Monday, January 06, 2020

6 January - Blogs I'm Following - 3 of 5

10:05 pm MST

Tesla Owners Wait in Long Lines to Recharge over Holidays

IER at IER - 11 hours ago
With over 400,000 Tesla vehicles on U.S. roads, Tesla’s Supercharger stations were overcrowded over the holidays and many Tesla owners… The post Tesla Owners Wait in Long Lines to Recharge over Holidays appeared first on IER.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 6, 2020

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 11 hours ago
Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy march during a parade to commemorate the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war, in Tehran, September 2011. REUTERS/Stringer *BBC*:* How strong is Iran's military?* Iran has vowed to retaliate after its most powerful military commander was killed by a US drone strike at Baghdad airport. "Severe revenge awaits" those behind the attack on General Qasem Soleimani, said Iran's Supreme Leader. So what do we know about Iran's military capabilities? *Read more* .... *Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 6, 2020* What is Iran's secre... more »

Trump’s Iran Aggression Sparks Protests Across America, World

Alan Macleod at MintPress News - 11 hours ago
More than 70 spontaneous or hastily organized demonstrations took place across America in opposition to the Trump administration’s warlike actions against Iraq and Iran. The post Trump’s Iran Aggression Sparks Protests Across America, World appeared first on MintPress News.

Australia Bushfires – Is Blaming Greens a Conspiracy Theory?

Paul Homewood at NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT - 11 hours ago
By Paul Homewood There have been concerted efforts by greens to counter allegations that poor forest management enforced by green ideology has been one of the major factors behind the severity of the Australian fires. These attempts to cover up the reality on the ground have been readily trumpeted by the likes of Richard […]

Jeh Johnson, Obama's DHS secretary, says Trump had every right to take out Soleimani

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 11 hours ago
This morning, Obama DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson debunked Democrats' claim that Congress needed to approve Soleimani strike Johnson: Soleimani was a "lawful military objective" & the President had "ample domestic legal authority to take him out" pic.twitter.com/1LUqYAwm9j — Zach Parkinson (@AZachParkinson) January 5, 2020 What Johnson is saying every Democrat in DC knows but they're quite willing to lie to you to get more power by attacking Trump. When Obama overthrew the entire government of Libya and turned Libya into a failed nation run by terrorists and gangs without any Congres... more »

#GoldenGlobescomplainingsofaux!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 11 hours ago
*MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2020It's hard to be much more bogus:* How good a film is Lulu Wang's comedy-drama, The Farewell? We have no idea! We haven't seen The Farewell. And even if we'd seen the film, we aren't experts on such matters. Having said that, we can tell you this. When The Farewell was released last July, it was reviewed by the New York Times' A. O. Scott—and he *didn't* make the film an "NYT Critic's Pick." At the Times, *many* films are selected as NYT Critic's Picks. Last July, The Farewell wasn't among them. Things got worse last month. On Sunday, December 9, the newsp... more »

Dr. Billy C. Hawkins Revives Ailing HBCU Amid Cheers and Controversy

cmaadmin at Diverse - 11 hours ago
As president of Talladega College, Dr. Billy C. Hawkins is known as a turnaround expert among higher education leaders. Now, as chair of the 37 presidents of United Negro College Fund (UNCF) institutions, Hawkins is sharing his turnaround skills with others.

Film Producer Gifts $2 Million to Northwestern University, Establishes Dramatic Writing Professorship

Jessica Ruf at Diverse - 11 hours ago
A $2 million gift from the Berlanti Family Foundation will establish a dramatic writing professorship titled the Barbara Berlanti Professorship in Writing for the Screen and Stage at Northwestern University’s School of Communications. The endowed professorship intends to “significantly expand” the school’s writing programs by boosting teaching capacity and creating a curriculum that trains students […]

Islamic State Makes Its Return In December 2019

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 11 hours ago
(Shafaaq News) When protests started in Iraq in October 2019 the Islamic State largely stopped its operations as it has done every year when demonstrations occur. IS has felt that the demonstrations present a challenge to the government, and it did not want to distract from that. However, as this year’s unrest has been sustained the Islamists finally decided to return to the field. The result was that security incidents in December were just about what they were before the protests began. In December 2019 there were a total of 120 security incidents reported in the media. Six of t... more »

60 Minutes on Epstein “Suicide”: Baden Says Noose Doesn’t Match Wound on Neck; Epstein Paid Inmates for Protection

R. Cort Kirkwood at rss - 11 hours ago
[image: 60-minutes-on-epstein-suicide-baden-says-noose-doesn-t-match-wound-on-neck-epstein-paid-inmates-for-protection] CBS’s *60 Minutes* reported Sunday night that, according to pathologist Michael Baden, the noose with which Jeffrey Epstein supposedly hanged himself doesn’t match the marks on his neck.

Why I Don’t Trust Trump on Iran

Ron Paul at rss - 11 hours ago
[image: why-i-don-t-trust-trump-on-iran] When we’ve been lied to constantly and consistently for decades about a “threat” that we must “take out” with a military attack, there comes a time where we must assume they are lying until they provide rock solid, irrefutable proof.

The Threat of the Transgender Movement

TNA Video at rss - 11 hours ago
[image: duke-pesta-the-threat-of-the-transgender-movement] VIDEO - Dr. Duke discusses the transgender movement's threat against our first amendment rights; never before have we seen a such a group have so much power over our speech. To demonstrate, Dr. Duke covers the absurd antics of Jessica Yaniv, a man who identifies as a woman and targets impossible practices (like demanding a gynecological exam and a bikini wax) for financial gain.

Is Medicare for All the Cure-all?

Rebecca Terrell at rss - 11 hours ago
[image: is-medicare-for-all-the-cure-all] Universal, single-payer proposals promise better healthcare, but critics warn of crippling regulations designed to raise taxes and bolster the medical cartel. Here’s the inside story.

