Somewhere in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, the leaders of ISIS-K, an offshoot of the Islamic State, must be lamenting that it has gotten to the point that you can’t even carry off a good old fashioned terrorist attack without a bunch of confusion and madness about who did it and why. Since the attack last Friday on a concert venue on the outskirts of Moscow that killed 140 and injured dozens more – which ISIS-K quickly took credit for -- Vladimir Putin and the head of his security service, the FSB, have sought to put the blame for the attack variously on Ukraine, the United States, Great Britain, and a combination of those three.
A callout to rational people watching this unfold. The only thing unmentioned here, Lucian is that Putin, through Trump, has made at least parts of the Republican Party here an extension of its supporters in denying desperately need arms to Ukraine.
I'm uncertain why there's a copy of your post, but as I wrote on your first posting:
A truly terrifying column. Two of the most powerful nations on earth, one run by a declared Stalin wanna-be, the other in the throes of a takeover attempt by a demonstrated Putin/Corleone wanna-be. That question you asked, Lucian: "Could Trump be casting about for Russian money?" Will a mongrel street dog eat its own vomit?
Thanks, Lucian, for reminding us who we are dealing with here. Your third paragraph is eerily similar to what happened back in the late ‘90’s. The C.I.A. had credible evidence that terrorists in Afghanistan were planning a devastating attack on American soil. The Clinton administration took great pains to alert the incoming administration of Bush, Jr. to the gravity of the situation. We should recall the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 1993, and also the attacks on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in Eastern Africa in 1998. How seriously did “W” take these warnings? Not very. Basically, he and his ‘team’ (Condi Rice, Rumsfeld, Cheney & co.) weren’t really interested. In fact, once he became president and those warnings became louder and more insistent, he tuned them out. The self-styled “Decider-in-Chief” couldn’t be bothered with the serious duties of an American president. Like a couple of other residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue aligned with the GOP (namely, Reagan and Trump) it was the trappings of the office and the power and prestige he now enjoyed as so-called “Leader of the Free World” rather than doing the actual work that most appealed to him. Protecting the American People, whom he represented, from all harm and possible danger? Nah….that stuff is for ‘nerds’ — guys like Obama and Biden. Morning Briefings? “Bo…rrrrrriiiiinggggg!” Who needs ‘em? Both “W” and Trump were notoriously immune to actually taking any of that ‘Briefing stuff’ seriously. They had more important matters to take care of. Like passing tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. Ditto for making sure that their buddies and benefactors in the energy sectors were getting all they wanted.
As to these alleged captured “terrorists” actually being able to walk into a concert venue wearing backpacks and carrying AK-47s and gasoline in bottles….and the huge delay in getting a response to the attack, despite the Warning that had been given weeks earlier that this was exactly the kind of place to be targeted….well, I agree that all sounds highly suspicious. And their abject “Surrender” at a roadblock? You’re right—“Real terrorists” a la the Boston Marathon Bombers don’t go so quietly into the night. Don’t expect any contradiction of the official Putin line re these poor fools. You’d need a Free Press for that to happen. Meanwhile the Putin lovers in the US are cheering him on. Tragic beyond words.
“Madness is upon us” is an understatement. The media must hammer on these facts repeatedly until people in this country realize that an entire major political party is in thrall to a foreign dictator. And then vote accordingly in November, for Democrats up and down the ballot. It’s the only way to save our country from the “madness.”
We try to warn putin of the attack and he spits in our face, then includes us of somehow being partially responsible an Ukraine was also to blame. Oh, but Trump assured us long af go that he knew Putin very well and that he trusted him more than our own intelligence people. It seems to me that the worse people in the world are also the world's biggest liars.
Let's play make believe for a moment: As Trum starts to speak at his next rally he holds up a copy of that new $60 dollar bible with his left hand and raises his right hand and swears to God he will never tell another lie again.
And then he promises that every penny of profit from the sale of his new bibles will go to charity :) " Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, trolled Trump with a social media post alluding to his alleged extramarital affairs.
"Happy Holy Week, Donald," she wrote. "Instead of selling Bibles, you should probably buy one. And read it, including Exodus 20:14."
