The inevitable end result of our last 56 years

[Jeff Carter]

Another gem from the latest news cycle:
Former CIA Director John Brennan personally edited a crucial section of the intelligence report on Russian interference in the 2016 election and assigned a political ally to take a lead role in writing it after career analysts disputed Brennan's take that Russian leader Vladimir Putin intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump clinch the White House, according to two senior U.S. intelligence officials who have seen classified materials detailing Brennan’s role in drafting the document.

This seemed a likely possibility from simply reading the ICA itself back in January 2017.Unfortunately, most persons, including many posters on this board, simply accepted the MSM spinas gospel. I would submit the resulting hysterical reaction to this fake news story is as responsible for your lamentable domestic situation as any of Trump’s obvious flaws. 

[Chris Davidson]

39 minutes ago, Kathy Beckett said:

That's pretty crappy. All of the people hurting, him wanting to remove SS, when we've paid in, and catering to who he wants to as opposed to who  he supposed to care for. Trying to remove the only healthcare some have just because. 

He is cruel to his people. And you want him to win because he makes his detractors lose their minds? Wow.

You must be a very angry person to find joy in that.

 

 

Kathy,

You can add this to his Master SS plan:

It only took 3 1/2 years to come up with it.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trumps-health-care-sham-154334003.html

[Cliff Varnell]

3 hours ago, Robert Wheeler said:

So many reasons, but to make it quick before lunch, he makes his detractors lose their minds.  

Yes! And that’s why Trump will pick a far-right “Handmaiden” to sit on the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/25/politics/donald-trump-amy-coney-barrett-supreme-court/index.html

Barrett believes women should be submissive to men, an inspiration for the dystopian TV show “The Handmaid’s Tale”.

Should women live in submission to men?

Let the national debate begin!

[James DiEugenio]

This is one reason why I do not look forward to Biden as president and I will not vote for him. it also shows a fatal flaw in the Democratic doctrine of identity politics as some kind of elixir.  It was not with HRC and it will not be with Michelle Flournoy either. Just as it was not with Rice or Power.

  I live in California so I can vote my conscience. It will not be for good ole boy Joe.

https://consortiumnews.com/2020/09/25/will-michele-flournoy-be-the-angel-of-death-for-the-american-empire/

 

[Douglas Caddy]

3 minutes ago, Kathy Beckett said:

Conscience or no, a vote for any other party is a vote for trump.

You are right. We don't need a repeat of the Ralph Nader disaster that occurred in another presidential election. 

[Cliff Varnell]

44 minutes ago, James DiEugenio said:

This is one reason why I do not look forward to Biden as president and I will not vote for him. it also shows a fatal flaw in the Democratic doctrine of identity politics as some kind of elixir.  It was not with HRC and it will not be with Michelle Flournoy either. Just as it was not with Rice or Power.

  I live in California so I can vote my conscience. It will not be for good ole boy Joe.

https://consortiumnews.com/2020/09/25/will-michele-flournoy-be-the-angel-of-death-for-the-american-empire/

 

DiEugenio's "conscience" won't allow him to stand against a theocratic fascist power grab.

So noted.

[James DiEugenio]

I hate to tell you, but the popular vote--as we have seen at least twice in the last twenty years--does not matter.

What matters is the Electoral College.  California is the safest state in the union for Democrats in a presidential election.  HRC won by nearly three million votes.  Biden will do the same.  And that means he will get the electoral votes.  That will happen. Period.

This allows me to vote for whoever I really want to vote for in order to make a difference.  Therefore, as I did with HRC, I will vote Green.  That is not a vote for Trump, because Trump could not win California if he spent 15 days here. California would be better off if it  split off from the USA, along with Oregon and  Washington.

Did either of you read the article?  On the short list for Biden's Sec/Def is a woman who does not want to cut defense, and was in communications with--and it hurts to write this--PNAC!  And she wants to get into an arms race with Russia and China.  So the war on terror is not enough, Flournoy wants to reignite the Cold War. And she used to work for arms contractors, making well into the six figures.