Elizabeth Warren declares that terrorists who work for governments can't be killed

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 11 hours ago
Apparently the Allies efforts, as well as the efforts by decent Germans, to kill Hitler were morally wrong according to Elizabeth Warren who calls Soleimani, who has the blood of hundreds of Americans on his hands, a "senior foreign military official". She says that killing that mass murdering monster was wrong because it might lead to a war with Iran. Donald Trump ripped up an Iran nuclear deal that was working. He’s repeatedly escalated tensions. Now he’s assassinated a senior foreign military official. He’s been marching toward war with Iran since his first days in office—but th... more »

Utah to award medical marijuana dispensary licenses

John Rebchook at Marijuana Business Daily - 11 hours ago
Utah health officials plan to award pharmacy licenses to 10 companies to dispense medical marijuana at 14 sites across the state. At least two of the licenses were awarded to multistate marijuana operators – Columbia Care of Illinois and Curaleaf of Massachusetts. The issuance of licenses in Utah is considered a milestone development for the […] Utah to award medical marijuana dispensary licenses is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Untruths and Consequences

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 11 hours ago
Give Donald Trump a little credit. He is succeeding where Barack Obama failed: he has single-handedly reanimated this country's moribund antiwar movement, inspiring spontaneous weekend street protests against imminent war in at least 80 American cities. Thanks to Trump, the assassinated Quassam Soleimani is now a household name. Tbanks to Trump, politicians on both sides of the War Party aisle are scrambling to either defend the indefensible drone attack against a foreign leader visiting another foreign country (Iraq) at the express invitation of that country, or to complain they we... more »

Mild Weather Once Saved Britain And Argentina From An Aircraft Carrier Battle

Sebastien Roblin at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, Latin America* And a world first in naval warfare. *Key point:* The Falklands War was a waste of lives. On the afternoon of May 1, 1982, crewmen on the deck of the Argentine carrier *Veinticinco de Mayo *(“May 25”) scrambled to load six A-4Q Skyhawk attack planes with four Mark 82 bombs each. The subsonic jets were to be the tip of the spear of Argentine Navy Task Force 79 as it attacked a British Royal Navy fleet roughly 140 miles away, including the carriers *Hermes *and *Invincible*, eight escorting destroyers and fifteen frigates. The opposing ... more »

The Future of Freedom in the Era of Dictatorial Rule

Joseph Loconte at The National Interest - 11 hours ago
*Joseph Loconte* *Security, Americas* [image: Flickr / U.S. Department of Defense] The rule of law cannot be counted on to protect the rights of minorities and political dissenters. The result—as John Locke predicted—is social unrest and revolution. OXFORD, England—A portrait of John Locke, considered the father of political liberalism, hangs in Christ Church Hall amid a gallery of honored graduates that includes John Wesley, William Pitt, Charles Boyle, and William Gladstone. But on the eve of England’s Glorious Revolution in 1688, Locke was a political fugitive living in exile,... more »

Ontario’s cannabis processors, micros not barred from farm-gate retail

Matt Lamers at Marijuana Business Daily - 11 hours ago
Ontario’s provincial cannabis law does not prohibit federally licensed cannabis processors and micro-class businesses from opening farm-gate stores, the Ministry of the Attorney General confirmed to Marijuana Business Daily. However, standard processors will still need to sell and repurchase their product via the provincial wholesaler before it could be sold in their stores. The province’s 2018 […] Ontario’s cannabis processors, micros not barred from farm-gate retail is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Michigan recreational cannabis sales near $6.5 million in first month

John Rebchook at Marijuana Business Daily - 11 hours ago
“Adult-use marijuana transactions in Michigan reached almost $6.5 million during the first month of legalized sales in the state. Recreational sales in Michigan, which kicked off on Dec.1. are expected to grow quickly in 2020 as dozens more adult-use retail stores are licensed, MLive.com reported. As of Jan. 2, the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency issued 54 […] Michigan recreational cannabis sales near $6.5 million in first month is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

In new Attack on the Press, Bolsonaro Says Journalists are a “Dying Species”

Arkady Petrov at The Rio Times - 11 hours ago
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - In another attack on the press, President Jair Bolsonaro said on Monday, January 6th, that Brazilian journalists are a " The post In new Attack on the Press, Bolsonaro Says Journalists are a “Dying Species” appeared first on The Rio Times.

Disaster Tourism Can Aid In Recovery

News Staff at Science 2.0 blogs - 11 hours ago
If you intended to holiday at a place that underwent a disaster it might be a good idea to keep your plans, especially if you are civic-minded and are willing to help. Such "volunteer tourism" can actually help communities recover from natural disasters, a new study finds. Most people will do nothing of the kind, they will send "thoughts and prayers" on Twitter and go anywhere else, but if you are a volunteer tourist (willing to help) rather than a disaster tourist(you want to take selfies) it will bring practical benefits, along with intangible economic ones. read more

Mexican President Calls for Assange’s Release, Demands ‘He is No Longer ‘Tortured’

The Free Thought Project at The Free Thought Project - 11 hours ago
[image: assange]Mexican President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador called out the horrific treatment of Julian Assange while calling for him to be released.

House Democrats want to ensure the Iran isn't punished for terrorist attacks

trinko at Conversations about the obvious - 11 hours ago
The House is setting up to pass a bill that will declare that after 30 days from when it's passed Trump won't be able to punish Iran for terrorist attacks conducted by Iran against Americans without Nancy Pelosi's approval. The Democrats are introducing a similar bill in the Senate: “This week, the House will introduce and vote on a War Powers Resolution to limit the President’s military actions regarding Iran,” Pelosi wrote in a letter to fellow Democrats, referring to a similar Senate resolution to be introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. “It reasserts Congress’s long-established ov... more »

"The Swine..."

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
○ “I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” - James Baldwin

"Some Other People Do Some Other Things"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
*"Some Other People Do Some Other Things"* by Jim Kunstler "An almighty bafflement befogs the nation as the first full business week of 2020 commences and events pile up like smashed vehicles on a weather-blinded highway. Before we even smoked that Iranian bird on the Baghdad airport tarmac, something ominous was tingling away in the financial markets, in fact, has been since way back in September. Perhaps one-in-100,000 Americans has the dimmest clue as to what the repo mechanism stands for in banking circles, but it has been flashing red for months, with klaxons blaring for those... more »

Did Thousands of Young Trump Supporters Enlist After Soleimani’s Killing?

Snopes Staff at Snopes.com - 12 hours ago
A routine review of content labeled satire.

Did Dems Call For Flags to Be Flown at Half-Mast for Soleimani?

Snopes Staff at Snopes.com - 12 hours ago
A routine review of content labeled satire.

Lincoln Chafee Files to Run for President as Libertarian

AP News at Snopes.com - 12 hours ago
The former governor of Rhode Island registered the “Lincoln Chafee For President” campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission.

