


wakingtimes--2020-01-09--Trump to Veto Bill Intended to Keep Forever Chemicals out of Groundwater

The White House announced Tuesday that it plans to veto the PFAS Action Act of 2019 , which aims to keep harmful forever chemicals out of groundwater , as Newsweek reported .
‘ Forever ’ chemicals , which are often referred to as PFAS ( per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals ) , are a class of heat and water-resistant chemicals used in a variety of industrial products , flame retardants and nonstick products , such as raincoats , cookware and packaging and have leeched into water supplies in almost every state in the country , according to The Hill .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the environment nor in the human body .
The bill before congress is sponsored by congresswoman Debbie Dingell ( D-Michigan ) with the intention of reducing unintended , involuntary exposure to PFAS .
“ PFAS is a clear threat to human health and our environment , ” wrote Dingell in a November 2019 statement , as Newsweek reported .
“ The reality is a lot of contamination is connected to military sites and the Defense Department , ” Dingell ’ s statement continued .
“ We are continuing to champion strong provisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identify PFAS as a hazardous substance for the purpose of clean up under the EPA ’ s Superfund program and facilitate coordinated response between local communities and the military.
” The sweeping legislation that Dingell proposed came after there was no mention of regulating PFAS in the annual defense policy bill .
Furthermore , the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) said it would decide whether or not to regulate PFAS by the end of 2019 , but it missed its own self-imposed deadline , according to The Hill .
A vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Thursday , where it is expected to pass the Democratic-controlled House .
However , it is likely to face a backlash in the Republican-controlled Senate , according to The Hill .
It also may never come up for a vote in the Senate after the White House announced its intention to veto the legislation .
The White House dismissed the bill as not cost-effective and as an affront to the power structure in place , saying in a statement that the bill would “ supersede existing statutory requirements ” that would prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the treatment of PFAS in the environment , as Newsweek reported .
Environmental activists were aghast at the White House ’ s decision to veto legislation that would require making drinking water safer .
The EPA currently recommends that water supplies not have more than 70 parts per trillion of PFAS , but there is no firm requirement in place .
Critics say that not only is a requirement needed , but one that is much lower than the current recommended level , as The Hill reported .
“ Just days after failing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration has threatened to veto legislation that would set PFAS deadlines , ” said Faber in a statement .
“ It ’ s never been clearer that it ’ s time for Congress to set tough deadlines to reduce PFAS releases into the air and water , set PFAS drinking water standards , and clean up legacy PFAS pollution .
If the Trump administration won ’ t take the necessary steps to protect the public from PFAS , it ’ s up to Congress to act .
”

Trump to Veto Bill Intended to Keep Forever Chemicals out of Groundwater
Jordan Davidson, EcoWatch
Waking Times
The White House announced Tuesday that it plans to veto the PFAS Action Act of 2019, which aims to keep harmful forever chemicals out of groundwater, as Newsweek reported.
‘Forever’ chemicals, which are often referred to as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals), are a class of heat and water-resistant chemicals used in a variety of industrial products, flame retardants and nonstick products, such as raincoats, cookware and packaging and have leeched into water supplies in almost every state in the country, according to The Hill. They are known carcinogens and do not degrade in the environment nor in the human body.
The bill before congress is sponsored by congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan) with the intention of reducing unintended, involuntary exposure to PFAS.
“PFAS is a clear threat to human health and our environment,” wrote Dingell in a November 2019 statement, as Newsweek reported. “The reality is a lot of contamination is connected to military sites and the Defense Department,” Dingell’s statement continued. “We are continuing to champion strong provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act to identify PFAS as a hazardous substance for the purpose of clean up under the EPA’s Superfund program and facilitate coordinated response between local communities and the military.”
The sweeping legislation that Dingell proposed came after there was no mention of regulating PFAS in the annual defense policy bill. Furthermore, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it would decide whether or not to regulate PFAS by the end of 2019, but it missed its own self-imposed deadline, according to The Hill.
A vote on Dingell’s bill is scheduled for Thursday, where it is expected to pass the Democratic-controlled House. However, it is likely to face a backlash in the Republican-controlled Senate, according to The Hill. It also may never come up for a vote in the Senate after the White House announced its intention to veto the legislation.
The White House dismissed the bill as not cost-effective and as an affront to the power structure in place, saying in a statement that the bill would “supersede existing statutory requirements” that would prevent the EPA from making proper decisions about the treatment of PFAS in the environment, as Newsweek reported.
“By doing so,” the statement read, “the bill would create considerable litigation risk, set problematic and unreasonable rulemaking timelines and precedents, and impose substantial, unwarranted costs on Federal, State, and local agencies and other key stakeholders in both the public and private sectors.”
Environmental activists were aghast at the White House’s decision to veto legislation that would require making drinking water safer.
“Enough is enough,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, in a statement. “For too long, the EPA has failed to treat the PFAS contamination crisis like a crisis. Trump’s EPA has sunk to a whole new level of failure.”
The EPA currently recommends that water supplies not have more than 70 parts per trillion of PFAS, but there is no firm requirement in place. Critics say that not only is a requirement needed, but one that is much lower than the current recommended level, as The Hill reported.
“Just days after failing to meet a PFAS deadline, the Trump administration has threatened to veto legislation that would set PFAS deadlines,” said Faber in a statement. “It’s never been clearer that it’s time for Congress to set tough deadlines to reduce PFAS releases into the air and water, set PFAS drinking water standards, and clean up legacy PFAS pollution. If the Trump administration won’t take the necessary steps to protect the public from PFAS, it’s up to Congress to act.”
By Jordan Davidson | Creative Commons | EcoWatch


wakingtimes--2020-01-09--Full-Scale War Is Avoided And Trump Goes Right Back To Warmongering

