lewrockwell--2020-01-11--What is the Real Deception when Liars, Cheaters, and Thieves Control the Narrative?

“ I was a CIA director , we lied , we cheated we stole… like , we had entire training courses .
It reminds you of the glory of the American experiment.
” Michael Pompeo ~ U.S. Secretary of State and former CIA Director Donald Trump , the current head of U.S. politics , has lied , cheated , and stole , as well as ordered and authorized murder and mayhem , but he is not the only one .
This is a trait of most all presidents , all political parties , of Congress , the CIA , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government bureaucracies , especially the entire “ security and intelligence ” sector of government .
There is such an extreme mass of deception and lies that it has become almost impossible to ferret out any truth .
The truth does exist of course , but has been purposely disappeared by sinister forces that continue to control the national narrative .
I have long held that any sane person should believe nothing , and question everything .
During this time in our history , nothing could be more important for clarity of honest thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a slogan , but also a necessity of life , if one is ever to understand the real workings of this profoundly corrupt system we live under .
Nothing is ever as it seems , because everything is far different than presented .
This is the long-standing fact of politics and political deception .
That of course means that we all live in a purely propagandist state .
Against the Left : A Ro ... Llewellyn H Rockwell Jr Best Price : $ 13.57 Buy New $ 8.00 Why all the deception ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ there to gain ?
Who stands to benefit ?
And more importantly , who stands to lose ?
What has been happening recently has created new levels of outright arrogance , lying , fraud , hypocrisy , and dishonesty .
This contemptible situation could never see the light of day if the general population simply had any ability or desire to think or participate in intelligent thought , instead of floundering in abject indifference and ignorance .
Any unquestioned continuation of current events created and prosecuted by those in power could easily lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This scenario is no longer science fiction , or the ramblings of falsely labeled conspiracy theorists ; it is teetering on the edge of reality .
The situation is dire , and any slight push at this point could lead to all out war .
The stupidity of modern common man causes me great angst .
I have attempted to understand the masses seemingly forever , but I can not gain any understanding of the behavior of the mob , regardless of all my observance , study and research .
Those that rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure out , because they have an obvious agenda , and benefit greatly from these non-thinking groups of lethargic fools .
The current ruling class , those elite at the top including banking and corporate magnates and others , and their pawns in politics , the mainstream media , the military , and certain other powerful entities , all have the same desires .
These desires are power , money , and control over all others in society .
This is what is sought , and this is what drives the strong to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why the constant deception exists .
The point of it all is power .
The gain is more power , more money , and more control .
This class of people is the benefactor of all the lies and deceit , and they will stop at nothing to achieve total control .
The losers are all the rest of us .
Presstitutes Embedded ... Dr. Udo Ulfkotte Best Price : $ 43.05 Buy New $ 31.51 I am taking this somewhat more philosophical approach instead of reporting on all the current lies in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a risk of global annihilation , in order to expose the bigger picture .
There are a good number of great minds that are continually telling the truth , and the truths being exposed in the alternative news are staggering to say the least .
It seems as if every single event , whether considering what is being reported about Iraq , Iran , Syria , or other fabricated attacks without evidence , are nothing but lies .
Attacks on commercial planes , or murderous assassinations meant only to cause certain outrage , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed real targets , are all lies or false flags of one sort or another .
For these things to be so remarkably obvious to thinkers , and yet at the same time so elusive to the common people , seems unimaginable .
No matter how much effort I expend in order to understand mankind , and why death , destruction , and power wins out over compassion and harmony , I continually fall short in my efforts .
This has always been frustrating for me , as I truly want to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has dampened that desire .
I only have respect for the individual , and it is my position that only individuals can seek and find the truth , and use that knowledge to better themselves and then become a light for others to follow .
In other words , the individual is what will save us , not the collective mass of those non-thinkers who have become complicit in their own destruction .
I had enormous respect for Butler Shaffer , and he summed up this dilemma in just a few prescient words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where his ashes have been placed .
They read : “ Civilizations are created by individuals .
They are destroyed by collectives.
” The Best of Gary D. Barnett

“I was a CIA director, we lied, we cheated we stole… like, we had entire training courses. It reminds you of the glory of the American experiment.”
Michael Pompeo ~ U.S. Secretary of State and former CIA Director
Donald Trump, the current head of U.S. politics, has lied, cheated, and stole, as well as ordered and authorized murder and mayhem, but he is not the only one. This is a trait of most all presidents, all political parties, of Congress, the CIA, the mainstream media, and most all other government bureaucracies, especially the entire “security and intelligence” sector of government. There is such an extreme mass of deception and lies that it has become almost impossible to ferret out any truth. The truth does exist of course, but has been purposely disappeared by sinister forces that continue to control the national narrative.
I have long held that any sane person should believe nothing, and question everything. During this time in our history, nothing could be more important for clarity of honest thought and knowledge. This is not just a slogan, but also a necessity of life, if one is ever to understand the real workings of this profoundly corrupt system we live under. Nothing is ever as it seems, because everything is far different than presented. This is the long-standing fact of politics and political deception. That of course means that we all live in a purely propagandist state. Against the Left: A Ro... Rockwell Jr, Llewellyn H Best Price: $2.85 Buy New $8.00 (as of 07:59 UTC - Details)
Why all the deception? What is the point? What is there to gain? Who stands to benefit? And more importantly, who stands to lose?
What has been happening recently has created new levels of outright arrogance, lying, fraud, hypocrisy, and dishonesty. This contemptible situation could never see the light of day if the general population simply had any ability or desire to think or participate in intelligent thought, instead of floundering in abject indifference and ignorance. Any unquestioned continuation of current events created and prosecuted by those in power could easily lead to apocalyptic war across the world. This scenario is no longer science fiction, or the ramblings of falsely labeled conspiracy theorists; it is teetering on the edge of reality. The situation is dire, and any slight push at this point could lead to all out war.
The stupidity of modern common man causes me great angst. I have attempted to understand the masses seemingly forever, but I cannot gain any understanding of the behavior of the mob, regardless of all my observance, study and research. Those that rule over this mob are much easier to figure out, because they have an obvious agenda, and benefit greatly from these non-thinking groups of lethargic fools.
The current ruling class, those elite at the top including banking and corporate magnates and others, and their pawns in politics, the mainstream media, the military, and certain other powerful entities, all have the same desires. These desires are power, money, and control over all others in society. This is what is sought, and this is what drives the strong to lord over the weak. This is why the constant deception exists. The point of it all is power. The gain is more power, more money, and more control. This class of people is the benefactor of all the lies and deceit, and they will stop at nothing to achieve total control. The losers are all the rest of us.
Presstitutes Embedded ... Ulfkotte, Dr. Udo Best Price: $38.43 Buy New $34.09 (as of 11:15 UTC - Details) I am taking this somewhat more philosophical approach instead of reporting on all the current lies in the news that are leading us into a risk of global annihilation, in order to expose the bigger picture. There are a good number of great minds that are continually telling the truth, and the truths being exposed in the alternative news are staggering to say the least. It seems as if every single event, whether considering what is being reported about Iraq, Iran, Syria, or other fabricated attacks without evidence, are nothing but lies. Attacks on commercial planes, or murderous assassinations meant only to cause certain outrage, or unguided rockets meant to miss the supposed real targets, are all lies or false flags of one sort or another. For these things to be so remarkably obvious to thinkers, and yet at the same time so elusive to the common people, seems unimaginable.
No matter how much effort I expend in order to understand mankind, and why death, destruction, and power wins out over compassion and harmony, I continually fall short in my efforts. This has always been frustrating for me, as I truly want to see the best in man, but experience has dampened that desire. I only have respect for the individual, and it is my position that only individuals can seek and find the truth, and use that knowledge to better themselves and then become a light for others to follow. In other words, the individual is what will save us, not the collective mass of those non-thinkers who have become complicit in their own destruction.
I had enormous respect for Butler Shaffer, and he summed up this dilemma in just a few prescient words. Those words are on a bench where his ashes have been placed. They read:
“Civilizations are created by individuals. They are destroyed by collectives.”
The Best of Gary D. Barnett


