The Evening Blues - 4-27-22



eb1pt12


The day's news roundup + tonight's musical feature: Son Bonds

Hey! Good Evening!

This evening's music features country blues guitarist Son Bonds. Enjoy!

The Delta Boys (Sleepy John Estes & Son Bonds) - You Shouldn't Say That

"War is mankind's most tragic and stupid folly; to seek or advise its deliberate provocation is a black crime against all men."

-- Dwight D. Eisenhower


News and Opinion

Russia Strikes Supply Lines in Ukraine as White House Rejects Kremlin Demand to End Weapons Shipments

Russia has targeted a number of sites in Ukraine that have been used for Western weapons deliveries, local officials said, as the Biden administration rejected demands from Moscow to stop arming Ukraine.

A Ukrainian railway official reported that five stations were struck by Russian shells and 16 trains According to Politico, the railway sites were used to facilitate weapons transfers to Kiev. ...

In a separate event over the weekend, Russia says it targeted a hub for NATO weapons near an airstrip in Odessa. Russian military spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said missiles targeted a site where “a large batch of foreign weapons received from the United States and European countries was stored.” Officials in Odessa disputed the Russian narrative, however, instead claiming some missiles were intercepted and that others struck civilian buildings and caused casualties.

Though Moscow has repeatedly warned Washington against shipping weapons to Kiev – with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stating that NATO is “engaged in a war with Russia through a proxy” – White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters the administration had rebuffed the Kremlin’s request on Monday.

Minister backs Ukraine carrying out Russia strikes with British weapons

The UK backs Ukrainian troops carrying out strikes in Russian territory, the armed forces minister has said, calling it “not necessarily a problem” if Ukraine uses weapons donated by Britain.

James Heappey said the UK believed it was “completely legitimate” for Ukraine to identify targets in Russia in order to disrupt attacks on Ukraine. ...

He said it was “not necessarily a problem” if British-donated weapons were used to hit sites on Russian soil after accepting that weapons allies were supplying to Ukraine had the range to be used over borders.

“There are lots of countries around the world that operate kit that they have imported from other countries. When those bits of kit are used we tend not to blame [the country] that manufactured it, you blame the country that fired it.”

Russia warns Britain for provoking Ukraine

Russia warned Britain on Tuesday that if it continued to provoke Ukraine to strike targets in Russia then there would be an immediate "proportional response".

Russia's defence ministry cited statements from Britain's armed forces minister James Heappey who told BBC radio that it was entirely legitimate for Ukraine to hunt targets in the depths of Russia to disrupt logistics and supply lines. ...

"As we have warned, the Russian Armed Forces are in round-the-clock readiness to launch retaliatory strikes with high-precision long-range weapons at decision-making centers in Kyiv."

The defence ministry also said that if such Russian strikes were made it would not necessarily be a problem if representatives of a certain Western country were located at Ukraine's decision making centres.

Putin warns of 'lightning response' to intervention in Ukraine

US, allies promise heavy arms for Ukraine, shrug off Russian nuclear warning

'Pouring Oil on the Fire': Lavrov Warns Flow of Western Arms to Ukraine Risks Nuclear War

Russia's top diplomat warned Monday that NATO countries are "pouring oil on the fire" in Ukraine and heightening the chances of a full-blown nuclear conflict by continuing to dump advanced weaponry into the war zone, comments that came after top U.S. officials vowed to provide Kyiv with another $700 million in military aid.

In an interview on Russian state television, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the possibility of nuclear war "should not be underestimated" and added that "under no circumstances should a Third World War be allowed to happen."

"The risk is serious, real," said Lavrov. "There can be no winners in a nuclear war."

Lavrov went on to argue that by heavily arming Ukraine as it combats Russia's illegal and deadly invasion, NATO members are, "in essence, going to war with Russia through a proxy."

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, replied that Lavrov's "talk of a 'real' danger of WWIII" is part of Moscow's effort to "scare the world off supporting Ukraine."

"This only means Moscow senses defeat in Ukraine," Kuleba wrote in a Twitter post on Monday. "Therefore, the world must double down on supporting Ukraine so that we prevail and safeguard European and global security."

