veteranstoday--2020-12-28--NEO – Why are Tel Aviv and Washington inflaming the situation in the Persian Gulf?

…from Vladimir Platov , …for New Eastern Outlook , Moscow , …and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences , a research institution for the study of the countries and cultures of Asia and North Africa .
[ Editor ’ s Note : The poker game between the US , Israeli and Iran continues with Israel leading the way , as it has been launching attacks not only on Iranian anti-terrorism forces in Syria , but also inside Iran .
This is not only a dangerous game among the three because of starting a shooting war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have negative consequences around the world , as most countries are busy dealing with the pandemic .
The US usual ‘ deterrent ’ tactic as been to flood more forces into the Gulf area .
These actions double as training operations , using funds budgeted for this .
For Iran ’ s part , it keeps reminding the US that the Soleimani assassination will be responded to , which it has the legal right to execute under the UN charter…responding to a pre-emptive strike .
Many agree that Soleimani was the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theater , but he was also a diplomat on a confirmed diplomatic mission to Baghdad when Trump pulled the trigger to kill his entire team at the Baghdad airport .
The Iranian ballistic missile counter strike on the big US base in Iraq was the immediate retaliation , where VT sources claimed there were a significant number of KIAs that were blacked out of the media .
The key piece of evidence was a transport plane with refrigeration capacity was flown into the region to transport bodies back to the main US base @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Iranian nuclear facilities , despite the IAEA certifying Iran ’ s JCPOA compliance , continues to keep the region on the edge of war , one where there would be no winners .
Iran likes to claim it can ‘ end ’ Israel , for example with the claim to be able to strike its Dimona nuclear facility .
But such claims are only true in that Dimona is in range of an Iranian ballistic missile , as Iran never explains how an easy to shoot down ballistic missile would get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s current craziness has triggered reports in the US media that the US military command has had to take precautions to his initiating major military operations as a threat to all as part of his psychological operation to retain his presidency .
US media has already published the details of how he would be removed if he attempted such .
So while many of us had thought that November would be the watershed moment for ending the Trump presidency , it will now be January .
We will all be on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video of the Trump caravan leaving the White House and Biden moving in… Jim W. Dean ] Jim 's Editor ’ s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal Jim 's work includes research , field trips , Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more .
Thanks for helping .
Click to donate > > During the run-up to the anniversary of the insidious assassination of Iranian – and after one month had passed since the equally controversial massacre of leading nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh – Israel and the United States , which are ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasing their military presence in the Middle East , and doing so in demagogic fashion under the guise of fearing “ retaliation from Iran ” .
The United States , located both at a considerable distance from Iran and outside the range of its missiles , having provoked this crisis clearly fears only a missile attack on its diplomatic mission in Iraq , as well as other American facilities in the region .
Washington is trying to validate these fears with reports from American intelligence services , according to which pro-Iranian armed formations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” have allegedly stepped up their activity in Iraq .
However , on December 21 Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh denied these suspicions , which especially resounded in recent statements made by US Secretary of State M. Pompeo about the alleged complicity of pro-Iranian militia in the latest rocket strikes executed on Baghdad ’ s “ Green Zone ” .
Along with that , Khatibzadeh wrote on Twitter that for Tehran “ attacks on diplomatic facilities are unacceptable ” .
Washington still dispatched additional warships and a squadron of fighters to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonstop flight of a B-52 strategic bomber that has the ability to carry nuclear weapons , by doing so intending to “ intimidate Tehran ” .
In addition , on December 21 a US naval unit entered the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz that included a USS Georgia ( SSGN 729 ) Ohio-class submarine , which carries up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles and is capable of taking on board up to 66 special operations service personnel , as well as two Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers : a USS Port Royal ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sea ( CG 58 ) .
Previously , at the end of November , a USS Nimitz ( CVN-68 ) aircraft carrier was sent off to the Persian Gulf “ to help contain the enemy ” ; this was rationalized by the need “ to have additional defensive capabilities in the region in case of any unforeseen circumstances ” .
As far as Israel goes , it clearly fears a “ retaliation strike ” from Iran since , given the Jewish state ’ s modest size , a successful attack on it could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially true if the strike were to hit the Dimona Nuclear Research Center , which is considered to be the site where Israeli nuclear weapons originated ; Tel Aviv neither confirms nor denies that the center exists .
Incidentally , Ayatollah Mohammad-Ali Movahedi Kermani already delivered a warning to Israel that “ if Iran decides to put up resistance , then one missile strike on the Dimona reactor would be enough ” .
It is clear that Iranian missiles will not really be launched at Dimona , since this is fraught with consequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only for Israel , but for Iran and quite a few neighboring countries across the region .
And that is why the Iranian media occasionally names another target : the Israeli city of Haifa .
Israel , fearing the hysteria itself that potential military action could unleash , in a speech made by IDF Chief of General Staff Aviv Kochavi on December 21 cautioned Iran not to attack Israel , stating that “ the Jewish state will retaliate against any aggression ” .
Along with that , A. Kohavi evidently pointedly forgot to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Israel itself , that has already demonstrated its aggressive stance toward the Islamic Republic to the whole world by organizing and initiating acts of terrorism and assassinations – and not only against nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh .
After all , this is far from the first time that Iranian scientists and leading representatives from Iranian society have been killed by an Israeli act of terrorism .
For example , in Tehran , five nuclear physicists have been assassinated recently – and this specifically includes Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam , the architect of Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this points to the systematic destruction of the best Iranian scientists employed in the defense industry , which is being accomplished by the international community with impunity .
This series of assassinations of prominent Iranian scientists , politicians , and military personnel – who ended up being unacceptable for the United States and Israel – substantiates the suspicions first voiced long ago that Western intelligence services and Israel have adopted the terrorist practice of eliminating key personnel and various prominent figures in those countries with which they are at war ; this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technological potential .
In addition to the words it speaks to help deter Tehran , Tel Aviv has taken a series of measures to test the combat readiness of its army against any potential foreign attacks , and is active about consulting with Washington – especially with representatives from the Pentagon – about how to work out joint coordination for the two countries to take military action against Iran .
In particular , large-scale , unprecedented exercises came to an end in December , during which the capabilities of the three levels of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) systems to neutralize various air threats were put to the test .
Senior Israel Defense Forces officers , according to the Internet publication Breaking Defense , held “ negotiations on coordination work ” with their counterparts in the US Central Command ( CENTCOM , which includes the Middle East ) to bolster cooperation between the armed forces in the two countries “ against Iran possibly taking revenge in the region ” .
According to this publication , the IDF has reached its highest degree of readiness , in particular with regard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Iran-backed Hezbollah has in Lebanon , and the Houthi rebels in Yemen ” .
At the same time , it has been reported that although the Israeli command does not disclose the details about how it prepares for war , its tactical and operational anti-missile defense systems , and long-range missile systems , are still on high alert .
In addition , as reported by The Times of Israel , on December 17 , Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley arrived in Israel as part of his Middle East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poses to Washington ’ s allies , including the Jewish state .
As part of preventive measures taken against the armed situation in the region potentially escalating , Israel began to actively spread out its naval fleet around Iran .
An Israeli Navy Dolphin-class ( Type 800 ) submarine carrying cruise missiles on board passed through the Suez Canal , and on December 21 demonstratively surfaced in the Persian Gulf , in the waters that stretch between Saudi Arabia and Iran .
Dolphin is a series of German modified diesel-electric submarines that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have from 6-10 torpedo tubes .
Besides torpedoes , they are armed with mines and Popeye Turbo SLCM cruise missiles that have a range of up to 1,500 km , and are capable of carrying nuclear charges with a capacity of up to 200 kilotons launched from torpedo tubes .
The Israelis regularly keep at least two of their submarines.in the Indian Ocean , in the immediate vicinity of the Persian Gulf .
Today , in the assessments made by numerous experts , there is reason to presume that in January 2021 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a joint American-Israeli missile strike could be launched against Iran , primarily to neutralize Iran ’ s air defense systems , as well as its nuclear industry facilities .
However , while ramping up the degree of military tension in the region Tel Aviv and Washington can not help but clearly see that Iran does not intend to attack either the United States or Israel .
Iran is not in an ideal condition to wage war now , since its economy is seriously undermined by the restrictive measures imposed on its oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic , the deficit inflicting its national budget , and the weakening of its national currency .
Yes , military operations “ against American and Israeli aggressors ” can raise patriotic sentiments in the Islamic Republic for a certain period , but they would quickly drain the Iranian economy and militaristic zeal .
In addition , hoping for a change in the attitude taken toward it after the White House administration changes , for political and economic reasons it would now be clearly disadvantageous for Tehran to carry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Therefore , the maximum that Tehran is capable of doing today , without causing itself significant damage , is to carry out a special operation against the Israelis involved in the murder of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh – or to inflict a targeted strike on American facilities in the region through its “ proxies ” .
As for the United States , Israel , and their allies taking military action against Iran right now , it should be kept in mind that the Islamic Republic , despite all its existing economic problems , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms of its military , and aggression against it would have serious costs .
And this cost is obviously unacceptable for either Trump or Netanyahu , who intend to keep pursuing their political careers .
Vladimir Platov , an expert on the Middle East , exclusively for the online magazine “ New Eastern Outlook ” .

