jewworldorder--2020-11-18--Don’t believe the COVID case numbers; it’s a scam

I ’ ve been saying this for 9 months .
Don ’ t believe the COVID case numbers .
It ’ s a wall-to-wall scam .
The situation we ’ re facing is urgent right now .
Red flags .
Alarm bells .
Politicians all over the US and the world are using “ rising case numbers ” to drive people back into lockdowns .
The news media are trumpeting these reports of case numbers .
THE CASE NUMBERS COME FROM THE TESTS .
AND FROM EYEBALL DIAGNOSIS .
Eyeball diagnosis can mean a doctor observes the patient has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s all .
That ’ s all a doctor needs to make a diagnosis of COVID .
That ’ s a case number .
Ridiculous ?
Of course it ’ s ridiculous .
It ’ s a con .
Brought to you by the CDC .
The PCR test , as I ’ ve explained dozens of times , spits out false-positives like waterfalls .
It ’ s set up to do exactly that .
Increase testing and you automatically get rising case numbers .
That ’ s the real reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have the scam in a nutshell .
The fascist public health agencies and the politicians WANT lockdowns .
They know the only way to justify the lockdowns is to claim rising case numbers .
There ’ s another wrinkle you should be aware of .
You ’ re seeing reports of “ rising numbers of hospitalizations.
” Wherever this is true ( and not an outright lie ) , people could be coming to the hospital for any reason under the sun—including fear that they might “ have the virus.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money for every diagnosed COVID case .
These hospitals need money .
Simply and arbitrarily writing “ COVID-19 ” on patient files becomes a way to get that money .
Occasionally , I receive reports from people who work at hospitals or know people who work at hospitals .
The reports usually go this way : “ We ’ re seeing very serious cases here .
People are arriving with unusual symptoms… ” First of all , this is what hospitals are built for : people who are seriously ill .
Some weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all over the world , there are always people who have unusual symptoms , resulting from a variety of causes .
No virus required .
I recently published a smoking-gun article on the PCR test .
This was during the initial furor of the election ( another example of fake numbers ) .
For those who missed reading the article , and for new readers , here it is : Smoking gun : Fauci states COVID test has fatal flaw ; confession from the “ beloved ” expert of experts [ 1 ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apart .
OK , here we go .
Smoking gun .
Jackpot .
Right from the horse ’ s mouth .
Right from the man we ’ re told is the number-one COVID expert in the nation .
What Fauci says is golden truth .
Well , how about THIS ?
July 16 , 2020 , podcast [ 2 ] , “ This Week in Virology ” : Tony Fauci makes a point of saying the PCR COVID test is useless and misleading when the test is run at “ 35 cycles or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection , can not be accepted or believed .
Here , in techno-speak , is an excerpt from Fauci ’ s key quote ( starting at about the 4-minute mark ) : “ …If you get [ perform the test at ] a cycle threshold of 35 or more…the chances of it being replication-confident [ aka accurate ] are miniscule…you almost never can culture virus [ detect a true positive result ] from a 37 threshold cycle…even 36… ” Each “ cycle ” of the test is a quantum leap in amplification and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the patient .
Too many cycles , and the test will turn up all sorts of irrelevant material that will be wrongly interpreted as relevant .
What Fauci failed to say on the video is : the FDA , which authorizes the test for public use , recommends the test should be run up to 40 cycles .
Not 35 .
Therefore , all labs in the US that follow the FDA guideline are knowingly or unknowingly participating in fraud .
Fraud on a monstrous level , because… Millions of Americans are being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the basis of a false positive result , and… The total number of COVID cases in America—which is based on the test—is a gross falsity .
The lockdowns and other restraining measures are based on these fraudulent case numbers .
Let me back up and run that by you again .
Fauci says the test is useless when it ’ s run at 35 cycles or higher .
The FDA says run the test up to 40 cycles , in order to determine whether the virus is there .
This is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the White House has a few brain cells to rub together , pick up a giant bullhorn and start revealing the truth to the American people .
“ Hello , America , you ’ ve been tricked , lied to , conned , and taken for a devastating ride .
On the basis of fake science , the country was locked down.
” If anyone in the Congress has a few brain cells operating , pull Fauci into a televised hearing and , in ten minutes , make mincemeat out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foul stench-ridden assault on the US economy and its citizens .
All right , here are two chunks of evidence for what I ’ ve written above .
First , we have a CDC quote on the FDA website , in a document titled [ 3 ] : “ CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV ) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel For Emergency Use Only.
” See page 35 .
This document is marked , “ Effective : 07/13/20.
” That means , even though the virus is being referred to by its older name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of July 2020 .
“ For Emergency Use Only ” refers to the fact that the FDA has certified the PCR test under a traditional category called “ Emergency Use Authorization.
” FDA : “ …a specimen is considered positive for 2019-nCoV [ virus ] if all 2019-nCoV marker ( N1 , N2 ) cycle threshold [ Ct ] growth curves cross the threshold line within 40.00 cycles ( [ less than ] 40.00 Ct ) .
” Naturally , MANY testing labs reading this guideline would conclude , “ Well , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a patient , we should run the test all the way to 40 cycles .
That ’ s the official advice.
” Then we have a New York Times article ( August 29/updated September 17 ) headlined : “ Your coronavirus test is positive .
Maybe it shouldn ’ t be.
” [ 4 ] Here are money quotes : “ Most tests set the limit at 40 [ cycles ] .
A few at 37.
” “ Set the limit ” would usually mean , “ We ’ re going to look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see if the virus is there.
” The Times : “ This number of amplification cycles needed to find the virus , called the cycle threshold , is never included in the results sent to doctors and coronavirus patients… ” Boom .
That ’ s the capper , the grand finale .
Labs don ’ t or won ’ t reveal their collusion in this crime .
If a lawyer won ’ t go to court with all this , or if a judge won ’ t pay attention and see the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their jobs and sent to the Arctic to sell snow .

by Jon Rappoport
I’ve been saying this for 9 months. Don’t believe the COVID case numbers. It’s a wall-to-wall scam.
The situation we’re facing is urgent right now. Red flags. Alarm bells.
Politicians all over the US and the world are using “rising case numbers” to drive people back into lockdowns.
The news media are trumpeting these reports of case numbers.
THE CASE NUMBERS COME FROM THE TESTS. AND FROM EYEBALL DIAGNOSIS.
Eyeball diagnosis can mean a doctor observes the patient has a cough, or chills and fever. That’s all. That’s all a doctor needs to make a diagnosis of COVID. That’s a case number. Ridiculous? Of course it’s ridiculous. It’s a con. Brought to you by the CDC.
The PCR test, as I’ve explained dozens of times, spits out false-positives like waterfalls. It’s set up to do exactly that.
Increase testing and you automatically get rising case numbers. That’s the real reason for pushing expanded testing.
And there you have the scam in a nutshell.
The fascist public health agencies and the politicians WANT lockdowns. They know the only way to justify the lockdowns is to claim rising case numbers.
There’s another wrinkle you should be aware of. You’re seeing reports of “rising numbers of hospitalizations.” Wherever this is true (and not an outright lie), people could be coming to the hospital for any reason under the sun—including fear that they might “have the virus.” In the US, state hospitals receive federal money for every diagnosed COVID case. These hospitals need money. Simply and arbitrarily writing “COVID-19” on patient files becomes a way to get that money.
Occasionally, I receive reports from people who work at hospitals or know people who work at hospitals. The reports usually go this way: “We’re seeing very serious cases here. People are arriving with unusual symptoms…”
First of all, this is what hospitals are built for: people who are seriously ill. Some weeks are busier than others. Second, all over the world, there are always people who have unusual symptoms, resulting from a variety of causes. No virus required.
I recently published a smoking-gun article on the PCR test. This was during the initial furor of the election (another example of fake numbers). For those who missed reading the article, and for new readers, here it is:
Smoking gun: Fauci states COVID test has fatal flaw; confession from the “beloved” expert of experts [1]
The COVID delusion is finished, blown apart.
OK, here we go. Smoking gun. Jackpot.
Right from the horse’s mouth. Right from the man we’re told is the number-one COVID expert in the nation. What Fauci says is golden truth.
Well, how about THIS?
July 16, 2020, podcast [2], “This Week in Virology”: Tony Fauci makes a point of saying the PCR COVID test is useless and misleading when the test is run at “35 cycles or higher.” A positive result, indicating infection, cannot be accepted or believed.
Here, in techno-speak, is an excerpt from Fauci’s key quote (starting at about the 4-minute mark): “…If you get [perform the test at] a cycle threshold of 35 or more…the chances of it being replication-confident [aka accurate] are miniscule…you almost never can culture virus [detect a true positive result] from a 37 threshold cycle…even 36…”
Each “cycle” of the test is a quantum leap in amplification and magnification of the test specimen taken from the patient.
Too many cycles, and the test will turn up all sorts of irrelevant material that will be wrongly interpreted as relevant.
That’s called a false positive.
What Fauci failed to say on the video is: the FDA, which authorizes the test for public use, recommends the test should be run up to 40 cycles. Not 35.
Therefore, all labs in the US that follow the FDA guideline are knowingly or unknowingly participating in fraud. Fraud on a monstrous level, because…
Millions of Americans are being told they are infected with the virus on the basis of a false positive result, and…
The total number of COVID cases in America—which is based on the test—is a gross falsity.
The lockdowns and other restraining measures are based on these fraudulent case numbers.
Let me back up and run that by you again. Fauci says the test is useless when it’s run at 35 cycles or higher. The FDA says run the test up to 40 cycles, in order to determine whether the virus is there. This is the crime in a nutshell.
If anyone in the White House has a few brain cells to rub together, pick up a giant bullhorn and start revealing the truth to the American people.
“Hello, America, you’ve been tricked, lied to, conned, and taken for a devastating ride. On the basis of fake science, the country was locked down.”
If anyone in the Congress has a few brain cells operating, pull Fauci into a televised hearing and, in ten minutes, make mincemeat out of the fake science that has driven this whole foul stench-ridden assault on the US economy and its citizens.
All right, here are two chunks of evidence for what I’ve written above. First, we have a CDC quote on the FDA website, in a document titled [3]: “CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel For Emergency Use Only.” See page 35. This document is marked, “Effective: 07/13/20.” That means, even though the virus is being referred to by its older name, the document is still relevant as of July 2020. “For Emergency Use Only” refers to the fact that the FDA has certified the PCR test under a traditional category called “Emergency Use Authorization.”
FDA: “…a specimen is considered positive for 2019-nCoV [virus] if all 2019-nCoV marker (N1, N2) cycle threshold [Ct] growth curves cross the threshold line within 40.00 cycles ( [less than] 40.00 Ct ).”
Naturally, MANY testing labs reading this guideline would conclude, “Well, to see if the virus is there in a patient, we should run the test all the way to 40 cycles. That’s the official advice.”
Then we have a New York Times article (August 29/updated September 17) headlined: “Your coronavirus test is positive. Maybe it shouldn’t be.” [4] Here are money quotes:
“Most tests set the limit at 40 [cycles]. A few at 37.”
“Set the limit” would usually mean, “We’re going to look all the way to 40 cycles, to see if the virus is there.”
The Times: “This number of amplification cycles needed to find the virus, called the cycle threshold, is never included in the results sent to doctors and coronavirus patients…”
Boom. That’s the capper, the grand finale. Labs don’t or won’t reveal their collusion in this crime.
Get the picture?
I hope so.
If a lawyer won’t go to court with all this, or if a judge won’t pay attention and see the light, they should be stripped of their jobs and sent to the Arctic to sell snow.
SOURCES:
[1] https://blog.nomorefakenews.com/2020/11/06/smoking-gun-fauci-states-covid-test-has-fatal-flaw/
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_Vy6fgaBPE
[3] https://www.fda.gov/media/134922/download
[4] nytimes.com/2020/08/29/health/coronavirus-testing.html
___
https://blog.nomorefakenews.com/2020/11/17/dont-believe-the-covid-case-numbers-its-a-scam/


