The Weekly Watch

Taxing Times

I don't mind paying taxes. The idea of everyone contributing toward the common good appeals to me. However, when I think of what our nation does with our tax money, I start fuming. With the escalation of our illegal war with Syria, based on no solid evidence (on the heels of the spy poisoning case with no evidence)...as the US promotes death, disease, and starvation of people in Yemen...and Gaza, it is too much to fathom. To top it off the only journalist calling out the insanity is Tucker Carlson on FAUX news...the world has turned upside down. Did the magnetic poles suddenly reverse again?

Much of our local tax money is used to support schools. The oligarchs have been siphoning off those funds through cuts and privatization to the point where teachers have had it...and are striking. Now seems the time for all citizens to rise up and say they've had it with all our dirty little wars. There were some efforts this weekend to do just that. https://georgiapeace.org/

perpetual war.jpg

Let's start with Syria. I can't get it off my mind. How can anyone possibly think we are bombing Syria to help their people? Does anyone remember Libya and the consequences of removing strong men leaders? Now they have open air slave markets. Or how about Iraq?

To understand Iraq’s current reality, we must confront not just 15 years of U.S. policy, but a history that spans the administrations of 11 U.S. presidents. It’s a 55-year history that is filled with constant interventions and bombings, economic sanctions and covert CIA activity, and regime change. And in this history — a history you never hear discussed on cable news — the main victims are, as they’ve always been: ordinary Iraqis. (30 min video by Jeremy Scahill) https://theintercept.com/2018/04/09/video-a-brief-history-of-u-s-interve...

I sure find it odd as soon as T-rump says we're leaving Syria, there's a false flag gassing of people in Syria. I remember a similar scenario with Obomber. This occurs as the UK spy poisoning case is falling apart (which precipitated the expulsion of diplomats when they are most needed). It's WMD's all over again. We are a culture of perpetual war.

Excellent analysis by Lee Camp and Max Blumenthal (24 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reuQAoXM8bE

UN independent expert and law professor Alfred de Zayas says the American military presence and the United States' support for rebels in Syria violate international law (2 parts video or text)
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:21561:US-Attack-on-Syria-Would-Be-Illega...
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:21581:US-Military-Presence-in-Syria-and-...

In a clear violation of international law we're bombing Syria
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/04/13/clear-violation-domestic-an...
Jimmy Dore, Ron, and Stef discuss the rush to escalate the Syrian war without clear evidence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rdTBmCRSB4 (21 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_ieErBsjnE (13 min on the Democrats support for war)
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday claimed his government possesses "irrefutable data" that the chemical attack was "staged" with the help of a foreign intelligence service.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/04/13/after-france-claims-proof-c...
https://theintercept.com/2018/04/13/russia-says-irrefutable-evidence-che...

Vanessa Beeley lays out clear evidence of the false flag poisoning...
http://21stcenturywire.com/2018/04/08/syria-the-egregious-western-media-...

The latest U.S. air attack on Russia’s close ally Syria was as much politically aimed at Moscow as at Damascus. https://www.truthdig.com/articles/how-russiagate-produced-the-missile-at...

Other factors led to the escalation as well. https://www.truthdig.com/articles/how-the-syrian-american-medical-societ...

Chris Hedges suggests we have declared a worldwide war on Muslims.
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-campaign-to-exterminate-muslims/

If you missed the Tucker Carlson antiwar comments Jimmy Dore with Stef and Ron do a good job covering the segment (21 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbQB1EQ32CE

No New York Times or Wall Street Journal opinion piece came out against a renewed attack on Syria.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/04/14/few-no-anti-bombing-voices...

Are we marching into WWIII?
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/war-with-syria-could-lead-to-world-war...

Anonymous thinks we are working on WWIII (4 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks4sTtVAdsg

Am-I-Not-a-Man-Fish-Hedges-4-8-18-850x661.jpg

Israel

There is clear evidence that Israel murders protestors and journalists. Where is the outrage?
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:21578:Israel-Mows-Down-Unarmed-Gaza-Prot... (5 min or text)

Glenn Greenwald speaks plainly about the situation. (video or text)
https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/9/apartheid_rogue_terrorist_state_gl...

Jimmy is outraged at Israel shooting protesters and journalists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ1r8eq4bcU

Israels answer? Smear the murdered journalist!
https://theintercept.com/2018/04/12/israel-denounced-smear-campaign-pale...

Then Jimmy compliments Chris Hayes Gaza comments with Stef. (13 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5LOUKaq3fI

Will they fire Chris Hayes? They are firing Canadian Journalists for similar statements.
http://therealnews.com/t2/component/content/article/71-more-blog-posts-f...
Kevin Medcalf and Dimitri discuss the situation (video or text0
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:21563:After-Criticizing-Israel%2C-Canadi...