…from Vladimir Platov, …for New Eastern Outlook, Moscow, …and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a research institution for the study of the countries and cultures of Asia and North Africa.
[ Editor’s Note: The poker game between the US, Israel and Iran continues with Israel leading the way, as it has been launching attacks not only on Iranian anti-terrorism forces in Syria, but also inside Iran.
This is not only a dangerous game among the three because of starting a shooting war in the Persian Gulf, but it would have negative consequences around the world, as most countries are busy dealing with the pandemic.
The US usual ‘deterrent’ tactic has been to flood more forces into the Gulf area. These actions double as training operations, using funds budgeted for this. For Iran’s part, it keeps reminding the US that the Soleimani assassination will be responded to, which it has the legal right to execute under the UN charter…responding to a pre-emptive strike.
Many agree that Soleimani was the most effective counterterrorism commander in the Middle Eastern theater, but he was also a diplomat on a confirmed diplomatic mission to Baghdad when Trump pulled the trigger to kill his entire team at the Baghdad airport.
The Iranian ballistic missile counter strike on the big US base in Iraq was the immediate retaliation, where VT sources claimed there were a significant number of KIAs that were blacked out of the media. The key piece of evidence was a transport plane with refrigeration capacity was flown into the region to transport bodies back to the main US base in Germany.
Israel’s attacks on the Iranian nuclear facilities, despite the IAEA certifying Iran’s JCPOA compliance, continues to keep the region on the edge of war, one where there would be no winners.
Iran likes to claim it can ‘end’ Israel, for example with the claim to be able to strike its Dimona nuclear facility. But such claims are only true in that Dimona is in range of an Iranian ballistic missile, as Iran never explains how an easy to shoot down ballistic missile would get through US and Israeli air defenses.
Trump’s current craziness has triggered reports in the US media that the US military command has had to take precautions to his initiating major military operations as a threat to all as part of his psychological operation to retain his presidency. US media has already published the details of how he would be removed if he attempted such.
So while many of us had thought that November would be the watershed moment for ending the Trump presidency, it will now be January. We will all be on edge until US media is showing live video of the Trump caravan leaving the White House and Biden moving in… Jim W. Dean ]
Jim's Editor’s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal
Jim's work includes research, field trips, Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more. Thanks for helping. Click to donate >>
First published … December 27, 2020
During the run-up to the anniversary of the insidious assassination of Iranian – and after one month had passed since the equally controversial massacre of leading nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh – Israel and the United States, which are ones responsible for this atrocity, are demonstratively increasing their military presence in the Middle East, and doing so in demagogic fashion under the guise of fearing “retaliation from Iran”.
The United States, located both at a considerable distance from Iran and outside the range of its missiles, having provoked this crisis clearly fears only a missile attack on its diplomatic mission in Iraq, as well as other American facilities in the region.
Washington is trying to validate these fears with reports from American intelligence services, according to which pro-Iranian armed formations that can deliver a “retaliatory strike” have allegedly stepped up their activity in Iraq.
However, on December 21 Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh denied these suspicions, which especially resounded in recent statements made by US Secretary of State M. Pompeo about the alleged complicity of pro-Iranian militia in the latest rocket strikes executed on Baghdad’s “Green Zone”. Along with that, Khatibzadeh wrote on Twitter that for Tehran “attacks on diplomatic facilities are unacceptable”.
Washington still dispatched additional warships and a squadron of fighters to the Middle East, and demonstratively conducted a nonstop flight of a B-52 strategic bomber that has the ability to carry nuclear weapons, by doing so intending to “intimidate Tehran”.
In addition, on December 21 a US naval unit entered the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz that included a USS Georgia (SSGN 729) Ohio-class submarine, which carries up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles and is capable of taking on board up to 66 special operations service personnel, as well as two Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers: a USS Port Royal (CG 73) and a USS Philippine Sea (CG 58).
Previously, at the end of November, a USS Nimitz (CVN-68) aircraft carrier was sent off to the Persian Gulf “to help contain the enemy”; this was rationalized by the need “to have additional defensive capabilities in the region in case of any unforeseen circumstances”.
As far as Israel goes, it clearly fears a “retaliation strike” from Iran since, given the Jewish state’s modest size, a successful attack on it could actually terminate its existence.
This is especially true if the strike were to hit the Dimona Nuclear Research Center, which is considered to be the site where Israeli nuclear weapons originated; Tel Aviv neither confirms nor denies that the center exists. Incidentally, Ayatollah Mohammad-Ali Movahedi Kermani already delivered a warning to Israel that “if Iran decides to put up resistance, then one missile strike on the Dimona reactor would be enough”.
It is clear that Iranian missiles will not really be launched at Dimona, since this is fraught with consequences that entail nuclear contamination and destruction not only for Israel, but for Iran and quite a few neighboring countries across the region. And that is why the Iranian media occasionally names another target: the Israeli city of Haifa.
Israel, fearing the hysteria itself that potential military action could unleash, in a speech made by IDF Chief of General Staff Aviv Kochavi on December 21 cautioned Iran not to attack Israel, stating that “the Jewish state will retaliate against any aggression”.
Along with that, A. Kohavi evidently pointedly forgot to mention that it is not Iran, but Israel itself, that has already demonstrated its aggressive stance toward the Islamic Republic to the whole world by organizing and initiating acts of terrorism and assassinations – and not only against nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. After all, this is far from the first time that Iranian scientists and leading representatives from Iranian society have been killed by an Israeli act of terrorism.
For example, in Tehran, five nuclear physicists have been assassinated recently – and this specifically includes Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, the architect of Iran’s ballistic missile program. All this points to the systematic destruction of the best Iranian scientists employed in the defense industry, which is being accomplished by the international community with impunity.
This series of assassinations of prominent Iranian scientists, politicians, and military personnel – who ended up being unacceptable for the United States and Israel – substantiates the suspicions first voiced long ago that Western intelligence services and Israel have adopted the terrorist practice of eliminating key personnel and various prominent figures in those countries with which they are at war; this is done to weaken their defense systems and technological potential.
In addition to the words it speaks to help deter Tehran, Tel Aviv has taken a series of measures to test the combat readiness of its army against any potential foreign attacks, and is active about consulting with Washington – especially with representatives from the Pentagon – about how to work out joint coordination for the two countries to take military action against Iran.
In particular, large-scale, unprecedented exercises came to an end in December, during which the capabilities of the three levels of Israel’s anti-missile defense (ABM) systems to neutralize various air threats were put to the test.
Senior Israel Defense Forces officers, according to the Internet publication Breaking Defense, held “negotiations on coordination work” with their counterparts in the US Central Command (CENTCOM, which includes the Middle East) to bolster cooperation between the armed forces in the two countries “against Iran possibly taking revenge in the region”.
According to this publication, the IDF has reached its highest degree of readiness, in particular with regard to repelling “some of the 140,000 missiles that Iran-backed Hezbollah has in Lebanon, and the Houthi rebels in Yemen”. At the same time, it has been reported that although the Israeli command does not disclose the details about how it prepares for war, its tactical and operational anti-missile defense systems, and long-range missile systems, are still on high alert.
In addition, as reported by The Times of Israel, on December 17, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley arrived in Israel as part of his Middle East tour to discuss the threat that Iran poses to Washington’s allies, including the Jewish state.
As part of preventive measures taken against the armed situation in the region potentially escalating, Israel began to actively spread out its naval fleet around Iran.
An Israeli Navy Dolphin-class (Type 800) submarine carrying cruise missiles on board passed through the Suez Canal, and on December 21 demonstratively surfaced in the Persian Gulf, in the waters that stretch between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Dolphin is a series of German modified diesel-electric submarines that are specially designed for Israel, and which have from 6-10 torpedo tubes.
Besides torpedoes, they are armed with mines and Popeye Turbo SLCM cruise missiles that have a range of up to 1,500 km, and are capable of carrying nuclear charges with a capacity of up to 200 kilotons launched from torpedo tubes. The Israelis regularly keep at least two of their submarines.in the Indian Ocean, in the immediate vicinity of the Persian Gulf.
Today, in the assessments made by numerous experts, there is reason to presume that in January 2021, before Donald Trump leaves the White House, a joint American-Israeli missile strike could be launched against Iran, primarily to neutralize Iran’s air defense systems, as well as its nuclear industry facilities.
However, while ramping up the degree of military tension in the region Tel Aviv and Washington cannot help but clearly see that Iran does not intend to attack either the United States or Israel.
Iran is not in an ideal condition to wage war now, since its economy is seriously undermined by the restrictive measures imposed on its oil sales abroad, as well as by the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, the deficit inflicting its national budget, and the weakening of its national currency.
Yes, military operations “against American and Israeli aggressors” can raise patriotic sentiments in the Islamic Republic for a certain period, but they would quickly drain the Iranian economy and militaristic zeal.
In addition, hoping for a change in the attitude taken toward it after the White House administration changes, for political and economic reasons it would now be clearly disadvantageous for Tehran to carry out any large-scale “retaliatory strike”.
Therefore, the maximum that Tehran is capable of doing today, without causing itself significant damage, is to carry out a special operation against the Israelis involved in the murder of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh – or to inflict a targeted strike on American facilities in the region through its “proxies”.
As for the United States, Israel, and their allies taking military action against Iran right now, it should be kept in mind that the Islamic Republic, despite all its existing economic problems, is a pretty tough nut to crack in terms of its military, and aggression against it would have serious costs. And this cost is obviously unacceptable for either Trump or Netanyahu, who intend to keep pursuing their political careers.
Vladimir Platov, an expert on the Middle East, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.


veteranstoday--2020-12-28--America’s military reckoning: It’s time to stop the ritualistic fawning over veterans

