I can’t embed videos in tweets, so you don’t get the full effect, but here’s the text along with my transcription of the subtitled video—it’s a good lead into our topic:
I found it laughable as the article closes calling the Islamist group a death cult when that is exactly what our neocons, their financial masters, and the Democratic Party are. Once again projection is always a fundamental device of the left. Yes, Jake Sullivan is a disaster, but this is unsurprising.
I dunno Dave with stupidity and incompetence being a qualifying attribute for ridicule, there are so many deserving people in the Neocon crowd that it’s easy for someone to get overlooked! Rest assured however that Sullivan has a prominent place on the “Needs to be ridiculed more” to do list. :-)
The spokesman said, "The success of this joint test represents a critical step in defending against multiple targets in a realistic raid scenario.” I suppose it depends on how multiple "multiple" is going to be in any conflict. There are a lot of drones and missiles out there.
While Crooke has a point in suggesting that panic and overreaction can have horrible and unintended consequences, I think he fails to fully appreciate the unbridled hubris and arrogance of the Neocons. When you have a group of people who are fully persuaded of their own brilliance and who are in point of fact nothing more than a bunch of halfwitted wannabe amateurs who are fully committed to seeing their suicidal plans through to the bitter, bloody and body strewn end, seems like the logical outcome is; they will have their war and everyone else be damned!
If the US is worried about escalation in Syria, they'll leave the RF base in Latakia alone--only an attack there would drag Russia into this scrum, which the neo-cons at State are salivating over.
Russia plays long ball... all they have to do is wait out the current admin in DC, whose bullies tend to be cowards who will not want to give up their power/$$/beach house/good life in exchange for ashes, some of which will come across the Atlantic.
Al Jazeera is showing the destruction of Gaza tonight. It's horrific. They are reporting the Israelis have begun an incursion. It was like watching Desert Storm.
In this day and age, we know that photos can be faked or dramatised. However, considering the IDF weapons expenditure and sortie numbers, I can fully believe that what we are seeing is correct. This is looking like a genocidal action and the US are providing cover for it.
So is Britain. Al Jazeera is reporting today that Israeli settlers are attacking Palestinian olive farmers in the west bank with the Israeli military providing protection for them while they do so. Not a word of these attacks on the other channels. It's shameful.
The Brit press is something else, isn't it? I use to work on the newspapers there around the time of the First Gulf War. The one I worked at was in a giant glass fortress on the banks of the Thames. Even back then, young and naive as I was, I couldn't help wondering how a bunch of public school toffs in a glass box were qualified to tell the rest of us what was happening in the world. My dad, meanwhile, worked for The Sun. I used to tell people that he was a drug dealer to make him sound more respectable! Thank God that we have alternative news sources these days.
Ah! You worked in Wapping which is where all the papers moved to from Fleet Street - it was after that move that the nature of our press began to change into what it is today; a waste of good paper. The Sun was pretty good at exposing corruption and nosing out good stories back in the day so your Dad was ok. Drug dealer lol!
With the number of forces already in position in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE (some 50,000) it seems like a likely assault will be directly along the coast through the gulf.
Syria will most likely involve Turkish troops and the US airforce in Jordan, Azerbaijan is a potential axis and the insurgency in Iranian Kurdistan and Balochistan is a flash point.
This is not a haphazard campaign, assets have been pre prepared for a long time.
This administration just does haphazard for anything military related with lots of micromanagement by civilians, but at least they are A+ at using the correct pronouns!
If this becomes an overriding religious war, it will be impossible to contain. The secular west will be internally torn apart having to “pick sides” in such an existential conflict.
Alex Krainer has a magnificent essay today that left me hopeful. It starts by talking about horrorized Israelis living through Gazan bombardment and how this is just unacceptable and must be stopped. He contrasts this with what the Russkie oblasts in Ukraine lived through from 2014-2022. As you write, Hamas leadership was in Moscow meeting with Putin. The US is in no position to make peace; but the Russians are, and the Chinese can as well. https://alexkrainer.substack.com/p/courting-armageddon-vs-cultivating
As far as Israel being "revenged in a biblical way:" The Jews would be well advised to remember why they were promised the Promised Land, as Moses explains in Deuteronomy 9.
4 After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you. 5 It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.
It says elsewhere (can't find it right now) that the wickedness of those nations was centered largely around sexual immorality, especially homosexuality.
