Nov 032019
 
 November 3, 2019  Posted by at 9:22 am Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , , , ,


Salvador Dali Nymphs in a romantic garden 1921

 

UK Spy Agencies Found No Evidence Of Russian Brexit Interference (BF)
Pelosi Warns 2020 Candidates They’re On The Wrong Track (ZH)
Assad Calls Trump “Best US President” Ever For “Transparency” (ZH)
Britain Ignores Assange Medical Appeal: UN (AAP)
Saudi Arabia Kick-Starts Aramco IPO (R.)
Global Shipping Container Rates Plunge (ZH)
Labour Plans To Make 27 Million Homes Energy Efficient (G.)
Don’t Drive Electric Cars, Ignore Paper Bags & Forget About Organic Food (RT)
Captain Siya Kolisi Wants To ‘Inspire Every Kid’ In South Africa (BBC)

 

 

How nutritious are those nothingburgers? At some point you get concerned for these peoples’ metabolism.

“Two sources told BuzzFeed that British intelligence found no evidence of Russian meddling in either the 2016 referendum vote or the 2017 general election.”

Russophobia is even stronger in Britain than in the US, so they’ll find a way to twist this, don’t worry.

UK Spy Agencies Found No Evidence Of Russian Brexit Interference (BF)

The UK’s intelligence agencies have found no evidence that the Russian state interfered in the outcome of the Brexit referendum and the 2017 general election, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the findings in an as-yet-unpublished report from Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee. One of the sources told BuzzFeed News the finding was categorical. The report, titled simply “Russia”, is at the centre of a row between some MPs and Downing Street after the committee’s chair, former attorney general Dominic Grieve, urged Boris Johnson to release the report ahead of the Dec. 12 general election, arguing that it was “really unacceptable for the prime minister to sit on it”.


The committee sent the report to Johnson’s office on Oct. 17. It will not be released before the election unless it is cleared for publication by the beginning of next week before Parliament is dissolved for the campaign. Raising a point of order in the House of Commons on Thursday, Grieve expressed regret that the report had not already been cleared for publication by the prime minister. He continued: “We thus have a committee of Parliament waiting to lay before the House a report that comments directly on what has been perceived as a threat to our democratic processes. Parliament and the public ought to and must have access to this report in the light of the forthcoming election, and it is unacceptable for the prime minister to sit on it and deny them that information.”

Read more …

Nancy finds herself stuck in her impeachment call. She’s smart enough to see how bad a call that was. And she’s old enough that she should never have been in her present role. But you know, power calls. She should be handing over the baton to a younger crowd, but she has no idea what they are thinking, and those are her own words.

Thing is, by her and her ilk not being grandmas and grandpas as they should, they force the young ‘uns into more radical positions just to have any voice at all. And by insisting on staying, she creates the space for self-imploding devices like Adam Schiff to move themselves forward into the limelight they so desperately crave. Spend more time with the family, Nancy, you’re making it too easy for Trump.

Pelosi Warns 2020 Candidates They’re On The Wrong Track (ZH)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi thinks Democrats running for president in 2020 might strike out against Trump with ultra-liberal policies that fire up the party’s progressive base, yet might not go over so well with swing voters in flyover states. Proposals pushed by Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders like Medicare for All and a wealth tax play well in liberal enclaves like her own district in San Francisco but won’t sell in the Midwestern states that sent Trump to the White House in 2016, she said. -Bloomberg “What works in San Francisco does not necessarily work in Michigan,”Pelosi said in a wide-ranging interview with Bloomberg. “What works in Michigan works in San Francisco — talking about workers’ rights and sharing prosperity.” “Remember November,” she added. “You must win the Electoral College.”

And while she didn’t back any particular candidate running for office, Pelosi said Democrats should be focusing on “lower costs of prescription drugs, bigger paychecks by building infrastructure, and cleaner government.” She also worries that candidates like Warren and Sanders are going down the wrong track by trying to ‘out-left’ each other to court fellow progressives while abandoning moderate voters that the party needs to win back from Trump. “As a left-wing San Francisco liberal I can say to these people: What are you thinking?” Pelosi said. “You can ask the left — they’re unhappy with me for not being a socialist.” Pelosi also expressed concerns that voters don’t care about the Green New Deal promoted by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, which calls for rapid, radical reductions in carbon emissions.