jewworldorder--2020-11-18--Why A 58-day vigil Is Going On Outside The Governor’s House

Above photo : Jamie Lau , center , speaks in a vigil calling on Gov .
Roy Cooper to act on pardon and clemency requests with two of his clients released from prison after serving long sentences next to him , Calrutha Johnson and Ronnie Long .
Kristie Puckett-Willliams of the ACLU of NC is on the right .
Melissa Boughton .
‘ We know that they see us.
’ North Carolina – Demonstrators gathered outside the Executive Mansion on Sunday to demand that Gov .
Roy Cooper use his powers of pardon and clemency to protect people who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Decarcerate Now NC , a coalition of organizations which say they ’ re working to end to mass incarceration , have been holding daily vigils outside the governor ’ s mansion since Election Day and plan to continue through Jan. 1 , when Cooper begins his second term .
That ’ s a total of 58 days .
“ We stand vigil to bring attention to your Administration ’ s ongoing failure to prioritize and appropriately protect Black lives — indeed , any lives incarcerated in state prisons — from Covid-19 .
Nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster has been unfolding in many state prisons for months , ” the group wrote in a letter to Cooper on Nov. 3 .
Andrea “ Muffin ” Hudson , director of the North Carolina Community Bail Fund of Durham , has been outside the Executive Mansion from sunrise to sunset for 12 days , and plans to stay until New Year ’ s Day .
Hudson says that sometimes it ’ s just her keeping vigil , but that people from the neighborhood have stopped by and joined her , too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was joined by 25 supporters .
The vigil was initially set up on the corner of Jones Street and Person Street , right outside the Executive Mansion .
But they were asked to move and have now set up in the parking lot across the street .
“ They told us to leave so we know that they see us , ” Hudson said .
“ But you would rather just have us to move than to engage and have a conversation around the letter that you received ?
” At least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to COVID-19 and more than 10 % of the prison population tested has already been infected with COVID-19 , the letter said .
Several facilities have seen far higher rates : 32 % have been infected at Lumberton Correctional and 62 % at Neuse Correctional .
Without action , in the next few weeks , Cooper will become the first North Carolina governor in the last 40 years to not grant a single commutation or pardon in a term , the group says .
“ He has participated in the system of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inequity .
But there are some changeable ways that he can provide relief to folks who are incarcerated .
Their families are reminding him of that power and telling him that we support him using the power , ” Kristie Puckett Williams , manager of the ACLU of North Carolina ’ s Campaign for Smart Justice , said in an interview with The News & Observer .
The Democratic governor was reelected Nov. 3 .
A spokesperson for Cooper didn ’ t return a reporter ’ s phone message and email Sunday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record last month , Attorney General Josh Stein , co-chair of the Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice created by Cooper , said Cooper “ cares deeply that our criminal justice system treats everybody fairly ” and wants the task force to make changes .
Ronnie Long of Concord spoke on Sunday about his exoneration .
His conviction of rape in a case marred by suppression of evidence was vacated in August after he was incarcerated for 44 years .
The governor did not respond to requests to commute his sentence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a request for Cooper to give him a pardon of innocence , said his lawyer , Jamie Lau , clinical professor of law at Duke Law School .
“ He ain ’ t got to go to nobody to do what he need to do .
He ain ’ t got to go get no permission from nobody , he ’ s got the authority to do this , ” said Long in an interview with The N & O .
“ Give me the chance to live the productive life that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when I come back out here.
” Since the start of the pandemic , there have been 4,813 confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the North Carolina prison system , according to data from the Department of Public Safety .
Health experts have said that the risk in prisons is high , where quarters are cramped and health care is poor .
The risks of prison outbreaks extend beyond the walls of the prison , as employees transport the virus to their families and communities .
“ Right now , thousands of lives , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because the state , this state refuses to acknowledge that COVID-19 has become a death sentence within the prison population , ” said Rev .
T. Anthony Spearman , North Carolina NAACP president .
On Sunday afternoon , organizers shared statements from people currently incarcerated about the conditions inside and their fears about contracting COVID-19 .
Those risks have been exacerbated , advocates say , by repeated failures of the North Carolina prison system .
North Carolina has transferred thousands of inmates between facilities , and continued sending inmates to work outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to compel Cooper to take action to stop the spread of COVID-19 in prisons .
In a lawsuit filed in April , the NC NAACP and other groups sought an immediate order compelling officials to reduce the prison population .
The court granted an injunction but recently denied the plaintiffs ’ motion to enforce it , and the case is ongoing .

Above photo: Jamie Lau, center, speaks in a vigil calling on Gov. Roy Cooper to act on pardon and clemency requests with two of his clients released from prison after serving long sentences next to him, Calrutha Johnson and Ronnie Long. Kristie Puckett-Willliams of the ACLU of NC is on the right. Melissa Boughton.
‘We know that they see us.’
North Carolina – Demonstrators gathered outside the Executive Mansion on Sunday to demand that Gov. Roy Cooper use his powers of pardon and clemency to protect people who are incarcerated during the pandemic.
Members of Decarcerate Now NC, a coalition of organizations which say they’re working to end to mass incarceration, have been holding daily vigils outside the governor’s mansion since Election Day and plan to continue through Jan. 1, when Cooper begins his second term. That’s a total of 58 days.
“We stand vigil to bring attention to your Administration’s ongoing failure to prioritize and appropriately protect Black lives — indeed, any lives incarcerated in state prisons — from Covid-19. Nothing short of a humanitarian and public health disaster has been unfolding in many state prisons for months,” the group wrote in a letter to Cooper on Nov. 3.
Andrea “Muffin” Hudson, director of the North Carolina Community Bail Fund of Durham, has been outside the Executive Mansion from sunrise to sunset for 12 days, and plans to stay until New Year’s Day.
Hudson says that sometimes it’s just her keeping vigil, but that people from the neighborhood have stopped by and joined her, too. On a rainy day last week, she was joined by 25 supporters.
The vigil was initially set up on the corner of Jones Street and Person Street, right outside the Executive Mansion. But they were asked to move and have now set up in the parking lot across the street.
“They told us to leave so we know that they see us,” Hudson said. “But you would rather just have us to move than to engage and have a conversation around the letter that you received?”
At least 17 people in state prisons have died due to COVID-19 and more than 10% of the prison population tested has already been infected with COVID-19, the letter said. Several facilities have seen far higher rates: 32% have been infected at Lumberton Correctional and 62% at Neuse Correctional.
Without action, in the next few weeks, Cooper will become the first North Carolina governor in the last 40 years to not grant a single commutation or pardon in a term, the group says.
“He has participated in the system of mass incarceration and the system of racial inequity. But there are some changeable ways that he can provide relief to folks who are incarcerated. Their families are reminding him of that power and telling him that we support him using the power,” Kristie Puckett Williams, manager of the ACLU of North Carolina’s Campaign for Smart Justice, said in an interview with The News & Observer.
The Democratic governor was reelected Nov. 3. A spokesperson for Cooper didn’t return a reporter’s phone message and email Sunday afternoon.
Asked about Cooper’s clemency record last month, Attorney General Josh Stein, co-chair of the Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice created by Cooper, said Cooper “cares deeply that our criminal justice system treats everybody fairly” and wants the task force to make changes.
Ronnie Long of Concord spoke on Sunday about his exoneration. His conviction of rape in a case marred by suppression of evidence was vacated in August after he was incarcerated for 44 years.
The governor did not respond to requests to commute his sentence, and Long is now is waiting on a request for Cooper to give him a pardon of innocence, said his lawyer, Jamie Lau, clinical professor of law at Duke Law School.
“He ain’t got to go to nobody to do what he need to do. He ain’t got to go get no permission from nobody, he’s got the authority to do this,” said Long in an interview with The N&O. “Give me the chance to live the productive life that you say you want me to live when I come back out here.”
COVID-19 Risks High in Prisons
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 4,813 confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the North Carolina prison system, according to data from the Department of Public Safety. Health experts have said that the risk in prisons is high, where quarters are cramped and health care is poor. The risks of prison outbreaks extend beyond the walls of the prison, as employees transport the virus to their families and communities.
“Right now, thousands of lives, thousands, are hanging in the balance, because the state, this state refuses to acknowledge that COVID-19 has become a death sentence within the prison population,” said Rev. T. Anthony Spearman, North Carolina NAACP president.
On Sunday afternoon, organizers shared statements from people currently incarcerated about the conditions inside and their fears about contracting COVID-19.
Those risks have been exacerbated, advocates say, by repeated failures of the North Carolina prison system. North Carolina has transferred thousands of inmates between facilities, and continued sending inmates to work outside the prison.
Advocates have repeatedly tried to compel Cooper to take action to stop the spread of COVID-19 in prisons. In a lawsuit filed in April, the NC NAACP and other groups sought an immediate order compelling officials to reduce the prison population. The court granted an injunction but recently denied the plaintiffs’ motion to enforce it, and the case is ongoing.