lewrockwell--2020-01-11--After Missiles Fly, Iraq Becomes the Battleground

The future of the U.S. ’ s involvement in the Middle East is in Iraq .
The exchange of hostilities between the U.S. and Iran occurred wholly on Iraqi soil and it has become the site on which that war will continue .
Israel continues to up the ante on Iran , following President Trump ’ s lead by bombing Shia militias stationed near the Al Bukumai border crossing between Syria and Iraq .
The U.S. and Israel are determined this border crossing remains closed and have demonstrated just how far they are willing to go to prevent the free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ border .
The regional allies of Iran are to be kept weak , divided and constantly under harassment .
Iraq is the battleground because the U.S. lost in Syria .
Despite the presence of U.S. troops squatting on Syrian oil fields in Deir Ezzor province or the troops sitting in the desert protecting the Syrian border with Jordan , the Russians , Hezbollah and the Iranian Quds forces continue to reclaim territory previously lost to the Syrian government .
A Peace to End All Pea ... David Fromkin Best Price : $ 4.13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ redeploying its pet Salafist head-choppers from Idlib to Libya to fight General Haftar ’ s forces there to legitimize its claim to eastern Mediterannean gas deposits , the restoration of Syria ’ s territorial integrity west of the Euphrates River is nearly complete .
The defenders of Syria can soon transition into the rebuilders thereof , if allowed .
And they didn ’ t do this alone , they had a silent partner in China the entire time .
And , if I look at this situation honestly , it was China stepping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light that is your inciting incident for this chapter in Iraq ’ s story .
China moving in to sign a $ 10.1 billion deal with the Iraqi government to begin the reconstruction of its ruined oil and gas industry in exchange for oil is of vital importance .
It doubles China ’ s investment in Iraq while denying the U.S. that money and influence .
This happened after a massive $ 53 billion deal between Exxon-Mobil and Petrochina was put on hold after the incident involving Iran shooting down a U.S .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S balking over the Exxon/Petrochina big deal , Iraqi Prime Minster Adel Abdul Mahdi signed the new one with China in October .
Mahdi brought up the circumstances surrounding that in Iraqi parliaments during the session in which it passed the resolution recommending removal of all foreign forces from Iraq .
Did Trump openly threaten Mahdi over this deal as I covered in my podcast on this ?
Did the U.S. gin up protests in Baghdad , amplifying unrest over growing Iranian influence in the country ?
And , if not , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a minion ( Pompeo , Esper , a diplomat ) ?
Because the U.S. ’ s history of regime change operations is well documented .
Well understood color revolution tactics used successfully in places like Ukraine , where snipers were deployed to shoot protesters and police alike to foment violence between them at the opportune time were on display in Baghdad .
Mahdi openly accused Trump of threatening him , but that sounds more like Mahdi using the current impeachment script to invoke the sinister side of Trump and sell his case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t think Trump capable of that kind of threat , I just don ’ t think he ’ s stupid enough to voice it on an open call .
Donald Trump is capable of many impulsive things , openly threatening to remove an elected Prime Minister on a recorded line is not one of them .
Mahdi has been under the U.S. ’ s fire since he came to power in late 2018 .
He was the man who refused Trump during Trump ’ s impromptu Christmas visit to Iraq in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clandestine meeting at the U.S. embassy rather than Trump visit him as a head of state , an equal .
He was the man who declared the Iraqi air space closed after Israeli air attacks on Popular Mobilization Force ( PMF ) positions in September .
And he ’ s the person , at the same time , being asked by Trump to act as a mediator between Saudi Arabia and Iran in peace talks for Yemen .
So , the more we look at this situation the more it is clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prime minister since the 2003 U.S. invasion push for more Iraqi sovereignty , is emerging as the pivotal figure in what led up to the attack on General Soleimani and what comes after Iran ’ s subsequent retaliation .
It ’ s clear that Trump doesn ’ t want to fight a war with Iran in Iran .
He wants them to acquiesce to his unreasonable demands and begin negotiating a new nuclear deal which definitively stops the possibility of Iran developing a nuclear weapon , and as Patrick Henningsen at 21st Century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to be that battlefield .
And Iran sent the message with those two missile strikes that the U.S. presence in Iraq is unsustainable and that any thought of retreating to the autonomous Kurdish region around the air base at Erbil is also a non-starter .
The big question , after this attack , is whether U.S. air defenses around the Ain al Assad airbase west of Ramadi were active or not .
If they were then Trump ’ s standing down after the air strikes signals what Patrick suggests , a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were not turned on then the next question is why ?
To allow Iran to save face after Trump screwed up murdering Soleimani ?
I ’ m not capable of believing such Q-tard drivel at this point .
It ’ s far more likely that the spectre of Russian electronics warfare and radar evasion is lurking in the subtext of this story and the U.S. truly now finds itself after a second example of Iranian missile technology in a nascent 360 degree war in the region .
It means that Iran ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Dubai were real .
In short , it means the future of the U.S. presence in Iraq now measures in months not years .
Because both China and Russia stand to gain ground with a newly-united Shi ’ ite Iraqi population .
Mahdi is now courting Russia to sell him S-300 missile defense systems to allow him to enforce his demands about Iraqi airspace .
Moqtada al-Sadr is mobilizing his Madhi Army to oust the U.S. from Iraq .
Iraq is key to the U.S. presence in the region .
Without Iraq @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If the U.S. tries to retreat to Kurdish territory and push again for Masoud Barzani and his Peshmerga forces to declare independence Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will go ballistic .
And you can expect him to make good on his threat to close the Incerlik airbase , another critical logistical juncture for U.S. force projection in the region .
Against the Left : A Ro ... Llewellyn H Rockwell Jr Best Price : $ 13.57 Buy New $ 8.00 But it all starts with Mahdi ’ s and Iraq ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with Trump rightly backing down from escalating things further and not following through on his outlandish threats against Iran , it may be we ’ re nearing the end of this intractable standoff .
Back in June I told you that Iran had the ability to fight asymmetrically against the U.S. , not through direct military confrontation but through the after-effects of a brief , yet violent period of war in which all U.S. , Israeli and Arab assets in the Middle East come under fire from all directions .
It sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil tankers it could make the transport of oil untenable and not insurable .
We got a taste of it back then and Trump , then , backed down .
And the resultant upheaval in the financial markets creating an abyss of losses , cross-asset defaults , bank failures and government collapses .
Trump has no real option now but to negotiate while Iraq puts domestic pressure on him to leave and Russia/China come in to provide critical economic and military support to assist Mahdi rally his country back towards some semblance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The future of the U.S.’s involvement in the Middle East is in Iraq. The exchange of hostilities between the U.S. and Iran occurred wholly on Iraqi soil and it has become the site on which that war will continue.
Israel continues to up the ante on Iran, following President Trump’s lead by bombing Shia militias stationed near the Al Bukumai border crossing between Syria and Iraq.
The U.S. and Israel are determined this border crossing remains closed and have demonstrated just how far they are willing to go to prevent the free flow of goods and people across this border.
The regional allies of Iran are to be kept weak, divided and constantly under harassment.
Iraq is the battleground because the U.S. lost in Syria. Despite the presence of U.S. troops squatting on Syrian oil fields in Deir Ezzor province or the troops sitting in the desert protecting the Syrian border with Jordan, the Russians, Hezbollah and the Iranian Quds forces continue to reclaim territory previously lost to the Syrian government. A Peace to End All Pea... Fromkin, David Best Price: $4.51 Buy New $14.19 (as of 11:15 UTC - Details)
Now with Turkey redeploying its pet Salafist head-choppers from Idlib to Libya to fight General Haftar’s forces there to legitimize its claim to eastern Mediterannean gas deposits, the restoration of Syria’s territorial integrity west of the Euphrates River is nearly complete.
The defenders of Syria can soon transition into the rebuilders thereof, if allowed. And they didn’t do this alone, they had a silent partner in China the entire time.
And, if I look at this situation honestly, it was China stepping out from behind the shadows into the light that is your inciting incident for this chapter in Iraq’s story.
China moving in to sign a $10.1 billion deal with the Iraqi government to begin the reconstruction of its ruined oil and gas industry in exchange for oil is of vital importance.
It doubles China’s investment in Iraq while denying the U.S. that money and influence.
This happened after a massive $53 billion deal between Exxon-Mobil and Petrochina was put on hold after the incident involving Iran shooting down a U.S. Global Hawk drone in June.
With the U.S balking over the Exxon/Petrochina big deal, Iraqi Prime Minster Adel Abdul Mahdi signed the new one with China in October. Mahdi brought up the circumstances surrounding that in Iraqi parliaments during the session in which it passed the resolution recommending removal of all foreign forces from Iraq.
Did Trump openly threaten Mahdi over this deal as I covered in my podcast on this? Did the U.S. gin up protests in Baghdad, amplifying unrest over growing Iranian influence in the country?
And, if not, were these threats simply implied or carried by a minion (Pompeo, Esper, a diplomat)? Because the U.S.’s history of regime change operations is well documented. Well understood color revolution tactics used successfully in places like Ukraine, where snipers were deployed to shoot protesters and police alike to foment violence between them at the opportune time were on display in Baghdad.
Mahdi openly accused Trump of threatening him, but that sounds more like Mahdi using the current impeachment script to invoke the sinister side of Trump and sell his case.
It’s not that I don’t think Trump capable of that kind of threat, I just don’t think he’s stupid enough to voice it on an open call. Donald Trump is capable of many impulsive things, openly threatening to remove an elected Prime Minister on a recorded line is not one of them.
Mahdi has been under the U.S.’s fire since he came to power in late 2018. He was the man who refused Trump during Trump’s impromptu Christmas visit to Iraq in 2018, refusing to be summoned to a clandestine meeting at the U.S. embassy rather than Trump visit him as a head of state, an equal.
He was the man who declared the Iraqi air space closed after Israeli air attacks on Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) positions in September.
And he’s the person, at the same time, being asked by Trump to act as a mediator between Saudi Arabia and Iran in peace talks for Yemen.
So, the more we look at this situation the more it is clear that Abdul Madhi, the first Iraqi prime minister since the 2003 U.S. invasion push for more Iraqi sovereignty, is emerging as the pivotal figure in what led up to the attack on General Soleimani and what comes after Iran’s subsequent retaliation.
It’s clear that Trump doesn’t want to fight a war with Iran in Iran. He wants them to acquiesce to his unreasonable demands and begin negotiating a new nuclear deal which definitively stops the possibility of Iran developing a nuclear weapon, and as Patrick Henningsen at 21st Century Wire thinks,
Trump now wants a new deal which features a prohibition on Iran’s medium range missiles, and after events this week, it’s obvious why. Wednesday’s missile strike by Iran demonstrates that the US can no longer operate in the region so long as Iran has the ability to extend its own deterrence envelope westwards to Syria, Israel, and southwards to the Arabian Peninsula, and that includes all US military installations located within that radius.
Iraq doesn’t want to be that battlefield. And Iran sent the message with those two missile strikes that the U.S. presence in Iraq is unsustainable and that any thought of retreating to the autonomous Kurdish region around the air base at Erbil is also a non-starter.
The big question, after this attack, is whether U.S. air defenses around the Ain al Assad airbase west of Ramadi were active or not. If they were then Trump’s standing down after the air strikes signals what Patrick suggests, a new Middle East in the making.
If they were not turned on then the next question is why? To allow Iran to save face after Trump screwed up murdering Soleimani?
I’m not capable of believing such Q-tard drivel at this point. It’s far more likely that the spectre of Russian electronics warfare and radar evasion is lurking in the subtext of this story and the U.S. truly now finds itself after a second example of Iranian missile technology in a nascent 360 degree war in the region.
It means that Iran’s threats against the cities of Haifa and Dubai were real.
In short, it means the future of the U.S. presence in Iraq now measures in months not years.
Because both China and Russia stand to gain ground with a newly-united Shi’ite Iraqi population. Mahdi is now courting Russia to sell him S-300 missile defense systems to allow him to enforce his demands about Iraqi airspace.
Moqtada al-Sadr is mobilizing his Madhi Army to oust the U.S. from Iraq. Iraq is key to the U.S. presence in the region. Without Iraq the U.S. position in Syria is unsustainable.
If the U.S. tries to retreat to Kurdish territory and push again for Masoud Barzani and his Peshmerga forces to declare independence Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will go ballistic.
And you can expect him to make good on his threat to close the Incerlik airbase, another critical logistical juncture for U.S. force projection in the region. Against the Left: A Ro... Rockwell Jr, Llewellyn H Best Price: $2.85 Buy New $8.00 (as of 07:59 UTC - Details)
But it all starts with Mahdi’s and Iraq’s moves in the coming weeks. But, with Trump rightly backing down from escalating things further and not following through on his outlandish threats against Iran, it may be we’re nearing the end of this intractable standoff.
Back in June I told you that Iran had the ability to fight asymmetrically against the U.S., not through direct military confrontation but through the after-effects of a brief, yet violent period of war in which all U.S., Israeli and Arab assets in the Middle East come under fire from all directions.
It sent this same message then that by attacking oil tankers it could make the transport of oil untenable and not insurable. We got a taste of it back then and Trump, then, backed down.
And the resultant upheaval in the financial markets creating an abyss of losses, cross-asset defaults, bank failures and government collapses.
Trump has no real option now but to negotiate while Iraq puts domestic pressure on him to leave and Russia/China come in to provide critical economic and military support to assist Mahdi rally his country back towards some semblance of sovereignty.
Reprinted with permission from Gold Goats ‘n Guns.
The Best of Tom Luongo