“There’s very strong opposition on the labor side to the Green New Deal because it’s like 10 years, no more fossil fuel. Really?” said Pelosi. “The speaker’s concerns reflect those of many Democratic leaders and donors who believe that left-wing policies will alienate swing voters and lead to defeat. Warren and Sanders are betting on a different theory — that voters who float between parties are less ideological and can be inspired to vote for candidates who represent bold new change in Washington. Pelosi said Democrats should seek to build on President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act instead of pushing ahead with the more sweeping Medicare for All plan favored by Warren and Sanders that would create a government-run health care system and abolish private insurance.” -Bloomberg

Read more …

“All American presidents commit crimes and end up taking the Nobel Prize..”

Assad Calls Trump “Best US President” Ever For “Transparency” (ZH)

Arguably some of the most significant events since the eight-year long war’s start have played out in Syria with rapid pace over just the last month alone, including Turkey’s military incursion in the north, the US pullback from the border and into Syria’s oil fields, the Kurdish-led SDF’s deal making with Damascus, and the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. All of this is why a televised interview with President Bashar Assad was highly anticipated at the end of this week. Assad’s commentary on the latest White House policy to “secure the oil” in Syria, for which US troops have already been redeployed to some of the largest oil fields in the Deir Ezzor region, was the biggest pressing question.


The Syrian president’s response was unexpected and is now driving headlines, given what he said directly about Trump, calling him the “best American president” ever – because he’s the “most transparent.” “When it comes to Trump you may ask me a question and I’ll give you an answer which might seem strange. I tell you he’s the best American president,” Assad said, according to a translation provided by NBC. “Why? Not because his policies are good, but because he is the most transparent president,” Assad continued. “All American presidents commit crimes and end up taking the Nobel Prize and appear as a defender of human rights and the ‘unique’ and ‘brilliant’ American or Western principles. But all they are is a group of criminals who only represent the interests of the American lobbies of large corporations in weapons, oil and others,” he added.

Read more …

Laws broken all around and all the time.

Britain Ignores Assange Medical Appeal: UN (AAP)

The British government has ignored an urgent medical appeal for imprisoned WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a UN expert says. UN rapporteur on torture Nils Melzer says Britain has taken no action since he and medical experts visited Assange at a London prison in May. They found Assange displaying “all the symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture”. “However, what we have seen from the UK government is outright contempt for Mr Assange’s rights and integrity,” Melzer said in a statement on Friday. “Despite the medical urgency of my appeal, and the seriousness of the alleged violations, the UK has not undertaken any measures of investigation, prevention and redress required under international law.” Melzer urged Britain on Friday to block the extradition and release Assange.

Read more …

As long as there’s no IPO, any valuation can be used. But on moral grounds too, this should be boycotted.

Saudi Arabia Kick-Starts Aramco IPO (R.)

Saudi Arabia kick-started Aramco’s initial public offering (IPO) on Sunday as its market regulator approved the oil giant’s application to list on the domestic bourse and create the world’s most valuable listed firm. A statement from the Capital Market Authority (CMA) did not give a time frame or say how much Aramco would sell, but sources have told Reuters the oil company could offer 1% to 2% of its shares on the local bourse, raising as much $20 billion to $40 billion. Confirmation of the share sale in Saudi Arabian Oil Co., or Aramco, as the oil giant is usually known, comes about seven weeks after crippling attacks on its oil facilities, underlining Saudi Arabia’s determination to push on with the listing regardless.


The IPO of the world’s most profitable company is designed to turbo charge Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s economic reform agenda by raising billions to diversify the kingdom, whose dependency on oil was highlighted by the production impact of the Sept. 14 attacks. [..] Prince Mohammed gave the green light on Friday for the IPO to go ahead, Reuters reported, citing sources. Although he put a $2 trillion valuation on the company in early 2016, bankers and company insiders say Aramco’s value is closer to $1.5 trillion.

Read more …

Tyler: “..Trump’s non-stop fake trade news tweeting..”

Global Shipping Container Rates Plunge (ZH)

President Trump’s non-stop fake trade news tweeting has indeed decoupled the market from focusing on worsening macro and fundamentals. Teddy Vallee, CIO of Pervalle Global, has spotted an alarming downtrend in the Freightos 40 ft. Global Shipping Container Rate. Vallee has likely found an accurate barometer of global economic activity, now plunging in the last two months. “The move in container shipping rates is consistent with the continued deterioration in raw industrial commodities, China’s official PMI, China’s steel PMI, as well as market internals such as industrials relative to the S&P500,” Vallee said.


