Israel has relentlessly bombed all 38 branches of the Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association in Lebanon. Why is it so important to the Zionist cause to specifically obliterate a savings and loan institution? I investigate in our fourth mini-documentary from Lebanon.
Click on the “Closed Captions” option at the bottom of the video and you will get the subtitles including translation from Arabic.
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no subtitles!!
It’s a test Layla – you failed !
The “CC” icon on the bottom bar works well for me. Not only is the Arabic subtitled, but also Craig’s English, for those of us whose ears aren’t as good as they once were. Much appreciated.
BTW – I love Craig’s documentary style here. Clear, to the point, intelligent commentary. Says more that’s worth hearing in 20 minutes than many programs running 10 times as long.
I’m shocked, shocked I tell you, about the propaganda churned out by the BBC in its Israel/Palestine coverage.
BBC editor Raffi Berg has almost complete control of the British broadcaster’s online coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza and is ensuring that all events are reported with a pro-Israel bias, according to a new report published on 28 December by Drop Site News. “This guy’s entire job is to water down everything that’s too critical of Israel,” one former BBC journalist said. Another BBC journalist said Berg plays a key role in a broader BBC culture of “systematic Israeli propaganda.”
“How much power he has is wild,” said another journalist.
Raffi Berg, who wrote a book praising clandestine Mossad operations, wields great power to influence perceptions of Israel’s war on Gaza because the BBC news website is the most-visited news site on the internet, with over 1.1 billion visits in May alone.
https://thecradle.co/articles/bbc-staffers-reveal-editors-entire-job-to-whitewash-israeli-war-crimes
The BBC are complicit in Israeli Genocide, alongside all western leaders.
The jobs of running the British regime’s media, legal, and diplomatic policies towards Israel are in practice Israeli appointments.
I wouldn’t be surprised if there were certain de facto Israeli-held offices too in the British armed forces, MOD, MI5, SIS, MOJ, and judiciary in respect of which it might similarly be commented that “how much power (the postholder) has is wild”.
Just imagine being anywhere in the British regime’s setup – whether in the BBC, the FCDO’s legal directorate, SIS, weapons procurement, intelligence, national security, or wherever – and saying “There’s a bit of a problem here. Let’s discuss it.” Nobody would f***ing dare say that.
If I were a billionaire I would fund something like “‘Allo! ‘Allo!” to take the piss out of this – although distribution might be a problem even for a billionaire. And one would need to give the actors and everybody else involved some kind of guarantee of their personal wellbeing, which might be somewhat tricky.
Respect to Owen Jones, but I think there is little mileage in seeking to prove the obvious journalistically on the schminternet to the social democratic wing of the wine-drinking classes. Gotta have far more of a strategy. Somehow. Goodness knows how. If anyone is wondering, no I haven’t got one in my back pocket.
Things are going to get a hell of a lot worse…
Harry Law.
Shocked indeed.
“The Middle East Editor of BBC News previously worked as “news editor” for US State Department.
While in post he was informed he was actually working for CIA + was “absolutely thrilled” about it.
For decades, MI5 had to approve every journalist the BBC hired. May still be case.
The 3rd largest funder of the BBC’s charitable arm is USAID.
This US government agency—which is often used as a CIA front—gives nearly £2 million per year.
BBC Media Action works with the World Service and local media in 35 countries to mentor and train journalists.”
https://nitter.poast.org/kennardmatt/status/1873019609848463506#m
“BBC Media Action works with the World Service and local media in 35 countries to mentor and train journalists.”
And, apparently, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was not a security services asset. Watch out Iran.
“I’m shocked, shocked I tell you, about the propaganda churned out by the BBC in its Israel/Palestine coverage.”
That reminds me of Captain Renault in Casablanca:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMIyDf3gBoY
Seriously, for someone like Raffi Berg to be in his position is against the UK’s national interest, because it compromises the BBC’s reputation for impartiality. It is essential for the BBC’s reputation for impartiality in journalism and its contribution to the UK’s international influence, that people like Berg be replaced by others genuinely impartial, or at least counterbalanced by Arabists.
The BBC managers who are “shocked, shocked” that anyone would question unconditional support for an “ally” like Israel also need to be booted out and replaced by people who believe that journalism is about informing the public, not deciding on who are allies – leave that to democratically elected and accountable politicians.
The BBC haven’t bothered to acknowledge the report, let alone sack the director-general or even Berg himself.
They are under no pressure to from a political class that fully supports UK participation in a racist genocide.
Here is an in-depth detailed report from ‘Drop site news’ ‘ The BBC’s Civil War Over Gaza, shows how the top BBC management conspire to whitewash coverage of Israel/Palestine. This story by Owen Jones is an eye opener.
“Berg’s first job at the BBC was as a reporter. His bylined work included “Israel’s teenage recruits,” a story published in 2002 that presented young IDF soldiers as courageous defenders of their country while failing to mention the occupation and settlement of Palestinian land or the widespread allegations of crimes documented by human rights organizations, including in Israel, and even the U.S. State Department. One BBC journalist described the article as an “IDF puff piece.”
Berg’s reported work also included a three-part series on Israeli settlers in the West Bank and Gaza. The series presented them as victims seeking “a better quality of life” and did not mention the fact that the settlements have been repeatedly deemed illegal. Instead, the series included a boxed sidebar, outside the text of the actual story, to relay that the settlements are “widely regarded by international community as illegal under international law,” but Israel maintains that “international conventions do not apply in the West Bank and Gaza because they were not under the legitimate sovereignty of any state in the first place.”
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/bbc-civil-war-gaza-israel-biased-coverage
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/12/29/739916/Qatari-media-A-lens-on-Syria-through-Qatari-interests
“Following the HTS militant group’s takeover of Damascus (formerly operating as the Al-Nusra Front), Syria has experienced a series of turbulent events. These include Israeli expansionism along its borders, airstrikes targeting Syrian military sites, and widespread media propaganda.
Media organizations such as Al-Jazeera, Middle East Eye, and The New Arab (Al-Araby Al-Jadeed) have been accused of deliberately ignoring these alarming developments while amplifying unverified news reports and painting the new ruling establishment as clean and capable.
These media outlets have amplified misleading narratives, including exaggerated reports about prisoners in Syrian jails and claims of so-called “mass graves.”
According to media analysts, their focus has largely been on rehabilitating the image of HTS commander Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, who previously fought in Syria and Iraq under the banners of Daesh and al-Qaeda terrorist groups.
According to Australian analyst and academic Tim Anderson, Al-Jazeera’s owner [1] was a major funder of the al-Qaeda- affiliated groups (Nusra Front/HTS) which have now taken over Damascus.
It was evident in the way Al-Jazeera and other Qatari media outlets shifted focus from Gaza to Syria soon after Assad left the country, hailing and celebrating the so-called “revolution.”[2]”
(1) That means Sheikh Hamad, former emir of Qatar, father of the present emir.
(2) Yep – this seems accurate. Press TV is clearly far superior to Al Jazeera (and TASS) now. Although I do wish they’d tell their contributors not to say things like “According to media analysts”. Don’t ape the British regime’s media, in which most articles nowadays seem to refer to “experts” saying something and some c*** or other posting a tweet.
International media sources are calling it one of the most consequential foreign visits to Damascus since the fall of Assad: a Ukrainian delegation led by Zelensky’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha met with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Damascus on Monday.
Syria’s newly appointed foreign minister under Jolani, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, told the Ukrainian FM that he hopes for a strong “strategic partnership” with the new Syria. Ukraine was reportedly key in helping the jihadist group HTS, a US-designated terror organization, storm across Syria in the days leading up to December 8 in the first place.
Interestingly, both Jolani and Zelensky have something else in common: they have both suspended elections for a period of at least years, citing the need for a wartime transition before a democratic process can be enacted.