lewrockwell--2020-01-11--Ukrainian 752 Shoot-Down Mirrors Fate of TWA 800

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau is saying out loud what others have been thinking since the news broke that Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashed soon after taking off from the airport in Tehran — namely , that “ the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile , ” likely unintentionally .
According to the New York Times , American officials also had a “ high level of confidence ” that the Iranians destroyed the airliner by mistake .
One official specifically cited two SA-15 missiles fired from an Iranian air defense system .
If Trudeau proves right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time an anxious military accidentally shot down a non-threatening commercial aircraft .
On July 17 , 1996 , a comparable missile strike destroyed TWA 800 off the coast of Long Island shortly after the Boeing 747 took off from JFK .
TWA 800 : The Crash , th ... Jack Cashill Best Price : $ 5.00 Buy New $ 12.29 We know why the Iranians were antsy earlier this week .
Their military fired off multiple missiles late Tuesday night at American targets and were likely expecting retaliation .
On July 17 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be on edge as well .
Two days before the start of the Atlanta Olympics , the Clinton administration had the U.S. Navy on the highest state of alert since the Cuban Missile crisis .
In this hair-trigger environment , accidents could happen .
Accidents had happened before in such an environment .
On July 3 , 1988 , at the tail end of the Iran-Iraq War , an Aegis cruiser in the Persian Gulf , the USS Vincennes , fired two Standard Missiles at a commercial Iranian Airbus , IR 655 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a final altitude almost identical to TWA 800 ’ s , when Capt .
Will Rogers III gave the order to fire .
Rogers and his crew had mistaken the ascending passenger jet with 290 people on board for a descending Iranian F-14 , a fighter plane .
With the media ’ s help , the truth about the Vincennes ultimately surfaced .
With the media ’ s help , the truth about TWA 800 was successfully buried , but here is what we have been able to dig up .

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau is saying out loud what others have been thinking since the news broke that Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashed soon after taking off from the airport in Tehran — namely, that “the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile,” likely unintentionally.
According to the New York Times, American officials also had a “high level of confidence” that the Iranians destroyed the airliner by mistake. One official specifically cited two SA-15 missiles fired from an Iranian air defense system.
If Trudeau proves right, this will not be the first time an anxious military accidentally shot down a non-threatening commercial aircraft. On July 17, 1996, a comparable missile strike destroyed TWA 800 off the coast of Long Island shortly after the Boeing 747 took off from JFK. TWA 800: The Crash, th... Jack Cashill Best Price: $9.71 Buy New $11.93 (as of 06:50 UTC - Details)
We know why the Iranians were antsy earlier this week. Their military fired off multiple missiles late Tuesday night at American targets and were likely expecting retaliation. On July 17, 1996, the American military had reason to be on edge as well.
Two days before the start of the Atlanta Olympics, the Clinton administration had the U.S. Navy on the highest state of alert since the Cuban Missile crisis. In this hair-trigger environment, accidents could happen.
Accidents had happened before in such an environment. On July 3, 1988, at the tail end of the Iran-Iraq War, an Aegis cruiser in the Persian Gulf, the USS Vincennes, fired two Standard Missiles at a commercial Iranian Airbus, IR 655.
IR 655 had reached 13,500 feet, a final altitude almost identical to TWA 800’s, when Capt. Will Rogers III gave the order to fire. Rogers and his crew had mistaken the ascending passenger jet with 290 people on board for a descending Iranian F-14, a fighter plane.
With the media’s help, the truth about the Vincennes ultimately surfaced. With the media’s help, the truth about TWA 800 was successfully buried, but here is what we have been able to dig up.
Read the Whole Article