jewworldorder--2020-11-18--A Typical Democratic Official On The Pentagon And War

Above photo : Jeh Johnson with Biden and Obama , 2013 .
White House photo .
Jeh Johnson , formerly homeland security secretary under President Obama , showed how a typical Democratic official approaches the Pentagon and war as he spoke on ABC ’ s This Week on Sunday ( 11/15 ) .
For Johnson , the Pentagon “ is typically an island of stability ” in the U.S. government , but President Trump was destabilizing that island because of recent changes to Pentagon personnel .
Trump ’ s changes could be driven by his desire to get U.S. troops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which was not a good thing : “ If he [ Trump ] wants troops out of Afghanistan , as I know most Americans do , we have to do it in a way that makes sense , in an orderly manner , and that comports with battlefield reality … in trying to strike a deal , you don ’ t unilaterally surrender your greatest point of leverage by unilaterally withdrawing troops before the Afghan government and the Taliban have stuck a deal .
So this is very concerning and if I were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I ’ d be very focused … on restoring stability in our national security.
” We can ’ t surrender our “ leverage , ” those thousands of U.S. troops that remain in harm ’ s way in an unnecessary war that was won and then lost almost two decades ago , because it ’ s that “ leverage ” that will compel the Taliban , who have already won the war , to strike a deal with an Afghan government that exists mainly because the U.S. government props it up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , only “ most Americans ” want our troops to come home ?
Where are all the other Americans who want them to stay there indefinitely ?
Within the Washington Beltway , I ’ d wager .
The Afghan war has always struck me as nonsensical .
Yes , some kind of response to the 9/11 attacks was needed , and initial U.S. military strikes in 2001-02 succeeded in toppling the Taliban , in the sense they saw no reason to stand and fight against withering fire .
At that moment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and left .
Instead , the Bush/Cheney administration decided on its own disastrous occupation , extended another eight years by Obama/Biden , even though we knew full well the extent of the Soviet disaster in Afghanistan in the 1980s .
The Afghan war has lasted so long that I ’ ve been writing articles against it for more than a decade .
You ’ d think any sensible and sane Democrat would love to see U.S. troops withdrawn and the war finally come to an end .
Not so .
The war must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ stability.
” I like Johnson ’ s truly absurdist reference to “ battlefield reality , ” which , if we ’ re being real for a moment , reflects a Taliban victory .
Unless the U.S. wants to occupy Afghanistan forever , with hundreds of thousands of troops , that victory is not about to be reversed .
And what kind of “ victory ” would that be ?
“ Stability ” is not preserved by fighting unwinnable wars on the imperial periphery , unless you ’ re talking about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profits .
Johnson ’ s wiki bio does mention he ’ s on the boards of Lockheed Martin Corporation and U.S. Steel , which certainly hints at a conflict of interest when it comes to offering advice on ending wars .
In the meantime , we probably shouldn ’ t tell our troops , whom we ’ re supposed to love and support , that we ’ re keeping them in Afghanistan for “ leverage ” until the “ battlefield reality ” is more in our favor .
That ’ s truly a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that well deserves its reputation as the graveyard of empires .
Finally , a reminder to Democrats : your Pentagon is an island of stability , and your troops are creating the leverage that allows democracy to flourish everywhere .
If this makes sense to you , and if this is the guiding philosophy of Joe Biden ’ s national security team , we ’ re truly in deep trouble .
Bonus Lesson : The Pentagon is an “ island ” of government only if that island is roughly the size of Pangaea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colonel ( USAF ) and history professor , is a senior fellow at the Eisenhower Media Network ( EMN ) , an organization of critical veteran military and national security professionals .

Above photo: Jeh Johnson with Biden and Obama, 2013. White House photo.
Jeh Johnson, formerly homeland security secretary under President Obama, showed how a typical Democratic official approaches the Pentagon and war as he spoke on ABC’s This Week on Sunday (11/15). For Johnson, the Pentagon “is typically an island of stability” in the U.S. government, but President Trump was destabilizing that island because of recent changes to Pentagon personnel. Trump’s changes could be driven by his desire to get U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, speculated Johnson, which was not a good thing:
“If he [Trump] wants troops out of Afghanistan, as I know most Americans do, we have to do it in a way that makes sense, in an orderly manner, and that comports with battlefield reality … in trying to strike a deal, you don’t unilaterally surrender your greatest point of leverage by unilaterally withdrawing troops before the Afghan government and the Taliban have stuck a deal. So this is very concerning and if I were in the Biden transition team right now, I’d be very focused … on restoring stability in our national security.”
We can’t surrender our “leverage,” those thousands of U.S. troops that remain in harm’s way in an unnecessary war that was won and then lost almost two decades ago, because it’s that “leverage” that will compel the Taliban, who have already won the war, to strike a deal with an Afghan government that exists mainly because the U.S. government props it up. Makes sense to me.
By the way, only “most Americans” want our troops to come home? Where are all the other Americans who want them to stay there indefinitely? Within the Washington Beltway, I’d wager.
The Afghan war has always struck me as nonsensical. Yes, some kind of response to the 9/11 attacks was needed, and initial U.S. military strikes in 2001-02 succeeded in toppling the Taliban, in the sense they saw no reason to stand and fight against withering fire. At that moment, the U.S. military should have declared victory and left. Instead, the Bush/Cheney administration decided on its own disastrous occupation, extended another eight years by Obama/Biden, even though we knew full well the extent of the Soviet disaster in Afghanistan in the 1980s.
The Afghan war has lasted so long that I’ve been writing articles against it for more than a decade. You’d think any sensible and sane Democrat would love to see U.S. troops withdrawn and the war finally come to an end. Not so. The war must continue in the name of “leverage” and “stability.”
I like Johnson’s truly absurdist reference to “battlefield reality,” which, if we’re being real for a moment, reflects a Taliban victory. Unless the U.S. wants to occupy Afghanistan forever, with hundreds of thousands of troops, that victory is not about to be reversed. And what kind of “victory” would that be?
“Stability” is not preserved by fighting unwinnable wars on the imperial periphery, unless you’re talking about the stability of Pentagon finances and corporate profits. Johnson’s wiki bio does mention he’s on the boards of Lockheed Martin Corporation and U.S. Steel, which certainly hints at a conflict of interest when it comes to offering advice on ending wars.
In the meantime, we probably shouldn’t tell our troops, whom we’re supposed to love and support, that we’re keeping them in Afghanistan for “leverage” until the “battlefield reality” is more in our favor. That’s truly a recipe for endless war in a place that well deserves its reputation as the graveyard of empires.
Finally, a reminder to Democrats: your Pentagon is an island of stability, and your troops are creating the leverage that allows democracy to flourish everywhere. If this makes sense to you, and if this is the guiding philosophy of Joe Biden’s national security team, we’re truly in deep trouble.
Bonus Lesson: The Pentagon is an “island” of government only if that island is roughly the size of Pangaea.
William Astore, a retired lieutenant colonel (USAF) and history professor, is a senior fellow at the Eisenhower Media Network (EMN), an organization of critical veteran military and national security professionals.


