The entire “liberal” media and political establishment of the Western world reveals its militarist, authoritarian soul today with the screaming and hysterical attacks on the very prospect of detente with Russia. Peace apparently is a terrible thing; a renewed arms race, with quite literally trillions of dollars pumped into the military industrial complex and hundreds of thousands dying in proxy wars, is apparently the “liberal” stance.
Political memories are short, but just 15 years after Iraq was destroyed and the chain reaction sent most of the Arab world back to the dark ages, it is now “treason” to question the word of the Western intelligence agencies, which deliberately and knowingly produced a fabric of lies on Iraqi WMD to justify that destruction.
It would be more rational for it to be treason for leaders to blindly accept the word of the intelligence services.
This is especially true on “Russia hacking the election” when, after three years of crazed accusations and millions of man hours by lawyers and CIA and FBI investigators, they are yet to produce any substantive evidence of accusations which are plainly nuts in the first place. This ridiculous circus has found a few facebook ads and indicted one Russian for every 100,000 man hours worked, for unspecified or minor actions which had no possible bearing on the election result.
There are in fact genuine acts of election rigging to investigate. In particular, the multiple actions of the DNC and Democratic Party establishment to rig the Primary against Bernie Sanders do have some very real documentary evidence to substantiate them, and that evidence is even public. Yet those real acts of election rigging are ignored and instead the huge investigation is focused on catching those who revealed Hillary’s election rigging. This gets even more absurd – the investigation then quite deliberately does not focus on catching whoever leaked Hillary’s election rigging, but instead seeks to prove that the Russians hacked Hillary’s election-rigging, which I can assure you they did not. Meanwhile, those of us who might help them with the truth if they were actually interested, are not questioned at all.
The Russophobic witch hunt has its first real life victim in 29 year old Maria Butina, whose life is to be destroyed for chatting up members of the NRA in order to increase Russian influence. With over 20 years of diplomatic experience, I can tell you that every country, including the UK and US, has bit part players of its own nationals who self-start in a country to make their way, and if they gain any traction are tapped by their national security service as potential “agents of influence”. I could name quite literally scores of such people, but have no desire to get anyone in trouble. The elevation of Butina into a huge threat and part of a gigantic plot, is to ignore the way the United States and the United Kingdom and indeed all major governments’ Embassies behave around the globe.
The war-hawks who were devastated by the loss of champion killer Hillary now see the prospect of their very worst fear coming true. Their very worst fear is the outbreak of peace and international treaties of arms control. Hence the media and political establishment today has reached peaks of hysteria never before seen. Pursuing peace is “treason” and the faux left now stand starkly exposed.
O’Brien on LBC earlier referred to the Trump administration as a ‘Kremlin funded kleptocracy’. All the Ks there!
Whatever Russia has or hasn’t done (and they are not as benign as people would believe), it pales into utter significance compared to the interference in US politics that Israel, through AIPAC and a host of pressure groups, exerts. AIPAC funds candidates, dependent on their answers to questions that AIPAC demands they answer – and if they don’t, they are defunded and hounded remorselessly – and writes bills which their compliant senators put through congress. Their level of interference is quite astonishing. And it is not a ‘Jewish’ thing – many of these self-professed zionists are Christian zealots, happy to receive funds, sponsored trips and all the talking points which they then obediently repeat.
“Whatever Russia has or hasn’t done (and they are not as benign as people would believe)”
Really!? Which people would believe any government to be benign? Justify your comment!
As it stands it is simply a throwaway remark – typical of the sort of weasely remark that the liberal establishment regurgitates as part of it’s anti-Russia propaganda on a daily basis.
I’m not reading any more of your comment until you do as I ask.
Haha, you are such a diva. Putin is completely innocent of the murder of investigative journalists in Russia or the jailing of his opponents, I suppose. Oh, sorry you won’t be reading this. Never mind. Russia has no geopolitical intersests or strategies, eh.
Please calm down. That’s not what he/she said.
In any case, “benignity” is not among the virtues expected on any state policy.
Well said Ian, and let’s not forget the awful interference in UK politics including trying to have pro-Palestinian Tory MPs removed
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/israeli-diplomat-caught-on-camera-plotting-to-take-down-british-mps-the-transcript-in-full-a7515621.html
And of course offering £1M to have the leader of the opposition removed
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/uk-corbyn-calls-probe-israeli-interference-170113202756949.html
I mean it’s not like the UK or USA doesn’t deserve it, afterall it’s been paying off and removing officials in other country’s for 100 years or more. It’s just surprising how it allows this to continue
Great post thanks for sharing!