Let me just say that it is not a bet that I would want to make; that my own wickedness and sexual immorality would be overlooked by the Promisor of the Promised Land "just 'cuz."
Alex Mercouris has thrown his hat in the ring and believes that the US forces are too large for deterrence alone. I tend to agree with him. Past is prologue here. The neocons are in charge and they have only one way of operating.
We can argue the motives behind the US moves till the cows come home, but the perception in Teheran, Moscow and Beijing will be the same: the neocons are at it again! Anyone who has read Barbara Tuchman's magnificent "The Guns of August" knows how this could turn out.
TPTB want us all cold, poor, and hungry... not to mention largely dead. It's for the environment doncha know. As a consequence, the brainiacs in WDC, Davos, and elsewhere have no problem with a very wide and deep war... it is just what the Environazis hope for, i.e. a massive reduction in population.
I'm sure that's on their minds, Ray. After all, these are Democrats, so destroying the whole world is okay as long as it helps them get re-elected. However, a key worry for Team Biden has been gas prices. Even these buffoons know that Joe Public doesn't vote for people who triple the bill at the pump. That's why they raided the strategic reserve. However, their actions in the ME could well push up oil prices. I'll leave you to untangle their twisted logic on that one.
Good point but don't forget USA and Venezuela are buddies again. For six months to start with. Some price-locks might persuade Unky Sam to look the other way if Maduro insists on being re-elected.
Thanks for reminding me, Karen. I forgot about Venezuela. Thank God that they've never been our enemy and that transporting oil from them won't have any environmental impacts! /s. The hypocrisy is disgusting.
"Israel and US decisions are being driven by politics."
And money which is at the heart of all this including power. As for Biden, yeah he's worried about himself and his re-election (or should I say the ultimate social climber Dr. Jill is worried, Joe's out to lunch and can't be reached for comment)
While Putin is making public remarks and all the hubbub with bombing Syria yesterday here is yesterday's public schedule for Zhou.
26 Thursday October, 2023
10:00 AM
Pool Call Time
In-Town Pool Call Time
The White House In-Town Pool
11:00 AM
Official Schedule
The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing; the Vice President attends
Oval OfficeClosed Press
1:00 PM
Press Briefing
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard, and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby
If only the information, now instantly-communicable, was so thoroughly vetted and considered as is the alleged 'dis/mal information' so much attention is given to. Like, make good decisions not based on power, money and how they make the President's butt look in the mirror. Gheesh. A world of instant access to information - current and historical - and we're looking at Neocon running the 'worlds greatest ever power' military like buffoons. With the world on Nuclear-war edge already due to Neocon buffoonish running of said military in Ukraine. ***B-52's (even tho' harrassed by Chinese Fighters) will be pulling banners that say "Vote for Democracy! Vote for Biden Again (and again and again)!" Sarcasm because this seems so avoidable, so stupid and so dangerous. Regards all. (WrH)
Who knows? Iran, Russia and China have been holding high level meetings and holding joint military exercises. However, Iran has also told Hezbollah to cool its jets and not provoke Israel.
Remarkable that nobody is talking about the unmitigated disaster that is Jake Sullivan.
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/george-kennan-who-wasnt-jake-sullivan
Maybe not so obvious but Sullivan's career spans multiple administrations including Trump's.
I found it laughable as the article closes calling the Islamist group a death cult when that is exactly what our neocons, their financial masters, and the Democratic Party are. Once again projection is always a fundamental device of the left. Yes, Jake Sullivan is a disaster, but this is unsurprising.
I dunno Dave with stupidity and incompetence being a qualifying attribute for ridicule, there are so many deserving people in the Neocon crowd that it’s easy for someone to get overlooked! Rest assured however that Sullivan has a prominent place on the “Needs to be ridiculed more” to do list. :-)
A first in Naval combat.
https://executivebiz.com/2023/10/navy-mda-test-lockheed-made-aegis-combat-system-aboard-uss-carl-levin/
The spokesman said, "The success of this joint test represents a critical step in defending against multiple targets in a realistic raid scenario.” I suppose it depends on how multiple "multiple" is going to be in any conflict. There are a lot of drones and missiles out there.
Yes, and staged tests are different than real combat. For example, Patriots passed all sorts of test. Then they were deployed in Kiev. Woops!
