veteranstoday--2020-04-21--Death by Irony: John McDaniels Paid Dearly for Trumpist Denialism

UK Sun : John W. McDaniel , from Marion County in Ohio , was diagnosed with the virus in late March , and died in hospital on April 15 .
The 60-year-old man had allegedly posted several times on Facebook regarding the coronavirus , and the posts have been circulated widely on social media .
On March 15 , he seemingly commented on Ohio governor Mike DeWine ’ s stay-at home order , which required shops , bars and restaurants to close .
“ If what I ’ m hearing is true , that DeWine has ordered all bars and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bulls*** !
, ” the post reads .
“ He doesn ’ t have that authority .
If you are paranoid about getting sick just don ’ t go out .
It shouldn ’ t keep those of us from living our lives .
In another post , also believed to have been written by McDaniel , he asks : “ Does anybody have the guts to say this Covid19 is a political ploy ?
Asking for a friend .
Prove me wrong.
” McDaniel ’ s page appears to have since been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obituary posted by Snyder Funeral Homes , McDaniel , who worked for the family business the O & M Company , was described as having a love of the water .
“ You could not have known a more loving and loyal husband , father , son , brother , uncle , and friend .
“ He was truly looking forward to building a new family cabin in the self-titled nature retreat of “ Locwood , ” fifty plus acres in Marion County where he and Lisa [ his wife ] had planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 ! )
.
”

3/15 he slams DeWine (OH Gov) for anti-CV measures.“He doesn’t have that authority. The madness has to stop.”
3/13 Ohioan John McDaniel posted, “Does anybody have the guts to say this COVID-19 is a political ploy? Prove me wrong”
https://twitter.com/Craigrm5/status/1252310314483240960?s=20
UK Sun: John W. McDaniel, from Marion County in Ohio, was diagnosed with the virus in late March, and died in hospital on April 15.
The 60-year-old man had allegedly posted several times on Facebook regarding the coronavirus, and the posts have been circulated widely on social media.
On March 15, he seemingly commented on Ohio governor Mike DeWine’s stay-at home order, which required shops, bars and restaurants to close.
“If what I’m hearing is true, that DeWine has ordered all bars and restaurants to be closed, I say bulls***!,” the post reads.
“He doesn’t have that authority. If you are paranoid about getting sick just don’t go out. It shouldn’t keep those of us from living our lives.
“The madness has to stop.”
In another post, also believed to have been written by McDaniel, he asks: “Does anybody have the guts to say this Covid19 is a political ploy? Asking for a friend. Prove me wrong.”
McDaniel’s page appears to have since been taken down from Facebook.
In an obituary posted by Snyder Funeral Homes, McDaniel, who worked for the family business the O & M Company, was described as having a love of the water.
“You could not have known a more loving and loyal husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend.
“He was truly looking forward to building a new family cabin in the self-titled nature retreat of “Locwood,” fifty plus acres in Marion County where he and Lisa [his wife] had planned to enjoy their retirement years (damn Covid-19!).”
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11441636/john-mcdaniel-killed-coronavirus-dismissing-political-ploy/


veteranstoday--2020-04-21--40 Workers Stay at Work For 28 Days to Make PPE Material

Our hats are off to this manufacturing group !
Braskem America had the innovative idea to keep workers at work and not exposed to coronavirus .
40 workers committed to spending 28 days living at the factory .
Live-in manufacturing teams who lived in isolation .
A perfect process to keep workers from getting infected while working and to prevent carrying COVID-19 to co-workers .
Awesome !
…..Carol 40 PENNSYLVANIA WORKERS LIVED AT WORK FOR A MONTH MAKING CORONAVIRUS PPE FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS A group of more than 40 workers in Pennsylvania spent 28 days straight working and sleeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal protective equipment ( PPE ) material for health care workers amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The workers at Braskem America in Delaware County unanimously agreed to stay at the facility for nearly a month , working 12-hour shifts , to produce the necessary supplies , Philadelphia ’ s ABC 6 Action News reported .
During the past four weeks , the workers ’ only glimpse of the outside world came from brief drive-by family visits to the facility and from television .
“ There ’ s been a glow in everyone ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Boyce told ABC 6 .
“ We ’ re truly honored to be able to give back and support people we will never meet in some way , ” he said .
Braskem produces polypropylene , which is key for health care and hygiene products required by medical professionals treating patients with COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus .
The company chose to shift its focus to produce “ the most critical grades of homopolymers for nonwovens needed to make N-95 medical face masks and medical protective gear , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website .

Health Editor’s Note:
Our hats are off to this manufacturing group! Braskem America had the innovative idea to keep workers at work and not exposed to coronavirus. 40 workers committed to spending 28 days living at the factory. Live-in manufacturing teams who lived in isolation. A perfect process to keep workers from getting infected while working and to prevent carrying COVID-19 to co-workers. Awesome!…..Carol
40 PENNSYLVANIA WORKERS LIVED AT WORK FOR A MONTH MAKING CORONAVIRUS PPE FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
by Jason Lemon/Newsweek
A group of more than 40 workers in Pennsylvania spent 28 days straight working and sleeping at their factory facility to produce vital personal protective equipment (PPE) material for health care workers amid the coronavirus pandemic. The workers at Braskem America in Delaware County unanimously agreed to stay at the facility for nearly a month, working 12-hour shifts, to produce the necessary supplies, Philadelphia’s ABC 6 Action News reported. During the past four weeks, the workers’ only glimpse of the outside world came from brief drive-by family visits to the facility and from television. “There’s been a glow in everyone’s eyes,” operations shift supervisor Joe Boyce told ABC 6. “We’re truly honored to be able to give back and support people we will never meet in some way,” he said. Braskem produces polypropylene, which is key for health care and hygiene products required by medical professionals treating patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The company chose to shift its focus to produce “the most critical grades of homopolymers for nonwovens needed to make N-95 medical face masks and medical protective gear,” according to a news release on its website. Read More:
Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and received her diploma as a registered nurse. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature. She attended the University of Toledo, College of Nursing, and received a Master’s of Nursing Science Degree as an Educator. She has traveled extensively, is a photographer, and writes on medical issues. Carol has three children RJ, Katherine, and Stephen – one daughter-in-law; Katie – two granddaughters; Isabella Marianna and Zoe Olivia – and one grandson, Alexander Paul. She also shares her life with her husband Gordon Duff, many cats, and two rescues. Carol’s Archives 2009-2013


veteranstoday--2020-04-21--Intel Drop: Censorship-Deception-Blackmail, it Even Reaches US

In the last 48 hours , two people I know , respected authors , began publishing purposefully semi-literate COVID articles for shady cash , $ 3k per month .
I won ’ t use their names , I know why they need , or think they need the money .
I try not to judge .
A factoid ?
COVID is 3 times as deadly as the seasonal flu , not the same , not close and statistics prove it .
They ( paid influencers ) try to compare COVID to flu , using fake stats .
The real ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers undermine the notion that many people who have died from the virus may soon have died anyway .
In Paris , more than twice the usual number of people have died each day , far more than the peak of a bad flu season .
In New York City , the number is now four times the normal amount.
” Past that , almost everyone with any audience , including YouTube and Twitter “ stars ” and the podcast networks , have been on the pad for weeks now , parroting denialist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in today ’ s lancet , show COVID to be more dangerous than imagined and immunity non-existent .
We are supposed to forget that Trump brought this on us and that a very real and quite undercounted 45,000 are officially dead and all have names and birth certificates .
These are the orders from “ Deep State Central , ” sent by email in the form of “ talking points.
” Bonuses are paid for Press TV/RT interview mentions , comment left on news blogs and articles published , with VT and Global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our 5th day of 100 % censorship of all western media .
Payments are being traced to funding groups for the Proud Boys , MS 13 ( a CIA/GOP narcotics partner ) and a series of foundations and think tanks closely aligned to Israel .
( no idea why ) Nothing whatsoever written about any of these subjects is to be relied upon and anyone writing on these subjects can be considered blacklisted as ‘ bought/fake.
’ We have written what we know and withheld what we don ’ t know .
@ @ @ @