Trump has made a mess of things domestically, no question about it. And for that, he should be gone.  But anyone who thinks a Biden administration is going to be better in foreign policy is urinating in the wind. Biden was not just the point man on Ukraine, he also endorsed HRC's disaster in Libya. 

Edited September 25, 2020 by James DiEugenio

[Cliff Varnell]

47 minutes ago, James DiEugenio said:

I hate to tell you, but the popular vote--as we have seen at least twice in the last twenty years--does not matter.

It matters in terms of claims to a mandate.  In order to claim a mandate after the 2016 election Trump insisted there were millions of illegal ballots for Clinton.  He formed a phony committee headed by notorious voter-suppression specialist Kris Kobach to investigate. The committee found nothing and quietly disbanded.

As the result of this lack of a mandate, Trump only got two pieces of legislation thru a GOP-controlled Congress in his first two years

Quote

What matters is the Electoral College.  California is the safest state in the union for Democrats in a presidential election.  HRC won by nearly three million votes.  Biden will do the same.  And that means he will get the electoral votes.  That will happen. Period.

This allows me to vote for whoever I really want to vote for in order to make a difference.  Therefore, as I did with HRC, I will vote Green.  That is not a vote for Trump, because Trump could not win California if he spent 15 days here.

We’re in the battle of our lives to save what we have left of a democratic republic and DiEugenio won’t make a hard stand against fascism.

Quote

California would be better off if it  split off from the USA, along with Oregon and  Washington.

Right out of the Putin playbook.

Quote

Did either of you read the article?  On the short list for Biden's Sec/Def is a woman who does not want to cut defense, and was in communications with--and it hurts to write this--PNAC! 
 

That’s not what the article says re a short list: an unsubstantiated rumor is treated like a fact.

The foreign policy team Biden assembles will be key, including his choice for secretary of defense. But Biden’s rumored favorite, Michele Flournoy, is not the gal for this historic moment. </q>

Quote

And she wants to get into an arms race with Russia and China.  So the war on terror is not enough, Flournoy wants to reignite the Cold War. And she used to work for arms contractors, making well into the six figures.

Trump has made a mess of things domestically, no question about it. And for that, he should be gone.  But anyone who thinks a Biden administration is going to be better in foreign policy is urinating in the wind.

Biden wouldn’t push for war with Iran.

Biden’s war policies are to the left of the average corporate Dem.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/skeptics/joe-biden-once-supported-surging-troops-afghanistan-all-changed-2009-169405

Quote

Biden was not just the point man on Ukraine, he also endorsed HRC's disaster in Libya. 

He voted against the first Iraq war, tried to develop an alternative to the second Iraq war before voting for it, and claims to have opposed the Libya operation before closing ranks with Obama.

https://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/joe-biden-libya-wrong-224595

<quote on>

Intervening in Libya was the wrong decision, Vice President Joe Biden said in a recent interview with Charlie Rose, suggesting that his worst fears and suspicions about what would happen once dictator Muammar Qadhafi was ousted have come to pass.

"There are those who argue, 'Look, we've had a problem — overthrowing these dictators, like Mubarak and like Qadhafi and — and like Saddam. And it's come back and we might ask the question: 'Would we have been better off if they'd stayed?' Saddam, Qadhafi, Mubarak?" Rose asked in an interview aired in full on PBS Monday evening and in part on CBS Tuesday morning.

Biden replied that he had "argued strongly" within the White House "against going ... to Libya," a stance that put him at odds with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, now the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, whom the vice president endorsed earlier this month after she crossed the threshold of necessary delegates.

"My — my question was, 'OK, tell me what happens?,'" Biden recalled. "'He's gone. What happens? Doesn't the country disintegrate? What happens then? Doesn't it become a place where it becomes a — Petri dish for the growth of extremism? Tell me. Tell me what we're gonna do."

