The Trump

[TerryM]

It's looking more & more like Pruitt's days in the Trump Administration are numbered:

Title: "Two Republican lawmakers call for Pruitt to step down or be fired:

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/381439-gop-rep-calls-for-pruitt-to-step-down-or-be-fired

That would be an improvement as I can't think of anyone worse than Pruitt.
Terry

[Buddy]

As Traitor Donnie continues to implode over coming months..... Mr. Market will continue to unwind as well.

The Dow Jones Futures are down 540 points....or more than 2% before the opening.  This will NOT unwind in one big swath.... it, like Donnie's unwinding, is a process.  It will, at minimum, take until this fall (likely the last part of September or first half of October) to unwind.

As noted earlier....a "likely" low will be the 1,800 - 2,000 level which would be almost a 40% decline from its top.

Well done Donnie.... well done sir.

[Buddy]

And....as if trashing the economy and stock market with his trade policies wasn't enough.... Donnie may have ignited the Middle East with his latest policy of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem.

Per the article below..... be on the watch for increased tensions during NEXT MONTH (May).

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-04-04/israel-palestine-gaza-violence-is-about-to-get-worse

[TerryM]

That would be an improvement as I can't think of anyone worse than Pruitt.
Terry

Lamar Smith? 

Mr. Smith cited the work of the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s as valid legal precedent for his investigation

Yeh, but he's old, damn near as old as I am.
Terry

[Buddy]

I KNEW that Traitor Trump could beat Obama in SOMETHING eventually.  I just didn't know it would be the trade deficit:

US trade gap rises 6th straight month to 9 ½-year high

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. trade deficit rose for the sixth straight month in February, reaching the highest level since October 2008 and defying President Donald Trump's efforts to rebalance America's lopsided trade with the rest of the world.

The Commerce Department said Thursday that the trade gap — the difference between what America sells and what it buys in foreign markets — widened to $57.6 billion in February from $56.7 billion in January. Exports of goods and services hit a record $204.4 billion; imports set a record $262 billion.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-trade-gap-rises-6th-straight-month-9-123253836--finance.html

Must be all those good trade policies and Traitor Don's business acumen.    I'm just glad Hillary isn't in charge, otherwise we wouldn't have a prayer of having a larger trade deficit than Obama during the Great Recession. 

[Buddy]

Traitor Trump may be hurting more than just Republican Congressmen and US citizens.   

Rachel Maddow Beats Sean Hannity, Takes Title As Most-Watched Cable News Host

In March, The Rachel Maddow Show finished as the highest-rated show in cable news, with an average total audience of 3.058 million viewers--the show's best-ever performance in the 9 p.m. ET hour. FNC's Hannity was second, with 3.000 million viewers. Maddow also won among viewers 25-54, the demographic most valued by advertisers, finishing March with an average audience of 671,000 compared to Hannity's 616,000. CNN finished a distant third in the hour, with 382,000 viewers 25-54.

MSNBC has been experiencing a dramatic rise in ratings, finishing the first quarter of 2018 as the only cable news network to grow compared to Q1 2017: MSNBC ratings were up 30%, while both Fox News and CNN experienced declines.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/markjoyella/2018/04/04/rachel-maddow-beats-sean-hannity-takes-title-as-most-watched-cable-news-host/#55f79cc95eea

[Neven]

Yes, Rachel Maddow definitely beats Hannity, but they're close. Shouldn't this go into the RussiaGate And The Media: Examples of Good AND Bad Journalism thread? Because if it weren't for 'Russia, Russia, Russia' the Rhodes scholar wouldn't be scoring the ratings she has been.

[Buddy]

Yes, Rachel Maddow definitely beats Hannity, but they're close. Shouldn't this go into the RussiaGate And The Media: Examples of Good AND Bad Journalism thread? Because if it weren't for 'Russia, Russia, Russia' the Rhodes scholar wouldn't be scoring the ratings she has been.

1)  I put it in this thread....because I was saying that Traitor Don is hurting more than "just" Republican Congressmen and US citizens.  He is also hurting Lying Sean.

2)  This is NOT an example of good journalism....  It is just a report about her viewership, which again, I don't consider an example of good journalism.

3)  You're welcome to move it if you like.  Not a big deal to me...

As an additional note....I had noted about a week ago that I thought FOX News had "peaked" about a year ago....and that they are going to continue to suffer from 3 issues:  Trump, Gun Control, and Lying about Global Warming/Climate Change.

The truth just hangs out till people discover it.....

[Buddy]

Trump continues to drag down Republican Congressmen.  Keep in mind that Paul Ryan STILL hasn't committed to running for office again this November in Wisconsin.  He has until 5 pm on June 1st to file for the November election.

I actually DON'T think he will be running.  In fact....if you were to look back into some of my posts from last year, I said that there is about a 60% chance that he will be tied into the RussiaGate investigation (along with the RNC, Reince Preibus, and a whole host of others).