The continual need to reduce everything to an either/or equation is not helping us find any clarity.
Here’s my take on things (no insider info whatsoever):
1. Russia is looking to manipulate and influence Western democracies however it can, because it sees them as hostile.
2. Trump is a buffoon and a bully, and it’s no wonder Putin likes him.
3. Hillary ran a terrible campaign and her neo-con foreign policy is horrendous.
4. Russian agents (perhaps without direct authorisation of Kremlin) probably tried to murder the Skripals and are indirectly responsible for tragic recent poisoning of two innocent victims.
5. The world cup was good but it is the natural hospitality of the Russian people that should get the most praise – not the geo-political gaming of the tyrant in charge.
6. Russia is a sham democracy – and the West is heading that way too.
7. We need to find a new way, that harnesses populism and popular anger in a positive way.
There is no contradiction in holding all these things to be true (unless evidence to the contrary appears).
Glad to read some commonsense in this increasing hysterical blog.
Seconded – rare but most welcome !
:
And my take on things is that you and Goodwin are fucking idiots.
Absolutely NO substantiation in what you say – and if you think that the system of control prevalent in the West is democracy, you are truly lost. Unanalytical to the Nth. degree.
.
Dennis, you are being unnecessarily abusive. I will refrain from also calling you a fucking idiot, even though you misunderstand my comment.
Western democracy is indeed flawed. And it’s likely getting worse. This can also be true. However, I would happily say that any member of the EU has freer elections than they do in Russia, where the election of Putin is a sham.
Not unanalytical. Just looking at a complex situation. But I suppose it’s easier just to hurl abuse.
“1. Russia is looking to manipulate and influence Western democracies however it can, because it sees them as hostile.”
… “it seems them as hostile …”
(lol) Does it? Where on earth would it get that idea from?!
Here, let me correct that for you:
1. The United States is looking to manipulate and influence Eastern democracies however it can, because it sees them as hostile.”
Personally, I think that’s an improvement and closer to reality.
Again, I never said that USA is a paragon of virtue.
Indeed, USA has a long recent history of trying to manipulate the affairs of other countries, through both military and more clandestine means.
This does not mean that Russia are not also at the same game, does it?
Somehow James and Goodwin fall into the trap that is now most common: if it gets repeated enough times, some of it must be true. In actual fact, it isn’t true – none of it.
– I have personal Russian friends, one of which I would say is very much like Putin in character. The hospitality of the Russian people and the character of the Russian president are not far apart at all. The Western demonisation of this leader is unsubstantiated.
– Every democracy evolves; Russia has been evolving in a positive direction; the USA in a negative direction while Europe is a mixed bag.
– Russia does not look to manipulate and influence Western democracies; another fake unsubstantiated claim by the West is that there is a supposed Kremlin goal to undermine Western democracy – what a bag of bs. Russia has a slightly-right-of-center government and president; if you compare progress in rule of law, taxation, oligarchic corruption, small business court, justices of the peace, then the positive difference with the 90’s is astonishing. Of course Russia has a long way to go.
Craig Murray is right: the West has become a militarized gun-/trigger-happy ideologue. We are a far cry from the peace movement in the 80’s, and even further from the peace monuments of WW1; church-goers are now considering the ‘just war’ theology as normal and the Mennonites and other pacifists as freaky. Back in the 80’s we were accused to be Soviet stooges if we marched against Reagan’s Pershing 2 nukes on EU soil. Now the Soviet Union is gone, but the media and much of the liberals and conservatives speak with even greater venom about Russia. From a historical perspective of just 40 years, the West has become a dangerously belligerent ideologue – more dangerous than the USSR ever was.
Comic gold Josh I’m afraid
I have many Russian friends, in fact I married one and I worked there for a number of years. It is just insulting to generalise that they are like Putin in character – they can (in the main) tolerate people with different views, they are not thieving kleptocrats, they declare a lot more of their income, they cannot tolerate their enemies who don’t have a tendency to disappear, they care about things like health, housing, education and pensions. And if you think oligarchic corruption has moved in a positive direction since the 90s you are clearly out of touch – inequality and capital outflows from Russia (that is stealing to me and you) have all grown at a pace. As for taxation – a 13% flat rate tax is of course the sort of think that right wingers with no social conscience have wet dreams about. no wonder Putin gets on so well with right wing fascist leaning kleptocrats.
