"The Coming War with China"

nuclear war_3.png

Nah, they would never do that, a war with China. Would they? Certainly not Trump right? Trump doesn't want to attack other countries, he wants to do business with them.

Ya they would. This is the big game they're playing. I think people forget that.

John Pilger, noted journalist, has a new film coming out Dec. 6th called "The Coming War with China". A trailer is posted below.

To put it simply, those who control the U.S. government have an agenda of securing the United States, with the help of its NATO friends, as the world hegemon and sole superpower on the planet. Trump being elected has not changed that. That means they cannot let China and Russia continue to threaten that agenda and must take actions to insure they don't. The ultimate action is a military war that would include nuclear weapons and don't bet that can't happen. They don't care how many people die, they think they can win.

"The greatest build-up of American-led military forces since the Second World War is well under way. They are in the northern hemisphere, on the western borders of Russia, and in Asia and the Pacific, confronting China.

in 2011 President Obama announced a “pivot to Asia”, which meant that almost two-thirds of US naval forces would be transferred to Asia and the Pacific by 2020. Today, more than 400 American military bases encircle China with missiles, bombers, warships and, above all, nuclear weapons. From Australia north through the Pacific to Japan, Korea and across Eurasia to Afghanistan and India, the bases form, says one US strategist, “the perfect noose.”

Many on the left are still holding out hope that the Trump regime will taper back U.S. imperialism, cease invading countries and seeking regime changes, and move toward a rapprochement in relations with China and Russia. That's just not going to happen. The agenda has not changed with Trump.

"A study by the RAND Corporation – which, since Vietnam, has planned America’s wars – is entitled, War with China:Thinking Through the Unthinkable. Commissioned by the US Army, the authors evoke the cold war when RAND made notorious the catch cry of its chief strategist, Herman Kahn -- “thinking the unthinkable”. Kahn’s book, On Thermonuclear War, elaborated a plan for a “winnable” nuclear war against the Soviet Union.

For all the attempts to detect a departure in foreign policy, this is almost certainly the view of Donald Trump, whose abuse of China during the election campaign included that of “rapist” of the American economy. On 2 December, in a direct provocation of China, President-elect Trump spoke to the President of Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province of the mainland. Armed with American missiles, Taiwan is an enduring flashpoint between Washington and Beijing."

No one could have predicted. Remember that Bush quote? Well, it's being predicted.

“The United States,” wrote Amitai Etzioni, professor of international Affairs at George Washington University, “is preparing for a war with China, a momentous decision that so far has failed to receive a thorough review from elected officials, namely the White House and Congress.” This war would begin with a “blinding attack against Chinese anti-access facilities, including land and sea-based missile launchers … satellite and anti-satellite weapons.”

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article45963.htm

The Serfs had better do something about this soon. DAPL is one thing, but this is quite another story entirely.

[video:https://youtu.be/G3hbtM_NJ0s]

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Pricknick's picture

Not lift a finger and call in all bets.
This country and many others would be screwed.
Then we'll really see how useless our military expenditures are along with what money is really worth.

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Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

Big Al's picture

have some tricks up their sleeves too. Or at least they think they do. And maybe China's leadership just are not as fucking crazy as our's is.

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The U.S. couldn't even beat Iraq decisively. Short of going nuclear, we're not going to beat China. That might not stop the sociopaths from trying, though.

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Big Al's picture

I think the commenter was referring to economic pressures China can put on the U.S. and Europe. My reply meant that the U.S. mafia has other means of war besides militarily, and their craziness could cause China to be less willing to fight back in that manner.
And they destroyed Iraq and its military, killed over a million people and removed it's government, that's pretty decisive.

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Sun, 12/04/2016 - 3:05pm — TJ

Please

The U.S. couldn't even beat Iraq decisively. Short of going nuclear, we're not going to beat China. That might not stop the sociopaths from trying, though.

That may be why Hillary and the other warmongering neocons were raving about how 'limited nuclear war'-crimes against multiple countries capable of standing up for themselves against conventional attacks/invasions were supposedly 'safe', at least for themselves. These are crazy-people who, like the Bush Admin lunatics, believe that they can create their own 'reality' and somehow make it real.

I recall reading, some time back, a number of interesting papers/articles on the population effects of lead in gasoline and the improvement in these found after its removal, and it was pointed out by some that the members of the then-current government (Bush admin) came from a time of high lead levels, which increases crime levels as it decreases IQ.