There are now rumors of him stepping down from his leadership position in the months ahead.  Remember....he is THIRD IN LINE TO BE PRESIDENT.  And I expect number 1 and 2 to be "shoe in's" to be booted out of office (Traitor Don and Mikey Pence).  The Republicans may decide that it is conservative to have Ryan step down NOW in case Trump and Pence are booted out BEFORE the end of the year (in case the Democrat's win back the House in November).  Things can unwind pretty darn fast.... and there is nothing that is off the table.

Timing is going to be fascinating later this summer and in the early fall. 

[AbruptSLR]

Is Trump playing checkers while the rest of the world is playing chess?

Title: "China's $1.2 trillion weapon that could be used in a trade war with the US"

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/05/chinas-1-point-2-trillion-weapon-that-could-be-used-in-a-us-trade-war.html

Extract:

•   "China holds $1.17 trillion of U.S. government debt.
•   Economists and investors worry if there is a trade war, China could reduce its U.S. debt holdings as a political weapon against the Trump administration tariffs proposal.
•   If that happens, the dollar could fall and other countries could follow suit and sell their holdings.
•   If China reduces its buying at a time when the U.S. is increasing its supply of new Treasuries into the market, that could lead to a rout in the bond market."

[sidd]

Trump upping the ante in trade war with China: Goldman Sachs will not be happy

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43664243

sidd

[sidd]

O no!Trump rebelling against the warmongers. This cannot be allowed.

"If those aides failed in obtaining their desired outcome, it may have been because a strategy that's worked in the past — giving Trump an offer he can't refuse — appears to have backfired."

"The intensity of Trump's tone and demeanor raised eyebrows ..."

"Trump's response was to demand an immediate withdrawal of all American troops ... "

Pentagon spins it:

"So in that sense, nothing has actually changed."

https://apnews.com/4a710b330dc14c279efc3fc9bc527902

Looks like time for another fake chemical attack. Worked with Trump the last time. (Obama was smart enuf not to bite, but that may have been Michelle's influence)

sidd

[TerryM]

Wow, just Wow!

Could Meyssan have been on the right track all along?

This is the repeat of a link, but it may fit well with what sidd has just divulged.

http://www.voltairenet.org/article200232.html

I've always seen Thierry as more of a philosopher/historian than a journalist, but if he got this one right he's right in there with Seymour Hersh.

Trump facing down everyone from the Pentagon to the CIA is an act of extreme bravery, or extreme stupidity.
Hope he stays out of Dallas.
Terry

[TerryM]

Thomas
Thanks for the heads up re. 4 Corners, I'll be watching for them in the future.


I've seen the almost unbelievable devastation in Homs, Raqqa, and other Syrian locales. This is the first time I've seen it from western media - and we all know that the Russians will lie about anything, it's in their slavic blood.


Those Evil Jerks even had videos of the fighters being bused out of Raqqa to fight their good fight in other regions. How can we even consider believing such obvious propaganda!


Some months ago I was dining with am old couple that had stayed on after the fall of Berlin. I showed them some footage of Homs and it shook them. They thought it was much worse than what they had survived.


The Russians and Assad's forces are destroying Isil, or whatever name they're using this week. If the Americans will get out of the way the Syrians can start rebuilding sooner.


Terry

[AbruptSLR]

It looks like Trump has ordered Homeland Security to monitor Journalists and Bloggers (like everyone here) so that he can pressure whoever he wants, whenever he wants:

Title: "Homeland Security to Compile Database of Journalists, Bloggers"

https://biglawbusiness.com/homeland-security-to-compile-database-of-journalists-bloggers/

Extract: "The U.S. Department of Homeland Security wants to monitor hundreds of thousands of news sources around the world and compile a database of journalists, editors, foreign correspondents, and bloggers to identify top “media influencers.”

It’s seeking a contractor that can help it monitor traditional news sources as well as social media and identify “any and all” coverage related to the agency or a particular event, according to a request for information released April 3.

The data to be collected includes a publication’s “sentiment” as well as geographical spread, top posters, languages, momentum, and circulation. No value for the contract was disclosed."

[Rob Dekker]

The Russians and Assad's forces are destroying Isil, or whatever name they're using this week.

There are plenty of examples where Russia bombed Syrian mosques and hospitals, and then lied about it.

But can you give us ONE example where Russians actually attacked ISIS ?
Just ONE will do.

Meanwhile Russia seems to be actually helping ISIS :
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2017/06/20/al-tanf-bombing-russia-assisted-isis-attacking-us-backed-fsa-group-cluster-bombs-2/

[sidd]

Re: "Do you think, imagine, or believe that Donald Trump knew that was happening as it happened or not? "

I doubt it. For at least  fifty years the US intelligence agencies have treated their ostensible supervisors like mushrooms: keep them in the dark and feed them shit. Assange once remarked that on average it took about seventy days for incoming president to be captured by the deep state. But a more interesting issue is how long it takes for them to figure out they are being fed bullshit.  Kennedy, after the bay of pigs. Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Bush I figured it out from day one, some of them were intelligence apparatchiks. Carter, pretty early. Reagan never did, but he was mostly a figurehead who could say all the right lines at all the right times. Clinton, i dunno, i think he believed them for a while. Bush the lesser after about five years. Obama, probably around the Syria red line backdown. Trump, well with Trump, the thing is you can't bullshit a bullshitter. He don't believe anyone.