Salon : It ’ s time for Americans to end their ritualistic fawning over veterans .
When former members of the U.S. armed forces visit the White House to , they prove that veterans do not automatically , uncritically warrant our praise .
In an era of perpetual war , this may appear blasphemous .
America ’ s all-volunteer force has borne the burden of a militarized foreign policy in the wake of 9/11 that has sent more than two million servicemen and women overseas to keep our nation safe .
These veterans have sacrificed immensely , some in .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ our military ranks .
Yet in society ’ s haste to thank them for their service , veterans have become , in far too many ways , an inviolable sect beyond reproach .
Any criticism risks bringing forth a slew of anti-patriotic opprobrium .
Such blanket adulation must end .
And this most chaotic of years demonstrates why .
In one of the more contentious political seasons in American history , few malefactors have exceeded the duplicity of retired Lt. Gen. , who has called on President Trump to suspend the Constitution and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oversee a redo of the 2020 election .
Never mind that Flynn , who pled guilty to misleading the FBI , once swore an oath to uphold that very Constitution .
Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. has echoed Flynn ’ s sedition entreaties .
The Vietnam War veteran also petitioned for martial law in the aftermath of a free and fair election , but then went further still , imploring Trump to cancel the Electoral College , suspend habeas corpus and arrest Democrats for treason .
Read more…

Salon: It’s time for Americans to end their ritualistic fawning over veterans. When former members of the U.S. armed forces visit the White House to promote military coups , they prove that veterans do not automatically, uncritically warrant our praise.
In an era of perpetual war, this may appear blasphemous. America’s all-volunteer force has borne the burden of a militarized foreign policy in the wake of 9/11 that has sent more than two million servicemen and women overseas to keep our nation safe. These veterans have sacrificed immensely, some in heroic fashion . Incredibly brave men and women still populate our military ranks.
Yet in society’s haste to thank them for their service, veterans have become, in far too many ways, an inviolable sect beyond reproach. Any criticism risks bringing forth a slew of anti-patriotic opprobrium. Such blanket adulation must end. And this most chaotic of years demonstrates why.
In one of the more contentious political seasons in American history, few malefactors have exceeded the duplicity of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn , who has called on President Trump to suspend the Constitution and declare martial law so military leaders can oversee a redo of the 2020 election. Never mind that Flynn, who pled guilty to misleading the FBI, once swore an oath to uphold that very Constitution.
Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney has echoed Flynn’s sedition entreaties. The Vietnam War veteran also petitioned for martial law in the aftermath of a free and fair election, but then went further still, imploring Trump to cancel the Electoral College, suspend habeas corpus and arrest Democrats for treason. Read more… https://www.salon.com/2020/12/28/americas-military-reckoning-its-time-to-stop-the-ritualistic-fawning-over-veterans/


veteranstoday--2020-12-29--Vaccinations 90% Below Projections…except for Politicians and MAGA/MEGA Privileged

Worse still , big pharma and medical corps have given “ front of the line ” privileges to their “ friends and family.
” Ask any doctor or nurse…and we have .
They are infuriated to see accounting staff and insurance company underwriters getting vaccinated before first responders .
By December 4 , 2020 , the US had 50 million doses of COVID vaccine in inventory .
Over 96 percent are still in inventory and we produced another 20 million , “ still in inventory.
” We have 4 million nurses and 330,000 pharmacists who can give the shots and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seafood to Trump ’ s table in hours .
However , the entire US military can ’ t deliver a 20 foot container of vaccines every 4 days .
We secretly have only one plane and it seems to be somewhere being washed or getting an oil change .
Were Trump to remain in office , the rollout wouldn ’ t hit levels planned and failed for December 2020 until December 2021 .
Vaccinations are going full speed in Washington with anti-mask denialists getting vaccinated , folks like Rubio and Graham along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital personnel are still waiting .
Not a single veteran has been vaccinated in a care home , the group with the highest casualty rate for COVID .
No dates have been announced and veterans have been moved down the list behind millions of workers at senior living facilities .
There is no way to regulate this group which will be a ploy to give “ front of the line ” privileges for GOP elites who will be “ cutting the queue ” as usual .
WE know that 50 million doses are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % have been administered .
“ We are below where we want to be , ” Fauci says about number of administered Covid vaccines

Of those vaccinated, nearly one third are “line cutters” who should be prosecuted.
US military, including Pentagon, got first doses…up to 500,000 in secret “line cutting” ploy
Military hit “low risk” vaccination phase well before Christmas, up to a year before the general public
VT: Trump’s current rate of vaccinations will take 10 years before 80% of Americans receive their first shot. Trump’s pledge was 20 million by the end of the year but figures claiming only 10 percent of that are considered “fudged.”
Even the military is vaccinating young and healthy before aged vets or exposed medical personnel.
Then there are the crooks and grifters…
Hospital workers in New York are cutting lines and starting to "turn against each other" to get the coronavirus vaccine, inciting a backlash among staff. https://t.co/TiXQ16kacd — The New York Times (@nytimes) December 24, 2020
Worse still, big pharma and medical corps have given “front of the line” privileges to their “friends and family.” Ask any doctor or nurse…and we have. They are infuriated to see accounting staff and insurance company underwriters getting vaccinated before first responders. New York is the first state to look into this.
New York State is investigating whether a group of potentially more than 850 people received the covid vaccine out of turn.
Howard Zucker, the state’s health commissioner, announced the investigation on Saturday, stating a network of clinics “may have fraudulently obtained covid-19 vaccine, transferred it to facilities in other parts of the state in violation of state guidelines and diverted it to members of the public,” according to the New York Times.
“Anyone found to have knowingly participated in this scheme will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Zucker said.
The CDC need to look at some one else to run the Vaccine delivery. It a total failure with estimated delivery time of 5 years now. — Rick (@Ricks0311) December 28, 2020
By December 4, 2020, the US had 50 million doses of COVID vaccine in inventory. Over 96 percent are still in inventory and we produced another 20 million, “still in inventory.”
Perspective: Members of Congress got first dibs on coronavirus vaccines. Even those who eschewed masks, writes @PetulaD. https://t.co/RzIPt4X80I — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 21, 2020
We have 4 million nurses and 330,000 pharmacists who can give the shots and the ability to deliver fresh Pacific Ocean seafood to Trump’s table in hours.
However, the entire US military can’t deliver a 20 foot container of vaccines every 4 days. We secretly have only one plane and it seems to be somewhere being washed or getting an oil change.
@realDonaldTrump who screwed up the delivery and injection of the vaccines? 20m committed < 2m delivered? This is a massive failure!!@JoeBiden @jaketapper — Randy Baker (@randypbaker) December 28, 2020
Were Trump to remain in office, the rollout wouldn’t hit levels planned and failed for December 2020 until December 2021.
Our 94 year old neighbors have yet to be vaccinated. Yet here w are vaccinating the elites of DC. — 22 Days to Inauguration and Sanity (@bee_langbein) December 29, 2020
Vaccinations are going full speed in Washington with anti-mask denialists getting vaccinated, folks like Rubio and Graham along with DC staffers and their families while local hospital personnel are still waiting.
And the LTCF residents continue to be ignored so the upscale elites can be vaccinated. The caste system is alive and well in Illinois — OLD ARMY NURSE ❌ (@TKudia10) December 29, 2020
Not a single veteran has been vaccinated in a care home, the group with the highest casualty rate for COVID. No dates have been announced and veterans have been moved down the list behind millions of workers at senior living facilities.
There is no way to regulate this group which will be a ploy to give “front of the line” privileges for GOP elites who will be “cutting the queue” as usual.
Rubio is a pretender, a fake IMHO. He also jumped the line to get vaccinated before 99.999999% of USA citizens. And talks about others being elite. What a hypocrite. Period — Rick Williams (@cleanair_isgood) December 28, 2020
WE know that 50 million doses are in US inventory now but only 4% have been administered.
“We are below where we want to be,” Fauci says about number of administered Covid vaccines
From CNN’s Naomi Thomas


veteranstoday--2020-12-29--2000 Dollar Stimulus check Bill heads to the Death Star chamber again

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First published December 28, 2020, Los Alamos Daily Post
– U.S. House Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after House Democrats passed legislation to increase direct payments to U.S. taxpayers from $600 to $2,000.
The bill now advances to the Republican-controlled Senate. On Christmas Eve, House Republicans blocked a unanimous consent request to pass $2,000 economic impact payments, which President Trump has expressed support for.
“Since President Trump expressed his support for $2,000 checks last week, Democrats have acted twice to pass this measure. This is Congress’ last chance to provide robust relief to the American people before the end of the year, and it’s time for Senate Republicans to allow a vote and pass this bill.”
“Since President Trump expressed his support for $2,000 checks last week, Democrats have acted twice to pass this measure. This is Congress’ last chance to provide robust relief to the American people before the end of the year, and it’s time for Senate Republicans to allow a vote and pass this bill.”
“For months, my Democratic colleagues and I have been advocating for bigger direct payments to Americans. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has callously resisted, denying struggling families a desperately needed lifeline during an unprecedented national emergency,” Luján said.
“For months, my Democratic colleagues and I have been advocating for bigger direct payments to Americans. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has callously resisted, denying struggling families a desperately needed lifeline during an unprecedented national emergency,” Luján said.
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veteranstoday--2020-12-30--Trump is a demonic force in American politics

If I were still a believing Christian , I might be tempted to think that Donald Trump is Satan himself .
No , I don ’ t mean that literally , but I do mean it seriously .
The idea of Satan , the Devil , Lucifer , a fallen angel , or demonic force who rises up in defiance of God , tempts human beings toward sin , inspiring evil , sowing chaos and disorder , tearing down good things , desecrating the beautiful , telling lies for the sheer thrill of spreading confusion and muddling minds — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wandering the world , intervening in lives , possessing bodies , polluting souls .
But it ’ s also possible to make use of the character as a metaphor , an idea , treating it as the fanciful creation of culture as it tries to make sense of something real in human experience .
What is this something ?
It ’ s more precisely a someone — the kind of person who delights in wreaking havoc , who acts entirely from his own interests , and whose interests are incompatible with received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws .
Someone who actively seeks to inspire anger and animus , who likes nothing more than provoking conflict all around him , both to create advantages for himself and because pulling everyone around him down to his own ignoble level soothes his nagging worry that someone , somewhere might be more widely admired .
This is a person who lives for adulation without regard for whether the glory is earned .
The louder the cheers , the better .
That ’ s all that counts .
And so the only thing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the cheers going silent — of someone else rightfully winning the contest for public approval .
Donald Trump is the demon in American democracy .