The Russian foreign minister's remarks aired hours after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin visited Kyiv to reiterate the Biden administration's intention to continue supplying Ukraine with advanced weaponry.

While far from alone, the U.S. has been Ukraine's top weapons provider, authorizing nearly $4 billion worth of Javelin anti-tank missiles, drones that explode on impact, and other equipment.

During the visit, Austin said that the Biden administration's objective in Ukraine is to "see Russia weakened to the point where it can't do things like invade Ukraine"—a statement that appeared to confirm anti-war critics' concerns that the U.S. is more interested in damaging Russia than achieving a peaceful resolution to the devastating war, which has sparked a massive humanitarian crisis with global consequences.

"What is the U.S. and European diplomatic strategy for bringing an end to the war and deterring further aggression that is backed by nuclear threats?" Daryl Kimball, director of the Arms Control Association asked Tuesday in response to Austin's comments. ...

At a Tuesday gathering of officials from more than 40 countries, Austin declared that the U.S. is "going to keep moving heaven and earth" to help meet Ukraine's military needs. German officials also pledged at the meeting to ship heavy arms to Ukraine.

Austin later addressed Lavrov's interview, saying that "nobody wants to see a nuclear war."

"Nobody can win it," Austin added. "There's always a possibility a number of things can happen but I think it is unhelpful and dangerous to rattle sabers and speculate about the use of nuclear weapons."

Reporting from the ground in Donbas

Ukraine War Expanding to Moldova as Ukraine's Donbass Commanders Complain of 'Desperate Situation'

Fears grow over Moldova breakaway region being drawn into Ukraine war

A Russian minister refused to rule out Moldova’s breakaway region Transnistria being drawn into the Ukraine war, in a potential escalation of the conflict to another European country. The deputy foreign minister, Andrey Rudenko, said on Tuesday said Moscow “was concerned” over the string of recent explosions in Transnistria, saying Russia “would like to avoid a scenario” in which Transnistria would be dragged into the war.

Speaking to journalists in Moscow, Rudenko said the “situation with the explosions” in the region indicated that “certain forces” behind the attacks were interested in creating “another hotbed of tension in Europe” – a reference to two episodes of violence reported in the enclave in as many days. “An investigation will be carried out accordingly, and we hope that the reasons will be established and those responsible will be punished,” RIA Novosti cited Rudenko as saying.

Transnistria, which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists and permanently hosts 1,500 Russian troops as well as a large arms depot, borders western Ukraine. Rudenko’s statements came after Moldova’s president, Maia Sandu, convened a meeting of her security council on Tuesday following the two incidents.

Poland, Bulgaria; No rubles, no gas. Train substations blasted. Italy Operation Thermostat.

Who writes The Guardian's propaganda headlines? They should get an award for this one. Imagine the hubris of Russia demanding to be paid in a currency that they can use!

Russia begins ‘gas blackmail’ halting supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, governments told

Moscow has told Poland and Bulgaria that it will halt gas supplies from Wednesday, following their refusal to pay the Russian energy giant Gazprom in roubles, in an apparent warning shot to the rest of Europe.

The decision to kill supply at 8am CET had also followed Poland’s announcement earlier on Tuesday that it was imposing sanctions on 50 entities and individuals – including Russia’s biggest gas company – over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said Russia was “beginning the gas blackmail of Europe”.

“Russia is trying to shatter the unity of our allies. Russia is also proving that energy resources are a weapon. That is why the EU needs to be united and impose an embargo on energy resources, depriving the Russians of their energy weapons.”

The move will be a grave concern to those countries who are the most heavily dependent on Russian gas, such as Germany, but at a hastily arranged press conference, Polish ministers said they had sufficient supplies to weather an interruption while accusing Gazprom of a breach of contract.

Russian economy stabilises. EU economy faces massive contraction

Afghan-American Groups Challenge Illegal Seizure of Billions by US

Condemning the Biden administration's seizure of U.S.-held Afghanistan Central Bank funds as "a deep and grave injustice" that will worsen the humanitarian crisis already being suffered by millions of Afghans, several civil society groups have filed official statements in federal court demanding President Joe Biden's executive order regarding the funds be overturned.

