Summer Open Thread

by | Jul 28, 2019 | Articles | 120 comments

It’s the dog days of summer, and while most people are out sunning themselves on the beach I’m hard at work on several projects that I hope to unveil later this year. In any event, there’s no subscriber newsletter this weekend. In its place, here is an open thread for any and all musings / breaking news / analysis / recommended reading and viewing, etc. Corbett Report members are encouraged to log in and use the comments section here to discuss whatever is on your mind.

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120 Comments

    • A good video. However, I disliked some (minor?) tropes, like the insinuation that one can opt out of GMO food by merely labeling the product.

      But otherwise, really packed with information, I’ll have to watch it again to let everything sink in.

  1. Thoughts for the day

    “Nationalism does nothing but teach you how to hate people you never met. And all of a sudden you take pride in accomplishments you had no part in whatsoever, and you brag about…”

    “You were born free, you got fucked out of half of it, and you wave a flag celebrating it.”

    “Complaining that a comic is drunk is like going to a titty bar and complaining because your lap dancer is a communist.”

    -Doug Stanhope, comedian, frequently drunk

    “We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams. So shines a good deed in a weary world.”

    -Willy Wonka

    • That last one should be two separate quotes. I re-watched it again last night and realized that I remembered it wrong, that Wonka had said both things to Charlie when he returned the Everlasting Gobstopper.

      I realize that to this crowd at TCR there are more pressing, important issues to address, but I need to correct my error as I am mortified and paralyzed with shame at my carelessness.

      • And rightfully so! I can’t even look at you.

        • There you go, kick a man when he’s already down, you heartless monster.

  2. Hi everyone!
    For those interested in learning about the “Cradle to Career” data tracking program planned for California public schools:

    “Starting at birth and continuing until your kids are grown up and in the workforce, California’s new ‘Cradle to Career Data System’ will collect data from ‘partner entities’ in order to ‘provide appropriate interventions and supports to address disparities in opportunities and improve outcomes for all students’.

    “The ‘partner entities’ include (but are not limited to) ‘state entities responsible for elementary and secondary education data, entities responsible for early learning data, segments of public higher education, private colleges and universities, state entities responsible for student financial aid, childcare providers, state labor and workforce development agencies, and state departments administering health and human services programs’.”

    https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2019/07/16/california-is-making-plans-to-track-your-children-susan-shelley/?fbclid=IwAR0yfGmOm4t4pAVyyrn-FE3YjmdG6cWsAzQi8cFC38EVDfIYdIACFlS1eAc

    • “…to ‘provide appropriate interventions and supports to address disparities in opportunities and improve outcomes for all students’”

      Yeee, California’s Selfish Ledger

      or

      System’s House Nigga contest.

  3. You’ve listed some essentials and there are another two of them.

    James’ : How to Herd your Tax Cattle
    (control individual perspective)

    How rule the world. Lecture at the FSB (KGB)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuf9d3sci-w&t=1140s
    (control social perspective)
    Video is queued, start manually from the beginning.

  4. Hi,

    Totally awesome doc. – “American Moon.”

    At first I was skeptical it would be any good…But, it is really thorough and well made. It basically gives a strong case in support of Nasa having staged the Apollo missions. Although they did have the technology to send unmaned ship there. Which they did when they still thought they will be able to make it to their declared goal…

    It is also made extremely professionally and even entertaining. It costs four dollars to see, and should be available for free some time in future.

  5. That something fucked up was going on. No sarcasm intended.

    Whether they believe in something ‘hidden’ or not, or even if it is to put on a ‘show’ – the fact remains the same, they (ruling class) feed upon us all the same. Those poor poor kids.

  6. Things related to Area51..

    I was always interested in that stuff.

    A friend of mine sees lightballs / foofighers regularly (with friends).

    How to get information about secret bases and secret organizations
    30c3 – Trevor Paglen – Six Landscapes (2013)
    https://youtu.be/j56s46e97Lo

    I was looking for this one for years.
    It is a solution of how we can expose many of these secrets.

    Victims of Nuclear tests
    Atomic Veterans Were Silenced for 50 Years. Now, They’re Talking.
    https://youtu.be/qbBu6cWczTY

    Area 51 secret aircraft (soviet migs)
    https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/intelligence/2013-10-29/area-51-file-secret-aircraft-soviet-migs

    Some links about scientists/experts researching UFOs
    See before you go storming into Area51

    Jacques Vallee: Implications of UFO Phenomena (excerpt)
    https://youtu.be/sP10HPJkJ4Q

    U.S. Military Interest in the Paranormal with John B. Alexander
    https://youtu.be/-oKMhwk-ICo
    (Some may call him a shill, but I think he is talking about his own limited knowledge)

    John Mack (about human encounters with Aliens)
    https://youtu.be/-U1WecFObQw

    Parapsychology on UFOs
    https://youtu.be/UZpth1qdl-M

    • Bob Lazar / Area51
      Area 51 has been famous for storing the stuff that came from Roswell.

      The report from Bob Lazar on Area51 follows long after that event.
      It is reasonable consistent, but he is talking about things that seem over the top.
      Here is the long interview on Joe Rogan
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEWz4SXfyCQ

      I don’t know how real the story is.
      And there are many witnesses that have seen some of these things.

      In another interview (fade to black) I heard a military doctor talking
      about doing operations on ET’s.
      And it seemed as if he was describing his psychoses instead of real memories.

      This does not mean that there are real events happening.
      Certain paranormal stuff can also cause psychosis on people,
      or alter memories or even change their identity.
      Note: I am helping some people to cure themselves of psychosis,
      using a paranormal healing technique. In short: via telepathy I
      can identify the problems that they are experiencing and help them out.

      Maybe these people have been treated with LSD or worse to hide certain
      state secrets. Or maybe it is the result of some experimental drug.
      Or maybe strong radiation had those effects on them.
      Anyway, I think that these people are victims, but not good witnesses.

    • The alien/UFO topics seem like fake news ;

      think of all those reges and popes through history, lots of money and power but never a one encounters aliens or UFOs, in any record I’m aware of.
      But in post-war America there are virtually more aliens and strange spacecraft than regular folk and planes.

      The most obvious answer is that US military and the deep private conducts a tremendous number of radical genetic experiments, from circa ww2 epoch, and therefore produces numerous freaks, monsters , semi-humans that need a good explanation if regular folk closely encounter them. Aliens is the explanation, to avoid lawsuits, jail time and so forth.

      • I always considered the space issue as something that’s completely over the top and out of focus. It certainly may have its merits when establishing possible ancestry lines or at least progeny but why look up at the skies when we still have people dying of easily treatable diseases/issues under the sky? Why would I want to colonise Mars when things are in a state of complete disarray at the home base?

      • The UFO story is much much older than news.
        Ut appears to me that the genuine UFOs do not want to
        show-up randomly. They seem in control.

        I think that the military have no clue.
        If there are multiple UFO sightings near all your
        nuclear bases, you need to hide this quickly.
        Otherwise your most important secrets are revealed.
        There has always been a very high level of secrecy around this subject.

        The military started the “debunking” campaign with bullshit explanations
        like swamp-gas, mass-psychosis, venus, etc.
        And they directed project blue-book and project mirage.
        And while many sightings are just bad interpretations,
        or fakes, or maybe even psychosis, there are also
        very genuine encounters.

        That is why I listed some of the better experts in the field.

        For fun here are 6 alien-like bodies, some with lab reports:
        https://www.reddit.com/r/paradigmchange/comments/6k3k8f/dr_steven_greer_new_alien_body_found/

  7. The Verizon cancer ad is just perfect. Imagine all extra cancer these good doctors will be able to handle thanks to 5G.

  8. Climate Crisis – No Public Comment Allowed
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5iIRRKCfPI

    Another seminal video by Tony Heller. This seems to be just an interlude to the coming part 2, which may prove to be a bit explosive.

    In short, he references how these coming CC “hearings” won’t allow comments from members of the public. He’s also, once again, dismantling the “6 meters of sea-level rise” trope. With current rates, for something like that (depending on the continent) to happen it would take several thousands of years. But I guess tax money NOW can fix it just the same.

    Also, a very fitting parallel is drawn between the CC hysteria and CC blood money by alluding to “climate protection” scheme which these mobsters are trying to shake down the tax cattl…. erm, payers.

  9. Israeli Journalist Rips Anti-BDS Resolution Passed By House
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeVaVcyrR_E

    I haven’t posted any stuff from Jimmy Dore in a while, I think, but this video is very interesting. While Jimmy doesn’t pass the CC litmus test (due to, IMO, limited understanding and lack of critical thinking) he does seem to pass the Isreal litmus test quite proficiently (due to, again IMO, common sense and lacking thick skin).

    The most interesting part of this tad too long video (watch it at 150% speed) is the interview with a self-hating Isreali journalist who drops some truth bombs on Democracy now, the type of which couldn’t get anywhere near the MSM watchers without being pulled live out of the air, coupled with most ridiculous excuses talking heads employ when something gets abruptly taken out at any given moment.

