From flimsy false flags in the Gulf to the signing of Assange’s extradition warrant, Craig Murray reviews the abuses of power made obvious in the past two weeks.
By Craig Murray
CraigMurray.org.uk
Standing back a little and surveying the events of the last couple of weeks, gives a bleak view of the current state of Western democracy.
We have seen what appears to be the most unconvincing of false flags in the Gulf. I pointed out why it was improbable Iran would attack these particular ships. Since then we have had American military sources pointing to video evidence of a packed small Iranian boat allegedly removing a limpet mine from the ship the Iranians helped to rescue, which was somehow supposed to prove it was the Iranians who planted the alleged device. We also have had the Japanese owner specifically contradict the American account and say that the ship was hit by flying objects.
The Iranians certainly have a strange method of bomb disposal if they carry it out using unarmoured personnel, with as many as possible crammed into a small boat in immediate contact with the “mine.” It is also hard to understand why the alleged “limpet mines” would be four feet above the waterline.
Limpet mines are placed below the waterline. There are numerous reasons for this. Firstly, holes above the waterline will not sink a ship. Secondly, the weight of the water helps contain the blast against the ship. Thirdly, it is obviously harder to detect both the diver placing the mine and the mine once placed if it is below the water. In fact it would be very difficult for a diver to place a limpet mine four feet above the waterline, even if they wanted to.
There seems to be a remarkable disconnect between the widespread popular disdain at yet another fake western power casus belli in the Middle East, and the near universal complicity of the U.K. political and media class in promoting this transparent lie. It is as though even pretending to have any respect for truth and fact has simply been discarded within the U.K.’s governmental system. Which ought to worry us a lot.
US Versus Corbyn
The second development ought to have been the biggest media story of the decade in the UK, if we had anything like a free and honest media. Mike Pompeo, U.S. secretary of state, made plain the Trump administration’s intent to prevent the election of Jeremy Corbyn as prime minister. Pompeo told a meeting of Jewish leaders:
“It could be that Mr. Corbyn manages to run the gantlet and get elected. It’s possible. You should know, we won’t wait for him to do those things to begin to push back.”
This blatant interference by a foreign power in the U.K.’s democracy is an absolute scandal. Compare the lack of media outrage at Pompeo’s intervention with the ludicrous claims made about much less high profile Russian attempts at influence. This incident provides incontrovertible proof that the world does indeed operate in the way that I have been explaining here for a decade. It is not a “conspiracy theory” that democracy is manipulated by hidden powers, it is fact. Pompeo’s description of Corbyn’s route to election as “running the gauntlet” is particularly revealing. Even more so is the cursory coverage this story was given, and I have seen no evidence to date of any MSM “journalist” attempting any follow-up investigation on the methods the U.S. are planning to employ – or more likely already employing – against Corbyn.
Everybody should be incandescent at this, no matter who they vote for.
Stunning Revelation About the Guardian
Something else which revealed the truth of the way the political world now operates, and which again did not get nearly the media attention it deserves, was Matt Kennard’s stunning revelation of the way The Guardian has been taken over by the security services. I have been explaining for years that The Guardian has become the security services’ news outlet of choice, and it is very helpful to have documentation to prove it.
Guardian's deputy editor @paul__johnson joined state censorship D-Notice committee (run by MOD) after Snowden revelations in sop to British spooks. In board minutes, they thank him for being "instrumental in re-establishing links" between UK mil/intel and Guardian. Explains a lot pic.twitter.com/kN27T0QoMm
— Matt Kennard (@DCKennard) June 11, 2019
It is worth noting that The Guardian obeyed completely the DSMA committee ban on mentioning Pablo Miller in reporting the security service fantasy version of the Skripal story. As Kennard points out, it is also very interesting indeed that the Guardian published Luke Harding’s front page fabrication of Manafort/Assange meetings two weeks after MOD Director Dominic Wilson congratulated Guardian deputy editor Paul Johnson on “re-establishing links” with the security services. The Guardian is, like other British newspapers, as controlled by the military and security services just like in any other decent autocracy.
Incidentally, I cannot find Matt Kennard’s excellent work set out anywhere, except in that twitter stream. Surely there is an article on a website somewhere? I cannot find anything on Google, but as it is exactly the kind of information Google routinely suppresses, that does not mean it is not out there. Anyone seen it?