Jolani said at least 4 years before elections take place. He is surely doing what Kipling suggested, i.e. he must keep his head, whilst everyone around him are losing theirs (literally). In my opinion HTS in Syria and Zelenski’s Ukraine are not long for this world. Thank goodness.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ukraine-fm-damascus-two-countries-which-have-halted-elections-indefinitely-find
Odd how the wartime Kiev regime can afford to back friends in faraway Syria when wartime Russia can’t.
The Kiev and Dnipro-based “oligarchs” may have sent Zelensky to Damascus to try to get hold of drug traffic that is (or was) going through Russia.
Ukraine, and Israel, only exist because of USA money. Take away the money and poof they are gone.
Stevie Boy.
On Ukraine.
One-third of Ukraine’s land used for wheat, is now badly contaminated by chemicals from weapons – and can’t be used to grow wheat, currently the USA controls the wheat production areas of Syria, will Syrian wheat find its way into Europe – to replace lost Ukrainian wheat.
I believe Ukraine was never a major wheat supplier for Europe, that was possibly part of the anti-Russian propaganda. Recall when Russia allowed wheat to be exported it went to European pig farmers for feed!
And, yes America has been stealing Syrian wheat and oil for years, part of the reason it fell to the western headchopping invaders. We’ve probably been eating Syrian wheat based products for years, unknowingly, and filling our cars with Syrian oil products.
However, IMO, the UK, USA and Europe are more than capable of being self sufficient in wheat. Too many countries farm cash crops rather than food.
Well this didn’t take long – as the the first official from Zelensky’s Neo-Nazi dictatorship in UKraine, makes a visit to Syria to meet Al-Jolani head of the proscribed terrorist western/Israeli backed outfit.
Expect a Ukrainian embassy, to be up and running soon – as Syria will now become a staging post – for all manner of terrorist attacks around the globe.
https://nitter.poast.org/KitKlarenberg/status/1873747717383725305#m
As stated previously. The USA transported ISIS fighters from Syria to Ukraine. The relationship and the agenda couldn’t be clearer. And, the Ukrainian Nazis are also active in Africa trying to undermine Chinese initiatives in the area.
Republicofscotland
Ukraine is a “Neo-Nazi dictatorship”? Who knew?
How would you describe Putin’s Russia?
JK Redux
Putin was elected (Zelensky isn’t – his term ran out a long time ago. He is a ‘War President’.)
So let’s say Putin is an elected Dictator and Zelensky isn’t an elected Dictator. If you wish to mangle words of course?
If you think Zelensky is in charge and not the US then the ‘Elected’ Donald Trump is just helping out a fellow unelected Democrat – isn’t he?
Trump, by the way I hear, is keen on Ukraine having elections before he decides what to do. Does that tell you something about who is really in charge or not?
Mark Cutts
Countries, part of whose territory is under foreign occupation and continuing attack, don’t (because they can’t) run general elections.
Even Britain, fortunately unoccupied by the Nazis, postponed General Elections till after WW2.
Perhaps Stalin’s USSR held elections during WW2 but, at the risk of angering tankies here, the USSR was a one-party State, not a democracy.
The special pleading for Russia and against Ukraine here is remarkable.
Zelensky, being an actor and with that an insatiable ego, will never have free and fair elections since he know he would lose. He want to keep running around in his pyjamas and patchy beard and getting free hand outs by world leaders. He want to stay in the limelight no matter what. He simply put himself before his own nation, people.
Recently a poll showed that Zelensky only have some 16% backing from his people:
Only one in six Ukrainians would vote for Zelensky – poll
https://swentr.site/news/608326-ukraine-election-zelensky-zaluzhny/
Tellingly, Zelensky rid himself of the most popular contender to himself – Valerily Zaluzhny on a plane to the UK (to become Ukrane’s ambassador) recently.
A new, realistic leadership could only save Ukraine. I assume when Trump takes power Zelensky’s support would plummet even more. Zelensky is done.
Jack
Your comment “Zelensky, being an actor and with that an insatiable ego will never have free and fair elections since he know he would lose” is a bit of a puzzle.
All actors have insatiable egos?
And people with insatiable egos will never have free elections?
Ronald Reagan was an actor before becoming POTUS and AFAIK allowed free elections.
Maybe his ego wasn’t insatiable enough?
” Zelensky, being an actor and with that an insatiable ego ”
Yes I’m sure we all remember what Glenda Jackson was like when she was an MP.
At least when Zelensky puts you on a plane to somewhere you’ve a reasonable chance of getting off at the other end. Also strange that if the Servant of the People Party are neo-Nazs that they’ve been accepted into the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe along with our very own LibDems.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_of_Liberals_and_Democrats_for_Europe_Party
If having an unelected president is all it takes be a neo-Nazi state I assume we can put Cuba, China, North Korea, Assad’s Syria etc in the same bin?
JK redux
Yes he want to be in focus, constantly, everything should be about him (according to himself). I did not see that behavior from Reagan. From what I know Reagan did not stop elections from being held. Did you see that?
Imagine being a nobody comedian from Ukraine and suddenly you get to travel around the world meeting world leaders and being in the media constantly. He is on a power-trip, it is natural but not good for Ukraine to have such a leader as the ukrainian population obviously also now recognize (polls).
JK redux
The consensus was that Zelensky was elected in desperation and the mindset at the time was one of: how much worse could it be? The BBC may have been commissioned/used – same thing? by the intel services to polish his image, but Ukrainians were so sick of widespread corruption, they took a leap of faith and voted in the guy who played fictional president, Vasiliy Petrovich Goloborodko, in TV show Servant of the People. The vote was akin to the public sticking the middle finger up at all politicians. Trump is pretty much a replica product of the same public feeling and antipathy in the US, for the professional political class, and their corruption and dissembling.
Faith in democracy is in crisis here in the UK too, and across the West more generally, because the party machines won’t allow dissent and are increasingly authoritarian and unwilling to debate anything remotely controversial. The European Parliament is no better; they’ve developed a nasty habit of cutting off representatives’ mics, if someone goes off-message.
The House of Commons is objectively appalling as a democratic debating forum. You can easily illustrate how appalling it is, with a thought experiment. Imagine, if out of the 600 MPs, 10% of the seats – i.e. 60 – were reserved for members of the public selected at random, as per jury service. I’d wager, free of the awful, stifling ‘you’ll lose the whip’ party structures that are crushing individuality, those 60 would become the most outspoken, popular people in parliament. The truth would be stated about Gaza and UK complicity; about poverty, and woe betide any lousy, useless party careerist criticising them. Anyone doubt this?
…
In fact I’ll go further, and say having ordinary citizens speak freely in parliament; without fear of the whips’ threats, nor looming reelection concerns and anxieties; nor in-hock to donors, lobbyists or post-politics patrons, would turn the 60 into superstars of politics. It’d be such a refreshing change. And it’d result in a major rethink about how we’re doing politics in the UK, as the parties grasped just how elitist, controlled and out-of-touch they’d become.
Why is a natural, organic democracy too much to ask for?
JK Redux
So how did Putin get re-elected?
Russia is in a War with Ukraine.
‘tankies’ – (now there’s an Americanism I’ve not heard for a long time.
One Party States?
The Western World is a One Party State – they represent capitalism only.
Just in case you or any other democrats have missed it – Russia is a fellow
capitalist country headed up by a Nationalist ( elected ) President.
But I will repeat – I hear ( may be true – may be not ) that Trump wants elections in Ukraine
before he makes his mind up vis; negotiations so The War President will need to stand for election just like
any other alleged Democrat.
Which is all great and Democratic.
Perhaps Putin will have a ceasefire to facilitate that – who knows?
@ JK, Britain wasn’t a democracy in 1940 when the state unilaterally abolished the fake election and isn’t a democracy now. Britain is a one-partei state and the one partei has two right wings. The special pleading for Britain in your comment is revealing.