America the Repugnant

Once upon a time there was a Constitution of the United States .
In Article II , Section 2 it stipulated that only the U.S. Congress has the power to declare war , which means the American president has to go to the legislative body and make a case for going to war against an enemy or enemies .
If there is a vote in favor of war , the president is empowered as commander-in-chief to direct the available resources against the enemy .
There is also something called international law .
Under international law there are situations in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government can use military force defensively or even preemptively if there is a substantial threat that is imminent .
But normally , a country has to go through a procedure similar to that in the U.S. Constitution , which means making a case that the war is justified before declaring war .
The Nuremberg Tribunals ruled that starting a war of aggression is the ultimate crime .
The president has already declared that he needs no approval from Congress or from anyone else to initiate further military operations against Iran in the Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is “ disproportionate.
” Meanwhile he , the State Department and the Pentagon are all stating , without presenting any evidence at all to the public , that Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani was planning attacks that would kill “ hundreds of Americans ” as a casus belli justifying his assassination .
The White House is also asserting that the killing was done to “ stop a war , ” which makes no sense even coming from the addled tweet-conditioned brain of Donald J. Trump .
And if one still harbors suspicions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it is possible to listen to him on the day after the assassination while speaking to a gathering of his supporters at an evangelical church in Florida .
He told the cheering crowd that “ God is on our side ” and that Soleimani “ …was planning a very major attack , and we got him.
” The audience went wild in approval , chanting “ four more years.
” Against the Left : A Ro ... Llewellyn H Rockwell Jr Best Price : $ 13.57 Buy New $ 8.00 Such chest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from president bone spurs as well as similar justifications for an assassination that will be surfacing over the next few days simply do not pass the smell test .
Take the window dressing away from the Pentagon and media propaganda and all one has left is that the United States illegally and openly killed a senior official from a country with which it is not at war and did so without the consent of the third country where the assassination took place with which the U.S. is also not at war .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any imminent threat and is therefore illegal under international law and is undeniably an unconstitutional act of war directed against both Iran and Iraq .
What is particularly bizarre about Trump-think on this issue is that the assassination was carried out right in the open in a country with which the United States has had of late a friendly relationship and which allows American soldiers to be based on its soil .
Judging from the crowds of protesters gathered in Baghdad to protest the killing , that somewhat comfortable arrangement is about to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American involvement in neighboring Syria , which will be unsustainable without a presence in Iraq .
That is the only good news to come out of the assassination .
To be sure nations at war will try and sometimes succeed to assassinate enemy leaders , and the intelligence services of various countries also have been known to kill foreign politicians who are considered to be threatening .
America ’ s best friend Israel leads the world in that statistic .
But spy agencies work their mischief on a basis of plausible denial , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out assassinations make every effort to obscure their role and permit deniability .
The difference in what the White House has done now is that another page has been turned in the process of the United States going completely rogue .
It all started when George W. Bush warned that “ you ’ re either with us or against us.
” Barack Obama subsequently labored over his Tuesday morning kill lists , which included American citizens , and the Trump White House has now expanded that license , asserting that it can act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open to kill anyone at any time anywhere without due process or any actual demonstrated cause or accountability .
Amazon.com Gift Card i ... Buy New $ 25.00 Donald Trump should be aware that there is considerable downside to the tiger than he has let out of its cage .
What will he do if “ enemies ” all over the world decide to copy the Trump example and kill American diplomats , soldiers and tourists because they oppose U.S. policies .
And what about if they up the ante a little bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and even succeed in killing a presidential cabinet member or two .
Trump in his foolishness has invited reciprocity and has even granted those who do the killing a certain immunity if they are claiming that they are doing it to stop something worse , i.e .
war .
Finally , if the target of the assassination had been anyone but an Iranian , Israel ’ s enemy , one can count on there being hell to pay with Congress and the media over Trump ’ s having gone completely off the rails @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new United States government policy has to be an impeachable offense .
Forget about obstruction of justice and collusion with foreigners : assassination is the real deal and if it does not constitute a high crime , it is hard for one to imagine what does .
By all means let ’ s impeach Trump based on what he has actually done , not on speculation over what he might have connived at .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has repeatedly justified the U.S. “ extreme pressure ” directed against Tehran , demanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ normal country.
” The real question should be , “ When will the United States of America become normal ?
” The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation .
The Best of Philip Giraldi

Once upon a time there was a Constitution of the United States. In Article II, Section 2 it stipulated that only the U.S. Congress has the power to declare war, which means the American president has to go to the legislative body and make a case for going to war against an enemy or enemies. If there is a vote in favor of war, the president is empowered as commander-in-chief to direct the available resources against the enemy.
There is also something called international law. Under international law there are situations in which a head of state or head of government can use military force defensively or even preemptively if there is a substantial threat that is imminent. But normally, a country has to go through a procedure similar to that in the U.S. Constitution, which means making a case that the war is justified before declaring war. The Nuremberg Tribunals ruled that starting a war of aggression is the ultimate crime.
The president has already declared that he needs no approval from Congress or from anyone else to initiate further military operations against Iran in the Middle East, even if the action taken is “disproportionate.” Meanwhile he, the State Department and the Pentagon are all stating, without presenting any evidence at all to the public, that Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani was planning attacks that would kill “hundreds of Americans” as a casus belli justifying his assassination. The White House is also asserting that the killing was done to “stop a war,” which makes no sense even coming from the addled tweet-conditioned brain of Donald J. Trump. And if one still harbors suspicions that Trump might actually be of sound mind, it is possible to listen to him on the day after the assassination while speaking to a gathering of his supporters at an evangelical church in Florida. He told the cheering crowd that “God is on our side” and that Soleimani “…was planning a very major attack, and we got him.” The audience went wild in approval, chanting “four more years.” Against the Left: A Ro... Rockwell Jr, Llewellyn H Best Price: $2.85 Buy New $8.00 (as of 07:59 UTC - Details)
Such chest beating moments of pretend strong leadership coming from president bone spurs as well as similar justifications for an assassination that will be surfacing over the next few days simply do not pass the smell test. Take the window dressing away from the Pentagon and media propaganda and all one has left is that the United States illegally and openly killed a senior official from a country with which it is not at war and did so without the consent of the third country where the assassination took place with which the U.S. is also not at war. The assassination was not in reality based on any imminent threat and is therefore illegal under international law and is undeniably an unconstitutional act of war directed against both Iran and Iraq.
What is particularly bizarre about Trump-think on this issue is that the assassination was carried out right in the open in a country with which the United States has had of late a friendly relationship and which allows American soldiers to be based on its soil. Judging from the crowds of protesters gathered in Baghdad to protest the killing, that somewhat comfortable arrangement is about to end. And it will also end American involvement in neighboring Syria, which will be unsustainable without a presence in Iraq. That is the only good news to come out of the assassination.
To be sure nations at war will try and sometimes succeed to assassinate enemy leaders, and the intelligence services of various countries also have been known to kill foreign politicians who are considered to be threatening. America’s best friend Israel leads the world in that statistic. But spy agencies work their mischief on a basis of plausible denial, which means that the countries that carry out assassinations make every effort to obscure their role and permit deniability.
The difference in what the White House has done now is that another page has been turned in the process of the United States going completely rogue. It all started when George W. Bush warned that “you’re either with us or against us.” Barack Obama subsequently labored over his Tuesday morning kill lists, which included American citizens, and the Trump White House has now expanded that license, asserting that it can act with complete impunity and out in the open to kill anyone at any time anywhere without due process or any actual demonstrated cause or accountability.
Amazon.com Gift Card i... Buy New $25.00 (as of 06:10 UTC - Details) Donald Trump should be aware that there is considerable downside to the tiger than he has let out of its cage. What will he do if “enemies” all over the world decide to copy the Trump example and kill American diplomats, soldiers and tourists because they oppose U.S. policies. And what about if they up the ante a little bit and kill senior Ambassadors, Congressmen, and even succeed in killing a presidential cabinet member or two. Trump in his foolishness has invited reciprocity and has even granted those who do the killing a certain immunity if they are claiming that they are doing it to stop something worse, i.e. war.
Finally, if the target of the assassination had been anyone but an Iranian, Israel’s enemy, one can count on there being hell to pay with Congress and the media over Trump’s having gone completely off the rails. Assassinating a foreign leader as a new United States government policy has to be an impeachable offense. Forget about obstruction of justice and collusion with foreigners: assassination is the real deal and if it does not constitute a high crime, it is hard for one to imagine what does. By all means let’s impeach Trump based on what he has actually done, not on speculation over what he might have connived at.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has repeatedly justified the U.S. “extreme pressure” directed against Tehran, demanding that Islamic Republic take steps to become a “normal country.” The real question should be, “When will the United States of America become normal?”
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation.
The Best of Philip Giraldi


lewrockwell--2020-01-11--How’s This Working, Nancy?

How’s This Working, Nancy?