As Afghans For A Better Tomorrow (AFBT) said in a statement released Monday, the group joined Project ANAR, Afghan-American Community Organization (AACO), and Global Advocates for Afghanistan (GAA) in filing an amicus brief in the Southern District of New York last week, demanding the U.S. government release $3.5 billion in Central Bank reserves so they can be used to alleviate hunger and poverty for Afghan households.

"The Afghan people have suffered injustice after injustice—including having to endure brutal Taliban oppression and the seizure of Afghan reserves, leading to the world's worst humanitarian disaster," said Arash Azizzada, co-director for AFBT. "The seizure of funds would be a deep and grave injustice adding to the continued suffering for the Afghan people that would be felt for generations."

Last year after the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban quickly took control of the country, the Biden administration froze $7.1 billion that the previous Afghan government had placed in the New York Federal Reserve.

In February, Biden signed an executive order allocating half of the money for humanitarian relief in Afghanistan but seizing the other half and holding it for families who lost loved ones on September 11 and have brought cases against the Taliban.

The remaining $3.5 billion must go to supporting the people of Afghanistan, said the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), which is representing the Afghan civil society groups in federal court.

"The 9/11 families should be able to enforce their judgments—against the Taliban, with the Taliban's funds," said Katherine Gallagher, senior staff attorney at CCR. "It would be both unlawful and profoundly unjust to turn over assets belonging to the Afghan people to satisfy judgments against a terrorist-designated group."

The seizure of the funds is worsening a humanitarian emergency "in a country where U.S. and European sanctions are compounding suffering caused by decades of war and misrule," said CCR.

Instead of holding the Taliban accountable, the groups said, the U.S. seizure of the funds has only exacerbated Afghanistan's economic crisis and plunged millions of people into a humanitarian catastrophe. Last month, the United Nations reported that half of Afghanistan's nearly 39 million people are facing acute hunger, "including nine million in a state of emergency food insecurity—the highest number in the world."

GAA reported last week that "Afghan parents are selling their organs in order to secure the next meal for their families."

"Subjecting the entire population of Afghanistan to further suffering by taking Afghan resources can and must be avoided," said Sadaf Doost, co-founder of the group.

Time running out to reach Iran nuclear deal, warn experts

Leading former diplomats including seven ex-UK foreign and defence ministers have warned the Iran nuclear talks are heading to “corrosive stalemate devolving into a cycle of increased nuclear tension” and urged Tehran and Washington to show more flexibility.

Year-long talks in Vienna on reviving the deal and for the US, which was pulled out of the agreement by Donald Trump, to lift sanctions on Iran have in effect ground to a halt in a dispute over whether the west will lift the foreign terrorist organisation designation, and sanctions, against the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The former diplomats said in an open letter that a final draft text of a renewed agreement was ready to be signed and warned that “for US and European leaders to let slip the opportunity to defuse a nuclear crisis in the Middle East would be a grave mistake”.

Obama Says Censoring Social Media Will Keep Us Free

Twitter takeover: EU and UK warn Elon Musk must comply or face sanctions

The UK and EU have warned that Twitter must comply with new content rules or face sanctions that range from fines to a total ban, as concerns were raised that hate speech will increase on the platform under the ownership of Elon Musk. The world’s richest man has agreed a $44bn (£34bn) deal to buy the social media network, which will hand control of a platform with 217 million users to a self-confessed “free speech absolutist”.

A UK government spokesperson said companies must adhere to the forthcoming online safety bill, which requires platforms to protect users from harmful content, or face the threat of large fines and, for repeat offenders, a total ban. “Twitter and all social media platforms must protect their users from harm on their sites. We are introducing new online safety laws to safeguard children, prevent abusive behaviour and protect free speech. All tech firms with users in the UK will need to comply with the new laws or face hefty fines and having their sites blocked.” ...

Musk responded to the EU and UK announcements on Tuesday, tweeting: “The extreme antibody reaction from those who fear free speech says it all.”