War And Peace Doesn't Just Happen To Happen

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 12 hours ago
*Alan Grayson: "We don’t let children play with guns, or even knives. So why would we let Donald Trump play with drones, missiles and nuclear weapons?"* Mike Pompeo's bullshit about people dancing in the streets after Trump had Iranian leader Qassim Suleimani assassinated apparently didn't include members of the Iraqi Parliament. On Sunday, the *Wall Street Journal* reported that Iraq's parliament unanimously voted to demand that Prime Minister Adel-Abdul Mahdi, who initiated the resolution himself, end the U.S. military presence in the country. Trump had talked with Mahdi on the p... more »

India’s Citizenship Law Triggered by Rising Right-Wing Ideology

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 06 (IPS) - "Fire bullets at the traitors of the country," chanted mobs of Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, supporters wrapped in Indian flags in Delhi last week. Read the full story, “India’s Citizenship Law Triggered by Rising Right-Wing Ideology”, on globalissues.org →

2020: a Year Full of Danger

ROME, Jan 06 (IPS) - Let's face what lies ahead with open eyes: 2020 is going to be a very tough year for the world, and developing countries in particular. The infant decade has already begun with the harbingers of climate disaster as thousands fled to beaches in Australia from raging bush fires, and the Middle East braced for more conflict after a U.S. air strike in Baghdad killed Iran's top general. Read the full story, “2020: a Year Full of Danger”, on globalissues.org →

Old-School Liberals Grudgingly Support Trump’s Hit on Soleimani

SafeSpace at 'Nox & Friends - 12 hours ago
On “CBS This Morning”, a program I would avoid like the plague if Brian Kilmeade had not cited it today: Ian Bremmer, a respected “political risk consultant” who heads the Eurasia Group, pointed out the positives in the killing of Soleimani. The interview starts at the 2:30 point. Bremmer went on to state that if the 2020 POTUS election results are close – as opposed to a runaway victory by one side or the other – the Democrat Party – not the GOP nor the nation’s voters – will claim it was rigged. Neither of these views made Bremmer popular … Continue reading →

Democrats and Liberals do not care about your sons…

Fuzzyone at 'Nox & Friends - 12 hours ago
It has come to my attention, in regards to the killing of a Iranian General, that the Democrats and liberals in our country do not give one rat’s ass about the Patriots who are serving in our military. If Iran kills a bunch of these Patriots, they don’t care. I mean, have you ever noticed one of these seditious, treasonous people giving a damn about their own babies they abort? What makes you think they would care about YOUR children? YOUR sons and daughters in the military? It’s time to start talking about removing these unpatriotic people inhabiting our … Continue reading →

Pro-2nd Amendment Rally in Richmond Virginia

Hardnox at 'Nox & Friends - 12 hours ago
As you know, Virginia is about to impose draconian anti-gun laws for idiotic “safety reasons” as a result of the Left taking over both chambers of the State Legislature last November. We also have a moron leftist governor. January 20th is the day a huge rally by pro-2nd Amendment patriots is planned on what is historically known as “Lobby Day” at the Capitol. It’s a day when people and interest groups lobby their Senators and Delegates on present or proposed legislation. This year is different. It’s estimated that at least 50,000 pro-gun advocates will attend… and possibly many more... more »

Los Tratados de Libre Comercio configuran y avivan la opresión y la injusticia contra las mujeres

bilaterals.org - 12 hours ago
06-Jan-2020 Las mujeres de base instaron al nuevo gobierno electo de Indonesia a dejar de negociar TLCs.

Trade war: China to travel to US on January 13 to sign phase one deal

bilaterals.org - 12 hours ago
06-Jan-2020 China's trade delegation tentatively plans to travel to Washington for four days from January 13 for the signing of the phase one deal.

Israel-Panama free trade agreement enters into force

bilaterals.org - 12 hours ago
06-Jan-2020 A free trade agreement between Israel and Panama entered into force on January 1, granting preferential market access for goods and aiming to eliminate trade barriers between the countries.

EU crisis: Austria rejects major trade deal in huge blow for Brussels

bilaterals.org - 12 hours ago
06-Jan-2020 Austria has thrown the European Union's decades-long Mercosur trade talks into disarray after the country's new government will not support the pact in its current form.

USTR's ag negotiator shares more on trade deal with China

bilaterals.org - 12 hours ago
06-Jan-2020 The agreement will not only increase Chinese purchases of US agricultural products but pave the way for long-term structural reforms.

What the amendments to the USMCA mean for Canadian IP law

bilaterals.org - 12 hours ago
06-Jan-2020 Many requirements of the original USMCA have already been met by recent changes in Canadian IP legislation, but more amendments will be required to implement the USMCA.

Iran Situation from Someone Who Knows Something

Alicia at LaRouchePAC Feed - 12 hours ago
London-Saudi Global Terror Stop WWIII Iran Situation from Someone Who Knows Something Video of Iran Situation from Someone Who Knows Something Author and Southwest Asia editor for Executive Intelligence Review magazine, Hussein Askary, lays out the critical context in which Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani was killed by U.S. forces. Askary reviews the public and internal overtures made by actors within the region, and others abroad, to reduce foreign military presence in the area and begin an international strategy for the reconstruction of Iraq and Syria, which has faced constant... more »

Global War or Global Development? There Is No Third Way

adam at LaRouchePAC Feed - 12 hours ago
[image: President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks during a press conference Friday, Jan. 3, 2020, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., following the U.S. airstrike in Iraq that resulted in the death of Iranian commander Qassim Soleimani. (Official WH Photo)] The Iraqi Parliament yesterday voted for the government to retract the official invitation to the U.S. to deploy military forces in their country. Although many of the Sunni and Kurdish members of parliament did not attend the session, a quorum passed the resolution as had been recommended by Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, who ... more »

China Bought Russia's S-400 Missiles, Taiwan Now Needs More SAMs

David Axe at The National Interest - 12 hours ago
*David Axe* *Technology, Asia* Missiles over fighters. *Key point:* The short distance separating China and Taiwan works both ways. The Chinese military's new S-400 surface-to-air missile system can hit targets more than 150 miles away, if the reported result of the type's first-ever test in Chinese service is accurate. The Taiwan strait is just 140 miles across at its widest point, meaning that, in theory, Chinese S-400s could target Taiwanese warplanes shortly after they take off. But the short distance separating China and Taiwan works both ways. At the same time that China ... more »

These 5 Russian Guns Are Truly Awful

Charlie Gao at The National Interest - 12 hours ago
*Charlie Gao* *Security, Europe* Not what you want to be known for. *Key point: *The Russians have designed many pistols. While the Makarov and Tokarev are probably the most well known Russian pistols, the Russian Federation and the Soviet Union designed many more. Some of these designs were excellent, others, not so much. Here are some of the worst pistols that were designed or used by Russia, stretching from the imperial era to the current day. *The OTs-23 “Drotik”* The 5.45x18mm Soviet cartridge was primarily designed for the PSM, a very slim and concealable pistol that was ... more »

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 6

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 12 hours ago
1909 Riots in Mosul killed Sheikh Said Sufi leader in Sulaymaniya Led his followers to revolt cutting off trade in northern Mosul province 1916 Start of Battle of Sheikh Saad as British forces moved up the Tigris and encountered the Ottoman defenses 1921 Govt issued order to form Iraqi General Staff Nuri al-Said became Chief of Staff 1st unit of Iraqi army formed 1942 Court sentenced fmr PM Gaylani and 3 Golden Square colonels to death in absentia (Musings On Iraq book review *Rashid Ali al-Gailani, The Nationalist Movement in Iraq 1939-1941*) 1948 College students went on strike... more »