    • Most of his “contributions” are not worth the time anymore, with the above-linked video being an exception. Best case scenario, Dore is stuck in the old partisan paradigm.

    • Nietz. .. ; you have creatively described NASA’s psychological mode of opperandie and operational self-perpetuation. Bravo!

  10. Thanks Fragen for the link to Propaganda, yes fascinating, I love it, watched twice in a row 🙂

  11. Facebook Unmasked: Social Networking’s Stolen Trade Secret | PSI Intl
    https://principia-scientific.org/facebook-unmasked-social-networkings-stolen-trade-secret/

    This article claims Michael McKibben invented the basic tech that runs large-scale social networking companies.

    “SOCIAL NETWORKING IS A STOLEN TRADE SECRET
    One of the largest government sponsored industrial espionage thefts of copyrights, trade secrets, and patents in modern times was the theft of scalable social networking inventions. The technology and programming code that underlie Facebook, Gmail, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and most the other large-scale social networking companies runs on Leader Technologies’ intellectual property.”

  12. Fascism at its best. The battle lock on the neighbourhoods.

    • It was great to see him at Anarchapulco.

      There is a lot of impact starting at the 24 minute mark when he shows footage of the approval process of the Hepatitis B vaccine (which they know causes heart attacks).

      This vaccine is the first which targets the foundations of immune system.

  13. Alex , you know your instincts and you know your sister. Which of the two can you rely on to be accurate, dependible, and steadfast to your internal self? That self that knows life is now one big advertising campaign for our internal self. The private self. The sacred self.
    Something is diffidently going on in Spain as well as the Horse industry in the U.S.A.. The world has gone mad and maybe Norm and your sister have the inside track on what’s what. There is always a longshot around the corner, and a signpost up ahead saying go back. Women are such wonderful creatures and in my experience they rarely read signs or follow directions. The question you raise is one that needs answering. Has the manipulations by outside entities eroded our instincts to the point we have no spark of life, creativity or imagination left. What can we count on without these things? Are we men or bulls in a ring or horses on a track being destroyed for some perverse entertainment and profit? There is a thread that holds all the advertising fakery of this world together and the question is if we find it should we pull it to unravel the fabric of present day life? I see things in nature that have resisted mans weavings and somehow believe there in lays the answer to the thread that holds it all together. Maybe that’s what Chomsky s saying about ” the doing” of the Dr. Stangeloves of the world. Why can’t we be satisfied with the mass manipulations of our emotions by the great composers of the world and call it a day?
    We are in the dog days of summer here. I want you to know I enjoy your musings and for a minute i have forgot about the oppressive heat. THank you Alex!

    • Alex, I have concerns over the majority of the population getting Alhzthiemers (spl?) disease. Either the brain wasting type or the programming code type. This is where 16+16=27 makes sense. And as i have experienced it really makes you question your sanity. Was it the Milligrahm experiments that showed you just need a couple of wackos to change the minds and influence the crowds behavior to go against what they would otherwise thank. 16+16 does equal 27 and they all will swear the goofball was the guy who said it equaled 32.
      What will happen when the people start showing clinical signs of brain wasting after breathing all the metal in our breathing column. Industrial pathology indicates metals are bad to breathe and outcomes are predictable. We are in for some loony times ahead. I might could live through it all if it were accompanied by a really good sound track.

      • Alex, again probably just in my head. The brain damage by chemical exposure from multiple sources with the high energy electrical forcing combined with the M.K. Ultra type psychological coding and { advertising campaign } programming. The effect is as a scrambled thought process equal too the Alhzthiemer pathology.
        Or as i state down the page on my rant about brain dead morally corrupt Liberals that are close to being brain dead. The old ads, long time ago stated ” a mind is a terrible thing to waste.” How apropos!

  14. Knowing yourself and your sister equally poorly, in this situation as you described it, I’d side with you (if not your point of view) simply because she used derisive remarks instead of tackling the argument itself.

    Debate is something the modern human being ia not well versed in.

    As far as the argument goes, I am completely unaware of the issue you brought up, but I do think we could do with less cruelty in general ans we could also do with less double standards. Now, I’m not sure how much animal anguish is there in the arena, but I’m quite certain that amount is dwarfed by anguish experienced by animals on an intercontinental transport ship carrying 10.000 sheep and 5.000 cattle – live animals transported for thousands of miles to be slaughtered on the distant location thanks to trade agreements and shortsighted legislation.

    Being cynical about an issue crazy does not you make.

    • Alex, general, and mkey-

      Reading your discussion prompted me to chime in with my two cents, which does not address all the issues you guys brought up.

      Whenever I hear of a bullfighter being gored to death or maimed, I am happy. When a big game “hunter” is killed when the elephant he just shot falls over on him, which apparently happened recently, I am happy. Fuck those people. The male ego is so fragile and easily reinforced. Just kill something. And the industrialized torture of food-source creatures, shooting up race horses with snake venom so they don’t feel the pain of their bodies being destroyed by humans who seek a few more dollars is just more evidence of human arrogance and intellectual immaturity.

      Non-human creatures are people too.They just speak a language which doesn’t include nouns and vowels. They have the same spark as us, just different bodies.

      Carry on.

      • “Whenever I hear of a bullfighter being gored to death or maimed, I am happy. When a big game ‘hunter’ is killed when the elephant he just shot falls over on him, which apparently happened recently, I am happy.”

        Me too!!

        Note to Alex: So sorry you’re down and out. Hope you bounce back real soon.

        • I hear ya. I finally gave up on the big, red, easy button I got from Amazon a few years ago. No matter how many times I pushed, slammed or pounded it, things stayed the same! Imagine that!

          My initial piping in here was really nothing more than my expressing a commonality with Cooly’s sentiment of fallen brutes. But as to the debate with your sister, I think it’s a shame that your common sense and wariness was met with heated insults. I’ll bet you a dollar she regrets her temper. If and when she returns to her senses, hopefully she’ll consider the things you said (which she’ll likely never admit to you).

          Now, Go! Get back in bed! Focus on regaining your good health. In addition to Bottlewasher’s excellent advice, take a break from the bad news; listen to something that will make you smile, and see the good things that are all around you.

  15. Alex, and Mkey, those thought provoking words carry away the 100 years of solitude Im suffering with, almost like the flu you are tormented by Alexandre.
    Mkey you bring up a good point, { Debate is something the modern human being is not well versed in. } an obvious point that people around the ” Oil Capitol” just refuse to acknowledge.
    Yesterday while cooling down after a round of golf a debate began over Handicaps and score cards. The liberal said he must turn in the card to register his handicap with some app that archives such sporting information. I said that is a worthless card for that because it did not reflect reality. Was there a way to add an astric to the number so other competitors would know the numbers generated where not true. He looked as if he was lost, stammering he could only appeal to authority to get away from such a pure confounding thought. On at least 9 occasions he picks up his ball off the green and states a score before the ball goes into the hole. What most would say was ” a gimmy ” . His excuse to make it real was the idea in his head that he was speeding up the play in accordance with the new 2019 PGA rules. I had to remind him when playing for treasure speed was not a part of the equation, and the total score was counted when the ball falls in the hole ending play. His liberal self serving and cavalier accounting was as fake as Mark Mcguire , Barry Bonds home run stattics. He still has no clue. What in the world are we to do? Gambling is a sacred endeavor. 16+16 =32 not 27. Having not even attempted the final putt reality goes into the Twilight Zone!

    • Take care Mistro ! Put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up, call me in the morning I’ll tell you what to do. [No joke numbers either. -JC].*

      *Im kidding, not a real phone # . I do hope you do get to feeling better! At 55 your still a viable hombre. You have unfinished work you must finish.

      • Just some info…
        We all get parasites.
        We can get them from dogs, but also even get them from things/shelves/whatever we touch.
        The late Dr. Hulda Clark wrote about them. I once went to hear her talk.

        There are a variety of natural formulas for parasites. One includes the green hulls of Black Walnut, wormwood, and clove.
        Grapefruit Seed Extract can often help get rid of critters in the belly. Actually, I took about 20 drops today when my stomach felt weird after eating an enchilada.

        Anyway, just wanted to pass along some info.

  16. Well Peripatetikos, the sorry end of Epstein wraps up another saga in the Mossad annis of history. The word is he was found hanging in his cell in Manhattan this morning 8-10-19. Not even wondering how this will stall any investigation into all of that business. Volumes won’t be written but we can hope for some sort of justice for multi millionaires bad acting…

      • mkey-

        I don’t believe he is dead. Not for a minute.

        • Well, officially, he’s as dead as a can be. I’ll let the conspiracy kooks take the floor.

          • mkey-

            Officially. Just like Timothy McVeigh and Ken Lay. “Officially” is such a cuddly, reassuring word.
            And you call me a kook? I haven’t been so offended since my coffee maker died and I had to go to Costco and buy another one. And you bet, I will take the floor, and put it somewhere else just to confuse the cats.

          • Well, imagine how offended you’d be if you needed to replace your toaster with a smart toaster.
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRq_SAuQDec

            How do you like them crumpets. Also, when you’re done with the floor, put it back where you found it, please.