He later showed signs of willingness to adhere to regulations: “By ‘free speech’, I simply mean that which matches the law. I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law. “If people want less free speech, they will ask government to pass laws to that effect. Therefore, going beyond the law is contrary to the will of the people.”

Juan González: In Surprise Move, Gorsuch Challenges U.S. Colonialism in SCOTUS Ruling on Puerto Rico

Grand Rapids law enforcement releases name of officer who murdered Patrick Lyoya

The police officer who shot Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head following a traffic stop on April 4 was identified as Christopher Schurr at a Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) press conference on Monday. Schurr, 31, was sworn in as a member of the Grand Rapids, Michigan police force in 2015.

In identifying Schurr, who is on administrative leave while Lyoya’s murder is being investigated by the Michigan State Police (MSP), GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom said he made the information public, “in the interest of transparency, to reduce on-going speculation and to avoid other confusion.” Winstrom added, “Beginning this week, as required by law, the Grand Rapids Police Department will be releasing documents in response to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) relative to this incident.”

Winstrom did not say who made the FOIA request. One reason he backtracked on his previous stance that the identity of the officer would not be released unless charges were brought against him is that his name was already circulating online. ...

Protests by workers and young people have taken place in Grand Rapids, Lansing and Detroit over the past three weeks demanding justice for Lyoya. A 26-year-old Congolese refugee, Lyoya came to the US at the age of 18, worked at an automotive parts factory in the area and had two small children. He was shot execution-style by Schurr after a traffic stop for a purported license plate violation devolved into a physical altercation in a residential Grand Rapids neighborhood.

Supreme Court Considers Whether Biden Can Undo Trump’s "Remain in Mexico" Policy



the horse race



HUMILIATING: Spotify DROPS Obama's Podcast

Marjorie Taylor Greene texted Trump chief of staff urging martial law to overturn election

Days before Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration, Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene appeared in a text to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to press for Donald Trump to overturn his 2020 election defeat by invoking martial law, new messages show.

The message – one of more than 2,000 texts turned over by Meadows to the House select committee investigating January 6 and first reported by CNN – shows that some of Trump’s most ardent allies on Capitol Hill were pressing for Trump to return himself to office even after the Capitol attack.

“In our private chat with only Members several are saying the only way to save our Republic is for Trump to call Marshall [sic] law,” Greene texted on 17 January. “I just wanted you to tell him. They stole this election. We all know. They will destroy our country next.”



the evening greens


'No Negotiating With Arsonists': Green Groups Slam Manchin-Led Climate Compromise With GOP

Advocacy groups on Tuesday blasted new efforts by U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin to strike a deal with the GOP on climate legislation after months of the West Virginia Democrat preventing the House-approved Build Back Better Act from reaching President Joe Biden's desk.

Manchin and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) organized a Monday night meeting to "gauge bipartisan interest in a path forward that addresses our nation's climate and energy security needs head-on," a Manchin spokesperson, Sam Runyon, told Bloomberg.

Food & Water Watch managing director of policy Mitch Jones said in a statement Tuesday that "the Build Back Better bill was effectively stymied by Sen. Manchin, who is now apparently part of an effort to craft a bipartisan bill that would be even weaker than the compromise efforts he soundly rejected last year."

While congressional Democrats attempted to use the budget reconciliation process to pass the $1.75 trillion package, it was blocked by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Manchin, who said Monday that "if I can find something bipartisan, we don't need reconciliation."

According to Bloomberg, "Manchin told reporters after the meeting that one area of common ground could be reform of the federal oil and gas leasing process."

The outlet reported:

In addition to reform on permitting, a potential package could include revisions to federal land policy, aid for domestic pipelines, efforts to bolster production of both liquefied natural gas at home and abroad and critical minerals, a person familiar with the matter said. It’s possible the changes could be paired with hundreds of billions of dollars in new and expanded tax credits for wind and solar power, nuclear plants, biofuels and advanced energy manufacturing sought by Democrats and the White House and included in earlier iterations of the Build Back Better spending bill, the person said.

Runyon didn't respond to a request for comment about the possible elements of a deal.