In the last 48 hours, two people I know, respected authors, began publishing purposefully semi-literate COVID articles for shady cash, $3k per month. I won’t use their names, I know why they need, or think they need the money. I try not to judge.
A factoid? COVID is 3 times as deadly as the seasonal flu, not the same, not close and statistics prove it.
They (paid influencers) try to compare COVID to flu, using fake stats. The real ones? From the NYT:
“These numbers undermine the notion that many people who have died from the virus may soon have died anyway. In Paris, more than twice the usual number of people have died each day, far more than the peak of a bad flu season. In New York City, the number is now four times the normal amount.”
Past that, almost everyone with any audience, including YouTube and Twitter “stars” and the podcast networks, have been on the pad for weeks now, parroting denialist tales which new reports, such as in today’s lancet, show COVID to be more dangerous than imagined and immunity non-existent.
We are supposed to forget that Trump brought this on us and that a very real and quite undercounted 45,000 are officially dead and all have names and birth certificates.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/21/world/coronavirus-missing-deaths.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
These are the orders from “Deep State Central,” sent by email in the form of “talking points.”
Bonuses are paid for Press TV/RT interview mentions, comment left on news blogs and articles published, with VT and Global Research an extra bonus.
Attack Dr. Fauci
Blame Bill Gates
Blame China
COVID is just flu
Deaths faked
Empty hospitals
We are in our 5th day of 100% censorship of all western media.
Payments are being traced to funding groups for the Proud Boys, MS 13 (a CIA/GOP narcotics partner) and a series of foundations and think tanks closely aligned to Israel. (no idea why)
Nothing whatsoever written about any of these subjects is to be relied upon and anyone writing on these subjects can be considered blacklisted as ‘bought/fake.’
We have written what we know and withheld what we don’t know. Live with it.


veteranstoday--2020-04-21--Intecept: Smithfield’s Wisconsin Plant Hid Infections, Engineered COVID ‘Hot Zone’ (while infecting

Intecept: Smithfield’s Wisconsin Plant Hid Infections, Engineered COVID ‘Hot Zone’ (while infecting meat as well?)

Smithfield , for means of disclosure , is 100 % owned by a Chinese company closely tied to the Chinese military .
They own plants across the US and are under attack for infecting workers , so it is alleged .
Though Smithfield is Chinese owned , it is also a powerful contributor to the GOP governors who have opposed lockdowns .
In fact , the GOP ’ s lockdown effort traces directly to cash payments from industries that benefit at the cost of the health and safety or their workers and the communities they live in .
There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the food supply and why anyone might think food products produced there would be free of COVID .
They are also under investigation for human trafficking , that a company called Global Horizons recruits workers in China then sends them to the US to work in factories , but these workers are “ slaves , ” as this Deseret News article indicate .
the meat industry giant facing mounting questions over its handling of the coronavirus crisis , repeatedly failed to protect its workforce at a Wisconsin plant , according to workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers at the Patrick Cudahy factory , in Cudahy , Wisconsin , faced a Covid-19 outbreak weeks ago , but say managers initially concealed the number of infections , pressured employees to avoid quarantine measures , and failed to provide any face masks or dividers .
A recent outbreak at Smithfield ’ s pork processing plant in Sioux Falls , South Dakota , is now one of the largest Covid-19 hotspots in the U.S. , with 644 confirmed cases tied to the facility .
The Smithfield outbreak represents nearly half of all confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Wisconsin plant , which employs more than 1,000 workers , has more than two dozen confirmed cases and closed down on Wednesday for cleaning and sanitation .
Workers at the plant , who spoke to The Intercept under condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal , say much more should have been done .

Introduction
Smithfield, for means of disclosure, is 100% owned by a Chinese company closely tied to the Chinese military. They own plants across the US and are under attack for infecting workers, so it is alleged.
Though Smithfield is Chinese owned, it is also a powerful contributor to the GOP governors who have opposed lockdowns. In fact, the GOP’s lockdown effort traces directly to cash payments from industries that benefit at the cost of the health and safety or their workers and the communities they live in.
There is also the minor issue about the safety of the food supply and why anyone might think food products produced there would be free of COVID.
They are also under investigation for human trafficking, that a company called Global Horizons recruits workers in China then sends them to the US to work in factories, but these workers are “slaves,” as this Deseret News article indicate.
https://www.deseret.com/2010/8/15/20134636/a-story-of-modern-slavery-in-utah#circle-four-farms-near-milford-utah
SMITHFIELD FOODS, the meat industry giant facing mounting questions over its handling of the coronavirus crisis, repeatedly failed to protect its workforce at a Wisconsin plant, according to workers who spoke to The Intercept.
The Untold Story of the Biggest Outbreak of Covid-19–The Smithfield pork plant with over 700 cases The workers requested masks & other PPE, temperature-checking & sanitation stations. "Management dragged their feet, didn't take worker demands seriously"https://t.co/coD6ZeMPs9 — Steven Greenhouse (@greenhousenyt) April 17, 2020
One hour east of the huge COVID-19 outbreak at the Smithfield meat processing plant in Sioux Falls, a new outbreak at another meat plant in Worthington Minnesota:https://t.co/jEcaTqk34t — Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) April 17, 2020
The workers at the Patrick Cudahy factory, in Cudahy, Wisconsin, faced a Covid-19 outbreak weeks ago, but say managers initially concealed the number of infections, pressured employees to avoid quarantine measures, and failed to provide any face masks or dividers.
Smithfield Foods offered a $500 “responsibility bonus” to workers who didn’t miss a shift in April. Now hundreds are sick. https://t.co/YEHmcDYM3X — Devlin Barrett (@DevlinBarrett) April 16, 2020
A recent outbreak at Smithfield’s pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is now one of the largest Covid-19 hotspots in the U.S., with 644 confirmed cases tied to the facility. The Smithfield outbreak represents nearly half of all confirmed cases in that state.
We asked Smithfield why its plant became the largest COVID-19 outbreak in the US: "Living circumstances in certain cultures are different than they are with your traditional American family." But our investigation found company missteps are to blame: https://t.co/K29xKvRctF — Albert Samaha (@AlbertSamaha) April 20, 2020
Now, the Wisconsin plant, which employs more than 1,000 workers, has more than two dozen confirmed cases and closed down on Wednesday for cleaning and sanitation. Workers at the plant, who spoke to The Intercept under condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, say much more should have been done.
"'I have kids. I have a son with asthma. I can’t afford to get sick and bring that home to my child. I’m risking his life and my life. It’s just not right,' said the employee." https://t.co/rLOBinJ10I — Coworker.org (@teamcoworker) April 21, 2020


veteranstoday--2020-04-21--Russia Fail in Syria?  Pravda Does Attack Piece on Assad (Glass Houses?)