If you don't know the right questions, the answers are not so important ... and they make sure that no one knows the right questions.

sidd

[Buddy]

Traitor Donnies staff continues to go through record breaking turnover either through scandal OR from loyalty concerns because they won't bow down to King Donnie.

The following clip from Rachel Maddow shows the connection between embattled Trump EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.....AND..... Carl Ichan, who was am advisor to the Trump administration.



It will be interesting if Donnie keeps Pruitt on his staff..... because Trump LOVES the fact that Pruitt is destroying the environment.

Pruitt would be out LONG AGO in any other administration.  But not in Donnies World.  The more corrupt....the better.

[Buddy]

John Kelly reportedly threatened to quit as Chief of Staff after falling out with Trump: Axios

You know that Scott Pruitt is bad..... when someone with a lack of ethics himself like John Kelly (Donnies Chief of Staff) wants Pruitt fired.  And of course Trump won't fire him.  Think about that for a minute:  It's like 3 different level of HORRIBLE ETHICS...... each one worse than the next.  The continuing level of ineptitude in Traitor Donnie's administration boggles the mind.  And it all starts at the top with the worst person in the Oval Office during the last 100 years.... and maybe ever.

Remember..... General Kelly is the one that BLATENTLY LIED about US Rep Fredrica Wilson.  He also like about Rob Porter.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/9/16995272/john-kelly-must-resign-chief-of-staff-rob-porter-abuse

It says a LOT.... when the Chief of Staff, who doesn't have the highest ethics in the world, goes to the mat to fire Scott Pruitt.

I wonder what voters..... especially moderate Republican voters are thinking about this? 

[SteveMDFP]

O no!Trump rebelling against the warmongers. This cannot be allowed.

"If those aides failed in obtaining their desired outcome, it may have been because a strategy that's worked in the past — giving Trump an offer he can't refuse — appears to have backfired."

"The intensity of Trump's tone and demeanor raised eyebrows ..."

"Trump's response was to demand an immediate withdrawal of all American troops ... "

Pentagon spins it:

"So in that sense, nothing has actually changed."

https://apnews.com/4a710b330dc14c279efc3fc9bc527902

Looks like time for another fake chemical attack. Worked with Trump the last time. (Obama was smart enuf not to bite, but that may have been Michelle's influence)

sidd

sidd may be prescient.  Or Assad is again a war criminal.  In general, the two possibilities are not musually exclusive.  Posted one hour ago:

Syria war: Scores dead in Syria gas attack, rescuers and medics say
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43686157

"Rescuers and medics say at least 70 people have died in Syria after toxic gas was dropped on Douma, the last rebel-held town in Eastern Ghouta.

Volunteer rescue force the White Helmets tweeted graphic images showing scores of bodies in a basement. It said the death toll is likely to rise.

There has been no independent verification of the reports.

Syria's government has called the allegations of a chemical attack a 'fabrication'."

[Rob Dekker]

Syria war: Scores dead in Syria gas attack, rescuers and medics say
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43686157

"Rescuers and medics say at least 70 people have died in Syria after toxic gas was dropped on Douma, the last rebel-held town in Eastern Ghouta.

Volunteer rescue force the White Helmets tweeted graphic images showing scores of bodies in a basement. It said the death toll is likely to rise.

This is horrific. With 1,600 killed by Assad's and Russian forces, didn't the people of Eastern Ghouta suffer enough ?

https://www.rferl.org/a/us-syria-russia-ghouta-chemical-weapons-warning/29152274.html

The military offensive by Syrian government forces and their allies, which involved weeks of intense bombardment, has left more than 1,600 civilians dead and thousands more wounded in eastern Ghouta since February 18, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Britain-based monitor group.

This would be the 5th documented chemical weapons attack on Eastern Ghouta this year alone :
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2018/03/15/syrian-forces-bombard-eastern-ghouta-chemical-weapons-fourth-consecutive-time-since-beginning-2018/

And this one appears to be especially deadly.

This is what happens when you "Let the other people take care of it now." as Trump so eloquently stated :

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/trump-says-were-leaving-syria-like-very-soon-bad-idea/2018/03/31/e50bb7aa-3434-11e8-94fa-32d48460b955_story.html

Just wait for the pro-Russia and pro-Assad people to blame this attack on the 'rebels', just like they did in each of the previous chemical attacks.

[Hefaistos]

The Syria war is not least a war of propaganda.
The jihadists in Ghouta is a group called Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam).
They are known, according to Wikipedia, for use of captives as human shields, public executions, and chemical attacks, e.g. in Aleppo.
John Kerry is on record saying they are a sub-group of IS.
Rob, what do you expect from such terrorists?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaysh_al-Islam#Use_of_captives_as_human_shields

[TerryM]

Gentlemen


The false flag in Britain is falling apart as we speak.
The false flag in Syria has little chance of success after Assad's forces videotaped the rebel chemical facility there.
If I was living in the US I'd be staying away from large crowds for a while. I'd watch the big GGG fight from the comfort of my own living room.


