Hillary Clinton only “won” Iowa because she won all six coin tosses in tied precincts. What are the odds against six successive coin toss wins? I calculate 1 in 64, or you have a 1.5% chance of pulling it off. If I am right, do we really believe it did happen? That question is posed without taking into account the indisputable bias for Clinton of the Democrat machine which was organising the vote, and other startling irregularities, including the falure of the organising committee to staff over sixty caucus meetings. It all stinks, frankly.
I have been trying to think up a word to describe the kind of society we have now, in which a tiny number of extremely wealthy people control the politicians and manipulate the public through the mass media. Then I realised we already have a perfectly adequate word for it – plutocracy.
It is a plutocracy where 85 people own the same wealth as the other 50% of the population of the entire world, and the wealth gap still grows at astonishing pace. A reaction from the people who actually create that wealth is inevitable. The extraordinary concentration of capital has only been possible because of the existence of state mechanisms designed to promote it, and a popular movement to end that state bias was bound to happen. It was also predictable that it would be dominated by the young. To see youth mobilise for Scottish independence, for Corbyn or for Sanders has been life-affirming for me.
I might wish the movement for change to be sometimes better directed. But there is now a generational shift, a desire of young people for fundamental change, resisted by their elders. This phenomenon has not been seen so strongly since the 60’s. In the battle between the growing and the dying, there is only one ultimate winner. A good time to be alive (again). Almost makes up for struggling on through Thatcher and Blair…
Another good reason for concentrating on the selection of candidates for the US election – though not, as Nevermind points out, the outcome of our (culturally) nearest neighbour’s ballot – is Europe, and the sheer comedy of our elected Prime Minister’s attempt to reverse the effects of his predecessor’s insouciance (here: http://europe.newsweek.com/brexit-blair-migration-juncker-422506?rm=eu …more details, usual place)
And here is a horrible dilemma. Either we leave the EU, and fly to the sheltering arms of the US, whose economic shitstorm has not yet passed either, and which, as we no longer provide a trade portal into Europe, will be considerably less committed to our cause, insofar as we have one. True, some of its newly-qudrupled arms-for-Europe budget may find its way to Menwith and Lakenheath. Maybe it’s worth it.
Or we stay in the EU, lose all pretence of sovereignty, continue to subsidise failed states, and possibly become one ourselves, while any remaining assets are distributed among the faceless global corporates for whose benefit the EU now appears to exist.
I’m really beginning to see where UKIP might be coming from if it thought about what it is saying rather than what it reads in the Daily Express.
Habbabkuk, 12:34 pm; well you’re as guilty as anyone else, aren’t you? Going on about how the tosses were fair is just as bad as going on about them possibly being faked; it draws attention away from the real issue no matter which way it’s argued.
If it doesn’t know that, it’s not for the want of telling. How many more times…?
http://pha-media.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Untitled.png
“…The more important part of Craig’s first paragraph is this:
“…the indisputable bias for Clinton of the Democrat machine which was organising the vote, and other startling irregularities, including the falure of the organising committee to staff over sixty caucus meetings. It all stinks, frankly””
___________________
That, I’m afraid, is just Craig giving a personal opinion.
I’m prepared, though, to revise my judgement if Craig (Craig, not one of the Eminences on here) were to detail a few of the “startling irregularities” he refers to.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
By the way, when Craig says “and OTHER startling irregularities”, that implies that what precedes, ie, “the indisputable bias for Clinton of the Democrat machine which was organising the vote” is also a startling irregularity.
It would be helpful of Craig could explain how that bias (if it exists) translates into a startling irregularity.
Ba’al Zevul Your link has transmogrified to “https” and the relevant “s” is discounting the certificates that probably have been self generated and offering the option of people accepting an insecure certificate or get out of Dodge button and it is going woefully unclicked probably.
http://pha-media.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Untitled.png
I have taken the offending “s” out but I suspect the site software may add it, let us wait and see?
Yes it did add the “S” and the usual farce thereafter.
This is the state propaganda organ explaining the report away!
counter-intuitively, low wealth does not mean you are poor, says Dr Anthony Shorrocks, former director of the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research,
Now how is that for making the poor out of the picture and classifying the destitute as middle-class?
I heard the man explaining this. But he neatly avoided the issue of access to wealth. Low wealth, in his book, is someone whose debts are ocomparable with his current or projected assets, like perhaps half the UK population (? I’m guessing. Pedant needed here) In my book, it’s someone whose assets are tiny or nonexistent, and is therefore unable to obtain credit, even against the expectation of future assets. Like a very much smaller proportion of the UK’s. and a larger proportion of the world’s population.
Thanks Fedup. I’ll check that in future. Though I’m not sure how to prevent it. Annoying.
I have found a video of the coin toss procedure at Hardin Township, Johnson County, Iowa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONP9oKpyjQ4&feature=youtu.be
TEST:
http://europe.newsweek.com/brexit-blair-migration-juncker-422506?rm=eu
http://pha-media.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Untitled.png
Nov. in unum conveninnt, nt discant, quam pie et juste cum populis agere debennt http://europe.newsweek.com/brexit-blair-migration-juncker-422506?rm=eu judices cum populis agant: ita ut ipsos prazmonitos corrignut
Nov. in unum conveninnt, nt discant, quam pie et juste cum populis agere debennt http://pha-media.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Untitled.png judices cum populis agant: ita ut ipsos prazmonitos corrignut
Both links were http. The site inserted https on only one, regardless of similary context. Why?