jewworldorder--2020-11-18--Biden Signals Flexibility On North Korea

The friendly interplay last week between Moon Jae-in , the president of South Korea , and Joe Biden , the incoming president of the United States , signaled subtle but important differences about how to make peace with a nuclear-armed North Korea .
On Thursday , Moon , who has made engagement with the North the hallmark of his presidency , followed other world leaders in congratulating Biden for his election victory .
In a 14-minute telephone call , he pledged to “ communicate closely ” with Biden ’ s incoming administration “ for a forward-looking development of the alliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the establishment of lasting peace.
” The president-elect responded in kind , reaffirming the US security commitment to South Korea and expressing his desire “ to strengthen the US-ROK alliance as the linchpin of security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
” Both statements were designed to show that their alliance , formalized in 1954 just after the Korean War , is still alive and kicking .
Biden ’ s use of the term “ Indo-Pacific ” with Moon , however , was surprising .
It was coined by the Pentagon during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s expanded regional alliance system in Asia .
Known within national security circles as “ The Quad , ” the NATO-like grouping now includes the United States as well as the pro-American governments of India , Japan , and Australia .
The now-renamed US Indo-Pacific Command , the foundation of the new four-way alliance , is widely understood to be aimed at containing China .
South Korea—despite its own bilateral alliance with the Pentagon—has not formally joined the Quad but instead has been seeking a middle ground between the United States and China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of it , therefore , Biden was indicating in a subtle way his tilt toward multilateralism , Trump ’ s bête noire .
But Biden ’ s gesture could also indicate a harder line toward both China and North Korea that the South doesn ’ t support and could further complicate the US-ROK alliance , said Henri Feron , a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and a fierce critic of US policy .
“ Biden could clash with Moon Jae-in ’ s engagement strategy , in much the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ former President ] Kim Dae-jung 20 years ago , ” he told The Nation in an interview .
Kim , who led the democratic opposition during South Korea ’ s period of authoritarian rule , was the architect of Seoul ’ s “ Sunshine Policy , ” which led to the first-ever summit between North and South in 2000 .
But he saw his policies crumble when Bush rejected diplomacy and placed the North on his “ axis of evil ” list , along with Iran and Iraq .
In that context @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explain his unusual preelection overture to South Korea .
On October 29 , just five days before the election , he published a “ special contribution ” in Yonhap , the Korean government-owned news service , to differentiate himself from Trump .
The outgoing US president won grudging respect in South Korea by negotiating with Kim in 2018 , but he also alienated many by demanding that South Korea quintuple its sizable financial contribution to the 28,500 US troops on its soil .
Biden sought to distance himself from that policy and impress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiated resolution with the North .
“ As President , I ’ ll stand with South Korea ” by strengthening the alliance “ rather than extorting Seoul with reckless threats to remove our troops , ” he promised .
He also acknowledged “ the pain of division ” in Korea and promised to engage in “ principled diplomacy ” toward the goal of “ a denuclearized North Korea and a unified Korean Peninsula.
” That contrasted sharply with Biden ’ s condemnation during the campaign of Trump ’ s one-on-one talks with Kim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and even compared to Adolf Hitler .
Moreover , Biden ’ s endorsement of “ principled diplomacy ” would mark a break from the policies of the Obama administration , which refused for eight years to seriously engage with North Korea as part of its “ strategic patience ” approach , which viewed the North as an illegitimate , “ rogue ” state ready to collapse at any moment .
Biden ’ s message in Yonhap was seen in Korea as “ a sort of indirect message to the Moon Jae-in government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is close to the South Korean president told The Nation .
“ I believe Biden is far better than Trump in dealing with the alliance , ” he wrote in an e-mail .
“ The Moon government will accommodate when and if US demands are reasonable .
As to the ROK-US alliance , I do not see any major problems.
” On the other hand , this source acknowledged , most of Biden ’ s team , including his top adviser Antony Blinken , played central roles in Obama ’ s failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and military pressure to force North Korea ’ s hand .
“ There seems to be a danger of the return of old ‘ strategic patience , ’ ” he told me .
“ Too many hard-liners who do not have a proper and updated understanding of North Korea seem to be surrounding Biden.
” “ I hope the administration stays in touch with the Moon government closely and allows Seoul to interact with Pyongyang before Biden ’ s inauguration , ” he wrote .
“ The North will be happy to talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latter abandons a unilateral maximum-pressure approach.
” He added , “ Of course , the North should abstain from undertaking missile and nuclear testing.
” Some US experts fear those tests could start up again anytime .
On November 9 , the progressive Hankyoreh urged the incoming administration to adopt a new policy and avoid pressuring South Korea to join its anti-China coalition .
“ We must persuade Biden not to return to strategic patience , ” the newspaper said in an editorial .
While Biden offers “ an alliance-focused foreign policy that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s maverick behavior , ” his administration “ is also likely to push harder for South Korea to join its campaign to contain China through trilateral military cooperation with the US and Japan , ” it argued—presciently , it turned out .
Besides Blinken , who was Obama ’ s deputy national security adviser , Biden ’ s top picks for national security posts reportedly include Michèle Flournoy , a former Pentagon official and current defense consultant and investor , and Avril Haines , who was deputy director of the CIA during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s key advisers on Korea .
All were well-known hawks on North Korea , but also played critical roles in expanding the US regional military alliance in Asia .
Their attitude toward the North was summarized a few years ago by Jeffrey Bader , a Brookings Institution scholar once known as the “ architect ” of the Obama-Biden policy toward North Korea .
“ Many of us believed that the most likely long-term solution to the North ’ s nuclear pursuits lay in the North ’ s collapse and absorption into a South-led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his 2012 memoir about the Obama administration .
President Moon , who was the chief of staff to the late President Roh Moo-hyun during an earlier period of engagement with the North , is well aware of Obama ’ s record on North Korea ( he made that clear when I interviewed him in 2017 ) .
On Monday , he told Korea reporters that he will soon open “ multi-sided ” communications with Biden ’ s team to ensure there is no “ vacuum ” in the alliance .
Moon also expressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as parties ( directly ) concerned regarding the Korean Peninsula issue , will be able to play a more important role ” in the peace process .
That seemed to underscore his wish , stymied by Trump , to expand economic and cultural ties with North Korea as a way to build the atmosphere for a peace settlement on the peninsula .
Many in South Korea believe that Biden ’ s long history with Korea , including his friendship with Kim Dae-jung and support for Korean Americans seeking to unite with their families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future .
Through his surrogates , Biden has signaled that he would talk to Kim , but only after his government and foreign policy team had completed the necessary groundwork for a serious negotiation .
Biden has also pledged to expand humanitarian assistance to the North and make it easier for international organizations to provide that help .
“ Joe Biden understands that the North Korea issue is pretty complicated and you can ’ t just solve it with a couple of leader-to-leader summits , ” Brian McKeon , a close Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yonhap News in October .
“ I think he would be willing to meet with ( Kim ) if it was part of an actual strategy that moves us forward on the denuclearization objective.
” The first test of Biden ’ s pledge to work with Seoul to create a “ lasting peace ” in Korea will come when he meets soon with President Moon , as they pledged to do in their call last week .
The Korean leader badly wants the United States to resume its talks with Kim Jong-un , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get that process moving .
In a rather audacious move on Friday , Representative Lee Nak-yon , the chairman of Moon ’ s Democratic Party , said he would urge Biden to reaffirm the joint statement of principles signed by President Trump and Chairman Kim at their 2018 summit in Singapore as the “ starting point ” for his future negotiations .
The Trump-Kim statement , which is often criticized for lacking specifics , committed the United States and North Korea to build “ new relations , ” cooperate with the South “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regime , ” and work toward “ complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
” “ It has legitimacy and authority , and to its content the South and North Koreas and the U.S. have all agreed , ” said Lee .
How Biden responds to such a proposal will explain a lot about his intentions .
Without a fundamental change in US policy , South Korea could be left on its own .
During Trump ’ s talks with Kim , President Moon failed to impress the US government and the hawkish think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ importance of ending the Korean War through a peace treaty , which North Korea has been seeking for years and US peace groups believe would be an important breakthrough for the Korean Peninsula .
The Democratic leadership has not shown any interest , either .
Biden ’ s people “ fail to acknowledge the unresolved state of the Korean War and what role that plays in the continuous standoff ” on the peninsula , said Christine Ahn , the founder and executive director of the pro-engagement Women Cross DMZ .
“ Despite paying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration seems ready to continue the failed hawkishness that has driven North Korea policy for decades , ” she said in an interview just before Biden ’ s election .
A congressional resolution calling for a peace agreement in Korea now has 52 sponsors , including the first Republican , Ahn said .
Biden ’ s likely national security adviser Blinken underscored Ahn ’ s concerns in a detailed interview with CBS News on September .
A Biden administration , he said , would “ work closely with allies like South Korea and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build genuine economic pressure to squeeze North Korea to get it to the negotiating table .
We need to cut off its various avenues and access to resources—something we were doing very vigorously at the end of the Obama-Biden administration.
” Starting off with that kind of pressure would be a fatal mistake , said Feron of the Center for International Policy .
“ Unless Moon can convince Biden to send conciliatory signals to Pyongyang , it is likely that we will soon see North Korean long-range missile tests and a renewed escalation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Feron also pointed to recent remarks on the alliance from Lee Soo-hyuck , South Korea ’ s ambassador to Washington , that underscore the tension between Seoul and Washington over these issues .
“ Just because Korea chose the U.S. 70 years ago does not mean it has to choose the U.S. for the next 70 years , too , ” Lee told a subcommittee of the Korean National Assembly in October .
“ Korea can choose to keep siding with the U.S. only if it is able to love the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s interests.
” That seems to be a good summary of where the two countries stand today , on the brink of a new era in Washington .
Tim Shorrock , who has been reporting on Korea for The Nation since 1983 , is a Washington , D.C.–based journalist and the author of Spies for Hire : The Secret World of Intelligence Outsourcing .