.While you have your whitewash to hand perhaps you might wish to spare a splash or two for the KGB or whatever they are called these days..
No generalisations: agreed.
As for Putin’s character , from where I seat, it is excellent – in the sense that it is well suited to the job the Russian people gave him.
For the rest, no one is being asked to marry him. Emotions have no bearing on how politics and foreign policy are conducted. I don’t understand why the West has become so emotional about everything.
As for his economic and other aspects of his domestic policies, again, this is not a matter of his “character”. Explanations have to be looked for elsewhere…
Besides which, we are now discussing Russia-US relations, not whether Trump and Putin are cuddly or not.
As Ambassador Murray says, the Western establishment and their media are in an advanced stage of collective madness.
Conversely, Putin is sane, and while quite eccentric, Trump is certainly not mad. After all, he has just taken an important step in the service of towards world peace.
And he has courage as well. He said this in his opening statement at the joint press conference:
“Our relationship has never been worse than it is now. However, that changed as of about four hours ago. I really believe that.
Nothing would be easier politically than to refuse to meet, to refuse to engage, but that would not accomplish anything.
As President, I cannot take decisions on foreign policy in a futile effort to appease partisan critics, or the media, or Democrats who want to do nothing but resist and obstruct.
Constructive dialogue between the United States and Russia forges the opportunity to open new pathways toward peace and stability in our world. I would rather take a political risk in pursuit of peace than to risk peace in pursuit of politics. As President, I will always put what is best for America and what is best for the American people.” http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/58017
Well said Josh…the mass corruption in the west goes unpunished…ever!
Josh, you appear to prefer the sound of your own voice to listening to anyone else.
Your claim that Russia does not seek to influence Western democracies seems preposterous to me. Of course it does. Think back to Putin’s meetings with Marine le Pen. He is trying to get people he perceives as more pro-Russia into positions of power.
You are not the only person who knows Russia or Russians. You seem to base your entire argument on one piece of anecdotal evidence… one of your friends is a bit like Putin. Very weak.
Putin seems supportive of patriotic movements for sovereignity, be it from the left OR the right, which is only a contradiction to wet anglo-saxon dreams of “full-spectrum-dominance” empire, but not to a multilateral and potentially much more peaceful world. That is far from “trying to get them into positions of power”, which sounds more like an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory. It’s not so different from Kennedy supporting Lumumba’s vision for the Congo and Africa as a whole, back then.. Unfortunately today’s Allen Dulles acolytes in service of their oligarch/plutocrat clients continue to always have the upper hand on spinning ALL story-telling.
“Trump is a buffoon and a bully, and it’s no wonder Putin likes him.”
“Like” has nothing to do with Putin’s way of conducting foreign policy. Facts, the opposite party’s willingness to cooperate, and the interests of Russia – these are the points all foreign policy-makers look at. I observe this is not the case now in the West. Too bad for the West.
“The world cup was good but it is the natural hospitality of the Russian people that should get the most praise – not the geo-political gaming of the tyrant in charge.”
The people get the credit – and their leader as well. The babushkas did very well – many people recounted how elderly ladies – and even an old lady in one case – helped them when they were lost or stranded.
But babushkas do not run the country. Putin does. And he gets due credit for his organizational skills and other competencies that made the football tournament a success. He thanked Russian “hooligans” for being on their best behavior…
Again, I have to wonder why logic and clear thought seem to have deserted so many in Europe and America. Why is everything reduced to likes and dislikes?
Very nice on the euphemism where you think they’re appropriate.
Could suffer some more consistency.
Next time a bit more effort.
You get a D-.
Retired Colonel Patrick Lang, ex-head of the DIA in the Middle East and a leading member of VIPS (Veteran Intelligence Proffessionals for Sanity) who runs the influential Sic Semper Tyrannis blog, yesterday named China as the hackers of Hillary Clinton’s email account:
“I have some inside information.
Looks like a hacking operation by China. They nailed Clinton’s completely unprotected system and then inserted code that gave them all her traffic over e-mail subsequent to that. That included all her State Department classified traffic which she had her staff illegally scan and insert in her private e-mail. We are talking about 30,000+ messages. Strzok was told that by the Intelligence Community Inspector General WHILE he was running the Clinton e-mail investigation and chose to ignore it. pl ”
http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2018/07/editorial-china-hacked-clintons-e-mail.html
As he says it is “inside” unverified information, but his contacts within the intelligence community are good. He is not some lunatic right-winger, having voted for Obama in ’08 and ’12.