Assange’s Extradition Warrant
Javid: Signed extradition warrant for crime of publishing. (Policy Exchange, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Finally, we have of course seen Home Secretary Sajid Javid sign the extradition warrant for Julian Assange to be sent to the United States for the “crime” of publishing truthful information about U.S. illegalities. Julian’s extradition hearing was, contrary to normal practice, held despite the fact he was too sick to attend in person. And it was presided over by Judge Emma Arbuthnot, despite the fact that her husband is a former Tory defense minister who started a “security consultancy” in partnership with a former head of MI6, the war criminal John Scarlett who oversaw the fabrication of the dossier of lies about Iraqi WMD, in order to launch an illegal war of aggression that killed and maimed millions. The Assange team had asked her to recuse herself on that pretty obvious basis, but she had refused. At an earlier hearing she taunted Assange with the observation that he could get adequate exercise in the embassy on a 1.5 meter Juliet balcony.
Just as The Guardian has never apologised for, nor withdrawn, the utter lie of the Assange/Manafort story, so the identity-politics-promoting, false “left” has never apologised for its pursuit of Assange over sexual allegations in Sweden, which were obvious on the slightest scrutiny to be only a fit-up designed to get him into custody. Those figures like David Allen Green, Joan Smith and David Aaronovitch, among scores of other pustulous hacks, who mocked and scorned those of us who always said that Assange faced not extradition to Sweden but to the United States for publishing, have been shown up as, at the very best, stupid naive and unwitting tools of the state, and more likely, insincere and vicious propagandists.
This brief review of current issues reveal that not only do Western governments lie and fake, they have really given up on trying to pretend that they do not. The abuse of power is naked and the propaganda is revealed by the lightest effort to brush away the veneer of democracy.
I find it hard to believe that I live in times where Assange suffers as he does for telling the truth, where a dedicated anti-racist like Corbyn is subjected to daily false accusations of racism and to U.S. and security service backed efforts to thwart his democratic prospects, where the most laughable false flag is paraded to move us towards war with Iran, and where there is no semblance of a genuinely independent media. But, starkly, that is where we are. This is not unrelated to the massive and fast-growing inequality of wealth; the erosion of freedom is the necessary precondition that allows the ultra-wealthy to loot the rest of us. It remains my hope there will eventually come a public reaction against the political classes as strong as the situation demands.
Craig Murray is an author, broadcaster and human rights activist. He was British ambassador to Uzbekistan from August 2002 to October 2004 and rector of the University of Dundee from 2007 to 2010. This article first appeared on his website.
Thank you for your excellent article,
terrible and terrifying though the facts are.
History is a great way to understand present-day geopolitics. From 1850 to 1970, UK then USA meddled in Iran and exploited the populace for exclusive rights to cheap oil. Iranian people should be wary when the USA says it has the best interests of the Iranian people at heart. It never has. It’s doubtful if it ever will. USA seeks to dominate for dominance sake. And the USA has an adolescent leader who is utterly unqualified to handle international diplomacy.
Everyone is above the law until they’re not. Civilization 2.o in the works.
Wow great article.
Great article Craig…we as the human race are flying ever closer to the Sun.
It’s not just conserve tives, either. Dems in the US were really cool with Obama’s Kill List, even when he killed US citizens. “It won’t happen tome, I’m nice!” They said, and “my team can do know wrong!” us Labour in the UK any better? HU
Moreover, the “collateral damage” (innocent bystanders) don’t count as murder victims either. Not using Pentagon-think.
“There’s also a ‘Suez’ feel about all this. When the ever more exasperated Anthony Eden plunged with the French and Israelis into the Suez fiasco in 1956, Eisenhower had to send Dulles to London to rein in the British prime minister. Eden had himself become a bit bananas, claiming that Nasser, whose country he was planning to invade, was the ‘Mussolini of the Nile’. Dulles’s instructions were to tell Eden: ‘Whoa, Boy!’ For months afterwards, Eden was still lying to the Commons, insisting that the whole shambles had NOT been hatched up with the Israelis – which it had – his false denial of the plot actually believed by most of the Tory party at the time and probably by a majority of Brits. […]
“In the real world, of course, there should be a military alliance between the US and Iran. But Washington no longer moves through any known orbit. If you want to understand the Trump-Bolton Middle East policy right now, I guess all you can do is visit patients in any mental hospital and they’ll fill you in.
“Russia and China, however, do live on planet Earth […] So stand by to hear Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping, albeit doubtful allies of Tehran, hollering out to Trump: ‘Whoa Boy!'”
Trump’s Evidence About Iran is “Dodgy” at Best
By Robert Fisk
https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/06/18/trumps-evidence-about-iran-is-dodgy-at-best/
The US’ orbit is strongly influenced by the Religious Right, Millenialism, Dispensationalism, etc., whether like toradmit it or not.
Whenever the pro-Israel Lobby in the USA is mentioned, comrade “Zhu” insists that it’s all about the Christian “Religious Right, Millenialism, Dispensationalism, etc.”, as if Jewish Zionism has nothing to do with it.
In fact, the pro-Israel Lobby is very “strongly influenced” by the Israeli government, and is supported by multiple Jewish organizations in the United States and UK, as well as Zionist groups and agencies in Israel.
