Presidents Day

Submitted by earthling1 on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 9:07am
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The news of Jimmy Carter going home for hospice care is tragic, but expected.
He has worked ceaselessly his entire life to help his fellow man. His Presidency was such a small chink of his 98 years of service, it could have been the worst years of his existence and still, pale in comparison to his lifetime of devotion to the hungry, poor, sick and oppressed of all humanity.
Nothing Jimmy Carter did in those four years could ever be measured against all the good he did before or after.
While his contemporaries holed up in their sprawling ranches, compounds, or secure penthouses, Jimmy took on the world as his workspace.
I did not vote for Jimmy back in the day. Hi policies did not impress me much.
But what he did after his term made a disciple of me. I cannot think of another President as humble as him.
Maybe one of you can suggest a comparison out of 45 candidates?
The thread is open. What do you want to talk about?

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Submitted by snoopydawg on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 10:41am
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https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2023/02/putins-february-21-speech-hot-ta...

Huffpoo has a blaring headline

Putin’s rage because he suspended the START treaty because you know we are trying to help Ukraine wipe Russia off the map and regime change Putin. He pointed out how we helped Ukraine target a base where Russia nuclear planes were located. Bush and Trump pulled out of 2 treaties we had with Russia and Trump destroyed the Iran one on Israel’s behalf, but only Putin gets criticized for deciding that there’s no reason to talk to America at this time.

My local rag covered the article and the comments are that we need to destroy Russia and everything is Putin’s fault 9-1. Anyone who calls out our role in this is derided as a Putin lover and pro Russia. It’s no wonder that the PTB invest so much in promoting propaganda and I’m betting that they are LTAO at how easily people fall for it.

I wholeheartedly agree with about Jimmy. I think he has spent his time after leaving the WH looking for absolution and forgiveness. I have given mine and hope that his remaining days are peaceful.

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Submitted by exindy on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 11:22am

@snoopydawg I can't help being aware of the underlying baggage that the opinionator brings to the table.

It seemed like the opinion kept swinging back to the conflict between the west and the east based upon selfish motives from either side to further international motives (hmm, projection whether overt or not?) rather than what I saw was an emphasis on national culture and identity.

The author's cv and experience is in the financial sector... HBS, Goldman, etc. The financial sector in this country uses a different yardstick than the deplorables use. That sector aligns, again whether overt or not, with the business admin side of education rather than the teacher side.

Oh hel, wandering off again. Sorry, I better quit while I'm behind.

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Submitted by earthling1 on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 12:52pm
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@snoopydawg
All those rags are showing us what it feels like to be a loser.
Putin's reveal that all of Russia's nuclear weapons are on station and ready for launch is going to put the atomic clock at seconds to midnight.
And still, crickets from the American people. Fools, all of them.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Submitted by snoopydawg on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 11:02am
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He calls out our warmongering and hypocrisy.

http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/70565

I would like to stress –in fact, this is well-known – that no other country has so many military bases abroad as the United States. There are hundreds of them – I want to emphasise this – hundreds of bases all over the world; the planet is covered with them, and one look at the map is enough to see this.

The whole world witnessed how they withdrew from fundamental agreements on weapons, including the treaty on intermediate and shorter-range missiles, unilaterally tearing up the fundamental agreements that maintain world peace. For some reason, they did it. They do not do anything without a reason, as we know.

Finally, in December 2021, we officially submitted draft agreements on security guarantees to the USA and NATO. In essence, all key, fundamental points were rejected. After that it finally became clear that the go-ahead for the implementation of aggressive plans had been given and they were not going to stop.

The threat was growing by the day. Judging by the information we received, there was no doubt that everything would be in place by February 2022 for launching yet another bloody punitive operation in Donbass. Let me remind you that back in 2014, the Kiev regime sent its artillery, tanks and warplanes to fight in Donbass.
…..

We are defending human lives and our common home, while the West seeks unlimited power. It has already spent over $150 billion on helping and arming the Kiev regime. To give you an idea, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the G7 countries earmarked about $60 billion in 2020–2021 to help the world’s poorest countries. Is this clear? They spent $150 billion on the war, while giving $60 billion to the poorest countries, despite pretending to care about them all the time, and also conditioning this support on obedience on behalf of the beneficiary countries. What about all this talk of fighting poverty, sustainable development and protection of the environment? Where did it all go? Has it all vanished? Meanwhile, they keep channelling more money into the war effort. They eagerly invest in sowing unrest and encouraging government coups in other countries around the world.
…..
None of them cares about human casualties and tragedies because many trillions of dollars are at stake, of course. They can also continue to rob everyone under the guise of democracy and freedoms, to impose neoliberal and essentially totalitarian values, to brand entire countries and nations, to publicly insult their leaders, to suppress dissent in their own countries and to divert attention from corruption scandals by creating an enemy image. We continue to see all this on television, which highlights greater domestic economic, social and inter-ethnic problems, contradictions and disagreements.