The other trick is to block stories. Abby Martin's interview with Max Blumenthal is now blocked in dozen of countries (1 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j63_wHQJYHI

lk040618dAPC-420x305.jpg

Jimmy has a nice three part interview with Oliver Stone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch0-JQvLG98 (9 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tIeKzOL_Qw (23 min focused on Russia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq1t5pBKT4U (12 min on media)

Brazil

As we discussed last week, Brazil is an important story. Elected populous leaders are deposed with superficial charges and are now being imprisoned to keep them from winning elections...largely without media coverage. http://therealnews.com/t2/component/content/article/132-more-blog-posts-...
https://theintercept.com/2018/04/13/brazil-lula-prison-generals-military...

Mark Weisbrot explains the prosecution of former president Lula da Silva is a transparent attempt to remove Brazil's most popular candidate from the presidential race because he is also the one most disliked by the country's elite. (video or text)
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:21562:Miscarriage-of-Justice%3A-Ex-Presi...

Glenn Greenwald has some insightful comments (video or text)
https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/9/glenn_greenwald_brazils_right_wing...

half-fool-1000-1-850x772.jpg

Teachers are leading a new movement...
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/04/12/teacher-strikes-oklah...

Tithi Bhattacharya discusses the teachers leading revolts across the nation are taking on their union leadership, and being targeted by a powerful network funded by the Koch and the DeVos money
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:21577:Striking-Teachers-Targeted-by-Kochs (video or text)

“...what these teachers are really doing is raising the question about the low-taxes, low-public-services politics that we have been living with in this country for a very long time.” Corey Robin
https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/12/corey_robin_striking_teachers_are...

Teaching and graduate assistants are on strike in Canada
http://therealnews.com/t2/component/content/article/364-socialist-projec...

Denver Journalist are trying to fight back...The Denver Post’s editorial board published a lead editorial headlined “As vultures circle, The Denver Post must be saved.” (video or text)
https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/10/denver_post_revolts_against_its_v...

lk041518dAPR-850x618.jpg

Taxes...

You really have to start by understanding the Federal Reserve..the banking cartel designed it and created income tax to pay them for creating our money.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IJeemTQ7Vk (1.5 hours)

page1-800px-Federal_taxes_by_type.pdf_.jpg

Ex-CIA Kevin Shipp explains more about our government structure...well the shadow government structure. It is tied to the Federal Reserve too. Worth an hour of your time if you have not heard Kevin before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQouKi7xDpM (1 hour)
There's 54 minutes more if you want to hear it...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO-mcduYCEA

1920px-Taxes_revenue_by_source_chart_history.png

I had planed to focus this issue of the Weekly on taxes, but an illegal bombing of Syria distracted me. Perhaps that was the purpose? There certainly seems no real military accomplishment...just more killing of civilians with no warning. Meanwhile the corporate media cheers on the war...any and all war...sidelining any journalists which might report otherwise. Politicians that speak up get the same treatment. Look at the way they've treated Jeremy Corbyn for urging caution and restraint until there is real evidence. It may be the bombing this weekend was aimed at destroying evidence...evidence which would have proven we were the ones that provided the gas used and our allies were the ones that used it. Friends we are indeed living in taxing times.

Well I hope you've all finished your returns, and are having a nice spring. We finally got a rain last night about 1.5 inches. It was needed. I look forward to your stories and comments below....

Share
up
0 users have voted.

Comments

The Aspie Corner's picture

up
0 users have voted.

Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.

Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.

Lookout's picture

@The Aspie Corner
Here's the Skillet Lickers from 1926.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ3rXbFn8qE (3 min)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skillet_Lickers
Their music and spirit has been a big influence on me and my music. I know some of their descendants.

Thanks for Jimmy's piece!

up
0 users have voted.

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

Lookout's picture

This report on the likeliness of a false flag chemical attack aired a month ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmYCgK2zHCI (8 min)

Former US diplomat comments yesterday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdOdh_oA1ag (14 min)

edit to add:
Chris Hedges explores Islam and the Muslim world with Hamza Yusuf, President of Zaytuna College. Yusuf, one of the most prominent Islamic scholars in the U.S., discusses the disenfranchisement of Muslim youths and the perversion of Islam by terror groups
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9TYZDq-15M (26 min)

up
0 users have voted.

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

snoopydawg's picture

The stupid, it burns. Kentucky Governor is doing all he can not to give his teachers a raise.

Kentucky Governor Blames Teacher Protest For Inevitable Assault Of Children Left Home Alone

“I’m offended by the fact that people so cavalierly, and so flippantly, disregarded what’s truly best for children,”

“I guarantee you somewhere in Kentucky today a child was sexually assaulted that was left at home because there was nobody there to watch them,” he said. “I guarantee you somewhere today a child was physically harmed or ingested poison because they were home alone because a single parent didn’t have any money to take care of them.”

Won't someone think of the poor oil men who's taxes have might go up in order to find money for the teachers?