He needs to offer some proof, like everybody else.
Apologies for repeating Pat Lang quote. I would again emphasize that he is a usually reliable source and his blog includes many other ex-intelligence professionals who maintain a close relationship with the analysts in the various agencies who are often in sharp disagreement with their much-more politically-attuned bosses. Hence all the ginned-up “dodgy dossiers.”
Here is Retired Colonel Patrick Lang’s source: Lisa Page’s testimony during the closed door House hearings: https://truepundit.com/fbi-lisa-page-dimes-out-top-fbi-officials-during-classified-house-testimony-bureau-bosses-covered-up-evidence-china-hacked-hillarys-top-secret-emails/
Why is Russia blamed for China’s hacking? Less bribe money to give.
Gaza now under heavy shelling. All access in or out is closed. No boats to approach closer than 3 km. Bibi has an agreement with Putin that if Iran attacks Israel Russia will not support Iran. Details were in the Times of Israel, around the time of the Skripal event, when they also speculated that their security services had form for such an attack, having been caught once, and made to pay compensation. There is a huge problem in that Palestinians have no defence capability, no territorial integrity, no international status as refugees. They cannot leave, nor surrender, nor receive aid. Gaza is under siege, and now direct attack. Trump made it clear to Putin that the interests of Israel are the interests of the US. Cooperation between Russia, Israel and US includes not targeting each others’ forces or planes in Syria, and respecting the border with Iran, unless……
Have you any news of the Freedom Flotilla heading for Gaza Alyson? Dr Swee Ang is on board one of the ships.
Remembering the 10 people killed by the IDF on the Mavi Marmara in 2010.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_flotilla_raid
How come you aren’t on it?
Avi, the resident fascist appeaser.
Change IDF uniforms for SS and again the meaning becomes clear.
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and swims like a duck – then it is a duck, no matter how the appeaser chooses to put lipstick on it’s beak, and tries to represent it as Marilyn Monroe.
very poetic, joeblogs, but rather off the point. Just wondered why she doesn’t put her money where her mouth is, so to speak.
Scared of a freedom boat, are we?
You should get out of your self chosen prison there and meet some real cosmopolitans.
May change your attitude.
very cutting and edgy, bj, but rather off the point. Just wondered why she doesn’t put her money where her mouth is, so to speak.
Perhaps she doesn’t want to be killed ?
Did this “Freedom Flotilla” started out from Cyprus/Turkey again like last time?
Let them sail to the palace of Erdogan and bring aid material for Kurdistan, either inside present Turkey or the new extension he is grabbing now inside Syria. They can also question him about his aid to ISIS over many years.
Tools, fools, jokers and hypocrites.
The background to the Maria Butina case can be seen on: https://heavy.com/news/2018/07/maria-butina/ as Sean Lamb noted in the second comment on page one, she seems to have run foul of not registering on FARA: https://www.justice.gov/nsd-fara a crime for which she could go to jail.
Generally Craig is right, we seem to be in the thrall of the arms sellers and their cronies, although it does appear that Maria is a bit too keen on guns herself.
This sums up the appalling state of the British Government.
“Government tries to bring forward MPs’ summer break amid pressure on Theresa May”
“Prime minister accused of ‘running scared of a leadership contest’ after seeking to send MPs home earlier than planned”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-mp-summer-break-theresa-may-uk-government-customs-union-conservatives-a8450321.html
The Government is having some serious problems, with things that need to be done. The Government’s solution, is to go off on holiday early, and not come back for 3 months.
They are so useless, I suggest they don’t come back at all – None of them.
That is what would happen in a real business, that adopted such a policy. The entire company would go bust, and everyone would lose their jobs.
Tony
Depressing as it absurd. Keep up the good fight Craig, we need voices such as yours more than ever in this crazy age.
Of course everybody wants peace and co-operation between the major power blocs. But if you think Trump is the man for the job, you are in fantasy land, especially when you look at his Iran policy, promoted by the same old war hawks that brought you Iraq and Afghanistan. Trump is putty in their hands, as he is in the hands of Putin, China and N Korea. No harm in his sentiments, but if you think he has any idea of how they can actually be achieved, I am all ears. Trump has shovelled billions more into the arms industry, constantly boasts about US military and nuclear power and his passive/aggressive bully act is not the brilliant diplomacy that the alt-right would have you believe, especially as their agenda is quite different to Trump’s naive savant act. Trump and Putin both have a vested interest in breaking up the EU and setting Europeans against each other, and they are succeeding so far, with the UK in the vanguard of useful idiots and craven fantasists.