Israel, via pro-Israel Lobby operatives, significantly influences the “US’ orbit”, interfering in American electoral politics, and steering US foreign policy toward military confrontation.
Hasbara (pro-Israel) propaganda attempts to conceal this influence.
“US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo has sworn on his Boy Scout’s honor that the Trump administration does not want war. He has, however, promised to share the intelligence that proves Iran is guilty. He was seen tweaking his badges for good deeds as he spoke to reporters interested in what might end up a Persian version of Vietnam.
“Over in the UK, the BBC wasted no time in looping in criticism of Jeremy Corbyn for saying the whole affair is America’s fault. But no network I am aware of has mentioned a familiar pattern of sword rattling and accusation. BBC, the White House, Saudi princes, and crude oil prices soaring through the roof make me think about stock markets and insider trading, but that’s just me.
“The infallible United States military provided what appeared to be really bad GoPro footage of some folks with turbans on their heads (sorry, I had to say it) were Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) trying to remove an unexploded mine from the Kokuka Courageous. Interestingly, the owner of the Kokuka Courageous cast doubt on the US narrative, saying the vessel’s crew saw a ‘flying object’ before it was rocked by a second blast. Who knows, maybe an Israeli drone shot a missile at the ship to provoke the world? […]
“since Donald Trump promised to make America great again, the beefed-up economy from all-out war arms sales, along with the skyrocketing prices when Iran, the Saudis and the rest of the Middle East go up in flames will assuredly put a chicken in every pot in the United States. Why the Queen Mother may even make England great again if she can just get rid of that pesky Corbin fellow.”
Iran Versus American Made Saudi Scimitars and the Queen Mother
By Phil Butler
https://journal-neo.org/2019/06/19/iran-versus-american-made-saudi-scimitars-and-the-queen-mother/
” I have seen no evidence to date of any MSM “journalist” attempting any follow-up investigation on the methods the U.S. are planning to employ ”
Good article Craig .As to the comment above ,the US does not need to employ much as their best ally ,the Israeli government is doing very well thank you ,in trying to destroy Jeremy Corbyn’s chances to win the next election as Prime Minister.
They don’t even try to hide it anymore , it is democracy US and UK style, read best democracy money can buy, or you will get demonized 24/7 by the bought and paid for MSM.
Thank you so much Craig for your continued journalistic works exposing the lies ,cheating by so called leadership .They have made a sham out the word justice and democracy .
And lastly ,thank you Consortium News .
Re: Matt Kennard
Here is his blog site: https://mattkennard.tumblr.com/
David Hart:
> Here is his blog site: https://mattkennard.tumblr.com/
“Tumbler is now part of the Oath family” — and if you read the details of the Oath/Verizon privacy policy, it amounts to unlimited tracking, third-party cookies, and any information from accessing their various Web sites can be passed on to third parties. You Have Been Warned…
Really good piece Craig. The Gulf of Credibility also. One of your recent articles has a link to J.A. Hobson’s Imperialism: A Study. Very good read. Free download.
https://b-ok.org/book/2374893/55334
If you want to follow the link above add ‘b’ to the end. CN will accept ‘b’ only as an exponent to 4.
Consider this;
20,000 disable people in britain have died waiting for their claim for benefit:
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2019/01/14/the-dwp-has-admitted-21000-people-died-waiting-for-benefits/
nobody cried
this is war on the population but the population hasn’t turnd up!!
Thank you for this article.I watched all episodes of the Aljazeera documentary about the working of the Israeli lobby in the UK.Aljazeera infiltrated an undercover journalist. It was very revealing.
The constant never ending attacks on Julian Assange and President Donald Trump that continue even today will, in history, show what this sick society did for the future wellness of humanity. Will it show up in the records? And will it expose the perpetrators names?
Assange & have nothing in common.
“I know we all got different ways….the dues you got to pay are still the same”. -Dave Mason “Does anyone remem_er laughter”? -R. Plant
“I find it hard to believe that I live in times where Assange suffers as he does for telling the truth, where a dedicated anti-racist like Corbyn is subjected to daily false accusations of racism and to U.S. and security service backed efforts to thwart his democratic prospects, where the most laughable false flag is paraded to move us towards war with Iran”, observes Murray.
I find it hard to believe that, since the 2003 war on Iraq, a war openly instigated by the pro-Israel Lobby, had its murderous reality revealed in the video of a 2007 Baghdad airstrike released by Wikileaks in 2010, independent media remain silent about the obvious connection between the three outrages mentioned by Murray above (and countless others).
But, starkly, this is where we are.
It remains my hope there will eventually come a public reaction against the pro-Israel Lobby as strong as the situation demands.