Our owners not only stifle dissent, but it makes sure that we continue to struggle economically and not be able to get ahead so that we don’t have time to see what they are doing to us. While many abhor the sanctions we put on many countries we need to see that diverting money to wars is putting sanctions on we the people. How many demand better from the government? A lot of people blame the poor for being poor instead of seeing how they have been robbed of chances to get ahead. Lots of NATO countries are following in our footsteps and decreasing monies put in social programs while it seems that Russia and China are trying to lift their poor up.

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Submitted by exindy on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 11:48am

@snoopydawg took advantage and emphasized what I saw in the last few months coming from the EU/Nasto side.

As an example, I watched a tv program from Sweden (? Spring Tide) on hoopla that had a quote in it that I think was the point. A single mother was struggling financially and was turning tricks to help get by. Her son had fallen into a bad crowd and was kidnapped.

Her friend suggested she call the police for help. Her response was "They don't care about some old whore." His response said it all: "Being a whore is what you do, it isn't what you are".

The ru people are hated by the EU because of what they are. No matter what they do, it will never change that. It is exactly the opposite of the above statement. I saw it just a day or so ago in the speech from the Estonian leader.

I think the ru peole know that and are reacting accordingly. (If I'm going to do the time, I might as well do the crime.) How much of our people are hated for what they are?

Qui bono?

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Submitted by enhydra lutris on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 11:06am
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is the product of parsimony. There was once a time when we celebrated Lincoln's birthday and Washington's birthday. That was 2, count them, 2 Federal Holidays in February. Two days of paid leave for Federal employees. As the perceived need to celebrate additional persons, things and/or events arose, there are arose with it a concomitant need to do away with one or more holidays in order to keep from giving the Feds too many days off. The solution was to merge Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays. Rather than a "Washington and Lincoln Day" they decided to go with Presnit's Day which, sadly, means that we now celebrate all US presnits. This means we celebrate Harrison, who served 31 days, Gerry Ford who arguably didn't really serve at all, Hoover. whose service was a disservice, etc.

A strong case can be made that Carter was our most ethical presnit evar, which is sad commentary upon our country and the office in question. Regardless of everything he did before and after wh owe Afghanistan, al quada, and much more of that highway of horrors to him. He will be missed and someday given the credit he is due for all of the bad stuff he did not do.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by Shahryar on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 12:03pm
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@enhydra lutris

Did they change it so presidents other than Lincoln and Washington wouldn't feel bad?

Thanks Jackson, for killing off so many native Americans. Thanks Harding, for being so crooked. Thanks Clinton, for being so crooked. Thanks Cheney, for being a nasty SOB. Thanks Obama for being a liar. Thanks Trump, for being insane. Thanks Biden, for being of no use.

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Submitted by enhydra lutris on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 12:12pm
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@Shahryar

that they would never have to celebrate another, future, presnit.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by Snode on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 12:04pm

@enhydra lutris scrapped one of the February president days to make MLK day a fed holiday. At least they didn't scrap any days for Ronny Reagan.

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Submitted by enhydra lutris on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 12:14pm
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@Snode

assert it without checking and didn't feel like checking.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by earthling1 on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 1:12pm
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@enhydra lutris
the two having separate holidays. Many businesses did not celebrate them at all and most workers didn't like the idea of banks and fed offices being closed on different days of the week. As I recall they were celebrated on Lincoln and Washington's actual birthdays.
I think about that time Mondays became the go to day to celebrate anything, except Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Thanks for the post.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Submitted by on the cusp on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 1:20pm

should not be a holiday. I can't name a President that put the needs of the people ahead of the needs of oligarchs with consistency.
Carter is the best post-Presidency man of the bunch. I think he is acutely aware of his failings, wanted to atone for his Presidential sins before he met his Maker. While we think of him as a dirt farmer, he was a wealthy farmer.
His charitable contributions could have been accomplished on a huge scale if he had pushed for them while in office.

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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

Submitted by snoopydawg on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 1:25pm
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I wonder what he would write today if he was still alive? This is most excellent in describing the actual events.