Above photo: Vice President Joe Biden visits soldiers in Korea’s Demilitarized Zone, December 7, 2013. Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images.
Peace groups are wary.
Koreans fear a return to Obama’s failed “strategic patience” policy.
The friendly interplay last week between Moon Jae-in, the president of South Korea, and Joe Biden, the incoming president of the United States, signaled subtle but important differences about how to make peace with a nuclear-armed North Korea.
On Thursday, Moon, who has made engagement with the North the hallmark of his presidency, followed other world leaders in congratulating Biden for his election victory. In a 14-minute telephone call, he pledged to “communicate closely” with Biden’s incoming administration “for a forward-looking development of the alliance, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of lasting peace.”
The president-elect responded in kind, reaffirming the US security commitment to South Korea and expressing his desire “to strengthen the US-ROK alliance as the linchpin of security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.” Both statements were designed to show that their alliance, formalized in 1954 just after the Korean War, is still alive and kicking.
Biden’s use of the term “Indo-Pacific” with Moon, however, was surprising. It was coined by the Pentagon during the Trump administration to describe America’s expanded regional alliance system in Asia. Known within national security circles as “The Quad,” the NATO-like grouping now includes the United States as well as the pro-American governments of India, Japan, and Australia. The now-renamed US Indo-Pacific Command, the foundation of the new four-way alliance, is widely understood to be aimed at containing China.
South Korea—despite its own bilateral alliance with the Pentagon—has not formally joined the Quad but instead has been seeking a middle ground between the United States and China. By suggesting that South Korea be part of it, therefore, Biden was indicating in a subtle way his tilt toward multilateralism, Trump’s bête noire. But Biden’s gesture could also indicate a harder line toward both China and North Korea that the South doesn’t support and could further complicate the US-ROK alliance, said Henri Feron, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and a fierce critic of US policy.
“Biden could clash with Moon Jae-in’s engagement strategy, in much the same way as George W. Bush clashed with [former President] Kim Dae-jung 20 years ago,” he told The Nation in an interview. Kim, who led the democratic opposition during South Korea’s period of authoritarian rule, was the architect of Seoul’s “Sunshine Policy,” which led to the first-ever summit between North and South in 2000. But he saw his policies crumble when Bush rejected diplomacy and placed the North on his “axis of evil” list, along with Iran and Iraq.
In that context, Biden’s comments Thursday may explain his unusual preelection overture to South Korea. On October 29, just five days before the election, he published a “special contribution” in Yonhap, the Korean government-owned news service, to differentiate himself from Trump. The outgoing US president won grudging respect in South Korea by negotiating with Kim in 2018, but he also alienated many by demanding that South Korea quintuple its sizable financial contribution to the 28,500 US troops on its soil.
Biden sought to distance himself from that policy and impress South Korea with his interest in a negotiated resolution with the North. “As President, I’ll stand with South Korea” by strengthening the alliance “rather than extorting Seoul with reckless threats to remove our troops,” he promised. He also acknowledged “the pain of division” in Korea and promised to engage in “principled diplomacy” toward the goal of “a denuclearized North Korea and a unified Korean Peninsula.”
That contrasted sharply with Biden’s condemnation during the campaign of Trump’s one-on-one talks with Kim, whom he called a “thug” and even compared to Adolf Hitler. Moreover, Biden’s endorsement of “principled diplomacy” would mark a break from the policies of the Obama administration, which refused for eight years to seriously engage with North Korea as part of its “strategic patience” approach, which viewed the North as an illegitimate, “rogue” state ready to collapse at any moment.
Biden’s message in Yonhap was seen in Korea as “a sort of indirect message to the Moon Jae-in government,” a reliable source in Seoul who is close to the South Korean president told The Nation. “I believe Biden is far better than Trump in dealing with the alliance,” he wrote in an e-mail. “The Moon government will accommodate when and if US demands are reasonable. As to the ROK-US alliance, I do not see any major problems.”
On the other hand, this source acknowledged, most of Biden’s team, including his top adviser Antony Blinken, played central roles in Obama’s failed policies, which relied heavily on sanctions and military pressure to force North Korea’s hand. “There seems to be a danger of the return of old ‘strategic patience,’” he told me. “Too many hard-liners who do not have a proper and updated understanding of North Korea seem to be surrounding Biden.”
“I hope the administration stays in touch with the Moon government closely and allows Seoul to interact with Pyongyang before Biden’s inauguration,” he wrote. “The North will be happy to talk to Biden’s USA if the latter abandons a unilateral maximum-pressure approach.” He added, “Of course, the North should abstain from undertaking missile and nuclear testing.” Some US experts fear those tests could start up again anytime.
On November 9, the progressive Hankyoreh urged the incoming administration to adopt a new policy and avoid pressuring South Korea to join its anti-China coalition. “We must persuade Biden not to return to strategic patience,” the newspaper said in an editorial. While Biden offers “an alliance-focused foreign policy that’s more predictable than Trump’s maverick behavior,” his administration “is also likely to push harder for South Korea to join its campaign to contain China through trilateral military cooperation with the US and Japan,” it argued—presciently, it turned out.
Besides Blinken, who was Obama’s deputy national security adviser, Biden’s top picks for national security posts reportedly include Michèle Flournoy, a former Pentagon official and current defense consultant and investor, and Avril Haines, who was deputy director of the CIA during the Obama administration and one of Obama’s key advisers on Korea. All were well-known hawks on North Korea, but also played critical roles in expanding the US regional military alliance in Asia.
Their attitude toward the North was summarized a few years ago by Jeffrey Bader, a Brookings Institution scholar once known as the “architect” of the Obama-Biden policy toward North Korea. “Many of us believed that the most likely long-term solution to the North’s nuclear pursuits lay in the North’s collapse and absorption into a South-led reunified Korea,” Bader wrote in his 2012 memoir about the Obama administration.
President Moon, who was the chief of staff to the late President Roh Moo-hyun during an earlier period of engagement with the North, is well aware of Obama’s record on North Korea (he made that clear when I interviewed him in 2017). On Monday, he told Korea reporters that he will soon open “multi-sided” communications with Biden’s team to ensure there is no “vacuum” in the alliance.
Moon also expressed hope that “the two Koreas, as parties (directly) concerned regarding the Korean Peninsula issue, will be able to play a more important role” in the peace process. That seemed to underscore his wish, stymied by Trump, to expand economic and cultural ties with North Korea as a way to build the atmosphere for a peace settlement on the peninsula.
Many in South Korea believe that Biden’s long history with Korea, including his friendship with Kim Dae-jung and support for Korean Americans seeking to unite with their families in North Korea, bodes well for the future. Through his surrogates, Biden has signaled that he would talk to Kim, but only after his government and foreign policy team had completed the necessary groundwork for a serious negotiation. Biden has also pledged to expand humanitarian assistance to the North and make it easier for international organizations to provide that help.
“Joe Biden understands that the North Korea issue is pretty complicated and you can’t just solve it with a couple of leader-to-leader summits,” Brian McKeon, a close Biden aide and former Pentagon official, told Yonhap News in October. “I think he would be willing to meet with (Kim) if it was part of an actual strategy that moves us forward on the denuclearization objective.”
The first test of Biden’s pledge to work with Seoul to create a “lasting peace” in Korea will come when he meets soon with President Moon, as they pledged to do in their call last week. The Korean leader badly wants the United States to resume its talks with Kim Jong-un, and his supporters are urging him to get that process moving.
In a rather audacious move on Friday, Representative Lee Nak-yon, the chairman of Moon’s Democratic Party, said he would urge Biden to reaffirm the joint statement of principles signed by President Trump and Chairman Kim at their 2018 summit in Singapore as the “starting point” for his future negotiations.
The Trump-Kim statement, which is often criticized for lacking specifics, committed the United States and North Korea to build “new relations,” cooperate with the South “to build a lasting and stable peace regime,” and work toward “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
“It has legitimacy and authority, and to its content the South and North Koreas and the U.S. have all agreed,” said Lee. How Biden responds to such a proposal will explain a lot about his intentions.
Without a fundamental change in US policy, South Korea could be left on its own. During Trump’s talks with Kim, President Moon failed to impress the US government and the hawkish think tanks that drive American policy with the importance of ending the Korean War through a peace treaty, which North Korea has been seeking for years and US peace groups believe would be an important breakthrough for the Korean Peninsula. The Democratic leadership has not shown any interest, either.
Biden’s people “fail to acknowledge the unresolved state of the Korean War and what role that plays in the continuous standoff” on the peninsula, said Christine Ahn, the founder and executive director of the pro-engagement Women Cross DMZ. “Despite paying lip service to diplomacy, a Biden administration seems ready to continue the failed hawkishness that has driven North Korea policy for decades,” she said in an interview just before Biden’s election. A congressional resolution calling for a peace agreement in Korea now has 52 sponsors, including the first Republican, Ahn said.
Biden’s likely national security adviser Blinken underscored Ahn’s concerns in a detailed interview with CBS News on September. A Biden administration, he said, would “work closely with allies like South Korea and Japan” and encourage China to “build genuine economic pressure to squeeze North Korea to get it to the negotiating table. We need to cut off its various avenues and access to resources—something we were doing very vigorously at the end of the Obama-Biden administration.”
Starting off with that kind of pressure would be a fatal mistake, said Feron of the Center for International Policy. “Unless Moon can convince Biden to send conciliatory signals to Pyongyang, it is likely that we will soon see North Korean long-range missile tests and a renewed escalation in military tensions,” he predicted. Feron also pointed to recent remarks on the alliance from Lee Soo-hyuck, South Korea’s ambassador to Washington, that underscore the tension between Seoul and Washington over these issues.
“Just because Korea chose the U.S. 70 years ago does not mean it has to choose the U.S. for the next 70 years, too,” Lee told a subcommittee of the Korean National Assembly in October. “Korea can choose to keep siding with the U.S. only if it is able to love the country and if it serves the nation’s interests.” That seems to be a good summary of where the two countries stand today, on the brink of a new era in Washington.
Tim Shorrock, who has been reporting on Korea for The Nation since 1983, is a Washington, D.C.–based journalist and the author of Spies for Hire: The Secret World of Intelligence Outsourcing.