US violent crime levels dropped along with the levels of environmental lead having been previously added via gasoline - but the early-life damage to cognitive function remains... and being insulated from reality by layers of wealth, power and yes-people doesn't help.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

mimi's picture

tired of reading "thinking the unthinkable" and knowing someone just made his living with it.

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Big Al's picture

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mimi's picture

and you know it won't change anything, people just hang their coats on the hook and leave them (the thinking) behind.

Reading about the elections in Italy and Austria. Makes me want to stop thinking.

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tapu dali's picture

Geehrte Mimi,

I understand little, but I gather that Renzi wants to amend the constitution and Italy's election laws to make governance easier. The 5 Star Movement, or M5S, is opposed as this proposal, if carried, would dilute the influence of "minority" parties.

Some say that Renzi's "reforms" could lead to a "dictatorship" of some form or another.

Could you give me a useful link to an explanation of the issues? The Guardian has a short article but it's not really very explanatory.

Gruess!

td

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There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.

http://www.thelocal.it/20161202/will-renzi-be-next-casualty-of-2016s-populist-wave

...
But if he wins, it will be a significant boost for the former mayor of Florence's broader reform agenda.

Renzi sees the emasculation of the second chamber as key to ending legislative logjams and clearing the way for overdue reforms of the judicial, education and administrative systems.

A No vote on the other hand could bolster the burgeoning popularity of Italy's populist and far-right opposition parties, already buoyed by Trump's success.

Beppe Grillo, leader of the populist Five Star Movement, hailed the US election result as a "massive screw you" from voters and urged Italians to follow suit on December 4th.

Matteo Salvini, leader of the xenophobic Northern League, has asked voters to consider who backs the Yes campaign.

"The bankers, the German government and a bunch of Brussels bureaucrats, that's who," he said.

The bankers and the government, again. Common enemies around the globe it seems.

Peace

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tapu dali's picture

Most useful!!

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There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.

mimi's picture

I am so sorry to have not had much time to search and understand what is going on in Italy. It took me a while til I had reliably internet and TV connection here in Germany where I am for the time being. I am just starting to discover TV channels etc. and had shortly heard snippets in the news.

Here is a good link, imo:
Italy votes for new constitution amid political turmoil. The December 4 vote could alter the country's constitution and reform the 70-year-old republic.

I think it's a good article explaining the pro and cons of the Renzi's referendum. I am overwhelmed just discovering so many issues which I would not hear about in the US. Right now I see some report about Poland and the "child support" system they just have changed.

I am bad in translating and extracting. As I listen to things in my mother language and see and listen to so many things I haven't for decades, I just stumble from one thing to the next.

Have a very nice weekend.

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Any info you have on the change in their child support system would be appreciated.
Thanks.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

mimi's picture

obviously all very content about a new child support scheme now in operation.
They feel for the first time a positive change, as they get more financial support for their children.

I think this article from February explains about what this was all about:
Poland child benefit scheme could add costs to Cameron EU deal - As Poland proposes £87-a-month child benefit plan, questions are raised over whether it will mean higher payments for Britain under EU deal

Apparently the scheme is now in place and a win for Polish parents.

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mimi's picture

Poland: On the road to suitable solutions in family policy

In order to increase low fertility rate (1.29 in 2013) and to improve living conditions of families, the Polish government is successively implementing a set of supportive measures. In 2015-2016 some of them were developed and/or introduced, including new parental benefit (500+), family benefits’ mechanism “zlotowka za zlotowke” ("penny for penny") as well as raising the minimum wage, including the minimum hourly wage, or the continuous development of childcare services.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Dhyerwolf's picture

removing most of the powers of one house, Renzi wants to make it that any party who got 40% of the votes for the other house got an extra 15% representation so that they actually controlled 55% of the house. I'd reject the referendum on that aspect alone myself.

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tapu dali's picture

and the Presidential election there?

Have you seen the [video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVR2QaMjVRs width:300 height:200] Gertrude video?

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There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.

mimi's picture

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tapu dali's picture

Ein guter Tag für Österreich u. Europa. Die rechten Hetzer sind zu stoppen!

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There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.

Thanks for the video!

As an aside - it kinda seems as though an increasing number of people in corporate-run countries which the corporations/billionaires wish to utterly own are concerned about a potential for civil war and/or facing calls for their Constitutions to be altered.