Short weeks after the Russian agreement with Turkey to establish free zones in Idlib , the failure of Russian diplomacy may seen in a new Pravda hit piece on President Assad , previously Russia ’ s primary ally in the world .
Russia has repeatedly suffered , particularly with crashing oil markets and continuing American sanctions .
Their reaction , as we can now surmise , is to blame someone else , perhaps a lesson Putin learned from his China bashing best friend , Donald Trump Clan Bashar al-Assad : how the family of the President of Syria mired in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significantly undermined by the high level of corruption in government circles .
The blame for everything is the clan of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad , who is mired in shadow schemes and profits from ordinary citizens of the Arab Republic .
Assad himself and his relatives demonstrate elements of luxury at a time when the country is just beginning to get out of the horrors of civil war .
Read more about corruption in the most important family of Syria – in our material .
In September 2019 , a major “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syrian President Bashar Assad broke out .
British media reported that Assad placed his cousin Rami Mahlouf under house arrest .
The reason is the inappropriate behavior of his son , 22-year-old Mohammed Mahlouf , who boasted of his family ’ s wealth .
Assad ’ s cousin is constantly uploading photos of expensive cars , villas in Dubai , as well as his own photos with his bare torso on his Facebook and Instagram accounts , demonstrating excellent physical condition .
Sunday Time reported that Mohammed Mahlouf invested $ 300 million in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , the money was received “ from other types of business.
” The scandal with young Mahlouf and reports of his father ’ s “ house arrest ” again raised the topic of corruption schemes in the ranks of the main family of the Syrian Arab Republic .
Nine years after the start of the “ Arab Spring ” , where the Assad family ’ s corruption was the leitmotif of citizens ’ discontent , it ’ s increasingly common to hear that the Syrian president and his family are profiting from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connected with the Bashar Asar family through the mother of the Syrian president Anissa Makhluf , who died in 2016 .
A respected and reputable family owns important economic assets of modern Syria .
So , Rami Mahlouf owns the company Cham Holding , which invests in tourism enterprises , restaurants and real estate .
The holding controls the first private Syrian airline Syrian Pearl , as well as several private banks in the country : An important area of Mahlouf ’ s business is telecommunications .
Rami Mahlouf owns Syriatel , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a monopolist in the cellular market .
In the Arab Republic , they are convinced : despite the role of “ just a businessman , ” Makhlouf intervenes in the policy of the SAR and affects the economic way of life in the country .
Before the outbreak of the Civil War , Assad ’ s cousin controlled 60 % of the country ’ s economy , and it is possible that this influence has survived to this day .
According to the official version , Rami Mahlouf is now under house arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the businessman enjoys the fullness of freedom .
The Syrians are convinced that a “ spectacle with arrest ” was played in front of foreign partners in order to hide the corruption schemes of the Bashar al-Assad family .
Another representative of the clan Hafez Mahlouf is a fatal figure for all of Syria .
He is the only one who survived a car accident in Damascus in 1994 , which claimed the life of the main contender for the presidency of Syria – Basil al-Assad , the eldest son of Syrian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
As a result of this tragedy , Bashar al-Assad , who was weak and deprived of political will , subsequently came to power , and Hafez Makhluf took over as head of the investigative apparatus of the General Intelligence Service , while developing a shadow business in real estate .
In 2012 , Makhlouf survived a second time – during an attack by militants on the building of the National Security Service in northwestern Damascus .
The events taking place in Syria forced the businessman to flee the country , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved to Belarus and continued his business in the post-Soviet space .
In November 2019 , the Financial Times reported that over the years , Hafez Makhlouf bought at least 19 apartments in residential complexes on the territory of Moscow City , 18 of them in the City of Capitals complex , and another in the Federation Tower .
According to the anti-corruption non-governmental organization Global Witness , the amount of transactions is estimated at $ 40 million .
Some of the apartments are owned by Hafez Makhlouf , the rest were transferred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transactions mainly used offshore companies , which were officially registered property .
Another thing is curious – in May 2011 , the European Union imposed sanctions against Hafez Makhlouf , saying that he was close to another representative of the Syrian president ’ s family – General Maher Asad , the Syrian military commander and commander of the 4th Mechanized Division of the Republican Guard .
The middle son of old President Hafez al-Assad , Maher in public is considered exclusively a military figure .
However , it is also associated with corruption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sources , Maher Asad controls 15 % of the Syrian economy , leading entire “ business grids ” across the country ’ s regions .
According to the Russian Council on Foreign Affairs ( INF ) , Maher Asad was able to earn up to a billion dollars through the smuggling of food and tobacco for the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq , bypassing sanctions .
In the 2000s , Assad ’ s brother further increased his fortune after fraud with the bankruptcy of the Lebanese bank Al-Madina , thus becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also a financial tycoon .
Loyal to Maher Asad is also Muhammad Hamsho – a member of the National Assembly of Damascus , founder and leader of the Hamsho International Group .
Before the war , Hamsho was engaged in racketeering and “ roofing ” in the field of construction , hotel business and tourism .
In addition , Hamsho is known for being involved in laundering money received from the country ’ s military budget – under the patronage of Maher Assad .
On the conscience of Maher al-Assad , in addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blood .
In 2005 , Assad , along with Syrian head of military intelligence Asef Shaukat , were mentioned in the preliminary report of the UN commission investigating the murder of billionaire and former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri .
The investigation revealed that Maher Assad could be one of the possible organizers of the crime .
Another key player in the Syrian corruption network around Bashar al-Assad is Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis .
Occupying the post of Minister of Energy until 2016 , Khamis , Doctor of Technical Sciences , holds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the energy industry .
This allows him to deal with the redistribution of budget funds for his own needs .
According to the Federal News Agency ( FAN ) , Khamis and his people in the government apparatus are redirecting funds from gas and oil production not to the country ’ s budget , but to their own pockets .
In 2019 , the Khamis government renegotiated a contract for the supply of electricity with Lebanon .
The amount of the transaction was not specified , but we are talking about millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lebanese transaction fell into shadow circulation and were withdrawn abroad , while the inhabitants of Syria were forced to sit without light .
The second way to enrich the government of Imad Khamis , according to the FAN , is to sell oil to Turkey .
Officially , Damascus has no relationship with Ankara .
However , there are tacit agreements between the Khamis apparatus and Turkish business elites to sell Iranian oil .
As a result , part of the “ black gold ” that Iran supplies to support the Syrian economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ceyhan , where it is sold to Turkish companies owned by Nejmettin Bilal Erdogan , the son of the president of Turkey .
Katharji brothers : business for the benefit of terrorists A special figure in the Assad ’ s “ corruption list ” is the Hossem brothers and Muhammad Katharji , Syrian businessmen who are rightly accused of having ties to the Islamic State ( ISIS , ISIS , a terrorist organization , banned in Russia ) .
In 2017 , Reuters accused Hossem Katharji of “ buying grain from ISIS terrorists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Euphrates Valley that fell into the hands of militants .
Subsequently , the grain received from the IG was delivered to the Syrian port of Tartus .
Since 2017 , the Katarzhi brothers have been implicated in the trade in smuggled oil produced in territories controlled by ISIS .
Energy resources belonging to the Syrian people were exported by whole oil carriers to Turkey .
Katharji ’ s oil business continues today : the brothers buy oil from pro-American Kurdish formations on the eastern bank of the Euphrates and resell it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ played a negative role in the civil war in Syria .
With the money of the Katarzhi brothers , Arab militia units were formed , which repeatedly betrayed their comrades in the Syrian Arab Army and left their positions .
So , in September 2017 , the fighters of the Katarzhi brothers left the headquarters of government troops shortly before the Islamic State terrorist missile attack , which killed Russian military adviser Lieutenant General Valery Asapov .
There is an opinion that the terrorists knew the coordinates of the headquarters , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the impending attack by the militants – another proof of the militants ’ connections with the Syrian business , for which money does not smell .
The huge problems in the Syrian economy and the total corruption scheme around the Bashar al-Assad family do not leave Syria any chances for normal development after the end of the war .
Members of the government and those close to Assad are rapidly gaining wealth , withdrawing funds to the West – and showing luxury against the background of starving Syrians .
All this badly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : local residents are unhappy with the high level of corruption and the behavior of Bashar al-Assad .
Unable to establish an economic climate within Syria , the Syrian president may again lose half of the country through the fault of his many relatives .