jewworldorder--2020-11-20--Struggling with Time Management? A More Mindful, Spiritual Approach Can Help

If there ’ s one thing most adults agree on , it ’ s that there never seems to be enough time in the day .
Everyone is busy in their own way , and even though most of us are aware of basic time management techniques , living them is a very different matter .
From a spiritual perspective , however , time management really doesn ’ t need to be so hard .
To understand where you might be going wrong , let ’ s look at five common time sucks which stand in the way of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant to lead : Time Suck # 1 : Neglecting Your Own Needs As a spiritual person , you are probably instinctively kind to others , and generous with both your heart and your time .
When you ’ re known as someone who will do anything for anyone , however , it begs the question : who ’ s going to take care of you ?
You can ’ t keep on giving your time and attention to others unless you ’ ve first given time and attention to yourself .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frazzled , then it ’ s going to take you longer to do that favour for a friend .
What might take you ten minutes could easily take an hour or more if your head isn ’ t in the right place .
We ’ ve all been there .
So , prioritise your own needs for a few days .
Take the break you need .
Curl up and read a good book .
Cook your favourite meal .
Go for a walk where you want to go , just because you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easy to think of these things as either selfish or time wasting – but in truth they are neither .
Caring for others starts with caring for yourself , and once you ’ ve satisfied your own needs , you will feel calmer , more focused and better able to make use of the time you do share with others .
As a society , we tend to admire and praise those who can successfully juggle twelve different tasks at once , before breakfast .
They certainly are efficient – but from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yourself into lots of little pieces do ?
When you ’ re multitasking , you are by definition not giving your whole self to any one of the things you are doing .
You ’ re giving at best half of yourself , often very much less than this .
It ’ s often enough to get the job done , but not as well or as quickly as you might otherwise have done it .
Because we ’ re conditioned to praise multitasking , it also makes it more difficult for you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new request for your help .
Yes , you ’ re trying to do X , but surely you can manage to fit Y in alongside it , no ?
No .
You can ’ t .
So , don ’ t .
Opt to do one thing at a time .
As counter intuitive as it may feel , in the long run , you will save time this way .
This is related to # 2 , but it ’ s easy to lose focus even if you are only doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if that thing isn ’ t the most exciting thing in the world .
When we need to clean the bathroom , tidy away clothes , write that boring report or ferry the kids to yet some other activity , it ’ s very easy to get distracted .
You might think that if you ’ re driving along and in your head also calculating last year ’ s tax returns , you ’ re saving time and going a good job , right ?
Not really .
You ’ re missing an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re doing at that time : driving your kids .
Practice mindfulness with the most boring tasks on your list .
Devote your whole attention to them and to them to the very best of your ability , even if they are so very mundane .
You ’ ve devoted a chunk of your precious time to this matter , whether through choice or necessity , so honour it by giving it your full attention .
Giving a task your full attention also helps to avoid mistakes , which is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
If you ’ re doing it , do it right the first time .
So , you ’ ve taken care of yourself , you ’ ve picked a single task and you ’ re prepared to focus on it fully .
However , with so much to do , it ’ s only natural to sometimes wonder if you ’ ve made the right choice with how you allocate your time .
What if , instead of working on this report , you should be exercising ?
What if , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your youngest , you should be spending quality time with your partner ?
What if , instead of taking the dog on the long walk you both love so much , you should have opted for the shorter route and spent the extra time preparing a dessert ?
Stop second guessing .
You ’ ve made a decision , so stick to it .
You ’ ll never know whether you ’ ve made the “ right ” choice or not , so there ’ s no point fretting about it .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that ’ s all you can do .
Have the confidence that you ’ ve done the right thing and commit wholeheartedly to whatever you ’ ve chosen to prioritise .
OK , some of your tasks will undoubtedly require you to be ‘ plugged in ’ in some format or other , whether it ’ s for work or for leisure .
But for those many tasks in life which don ’ t require connectivity – turn off your tech .
Turn off your phone , unplug , detox from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for those five or ten minutes .
You do not need to be constantly checking your phone , unless you ’ re waiting for some kind of emergency contact .
Seriously , what is there on there that you can not wait to see ?
Likewise with all other kinds of tech .
Did you know that the average American uses a tech gadget of some kind or other for over 10 hours a day ?
Or that on average , we check interact with our phones 2617 times per day ?
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Digital tech is full of opportunities and can be a true lifeline – but it ’ s also a hell of a time suck .
Turn it off when you don ’ t need it .
And breathe .
Nikki Harper is a spiritualist writer , astrologer , and Wake Up World ’ s editor .

November 29th, 2020
By Nikki Harper
Staff Writer for Wake Up World
If there’s one thing most adults agree on, it’s that there never seems to be enough time in the day. Everyone is busy in their own way, and even though most of us are aware of basic time management techniques, living them is a very different matter.
From a spiritual perspective, however, time management really doesn’t need to be so hard. To understand where you might be going wrong, let’s look at five common time sucks which stand in the way of the fulfilled life you just know you were meant to lead:
Time Suck #1: Neglecting Your Own Needs
As a spiritual person, you are probably instinctively kind to others, and generous with both your heart and your time. When you’re known as someone who will do anything for anyone, however, it begs the question: who’s going to take care of you?
You can’t keep on giving your time and attention to others unless you’ve first given time and attention to yourself. If you are worn out, frustrated and frazzled, then it’s going to take you longer to do that favour for a friend. What might take you ten minutes could easily take an hour or more if your head isn’t in the right place. We’ve all been there.
So, prioritise your own needs for a few days. Take the break you need. Curl up and read a good book. Cook your favourite meal. Go for a walk where you want to go, just because you want to go.
It’s easy to think of these things as either selfish or time wasting – but in truth they are neither. Caring for others starts with caring for yourself, and once you’ve satisfied your own needs, you will feel calmer, more focused and better able to make use of the time you do share with others.
Time Suck #2: Multitasking
As a society, we tend to admire and praise those who can successfully juggle twelve different tasks at once, before breakfast. They certainly are efficient – but from a spiritual perspective, what good does cutting yourself into lots of little pieces do?
When you’re multitasking, you are by definition not giving your whole self to any one of the things you are doing. You’re giving at best half of yourself, often very much less than this. It’s often enough to get the job done, but not as well or as quickly as you might otherwise have done it.
Because we’re conditioned to praise multitasking, it also makes it more difficult for you to say ‘no’ to a new request for your help. Yes, you’re trying to do X, but surely you can manage to fit Y in alongside it, no? No. You can’t. So, don’t.
Opt to do one thing at a time. As counter intuitive as it may feel, in the long run, you will save time this way.
Time Suck #3: Scattered Attention
This is related to #2, but it’s easy to lose focus even if you are only doing one thing at a time, especially if that thing isn’t the most exciting thing in the world.
When we need to clean the bathroom, tidy away clothes, write that boring report or ferry the kids to yet some other activity, it’s very easy to get distracted. You might think that if you’re driving along and in your head also calculating last year’s tax returns, you’re saving time and going a good job, right? Not really. You’re missing an opportunity to be truly invested in what you’re doing at that time: driving your kids.
Practice mindfulness with the most boring tasks on your list. Devote your whole attention to them and to them to the very best of your ability, even if they are so very mundane. You’ve devoted a chunk of your precious time to this matter, whether through choice or necessity, so honour it by giving it your full attention.
Giving a task your full attention also helps to avoid mistakes, which is a very common and easy way to waste time. If you’re doing it, do it right the first time.
Time Suck #4: Second Guessing Your Time Choices
So, you’ve taken care of yourself, you’ve picked a single task and you’re prepared to focus on it fully. However, with so much to do, it’s only natural to sometimes wonder if you’ve made the right choice with how you allocate your time. What if, instead of working on this report, you should be exercising? What if, instead of playing a board game with your youngest, you should be spending quality time with your partner? What if, instead of taking the dog on the long walk you both love so much, you should have opted for the shorter route and spent the extra time preparing a dessert?
Stop second guessing. You’ve made a decision, so stick to it. You’ll never know whether you’ve made the “right” choice or not, so there’s no point fretting about it. You’ve made “a” choice, and that’s all you can do. Have the confidence that you’ve done the right thing and commit wholeheartedly to whatever you’ve chosen to prioritise.
Time Suck #5: Technology
OK, some of your tasks will undoubtedly require you to be ‘plugged in’ in some format or other, whether it’s for work or for leisure. But for those many tasks in life which don’t require connectivity – turn off your tech. Turn off your phone, unplug, detox from the digital world, even if only for those five or ten minutes.
You do not need to be constantly checking your phone, unless you’re waiting for some kind of emergency contact. Seriously, what is there on there that you cannot wait to see? Likewise with all other kinds of tech.
Did you know that the average American uses a tech gadget of some kind or other for over 10 hours a day? Or that on average, we check interact with our phones 2617 times per day? That’s extraordinary. And totally ridiculous. Digital tech is full of opportunities and can be a true lifeline – but it’s also a hell of a time suck. Turn it off when you don’t need it. And breathe.
You have time.
About the author:
Nikki Harper is a spiritualist writer, astrologer, and Wake Up World’s editor.