JK redux.
Who knew.
Everyone.
I wondered why a certain circle of commentators here so vehemently deny the problem of Nazism in Ukraine, despite multiple irrefutable evidence. I assumed that people might simply be indifferent to it and therefore not interested in really looking into the matter. I admit, I also judged from a rather arrogant position that perhaps they were not clever enough to do so. And I also kept in mind that perhaps their status is such that it’s easier and convenient for them to support the narrative of their state, regardless of the facts.
However, keeping in mind the teachings of our good host Mr. Murray about the fact that the personality of the one bringing the opinion does not correlate with the veracity of the facts stated, I continued to look for something that could explain such behavior.
And I think I found it.
I don’t claim it the final truth, just came across this opinion recently.
Nazism, we know it from Germany (although personally I think that it manifested itself more in Japan). The person expressing his opinion put it this way:
“We had real Nazism, with a well-prepared base, justification, philosophy of Nietzsche and Kant. And what we see in Ukraine is a pathetic piece of work, a cargo cult.”
At this point, a couple more pieces of the puzzle fell into place in my picture.
Indeed, Ukrainians cannot seriously consider themselves Aryans within the limits of Hitler’s Nazi theory. There, their place is clearly defined as Untermenschen.
What they are doing now with the popularization of Hitler’s theory is a pathetic attempt to persuade their neighbors not to look at them as undeveloped half-animals, but to consider them “native”, real civilized Europeans.
In simple terms, Ukrainians mark themselves with a swastika and this is the same as the island aborigines who built a “radio mast” from palm leaves and painted the letters ‘USA’ on themselves in an attempt to magically summon a transport plane.
In this perspective, yes, one can agree that Nazism in Ukraine is not real.
“, despite multiple irrefutable evidence ”
For example?
Pears, unfortunately I’m too busy with Russian salad, herring and red caviar for the New Year party. But I think you should contact the moderators with your request. It seems to me they could give you the exact number of cases when evidence was brought and you saw it and commented on it.
If you want to practice, here’s what was shared two hours ago on social networks.
https://pikabu.ru/story/i_gde_vyi_nashli_natsistov_na_ukraine_12200344
If you have your specific explanation for the Nazi chevron on a soldier of the Ukrainian Border Service, I’ll read it tomorrow during the hangover party 🙂
Pears Morgaine
“For example?”
https://forward.com/news/462916/nazi-collaborator-monuments-in-ukraine/
Israeli forces – have established 13 military checkpoints on illegally occupied Syrian lands – their IOF forces – are moving towards Salam City, formerly known as Baath City in Quneitra.
The Greater Israel plan is well underway.
Update.
The Cradle, is reporting that IOF forces have just taken Quneitra – capturing government buildings – and expelling people from the area – between Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, and the coming slaughter in the West Bank, which isn’t in full swing just yet – the Zionists plans for a Greater Israel, are in motion.
The National Endowment for Democracy’s grant database has been removed from the web – the NED was meant to be an open and accountable body unlike the CIA – this will be a blow to many real journalists who use NED data to follow what the US is up to – whom it’s funding and where.
https://english.almayadeen.net/articles/analysis/collapsing-empire–rip–overt-operations.
The old page: https://www.ned.org/explore-all-grants/
The new page: https://www.ned.org/
The American, Zionist lovers – are really going for it.
“Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) has introduced legislation that would prohibit federal use of the term “West Bank” and instead use “Judea and Samaria,” a phrase that refers to Israel’s biblical claim on the region.
A similar House bill was introduced earlier this year by three Republican lawmakers.
“The Jewish people’s legal and historic rights to Judea and Samaria goes back thousands of years,” said Cotton in a statement. “The U.S. should stop using the politically charged term West Bank to refer to the biblical heartland of Israel.””
“Syria Verify confirmed the video shared above depicted armed opposition gangs attacking the Dafa charity, 25 km from Sednaya, robbing it of buses and batteries while intimidating women and kids – the exact opposite of what int’l media claimed took place.
Among those who pushed the fake story that women and toddlers were liberated from Sednaya:
UK FCDO/MI6 controlled BBC
Turkish-owned TRT
Qatar-owned Middle East Eye
Regime change propagandist @hxhasan of US govt-funded @NewlinesInst”
https://nitter.poast.org/MaxBlumenthal/status/1873506950388052387#m
How the UK government did their big bit – to put the head choppers in charge within Syria.
“Beginning in 2011, Britain embarked on a campaign to overthrow the Bashir al-Assad regime in Syria, in cooperation with its key allies the US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.
Military training and weapons were given to armed opposition forces who were often collaborating with jihadist groups, in effect supporting and empowering them.
“One major beneficiary of the secret campaign was Jabhat Al-Nusra, the Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria founded by Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, who later rebranded his militant force as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
Al-Jolani now appears to be the key power-broker in Damascus after the fall of the Assad regime. He has been presenting his ‘moderate’ credentials to the West for some years, with great effect.
Former MI6 chief Sir John Sawers now says that HTS is more a “liberation movement” than a terrorist force, despite being a proscribed organisation in the UK.””
https://www.declassifieduk.org/when-britain-aided-al-qaeda-in-syria/
This interview of Noam Chomsky by Andrew Marr illustrates the way Journalists (especially of the MSM type) do reflect not only the (usually wealthy) proprietors views but also the whole educational system which has a unique ability to ‘weed out’ stroppy, unconventional candidates for positions of influence.
Marr: “If the press is a censoring organisation, tell me how that works. Is it… You’re not suggesting that proprietors phone one another up [Chomsky: No] Or that many journalists get their copies spiked as we say?”
Chomsky: “It’s a, well actually, Orwell you may recall has an essay called ‘Literary censorship in England’, which was supposed to be the introduction to Animal Farm except that it never appeared. And which he points out, look, I’m writing about a totalitarian society but in free democratic England it’s not all that different. And then he says, unpopular ideas can be silenced without any force.
Marr: “This is what I don’t get, because it suggests that – I mean I’m a journalist – people like me are self-censoring.”
Chomsky: “No, not self-censoring. You’re, there’s a filtering system, that starts in kindergarten, and goes all the way through, and it’s not going to work 100% but it’s pretty effective. It selects for obedience, and subordination, and especially I think… [Marr: So stroppy people won’t make it to positions of influence] There’ll be behavioural problems. If you read applications to a graduate school you’ll see that people will tell you, he’s not, he doesn’t get along too well with his colleagues, you know how to interpret those things.”
Marr: “I’m just interested in this because I was brought up like a lot of people, probably post-Watergate film and so on, to believe that journalism was a crusading craft and there were a lot of disputatious, stroppy, difficult people in journalism, and I have to say, I think I know some of them.”
He gives a two sentence response, which is not very profound, but captures it. He says two reasons, first the press is owned by wealthy men who have every interest in not having certain things appear, but second the whole educational system from the beginning on through just gets you to understand that there are certain things you just don’t say. “Well, spelling these things out, that’s perfectly correct. I mean, the first sentence is what we expanded on…”
Marr: “This is what I don’t get, because it suggests that – I mean I’m a journalist – people like me are self-censoring. How can you know that I’m self-censoring? How can you know that journalists are… ?”
Chomsky: “I’m not saying your self-censoring. I’m sure you believe everything you’re saying. But what I’m saying is that if you believe something different, you wouldn’t be sitting where you’re sitting.”
https://stanvanhoucke.blogspot.com/2020/11/transcript-of-interview-between-noam.html
Today’s journalists (if they want to ‘get on’) must toe the line, or they will not be invited to give opinions to MSM, or de-platformed completely and reduced to obscure alt media sites. Some examples to suffice here: John Mearsheimer, whom many regard as the preeminent Foreign affairs specialist, and the brilliant Professor Jeffrey Sachs, who admits he has been blackballed by the MSM. Our own Craig Murray must feel like the Philosopher Diogenes who lived in a barrel and was not afraid to speak truth to power. John Helmer is in this category with his exposure of the Skripal machinations.