Constitutions which are sustainable contain protections for the people and country, place limits on what governments (and hostiles intent on taking over) can do; the only way these protections/limitations can be 'legally' eliminated for any claim of 'legality' in converting democracies to corporate/billionaire assets under a fascist regime is by eliminating and rewriting these Constitutions to suit TPTB. And a carefully fomented civil war - with citizens fighting each other rather than their enemies, and weakened and disorganized, to say the least - sounds like a dandy population distraction as well as an excuse for martial law, incidentally masking the switch to outright and heavily exerted fascist control...

It must have been more than a decade ago that our local newspaper was carrying stories of Holocaust survivors speaking publicly about the terrifyingly familiar signs of fascism they were seeing in North America, possibly much earlier than that...

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

TheOtherMaven's picture

but it used to be only the far-right lunatic fringe that went on about them, and they used to blame the Left for causing/bringing/failing to prevent it - while proposing "countermeasures" that really were fascist.

"Wolf, wolf, wolf", until the wolf slunk in at the right-hand door, completely unrecognized by those who thought it was a guard dog. Diablo

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

tapu dali's picture

[from www.thelocal.it

h/t eyo]

On Sunday, Italians go to the polls to decide whether or not to vote through a set of changes to the country's constitution. It's a referendum likely to have major consequences for both Italy and Europe - here are the key facts you need to know.

1. What is being proposed?

- To strip the second chamber of parliament, the Senate, of most of its powers to block and amend legislation.

- To replace 315 elected Senators with 100 appointees from the regions.

- To transfer some powers currently held by local and regional authorities to central government

2. Why?

The government says the reform will end gridlock in parliament and make it easier to pass difficult legislation. The changes have been designed to complement reform of the electoral system ensuring biggest vote-winner in elections of a parliamentary majority.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi argues that the reforms will reduce bureaucracy and lead to savings of up to 490 million euros a year in operating costs (including the salaries of senators), according to disputed government figures.

3. Who's on which side?

FOR: Renzi, most of his centre-left Democratic Party and his junior coalition partners. Most business leaders, including Banca D'Italia and Goldman Sachs (not that this will help Renzi in his battle to convince voters he's not part of Italy's 'establishment').

AGAINST: All the main opposition parties - populist Five Star Movement, Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia and the far-right Northern League. Some prominent figures in Renzi's own camp including former party secretary Pier Luigi Bersani and former prime minister Massimo D'Alema, many constitutional experts.

4. Will it carry?

It's very uncertain. Last polls before a two-week pre-vote ban gave the No camp a lead of five to eight percentage points, but with many voters - around a third - undecided.

However, the rule banning publication of polls in the finals two weeks means we really don't know how people are feeling right now. Renzi is hoping that a boost from expat voters (who weren't included in most opinion polls, and have already cast their votes) will swing it his way.

5. What happens if Yes wins?

Renzi stays in power, his authority will be enhanced and he can pursue plans for reforms of the education, legal and administrative systems.

He has made some big promises to voters in the run-up to the vote, even reviving the idea of a bridge to Sicily, and in the event of a close result he'd be under a lot of pressure to prove the capability of his government.

6. And if No wins?

Renzi has said he will step aside - however, it's possible that pressure from other ministers will persuade him to stay, due to fears that his resignation could lead to political instability for Italy.

Many observers expect his party to form a new government without him, possibly with Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan as prime minister.

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There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.

mimi's picture

they gain votes from the far right and from the left. So, where do they stand?
Italy heads to the polls: 'We are playing for the next 20 years' – Renzi - Voters to decide between the political establishment and rising populist forces in referendum that could see Renzi resign

If no wins the race, as polls have predicted, Renzi has vowed to resign. It is not yet clear what might happen if Renzi does step down, but the next steps would be determined by Italy’s relatively new president, Sergio Mattarella, who could cobble together a new government and install a new prime minister, such as Pier Carlo Padoan, who currently serves as finance minister.

But there are already signs that Mattarella would come under intense pressure by the Five Star Movement and the rightwing Northern League to immediately call a new election in the event of a no win.

and Italy referendum: Five Star Movement to make major gains no matter what the result is

The populist movement founded by Beppe Grillo, a stand-up comedian from Genoa, has been at the forefront of a three-month campaign that has stirred up the deep economic and social divisions in Italian society.