In his response to reports about Manchin's negotiations, Jones said that "this approach could only be considered 'climate legislation' if we warp the meaning of that term to include bills that will make climate change worse."

"Instead of letting Manchin and fossil fuel interests define the terms," he added, "the White House and Democratic leadership must push for the solutions we need, not merely what pleases Joe Manchin."

Sierra Club also released a statement Tuesday opposing attempts to compromise with the GOP, declaring that "just as there's no negotiating with arsonists on how much of a building they can burn, there's no negotiating with a party of climate deniers on climate action."

"For decades, the overwhelming majority of Republicans in Washington, D.C. have made their views on climate change abundantly clear: It's much ado about nothing, if it even exists," the group noted, citing some prominent examples—including recent comments from Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), who attended Manchin's meeting.

During an NPR interview in January, Cramer said:

The vast majority of people that we work for, that would be our constituents, believe that there is climate change, that it is going the wrong direction in terms of the temperature of the Earth and that they want us to do something about it. My starting point is that it's not near the crisis that the alarmists have made it out to be. But at the same time, nobody is going to solve the problem except humans. Other than God himself, we're the only ones in a position to contribute or to lower our contribution, whatever that might be. And our constituents expect us to do that.

Asked what he says to young people concerned about the future, Cramer said that "what I would tell them is that the Earth has gone through cycles for as long as there's been creation. What I would also tell them is what we can't do is we can't destroy ourselves in the process of trying to save the Earth."

Discussing the Monday meeting with Axios, Cramer said that Manchin, "not surprisingly, likes to be proactive and he wants to see what's possible."

"What's acceptable to them has got to be something that can get 10 of us," he added. "And that's going to be pretty tough."

Sierra Club said that "even when Republicans are capable of recognizing the facts about the climate crisis, they're unwilling to take any action to address it," highlighting that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) "wasted decades denying the existence of climate change—collecting a small fortune in donations from corporate polluters along the way—only to now have no plan to address the crisis."

"It's past time for President Biden and Democratic leadership to reject this nonsense and deliver on their promises of action on climate, care, jobs, and justice," the group asserted. "Our communities and our planet urgently need investments in transitioning to clean energy, reducing pollution, cutting costs for working families, creating good jobs, and promoting environmental justice."

Brazil Court Deals Blow to Massive Amazon Gold Mine Project

Environmental and Indigenous rights defenders on Tuesday welcomed a Brazilian court ruling that will continue to block a Canadian company from building what would be the South American nation's largest open-pit gold mine in the Amazon rainforest.

In a 3-0 decision, the Federal Regional Court of Brasília on Monday upheld the suspension of an environmental license for Belo Sun Mining Corp., affirming a 2017 ruling that found the company failed to adequately consult with Indigenous peoples on the social and environmental impacts of an $800 million project located in the Volta Grande do Xingu region in the state of Pará.

"My community wasn't consulted about the Belo Sun project," Lorena Curuaia, a leader from Iawa village, told the Associated Press.

Referring to the world's third-largest hydroelectric dam—located just 12 miles from the proposed mine site—Curuaia added: "Belo Monte already has had a major impact on the Xingu. A second project could mean the death of the local peoples."

Federal prosecutor Felício de Araújo Pontes Jr. called the ruling "another victory for the Indigenous and riverine people of Volta Grande do Xingu," who "know that a mining project can have devastating impacts on the region."

"The judgment shows the resilience of this population," he told the AP.

Advocacy groups warn that Indigenous peoples—including Juruna, Arara, Kuruaya, Xipaia, and others—would suffer serious direct impacts from the Volta Grande project.

As the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA) detailed:

According to experts, the Belo Sun mining project in Volta Grande do Xingu has serious structural flaws which were not clearly presented to the impacted communities during the consultation process. Environmental impact studies carried out by the mining company disregard both the potential seismic impacts on the tailings dam that needs to be built and the cumulative impacts it would cause along with the dam of the Belo Monte plant.