Nuff said
Terry

[Buddy]

China President Xi's broad political power gives him an upper hand over Trump in a trade war

If Traitor Trump doesn't handle the brewing trade war any better than he does his battle with Stormy Daniels ..... little Donald will flame out spectacularly. 

•President Donald Trump and China President Xi Jinping are escalating threats to impose billions of dollars in tariffs.
•But Xi is not bound by the political constraints of American democracy that Trump must navigate.
•While Trump's own political party is speaking out against the tariff threats, experts say public opinion in China supports Xi's retaliation because it sees Trump as the aggressor in the dispute.

The famous poker player Confucius say:  "Player who doesn't understand what he has in his own hand ..... is playing a fools hand." 

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/06/xi-jinpings-political-power-gives-him-an-upper-hand-as-tariff-threats-heat-up.html

[Rob Dekker]

Just an hour ago I said :

Just wait for the pro-Russia and pro-Assad people to blame this attack on the 'rebels', just like they did in each of the previous chemical attacks.

And bam, there we go :
Hefaistos said :

The Syria war is not least a war of propaganda.
The jihadists in Ghouta....bla bla bla

And Thomas said :

Assad and his govt officials had said repeatedly since the beginning of the 'uprising/protests' that what was happening in Syria was the work of external actors, nations and terrorist groups.... bla bla bla

And Terry comes in with :

The false flag in Britain is falling apart as we speak.
The false flag in Syria has little chance of success after Assad's forces videotaped the rebel chemical facility there... bla bla bla

You guys are despicable.

[Hefaistos]

Rob,
I gave you a link to a Wikipedia page about the terrorist that are now fighting in Ghouta, Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaysh_al-Islam#Use_of_captives_as_human_shields

Do you think that what's written there is evidence?
If not, what isn't correct in that article?
Please provide evidence for your eventual counter-claim, Rob!

Do you think that islamist groups like Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam) are able to stage chemical attacks? Hint: They have themselves acknowledged that they did it before.

Rob, these terrorists cold-bloodedly kill innocent people in order to fight for their fake religion. Are you siding with them here?

[magnamentis]

Just an hour ago I said :

Just wait for the pro-Russia and pro-Assad people to blame this attack on the 'rebels', just like they did in each of the previous chemical attacks.

And bam, there we go :
Hefaistos said :

The Syria war is not least a war of propaganda.
The jihadists in Ghouta....bla bla bla

And Thomas said :

Assad and his govt officials had said repeatedly since the beginning of the 'uprising/protests' that what was happening in Syria was the work of external actors, nations and terrorist groups.... bla bla bla

And Terry comes in with :

The false flag in Britain is falling apart as we speak.
The false flag in Syria has little chance of success after Assad's forces videotaped the rebel chemical facility there... bla bla bla

You guys are despicable.

only because you predict something that does not mean they're wrong. it's like someone who's pissed off about bad weather and the only thing he has to say that he knew it will be raining.

always as yourself "qui bono" and gas attacks as compared to the use of common weaponry does not server a lot the regime, it harms them through people like you who call them war criminals and by the risk that some nations might interfere to their disadavantage while it helps the rebels and if they're known for one thing is that they kill themselves and their own people to achieve a goal and/or make their point.

this does also not mean that it's not as you say, it just means we dunno and should after all not get too exited and fight each other just to claim we're right. none of us knows what's true, hence the discussion should more contain words like "if, then" and consider the other possibilities as well.

this debate is much to heated and while some claim to know it all the others just put into consideration that it might be different than how some want the world to believe.

if i listen to the mainstream news, the wording alone clearly shows the huge bias and the propagandistic approach.

i believe that like so often the truth lays somewhere in between and that we should sweep in front of our own doors before spending too much energy for stuff that is not much or none of our business.

last but not least may i remind some how all the great conflicts (wars) started. mostly by some taking one side in things that were none of their busines and others taking the other side and often if not mostly driven by greed for power, resources and money, no matter which side.

[Rob Dekker]

only because you predict something that does not mean they're wrong. it's like someone who's pissed off about bad weather and the only thing he has to say that he knew it will be raining.

It doesn't mean that they are right either.
The problem I have is that Thomas and Hefaistos and Terry are already blaming the victims (the people that were actually bombed).

And when you make statements like this :

always as yourself "qui bono" and gas attacks as compared to the use of common weaponry does not server a lot the regime,

you are ambiguous. Please clarify what you mean.

[colchonero]

Just an hour ago I said :

Just wait for the pro-Russia and pro-Assad people to blame this attack on the 'rebels', just like they did in each of the previous chemical attacks.

And bam, there we go :
Hefaistos said :

The Syria war is not least a war of propaganda.
The jihadists in Ghouta....bla bla bla

And Thomas said :

Assad and his govt officials had said repeatedly since the beginning of the 'uprising/protests' that what was happening in Syria was the work of external actors, nations and terrorist groups.... bla bla bla

And Terry comes in with :

The false flag in Britain is falling apart as we speak.
The false flag in Syria has little chance of success after Assad's forces videotaped the rebel chemical facility there... bla bla bla

You guys are despicable.