Closing the movement’s 48-stop nationwide tour in Turin last weekend, Mr Grillo fulminated against Italy’s ruling elite which has come to be typified by the youthful figure of Mr Renzi who has staked his political future on winning the referendum and holding the political centre ground.

Mr Grillo said the Five Star Movement, which fishes from both the Right and the Left for the votes of Italy’s disgruntled classes, would not be daunted, even if Mr Renzi won his referendum.

“If we lose, I will be happy to lose, because I was born a loser, we need to get used to being losers, because the whole world is against us. Who cares if we lose?” he said in the campaign's closing rally in Turin.

Mr Renzi’s supporters hope defeat would set back the Five Star Movement, with the Left-leaning La Repubblica newspaper predicting that internal tensions among the leadership of Mr Grillo’s movement would “explode” in defeat.

Independent analysts like Professor Erik Jones, of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Research in Bologna, believe Five Star will be uniquely placed to “exploit the deep and painful fractures” in Italian society when the country elects a new parliament at some point between now and May 2018.

“Italians revealed a deep cleavage about how the country should be governed that cuts across mainstream parties and political elites,” said Prof Jones, “The referendum outcome does not heal that division; it strengthens the polarization instead.”

Sigh. What's there to say? Five Star Movement leader Grillo is a stand-up comedian. I hope he is not playing the leading role of the "Comedy of Errors". Voter turnout at 57% at 7pm local time in Italy. That's higher than usual.

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mimi's picture

in Italy. Just saying. Reminds me of something ...
What is Italy's Five Star Movement?

The Movement drew initial strength from the twin ideas of a new form of direct democracy and popular disgust with the political elites. Its policies have always been an eclectic mix of the anti-establishment, environmentalist, anti-globalist and eurosceptic, and its supporters have always come from across the political spetrum.

At the 2013 general election, the M5S came from nowhere to become the second most voted for party. Through ups and downs, its poll ratings have stood at around 30% ever since, generally ahead of the centre right and only just behind the centre-left Democratic Party.
...
A vote for the M5S is a straightforward protest vote. Despite being united in their desire to shake up the status quo, M5S activists and supporters are divided across the whole range of issues separating left and right. They don’t necessarily share a position on the EU, taxation or migration – in fact M5S voters are more or less split down the middle.

Hmm ...

Although our intellect always longs for clarity and certainty,
our nature often finds uncertainty fascinating. -
Carl von Clausewitz

I find uncertainty scary. Always was a chicken....

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tapu dali's picture

This might help (or not):

Dealing with Uncertainty

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There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.

Shockwave's picture

It does today if you adjust for PPP.

Militarily, short of nuclear war, it comes down to air superiority;

The US's military edge over Russia and China has come down to one plane

But, this strategic advantage may not last long;

How China's stealthy new J-20 fighter jet compares to the US's F-22 and F-35

And then there is Russia and Putin. Will Russia go with its strategic partner and neighbor or will Putin hang out with his buddy Trump?

US Military's Worst Nightmare: A War with Russia and China (at the Same Time)

Getting us into a military confrontation with China or Iran or Russia or North Korea will make Bannon very happy since it will make it easy to militarize America and rally the masses.

My smoke alarm went off for some reason so I'm fully awake. We are also in a Trump alarm that will make sleeping very difficult.

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The political revolution continues

The schoolyard bully keeps working out so that he can keep attacking the smaller kids - but they have the nerve to keep growing!

He wants to beat them all into the ground and take all of their lunch money, forever - but they have the nerve to keep defending themselves!

What happens if they get together and form unified opposition, rather than waiting to be picked off one by one? Better set up to attack them all at once, when they aren't looking...

The schoolyard bully would rather nuke the playground than play nicely with others, because somehow, he'll always survive, even if nobody else does, and even if there's nothing else left at all after this, because he's special, dammit! One might go so far as to say 'exceptional'. He certainly would.

The schoolyard bully needs mental help and a good deal of restraint applied.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Lookout's picture

You know a good practice round before China?

Obomber has been escalating aggression. The Chinese responded by letting the prez figure out how to get out of his plane without any stairs.

TPTB might act on China if the Standing Rock movement actually begins to threaten oil production and the banks that support them. Quick... start a war and distract the masses.

