veteranstoday--2020-11-10--VT Nuclear Education: Electricity is Free and Gravity Doesn’t Exist

There is a war going on , one quite possibly more important to the fate of mankind than that other one that is strewing bodies across a third of the globe .
What if we can prove there is electricity in the air , not just here on earth but in the vacuum of space – electricity that we can tap and use ?
What if that secret , yes Tesla ’ s and now Keshe ’ s , can run your hairdryer or charge your electric car ?
A dozen governments are looking at his tech to power their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contrary to Keshe ’ s strong anti-war message , a dozen armies look at Keshe tech as a way of powering the superweapons of the next generation and beyond .
Well , the plans are free ; they are online , and thousands around the world are doing just that – building their own Magrav units , and some people are very unhappy about it , as you might just guess .
This isn ’ t just lying about history or how many angels dance on the head of a pin .
Physicist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then perhaps not so great minds whose work now needs to be , just perhaps , relegated to the trash bin of history , decided that burning oil and coal ( or the “ flavor of the day ” ) was going to be the only way to power civilization , even if , for no reason whatsoever as we know now , planet earth would eventually look like Mars .
For those of you who don ’ t know , Mehran T. Keshe is an Oxford-trained physicist , one-time researcher ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the British MOD ( Ministry of Defense ) who now heads the equivalent of a worldwide cult .
Keshe claims his physics , using different laws than are taught today , make free energy and even space travel , real space travel , a possibility .
We sent scientists to meet him ; one said he was insane .
The problem is this , his devices actually work , even when tested by detractors and skeptics .
They are being manufactured and distributed around the world ; the plans are available and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of this is documented .
If this is true , and it is , and we can prove it , and we can , then physics , as taught in our schools , is a lie .
Toward that end , VT Science Editor and nuclear physicist Jeff Smith , archivist , and researcher for the US Department of Energy , now has to talk his way out of a corner , using his skills , humor , and the world ’ s largest scientific library .
This is a good read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to say : If I understand things right , then my suspicions are correct – that the aether was mainstream in physics until the Clark-Maxwell equations , that electricity , gravity , and magnetism are the same thing and powerful people don ’ t want this to be known .
At some point at the end of the 19th century , as the exploitation of petroleum for profit was getting underway , those who stood to profit acted to suppress the knowledge that electrical potential was everywhere around us and if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had figured it out , but he was blocked from developing a workable system because , as the legend goes , he admitted to some rich financiers that you couldn ’ t put a meter on this power which meant there were no huge profits to be made .
So instead of entering an electrical age , we entered a petroleum age that did untold damage to our planet , our environment , our health , and perhaps worst of all , our understanding of the physical universe we inhabit .
We live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to controlling gravity is also the key to extracting usable electrical power from the aether .
This is the knowledge that the elite doesn ’ t want to get out as it contains within it the potential to obliterate the petroleum-based economy that their wealth and power has been built on .
Furthermore , it unlocks the barrier to outer space – to leaving the confines of our one small planet without having to ride atop a giant firework that might go bang at any moment and spread your ashes across half the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ esoteric subject of anti-gravity propelled craft and UFOs .
We know that the British RAF and US Air Force operating over Europe in 1944 and 45 , bombing to bits Germany ’ s towns and cities , reported frequent encounters with ‘ foo fighters ’ or what we would today call UFOs and suspect were alien craft .
Well , regardless of whether aliens exist or if they have visited us here on Earth , I have always felt that the major , overriding motivating factor behind the immense UFO cover-up that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technologies developed here on Earth by humans ; that almost all of the strange craft seen in the skies were not alien , but rather something built by humans using technologies suppressed from the public .
Which brings us to Operation Paperclip and the grabbing of as many German scientists , engineers , and technologies as possible and transporting them to the US to work for Uncle Sam .
I think it is a thousand times more likely that the USAF got its advanced anti-gravity propulsion technology not from reverse-engineering something alien that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but from German scientists and engineers who had developed the technology after studying the work of Maxwell and Hertz .
This also leads us to the uneasy suspicion that NASA , with all its fancy fireworks , is nothing more than an elaborate multi-billion dollar cover op to hide the real space program that rather than using metal tubes trailing smoke and flame to crawl out of the gravity well into orbit has been based on anti-gravity craft , See Gary McKinnon and Solar Warden .
We all know that Stalin told Zhukov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to spare no efforts to take the city before the Allies could .
For this reason , Zhukov went straight on into a frontal attack on the Seelow Heights and bludgeoned his way through and fought his way into the city where he battered his way block by block to the Reichstag to plant the Red Flag .
It cost the Russians immense casualties , over a million men , whereas they could have circled north and south of Berlin to meet up west of the city and taken it with minimum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost purely due to haste and the desire to take physical possession of Berlin .
We have long known that there was no political need for Stalin to seize Berlin – he had already been given Eastern Germany and Berlin by the Allies at Yalta ; so why the undue haste to seize the city ?
I have long felt that the real reason lay in the southwestern suburbs at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute , for here was stored a large stockpile of high-grade uranium ore that had been mined in the Belgian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they overran Belgium in 1940 .
It was this uranium stockpile along with the nuclear research and the scientists who worked on the atomic Waffen project that I thought was the motivation behind Stalin ’ s undue haste to capture Berlin .
However , given Jeff ’ s information about the Hertz files stored at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute and the groundbreaking research of von Braun and Dornberger based on those files , I have to consider a whole new motivation for the capture of Berlin in May 1945 .
Perhaps getting their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the research done there explains the how and why of the Russian ’ s early lead in the space race ?
Once again , I find myself being reminded that not only is history written by the victors ; science and our understanding of the physical world is similarly controlled by those who are at the top of the world ’ s power structure .
VT on Maxwell with Keshe and Jeff Smith I have been busy doing some long deep research into Hertz lab notes on Gravity circa 1888 .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he got his data from Helmholtz who got it from Lord Rayleigh who got it from Maxwell ’ s original research into light and gravity .
It appears that Maxwell ’ s first two formulas describe what gravity is , and his second two formulas describe what light or transverse radio waves are .
This is according to Hertz ’ s own notes !
!
!
This is also confirmed by J.J. Thompson and T.T .
Brown ’ s work on electrostatics .
You have to understand that magnetic and electrostatic fields were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Maxwell but this was well before circuit theory and the discovery of the electron so it was very easily missed by mainstream science .
The part on gravity was dropped by Rayleigh who took over Maxwell ’ s seat at Cambridge around 1885 .
Then Maxwell ’ s notes were passed on to Helmholtz who then gave them to Hertz .
It seems that nobody was interested in the gravity part and simply dumped it .
Hertz worked on it for a while , then moved on to transverse wave theory after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop playing with the gravity part and focus on the more important transverse wave part .
So the Gravity part of Maxwell ’ s theory and Hertz ’ s own work on gravity got shelved until WW2 when Von Braun , Dornberger , and company dusted it off at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute where Hertz ’ files were kept and got it to work .
Dornberger then gave it to Larry Bell after the war in 1948 and that led to the NASA weight loss program on Apollo .
It ’ s interesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have really big effects later on .
The data matches what I have on Bell and Dornberger ’ s work in the 1950s .
Here is the simple science/math part .
: 1 .
Gravity is non-rotational .
It has no spin or rotation ; therefore it is not a wave of any type and never can be .
Only transverse waves have rotation or curl as it is called .
Light spins .
Gravity is static and does not possess spin .
This is because it is a vector force field only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rotation , or curl .
2 .
Gravity is a static vector field of force .
I.E .
a flow of current from the sky towards the center of the Earth .
You can also say it is a difference in potential or a voltage drop .
Therefore it is static and flows in one direction only .
It is not scalar and has no spin , rotation , or curl .
This is why gravity is always attractive and never repulsive on Earth .
3 .
It is not Scalar but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I.E .
the field varies from zero in outer space to 100 % at sea level but the field always has a constant vector amplitude and direction .
I.E .
its field intensity or force is always in the same direction and level , everywhere , when measured in a closed space .
Like Einstein ’ s elevator .
4 .
Its Gradient is negative .
Anti-gravity has a positive Gradient or what is called an “ Over Gradient ” .
5 .
According to J.J. Thomas and T.T .
Brown , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it uses an electrical over-gradient to cancel the effect of gravity by pushing out the magnetic lines of force , creating a form of magnetic buoyancy .
6 .
J.J. Thompson also states that the presence of air surrounding an object of mass interferes with the ability of an electrostatic charge to deflect it .
The effect was heavily researched with vacuum tubes , x-rays , cathode ray tubes , etc .
back in the late 1900s by everybody but they missed the gravity part that was right in front of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WW2 .
There is more to the theory ; this is just the frosting on the cake for general info .
After looking at some of Keshe ’ s math this is where he got it from – Maxwell and Hertz ’ s original notes on gravity .
Keshe is describing the Aether and electrostatic fields of forces and not photons .
His so-called “ Mag-grav ” units are simply Maxwell ’ s first two formulas combined together to form a new scientific unit .
Actually he is describing a non-rotational vector gradient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gravity really is – a simple difference in voltage between two objects of mass that is always attractive .
By simply displacing the magnetic lines of force between the two objects you get a positive form of buoyancy called an-over gradient .
This follows with nuclear plasma magnetic buoyancy theory or why heat and flame always repel gravity .
So the quest to figure out what light was preceded gravity research and the government simply sat on it for military reasons due to the cold war .
I do believe that this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the UK ?
His “ spinning glass spears ” simply are filled with sulfur that , when spun up , creates a very large positive charge on the outside of the glass sphere producing an over-gradient and reversing the Lorentz F=QVXB formula that is the basic cause of Gravity .
If you make the charge on an object of mass positive , it repels the local magnetic field and goes up not down .
The problem is simple ; the air is highly resistive and it , therefore , it requires a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the effect of gravity .
As in lightning .
However , in the vacuum of space or on the moon this is not a problem due to the high conductivity of a vacuum .
Even in the vacuum of free space there still remains over 10 billion electrically active particles of all types per cubic inch that will conduct electricity .
This is why space is not empty and the aether really does exist .
Maxwell ’ s equations will not work without it .
Einstein was wrong , space is not empty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The key is in maximizing the current density of the reverse or over the gradient field .
Dornberger ’ s vacuum tank demonstrations at NASA proved this to be true leading to the Apollo space program ’ s ability to solve how to get off of the moon with limited weight and thrust restrictions .
In the future , this is how we will land and get back off of Mars .
It is also how we will travel between the stars and it is the Transporter Beam on Star Trek or how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helicopters for covert fallout testing .