jewworldorder--2020-11-20--Erdan talks combating anti-Semitism with NBA player, Erdogan critic Enes Kanter

NEW YORK — Israel ’ s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan and NBA player Enes Kanter met on Tuesday and discussed joining forces to combat anti-Semitism and raise awareness of alleged human rights violations in the Boston Celtics center ’ s native Turkey .
The meeting and its announcement by the Israeli UN mission appeared to be the latest jab in an endless back-and-forth between Jerusalem and Ankara , which still maintain diplomatic relations , but regularly spar on the world stage .
In September , Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan aggressively censured Israel during an address to the UN General @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extending its “ dirty hand ” over Jerusalem and prompting a walkout from Erdan .
Get The Times of Israel ’ s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up “ In Israel , we see sports as a bridge that can connect people and cultures and not separate them , so it was important for me to hear Enes ’ personal story and enlist his help in any way I can , ” Erdan said , according to a press release from the Israeli UN mission .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Erdogan prefers to support and embrace Hamas terrorists by offering them citizenship instead of supporting athletes who advocate for human rights.
” In August , the British daily The Telegraph reported that Turkey was granting citizenship to a dozen high-ranking Hamas members involved in coordinating terror attacks , which was later confirmed by the chargé d ’ affaires at Israel ’ s embassy in Ankara .
Last month , The Times of London reported that Hamas is secretly operating a facility in Turkey where it conducts cyberattacks and counter-intelligence operations .
During the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running a basketball camp for young Jews in Brooklyn last year and his desire to establish something similar in Israel for Jewish and Arab children .
Erdan offered his assistance in the project , the Israeli UN mission said .
Kanter has been an outspoken critic of Erdogan , which has led Ankara to arrest his relatives , strip him of his passport and issue an arrest warrant against him on terror charges .
Kanter now identifies as stateless and has all but ceased international travel due to fears of capture by Turkish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posts from NFL player Desean Jackson earlier this year , Kanter spoke out in solidarity with world Jewry .
“ I grew up in a society that taught us to hate Jews and I did not know why .
How can you hate someone before you know them ?
” Kanter recalled to Erdan during their meeting .
“ Later , I realized that what is important is to build bridges and create dialogue between people .
Sport creates closeness between people , no matter what background you come from and that is @ @ @ @

NEW YORK — Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan and NBA player Enes Kanter met on Tuesday and discussed joining forces to combat anti-Semitism and raise awareness of alleged human rights violations in the Boston Celtics center’s native Turkey.
The meeting and its announcement by the Israeli UN mission appeared to be the latest jab in an endless back-and-forth between Jerusalem and Ankara, which still maintain diplomatic relations, but regularly spar on the world stage.
In September, Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan aggressively censured Israel during an address to the UN General Assembly, accusing the Jewish state of extending its “dirty hand” over Jerusalem and prompting a walkout from Erdan.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up
“In Israel, we see sports as a bridge that can connect people and cultures and not separate them, so it was important for me to hear Enes’ personal story and enlist his help in any way I can,” Erdan said, according to a press release from the Israeli UN mission. “By contrast, Turkey’s Erdogan prefers to support and embrace Hamas terrorists by offering them citizenship instead of supporting athletes who advocate for human rights.”
In August, the British daily The Telegraph reported that Turkey was granting citizenship to a dozen high-ranking Hamas members involved in coordinating terror attacks, which was later confirmed by the chargé d’affaires at Israel’s embassy in Ankara.
Last month, The Times of London reported that Hamas is secretly operating a facility in Turkey where it conducts cyberattacks and counter-intelligence operations.
Had an amazing conversation with my good friend @giladerdan1 Working together to create a better, brighter, more peaceful future.
It’s all about respect, understand and building bridges together. יותר טוב ביחד ???? pic.twitter.com/a6JFOxnp5Y — Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) November 17, 2020
During the Tuesday meeting, Kanter shared his experience running a basketball camp for young Jews in Brooklyn last year and his desire to establish something similar in Israel for Jewish and Arab children. Erdan offered his assistance in the project, the Israeli UN mission said.
Kanter has been an outspoken critic of Erdogan, which has led Ankara to arrest his relatives, strip him of his passport and issue an arrest warrant against him on terror charges. Kanter now identifies as stateless and has all but ceased international travel due to fears of capture by Turkish authorities.
Following a series of anti-Semitic posts from NFL player Desean Jackson earlier this year, Kanter spoke out in solidarity with world Jewry.
“I grew up in a society that taught us to hate Jews and I did not know why. How can you hate someone before you know them?” Kanter recalled to Erdan during their meeting. “Later, I realized that what is important is to build bridges and create dialogue between people. Sport creates closeness between people, no matter what background you come from and that is my goal.”


jewworldorder--2020-11-20--San Francisco college’s student gov’t passes resolution targeting settlements

( J. the Jewish News of Northern California via JTA ) — The student government at San Francisco State University has approved a divestment resolution targeting Israel that would have the school pull out of investments in companies that do business in Israeli settlements .
Following a lengthy and contentious public comment period , Associated Students passed the measure in a 17-1 vote with two abstentions .
Nearly two dozen speakers had offered testimonies on both sides of the resolution .
The passage of the resolution is expected to increase tensions between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian students on campus , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ semester .
A number of Jewish groups condemned its passage , including the Jewish Community Relations Council and the San Francisco Hillel .
Get The Times of Israel ’ s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up Student government resolutions are not binding on the school .
The resolution does not name specific companies but refers to a UN list of more than 100 firms that conduct business within the West Bank .
They include American corporations such as Airbnb , General Mills and Expedia , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list was created by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in February .
At an October 28 meeting , student government representative James Aguilar said he had reviewed San Francisco State ’ s investments and did not find university ties to any corporation on the UN list .
Other representatives during the meeting suggested adding language to the BDS resolution that would prevent future investments .
The amended language was approved as part of Wednesday ’ s vote .
The resolution was spearheaded by the university ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student-led organization dedicated to “ increasing awareness of the Palestinian struggle , ” according to its Facebook page .
The group did not respond to requests for comment .
University spokesperson Kent Bravo did not respond to a request for comment .
On Wednesday , the speakers who identified themselves as members of student organizations , including the Black Student Union , League of Filipino Students and the International Business Society , spoke in favor of the resolution , as did a handful of student government representatives .
“ I think this document @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we should be striving for at San Francisco State in terms of supporting our students , ” student representative Ja ’ Corey Bowens said .
Condemning the resolution , Jewish Community Relations Council spokesperson Jeremy Russell said in a statement : “ It will further exacerbate tensions at SF State , and we call upon the university leaders to ensure Jewish students are welcomed and protected .
At JCRC we support coexistence advancement , including mutual cooperation to promote the economic and social welfare of the region and a two-state solution to end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s executive director , Rachel Nilson Ralston , in her statement condemning the vote said the resolution had elevated “ ugly discourse ” on campus .
“ This resolution has , sadly , had a real and negative impact on our students ’ wellness and experience of their campus , ” she said .
“ But BDS ’ s real danger is that it seeks to influence the open hearts and minds of tomorrow ’ s leaders from a one-sided , deeply biased narrative against Israel.
” Ralston also suggested that the student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tactics from activists from across the country ” pressing them to vote yes on the resolution .
In September , the Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies program at the university invited Palestinian militant Leila Khaled , who hijacked two commercial airlines in 1969 and 1970 , to a virtual on-campus event .
After outcry from pro-Israel groups , Zoom , Facebook and YouTube all determined that Khaled ’ s participation violated their company policies and would not allow their platforms to be used to host the event .
One of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent a letter on October 1 to the Department of Education claiming that San Francisco State had violated federal law .
The department responded a week later , saying that it had referred the allegations of wrongdoing for possible sanction to multiple federal agencies .