While Crooke has a point in suggesting that panic and overreaction can have horrible and unintended consequences, I think he fails to fully appreciate the unbridled hubris and arrogance of the Neocons. When you have a group of people who are fully persuaded of their own brilliance and who are in point of fact nothing more than a bunch of halfwitted wannabe amateurs who are fully committed to seeing their suicidal plans through to the bitter, bloody and body strewn end, seems like the logical outcome is; they will have their war and everyone else be damned!
I think both you and Crooke are right, SMH: the neocons are hubristic and arrogant, AND they are panicked. World watch out.
If the US is worried about escalation in Syria, they'll leave the RF base in Latakia alone--only an attack there would drag Russia into this scrum, which the neo-cons at State are salivating over.
Russia plays long ball... all they have to do is wait out the current admin in DC, whose bullies tend to be cowards who will not want to give up their power/$$/beach house/good life in exchange for ashes, some of which will come across the Atlantic.
Al Jazeera is showing the destruction of Gaza tonight. It's horrific. They are reporting the Israelis have begun an incursion. It was like watching Desert Storm.
In this day and age, we know that photos can be faked or dramatised. However, considering the IDF weapons expenditure and sortie numbers, I can fully believe that what we are seeing is correct. This is looking like a genocidal action and the US are providing cover for it.
So is Britain. Al Jazeera is reporting today that Israeli settlers are attacking Palestinian olive farmers in the west bank with the Israeli military providing protection for them while they do so. Not a word of these attacks on the other channels. It's shameful.
The Brit press is something else, isn't it? I use to work on the newspapers there around the time of the First Gulf War. The one I worked at was in a giant glass fortress on the banks of the Thames. Even back then, young and naive as I was, I couldn't help wondering how a bunch of public school toffs in a glass box were qualified to tell the rest of us what was happening in the world. My dad, meanwhile, worked for The Sun. I used to tell people that he was a drug dealer to make him sound more respectable! Thank God that we have alternative news sources these days.
Ah! You worked in Wapping which is where all the papers moved to from Fleet Street - it was after that move that the nature of our press began to change into what it is today; a waste of good paper. The Sun was pretty good at exposing corruption and nosing out good stories back in the day so your Dad was ok. Drug dealer lol!
Fox has it too
With the number of forces already in position in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE (some 50,000) it seems like a likely assault will be directly along the coast through the gulf.
Syria will most likely involve Turkish troops and the US airforce in Jordan, Azerbaijan is a potential axis and the insurgency in Iranian Kurdistan and Balochistan is a flash point.
This is not a haphazard campaign, assets have been pre prepared for a long time.
This administration just does haphazard for anything military related with lots of micromanagement by civilians, but at least they are A+ at using the correct pronouns!
What's the correct pronoun for "dead" these days? "Biotically challenged"? "non-texting"?
If this becomes an overriding religious war, it will be impossible to contain. The secular west will be internally torn apart having to “pick sides” in such an existential conflict.
Not to mention college campuses.
Maybe at this point that is exactly what we need.
Great report. Thank you.
Alex Krainer has a magnificent essay today that left me hopeful. It starts by talking about horrorized Israelis living through Gazan bombardment and how this is just unacceptable and must be stopped. He contrasts this with what the Russkie oblasts in Ukraine lived through from 2014-2022. As you write, Hamas leadership was in Moscow meeting with Putin. The US is in no position to make peace; but the Russians are, and the Chinese can as well. https://alexkrainer.substack.com/p/courting-armageddon-vs-cultivating
As far as Israel being "revenged in a biblical way:" The Jews would be well advised to remember why they were promised the Promised Land, as Moses explains in Deuteronomy 9.
4 After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you. 5 It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.
It says elsewhere (can't find it right now) that the wickedness of those nations was centered largely around sexual immorality, especially homosexuality.
Let me just say that it is not a bet that I would want to make; that my own wickedness and sexual immorality would be overlooked by the Promisor of the Promised Land "just 'cuz."
For how the US was subverted by the money power and the Neocons see "Our Country Then and Now," Clarity Press, Richard C Cook.
Alex Mercouris has thrown his hat in the ring and believes that the US forces are too large for deterrence alone. I tend to agree with him. Past is prologue here. The neocons are in charge and they have only one way of operating.
Air and Naval used only. No ground troops unless for evacuation purposes.
I've heard the evacuation argument a lot, Cardi. I don't see the US forces in the ME acting as if they are there for that. We shall see.