By Damon Linker
If I were still a believing Christian, I might be tempted to think that Donald Trump is Satan himself.
No, I don’t mean that literally, but I do mean it seriously.
The idea of Satan, the Devil, Lucifer, a fallen angel, or demonic force who rises up in defiance of God, tempts human beings toward sin, inspiring evil, sowing chaos and disorder, tearing down good things, desecrating the beautiful, telling lies for the sheer thrill of spreading confusion and muddling minds — the pious believe such a being actually exists, wandering the world, intervening in lives, possessing bodies, polluting souls.
But it’s also possible to make use of the character as a metaphor, an idea, treating it as the fanciful creation of culture as it tries to make sense of something real in human experience.
What is this something? It’s more precisely a someone — the kind of person who delights in wreaking havoc, who acts entirely from his own interests, and whose interests are incompatible with received norms, standards, restraints, and laws.
Someone who actively seeks to inspire anger and animus, who likes nothing more than provoking conflict all around him, both to create advantages for himself and because pulling everyone around him down to his own ignoble level soothes his nagging worry that someone, somewhere might be more widely admired. This is a person who lives for adulation without regard for whether the glory is earned. The louder the cheers, the better. That’s all that counts.
And so the only thing that’s a threat is the prospect of the cheers going silent — of someone else rightfully winning the contest for public approval.
Donald Trump is the demon in American democracy.
…read more…
https://theweek.com/articles/949070/trump-demonic-force-american-politics


veteranstoday--2020-12-29--TrumpTown’s ‘Q’ Follies: Missouri Parents Can’t Attend Funeral of Child Murdered in Fake ‘Exorcism’

TrumpTown’s ‘Q’ Follies: Missouri Parents Can’t Attend Funeral of Child Murdered in Fake ‘Exorcism’ (warning)

Warning : This report has graphic descriptions of violence “ Authorities say James Mast told investigators that the beatings had gone on for around two weeks and that they had been forced to perform “ sexual acts ” on their 4-year-old with a “ foreign object ” or they would be beaten or ‘ go to hell . '
” The parents who allegedly looked on as their 4-year-old daughter was fatally beaten and dunked in icy water by neighbors bent on removing a perceived “ demon ” have been denied permission to attend the child ’ s funeral .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mast , 28 , of Lincoln , Missouri , pleaded not guilty to child-endangerment charges on Monday related to allegations that they allowed their neighbors to conduct a “ religious-type event ” that resulted in the girl ’ s death , according to local media reports .
The couple ’ s newborn and 2-year-old son were placed into temporary foster care after the Masts were taken into custody , according to a news release by Benton County Sheriff Eric Knox .
Neighbors Ethan Mast , 35 , ( no relation to the parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , were charged with second-degree murder , three counts of first-degree assault , and sexual abuse for the child ’ s death last week .
Both families are members of the same church , which has not been identified .
None of the accused have lawyers , according to media reports .
Officials said Ethan Mast and Aumen told investigators that they used a leather belt and a wooden spoon to beat the child and her toddler brother in order to remove “ the demon ” before taking her to a nearby pond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above freezing .
…They say Ethan Mast and Aumen watched them on surveillance cameras inside the home but turned them off when they came over to beat the family they deemed “ possessed.
” Ethan Mast and Aumen deny the charges and say the videotapes of the couple beating their own children prove their innocence .
According to court documents obtained by KRCG , Mary Mast said she also dunked her daughter in the icy pond in an attempt to get rid of her supposed demons after she had been convinced that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her 4-year-old had essentially inherited the devil from her .
When asked why she allowed this to happen , Mary Mast told investigators , “ This has been a huge God thing that they convinced us of.
” read more

Warning: This report has graphic descriptions of violence
The parents who allegedly looked on as their 4-year-old daughter was fatally beaten and dunked in icy water by neighbors bent on removing a perceived “demon” have been denied permission to attend the child’s funeral.
1/2 Religion the club that unites people for profit, practices archaic rituals and thinks they are some how superior.
Mary Mast, 29, and James Mast, 28, of Lincoln, Missouri, pleaded not guilty to child-endangerment charges on Monday related to allegations that they allowed their neighbors to conduct a “religious-type event” that resulted in the girl’s death, according to local media reports. The couple’s newborn and 2-year-old son were placed into temporary foster care after the Masts were taken into custody, according to a news release by Benton County Sheriff Eric Knox.
35-year-old Ethan Mast and 21-year-old Kourtney Aumen have been charged in the death of a four-year-old girl. https://t.co/nh7F4TEKAQ — KAMR Local 4 News (@KAMRLocal4News) December 23, 2020
Neighbors Ethan Mast, 35, (no relation to the parents), and Kourtney Aumen, 21, were charged with second-degree murder, three counts of first-degree assault, and sexual abuse for the child’s death last week. Both families are members of the same church, which has not been identified. None of the accused have lawyers, according to media reports.
Officials said Ethan Mast and Aumen told investigators that they used a leather belt and a wooden spoon to beat the child and her toddler brother in order to remove “the demon” before taking her to a nearby pond on a day that temperatures were barely above freezing.
…They say Ethan Mast and Aumen watched them on surveillance cameras inside the home but turned them off when they came over to beat the family they deemed “possessed.” Ethan Mast and Aumen deny the charges and say the videotapes of the couple beating their own children prove their innocence.
According to court documents obtained by KRCG, Mary Mast said she also dunked her daughter in the icy pond in an attempt to get rid of her supposed demons after she had been convinced that she, too, was possessed and that her 4-year-old had essentially inherited the devil from her. When asked why she allowed this to happen, Mary Mast told investigators, “This has been a huge God thing that they convinced us of.” read more
https://www.thedailybeast.com/missouri-parents-mary-and-james-mast-cant-go-to-their-demon-4-year-old-childs-funeral-judge-says?ref=home


veteranstoday--2020-12-29--NEO – Pompeo’s departing kick to Turkey only weakens NATO

from Salman Rafi Sheikh , …with New Eastern Outlook , Moscow , …and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences , a research institution for the study of the countries and cultures of Asia and North Africa .
[ Editor ’ s Note : Rafi Sheikh has a year end wrap up on the turbulent Turkey , US , NATO and EU relations .
Erdogan does get credit for his nationalism concern , as others take no shame in doing the same .
And he might have a right to be angry at the apparent US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yes , Turkey was useful in helping the US coalition to support the Balkanization of Syria .
But Erdogan did it for his own reasons , to gain control of the Kurdish border inside Syria , and carve off Idlib as a de facto colony of Turkey , and all of its on and offshore oil and gas reserves , a secret that remains so , after VT publishing it over and over .
Our sources were the geological surveys , done by satellite , long ago .
The US was angry with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Southern Europe , which both were happy to get for the wonderful transit revenue and to help build a well diversified gas network for the EU long term .
The US wanted to throw a monkey wrench into all that , and has , despite the Germans not having bowed down to US demands .
Rafi has not used the term tyrant when discussing Erdogan , which I would .
Erdogan is obviously in a full expansionist mode , renting out his military technology and hardware with cannon fodder jihadis from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkey does have a major military in the region , but with one big weakness .
Its regular army has no real combat experience .
It supports muslim extremists from the safety of the rear .
Its most recent foray into the Armenian war was the latest example , one where the West did not lift a finger to help Armenia withstand an attack by the Azeris , Turkey , and all the stupid Idlib jihadis that fought and died before their first paycheck , enough to cover shipping their bodies back .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ dynamic in 2021 ?
I bet not .
Let me know what you think in the comments… Jim W. Dean ] Jim 's Editor ’ s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal Jim 's work includes research , field trips , Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more .
Thanks for helping .
Click to donate > > The incumbent US Secretary of State ’ s strong dislike of Turkey is evident from the fact that he never visited Turkey in an official capacity , although he was in the region for more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cyprus and Greece , Turkey ’ s regional rivals .
Mike Pompeo , who thinks Turkey is as “ democratic as Iran ” and is more of an “ Islamic Dictatorship ” than a democracy , harbors a disdain for a NATO ally not just because Turkey bought Russian missile system , but because Turkey has been aggressively following an independent foreign policy , particularly ever since the failed coup attempt of 2016 , which Turkey suspect was engineered by the US agencies .
Although much of this independent foreign policy is ideologically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neo-Ottoman ambitions , there is no gainsaying that this particular course of policy has largely put Turkey on a collision course with the West .
Mike Pompeo has , accordingly , accused Turkey of undermining NATO .
In the recently held telephonic conference of NATO Foreign Ministers , Pompeo chastised Turkey for its “ provocative ” activities in the eastern Mediterranean , Libya , Syria and Nagorno-Karabakh , adding that the Turkish acquisition of the S-400 missile system was a “ gift to Russia ” from a NATO ally .
While these activities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US , Mike Pompeo showed no sense or a policy to accommodate an ally that has second largest force in the alliance .
Instead , Pompeo said that Turkey ’ s actions were “ undermining ” the cohesion of the alliance , partially akin to working against the alliance from within .
Pompeo , in other words , had already prepared the ground for sanctions before the latest sanctions were announced two days ago .
Interestingly , Pompeo is not the only one within the current US “ deep state ” who think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The US House Foreign Affairs Committee said in its December 16 statement : “ We are gravely concerned by the threat Turkey ’ s increasingly provocative behavior poses to our decades-long bilateral relationship , to the NATO alliance , and to the region more broadly .
While we continue to see real value in a strong U.S.-Turkey relationship , its destabilizing actions need to be more strongly addressed and the United States must work with its European and NATO allies and partners to continue to use all of the tools at their disposal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As it stands , the way the US and EU have “ addressed ” Turkey ’ s “ destabilizing actions ” is through a typical combination of sanctions—a usual Western response to any country that refuses to play by their rules .
As the statement showed , US/NATO charge sheet against Turkey includes not just its purchase of Russian S-400 system ; it includes Turkey ’ s involvement in Syria , Libya , Nagorno-Karabakh , East Mediterranean , support for Hamas and Erdogan ’ s undermining of Turkey ’ s democratic institutions through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president .
It is obvious that the differences between the US and Turkey [ and Turkey and the EU as well ] go far deeper than the Russian-factor .
These differences are of institutional nature , deeply rooted in the changed character of Turkish state under Erdogan , and are at the heart of re-shaping the West ’ s position vis-à-vis their old ally .
It was always obvious that a mere purchase of S-400 was not enough to completely wean Turkey away from the West ; for , Russia and Turkey , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently said in his annual press conference , Russia and Turkey do not quite often agree on all issues .
“ We often disagree on certain issues with President Erdogan .
Maybe sometimes even have opposing views .
But he is a man who keeps his word .
If he thinks it ’ s good for his country , he goes all the way , ” Putin stressed .
For Putin/Russia , Turkey under Erdogan is not a “ rogue ” state .
Erdogan , being a staunch nationalist , follows Turkey ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ puts him on a collision course vis-à-vis its NATO allies , or even if that course of action was unacceptable to everyone else .
Putin ’ s understanding of Erdogan and the way Turkey and Russia , despite their differences and divergence , have kept their relations stable reflects strongly on the prospect of a strong future of their bi-lateral relations .
While Turkey ’ s independent course of action would not have really undermined NATO , the US ( and EU ) sanctions are quite likely to wean it further away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
This could , in future , create a possibility of Turkey ’ s permanent exit from NATO and throw the alliance into an acute crisis situation , exacerbating its current weak position .
The alliance , as it stands , is already internally strained .
A recently released official report of NATO said that : “ … .
NATO has experienced internal strains .
Recent years have seen Allies engaged in disputes that partly reflect anxieties about their long-term strategic futures .
Some Europeans worry that the United States is turning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will diminish as it increases focus on the Indo-Pacific .
Some Americans worry that Europeans will shirk their responsibilities for the common defence – or even pursue a path of autonomy in a way that splinters the Alliance .
Inside NATO , societal divisions have arisen and representative democracy is being challenged .
In many ways , the Alliance could be said to be formidable in military strength ; but it is far from invulnerable to such political turbulence.
” Turkey is , therefore , not the only country undermining the NATO .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the alliance , and within the West itself .
The US [ and EU ] sanctions only reflect the internal crisis and divisions that NATO ’ s own report has promptly highlighted .
The US [ and EU ] sanctions are far from the report ’ s recommended path of “ adaptation ” to the changing world scenario ; it is , on the contrary , a way to resist adaptation and shut down member countries .
A blind walk on this path will only make the alliance internally hallow and barren .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Relations and Pakistan ’ s foreign and domestic affairs , exclusively for the online magazine “ New Eastern Outlook ” .