What is wrong that they've said? There is actually proof that rebels have chemical weapons. You think there aren't terrorists among rebels? Do you think they are all peaceful legitimate freedom fighters? Are you proud of US and NATO intervention in Lybia to help the rebels? Or in Egypt? Compare their lives(of normal people in those countries), complete migrant chaos, terrorist attacks in Europe before and after Arab spring. And when anybody tries to question and stand against over and over repeated interventions/rebel agenda, he must be despicable.

[Rob Dekker]

Rob,
I gave you a link to a Wikipedia page about the terrorist that are now fighting in Ghouta, Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaysh_al-Islam#Use_of_captives_as_human_shields

Do you think that what's written there is evidence?
If not, what isn't correct in that article?
Please provide evidence for your eventual counter-claim, Rob!

Do you think that islamist groups like Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam) are able to stage chemical attacks? Hint: They have themselves acknowledged that they did it before.

Rob, these terrorists cold-bloodedly kill innocent people in order to fight for their fake religion. Are you siding with them here?

Hefaistos, I don't believe the Jaysh al-Islam are angels.
There was a reason why the US did not fund them and other Islamic Front alliances.
But that's not the issue right now.

The issue is who is responsible for the 5th chemical weapons attack on Eastern Ghouta, where according to the BBC some 70 civilians died.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43686157

where we know that the first 4 attacks since the start of this year were caused by Assad's forces :
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2018/03/15/syrian-forces-bombard-eastern-ghouta-chemical-weapons-fourth-consecutive-time-since-beginning-2018/

[Avalonian]

No-one is blaming the victims, Rob. The victims are the innocents who appear to have been killed in this horrible event. We don't know whether some of them weren't victims (for example, if it was the result of bombing a rebel chemical weapons lab), but no-one is even assuming that. We simply don't have enough information.

On the one side, you have some people here stridently declaring that it is obvious who is responsible for everything evil that happens (normally it seems to come down to Russia, apparently - or at least anyone who isn't the US). On the other, you have the more conservative response that we simply don't know. The obvious might be true, or it might not, because the evidence we have is not scientific; it is inherently biased because it is presented by people with political interests. That's not a consipiracy theory, it's a simple fact of life. It's why we have investigatory organisations that are (at least in theory) unbiased and independent. Also, the phenomena we are looking at are not scientific subjects. These are not natural situations that follow simple rules, but rather contrived situations engineered by people with motives. Those motives might be sneaky and conniving, or they may be brutally primal; but in the world of global politics, the former seems much more likely.

So, for goodness' sake, stop believing just your default perspective. You can 'prove' anything you want to links to websites saying one thing or another, but all this does (as several people are saying) is undermine the simplistic interpretation. It's bad enough when politicians leap to unjustified conclusions and try to demonise any opposing voices; to see it happen so vigorously on a science forum is just painful. What happened to objectivity? This is a last plea for some people to stop being closed-minded, and to be willing to consider opposing viewpoints, before I reach for the 'ignore' button.

[TerryM]

If bellingcat has weighed in for one side, that's a pretty good indicator that they are the guilty party.


Elliot was an unemployed ladies underwear salesman living in his mother's house the last time I had anything to do with him. While calling himself Brown Moses he once insisted that a particular tank was a modern T-90 when it was evident to everyone else that it was actually an antique T-62. He left the blog shortly after that fiasco. The rebels it turned out had "liberated" the vehicle from a static park display and had rebuilt it, at least to the stage that it could be driven about Eastern Ukraine. No one ever produced any evidence that the turret was operational nor that the big gun could actually fire. They did however present lots of before and after photos of the park and it's now missing display.
Elliot insisted that it was a far more modern Russian tank, and proof of a Russian invasion.


Brown Moses arguing style is not unlike our own Rob's. I had written some nasty stuff here, them cut it in the interest of civility. I will say he was a relentless advocate for his cause. He could watch as women were fleeing Ukrainian Nazi's, and blame them for their resistance.
Elliot disappeared for a short time and came back as bellingcat. Now with assumed CIA backing, a job with the Atlantic Counsel and a real office to toddle off to. - but still close to his dear mother's.


What a veritable font of disinformation.


As far as the recent false flag, drop in at RT and you will find video's of the chemical weapons facility that Assad's forces "liberated" just weeks ago. Yes they did notify OPCW of their discovery, and no they didn't retain the chemicals.


It's not the fighter that's winning the fight that puts horseshoes in his gloves.
Terry


Google - Soviet Tanks, Brown Moses, or Elliot Higgins if you'd care to.

edit: Does anyone else feel this discussion belongs on a different thread?