We all know why the teachers are protesting, but this A-hole thinks that they are doing it for these reasons:

Bevin also dissed protesting teachers for “hangin’ out, shoes off ... smokin’, leavin’ trash around, takin’ the day off.”

up
0 users have voted.

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

Lookout's picture

@snoopydawg

It's been the strategy for years. The problem is people within communities know and respect most teachers. Parents and students are supportive. TPTB are not happy.

Another bit of good news is the kinder morgan pipeline protest in Canada
Kinder Morgan Canada (KML.TO) on Sunday suspended most work on a C$7.4 billion ($5.8 billion) oil pipeline expansion that has become the focus of protests, a move underscoring uncertainty over major energy projects in Canada.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kinder-morgan-cn-pipeline/kinder-morg...

Difficult to cover all the week's happenings...like I said I've been distracted with the Syrian conflict. Glad you dropped by, and thanks for being supportive of the teachers!

up
0 users have voted.

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

Wink's picture

up
0 users have voted.

the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

Lookout's picture

@Wink

this issue misses many global stories because of the syrian focus. I try to keep each edition down to a readable menu of media choices.

Thanks for coming by.

up
0 users have voted.

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

What's a peaceful taxpayer to do? Rhetorical question. Thanks for the conglomeration!

up
0 users have voted.
Lookout's picture

@QMS

war is good for business_0.jpg

... we refuse to let peace break out.

Good to "see" you.

up
0 users have voted.

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

The Liberal Moonbat's picture

...I would in fact seriously consider "going Galt", as FOX News tried to get people to do sometime early in the Obama years, and get a Swiss bank account or whatever to get out of paying taxes, since I know most of my tax money would go to the MISC. Every year, I'd work out what my tax burden SHOULD be, then dole that much out to worthy causes, potentially including giving directly to those government departments that actually still do things worth funding (NASA, NEA, EPA, SSA, that sort of thing), if that were doable.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very big on "tax-and-spend", and think a lot of what ails America could be cured if only we were willing to go back to that - but just as democracy only works if people are smart, so is tax-and-spend only a good idea if the taxes are spent on bettering the world rather than destroying it.

I think most people could figure out better budgets than what Washington comes up with year after year. One crazy (and I know it's crazy) idea I had was to enable people to CHOOSE, as individuals, how their share of taxes was to be spent: You'd still have to pay in full whatever you owed as normal, but one of the sheets in your annual tax forms would now include one where you'd get to say "X% of my taxes are to go to this department, Y% to that one, Z% to discretionary spending, etc". I suspect that even though there'd be a lot of people who'd choose to give MORE or ALL of their shares to the Department of Defense/Homeland Security, they'd STILL wind up with a lot less for the MISC, and a lot more for social services/public television/education/environmental protection than they get now.

up
0 users have voted.

In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.

Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!

Lookout's picture

@The Liberal Moonbat

for direct democracy. We have no problem with ATMs and money. At least for issues like war and other major decisions...require a public vote.

As long as they buy our representatives, they won't represent us, so may be we could vote ourselves. TPTB would never let it happen.

A new study from Princeton spells bad news for American democracy—namely, that it no longer exists.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/princeton-experts-say-us-no-longe...

Is the term conscientious millionaire an oxymoron? All the best. Thanks for dropping by.

up
0 users have voted.

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

The Liberal Moonbat's picture

@Lookout It doesn't have to be. As Marcus Aurelius said: "Even in a palace, life may be lived well."

There's a huge difference between some having a lot more than others, and 8 people having as much as nearly 5 billion (or whatever the exact present statistic is).

up
0 users have voted.

In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.

Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!

Lookout's picture

@The Liberal Moonbat

it's just difficult to see that on the internet. FDR and JFK were wealthy men that tried to help common people...more than most presidents anyway. Being wealthy seems to help people shed their humanity...maybe empathy is a better word.

All the best!

up
0 users have voted.

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

@Lookout
I nominate the Dalai Lama as first World Leader.

up
0 users have voted.

Beware the bullshit factories.

Lookout's picture

@Timmethy2.0

be kind_0.jpg

up
0 users have voted.

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

The Liberal Moonbat's picture

@Timmethy2.0 ...for Undying Lich-Emperor!

up
0 users have voted.

In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.

Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!

Lookout's picture

@The Liberal Moonbat

...at a teacher confab. Won't you be my neighbor?

up
0 users have voted.

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

Friday. I will be very interesting to see what happens on Monday night. (I watch him on YouTube so I can skip all the crap.)

up
0 users have voted.

chuck utzman

TULSI 2020

Lookout's picture

@chuckutzman

Fox kept Tucker off air on Friday

Will he keep his job? May have to apply over at RT where Ed Schultz landed after MSNBC canned him for telling people the truth....and Chris Hedges is on RT too.

up
0 users have voted.

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