And then there was the Hamas terror attack on Israel, over 100 hostages still captive (tho likely not many left alive at this point), horrific (verified) tales of rape (where are the feminists???) and torture, which is being neither condemend as a terror attack by most of the world, including the US, but has gone without this level of scrutiny and intelligence to track the real source. Why is that? The hands of Iran (who provide missiles), Russia and various hate groups like Hezbollah can be seem, but go without remark despite the fact that this 'conflict' is falling into their plans to delegitimize the US, and particularly Biden. Reports about the huge amounts of cash taken in last night at Biden's fund raiser, (in a show of unity with Obama and Bill Clinton), are published almost without mention of the pro-Palestine protest in front of Radio City, which was the usual violent and hateful. Look at the faces of the protesters.
Yes, I'm Jewish and decry the emergence of Jew hate that obviously has been percolating nicely for years. What concerns me is the hand of Iran and Russia and the disinformation that is being used to take down Biden, who is, despite all the whining about his age, the strongest president we can have right now, and the decaying hate monger in his diapers should be feared for his obvious Russia connections.
I need to read more about that if we're talking Russia, terrorism and disinformation.
I wouldn't put it past Putin to stage a false flag. The terrorists, while having caused horrific murder and mayhem seem almost hapless. One would think that ISIS could have come up with terrorists willing to die for the cause - as they all have when wearing suicide vests or fought to the death. It's very strange.
Poland is investigating a Russian propaganda network linked to Russian intelligence after Czechia uncovered the operations of a pro-Kremlin network that spread anti-Ukraine and anti-EU disinformation, the Polish Internal Security Agency (ABW) announced on March 28.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced on March 27 that pro-Kremlin Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk and pro-Kremlin propagandist Artem Marchevskyi had been sanctioned for seeking to influence discourse in Czechia through the Voice of Europe website, which was also placed on the sanctions list.
The network aimed to "implement the assumptions of the Kremlin's foreign policy, including weakening the position of Poland in the international arena, discrediting Ukraine, and the image of European Union bodies," the ABW said.
The operation in Poland was carried out in close coordination with Czechia and other international partners, the ABW said.
ABW agents conducted searches of homes and businesses in Warsaw and Tychy, a town in southern Poland, and seized 48,500 euros ($52,400) and $36,000, as well as computer data and mobile phones.
The ABW's work was connected to a previous investigation which revealed a Polish citizen was suspected of spying for the Russian secret services, the ABW said.
"The man, a member of the Polish and European parliaments, performed tasks commissioned and financed by Russian intelligence collaborators, which included, among others: propaganda, disinformation activities and political provocations." ******* Article continues, plus there are a host
of other accounts these journalists work on in Ukraine, independently of the Zelensky regime - i.e., they don't shrink from reporting on lingering corruption problems, or those exacerbated by life during
During the storm that followed the Citizens United decision, I remember one justice who stuck us with it feverishiy denying that it would invite foreign funding of U.S. candidates.
A callout to rational people watching this unfold. The only thing unmentioned here, Lucian is that Putin, through Trump, has made at least parts of the Republican Party here an extension of its supporters in denying desperately need arms to Ukraine.
I'm uncertain why there's a copy of your post, but as I wrote on your first posting:
A truly terrifying column. Two of the most powerful nations on earth, one run by a declared Stalin wanna-be, the other in the throes of a takeover attempt by a demonstrated Putin/Corleone wanna-be. That question you asked, Lucian: "Could Trump be casting about for Russian money?" Will a mongrel street dog eat its own vomit?
Thanks, Lucian, for reminding us who we are dealing with here. Your third paragraph is eerily similar to what happened back in the late ‘90’s. The C.I.A. had credible evidence that terrorists in Afghanistan were planning a devastating attack on American soil. The Clinton administration took great pains to alert the incoming administration of Bush, Jr. to the gravity of the situation. We should recall the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 1993, and also the attacks on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in Eastern Africa in 1998. How seriously did “W” take these warnings? Not very. Basically, he and his ‘team’ (Condi Rice, Rumsfeld, Cheney & co.) weren’t really interested. In fact, once he became president and those warnings became louder and more insistent, he tuned them out. The self-styled “Decider-in-Chief” couldn’t be bothered with the serious duties of an American president. Like a couple of other residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue aligned with the GOP (namely, Reagan and Trump) it was the trappings of the office and the power and prestige he now enjoyed as so-called “Leader of the Free World” rather than doing the actual work that most appealed to him. Protecting the American People, whom he represented, from all harm and possible danger? Nah….that stuff is for ‘nerds’ — guys like Obama and Biden. Morning Briefings? “Bo…rrrrrriiiiinggggg!” Who needs ‘em? Both “W” and Trump were notoriously immune to actually taking any of that ‘Briefing stuff’ seriously. They had more important matters to take care of. Like passing tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. Ditto for making sure that their buddies and benefactors in the energy sectors were getting all they wanted.