The dam designed for the mine would be similar in size to the Vale dam that collapsed in Mariana in 2015, causing Brazil's biggest environmental disaster. A report by an expert in geology and mining, Dr. Steven H. Emerman, claims that at least nine million cubic meters of toxic mining waste could reach the Xingu River and travel more than 40 kilometers in two hours, causing irreversible damage. These tailings could contain highly toxic metals, such as cyanide, arsenic, and mercury, which could lead to ecocide of the Xingu River.

"Other studies point to impacts such as changes in the reproductive cycle of fauna, deforestation and/or burning, pollution of water resources, and soil contamination," AIDA added.

The court ruling came as a series of bills backed by Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's right-wing president and self-described "Captain Chainsaw," advance through the National Congress. If passed, critics say the so-called "package of destruction" would allow mining on Indigenous lands, relax restrictions on the use of pesticides, and encourage illegal logging and land seizures.


Also of Interest

Here are some articles of interest, some which defied fair-use abstraction.

Bogus Charge of Rape Did In Julian Assange

Casualties of America's Never-Ending Global War on Terror

Pentagon Asks the Arms Industry for New Weapons for Ukraine

From doves to über-hawks: Ukraine war recasts Germany’s Greens

Why Russia Went to War Now

A Recap Of The War In Ukraine - by Gonzalo Lira

Everyone’s Anti-War Until The War Propaganda Starts

The Ukraine Crisis Can't Save Biden

Iraq FM: No Legal Basis for Turkey’s Offensive

US village blighted by toxic pesticide waste

Nuclear Expert Calls Radioactivity Levels Found Outside Ohio Oilfield Waste Facility ‘Excessive’

Kim Kelly: HIDDEN History Of Worker Uprisings

Biden's Strategy To PUNISH Elon Musk For Buying Twitter REVEALED By Jen Psaki: Robby Soave


A Little Night Music

Hammie Nixon & Son Bonds - Trouble Trouble Blues

Brownsville "Son" Bonds - Back And Side Blues

Son Bonds - Old Bachelor Blues

Hammie Nixon & Son Bonds - Weary Worried Blues

Brother Son Bonds - Ain't That News?

Son Bonds - A Hard Pill To Swallow

Son Bonds - 80 Highway Blues

The Delta Boys - Black Gal Swing


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18 users have voted.

Comments

Looks like the site is all about being loyal Democrats.
They want war with Russia. Markos is personally leading the charge.
They are all about identity politics. Especially trans people.

It's designed with one thing in mind - being the social media portal for the DNC.

I couldn't help but notice how BORING the site is. There is nobody writing anything that might surprise me, inform me, or challenge me.

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14 users have voted.
Roy Blakeley's picture

@gjohnsit The Ides of March transition (or whatever it was) in which Kos basically proclaimed that the site was in election mode left me wondering what the function of the site was. It seemed to simply be a place to log on and say how much we loved Hillary and hated Donald Trump. That gets to be boring in a few seconds. Sadly the liberal media have been essentially turned into propaganda organs for the oligarchs and their Democrat and Republican lackeys. The Guardian, a once perceptive newspaper dedicated to finding the truth, is now an in-house newsletter for MI6. The NY Times and WaPo, which have long been politically have now been melded into one the foreign policy establishment and the MIC. I have to give credit where it is due, however. Changing a sentient somewhat skeptical left, that at least questioned the two invasions of Iraq into rabid supporters of open neo-NAZIs is an impressive feat of social engineering.

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14 users have voted.

@Roy Blakeley
I believe that the worst thing that Markos did to DKos was make the site BORING AS HELL.
Where is the history? Where is the dissenting voices?
SHEESH! I'm surprised anyone still goes there.

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9 users have voted.

@gjohnsit I will be forever thankful for TOP, Rachel, Thom and others for opening my eyes to the horridness of war, the corruption and lies told by the Bush admin to start wars. The evils of TPP and other free trade agreements.
But once they opened my eyes to so many things then they turned on their original analysis. When TH (who had taught me so much about TPP) endorsed HRC (the primary promoter of TPP) I about fainted! When RM who had taught me so much about the horridness of Abu Gharib, Gitmo, and the Polish horse farm decided that BHO was all right to sweep torture under the rug I fainted yet again. When TOP, which had taught me so much about democracy did the Ides purge, well, I needed another fainting couch. What can be less democratic than purging a website of anyone who does not support your fave candidate?
It has been a really interesting path to go down. Finding "indie" voices who can explain and teach about the injustices of the world, only to see them go into pull Prop mode and walk away from EVERYTHING that they had previously stood for.
I used to love Mike Malloy too. Can I go back and listen to him again? Jimmy D fills the old Malloy gap for me.
Remember that day Kos bought all the flowers for Pelosi? How disgusting.