Introductions by Ian Greenhalgh and Gordon Duff
There is a war going on, one quite possibly more important to the fate of mankind than that other one that is strewing bodies across a third of the globe. What if we can prove there is electricity in the air, not just here on earth but in the vacuum of space – electricity that we can tap and use? Assignmentgeek.com can help you with physics homework, but first, we advise you to read our article.
What if that secret, yes Tesla’s and now Keshe’s, can run your hairdryer or charge your electric car? A dozen governments are looking at his tech to power their next-century development plans while, and quite contrary to Keshe’s strong anti-war message, a dozen armies look at Keshe tech as a way of powering the superweapons of the next generation and beyond.
Well, the plans are free; they are online, and thousands around the world are doing just that – building their own Magrav units, and some people are very unhappy about it, as you might just guess. This isn’t just lying about history or how many angels dance on the head of a pin.
Physicist Jeff Smith postulates that, since 1880, then perhaps not so great minds whose work now needs to be, just perhaps, relegated to the trash bin of history, decided that burning oil and coal (or the “flavor of the day”) was going to be the only way to power civilization, even if, for no reason whatsoever as we know now, planet earth would eventually look like Mars.
For those of you who don’t know, Mehran T. Keshe is an Oxford-trained physicist, one-time researcher (nuclear weapons researcher our investigations indicate) for the British MOD (Ministry of Defense) who now heads the equivalent of a worldwide cult. Keshe claims his physics, using different laws than are taught today, make free energy and even space travel, real space travel, a possibility.
Keshe
We sent scientists to meet him; one said he was insane. The problem is this, his devices actually work, even when tested by detractors and skeptics. They are being manufactured and distributed around the world; the plans are available and people are building their own, and all of this is documented.
If this is true, and it is, and we can prove it, and we can, then physics, as taught in our schools, is a lie. Toward that end, VT Science Editor and nuclear physicist Jeff Smith, archivist, and researcher for the US Department of Energy, now has to talk his way out of a corner, using his skills, humor, and the world’s largest scientific library. This is a good read but first, see what Ian Greenhalgh has to say:
If I understand things right, then my suspicions are correct – that the aether was mainstream in physics until the Clark-Maxwell equations, that electricity, gravity, and magnetism are the same thing and powerful people don’t want this to be known.
At some point at the end of the 19th century, as the exploitation of petroleum for profit was getting underway, those who stood to profit acted to suppress the knowledge that electrical potential was everywhere around us and if we could only learn to harness it…
Nikola Tesla
Tesla had figured it out, but he was blocked from developing a workable system because, as the legend goes, he admitted to some rich financiers that you couldn’t put a meter on this power which meant there were no huge profits to be made. So instead of entering an electrical age, we entered a petroleum age that did untold damage to our planet, our environment, our health, and perhaps worst of all, our understanding of the physical universe we inhabit.
We live in an electric universe and the key to controlling gravity is also the key to extracting usable electrical power from the aether. This is the knowledge that the elite doesn’t want to get out as it contains within it the potential to obliterate the petroleum-based economy that their wealth and power has been built on.
Furthermore, it unlocks the barrier to outer space – to leaving the confines of our one small planet without having to ride atop a giant firework that might go bang at any moment and spread your ashes across half the globe.
Anti-gravity propulsion and UFOs
Which brings us to the esoteric subject of anti-gravity propelled craft and UFOs. We know that the British RAF and US Air Force operating over Europe in 1944 and 45, bombing to bits Germany’s towns and cities, reported frequent encounters with ‘foo fighters’ or what we would today call UFOs and suspect were alien craft.
Well, regardless of whether aliens exist or if they have visited us here on Earth, I have always felt that the major, overriding motivating factor behind the immense UFO cover-up that has gone on since 1945 is to hide technologies developed here on Earth by humans; that almost all of the strange craft seen in the skies were not alien, but rather something built by humans using technologies suppressed from the public.
Which brings us to Operation Paperclip and the grabbing of as many German scientists, engineers, and technologies as possible and transporting them to the US to work for Uncle Sam. I think it is a thousand times more likely that the USAF got its advanced anti-gravity propulsion technology not from reverse-engineering something alien that crashed on a ranch in New Mexico but from German scientists and engineers who had developed the technology after studying the work of Maxwell and Hertz.
This also leads us to the uneasy suspicion that NASA, with all its fancy fireworks, is nothing more than an elaborate multi-billion dollar cover op to hide the real space program that rather than using metal tubes trailing smoke and flame to crawl out of the gravity well into orbit has been based on anti-gravity craft, See Gary McKinnon and Solar Warden.
The Battle of Berlin
We all know that Stalin told Zhukov to take Berlin ASAP in May 1945, to spare no efforts to take the city before the Allies could. For this reason, Zhukov went straight on into a frontal attack on the Seelow Heights and bludgeoned his way through and fought his way into the city where he battered his way block by block to the Reichstag to plant the Red Flag.
It cost the Russians immense casualties, over a million men, whereas they could have circled north and south of Berlin to meet up west of the city and taken it with minimum loss of life. All those lives lost purely due to haste and the desire to take physical possession of Berlin.
We have long known that there was no political need for Stalin to seize Berlin – he had already been given Eastern Germany and Berlin by the Allies at Yalta; so why the undue haste to seize the city?
I have long felt that the real reason lay in the southwestern suburbs at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute, for here was stored a large stockpile of high-grade uranium ore that had been mined in the Belgian Congo and taken by the Germans after they overran Belgium in 1940. It was this uranium stockpile along with the nuclear research and the scientists who worked on the atomic Waffen project that I thought was the motivation behind Stalin’s undue haste to capture Berlin.
However, given Jeff’s information about the Hertz files stored at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute and the groundbreaking research of von Braun and Dornberger based on those files, I have to consider a whole new motivation for the capture of Berlin in May 1945. Perhaps getting their hands on the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute and the research done there explains the how and why of the Russian’s early lead in the space race?
Once again, I find myself being reminded that not only is history written by the victors; science and our understanding of the physical world is similarly controlled by those who are at the top of the world’s power structure.
Electricity is Free and Gravity Doesn’t Exist
VT on Maxwell with Keshe and Jeff Smith
by Jeff Smith
I have been busy doing some long deep research into Hertz lab notes on Gravity circa 1888. It’s a most interesting read. Apparently he got his data from Helmholtz who got it from Lord Rayleigh who got it from Maxwell’s original research into light and gravity.
It appears that Maxwell’s first two formulas describe what gravity is, and his second two formulas describe what light or transverse radio waves are. This is according to Hertz’s own notes!!!
This is also confirmed by J.J. Thompson and T.T. Brown’s work on electrostatics.
You have to understand that magnetic and electrostatic fields were well understood and developed during the time of Maxwell but this was well before circuit theory and the discovery of the electron so it was very easily missed by mainstream science.
The part on gravity was dropped by Rayleigh who took over Maxwell’s seat at Cambridge around 1885. Then Maxwell’s notes were passed on to Helmholtz who then gave them to Hertz. It seems that nobody was interested in the gravity part and simply dumped it. Hertz worked on it for a while, then moved on to transverse wave theory after being encouraged by Helmholtz and Faraday to stop playing with the gravity part and focus on the more important transverse wave part.
So the Gravity part of Maxwell’s theory and Hertz’s own work on gravity got shelved until WW2 when Von Braun, Dornberger, and company dusted it off at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute where Hertz’ files were kept and got it to work.
Dornberger then gave it to Larry Bell after the war in 1948 and that led to the NASA weight loss program on Apollo. It’s interesting how funny little quarks in history can have really big effects later on. The data matches what I have on Bell and Dornberger’s work in the 1950s.
Here is the simple science/math part.:
1. Gravity is non-rotational. It has no spin or rotation; therefore it is not a wave of any type and never can be. Only transverse waves have rotation or curl as it is called. Light spins. Gravity is static and does not possess spin. This is because it is a vector force field only. Vector fields do not possess spin, rotation, or curl.
2. Gravity is a static vector field of force. I.E. a flow of current from the sky towards the center of the Earth. You can also say it is a difference in potential or a voltage drop. Therefore it is static and flows in one direction only. It is not scalar and has no spin, rotation, or curl. This is why gravity is always attractive and never repulsive on Earth.
3. It is not Scalar but it is a type of Scalar field. I.E. the field varies from zero in outer space to 100% at sea level but the field always has a constant vector amplitude and direction. I.E. its field intensity or force is always in the same direction and level, everywhere, when measured in a closed space. Like Einstein’s elevator.
4. Its Gradient is negative. Anti-gravity has a positive Gradient or what is called an “Over Gradient”.
5. According to J.J. Thomas and T.T. Brown, electrostatic levitation is a form of anti-gravity because it uses an electrical over-gradient to cancel the effect of gravity by pushing out the magnetic lines of force, creating a form of magnetic buoyancy.
6. J.J. Thompson also states that the presence of air surrounding an object of mass interferes with the ability of an electrostatic charge to deflect it. The effect was heavily researched with vacuum tubes, x-rays, cathode ray tubes, etc. back in the late 1900s by everybody but they missed the gravity part that was right in front of them until the Germans re-discovered the effect in WW2.
There is more to the theory; this is just the frosting on the cake for general info. After looking at some of Keshe’s math this is where he got it from – Maxwell and Hertz’s original notes on gravity.
Keshe is describing the Aether and electrostatic fields of forces and not photons. His so-called “Mag-grav” units are simply Maxwell’s first two formulas combined together to form a new scientific unit.
Actually he is describing a non-rotational vector gradient field of force. This is what gravity really is – a simple difference in voltage between two objects of mass that is always attractive. By simply displacing the magnetic lines of force between the two objects you get a positive form of buoyancy called an-over gradient. This follows with nuclear plasma magnetic buoyancy theory or why heat and flame always repel gravity.
So the quest to figure out what light was preceded gravity research and the government simply sat on it for military reasons due to the cold war. I do believe that this is what Keshe learned when he was working in the UK? His “spinning glass spears” simply are filled with sulfur that, when spun up, creates a very large positive charge on the outside of the glass sphere producing an over-gradient and reversing the Lorentz F=QVXB formula that is the basic cause of Gravity. If you make the charge on an object of mass positive, it repels the local magnetic field and goes up not down.
The problem is simple; the air is highly resistive and it, therefore, it requires a very very large voltage drop to overcome the effect of gravity. As in lightning. However, in the vacuum of space or on the moon this is not a problem due to the high conductivity of a vacuum.
Even in the vacuum of free space there still remains over 10 billion electrically active particles of all types per cubic inch that will conduct electricity. This is why space is not empty and the aether really does exist. Maxwell’s equations will not work without it. Einstein was wrong, space is not empty. It is very conductive electrically.
The key is in maximizing the current density of the reverse or over the gradient field. Dornberger’s vacuum tank demonstrations at NASA proved this to be true leading to the Apollo space program’s ability to solve how to get off of the moon with limited weight and thrust restrictions.
In the future, this is how we will land and get back off of Mars. It is also how we will travel between the stars and it is the Transporter Beam on Star Trek or how the US government steals cows with black helicopters for covert fallout testing.
More to come…
There is a war going on, one quite possibly more important to the fate of mankind than that other one that is strewing bodies across a third of the globe. What if we can prove there is electricity in the air, not just here on earth but in the vacuum of space – electricity that we can tap and use? Assignmentgeek.com can help you with physics homework, but first we advise you to read our article.