Short weeks after the Russian agreement with Turkey to establish free zones in Idlib, the failure of Russian diplomacy may seen in a new Pravda hit piece on President Assad, previously Russia’s primary ally in the world.
Russia has repeatedly suffered, particularly with crashing oil markets and continuing American sanctions.
Their reaction, as we can now surmise, is to blame someone else, perhaps a lesson Putin learned from his China bashing best friend, Donald Trump
Clan Bashar al-Assad: how the family of the President of Syria mired in corruption
The economic situation in Syria is significantly undermined by the high level of corruption in government circles. The blame for everything is the clan of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is mired in shadow schemes and profits from ordinary citizens of the Arab Republic. Assad himself and his relatives demonstrate elements of luxury at a time when the country is just beginning to get out of the horrors of civil war. Read more about corruption in the most important family of Syria – in our material.
comments 3 shared
Mahlouf’s case
In September 2019, a major “scandal in the noble family” of Syrian President Bashar Assad broke out. British media reported that Assad placed his cousin Rami Mahlouf under house arrest . The reason is the inappropriate behavior of his son, 22-year-old Mohammed Mahlouf, who boasted of his family’s wealth.
Assad’s cousin is constantly uploading photos of expensive cars, villas in Dubai, as well as his own photos with his bare torso on his Facebook and Instagram accounts, demonstrating excellent physical condition. Sunday Time reported that Mohammed Mahlouf invested $ 300 million in real estate – while, according to him, the money was received “from other types of business.”
The scandal with young Mahlouf and reports of his father’s “house arrest” again raised the topic of corruption schemes in the ranks of the main family of the Syrian Arab Republic. Nine years after the start of the “Arab Spring”, where the Assad family’s corruption was the leitmotif of citizens ’discontent, it’s increasingly common to hear that the Syrian president and his family are profiting from Syrian citizens.
Golden Family from Damascus
The Makhluf clan is connected with the Bashar Asar family through the mother of the Syrian president Anissa Makhluf, who died in 2016. A respected and reputable family owns important economic assets of modern Syria.
So, Rami Mahlouf owns the company Cham Holding, which invests in tourism enterprises, restaurants and real estate. The holding controls the first private Syrian airline Syrian Pearl, as well as several private banks in the country:
Islamic Bank of Syria,
Al Baraka Bank,
International Bank of Qatar,
Cham bank
Bank of Jordan.
An important area of Mahlouf’s business is telecommunications. Rami Mahlouf owns Syriatel, a mobile operator in Syria, who is a monopolist in the cellular market. In the Arab Republic, they are convinced: despite the role of “just a businessman,” Makhlouf intervenes in the policy of the SAR and affects the economic way of life in the country. Before the outbreak of the Civil War, Assad’s cousin controlled 60% of the country’s economy, and it is possible that this influence has survived to this day.
“Mahlouf writes the laws,” the Huffington Post reported from one of the traders in Damascus. “Whether they concern taxes or trade rules. The regulatory climate is designed for its benefit.”
According to the official version, Rami Mahlouf is now under house arrest. However, according to unofficial data, the businessman enjoys the fullness of freedom. The Syrians are convinced that a “spectacle with arrest” was played in front of foreign partners in order to hide the corruption schemes of the Bashar al-Assad family.
Survivor
Another representative of the clan Hafez Mahlouf is a fatal figure for all of Syria. He is the only one who survived a car accident in Damascus in 1994, which claimed the life of the main contender for the presidency of Syria – Basil al-Assad, the eldest son of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad (1930 – 2000). As a result of this tragedy, Bashar al-Assad, who was weak and deprived of political will, subsequently came to power, and Hafez Makhluf took over as head of the investigative apparatus of the General Intelligence Service, while developing a shadow business in real estate.
In 2012, Makhlouf survived a second time – during an attack by militants on the building of the National Security Service in northwestern Damascus. The events taking place in Syria forced the businessman to flee the country, and in 2014 there were reports that Makhlouf moved to Belarus and continued his business in the post-Soviet space.
In November 2019, the Financial Times reported that over the years, Hafez Makhlouf bought at least 19 apartments in residential complexes on the territory of Moscow City , 18 of them in the City of Capitals complex, and another in the Federation Tower. According to the anti-corruption non-governmental organization Global Witness, the amount of transactions is estimated at $ 40 million. Some of the apartments are owned by Hafez Makhlouf, the rest were transferred to other family members. For the transactions mainly used offshore companies, which were officially registered property.
Warlord and smuggler
Another thing is curious – in May 2011, the European Union imposed sanctions against Hafez Makhlouf, saying that he was close to another representative of the Syrian president’s family – General Maher Asad, the Syrian military commander and commander of the 4th Mechanized Division of the Republican Guard. The middle son of old President Hafez al-Assad, Maher in public is considered exclusively a military figure. However, it is also associated with corruption schemes with Syrian business elites – according to sources, Maher Asad controls 15% of the Syrian economy, leading entire “business grids” across the country’s regions.
According to the Russian Council on Foreign Affairs (INF), Maher Asad was able to earn up to a billion dollars through the smuggling of food and tobacco for the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, bypassing sanctions. In the 2000s, Assad’s brother further increased his fortune after fraud with the bankruptcy of the Lebanese bank Al-Madina, thus becoming not only a military leader, but also a financial tycoon.
It is believed that Maher Asad conducts shadow transactions, using other businessmen as a “cover”. The publication Silobreaker names among the proteges of the Syrian general businessman Khaled Kaddur – he is engaged in telecommunications and investment in the auto industry.
Loyal to Maher Asad is also Muhammad Hamsho – a member of the National Assembly of Damascus, founder and leader of the Hamsho International Group. Before the war, Hamsho was engaged in racketeering and “roofing” in the field of construction, hotel business and tourism. In addition, Hamsho is known for being involved in laundering money received from the country’s military budget – under the patronage of Maher Assad.
On the conscience of Maher al-Assad, in addition to economic crimes, there is also blood. In 2005, Assad, along with Syrian head of military intelligence Asef Shaukat, were mentioned in the preliminary report of the UN commission investigating the murder of billionaire and former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The investigation revealed that Maher Assad could be one of the possible organizers of the crime.
Dr. Khamis – Prime with an Oil Needle
Another key player in the Syrian corruption network around Bashar al-Assad is Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis. Occupying the post of Minister of Energy until 2016, Khamis, Doctor of Technical Sciences, holds in his hands the key tasks of the energy industry. This allows him to deal with the redistribution of budget funds for his own needs.
According to the Federal News Agency (FAN) , Khamis and his people in the government apparatus are redirecting funds from gas and oil production not to the country’s budget, but to their own pockets. In 2019, the Khamis government renegotiated a contract for the supply of electricity with Lebanon. The amount of the transaction was not specified, but we are talking about millions of dollars. The money received from the Lebanese transaction fell into shadow circulation and were withdrawn abroad, while the inhabitants of Syria were forced to sit without light.
The second way to enrich the government of Imad Khamis, according to the FAN, is to sell oil to Turkey. Officially, Damascus has no relationship with Ankara. However, there are tacit agreements between the Khamis apparatus and Turkish business elites to sell Iranian oil.
As a result, part of the “black gold” that Iran supplies to support the Syrian economy is sent to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, where it is sold to Turkish companies owned by Nejmettin Bilal Erdogan, the son of the president of Turkey.
Katharji brothers: business for the benefit of terrorists
A special figure in the Assad’s “corruption list” is the Hossem brothers and Muhammad Katharji, Syrian businessmen who are rightly accused of having ties to the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIS, a terrorist organization, banned in Russia). In 2017, Reuters accused Hossem Katharji of “buying grain from ISIS terrorists” – a businessman financed agricultural enterprises in the Euphrates Valley that fell into the hands of militants. Subsequently, the grain received from the IG was delivered to the Syrian port of Tartus.
Since 2017, the Katarzhi brothers have been implicated in the trade in smuggled oil produced in territories controlled by ISIS. Energy resources belonging to the Syrian people were exported by whole oil carriers to Turkey. Katharji’s oil business continues today: the brothers buy oil from pro-American Kurdish formations on the eastern bank of the Euphrates and resell it to the Syrian government.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), oil is purchased by Katarzhi, and then sent to the province of Homs and to the border with Iraq.
Businessmen also played a negative role in the civil war in Syria. With the money of the Katarzhi brothers, Arab militia units were formed, which repeatedly betrayed their comrades in the Syrian Arab Army and left their positions. So, in September 2017, the fighters of the Katarzhi brothers left the headquarters of government troops shortly before the Islamic State terrorist missile attack, which killed Russian military adviser Lieutenant General Valery Asapov. There is an opinion that the terrorists knew the coordinates of the headquarters, and the Syrians from the Katargi brothers detachment knew about the impending attack by the militants – another proof of the militants’ connections with the Syrian business, for which money does not smell.
Syria mired in corruption
The huge problems in the Syrian economy and the total corruption scheme around the Bashar al-Assad family do not leave Syria any chances for normal development after the end of the war. Members of the government and those close to Assad are rapidly gaining wealth, withdrawing funds to the West – and showing luxury against the background of starving Syrians.
All this badly affects the situation inside the Arab Republic: local residents are unhappy with the high level of corruption and the behavior of Bashar al-Assad. Unable to establish an economic climate within Syria, the Syrian president may again lose half of the country through the fault of his many relatives.