So tell us what are the vested interests?
There have been 32 arrests by Muller’s investigation. What’s this guy talking about?
And Russian involvement has been pretty well established. This dude just doesn’t like to hear it…
https://www.wired.com/story/did-russia-affect-the-2016-election-its-now-undeniable/
Not to mention their involvement with Brexit…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/10/russian-influence-brexit-vote-detailed-us-senate-report
I see no evidence! All I note is a desire to blame everyone and their fecking dug for the faults of political parties.
No it has not been established. The ilusion that it has been established has been implanted in people’s heads. No evidence has been presented. And stating that it is classified or saying it appears or it suggests or it is highly likely, that is not evidence. It is a mere suggestion.
this. thanks isa.
So it has been established that Russia had ad campaigns on social media and sock puppets. Which were to support/denigrate both the Democrats and the Republicans. Guess what, so does everyone else. America, Greenpeace, Tobacco companies. Imagine if that is a crime, what about the billions spent by companies given directly to American politician’s campaigns?
There is a severe case of muddying the waters here. The more serious allegations about collusion between Trump and Russia are very weak. It looks like the DNC may have been hacked by Russia or another group, possibly on more than one occasion. Yet the source of the DNC emails that Wikileaks received were probably not from Russia. If releasing the internal workings of the Democrats is a traitorous act, there is no hope for whistle blowers or democracy.
Trump is a first class idiot, but it also appears that his enemies (which is almost everyone in the political elite of America) are forming a narrative to emasculate and remove him. We have to sift the truth from the hyperbole. We should wait until the various trails have been conducted to see the truth behind them.
Innocent until proven guilty.
Jesus I really thought i was going mad there. Finally someone who speaks sense, thanks Craig.
Yes, Trumps an idiot, does irrational things and i wouldn’t put him in charge of a sweet shop but at least he’s not Hilary. At least the number of bombs falling has reduced (a little) and at least, yet again, the true colours are showing through of corrupt politicians, the neutered press and (i’m afraid) the misguided anger of the majority of the general public on (especially) our shores and over the Atlantic. I’m actually not sure if i’m happy or sad at this precise moment.
Attention is diverted. 34 mins ago.
‘Brexit campaign group Vote Leave has been fined £61,000 and referred to the police after an Electoral Commission probe said it broke electoral law.
The watchdog said it exceeded its £7m spending limit by funnelling £675,315 through pro-Brexit youth group BeLeave.
The founder of BeLeave, Darren Grimes, has been fined £20,000 and reported to the police, along with Vote Leave official David Halsall.
Vote Leave said the “wholly inaccurate” report was politically motivated.
The Vote Leave campaign, which was fronted by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, won the contest to be the official Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum on whether Britain should stay in the European Union.’
much more on https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-44856992
There are 625 MPs as far as I know.
One of the votes yesterday resulted in 305 for and 302 against. So where were the other 18?
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2018-07-16/debates/1a45a17a-2a28-4e84-9069-2e97d9553ef4/CommonsChamber
I wonder if the MPs know exactly what they voted for yesterday. Here is the transcript. It is dense stuff. Perhaps they just vote as the whips instruct them.
Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2018-07-16/debates/B3ED8272-3DF1-464E-8ABA-701A376E6A2C/Taxation(Cross-BorderTrade)Bill
The votes (divisions) are at the end. Frank Field and Kate Hoey voted with the Tories. All the Scots Nats voted but only 9 of the LDs. Why were the others, including Cable, missing?
Craig,
Further to your Blog Post, Pat Lang of Sic Semper Tyrannis – who, as many know is a former US Army Middle East Intelligence Operative, has been given ‘insider information’ that suggest China was involved in the Clinton email hacking debacle and certainly not Russia: http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2018/07/editorial-china-hacked-clintons-e-mail.html
The socio-political ‘liberals’ have effectively been screwing up the world for decades. Beneath that liberalism has beat the heart of the predatory raptor. The appearance of Trump on the American scene with anti-establishment views that patently rock the liberal set to their complacent, smug foundations is a message that the wider world should inwardly digest. The old cosy NATO order is cracking up. Hanging onto US coat tails is no longer a wise option. It’s independence/self-suficiency day for Europe and the so called West.
In Scotland that ought to send an exhilarating shiver down the national spine.