“Diogenes of Sinope, the still famous philosopher of ancient Greece, had an unusually long and exceptionally miserable life between 412 and 323 BC. Diogenes was more than cynical. He illustrated this point with his habit of walking about in the bright sunshine with a lighted lantern. Asked what he was doing, he quipped that he was looking for an honest man”.
https://johnhelmer.net/roll-out-the-barrel-for-the-new-year-thats-diogeness-barrel/#more-90857
I also loved the Diogenes quote: When asked by Alexander the Great if he could do anything for him ? Diogenes replied: Yes could you move over a bit you are blocking my sunlight….
” What is important about depicting anomalies precisely ? If you cannot do it, that shows you do not know your way around the concepts”
Wittgenstein, Culture and Value
Johnathan Cook nails it in this truthful, if not disturbing, essay on the power of propaganda in relation to political power in the United States.
The emperor (Biden) so we were told, was fully clothed.
The truth about Biden hasn’t suddenly leaked out from his officials. Senior politicians on both sides of the aisle knew. White House correspondents knew. Editors knew. And they all lied to protect the system of power to which they belong, the system that keeps them gainfully employed, the system that maintains their status. No one was going to rock the boat.
But more significant than the media deceptions are the fact that much of the public fell for them, not once but over and over again: day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.
Why? Because far too many of us are in the grip of the West’s propaganda system. We believe that the billionaire-owned media is to be trusted, that it serves the public good, not private wealth.
If a large chunk of the public can be persuaded that a man who is incapable of finding the door through which he’s supposed to leave is “sharp as a tack”, then why would they not also believe that the United States is promoting democracy as it has laid waste to the Middle East over the past two decades to control the region’s oil?
Or that Washington is seeking peace for the world and Ukraine by arming it with ever-more offensive weapons against a nuclear-armed Russia so that the US can place ballistic missiles on Moscow’s doorstep?
Or that the US wants a ceasefire in Gaza even as it supplies the munitions, intelligence and diplomatic cover for Israel to carry out a genocide there?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/is-us-democracy-a-sham-biden-gave-us-the-answer-were-you-listening/ar-AA1wHWtp
@ Harry
“The truth about Biden hasn’t suddenly leaked out from his officials. Senior politicians on both sides of the aisle knew. White House correspondents knew. Editors knew. And they all lied to protect the system of power to which they belong, the system that keeps them gainfully employed, the system that maintains their status. No one was going to rock the boat.”
Was anyone taken in?
Comment on “Ukraine is a “Neo-Nazi dictatorship”
The OSCE report of the first Ukraine parliamentary elections following Maidan includes these footnotes:
“Cases of ‘street lustration’ of individuals associated with the former government, including candidates and other election stakeholders, were reported by OSCE/ODIHR EOM observers from Kyiv city, as well as from Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad and Odesa oblasts. In many instances of ‘street lustration’, targets were thrown into trash bins, with several enduring other forms of humiliation meant to supplant an official lustration process. Several candidates expressed support for the ‘street lustration’ process. OSCE/ODIHR EOM observers reported that an investigation in one such case was opened in Odesa. 26 OSCE/ODIHR EOM observers saw or received reports on destroyed campaign offices or tents from Dnipropetrovsk (CPU, OB, RP, PPB, one self-nominated), Ivano-Frankivsk (RP), Kharkiv (CPU, OB), Odesa (Batkivshchyna) and Zaporizhya (RP) oblasts”.
“Lustration”, as I understand it, means basically purging of the opposition and, I would say, typical Nazi/fascist behaviour.
It is taking place in Syria right now with the “lustration” of the Christian and Alawite minorities and in Gaza it is simply a euphemism for genocide.
sorry, Crispa, for my comment in advance.
I just want to make you know, that writing ‘Kyiv’ instead of ‘Kiev’ may couse much fun to one Russian housewife and many other Russian-speaking people 🙂 Please let me share this on this wonderful NewYear’s Eve day
https://pikabu.ru/story/dizaynerskiy_podkhod_7162584
Crispa
You say that ““Lustration” as I understand it means basically purging of the opposition, and I would say typical Nazi / fascist behaviour.”
“and I would say” is doing the heavy lifting in that sentence.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lustration
No mention of Nazi or fascist behaviour there….
Funny that.
Lustration of real and alleged enemies is certainly anti-democratic, fascist. There is no political/media opposition left in Ukraine, it is banned under the cover of “lustration”.
Jack
Do you have any sources for your claim about lustration?
The Wiki piece certainly doesn’t support it.
Actually, Wiki certainly have a section on it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lustration_in_Ukraine#Criticism
If there was a coup in Ukraine tommorow and the new rulers would commit to lustration against Zelensky and his regime certainly you would not support it.
Jack
Thank for that but the paragraph “The purpose of the lustration campaign is to remove from public office “for ten years and others for five years” civil servants who worked under Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych for more than a year[7] “and did not resign of their own accord” between 25 February 2010 and 22 February 2014 and civil servants “who were elected and worked in high positions in the Soviet Communist Party, were permanent workers or secret agents of the Soviet KGB, the Main Intelligence Department of the Soviet Defense Ministry, graduated from higher education establishments of the Soviet KGB (except for technical specializations), worked with the special services of foreign countries as secret informers or carried out events aimed at sabotaging the foundations of Ukraine’s national security, defense or territorial integrity by their actions or lack thereof, made public calls for violations of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, or fanned ethnic feud”.[8]”
doesn’t support the Nazi slur against Ukraine either.
It has been written quite alot about neo-nazi problem in Ukraine.
NBC reported on it: 2022: “Ukraine’s Nazi problem is real, even if Putin’s ‘denazification’ claim isn’t”
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/ukraine-has-nazi-problem-vladimir-putin-s-denazification-claim-war-ncna1290946
The Guardian reported on it: Take the most important force on the ukrainian side, the Azov brigade which was branded a far-right neo-nazi group in the west running around with swastikas and “white pride” tattoos while teaching kids about war in some type of Hitler Jugend Camp, quite absurd:
https://youtu.be/jiBXmbkwiSw?t=595
BBC made a documentary about this problem 10 years ago, note the little fella that speak high of National socialism, he want a “clean” state. These are not some few bad apples here and there, these views are normal in Ukraine.
Neo-Nazi threat in new Ukraine: NEWSNIGHT
https://youtu.be/5SBo0akeDMY?t=122
You already know all this so I will end here.
Stevie Boy
If you are reduced to linking to RT to support your claims, you must be desperate.
I hope that the New Year brings you a measure of wisdom and insight, badly needed I’m afraid.
Jack.
It looks like lustration has been around in Ukraine for a while.
https://voxukraine.org/en/63
Also with Mi5 vetting anyone who joins the propaganda outfit – would it be fitting to say the BBC uses lustration?
Ros
That link is to an article which is certainly not critical of ‘lustration’ in Ukraine.
I’m still waiting for a link to an article that supports the claim that Ukraine and its Government
are Nazis.
Here you go Johnny!
https://www.rt.com/russia/610249-ukraine-border-guard-nazi-symbols/
Oh a Russian propaganda outlet. I’m sure they can be trusted to be unbiased and objective.
it appeared on Ukrainian Border Guard Service’s official web-page. I find it extraordinary that only a Russian propaganda outlet paid attention to it. Looks like Western propaganda outlets see nothing wrong in these Nazi symbols.
JK Redux
Never heard of that word before and it has many different meanings I think.
There seems to be religious meaning and an ‘ Is he/she fit for office?