veteranstoday--2020-04-21--World’s Top Medical Journal:  Trump Incompetence Spread COVID as Disease Found to be Much More Dange

World’s Top Medical Journal:  Trump Incompetence Spread COVID as Disease Found to be Much More Dangerous Than Thought

NEW Editorial : The USA has become the centre of the # COVID19 pandemic .
Caught amid the chaos are the American people grappling with fear of a deadly & poorly understood virus , ….absence of a cohesive national strategy , & volatile , incompetent leadership https : //t.co/mVxWN3fMK6 pic.twitter.com/eh21w6bUyj The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus resulted in more severe illnesses than pneumonia , researchers from the University Hospital Zurich wrote in a study published last week .
COVID-19 , the disease responsible for the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , can cause multiple organ failure after attacking the lining of blood vessels in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lancet study .
The findings show that smokers and those with pre-existing conditions , namely obesity and cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension , were affected most when catching the virus .
The study cited three cases , which revealed that viral elements remained in endothelial cells in the lining of blood vessels , in addition to inflammatory cells in patients suffering from the disease .
Autopsies conducted on further coronavirus victims found that blood vessels were “ full of virus ” , impairing blood vessel functions in all organs , according to one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ruschitzka of the University Hospital Zurich , said that the virus not only attacked the lungs , but “ vessels everywhere ” .
He said : “ It enters the endothelium [ layer of cells ] , which is the defence line of the blood vessels .
So it brings your own defence down and causes problems in microcirculation .
Mr Ruschitzka , chairman for the heart centre and cardiology department at the hospital , added : “ From what we do see clinically , patients have problems in all organs – in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everywhere .
The three cases cited a 71-year-old with coronary artery disease and arterial hypertension who died after multiple organ failure , with an autopsy confirming viral elements in the lining of blood vessels along with inflammatory cells in the heart , lungs and others , resulting in blocked small blood vessels .
A second 58-year-old victim suffering from diabetes and obesity died from decreased blood flow to her small intestines , including inflammation of blood vessel linings in numerous vital organs such as lungs , liver and kidneys .
According to recommending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that strengthening cardiovascular health was vital .
He concluded : “ All patients who are at risk and the elderly should be treated very well for the underlying cardiovascular conditions .
The better they are treated , the more likely they are to survive the Covid-19 infection .
The study comes as countries grapple with the ongoing pandemic , with nearly 2.5m cases and over 170,000 deaths being reported worldwide .
The United States currently leads as the new epicentre for the disease , with nearly 788,000 cases and over 42,000 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York City alone , figures tracked on Tuesday showed .

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus resulted in more severe illnesses than pneumonia, researchers from the University Hospital Zurich wrote in a study published last week.
NEW Editorial: The USA has become the centre of the #COVID19 pandemic. Caught amid the chaos are the American people grappling with fear of a deadly & poorly understood virus,….absence of a cohesive national strategy, & volatile, incompetent leadership https://t.co/mVxWN3fMK6 pic.twitter.com/eh21w6bUyj
COVID-19, the disease responsible for the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, can cause multiple organ failure after attacking the lining of blood vessels in the body, it was revealed in a Lancet study.
Today's @lancet editorial on how Trump and the Republicans are working to repeal ACA and erode health insurance protections.
"Trump's efforts to erode ACA protections will lead to poorer health and higher health-care costs." https://t.co/1Lb6GrNCT5 — Carol Fenton (@cfpdx) January 17, 2020
The findings show that smokers and those with pre-existing conditions, namely obesity and cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension, were affected most when catching the virus.
Documentary Proof: University of North Carolina Generated COVID-19 – Veterans Today | Military Foreign Affairs Policy Journal for Clandestine Services https://t.co/lagNRc9lr5 — Rip Holmes (@holmesrip2) April 21, 2020
The study cited three cases, which revealed that viral elements remained in endothelial cells in the lining of blood vessels, in addition to inflammatory cells in patients suffering from the disease. Autopsies conducted on further coronavirus victims found that blood vessels were “full of virus”, impairing blood vessel functions in all organs, according to one chief researcher.
COVID 19 may have a natural origin but, in fact it first occurred at the University of North Carolina, as a “chimera” that was “generated” so that “no vaccine could be developed.” https://t.co/5XRus1Opgu — Batam Bob (@BatamBob) April 18, 2020
Contributing author, Frank Ruschitzka of the University Hospital Zurich, said that the virus not only attacked the lungs, but “vessels everywhere”.
He said: “It enters the endothelium [layer of cells], which is the defence line of the blood vessels. So it brings your own defence down and causes problems in microcirculation.
What is the connection between #COVID19 and #heartfailure? @MRMehraMD and Dr. Frank Ruschitzka provide an overview of research related to elderly #CVD patients with the novel #coronavirus in #JACCHF. Learn more: https://t.co/0LBQ9XFXVA pic.twitter.com/5Yr41z3MGN — American College of Cardiology (@ACCinTouch) March 24, 2020
Mr Ruschitzka, chairman for the heart centre and cardiology department at the hospital, added: “From what we do see clinically, patients have problems in all organs – in the heart, kidney, intestine, everywhere.
WHO unsure antibodies protect against COVID, little sign of herd immunity https://t.co/mhCKNR78GD pic.twitter.com/IIqFoNAKBv — Reuters (@Reuters) April 18, 2020
The three cases cited a 71-year-old with coronary artery disease and arterial hypertension who died after multiple organ failure, with an autopsy confirming viral elements in the lining of blood vessels along with inflammatory cells in the heart, lungs and others, resulting in blocked small blood vessels.
A second 58-year-old victim suffering from diabetes and obesity died from decreased blood flow to her small intestines, including inflammation of blood vessel linings in numerous vital organs such as lungs, liver and kidneys.
An editorial in the medical journal The Lancet put the blame on Trump: «volatile, incompetent leadership» «absence of a cohesive national strategy» «hampered and delayed by Trump's prevarication» «administration marked by consistently poor timing» See https://t.co/3r6TkEjvAN — Beͫvͣaͬnͨd (@zorinaq) April 19, 2020
According to recommending vaccinations and treating endothelium inflammation, Ruschitzka added that strengthening cardiovascular health was vital.
He concluded: “All patients who are at risk and the elderly should be treated very well for the underlying cardiovascular conditions. The better they are treated, the more likely they are to survive the Covid-19 infection.
The study comes as countries grapple with the ongoing pandemic, with nearly 2.5m cases and over 170,000 deaths being reported worldwide. The United States currently leads as the new epicentre for the disease, with nearly 788,000 cases and over 42,000 deaths, with over 14,600 cases registered in New York City alone, figures tracked on Tuesday showed.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30937-5/fulltext
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30863-1/fulltext?utm_campaign=tlcoronavirus20&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social


veteranstoday--2020-04-21--Strange Tale: For the US, the death sentence is abolished