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15 users have voted.
snoopydawg's picture

@wouldsman

Well said.

What can be less democratic than purging a website of anyone who does not support your fave candidate?

Kos like the others you mentioned did a complete 180 on their beliefs once Bush was out of office. In 2006 kos wrote, Hillary…too much of a Clinton democrat only to turn around and endorse everything about her that he once rejected. Rachel wrote, Drift which was when she was anti war only to turn around and become the biggest Russian xenophobe and turned millions of others into one. The things they say about Putin and Russians are full of xenophobic beliefs and they love the return of McCarthyism and censorship.

Lots of people joined the site because they were against the Iraq war only to eject their anti war beliefs when Obama continued PNAC's goals and flooded Afghanistan with more troops. Russia was bad for invading Crimea, but not a word about Obama’s coup that was the reason why they did. Well except that they were already there because of their naval base and the people living there voted to be Russians.

And Olbermann? Good grief has anyone listened to his rants about Trump and Russia? SCUM. Pure scum! Jimmy loves to show his rants. And rumors are that Biden is going to try to pass the TPP again. Swell.

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11 users have voted.

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

snoopydawg's picture

@gjohnsit

and all their shading doings and fascist acts? Or the shenanigans that Trump has been up to. Golly how could you have missed the one about Jesus? Or the one where they told the young generation that they didn’t give democrats enough senators so they could pass what they said they would. It’s never the democrats failing, it’s always the voters fault that dems fall flat. They still haven’t caught on to democrats hiding behind Lieberman and now Manchin.

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14 users have voted.

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

joe shikspack's picture

@gjohnsit

heh, it's been quite a while since i looked in over there at the gos. it's not surprising to hear that it continues to go downhill.

It's designed with one thing in mind - being the social media portal for the DNC.

kos discovered that there wasn't as much money in making more and better democrats as there is in forcing people to like the democrats they've got.

I couldn't help but notice how BORING the site is.

there is nothing more boring than fanatical political ideologues trying to convince each other that they are the cool kids in the vanguard of the movement.

have a great evening and don't forget to shower. Smile

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14 users have voted.

@gjohnsit

I was going to pop on there just to confirm my beliefs, but now I don't have to.

Just curious. The next time some elite Westerner mentions Ghandi as a how some oppressed person should act, like say the Palestinians, can I just shoot them?

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8 users have voted.
Pricknick's picture

can Russia continue to lose the war in Ukraine and bidone continue to blame Putin for everything that's going to hell.
The lie (about Russia losing) has a limited shelf life.
I find it wonderfully entertaining. Not on the face of war itself but on the invisibility of the emperors clothes.

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13 users have voted.

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

snoopydawg's picture

@Pricknick

and not blame everyone else for them like Trump did.

53C68C2A-316E-4D7B-98C3-3381865E43FF.jpeg
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12 users have voted.

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

joe shikspack's picture

@Pricknick

heh, i guess as long as elensky refuses to capitulate, russia will continue to "lose" and brandon can continue to blame satan putin for u.s. failures.

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10 users have voted.
snoopydawg's picture

I think she will need a lot of help.

I have over $100 million, but will you send me money because if you don’t Trump will win again and you will have to deal with McConnell.

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13 users have voted.

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

joe shikspack's picture

@snoopydawg

they say that in chicago, the dead can vote. feinstein appears to be out to prove that in california, the dead can govern.

pelosi should probably just declare that all democrat positions are available at auction and set a reserve bid for each piece of legislation in order to get it on her table.

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12 users have voted.
snoopydawg's picture

@joe shikspack

Here’s what was happening then.