The only rule now is that there are no rules. Exciting times, exciting opportunities, if only the Scots had leaders to match.
Like Ireland. Varadkar promoting “progressive leftwing” social policies whilst preparing to join NATO and the Commonwealth.
It is smoke and mirrors. Remember Hillary started as a Barry Goldwater girl, i.e. a right-wing nutjob. She is the ultimate deep sleeper – pretending to be socialistic whilst plotting to destroy Russia.
‘Progressive policies’ words to freeze the blood. Dissent at your peril.
Scratch many a liberal and you will find a petulant, self-righteous bully.
On his record, Varadkar is a veritable opportunist.
hear hear
Craig Murray – What are you saying exactly? That Donald J Trump is a peacemaker to be admired and lauded? I notice you don’t mention his name once! There is much skulduggery and manipulation of people’s minds happening in the world right now making it hard to know what the fuck is going on from day to day and your blog is not helpful in that respect. Trump, plonker though he is, is part of the “gigantic plot”. I agree with Mike Small in his Bella Caledonia article yesterday, when he says “there are signs everywhere that people are waking up” and when that does happen we will walk a different road and vote out all warmongering, corrupt politicians whether Neocon or Stalinist, May, Trump and Putin included.
That Trump doesn’t get mention is not accidental.
It’s about the war mongering so called ‘liberals’ and the MIIC which they have openly been colluding with to frustrate a presidency.
As someone who grew up with the madness (and several near misses) of Mutually Assured Destruction during the 60’s and 70’s, I have no problem with Trump behaving differently to past US presidents and trying to forge a relationship with the other major superpowers where, if nothing else, they can hopefully avoid future wars and M.A.D. If this means they have to forgive each other for their mutual acts of espionage and meddling in each others domestic and foreign affairs, then so be it. Let the warmongers shout loudly, oddly it starts to make Trump look like the good guy on the international stage, which is also far from the truth with regards many of his trade and domestic policies.
If only he we’re “pursuing peace”. Truth is, irrespective of whether he makes up with Putin, Trump will still increase the military budget, and the weapons industry will still grow fat off the deaths of innocents
I notice Putin was precise in his denial. He stated that the Russian STATE (my capitals) did not interfere with the election.
I would not put it past Putin to have been aware and even monitoring Russian oligarchs acting in cahoots with the neo-liberal right in the USA to interfere with the election.
It might help understand what has been going on if you read this
https://constitution-unit.com/2018/07/12/responding-to-the-challenges-of-digital-democracy-during-irelands-abortion-referendum/
I did not see any of the targeted political ads for Brexit – but I did read a blog which had captured one. It showed what purported to be an NHS A&E crowded with “foreigners” and claimed that they were crowding out the native English. Given some of the stats I have seen on what people believe about immigrants, I thinksuch video clips/ads must have been widespread and well targeted.
” It showed what purported to be an NHS A&E crowded with “foreigners” and claimed that they were crowding out the native English.”
Ahh yes, before the Russians turned up no one indulged in dog-whistling or covert racism in political advertising. Then all came the troika of Boris, Goveovich and Faragski who introduced all these utterly novel techniques into the political discourse
Notice the reference to the Neo-liberal right in the USA????
They most certainly DO do racism big time.
If you have read the link you would find the source of much of the problem items (those which could be identified) was the good ol’ US of A.
Both the US election and the EU referendum offered a choice between two varieties of the neoliberal right. Both sides in each instance being bankrolled by home grown oligarchs.
The idea that Russia was a significant factor in either outcome is just a face-saving concoction of the socially liberal faction, which finds it galling that not enough plebs are any longer enthused by their project.
spot on.
Just the expected question-begging by an original supporter of Trump who will not change his mind no matter what the POTUS has does.
Excellent and timely analysis Craig. Far too much hysteria going around at the moment.
Of course, it would be gross dereliction of duty for Putin not to intervene against Hillary given that she was pledging to start a Third World War against Russia over Syria.
He should own up to it so that we can thank him.
The Democratic Party in the US and the Labour Party in the UK done more damage to athe West in 10 years than the Soviet Union managed over 70 years. The Soviet Union didn’t have as much money to spend but even so…
Maybe the Democrats and Labour should own up to that too so that we can thank them.
You really hate Corbyn so much I’m beginning to think he made an indecent proposal to you once.
15 years today Dr David Kelly went missing
along with democracy, the rule of law and truth.