from Salman Rafi Sheikh, …with New Eastern Outlook, Moscow, …and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a research institution for the study of the countries and cultures of Asia and North Africa.
[ Editor’s Note: Rafi Sheikh has a year end wrap up on the turbulent Turkey, US, NATO and EU relations. Erdogan does get credit for his nationalism concern, as others take no shame in doing the same. And he might have a right to be angry at the apparent US support for the coup against him.
Yes, Turkey was useful in helping the US coalition to support the Balkanization of Syria. But Erdogan did it for his own reasons, to gain control of the Kurdish border inside Syria, and carve off Idlib as a de facto colony of Turkey, and all of its on and offshore oil and gas reserves, a secret that remains so, after VT publishing it over and over. Our sources were the geological surveys, done by satellite, long ago.
The US was angry with the Russian gas pipelines planned for Turkey and Southern Europe, which both were happy to get for the wonderful transit revenue and to help build a well diversified gas network for the EU long term. The US wanted to throw a monkey wrench into all that, and has, despite the Germans not having bowed down to US demands.
Rafi has not used the term tyrant when discussing Erdogan, which I would. Erdogan is obviously in a full expansionist mode, renting out his military technology and hardware with cannon fodder jihadis from the starving Syrians in Turkish refugee camps.
Turkey does have a major military in the region, but with one big weakness. Its regular army has no real combat experience. It supports muslim extremists from the safety of the rear.
Its most recent foray into the Armenian war was the latest example, one where the West did not lift a finger to help Armenia withstand an attack by the Azeris, Turkey, and all the stupid Idlib jihadis that fought and died before their first paycheck, enough to cover shipping their bodies back.
Will we see a change to this dynamic in 2021? I bet not. Let me know what you think in the comments… Jim W. Dean ]
Jim's Editor’s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal
Jim's work includes research, field trips, Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more. Thanks for helping. Click to donate >>
First published … December 28, 2020
The incumbent US Secretary of State’s strong dislike of Turkey is evident from the fact that he never visited Turkey in an official capacity, although he was in the region for more than once during his tenure and visited both Cyprus and Greece, Turkey’s regional rivals.
Mike Pompeo, who thinks Turkey is as “democratic as Iran” and is more of an “Islamic Dictatorship” than a democracy, harbors a disdain for a NATO ally not just because Turkey bought Russian missile system, but because Turkey has been aggressively following an independent foreign policy, particularly ever since the failed coup attempt of 2016, which Turkey suspect was engineered by the US agencies.
Although much of this independent foreign policy is ideologically guided by the Erdogan regime’s Neo-Ottoman ambitions, there is no gainsaying that this particular course of policy has largely put Turkey on a collision course with the West. Mike Pompeo has, accordingly, accused Turkey of undermining NATO.
In the recently held telephonic conference of NATO Foreign Ministers, Pompeo chastised Turkey for its “provocative” activities in the eastern Mediterranean, Libya, Syria and Nagorno-Karabakh, adding that the Turkish acquisition of the S-400 missile system was a “gift to Russia” from a NATO ally.
While these activities may be “provocative” for the US, Mike Pompeo showed no sense or a policy to accommodate an ally that has second largest force in the alliance.
Instead, Pompeo said that Turkey’s actions were “undermining” the cohesion of the alliance, partially akin to working against the alliance from within. Pompeo, in other words, had already prepared the ground for sanctions before the latest sanctions were announced two days ago.
Interestingly, Pompeo is not the only one within the current US “deep state” who think Turkey has gone “rogue”. The US House Foreign Affairs Committee said in its December 16 statement:
“We are gravely concerned by the threat Turkey’s increasingly provocative behavior poses to our decades-long bilateral relationship, to the NATO alliance, and to the region more broadly. While we continue to see real value in a strong U.S.-Turkey relationship, its destabilizing actions need to be more strongly addressed and the United States must work with its European and NATO allies and partners to continue to use all of the tools at their disposal to demand that Turkey reverse course.”
As it stands, the way the US and EU have “addressed” Turkey’s “destabilizing actions” is through a typical combination of sanctions—a usual Western response to any country that refuses to play by their rules.
As the statement showed, US/NATO charge sheet against Turkey includes not just its purchase of Russian S-400 system; it includes Turkey’s involvement in Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh, East Mediterranean, support for Hamas and Erdogan’s undermining of Turkey’s democratic institutions through concentration of power in the office of president.
It is obvious that the differences between the US and Turkey [and Turkey and the EU as well] go far deeper than the Russian-factor. These differences are of institutional nature, deeply rooted in the changed character of Turkish state under Erdogan, and are at the heart of re-shaping the West’s position vis-à-vis their old ally.
It was always obvious that a mere purchase of S-400 was not enough to completely wean Turkey away from the West; for, Russia and Turkey, too, have differences. As Putin recently said in his annual press conference, Russia and Turkey do not quite often agree on all issues.
“We often disagree on certain issues with President Erdogan. Maybe sometimes even have opposing views. But he is a man who keeps his word. If he thinks it’s good for his country, he goes all the way,” Putin stressed.
For Putin/Russia, Turkey under Erdogan is not a “rogue” state. Erdogan, being a staunch nationalist, follows Turkey’s national interests independently even if it puts him on a collision course vis-à-vis its NATO allies, or even if that course of action was unacceptable to everyone else.
Putin’s understanding of Erdogan and the way Turkey and Russia, despite their differences and divergence, have kept their relations stable reflects strongly on the prospect of a strong future of their bi-lateral relations.
While Turkey’s independent course of action would not have really undermined NATO, the US (and EU) sanctions are quite likely to wean it further away from them towards Russia (and even China). This could, in future, create a possibility of Turkey’s permanent exit from NATO and throw the alliance into an acute crisis situation, exacerbating its current weak position.
The alliance, as it stands, is already internally strained. A recently released official report of NATO said that:
“…. NATO has experienced internal strains. Recent years have seen Allies engaged in disputes that partly reflect anxieties about their long-term strategic futures. Some Europeans worry that the United States is turning inward—or that its commitment to their continent will diminish as it increases focus on the Indo-Pacific. Some Americans worry that Europeans will shirk their responsibilities for the common defence – or even pursue a path of autonomy in a way that splinters the Alliance. Inside NATO, societal divisions have arisen and representative democracy is being challenged. In many ways, the Alliance could be said to be formidable in military strength; but it is far from invulnerable to such political turbulence.”
Turkey is, therefore, not the only country undermining the NATO. There are multiple layers of tensions within the alliance, and within the West itself. The US [and EU] sanctions only reflect the internal crisis and divisions that NATO’s own report has promptly highlighted.
The US [and EU] sanctions are far from the report’s recommended path of “adaptation” to the changing world scenario; it is, on the contrary, a way to resist adaptation and shut down member countries. A blind walk on this path will only make the alliance internally hallow and barren.
Salman Rafi Sheikh, research-analyst of International Relations and Pakistan’s foreign and domestic affairs, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.