Dyster’s path to political redemption is long and twisted

The Buffalo Chronicle at The Buffalo Chronicle - 12 hours ago
Former Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster has been on an orchestrated media tour following his departure from office last week — complete with the paid promotion of self-produced YouTube videos. Long profiles, well-shaped in their messaging, have appeared in The

The sneaky rise of “common wisdom” in Middle East studies

Peter Henne at Duck of Minerva - 12 hours ago
We’ve all spent the weekend processing the killing of Iranian official Qassim Suleimani by a US airstrike. While this is obviously very important, we should think about a secondary implication of this act–how this undermined the apparent Middle East analyst consensus that America was pulling back from tensions with Iran, and how this consensus even […]

Slip slidin’ away at the airport

Suzanne Rent at Halifax Examiner - 12 hours ago
News 1. Plane skids off runway A Westjet 737 slid off the runway at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport yesterday. No one was injured. Eric Wynne, who’s a photographer for the Chronicle Herald, was on the plane and told reporter Ian Fairclough that if the pilot hadn’t told passengers the plane went off the tarmac, […]

Trump goaded as millions attend funeral of Iranian top general Soleimani

Just In - 12 hours ago
Iran's foreign minister challenges US President Donald Trump by sharing photos from the massive crowds in Tehran mourning an Iranian commander killed by a recent US drone strike.

Corrupt Cop Caught on His Own Body Cam, Planting Weapon in Man’s Car

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 13 hours ago
[image: camera]An NYPD cop thought his body camera was off when he was caught putting a weapon in an innocent man's glove box in order to frame him.

Cop Still on the Job Despite Video of Him Kicking His Own K9 in the Face

Matt Agorist at The Free Thought Project - 13 hours ago
[image: k9]Surveillance footage from a local bar caught a Texas cop kicking his K9 partner in the face. Despite the video, the cop is still on full duty.

"The Awkward Moment..."

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
"I always know a lie when I hear it, and the effect it has on me is no good at all. I go berserk just forcing myself not to go berserk, just trying to see truth in the lie, to see it in full context, and in a dimension in which it has got to be more than just a lie, possibly the profoundest kind of truth." - William Saroyan

On Iran, the Romans had it right

Peter at Bayou Renaissance Man - 13 hours ago
I'm sure many of my readers are familiar with the later Roman Empire's famous dictum, "Si vis pacem, para bellum" ("If you want peace, prepare for war"). It's derived from Vegetius' classic fourth-century text, *De re militari* ("Concerning Military Matters"). It's particularly apt to consider that reality when thinking of the targeted killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani by US forces in Iraq. Soleimani was the leading terrorist organizer and controller in the entire Middle East, head and shoulders above all others in power, influence, intellect and ability. The West ha... more »

A paper on highly damped quasinormal modes

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 13 hours ago
According to InspireHEP.net, our quasinormal paper with Andy Neitzke joined our "famous" articles according to their terminology (250+ cits; more inclusive Google Scholar shows 302) because a two-year-old Indian thesis was finally scanned. It was a fun calculation with a rather exciting pre-history and post-history – with lots of interesting technicalities but also some very general conceptual insights about the scientific method as a general approach to the truth. I described much of the context in A Quasinormal Story On Quasinormal Modes but let me add a few more comments about th... more »

Awaiting the Mahdi: Soleimani’s Martyrdom and the End of Stupidistan

21wire at 21st Century Wire - 13 hours ago
*Dr Can Erimtan* | Behind all of the geopolitical machinations, multiple 'end times' eschatological worldviews are making their way to the surface.

Israel’s Fingerprint Are All Over the Assassination of Qasem Soleimani

Ramzy Baroud at MintPress News - 13 hours ago
The fingerprints of Israeli intelligence, the Mossad, are unmistakably present in the assassination. It is plausible that the attack at Soleimani’s convoy was a joint CIA-Mossad operation. The post Israel’s Fingerprint Are All Over the Assassination of Qasem Soleimani appeared first on MintPress News.

An Act of Cowardice: US Assassination of Soleimani Puts US-Israeli Fear of Iran on Full Display

Miko Peled at MintPress News - 13 hours ago
Neither Israel or the US is prepared for an all out war with Iran, “hit and run” seems to be the tactic of choice. Hit Iranian targets in Syria or Iraq, and then run. The post An Act of Cowardice: US Assassination of Soleimani Puts US-Israeli Fear of Iran on Full Display appeared first on MintPress News.

"How It Really Is"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
*Click image for larger size.*

"The Most Dangerous Man..."

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago

"The US Government Lies Constantly, And The Burden Of Proof Is On The Accuser"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
*"The US Government Lies Constantly,* * And The Burden Of Proof Is On The Accuser"* by Caitlin Johnstone "Over the last 48 hours I’ve been splitting my free time between (A) learning as much as I possibly can about the US assassination of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and (B) arguing with people online who are uncritically swallowing US government claims about why that assassination was necessary. I always engage such political debates because they’re a valuable source of information on what propaganda narratives people are buying into, and therefore which propaganda narrativ... more »

Attacking Iran’s Cultural Sites Would Violate the Hague Cultural Property Convention

JBellinger at Lawfare - 13 hours ago
Ruins of the Gate of All Nations, Persepolis. (Wikimedia/Alborzagros, CC BY-SA 3.0) On Sunday, President Trump—as he is wont to do when criticized—doubled down on his threat to bomb Iranian cultural sites if Iran attacks the United States in response to the killing of Qassem Soleimani. Although the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, which makes intentional attacks on historic monuments a war crime, the United States is a party to the 1954 Hague Convention on Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, which the Senate approved in September 2008, ... more »

Money Manager Claims Now Is Time to Buy China Stocks

Bob Adelmann at rss - 13 hours ago
[image: money-manager-says-now-is-time-to-buy-china-stocks] Stocks making up the Shanghai Composite Index are cheap and likely to get cheaper. Perhaps much cheaper.

The Paradox of Liberalism and Monopolies of Coercion: Levin on Himmelfarb

Alberto Mingardi at Econlib - 13 hours ago
Yuval Levin has a truly remarkable article, celebrating the accomplishment of Gertrude Himmelfarb, who died on December 31 at age 97. In his essay, significantly entitled “The Historian as a Moralist” (contrary to common understanding, this is meant to be a compliment: read it and you’ll understand why), Levin provides a thorough assessment of Himmelfarb’s […] The post The Paradox of Liberalism and Monopolies of Coercion: Levin on Himmelfarb appeared first on Econlib.