And that would be the same mistake the US has repeatedly made since Viet Nam.
1. Overestimate air power
2. Underestimate the resolve of 'the locals'
3. Villify opposition leadership making entry to negotiations all but impossible.
We can argue the motives behind the US moves till the cows come home, but the perception in Teheran, Moscow and Beijing will be the same: the neocons are at it again! Anyone who has read Barbara Tuchman's magnificent "The Guns of August" knows how this could turn out.
TPTB want us all cold, poor, and hungry... not to mention largely dead. It's for the environment doncha know. As a consequence, the brainiacs in WDC, Davos, and elsewhere have no problem with a very wide and deep war... it is just what the Environazis hope for, i.e. a massive reduction in population.
Israel and US decisions are being driven by politics.
I’m sure this is driving the Biden Administration response trying to staunch the bleeding in the polls.
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/democrats-rating-biden-tumbles-overall-approval-hits-record-low-37-gallup
I'm sure that's on their minds, Ray. After all, these are Democrats, so destroying the whole world is okay as long as it helps them get re-elected. However, a key worry for Team Biden has been gas prices. Even these buffoons know that Joe Public doesn't vote for people who triple the bill at the pump. That's why they raided the strategic reserve. However, their actions in the ME could well push up oil prices. I'll leave you to untangle their twisted logic on that one.
Good point but don't forget USA and Venezuela are buddies again. For six months to start with. Some price-locks might persuade Unky Sam to look the other way if Maduro insists on being re-elected.
Thanks for reminding me, Karen. I forgot about Venezuela. Thank God that they've never been our enemy and that transporting oil from them won't have any environmental impacts! /s. The hypocrisy is disgusting.
"Israel and US decisions are being driven by politics."
And money which is at the heart of all this including power. As for Biden, yeah he's worried about himself and his re-election (or should I say the ultimate social climber Dr. Jill is worried, Joe's out to lunch and can't be reached for comment)
While Putin is making public remarks and all the hubbub with bombing Syria yesterday here is yesterday's public schedule for Zhou.
26 Thursday October, 2023
10:00 AM
Pool Call Time
In-Town Pool Call Time
The White House In-Town Pool
11:00 AM
Official Schedule
The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing; the Vice President attends
Oval OfficeClosed Press
1:00 PM
Press Briefing
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard, and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby
Here's the link to Zhou's busy day today.
https://factba.se/biden/calendar
That's the work schedule of someone who's not in charge.
I’ve been looking for a cushy retirement gig like that. No luck so far though.
And there's the hair-sniffing and ice cream for when you get bored, DF!
Certainly not the schedule of someone who wears Ray-Bans and a bomber jacket…
Sadly ML, that's how they roll. Look good, be stupid... Hope you're doing well! (WrH)
Hmm…
Could this be used as a justification for more action against disinformation and mal-information?
From the Axios Article:
“Some experts estimate that more than 90% of content on the internet will soon be fake or manipulated.“
Is the NYT expanding its internet presence?
Isn’t it there already?
Rule 34?
If only the information, now instantly-communicable, was so thoroughly vetted and considered as is the alleged 'dis/mal information' so much attention is given to. Like, make good decisions not based on power, money and how they make the President's butt look in the mirror. Gheesh. A world of instant access to information - current and historical - and we're looking at Neocon running the 'worlds greatest ever power' military like buffoons. With the world on Nuclear-war edge already due to Neocon buffoonish running of said military in Ukraine. ***B-52's (even tho' harrassed by Chinese Fighters) will be pulling banners that say "Vote for Democracy! Vote for Biden Again (and again and again)!" Sarcasm because this seems so avoidable, so stupid and so dangerous. Regards all. (WrH)
That is entirely too many naval assets in one place
Couple that with Biden "we are the most powerful nation in history"
They are gonna start shooting at something
The big question is will anyone shoot back
USS George Washington left home port Norfolk about a week ago heading into the Atlantic heading East.
FFS, Cardi, get with the pronouns, man: USS George Washington (he/him). :)
Looking at Gaza tonight I think they will.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Liberty_incident
Who knows? Iran, Russia and China have been holding high level meetings and holding joint military exercises. However, Iran has also told Hezbollah to cool its jets and not provoke Israel.
If Hezbollah does not provoke Israel the the CIA will have to come up with an alternative provocation
Yep. Gulf of Tonkin has entered the conversation.