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been clinging to her bill of impeachment for one reason : hoping that a judge will rule to release all the evidence and depositions collected by Robert Mueller ’ s investigation .
What ’ s wrong with that ?
Mr. Mueller failed to find any prosecutable crimes .
That was the sum and substance of his two-year-long exercise in bad faith .
In which case , all that material is officially and legally evidence of nothing .
Impeachment is a political act and sealed evidence of nothing can ’ t be released to one set of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use as a political weapon .
More to the point — and to Mrs. Pelosi ’ s real motive here — the material is not for impeachment but rather to use the Mueller dossier as political opposition “ research ” for the coming election .
There is no question that from the start of his investigation , Special Counsel Robert Mueller knew that the case was opened under false pretenses , since his very close friend , the erstwhile FBI director James Comey , also knew by early 2017 that all the predicating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was procured by Mrs. Clinton .
To carry it beyond that was a scheme by acting FBI director Rod Rosenstein to issue a series of “ scoping ” letters that increasingly widened Mr. Mueller ’ s purview to go fishing for crimes in every area and every chronological phase of the president ’ s life .
That smacks of what ’ s known in Anglo-American law as attainder by process : first declaring someone an outlaw , and only afterward seeking a crime to justify it .
Under our system , first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for them are brought to court to answer charges .
Living in the Long Eme ... James Howard Kunstler Buy New $ 24.95 Of course , there ’ s good reason to suspect that Mr. Mueller himself was a false front for the operation conducted in his name , which was really an intrigue carried out by a claque of Democratic Party Lawfare attorneys led by Andrew Weissmann , Mr. Mueller ’ s chief deputy .
Mr. Mueller ’ s testimony before two House committees last July revealed a pathetic figure who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own inquiry .
The case for House members to get access to all that backstage Mueller material could go up to the Supreme Court .
In the meantime , Impeachment ’ s second act is about to get underway whether Mrs. Pelosi likes the terms or not .
It ’ s the Senate ’ s prerogative to decide .
These terms appear to be exactly the same as the ones used by the Senate for Bill Clinton ’ s impeachment trial — which means that each side chooses a team of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then the managers are subject to grilling by senators .
The House Democrats are insisting on calling witnesses solely to maintain their court claim for testimony from the White House counsel , with which the aforesaid Mueller material is associated in the case .
If the rules eschew witnesses , that case is moot , and the Democrats lose access to a trove of political oppo research obtained for them under false pretenses by their own operatives in the Department of Justice .
Secondarily , the impeachment was designed to get senators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to acquit the president in the hopes that it will somehow taint their re-election prospects and possibly flip control of the Senate to the Democrats .
That outcome would above all insure that Mr. Trump could not get another Supreme Court nominee confirmed in his second term , nor continue the wholesale appointment of lesser federal district judges .
Plus , of course , it would obstruct any other legislative initiative his party brought for four years .
A Christmas Orphan : a ... james howard kunstler Best Price : $ 8.73 Buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miss the chance to hear from the so-called “ whistleblower ” who instigated the impeachment phase of the long-running coup against Mr. Trump .
Contrary to the disinformation put out by The New York Times and other coup co-conspirators , the “ whistleblower ” enjoys no right to anonymity .
It would also be satisfying to hear how his enabler , Intel Community IG Michael Atkinson , might account for the process that steered the “ whistleblower ” to Rep. Adam Schiff and his staff — for instance , back-dating the official documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” case .
Mr. Atkinson is deeply implicated himself as a player in the earlier 2017 RussiaGate FISA court mischief , since his previous job was agency counsel to DOJ National Security chief John Carlin , who signed off on fraudulent FISA warrants .
Mr. Atkinson must have counseled Mr. Carlin to do that .
Testimony from Mr. Schiff about the “ whistleblower ” process would also be edifying .
Senators would surely get to see Mr. Atkinson ’ s so-far-withheld deposition transcript from the House Intel Committee hearings of November .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s expulsion from the House of Representatives as a serial liar , a salutary measure to restore a sense of legitimacy in American affairs .
If witnesses were allowed in the Senate trial phase of impeachment , the president ’ s team could haul in scores of former and current government officials implicated in the seditious activities against him to testify .
The nation would be well-served and enlightened .
The only question is whether their testimony might queer the actual criminal cases pending against them outside the impeachment circus .
The Best @ @ @ @

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been clinging to her bill of impeachment for one reason: hoping that a judge will rule to release all the evidence and depositions collected by Robert Mueller’s investigation. What’s wrong with that? Mr. Mueller failed to find any prosecutable crimes. That was the sum and substance of his two-year-long exercise in bad faith. In which case, all that material is officially and legally evidence of nothing. Impeachment is a political act and sealed evidence of nothing can’t be released to one set of political actors in a political quarrel for use as a political weapon. More to the point — and to Mrs. Pelosi’s real motive here — the material is not for impeachment but rather to use the Mueller dossier as political opposition “research” for the coming election.
There is no question that from the start of his investigation, Special Counsel Robert Mueller knew that the case was opened under false pretenses, since his very close friend, the erstwhile FBI director James Comey, also knew by early 2017 that all the predicating material was substantially false, and that it was procured by Mrs. Clinton. To carry it beyond that was a scheme by acting FBI director Rod Rosenstein to issue a series of “scoping” letters that increasingly widened Mr. Mueller’s purview to go fishing for crimes in every area and every chronological phase of the president’s life. That smacks of what’s known in Anglo-American law as attainder by process: first declaring someone an outlaw, and only afterward seeking a crime to justify it. Under our system, first crimes are established, then persons liable for them are brought to court to answer charges.
Living in the Long Eme... James Howard Kunstler Buy New $24.95 (as of 10:56 UTC - Details) Of course, there’s good reason to suspect that Mr. Mueller himself was a false front for the operation conducted in his name, which was really an intrigue carried out by a claque of Democratic Party Lawfare attorneys led by Andrew Weissmann, Mr. Mueller’s chief deputy. Mr. Mueller’s testimony before two House committees last July revealed a pathetic figure who was unacquainted with the most basic pieces of his own inquiry.
The case for House members to get access to all that backstage Mueller material could go up to the Supreme Court. In the meantime, Impeachment’s second act is about to get underway whether Mrs. Pelosi likes the terms or not. It’s the Senate’s prerogative to decide. These terms appear to be exactly the same as the ones used by the Senate for Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial — which means that each side chooses a team of “managers” to present its case, and then the managers are subject to grilling by senators. The House Democrats are insisting on calling witnesses solely to maintain their court claim for testimony from the White House counsel, with which the aforesaid Mueller material is associated in the case. If the rules eschew witnesses, that case is moot, and the Democrats lose access to a trove of political oppo research obtained for them under false pretenses by their own operatives in the Department of Justice.
Secondarily, the impeachment was designed to get senators in swing states on the record voting to acquit the president in the hopes that it will somehow taint their re-election prospects and possibly flip control of the Senate to the Democrats. That outcome would above all insure that Mr. Trump could not get another Supreme Court nominee confirmed in his second term, nor continue the wholesale appointment of lesser federal district judges. Plus, of course, it would obstruct any other legislative initiative his party brought for four years. A Christmas Orphan: a ... james howard kunstler Best Price: $8.73 Buy New $7.50 (as of 10:56 UTC - Details)
Personally, I would miss the chance to hear from the so-called “whistleblower” who instigated the impeachment phase of the long-running coup against Mr. Trump. Contrary to the disinformation put out by The New York Times and other coup co-conspirators, the “whistleblower” enjoys no right to anonymity. It would also be satisfying to hear how his enabler, Intel Community IG Michael Atkinson, might account for the process that steered the “whistleblower” to Rep. Adam Schiff and his staff — for instance, back-dating the official documents that green-lighted the “whistleblower’s” case. Mr. Atkinson is deeply implicated himself as a player in the earlier 2017 RussiaGate FISA court mischief, since his previous job was agency counsel to DOJ National Security chief John Carlin, who signed off on fraudulent FISA warrants. Mr. Atkinson must have counseled Mr. Carlin to do that. Testimony from Mr. Schiff about the “whistleblower” process would also be edifying. Senators would surely get to see Mr. Atkinson’s so-far-withheld deposition transcript from the House Intel Committee hearings of November. It might establish grounds for Mr. Schiff’s expulsion from the House of Representatives as a serial liar, a salutary measure to restore a sense of legitimacy in American affairs.
If witnesses were allowed in the Senate trial phase of impeachment, the president’s team could haul in scores of former and current government officials implicated in the seditious activities against him to testify. The nation would be well-served and enlightened. The only question is whether their testimony might queer the actual criminal cases pending against them outside the impeachment circus.
Reprinted with permission from Kunstler.com.
The Best of James Howard Kunstler


lewrockwell--2020-01-11--The Fed Can’t Reverse the Decline of Financialization and Globalization

The global economy and financial system are both running on the last toxic fumes of financialization and globalization .
For two generations , globalization and financialization have been the two engines of global growth and soaring assets .
Globalization can mean many things , but its beating heart is the arbitraging of the labor of the powerless , and commodity , environmental and tax costs by the powerful to increase their profits and wealth .
In other words , globalization is the result of those at the top of the wealth-power pyramid shifting capital around the world to exploit lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulations and taxes .
This manifests as offshoring of jobs , the stripmining of forests , minerals , etc.
, the degradation of local ecosystems , the decline of tax revenues derived from capital and the explosive rise in stock market valuations as wages stagnate or decline .
Will You Be Richer or ... Charles Hugh Smith Best Price : $ 12.82 Buy New $ 11.84 A key element in globalization is the transfer of risk from the owners of capital to the workers and public resources .
Examples of this transfer of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits , corporations game part-time/full-time labor laws so workers ’ health insurance is paid by taxpayers ( Medicaid ) .
Corporations pay wages too low to survive so workers depend on public-sector assistance ( food stamps , etc . )
Rather than provide vehicles to workers who drive for a living , corporations such as Uber and Lyft transfer all the risks of ownership , maintenance and enterprise to the drivers .
And so on .
Financialization is the exploitation of assets/income that were previously safe from predation by those with access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vary , mine is : Financialization is the mass commoditization of debt collaterized by previously unsecuritized assets , a pyramiding of risk and speculation that is only possible in a massive expansion of low-cost credit and leverage for those at the top of the wealth-power pyramid : financiers , banks and corporations .
One example is the student loan “ industry , ” which prior to financialization did not exist .
A previously safe from predation asset/source of income–college degrees–has been securitized so that loans issued to students for largely worthless diplomas can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with guaranteed yields.
” That the exploited class of students have little to no income and no guarantee of income doesn ’ t matter .
What matters is a previously unexploited asset can be turned into debt that can be sold at an immense profit .
The Best of Charles Hugh Smith