The Ukraine Mess That Nuland Made

Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs “Toria” Nuland was the “mastermind” behind the Feb. 22, 2014 “regime change” in Ukraine, plotting the overthrow of the democratically elected government of President Viktor Yanukovych while convincing the ever-gullible US mainstream media that the coup wasn’t really a coup but a victory for “democracy.”

To sell this latest neocon-driven “regime change” to the American people, the ugliness of the coup-makers had to be systematically airbrushed, particularly the key role of neo-Nazis and other ultra-nationalists from the Right Sektor. For the US-organized propaganda campaign to work, the coup-makers had to wear white hats, not brown shirts.

So, for nearly a year and a half, the West’s mainstream media, especially The New York Times and The Washington Post, twisted their reporting into all kinds of contortions to avoid telling their readers that the new regime in Kiev was permeated by and dependent on neo-Nazi fighters and Ukrainian ultra-nationalists who wanted a pure-blood Ukraine, without ethnic Russians.

Any mention of that sordid reality was deemed “Russian propaganda” and anyone who spoke this inconvenient truth was a “stooge of Moscow.” It wasn’t until July 7 that the Times admitted the importance of the neo-Nazis and other ultra-nationalists in waging war against ethnic Russian rebels in the east. The Times also reported that these far-right forces had been joined by Islamic militants. Some of those jihadists have been called “brothers” of the hyper-brutal Islamic State.

Though the Times sought to spin this remarkable military alliance – neo-Nazi militias and Islamic jihadists – as a positive, the reality had to be jarring for readers who had bought into the Western propaganda about noble “pro-democracy” forces resisting evil “Russian aggression.”

Perhaps the Times sensed that it could no longer keep the lid on the troubling truth in Ukraine. For weeks, the Right Sektor militias and the neo-Nazi Azov battalion have been warning the civilian government in Kiev that they might turn on it and create a new order more to their liking.
……
In Ukraine, Nuland and her neocon and liberal-interventionist friends saw the chance to poke Putin in the eye by encouraging violent protests to overthrow Russia-friendly President Yanukovych and put in place a new regime hostile to Moscow.

Carl Gershman, the neocon president of the US-taxpayer-funded National Endowment for Democracy, explained the plan in a Post op-ed on Sept. 26, 2013. Gershman called Ukraine “the biggest prize” and an important interim step toward toppling Putin, who “may find himself on the losing end not just in the near abroad but within Russia itself.”

Once again we see that Russia didn’t start the war…we did which Putin referred to in his speech. Ukraine had built up a huge force on the Donbas border and it was they who attacked the people living there before Russia crossed their border. Also Biden and his puppets had already put sanctions on Russia before the did. For all those who say that the war would end if Russia just went home what would most probably happen is that Ukraine would once again try to wipe out ethnic Russians not only in the Donbas, but in Crimea too. The killings would continue to go on, but people wouldn’t have anyone to protect them.

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Submitted by on the cusp on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 2:08pm

about msm.
Msm outlets publish easily debunked propaganda and are infiltrated by ex-CIA personnel. They feed us lies.
But let's look at what they do not touch.
First example: Hersh's expose' of the Nordstream explosion. One outlet said the Biden Administration says the expose' is untrue. I have seen absolutely nothing else. One headline. It had no real substance.
Second example: Rallies. Whether for the release of Assange, or a peace rally, they get no msm attention.
Third example: The coincidental events in the months prior to the Ohio train derailment. No media connects the dots between the movie, "White Noise", the denial of rail worker's right to strike, the change in definitions and toxicity levels of the chemicals on the derailed train that were updated by the fed agency 11 days prior to the derailment,(the chemical is not as deadly as they used to indicate,doncha know), and blaming it all on the freight carrier owners.
Nordstream exploding likely killed people in Germany from winter without heat. It is an environmental disaster that will kill people in the future. The rallies for Assange are to save his life. Peace rallies are meant to save lives. The train strike was, in part, to demand more employees be assigned to ride those trains, inspect the condition of the engines, brakes, and hazmat being transported, and thus, save lives.
Am I missing something?

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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

Submitted by QMS on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 2:59pm
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@on the cusp

so as not to draw attention to simmering issues
the state media will not carry these stories
it does not magically disappear, only ignored
for the protection of our frail minds?

It's a crock'a'lies of omission.

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Submitted by snoopydawg on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 3:01pm
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@on the cusp

But how many sea creatures swam in that methane puddle and died from it or lack of oxygen? How many birds flew into the toxic air and died as well as all the fish and other animals that drank from the poisoned water or from the exposure to the chemicals?