Scott Alexander on Mental Illness: A Belated Reply

Bryan Caplan at Econlib - 13 hours ago
Back in 2015, Scott Alexander wrote this reply to my 2006 Rationality and Society piece on the economics of mental illness. I never replied; to be honest, I never read it. The reason, though, is not because I do not respect Scott, but because I respect him too much. I didn’t read his critique because […] The post Scott Alexander on Mental Illness: A Belated Reply appeared first on Econlib.

Man Sets Street Dweller on Fire in São Paulo

Xiu Ying at The Rio Times - 13 hours ago
SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL - Security camera footage shows a man approaching a street dweller while he was sleeping and setting fire to the victim during the early hours of Sunday morning, January 5th, in the Mooca neighborhood in São Paulo. Carlos Silva, 39, had 70 percent of his body burned and is in a serious […] The post Man Sets Street Dweller on Fire in São Paulo appeared first on The Rio Times.

America Might Not Go to War with Iran, But Israel Might

Dov S. Zakheim at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Dov S. Zakheim* *Security, Middle East* The Iranian regime has blamed Israel as much as the United States for the killing of Qassim Suleimani. While Americans are agonizing over the wisdom of killing Iranian Quds Force leader Qassim Suleimani, and debating how to respond to the likelihood of Iranian retaliation, Israelis are unabashedly delighted that the man who has coordinated both Hezbollah and Syrian militia attacks on their territory is no longer alive. Both the Israeli leadership, notably Naftali Bennett, the newly appointed hard-line minister of defense, and Israeli poli... more »

These DARPA Scientists Think They Can Knock Hypersonic Missiles Out of the Sky

Michael Peck at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Michael Peck* *Security, * [image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruise_missile#/media/File:Tomahawk_Block_IV_cruise_missile.jpg] Counter-hypersonics is here. *Key Point:* Will counter-hypersonics have the same downsides as missile defense? DARPA calls it "counter-hypersonics." The rest of us would call it a way -- or a prayer -- to stop nuclear warheads coming down on our heads at 20 times the speed of sound. DARPA, the Pentagon's pet research agency, wants an interceptor that can stop weapons that are hypersonic (travel faster than Mach 5). The agency has begun soliciting p... more »

North Korea Wasn't Always The Only Korea With Nuclear Weapons

Daniel R. DePetris at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Daniel R. DePetris* *Security, Asia* America had nuclear weapons in South Korea until 1991. *Key point: *The State Department may have lost the battle to the Pentagon, but not without a fight. The day was January 17, 1957, and Assistant Secretary of State Walter Robertson had a nagging worry that his boss, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, wouldn’t go toe-to-toe with the Pentagon on the subject of introducing nuclear weapons into South Korea. The State Department, Robertson wrote in a memo to Dulles, remained unequivocally opposed to deploying atomic weapons on the Korean ... more »

Could Donald Trump Use the State of the Union Speech To Change Course on North Korea?

Jessica Lee at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Jessica Lee* *Security, Asia* Eighteen months after the Singapore Declaration, North Korea and the United States are at a crossroads. North Korea has shown that it remains willing -- however hesitantly -- to change its behavior commensurate to the United States changing its stance. Now more than ever before, U.S. leaders must show that the United States will choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy with North Korea. North Korea did not launch a long-range missile over Christmas or New Year’s Day. Instead, it released a summary of the 5th Plenary Meeting, including a speech by ... more »

The Hunt for Bismarck: The Ultimate Battleship Battle

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *History, Europe* [image: British aircraft carrier Ark Royal with a flight of] Move over, Red October. *Key Point:* The *Bismarck* was Nazi Germany's dangerous secret weapon. The Royal Navy did all it could to find it. On May 23, 1941, the Battleship *Bismarck* was on a roll. The largest and most powerful ship in the German Navy, the mighty *Bismarck* had broken out into the Atlantic Ocean, sunk a Royal Navy battlecruiser, badly damaged a battleship and was poised to add its guns to a naval blockade that threatened to strangle Great Britain. Ninety-six hours lat... more »

Here's Why North Korea Wanted One Of The World's Largest Submarine Fleets

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, * North Korea should by all rights be a naval power. *Key point: *North Korea’s reliance on submarines exposes a harsh reality for the country: U.S. and South Korean naval and air forces are now so overwhelmingly superior that the only viable way for Pyongyang’s navy to survive is to go underwater. North Korea should by all rights be a naval power. A country sitting on a peninsula, Korea has a long naval tradition, despite being a “shrimp” between the two “whales” of China and Japan. However, the partitioning of Korea into two countries in 1945 and the... more »

How Greta Thunberg Explains the Problem With Leftists

Dennis Prager at The National Interest - 13 hours ago
*Dennis Prager* *Politics, Americas* [image: Sixteen year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg testifies at a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee and House Select Climate Crisis Committee joint hearing on] It's all about feelings. It is not easy to understand what the left—as opposed to liberals—stands for. If you ask a Christian what to read to learn the basics of Christianity, you will be told the Bible. If you ask a (religious) Jew, you will be told the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud. If you ask a Mormon, you will be told the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Ask a Muslim and y... more »

Rep. Omar Vows To ‘Step In And Stop Trump’

Uriel at 'Nox & Friends - 14 hours ago
Rep. Omar Vows To ‘Step In And Stop Trump’ After Soleimani Killed MOVE ON.ORG – Sponsored and funded by foreign and domestic Communist/Socialist interests across the world as well as SOROS et al ZeroHedge: Responding to a tweet from Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), who asked “did American just assassinate, without any congressional authorization, the second most powerful person in Iran, knowingly setting off a potential massive regional war?” Rep. Omar tweeted: “So what if Trump wants war, knows this leads to war and needs the distraction? Real question is, will those with congressional au... more »

Intellectual Froglegs — Here Comes the Boom

Uriel at 'Nox & Friends - 14 hours ago
Here comes the Boom – Intellectual Froglegs (adjusting volume recommended) . Although we were all watching as it happened…no one is quite sure what exactly happened to the Democratic Party—a collective bump-on-the-head? A group lobotomy? Who knows? But we know this… they’ve lost their soul. They have no moral compass, yet they preach morality; condemning all of us who disagree. …and America is about to kick their ass. As they’ve moved further to the left, the Democrats have aligned themselves more and more with the most staunch enemies of America: . For example: sending pallets of ca... more »