veteranstoday--2020-11-10--Vital: Trump is no aberration, assume it at your peril

Greetings , The current celebrations in the US notwithstanding , the contest over the soul of America has clearly shown that not a malign foreign implant into an otherwise innocent American landscape .
He is very much a part of the American soul – he is not an aberration and future Trumps should be executed .
While the US may not yet be ready to grapple with this reality , the rest of the world can no longer afford to live in denial .
Relying on an American security umbrella takes on an entirely new meaning in this context .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ dependent on the US and hopelessly ill-prepared to make necessary adjustments in the defense sphere .
Instead of waiting for the next Trump to arrive , they should together proactively with the Biden administration begin earnest deliberations on a transition away from excessive and unfair reliance on US military largesse .
They may have less time than they think .
Trump is no aberration , assume it at your peril The vote did not result in a repudiation of Trump ’ s narcissism , bullying , xenophobia and utter lack of empathy – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grips with this If Joe Biden was right and the 2020 presidential elections were a contest over the soul of America , then his victory is bittersweet .
With almost half of the votes cast for Donald Trump , he is undeniably very much a part of the American soul .
In the words of Princeton Professor Eddie Glaude , Trump is not an aberration , but a reflection of the ugliness that very much is , and always has been , a part of us .
While the US may not yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the rest of the world can no longer afford to live in denial .
Around the world , many hoped that the lies we have told ourselves of our American innocence – the lies that form the bedrock of American exceptionalism and neatly separate us from the desperate impulses that brought forward Trump – would prove true .
They didn ’ t .
Five million more Americans voted for Trump this past Tuesday than they did in 2016 .
They saw the divisions he fuelled , the xenophobia he embraced , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he refused to condemn , and the pandemic he bungled ; and they weighed that against the tax cuts they won , the conservative Supreme Court judges he appointed , the climate chaos they can ignore , and the punishments he inflicted on the “ liberal elites ” .
They decided they wanted four more years of Trump .
Trump did not just do better with Republicans and white voters .
He also won more Black and Hispanic votes than in the last election .
Indeed , unlike 2016 , when no one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters had no doubts about his agenda and style this time around .
Obviously , Biden secured more votes than any US president in history .
But the repudiation of Trump ’ s narcissism , bullying , xenophobia and utter lack of empathy – which would have confirmed that he was an inexplicable aberration – was not achieved .
This is not a critique of Biden , who deserves credit for his important victory .
Rather , it ’ s an assertion that Biden could not have done much better than he did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign implant into an otherwise innocent American landscape .
He is a part of this landscape and has , as a result , a natural constituency within it .
Trump reflects the part of the American psyche that believes it must win – that it is entitled to win – by any means necessary .
Rules are for others ; the losers .
Proudly breaking them doesn ’ t mean that you are wrong or bad .
It means that you are a winner .
Many countries in the world are very familiar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While Americans must find the courage to grapple with the reality of their soul , the rest of the world must come to terms with the probability that the US will produce more Trumps .
Relying on an American security umbrella takes on an entirely new meaning in this context .
European , Asian and Middle Eastern powers have long benefitted from US eagerness to uphold security and stability globally , though the results of US military dominance are increasingly problematic .
Countries have happily stepped aside and let the US both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2018 , for instance , 13 percent of the defence department ’ s base budget – $ 81bn – was spent on protecting global oil supplies , mostly in the Gulf .
Yet , only 15 percent of US oil imports came from the Gulf in 2018 .
Most of the Gulf oil the US protected went to Asia : 40 percent of China ’ s oil imports are from the Middle East , while 76 percent of the oil shipped through the Strait of Hormuz in 2017 went to Asian markets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been subsidising Asian oil consumption .
A similar situation exists in Europe , where wealthy European countries still rely on US protection instead of investing more in their own defences .
While Americans have long complained about this – Trump calls it “ free-riding ” – European and Asian countries have had few incentives to behave differently , since US presidents have tended to be too enamoured with their global military empire to make true on their threats of withdrawing military support and protection .
However clumsily and at times unfairly , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make true on the demands for greater burden-sharing and reduced American security obligations .
US allies , believing Trump was an aberration , opted to wait him out .
In a few years , he would be gone , they reasoned , and the country would return to “ normalcy ” .
Yet , slowly realising that Trump is not a fluke , the incentive structure of US security partners may now begin to shift .
To continue to put all of their eggs in the American security basket , and to expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kinds of security umbrellas globally , is nothing short of strategic malpractice .
Too many countries are hopelessly dependent on the US , and hopelessly ill-prepared to make necessary adjustments in the defence sphere .
This dependence has long been unhelpful to the US , which has had to shoulder too much of the cost and defend too many countries .
Now , Asian , European and Middle Eastern partners of the US may finally realise that having their security completely bound to an increasingly divided and unpredictable country – which is long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be too good for them either .
Instead of waiting for the next Trump to arrive , US strategic partners and Biden should proactively begin earnest deliberations on a transition away from excessive and unfair reliance on US military largesse .
They may have less time than they think .
Trita Parsi is Executive Vice President at the Quincy Institute and the author of Losing an Enemy – Obama , Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy

Greetings,
The current celebrations in the US notwithstanding, the contest over the soul of America has clearly shown that not a malign foreign implant into an otherwise innocent American landscape. He is very much a part of the American soul – he is not an aberration and future Trumps should be executed.
While the US may not yet be ready to grapple with this reality, the rest of the world can no longer afford to live in denial.
Relying on an American security umbrella takes on an entirely new meaning in this context. US partners around the world are hopelessly dependent on the US and hopelessly ill-prepared to make necessary adjustments in the defense sphere.
Instead of waiting for the next Trump to arrive, they should together proactively with the Biden administration begin earnest deliberations on a transition away from excessive and unfair reliance on US military largesse.
They may have less time than they think.
Sincerely,
Trita Parsi
Trump is no aberration, assume it at your peril
The vote did not result in a repudiation of Trump’s narcissism, bullying, xenophobia and utter lack of empathy – and the world must now come to grips with this
Trita Parsi
If Joe Biden was right and the 2020 presidential elections were a contest over the soul of America, then his victory is bittersweet. With almost half of the votes cast for Donald Trump, he is undeniably very much a part of the American soul.
In the words of Princeton Professor Eddie Glaude, Trump is not an aberration, but a reflection of the ugliness that very much is, and always has been, a part of us. While the US may not yet be ready to grapple with this reality, the rest of the world can no longer afford to live in denial.
Around the world, many hoped that the lies we have told ourselves of our American innocence – the lies that form the bedrock of American exceptionalism and neatly separate us from the desperate impulses that brought forward Trump – would prove true. They didn’t.
Five million more Americans voted for Trump this past Tuesday than they did in 2016. They saw the divisions he fuelled, the xenophobia he embraced, the children he caged, the white supremacists he refused to condemn, and the pandemic he bungled; and they weighed that against the tax cuts they won, the conservative Supreme Court judges he appointed, the climate chaos they can ignore, and the punishments he inflicted on the “liberal elites”. They decided they wanted four more years of Trump.
Trump did not just do better with Republicans and white voters. He also won more Black and Hispanic votes than in the last election. Indeed, unlike 2016, when no one knew how he would govern, his supporters had no doubts about his agenda and style this time around.
Obviously, Biden secured more votes than any US president in history. But the repudiation of Trump’s narcissism, bullying, xenophobia and utter lack of empathy – which would have confirmed that he was an inexplicable aberration – was not achieved.
This is not a critique of Biden, who deserves credit for his important victory. Rather, it’s an assertion that Biden could not have done much better than he did precisely because Trump is not a malign foreign implant into an otherwise innocent American landscape. He is a part of this landscape and has, as a result, a natural constituency within it.
Trump reflects the part of the American psyche that believes it must win – that it is entitled to win – by any means necessary. Rules are for others; the losers. Proudly breaking them doesn’t mean that you are wrong or bad. It means that you are a winner. Many countries in the world are very familiar with this aspect of the American soul.
US military dominance
While Americans must find the courage to grapple with the reality of their soul, the rest of the world must come to terms with the probability that the US will produce more Trumps.
Relying on an American security umbrella takes on an entirely new meaning in this context. European, Asian and Middle Eastern powers have long benefitted from US eagerness to uphold security and stability globally, though the results of US military dominance are increasingly problematic. Countries have happily stepped aside and let the US both provide security and shoulder its cost.
In 2018, for instance, 13 percent of the defence department’s base budget – $81bn – was spent on protecting global oil supplies, mostly in the Gulf. Yet, only 15 percent of US oil imports came from the Gulf in 2018. Most of the Gulf oil the US protected went to Asia: 40 percent of China’s oil imports are from the Middle East, while 76 percent of the oil shipped through the Strait of Hormuz in 2017 went to Asian markets more broadly.
American taxpayers have effectively been subsidising Asian oil consumption. A similar situation exists in Europe, where wealthy European countries still rely on US protection instead of investing more in their own defences.
While Americans have long complained about this – Trump calls it “free-riding” – European and Asian countries have had few incentives to behave differently, since US presidents have tended to be too enamoured with their global military empire to make true on their threats of withdrawing military support and protection.
Shifting geopolitics
However clumsily and at times unfairly, Trump was the first president who tried to make true on the demands for greater burden-sharing and reduced American security obligations.
US allies, believing Trump was an aberration, opted to wait him out. In a few years, he would be gone, they reasoned, and the country would return to “normalcy”. Yet, slowly realising that Trump is not a fluke, the incentive structure of US security partners may now begin to shift.
To continue to put all of their eggs in the American security basket, and to expect the US to carry on providing all kinds of security umbrellas globally, is nothing short of strategic malpractice.
Too many countries are hopelessly dependent on the US, and hopelessly ill-prepared to make necessary adjustments in the defence sphere. This dependence has long been unhelpful to the US, which has had to shoulder too much of the cost and defend too many countries.
Now, Asian, European and Middle Eastern partners of the US may finally realise that having their security completely bound to an increasingly divided and unpredictable country – which is long overdue for some serious soul-searching – may not be too good for them either.
Instead of waiting for the next Trump to arrive, US strategic partners and Biden should proactively begin earnest deliberations on a transition away from excessive and unfair reliance on US military largesse. They may have less time than they think.
Trita Parsi is Executive Vice President at the Quincy Institute and the author of Losing an Enemy – Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy


veteranstoday--2020-11-11--Florida’s Flake Governor Hires Failed Sports Blogger to Run COVID Data Analysis