Freightos 40 ft. Global Shipping Container Rate started to trough in 1H19. The narrative back then was the global/US economy would rebound in 4Q19 and soar in 2020. But with 61 days left in 4Q, macroeconomic headwinds continue to mount across the world as global container rates plunge to new lows on the year, suggesting a global/US economic revival is nowhere to be found. With no signs of a global recovery, market participants will once again be jawboned back to reality, or as some have called it: a ‘macro matters’ event — the only question is finding the trigger that brings everybody out of the fake trade news daze spurred by the Trump administration.

Read more …

Too many questions about this. What are the building standards they aim to use? And retrofitting 27 million homes will result in only 450,000 jobs, over a decade?

But most of all, when someone says things like “..we face the threat of a hostile and dying planet. But Labour will turn that threat into an opportunity..”, tell them to get lost. We can’t heal the planet for profit. That’s just empty PR.

Labour Plans To Make 27 Million Homes Energy Efficient (G.)

Labour is claiming to have drawn up plans for the biggest overhaul of housing since the second world war, with a plan to instal loft insulation, double glazing and renewable technologies in almost all of the UK’s 27 million homes. The party says that the Warm Homes for All scheme will create 450,000 jobs over the next decade. Under the plans, low-income households would be able to apply for a grant, paying no upfront costs. They would keep most of the savings on their bills, though part would be used to pay for a proportion of the work. Wealthier households would be able to claim interest-free loans for the work, with the loans claimed back through their bills.

Labour said that, through the scheme, 6.34 million homes would have heat pumps and 5.3 million homes would have solar thermal systems by 2030. The party said the UK’s housing stock was among the worst insulated in Europe, with building electricity and heat use the biggest source of emissions in Britain. The party said the waste was costing households billions of pounds and pushing 3.5 million of them into fuel poverty. However, there are significant costs implied by the scheme. Labour calculates that delivering essential upgrades to the UK’s entire housing stock will cost about £250bn, or an average of £9,300 per house. [..]

Jeremy Corbyn said: “If we don’t radically change course we face the threat of a hostile and dying planet. But Labour will turn that threat into an opportunity. We will tackle the climate crisis by putting wealth in the hands of the many not the few, with lower bills and more good jobs. “By investing on a massive scale, we will usher in a green industrial revolution with good, clean jobs that will transform towns, cities and communities that have been held back and neglected for decades.

Read more …

Not a terribly strong article at RT, but we must remind people that Green has become a major marketing ploy. Beware.

Don’t Drive Electric Cars, Ignore Paper Bags & Forget About Organic Food (RT)

Renewable energy, hailed as the answer to the world’s petrochemical dependency, is not the cure-all it is depicted as. Solar power, for example, creates no carbon emissions once the solar panels are up and running, but their manufacture is a toxic mess. Produced with the carcinogenic, mutagenic heavy metal cadmium and requiring billions of liters of water to manufacture and cool, solar cells have their own dark side seldom examined in discussions of the impending shift to renewable energy. Electric cars have become a symbol of environmental progress, with companies that produce them receiving government subsidies in many countries. But more energy is consumed in the production of an electric car than a gas-powered vehicle, and a 2011 study found the carbon footprints of both vehicles to be about the same.


Electric cars may not produce emissions while driving, but they’re only as green as the electricity used to charge them. Worse, the batteries they use are loaded with toxic metals like lithium, copper, and cobalt. Mining these substances devastates the environment, and improper disposal of used batteries can cause them to leak back into nature. Biomass and biofuels certainly sound environmentally friendly – how can you go wrong with “bio” in the name – but it actually generates more carbon emissions than fossil fuels to create the same amount of energy. Substances burnable under the aegis of “biomass” can include anything from timber waste to garbage, meaning it can burn clean or litter the atmosphere with pollutants. And even burning ‘clean’ wood means cutting down trees – hardly environmentally friendly.

Read more …

South Africa won the rugby World Cup on Saturday. I’m not a rugby fan, but I did see the British crowds in a sports bar from across the street. The story behind it is far more interesting though. 30 years after Mandela, very little has improved.

“It’s easy to talk about going through hard times and struggling to get opportunities, but it’s tough to tell people that there were days when I didn’t have food or shoes to wear..”

Captain Siya Kolisi Wants To ‘Inspire Every Kid’ In South Africa (BBC)

Kolisi, who grew up up in a poor township of Zwide, just outside Port Elizabeth on the Eastern Cape, flew his father abroad for the first time to watch him represent his country in Japan. He added: “You can never forget where you come from or the people who have helped you get here so I just wanted to celebrate with him [his father]. “Growing up, I never dreamed of a day like this at all. When I was a kid all I was thinking about was getting my next meal.” The skipper said coach Rassie Erasmus told the players they were not just playing for themselves, but for all of South Africa. The country is suffering an economic crisis with unemployment at 29% and Kolisi said he has “never seen south Africa like this”.