Rose responded, "And it has."

"And it has," Biden said, going on to say that the United States should not use force unless the interests of the country or its allies are directly threatened, whether it can be done "efficaciously" and whether it can be sustained.

</q emphasis added>
 

DiEugenio needs to get his facts straight, otherwise he’s just another Trump apologist.

Edited September 25, 2020 by Cliff Varnell

[W. Niederhut]

2 hours ago, Robert Wheeler said:

Hey Niederhut, you'll like this one.

"Special Agent S.M. worked on an organized crime squad in the New York Division and was a member of the SWAT team when the attacks occurred on the World Trade Center."

Do you recognize him?

https://www.fbi.gov/video-repository/about-us-ten-years-after-the-fbi-since-9-11-911-911_videos-am/view

That would be Andy McCabe.

I bet you he knows a thing or two about the controlled demolition of building #7.

Why do you think the FBI would dig this out of their video vault all of a sudden and call attention to it all over twitter?

I have some guesses but I would like to read yours.

Rob,

     I have a lot of questions about what was happening in the FBI before and after 9/11, and not only in New York.  Have you read Sibel Edmond's book, Classified Woman?

    In addition to suppressing pre-9/11 field reports about the alleged "Al Qaeda" hijackers, the FBI was directly involved in confiscating all of the security cameras at the Pentagon, and withholding that evidence from the public.

    They also suppressed and withheld evidence about Dominick Suter and his "Five Dancing Israeli" Mossad agents arrested at the Holland Tunnel on 9/11-- although they, ultimately, released some of those files and photos in response to a protracted FOIA suit.

    Do you know anything about Rudy Giuliani's FBI associates in New York?  Giuliani (a pre-9/11 Dick Cheney associate) had definite foreknowledge of the WTC demolitions, and he played a critical role in blocking access to, and destroying, WTC 9/11 forensic evidence.

     

Edited September 26, 2020 by W. Niederhut

[Kirk Gallaway]

Yes,  we were all waiting with bated breathe for Jim's official 2020 Presidential endorsement. He cleverly waited until Trump said he wouldn't go peacefully to create suspense. Jim, like Jim Mc Cord, always several steps ahead of the electoral game and all of us.

 

Whew!, now we can all go on with our lives!

 

But after voting for Jill Stein in 2016, it's hardly a surprise.

 

Cliff said:

We’re in the battle of our lives to save what we have left of a democratic republic and DiEugenio won’t make a hard stand against fascism.

 

That's the crux of it,   Di Eugenio, set off again, from an article he read, with great speculation  of Biden's future foreign policy, as our house is burning down. 

 

All the corruption, all the destructive of democratic norms, Now Trump mentions he won't go peacefully. There are already 200 lawsuits in court involving the coming election. It's going to be a mess. Is Jim ever in touch with what's really happening?

All that's expendable. You never get an idea from Jim that anything is ever worth saving.

 

Re article:Yes Jim, I know you think the  current Trump alignment (in economic order)  King Salmon,Netanyahu, Bolsonaro, Erdogan,  Duarte,Putin and Kim Jong Un is awesome! I know you'll put up with the other 6 dictators just for the U.S. to be friends with Putin.There's not a chance in hell, Biden's going to start a war with Iraq, after Trump dumped Obama's  treaty.

The most troubling part of that article is Biden saying he's increasing Defense spending. But Trump has substantially increased defense spending over Obama and brags about it, and now is redirecting money for protective masks to weapons and the Pentagon.

 

Believe me, After 2 failed wars, it's a hard sell..Besides Biden's going to have a hell of a lot more on his hands than pursuing an aggressive foreign policy. Like economic deprivation, social unrest, maybe a continuing pandemic and at  worst a possible civil war. Little things like that.