The United States and Iran entered into a direct military exchange for the first time ever with the drone assassination of General Qassem Soleimani last week and a retaliatory strike from Iran via surface-to-surface missiles upon two US military bases on Wednesday .
As usual , it was the less powerful nation who exercised restraint , with Iran skillfully targeting the bases ’ military capabilities but taking measures to successfully avoid any casualties .
The two nations de-escalated back down to their previous high level of dangerous hostilities with an understanding between them that neither side wants a full-scale war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and both sides swerved , and they know that about each other now .
So that was a relief .
We were all forced to hold our breath and hope against hope that cooler heads would prevail after the senseless assassination of a sovereign nation ’ s top military official , and they did .
A full-scale war that would have dwarfed Iraq and Vietnam in terms of death , destruction and destabilization was averted .
And then Trump immediately went right back to warmongering .
It is unclear at this time what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are of the sort being leveled at Iran currently , they will further target Iranian civilians with the goal of making them even more miserable so that they rise up and overthrow their government .
This deliberate attempt to foment civil war against Tehran is not speculation ; it is a fact , admitted to by the Trump administration itself .
A New York Times article from last year reports the following : It is impossible for the US and Iran to de-escalate from the military powderkeg situation they are in as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran ’ s economy with the goal of igniting a civil war in that country .
The US government intends to not just continue to escalate this direct assault , but to continue its increasingly intrusive military presence in the region , including the unwelcome occupation of Iraq .
And yet , bizarrely , Trump also claims to want to reach a new nuclear deal with Iran .
This is not going to happen .
The US government has already burned Tehran on the JCPOA and it ’ s not going to enter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US continues to inflict aggressions upon it that the US itself wouldn ’ t tolerate from any other nation .
Iran is going to be much less willing to trust the US government in a new deal now and will require much more assurance and accommodation than it did in the previous one ; such a negotiation ( assuming the Trump administration even really wants it ) would be harder , not easier .
This will remain true even after Trump leaves office .
The Trump administration also further inflamed tensions by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Middle East , which NATO chief chief Jens Stoltenberg agreed to .
So things are only continuing to heat up with Iran , and there is no reason to believe more eruptions like the direct military confrontation we just experienced won ’ t occur again , with the world perhaps getting a lot less lucky next time .
Trump and his supporters are trying to claim the evasion of full-scale war as a victory for both peace and for America , but it is neither .
All of the defenses of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been seeing are premised upon the unquestioned assumption that it is both reasonable and acceptable for the United States to maintain a military presence in the Middle East , even in nations whose governments don ’ t want them there like Iraq and Syria .
If the US didn ’ t insist on maintaining an enormous military presence in this one area on the other side of the planet , there would be no debate about the need for America to “ defend ” itself by attacking the Iranian economy , assassinating government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militias .
It would just be another country on the other side of the world , doing its own thing in its own way .
Most Americans haven ’ t thought very hard about this premise .
They are fed some lines about the need to protect American “ interests ” and some unexplained need to defend Israel , and because those lines are spoken in an authoritative tone of voice most are content to leave it there .
But if Americans actually laid out all the facts in front of them and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Middle Eastern military presence costs them and risks for them compared to what it actually gains them , it would be seen for the insane imperialist power agenda that it so clearly is .
The best way to get around the internet censors and make sure you see the stuff she publishes is to subscribe to the mailing list for her website , which will get you an email notification for everything .
Her articles are entirely reader-supported , so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around , liking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter , checking out her podcast , throwing some money into her hat on Patreon or Paypal , or buying her book Woke : A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers .

Full-Scale War Is Avoided And Trump Goes Right Back To Warmongering
Caitlin Johnstone, Guest
Waking Times
The United States and Iran entered into a direct military exchange for the first time ever with the drone assassination of General Qassem Soleimani last week and a retaliatory strike from Iran via surface-to-surface missiles upon two US military bases on Wednesday.
As usual, it was the less powerful nation who exercised restraint, with Iran skillfully targeting the bases’ military capabilities but taking measures to successfully avoid any casualties. The two nations de-escalated back down to their previous high level of dangerous hostilities with an understanding between them that neither side wants a full-scale war. Both sides played “chicken” and both sides swerved, and they know that about each other now.
So that was a relief. We were all forced to hold our breath and hope against hope that cooler heads would prevail after the senseless assassination of a sovereign nation’s top military official, and they did. A full-scale war that would have dwarfed Iraq and Vietnam in terms of death, destruction and destabilization was averted.
And then Trump immediately went right back to warmongering.
“As we continue to evaluate options in response to Iranian aggression, the United States will immediately impose additional punishing economic sanctions on the Iranian regime,” Trump said in his speech the morning after the Iranian missile strike. “These powerful sanctions will remain until Iran changes its behavior.”
It is unclear at this time what form these sanctions will take. If they are of the sort being leveled at Iran currently, they will further target Iranian civilians with the goal of making them even more miserable so that they rise up and overthrow their government. This deliberate attempt to foment civil war against Tehran is not speculation; it is a fact, admitted to by the Trump administration itself.
A New York Times article from last year reports the following:
“Last week, Mr. Pompeo acknowledged to Michael J. Morrell, a former acting director of the C.I.A., that the administration’s strategy would not persuade Iranian leaders to change their behavior. “’I think what can change is the people can change the government,’ he said on a podcast hosted by Mr. Morrell, in what appeared to be an endorsement of regime change.”
It is impossible for the US and Iran to de-escalate from the military powderkeg situation they are in as long as the US is deliberately attacking Iran’s economy with the goal of igniting a civil war in that country. The US government intends to not just continue to escalate this direct assault, but to continue its increasingly intrusive military presence in the region, including the unwelcome occupation of Iraq.
And yet, bizarrely, Trump also claims to want to reach a new nuclear deal with Iran.
“The very defective JCPOA expires shortly anyway and gives Iran a clear and quick path to nuclear breakout,” Trump said. “Iran must abandon its nuclear ambitions and end its support for terrorism. The time has come for the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia and China to recognize this reality. They must now break away from the remnants of the Iran deal, or JCPOA. And we must all work together toward making a deal with Iran that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place. We must also make a deal that allows Iran to thrive and prosper and take advantage of its enormous untapped potential.”
This is not going to happen. The US government has already burned Tehran on the JCPOA and it’s not going to enter into a new deal as long as the US continues to inflict aggressions upon it that the US itself wouldn’t tolerate from any other nation. Iran is going to be much less willing to trust the US government in a new deal now and will require much more assurance and accommodation than it did in the previous one; such a negotiation (assuming the Trump administration even really wants it) would be harder, not easier. This will remain true even after Trump leaves office.
The airstrikes between the US and Iran were the result of the trajectory of escalations Trump initiated by wrongfully withdrawing from the JCPOA in order to smash Iran with sanctions. Heaping even more sanctions on top of those accelerates along that same trajectory toward war. https://t.co/CafcRr13E1 — Caitlin Johnstone ⏳ (@caitoz) January 8, 2020
The Trump administration also further inflamed tensions by inviting NATO to become further involved in the Middle East, which NATO chief chief Jens Stoltenberg agreed to.
“The President asked the secretary general for NATO to become more involved in the Middle East,” a NATO statement said. “They agreed that NATO could contribute more to regional stability and the fight against international terrorism.”
So things are only continuing to heat up with Iran, and there is no reason to believe more eruptions like the direct military confrontation we just experienced won’t occur again, with the world perhaps getting a lot less lucky next time. Trump and his supporters are trying to claim the evasion of full-scale war as a victory for both peace and for America, but it is neither.
All of the defenses of Trump’s warmongering that you’ve been seeing are premised upon the unquestioned assumption that it is both reasonable and acceptable for the United States to maintain a military presence in the Middle East, even in nations whose governments don’t want them there like Iraq and Syria. If the US didn’t insist on maintaining an enormous military presence in this one area on the other side of the planet, there would be no debate about the need for America to “defend” itself by attacking the Iranian economy, assassinating government officials, and conducting airstrikes upon Iraqi militias. It would just be another country on the other side of the world, doing its own thing in its own way.
Most Americans haven’t thought very hard about this premise. They are fed some lines about the need to protect American “interests” and some unexplained need to defend Israel, and because those lines are spoken in an authoritative tone of voice most are content to leave it there. But if Americans actually laid out all the facts in front of them and thought deeply about what their government’s Middle Eastern military presence costs them and risks for them compared to what it actually gains them, it would be seen for the insane imperialist power agenda that it so clearly is.
About the Author
Caitlin Johnstone – Rogue journalist. Bogan socialist. Anarcho-psychonaut. Guerrilla poet. Utopia prepper.
The best way to get around the internet censors and make sure you see the stuff she publishes is to subscribe to the mailing list for her website, which will get you an email notification for everything. Her articles are entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking her on Facebook, following her antics on Twitter, checking out her podcast, throwing some money into her hat on Patreon or Paypal, or buying her book Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers.


wakingtimes--2020-01-09--Come Home, America: Stop Policing the Globe and Put an End to Wars-Without-End