Springbok try scorers Makazole Mapimpi, who also comes from a poor township like Kolisi, and Cheslin Kolbe are both black and the skipper said his side’s performance shows how “different races can come together”. An emotional Mapimpi, who scored the Springbok’s first try in their third World Cup final, was also in reflective mood after the full-time whistle, saying he had come a “long way”. “I’m blessed,” he said. “I’m from the rural areas. “I didn’t make the South Africa schools [team]. It means a lot for me, but also for the boys who didn’t go to private schools. “A lot of things happen in South Africa that affect us and we fight to push those things away. South Africa coach Erasmus echoed his captain’s comments, saying rugby is “privilege” after leading his country to glory in his first World Cup as coach.

“In South Africa pressure is not having a job, pressure is one of your friends being murdered,” he said. “Rugby shouldn’t be something that creates pressure on you, it brings hope. “Hope is when you play well and people watch you on Saturday, have a nice barbecue and watch the game and feel good after.” “It’s easy to talk about going through hard times and struggling to get opportunities, but it’s tough to tell people that there were days when I didn’t have food or shoes to wear,” he said. “And when you sit down and think about it clearly, and think there was a stage when Siya went through stuff like that, then he sits here as captain holding this trophy. “That should sum up what Siya is.”

Read more …

 

 

 

 

 

Home Forums Things November 3 2019

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  • #51009

    Salvador Dali Nymphs in a romantic garden 1921   • UK Spy Agencies Found No Evidence Of Russian Brexit Interference (BF) • Pelosi Warns 2020 Cand
    [See the full post at: Things November 3 2019]

    #51010
    V. Arnold
    Participant

    Salvador Dali Nymphs in a romantic garden 1921

    Twilight beautifully rendered; contrasted by the last light of the sun in the mountains covered by bountiful clouds…
    The Nymphs are delightful dancing around, through, and amongst, the trees…

    #51011
    Dr. D
    Participant

    “UK Spy Agencies Found No Evidence Of Russian Brexit Interference (BF) “

    “No proof of wrongdoing” as Biden says. Since that means you’re innocent and can’t talk about it anymore, right?

    “Nancy Pelosi Is Worried 2020 Candidates Are on Wrong Track”BBG
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-02/nancy-pelosi-is-worried-2020-candidates-are-on-wrong-track

    The Bloomberg full article had many more quotes for a change. So it’s not a one-liner, slipped out in frustration. She’s laying her body down to hold the line against Cheeto by all means both legal and illegal. She’s openly rigging the election with a play to impeach a Presidential candidate, basically for talking to anyone about anything without CIA permission. And the Squad of Young Turks, including, “How do you do, fellow kids?” candidates like Warren, are flushing all her hard work, and actually pretty good tactics, considering her hand. (And considering her complete absence of principles or love of the Republic.)

    “The speaker’s concerns reflect those of many Democratic leaders and donors who believe that left-wing policies will alienate swing voters and lead to defeat.”

    ““There’s very strong opposition on the labor side to the Green New Deal because it’s like 10 years, no more fossil fuel. Really?” she said.”

    “Bernie and Elizabeth own the left, right? Is anybody going to out-left them?”

    “Assad Calls Trump “Best US President” Ever for “Transparency” (ZH)

    Wow. Concern. Many fact. So Scare. Much dumb. So what’s the upshot of his silly accident? “America First” President again makes it oh-so-that-much-harder for the Empire after him. He leaks transparency. He reveals blind hypocrisy, deflating all the meddling Deep States and their sanctimonious marionettes. He undermines the DNC for being pro war in these conditions. And he is going to inspire a “bring them home” movement if there are still two Americans to rub together that have any sense. (there aren’t) All for the low, low price of being “accidental” “dumb”. Shucks, Cleetus, you got me again!

    Now, remember what I said about Iran hiding their base over the line in Syria, Kurdish country? Not quite where I expected, but militarily the U.S. cannot possibly hold this territory, which is unsupportable. They cannot be there without Russia’s express permission due to the S400 and anti-electronic tech they have. But obviously Russia nor Syria can’t just SAY so, they have to and deserve to, pile on Cheeto, or rather America, for starting a murderous war of aggression for mere profit – the loving, gentle, peaceful Obama and Hillary war, — Nobel Prize Approved™! — which didn’t QUITE kill the 6 million people they were hoping for, murdering and evacuating everyone in the Middle East to make life easier for Israel’s expansion, but close.