(J. the Jewish News of Northern California via JTA) — The student government at San Francisco State University has approved a divestment resolution targeting Israel that would have the school pull out of investments in companies that do business in Israeli settlements.
Following a lengthy and contentious public comment period, Associated Students passed the measure in a 17-1 vote with two abstentions. Nearly two dozen speakers had offered testimonies on both sides of the resolution.
The passage of the resolution is expected to increase tensions between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian students on campus, who have already seen one major dust-up this semester. A number of Jewish groups condemned its passage, including the Jewish Community Relations Council and the San Francisco Hillel.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up
Student government resolutions are not binding on the school.
The resolution does not name specific companies but refers to a UN list of more than 100 firms that conduct business within the West Bank. They include American corporations such as Airbnb, General Mills and Expedia, as well as some foreign companies. The list was created by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in February.
A picture taken on October 13, 2020, shows the Har Gilo settlement in the West Bank, with the city of Jerusalem seen in the background. (MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP)
At an October 28 meeting, student government representative James Aguilar said he had reviewed San Francisco State’s investments and did not find university ties to any corporation on the UN list. Other representatives during the meeting suggested adding language to the BDS resolution that would prevent future investments. The amended language was approved as part of Wednesday’s vote.
The resolution was spearheaded by the university’s General Union of Palestine Students, a student-led organization dedicated to “increasing awareness of the Palestinian struggle,” according to its Facebook page.
The group did not respond to requests for comment.
University spokesperson Kent Bravo did not respond to a request for comment.
On Wednesday, the speakers who identified themselves as members of student organizations, including the Black Student Union, League of Filipino Students and the International Business Society, spoke in favor of the resolution, as did a handful of student government representatives.
San Francisco State University in 2012. (CC BY-SA Webbi1987/Wikimedia Commons)
“I think this document is very reflective of the culture that we should be striving for at San Francisco State in terms of supporting our students,” student representative Ja’Corey Bowens said.
Condemning the resolution, Jewish Community Relations Council spokesperson Jeremy Russell said in a statement: “It will further exacerbate tensions at SF State, and we call upon the university leaders to ensure Jewish students are welcomed and protected. At JCRC we support coexistence advancement, including mutual cooperation to promote the economic and social welfare of the region and a two-state solution to end the conflict.”
San Francisco Hillel’s executive director, Rachel Nilson Ralston, in her statement condemning the vote said the resolution had elevated “ugly discourse” on campus.
“This resolution has, sadly, had a real and negative impact on our students’ wellness and experience of their campus,” she said. “But BDS’s real danger is that it seeks to influence the open hearts and minds of tomorrow’s leaders from a one-sided, deeply biased narrative against Israel.”
Ralston also suggested that the student representatives faced “extreme pressure and bullying tactics from activists from across the country” pressing them to vote yes on the resolution.
In September, the Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies program at the university invited Palestinian militant Leila Khaled, who hijacked two commercial airlines in 1969 and 1970, to a virtual on-campus event. After outcry from pro-Israel groups, Zoom, Facebook and YouTube all determined that Khaled’s participation violated their company policies and would not allow their platforms to be used to host the event.
One of the pro-Israel groups, the Lawfare Project, sent a letter on October 1 to the Department of Education claiming that San Francisco State had violated federal law. The department responded a week later, saying that it had referred the allegations of wrongdoing for possible sanction to multiple federal agencies.


jewworldorder--2020-11-20--Black Jewish novelist Walter Mosley honored by National Book Foundation

JTA — Black Jewish novelist Walter Mosley received one of the National Book Foundation ’ s highest honors on Wednesday night : the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters .
Since 1988 , the lifetime achievement award has gone to Joan Didion , Ursula Le Guin and Toni Morrison , among others .
Mosley is the first Black man to win the medal in its history , but not the first Jewish man — writers such as Saul Bellow , Philip Roth and Arthur Miller have won it in past years .
Get The Times of Israel ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our top stories Free Sign Up Mosley , 68 , is perhaps best known for his “ Easy Rawlins ” mystery series , centering on Easy , a Black private detective in Los Angeles in the 1960s .
The first of the series , “ Devil in a Blue Dress , ” was adapted into a 1995 movie starring Denzel Washington .
Mosley has not just stuck to the crime genre , however ; he has written more than 60 books spanning genres , from Afrofuturist science fiction to plays .
He even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Best Album Notes for comedian Richard Pryor ’ s compilation “ …And It ’ s Deep Too !
” Mosley began writing later in life , at age 34 .
One of Mosley ’ s mentors , the Irish novelist Edna O ’ Brien , encouraged him to write his first novel by telling him : “ You ’ re Black , Jewish , with a poor upbringing ; there are riches therein.
” “ In a way , to be a Jew is to be a part of a tribe , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Jewishness .
“ Being a part of a tribe , you can never really escape your identity .
You can be anything inside , but in the end you ’ re always answerable to your blood.
” He was born to a Jewish mother and a Black non-Jewish father in Los Angeles .
He once told the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival : “ I grew up with half-sour kosher pickles and collard greens , and I enjoyed both sides of my family.
” “ I feel equally descended from both of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he added in that interview .

JTA — Black Jewish novelist Walter Mosley received one of the National Book Foundation’s highest honors on Wednesday night: the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
Since 1988, the lifetime achievement award has gone to Joan Didion, Ursula Le Guin and Toni Morrison, among others.
Mosley is the first Black man to win the medal in its history, but not the first Jewish man — writers such as Saul Bellow, Philip Roth and Arthur Miller have won it in past years.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up
Mosley, 68, is perhaps best known for his “Easy Rawlins” mystery series, centering on Easy, a Black private detective in Los Angeles in the 1960s. The first of the series, “Devil in a Blue Dress,” was adapted into a 1995 movie starring Denzel Washington.
Mosley has not just stuck to the crime genre, however; he has written more than 60 books spanning genres, from Afrofuturist science fiction to plays. He even won a Grammy Award in 2001 for Best Album Notes for comedian Richard Pryor’s compilation “…And It’s Deep Too!”
Mosley began writing later in life, at age 34. One of Mosley’s mentors, the Irish novelist Edna O’Brien, encouraged him to write his first novel by telling him: “You’re Black, Jewish, with a poor upbringing; there are riches therein.”
“In a way, to be a Jew is to be a part of a tribe,” Mosley said in 2010, reflecting on his Jewishness. “Being a part of a tribe, you can never really escape your identity. You can be anything inside, but in the end you’re always answerable to your blood.”
He was born to a Jewish mother and a Black non-Jewish father in Los Angeles. He once told the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival: “I grew up with half-sour kosher pickles and collard greens, and I enjoyed both sides of my family.”
“I feel equally descended from both of my parents and their backgrounds,” he added in that interview.


jewworldorder--2020-11-20--IS claims strike on Egypt-Israel gas pipeline; Israeli official said to deny it

The Islamic State terror group claimed Thursday that its forces had blown up a gas pipeline between Israel and Egypt .
A blast hit the el-Arish al-Qantara natural gas pipeline in the Sinai Peninsula , Reuters reported , citing testimony from witnesses and local Egyptian authorities .
IS claimed responsibility in a message on its Telegram channel , but did not provide any evidence .
Get The Times of Israel ’ s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up There is no immediate acknowledgment of the claim by the Israeli military , but Channel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pipeline had been damaged in any way .
The official said gas was continuing to flow from the pipeline without any problem .
Gunmen in Sinai have made similar claims about attacking pipelines in the past , including in February , which Israeli officials also denied .
The gas pipelines running through the Sinai Peninsula have long been a favorite target of jihadist groups in the restive region .
Dozens of attacks took place in the wake of the overthrow of dictator Hosni Mubarak in 2011 , mostly targeting a pipeline carrying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 bombing of a gas pipeline south of el-Arish by suspected al-Qaeda-inspired saboteurs sabotaged another pipeline — but it was carrying gas to Jordan , not Israel .
Israel later stopped importing gas from Egypt , partly due to soaring demands in Egypt and partly because the attacks made the supply unreliable .
And Israel ’ s discovery of massive natural gas reserves in its Mediterranean economic zone made imports unnecessary , turning the Jewish state into an energy exporter for the first time in its history .
Israel ’ s Leviathan field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hold 535 billion cubic meters ( 18.9 trillion cubic feet ) of natural gas , along with 34.1 million barrels of condensate .
The Tamar field , which began production in 2013 , has estimated reserves of up to 238 billion cubic meters ( 8.4 trillion cubic feet ) .

The Islamic State terror group claimed Thursday that its forces had blown up a gas pipeline between Israel and Egypt.
A blast hit the el-Arish al-Qantara natural gas pipeline in the Sinai Peninsula, Reuters reported, citing testimony from witnesses and local Egyptian authorities.
IS claimed responsibility in a message on its Telegram channel, but did not provide any evidence.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up
There is no immediate acknowledgment of the claim by the Israeli military, but Channel 13 quoted a senior energy official denying the pipeline had been damaged in any way. The official said gas was continuing to flow from the pipeline without any problem.
Gunmen in Sinai have made similar claims about attacking pipelines in the past, including in February, which Israeli officials also denied.
The gas pipelines running through the Sinai Peninsula have long been a favorite target of jihadist groups in the restive region.
Dozens of attacks took place in the wake of the overthrow of dictator Hosni Mubarak in 2011, mostly targeting a pipeline carrying gas from Egypt to Israel.
A 2014 bombing of a gas pipeline south of el-Arish by suspected al-Qaeda-inspired saboteurs sabotaged another pipeline — but it was carrying gas to Jordan, not Israel.
Israel later stopped importing gas from Egypt, partly due to soaring demands in Egypt and partly because the attacks made the supply unreliable.
And Israel’s discovery of massive natural gas reserves in its Mediterranean economic zone made imports unnecessary, turning the Jewish state into an energy exporter for the first time in its history.
Israel’s Leviathan field, discovered in 2010, is estimated to hold 535 billion cubic meters (18.9 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas, along with 34.1 million barrels of condensate. The Tamar field, which began production in 2013, has estimated reserves of up to 238 billion cubic meters (8.4 trillion cubic feet).