[Buddy]

Ted Lieu has the right idea:

Lieu: Trump shouldn't fire Pruitt because he's a 'great symbol' of corruption

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/382089-trump-shouldnt-fire-pruitt-because-hes-a-great-symbol-of-corruption

Personally..... I hope that Scott Pruitt DOESN'T get fired.  Although Lieu is "tongue-in-cheek" about the issue.... it is actually SPOT ON.  There are plenty of lobbyists that Traitor Trump can hire to do the same thing as Scott Pruitt.  (I wonder if Hillary would have hired a Scott Pruitt type?).  Having Scott Pruitt be the face of the Trump administration is GOOD for the Democrat's right now.

What raving idiot would leave Scott Pruitt in office?  Probably someone who is arrogant, short sighted, losing in the polls, and soon to be heading out of office.

What better poster child for the CURRENT REPUBLICAN PARTY..... than Scott Pruitt:

1)  He's a science denier on health and global warming
2)  He's arrogant
3)  He's wasteful with the publics money..... but not his own

Keep Scottie at the head of the EPA and he will be good for another 5 seats in the House..... and maybe even a Senate seat or two for the Democrat's.  And it will NOT help Trump AT ALL....

I can't wait to see what Saturday Night Live will do to Scott next week.....   The unfortunate part, is that once Scottie becomes a laughing stock....then Trump will fire him.  I hope that John Kelly leaves FIRST....

[zizek]

But can you give us ONE example where Russians actually attacked ISIS ?
Just ONE will do.

Rob. What is going on with you? Do you have any idea what is going on Syria? This is such a bizarre thing to say for someone that appears to be following the war. Are you seriously suggesting that Russian has not attacked ISIS during the entirety of the Syrian civil war?

Rob, You can be horribly ignorant sometimes... but this is something else....  Almost.... troll like.   

[Buddy]

Donnie has his plate full ..... and won't be able to handle it...

1)  Fears of trade war growing with China.  Those fears are now spreading to the oil market.

https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/oil-price-fundamental-weekly-forecast-china-may-be-considering-u-s-crude-tariff-491255

On Friday, the crude oil market fell sharply in reaction to the news that President Trump had ordered U.S. trade officials to consider an additional $100 billion in tariffs on China, escalating tensions with China. Investors also feared additional retaliation from China that may include a tariff on the U.S. oil imported by China.

On Friday, oilfield services firm Baker Hughes said the number of U.S. rigs drilling for crude rose by 11 to a total of 808 this week.

The oil frackers in the Permian Basin will continue to pump out oil as OPEC keeps their output below normal.   It is keeping a ceiling on oil.....and may be cause for the next leg down in oil.

2)  The monthly jobs numbers were a weak 100,000 for March (reported this past Friday).  This may just be a blip on the screen.... but something to watch closely (like the WEEKLY unemployment reports that come out each Thursday morning).  One month does not make a trend...but it could start one.

3) Scott Pruitt for president .  I'm sure the Democrat's would support that.  The longer Scott Pruitt stays in his cabinet seat in Trump's cabinet..... the better off the Democrat's will be.  I expect a few more moderate Republicans to start screaming for his resignation.  Pruitt will be an anchor around the Republicans running for office this year.

4) The Middle East.  A real cluster......  what could possibly go wrong when Donnie is in charge?  Take your pick:  Palestine, Syria, Iran....... you have your choice.  And Donnie has a horrible decision making process.

5)  Korea. 

[sidd]

"sidd may be prescient."

Perhaps. Or perhaps he remembers recent history. Precisely such provocation occurred before, as i pointed out in my post, with both Obama and Trump, exactly when the interests of the head chopppers and organ eaters were threatened.

And perhaps sidd reads more than western propaganda.

"MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. Jabhat al-Nusra (a group outlawed in Russia) and the Free Syrian Army are planning chemical attacks with the use of chlorine in areas under their control ..."

http://tass.com/defense/998199

sidd

[SteveMDFP]

"sidd may be prescient."

Perhaps. Or perhaps he remembers recent history. Precisely such provocation occurred before, as i pointed out in my post, with both Obama and Trump, exactly when the interests of the head chopppers and organ eaters were threatened.

And perhaps sidd reads more than western propaganda.

"MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. Jabhat al-Nusra (a group outlawed in Russia) and the Free Syrian Army are planning chemical attacks with the use of chlorine in areas under their control ..."

http://tass.com/defense/998199

sidd

For myself, I think both Assad and al-Nusra are capable of doing such things.  The timing, just after Trump announces a withdrawal, fits better with al-Nusra's interests. 
But it seems plausible to me that Assad just wanted to finish mopping up the last enclave faster and at lower cost.
I'm skeptical that we'll ever be able to tease out which side has truly has culpability. 

[sidd]

Straws in the wind: From last month, apparently, Yevtushenko has been making these noises for a while:

"Major-General Yuri Yevtushenko announced on Monday. “The mass poisoning of civilians will be used to accuse the government troops of the use of chemical weapons against peaceful citizens.” "

https://www.rt.com/news/421753-syria-ghouta-chemical-provocation/

sidd

[sidd]

China won't like this: US submarine tech going to Taiwan

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-taiwan-usa-submarines/trump-administration-grants-license-for-taiwan-submarine-project-report-idUSKBN1HE0PU

sidd

[TerryM]

China won't like this: US submarine tech going to Taiwan

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-taiwan-usa-submarines/trump-administration-grants-license-for-taiwan-submarine-project-report-idUSKBN1HE0PU

sidd

This, if true, won't be remembered as one of Trump's more enlightened decisions.