I agree wholeheartedly with George S. McGovern , a former Senator and presidential candidate who opposed the Vietnam War , about one thing : I ’ m sick of old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in .
Bring them home from Somalia , Afghanistan , Iraq and Syria .
Bring them home from Germany , South Korea and Japan .
Bring them home from Saudi Arabia , Jordan and Oman .
Bring them home from Niger , Chad and Mali .
Bring them home from Turkey , the Philippines , and northern Australia .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen , of course .
The U.S. military reportedly has more than 1.3 million men and women on active duty , with more than 200,000 of them stationed overseas in nearly every country in the world .
Those numbers are likely significantly higher in keeping with the Pentagon ’ s policy of not fully disclosing where and how many troops are deployed for the sake of “ operational security and denying the enemy any advantage.
” As investigative journalist David Vine explains , “ Although few Americans realize it , the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than any other people , nation , or empire in history.
” Don ’ t fall for the propaganda , though : America ’ s military forces aren ’ t being deployed abroad to protect our freedoms here at home .
Rather , they ’ re being used to guard oil fields , build foreign infrastructure and protect the financial interests of the corporate elite .
In fact , the United States military spends about $ 81 billion a year just to protect oil supplies around the world .
The reach of America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 800 bases in as many as 160 countries , operated at a cost of more than $ 156 billion annually .
As Vine reports , “ Even US military resorts and recreation areas in places like the Bavarian Alps and Seoul , South Korea , are bases of a kind .
Worldwide , the military runs more than 170 golf courses.
” This is how a military empire occupies the globe .
Already , American military servicepeople are being deployed to far-flung places in the Middle East and elsewhere in anticipation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This Iran crisis , salivated over by the neocons since prior to the Iraq War and manufactured by war hawks who want to jumpstart the next world war , has been a long time coming .
Donald Trump , Barack Obama , George W. Bush , Bill Clinton : they all have done their part to ensure that the military industrial complex can continue to get rich at taxpayer expense .
Despite numerous campaign promises to stop America ’ s “ endless wars , ” once elected , Trump has done a complete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Middle East , ramping up the war rhetoric , and padding the pockets of defense contractors .
Indeed , Trump is even refusing to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq in the face of a request from the Iraqi government for us to leave .
Obama was no different : he also pledged—if elected—to bring the troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan and reduce America ’ s oversized , and overly costly , military footprint in the world .
Of course , that didn ’ t happen .
Yet while the rationale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces are policing the globe , these wars abroad ( in Iraq , Afghanistan , Pakistan , Syria , Yemen and now Iran ) aren ’ t making America—or the rest of the world—any safer , are certainly not making America great again , and are undeniably digging the U.S. deeper into debt .
Although the U.S. constitutes only 5 % of the world ’ s population , America boasts almost 50 % of the world ’ s total military expenditure , spending more on the military than the next 19 biggest spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pentagon spends more on war than all 50 states combined spend on health , education , welfare , and safety .
The American military-industrial complex has erected an empire unsurpassed in history in its breadth and scope , one dedicated to conducting perpetual warfare throughout the earth .
Since 2001 , the U.S. government has spent more than $ 4.7 trillion waging its endless wars .
Having been co-opted by greedy defense contractors , corrupt politicians and incompetent government officials , America ’ s expanding military empire is bleeding the country dry at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million per hour .
In fact , the U.S. government has spent more money every five seconds in Iraq than the average American earns in a year .
Future wars and military exercises waged around the globe are expected to push the total bill upwards of $ 12 trillion by 2053 .
Talk about fiscally irresponsible : the U.S. government is spending money it doesn ’ t have on a military empire it can ’ t afford .
As investigative journalist Uri Friedman puts it , for more than 15 years now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a credit card , “ essentially bankrolling the wars with debt , in the form of purchases of U.S. Treasury bonds by U.S.-based entities like pension funds and state and local governments , and by countries like China and Japan.
” War is not cheap , but it becomes outrageously costly when you factor in government incompetence , fraud , and greedy contractors .
Indeed , a leading accounting firm concluded that one of the Pentagon ’ s largest agencies “ can ’ t account for hundreds of millions of dollars ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlook isn ’ t much better for the spending that can be tracked .
A government audit found that defense contractor Boeing has been massively overcharging taxpayers for mundane parts , resulting in tens of millions of dollars in overspending .
As the report noted , the American taxpayer paid : That price gouging has become an accepted form of corruption within the American military empire is a sad statement on how little control “ we the people ” have over our runaway government .
Mind you , this isn ’ t just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , downright immoral behavior .
Americans have thus far allowed themselves to be spoon-fed a steady diet of pro-war propaganda that keeps them content to wave flags with patriotic fervor and less inclined to look too closely at the mounting body counts , the ruined lives , the ravaged countries , the blowback arising from ill-advised targeted-drone killings and bombing campaigns in foreign lands , or the transformation of our own homeland into a warzone .
That needs to change .
The U.S. government is not making the world any safer .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is estimated that the U.S. military drops a bomb somewhere in the world every 12 minutes .
Since 9/11 , the United States government has directly contributed to the deaths of around 500,000 human beings .
Every one of those deaths was paid for with taxpayer funds .
The U.S. government is not making America any safer .
It ’ s exposing American citizens to alarming levels of blowback , a CIA term referring to the unintended consequences of the U.S. government ’ s international activities .
Chalmers Johnson , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America ’ s use of its military to gain power over the global economy would result in devastating blowback .
The 9/11 attacks were blowback .
The Boston Marathon Bombing was blowback .
The attempted Times Square bomber was blowback .
The Fort Hood shooter , a major in the U.S. Army , was blowback .
The assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by a U.S. military drone strike will , I fear , spur yet more blowback against the American people .
The war hawks ’ militarization of America—bringing home the spoils @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grenade launchers , Kevlar helmets , assault rifles , gas masks , ammunition , battering rams , night vision binoculars , etc . )
and handing them over to local police , thereby turning America into a battlefield—is also blowback .
We are seeing this play out before our eyes .
The government is destabilizing the economy , destroying the national infrastructure through neglect and a lack of resources , and turning taxpayer dollars into blood money with its endless wars , drone strikes and mounting death tolls .
Clearly , our national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overhauling .
At the height of its power , even the mighty Roman Empire could not stare down a collapsing economy and a burgeoning military .
Prolonged periods of war and false economic prosperity largely led to its demise .
As historian Chalmers Johnson predicts : This is the “ unwarranted influence , whether sought or unsought , by the military-industrial complex ” that President Dwight Eisenhower warned us more than 50 years ago not to let endanger our liberties or democratic processes .
Eisenhower , who served as Supreme Commander of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ II , was alarmed by the rise of the profit-driven war machine that emerged following the war—one that , in order to perpetuate itself , would have to keep waging war .
We failed to heed his warning .
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America : The War on the American People , there ’ s not much time left before we reach the zero hour .
It ’ s time to stop policing the globe , end these wars-without-end , and bring the troops home before it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ author of three explosive collections , THE MATRIX REVEALED , EXIT FROM THE MATRIX , and POWER OUTSIDE THE MATRIX , Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29thDistrict of California .
He maintains a consulting practice for private clients , the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power .
Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize , he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years , writing articles on politics , medicine , and health for CBS Healthwatch , LA Weekly , Spin Magazine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US and Europe .
Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics , health , logic , and creative power to audiences around the world .
You can sign up for his free emails at NoMoreFakeNews.com or OutsideTheRealityMachine .
Like Waking Times on Facebook .
Follow Waking Times on Twitter .