Have a look at these definitions: https://www.onelook.com/?loc=olthes1&w=lustration
It says purge in green and I’m pretty sure that Putin didn’t write it.
p.s. Also have a look at this (non Wikipedia ) web page vis: Ukraine and its history.
I admit it’s too long to read in one go but it will tell you more than the BBC and Wikipedia.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Ukraine/Political-process
You can ‘ Lustrate ‘ all the parts you don’t like depending on the meaning selected)?
If you so wish?
How many political parteis have been banned by the freedom-loving US-Zelensky junta?
Really disgusting to read the news today, UK, US bomb Yemen, a nation that they – along with the heinous sunni gulf regimes – past decade bombed to bits and commited genocide against. Now today 2024, on new years eve, the same US, UK regimes bomb Yemen once again. And for what reason? To defend Israel, so they, on their part could finish up their genocide in Gaza.
US, UK conduct fresh airstrikes against Yemeni capital
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/12/31/740081/Yemen-US-UK-aggression-airstrikes-target-Sana-a-CENTCOM-confirm-multiple-strikes
Where it the outcry? Go back 10-20 years ago, you had significant western political, medial opposition to wars, but not today.
It is like the Labour/Social Democrats/Greens have completely ditched foreign policy topics altogether, abdicated, and instead adhered to an hawkish, neo-con type of policy. It is like some grand entrism going on right in front of us.
Worldwide proscribed terrorist – but Western/Nato/Israeli backed Al-Jolani, the new Leader and chief head chopper in Syria – has appointed a Turk as the new Syrian Brigadier General.
Turkey has 2nd largest standing army in NATO and hosts, at Izmir, the Alliance’s entire Land Command. At Adana, close to Syrian border, Turkey hosts a huge US airbase and 1,500 American soldiers.
Syria is now a NATO protectorate.
What a shame. But hopefully, we are now only 3 weeks away from liberation, thanks to the Donald/Elon alliance. A rightfully celebrated deal-master plus the richest man in the world. How could it go wrong?
I understand Vlad is already underlining his own red lines, but one way or another, peace is coming soon to a theater near you, be it Ukraine or Lebanon. Which was, like Syria, at one point a French protectorate, so even a century later, still a chaos. No surprise.
Have a great New Year. Very promising.
How drunk were you when you wrote that?
Well, well, well.
The war criminal Tony Blair, and Mi6, wanted to work with Syria’s Assad, to defeat Al-Jolani. Now British diplomats cavort with the proscribed terrorist Al-Jolani.
“Senior MI6 officials wanted help from Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad to stop terrorists entering Iraq in 2004, it has emerged.
US troops were coming under attack from foreign fighters with links to Al Qaeda, which had gained a foothold there following the fall of Saddam Hussein.
Among them was Syrian Islamist Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, also known as Ahmed al-Sharaa, who would eventually overthrow Assad.
British diplomats met Jolani this month in Damascus where he called for a terrorism designation on his rebel group to be lifted.
That group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is currently listed under UK terrorism law as an alternative name for Al Qaeda.
Sir John Sawers, who was Tony Blair’s foreign policy adviser and went on to run MI6, has called Jolani’s group a “liberation movement”.
Yet 20 years ago when Blair was prime minister, Jolani and his associates were on the cusp of forming an Iraqi branch of Al Qaeda, which posed a real threat to Western forces in the region.
The risk was so serious that Blair was willing to ask for help from Assad, whose dictatorship was notorious for torture.”
https://www.declassifieduk.org/blair-wanted-assad-to-help-mi6-stop-jolani/
Whilst Blair and Bush walk free we can be confident that Netanyahu, Biden, Sunak and Starmer will never face justice.
Happy new year !
Not Likely Stevie Boy…Especially since it is in fact The West’s Genocide..West Funded.. West Armed.. West Silence.. West’s Presstitutes.. And the west Keep going for the Evil US.
And Yes I hope 2025 is kind to you all and to our Brave host ..Stay safe All.
Agreed, but let’s not forget that Netanyahu, Trump, and Starmer and the highly centralised big business interests that they serve intend to commit further crimes against humanity. It seems in Britain for example that children with disabilities and their families will be one target in 2025:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/29/children-special-needs-councils-labour-send
Just gotta ask the obvious question, “How are we going to fight this?”, and things look pretty damned bleak.
We could easily turn around and turn back again in 2025 and – BANG – “health rings” (as per the Labour promise) have become de facto compulsory for most of the population – a kind of ongoing victory for the use of the internet as the whole of society is turned into a prison. There is huge resistance to the idea that the internet is a tool used against the population, because people believe in lies about “freedom”. But you gotta wonder how much will it take for 1% of the population – once the compulsory use of devices takes off, with which big business and the state literally monitor (inter alia) your dreaming periods to make sure you get “healthy” sleep – to cotton on that the revolution will not be online.
In the words of Frank Zappa: “The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it’s profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theatre.”
Gaza and Kashgar are the planned future of the world, coming into being right now. 2024 was an absolutely terrible year – no let-up in the genocide in Gaza whatsoever, and despite the laudable actions by e.g. the ICJ and the South African and Irish governments and the Axis of Resistance (Hamas, Hezbollah, Yemen, Iran), the jackboot has sadly not been taken off the enemy’s foot.
Brian. Using Canada as the example, why do you think state sanctioned murder, euthanasia, was pushed so heavily by Starmer ?
Disabled, long term sick, DNRs will all be mandated for termination.
Worthless feeders, as the Nazis put it. Everyone worries about Reform (rightly: what decent person embraces jingoism and racism, unless brainwashed by endless pro nationalist propaganda?) but Starmer is already on what is effectively the far right, as his language consistently proves.
One has to ask, If Reform is the answer, what was the question ?
Sickening or what ?
“The IDF has built a beachside resort on the coast of northern Gaza where its soldiers can take a break from committing genocide to relax, get massages, drink iced coffee and eat ice cream and cotton candy by the shore.
Meanwhile, the last hospital in northern Gaza has been burned down by the Israeli military after days of violent siege warfare on the medical facility.”
https://consortiumnews.com/2024/12/31/caitlin-johnstone-empire-homelessness/
I seen that the other day Stevie..I reacd CM Every Day and their Longer Videos Caity J ..Greyzone the Judge ..Imagine this horror then they go back Slaughtering..
And the West in Glee
as the starving children flee
Evil Media Tell Lies
Sickening yes. But that’s not the whole shebang.
Reportedly, the Donald has already chosen Israeli contractors to design and develop a golf course and clubhouse by the Gaza coast. After all, he’s already done a lot for Netanyahu, and plans to do more after the inauguration.
Says Elon, who now behaves like a stage 5 clinger “18 holes is a lot more than required from a Palestinian”.
We’re now only 19 days away from paradise, when the US of A and Russia become friends again, thanks to their remarkable leaders.
Brave New World, as Aldous Huxley paraphrased the Bard…
It looks as though IDF soldiers can only endure 10 days in Gaza at a time. This could be a reflection of the resilience of the Palestinian resistance as reported in the Electronic Intifada.
Stevie Boy.
That’s terrible – I’ve seen so many images of the Zionist IOF – committing war crimes online – and acting in a vile way, such as dressing up in dead Palestinian women’s clothes in their homes – or taking selfies – of themselves outside Palestinian homes, whilst the dead bodies of the families burn in homes behind them, or D9 bulldozer drivers displaying dead Palestinian children’s toys on their huge bulldozers – or shooting and killing men, women and children – and falsely reporting or claiming that they were terrorists.
Also, I can’t verify this – but I’ve read that Trump has already picked out the land for his new golf course (beach side resort) in Gaza.
Well, that’s Russian gas cut-off from travelling via Ukraine – Europeans will now pay much more for their energy. Most of Europe’s leaders – don’t care about their citizens, if they did, they wouldn’t be making their lives tougher – by raising their cost of living.