Robert Vicino is an American entrepreneur , the founder of a company engaged in the construction , conversion and sale of bunkers , but not simple concrete pits , but VIP class , which cost millions or tens of millions of dollars .
This person communicates with the richest people on the planet who possess important information .
A few days ago , Robert was on the television channel France 24 .
Topics that were discussed : COVID-19 , quarantines , protests , the economic crisis , the threat of atomic war , a possible asteroid crash .
When asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Very soon , hungry people will start knocking on your door and taking what you have .
In the United States , this will happen in 30 days ” .
Trump managed to overthrow the globalists , but the money remained with them .
Now they hope to overthrow Trump , using economic collapse , popular discontent , protests , riots .
They own huge money , and the Fed is their property .
But God foresaw such a development of events , and in order to finish off the globalists , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgievich Lisitsa discovered the treasury of the Knights Templar .
This is a huge amount of gold of the highest standard and precious stones , worth trillions of dollars .
In 1307 it took 18 ships ( galleys ) to deliver to the place where the treasures were kept all this time .
In the near future , the treasury of the Templar Order will be delivered from Ukraine to the United States .
With this money , a monetary reform will be carried out in the USA and Canada .
The United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollar common to the two countries .
The USA and Canada will return to the gold standard .
Gold coin will be put into circulation .
Citizens will be free to change paper bills for gold coins and vice versa .
Gold coins will be of the following denominations : $ 2.5 , $ 5 , $ 7.5 , $ 10 , $ 15 , $ 25 .
New dollar bills will be yellow or red .
In carrying out the monetary reform , the US government will use the experience of other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a monetary reform was carried out in the USSR .
Then the exchange of seized banknotes was accompanied by significant restrictions : A very short time for exchange is three days from January 23 to 25 ( from Wednesday to Friday ) .
No more than 1000 rubles per person .
Similar restrictions will apply to the implementation of monetary reform in the United States .
The current US dollar and Canadian dollar will be retired .
This means that current dollars will depreciate , turn into ordinary cut paper .
Globalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries that have held their reserves in US dollars ( and Canada ) will lose all or almost all .
The letter code of the dollar is USD .
In Slavic languages , the word “ SUD ” consists of the letters “ U S D ” .
SUD is court , court of law .
The coronavirus epidemic has led the world to economic collapse .
Monetary reform in the United States will lead to the final collapse of the existing global economic system .
It will be a court and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The letter code for the new dollar will be NAD – North American Dollar .
In Slavic languages , the word “ NAD ” means “ above ” .
The US economy will be above the economic collapse that will occur in the world .
In the United States , the main industries and , above all , agriculture will continue to work .
The global economic crisis has already begun .
He will surpass the Great Depression ( 1929 – 1933 ) .
Soon , huge lines for free soup will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US ( and Canada ) , people will not starve to death .
At the same time , the world will be struck by hunger , cannibalism will flourish in different countries .
Now time is running out to invest dollars in real estate or in another asset that has real value .

Robert Vicino is an American entrepreneur, the founder of a company engaged in the construction, conversion and sale of bunkers, but not simple concrete pits, but VIP class, which cost millions or tens of millions of dollars.
By Bohdan Lysytsia for VT
This person communicates with the richest people on the planet who possess important information.
A few days ago, Robert was on the television channel France 24. Topics that were discussed: COVID-19, quarantines, protests, the economic crisis, the threat of atomic war, a possible asteroid crash. When asked about the timing, Robert replied:
“Very soon, hungry people will start knocking on your door and taking what you have. In the United States, this will happen in 30 days”.
Trump managed to overthrow the globalists, but the money remained with them. Now they hope to overthrow Trump, using economic collapse, popular discontent, protests, riots. They own huge money, and the Fed is their property. But God foresaw such a development of events, and in order to finish off the globalists, he left an untouched resource.
Bogdan Georgievich Lisitsa discovered the treasury of the Knights Templar. This is a huge amount of gold of the highest standard and precious stones, worth trillions of dollars. In 1307 it took 18 ships (galleys) to deliver to the place where the treasures were kept all this time.
In the near future, the treasury of the Templar Order will be delivered from Ukraine to the United States. With this money, a monetary reform will be carried out in the USA and Canada. The United States and Canada will introduce a new dollar common to the two countries. The USA and Canada will return to the gold standard. Gold coin will be put into circulation. Citizens will be free to change paper bills for gold coins and vice versa.
Gold coins will be of the following denominations: $ 2.5, $ 5, $ 7.5, $ 10, $ 15, $ 25.
New dollar bills will be yellow or red. In carrying out the monetary reform, the US government will use the experience of other countries. For example, in 1991, a monetary reform was carried out in the USSR. Then the exchange of seized banknotes was accompanied by significant restrictions:
A very short time for exchange is three days from January 23 to 25 (from Wednesday to Friday).
No more than 1000 rubles per person.
Similar restrictions will apply to the implementation of monetary reform in the United States.
The current US dollar and Canadian dollar will be retired. This means that current dollars will depreciate, turn into ordinary cut paper. Globalists will lose their huge money. Many countries that have held their reserves in US dollars (and Canada) will lose all or almost all.
The letter code of the dollar is USD. In Slavic languages, the word “SUD” consists of the letters “U S D”. SUD is court, court of law.
The coronavirus epidemic has led the world to economic collapse. Monetary reform in the United States will lead to the final collapse of the existing global economic system. It will be a court and a death sentence for the existing global economy.
The letter code for the new dollar will be NAD – North American Dollar. In Slavic languages, the word “NAD” means “above”. The US economy will be above the economic collapse that will occur in the world. In the United States, the main industries and, above all, agriculture will continue to work.
The global economic crisis has already begun. He will surpass the Great Depression (1929 – 1933). Soon, huge lines for free soup will reappear in the USA.
In the US (and Canada), people will not starve to death. At the same time, the world will be struck by hunger, cannibalism will flourish in different countries.
Now time is running out to invest dollars in real estate or in another asset that has real value.
Sourse: http://yahovor.arbat.name/


veteranstoday--2020-04-22--Leaping from Despair into Hope: The Lesson of Rembrandt’s Resurrection for Today’s Troubled World