Come Home, America: Stop Policing the Globe and Put an End to Wars-Without-End
Jon Rappoport, Guest
Waking Times
“Let us resolve that never again will we send the precious young blood of this country to die trying to prop up a corrupt military dictatorship abroad. This is also the time to turn away from excessive preoccupation overseas to the rebuilding of our own nation. America must be restored to a proper role in the world. But we can do that only through the recovery of confidence in ourselves…. together we will call America home to the ideals that nourished us from the beginning. From secrecy and deception in high places; come home, America. From military spending so wasteful that it weakens our nation; come home, America.”—George S. McGovern, former Senator and presidential candidate
I agree wholeheartedly with George S. McGovern, a former Senator and presidential candidate who opposed the Vietnam War, about one thing: I’m sick of old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.
It’s time to bring our troops home.
Bring them home from Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Bring them home from Germany, South Korea and Japan. Bring them home from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Oman. Bring them home from Niger, Chad and Mali. Bring them home from Turkey, the Philippines, and northern Australia.
That’s not what’s going to happen, of course.
The U.S. military reportedly has more than 1.3 million men and women on active duty, with more than 200,000 of them stationed overseas in nearly every country in the world. Those numbers are likely significantly higher in keeping with the Pentagon’s policy of not fully disclosing where and how many troops are deployed for the sake of “operational security and denying the enemy any advantage.” As investigative journalist David Vine explains, “Although few Americans realize it, the United States likely has more bases in foreign lands than any other people, nation, or empire in history.”
Don’t fall for the propaganda, though: America’s military forces aren’t being deployed abroad to protect our freedoms here at home. Rather, they’re being used to guard oil fields, build foreign infrastructure and protect the financial interests of the corporate elite. In fact, the United States military spends about $81 billion a year just to protect oil supplies around the world.
The reach of America’s military empire includes close to 800 bases in as many as 160 countries, operated at a cost of more than $156 billion annually. As Vine reports, “Even US military resorts and recreation areas in places like the Bavarian Alps and Seoul, South Korea, are bases of a kind. Worldwide, the military runs more than 170 golf courses.”
This is how a military empire occupies the globe.
Already, American military servicepeople are being deployed to far-flung places in the Middle East and elsewhere in anticipation of the war drums being sounded over Iran.
This Iran crisis, salivated over by the neocons since prior to the Iraq War and manufactured by war hawks who want to jumpstart the next world war, has been a long time coming.
Donald Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton: they all have done their part to ensure that the military industrial complex can continue to get rich at taxpayer expense.
Take President Trump, for instance.
Despite numerous campaign promises to stop America’s “endless wars,” once elected, Trump has done a complete about-face, deploying greater numbers of troops to the Middle East, ramping up the war rhetoric, and padding the pockets of defense contractors. Indeed, Trump is even refusing to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq in the face of a request from the Iraqi government for us to leave.
Obama was no different: he also pledged—if elected—to bring the troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan and reduce America’s oversized, and overly costly, military footprint in the world. Of course, that didn’t happen.
Yet while the rationale may keep changing for why American military forces are policing the globe, these wars abroad (in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen and now Iran) aren’t making America—or the rest of the world—any safer, are certainly not making America great again, and are undeniably digging the U.S. deeper into debt.
War spending is bankrupting America.
Although the U.S. constitutes only 5% of the world’s population, America boasts almost 50% of the world’s total military expenditure, spending more on the military than the next 19 biggest spending nations combined.
In fact, the Pentagon spends more on war than all 50 states combined spend on health, education, welfare, and safety.
The American military-industrial complex has erected an empire unsurpassed in history in its breadth and scope, one dedicated to conducting perpetual warfare throughout the earth.
Since 2001, the U.S. government has spent more than $4.7 trillion waging its endless wars.
Having been co-opted by greedy defense contractors, corrupt politicians and incompetent government officials, America’s expanding military empire is bleeding the country dry at a rate of more than $32 million per hour.
In fact, the U.S. government has spent more money every five seconds in Iraq than the average American earns in a year.
Future wars and military exercises waged around the globe are expected to push the total bill upwards of $12 trillion by 2053.
Talk about fiscally irresponsible: the U.S. government is spending money it doesn’t have on a military empire it can’t afford.
As investigative journalist Uri Friedman puts it, for more than 15 years now, the United States has been fighting terrorism with a credit card, “essentially bankrolling the wars with debt, in the form of purchases of U.S. Treasury bonds by U.S.-based entities like pension funds and state and local governments, and by countries like China and Japan.”
War is not cheap, but it becomes outrageously costly when you factor in government incompetence, fraud, and greedy contractors. Indeed, a leading accounting firm concluded that one of the Pentagon’s largest agencies “can’t account for hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of spending.”
Unfortunately, the outlook isn’t much better for the spending that can be tracked.
A government audit found that defense contractor Boeing has been massively overcharging taxpayers for mundane parts, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in overspending. As the report noted, the American taxpayer paid:
$71 for a metal pin that should cost just 4 cents; $644.75 for a small gear smaller than a dime that sells for $12.51: more than a 5,100 percent increase in price. $1,678.61 for another tiny part, also smaller than a dime, that could have been bought within DoD for $7.71: a 21,000 percent increase. $71.01 for a straight, thin metal pin that DoD had on hand, unused by the tens of thousands, for 4 cents: an increase of over 177,000 percent.
That price gouging has become an accepted form of corruption within the American military empire is a sad statement on how little control “we the people” have over our runaway government.
Mind you, this isn’t just corrupt behavior. It’s deadly, downright immoral behavior.
Americans have thus far allowed themselves to be spoon-fed a steady diet of pro-war propaganda that keeps them content to wave flags with patriotic fervor and less inclined to look too closely at the mounting body counts, the ruined lives, the ravaged countries, the blowback arising from ill-advised targeted-drone killings and bombing campaigns in foreign lands, or the transformation of our own homeland into a warzone.
That needs to change.
The U.S. government is not making the world any safer. It’s making the world more dangerous. It is estimated that the U.S. military drops a bomb somewhere in the world every 12 minutes. Since 9/11, the United States government has directly contributed to the deaths of around 500,000 human beings. Every one of those deaths was paid for with taxpayer funds.
The U.S. government is not making America any safer. It’s exposing American citizens to alarming levels of blowback, a CIA term referring to the unintended consequences of the U.S. government’s international activities. Chalmers Johnson, a former CIA consultant, repeatedly warned that America’s use of its military to gain power over the global economy would result in devastating blowback.
The 9/11 attacks were blowback. The Boston Marathon Bombing was blowback. The attempted Times Square bomber was blowback. The Fort Hood shooter, a major in the U.S. Army, was blowback.
The assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by a U.S. military drone strike will, I fear, spur yet more blowback against the American people.
The war hawks’ militarization of America—bringing home the spoils of war (the military tanks, grenade launchers, Kevlar helmets, assault rifles, gas masks, ammunition, battering rams, night vision binoculars, etc.) and handing them over to local police, thereby turning America into a battlefield—is also blowback.
James Madison was right: “No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.” As Madison explained, “Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes… known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few.”
We are seeing this play out before our eyes.
The government is destabilizing the economy, destroying the national infrastructure through neglect and a lack of resources, and turning taxpayer dollars into blood money with its endless wars, drone strikes and mounting death tolls.
Clearly, our national priorities are in desperate need of an overhauling.
At the height of its power, even the mighty Roman Empire could not stare down a collapsing economy and a burgeoning military. Prolonged periods of war and false economic prosperity largely led to its demise. As historian Chalmers Johnson predicts:
The fate of previous democratic empires suggests that such a conflict is unsustainable and will be resolved in one of two ways. Rome attempted to keep its empire and lost its democracy. Britain chose to remain democratic and in the process let go its empire. Intentionally or not, the people of the United States already are well embarked upon the course of non-democratic empire.
This is the “unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex” that President Dwight Eisenhower warned us more than 50 years ago not to let endanger our liberties or democratic processes.
Eisenhower, who served as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, was alarmed by the rise of the profit-driven war machine that emerged following the war—one that, in order to perpetuate itself, would have to keep waging war.
We failed to heed his warning.
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, there’s not much time left before we reach the zero hour.
It’s time to stop policing the globe, end these wars-without-end, and bring the troops home before it’s too late.
About the Author
Jon Rappoport is the author of three explosive collections, THE MATRIX REVEALED, EXIT FROM THE MATRIX, and POWER OUTSIDE THE MATRIX, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29thDistrict of California. He maintains a consulting practice for private clients, the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world. You can sign up for his free emails at NoMoreFakeNews.com or OutsideTheRealityMachine.
(To read about Jon’s mega-collection, Exit From The Matrix, click here.)