I can hope we're not that stupid....but I keep being proven wrong.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

hellinahandcart's picture

China will be the big loser (oil wise- though the banks that invested would really be the big losers). But China can't blame industries and investors involved... the whole world sees who is really shutting it down. Hard to say what economic effect it would have. I can't see where it would have a large impact, seeing that we have a glut of oil, worldwide, and everyone is pushing for renewables.
Again, the banks lose long term investments, and China loses mega imports of oil.

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Well, somebody went to a lot of trouble to get the Saudis and other OPEC members to reduce their oil production, apparently using some unspecified form of financial pressure, in order to hike oil prices, thereby making fracking, tar sands and a whole new network of continual oil pipeline disasters once again financially worth-while.

And now the whole draft pages I make notes on seem to be disappearing - they were just going blank before... but the above was posted on C-9 by somebody as well as myself.

Speaking of appalling injustice:

Please sign this, if you haven't yet?

Search will not turn me up a standard petition but luckily one was sent in the reply email:

http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/joe-mcknight-indict-killer/?aktmid=tm2...

colorofchange.org tell jefferson parish to indict joe mcknight's killer!

From the alert w/link in my mailbox:

"This isn’t about race," said Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand after he released the killer of former NFL star Joe McKnight with no charges.1

In 2016, when a white man chases down a Black man in his car and shoots him, it's hard to imagine it had nothing to do with race. And if one thing IS clear, it’s that the decision to let Ronald Gasser--previously arrested in 2006 for beating someone in another road rage incident--go free of charges is about protecting yet another white murderer.2

Today, we'll see the NFL honor Joe McKnight's life during today’s games, while the systems that were supposed to protect him make it clear that his Black life didn't matter to them. It's enraging. But if the Sheriff's department won't file charges and arrest Gasser, the District Attorney’s office must. In 2012, when people stood up to demand the arrest of George Zimmerman after he killed Trayvon Martin, we won.3 At a time when Donald Trump's election has increased racist attacks, local officials have to make it clear that Black lives matter.4 Will you sign the petition to make sure Ronald Gasser doesn't get away scot-free?

Tell Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connick Jr.: Don't let Joe McKnight's killer walk free. Press charges now.

The decision to let Ronald Gasser go has everything to do with race. Louisiana has the highest arrest rate in the country--there’s absolutely no reason McKnight’s killer would’ve usually been let free.5 Police don’t need to provide enough evidence to convict a suspect, just a probable cause that they committed a crime. At the very least, evidence allows the Sheriff to charge Gasser with unlawful discharge of a weapon--which includes shooting most guns within 5,500 feet of a road or highway.6 Yet, he was charged with absolutely nothing. This case is eerily similar to an incident in which NFL star Will Smith was killed in a road rage incident, and the killer, Cardell Hayes, was immediately arrested on charges of second-degree murder.7 The only difference is Hayes is Black, and Gasser is white.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Normand hinted that consideration of Louisiana’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ law could be a factor in this case.8 And we know, from the cases of George Zimmerman and Marissa Alexander, that Stand Your Ground too often falls apart in court when used to protect Black people and stands as firm as the pillars of white supremacy when used to protect white killers. Research shows that in ‘Stand Your Ground’ states, white people who kill Black people are 354 percent more likely to be justified in court than white people who kill other white people.9 We can’t allow police to hold up a law like ‘Stand Your Ground’ as an excuse to let Joe McKnight’s killer walk free.

Right now, there’s nothing legally stopping Ronald Gasser from fleeing the country. Tell the Jefferson Parish DA to indict Gasser now.

Until justice is real,

--Arisha, Rashad, Scott, Clarise, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

hellinahandcart's picture

The more that the American electorate, as a whole, does not stand up in outrage against the police shootings of unarmed Americans, the more the PTB know that they can 'trim the population' without consequence. If I were a white working class American (which I am), I would be very worried... because it's pretty evident that TPTB want to eliminate the working class, white and black alike.
They are shooting black men (and some young poor white men) in the streets; black and white women are dying in city jails; and we have no real record of how many people are dying in city, county, and state/federal private prisons, as the result of improper care.
Make no mistake, they are trying to get rid of us.

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TheOtherMaven's picture

They have war-game scenarios for every eventuality, including a sneak attack by Vanuatu. We already know they've war-gamed a Zombie Apocalypse. As long as it stays on the table inside the Pentagon, they can play up whatever scenario they like.