The global economy and financial system are both running on the last toxic fumes of financialization and globalization.
For two generations, globalization and financialization have been the two engines of global growth and soaring assets. Globalization can mean many things, but its beating heart is the arbitraging of the labor of the powerless, and commodity, environmental and tax costs by the powerful to increase their profits and wealth.
In other words, globalization is the result of those at the top of the wealth-power pyramid shifting capital around the world to exploit lower costs of labor, commodities, environmental regulations and taxes.
This manifests as offshoring of jobs, the stripmining of forests, minerals, etc., the degradation of local ecosystems, the decline of tax revenues derived from capital and the explosive rise in stock market valuations as wages stagnate or decline. Will You Be Richer or ... Smith, Charles Hugh Best Price: $10.99 Buy New $11.55 (as of 05:55 UTC - Details)
A key element in globalization is the transfer of risk from the owners of capital to the workers and public resources. Examples of this transfer of risk abound: rather than pay workers benefits, corporations game part-time/full-time labor laws so workers’ health insurance is paid by taxpayers (Medicaid). Corporations pay wages too low to survive so workers depend on public-sector assistance (food stamps, etc.)
Rather than provide vehicles to workers who drive for a living, corporations such as Uber and Lyft transfer all the risks of ownership, maintenance and enterprise to the drivers. And so on.
Financialization is the exploitation of assets/income that were previously safe from predation by those with access to low-cost central bank credit. While definitions vary, mine is:
Financialization is the mass commoditization of debt collaterized by previously unsecuritized assets, a pyramiding of risk and speculation that is only possible in a massive expansion of low-cost credit and leverage for those at the top of the wealth-power pyramid: financiers, banks and corporations.
One example is the student loan “industry,” which prior to financialization did not exist. A previously safe from predation asset/source of income–college degrees–has been securitized so that loans issued to students for largely worthless diplomas can be sold globally as “secure assets with guaranteed yields.”
That the exploited class of students have little to no income and no guarantee of income doesn’t matter. What matters is a previously unexploited asset can be turned into debt that can be sold at an immense profit.
Read the Whole Article
The Best of Charles Hugh Smith


lewrockwell--2020-01-11--More Than 1000 Earthquakes Have Hit Puerto Rico, and Authorities Say It Is Being “Squeezed” Between

More Than 1000 Earthquakes Have Hit Puerto Rico, and Authorities Say It Is Being “Squeezed” Between Two Tectonic Plates

The nightmarish earthquake swarm that has been rattling Puerto Rico since last month continues to make headlines all over the world .
Homes , businesses , schools , hospitals and historic structures all over the main island of Puerto Rico have crumbled , and many residents are deeply afraid of using many of the buildings that remain standing because they are afraid that they could literally collapse at any moment .
We haven ’ t seen this sort of shaking in the region in more than a century , and as you will see below , experts are telling us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Puerto Rico has not been known for heavy seismic activity .
But now that could be changing .
According to CNN , there have been more than 500 quakes “ of magnitude 2 or greater ” since December 28th… And overall , there have been “ more than a thousand quakes ” of all sizes since this earthquake swarm first started in December… Get Prepared Now !
: Why ... Michael Snyder , Barbar ... Best Price : $ 13.04 Buy New $ 14.01 The mainstream media really began to take notice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was hit by a magnitude 4.7 earthquake on December 28th , and that was quickly followed by a magnitude 5.0 quake .
Then just a few days ago we witnessed a magnitude 5.8 quake , a magnitude 6.4 quake and a magnitude 6.0 quake in rapid succession… Needless to say , none of this is normal .
In fact , the magnitude 6.4 quake was the largest that Puerto Rico has experienced in more than 100 years .
The destruction that has been caused by these earthquakes is immense , and at one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was without power .
Eventually , the power will be restored and structures will be rebuilt .
But in some cases , the damage that has been done can never be repaired… So why is this happening ?
Well , the USGS is telling us that Puerto Rico is literally “ being squeezed ” between two tectonic plates… That certainly doesn ’ t sound good at all , and it could have very serious long-term implications for those that currently call Puerto Rico home .
For now , authorities are warning us that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
In other words , that means that more earthquakes are coming .
In fact , the USGS says that there is a small chance that we could actually see an earthquake even larger than the magnitude 6.4 quake that we just witnessed… Because of this danger , many people are literally sleeping in the streets so that their homes will not collapse on top of them… We live at a time when our planet is becoming increasing unstable , and what we have seen so far is just the beginning .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , but it is so important that people understand what is really going on .
We have entered a period of dramatic change , and the old rules simply do not apply anymore .
Elsewhere , one of Alaska ’ s most important volcanoes just shot a cloud of ash five miles into the air .
The following comes from Reuters… Living A Life That Rea ... Michael Snyder Best Price : $ 12.05 Buy New $ 14.53 Major seismic events are happening all over the world so frequently now that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these days .
Unfortunately , most Americans are not going to start paying close attention until a major disaster hits the lower 48 states .
According to Earthquake Track , there have been more than 36,000 earthquakes of magnitude 1.5 or greater in the United States over the past year .
The shaking literally never stops , but the good news is that most of the quakes are so small that we don ’ t feel them .
But scientists also assure us that we are way overdue for a major event , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ west coast .
Someday soon , a major disaster will strike without any warning , and then most Americans will finally understand how vulnerable we truly are .
Reprinted with permission from End of the American Dream .
The Best of Michael Snyder

The nightmarish earthquake swarm that has been rattling Puerto Rico since last month continues to make headlines all over the world. Homes, businesses, schools, hospitals and historic structures all over the main island of Puerto Rico have crumbled, and many residents are deeply afraid of using many of the buildings that remain standing because they are afraid that they could literally collapse at any moment. We haven’t seen this sort of shaking in the region in more than a century, and as you will see below, experts are telling us that more quakes are coming.
Traditionally, Puerto Rico has not been known for heavy seismic activity. But now that could be changing. According to CNN, there have been more than 500 quakes “of magnitude 2 or greater” since December 28th…
Since December 28, more than 500 earthquakes of magnitude 2 or greater have rattled the area, according to the US Geological Survey. Many of them were relatively shallow, which means they were likely felt on land.
Of the hundreds of earthquakes, 32 were magnitude 4 and above, including the ones Monday and Tuesday.
And overall, there have been “more than a thousand quakes” of all sizes since this earthquake swarm first started in December… Get Prepared Now!: Why... Fix, Barbara Best Price: $10.96 Buy New $13.77 (as of 04:20 UTC - Details)
Since the tremors began last month, Puerto Rico has experienced more than a thousand quakes, most of them too small to feel.
The mainstream media really began to take notice when the main island of Puerto Rico was hit by a magnitude 4.7 earthquake on December 28th, and that was quickly followed by a magnitude 5.0 quake.
Then just a few days ago we witnessed a magnitude 5.8 quake, a magnitude 6.4 quake and a magnitude 6.0 quake in rapid succession…
A 6.4 magnitude earthquake rumbled across Puerto Rico on Tuesday, killing at least one person and knocking out power to virtually the entire island of more than 3 million. An aftershock three hours later registered at magnitude 6.0. The temblors came one day after the island was shaken by a 5.8 magnitude quake that crumbled homes and triggered states of emergency across the island.
Needless to say, none of this is normal.
In fact, the magnitude 6.4 quake was the largest that Puerto Rico has experienced in more than 100 years.
The destruction that has been caused by these earthquakes is immense, and at one point approximately two-thirds of the main island was without power.
Eventually, the power will be restored and structures will be rebuilt.
But in some cases, the damage that has been done can never be repaired…
Punta Ventana, a stone arch shaped like a window and located beside the ocean of Puerto Rico’s southern coast, was destroyed after the Caribbean island was rocked by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake early Monday morning. A 5.1 magnitude quake followed just hours later. “Playa Ventana has collapsed,” said Guayanilla spokesman Glidden Lopez, according to the Miami Herald. “Today our icon is nothing but a memory.”
So why is this happening?
Well, the USGS is telling us that Puerto Rico is literally “being squeezed” between two tectonic plates…
“Tectonics in Puerto Rico are dominated by the convergence between the North America and Caribbean plates, with the island being squeezed between the two,” the USGS said. “To the north of Puerto Rico, North America subducts beneath the Caribbean plate along the Puerto Rico trench. To the south of the island, … Caribbean plate upper crust subducts beneath Puerto Rico at the Muertos Trough.”
That certainly doesn’t sound good at all, and it could have very serious long-term implications for those that currently call Puerto Rico home.
For now, authorities are warning us that “aftershocks will continue for some time”.
In other words, that means that more earthquakes are coming.
In fact, the USGS says that there is a small chance that we could actually see an earthquake even larger than the magnitude 6.4 quake that we just witnessed…
“Over the next one week, there is a 7% chance of one or more aftershocks that are larger than magnitude 6.4. It is likely that there will be many smaller earthquakes over the next one week,” the USGS said. “Magnitude 3 and above events are large enough to be felt near the epicenter.”
Because of this danger, many people are literally sleeping in the streets so that their homes will not collapse on top of them…
Families in Puerto Rico’s coastal towns spent the night in cots, cars and other makeshift beds away from their damaged homes. The possibility of another strong earthquake forced some to sleep outdoors.
We live at a time when our planet is becoming increasing unstable, and what we have seen so far is just the beginning. I know that I keep harping on this, but it is so important that people understand what is really going on.
We have entered a period of dramatic change, and the old rules simply do not apply anymore.
Elsewhere, one of Alaska’s most important volcanoes just shot a cloud of ash five miles into the air. The following comes from Reuters… Living A Life That Rea... Michael Snyder Best Price: $14.48 Buy New $14.53 (as of 06:20 UTC - Details)
An Alaska volcano shot an ash cloud about 5 miles (8 km) into the sky on Tuesday, prompting flight delays and cancellations and raining volcanic particles onto at least one nearby community, officials said. The ash-producing explosion at Shishaldin Volcano, about 680 miles (1,094 km) southwest of Anchorage, marked the biggest event in about six months of on-and-off eruption activity at the mountain, the Alaska Volcano Observatory reported.
Major seismic events are happening all over the world so frequently now that they barely make a blip in the news these days.
Unfortunately, most Americans are not going to start paying close attention until a major disaster hits the lower 48 states.
According to Earthquake Track, there have been more than 36,000 earthquakes of magnitude 1.5 or greater in the United States over the past year. The shaking literally never stops, but the good news is that most of the quakes are so small that we don’t feel them.
But scientists also assure us that we are way overdue for a major event, and this is particularly true on the west coast.
Someday soon, a major disaster will strike without any warning, and then most Americans will finally understand how vulnerable we truly are.
Reprinted with permission from End of the American Dream.
The Best of Michael Snyder