Today , the world finds itself moving through a turbulent transformation between two systems .
Collapsing at a faster rate every day are the foundations of a failed imperial world order defined by zero-sum thinking , consumerism and materialism which has defined our existence for decades .
The question is now : will the new world system take the form of a new era of global empire , unmitigated war between faiths and a prolonged dark age OR might it take the form of the beautiful multi-polar world order defined by win-win cooperation between all of the nations , faiths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his life , Rembrandt van Rijn ( 1606-1669 ) continuously returned to the axiom-breaking theme of the famous biblical story of the ‘ Supper at Emmaus ’ in order to convey the powerful transformative “ moment ” of discovery in between the two states of mind of 1 ) the belief in the death of Christ and the end to his life ’ s mission and 2 ) the state of renewed faith in the immortal hope represented by the image of the resurrection .
While this lesson is taken from the Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provides a lesson for people of all cultures who seek to bring a better world into being .
Before jumping to an analysis of some beautiful paintings , it would be necessary to summarize ever so briefly the story of the Dinner at Emmaus .
The Dinner at Emmaus and The Importance of Christianity in World History Featured in the New Testament Gospels of Luke and Mark , Jesus is invited to eat with two of his disciples ( Luke and Cleopas ) in the town of Emmaus .
This wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact that Jesus had been violently crucified on the cross and entombed days earlier .
Neither Luke nor Cleopas recognize their mentor who has been resurrected after being entombed for three days and it is only upon breaking bread with this stranger that they make their discovery just as Christ vanishes miraculously into light .
Whether you are a Christian , Muslim , Jew , Confucian , Hindu , Buddhist or other , the lesson conveyed by this biblical story and especially Rembrandt ’ s artistic treatment has a universal value for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mission represented a moral power of changewhich had the unique capacity to undo the foundations of the Roman Empire .
This movement accomplished this miraculous feat not through military force , money or any other Hobbesian notion of power , but merely by tuning the hearts and minds of a suppressed people to the power of forgiveness , loving all including one ’ s enemies , and adhering to one ’ s conscience before all “ political norms of acceptable behaviour ” demanded by the Roman oligarchy .
One can imagine how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see that light of hope snuffed out under the suffocating weight of the world ’ s largest and most evil of empires whose unchallenged power had extended to Asia , Africa and all Europe .
One can easily imagine what an existential crisis overwhelmed the hearts of these early followers of Jesus ’ Gospel .
Were they just naive fools to believe in a better world and a loving Creator when such evil could dominate the world ?
How powerful and electrifying was the idea that the sacrificed leader of this movement actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most powerful of emperors and kings could not escape ?
If this were possible , then perhaps the material power of the Empire could be defeated after all and perhaps the ideals of Christ ’ s life and mission were worth having faith in too .
Over the coming centuries , the Roman oligarchy slowly learned that regardless of how many Christians it burned alive , or threw into the mouths of wild animals for the entertainment of the mob , the movement only grew in numbers .
This continued to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to co-opt the movement by Romanizing it and infusing imperial , pagan practices into its governing structures slowly suffocating the spirit of Christ ’ s message in favour of the formal structures of the “ word ” of the book as interpreted by an approved “ priesthood ” beholden to an oligarchical class .
Amidst this tendency to corruption and decay , Christ ’ s spirit was periodically re-awakened from time to time in the form of honest souls who broke from formalization to “ walk the walk ” and live according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who “ broke from the mould ” include such names as St. Augustine of Hippo , Alcuin , Charlemagne , Dante Alighieri , Nicholas of Cusa , Erasmus , Thomas More , and even Rembrandt van Rijn .
Were it not for their efforts to renew the spirit of Christianity by enflaming the kindling for new Renaissances , Europe would likely still be living under the conditions of the medieval dark age , or worse .
One can also argue that were it not for this transformative and miraculous story of reincarnation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another one of many Jewish sects that tried nobly to bring substance to the darkness of a war-ridden world… but ultimately failed .
It is no coincidence that Rembrandt ’ s famous 1648 rendition of the theme of the ‘ Dinner at Emmaus ’ was painted during the year that the great Peace of Westphaliawas finalised in Europe .
This Treaty not only ended the 30 Years War that destroyed generations of Europeans in an endless revengist bloodbath of Protestantism vs Catholicism , but also created a new basis of international law by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premised around the principles of forgiveness , and the agapic principle of the “ Benefit of the Other ” .
In the modern age , a correlate to this principle is found beautifully in the policy of “ win-win cooperation ” expressed in China ’ s New Silk Road which itself emanates fromConfucian principles of “ Tianxia ” .
Rembrandt ’ s 1628 rendition of ‘ Supper at Emmaus ’ is featured below with an incredible use of chiaroscuro to convey the divinity of Christ and also the motion from the darkness of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rembrandt ’ s choice to place the central focus on the un-named disciple rather than on Christ whom he places in a foreground silhouette is not an accident and neither is the choice to place the maid working in the kitchen covered in shadow and oblivious to the miracle behind her .
This central focus on the discovery process occurring in the mind of the disciple creates an opportunity for a cathartic experience with the viewer who is invited to share in the co-discovery occurring before their eyes .
The ethereal divine light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before he disappears casts a divine glow upon his surprised associate which is very different from the candle casting artificial light upon the maid in the kitchen .
This metaphorical use of light is another device used by all great Platonic humanists to convey the image of different grades of knowledge as outlined in the famous Allegory of the Cavein Plato ’ s Republic .
Another rendition of Rembrandt ’ s ‘ Supper at Emmaus ’ was painted in 1648 featuring the artist ’ s struggle to convey the transformative change .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light source not in Christ but rather hidden from view covered by one of his disciples .
In this rendition , Rembrandt chose to place the event on a theatrical stage ( a device he used in several biblical themes ) .
The great master understood painting as a performative principle akin to acting and not as some mere presentation of pretty objects on canvas and as such he wished the audience to imagine reliving the experience fully as good actors should rather than merely admire a show as voyeurs .
Looking through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Rembrandt considered rendering the scene in a very different manner wherein Christ would be depicted a split second later as pure light .
It is worth taking the opportunity to think to yourself : Why did the painter decide not to take this route ?
Why was the path he chose deemed wiser to the master ?
What idea is missing from the sketch ?
Velasquez Tackles the Paradox of Spirit and Matter A contemporary painter and kindred spirit to Rembrandt was the Spanish painter Diego Velasquez ( 1599-1660 ) who also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important “ in between ” moment conveyed in the biblical story .
Many contemporary art critics who lack the sensitivity to art ’ s higher power to convey transformative discoveries often miss the principled intention of both Rembrandt and Velasquez ’ s moral choice to convey this subject matter ( and all their works ) as they do .
Below we can see Velasquez ’ s 1623 rendition of the “ eureka moment ” forever unfolding before the eyes of all future generations .
The hand of one disciple strikes back towards the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect of immersing the audience into the living experience of discovery and further abolishing the false “ wall ” separating the “ subjective ” viewer from the “ objective ” art being viewed .
A few years before this painting , Velasquez tackled the same theme from the unique standpoint of the servant girl fixing a meal in the kitchen and placing the divine transformative scene in the background… not to downplay the importance of the event but to give the viewer a chance to breath , and ponder the co-existence of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we all exist which are too often fragmented and divided by an unbridgeable gulf between “ abstract ” spiritual concepts and “ real ” material facts .
We hope that during this Easter Sunday and all of the days to follow , you dear reader , take the time to seek the power of creative love and faith in a better world within yourself while sharing the fruits of that search with others .
Perhaps , in so doing the lives of such great souls as Velasquez , Rembrandt , Confucius , Socrates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more .
Matthew Ehret is the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Patriot Review , a BRI Expert on Tactical talk , and has authored 3 volumes of ‘ Untold History of Canada ’ book series .
In 2019 he co-founded the Montreal-based Rising Tide Foundation and can be reached at [ email protected ]