  17. alexandre-

    Haven’t seen him lately. Maybe Buttle knows where he is.

    • Good one, Camille. Resonates well with this video by Larken Rose.

      Vegan Dishonesty
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SACEVtjaa9Q

      I’d just like to note one thing: the way animals are being treated these days in the meat business has NOTHING to do with our meat eating habits (I’m very certain most of us could and should cut down a bit on meat usage, but it’s everyone’s personal preference) and has everything with the BUSINESS trying to squeeze every last penny out of this shameful behavior.

      Try to buy local and directly from the producer as much as possible.

  18. Sooo, Holocaust denialsm is not to be granted the same treatment as Climate denialism. Logically, it’s exactly the same issue, is it not?

    Othwervise, marvelously well put. Succulent like a properly barbecued chicken wing.

    • It’s the same issue to the extent of “denialism” being used as a blanket statement to:

      a) obfuscate

      b) oversimplify the issue to the point of making it become binary (you’re either with us or with the terrorists, to name one example)

      c) instill in people the emotional reaction required to suspend logic (you don’t want to be part of that fringe group opposing the well established truth and veracity of the matter, do you? – this is the high school mentality verbatim)

      Monckton is succumbing to the same inconsistencies when defending against being labeled a “denialist” by stating that he is not the same as them, the dreaded “Holocaust(tm) denialists”. He admits much is attributed to the term “denilist” by binding it to Holocaust(tm), but he doesn’t seem to care about the damage this same label is causing to his peers in that other camp. In fact, it should stay there with the big H and not come over to his camp, the big C.

      When it comes to climate the more affable term, for that stupid ugly guy having a hard on for conspiracy theories, posed here would be “contrarian” while with the big H the equivalent would be “revisionist”. What is a “contrarian” to science that a “revisionist” is not to history? These terms are perfectly equivalent; there is no science without people who try to prove other people’s theories wrong; there is no historical record without revisiting and revising what was once understood and accepted as fact, no matter how overwhelmingly.

      Much more could be written here, but it’s late and I need my beauty sleep.

      • I’m suspicious of everyone at this point. But I guess that’s what scepticism is all about.

  19. August 19, 2019
    FLUORIDE BOMBSHELL – IQ and Fetal Development –
    In the Main Stream News and Pediatric Journal

    Article and Links at Fluoride Action Network (FluorideAlert.org)…
    Second U.S. Government Funded Study Shows Low Fluoride Exposure Reduces IQ
    STUDY PROMTS CALL FOR LOWER FLUORIDE CONSUMPTION BY PREGNANT WOMEN

    http://fluoridealert.org/articles/greenfluorideiq/

    Be sure to watch Dr. Paul Connett in the embedded video (5 1/2 minutes).

    “…The American Medical Association’s journal on pediatrics (JAMA Pediatrics) has published the second U.S. Government-funded study linking low-levels of fluoride exposure during fetal development to cognitive impairment. The observational study, entitled Association Between Maternal Fluoride Exposure During Pregnancy and IQ Scores in Offspring in Canada, was led by a team at York University in Ontario, Canada and looked at 512 mother-child pairs from six major Canadian cities. It was funded by the Canadian government and the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Science….

      • Rather significant, needs to be posted everywhere!

        Still hard to believe listening to their cognitive dissonance of them acknowledge that fluoride is as harmful as lead at lowering intelligence, however still not accepting it should be removed from public water supplies.

        • These guys are a bit of a letdown. Not even a mention of the sugar poisoned diet in consideration of teeth health.

  20. Bizarro World of Finance

    QUOTE
    …Negative-yielding corporate debt, though, is a relatively new thing, rising from just $20 billion in January 2019
    to pass the $1 trillion mark recently (August 2019), according to Jim Bianco, founder of Bianco Research….

    (via CNBC article)

    GRAPH Image
    https://fm-static.cnbc.com/awsmedia/chart/2019/8/20/neg%20yields.1566321963703.png

    I heard about the above from Jason Burack’s podcast.
    e.g.
    NIRP = negative interest rate policy
    ZIRP = Central bank policies of “zero interest rate policy”

    • (My comment note:
      I was surprised to see this mainstream article by Andy. It does hit the highlights of the “race to the bottom”. Could these Trade Wars and Currency Wars be part of the World War 3 battlefield? Will it usher in a new world currency when the bottom falls out?)

      August 23, 2019 by Yahoo Finance Editor in Chief, Andy Serwer.
      Andy Serwer is an American journalist and editor in chief of Yahoo Finance. He is best known for serving as managing editor of Fortune from 2006 to 2014.
      Negative interest rates are coming and they are downright terrifying
      https://finance.yahoo.com/news/negative-interest-rates-japan-germany-france-150324580.html
      EXCERPTS
      What if I said I wanted to borrow $100 from you and pay you back $99 five years later? Would you do it?

      Hell no!

      And yet this is exactly what’s happening right now in the banking systems of Japan, Germany, France, and other European countries…

      …In case you’re wondering, yes, this is crazy…

      This is not going to end well

      Negative rates are counterintuitive, unprecedented — and to my mind — mind-bendingly insane and downright scary. They are like a parallel universe where everything you’ve ever learned about finance and human behavior is turned upside down.
      Worse, negative rates are being normalized by economists, bankers, and commentators.

      Worst, I have a funny feeling this will end badly. Negative interest rates have all the hallmarks of serious trouble for the financial markets; an anomaly growing in scale which seemingly came out of nowhere that is under-recognized, poorly understood and dismissed as not consequential. (Flashing red lights here.)

      In the U.S. we aren’t particularly aware of negative rates because they haven’t made their way to our shores … perhaps yet…

      …Exactly how big is the negative rates universe now? According to Deutsche Bank’s Slok, there’s some $15 trillion of negative yielding bonds in the world (out of a total of some $115 trillion), up from zero five years ago. All German government bonds are negative yielding now. And if you exclude the U.S., some 45% of the worlds’ bonds have negative yields. So not chicken feed…

      …So regardless if negative rates ever come to the U.S., there’s already an impact. Expect more to come.

      What about that last question: How will this end? As you can tell, my take is, badly. But I’m not sure what form the ugliness will take or, more vexing, what we should do about it….

      • If we start relying more on the local economy (where available) these events may look like something frantic that’s going on on the Moon.

        • I agree.
          “Local Communities” will be a real life boat when the ship starts to sink fast.

    • August 23, 2019 Reuters
      World needs to end risky reliance on U.S. dollar: Bank of England’s Mark Carney
      https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fed-jacksonhole-carney/world-needs-to-end-risky-reliance-on-u-s-dollar-boes-carney-idUSKCN1VD28C

      EXCERPTS
      JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. (Reuters) – Bank of England Governor Mark Carney took aim at the U.S. dollar’s “destabilizing” role in the world economy on Friday and said central banks might need to join together to create their own replacement reserve currency.

      …Carney warned that very low equilibrium interest rates had in the past coincided with
      wars,
      financial crises
      and abrupt changes in the banking system.

      As a first step to reorder the world’s financial system, countries could triple the resources of the IMF to $3 trillion as a better alternative to countries protecting themselves by racking up enormous piles of dollar-denominated debt.

      “While such concerted efforts can improve the functioning of the current system, ultimately a multi-polar global economy requires a new IMFS (international monetary and financial system) to realize its full potential,” Carney said.

      China’s yuan represented the most likely candidate to become a reserve currency to match the dollar, but it still had a long way to go before it was ready….

      • With James Corbett’s recent article (Aug 24) about the super cool dude in Thailand, he had in his “Recommended Reading” the following ZeroHedge article which better describes Mark Carney’s statements regarding a new world currency.

        In Unprecedented, Shocking Proposal, BOE’s Mark Carney Urges Replacing Dollar With Libra-Like Reserve Currency
        https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-08-23/unprecedented-shocking-proposal-boes-mark-carney-urges-replacing-dollar-libra

        EXCERPTS
        …Mark Carney, who in his lunchtime address laid out a shocking, radical proposal – perhaps the most stunning thing to ever be unveiled at Jackson Hole – urging to replace the US Dollar with a “Libra-like” reserve currency in a dramatic revamp of the global monetary, financial and economic order.

        While it was unclear if Carney was focusing on Libra as the new reserve currency, or simply was hoping to find something against which the dollar could be devalued, the proposal was clearly shocking as it suggests that the central bank quiet acceptance of cryptocurrencies (especially in Japan) has been what many have speculated all along: a “currency” against which fiat money can be devalued in hopes of sparking fiat hyperinflation that inflates away record amounts of fiat debt…

        …Speaking to fellow policy makers and academics at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, he said that in the short term central bankers must deal with the situation as it is. But he also warned that “blithe acceptance of the status quo is misguided,” and dramatic steps will ultimately be needed. It’s what he said next that was stunning:

        “In the longer term, we need to change the game,” Carney said. “When change comes, it shouldn’t be to swap one currency hegemon for another.”

        …”The combination of heightened economic policy uncertainty, outright protectionism and concerns that further, negative shocks could not be adequately offset because of limited policy space is exacerbating the disinflationary bias in the global economy,” Carney said. “What then must be done?”