    That all being said, so what’s he there for? How’s he going to supply the troops and move the oil in these conditions? He’s not. Which is why like everything said by politicians, by generals, by adults in every inch of the West, it’s a lie. Sure, the fields are a nice trading chip, but not worth this level of trouble. He’s there for something else, and that something else is something Russia and Syria are happy to allow HIM to deal with and not them. Because how would Russia or Syria tell their ally Iran – who only just saved them by adding men – they can’t have their really expensive, long-planned, super hard to get nuclear centrifuge deep underground base, but we need to blow it right up after billions and decades spent? (or something similar)

    Or maybe it’s a big coincidence, and the U.S. Army is going to hold 20 square miles instead of all of Kurdistan, a few oil wells instead of the whole field, and attempt no transport routes, for some reason you guys can figure.

    Speaking of the West and Western leaders delighted to kill all the people:
    “ Britain Ignores Assange Medical Appeal: UN (AAP) “

    … ESPECIALLY when they can break the law and commit war crimes. That’s the BEST. Hardly worth getting up in a morning unless I can arrest and kill a few citizens. As Obama said, “I realized I’m good at killing people”!

    “Global Shipping Container Rates Plunge (ZH) “

    I’m not kidding when I say the economy’s barely running here, at least outside the 12 ordained cities. Since it’s not much worse here yet, the decline was just arrested for a while, the drop in business must be in those 12 cities. But hey, L.A. is on fire and they shut the power off in S.F. just ‘cause, so that’s no surprise.

    “Q: What did they use in California before candles? A: Electricity.”

    “More Californians Forced To Run Extension Cords To Neighboring States”
    https://babylonbee.com/news/more-californians-forced-to-run-extension-cords-to-neighboring-states
    “Deprived of luxuries like power and freedom, more and more Californians are being forced to run extension cords over to their neighbors in adjacent states….Californians are now looking for an alternative energy source, such as rubbing balloons on hipsters’ beards.”

    “ Labour Plans To Make 27 Million Homes Energy Efficient (G.) “

    So they’re going to cut down 100 more forests, mine and ship a million more insulation batts on diesel trucks? Rack up a billion in debt? Knock down ten-thousand existing houses, historical landmarks 100-500 years old, energy already invested and resting, but not “efficient”? Sounds about right. You do you! Put up one of those glass-fronted towne houses that will fall over in 30 years, that’s much more ecological.

    Speaking of, we won’t be keeping all those roads up for long. And if we don’t invest CONSTANT energy into them – oil energy – Nature will eat them in no time. Life will be simpler and more local, and everyone will complain about how much they dislike our new environmentalism. The only kind we can afford: environmental austerity, in union with the land.

    #51012
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    “And the Squad of Young Turks, including, “How do you do, fellow kids?” candidates like Warren”

    Dr.D wins the internet today.

    #51013

    Please help me out here:

    DOJ releases Mueller documents to BuzzFeed News

    The documents also include email correspondence between Bannon and Jared Kushner, Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, and a “proposal to obtain” and analyze emails belonging to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, which was sent to Bannon by a conservative activist.

    Beginning to mine the documents, BuzzFeed cited an April 2018 interview in which Gates “told investigators that after the campaign learned the [Democratic National Committee] had been hacked, [then campaign chair Paul] Manafort pushed the theory that Ukraine, not Russia, had orchestrated the attack”.

    US intelligence agencies agree that the DNC was hacked by Russia in 2016, as part of its election interference effort, leading to the release of internal emails damaging to the party during the presidential election.

    The emails they talk about are the same ones that Assange said were definitely not hacked, let alone by Russia, but were given to WikiLeaks by an insider DNC source, am I right? Sometimes I lose the overview.

    #51034
    John Day
    Participant

    It seems to me that agent-of-change Trump is playing the news and election cycle in openly putting US troops on Syrian oil. It plays well in Tel Aviv, also. Tel Aviv was really turned off when Donald moved the US Army “war-trigger” forces out of harm’s way, abandoning the favorite Israeli scheme of independent-disruptive-Kurdistan.
    Donald needs to be seen holding Syrian oil hostage, then making some killer deal for it, while removing those troops to Saudi Arabia, to help watch Arabian oil.
    Trump stating overtly what he is doing is both good for Trump and bad for empire. That’s ok. Empire is not really good for any of us, though we are hostage to imperial transfer payments.
    We need to find a better way.
    Sister Caitlin in Oz, whose site I have been blocked from commenting on for 2 weeks, and blocked from visiting for almost a week (the “invisible hand”) has a good piece on things getting weirder because the patterns we know are changing, and that’s always weird, and it’s that time again.
    https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/things-are-only-going-to-get-weirder-888764673704