They were done away before Dr. Kelly was ambushed, and killed by the resident Mossad kidon which was free to do what it wanted by MI5, provided it didn’t use firearms.
Look at what happened to those intelligence personell on that Chinook helicopter at the Mull of Kintyre a decade earlier.
Yes Bob a man with everything to live for who allegedly committed suicide…sad that he was the only one telling the truth in the whole sorry Iraq debacle as he was right there were no WMD in Iraq!
Dr Kelly’s beef was with the 45 minutes claim, he wasn’t sure if Iraq had WMDs (they were still looking) and was afraid that in the future they might. He was a hero as he stood up for the evidence available to him.
Ten years ago, I stood with friends outside the High Court remembering Dr Kelly. A judicial review was held in 2011 into the Attorney General’s refusal to hold an inquest. That was Dominic Grieve. Blair arranged for Lord Falconer to subsume the initial and rightful inquest into the Hutton Inquiry.
Shame on all of those involved in the cover up.
Attorney general rules against Dr David Kelly inquest
9 June 2011
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13709515
An application for a judicial review into Grieve’s decision failed, courtesy of Judge Nicol in the High Court.
Not one mention of Dr Kelly or the Hutton Inquiry in this entry. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Falconer,_Baron_Falconer_of_Thoroton
Recommend
An Inconvenient Death – How the Establishment Covered Up the David Kelly Affair
Miles Goslett – Head of Zeus – 2018
Why doesn’t anybody ever mention the role that Cambridge Analytica played in influencing the election? They were the ones responsible for the slogan: “Make America great again”.
The following video shows how they operate(d):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Dd5aVXLCc
One of my favorite Podesta emails is from Google’s Eric Schmidt, detailing how the Clinton campaign will take data and match it with voters to make a digital profile of each voter. Sharyl Sandberg also offered to help the campaign in any way she could be of assistance. David Brock ran troll farms a thousand times more influential than 13 Russians in St. Petersburg. My point is that Russians were not very influential.
“My point is that Russians were not very influential”
Mueller agrees.
Why is everyone ignoring what Putin said about $400 million of Russian money being funneled to the Clinton campaign? imo this explains the absolute hysteria we’re seeing about this meeting
One reason is because besides Putin’s statement there is absolutely no evidence it existed. However, it is almost certainly what was told to Trump Jnr in the Trump Tower meeting in 2016 and I am sure Putin’s bringing it up was deliberate. You get the feeling that he is genuine in his belief, although whether that belief is well-founded or not is another question. Donations to the Clinton Foundation from the Ziff Brothers that have been disclosed are less than a $100,000 and Bill Browder is even less significant.
But yes, I agree, I do think it explains a large part of total melt-down the media are displaying.
“there is absolutely no evidence it existed”
It does not appear to be in Putin’s manner of acting to not make evidence-less accusations. Here is what he said:
“According to our investigative officers, a group of people – Mr Browder’s business partners – who illegally made over $1.5 billion in Russia did not pay taxes either in Russia or the United States but transferred this money to the United States. They contributed $400 million to Mrs Clinton’s election campaign. This is official information included in their reports – $400 million. Well, it was up to them, they might have done this legally, but the gains were ill-gotten.” http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/58017
The $400 million contribution is not mentioned as such, but Browder is all over the media – as a “foreign policy expert” and astute commentator on Putin’s policy. He is part of the campaign… Example:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/07/16/bill-browder-fires-back-at-putin-after-press-conference.html
Unfortunately stealing 1.5 billion dollars of Russian money isn’t a crime in the UK or US, in fact it is discreetly encouraged (why do you think despite all the huffing and puffing no one ever puts meaningful sanctions on Russian oligarchs?). An undisclosed 400 million dollar contribution WOULD be a crime. I dunno, it just seems too much – I mean you could get Hilary Clinton to roll onto her back and let you scratch her tummy for around $10 million, so why not just keep the other $390 million for yourself?
It would be deeply ironic if Putin and the Russians had been fooled by a very skillful forgery from MI6 or the CIA, trying to lure them into making a fool of themselves. And then instead of leaping on the bait publicly, they (genuinely deceived by the forgery) proceeded to show it discretely to Bernie Sanders supporters and Don Trump Jr, with all the resulting hilarious blow-black that has resulted.
OTOH – perhaps its true? Donna Brazile’s Hacked depicts the Obama cabinet as being deeply terrified in mid 2016 when she took over the DNC in mid 2016. And it might explain why Comey was particularly skittish and reopening the Clinton email enquiry just weeks before the vote.