“Ukraine’s transit network is connected to the pipeline systems of Moldova, Romania, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia, and then on to Austria and Italy. Slovakia will be hit hardest by the halt in gas flows, as it relies on Russian supplies through Ukraine to cover around 60% of demand. Moldova, a former Soviet state and EU aspirant, could also be seriously affected by the end of the transit agreement, as it generates much of its electricity at a power station fueled by Russian gas.”
Also.
Slovakian PM Robert Fico – is livid that Zelensky has cut-off Russian gas to his country, Slovakia gets around 60% of it gas from Gazprom, Fico is so angry at EU geopolitics – that are hurting European nations – that he’s threatened to cut-off electricity supplies to Ukraine, if the Russian gas isn’t turned back on again.
Currently Slovakia supplies Ukraine with around 20% of its electricity needs – on hearing this threat, Poland has stepped in and promised to increase its supply of electricity to Ukraine, if Fico carries out his threat.
Indeed – to repeat the Victoria Nuland quote ‘we regret the sacrifice of the Ukrainian people’ and ‘Fuck Europe’. Brexit was planned at the same time as all this as it is now playing out. The big picture is still unclear. The chance to evacuate the people of Gaza to safety has gone. Terrorism is the new government in Syria. Turkey, Saudi, and Kolnoyski (Zelensky) are the upcoming triumvirate, hanging on the coattails of Israel. Who are the good guys? Are there any? Are we self sufficient in gas or is it all in the hands of global hedge funds? It is very hard to get an overview and yet there still seems to be a plan that events are going to….
The gas off Gaza is part of it. The pipeline is in place to Cyprus and then Greece and northwards, also to Turkey and eastwards. Is it almost operational enough to cut Russia out already?
” Well, that’s Russian gas cut-off from travelling via Ukraine – Europeans will now pay much more for their energy. ”
Europe imports less than 10% of it’s gas from Russia and has had a year’s notice to make alternative arrangements. The effect on prices should be small.
Pears Morgaine
UK energy prices rose today as well – of course Scotland produces far more energy than it uses, effectively, Scotland is swimming in energy sources – yet Scots pay through the nose for their energy.
On a geopolitical scale – Europe has made itself much poorer at the behest of its US overlord, energy price rises just being one factor.
Scotland produces 98.8% of electricity, imports 81% of its gas from Norway and after the last oil refinery closes in the next few months will have to import all its finished oil products: diesel, petrol, kerosene, LPG etc.
Natural gas price risen by just over 4%, probably driven by speculators rather than any real shortage.
Pears Morgaine.
A wee bit more info – and its definitely not good news.
https://www.thomasfazi.com/p/end-of-ukrainian-gas-transit-signals
Interesting, he puts European gas imports via Ukraine at just 5%. If I asked you to cut your energy usage by 5% how much hurt wold it cause?
Pears Morgaine.
There’s a big difference in my 5% – and a 5% cut in a whole continent.
Pears Morgaine.
I’ve took a screenshot of your post.
I don’t mistrust you of course but, Von Der Leyen is not to be trusted.
Being as she is German and knows the effects of sanctions and allowing
the Nordstream2 pipeline to be blown up.
No doubt the Mittelstand and other bigger companies ( the one’s who are moving
production to the USA ) may dispute your optimism and certainly Von Der Leyen’s.
Germany may un-mothball the nuclear power stations and the French will continue
to run their ageing Nuclear Power Stations too.
Bang goes the Green Dividend.
p.s Have you ever thought of applying for a job with OFGEM?
Well the Tankies claim sanctions aren’t hurting Russia. You and I of course know differently.
I fear the German nuclear power plants may be beyond resuscitation but Germany replaced them by burning more coal and lignite so if they could be brought back online then it would be a positive step towards reducing CO2 and other pollutants. Likewise keeping the French nukes going and not replacing them with fossil fuels. Like the UK, both countries are investing heavily in renewables; we just need to crack the storage problem.
We don’t need Russian Gas. We have the burgermeister paving over the UK with his windmills and solar mirrors, we will laugh at the commies with their coal, gas and nuke driven turbines. Ha Ha Ha. Ed, what a man, will save us …
The UK doesn’t import any gas from Russia anyway, 41% comes from Norway, 30% from the North Sea, 18% from the US. Gas consumption has also fallen 8% over the last ten years.
https://x.com/MAGAVoice/status/1859259154311123245
Could this 3 minute clip explain a lot about what the West is doing around the glob just now. Certainly seems so, but profiteering by the money elites is what drives these conflicts. It’s a rough job making all these weapons and munitions. Thus far the western elites have profited massively as the wreak their business model around the globe.
And we, support it. If there was money to be made throttling babies, we let it pass. I mean what’s the difference a million dead in Iraq, or Gaza or Syria or Yemen or wherever. The bairns have their bit to play getting slaughtered like the rest. Anyway, watch the JFK Jr video clip – it is thought provoking, for those that actually think, which is I think giving to much credit to so many of our fellow citizens.
The wages of non participation, is death. Biblical sounding yes, but utterly true. We, for the most part let others choose our fate for us.
Keep up the good work Mr Murray. Sorry I couldn’t be a bit cheerier for January 1st but there’s not a lot to be cheery about.
And of course, if there is ever any slaughter here the pride and glory of the fallen is a cause for celebration. We shall remember. They died fighting the good fight. And that’s it. Happy New Year 2025. More of the same, maybe even more. A bigger and better conflagration. Starmer’s up for it. Biden certainly was.
And a new president Trump. Well maybe he means what he says when he declares he will stop the war in Uktaine, settle the Middle East. If he could do that, then aside of any of his other politics, I would give a grateful thanks.
There’ll be massive internal opposition in Washington D.C. to Trump ending the war in Ukraine, and none of it will really be honourable. If Trump is serious(?) about ending the war, it’s essential there’s an early in-person meeting, between himself and Putin, to hammer a deal out. I’d imagine the likes of Secretary State, Rubio and the State Dept will be doing all they can to scupper any quick peace deal that involves Ukraine ceding territory by using all overt and covert means at their disposal to that end. That’s why Tulsi Gabbard could be an essential check, and why the security establishment are fighting so hard to prevent her becoming Director of National Intelligence. They’d no doubt prefer someone as conniving and as opposed to Trump as they are. I really think Gabbard is a key test of whether Trump’s administration will be different. If she’s rejected for some Washington Neocon, like John Bolton or Pompeo, it’ll likely be the difference between continued escalatory war and peace.
The war has clearly developed into a ‘battle of egos’ , with western elites refusing to countenance allowing Russia(Putin) to claim any sort of victory, amid Russia’s losses in Ukraine. I doubt these elites care much about killed and injured Ukrainians or ex-comedian turned President. Zelensky : it’s always been very much personal and about Putin personally, certainly for the Democratic establishment still bruised and searching for answers to explain away Hillary’s unexpected defeat. Much of the security elite also fell c.2016 for the Russiagate nonsense through exposure to the constant media drip, drip of leaks and speculative disinformation; agency false flags and false attributions, aimed at further poisoning western public attitudes to Russia.
There is no deal to be had. Putin is very, very clear:
– All the liberated areas will stay liberated.
– No membership of NATO ever.
– Total de-nazification of Ukraine.
– No ceasefires.
– No discussions whatsoever with unelected ‘leaders’.
Take it or leave it, the killing will not stop until these terms are met.
Let the killing go on! Are you serious?
Hear, hear! The end is nigh…
But the year is still new. Even in New Orleans…
Madison ..Well Yes Russia are VERY Serious ..and perhaps you could turn your attion an actual Genocide
Putin needs an off-ramp too. Economic indicators show storm clouds are gathering; with an overheating economy and inflation and interest rates soaring. And that’s the view of objective assessments, it’s not just the usual paid shills either , the Russia is doomed crowd.