Israeli reporter’s eye-view of current situation, January 5

Uriel at 'Nox & Friends - 14 hours ago
Amir Tsarfati: Special Middle East Update This Israeli reporter appears to be an independent non-government sponsored person. . . Points of interest: Two months ago Major General Qassem Soleimani and others there decided to start attacking on the US as a means of diverting attention. He claims there were as many as 30 or more such attacks leading up to Soleimani’s assassination. Total fatalities appear to be 70 or more Iranian militia. Soleimani used the embassy as a two-step plan. It was stage one. The second stage was other less fortified embassies to kill US and Israeli ambassador... more »

Russia And German Leaders To Meet Later This Week To Discuss The Crisis In The Middle East

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago
Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, western Japan, Saturday, June 29, 2019. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS *DW:** Putin invites Merkel to Russia over Iran crisis* The German Chancellor will travel to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin this coming Saturday. The pair plan to discuss the Iran escalation as well as the conflicts in Ukraine, Libya and Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday invited German Chancellor Angel Merkel to Russia next weekend to... more »

Asians are good at math? Why dressing up racism as a compliment just doesn't add up

Niral Shah, Assistant Professor of Learning Sciences & Human Development, University of Washington at Politics + Society – The Conversation - 14 hours ago
Overt racism is easy to spot. But more subtle forms based on false narratives can be equally dehumanizing – and it's no joke.

China can still salvage 'one country, two systems' in Hong Kong – here's how

David Skidmore, Professor of Political Science, Drake University at Politics + Society – The Conversation - 14 hours ago
Fears that Beijing will renege on autonomy promises is only encouraging calls for independence from mainland China.

Building a digital archive for decaying paper documents, preserving centuries of records about enslaved people

Daniel Genkins, Postdoctoral Fellow in History, Vanderbilt University at Politics + Society – The Conversation - 14 hours ago
Centuries' worth of important information is stored on paper – which can decay, burn or get eaten by pests. Peek inside the process of making all that data digital.

How to write better pet adoption ads

David Markowitz, Assistant Professor of Social Media Data Analytics, University of Oregon at Politics + Society – The Conversation - 14 hours ago
A new study analyzes the language in nearly 680,000 pet adoption ads.

Untitled

Jenna Orkin at From the Wilderness' Peak Oil Blog - 14 hours ago
From Jenna Orkin Near 50C Heat in Sydney : Flames as high as 50 metres in Australian Bushfire Hell On land, Australia’s rising heat is ‘apocalyptic.’ In the ocean, it’s even worse. Zimbabwe drought: UN warns food will run out ‘by the end of February’ Pentagon Officials Stunned by Trump’s Order on Soleimani: NYT Iraqi parliament votes to expel U.S. troops over Soleimani killingFresh Cambridge Analytica leak ‘shows global manipulation is out of control’A group claiming to be from Iran hacked and defaced a US government agency website AFRICOM Confirms Terrorist Attack On US Base In Kenya... more »

Are Russia's Regions In Revolt?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago
*Janusz Bugajski, The Hill*: *Russia's regions are in revolt* While Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrates 20 years in the Kremlin and poses as a powerful world leader, his Russian Federation is showing increasing signs of fracture. Although a Ukraine-type revolution in Moscow to overthrow a corrupt authoritarian regime seems unlikely, a revolt of Russia’s diverse regions against a despised central government is gathering momentum. Winston Churchill’s memorable insight about Russia at the outset of World War II – that its actions were “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an ... more »

A grammatical relationship?

Peter at Bayou Renaissance Man - 14 hours ago
Stephan Pastis offers some grammatical advice to start the dating new year in the right fashion. (Click the image to be taken to a full-size version at the comic's Web page.) I can hear my old middle-school English teacher chuckling fiendishly at that one . . . Peter

FROM "THE LETTERS" FILE: Digest of last week's reports!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 14 hours ago
*MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2020Starting tomorrow, Tales of the Naep :* On Sunday, December 22, the New York Times published nine letters about two recent "test score" reports. The first eight letters all affirmed a bogus premise which had emerged from those reports—a highly familiar though bogus premise about our allegedly floundering public schools. The letter writers all affirmed what they had read in the paper of record. No one cited the actual data. But so it quite routinely goes within our floundering discourse: *Tuesday, December 31:* Fabulous Finland had to be praised! An embar... more »

Formaldehyde Is Going To Be Reviewed By EPA Again And That's A Good Thing. Here's Why

Kimberly Wise White at Science 2.0 blogs - 14 hours ago
Formaldehyde is one of the most studied, and regulated, chemical substances in commerce today. For decades, this substance has been continuously studied to help ensure regulated safe exposure levels for formaldehyde are protective. read more

Wildfires Threaten Unique Critters on Australian ‘Galapagos’

AP News at Snopes.com - 14 hours ago
Devastating wildfires over recent days have undone decades of careful conservation work on Kangaroo Island and have threatened to wipe out some of the island's unique fauna altogether.

Congress Demands Answers from Trump about Soleimani Killing

AP News at Snopes.com - 14 hours ago
President Donald Trump insists that Iranian cultural sites are fair game for the U.S. military, dismissing concerns within his own administration that doing so could constitute a war crime under international law.

President Trump's Staff Did Not Forward A Call From President Putin At The Beginning Of Trump's Presidency

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago
Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a meeting in Helsinki, Finland July 16, 2018. © Sputnik / Alexei Nikolsky *Sputnik:* *Trump Berated White House Staff for Holding Off on Call with President Putin, Claims New Book* The Russian President and his US counterpart had a phone conversation a few days ago; Vladimir Putin called Donald Trump to thank him for information that helped to prevent a terrorist attack in Russia, as Trump commended "a great and important coordination" with Russia. The US President reprimanded his former national security... more »

"Is This 'The Top'?"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago
*"Is This 'The Top'?"* by Charles Hugh Smith "Parabolic moves end when the confidence that the parabolic move can't end becomes the consensus. The consensus seems to be that the stock market is on its way to much higher levels, and soon. The near-term targets for the S&P 500 (SPX, currently around 3,235) range from 3,500 to 4,000, with longer-term targets reaching "the sky's the limit." The consensus reasoning goes like this: • Central banks can print a lot more money • Stocks rise when central banks print more money. The history of the 2009-2019 era strongly supports this simple ... more »

Monday Morning Links

Unknown at Accidental Deliberations - 14 hours ago
Miscellaneous material to start your week. - Rick Smith offers some reasons for hope in 2020 even in the face of a grim start to a new year. And Cory Doctorow writes about the need to start dreaming up, and giving effect to, alternatives to a corporate-driven economy and society which are endangering the future of humanity. - Chris Maisano interviews Jonathan Rodden about the structural disadvantages facing progressive parties under distorted, winner-take-all electoral systems. And Ryan Grim examines how Bernie Sanders' campaign is empowering and supporting volunteers to reach a gre... more »