As to these alleged captured “terrorists” actually being able to walk into a concert venue wearing backpacks and carrying AK-47s and gasoline in bottles….and the huge delay in getting a response to the attack, despite the Warning that had been given weeks earlier that this was exactly the kind of place to be targeted….well, I agree that all sounds highly suspicious. And their abject “Surrender” at a roadblock? You’re right—“Real terrorists” a la the Boston Marathon Bombers don’t go so quietly into the night. Don’t expect any contradiction of the official Putin line re these poor fools. You’d need a Free Press for that to happen. Meanwhile the Putin lovers in the US are cheering him on. Tragic beyond words.
This read like a horror script, Lucian! How is it that we
“Madness is upon us” is an understatement. The media must hammer on these facts repeatedly until people in this country realize that an entire major political party is in thrall to a foreign dictator. And then vote accordingly in November, for Democrats up and down the ballot. It’s the only way to save our country from the “madness.”
We try to warn putin of the attack and he spits in our face, then includes us of somehow being partially responsible an Ukraine was also to blame. Oh, but Trump assured us long af go that he knew Putin very well and that he trusted him more than our own intelligence people. It seems to me that the worse people in the world are also the world's biggest liars.
Let's play make believe for a moment: As Trum starts to speak at his next rally he holds up a copy of that new $60 dollar bible with his left hand and raises his right hand and swears to God he will never tell another lie again.
And then he promises that every penny of profit from the sale of his new bibles will go to charity :) " Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, trolled Trump with a social media post alluding to his alleged extramarital affairs.
"Happy Holy Week, Donald," she wrote. "Instead of selling Bibles, you should probably buy one. And read it, including Exodus 20:14."
https://www.wusf.org/2024-03-27/cash-strapped-trump-is-now-selling-60-bibles-u-s-constitution-included
And then there was the Hamas terror attack on Israel, over 100 hostages still captive (tho likely not many left alive at this point), horrific (verified) tales of rape (where are the feminists???) and torture, which is being neither condemend as a terror attack by most of the world, including the US, but has gone without this level of scrutiny and intelligence to track the real source. Why is that? The hands of Iran (who provide missiles), Russia and various hate groups like Hezbollah can be seem, but go without remark despite the fact that this 'conflict' is falling into their plans to delegitimize the US, and particularly Biden. Reports about the huge amounts of cash taken in last night at Biden's fund raiser, (in a show of unity with Obama and Bill Clinton), are published almost without mention of the pro-Palestine protest in front of Radio City, which was the usual violent and hateful. Look at the faces of the protesters.
Yes, I'm Jewish and decry the emergence of Jew hate that obviously has been percolating nicely for years. What concerns me is the hand of Iran and Russia and the disinformation that is being used to take down Biden, who is, despite all the whining about his age, the strongest president we can have right now, and the decaying hate monger in his diapers should be feared for his obvious Russia connections.
I need to read more about that if we're talking Russia, terrorism and disinformation.
I wouldn't put it past Putin to stage a false flag. The terrorists, while having caused horrific murder and mayhem seem almost hapless. One would think that ISIS could have come up with terrorists willing to die for the cause - as they all have when wearing suicide vests or fought to the death. It's very strange.
LIFE DURING WARTIME
Here are the lyrics by David Byrne – performed by Talking Heads
Heard of a van that's loaded with weapons Packed up and ready to go
Heard of some gravesites, out by the highway A place where nobody knows
The sound of gunfire, off in the distance I'm getting used to it now
Lived in a brownstone, lived in a ghetto I've lived all over this town
This ain't no party, this ain't no disco This ain't no fooling around
No time for dancing, or lovey-dovey I ain't got time for that now
Transmit the message to the receiver Hope for an answer someday
I got three passports, a couple of visas You don't even know my real name
High on a hillside, the trucks are loading Everything's ready to roll
I sleep in the daytime, I work in the nighttime I might not ever get home
This ain't no party, this ain't no disco This ain't no fooling around
This ain't no Mudd Club, or CBGB I ain't got time for that now
Heard about Houston? Heard about Detroit? Heard about Pittsburgh, PA?