        Well, the creation of a virtual non-fiat currency, against which all other central-bank backed fiat currencies could be devalued, is certainly one solution….

        • …”The combination of heightened economic policy uncertainty, outright protectionism and concerns that further, negative shocks could not be adequately offset because of limited policy space is exacerbating the disinflationary bias in the global economy,” Carney said. “What then must be done?”

          I’m too tempted to translate this.

          …”The combination of the general public not knowing with what we may be coming up next; our meddling in the markets; and concerns that further financial crises would not be more finely tuned if we’re not given even more authority over the markets; is making people think that in the NWO economy inflation is a bad thing,” Carney said. “Will you grant us even more power to do whatever we want?”

    • August 29, 2019 – MARKETWATCH
      Lagarde says negative rates have helped Europe more than they’ve hurt
      https://www.marketwatch.com/story/lagarde-says-negative-rates-have-helped-europe-more-than-theyve-hurt-2019-08-29?siteid=yhoof2&yptr=yahoo

      EXCERPTS
      The next head of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, appears to be as much of a fan of negative interest rates as the current chief, Mario Draghi.

      In written answers provided to the European Parliament that were released on Thursday, Lagarde said negative interest rates have helped Europe.

      The ECB’s deposit rate is negative 0.4%.

      “On the one hand, banks may decide to pass the negative deposit rate on to depositors, lowering the interest rates the latter get on their savings,” she wrote. “On the other hand, the same depositors are also consumers, workers, and borrowers. As such they benefit from stronger economic momentum, lower unemployment and lower borrowing costs. All things considered, in the absence of the unconventional monetary policy adopted by the ECB – including the introduction of negative interest rates – euro area citizens would be, overall, worse off.”

      European banks have complained about the impact on profitability, but even there the current managing director of the International Monetary Fund defended the move.

      “With regard to the impact of negative rates on banks’ profitability, empirical analysis suggests that the negative effects on banks’ net interest income have been so far more than offset by the benefits from more bank lending and lower costs for provisions and impairments due to the better macroeconomic environment, which to a significant extent is a result of accommodative monetary policy,” she wrote…

      …The ECB’s current president, Mario Draghi, is due to step down Oct. 31.
      Minutes from the last ECB meeting show that members were likely to introduce a “package” of stimulus measures in September.

      • August 27, 2019 – Article as seen in “The Guardian”
        Article by Mark Weisbrot of CEPR – “Center For Economic and Policy Research”

        IMF Reforms Can Make Things Worse: The Case of Ecuador
        http://cepr.net/publications/op-eds-columns/imf-reforms-can-make-things-worse-the-case-of-ecuador
        EXCERPTS

        When people think of the damage that the high-income countries ― typically led by the US and its allies ― cause to people in the rest of the world, they usually think of warfare. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis lost their lives as a result of the 2003 invasion, and then many more as the region became inflamed.

        But the rich countries also have considerable power over the lives of billions of people through their control over institutions of global governance.
        One of these is the International Monetary Fund. It has 189 member countries, but the US and its rich-country allies have a solid majority of the votes. The head of the IMF is by custom a European, and the US has enough votes to veto many major decisions by itself ― although the rich countries almost never vote against each other.

        Let’s take a look at a recent IMF loan to see what the problem looks like. In March, Ecuador signed an agreement to borrow $4.2 billion from the IMF over three years, provided that the government would adhere to a certain economic program spelled out in the arrangement.

        In the words of Christine Lagarde ― the IMF’s managing director at the time ― this was “a comprehensive reform program aimed at modernizing the economy and paving the way for strong, sustained, and equitable growth.”

        But is it anything like this? The first thing to notice is that the program calls for an enormous tightening of the country’s national budget ― about 6 percent of GDP over the next three years. (For comparison, imagine tightening the US federal budget by $1.4 trillion, through some combination of cutting spending and raising taxes). In Ecuador, this will include firing up to 140,000 public sector employees, raising taxes that fall disproportionately on poor people, and cuts to public investment.

        The overall impact of this large fiscal tightening will be to push the economy into recession. The IMF’s projections are for a relatively mild recession until next year, but it will likely be much deeper and longer ― as often happens with IMF programs. Unemployment will rise ― even the IMF program projections acknowledge that ― and so will poverty.

        One reason that it will likely turn out much worse than the IMF projects is that the program relies on assumptions that are not believable. For example, the IMF projects that there will be a net foreign private sector inflow into the economy of $5.4 billion (about 5 percent of GDP) for 2019–2022. But if we look at the last three years, there was an outflow of $16.5 billion (17 percent of GDP). What would make foreign investors suddenly so much more excited about bringing their money to Ecuador? Certainly not the recession that even the IMF is projecting….

  21. (“Overstock” accepts bitcoin for payment.)

    NEWS August 22, 2019
    Overstock CEO resigns after ‘deep state’ comments
    https://techcrunch.com/2019/08/22/overstock-ceo-resigns/
    (Links within the article)
    EXCERPTS
    Overstock announced today that CEO Patrick Byrne has resigned from his role as chief executive and board member. Another board member, Jonathan Johnson, will be taking over as Overstock’s interim CEO.

    This follows the company’s eyebrow-raising press release earlier this month titled “Overstock.com CEO Comments on Deep State, Withholds Further Comment,” in which Byrne said he was confirming reports by journalist Sara Carter.

    “Starting in 2015 I (operating under the belief that I was helping legitimate law enforcement efforts) assisted in what are now known as the ‘Clinton Investigation’ and the ‘Russian Investigation’ (in fact, I am the notorious ‘missing Chapter 1’ of the Russian investigation),” he wrote, going on to say that this was “the third time in my life I helped the Men in Black.”

    Byrne and his attorney subsequently said that these comments were tied to his “romantic” relationship with Maria Butina, and that he wanted to shed light on the way federal law enforcement investigated her. Butina has been accused of working as a Russian agent and is currently in prison after pleading guilty to a lesser charge…

    …Byrne said. “Thus, while I believe that I did what was necessary for the good of the country, for the good of the firm, I am in the sad position of having to sever ties with Overstock, both as CEO and board member, effective Thursday August 22.”

    Byrne’s letter ends on an optimistic note about Overstock’s future, pointing to both its retail business and “blockchain assets that seem poised to revolutionize capital markets, finance, and governance for the poor.”….

    • August 12, 2019
      Sara Carter, Fox News Journalist
      Overstock CEO Turned Over Docs To DOJ ‘on FBI’s Russian and Hillary Clinton Probes’
      https://saraacarter.com/overstock-ceo-turned-over-docs-to-doj-on-fbis-russian-and-hillary-clinton-probes/
      EXCERPTS
      Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne delivered to the Department of Justice a number of documents, including emails and text messages, in April, regarding both the origins of the Russian investigation, and an FBI operation into Hillary Clinton with which he was personally involved during the first months of 2016, according to a U.S. official who spoke SaraACarter.com. Byrne has also confirmed the account.

      Byrne claims the documents, which have not been made public and are currently under investigation by the DOJ, are allegedly communications he had with the FBI concerning both the Clinton investigation and the origins of the Russian investigation…

      “This is going to become the greatest political scandal in US history,” he said. “If we survive it, and if Rule of Law returns to America, it will be due to one man: Bill Barr.”

      …Byrne’s claims regarding the Clinton Foundation investigation are not without parallel. According to numerous officials the FBI had an ongoing investigation. Whistleblower and former government informant William Campbell was interviewed in 2018, by bureau agents from the Little Rock, Arkansa’s field office. According to Campbell, who first spoke to this reporter in 2017, he was asked by FBI agents whether donations to the Clintons charitable organization from Russia were used to influence U.S. nuclear policy during the Obama Administration. Specifically, he was asked about the sale of 20 percent of Uranium One.

      As also reported in 2018, by John Solomon with The Hill, the “agents questioned him extensively about claims the Russians made to him that they had routed millions of dollars to an American lobbying firm in 2010 and 2011 with the expectation it would be used to help President Clinton’s charitable global initiative while major uranium decisions were pending before Hillary Clinton’s State Department.”

      Byrne, told SaraACarter.com that the FBI was also investigating Clinton’s charitable organizations in the first half of 2016…

      “That’s about to happen and I think we’re about to see the biggest scandal in American history as a result. But it was all political. Everything you think you know about Russia and Clinton investigations is a lie,” Byrne told Atman. “It’s all a cover-up. It was all political espionage.”….

    • Possibly, there may be other stories which intertwine with this Byrne scenario.
      And, there also may be an agenda to “hype revelations” when election season goes full swing.

      Comey FBI Willfully Ignored “Highly Classified” Hillary Clinton Emails; Barr Radio Silent
      https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-08-22/comey-fbi-willfully-ignored-highly-classified-emails-hillarys-homebrew-server-barr
      EXCERPTS
      President Obama’s FBI, ran by disgraced former director James Comey, knew about – but purposefully ignored – “highly classified” evidence in the Hillary Clinton email investigation before they downgraded their initial assessment of her crime from a felony to a “grossly negligent” mistake.