wakingtimes--2020-01-09--New Study: US Gov’t Spent $6.4 Trillion on Military Actions in Over 80 Countries Since 9/11

A new study from the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University has estimated that U.S. taxpayers have spent $ 6.4 trillion on wars and military actions in the Middle East , Africa , and Asia since September 11 , 2001 .
This is far more than the government spends on all its other expenses for an entire year .
In fact , this is about $ 2 trillion more than the $ 4.4 that was allotted for the entire federal budget last year , according to the Treasury Department .
The study also estimated that over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fighting , with 335,000 of those deaths being civilian .
However , these are likely conservative estimates that only reflect a portion of the lives that were lost .
As the study notes , at least 21 million people were displaced due to the fighting in these wars .
One of the most startling revelations in the study was the incredible scale of the global war on terror Neta Crawford , who authored the study , says that the U.S. government will be on the hook with military expenses for years to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terror were to come to an end , because they would be responsible for following through on promises to compensate veterans and supply benefits like medical care .
“ Even if the United States withdraws completely from the major war zones by the end of FY2020 and halts its other Global War on Terror operations , in the Philippines and Africa for example , the total budgetary burden of the post-9/11 wars will continue to rise as the U.S. pays the on-going costs of veterans ’ care and for interest on borrowing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The study was published on November 13 , 2019 , about a month and a half before the current escalation of military tension between Iran and the United States .
If the current hostilities continue , the military budget can only be expected to rise .
During the first week in January , U.S. President Donald Trump took to Twitter to brag about how the U.S. government recently spent two trillion dollars on military equipment alone .
Check out the following 2011 video to understand just how big one trillion dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 6,400,000,000,000 : Spending $ 1 million an hour , 24 hours a day , you wouldn ’ t run out of money for 730 years .
Like Waking Times on Facebook .
Follow Waking Times on Twitter .