He's initiated a trade war against the biggest trading nation ever.
He's involved in a cold war against the coolest leader on the planet.
Now he's forcing his two main rivals into an even closer military alliance.


I'm sure his numbers will improve as the chicken hawks applaud this audacious move.
Terry

[AbruptSLR]

Will he, or won't he?


Title: "Will Trump's angry tweets on Syria precede U.S. missiles?"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/will-trumps-angry-tweets-on-syria-precede-us-missiles/ar-AAvDvRU?ocid=spartandhp

or

Title: "The Logic of Assad's Brutality"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-logic-of-assads-brutality/ar-AAvD4k7?ocid=spartandhp

Extract: "Assad already has unraveled the global taboo against chemical weapons, in the process exposing the incoherence of the international community. Syria has exposed the international liberal order as a convenient illusion. Western bromides of “never again” meant nothing when a determined dictator with hefty international backers committed crimes against humanity.
...
Although we can’t be sure—yet—exactly what happened  in Ghouta, we can be confident that it was no accident. Assad is determined to cement his grip once again over Syria, no matter how thoroughly he has to destroy his country in order to restore it. And with Putin’s backing, he is determined to thoroughly discredit what remains of the international community and U.S. leadership. They can’t be sure what Trump will do, but their apparent cavalier use of chemical weapons on the one-year anniversary of the Khan Sheikhoun attacks suggests they’re reasonably confident that the U.S. president won’t take serious action."

[AbruptSLR]

Trump's lawyers have met their match in Michael Avenatti (& Avenatti will shred Team Trump's claim that Trump is only a 'third party beneficiary' and not a 'party' w.r.t. the NDA):

Title: "Stormy Daniels lawyer tweets of her with forensic artist"

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/382205-stormy-daniels-lawyer-tweets-photo-of-her-with-forensic-artist

[Rob Dekker]

But can you give us ONE example where Russians actually attacked ISIS ?
Just ONE will do.

Rob. What is going on with you? Do you have any idea what is going on Syria? This is such a bizarre thing to say for someone that appears to be following the war. Are you seriously suggesting that Russian has not attacked ISIS during the entirety of the Syrian civil war?

[snipped the insults and ad homs]

If you have any evidence that the Russians actually attacked ISIS, then why don't you produce it here ?

And if you don't have evidence that the Russians actually attacked ISIS, why do you believe it in the first place ?

Here is some GREAT fact-checking on the issue :

Bellingcat actually geo-located the Russian MoD footage where they claimed they were bombing ISIS.
They found that out of the 60 videos, only 1 was even remotely close to where ISIS was present.
The rest was in areas controlled by the Free Syrian Army and other groups.
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2015/10/26/what-russias-own-videos-and-maps-reveal-about-who-they-are-bombing-in-syria/

And who can forget Putin's own evidence that the Russian Air Force was striking ISIS positions :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZGx9XtPUrw&feature=youtu.be

Now, you can try to debunk the Bellingcat geo-location work if you can show where they made a mistake. And you can try to debunk the work by GITeam who found the video that Putin was showing to Oliver Stone.

Or you can throw some more insults at me.

But in my opinion it would be more productive to fact-check the sources you used to form your opinion.

[edit] What we learned here is threefold :
1) It is now proven that the Russian MoD, including Putin, lie about what Russia is doing in Syria. They are not bombing ISIS. They are bombing the Free Syrian Army and other groups that are a more immediate threat to Assad, and
2) Fact checking (especially crowd-sourced) of open-source information as Bellingcat does works, even in war zones, in separating fact from propaganda, and
3) to get back to this thread, ISIS was defeated (not quite yet) by the Kurds and the US-led coalition forces. The same forces that Trump wants to pull out pre-maturely.

[Hefaistos]

Rob, that link from anti-Russian site Bellingcat is 2.5 years old and refers to the situation around 3 years ago. It's true that the main priority of Russian airforce at that time wasn't to bomb ISIS, it was to save the secular state, which was in risk of collapsing under pressure from jihadists. Once the situation stabilised, the Russians turned more and more to deal with ISIS. At the end of the war against ISIS, almost all air sorties were against ISIS.
These are just a very small fraction of info on that. You know about google, don't you Rob?

https://www.rt.com/news/411031-russian-tu22m3-bombers-isis-syria/
https://www.rt.com/news/411945-syria-kurds-russian-support/
https://www.rt.com/news/402416-russian-strike-isis-bunker-commanders/
https://www.rt.com/news/337919-russian-advisers-syria-palmyra/

[Buddy]

It's fascinating to me to hear a few people talk about "RussiaGate" as though it was ONLY ABOUT TRUMP. Of course....what is also fascinating, is that most of those folks are NOT FROM THE US.

What is RussiaGate affecting?

