The Weekly Watch

The Weekly Has Gone on Holiday!

Harvest scene.jpg

What follows is my brief take on the weeks news and a few interesting pieces I encountered. In the meantime, I hope you will share your important stories which I can catch up on tonight.

My first take away from the week is the lack of stories about the Saudi turmoil, as well as our complicit behavior in starving children and promoting cholera in Yemen. The best discussion I heard was on the podcast Intercepted (text or audio)
https://theintercept.com/2017/11/15/intercepted-podcast-the-distraction-...

The next scandal are these immoral tax cuts working their way through congress. Dean Baker and Bill Black nail it on their Real News interview, and there were many other good analyses of their negative effects.
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:20480:GOP-Tax-Plan-Would-Scrap-%27Indivi...
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=767&...
http://therealnews.com/t2/

Another story which stands out is the DAPL spill this week. Will we ever awake?
They met in Bonn, Germany this week to continue work on the Climate Accord. Democracy Now broadcasted all week from there and had a few good interviews with scientists and activists. https://www.democracynow.org/shows

Another issue to me is the silence with which the media is addressing the absurd crack down on RT. Don't other journalist worry they may be required to register as foreign agents?
Bill Binney and Ray McGovern weigh in...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1BZD6UX3wU (12 min)

I heard some nice interviews this week. I really enjoyed Jimmy Dore's conversations with Abby Martin (3 clips).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qKrPPv2ErY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDo0AUtW_Bo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5W0WsL-Te4

Max Bloomenthal was on the second half of Max Keiser's show twice this week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHzQEa7DOVM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-qlXg-EKY8

Chris Hedges spoke with Stuart Ewen, Professor and Chair of the Department of Film & Media at Hunter College about mass propaganda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_0vrFwaT2Y

Well I hope those tidbits provide some edification, and I hope you all have a lovely day and holiday week!

All the best, and please....
be on the lookout.jpg

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Lookout's picture

On Ralph's radio show last week...
Economist James Henry takes apart the Republican tax plan, calling it “the largest wealth transfer in history to the ruling class”

(In the second half, activist, law student, Pete Davis, tells us how he’s trying to get Harvard Law School to fulfill it’s stated mission by funneling fewer of its graduates toward powerful corporate firms and more toward the public interest.)

https://ralphnaderradiohour.com/representation-without-taxation/

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

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Lookout's picture

@dkmich

Just got home after a family visit. It was nice to catch up with folks. Reading the pulse of my divided family, Doug Jones looks poised to beat Roy Moore. I must admit I'll take a corporate dem over the theocratic Moore any day. Might help the senate politics?

Anyway that my take from talking to the crowd.

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

Thanks lookout for winding the weekly watch. Been trying to find out the cause of the latest spill of 210,000 gallons crud in South Dakota. "Still investigating" is all I found so far. The earlier spill in April 2016 near the S.D and N.D. border spilling 17,000 gallons was caused by an "anomaly" in a weld. Of course TransCanada and govt. officials say no damage to drinking water resulted.

"It has a nice cinnamon smell and the snow doesn't stick to it", experts reported. /s

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Lookout's picture

@QMS

is that the tar sand oil is very corrosive and is already rusting the pipes causing the leaks.

a contractor inspecting a segment of the pipeline in Missouri discovered an area where 95% of the pipeline's wall had corroded--about 1/3 the thickness of a dime. This initial discovery led to the finding of three more areas of corrosion ranging from 78-83% of the pipeline's wall.

https://www.nrdc.org/experts/josh-axelrod/new-documents-reveal-serious-c...

Here's another explanation

Once upon a time, the tar sands oil that flowed through North American pipelines was in the form of a synthetic crude. In other words, the sticky, viscous tar sands bitumin was upgraded to a more free-flowing form of crude before entering the pipes. But recently, the industry has found it cheaper and easier – if not as safe or stable – to dilute the bitumen with liquid natural gas, creating a substance called diluted bitumen, or “DilBit.”

A joint report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Pipeline Safety Trust, the National Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club, released in February, spotlights the specific hazards of pipelines carrying this tar sands “DilBit.”

The report describes DilBit as “a highly corrosive, acidic, and potentially unstable blend of thick raw bitumen and volatile natural gas liquid condensate.”

Testifying this past Tuesday in front of the House Energy and Commerce’s Energy and Power Subcommittee, NRDC expert Anthony Swift laid out the specific risk of this DilBit to the pipelines themselves:
By itself, bitumen is virtually solid at room temperature - to move it through a pipeline, producers must diluted it with light, highly volatile natural gas liquids. The thick, abrasive mixture, called diluted bitumen, is then pumped through pipelines at high pressure - generating enough friction to reach temperatures of 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

https://www.desmogblog.com/many-problems-tar-sands-pipelines

More money for me...the hell with water, people and the planet. And most Americans approve of the pipelines...that's how ignorant US citizens are kept.

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

snoopydawg's picture

@Lookout

Keystone pipeline, it's a much shorter distance for it to travel to the Canadian coast then it is all the way down from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

Gee, I wonder why it's not just going to the Canadian coast? Oh that's right, Canadians refused to let it cross certain people's lands. Not our government. They'll do just about anything for their masters in order to stay in power and continue to do it.

The tax cuts are immoral and they are being passed by people who insist that they are Christians.
Anyone see Hatch's rant when he was called out for doing the donor's business?

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

@snoopydawg

And when he says that he's been poor and has 'helped the people of this country', he's using a limited upper-income-definition of what he considers to be 'people' (corporations, perhaps?) because what he's really saying is "As God is my witness, I'll never be poor again!"

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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

@snoopydawg

and take care of the important people (that donate big bucks).

And here in Alabama may still elect Roy Moore...

Thanks for the clip...I missed the tirade.

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

snoopydawg's picture

@Ellen North

his campaign slogan was, "what do you call a person who has spent 3 terms in congress? You call them home." Then he said that he would only serve two terms. 18 years later he is deciding if he will run again. If he doesn't we will get Romney. Yeah.

When Hatch first arrived in congress he did pass some good bills. He worked with Kennedy on CHIP the health care bill for children. But as the congress member called him out on, it has expired 3-5 months ago and no one is working on it.

@Lookout

there is a small chance that it won't pass. A few republicans are up for reelection soon and they are worried about the federal and state income tax cuts and they know if they are included in the bill, they're toast.

Maybe the few republicans that have said they aren't running again will say the Hell with the donors and vote no.

I can't believe that all of the states governors aren't calling congress because of the state income tax cuts that people can't deduct.
Or the owners of nursing homes. If Medicaid is cut big time, they will see people pulling grandma out of their facilities.

As for Moore, it's looking very close, but the other candidate is winning by up to 10 points in certain polls.
The governor says that she believes the women, but is going to vote for him anyway. Of course the fundamental pastors are behind him. He is anti abortion, gay and a downright bible thumper. After all, didn't Jesus twiddle young girls too? No? Oh well.... Sad

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

Raggedy Ann's picture

Thanks for the links - I can't wait to tune in the ones I haven't heard yet.

Hope you all have a nice holiday. We are going away with friends. Looking forward to the break.

Have a beautiful day, everyone! Pleasantry

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

Lookout's picture

@Raggedy Ann

Y'all have a good one!

Still beautiful weather here today - a cool almost 60 degrees, sunny, and still color on the trees especially down near B'ham.

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

Azazello's picture

Lee Camp did a good segment on RT.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_YLPUvBcDM&t=214s width:500 height:300]

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We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

Lookout's picture

@Azazello

You always suggest great clips.

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

@Azazello

Thanks! A damn good segment, indeed.

up
0 users have voted.

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.