Wars are costly for superpowers, as the US’s adventure attempting nation building Afghanistan showed, and Russia isn’t an economic superpower.
As for Trump’s potential and the opposition to Gabbard’s appointment – it isn’t coming from those who doubt whether she’s patriotic(she served in uniform), nor do they think she’s some liability who will leak sensitive info and secrets. It’s based on the fact they don’t think she’s ideologically aligned with US imperialism. She’s got a history of questioning official lines and ‘intelligence reports’ and being non-ideological – listening to both sides. She seems perfect for that ‘big picture’ coordination role, and quietly tackling overreach and abuses, but I believe that’s precisely why many are against her.
Stevie Boy
That’s quite the list of demands for the Russian dictator to assert.
Maybe add the abolition of NATO and the EU?
Oh and demilitarisation of Europe.
Dammit why not Russian Governors in each European country? Just as Advisors initially.
You know that it makes sense!
(Of course, Putie Boy and his Orc Army could just fvck off back to Russia/Mordor?)
Johnny. Reality 101.
For Russia the Ukraine is an existential matter. They must win to survive, it’s not just another war, it’s about the very survival of Russia. If they think they’ll lose then WW3/MAD will be certain because their very survival depends on winning, nothing less. And, that’s not Putin saying it, it’s all, loyal, Russians.
As you know, the West started this but it is a war they cannot, and never could, win.
The Demands are reasonable and will be met.
NATO and the EU, in their current form, will perish eventually, like Israel. Good riddance.
Stevie Boy
Here’s the thing.
For Ukraine the Russian invasion is an existential matter. They must win to survive, it’s not just another war, it’s about the very survival of Ukraine.
And China won’t allow their increasingly dependent Putie Boy to use nukes.
It might give Taiwan ideas after all.
Ukraine was never threatened.
Ukraine lost a long time ago.
Ukraine will soon revert to a neutral, non threatening entity, reliant on Russia, abandoned by the west.
China’s fate will mirror Russia’s. China is watching.
Stevie Boy
Even a tankie should be able to see the logical dissonance between:
“Ukraine was never threatened”
and
“Ukraine lost a long time ago”
” Dammit why not Russian Governors in each European country? ”
Yes, replace the slow, unwieldy and expensive local democracy with Kremlin apparatchiks as they already have in the laughably termed ‘liberated’ areas of Ukraine. That would be far more efficient and ensure that no more of their masters ‘red lines’ get crossed.
” As you know, Russia started this but it is a war they cannot, and never could, win. ”
There, fixed that for you.
You do realise that even if Russia occupies all of Ukraine it won’t be the end of the war, just a move to different phase of partisan activity, terrorism if you like, aided and abetted by NATO and Europe, designed to wear the Russians down. Ukraine has been preparing for this scenario since at least 2022, and Russia has already had a taste of it in the occupied areas and on their own territory, and they don’t seem to like it very much. As Goose says, the Russian economy is not in good shape and the vultures, led by China which has it’s own problems, are beginning to circle. All Ukraine has to do is to hang on until the Russian economy implodes and the ‘Special Military Operation’ becomes unaffordable.
Thank you Willie. That link really says it all! No wonder they are trying to discredit RFK. Bernie already shared the Black Rock stuff in a plea to Congress to show some humanity. I would love to see Bernie join Trump’s team as an Independent. This is the full picture I was looking for
Something to get you thinking.
“Access to certain Russian media has been restricted in the EU under DSA/sanctions laws. Meanwhile, all Western media Telegram channels remain freely accessible in Russia. Who would have thought that in 2025 Russian Telegram users would enjoy more freedom than European”
Although it has never properly been delivered, one must admit that brexit does provide the UK with some separation from the shitshow that is the EU.
Stevie Boy.
I can’t access RT on my phone or on my tv – the UK media blames everything on Russia and the late great Alex Salmond was classed in the UK as a Russian propagandist – so no, the UK f*ckin sucks; and I haven’t even gotten round to UK machinations, with Boris Johnson breaking up the possibility of an early ceasefire and deal between Russia and Ukraine.
From a Scottish point of view the UK media is an enemy of Scots.
Exactactly true RoS as Craig and others pointed ot – Londond Calling Documenary
0:09 / 1:09:05
LONDON CALLING: BBC bias during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum
and it aint just BBC and it NEVER stops..I rember Caraig saing – it’s going be blood on the streets
I can still get RT on my iPhone and the laptop. If you really want to read RT I suggest you change provider or get yourself a VPN.
Pears Morgaine.
Yeah right – people need to realise that most VPN companies, or the most popular ones, are controlled, and owned by ex-Israeli spies, ex-Unit-8200 employees feature greatly in these companies.
https://www.mintpressnews.com/exposed-how-israeli-spies-control-your-vpn/288259/
Golden Rule of the Internet:- If the product is free you are the product.
Telegram is Russian and content closely controlled anyway. The FSB successfully blackmailed the channel into handing over its encryption codes back in 2020. It’s of more use to the state as a surveillance tool.
Meanwhile, as has already been pointed out, YouTube has been blocked.
Supporting ISIS has worked out well for the USA in new Orleans.
What’s supposed to be good in Damascus is supposed to be bad in New Orleans.
It’ll be interesting what happens with the alleged bombs and the alleged associates.
Trump blaming “foreign criminals” makes me think domestic law enforcement or national security probably played a role.
“When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true,” said Trump, mostly demonstrating that he doesn’t know the meaning of the word “refute”.
Out of interest, has Elon Musk, or “Kekius Maximus” [*] as the fascist b*****d now calls himself on his micro-messaging service, ever commented on terrorist attacks? Or does he limit himself to saying riots happen because of too much immigration and governments not being rightwing enough?
(1) “ ‘Kekius’ appears to be a Latinisation of ‘kek’ ” explains the British government’s broadcasting service. Dig that word “appears”. I guess they didn’t want to say anything definitive until “BBC Verify” had cleared it with the Lobby.
Here is Norman Finkelstein being brillant –
The Israeli government and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claim that the Kamal Adwan Hospital has been used for terrorist reasons. The Israeli government has yet to provide any proof of terrorist cells in or below the hospitals in Gaza. Many U.S. and wester doctors have come back from the Gaza hospitals to tell President Biden that this is a lie.
The U.S. government continues to support the destruction of Gaza and ignore international law. This video is just Norman Finklestein’s portion of the brief.
20 mins –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqcLCp5kbh0
This is an interesting video that deserves much more attention than it does, both in the comments forum and elsewhere.
So Israel is deliberately targeting and bombing all branches of Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association because (a) it is specifically a savings and loans institution offering a community-based form of banking instead of the conventional Western system based on fiat money, lending and charging interest; (b) it demonstrates that a bank based on Islamic sharia banking principles can be both financially viable and transparent and ethical in its policies and practices; and (c) some of its customers (depositors and borrowers alike) might be sympathetic to or even linked in some way, however indirect or improbable, to Hezbollah.
Perhaps most importantly, it’s independent of the Central Bank of Lebanon and therefore it’s free from manipulation by foreign banks and institutions. The association could potentially be capable of funding community / infrastructure projects up to and at a moderate scale, and fund them within those projects’ budgets and on time, without the cost blow-outs associated with such projects of any nature when these are funded by private organisations, governments or some joint-venture combination of the two.
Somehow the ability of Libyan banks (pre-2011) to fund Libya’s Man-Made River Project without assistance from the World Bank comes to mind, to say nothing of the oddity that during the 2011 war in that country, the rebels early on took time to establish their own central bank in Benghazi.
No doubt we will soon see and hear news about how Syria’s banking and financial system is found to be irreparably corrupt (and how Bashar and Asma al Assad made off with millions if not billions) and how it will be replaced by a more “modern” and “progressive” Western-style banking and financial system.