You oughta know not to stand by the window Somebody see you up there
I got some groceries, some peanut butter To last a couple of days
But I ain't got no speakers, ain't got no headphones Ain't got no records to play
Why stay in college? Why go to night school? Gonna be different this time
Can't write a letter, can't send no postcard I ain't got time for that now
Trouble in transit, got through the roadblock We blended in with the crowd
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines I know that that ain't allowed
We dress like students, we dress like housewives Or in a suit and a tie
I changed my hairstyle, so many times now I don't know what I look like
You make me shiver, I feel so tender We make a pretty good team
Don't get exhausted, I'll do some driving You ought to get you some sleep
Burned all my notebooks, what good are notebooks? They won't help me survive
My chest is aching, burns like a furnace The burning keeps me alive
Putin has brought back admiration for Stalin, the greatest mass murderer in world history.
Yes! again, it used to be simple - and now the US and our allies must also take account of Russian "active measures" in countries like Poland, too:
kyivindependent.com/poland-investigating-pro-kremlin-propaganda-network/
Excerpt:
Poland is investigating a Russian propaganda network linked to Russian intelligence after Czechia uncovered the operations of a pro-Kremlin network that spread anti-Ukraine and anti-EU disinformation, the Polish Internal Security Agency (ABW) announced on March 28.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced on March 27 that pro-Kremlin Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk and pro-Kremlin propagandist Artem Marchevskyi had been sanctioned for seeking to influence discourse in Czechia through the Voice of Europe website, which was also placed on the sanctions list.
The network aimed to "implement the assumptions of the Kremlin's foreign policy, including weakening the position of Poland in the international arena, discrediting Ukraine, and the image of European Union bodies," the ABW said.
The operation in Poland was carried out in close coordination with Czechia and other international partners, the ABW said.
ABW agents conducted searches of homes and businesses in Warsaw and Tychy, a town in southern Poland, and seized 48,500 euros ($52,400) and $36,000, as well as computer data and mobile phones.
The ABW's work was connected to a previous investigation which revealed a Polish citizen was suspected of spying for the Russian secret services, the ABW said.
"The man, a member of the Polish and European parliaments, performed tasks commissioned and financed by Russian intelligence collaborators, which included, among others: propaganda, disinformation activities and political provocations." ******* Article continues, plus there are a host
of other accounts these journalists work on in Ukraine, independently of the Zelensky regime - i.e., they don't shrink from reporting on lingering corruption problems, or those exacerbated by life during
wartime...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLwZvg46jms
0:20 / 3:41
Life During Wartime (2003 Remaster)
Talking Heads 205K subscribers 1,901,947 views Apr 8, 2017
Provided to YouTube by Rhino/Warner Records
Life During Wartime (2003 Remaster) · Talking Heads The Best of Talking Heads
℗ 1979 Sire Records Company
Congas: Ari Wilder
Congas: Gene Wilder
Engineer: Rod O'Brien
Unknown: Joe Barbaria
Engineer: Neal Teeman
Unknown: Chris Martinez
Unknown: Tom Heid
Unknown: Julie Last
Remastering Engineer: Bob Ludwig
Guitar, Piano, Synthesizer: Brian Eno
Producer: Brian Eno
Drums: Chris Frantz
Producer: Chris Frantz
Unknown: Dave Hewitt
Guitar: David Byrne
Producer: David Byrne
Lead Vocals: David Byrne
Unknown: Fred Ridder
Unknown: Greg Calbi
Guitar, Keyboards: Jerry Harrison
Producer: Jerry Harrison
Backing Vocals: Jerry Harrison
Unknown: Kooster McAllister
Unknown: Phil Gitomer
Bass Guitar: Tina Weymouth
Producer: Tina Weymouth
Writer: Chris Frantz
Writer: David Byrne
Writer: Jerry Harrison
Writer: Tina Weymouth
During the storm that followed the Citizens United decision, I remember one justice who stuck us with it feverishiy denying that it would invite foreign funding of U.S. candidates.