But if it ever gets real, we will not like the results - if we survive. "The only winning move is not to play", remember?

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

tapu dali's picture

However, one can at least not lose ...

... by knocking the chess board over.

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There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.

tapu dali's picture

Estonia went to war with Latvia over a Valga / Walk border crisis?

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There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.

gulfgal98's picture

Actually we never "win" wars. All these wars destroy our humanity. But in terms of a military victory, we cannot win a war with China and Russia. In fact, we will lose if we attack Iran. This is insanity!

If we attack Iran, Russia, and/or China, the war will come home to American soil. And based upon my experience with the Peace vigils, I doubt if the American public will support more war, especially with Russia and/or China. Right now, the thought of the lunatics running our foreign policy trying to promote even more war truly nauseates and terrifies me.

I want the empire to fall. But I want it to fall economically, not as a result of more armed conflict.

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Big Al's picture

ignore this and think they won't risk more war, their track record speaks for itself. I think Trump calling the Taiwan president wasn't an off the cuff Trump thing, it's a well planned out step toward something bigger regarding China.
We should be concerned.

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Trump visited Taiwan?

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dfarrah

Big Al's picture

mouth on the campaign trail. But ya, same thing.

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weren't concerned when Obama started to build up militarily in the area? The build up was happening around 2015.

Obama has already greased the runway for wars with China and Russia.

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dfarrah

Big Al's picture

about the coming wars with China, Russia, and Iran well before Trump came on the scene. Relative to Trump, the point is the agenda tactics appear to be turning toward a focus on China rather than Russia. Trump and his regime are out to demonize and antagonize China while faking détente with Russia to try to break the alliances. Trump purposely started that on the campaign trail.
I've always been concerned, my point was more people should be too.

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provoking China with military vessels in the South China sea and having troop buildups near the Chinese border. Obama is also using Australia as both proxy and base to encircle China. Having Japan rearm is not welcome by the Chinese and should be condemned by the rest of the world.

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"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

TheOtherMaven's picture

They played with that fire last century and got horribly burned - literally as well as figuratively. Now they don't want any part of it, and small wonder.

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

chalking all of the warmongering up to Trump. Did you recently have another diary as well that appeared to be all Trump, Trump, Trump, when Obama, Clinton, most of the dem party, the repubs,and TPTB support the various war stances?

When I read these two diaries, had I not known about the history and the dems' involvement, I would have thought that the current administration and dems have clean hands, when they don't.

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dfarrah

Big Al's picture

Obama and Clinton and Kerry murdering war criminal warmongers more than I have.

You might want to lose the tribal thing, I don't play it, both parties are the same to me.

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edg's picture

Trump taking a call from the Taiwanese president bothers you but Obama's sale of $1.83 billion in weapons to Taiwan last December didn't. Okay.............

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Slowly this time.

To put it simply, those who control the U.S. government have an agenda of securing the United States, with the help of its NATO friends, as the world hegemon and sole superpower on the planet. Trump being elected has not changed that.

The article is challenging the hope among some on the left, largely based on Trump's positive relationship with Putin (likely exaggerated as part of the latest Red scare) and some vague calls for military pull backs, that Trump will establish a less militant foreign policy.

Big Al doesn't say the events you accuse him of ignoring should be ignored. He's saying don't expect Trump to change them.

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Big Al's picture

of course with the Asia Pivot under Obama. It was a poor choice of phrasing on my part.
As for the essay, I was watching football last night and noticed no one had posted an essay for a number of hours so I whipped one out quickly just to keep things moving. I had a couple beers and didn't really think much of it. I could have explained my position much better had I taken more time and thought in writing this.
So you're right, I shouldn't be blaming Trump and instead should have focused on Obama. Which I have done a couple times.

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edg's picture

I appreciate your essays. Keep writing them.

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I couldn't tell from the context.

It makes me very sad when people wish for other people to have economic problems.

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dfarrah

Damnit Janet's picture

Just for starters.

Then the Media Empire. We need journalists not media moguls.

I'd also like to do away with the Religious Empire as well. Bring back separation of Church and State.

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"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison

riverlover's picture

Henry VIII? I need historians here, I avoided it in college because my father was an historian. So I can be stupid.

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Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

It's hard to keep organized religion out of the mix, it's such a useful tool for would be autocrats and oligarchs.