Humans were supposed to be the stewards of all life on earth and we’ve sure done a piss poor job of it. I’m thinking it would be a good idea for gawd to send another flood and this time with a warning: "get it right this time or there will be no warning next time. Let’s see how long y’all can tread water."

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Submitted by humphrey on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 3:19pm

@snoopydawg

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Submitted by QMS on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 3:46pm
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@humphrey

they wanted the rail line to be re-opened ASAP
the amount of down time to properly contain the
hazardous chemicals was not acceptable from
their income stream POV. So blow it. Like
Nordstream, BP in the GoM, and untold mining
disasters in South America. Ecology is not profitable.
Like peace.

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Submitted by humphrey on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 3:45pm

Biden and Putin.

@on the cusp

Off topic but are they promoting the Russians "Z" here?

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Submitted by on the cusp on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 5:47pm

@humphrey Biden almost in a holy shrine pic, Putin behind a weapon is so demonstrative of the msm.
And that "Z" at Mardi Gras enrages me.
I don't go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. I hate the crowds, and NO has gotten dangerous. I don't want to be the person in the crowd that gets something stolen, like a purse, watch, or cell phone. And I will never participate in ANYTHING celebrating/supporting the Ukraine Nazis.

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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

Submitted by earthling1 on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 6:23pm
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@on the cusp
is a Russian icon painted on most all of their armor. It caused Zelenski to ban the letter in 404 (Ukraine) early in the Russian intervention.
Hence, many bloggers refer to him as Elinski.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Submitted by on the cusp on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 6:42pm

@earthling1 I am also BAD in that I forgot to mention that coincidence that triggered my original comment in this thread.
Ok. The US government hunted down target cities, friendly mayors, chose those communities to be prototypes for CBDCs, including location surveillance, spending, and medical
Guess which community and Mayor said OK just a few months ago.
C'mon...I will give you a hint: A small town in Ohio where a recent train derailment occurred, and where the government needs digital financial and surveillance implementation to assist said Ohio town.
Let's keep connecting the dots, shall we?

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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

Submitted by earthling1 on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 6:33pm
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@humphrey
Nothing is off topic here.
And I'm just as curious as you re: that "Z'. Anyone else have a clue?
I'm contemplating painting over the Ma and the da on my Mazda tailgate. Just to push the issue a tad.
Waiting for some dry weather though.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Submitted by humphrey on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 6:47pm

@earthling1

As only Rachel Maddow would consider that the image was proof that they were supporting Russia.

That said according to the AP article.

“We’re going to have people canvassing the parade routes,” Carter said. “That’s been really helpful to us.”

There was no sign of political rancor as Cantrell watched St. Charles Avenue parades from a restricted access reviewing stand with city council members in front of Gallier Hall, the 19th century Greek Revival style building that once served as City Hall. She greeted leaders with hearty shouts of “Hail Zulu!” and “Hail Rex,” traditional mayoral tributes.

I have no clue what that is about,

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Submitted by enhydra lutris on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 9:34pm
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@humphrey

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by earthling1 on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 11:39pm
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@humphrey
Ok, mystery solved.
Thanks.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 9:37pm
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@earthling1

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by earthling1 on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 11:38pm
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@enhydra lutris

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Submitted by earthling1 on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 5:47pm
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@on the cusp
is government controlled media. Period.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Submitted by on the cusp on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 6:46pm

@earthling1 If you hear it or read it in MSM, it is a lie.
If something is happening and you read or hear nothing in MSM about it, it is true.
Goebbels would be proud of his legacy.

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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

Submitted by QMS on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 7:25pm
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@earthling1

msm = state media
turnabout is fair play
US calls every other media source
on their axis of evil list of being
"state media"
aside from our delusional thinking
why would the US propaganda machine
not be considered state media?
Axing for a friend.

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Submitted by earthling1 on Tue, 02/21/2023 - 11:44pm
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@QMS
Oops, used a Z.
Do I get 10 points?

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Wed, 02/22/2023 - 9:26am
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@QMS

I haz 5 corporate shells, one does a ton of business with regular gummit, 1 does a ton of business with gummit spooks and military, and one puts out "news". Since News is in separate shell it is obviously not influenced by all that gummit dough.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by QMS on Wed, 02/22/2023 - 10:19am
QMS's picture

@enhydra lutris

That was the game the Biddens played in Ukraine.
Plausible Deniability. They felt so guilty about maybe
getting caught, blowing up the country was the sensible
response. Plus Northrup-Grumman and Raytheon et.al
make out like bandits.
Crooks and Liars

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