      As The Hill’s John Solomon reports, a Senate staff memo updating an ongoing inquiry by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) reveals that the FBI decided to back off their pursuit of this damning evidence “even though the agents believed access to the sensitive evidence was “necessary” to complete the investigation,” writes Solomon.

      What’s worse, Trump’s DOJ has known about this egregious failure of justice since at least 2018 thanks to a classified report by the agency’s Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who explained what happened in a briefing….
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      “Google Search” – The embedded video is worth viewing…
      Researcher Strikes Back in Epic Twitter Storm After Hillary Clinton Says Google Research Had Been “Debunked”
      https://www.activistpost.com/2019/08/researcher-strikes-back-after-hillary-clinton-claims-his-research-into-google-had-been-debunked.html
      EXCERPTS
      Renowned psychologist Robert Epstein blew the lid off Big Tech’s censorship and voter manipulation during his July Senate testimony, and now he’s shifting focus to the woman who gained the most from the scam in 2016…

      …VIDEO…
      …Epstein, former editor of Psychology Today and acclaimed psychologist who founded the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, testified in a subcommittee for the Senate Judiciary Committee in July about years of data and research that shows Big Tech companies including Google and Facebook are manipulating voters in favor of Democrats.

      Epstein described himself as a “very strong public supporter of Hillary Clinton,” but he said the influence of Google, Facebook, Twitter and other sites threatens American Democracy.

      “So you’re not dismayed that people voted for (Clinton), your testimony is that Google is through bias in search results manipulating voters in a way that they’re not aware of?” Sen. Ted Cruz questioned at the senate hearing…
      …(Controversy)…

  22. I was all grins reading your posts.
    Thanks ManBearPig.

  23. Lickspittle? I guess Spitsorswallows wasn’t available for this report.

  24. China, Vietnam, Oil & Gas, ?territory?

    Sunday August 25, 2019
    article by Steve Mollman
    The US says China is blocking $2.5 trillion in South China Sea oil and gas
    https://qz.com/1694322/south-china-seas-oil-and-natural-gas-pretty-important-after-all/?utm_source=YPL&yptr=yahoo
    (See MAP graphic “nine-dash line” and link to its history)

    EXCERPTS
    …This week, the US State Department used blunt language regarding China’s unsettling actions within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which include ongoing seismic surveys by a Chinese vessel protected by armed escorts. Under international UN rules, resources within the zone belong to Vietnam, but China’s “nine-dash line”—a vague, discredited borderline used by Beijing to claim nearly the entire sea—overlaps with it. It also overlaps with the EEZs of other nations, including the Philippines and Malaysia.

    In recent years, China has repeatedly intimidated Southeast Asian nations and the foreign firms with whom they’ve partnered out of joint energy deals in the areas of overlap. It aims to secure exclusive access to such arrangements for its own oil giants…

    …The Aug. 21 statement from spokesperson Morgan Ortagus reads in part:

    China’s actions undermine regional peace and security [and] impose economic costs on Southeast Asian states by blocking their access to an estimated $2.5 trillion in unexploited hydrocarbon resources…US companies are world leaders in the exploration and extraction of hydrocarbon resources, including offshore and in the South China Sea. The United States therefore strongly opposes any efforts by China to threaten or coerce partner countries into withholding cooperation with non-Chinese firms, or otherwise harassing their cooperative activities.

    Early next month, the US will conduct its first-ever combined maritime exercise with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, aimed at creating “maritime security building” and involving “prevention and suppression of illegal activities in the seas.”….

    • Can we smell the fumes as the fuses to WORLD WAR 3 burn?

      I keep going back to Corbett’s September 2017 Episode 320 – Echoes of WWI: China, the US, and the Next “Great” War and his follow-up…
      Interview with James at the Open Mind Conference
      18 minutes
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjeyKhCACvc

      …continued…

      • Released in late August 2019, but filmed in October 2018 at an undisclosed location in Texas…

        Steve Bannon and Kyle Bass discuss America’s current geopolitical landscape regarding China.
        “Bannon and Bass take a deep dive into Chinese infiltration in U.S. institutions, China’s aggressiveness in the South China sea, and the potential for global conflict in the next few years.”

        When a person listens to Steve Bannon bully his perspectives like a hard sales pitch, it gives insight as to what type of attitudes gain attention in the White House.

        Bannon, in 2014/15 said …”in five years we will be in a shooting war in the South China Sea….”
        (See the “nine-dash line” article above.)

        VIDEO QUEUED at 32:29
        Unconventional Warfare – Three types: Kinetic, Economic, Information
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH5QzuzD01A&feature=youtu.be&t=32m29s

        There is a lot of context prior to the queued point.
        Potential conflict and infiltration are discussed following the queue.

      • Mr. Corbett or Mr. Broc West,

        I think it would be very important to capture this 18 minute video for the Corbett Report archives.
        James Corbett at the Open Mind Conference 2017
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjeyKhCACvc

        At an appropriate time, I also suggest re-releasing it because many Corbett Report followers probably have never seen it.

  25. OILPRICE.COM August 27, 2019
    Article entitled Iraq’s Latest Oil Plan Could Upset The Entire Middle East
    by Dr. Cyril Widdershoven

    Iranian and Iraqi officials have stated to the press…
    …new oil pipeline from Iran to Syria

    https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Iraqs-Latest-Oil-Plan-Could-Upset-The-Entire-Middle-East.html

    EXCERPTS
    …Tehran, again boosted in its confidence by the diffuse reactions of the G7 parties in Biarritz, France after Iranian foreign minister Zarif turned up unexpected.

    Iranian and Iraqi officials have stated to the press that discussions currently are being held with regards to an Iranian proposal to build a new oil pipeline from Iran to Syria, crossing Iraqi territory. At the same time, Baghdad and Tehran are new non-Gulf export routes.

    In short, it seems that two options for the pipeline are on the table: a new 1,000 km pipeline running through Iraq into Syria, or repairs on the Iranian side of the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline, which is an 800 km pipeline. The new pipeline project is slated to target an overall capacity of 1.25 million barrels of oil per day. This project would take around 2 years to be completed. The goal of the official discussions are to find alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz for Iraq and Iran…

    (Lots of discussion about the U.S. and other countries regarding this proposed pipeline.)

    …Whatever decision Iraq makes, it should understand that taking the wrong approach could fuel conflict in the already unstable region.

  26. MBP: ” Long preliminary correspondence makes for shorter focused proceedings.” Lord Chris Monkton of Brenchley.
    What an elocutionist!

  27. NEWS (Saudi Arabia Purge 2.0) NEWS September 2019

    September 1, 2019 – Reuters
    New Saudi anti-corruption chief to target public servants
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-corruption/new-saudi-anti-corruption-chief-to-target-public-servants-idUSKCN1VM10X

    EXCERPTS
    RIYADH (Reuters) – The new head of Saudi Arabia’s anti-corruption commission said he plans to go after graft by ordinary government employees, following a high-profile campaign two years ago that netted princes, ministers and top businessmen.

    Members of the kingdom’s economic and political elite were detained for months at Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel in a crackdown in 2017 that unsettled some foreign investors Riyadh needs to diversify its economy. Critics said it amounted to a power play and shakedown of the crown prince’s political rivals.

    Mazen al-Khamous told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV after his appointment on Friday that he had been directed to focus on ending bureaucratic corruption in the world’s top oil exporter and follow up with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on a monthly basis.

    “After the country largely rid itself of the big heads of corruption, I convey a stern warning from the crown prince, who instructed me that the coming period will be to eradicate corruption among mid- and low-level public servants,” he said.

    Saudi Arabia’s royal court said in January it was winding down a 15-month anti-corruption campaign after summoning nearly 400 people and recovering more than $106 billion through settlements with dozens of them.

    That initial sweep netted cousins of the crown prince, such as billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and National Guard minister Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, as well as ousted economy minister Adel Fakieh, former royal court chief Khalid al-Tuwaijri, and top businessmen Waleed al-Ibrahim, Saleh Kamel and Bakr bin Laden.

    Prince Mohammed has defended the anti-corruption campaign, calling it “shock therapy”, as he tries to overhaul the Arab world’s largest economy and transform Saudi society.

    • I have a question.
      The world’s financial environment has dramatically changed in the past 2 years.
      Storm clouds are gathering.
      Trade wars and currency wars, national economies in flux towards a rapid downside, China’s growth prospectus does not look good, commodities in a long slump with oil prices now in an almost unviable production level (below $60 barrel), etc.

      Saudi Aramco, the Initial Public Offering (IPO) for the stock market, has long been the “ace in the hole” for MBS (Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman).

      I ask…
      What’s the status of the Saudi Aramco IPO?
      I dunno.
      I’m not sure if anyone knows, including MBS.

      On August 12, 2019, Andrew Hecht had this story entitled:
      What’s the status of the Saudi Aramco IPO?
      https://beforeitsnews.com/financial-markets/2019/08/whats-the-status-of-the-saudi-aramco-ipo-3316250.html
      It is a good read.