veteranstoday--2020-12-29--Green Beret Col. nuts out during holidays, threatening to kill family, cops

Armed Green Beret Colonel allegedly had two-hour standoff with police before surrendering [ Editor ’ s Note : This is the weirdest title I have seen in a while , a classic example of government spin .
This guy totally nuts out , where his kids end up begging not to kill mom and them , and it is an “ alleged ” standoff with police .
This is not an ordinary Colonel , but chief of staff for I Corps .
There is no mention of drugs or alcohol tipping him off , nor Covid stress , as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This was not your screaming madman , but someone calmly telling the police that he had killed a lot of people and would have no problem adding them to the list .
Santa Claus he was not , despite having been opening presents under the tree four days ago .
Fortunately the family survived , but with the wife getting the all too not uncommon beating from a military husband , the kicking kind .
Based on the military domestic incident stats , especially in the enlisted ranks , women marrying soldiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disclosure statement .
It would include that they are fully aware of the domestic violence record , and waive their right to self defense hand to hand combat training .
As an officer he will get a higher level of treatment , which will probably include his leaving the military .
With off base housing , the civilian courts will have jurisdiction and the solid military benefits will be a dependable safety net for his family , which surprised me to learn will include legal assistance .
Once again we see the hidden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gordon recently pointed out , we continue to lose more troops from suicides that conflict deaths , or maybe we should call them ‘ delayed combat deaths ’ .
The good news is the Army wives have a solid support system .
We wish the family well in getting through this , but to what may never be a normal relationship with the Colonel again…Jim W. Dean ] Jim 's Editor ’ s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal Jim 's work includes research , field trips , Heritage TV Legacy archiving & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to donate > > State and local police near Joint Base Lewis-McChord , in Washington , spent roughly two hours talking a Special Forces colonel armed with a rifle and pistol into surrendering after they responded to a domestic assault in progress call just after midnight Sunday .
Col. Owen G. Ray , 47 , and his wife got into an argument earlier in the evening , according to a probable cause affidavit .
Believing her husband was intoxicated , the wife retreated to her children ’ s bedroom to hide .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s do this , ” before he went to the garage where the guns were stored , Pierce County prosecutors wrote in the affidavit .
The house is in the town of DuPont , about 10 miles southwest of the base where Ray serves as the Army ’ s I Corps chief of staff and previously commanded a Special Forces group .
Ray , now armed , went back into the house and found his wife , who proceeded to call the police , “ at which point , the defendant became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at [ the wife ] and threatened to kill her , ” the affidavit reads .
“ He proceeded to kick [ her ] over and over with his boots in the face and chest .
The two children had woken up and were screaming , ‘ don ’ t kill mom , don ’ t shoot us.
’ ” Ray left the room but returned after his wife had tried to barricade the entrance with a bookshelf , the affidavit stated .
He smashed the barricade down and waved a gun while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mix of local police units arrived sometime after midnight .
Ray eventually allowed his wife and two of the children to exit at around 12:33 a.m. His teenage daughter followed them out shortly afterward .
Police were able to contact Ray via phone at 12:49 a.m. , and he threatened to take his own life as well as anyone who tried to arrest him .
“ The defendant outlined his extensive training in combat , ” the affidavit reads .
“ He told law enforcement he was a 25-year veteran and spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group special forces .
He stated that he had killed a lot of people and he had no problem killing law enforcement if they made attempts to arrest him .
The defendant was calm , coherent , and articulate.
” After these initial threats , Ray would alternate between saying he had great respect for law enforcement and warning them not to arrest him , according to the affidavit .
During the two-hour standoff , police said they saw Ray on the balcony holding a pistol to his head and holding a rifle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and de-escalation attempts took place until the suspect eventually surrendered and was safely taken into custody , ” DuPont police said in a statement .
“ This occurred approximately two hours after initial communication was established between the police and the suspect.
” After surrendering , Ray was booked into the Pierce County Jail .
He was arraigned Monday afternoon and his charges changed slightly from earlier reporting .
The Pierce County Prosecutor ’ s Office has charged him with two counts of felony harassment , one count of kidnapping , two counts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endangerment .
Ray ’ s bail amount was set at $ 1 million .
He is due back in court Jan. 11 and his jury trial is scheduled for Feb. 18 , according to court records .
On Monday , I Corps spokesman Lt. Col. Neil Penttila said unit officials were monitoring the allegations against Ray and will “ work closely with the family and the officer ” to provide counseling and legal assistance .
“ We have been in contact with local law enforcement , who have informed us that the investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
“ The safety of everyone involved is the command ’ s priority.
” Prior to serving as I Corps chief of staff , Ray led 1st Special Forces Group , also at Joint Base Lewis-McChord .
An archived news release stated that Ray gave up command of 1st Group during a July ceremony .
Ray has held a command at every level within 1st Group , according to 2018 news release from the unit when he took charge .
He served as a 1st Group detachment commander in 2003 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2011 .
Two years later , in 2013 , Ray commanded 1st Group ’ s 4th Battalion and deployed as part of the Special Operations Joint Task Force .
While commanding 1st Group , Ray created Joint Task Force Indo-Pacific , which controls special operations elements engaging with partners and near-peer competitors in the region , the release from his change-of-command ceremony added .
Reauthorization of the violence against women Act , and for other purposes US House passed , US Senate has not passed it

Armed Green Beret Colonel allegedly had two-hour standoff with police before surrendering
…from the Army Times
[ Editor’s Note: This is the weirdest title I have seen in a while, a classic example of government spin. This guy totally nuts out, where his kids end up begging not to kill mom and them, and it is an “alleged” standoff with police.
This is not an ordinary Colonel, but chief of staff for I Corps. There is no mention of drugs or alcohol tipping him off, nor Covid stress, as he has a guaranteed income with full benefits.
This was not your screaming madman, but someone calmly telling the police that he had killed a lot of people and would have no problem adding them to the list. Santa Claus he was not, despite having been opening presents under the tree four days ago.
Fortunately the family survived, but with the wife getting the all too not uncommon beating from a military husband, the kicking kind. Based on the military domestic incident stats, especially in the enlisted ranks, women marrying soldiers should be required to sign a full disclosure statement. It would include that they are fully aware of the domestic violence record, and waive their right to self defense hand to hand combat training.
As an officer he will get a higher level of treatment, which will probably include his leaving the military. With off base housing, the civilian courts will have jurisdiction and the solid military benefits will be a dependable safety net for his family, which surprised me to learn will include legal assistance.
Once again we see the hidden ongoing tragedy in the military. As Gordon recently pointed out, we continue to lose more troops from suicides that conflict deaths, or maybe we should call them ‘delayed combat deaths’.
The good news is the Army wives have a solid support system. We wish the family well in getting through this, but to what may never be a normal relationship with the Colonel again…Jim W. Dean ]
Jim's Editor’s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal
Jim's work includes research, field trips, Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more. Thanks for helping. Click to donate >>
First published … December 29, 2020
State and local police near Joint Base Lewis-McChord, in Washington, spent roughly two hours talking a Special Forces colonel armed with a rifle and pistol into surrendering after they responded to a domestic assault in progress call just after midnight Sunday.
Col. Owen G. Ray, 47, and his wife got into an argument earlier in the evening, according to a probable cause affidavit. Believing her husband was intoxicated, the wife retreated to her children’s bedroom to hide.
She then heard Ray say, “let’s do this,” before he went to the garage where the guns were stored, Pierce County prosecutors wrote in the affidavit. The house is in the town of DuPont, about 10 miles southwest of the base where Ray serves as the Army’s I Corps chief of staff and previously commanded a Special Forces group.
Ray, now armed, went back into the house and found his wife, who proceeded to call the police, “at which point, the defendant became enraged.”
“He pointed the gun at [the wife] and threatened to kill her,” the affidavit reads. “He proceeded to kick [her] over and over with his boots in the face and chest. The two children had woken up and were screaming, ‘don’t kill mom, don’t shoot us.’”
Ray left the room but returned after his wife had tried to barricade the entrance with a bookshelf, the affidavit stated. He smashed the barricade down and waved a gun while yelling threats.
Washington State Patrol and a mix of local police units arrived sometime after midnight. Ray eventually allowed his wife and two of the children to exit at around 12:33 a.m. His teenage daughter followed them out shortly afterward.
Police were able to contact Ray via phone at 12:49 a.m., and he threatened to take his own life as well as anyone who tried to arrest him.
“The defendant outlined his extensive training in combat,” the affidavit reads. “He told law enforcement he was a 25-year veteran and spent most of his time in the 1st group special forces. He stated that he had killed a lot of people and he had no problem killing law enforcement if they made attempts to arrest him. The defendant was calm, coherent, and articulate.”
After these initial threats, Ray would alternate between saying he had great respect for law enforcement and warning them not to arrest him, according to the affidavit. During the two-hour standoff, police said they saw Ray on the balcony holding a pistol to his head and holding a rifle inside the house.
“Active negotiations and de-escalation attempts took place until the suspect eventually surrendered and was safely taken into custody,” DuPont police said in a statement. “This occurred approximately two hours after initial communication was established between the police and the suspect.”
After surrendering, Ray was booked into the Pierce County Jail.
He was arraigned Monday afternoon and his charges changed slightly from earlier reporting. The Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office has charged him with two counts of felony harassment, one count of kidnapping, two counts of assault and one count of reckless endangerment.
Ray’s bail amount was set at $1 million. He is due back in court Jan. 11 and his jury trial is scheduled for Feb. 18, according to court records.
On Monday, I Corps spokesman Lt. Col. Neil Penttila said unit officials were monitoring the allegations against Ray and will “work closely with the family and the officer” to provide counseling and legal assistance.
“We have been in contact with local law enforcement, who have informed us that the investigation is still on-going,” Penttila said in a statement. “The safety of everyone involved is the command’s priority.”
Prior to serving as I Corps chief of staff, Ray led 1st Special Forces Group, also at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. An archived news release stated that Ray gave up command of 1st Group during a July ceremony.
Ray has held a command at every level within 1st Group, according to 2018 news release from the unit when he took charge.
He served as a 1st Group detachment commander in 2003 and as a company commander in Afghanistan in 2011. Two years later, in 2013, Ray commanded 1st Group’s 4th Battalion and deployed as part of the Special Operations Joint Task Force.
While commanding 1st Group, Ray created Joint Task Force Indo-Pacific, which controls special operations elements engaging with partners and near-peer competitors in the region, the release from his change-of-command ceremony added.
Reauthorization of the violence against women Act, and for other purposes
US House passed, US Senate has not passed it
Enhances culturally specific services for victims of domestic violence
Combat online predators
September 13, 2020


veteranstoday--2020-12-29--Biden: Trump gutted US Defense capability, sabotaging national security, blocking transition