Yes. Detractors of the Islamic banking system really need to look at how all the western banks function. For example, London is acknowledged as the worldwide centre of money laundering , how can that be ? It’s because of the corruption of the big banks based there. One of the major players being HSBC. The world bank, european bank and the IMF are all part of the corrupt conspiracy, with the hegemon at its head.
The west is never going to countenance a competitor who is not part of their criminal enterprise.
The London-based Jewish Chronicle is publishing insane Nazi-type material by Melanie Phillips, the co-inspirer of Anders Breivik who unashamedly lives (at least most of the time) in al-Quds in occupied Palestine.
I hesitate to link to this, but it is worth knowing about and it’s perhaps even worse than the lie that “Muhammad al-Durrah died in a Palestinian snuff movie” in its character:
https://www.thejc.com/lets-talk/if-you-support-the-palestinian-cause-in-any-form-youre-facilitating-jew-hate-shyhqy05
Phillips says “the Palestinian cause”, which she also refers to as “Palestinianism”, is based on exterminationist hatred of the Jews. (Note that she is condemning a whole people, as Hitler also did.) She says there’s no “apartheid”, no genocide, and that the population of Gaza has increased by 2.02% since the start of the “war”.
She says that although wicked liars, distorters, and falsehood purveyors (does this woman have rabies?) allege that Zionist soldiers have been “killing journalists and hospital patients”, in actual fact these are “terrorists”.
She doesn’t say what she has against “terrorists”, nor how these victims are distinguished from people who are defending themselves against terrorism. She doesn’t say “these victims”, of course. She doesn’t even say “these people”, or “these casualties”. She just says “these”. Clearly to call the victims of Zionist terror “people” would be to dignify them too much for her liking.
She says that calls for a two-state solution by Jews who support such a position are based on submissiveness to the aforementioned exterminationist hatred, and without any apparent shame she says that “support for Palestinianism” seeks to “write the Jews out of their country”.
This is the kind of Nazi hate material that the Jewish Chronicle is publishing.
The Jewish Chronicle is owned by Robbie Gibb, who was prime minister Theresa May’s Director of Communications at 10 Downing Street between 2017 and 2019, and who is currently a non-executive director of the BBC.
Remind me which country the Palestinians come from again….
Yes, it is not people who support the Palestinians facilitating “jew hate” but Phillips herself and people who share her views, which are arrogant, devoid of human compassion and empathy, intolerant and hateful of any other than their own. They should be prosecuted for hate crime.
More chance of Jeremy Corbyn being knighted. Melanie is one of the most respected and high-profile members of the commentariat. She is about as controversial in establishment circles as Raffi Berg.
@frankywiggles – Yep – she goes on the British government’s “Moral Maze” radio programme.
What kind of country are we living in, where the Nazi-style views of such a maniac are considered not only palatable but respectable? She’s considerably further to the racist right than Nick Griffin.
Phillips is so full of extreme ethnic hatred that it’s hard to realise a person can be like that. I still get shocked when I read her stuff.
She is also a settler on occupied territory, and a genocide denier.
And she whips up the idea that the Palestinians by dint of being Palestinians want to write the Jews out of the Jews’ country.
Easy to see why Anders Breivik thinks she’s great.
Perhaps she will be elevated to the House of Lords before the end of this parliament?
Like so many other racist maniacs and/or ideological lunatics, she looks like a rather big fish… in a very small pond!
She’ll drown in it. No outside help required.
After seeing yr comment, I suddenly remembered reading about Ukrainian linguist and ex-politician Iryna Farion, notorious for her shrill racism, and her death in 2024 from a gunshot wound … inflicted apparently by a teenage neo-Nazi. What goes around, comes around.
There was a good debate between Ilan Pappé and Mehdi Hasan against Melanie Phillips and Einat Wilf (ex-MK) on the motion that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism which is on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1VTt_THL4A
The motion was defeated, and here are the results:
Before: 15% for, 59% against, 26% undecided
After: 19% for, 76% against, 5% undecided.
There was a reported swing of 7% (average of -4% for and +17% against, I think).
There are so many military and political people in the UK who are complicit in the genocide in Gaza – they MUST find themselves in the dock at the Hague – at some point in the future.
“A highly important figure in the strengthening of this military relationship is the former Chief of the Defence Staff, General (Retd.) Sir Nicholas Patrick Carter, who, in December 2020, just months before completing 43 years of service in the British Armed Forces, signed an agreement with then-IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. (Res.) Aviv Kochavi to strengthen defense ties between the countries.”
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-835352
“Carter has been criticised on several occasions by American officers for his conduct and command while in Afghanistan. He was described by Colonel Harry Tunnell, former Brigade Commander of 5/2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, as displaying a “gross lack of concern for subordinates” throughout his command in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010. Further criticism came from Lieutenant General Daniel P. Bolger, who claimed that “young riflemen paid the price” for Carter’s “risk-averse” mentality and his unwillingness to allow his troops to defend themselves. Bolger also claimed that Carter refused to visit the front line and only visited safe positions by helicopter, while frequently refusing requests for aircraft and artillery support from troops under his command. Bolger further stated, “He’s not the type of general I would put in charge of anything.””
Meanwhile Starmer is actively negotiating a trade deal with Israel – even though its carrying out a genocide.
https://nitter.poast.org/markcurtis30/status/1874419318198563159#m
This is a Very good one
love Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi truth telling wee hero –
Fearless Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi Rebukes the West for its blatant failure to hold Israel accountable. – 5 mins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNGjI3NVrMo
Recent news reports past days that Netanyahu had a successful prostate cancer removal. Considering how many lives Netanyahu have ruined, to put it mildly, I hope that the cancer will come back and strike him with terminal agony and horrible suffering.
Speaking on the serial-killer in Israel, what is this bizarre antics about? Is it some weird power move?
From 2020: “Israel’s Netanyahu brings his dirty laundry to Washington. Literally.”
“The Netanyahus are the only ones who bring actual suitcases of dirty laundry for us to clean,” said one U.S. official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the details of a foreign leader’s visits. “After multiple trips, it became clear this was intentional.”
https://web.archive.org/web/20240723062918/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/benjamin-netanyahu-us-visits-dirty-laundry/2020/09/23/8407f52c-fdb3-11ea-830c-a160b331ca62_story.html
Very interesting scoop.
Let’s hope Bob Woodward follows this blog. It could easily help him create a new sensation, under the title “The washer gate scandal”.
Unless Deep Throat was gagged with undies…
At least the Satanyahus are not sullying precious water resources in Palestine with their filthy clothing. Their time as parasites on US taxpayers is limited and soon to come to an ignominious end for both Binyamin and Sara.
Jen and anyone else and it’s a genuine question – no agendas.
Being as the Israelis have called up Reservists and the Palestinians used to do work on the land and
possibly food processing jobs where do the Israelis get their food from?
I saw a report on Southern Gaza and the upshot of the story was that a woman wanted to buy bananas
for her young child.
When she got there – the price of the banana for sale was $25.
Begging a second question:
Where are the Gazan Market sellers getting their bananas from?
It isn’t an Israel crop as far as I know.
that intrigues me as food processers and agricultural labourers ( Israeli and Palestinian ) are
not working in either area.
So – how are the Israelis getting food?
The Palestinian Authority has suspended broadcasting by Al Jazeera in the West Bank:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgmxzyrmn8o
Looks good for Al Jazeera.
Doesn’t look good for the PA, imitating Israel in censorship.
The Evil BBC ?
Here’s an alternative, France 24:
https://www.france24.com/en/video/20250103-palestinian-authority-halts-al-jazeera-broadcasts-in-west-bank
Al Jazeera’s own report:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/2/crime-against-journalism-gaza-journalists-decry-pas-al-jazeera-ban
MJ.
I’m pretty sure I read somewhere – that PA members were shooting Palestinians in Gaza, for me the PA is controlled by the Zionists.