However, without evidence this is where it will stay – unsubstantiated claim in Putin press conference.
“scratch her tummy”
What a shame, that tasted so good, now I have to clean that up.
Thank you very much — NOT.
Agree Mike, why are all the protectors of western democracy silent on this vast bribe to Hillary from Russia?
Because the briber is a Putin-hater, and therefore on their side…
A down payment for another colour revolution no doubt.
Craig,
I hope you had a good festival. Ours was O.K., but has perhaps got too big – or the Marquees have got too small.
I agree with all of your excellent post. I think where most people are disagreeing with you, is because they identify with what they perceive to be The Left, and think you are being critical of it. I perceive The Left, to be what was the vast majority of The UK Labour Party, before it was infiltrated by the Neocon Blairite’s who in my view are even more Right Wing than the Right Wing of The Tory Party. Hopefully Corbyn wlll help turn it back into what it once was.
In a somewhat similar fashion, if the US Democrats were once a true Left Wing party, they too are just as Right Wing, if not more so, than the vast majority of Republicans.
There are numerous reasons why so many people of The Left still identify and support the US Democrats, including Brand (Party) Loyalty, and Groupthink brainwashing, promoted on a daily basis, by CIA / neocon controlled propaganda in almost all media. This includies much on the Internet such as Democracy Now, Alternet, Truthdig and Opednews. Their continuing support of the US Democrats, has almost completely destroyed the anti-war movement. They actually believe the R2P – Responsibilty To Protect – nonsense, when what it actually entails is mass bombing of foreign countries, which present absolutely no threat to the USA.
Their appears to be very strong alignment, between the May Tory Government, the US Democrats, CIA / MI6 etc to destroy the elected US President, because despite enormous difficulties, including from the rabid neocons he was forced to include in his Government, he actually appears to want to put a stop to all these crazy wars, and redirect American resources to rebuilding America.
Hating Trump, because much of the time he appears an uncouth lout, is disregarding what he is trying to achieve, in terms of ending wars and poverty. His techniques may be somewhat strange, but he has to contend with a bunch of complete psychos on a daily basis. Compared to them, he seems almost sane and a left wing pacifist.
Currently about 50% of Americans are living in what 50 years ago, the vast majority of Americans would consider dire poverty. America has been impoverished, by the crazy war policies, and the outsourcing of most productive labour to foreign countries.
Thierry Meysen has a completely different view of Trump, and in my view his analysis over the years has been extremely accurate.
“Trump and NATO bureaucracy by Thierry Meyssan
http://www.voltairenet.org/article202015.html
Tony
Indeed, yes, according to Meyssan, there is method in Trump’s madness, and he knows what he wants, and works towards that goal, doggedly, if chaotically.
Putin is of a similar opinion. He finds Trump “a very competent man,” with a good grasp of the issues they discussed, and “on some issues he stands by his opinions,” – not easily swayed.
https://www.rt.com/news/433416-putin-trump-can-listen/
At a previous occasion, Putin said the Trump we see on TV screens is quite different from the man he met.
Difficult to believe either Putin and or Meyssan, but perhaps their observation skills are better than ours…
Loquitur: En Bertrans de Born.
Dante Alighieri put this man in hell for that he was a
stirrer-up of strife.
Eccovi!
Judge ye!
Have I dug him up again?
The scene in at his castle, Altaforte. “Papiols” is his jongleur.
“The Leopard,” the device of Richard (Cúur de Lion).
I
Damn it all! all this our South stinks peace.
You whoreson dog, Papiols, come! Let’s to music!
I have no life save when the swords clash.
But ah! when I see the standards gold, vair, purple, opposing
And the broad fields beneath them turn crimson,
Then howl I my heart nigh mad with rejoicing.
Ezra Pound. Rest of poem at https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/sestina-altaforte
Someone on the last thread complaining about having to pay more tax for the NHS ( ” but a rise in income tax promised now to fund the NHS” ). Bloody typical middle class financial NIMBYism – more money for the NHS subito but I don’t want to pay more tax, let someone else play!!
The middle classes have done a f****ng sight better out of the NHS than the working class. Just the same as with education including university education. But it’s typical of the middle class to whine about having to pay the taxes to fund them – instead they whine oh you should cut defence spending to find the money. Yer middle class whiners are just f*****ng financial NIMBYs. Those on here will know who they qre.
And the middle classes living in the Home Counties are the worst of the bloody lot.