47FA7154-261D-4D6A-9F1A-B32D0DC8E1B2.png

She has certainly seen a lot of changes during her life, but how she can run again when both congress and the media have outed her dementia is beyond me. Democrats spilled the beans on this just before they handed her the gavel to run the Barrett hearings which she totally flubbed. It just showed that democrats were okie dokie with her on the court. And just like they were okay with all the unqualified judges that Trump nominated because both people from the state they live in have to agree to give them the blue strip…check that allows them to be nominated. And then of course we saw Schumer let McConnell fast track a lot of them at once. It’s just a game they get to play to pretend that there’s a hairy breath of difference between the parties.

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8 users have voted.

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

Pluto's Republic's picture

@snoopydawg

...that in her Hollywood days, Feinstein co-starred with Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes before her political career took off. That's where she acquired her signature hair-do.

feinstein.jpg

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
snoopydawg's picture

@Pluto's Republic

And yes Feinstein always seemed to have helmet hair styles. I wonder how her career would have gone if she hadn’t had help from Dan White? Or how far would Harvey have gone if he hadn’t been killed. Before Biden became president I would have thought that people serving in government would have to be of sound mind. The media was talking about Biden’s mind before he was selected to be the candidate president, but once Obama cleated the decks they stopped talking about it. If democrats didn’t want Feinstein to run I’m sure that there is something they could do about it. Grassley is the oldest republican and the rest aren’t spring chickens either.

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Pluto's Republic's picture

@snoopydawg

... people would have been clamoring for a "sound" mind.

My current concern is that Covid-19 was not a depopulation device.

It was designed to affect blood-type A individuals (Chinese) with a permanent case of The Dumb, so that Americans could compete with them. Unfortunately, the virus escaped into the wild even before it was planted in China. The virus quickly disposed of that blood-type A limitation. And, thus, it continues to spread The Dumb across the planet.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Pricknick's picture

upside down at full staff on special days such as this.
My tribute to Madeleine Albright, who they still haven't buried yet due to the time it takes to decontaminate a person who was putrid in life.
Bye bitch.

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

joe shikspack's picture

@Pricknick

this song always reminds me of her.

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Pricknick's picture

@joe shikspack
I will cherish it on the days I fly my flag.
Tanks.

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

snoopydawg's picture

Undisclosed conflict of interest from the weapons manufacturers talking about giving Ukraine weapons. Gotta give Ukraine weapons, weapons, weapons…

Matt posted this to Matt Taibie

It’s all about WEAPONS!

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snoopydawg's picture

Thread

DHS is going to be cracking down on election disinformation and Biden put in charge of the program a woman who helped kill the Hunter Biden story before the election. It’s also why democrats brought Obama out of Martha’s Vineyard to bitch about disinformation. Yippee. Fun times ahead. Blehh!

https://www.mintpressnews.com/newsguardneocon-backed-fact-checker-plans-...

Well looky there. Caitlin stole my line. It’s what I’ve been tweeting about journalists who have become stenographers. Smile

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snoopydawg's picture

@snoopydawg

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snoopydawg's picture

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

Hi joe et y'all. North Sonoma County under another wind advisory it was blowing a gale up high, not too bad down here in the valley. With wind comes wildfire and that puts nerves on the edge.

Sonoma County prosecutor out on leave after arrest on suspected DUI

Officers conducted a field sobriety test after Leonard showed “signs of impairment,” Mahurin said. The test showed her blood alcohol content was nearly four times the state’s legal limit of 0.08%.

The police department would not provide a more specific figure, citing city policy.

A blood alcohol content of 0.3% or higher can lead to complete loss of consciousness and increased potential for death, according to American Addiction Centers. This level also may cause a severe increase in heart rate, irregular breathing and loss of bladder control.

She hit two parked cars, nobody died. Nothing to see here, move along. GIDDYUP!

Our leaders are at war with their inner selves. I think if the spelunking Professional Managerial Class aimed their Behavioral Health cannons at their own fine front lines, this whole sick system would collapse. Yay. From the very bottom to the very top, let it all hang out.

Peace and Love
from the very bottoms

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