lewrockwell--2020-01-11--Is This Why Central Banks Are Rushing To Buy Gold?

This article was written by Brandon Smith and originally published at Birch Gold Group Gold has seen an impressive price spike in the past 18 months , and if you are wondering what the cause is , you ’ ll find almost everyone has a different theory .
That said , certain factors in historic gold rallies tend to be ignored .
For example , the mainstream financial media often hyper focuses on stimulus measures by the Federal Reserve as the cause , but I would remind people that the most recent upward trend in gold started while the Fed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not stimulating .
Also , many analysts suggest that precious metals absorb investment cash flows when equities are sliding .
Yet , for now , stocks have been rallying for the past year as gold prices also trend upward .
So , what is the mainstream missing here ?
First and foremost , it ’ s important to understand that gold is not necessarily just an inflation hedge ; it is also a crisis hedge .
As economic and geopolitical uncertainty grows , gold prices skyrocket .
The past decade has seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not seen for almost a century .
The problem is , the average American is oblivious to this state of affairs .
They have no idea how bad the situation can get , as they assume there are checks and balances to counter any potential disaster in the financial structure .
They assume that the government or the banks will step in .
Stack Silver Get Gold : ... Hunter Riley III Best Price : $ 13.15 Buy New $ 1.99 However , there are signals that tell us that this will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it appears that central banks around the world are preparing for an event that they either can not quantify yet or simply refuse to warn the public about .
This is evident in the acceleration in gold stockpiling by banking institutions .
In 2018 , foreign central banks bought levels of gold not seen since 2010 .
The past year of 2019 , according to 3rd quarter figures , shows that banks bought even more ; 12 % more than in 2018 .
Last year , central banks purchased at least 550 tons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it looks like they don ’ t plan to stop anytime soon .
Leading buyers have included Russia , China and Turkey , with the former two being the leading buyers for several years now .
But central banks aren ’ t just buying gold , they are also demanding their gold storage be transferred away from offshore holdings and back to their own vaults .
Germany repatriated $ 31 billion ( 583 tons ) in gold from Paris and New York vaults .
Turkey repatriated 220 tons from the Federal Reserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Poland repatriated 100 tons of gold from vaults in England .
Both Hungary and Romania have announced plans to get their gold holdings back , and nationalists in Italy have demanded that Italy ’ s gold reserves be released by banks and returned to public control .
The bottom line is , there is a gold rush going on by central banks as well as governments , and the public is being left utterly out of the loop as to why .
I would suggest that it ’ s clear what is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis is about to happen , and so they prepare as any smart investor would , by buying the one commodity that always goes up when the manure hits the fan and most other assets go down .
But what is the nature of the crisis they are preparing for ?
Most likely , a geopolitical conflagration followed by a monetary crisis with the U.S. dollar at the epicenter .
Economic disasters do not generally happen in a vacuum .
There are always geopolitical threats that trigger the collapse of financial bubbles , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coincide with the bubble collapse in order to obscure the true culprits behind it .
One way or another , it would appear that central banks are privy to a looming calamity that will result in a threat to the current monetary order .
I suspect that this event will be preceded by a geopolitical conflict ; a smokescreen or scapegoat that will take the blame for the disaster while the central banks that created the mess in the first place escape scrutiny .
The growing rift between the U.S. and other major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ danger of regional war with nations like Iran , are setting the stage for what I predict will end in the loss of the dollar ’ s world reserve status .
Some people might see this as a good thing , but such a reset would leave the American economy in shambles for decades to come , as our economy acclimates to losing the single thread that was holding our system together .
Rebuilding the system without dependency on reserve status or centralization would be nice , but that can only happen if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equation and true free markets and price discovery are allowed to flourish .
As long as the banking elites remain in charge , our economy will never be healthy and will never recover from a major crash or monetary crisis .
Frankly , they don ’ t want us to recover anyway .
If central banks intended to save the current system , then they would tell the public why they have been stockpiling gold and what the specific threat is that they are preparing for .
They would be encouraging the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and find some financial independence and security .
I am often asked why globalists and international banks would seek to deliberately hide or instigate a global economic crash .
Wouldn ’ t this threaten their base of power , the golden goose that they use to exploit vast amounts of capital and entire political systems ?
My answer is simple but historically correct : The banking elites need crisis to consolidate power .
They don ’ t lose power or financial influence during a fiscal panic , they gain power and influence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ public loses more and more hard assets .
These assets are gobbled up and devoured by financial institutions , not because they have much use for all that private property , but because they don ’ t want YOU to have private property .
That is to say , the banks are machines designed to slowly ( or sometimes quickly ) siphon private property away from the public until private property is a memory .
Once private property is gone , public survival depends on the “ charity ” of the state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dependency metastasizes like a cancer .
Gold Rush 2020 : Why th ... Phil Taylor-Guck Best Price : $ 14.57 Buy New $ 12.99 Property is protected by hedging capital into defensive commodities , as well as by organized defiance of theft .
During any major crisis there is always a window of time in which precious metals can be used to secure hard necessities while countering the loss of buying power common during inflation or stagflation .
The longer you can remain solvent during crisis , the more influence you will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more dependent or desperate you are during a crisis , the less use you will be to anyone .
The levels of central bank gold buying have increased so rapidly in the past two years , this suggests to me that whatever they are preparing for is about to occur very soon .
With consumer and corporate debt at all-time highs , the recent liquidity crisis and repo market loan response from the Fed , along with the highly volatile tensions between the U.S. and Iran , I seriously doubt we will make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system .
Certain central banks have been positioned to benefit .
Others , like the Fed , are decidedly unprepared as there is not much concrete proof that our own gold reserves exist .
Looking at the bigger picture , the shift in gold holdings around the world shows us where the global elites plan to stash their cash while the U.S. takes a nosedive .
These will be the regions most immune to a monetary wildfire .
While price fluctuations are always rampant in times like this , as I noted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trend for precious metals will be up from here on .
And , unless you suddenly see central banks start dumping their gold reserves instead of buying hand over fist , then I suggest readers copy their strategy and get a stack of physical gold as well .
The Best of Brandon Smith