Miami Herald : When Gov .
Ron DeSantis needed to hire a data analyst , his staff picked a little-known Ohio sports blogger and Uber driver whose only relevant experience is spreading harmful conspiracy theories about COVID-19 on the Internet .
In his own words , Kyle Lamb of Columbus , Ohio , has few qualifications for the job at the state ’ s Office of Policy and Budget , which pays $ 40,000 per year .
“ Fact is , I ’ m not an ‘ expert.
’ I ’ m not a doctor , epidemiologist , virologist or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website for a subscribers-only podcast he hosts about the coronavirus .
“ I also don ’ t need to be .
Experts don ’ t have all the answers , and we ’ ve learned that the hard way.
” In frequent posts on Twitter and sports message boards , Lamb has said that masks don ’ t prevent the coronavirus from spreading ; that lockdowns are ineffective ; that hydroxychloroquine , a drug touted by President Donald Trump , can treat the virus ; that COVID-19 , which he said might be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” is not more deadly than the flu ; and that the virus isn ’ t dangerous for children to contract .
All of those claims have been impeached by scientific evidence .
“ I have no qualms about being a ‘ sports guy ’ moonlighting as a COVID-19 analyst , ” Lamb wrote on his podcast website .
In Twitter DMs obtained by the Miami Herald , Lamb said he began studying the virus in January and that his “ livelihood ” as an Uber driver was “ based on society maintaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on Nov. 6 , he tweeted that he had “ officially accepted an offer to go work for Gov .
Ron DeSantis … doing data analysis on several fronts for them including but not limited to COVID-19 research and other projects.
” read more…

Miami Herald: When Gov. Ron DeSantis needed to hire a data analyst, his staff picked a little-known Ohio sports blogger and Uber driver whose only relevant experience is spreading harmful conspiracy theories about COVID-19 on the Internet.
In his own words, Kyle Lamb of Columbus, Ohio, has few qualifications for the job at the state’s Office of Policy and Budget, which pays $40,000 per year.
“Fact is, I’m not an ‘expert.’ I’m not a doctor, epidemiologist, virologist or scientist,” Lamb wrote on a website for a subscribers-only podcast he hosts about the coronavirus. “I also don’t need to be. Experts don’t have all the answers, and we’ve learned that the hard way.”
https://twitter.com/jake_zuckerman/status/1326256204671295488?s=20
Plucked from the obscurity of the blogosphere, Lamb, 40, broadcasts his lack of scientific training in his theories about the pandemic. In frequent posts on Twitter and sports message boards, Lamb has said that masks don’t prevent the coronavirus from spreading; that lockdowns are ineffective; that hydroxychloroquine, a drug touted by President Donald Trump, can treat the virus; that COVID-19, which he said might be part of a Chinese “biowar,” is not more deadly than the flu; and that the virus isn’t dangerous for children to contract. All of those claims have been impeached by scientific evidence. “I have no qualms about being a ‘sports guy’ moonlighting as a COVID-19 analyst,” Lamb wrote on his podcast website. In Twitter DMs obtained by the Miami Herald, Lamb said he began studying the virus in January and that his “livelihood” as an Uber driver was “based on society maintaining some level of restrained normalcy.” Then, on Nov. 6, he tweeted that he had “officially accepted an offer to go work for Gov. Ron DeSantis … doing data analysis on several fronts for them including but not limited to COVID-19 research and other projects.” read more… https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article247081417.html


veteranstoday--2020-11-11--Pennsylvania: Postal ‘Whistleblower’ Confesses he made it all in alleged Go Fund Me Scam

LacorteNews : GoFundMe has reportedly taken action against a fundraiser for USPS mail carrier Richard Hopkins who alleged election fraud on the part of his supervisors .
The page was started by Hopkins himself after he publicly came forward with the allegations .
On the page , Hopkins points out that he is “ willing to testify under oath that 2020 Presidential Election ballots are being backdated to November 3rd by my supervisors.
” He suggests that he might lose his job because of his actions , directly or indirectly , and the raised funds would help him until he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post Office has already been threatening my employment .
I am scared for myself , my family , and those closest to me , ” he wrote .
The GoFundMe for Hopkins has , so far , raised $ 128,478 .
Daily Beast : A postal worker whose allegation of corrupt mail-ballot counting in Pennsylvania was presented to Attorney General Bill Barr by President Trump ’ s allies as a reason to open an investigation into widespread voter fraud has reportedly recanted his claim .
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee were informed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Office of the Inspector General that the USPS worker , Richard Hopkins , recanted his allegation Sunday after being interviewed by investigators Friday , a Democratic aide told The Daily Beast .
Hopkins had alleged that he overheard a postmaster in Erie , Pennsylvania , directing staffers to backdate ballots that were mailed after the Election Day deadline .
Hopkins ’ claim , which was publicized by Project Veritas before getting the attention of the Trump campaign , was included by Trump ’ s GOP allies in a letter to Barr urging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation a short time later .
The Washington Post reported that Hopkins not only recanted his allegations in a sworn affidavit but admitted to having made them up .
But in a YouTube video posted by Project Veritas late Tuesday , Hopkins called on the Post to “ recant ” their report and said “ that is not what happened ” and that he “ did not recant ” his statements .
“ And you will find out tomorrow , ” he said , without elaborating .

LacorteNews: GoFundMe has reportedly taken action against a fundraiser for USPS mail carrier Richard Hopkins who alleged election fraud on the part of his supervisors.
The page was started by Hopkins himself after he publicly came forward with the allegations. On the page, Hopkins points out that he is “willing to testify under oath that 2020 Presidential Election ballots are being backdated to November 3rd by my supervisors.” He suggests that he might lose his job because of his actions, directly or indirectly, and the raised funds would help him until he finds a new one.
“The Post Office has already been threatening my employment. I am scared for myself, my family, and those closest to me,” he wrote.
The GoFundMe for Hopkins has, so far, raised $128,478. Daily Beast: A postal worker whose allegation of corrupt mail-ballot counting in Pennsylvania was presented to Attorney General Bill Barr by President Trump’s allies as a reason to open an investigation into widespread voter fraud has reportedly recanted his claim. BREAKING NEWS: Erie, Pa. #USPS whistleblower completely RECANTED his allegations of a supervisor tampering with mail-in ballots after being questioned by investigators, according to IG. THREAD: — Oversight Committee (@OversightDems) November 10, 2020 Democrats on the House Oversight Committee were informed by the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of the Inspector General that the USPS worker, Richard Hopkins, recanted his allegation Sunday after being interviewed by investigators Friday, a Democratic aide told The Daily Beast. AG Barr, I understand that you are itching to find evidence of voting irregularities and fraud. Meet Richard Hopkins who LIED about mail-in ballots being backdated. He used a GoFund Me page to raise 136,000 following promotion of these lies. He has recanted. What say you? pic.twitter.com/IjkHYoOjry — Kristen Clarke 866-OUR-VOTE (@KristenClarkeJD) November 11, 2020 Hopkins had alleged that he overheard a postmaster in Erie, Pennsylvania, directing staffers to backdate ballots that were mailed after the Election Day deadline. Hopkins’ claim, which was publicized by Project Veritas before getting the attention of the Trump campaign, was included by Trump’s GOP allies in a letter to Barr urging an investigation, and Barr greenlit the investigation a short time later. The Washington Post reported that Hopkins not only recanted his allegations in a sworn affidavit but admitted to having made them up. But in a YouTube video posted by Project Veritas late Tuesday, Hopkins called on the Post to “recant” their report and said “that is not what happened” and that he “did not recant” his statements. “And you will find out tomorrow,” he said, without elaborating.


veteranstoday--2020-11-10--VT Damascus: Sanctions, Crop burning, Oil theft, Syria will miss Trump, Not so much

