caucus99percent

free-range politics, organic community

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/

The title of this bit here refers to an 11th-Century work of Islamic theology, explained here: https://existentialcomics.com/comic/126

The rundown is that a pseudointellectual retreat from rationalism invited its well-deserved ridicule too late, and may have been responsible for the needless and terrible demise of a great world civilization's halcyon era, for which the whole world suffers to this day. We need to learn from that.

First, great appreciation to Amanda Matthew and the many commentators to her essay today.

In that essay I learned about Morton's Fork.

There's been a whole lot of stupid put out about ScaryRussia in the last two years, but the Pentagon managed to find a new level of stupid today that I didn't know existed.

now open for biz! Well, mostly.
Steven D posted a message to some of us here to gauge the interest in any c99 individuals interested in posting a podcast once or twice a week, or just once a month, even, as the mood strikes. For those interested pods need to be limited to 10-15 mins. max., but they can be as short as 3 or 4 minutes. Totally up to you, the c99 podcaster.

It's getting harder and harder to determine which is the conservative party and which is the liberal party. The latest example is the shift on marijuana policy.

Anyone who thinks the internet is going to allow non-approved actors to organize opposition to our increasingly dysfunctional Deep State is completely unaware of the history of mass media in wartime, specifically in WW2. I'm going to first review that history, and then talk about the Internet.

Radio in WW2

President Donald Trump announced that he ordered a strike on Syria in response to last weekend's alleged chemical weapons attack.

Addressing the nation Friday evening, Trump said the joint strike with France and United Kingdom is currently underway.

The news media is lying about the Oklahoma teachers strike.
Let me give you a good example.

More snow incoming.... bleh!!

A couple of shots from last year, by the banks of the Minnehaha:

Remember the heady days following the election of Donald J. Trump to the U.S. presidency when Democrats vowed to oppose and resist his every move and work tirelessly to bring him down? Remember when brave actions like the following were practically everyday occurrences (see the source for the full list)?

If the polls are to be believed, Cynthia Nixon is going to be absolutely crushed by Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary.
So why should I care about Nixon's futile campaign?

This is absolutely obscene.

STUNNING evidence from BBC journalist exposing White Helmets staging chemical attacks in Douma

BBC journalist is confronted after deleting tweet calling chemical attacks in Syria “staged” scenes.

By AEX CHRISTOFOROU
April 12, 2018, 10:29

The Oklahoma teachers union called an end to the strike today.

While you were distracted by Syria and Russiagate, President Trump was busy walking back everything he promised during his campaign regarding trade.

NAFTA:

From Boss Tweet April 12:

“Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all! In any event, the United States, under my Administration, has done a great job of ridding the region of ISIS. Where is our “Thank you America?”

As the news media asks the question, "Why aren't we already bombing Syria?" it's easy to forget that we only invaded Syria because of Iraq.
Plus, while there is lots of talk about our humanitarian bombing, and our inevitable slaughter of innocent civilians in the process that "no one could have predicted", we've already forgotten why we are currently in Syria.

Assuming Trump bombs Syria, which appears to be likely, what will/can Russia do?
Plenty. What's more, they seem willing to respond.

‘Trump: Get ready Russia, missiles will be coming at Syria, nice and new and ‘smart’!’  via RT, 11 Apr, 2018 11:06

‘Moscow to Trump: Are ‘smart’ missiles an attempt to destroy alleged chem attack evidence in Syria?’, also via RT, 11 Apr, 2018

This post will be quite short because instead of writing, I prefer the readers to watch this Blackstone Intelligence video (no relation to Blackwater). 24 minutes

Brief synopsis:

1. Russia urges 24 hours be allotted for international experts in chemical warfare be allowed to examine Douma

2. Trump marshaling large naval taskforce off coast of Syria, some ships within 100 km of Russian base.

3. France eager to get in on the action

All the cool and popular kids are bombing Syria these days, so the less cool kids want to be involved as well.
France hasn't bombed Syria since it was cool more than two generations ago. They are teaming up with the less than cool Saudis.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo, the same asshat who hammered Hillary Clinton over "Benghazi e-mail", called Clinton for advice in preparing for the Senate confirmation hearings for the cabinet post to head the State Department.

Lost amidst all the hoopla surrounding the false flag chemical attack in Douma, Syria, is the little tidbit that Syrian air defenses are increasingly effective.

Interfax cited the Russian Defence Ministry as saying the Israeli warplanes had carried out the strikes from Lebanese air space, and that Syrian air defence systems had shot down five of eight missiles fired.

The Global Times is a news daily that caters to China’s ruling Communist Party. The paper announces cultural and social events and tracks of China's achievements in its space program, and in the sciences, education, technology, and business. China's unique form of communism is one that likes to plan ahead, driven by an ever-evolving social vision. Their goals can be very long and ambitious, like stabilizing the size of the population (the one-child program), in order to lift tens of millions out of poverty and into a sustainable consumer class. The Party's goals can also be shorter and more targeted, such as the current anti-corruption sweep and systems-reform that will be designed to avert recurrence, similar to the New Deal era banking regulations that did the same.

The Sleeping Dragon Wakes Up

I'm not sure this is 100% true, but it sounds believable.

I was reading the article Why American lives matter most, about our long history of racism and narcissism in wars, when I got pissed off and googled "price of life paid compensation".
I was surprised by how well documented this idea is.

To be fair, not all lives are worth the same.