1)  NRA:  National Riffle Association is under investigation into the possible/likely funneling of money into the 2016 campaign.  The NRA's political contributions INCREASED THREEFOLD IN 2016. THREEFOLD.

2)  RNC:  The Republican National Committee may have been involved with illegal campaign finance issues.  Reince.....that is YOU pal.....

3)  Sitting US Congressmen/Senators:  Did any sitting US Congressmen OR Senators have ANY INFORMATION regarding Russia interfering in our election that they did NOT act on?
I'm looking at YOU MITCH AND PAUL.
Add in Dana Roerbacher, Devin Nunes, Kevin McCarthy, Jason Chaffetz (now working at FOX), etc.

4)  FOX News and Sinclair Broadcasting:  RussiaGate has brought to the fore the lying ways of FOX News and Sinclair Broadcasting.  If I were Sean Hannity or Jeanine Pirro.... I would be VERY, VERY CONCERNED about what Robert Mueller knows...

 
RussiaGate is not "just" a Trump issue.  It is MUCH....MUCH.... broader than just Trump.  It is the underlying architecture underlying the Republican Party and really the whole election process.

As I said at the VERY BEGINNING ..... RussiaGate will make Watergate look like child's play.

 

[Sigmetnow]

”That is not the graphic we are looking for.”

Fox News accidentally broadcast graphic showing they’re the least trusted news network
http://metro.co.uk/2018/04/09/fox-news-accidentally-broadcast-graphic-showing-least-trusted-news-network-7452446/

[sidd]

This is disturbing, the Chinese very rarely say that negotiation is impossible, except in regards to a very few issues, such as Taiwan. Perhaps the submarine tech deal to Taiwan triggered this response.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china/china-blames-u-s-for-trade-frictions-says-negotiations-currently-impossible-idUSKBN1HG0WB

This is as foreboding as the anti-Russia hysteria in the USA. And I think this will drive Russia and China into closer cooperation.

sidd

[TerryM]

This is disturbing, the Chinese very rarely say that negotiation is impossible, except in regards to a very few issues, such as Taiwan. Perhaps the submarine tech deal to Taiwan triggered this response.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china/china-blames-u-s-for-trade-frictions-says-negotiations-currently-impossible-idUSKBN1HG0WB

This is as foreboding as the anti-Russia hysteria in the USA. And I think this will drive Russia and China into closer cooperation.

sidd

Might be an idea to buy your new car before they're being built using poor quality steel from suboptimal suppliers. Of course we'll need to find a new market for all of those crushed cars. but somebody will want them, won't they?


America, and the 20 some odd countries that booted out the evil Ruskies can stand alone. Well. except for rocket motors, titanium, non-GMO wheat, tube socks, and a few other unnecessary items. We don't need access to the space station anyway!


Those Evil Asians will have to make do their own inexpensive solar panels, their own hypersonic missiles and their own plastic playthings that break whenever they are used. Our own mighty plastic recycling industries will roar back to life.


How can these pitiful little countries hope to stand without the beneficent assistance that we so selflessly provide.


Terry

[sidd]

Xi throws a bone: lower tariffs on US cars

https://www.apnews.com/45e28f10baa2460fb17a0b101c366067

sidd

[wili]

Thanks for this, Sidd. Good to hear that China is still trying to negotiate a bit here; perhaps this is in response to Trump's recent (and, of course, ridiculous) tweet?

On the other major recent news...as I noted on the Russiagate thread, the recent raid on Cohen's office and apartment do not seem to be directly Russia-related, so discussion of such things should probably go now to this thread.

So to kick things off, I thought I'd throw this out for the masses to chew on  :

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/04/09/fbi-raid-michael-cohen-donald-trump-robert-mueller-217841

The FBI Raids on Trump’s Attorney Are Bad News for Trump

The evidence sought by investigators reportedly relates to bank fraud and campaign finance violations, both of which primarily point to one thing. Cohen apparently used a home equity credit line to borrow the $130,000 he paid Stormy Daniels for her silence just weeks before the 2016 election. If Cohen lied to obtain credit from a federally insured financial institution, that is a felony punishable by up to 30 years’ imprisonment. And because the payment was likely an in-kind contribution to the Trump campaign, it could constitute a willful violation of campaign contribution limits, a separate felony punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment.

That the investigation of Cohen was apparently referred by special counsel Robert Mueller to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York—a Trump appointee—is an early indication that at this point, the matter is not directly related to the Russia investigation.

But that doesn’t mean Trump’s exposure is any less serious. Cohen knows where the LLCs are hidden. He’s been at the center of Trump’s financial universe for decades. If he is as exposed as he seems on the Daniels payment, one wonders what information he might be able to offer prosecutors—including Mueller—in exchange for a deal...

And...it looks like Cohen himself needs a new lawyer:

https://thinkprogress.org/studio-audience-erupts-in-laughter-at-michael-cohens-lawyer-during-disastrous-nbc-interview-0c785aabdc17/


Michael Cohen’s lawyer gets laughed at by studio audience during disastrous NBC interview
"They are laughing at you openly, David."