Today, the world finds itself moving through a turbulent transformation between two systems. Collapsing at a faster rate every day are the foundations of a failed imperial world order defined by zero-sum thinking, consumerism and materialism which has defined our existence for decades. The question is now: will the new world system take the form of a new era of global empire, unmitigated war between faiths and a prolonged dark age OR might it take the form of the beautiful multi-polar world order defined by win-win cooperation between all of the nations, faiths and cultures of the world?
Throughout his life, Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) continuously returned to the axiom-breaking theme of the famous biblical story of the ‘Supper at Emmaus’ in order to convey the powerful transformative “moment” of discovery in between the two states of mind of 1) the belief in the death of Christ and the end to his life’s mission and 2) the state of renewed faith in the immortal hope represented by the image of the resurrection. While this lesson is taken from the Christian matrix, it’s universal characteristic provides a lesson for people of all cultures who seek to bring a better world into being.
Before jumping to an analysis of some beautiful paintings, it would be necessary to summarize ever so briefly the story of the Dinner at Emmaus.
The Dinner at Emmaus and The Importance of Christianity in World History
Featured in the New Testament Gospels of Luke and Mark, Jesus is invited to eat with two of his disciples (Luke and Cleopas) in the town of Emmaus. This wouldn’t be anything exceptional, except for the fact that Jesus had been violently crucified on the cross and entombed days earlier. Neither Luke nor Cleopas recognize their mentor who has been resurrected after being entombed for three days and it is only upon breaking bread with this stranger that they make their discovery just as Christ vanishes miraculously into light.
Whether you are a Christian, Muslim, Jew, Confucian, Hindu, Buddhist or other, the lesson conveyed by this biblical story and especially Rembrandt’s artistic treatment has a universal value for the simple reason that Christ’s life and mission represented a moral power of changewhich had the unique capacity to undo the foundations of the Roman Empire. This movement accomplished this miraculous feat not through military force, money or any other Hobbesian notion of power, but merely by tuning the hearts and minds of a suppressed people to the power of forgiveness, loving all including one’s enemies, and adhering to one’s conscience before all “political norms of acceptable behaviour” demanded by the Roman oligarchy.
One can imagine how disheartened Christ’s followers were to see that light of hope snuffed out under the suffocating weight of the world’s largest and most evil of empires whose unchallenged power had extended to Asia, Africa and all Europe. One can easily imagine what an existential crisis overwhelmed the hearts of these early followers of Jesus’ Gospel. Were they just naive fools to believe in a better world and a loving Creator when such evil could dominate the world? How powerful and electrifying was the idea that the sacrificed leader of this movement actually succeeded in defeating the one thingwhich even the most powerful of emperors and kings could not escape? If this were possible, then perhaps the material power of the Empire could be defeated after all and perhaps the ideals of Christ’s life and mission were worth having faith in too.
Over the coming centuries, the Roman oligarchy slowly learned that regardless of how many Christians it burned alive, or threw into the mouths of wild animals for the entertainment of the mob, the movement only grew in numbers. This continued to the point that the Empire was forced to attempt to co-opt the movement by Romanizing it and infusing imperial, pagan practices into its governing structures slowly suffocating the spirit of Christ’s message in favour of the formal structures of the “word” of the book as interpreted by an approved “priesthood” beholden to an oligarchical class.
Amidst this tendency to corruption and decay, Christ’s spirit was periodically re-awakened from time to time in the form of honest souls who broke from formalization to “walk the walk” and live according to their consciences. These courageous souls who “broke from the mould” include such names as St. Augustine of Hippo, Alcuin, Charlemagne, Dante Alighieri, Nicholas of Cusa, Erasmus, Thomas More, and even Rembrandt van Rijn. Were it not for their efforts to renew the spirit of Christianity by enflaming the kindling for new Renaissances, Europe would likely still be living under the conditions of the medieval dark age, or worse.
One can also argue that were it not for this transformative and miraculous story of reincarnation, then Christianity would have merely been just another one of many Jewish sects that tried nobly to bring substance to the darkness of a war-ridden world… but ultimately failed.
Rembrandt’s Renaissance Challenge
It is no coincidence that Rembrandt’s famous 1648 rendition of the theme of the ‘Dinner at Emmaus’ was painted during the year that the great Peace of Westphaliawas finalised in Europe. This Treaty not only ended the 30 Years War that destroyed generations of Europeans in an endless revengist bloodbath of Protestantism vs Catholicism, but also created a new basis of international law by establishing the system of modern nation states premised around the principles of forgiveness, and the agapic principle of the “Benefit of the Other”. In the modern age, a correlate to this principle is found beautifully in the policy of “win-win cooperation” expressed in China’s New Silk Road which itself emanates fromConfucian principles of “Tianxia”.
1648 rendition of Rembrandt’s ‘Supper at Emmaus;
Rembrandt’s 1628 rendition of ‘Supper at Emmaus’ is featured below with an incredible use of chiaroscuro to convey the divinity of Christ and also the motion from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge. Rembrandt’s choice to place the central focus on the un-named disciple rather than on Christ whom he places in a foreground silhouette is not an accident and neither is the choice to place the maid working in the kitchen covered in shadow and oblivious to the miracle behind her. This central focus on the discovery process occurring in the mind of the disciple creates an opportunity for a cathartic experience with the viewer who is invited to share in the co-discovery occurring before their eyes.
The ethereal divine light emanating from Christ’s figure just before he disappears casts a divine glow upon his surprised associate which is very different from the candle casting artificial light upon the maid in the kitchen. This metaphorical use of light is another device used by all great Platonic humanists to convey the image of different grades of knowledge as outlined in the famous Allegory of the Cavein Plato’s Republic.
Rembrandt’s 1628 rendition of “Supper at Emmaus”
Another rendition of Rembrandt’s ‘Supper at Emmaus’ was painted in 1648 featuring the artist’s struggle to convey the transformative change. In the version below, Rembrandt placed the light source not in Christ but rather hidden from view covered by one of his disciples. In this rendition, Rembrandt chose to place the event on a theatrical stage (a device he used in several biblical themes). The great master understood painting as a performative principle akin to acting and not as some mere presentation of pretty objects on canvas and as such he wished the audience to imagine reliving the experience fully as good actors should rather than merely admire a show as voyeurs.
Looking through his surviving thumbnail sketches, we see that Rembrandt considered rendering the scene in a very different manner wherein Christ would be depicted a split second later as pure light. It is worth taking the opportunity to think to yourself: Why did the painter decide not to take this route? Why was the path he chose deemed wiser to the master? What idea is missing from the sketch?
Velasquez Tackles the Paradox of Spirit and Matter
A contemporary painter and kindred spirit to Rembrandt was the Spanish painter Diego Velasquez (1599-1660) who also took on the challenge of capturing the important “in between” moment conveyed in the biblical story. Many contemporary art critics who lack the sensitivity to art’s higher power to convey transformative discoveries often miss the principled intention of both Rembrandt and Velasquez’s moral choice to convey this subject matter (and all their works) as they do. Below we can see Velasquez’s 1623 rendition of the “eureka moment” forever unfolding before the eyes of all future generations.
The hand of one disciple strikes back towards the viewer which also has the brilliant technical effect of immersing the audience into the living experience of discovery and further abolishing the false “wall” separating the “subjective” viewer from the “objective” art being viewed.
A few years before this painting, Velasquez tackled the same theme from the unique standpoint of the servant girl fixing a meal in the kitchen and placing the divine transformative scene in the background… not to downplay the importance of the event but to give the viewer a chance to breath, and ponder the co-existence of the divine and the ordinary world in which we all exist which are too often fragmented and divided by an unbridgeable gulf between “abstract” spiritual concepts and “real” material facts.
We hope that during this Easter Sunday and all of the days to follow, you dear reader, take the time to seek the power of creative love and faith in a better world within yourself while sharing the fruits of that search with others. Perhaps, in so doing the lives of such great souls as Velasquez, Rembrandt, Confucius, Socrates, and Christ may come alive once more.
Matthew Ehret is the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Patriot Review , a BRI Expert on Tactical talk, and has authored 3 volumes of ‘Untold History of Canada’ book series. In 2019 he co-founded the Montreal-based Rising Tide Foundation and can be reached at matt.ehret@tutamail.com