    • By Cyril Widdershoven – Sep 02, 2019 at OilPrice.com
      The Silent Power Struggle Within Saudi Arabia
      https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Silent-Power-Struggle-Within-Saudi-Arabia.html

      EXCERPTS
      …It seems again that MBS and his supporters, all behind the Aramco IPO and the diversification of the Saudi economy, are stepping up their moves to take full control of the Kingdom. Any opposition to the goals set by MBS, or perceived to constrain or even threaten the success of Saudi Vision 2030/Aramco IPO, are to be sidelined or removed totally…
      …Old structures are being removed, MBS is consolidating his position and diminishing possible opposition bit by bit…

      …Al Falih is the main representative of the Kingdom, not only with regards to OPEC, but also as a mediagenic personality, well versed in international diplomacy and business relations. His power position, which until now had been fully supported by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been cut down dramatically… …Today’s statement that Al Falih has been replace as Chairman of Saudi Aramco, the second scale-down in a week, now confirm a significant shake up.

      Officially, Al Falih is being replaced by Yasir Al Rumayyan, head of the sovereign wealth fund and part of MBS’ inner circle. Saudi officials have stated that Al Rumayyan’s appointment as chairman is a step forward to support the overall IPO process, while clearly separating the Ministry of Energy (Khalid Al Falih) from the Aramco powerhouse…

      …Rumors have been flowing that Al Falih and others have been warning MBS to reconsider the IPO or reconsider its targets…

      …The current reshuffle of Aramco, the Ministry of Energy, and other key government power houses, such as the Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF, the appointment of a chief of the Royal Court (Fahad Al Essa) and Mazen Al Kahmour as chairman of the national anti-corruption commission, is a clear sign of the increasing power of MBS. All newly appointed heads and ministers (including the new minister of minerals Al-Khorayef, who is a former top executive at Al-Khorayef Group – which is a strong supporter of MBS). Al Essa was part of MBS’ power structure at the Saudi Ministry of Defence before being appointed chief of the Royal Court….

    • SAUDI UPDATE 9/9/2019

      Zero Hedge ‘Tyler Durden’
      Saudi Shakedown 2.0: Kingdom “Asks” Country’s Billionaires To Be Anchor Investors In Aramco IPO
      https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-09-09/saudi-shakedown-20-kingdom-asks-countrys-billionaires-be-anchor-investors-aramco

      EXCERPTS
      On an otherwise silent Saturday night, Saudi Arabia shocked the energy world when it announced that the country’s energy minister, Khalid al-Falih was suddenly and unceremoniously replaced by Abdulaziz bin Salman (or AbS), half-brother to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (or MbS)…

      …in an unprecedented shakedown meant to refill the kingdom’s rapidly emptying coffers, moments ago Bloomberg reported that MbS was preparing for shakedown #2, as “Saudi Arabia held discussions with some of the kingdom’s wealthiest families about becoming anchor investors in Aramco’s mammoth stake sale.”
      And by “discussions”, they mean King Salman’s administration made them an offer they simply couldn’t refuse…

      …Why the shakedown? According to the report, the kingdom is aiming to raise at least 1% to 2% of Aramco from these investors, and the amount each family invests will likely hinge on the company’s valuation, another person said…

      …And the punchline: “some” (read most) of the families that have been approached had relatives briefly held in the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh as part of the purge, which the government called an anti-corruption crackdown, one of the Bloomberg sources said. They aren’t, however, being forced to invest, that person said.

      Anchor investors usually commit to buying shares in a company before an IPO is opened up to other investors to control pricing and ensure that the sale is successful. The only difference is that most anchor investors do so voluntarily. There is nothing voluntary about what Saudi Arabia is doing.

      In fact, in less polite circles it’s called extortion.

      • If taxation is theft, discussions of this type can only be refered to as extortion. But at least these guys get asked/told something. We pay higher rates and if you don’t pay up armed thughs conjure up on your doorstep ready to murder you.

      • NEWS FLASH – REUTERS – 9/13/2019, Saturday in U.S.

        Houthi drones hit Saudi oil heartland, sources say crude flows disrupted
        written by Stephen Kalin, Rania El Gamal, Dmitry Zhdannikov
        https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-aramco-fire/houthi-drones-hit-saudi-oil-heartland-sources-say-crude-flows-disrupted-idUSKCN1VZ01N
        EXCERPTS
        RIYADH/DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) – Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group on Saturday attacked two plants at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry, including the world’s biggest petroleum processing facility, in a strike that three sources said had disrupted output and exports…

        … Two sources close to the matter said 5 million barrels per day of crude production had been impacted — close to half of the kingdom’s output or 5% of global oil supply…

        …State television said exports were continuing, however Aramco has yet to comment since the assault, which the Houthis said involved 10 drones. Authorities have not said whether oil production or exports were affected.

        The attacks occurred as Aramco accelerates plans for an initial public offering of the state oil giant to as early as this year, and follow earlier cross-border attacks on Saudi oil installations and on oil tankers in Gulf waters. Saturday’s attacks appeared to be the most brazen yet….

        • Arab coalition says it will counter threats to Saudi assets, oil supplies
          https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-aramco-fire-coalition/arab-coalition-says-it-will-counter-threats-to-saudi-assets-oil-supplies-idUSKBN1VZ0I2
          EXCERPTS
          …“Investigations are ongoing to determine the parties responsible for planning and executing these terrorist attacks,” coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said in an English-language statement.

          He said the Western-backed, Sunni Muslim military alliance would take the necessary measures to “safeguard national assets, international energy security and ensure stability of world economy”.

        • (Above date at Reuters “News Flash” should be 9/14)

          OILPRICE.com – September 14, 2019, Saturday
          (VIDEO embedded)
          $100 Oil? Drone Strikes Halt Half Of Saudi Crude Production
          written by Michael Kern
          https://oilprice.com/Geopolitics/International/100-Oil-Drone-Strikes-Halt-Half-Of-Saudi-Crude-Production.html
          EXCERPTS
          Half of Saudi Arabia’s oil production has gone offline following a surprise drone strike.

          Drones attacked Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia and the Khurais oil field run by Saudi Aramco early Saturday morning, the kingdom’s interior ministry said, sparking a massive fire at a crude processing plant essential to global oil supplies.

          The closure will impact nearly 5 million barrels of crude processing per day, affecting 5 percent of the world’s daily oil production. And while Aramco is confident that it can recover quickly, if it can’t, however, the world could face a production shortage of as much 150MM barrels per month. An outcome which could send oil prices into the triple digits…

          …A Houthi spokesperson explained, “We promise the Saudi regime that our future operations will expand and be more painful as long as its aggression and siege continue,” adding that the attack involved ten drones…

          …The growing power of the Houthis’ drone operations is likely to reignite the debate on where the militant group is securing these weapons. It could very well be that the group has weaponized noncombatant drones, or in a darker scenario, they are receiving the militarized drones from Iran….

      • Sept 14, 2019 – Time via Associated Press
        White House Confirms Key Al Qaida Figure Hamza Bin Laden Killed in U.S. Operation
        https://time.com/5677617/hamza-bin-laden-killed/
        EXCERPTS
        (WASHINGTON) — The White House announced Saturday that Hamza bin Laden, the son of the late al-Qaida leader who had become an increasingly prominent figure in the terrorist organization, was killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

        A statement issued in President Donald Trump’s name gave no further details, such as when Hamza bin Laden was killed or how the United States had confirmed his death. Administration officials would provide no more information beyond the three-sentence statement from the White House. American officials have said there are indications that the CIA, not the U.S. military, conducted the strike…

        …The U.S. officials had suspected this summer that Hamza bin Laden was dead, based on intelligence reports and the fact that he had not been heard from in some time. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. Defense Secretary Mark Esper told Fox News Channel in a late August interview that it was “my understanding” that Hamza bin Laden was dead…

        …Video released by the CIA in 2017 that was seized during the 2011 U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden showed Hamza bin Laden with a trimmed mustache but no beard at his wedding. Previous images have only shown him as a child…

        …This past March, Saudi Arabia announced that it had revoked the citizenship of Hamza bin Laden. The kingdom stripped Osama bin Laden’s citizenship in 1994 while he was living in exile in Sudan when Hamza bin Laden was just a child. It was unclear where Hamza bin Laden was at the time of the Saudi action.

        Hamza bin Laden began appearing in militant videos and recordings in 2015 as an al-Qaida spokesman…

        …Hamza and his mother followed other al-Qaida members into Pakistan and then Iran, where other al-Qaida leaders hid them, according to experts and analysis of documents seized after U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Iran later put the al-Qaida members on its soil into custody. During this time, Hamza married.

        In March 2010, Hamza and others left Iranian custody. He went to Pakistan’s Waziristan province, where he asked for weapons training, according to a letter to the elder bin Laden. His mother left for Abbottabad, joining her husband in his hideout. On May 2, 2011, the Navy SEAL team raided Abbottabad, killing Osama bin Laden and his son Khalid, as well as others. Saber and other wives living in the house were imprisoned. Hamza again disappeared….
        ~~~
        In a more credible AP newsworthy news story…Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey will join the University of Texas as a professor who will teach in the university’s Department of Radio-Television-Film this Fall.