New Study: US Gov’t Spent $6.4 Trillion on Military Actions in Over 80 Countries Since 9/11
John Vibes, The Mind Unleashed
Waking Times
A new study from the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University has estimated that U.S. taxpayers have spent $6.4 trillion on wars and military actions in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia since September 11, 2001. This is far more than the government spends on all its other expenses for an entire year. In fact, this is about $2 trillion more than the $4.4 that was allotted for the entire federal budget last year, according to the Treasury Department.
The study also estimated that over 801,000 people lost their lives directly in the fighting, with 335,000 of those deaths being civilian. However, these are likely conservative estimates that only reflect a portion of the lives that were lost. As the study notes, at least 21 million people were displaced due to the fighting in these wars.
One of the most startling revelations in the study was the incredible scale of the global war on terror
“Since 2001, the wars have expanded from the fighting in Afghanistan, to wars and smaller operations elsewhere, in more than 80 countries—becoming a truly global war on terror,” the authors of the study wrote.
Neta Crawford, who authored the study, says that the U.S. government will be on the hook with military expenses for years to come, even if the war on terror were to come to an end, because they would be responsible for following through on promises to compensate veterans and supply benefits like medical care.
“Even if the United States withdraws completely from the major war zones by the end of FY2020 and halts its other Global War on Terror operations, in the Philippines and Africa for example, the total budgetary burden of the post-9/11 wars will continue to rise as the U.S. pays the on-going costs of veterans’ care and for interest on borrowing to pay for the wars,” Crawford said.
The study was published on November 13, 2019, about a month and a half before the current escalation of military tension between Iran and the United States. If the current hostilities continue, the military budget can only be expected to rise.
During the first week in January, U.S. President Donald Trump took to Twitter to brag about how the U.S. government recently spent two trillion dollars on military equipment alone.
http://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1213689342272659456
Check out the following 2011 video to understand just how big one trillion dollars is—and then multiple that by 6.4.
$6,400,000,000,000: Spending $1 million an hour, 24 hours a day, you wouldn’t run out of money for 730 years.
By John Vibes | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com


wakingtimes--2020-01-10--Byproduct of Iran Conflict: Increased Surveillance and Detained Iranian-Americans

While the world anxiously watches the situation in Iraq unfold , it ’ s important to understand domestic byproducts of the ongoing military conflict between the United States and Iran .
Specifically , the tensions between the two nations have lead to an increase in the questioning of travelers of Iranian descent who attempt to cross U.S. borders .
There have also been reports of police departments exploiting the hysteria to increase surveillance and security measures .
The Electronic Frontier Foundation ( EFF ) released a statement noting their opposition to any “ targeting of people for digital surveillance based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationality , at our border and in our interior.
” As the Mind Unleashed previously reported , on January 4 more than 60 people of Iranian descent , including U.S. citizens , were held at the border between Canada and Washington state for many hours and questioned .
U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ) denied that it detained or refused entry to Iranians based on their national origin despite multiple reports from travelers .
According to a Buzzfeed report , a CBP officer coerced at least one U.S. citizen into providing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the phone away for two hours .
Following Donald Trump ’ s decision to launch a missile strike into Iraq and kill Iranian General Soleimani , the New York City Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department announced a boost in security of New York City and Los Angeles .
EFF warns that there is reason to be concerned this security boosting could lead to an increase of police surveillance of Iranian communities .
EFF notes that in 2012 both the NYPD and the Newark Police Department settled legal claims brought by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infiltration of Muslims in their cities .
The surveillance included shops , restaurants , mosques , and schools .
EFF also reminds Americans that in the build up to the Iraq war , the FBI targeted Iraqi Americans for surveillance .
The potential targeting of Iraqis and Iranians is reminiscent of the weeks following the September 11 , 2001 terror attacks , when the U.S. government rounded up several hundred individuals suspected of ties to terrorism .
The arrests were allegedly based on tips received through a hotline .
In total , 762 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some individuals were even deported after being found to have no ties to terrorism .
Detainees were held between three to eight months in facilities in New York and New Jersey .
Many of the detainees were subject to solitary confinement for 23 hours a day and faced punishment from authorities , including slamming them into walls , bending or twisting their arms , hands , wrists and fingers , stepping on their leg restraints , leaving them handcuffed or shackled in their cells , insulting their religion , and making humiliating sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , not one U.S. government official has been held accountable .
A lawsuit filed in federal court in April 2002 sought to hold former top U.S. officials accountable , including then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and former FBI Director Robert Mueller .
Unfortunately , in June 2017 , the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that officials can not be held accountable for the actions of the post 9/11 kidnappings .
The court stated that “ high officers who face personal liability for damages might refrain from taking urgent and lawful action in a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the American public not stay silent during times of turmoil and tension between political leaders .
If we stand by silently while power hungry warmongers attempt to take advantage of a crisis , we risk becoming a guilty party in gross violations of basic civil liberties and human rights .
Derrick Broze is an investigative journalist , activist , and author from Houston , Texas .
He is the founder of The Houston Free Thinkers , and The Conscious Resistance Network .
His writing can be found on TheConsciousResistance.com , Truth In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Mint Press News , and The Mind Unleashed .
Follow him on Steemit : www.Steemit.com/ @ dbroze **This article ( Byproduct of Iran Conflict : Increased Surveillance and Detained Iranian-Americans ) was originally published at The Mind Unleashed and is re-posted here with permission .
**