I am going to try and put the suffering of the Syrian people into a simple prospective .
Today the price of an egg in 2020 equals the price of 60 eggs prior to the war in 2011 .
Wages remain the same , as 2011 average middle management earns around 50,000 to 60.000 Syrian pounds per month equal to around 50 USD .
Average rent in the suburbs of Damascus now costs 150.000 Syrian pounds for a livable apartment in Jaramana .
I spoke to a doctor who works in a government hospital as a cardiac specialist with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month .
After he finishes his work at the hospital , he drives a taxi .
He makes 3 times his government salary per month .
He spent 6 years at medical school and a further 5 years as an intern before gaining his qualification in cardiac medicine , that ’ s 11 years of his life to become a recognized doctor .
At the beginning of the war the Majority of Pharmaceutical factory ’ s were based in Aleppo all stolen and then destroyed all of the production equipment shipped to Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of factorys based around government cities in 2016 .
It took me three days to find a pharmacist who had antibiotic medicine .
Most medicines come from third world countries of a low standard , imported via the back door , often with strange side effects , not tested to EU or international standards , due to sanctions .
We can ’ t get quality medication to EU standard .
During the Covid 19 outbreak , people still went to work .
They had to .
The Syrian Government is unable to offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support .
They tried a lock down for a few weeks , strictly enforced , but it was damaging the already damaged economy .
The Syrian people are being slowly strangled by sanctions .
Every day the grip from the USA and other western democracies tighten around the throat of the average man , woman , and child ; a slow malingering death said one woman .
In war we faced shelling and bullets and death , but that was quick .
This is slow and painful and without mercy .
I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fast food takeaway how much for a sandwich , and the look they give as they find they don ’ t have enough money , and then turn around and leave the takeaway [ vehicle ] .
Prices rise daily .
Petrol is expensive , so taxi drivers are increasing the price of journeys .
To purchase petrol is an 8 hour wait in queues , and that ’ s a day ’ s work lost .
Syrian people cook on bottled gas , they have no piped network .
Bottled gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for stoves and central heating is diesel , that ’ s become very expensive .
It ’ s difficult to understand a country like Syria , an oil producing country with its own gas fields and great natural resources that can ’ t produce its own fuel .
You have to look back to the war .
Syria ’ s processing factorys were deliberately targeted and destroyed .
ISIS and other terrorist groups captured Syrian oil fields and sold oil to Turkey .
The Kurds did the same and sold to the USA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ground and said the USA would withdraw from Syria .
But , instead he sent the US army to the oil fields in Dier Ezzor and liberated the oil fields for the USA .
If Syria was a woman you would consider her a victim of gang rape .
This is the history of Syrian petroleum and gas systematically stolen by various outside powers in occupied Golan Israeli state oil , Genie Oil , is illegally selling off drilling rights to foreign business including the USA , against UN charter and international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the money that should be going into the coffers of the Syrian state are now going to foreign oil companies ; entailing a massive loss of revenue for the Syrian people .
On a daily basis , staple goods like fruit and vegetables have increased in price some 10 fold , meat is out of people ’ s reach .
The cost of lamb and chicken is greater than most citizens ’ budget .
One woman I spoke with told me for breakfast her four children have a one egg omelet and bread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s a luxury for them , a treat .
Bread Queues at government bakery can be as long as 8 to 9 hours , which is another working day lost .
Due to the scorched earth campaign in the last few months carried out by both terrorists and foreign powers , wheat citrus and olive trees have been all destroyed .
Millions of trees burnt to the ground .
Food that is normally abundant is in short supply .
Also Turkey stole and transported hundreds of olive trees and transported them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start fires , as well as by clandestine operators on the ground .
I estimate that over half the cereal production of Syria was lost .
The result is no food for chickens or livestock , so meat becomes expensive .
Veterinarians are not able to obtain vaccines for livestock , and there are over 90 cattle diseases that can pass from cattle to humans ; but we can ’ t get the medication needed for animals , as well as for humans .
Restaurants and cafes are having to buy gas on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In order to do so , price rises or smaller portions of fast food take place to allow for inflation .
I bought a large French Fries sandwich yesterday ; it was 1000 Syrian pounds , the small size was 800 Syrian pounds .
It was basically salad with a few French fries , the old price in the last two years was 250 to 500 Syrian pounds packed with French fries and a little salad to garnish .
Electricity rationing has always been in place since my arrival in Syria in 2012 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to theft of power stations .
I have witnessed power stations being dismantled by Turkish engineers disguised as terrorists in Douma .
An average group of terrorists could not dismantle a power station and transport it to Turkey .
You need technicians to do that ; and factory production lines and power stations in Aleppo suffered the same fate .
I produced a documentary on this in 2016 , which was placed on Youtube , and which was deleted by Youtube , https : //youtu.be/tcrHA72kX-Q , but friends have saved it on other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions imposed by the West , • high inflation will result in high mortality rate in both the old and infants , not to mention those who have underlying illnesses .
On an average day when I travel locally , I am asked by people begging in the street , usually old or with serious injuries or limbs missing , for money , not to feed themselves but for medication , they hold in their hands empty boxes of medical drugs .
In one hour , 10 such people approached me in Bagdad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is soul destroying , I am not a soft man .
I have seen action in every engagement inside Syria .
I have seen children die , and I have held them in my arms .
Had people killed or torn apart next to me .
But this Hate crime of SANCTIONS really affects me , worse than war .
I can see people slowly dying in front of me , little by little , but still the Syrian people carry on , still they try to survive each day and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a roof over their heads ; send their children to school sometimes without food .
Increase in child mortality and an increase in crime .
Sanctions have the same results as medieval siege tactics , which starve people into submission , and that is what the West is doing .
For the rich and elite in Syria , sanctions don ’ t affect them .
They still buy the latest Mercedes or the latest iPhone ; still eat in the best restaurants and hotels .
It ’ s the poor that sanctions hurt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government but will destroy the poor and vulnerable .

Exclusive Tom Duggan, VT
I am going to try and put the suffering of the Syrian people into a simple prospective.
Today the price of an egg in 2020 equals the price of 60 eggs prior to the war in 2011.
Wages remain the same, as 2011 average middle management earns around 50,000 to 60.000 Syrian pounds per month equal to around 50 USD.
Average rent in the suburbs of Damascus now costs 150.000 Syrian pounds for a livable apartment in Jaramana. I spoke to a doctor who works in a government hospital as a cardiac specialist with a government salary of 35.000 Syrian pounds per month.
After he finishes his work at the hospital, he drives a taxi. He makes 3 times his government salary per month. He spent 6 years at medical school and a further 5 years as an intern before gaining his qualification in cardiac medicine, that’s 11 years of his life to become a recognized doctor.
Pharmaceutical Production:
At the beginning of the war the Majority of Pharmaceutical factory’s were based in Aleppo all stolen and then destroyed all of the production equipment shipped to Turkey.
What remained were only a handful of factorys based around government cities in 2016.
It took me three days to find a pharmacist who had antibiotic medicine. Most medicines come from third world countries of a low standard, imported via the back door, often with strange side effects, not tested to EU or international standards, due to sanctions.
We can’t get quality medication to EU standard. During the Covid 19 outbreak, people still went to work. They had to. The Syrian Government is unable to offer any financial benefit, such as financial support. They tried a lock down for a few weeks, strictly enforced, but it was damaging the already damaged economy.
The Syrian people are being slowly strangled by sanctions. Every day the grip from the USA and other western democracies tighten around the throat of the average man, woman, and child; a slow malingering death said one woman. In war we faced shelling and bullets and death, but that was quick. This is slow and painful and without mercy.
I have watched children at school lunch time ask a fast food takeaway how much for a sandwich, and the look they give as they find they don’t have enough money, and then turn around and leave the takeaway [vehicle].
Prices rise daily. Petrol is expensive, so taxi drivers are increasing the price of journeys. To purchase petrol is an 8 hour wait in queues, and that’s a day’s work lost.
Syrian people cook on bottled gas, they have no piped network. Bottled gas is in short supply, most heating for stoves and central heating is diesel, that’s become very expensive.
It’s difficult to understand a country like Syria, an oil producing country with its own gas fields and great natural resources that can’t produce its own fuel.
You have to look back to the war. Syria’s processing factorys were deliberately targeted and destroyed. ISIS and other terrorist groups captured Syrian oil fields and sold oil to Turkey. The Kurds did the same and sold to the USA.
Trump said no more boots on the ground and said the USA would withdraw from Syria. But, instead he sent the US army to the oil fields in Dier Ezzor and liberated the oil fields for the USA.
If Syria was a woman you would consider her a victim of gang rape. This is the history of Syrian petroleum and gas systematically stolen by various outside powers in occupied Golan Israeli state oil, Genie Oil, is illegally selling off drilling rights to foreign business including the USA, against UN charter and international law.
Summing up on petroleum, the money that should be going into the coffers of the Syrian state are now going to foreign oil companies; entailing a massive loss of revenue for the Syrian people.
On a daily basis, staple goods like fruit and vegetables have increased in price some 10 fold, meat is out of people’s reach. The cost of lamb and chicken is greater than most citizens’ budget.
One woman I spoke with told me for breakfast her four children have a one egg omelet and bread, split between 4 children, and that’s a luxury for them, a treat.
Bread Queues at government bakery can be as long as 8 to 9 hours, which is another working day lost.
Due to the scorched earth campaign in the last few months carried out by both terrorists and foreign powers, wheat citrus and olive trees have been all destroyed. Millions of trees burnt to the ground. Food that is normally abundant is in short supply.
Also Turkey stole and transported hundreds of olive trees and transported them to Turkey. Drones were used to start fires, as well as by clandestine operators on the ground.
I estimate that over half the cereal production of Syria was lost. The result is no food for chickens or livestock, so meat becomes expensive. Veterinarians are not able to obtain vaccines for livestock, and there are over 90 cattle diseases that can pass from cattle to humans; but we can’t get the medication needed for animals, as well as for humans.
Restaurants and cafes are having to buy gas on the black market at inflated prices.
In order to do so, price rises or smaller portions of fast food take place to allow for inflation. I bought a large French Fries sandwich yesterday; it was 1000 Syrian pounds, the small size was 800 Syrian pounds.
It was basically salad with a few French fries, the old price in the last two years was 250 to 500 Syrian pounds packed with French fries and a little salad to garnish.
Electricity rationing has always been in place since my arrival in Syria in 2012. In my area this was due to theft of power stations. I have witnessed power stations being dismantled by Turkish engineers disguised as terrorists in Douma. An average group of terrorists could not dismantle a power station and transport it to Turkey. You need technicians to do that; and factory production lines and power stations in Aleppo suffered the same fate.
I produced a documentary on this in 2016, which was placed on Youtube, and which was deleted by Youtube, https://youtu.be/tcrHA72kX-Q, but friends have saved it on other youtube type Sites.
Summing up on sanctions imposed by the West,
shortage of food,
shortage of energy,
shortage of medicines,
high inflation will result in high mortality rate in both the old and infants, not to mention those who have underlying illnesses.
On an average day when I travel locally, I am asked by people begging in the street, usually old or with serious injuries or limbs missing, for money, not to feed themselves but for medication, they hold in their hands empty boxes of medical drugs. In one hour, 10 such people approached me in Bagdad Street, a main road in Damascus.
It is soul destroying, I am not a soft man. I have seen action in every engagement inside Syria. I have seen children die, and I have held them in my arms. Had people killed or torn apart next to me.
But this Hate crime of SANCTIONS really affects me, worse than war. I can see people slowly dying in front of me, little by little, but still the Syrian people carry on, still they try to survive each day and place food on the table and keep a roof over their heads; send their children to school sometimes without food.
Increase in child mortality and an increase in crime.
Sanctions have the same results as medieval siege tactics, which starve people into submission, and that is what the West is doing. For the rich and elite in Syria, sanctions don’t affect them. They still buy the latest Mercedes or the latest iPhone; still eat in the best restaurants and hotels.
It’s the poor that sanctions hurt. Sanctions will not destroy the Syrian government but will destroy the poor and vulnerable.