  28. MBP; it goes without saying that denial is the topic but the real question upon the sea which all that entails floats is who cares politically. Answer that and the whole thing sinks under its own lack of ballast. Ahoy MBP nice seemanship.

  29. That woman talking with Monckton (or talking against him, I’m not sure what would be the proper terminology) was incredibly annoying. I mean, the guy can probably talk for 3 hours straight, how hard is to conduct that interview?

    Other than that, I liked how he often stressed that Climate science is not science, but dogma.

  30. August 10, 2019 Bloomberg

    The World’s Wealthiest Family Gets $4 Million Richer Every Hour
    The 25 wealthiest dynasties on the planet control $1.4 trillion

    https://www.bloomberg.com/features/richest-families-in-the-world/?cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_content=business

    EXCERPTS
    The numbers are mind-boggling: $70,000 per minute, $4 million per hour, $100 million per day.

    That’s how quickly the fortune of the Waltons, the clan behind Walmart Inc., has been growing since last year’s Bloomberg ranking of the world’s richest families.

    At that rate, their wealth would’ve expanded about $23,000 since you began reading this. A new Walmart associate in the U.S. would’ve made about 6 cents in that time, on the way to an $11 hourly minimum.

    Even in this era of extreme wealth and brutal inequality, the contrast is jarring. The heirs of Sam Walton, Walmart’s notoriously frugal founder, are amassing wealth on a near-unprecedented scale — and they’re hardly alone.

    The Walton fortune has swelled by $39 billion, to $191 billion, since topping the June 2018 ranking of the world’s richest families.

    Other American dynasties are close behind in terms of the assets they’ve accrued. The Mars family, of candy fame, added $37 billion, bringing its fortune to $127 billion. The Kochs, the industrialists-cum-political-power-players, tacked on $26 billion, to $125 billion.

    So it goes around the globe. America’s richest 0.1% today control more wealth than at any time since 1929, but their counterparts in Asia and Europe are gaining too. Worldwide, the 25 richest families now control almost $1.4 trillion in wealth, up 24% from last year….

    (25 dynasties are listed)

    • “industrialists-cum-political-power-players”? Industrialists cum or industrialist scum? A sizable difference.

  31. An old book worth reading for your ww2 project ;
    Archibald Ramsay, The Nameless War, c.1952.

    This author was an MP when imprisoned by Churchill in 1940 and held without charge for 4 years under some bizarre rule which amounted to ancien regime lettres de cachet. Apparently one of hundreds of similar victims.

    Can send a pdf if you (James Corbett) cant find a copy online. Ramsay’s main pecadillo was opposing Jewish control of British government and institutions, so I’m assuming this book can no longer be purchased

  32. 6 Euros two years ago would be worth 30 Euros around July 2019 (in Carbon Credits).

    The following story is right down ManBearPig’s alley…

    September 5, 2019 – OILPRICE.COM
    by Nick Cunningham (who often has some interesting articles)
    The Dramatic Rise Of Carbon Credits
    https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Dramatic-Rise-Of-Carbon-Credits.html

    EXCERPTS
    The price of carbon in Europe has fallen in recent weeks due to the political turmoil in the UK as the country weighs a no-deal Brexit, but carbon prices are still dramatically higher than they were last year.

    Major industrial polluters in the European Union need to purchase carbon credits to offset greenhouse gas emissions, and for years the market for carbon was oversupplied, resulting in rather painless compliance for polluters.

    But the European Union’s Market Stability Reserve (MSR) helped reduce the surplus of credits for the period of 2019-2023, which triggered a price rise since last year.
    Carbon prices nearly topped 30 euros a piece in July, up from below 6 euros two years ago.

    The sharp increase in carbon prices has ramifications for energy markets worldwide, as it makes coal increasingly uncompetitive in Europe.

    The shift away from coal for electricity generation has accelerated as of late, in part because of higher carbon prices, but also because of cheap natural gas and renewable energy…
    …Natural gas prices are also at exceptionally low levels…

    …Falling natural gas prices and rising carbon prices over that timeframe have been a lethal cocktail for coal…

    …But that shift means that the generation profile is less carbon-intensive, thereby reducing pressure on the carbon market…

    …In fact, even as carbon prices surged over the past few years before reaching a recent peak in July, prices have fallen back more recently, due to several factors.

    The odds of a no-deal Brexit have climbed all of a sudden, which would likely inflict economic damage across Europe, dragging down demand for carbon credits. More directly, the UK’s exit would remove the country from the carbon market, and without British polluters participating, the carbon market could once again become oversupplied. UK-based companies would potentially dump their unused credits onto the market, sinking prices.

    Simultaneously, major European countries (Germany, in particular) are at the precipice of an economic recession…

    …Nevertheless, even with the teetering European economy and a political crisis in the UK, analysts are still bullish on carbon as credits are scheduled to be steadily retired over time….

  33. September 5, 2019 – ClassAction.org – Article by Erin Gilmore

    Class Action Claims Home Depot Facial Recognition Security Cameras Violate Illinois Privacy Law
    https://www.classaction.org/news/class-action-claims-home-depot-facial-recognition-security-cameras-violate-illinois-privacy-law

    EXCERPTS
    The Home Depot, Inc. has been hit with a proposed class action lawsuit in which four Illinois shoppers claim the home improvement chain’s facial recognition security cameras overstep a state privacy law.

    Citing alleged violations of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), the 25-page case out of Georgia claims Home Depot surreptitiously collects and stores shoppers’ faceprints every time they appear on a store’s security cameras, enabling the retailer to track each customer’s movement through the store. As explained in the complaint:

    “Defendants begin tracking customers as soon as they enter Home Depot stores. Home Depot’s security cameras and its checkout cameras operate on a connected system, with facial-recognition technology running on the footage obtained. As the customer walks through the store and makes their way toward checkout, the facial-recognition software tracks their every movement, through and beyond their purchase.” …

    …According to the plaintiffs, Home Depot’s faceprint tracking violates the BIPA, which prevents entities from collecting and storing an individual’s biometric data, such as faceprints, without obtaining their informed consent. The case claims that Home Depot has not only failed to inform shoppers that their biometric data is being collected and obtain their written consent for doing so, but has also neglected to post a publicly available retention schedule detailing when the data will be destroyed. As a result, the suit argues, Home Depot shoppers in Illinois are owed up to $5,000 for each time their information was unlawfully collected by the retailer.

    • Ka-ching! 5 big ones for having your picture taken, the crazy times we live in.

      … wait, is this maybe the new normal? Is this how the new universal basic income system fueled with fines payed out by corporations as a “penalty” for tracking your every move? This is crazy enough to work!

      • As I understand it, some employers use Biometric Information (fingerprint scan) for accessing things like a cash register or the time clock.

        I think that the Illinois BIPA was passed in late 2008.
        In my opinion, 11 years ago folks generally were more cautious about their data and privacy.
        However, in this era, “personal data capture” has been normalized.

        Normally, I don’t care for litigations. However, some of these Class Action Lawsuits have helped to ward off the corporatocracy from taking too much from our lives.

  34. Life, in Order to Thrive, Must Terraform its Environment
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5coNM0H4b8

    A brief interview with Danilo Cuellar from peacefulanarchism.com on the subject of anti-human agenda that, though in full swing, can not stand any scrutiny.

  35. Religious fervor would seem as a fitting backbone for many of the evils that have been going on for several decades past. It would also provide a plausible backdrop for the web of deceit and lies that has been keeping these events unblemished and their true origin in the dark.

    It’s either fitting or it simply feeds into my anti-religion bias, that I’m unable to ascertain.

    When viewed through this particular looking glass, even the 6 million tale starts to make sense (something I consider to be the most important and by far the most noxious lie of our time), provided one is willing to accept to what depth the human mind is ready to sink in defense of a blind belief. To that extent, I would say blind belief psychologically is no different than a brain tumor biologically.

    • When it comes to Climate change ™ there are some things I think I know that don’t require expertise.

      – Climate change used to be called global warming. If 97% of scientist agreed that it’s there, why rebrand it? The same reason why drones have been rebranded to UAVs or United Fruit Company to chiquita.

      – 97% is a load of crock and demostratably so. Why 97%? Because 32/33 = 0.97. Who spun these spurious tales? Presidents? I see.

      – Science is never settled. Full stop. It by definition can never settle, everything is questionable, everything needs to be revised.

      – Why is the past always getting cooler? Why are they gerrymandering data all the time? I see.

      – How is global temperature calculated? Does a standard for a measurement station exist? Is it honored, epsecially in urban areas? I see.

      – Which formula binds Carbon tax with anthropogenic lessening of Climate change? To what extent is the Climate change caused by human activity? I see.

      – What about consummerism? Why are we discussing taxation instead of a paradigm change?

      No blind faith required. The burden of proof is on those who assert. Had I been on that party of yours things would have probably spun out of control. Most people I know don’t even discuss such matters, so fist fights erupt less frequently.