Byproduct of Iran Conflict: Increased Surveillance and Detained Iranian-Americans
Derrick Broze, The Mind Unleashed
Waking Times
While the world anxiously watches the situation in Iraq unfold, it’s important to understand domestic byproducts of the ongoing military conflict between the United States and Iran.
Specifically, the tensions between the two nations have lead to an increase in the questioning of travelers of Iranian descent who attempt to cross U.S. borders. There have also been reports of police departments exploiting the hysteria to increase surveillance and security measures.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) released a statement noting their opposition to any “targeting of people for digital surveillance based on their race, religion, or nationality, at our border and in our interior.” As the Mind Unleashed previously reported, on January 4 more than 60 people of Iranian descent, including U.S. citizens, were held at the border between Canada and Washington state for many hours and questioned. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) denied that it detained or refused entry to Iranians based on their national origin despite multiple reports from travelers. According to a Buzzfeed report, a CBP officer coerced at least one U.S. citizen into providing the password to his smartphone before taking the phone away for two hours.
“EFF has long argued, including in Alasaad v. McAleenan, that travelers have significant privacy interests in their digital data and that the U.S. Constitution protects such interests at the border,” EFF writes. “We’ve also argued that these rights are not suspended if an international traveler happens to be of a particular race, religion, or nationality. Indeed, digital surveillance at the border, if predicated on these factors, is both unconstitutional and a moral outrage.”
Following Donald Trump’s decision to launch a missile strike into Iraq and kill Iranian General Soleimani, the New York City Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department announced a boost in security of New York City and Los Angeles. EFF warns that there is reason to be concerned this security boosting could lead to an increase of police surveillance of Iranian communities.
EFF notes that in 2012 both the NYPD and the Newark Police Department settled legal claims brought by civil liberties groups opposing police surveillance and infiltration of Muslims in their cities. The surveillance included shops, restaurants, mosques, and schools. EFF also reminds Americans that in the build up to the Iraq war, the FBI targeted Iraqi Americans for surveillance.
The potential targeting of Iraqis and Iranians is reminiscent of the weeks following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, when the U.S. government rounded up several hundred individuals suspected of ties to terrorism. The arrests were allegedly based on tips received through a hotline.
In total, 762 people were detained around the country. Some individuals were even deported after being found to have no ties to terrorism. Detainees were held between three to eight months in facilities in New York and New Jersey. Many of the detainees were subject to solitary confinement for 23 hours a day and faced punishment from authorities, including slamming them into walls, bending or twisting their arms, hands, wrists and fingers, stepping on their leg restraints, leaving them handcuffed or shackled in their cells, insulting their religion, and making humiliating sexual comments during strip searches. Since that time, not one U.S. government official has been held accountable.
A lawsuit filed in federal court in April 2002 sought to hold former top U.S. officials accountable, including then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and former FBI Director Robert Mueller. Unfortunately, in June 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that officials cannot be held accountable for the actions of the post 9/11 kidnappings. The court stated that “high officers who face personal liability for damages might refrain from taking urgent and lawful action in a time of crisis.”
Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the one dissenting opinion, stating, “History warns of the risk to liberty in times of national crisis.” Breyer mentioned the imprisonment of dissenters during World War I, and the “unnecessary internment during World War II of 70,000 American citizens of Japanese origin,” as examples of mistakes the U.S. government ought not repeat.
It’s important that the American public not stay silent during times of turmoil and tension between political leaders. If we stand by silently while power hungry warmongers attempt to take advantage of a crisis, we risk becoming a guilty party in gross violations of basic civil liberties and human rights.
About the Author
Derrick Broze is an investigative journalist, activist, and author from Houston, Texas. He is the founder of The Houston Free Thinkers, and The Conscious Resistance Network. His writing can be found on TheConsciousResistance.com , Truth In Media, the Anti-Media, Activist Post, and Mint Press News, and The Mind Unleashed. Follow him on Steemit: www.Steemit.com/@dbroze
**This article (Byproduct of Iran Conflict: Increased Surveillance and Detained Iranian-Americans) was originally published at The Mind Unleashed and is re-posted here with permission.**


wakingtimes--2020-01-10--‘Breathtaking’ Photos Show Plants in Australia Already Regrowing Across Fire-Ravaged Landscapes

Incredible photographs from Australia showing bush regrowing in areas recently devastated by bushfires are giving hope to thousands of online users who are reeling from the ongoing bushfire crisis .
Local photographer Murray Lowe snapped the photos Monday in the Kulnara area of New South Wales ’ Central Coast region .
“ Ventured out into the fire grounds today to capture some images of how the Aussie bush responds to fire , and the way it regenerates itself and comes back to life .
Even without any rain , life bursts through the burnt bark from the heart of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s so heartening to see the bush coming back to life again.
” Since posting the photos to Facebook , the images have been shared over 40,000 times .
Lowe has been floored by the response .
He wrote in an update : Lowe is now selling prints of the photos .
He plans on donating a portion of the proceeds to victims of the fires .
Other Aussies have also posted photos of the regrowth in their regions as authorities and volunteer firefighters continue to struggle to control the @ @ @ @ @

‘Breathtaking’ Photos Show Plants in Australia Already Regrowing Across Fire-Ravaged Landscapes
Elias Marat, The Mind Unleashed
Waking Times
Incredible photographs from Australia showing bush regrowing in areas recently devastated by bushfires are giving hope to thousands of online users who are reeling from the ongoing bushfire crisis.
Local photographer Murray Lowe snapped the photos Monday in the Kulnara area of New South Wales’ Central Coast region.
http://www.facebook.com/murray.lowe.54/posts/1408683199290206
Lowe wrote in the post:
“Ventured out into the fire grounds today to capture some images of how the Aussie bush responds to fire, and the way it regenerates itself and comes back to life. Even without any rain, life bursts through the burnt bark from the heart of the trees and the life cycle begins again. It’s so heartening to see the bush coming back to life again.”
Since posting the photos to Facebook, the images have been shared over 40,000 times. Lowe has been floored by the response. He wrote in an update:
“I did not, in my wildest dreams, anticipate the overwhelming response to my photos that I’ve seen. It’s both humbling, and heart-warming.”
One Facebook user commented:
“Thank you for sharing these pictures, it gives a glimmer of hope through these dark days.”
While another commented:
“As the indigenous people of our country say… Australian country depends on fire to regenerate…. It just needs to be managed by people who understand it.”
Lowe is now selling prints of the photos. He plans on donating a portion of the proceeds to victims of the fires.
Other Aussies have also posted photos of the regrowth in their regions as authorities and volunteer firefighters continue to struggle to control the blazes across the country.
Regrowth is already showing in the Blue Mountains after the #bushfires. pic.twitter.com/JM8oWXHH3m — Bianca Nogrady (@BiancaNogrady) January 8, 2020
By Elias Marat | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com