 

 

Edited September 26, 2020 by Kirk Gallaway

[James DiEugenio]

 I have to say, that was not a very good make up job on Brendan Gleeson.  It does not look natural at all, which is what good make up is supposed to do. (see DIck Smith) 

They could not get a first rate make up guy?  I would have tried to talk RIck Baker out of retirement.  Or get him to recommend someone.

BIlly Ray is not my cup of tea either as writer/director.

And BTW, 40 million for two TV episodes?  

[Ray Mitcham]

15 hours ago, David Andrews said:

Connery: "I couldn't help notishing yew defecated in your troushers..."

I guess that's why Goldfinger wears the plus fours, so it all collects at the knee.

David, I don't know if you ever saw this clip of Billy Connolly discussing incontinence trousers. Enjoy.

 

[Steve Thomas]

On her show last night, Rachel Maddow interviewed Robert Cardillo, former Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

When Rachel asked him the NGA is, Carfillo responded, "We map the planet."

From their website, https://www.nga.mil/ their mission is:

"The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has a responsibility to provide the products and services that decision makers, military service members, and first responders need, when they need it most. As a member of the Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense, NGA supports a unique mission set. We are committed to acquiring, developing and maintaining the proper technology, people and processes that will enable overall mission success.

Geospatial intelligence, or GEOINT is the exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activities on the Earth. GEOINT consists of imagery, imagery intelligence and geospatial information."

"We maintain detailed, foundational physical characterizations of the Earth from seabed to space and provide products our forces require to navigate and operate safely every day, everywhere around the globe. We build a wide array of GEOINT products providing unique context and insights to answer questions from a broad range of customers — from White House policymakers, to Pentagon decision-makers, to deployed warfighters, to first responders, to non-government organizations. Our customers rely on us to “show the way”… to literally get them from point A to point B, help illuminate options and inform decisions, and carry out actions with precision. We must, and will, meet our nation’s needs."

'I can be silent no longer': former intel official denounces Trump

“Perhaps the most under-appreciated element of the 2020 race: the staggering number of people who've worked directly with Trump and now want to see him lose.”

By Steve Benen September 26, 2020

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/i-can-be-silent-no-longer-former-intel-official-denounces-n1241131

Steve Thomas

[Steve Thomas]

22 minutes ago, Steve Thomas said:

On her show last night, Rachel Maddow interviewed Robert Cardillo, former Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

When Rachel asked him the NGA is, Carfillo responded, "We map the planet."

 

https://www.nga.mil/assets/files/A_Guide_to_Resrources_for_Geospatial_Academic_Research.pdf

NGA is the lead federal agency for GEOINT and manages a global consortium of more than 400 commercial and government relationships. NGA:

• Delivers the strategic intelligence that allows the president and national policymakers to make crucial decisions on counterterrorism, weapons of mass destruction, global political crises and more;Enables the warfighter to plan missions, gain battlefield superiority, precisely target the adversary,and protect our military forces;

• Provides timely warnings to the warfighter and national decision-makers by monitoring, analyzing,and reporting imminent threats—often, NGA has the only “eyes” focused on global hot spots and can give unique insight into these critical areas;

• Protects the homeland by supporting counterterrorism, counternarcotics, and border and transportation security

• Supports security planning for special events, such as presidential inaugurations, state visits by foreign leaders, international conferences, and major public events (Olympics, Super Bowl, satellite launches, etc.);

• Ensures safety of navigation in the air and on the seas by maintaining the most current information and highest quality services for U.S. military forces and global transport networks’

• Defends the nation against cyber threats by supporting other intelligence agencies with in-depth analysis of cyber networks;

• Creates and maintains the geospatial foundation data, knowledge, and analysis that enable all other missions; and

• Assists humanitarian and disaster relief efforts by working directly with the lead federal agencies responding to fires, floods, earthquakes, landslides, hurricanes, or other natural or manmade disasters

Steve Thomas

[Douglas Caddy]

Amy Coney Barrett: spotlight falls on secretive Catholic group People of Praise

 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/26/amy-coney-barrett-supreme-court-donald-trump-people-of-praise