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veteranstoday--2020-12-30--Luciferian Neocon Jonah Goldberg is at it again

Whenever a flaming Neocon opens his mouth and starts talking , you can be sure that he is going to spread one nonsense after another in a matter of seconds .
In fact , they simply can not utter ten sentences without saying weird things , crazy things , diabolical things .
You remember Jonah Jacob Goldberg ?
Some may not remember him , but he is the crazy , completely deluded and deranged Neocon who wrote back in 2002 : “ Every ten years or so , the United States needs to pick up some small crappy little country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just to show the world we mean business.
” [ 1 ] Did you catch that ?
You may want to read that again to get the deep philosophical knowledge that Goldberg was bequeathing upon America in 2002 .
One year later , America picked up a “ small crappy little country ” called Iraq and , with the help of Neocons like Goldberg , blew it up to hell .
Why did America have to do that ?
Neocon Michael Ledeen has the answer : “ Creative destruction is our middle name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every day , from business to science , literature , art , architecture , and cinema to politics and the law.
” [ 2 ] Following the Neocons ’ lead , America did the same thing in Afghanistan , Syria , etc .
So , what did brother Goldberg say when Iraq turned out to be a complete disaster ?
Well , he wrote an article in the LA Times in 2006 entitled , “ Iraq : a worthy mistake.
” [ 3 ] Listen to Goldberg here : “ The Iraq war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know .
But I ’ ve never said it before .
And I don ’ t enjoy saying it now .
I ’ m sure that to the antiwar crowd this is too little , too late , and that ’ s fine because I ’ m not joining their ranks anyway… .
I must confess that one of the things that made me reluctant to conclude that the Iraq war was a mistake was my general distaste for the shabbiness of the arguments on the antiwar side.
” [ 4 ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is pretty sad that it was repeated in the LA Times .
Goldberg must have known that he was repeating a lie precisely because all the documents we possess state that both Bush and much of the Neocon establishment knew that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction , that Saddam was not buying uranium from Niger , and that Saddam had no plan to attack the United States .
Yet those categorical lies were summoned by Neocons of various stripes because , like Dracula , they were hungry to drink the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feast on the blood of decent people in the Middle East .
I challenge anyone to pick up Paul R. Pillar ’ s scholarly study , Intelligence and U.S. Foreign Policy : Iraq , 9/11 , and Misguided Reform ( Columbia University Press , 2011 ) , Michael MacDonald ’ s Overreach : Delusions of Regime Change in Iraq ( Cambridge : Harvard University Press , 2014 ) , John J. Mearsheimer ’ s Why Leaders Lie : The Truth About Lying in International Politics ( New York : Oxford University Press , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Deceit on the Road to War : Presidents , Politics , and American Democracy ( New York : Cornell University Press , 2015 ) , and see if Goldberg wasn ’ t just lying to his teeth .
Neocon Paul Wolfowitz was so aggressive about invading Iraq that one Republican lawmaker declared Wolfowitz “ was like a parrot bringing [ Iraq ] up all the time .
It was getting on the President ’ s nerves.
” [ 5 ] After one such meeting in Washington , we are told that Colin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Jeez , what a fixation about Iraq.
” [ 6 ] After making one preposterous statement after another , the flaming Neocon moved on to say : “ Truth is truth .
And the Iraq war was a mistake by the most obvious criteria : If we had known then what we know now , we would never have gone to war with Iraq in 2003.
” [ 7 ] When Wolfowitz was told by deputy national security advisor Stephen Hadley that there was no link between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ ll find it .
It ’ s got to be there , ” [ 8 ] which is another way of saying that if it does not exist , they would make it up .
So , when people like Goldberg are trying to entertain you with dumb statements like they didn ’ t know that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction , then that ’ s an infallible sign that these people did make a political pack with Lucifer , who , in John Milton ’ s Paradise Lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and with hope farewell fear , Farewell remorse ; all good to me is lost .
Evil , be thou my good.
” So when Corey Robin of Brooklyn College and the City University of New York ’ s Graduate Center wrote that “ The biggest challenges to today ’ s public intellectual are imagination and will , ” [ 9 ] he was categorically wrong .
Goldberg didn ’ t lack imagination .
In fact , he invented lies .
He lacked the courage to tell the truth and act upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to these days ?
Well , certain Iraq is no longer on his mind .
He is hoping that the US gets into an inflammatory conflict with China now .
“ China is definitely an adversary , ” [ 10 ] Goldberg didn ’ t stop there .
He went on to assert : “ China ’ s ruling ideology is much better understood as nationalistic , with bits of oligarchy , aristocracy , racism and imperialism thrown in.
” [ 11 ] He ’ s got to be kidding .
China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreigners , but Israel does have separate buses for Jews and Palestinians !
Or how about “ Jewish-only ‘ national self-determination ’ ” law ?
[ 12 ] Isn ’ t that racist ?
Let us stop and think for a moment .
Can you imagine the reaction if some neo-Nazi group happens to start a similar law in America or in Europe ?
Wouldn ’ t Jewish organizations ( from the ADL to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency ) start screaming and kicking and gyrating all over the media ?
Yet racist laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and no serious Jewish organization has said a damn thing about it .
Migrant workers for example have ended up working “ at 25 % below the minimum wage , without medical or social benefits , and without any work permit whatsoever.
” But that ’ s just the tip of the iceberg .
Racism is also ingrained in Israeli schools as well .
Listen to a tenth grader : “ For me , personally , Arabs are something I can ’ t look at and can ’ t stand , I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist home .
If I get the chance in the army to shoot one of them , I won ’ t think twice .
I ’ m ready to kill someone with my hands , and it ’ s an Arab .
“ In my education I learned that…their education is to be terrorists , and there is no belief in them .
I live in an area of Arabs , and every day I see these Ishmaelites , who pass by the [ bus ] station and whistle .
I wish them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that this is a disgruntled and deranged high school kid , and her abiding hatred toward the Palestinians does not represent a significant number of schools in Israel .
But you would be wrong .
In an article entitled “ Israeli Teens Gripped by Virulent Racism , ” the Jewish Daily Forward reported in 2014 : “ The student ’ s comments appear in a chapter devoted to ethnicity and racism among youth from a forthcoming book , ‘ Scenes from School Life ’ ( in Hebrew ) by Idan Yaron and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on anthropological observations made by Dr. Yaron , a sociologist , over the course of three years in a six-year , secular high school in the Israeli heartland – ‘ the most average school we could find , ’ says Harpaz , a professor of education .
“ The book is nothing short of a page-turner , especially now , following the overt displays of racism and hatred of the Other that have been revealed in the country in the past month or so .
Maybe ‘ revealed ’ isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprise at the intensity of the phenomenon .
“ But Yaron ’ s descriptions of what he saw at the school show that such hatred is a basic everyday element among youth , and a key component of their identity .
Yaron portrays the hatred without rose-colored glasses or any attempt to present it as a sign of social ‘ unity.
’ What he observed is unfiltered hatred .
“ One conclusion that arises from the text is how little the education system is able – or wants – to deal with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are indifferent or ineffective .
There are , of course , teachers and others in the realm of education who adopt a different approach , who dare to try and take on the system .
But they are a minority .
The system ’ s internal logic operates differently .
“ Much of the chapter on racism revolves around the Bible lessons in a ninth-grade class , whose theme was revenge .
‘ The class starts , and the students ’ suggestions of examples of revenge are written on the blackboard , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named Yoav ‘ insists that revenge is an important emotion .
“ He utilizes the material being studied to hammer home his semi-covert message : ‘ all the Arabs should be killed .
The class goes into an uproar .
Five students agree with Yoav and say openly : the Arabs should be killed.
’ “ One student relates that he heard in the synagogue on Shabbat that ‘ Aravim Zeh Erev Rav ’ [ ‘ Arabs are rabble , ’ in a play on words ] , and also Amalek , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , ’ a reference to the prototypical biblical enemy of the children of Israel .
Another student says he would take revenge on anyone who murdered his family , but would not kill them all.
” [ 14 ] Will Goldberg help fight this blatant form of racism ?
Is he going to tell us all that he didn ’ t know these things were going on in Israel ?
Is he that stupid ?
And he wants us to take him seriously about China ’ s racism ?
It gets even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Goldberg wrote a book entitled , Suicide of the West : How the Rebirth of Tribalism , Populism , Nationalism , and Identity Politics Is Destroying American Democracy .
But what about Israel , Goldberg ?
According to him , It is a “ lie ” that the Palestinians are being wiped out by the Israelis , despite the fact that the Israeli settlements are classic examples of this .
For Goldberg , vibrant and real racism is against Palestinians is another lie .
There are some ideas that are so dumb and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe them .
• [ 1 ] Jonah Goldberg , “ Baghdad Delenda Est , Part Two , ” National Review , April 23 , 2002 ; see also Conor Friedersdorf , “ The Real Radicals of the Iraq War : Its Proponents , ” Atlantic , March 6 , 2013 ; Glenn Greenwald , “ Jonah Goldberg ’ s deeply ‘ conflicted ’ thoughts on war and torture , ” Salon , November 13 , 2007 .
• [ 2 ] Michael Ledeen , The War Against the Terror Masters ( New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2002 ) , 210 .
• [ 5 ] John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt , The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy ( New York : Farrar & Straus , 2006 ) , 246 .
• [ 8 ] Craig Unger , The Fall of the House of Bush ( New York : Scribner , 2007 ) , 40-43 .
• [ 12 ] “ Israel passes Jewish-only ‘ national self-determination ’ law despite outcry , ” Russia Today , July 19 , 2018 ; see also “ Israel passes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supremacy , ” Middle East Eye , July 19 , 2018 .