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Beware the bullshit factories.

gulfgal98's picture

which is being supported by the American military. The Multinational corporations are not doing anything to help most of the American public. Instead, they are continuing their asset stripping of what is left of the public commons. They have destroyed American industry through out sourcing. They are in the process of destroying American education through privatization of public tax dollars to pay for "charter" schools. They are trying to destroy public employees via privatization. They are trying to destroy Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid through privatization. We are already being systematically bled to death by the corporate hegemony. I want the corporate/military/security industrial complex to fall.

I am not wishing for other people to have economic problems. We already have economic problems when half of the people here in the world's richest country now live in poverty. Outsourcing and fighting more wars to protect corporate profits will continue the impoverishment of the American people.

I have posted here from day one and my positions are well known as to the neoliberal ideology that had destroyed this country. I have written at least fifteen essays documenting just how destructive it has been to both the American people and the world.

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Damnit Janet's picture

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"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison

riverlover's picture

GG and DJ are both insightful commenters.

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Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

gulfgal98's picture

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

gulfgal98's picture

Thank you Damnit Janet! (((hugs back)))

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

that you meant you wanted China or Russia to fall, since you were mostly talking about war and Russia and China.

I do agree with everything you wrote in explanation, as usual :), but I didn't catch that you meant the US MIC in your original comment.

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dfarrah

dance you monster's picture

In a side note, this is the second thread I've seen today where you are trying to pick fights with other posters. Conversations go much more productively here when we do not automatically assume or seek to construe the worst in another's comments. Please dial it back.

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so I could know which empire was meant (because people call Russia and China empires, too).

I too thought she meant the American empire, but I couldn't tell, so I asked. As it turns out, she meant the US MIC.

IMO, asking for clarification is not construing anything, it is simply asking for clarification.

And we are allowed to disagree on topics, and allowed to point out when diaries seem one sided.

Big Al has already explained why he only mentioned Trump in this diary (I had already posted another comment before I saw his explanation, I believe his post was in response to another poster) and left out mention of the other warmongers, like the Dems, Obama, HRC, the repubs, the MIC.

The diary seemed very one-sided to me in mentioning only Trump, but the diarist already explained that he was doing a quickie diary.

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dfarrah

WoodsDweller's picture

Elect Clinton, get a no-fly zone in Syria and a hot war with Russia.
Elect Trump, he punches China in the nose to show he's a tough guy risking a hot war with China.

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"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone

she would have continued Obama's actions, which included going after China, in addition to Russia and countries like Syria.

Don't forget that Venezuela was designated as a national security threat by Obama.

The warmongering has been going on practically forever.

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dfarrah

acknowledgment of Obama's (and the other dems, like HRC) role in the 'pivot' to China and their efforts against Russia?

The dem administration has been trying to provoke wars with China and Russa, and yet this diary implies that the issue started with Trump.

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dfarrah

Big Al's picture

I certainly didn't intend to imply that. In fact, I thot I made it clear this wasn't Trump's agenda, he was just continuing it.

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Trump twice in the opening sentences, and four more times after that.

But I see where you mention TPTB.

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dfarrah

snoopydawg's picture

reading this site, but WE HAVE been speaking out against him since this site started.
Have you paid attention to the weekly Evening Blues where joe brings these action to our attention and then WE COMMENT about Obama's actions?
I don't appreciate your tone, so please dial it back.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

Seems to me the poster hasn't read much here at all, and especially not much by Big Al. Just love it when people come in here and want to act all argumentative and have no grounds on which to do so.

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Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur

Damnit Janet's picture

We are in how many lands right now? Actively killing people?

Hell, America even likes to beat the shit out of its own people.

Maybe we need to be "liberated"... China would kick our ass. Our "service men" are too busy droning women and children in the Middle East and pepper spraying water protectors.

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"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison

gulfgal98's picture

in eight countries at last count. The United States has military stationed in somewhere near 150 countries at last count. That is nearly every country in existence in the world today since there are about 195 countries currently.

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

other corporate dominated nations to ramp up their war making capacities in support of what? Global monopoly capital is my guess and this bodes ill for the planet and its many species including humans.

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"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

other corporate dominated nations to ramp up their war making capacities in support of what?