Review of Gienapp's "The Second Creation" in Constitutional Commentary

John Mikhail at Balkinization - 14 hours ago
A revised and extended version of my Balkinization symposium review of Jonathan Gienapp’s stimulating book, “The Second Creation,” is now posted to SSRN. The review is forthcoming in Constitutional Commentary. Here is the abstract: The Second Creation by Jonathan Gienapp is a marvelous study of the earliest debates over constitutional language, meaning, and interpretation. In virtually every aspect, the book is brilliantly conceived, meticulously researched, and masterfully executed. This essay agrees with Gienapp’s key insight that, in many respects, the Constitution was obscure,... more »

Gervais Speaks Truth to Star Power

Ron Clutz at Science Matters - 14 hours ago
From the Daily Caller (they watched the show while I skipped it not expecting anything other than the usual social justice charade) Absolutely amazing. Absolutely amazing on every single level. The entire opening monologue is a great example of why Gervais is the man. Most award shows suck. They’re absolutely awful, and it’s usually millionaires […]

It Could Not Be Otherwise

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 14 hours ago
Chris Hedges sees horrific consequences following Donald Trump's assassination of Qassem Soleimani: The assassination by the United States of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, near Baghdad’s airport will ignite widespread retaliatory attacks against U.S. targets from Shiites, who form the majority in Iraq. It will activate Iranian-backed militias and insurgents in Lebanon and Syria and throughout the Middle East. The existing mayhem, violence, failed states and war, the result of nearly two decades of U.S. blunders and miscalculations in the region, will... more »

Gen. Qassem Soleimani: The World’s Most Accomplished Military Figure in Counter-terrorism

Geopolitics101 at Covert Geopolitics - 15 hours ago
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An American political analyst and author described Iran’s IRGC Quds Force Commander Major General Qassem Soleimani as the “world’s most accomplished military figure” in the field of counter-terrorism. “Major General Qassem Soleimani is the world’s most accomplished military figure in the field of counter-terrorism…Gen. Soleimani’s fight against Daesh is a wholehearted fight— … Continue reading Gen. Qassem Soleimani: The World’s Most Accomplished Military Figure in Counter-terrorism →

Trump Threatens to Destroy Iranian Cultural Sites Just like ISIS Did in Syria

Geopolitics101 at Covert Geopolitics - 15 hours ago
Donald Trump is showing the world what terror he is capable of inflicting on any country having the courage to stand up against American abuses in their territory. Right after his successful killing of Qassem Soleimani, he warned the Iranians not to retaliate, or the mighty US bombs will rain down on Iran, just like … Continue reading Trump Threatens to Destroy Iranian Cultural Sites Just like ISIS Did in Syria →

Was The Kremlin Scared By President Trump's Decision To Kill Iranian General Qassem Soleimani?

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 15 hours ago
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin talk before a session of the APEC summit in Danang, Vietnam November 11, 2017. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS *Salon:* *Exclusive: Anti-Putin activist says Russian government likely scared by Trump's attack on Iran* Bill Browder, a British businessman and anti-Putin activist, discusses Putin's response to Trump's attack on Iran. Bill Browder — the British businessman and anti-Vladimir Putin activist who has successfully pushed for sanctions on Russia for its human rights violations — spoke with Salon ... more »

Metal melting in fires too much for drought and fire veteran

Editor, cairnsnews at Cairns News - 15 hours ago
Letter to the Editor I am sending this out far and wide by email and Facebook (see 2 videos below) I am 79 years old. I have lived through drought and I have lived through bush fires, but NEVER have I seen cars and metal melt and such devastation. Everybody with a brain knows that […]

"America Will Not Be Great Forever"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 15 hours ago
*"America Will Not Be Great Forever"* By Bill Bonner BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – "Even the most beautiful flower dries up and dies. Even the most gifted athlete, if he lives long enough, shuffles and stoops. All living things bend, corrode, and decay. Don’t blame us. We are part of nature too, not creators or designers of it. We do our best just to figure out how it works. *Beginning of the End: *We’ve seen that all bubbles pop… all booms end… and all bull markets on Wall Street turn into bear markets. Empires, like all things in nature, have life cycles, too. They are born, they grow to... more »

In A 2002 War Scenario The U.S. Loses Against Iran

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 15 hours ago
U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, charge onto an MV-22 Osprey during an aerial assault exercise on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Dec. 5, 2019. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jacob Wilson *Popular Mechanics: **The U.S. Lost a (Fictional) War With Iran 18 Years Ago* Millennium Challenge 2002 was a military exercise that reminded the U.S. military that the enemy doesn't always do what you want it to do. * In 2002, the Pentagon ran a free-form exercise code-named Millennium Challenge. * The exercise was designed to test U.S. tactics against a modern foe based on... more »

Water Wars: Stare Decisis in the South China Sea

squirk at Lawfare - 15 hours ago
China’s first indigenous aircraft carrier Shandong (CV 17). Pictured here in June 2019, before her Dec. 17, 2019 commissioning ceremony. (Source: Wikimedia) On Dec. 12, Malaysia further delineated the limits of its extended continental shelf, directly challenging Chinese claims in the South China Sea. Malaysia submitted information to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf that expressed its rights to an extended continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. In accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Malaysia first submitted information t... more »

"Economic Market Update AM 1/6/20"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 15 hours ago
*AM 1/6/20, Updated frequently as available.* ◆ Gregory Mannarino, AM 1/6/20: *"Trump Threatens To Hit 'DOZENS' Of Targets. Stock Futures Drop"* - https://www.traderschoice.net/ ◆ *MarketWatch Market Summary, Live Updates* - https://www.marketwatch.com/tools/marketsummary *CNN Market Data:* - http://money.cnn.com/data/markets/ *CNN Fear And Greed Index:* - http://money.cnn.com/data/fear-and-greed/ ◆ *Buffett Indicator: Where Are We with Market Valuations?* "As of 1/6/20 (updates daily): The Stock Market is Significantly Overvalued. Based on historical ratio of total market cap over G... more »

Unconfirmed Report: Trump Peace Plan — Saudi Arabia Would Take Over Custodianship of the Temple Mount from Jordan

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 15 hours ago
The transfer of the custodianship of the temple mount from Jordan to Saudi Arabia is to facilitate the construction of the 3rd temple. Once the Palestinians (REAL JEWS) are forcibly driven into the North Sinai desert (in fulfillment of Revelation 12:6,13-14), there will be few people to protest the construction of the 3rd temple. Trump …

US: Trump Threatens War Crimes Against Iran

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 15 hours ago
US: Trump Threatens War Crimes Against Iran by https://www.hrw.org/ Laws of War Prohibit Deliberate Attacks on Cultural Property (Washington) – United States president Donald Trump’s public threat to attack Iranian sites of cultural importance would be war crimes if carried out, Human Rights Watch said today. The US government should immediately clarify that the US will at all times …