Whenever a flaming Neocon opens his mouth and starts talking, you can be sure that he is going to spread one nonsense after another in a matter of seconds. In fact, they simply cannot utter ten sentences without saying weird things, crazy things, diabolical things.
You remember Jonah Jacob Goldberg? Some may not remember him, but he is the crazy, completely deluded and deranged Neocon who wrote back in 2002:
“Every ten years or so, the United States needs to pick up some small crappy little country and throw it against the wall, just to show the world we mean business.”[1]
Did you catch that? You may want to read that again to get the deep philosophical knowledge that Goldberg was bequeathing upon America in 2002. One year later, America picked up a “small crappy little country” called Iraq and, with the help of Neocons like Goldberg, blew it up to hell. Why did America have to do that? Neocon Michael Ledeen has the answer:
“Creative destruction is our middle name. We tear down the old order every day, from business to science, literature, art, architecture, and cinema to politics and the law.”[2]
Following the Neocons’ lead, America did the same thing in Afghanistan, Syria, etc. So, what did brother Goldberg say when Iraq turned out to be a complete disaster? Well, he wrote an article in the LA Times in 2006 entitled, “Iraq: a worthy mistake.”[3] Listen to Goldberg here:
“The Iraq war was a mistake. I know, I know. But I’ve never said it before. And I don’t enjoy saying it now. I’m sure that to the antiwar crowd this is too little, too late, and that’s fine because I’m not joining their ranks anyway…. I must confess that one of the things that made me reluctant to conclude that the Iraq war was a mistake was my general distaste for the shabbiness of the arguments on the antiwar side.”[4]
That is a categorical lie. And it is pretty sad that it was repeated in the LA Times. Goldberg must have known that he was repeating a lie precisely because all the documents we possess state that both Bush and much of the Neocon establishment knew that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, that Saddam was not buying uranium from Niger, and that Saddam had no plan to attack the United States.
Yet those categorical lies were summoned by Neocons of various stripes because, like Dracula, they were hungry to drink the blood. This type they wanted to feast on the blood of decent people in the Middle East.
I challenge anyone to pick up Paul R. Pillar’s scholarly study, Intelligence and U.S. Foreign Policy: Iraq, 9/11, and Misguided Reform (Columbia University Press, 2011), Michael MacDonald’s Overreach: Delusions of Regime Change in Iraq (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2014), John J. Mearsheimer’s Why Leaders Lie: The Truth About Lying in International Politics (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011), John M. Schuessler’s Deceit on the Road to War: Presidents, Politics, and American Democracy (New York: Cornell University Press, 2015), and see if Goldberg wasn’t just lying to his teeth.
Neocon Paul Wolfowitz was so aggressive about invading Iraq that one Republican lawmaker declared Wolfowitz “was like a parrot bringing [Iraq] up all the time. It was getting on the President’s nerves.”[5] After one such meeting in Washington, we are told that Colin Powell rolled his eyes, declaring, “Jeez, what a fixation about Iraq.”[6]
After making one preposterous statement after another, the flaming Neocon moved on to say: “Truth is truth. And the Iraq war was a mistake by the most obvious criteria: If we had known then what we know now, we would never have gone to war with Iraq in 2003.”[7] When Wolfowitz was told by deputy national security advisor Stephen Hadley that there was no link between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein, Wolfowitz responded with certainty, “We’ll find it. It’s got to be there,”[8] which is another way of saying that if it does not exist, they would make it up.
So, when people like Goldberg are trying to entertain you with dumb statements like they didn’t know that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, then that’s an infallible sign that these people did make a political pack with Lucifer, who, in John Milton’s Paradise Lost, declares, “So farewell hope, and with hope farewell fear, Farewell remorse; all good to me is lost. Evil, be thou my good.”
So when Corey Robin of Brooklyn College and the City University of New York’s Graduate Center wrote that “The biggest challenges to today’s public intellectual are imagination and will,”[9] he was categorically wrong. Goldberg didn’t lack imagination. In fact, he invented lies. He lacked the courage to tell the truth and act upon that basis.
So what is Goldberg up to these days? Well, certain Iraq is no longer on his mind. He is hoping that the US gets into an inflammatory conflict with China now. “China is definitely an adversary,”[10] Goldberg didn’t stop there. He went on to assert: “China’s ruling ideology is much better understood as nationalistic, with bits of oligarchy, aristocracy, racism and imperialism thrown in.”[11]
He’s got to be kidding. China doesn’t have separate buses for foreigners, but Israel does have separate buses for Jews and Palestinians! Or how about “Jewish-only ‘national self-determination’” law?[12] Isn’t that racist? Let us stop and think for a moment. Can you imagine the reaction if some neo-Nazi group happens to start a similar law in America or in Europe? Wouldn’t Jewish organizations (from the ADL to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency) start screaming and kicking and gyrating all over the media?
Yet racist laws and policies have become routine in Israel and no serious Jewish organization has said a damn thing about it. Migrant workers for example have ended up working “at 25% below the minimum wage, without medical or social benefits, and without any work permit whatsoever.”
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Racism is also ingrained in Israeli schools as well. Listen to a tenth grader:
“For me, personally, Arabs are something I can’t look at and can’t stand, I am tremendously racist. I come from a racist home. If I get the chance in the army to shoot one of them, I won’t think twice. I’m ready to kill someone with my hands, and it’s an Arab.
“In my education I learned that…their education is to be terrorists, and there is no belief in them. I live in an area of Arabs, and every day I see these Ishmaelites, who pass by the [bus] station and whistle. I wish them death.”[13]
You may think that this is a disgruntled and deranged high school kid, and her abiding hatred toward the Palestinians does not represent a significant number of schools in Israel. But you would be wrong. In an article entitled “Israeli Teens Gripped by Virulent Racism,” the Jewish Daily Forward reported in 2014:
“The student’s comments appear in a chapter devoted to ethnicity and racism among youth from a forthcoming book, ‘Scenes from School Life’ (in Hebrew) by Idan Yaron and Yoram Harpaz.
“The book is based on anthropological observations made by Dr. Yaron, a sociologist, over the course of three years in a six-year, secular high school in the Israeli heartland – ‘the most average school we could find,’ says Harpaz, a professor of education.
“The book is nothing short of a page-turner, especially now, following the overt displays of racism and hatred of the Other that have been revealed in the country in the past month or so. Maybe ‘revealed’ isn’t the right word, as it suggests surprise at the intensity of the phenomenon.
“But Yaron’s descriptions of what he saw at the school show that such hatred is a basic everyday element among youth, and a key component of their identity. Yaron portrays the hatred without rose-colored glasses or any attempt to present it as a sign of social ‘unity.’ What he observed is unfiltered hatred.
“One conclusion that arises from the text is how little the education system is able – or wants – to deal with the racism problem.
“Not all educators are indifferent or ineffective. There are, of course, teachers and others in the realm of education who adopt a different approach, who dare to try and take on the system. But they are a minority. The system’s internal logic operates differently.
“Much of the chapter on racism revolves around the Bible lessons in a ninth-grade class, whose theme was revenge. ‘The class starts, and the students’ suggestions of examples of revenge are written on the blackboard,’ the teacher told Yaron. A student named Yoav ‘insists that revenge is an important emotion.
“He utilizes the material being studied to hammer home his semi-covert message: ‘all the Arabs should be killed. The class goes into an uproar. Five students agree with Yoav and say openly: the Arabs should be killed.’
“One student relates that he heard in the synagogue on Shabbat that ‘Aravim Zeh Erev Rav’ [‘Arabs are rabble,’ in a play on words], and also Amalek, and there is a commandment to kill them all,’ a reference to the prototypical biblical enemy of the children of Israel. Another student says he would take revenge on anyone who murdered his family, but would not kill them all.”[14]
Will Goldberg help fight this blatant form of racism? Is he going to tell us all that he didn’t know these things were going on in Israel? Is he that stupid? And he wants us to take him seriously about China’s racism?
It gets even more interesting. Two years ago, Goldberg wrote a book entitled, Suicide of the West: How the Rebirth of Tribalism, Populism, Nationalism, and Identity Politics Is Destroying American Democracy.
But what about Israel, Goldberg? According to him, It is a “lie” that the Palestinians are being wiped out by the Israelis, despite the fact that the Israeli settlements are classic examples of this. For Goldberg, vibrant and real racism is against Palestinians is another lie.
There are some ideas that are so dumb and diabolical that only a Luciferian Neocon will believe them.