This article was written by Brandon Smith and originally published at Birch Gold Group
Gold has seen an impressive price spike in the past 18 months, and if you are wondering what the cause is, you’ll find almost everyone has a different theory. That said, certain factors in historic gold rallies tend to be ignored. For example, the mainstream financial media often hyper focuses on stimulus measures by the Federal Reserve as the cause, but I would remind people that the most recent upward trend in gold started while the Fed was tightening liquidity and raising interest rates, not stimulating. Also, many analysts suggest that precious metals absorb investment cash flows when equities are sliding. Yet, for now, stocks have been rallying for the past year as gold prices also trend upward. So, what is the mainstream missing here?
First and foremost, it’s important to understand that gold is not necessarily just an inflation hedge; it is also a crisis hedge. As economic and geopolitical uncertainty grows, gold prices skyrocket. The past decade has seen uncertainty and instability that the world has not seen for almost a century. The problem is, the average American is oblivious to this state of affairs. They have no idea how bad the situation can get, as they assume there are checks and balances to counter any potential disaster in the financial structure. They assume that the government or the banks will step in. Stack Silver Get Gold:... Hunter Riley III Best Price: $13.44 Buy New $1.99 (as of 10:56 UTC - Details)
However, there are signals that tell us that this will not be the case. In fact, it appears that central banks around the world are preparing for an event that they either cannot quantify yet or simply refuse to warn the public about. This is evident in the acceleration in gold stockpiling by banking institutions.
In 2018, foreign central banks bought levels of gold not seen since 2010. The past year of 2019, according to 3rd quarter figures, shows that banks bought even more; 12% more than in 2018. Last year, central banks purchased at least 550 tons of the “barbaric relic”, and it looks like they don’t plan to stop anytime soon.
Leading buyers have included Russia, China and Turkey, with the former two being the leading buyers for several years now. But central banks aren’t just buying gold, they are also demanding their gold storage be transferred away from offshore holdings and back to their own vaults.
Germany repatriated $31 billion (583 tons) in gold from Paris and New York vaults. Turkey repatriated 220 tons from the Federal Reserve. The Netherlands repatriated 122 tons. Poland repatriated 100 tons of gold from vaults in England. Both Hungary and Romania have announced plans to get their gold holdings back, and nationalists in Italy have demanded that Italy’s gold reserves be released by banks and returned to public control.
The bottom line is, there is a gold rush going on by central banks as well as governments, and the public is being left utterly out of the loop as to why.
I would suggest that it’s clear what is going on: They know that a global crisis is about to happen, and so they prepare as any smart investor would, by buying the one commodity that always goes up when the manure hits the fan and most other assets go down. But what is the nature of the crisis they are preparing for? Most likely, a geopolitical conflagration followed by a monetary crisis with the U.S. dollar at the epicenter.
Economic disasters do not generally happen in a vacuum. There are always geopolitical threats that trigger the collapse of financial bubbles, or, the threats are engineered to coincide with the bubble collapse in order to obscure the true culprits behind it. One way or another, it would appear that central banks are privy to a looming calamity that will result in a threat to the current monetary order. I suspect that this event will be preceded by a geopolitical conflict; a smokescreen or scapegoat that will take the blame for the disaster while the central banks that created the mess in the first place escape scrutiny.
The growing rift between the U.S. and other major trading partners, along with the increased danger of regional war with nations like Iran, are setting the stage for what I predict will end in the loss of the dollar’s world reserve status. Some people might see this as a good thing, but such a reset would leave the American economy in shambles for decades to come, as our economy acclimates to losing the single thread that was holding our system together. Rebuilding the system without dependency on reserve status or centralization would be nice, but that can only happen if the central bankers are removed from the equation and true free markets and price discovery are allowed to flourish.
As long as the banking elites remain in charge, our economy will never be healthy and will never recover from a major crash or monetary crisis.
Frankly, they don’t want us to recover anyway. If central banks intended to save the current system, then they would tell the public why they have been stockpiling gold and what the specific threat is that they are preparing for. They would be encouraging the public to buy gold and silver as well and find some financial independence and security.
I am often asked why globalists and international banks would seek to deliberately hide or instigate a global economic crash. Wouldn’t this threaten their base of power, the golden goose that they use to exploit vast amounts of capital and entire political systems?
My answer is simple but historically correct: The banking elites need crisis to consolidate power. They don’t lose power or financial influence during a fiscal panic, they gain power and influence. With each passing financial demolition, the public loses more and more hard assets. These assets are gobbled up and devoured by financial institutions, not because they have much use for all that private property, but because they don’t want YOU to have private property.
That is to say, the banks are machines designed to slowly (or sometimes quickly) siphon private property away from the public until private property is a memory. Once private property is gone, public survival depends on the “charity” of the state and its corporate partners. Without property, dependency metastasizes like a cancer. Gold Rush 2020: Why th... Phil Taylor-Guck Best Price: $14.57 Buy New $12.99 (as of 09:53 UTC - Details)
Property is protected by hedging capital into defensive commodities, as well as by organized defiance of theft. During any major crisis there is always a window of time in which precious metals can be used to secure hard necessities while countering the loss of buying power common during inflation or stagflation. The longer you can remain solvent during crisis, the more influence you will have over the course of events. The more dependent or desperate you are during a crisis, the less use you will be to anyone.
The levels of central bank gold buying have increased so rapidly in the past two years, this suggests to me that whatever they are preparing for is about to occur very soon. With consumer and corporate debt at all-time highs, the recent liquidity crisis and repo market loan response from the Fed, along with the highly volatile tensions between the U.S. and Iran, I seriously doubt we will make through 2020 without a shock to the system.
Certain central banks have been positioned to benefit. Others, like the Fed, are decidedly unprepared as there is not much concrete proof that our own gold reserves exist. Looking at the bigger picture, the shift in gold holdings around the world shows us where the global elites plan to stash their cash while the U.S. takes a nosedive. These will be the regions most immune to a monetary wildfire.
While price fluctuations are always rampant in times like this, as I noted in July of last year, the overall trend for precious metals will be up from here on. And, unless you suddenly see central banks start dumping their gold reserves instead of buying hand over fist, then I suggest readers copy their strategy and get a stack of physical gold as well.
Reprinted with permission from Alt-Market.com.
The Best of Brandon Smith


lewrockwell--2020-01-11--Pompeo: I Lied About Soleimani ‘Imminent Attacks’

Trump ’ s neoconservative Secretary of State , Mike Pompeo , is a man unafraid to admit to being a liar .
In fact he seems to revel in his ability to lie to the American people .
Remember just a week ago when Pompeo told us that the US absolutely HAD to send in a drone to assassinate Iran ’ s top general , Qassim Soleimani , while he was in Iraq on a peace mission because he was planning “ imminent attacks ” on US personnel and interests in the Middle East .
These claims were crafted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act of killing a top military officer of a country with which you are not at war in a third country ( which forbade the attack on its soil ) with which you are allied .
Americans raising concerns about the murder of Soleimani were to be made to look unpatriotic if they objected : “ you mean you WANT Americans die ?
?
” Then when the smoke clears , you laugh it all off and admit it was all a lie .
As Pompeo did last night .
Against the Left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jr Best Price : $ 13.57 Buy New $ 8.00 Speaking on the Laura Ingraham program , Mike Pompeo admitted that the neocon idea of “ imminent ” and the normal idea of “ imminent ” are two very different things .
“ We don ’ t know precisely when and we don ’ t know precisely where ( the attacks might take place ) , but it was real , ” he told Ingraham .
But if you don ’ t know when and don ’ t know where ( and presumably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on what basis did Pompeo and the Trump Administration sell the idea that he had to be killed immediately lest untold numbers of Americans be killed ?
And how can we believe Pompeo that Soleimani was behind the initial rocket attacks on an Iraqi base housing US troops , that a US contractor was killed by Soleimani ’ s forces at that base , and that Soleimani was behind the “ attacks ” ( vandalism ) on the US embassy in Baghdad ?
In other words , if the central justification for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who in his right mind would believe the official version of the antecedents to the murder ?
While proudly lying day and night , Pompeo professes to be a great Christian – at the same time he pushed Trump to murder the architect of the anti-ISIS counterinsurgency ( Soleimani ) that saved hundreds of thousands of Syrian Christian lives .
The Best of Daniel McAdams

Trump’s neoconservative Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, is a man unafraid to admit to being a liar. In fact he seems to revel in his ability to lie to the American people.
Remember just a week ago when Pompeo told us that the US absolutely HAD to send in a drone to assassinate Iran’s top general, Qassim Soleimani, while he was in Iraq on a peace mission because he was planning “imminent attacks” on US personnel and interests in the Middle East.
These claims were crafted to blunt any criticism of the blatantly illegal act of killing a top military officer of a country with which you are not at war in a third country (which forbade the attack on its soil) with which you are allied. Americans raising concerns about the murder of Soleimani were to be made to look unpatriotic if they objected: “you mean you WANT Americans die??”
That’s how propaganda works.
Then when the smoke clears, you laugh it all off and admit it was all a lie. As Pompeo did last night. Against the Left: A Ro... Rockwell Jr, Llewellyn H Best Price: $2.85 Buy New $8.00 (as of 07:59 UTC - Details)
Speaking on the Laura Ingraham program, Mike Pompeo admitted that the neocon idea of “imminent ” and the normal idea of “imminent ” are two very different things.
“We don’t know precisely when and we don’t know precisely where (the attacks might take place), but it was real,” he told Ingraham.
But if you don’t know when and don’t know where (and presumably don’t know how), on what basis did Pompeo and the Trump Administration sell the idea that he had to be killed immediately lest untold numbers of Americans be killed?
And how can we believe Pompeo that Soleimani was behind the initial rocket attacks on an Iraqi base housing US troops, that a US contractor was killed by Soleimani’s forces at that base, and that Soleimani was behind the “attacks” (vandalism) on the US embassy in Baghdad?
In other words, if the central justification for the murder of Soleimani is an admitted lie, who in his right mind would believe the official version of the antecedents to the murder?
While proudly lying day and night, Pompeo professes to be a great Christian – at the same time he pushed Trump to murder the architect of the anti-ISIS counterinsurgency (Soleimani) that saved hundreds of thousands of Syrian Christian lives.
Something smells sulfurous about Pompeo…
The Best of Daniel McAdams