Trump and His Team Are Lying Their Way to War With Iran

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 15 hours ago
Trump and His Team Are Lying Their Way to War With Iran by Ryan Costello, https://www.commondreams.org/ Congress was left in the dark, and the administration appears to be lying about the intelligence they used to justify the strike. – President Trump ordering the killing of Qassem Soleimani is troubling on several fronts. The assassination has …

The Bethlehem Doctrine and the New Definition of Imminent

A Political Junkie at Viable Opposition - 15 hours ago
In this posting, I want to take a look at the concept of imminence as it relates to terrorist attacks in specific. While the concept of imminence may seem obvious to most of you, as you will see in this posting, the post-9/11 use of the word imminence (or imminent) is driven by government's desire to justify its extralegal actions against other state and non-state actors. Let's start with this tweet from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: Here's Mike Pompeo once again reiterating the imminence of the looming Iranian terror attack while being interviewed on CNN on January 3, 2020: N... more »

NC: Whitewashing The Charter Report

Peter Greene at CURMUDGUCATION - 15 hours ago
North Carolin's 2020 Annual Charter Schools Report has caused some consternation among members of the state's Charter Schools Advisory Board (CSAB). They've seen the first draft and requested a rewrite, because, well, members of the public might become confused by the information that suggests Bad Things about North Carolina's charter industry. This is not the first time the issue has come up. Back in 2016 the Lt. Governor called the report "too negative" and pushed to have it made "more fair." The report was not substantially changed-- just more data added. But in 2016 it still sho... more »

Disruptive Assassinations: Killing Qassem Soleimani

Binoy KAMPMARK at OrientalReview.org - 15 hours ago
On the surface, it made not one iota of sense. The murder of a foreign military leader on his way from Baghdad airport, his diplomatic status assured by the local authorities, evidently deemed a target of irresistible richness. “General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service […]

Marijuana businesses raise millions of dollars by cashing out of real estate through sale-leaseback deals

John Rebchook at Marijuana Business Daily - 15 hours ago
Large cannabis companies increasingly are selling their own cultivation, processing and storage facilities and immediately leasing them back as a way to instantly raise tens of millions of dollars at a time when outside financing is scarce. Unlocking the value of real estate with a sale provides money that can be used to grow a […] Marijuana businesses raise millions of dollars by cashing out of real estate through sale-leaseback deals is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Bushland body find in WA ends with alleged killer questioned over 1992 murder mystery in Victoria

Herlyn Kaur at Just In - 15 hours ago
A man charged with the murder of a woman whose body was found in WA bushland is being questioned by Victorian police over the cold case strangling of another woman 28 years ago.

MP 'shouldn't be in Parliament' during probe into Christmas party behaviour

Stacey Lee at Just In - 15 hours ago
South Australia's Opposition says Liberal MP Sam Duluk should be stood down while an investigation takes place following claims of inappropriate behaviour towards an MP and female staff.

FOUND: TRUMP'S IDEOLOGY

Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog - 15 hours ago
Reviewing Malcolm Nance's new book, *The Plot to Betray America,* Jeff Stein of *The Washington Post* summarizes Nance's theory about why people like Donald Trump become assets for hostile foreign powers such as Russia: Why do once-loyal men go bad? Mole hunters have an acronym for it: MICE, which stands for money, ideology, coercion/compromise and ego/excitement. Trump qualifies for three out of four, in the telling of Nance (and many others who’ve long followed Trump’s career), that explain his attachment to Moscow. Ideology’s not one of them.... According to New York state records... more »

America Should Not Psych Itself Out Over China's Rise

Milton Ezrati at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Milton Ezrati* *Security, Asia* China is far from unstoppable. *Key point: *Western determination and grit, as well as a far superior economic system, should ensure that America and others have no need to bow to China, that they can manage the challenge of the Middle Kingdom short of the military confrontation that no one but a few Chinese generals and admirals seem to want. American opinion has moved away from its once-benign view of China. That older view, still favored by many business people, held that a prosperous China would threaten its neighbors less than a poor China, ... more »

From Iran With Love: North Korean Drones Are Sure To Fight In Its Next War

Robert E. Kelly at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Robert E. Kelly* *Security, Asia* North Korea will learn from Iran's experiences. *Key point: *Drones suddenly offer a cheap way to conduct reconnaissance and, as the Saudi strikes just demonstrated, to actually attack U.S. allies in what is otherwise a very asymmetric air environment. Last week’s surprise drone attack on a Saudi Arabian oil field has kicked up a significant debate on whether this is the future of conflict. The debate over drones has grown dramatically since President Barack Obama began to rely on them heavily in the war on terrorism. Other countries have quick... more »

Russia Captured An Unexploded U.S. Tomahawk Used In Syria, And Plans To Use It Against America

Michael Peck at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Michael Peck* *Security, Middle East* Houston, we have a problem. *Key point: *The Tomahawk is still a Cold War subsonic cruise missile that seems a bit of a dinosaur when compared to the supersonic and hypersonic weapons that are being developed today. Here’s a tip: if you don’t want the enemy to capture your weapons, then don’t use them. But if you’re afraid to use them because they might be captured, then what are good are they? Russia is crowing that it has recovered America’s Tomahawk cruise missiles that were launched in Syria but failed to explode. Russian officials hav... more »

Don't Underestimate Tiny Singapore's Military

Charlie Gao at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Charlie Gao* *Security, Asia* [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/FRANCE-NATIONALDAY--RC1C3263E8E0.html] It's military packs a punch. *Key Point:* Singapore has invested heavily in western technology and hardware. Despite its small geographical size, Singapore fields one of the most advanced and well-equipped militaries in South East Asia. It spends more on its military than any of its neighbors. Being a tiny city-state, one of the strongest arms of the Singaporean military is the Republic of Singapore Air Force. But how does it stack up against its neighbors, from th... more »

Who Wins When America's Iowa Takes On Hitler's Bismarck Battleship?

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 15 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, * A what-if battle to make history. *Key point: *U.S. Navy planners in the Pacific, still overestimating the value of battleships, could have been less daring in their absence and fought a holding action until late 1942 or 1943. Despite the vast scope of the Second World War, the navies of the United States and Nazi Germany fought few, if any, direct surface engagements. By the time of America’s entry into the war the Royal Navy had already sunk or neutralized the lion’s share of Hitler’s *Kriegsmarine*, with only Hitler’s U-boats remaining a substanti... more »

Musical Interlude: Walter Murphy, "A Fifth of Beethoven"

CoyotePrime at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 15 hours ago
Walter Murphy, "A Fifth of Beethoven"

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