veteranstoday--2020-11-10--Biden should refuse to let Trump define his options

To save the Iran nuclear deal , Think bigger [ Editor ’ s Note : Why am I curious that Bibi put a call in to Trump to advise him to bury Iran under sanctions before he leaves office , so if Biden removes them , he can then be politically charged with rolling over with Iran ?
The answer is because Bibi is the uber manipulator who has sold Israelis that no one can ‘ handle ’ the US better than he can .
Trump will also want to show that he can also ‘ handle ’ Sleepy Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If he does do this , Trump will find himself on a shrinking world stage with a long list of countries who are not about to be gamed by Trump as door mats for his being a world leader .
The smart move would be for the rest of us to show how irrelevant he is .
If Trump stiffs Biden on attending the inauguration , he would be giving Biden a free hand to banish the newest former president from traditional invitations to White House events .
This of course would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has opened criminal investigations on his administration .
New presidents have historically been shy about doing this , but if Biden passes on it , he will be putting an early stain on his administration of being ‘ all talk and no action ’ .
Part of the broad coalition for his narrow victory was those ex-Justice Department and military people who are concerned that allowing the Trump gang to go scot-free would in effect be putting a Biden stamp of approval on their behavior as an okay thing .
If he screws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his supporters crossing over into opposition early in his term .
As Glenn Kirschner has schooled us , ‘ Justice Does Matter ’ .
We have all learned that the squeaky wheel gets oiled first .
And , with Biden already committed to moving quickly on a lot of fronts to get the US ship of state sailing with full sails , his supporters want a wooden stake put into the Trump vampire , something that he so richly deserves … Jim W. Dean ] Jim 's Editor ’ s Notes are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes research , field trips , Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more .
Thanks for helping .
Click to donate > > Soon after taking office , President-elect Joe Biden will face the daunting task of restoring the 2015 nuclear deal and getting the United States and Iran back on speaking terms .
The outgoing administration of President Donald Trump intends to make that job nearly impossible by spending its last ten weeks in office engineering a “ flood ” of sanctions to further squeeze Iran .
The Trump team apparently hopes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political cost of backtracking on these sanctions , which will be tied to non-nuclear concerns such as ballistic missiles and human rights .
But the transparent sabotage actually only sharpens Biden ’ s choices and may force him to go bigger than just restoring the agreement .
Contrary to the calculations of the Trump administration and its allies in Israel , Biden may now seek not only to rejoin the nuclear deal but also to improve relations with Iran in order to insulate the agreement from Saudi , Emirati , and Israeli efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benjamin Netanyahu has made this gamble before and lost .
In the mid-1990s , Israel pushed to make Iran ’ s nuclear program an international security concern , forcing the matter to the top of the U.S. agenda .
When Netanyahu took office , he depicted Tehran ’ s nuclear program as an existential threat to Israel and the Iranian government as irrational and suicidal .
His strategy was to curtail then-President Barack Obama ’ s options : make containment impracticable , set the bar for diplomacy so high that talks could never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on zero enrichment ) , and thereby leave Obama to choose between war and acquiescence to an Iranian nuclear weapon .
Netanyahu ’ s bet , of course , was that Obama simply could not allow Iran to go nuclear on his watch .
But Netanyahu miscalculated .
By raising the alarm , he had made the status quo option—containment—appear to be unsustainable .
The Obama administration would have to act .
But when it did so , it refused Netanyahu ’ s binary and went instead for an option that Netanyahu thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Tehran , based on mutual concessions and compromise .
The Obama administration began secret negotiations with Iran in Oman and offered to accept that Iran would enrich uranium on its own soil ( something Israel vehemently opposed ) so long as Tehran agreed to transparency and restrictions that would close off all paths to making a bomb .
Had Netanyahu not eliminated the status quo option and sought to force Obama to act , chances are the American president would have done what many of his predecessors had done when faced with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kick the can down the road and let the next president deal with it .
Indeed , Obama did exactly that with the North Korean nuclear program .
Biden should refuse to be boxed in on Iran much the same way Obama did .
He should insist on thinking bigger than just the nuclear deal and looking instead to the broader relationship , because the experience of the past few years has shown that no arms control agreement can be sustained while relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate .
In 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressing , precise , and defensible on which to engage Tehran .
The resulting deal did not subsume other concerns , nor was it primarily designed to bring about a new era between the two countries .
While the Obama team hoped that the success of the agreement would lead to a thaw in relations and a broader softening of Iranian foreign policy , it did not want the success of the deal to be measured against any such non-nuclear goals .
That approach produced an agreement with Iran that Washington could accept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the onslaught that followed .
Many traditional U.S. partners in the Middle East—in particular Israel , Saudi Arabia , and the United Arab Emirates—prefer conflict to comity between the United States and Iran and have a vested interest in seeing that the United States uses its overwhelming military and economic might to prevent the regional balance from shifting in Tehran ’ s favor .
These states do not hesitate to sabotage diplomacy between the United States and Iran , even when it means getting involved in U.S. partisan politics and pushing for policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States has , arguably , assigned exaggerated value to its partnerships in the Middle East , Washington is often unwilling to resist such efforts and likely instead to appease them .
The United States showed its deference to its Middle Eastern allies by first convincing Iran to constrain its military options , then helping to build its allies ’ militaries with arms deals and assistance .
Between 2014 and 2019 , Washington increased its arms sales to Riyadh by 220 percent , according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Obama administration signed a deal giving Israel $ 38 billion in military assistance over the decade to follow , the largest such aid package in U.S. history .
Even absent Trump ’ s excesses , Washington ’ s deferential approach to its strategic partners , combined with a tendency to view Iran as the source of all tensions in the region , created such pressures on the nuclear deal that its long-term survival was in jeopardy .
Now the Trump administration would like to seal the agreement ’ s fate with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s policy options .
Rather than allowing Trump to force his hand , President-elect Biden should take the opportunity to think bigger , even , than the Obama administration was able to .
Instead of asking himself what degree of sanctions relief he is willing to fight for in Congress to revive the nuclear agreement , he should ask himself what kind of relationship the United States would like to have with Iran in this century .
If being trapped in unending enmity no longer serves U.S. interests , but instead makes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public wants an end to wars and a withdrawal of forces from the Middle East , then Biden should outwit Trump just as Obama outsmarted Netanyahu and think beyond the nuclear deal .
For instance , direct diplomatic ties with Iran could help the United States avoid conflict in the region and allow it to more effectively influence Iranian policies that it finds problematic .
Biden could clearly signal that beyond the nuclear deal , he is open to normalizing relations with Tehran .
Many in Tehran may resist such a gambit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the status quo than with peace-making .
To make matters worse , Trump ’ s violation of the nuclear deal has severely discredited the notion of negotiating with the United States , let alone the prospect of a broader thaw .
Putting the puzzle of U.S.-Iranian diplomacy back together will be tremendously difficult .
But the last few years have shown that not trying will not make the difficulties go away .
• TRITA PARSI is Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and the author of Losing an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Triumph of Diplomacy .