    I’ve also been blocked from sending my posts out to my 180 bcc friends, but you can see it at http://www.johndayblog.com (I think)

    #51036
    sumac.carol
    Participant

    I want to wade in on the organic food issue. Yes organics takes more land but in many North American cities with single family homes there are massive lawn spaces that could be gardened-no need to cut down more forests. This would also spread the work around (ie people could grow a portion of their own food- good healthy exercise to boot!). The article really takes a short-term view on the soil aspect- we are losing topsoil at an alarming rate with conventional agriculture (wiping out microbes, little regard for returning organic matter to soils). In the long term this approach, although taking less space, will mean no soil at all- so how is that better? This also leaves aside the determination that a key ingredient in conventional agriculture- glyphosate- is a probable carcinogen. That means more people developing cancer- what are the environmental impacts of cancer therapies such as radiation and chemotherapy (leaving aside the personal devastation of the diagnosis).

    #51037

    Oh yeah carol, the article is pretty crappy

    #51038

    So nobody can tell me about those emails?

    #51039
    zerosum
    Participant

    Ahhhh!
    This blog, and comments are filled with old wise grey owls.

    We have all seen and read the transcript of “the phone conversation”
    Why is it that there are two interpretations of what was said?
    IMPEACHMENT! YES! OR NO!

    I KNOW WHY!
    Its all because of the linguistic manipulation by the lawyers.
    The truth does not matter.

    Remember the saying by a famous lawyer ….
    “There’s no proof of wrong doing”
    ——
    On another parallel universe ….
    ( Where I live)
    The giver is as guilty, (corrupt), as the receiver

    Foreign Aid Makes Corrupt Countries More Corrupt

    Foreign Aid Makes Corrupt Countries More Corrupt
    And there are few better examples than Ukraine—just don’t tell the House impeachment hearings.
    By James Bovard • October 30, 2019

    Counting on foreign aid to reduce corruption is like expecting whiskey to cure alcoholism.

    Most of the press coverage has tacitly assumed that American assistance is vital to fighting corruption in Ukraine. But that ignores foreign aid’s toxic record and Ukraine’s post-Soviet history.

    A 2002 American Economic Review analysis,
    ( https://www.jstor.org/stable/3083301?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents ),
    concluded that “increases in [foreign] aid are associated with contemporaneous increases in corruption,” and that “corruption is positively correlated with aid received from the United States.”

    Bush declared, “I think it makes no sense to give aid, money, to countries that are corrupt.” But the Bush administration continued delivering billions of dollars in handouts to many of the world’s most corrupt regimes. The Bush team found excuses to give MCA aid to some of the world’s most corrupt governments as well, including Georgia.

    https://books.google.ca/books?
    id=jIRBIDbpsY0C&pg=PA462&lpg=PA462&dq=george+w+bush+%22I+think+it+makes+no+sense+to+give+aid,+money,+to+countries+that+are+corrupt%22&source=bl&ots=jRfC8uL_Oy&sig=ACfU3U3vi1VPC4VLf43yP1c1OaWe13My9A&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=george%20w%20bush%20%22I%20think%20it%20makes%20no%20sense%20to%20give%20aid%2C%20money%2C%20to%20countries%20that%20are%20corrupt%22&f=false

    Clinton tries to stop House aid bill
    (Cough! Cough!)
    By JENNIFER EPSTEIN 07/27/2011
    https://www.politico.com/story/2011/07/clinton-tries-to-stop-house-aid-bill-060044?tab=most-read

    Clinton said in a letter Tuesday that she would urge President Barack Obama to veto the bill if it passes in both houses of Congress because the measure “would be debilitating to my efforts to carry out a considered foreign policy and diplomacy, and to use foreign assistance strategically to that end,” The Washington Post reported. The bill would only allow the flow of money to those countries if the Obama administration was able to certify that no members of terror groups or their sympathizers were serving in their governments.

    (DHuuuu!)

    As John Sopko, the heroic Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR), observed, “We need to understand how US policies and practices unintentionally aided and abetted corruption. We must recognize the danger of dealing with characters or networks of unsavory repute, tolerating contracting abuses, accepting shoddy performance and delivering unsustainable projects.”

    It takes TWO to Tango. Who are the bad guy in the USA

    The closed House impeachment hearings last week heard from acting U.S. ambassador to the Ukraine William B. Taylor Jr., who testified that he “had authority over the bulk of the U.S. effort to support Ukraine against the Russian invasion and to help it defeat corruption.”