Fred, 12:42 pm; thanks for shouting at me; I now accept that it’s all fair and democratic.
Ba’al, it may depend on whether the target page has the https protocol available, ie. if the target does, this site’s software will modify the link.
There is usually nothing wrong with such certificates. Your browser just doesn’t get given the appropriate token unless you enter by the “front door”, as it were.
Hilary Clintin does indeed carry an uncanny amount of luck. Her home computer contained 22 closely guarded government secrets. Yet so far she hasn’t been reprimanded in any way for it.
Like the Bush dynasty the Clinton dynasty has been involved in the running of America, in one office or another as far back as 1979, when Bill Clinton took office as Governor of Arkansas.
OK, I’ve taken a look at Fred’s video in which Hillary Clinton loses the toss of a coin. That video might be revealing for more than one reason. The, shall we call him ‘returning officer’, got the precinct captains for Clinton and Sanders together for the coin toss. The RO passed the coin to, shall we call him ‘the magician’ who showed the camera that it was a genuine coin (just like they do on stage). Now this is the revealing bit. The RO asked if ‘Ladies first’ was all right. And what gentleman would argue with that? He didn’t. In all the coin tosses I’ve seen Hillary Clinton’s precinct captain has been a woman, whereas Sanders appears to have a mix.
Hillary Clinton, who has been up to all kinds of shady deals kept out of the public eye, would not resort to cheating. Would she? But the coin falling on the floor can only land heads or tails and the magician showed the camera the coin. All very good you might say since the precinct captains are respectable Iowans. Or are they?
http://usuncut.com/politics/busted-iowa-precinct-captain-revealed-as-paid-out-of-state-staffer-for-clinton-campaign/
By the way, I understand the ‘magician’ is a secret Sanders supporter. 😀
Meanwhile staying on the activities of the worlds number one warmongering state, the USA.
Alex Salmond is seeking clarity over the USA flying a jet over Scotland without clearance. The jet in question N977GA was flown over Scotland in secret, it landed in Denmark, in the hope of snatching Edward Snowden as he fled Hong Kong for Moscow in 2013.
Denmark’s PM, Rasmussen said “Denmark shouldn’t respect asylum law” a statement aimed at aiding America capture Edward Snowden.
Mr Salmond wants clarity from Westminster over whether they knew and condoned the operation or not. The US has a dark history of infringing other nations airspace.
Current nations willing to give Mr Snowden asylum, include Ecuador, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Venezuela.
http://www.thenational.scot/news/secret-us-flight-flew-over-scottish-airspace-to-capture-snowden.13226
“OK, I’ve taken a look at Fred’s video in which Hillary Clinton loses the toss of a coin.”
Which proves the statement at the start of Craig’s post “Hillary Clinton only “won” Iowa because she won all six coin tosses in tied precincts.” to be false.
The rest is just smoke and mirrors.
Could it be a server setting; strict transport security header?
================
This is the kind of let them eat cake ivory tower resident’s musings. The reality on the ground is the massive suppression of wealth creation constructs for the poor because of the undue demands of the owners/oligarchs for unusual returns. A persisting malady, from the hangover post the vociferous tosser A. Greenspan and his speeches about the exuberance of the markets and unusual returns mantra!!!!
Simply put the oligarchs have sucked up all the money and there is precious little left for anyone else. That is combined with the added insult to injury that is; the miserly interest rates on offer to anyone of the savers (some countries going so far as declaring wishes of imposing a negative interest, ie those whom have any savings ought to be paying a portion of it to the banksters, as in the case of Cyprus), despite the huge profits of the corporates involved in fleecing the tax payers and the borrowers, ie we the people.
Well I believe Gearóid Ó Colmáin analysis of current events. His current series of articles is extremely interesting and backed by detailed research as well as numerous historical parallels.
The NATO US/UK/French/German/Israeli agenda is to bomb the Middle East AND and to bomb and economically subjugate numerous African countries. But that is merely a part of the agenda. Whilst there are Millions of displaced legitimate refugees living in the most appalling conditions in what are in effect concentration camps (and the majority are women and children), there are also thousands of economic migrants, and there are also thousands of Wahabi jihadists indoctrinated, trained, funded and supplied by Saudi Arabia – AND NATO.
But that is only part of their Agenda too. Guess who’s funding their mass transportation to Europe – in the most appalling circumstance? Guess who not only supplied them with Toyota trucks, arms and ammunition, and smart mobile phones? AND Boats (many of which sink). Guess who is inviting them by mass Greetings via Twitter – mainly from the USA and UK according to detailed analysis of their origin?
They are openly welcoming Millions of people to Europe, some of which are indeed the same people who have been creating total mayhem in Iraq and Syria..
Its a Mass invasion of Millions of People – some extremely desperate, and some extremely aggressive.