To save the Iran nuclear deal, Think bigger
by Trita Parsi, …with Foreign Affairs
[ Editor’s Note: Why am I curious that Bibi put a call in to Trump to advise him to bury Iran under sanctions before he leaves office, so if Biden removes them, he can then be politically charged with rolling over with Iran?
The answer is because Bibi is the uber manipulator who has sold Israelis that no one can ‘handle’ the US better than he can. Trump will also want to show that he can also ‘handle’ Sleepy Joe, to establish his ex-president relevancy.
If he does do this, Trump will find himself on a shrinking world stage with a long list of countries who are not about to be gamed by Trump as door mats for his being a world leader. The smart move would be for the rest of us to show how irrelevant he is.
If Trump stiffs Biden on attending the inauguration, he would be giving Biden a free hand to banish the newest former president from traditional invitations to White House events. This of course would be eclipsed if the Biden Department of Justice has opened criminal investigations on his administration.
New presidents have historically been shy about doing this, but if Biden passes on it, he will be putting an early stain on his administration of being ‘all talk and no action’. Part of the broad coalition for his narrow victory was those ex-Justice Department and military people who are concerned that allowing the Trump gang to go scot-free would in effect be putting a Biden stamp of approval on their behavior as an okay thing.
If he screws this up, he could find himself with his supporters crossing over into opposition early in his term. As Glenn Kirschner has schooled us, ‘Justice Does Matter’. We have all learned that the squeaky wheel gets oiled first.
And, with Biden already committed to moving quickly on a lot of fronts to get the US ship of state sailing with full sails, his supporters want a wooden stake put into the Trump vampire, something that he so richly deserves … Jim W. Dean ]
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First published November 10, 2020
Soon after taking office, President-elect Joe Biden will face the daunting task of restoring the 2015 nuclear deal and getting the United States and Iran back on speaking terms. The outgoing administration of President Donald Trump intends to make that job nearly impossible by spending its last ten weeks in office engineering a “flood” of sanctions to further squeeze Iran.
The Trump team apparently hopes that Biden will not wish to incur the political cost of backtracking on these sanctions, which will be tied to non-nuclear concerns such as ballistic missiles and human rights.
But the transparent sabotage actually only sharpens Biden’s choices and may force him to go bigger than just restoring the agreement. Contrary to the calculations of the Trump administration and its allies in Israel, Biden may now seek not only to rejoin the nuclear deal but also to improve relations with Iran in order to insulate the agreement from Saudi, Emirati, and Israeli efforts to kill it.
REFUSE THE CHOICE
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made this gamble before and lost. In the mid-1990s, Israel pushed to make Iran’s nuclear program an international security concern, forcing the matter to the top of the U.S. agenda. When Netanyahu took office, he depicted Tehran’s nuclear program as an existential threat to Israel and the Iranian government as irrational and suicidal.
His strategy was to curtail then-President Barack Obama’s options: make containment impracticable, set the bar for diplomacy so high that talks could never succeed (for instance, by insisting on zero enrichment), and thereby leave Obama to choose between war and acquiescence to an Iranian nuclear weapon. Netanyahu’s bet, of course, was that Obama simply could not allow Iran to go nuclear on his watch.
But Netanyahu miscalculated. By raising the alarm, he had made the status quo option—containment—appear to be unsustainable. The Obama administration would have to act. But when it did so, it refused Netanyahu’s binary and went instead for an option that Netanyahu thought he had closed off: real diplomacy with Tehran, based on mutual concessions and compromise.
The Obama administration began secret negotiations with Iran in Oman and offered to accept that Iran would enrich uranium on its own soil (something Israel vehemently opposed) so long as Tehran agreed to transparency and restrictions that would close off all paths to making a bomb.
Had Netanyahu not eliminated the status quo option and sought to force Obama to act, chances are the American president would have done what many of his predecessors had done when faced with a problem with no good options: kick the can down the road and let the next president deal with it. Indeed, Obama did exactly that with the North Korean nuclear program.
Biden should refuse to be boxed in on Iran much the same way Obama did. He should insist on thinking bigger than just the nuclear deal and looking instead to the broader relationship, because the experience of the past few years has shown that no arms control agreement can be sustained while relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate.
THINK BEYOND NUCLEAR
In 2015, the nuclear issue was the most pressing, precise, and defensible on which to engage Tehran. The resulting deal did not subsume other concerns, nor was it primarily designed to bring about a new era between the two countries.
While the Obama team hoped that the success of the agreement would lead to a thaw in relations and a broader softening of Iranian foreign policy, it did not want the success of the deal to be measured against any such non-nuclear goals.
That approach produced an agreement with Iran that Washington could accept, but not one that could endure the onslaught that followed. Many traditional U.S. partners in the Middle East—in particular Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—prefer conflict to comity between the United States and Iran and have a vested interest in seeing that the United States uses its overwhelming military and economic might to prevent the regional balance from shifting in Tehran’s favor.
These states do not hesitate to sabotage diplomacy between the United States and Iran, even when it means getting involved in U.S. partisan politics and pushing for policies that undermine American security. Because the United States has, arguably, assigned exaggerated value to its partnerships in the Middle East, Washington is often unwilling to resist such efforts and likely instead to appease them.
The United States showed its deference to its Middle Eastern allies by first convincing Iran to constrain its military options, then helping to build its allies’ militaries with arms deals and assistance. Between 2014 and 2019, Washington increased its arms sales to Riyadh by 220 percent, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
A year after signing the nuclear deal, the Obama administration signed a deal giving Israel $38 billion in military assistance over the decade to follow, the largest such aid package in U.S. history.
Even absent Trump’s excesses, Washington’s deferential approach to its strategic partners, combined with a tendency to view Iran as the source of all tensions in the region, created such pressures on the nuclear deal that its long-term survival was in jeopardy. Now the Trump administration would like to seal the agreement’s fate with a parting effort to constrain its successor’s policy options.
Rather than allowing Trump to force his hand, President-elect Biden should take the opportunity to think bigger, even, than the Obama administration was able to. Instead of asking himself what degree of sanctions relief he is willing to fight for in Congress to revive the nuclear agreement, he should ask himself what kind of relationship the United States would like to have with Iran in this century.
If being trapped in unending enmity no longer serves U.S. interests, but instead makes the country less safe at a time when the public wants an end to wars and a withdrawal of forces from the Middle East, then Biden should outwit Trump just as Obama outsmarted Netanyahu and think beyond the nuclear deal.
For instance, direct diplomatic ties with Iran could help the United States avoid conflict in the region and allow it to more effectively influence Iranian policies that it finds problematic. Biden could clearly signal that beyond the nuclear deal, he is open to normalizing relations with Tehran.
Many in Tehran may resist such a gambit, having often proved themselves more comfortable with the status quo than with peace-making. To make matters worse, Trump’s violation of the nuclear deal has severely discredited the notion of negotiating with the United States, let alone the prospect of a broader thaw.
Putting the puzzle of U.S.-Iranian diplomacy back together will be tremendously difficult. But the last few years have shown that not trying will not make the difficulties go away.