    Taylor was ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009, when corruption sharply worsened despite hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. aid.
    ( Too bad that Taylor was one of the 3 monkeys)

    Bribing foreign politicians to encourage honest government makes as much sense as distributing free condoms to encourage abstinence. Rather than encouraging good governance practices, foreign aid is more likely to produce kleptocracies, or governments of thieves. As a Brookings Institution analysis observed, “The history of U.S. assistance is littered with tales of corrupt foreign officials using aid to line their own pockets, support military buildups, and pursue vanity projects.” And both American politicians and bureaucrats are want to continue the aid gravy train, regardless of how foreign regimes waste the money or use it to repress their own citizens.
    ( The givers are just as guilty)

    If U.S. aid was effective, Ukraine would have become a rule of law paradise long ago. The country’s new president, Volodymyr Zelensky, may be sincere in his efforts to root out corruption. But it is an insult to both him and his nation to pretend that Ukraine cannot clean up its act without help from Donald Trump. The surest way to reduce foreign corruption is to end foreign aid.

    #51040
    zerosum
    Participant

    So nobody can tell me about those emails?

    It will be very time consuming.
    Maybe, someone here can help you to find info.

    https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/
    On March 16, 2016 WikiLeaks launched a searchable archive for over 30 thousand emails & email attachments sent to and from Hillary Clinton’s private email server while she was Secretary of State. The 50,547 pages of documents span from 30 June 2010 to 12 August 2014. 7,570 of the documents were sent by Hillary Clinton. The emails were made available in the form of thousands of PDFs by the US State Department as a result of a Freedom of Information Act request. More PDFs were made available on February 29, 2016, and a set of additional 995 emails was imported up to February 2, 2018.

    I did a little search for Huma Abedin in Hillary’s e-mail then went online to find out who she was.
    (She is not your average blue collar worker)

    Huma Abedin


    She made her 2 million dollar fortune with Clinton’s campaign. she is now 43 years of age.
    Huma Abedin is an American political staffer. She started working for the Clinton office at the age of 19. Huma was the vice chair of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign for President of the United States

    Huma Abedin lives in a 1,500 square foot apartment which is on the 14th and 15th floors of 1 Irving Place. It has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The building has a roof deck overlooking Union Square.

    Huma Abedin married U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner in 2010. The couple welcomed their son on the following year. In 2017, Huma filed for divorce as Anthony involved in sexting scandals again.

    #51041
    Da Booby
    Participant

    “Two sources told BuzzFeed that British intelligence found no evidence of Russian meddling in either the 2016 referendum vote or the 2017 general election.”

    So, in other words, we need a war with Russia!!!

    Remember the Cold War? The Booby does. Back then all the anti-establishment “smart people” thought a war with Russia (the USSR) was stupid and unthinkable, and any suggestion that Moscow could possibly be up to no good was met with derision and rage.

    How times change. Now all those anti-establishment “smart people” have become the establishment, and suddenly the only thing they talk about is “Moscow’s up to no good”, and “we must confront Russia”!

    If the Booby was cynical he’d say this is, was, and always will be, just a war for empire, no matter whose band of intellectuals hold the reigns of power.

    #51042
    lasttwo
    Participant

    Have to disagree with RT on this one. There maybe money being made going green but look at all the money made in not. Organic food makes sense the level of pollution and soil destruction is incalculable. Plastics are everywhere and the impact of them is also incalculable. We clean up 500 ft of beach several times a year and get a ton of plastic from a low population area. Solar makes tons of sense as long as there is one coal / nuclear plant making power on your grid. We installed our panels in April and have not had a power bill since. The current subsidies to oil companies alone would pay for a good portion of the transition. Once you truly look at the way our food and energy systems work you can see the insanity of the current system. Not to mention we waste millions of tons of food because the cauliflower may be a little green colored or a carrot may not be straight. insantity.

    #51044
    Dr. D
    Participant

    All Cait’s articles are great, but the idea of there being an involuntary change in our paradigm — and that some don’t want to change — is quite true. And as far as I can tell, that IS what Maya 2012, your Hairy Age of Aquarius means.

    Moving to “US Needs to Occupy Syria Because of Kurds or Iran or Chemical Weapons or Oil or Whatever”

    “debate is used to keep us arguing not over whether the empire should be doing evil things, but how and why it should do them them.