The “Global Elite” is attacking Europe, and the entire World, by numerous different means concurrently. Ask Soros about it. They just want war…any kind of war. They just want to destroy and control what is left of the entire human race.
“Imperialism’s Migration Agenda: Who is Funding the Refugees Transport into Europe?
Coercive Engineered Migration: Zionism’s War on Europe (Part 4 of 11)”
http://www.globalresearch.ca/imperialisms-migration-agenda-who-is-funding-the-refugees-transport-into-europe/5504056#sthash.6JKBBrqd.3tMbYPAE.dpuf
This is a Global War, and we are all the victims.
Tony
Fred (13h04)
Thank you for that video, which confirms
– what you were saying about there having been more than the six coin tosses mentioned by Craig
– what I was saying to contest the claims of rigging, ie, the coins were normal ones, the coin tossing took place in the presence of both Clinton and Sanders supporters and the coins landed on the floor.
This is the way to deal with allegations of conspiracy. Unless of course someone will now claim that the video you provided was also faked…. 🙂
Fred
I have just noticed that some people never give up – Mr Goss’s comment at 14h11 refers.
They are simply incorrigeable! 🙂
Clark (13h34)
“Fred, 12:42 pm; thanks for shouting at me; I now accept that it’s all fair and democratic.”
__________________
It would be gracious of you to apologise to me as well since I was the first to contest the allegations of rigging.
I wonder of you will be able to bring yourself to do so…..
Tensions are running high over Nemtsov’Bridge in Moscow as it has come to be known.
The bridge is a defiant meeting point for anti-Putin supporters. Boris Nemtsov was a popular opponent of president Putin, he was assassinated on the bridge almost one year ago.
Nemtsov’s followers see the bridge as a place to lay flowers and possibly erect a mememorial to remember Mr Nemtsov, and his stance against Putin’s kleptocracy.
Nemtsov helped found the country’s main anti-Kremlin movements and spoke at opposition rallies.
He had authored an excoriating report into Putin’s tenure, and shortly before he was killed was working on a report examining the Russian military’s role in Ukraine.
Putin’s spokesman cast Nemtsov, once spoken of as a contender to succeed Boris Yeltsin as president, a job Putin got, as “quite an average citizen” who was no political threat.
Putin said something similar about reporter Anna Politkovskaya after she was murdered on his birthday in 2006.
This is an excellent article on Iowa.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/02/03/signs-of-a-gathering-storm-iowa-caucus-report/
The ice is breaking in America. The young people will no longer put up with the War and Austerity politics that have dominated for decades. A day of reckoning is coming.
Staying on Russia for a moment, the families of those slaughtered in the Beslan massacre are concerned that Russian president Vladimir Putin will withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights.
Amnesty International have presented evidence that Russia is closely watching the British Tories and their attempt to repeal the European Human Rights Act in Britain. If Britain repeals the EHRA, Russia looks set to follow.
Many Chechens who lost love ones at Beslan are currently fighting a legal case against Moscow, at the court for European Human Rights in Strasbourg.
The families claim 331 people were killed including 179 children some killed by flamethrowers.
The rule of law would change in Russia if they repealed the EHRA.
Yes, a good article by Paul Street. Thanks Bevin. It puts thinks into perspective the massive success of Bernie Sanders and the way minorities and young disaffected and demoralised people are getting behind him and his campaign.
Of course even if he does get the nomination (against all odds) he will get leant on. He talks of taking on Wall Street and the banks. It is not going to happen. So he is probably no more than a wishy-washy Liberal. I write this because of my elation when Barack Obama got elected on all his promises.
The squatting military state of Israel has come under fire for its diabolical “third country policy” a policy which basically kicks people out of Israel.
Israel – which has approved fewer than 1% of asylum applications since it signed the UN Refugee Convention six decades ago – has not offered asylum to a single person from Sudan.
Most asylum seekers are summoned to a detention centre known as Holot, deep in the Negev desert.
The government calls Holot an “open-stay centre”, but it’s run by the prison service and rules are strict, including a night-time curfew, which, if broken, will land you in jail.
More often than not people held are given a small, amount of cash the forced to leave the country either to Rwanda or Uganda, where they’re papers and cash often are taken from them.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon says the migrants threaten the security, and the identity, of the J**ish state.
Seems like much ado about nothing, except most posters seem to think that no one could be worse, even serious psychopath Trump, than POTUS Hillary.
6,000 coaltion soldiers are to be sent into Libya to reinforce/reinstall, and prop up the Western backed puppet government.
One of the US-Nato coalition countries to enter the fray is Italy, no doubt they’ll feel at home again in their former colony.
When a candidate is endorsed by the likes of Cornell West you could at least take 1 min on the internet to learn that Sanders is not funded by the usual big money. Obama was.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Sanders_presidential_campaign,_2016#Fundraising
Re my last comment on Libya, it would appear that Colonel Gaddafi’s daughter Ayesha is the new Nato coalition opponent, she wants to unite the country to fight against Western intervention.
http://southfront.org/ayesha-gaddafi-as-a-new-leader-of-resistance-against-nato-and-the-libyan-terrorists/