  36. Arm chair warrior ; Steering Dorian. Nola Butterfly put this together. I was delighted to hear the Aussie in the intro video tell how to steer weather systems. NolaButterfly borrowed some great stuff from Jim Lee at Climateviewer.com. The Doppler is no longer popular.

    https://youtu.be/2EAOrrW3cLo

  37. Just a random music recommend, if you want a short break from all this depressing shit, and want to see and hear something very simple and pretty. I’m not able to do the link thing, so…

    Ryuichi Sakamoto playing his song “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” solo on piano. Just search his name, go to videos, and it pops right up. The video description on YouTube is

    Decca Records Classical
    November 17 2009
    Duration 4:07

    Anyway, just wanted to share it.

  38. What?! Yet another paradox in the “mind think”.

    I just know…just know… that some of the activists (the-on-the-ground-grunts, not the ‘leader hierarchy’) had reservation-thoughts at the back of their mind about putting dye in the river, thoughts that they had to suppress.
    I am sure the fish loved breathing in green fluorescent dye. Green gills. St Patrick’s Day fish fry.

  39. Olaf,
    What are your intentions?
    What are your intentions here?

    What motivating factors do you have for posting some of your stuff?

  40. Homey , what can be toxic. I once got bent over mushrooms and promoting their use by someone. The bent motivation was found in the near fatal outcome for someone near and dear. I snapped but never explained.
    This could be pure academic inquires.
    This could be three dimensional chess.

    At lest its not flat earth. Thank God. Wonder and hold no claims.

  41. The 100 year, incandescent, continuously burning light bulb
    …and…
    The Economy, Technocracy, Baby Boomers, Credit, Consumers, Immigration, “The Coming End of an Era”

    Generally, I don’t like the LED light bulbs. I think the light wavelengths are unhealthy. This led me to watch a 2010 documentary entitled:
    ”The Light Bulb Conspiracy – The Untold Story of Planned Obsolescence
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzJI8gfpu5Y
    At 3:42 and again around the 30:30, the viewer sees some examples of long life lightbulbs. One finds out about the “Light Bulb Cartel” and how it covertly made sure that incandescent bulbs did not last more than 1000 hours.

    Interviewed pundits remark:
    “Our role in life seems to just consume things with credit to borrow money to buy things which we don’t need.
    We live in a society dominated by a growth economy…
    …If the consumer does not purchase, the economy is not going to grow.”

    Narrator: ”This film will reveal how ‘Planned Obsolescence’ has defined our lives ever since the 1920’s….

    Aspects of the film made me review Corbett’s article (which also contains videos) “2017: The Year of Technocracy (Confirmed!)”.
    After all, a smart Christmas is around the corner.

    ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
    But also some other things came to mind surrounding the film and our current global economic situation.
    Below are some of my thoughts…

    – End of an Era –
    I believe that we are coming to an end of an era. Compared with the changes we have seen since the previous 10 or 15 years, I believe that at the end of the next 10 or 15 years, the landscape will be dramatically different.

    (MORE BELOW)

    • …continuing…

      – CONSUMERS, TRENDS, DEMOGRAPHICS, THE ECONOMY –

      ANECDOTE:
      I work for a donation acceptance company which markets the reuse and recycle stream of clothing and household goods (not large furniture items). Working outside, I see over 100 donors daily, often with car loads of goods. It is extremely fast paced. Clothing, shoes and soft goods are placed in trash bags, while household items are boxed. It is not uncommon to load 10,000 pounds on the truck in two days.
      I place a lot of focus on safety, contamination and common sense. For example, these plastic containers which people have used to store food have no “reuse value”, but should go into the donor’s home “recycle trash bin”. The porosity of the plastic breeds microbes. There are many other examples.

      I see the product fads and trends with the echoes of past spending habits. The TV ads for the “George Foreman Grill” must have been good, because I see so many come through which have never been used. The quantity of toys from one household amazes me sometimes. Many folks, especially younger, have a penchant for high price, name brand shoes and clothing. I see all ends of the socio-economic spectrum and also a wide variety of ethnic groups. I see a lot of Muslim and Indo-Pakistani donors, especially during certain religious months. For the most part, this group tends to be clumsy with certain American-think & cultural aspects, such as not adhering to the bright, blatant “Park Here” signs or sometimes donating literal trash. However, generally speaking, this ethnic group sure has picked up on American consumerism. I see my share of snobby, privileged, upper-middle class white people who are mainly interested in off-loading their junk to the hoi polloi worker-class to sort for the lower cast hoi polloi, even if their junk is trash.

      I should mention that my employer is a for profit company, although it does donate some money to local charitable organizations as part of its marketing strategy. In fact, this company has operations stretching throughout the U.S. and Canada, from Texas to Alberta. It has an annual estimated revenue somewhere over $1 billion and perhaps over $2 billion depending upon the source of information. Product can end up at a Thrift Store or rag company or Mexico or Africa or a recycle center or trash.

      I have no problem with my employer making lots of profit. There are many companies or industries which I refuse to work for, because it goes against my “ethical considerations”. This has always been a dilemma for me, even during those past decades when I started and owned my own businesses. I feel like this business model has some ethical value.

      (MORE BELOW)

    • …continuing…

      – CONSUMERS, TRENDS, DEMOGRAPHICS, THE ECONOMY –

      A particular trend I have noticed is that the baby boomer generation is downsizing. I see this daily.
      This is significant.
      There are economic ramifications regarding the baby boomer generation.
      For decades, the baby boomer generation has been the bulk of consumerism. America’s economy is built on the consumer. Now, that demographic is changing its habits of consumption.

      An American economic factor to note:
      Immigration. Legal immigration is roughly over one million people per year. This figure doesn’t include ‘extended family’ which also end up living here under some visa pass.
      So follow my think on this… one million people getting roughly one million places to live each year creates a housing demand and all the things which come with it from food to furniture to other consumables.
      America’s consumption growth has been facilitated by immigration. I venture to posit that “it is not the good will of America towards others” that forwards this agenda, but rather it is an economic necessity in order to keep American consumerism growing.

      I bring all this up, because it is part of the maze of factors on the global economic stage.

      Europe is wrestling with how to get people to spend money. Thus, we have negative interest rates.

      Japan has the dilemma of a shrinking population. We have Japanification.

      China. Well, China is China. While we don’t have all the correct data, it appears that domestically their internal economy is hitting some big road bumps.

      Economically and otherwise, I see a shift. We are coming to the end of an era.

    • Thanks for yet another interesting anecdote. Consumerism is still alive and well, but as you say, to keep growing, you need a stream of new consumers coming in to replace those who are downsizing and preparing for the last tumultuous stretch.

      Consumption was never at those levels in Europe so downsizing effects are not so blatant. But certainly we can see all sorts of adverse effects of aging population combined with higher velocity of younger generations.

    • I also wanted to comment on the light bulb issue. I find there is no replacement for daylight and the effort people put into preventing Sun casting its rays into the living and working space to be replaced by lousy lighting is nothing short of incredible.

      I personally prefer LED over Neon, but I build my own light fixtures and do so with a combination of warm and cool LEDs to arrive to something that lights well and is cost effective. Standard LED bulbs sold in the stores are terribly built and don’t last nearly as long as they could. In my experience, about 90% of the bulbs die due to a bad driver, the light producing element is left functioning when the bulb is dumped.

      • Light and wavelengths
        I hear ya about the sunlight. This is one of the reasons why I chose my current job.

        And definitely I hear ya about fluorescent lighting. I detest it. Besides being unhealthy, I believe that it can prompt a ‘dullness-woodeness’ and/or zombie-depression in some folks. I knew a person who got seizures from it. My ex-wife of 30 years would get debilitating vertigo attacks weekly, until she left her part-time, basement, fluorescent lighting office job.

        mkey, That is so cool about your LED set-up.

        I have experimented with a variety of the health designed LED selected-frequencies gizmos and pads. The healing / circulation ‘red light’ IR anodyne therapy type pad certainly works. The Philips goLITE Blu Energy Light…I observe positive effects, especially if it seems I have been lacking that wavelength.

        An interesting gizmo which I bought via the mail from Mr. Heuser some years back, was one of the first versions of the iWand. I had heard of this product from our local fluoride and vaccine activist leader, Regina. In fact, she slated him to come to Dallas to speak to other alternative health professionals, renting a venue and sending out promotion. However, after arriving, at the very last moment, he got cold feet because he was worried that the FDA might strongly target him.
        It has been so long ago, that I struggled to remember what the gizmo was called.
        Here is a newer, more advanced version of the iWand being demonstrated.
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56OCxJSwBjs

        Sometimes when I use the old iWand, I notice an improvement…sometimes in energy and ‘feeling more awake’…sometimes an improvement from a mosquito bite itch or joint ache or inflammation or even breathing. Sometimes, it is hard to tell if there is an improvement, and I don’t want to deceive myself with a subjective lie.
        Anyway. Regardless, it is interesting.

  42. If these models were spot on, you’d know the exact weather 2 months ahead. Best case scenario, they can’t estimate 2 days ahead. They keep shoveling numbers at the numbers machine until it throws up something that looks alarming enough and then they call that a prediction.

  43. These guys are more into all sorts of green stuff than into environment. As HRS put it, people on the ground knew that was the wrong thing to do, but they still went along. Because reasons.

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