    Don’t fall for it. It is not legitimate for the US empire to occupy Syria for any reason. At all. “Because oil” is not a legitimate reason. “Because Kurds” is not a legitimate reason. “Because ISIS” is not a legitimate reason. “Because Iran” is not a legitimate reason. “Because Russia” is not a legitimate reason. “Because freedom and democracy” is not a legitimate reason. “Because chemical weapons” is not a legitimate reason. And those who are driving this illegal occupation know it”

    https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/us-needs-to-occupy-syria-because-of-kurds-or-iran-or-chemical-weapons-or-oil-or-whatever-966a06303d20

    A little more Organic land to, you know, not DIE. Of cancer, crohn’s etc. It’s hardly even true that it takes more land, but it does take more effort and — horrors!!! — employs people. That “E” word that must not be named. No we cannot have that until it’s robotic; some deplorable might feed his kids.

    But as said, we waste most of that food because it’s not perfect. Food will get constrained soon, but it’s voluntary, as it’ll take quite some time to stop leaving it in the field and warehouse. –Don’t worry: we will. Starve (others) voluntarily rather than open and alter the system.

    They only like Moscow if it’s communist, like them. (…ANd naturally, THEY, not an iron-booted military man, will somehow be in charge). Ted Kennedy actually offered to sell the U.S. to them if they’d get him elected, recently unclassified document. Now that Moscow is capitalist (in a Russian way) they hate, hate, hate them. And us, in the very few places we’re still capitalist.

    Surely, I jest, no? Nope! Huma Abedin is the daughter of the Muslim Sisterhood, a literal terrorist organization. And with the dozens of other like kinds, visited and/or lived in the White House for years. Not faulting them: it’s their right to advocate. It’s just a fact they wish to erase the United States and it’s laws and customs, and any of its people who would resist them. Such is Sharia, by definition. I don’t prefer it, and if I did, I would move to their nations, instead of they to mine, so I too advocate.

    Do not know which exact emails. No time to download and confirm today.

    #51045
    lasttwo
    Participant

    its not for the kurds or for isis or for freedom of for the betterment of man kind its for the money Cheney is not rich enough yet neither are all the rich people sucking on the government blood stained tit. (sounds funny when it not poor people doesn’t it?) if you get the chance consider supporting Gabbard in the polls it just to keep the conversation going. it wont do any good but it is fun to watch her stir the pot.

    #51046
    lasttwo
    Participant
    #51047
    lasttwo
    Participant
    #51048
    zerosum
    Participant

    An old story being ignored

    https://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/ukraine-sabotage-trump-backfire-233446
    Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump backfire
    Kiev officials are scrambling to make amends with the president-elect after quietly working to boost Clinton.

    By KENNETH P. VOGEL and DAVID STERN 01/11/2017

    #51052
    oxymoron
    Participant

    Dr D. often wins the internet often. Oh and yeah Dr. D the roads thingy – I have often thought for many years how great areas of Australia are made up of ancient and nutrient/minerally deficient soils. Then roads come along made up of oil and more importantly newer volcanics in the form of crushed up basalt.
    Give nature a couple of decades and the water that naturally runs to the side of the non porous road (water collectors) will mix with the plant action just gagging for the moisture under roads as well and then throw in the fertility and you will end up with wildlife corridors.

    #51054
    Dr. D
    Participant

    Permaculture recommends dead-flat desert roads as a solution to flash floods annihilating culverts, no matter how large or frequent, but I hadn’t realized the consequence of a water-retaining berm is both the creation of a lush biome AND therefore the destruction of the road it is next to. What a marvelous Australia or Arizona it would be, 200 years from now, walking on the “Roman” road that is the only green strip for miles, the only legacy that they had ever been?

    Changes your “Road Warrior” movies, doesn’t it?

    #51055
    zerosum
    Participant

    @ Raúl Ilargi Meijer

    UKRAINE IMPEACHMENT INFO

    WHERE IS THE TRUTH TELLER
    WHO CARES!!!

    ‘Witness’ Vindman Was Given Instructions By Corrupt State Department In Ukraine

    ‘Witness’ Vindman Was Given Instructions By Corrupt State Department In Ukraine
    by CD Media Staff November 4, 2019
    ———-
    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/09/30/ukraine-mystery-schiff-staffer-made-august-visit-for-think-tank-backed-by-hunter-bidens-old-employer/

    Aaron Klein is Breitbart’s Jerusalem bureau chief and senior investigative reporter. He is a New York Times bestselling author and hosts the popular weekend talk radio program, “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio.”
    Joshua Klein contributed research to this article.
    ——
    Can a small blogger compete with the resources of https://www.breitbart.com/#

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