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Beware the bullshit factories.

imperialistic ambitions and policies tend to wreak bloody havoc wherever they have been implemented, and no matter what ostensible "reasons" are invented to justify them. Both political parties have been equally guilty of either encouraging or allowing these aggressively acquisitive policies to continue, regardless of the huge cost to the American people, and regardless of the horrific damages inflicted upon the people who happen to live in the variously chosen "war zones".

Will the US public ever wake up, and realize how much trouble and bloodshed, crime and mayhem has been, and is still being perpetrated by their own government? Or will they continue to be lulled and flattered by a gaggle of msm pundits, and thus sleepwalk themselves all the way through to a (logically likely) nuclear war? Only time will tell. Stay tuned for the next exciting episode of the reality-show called "Humanity".

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native

... Will the US public ever wake up, and realize how much trouble and bloodshed, crime and mayhem has been, and is still being perpetrated by their own government? Or will they continue to be lulled and flattered by a gaggle of msm pundits, and thus sleepwalk themselves all the way through to a (logically likely) nuclear war? Only time will tell. Stay tuned for the next exciting episode of the reality-show called "Humanity".

Or the lack thereof.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Hall of Famer and he was elected president. The majority of Americans do not care, and probably don't know about, the murders and dispossessions around the globe that have been fomented in their name. It's hard enough to get Americans to care about their fellow citizens.

This is not to imply we are not capable of learning and capable of voting and taking action on those concerns. But the fact remains, 1 million dead Iraqis from an illegal war never made it into the debate during campaign season. The same goes for the overthrow of the Honduran president and the flow of refugees from that unhappy country. The only response is to expel the refugees which Obama is proud to do. We here know that there are laws about sending refugees back when there is the threat of reprisal and a court hearing is called for but that's not in the mass expulsion plans of this, and probably the next, administration.

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"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

Messing with Honduras was bad enough, but messing with Iran would demonstrate a whole other level of idiocy.

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native

conversation with a co-worker on single payer healthcare. Her reaction was of course, we can't afford it. But when I mentioned the cost of the wars, while there WAS a blank stare for a minute or two, I did see a shadow of awareness cross her face. If people just stopped and thought for 5 seconds on some of the things they do not know and are not told about, we really might have a shot. But most don't. And many believe we don't spend nearly what we spend on the military, although I do put that to willful ignorance. We all see how much the budget is for it, how on earth can we not make the connection? But then again, when you are struggling to merely survive, you maybe don't have the "luxury" of time to think about such things - which works in the favor of the plutocrats brilliantly. Almost as if they set that up intentionally.....oh wait, they did.

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Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur

relatives truly believes that the US is a peacekeeping force in the world.

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dfarrah

a wide range of possibility, according to certain Buddhist teachings:

The ten spiritual realms are part of the belief of some forms of Buddhism that there are ten conditions of life which sentient beings are subject to, and which they experience from moment to moment.
The ten spiritual realms are part of Buddhist cosmology and consist of four higher realms and six lower realms

.
Six realms of desire
- Hell
- Hunger
- Animality/Brutality
- Arrogance (or anger)
- Humanity (or passionate idealism)
- Heaven (or rapture)
Four higher (noble) realms
- Learning
- Realization (or absorption)
- Bodhisattvahood (or compassion)
- Buddhahood

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native

Proper Livlihood." There are jobs and ways of earning a living that further a person on the road to enlightenment but in our
society, they are scarce.

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"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

omission at all?

For example, I feel I am immoral because I don't do everything I can to stop war. I try to support the correct politicians, etc., but that is no where near the commitment that other people have made, such as David Swanson. And if Jesus' disciples gave up their lives for him, then why can't I give up my life in pursuit of peace? Guess I'm too chicken and stuck on earthly desires, I suppose.

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dfarrah

I've been saying for almost a decade that war with China is inevitable. China has no breathable air, no drinkable water, and no arable soil. It is an ecological disaster waiting to be admitted. Soon cholera, famine, and COPD will be in a race to see which will kill more people, and China will have to invade its neighbors to survive. A wise nation would prepare; we have been doing so since the eighties.
But then came W, who weakened our military, and our economy, (our nation) with an insane oil war, and by giving China a trillion dollars in IOUs under the assumption that when necessary he could simply refuse to pay up.
But wisdom is not our motivation. We are not preparing for a war of necessity, we are preparing for a capitalistic turf fight, the Jets are getting ready to fight the Sharks for control of Yancy Street.

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On to Biden since 1973