But that requires independent media willing to speak the truth and stand up to the all-too-predictable false charges of “antisemitism”.
I agree but the problem is that Google ,MSM etc. are busy cancelling our inputs into the discussion if they don’t like what we are saying .
It is an uphill battle but we must persist and try to break through the ignorance that is so prevalent in today’s society because of the programing ,lies and omission of truths . It is thanks to orgs. like Consortium News and freelance reporters such as Craig Murray that we glean a bit of light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.
Haven’t donated for while so it is past time for me to do so.
Cheers.
We Americans deserve full respoonsibity for both Iraq Wars and the 10 years if “sanctions” in between.
Whenever the pro-Israel Lobby in the USA is mentioned, comrade “Zhu” insists that it’s the “full respoonsibity” [sic] of the “Americans”.
The pro-Israel Lobby includes right-wing Jewish and Christian zealots for Israel, and their “liberal” Jewish and Christian collaborators, who get oodles of “encouragement” and “tech support” from an Israeli government flush with cash thanks to all those zealous Israel Lobby “Americans”.
In short, it’s an enormous money-making and warmongering scam that the majority of taxpaying Americans ultimately pay for without their knowledge and consent.
“Britons” obviously have very similar issues of “respoonsibity” [sic] when it comes to the pro-Israel Lobby in the UK.
It is my hope as well that I see the lobbies and tamudists found out for heir shenanigans. It sure seems like a long way off, though, if ever. nature sometimes surprises us, though
Western MSM has become simply an adjunct to the West’s intelligence services. German journalist Udo Ulfkotte wrote a book about his experiences with MSM manipulation by the CIA and German intelligence services. It was published in German in 2014 and was a best seller. It was scheduled to be published in an English edition here in the U.S. in 2016, but it’s release date kept getting postponed. Miraculously that German “best seller” not only has never been released in English here in the U.S., but one can’t even get a response from the publisher as to ‘why’ the book was not published.
However, it appears there is at least a very small but lucrative black market in the form of several used copies of the book. If you’ve got a cool $910.99 burning a hole in your pocket one can buy a single used copy in English on Amazon of the hardcover version. For $1992.99 you can get the other single copy of the paperback version. All proving once again that in our amoral capitalist police state paradise even “censorship” can be turned into a handsome profit making proposition for someone.
There is now not even the slightest pretense in the West’s centers of power of any respect whatsoever for the law. MSM is now plain and simply obvious and blatant State propaganda often completely disconnected from events in the real world yet speaking on command in stunning unison no matter how outrageous the lie of the moment might be. It is unconscionable that Udo Ulfkotte’s book exposing the ongoing routine corrupt complicity of Western MSM in working with Western intelligence agencies to publish State propaganda as “news” has been censored out of existence and relegated to Orwell’s ‘memory hole.’ There is no “Western Democracy” without the public having access to the truth.
https://www.amazon.com/Journalists-Hire-Buys-Ulfkotte-Ph-D/dp/B01B98LPH8/ref=sr_1_2?crid=Z6PN3NPMOCIL&keywords=bought+journalists&qid=1560913872&s=gateway&sprefix=bought+jour%2Caps%2C205&sr=8-2
Perhaps we can get Dr. Ulfkotte to make a PDF available?
“Perhaps we can get Dr. Ulfkotte to make a PDF available?”
I suspect he would do just that , if he were still alive. Which may be the reason he is not.
Doh! I think I knew that once, but fired off a quick response nonetheless. Well then, I wonder if the English translator(s) can make their work available :/
1. Mr. Ulfkotte or his estate could market a digital edition in the US, if his US publisher contract does not cover that;
2. They could publish through Amazon, and if his US publisher objects, offer to sue them for breach of contract or conspiracy to suppress publication, to void their contract;
3. They could give a digital copy to a copyright piracy website, to make it available free, but would lose sales of printed copies;
4. Or if there is no rightful owner, anyone could honorably give the PDF to such a website.
Well, it appears the book will be available soon ? -under a different title: Presstitutes. You can preorder at a reasonable price. There is also a link there to “Bought Journalists” — By UDO ULFKOTTE — BOOTLEG EDITION, that has notes on it and a second book by Ulfkotte along with a link to A machine translation into English.
Craig is quite wrong here in his assessment of the “limpet mine” incident.
All the apparent inconsistencies can be explained by Captain Mustafa Raincoat, Ace Iranian Guards Saboteur Commander, just deciding to adopt a slightly unorthodox approach for this operation.
“Those supertankers are quite big ships, Captain. Probably needs quite a few limpets to do any real damage and flood the watertight compartments. How many should we use, sir?”
“Just a couple on each supertanker, lads. And remember to put them well above the waterline.”
“Above the waterline, sir? Shouldn’t they be underneath the waterline? That’s what they said on Saboteur School 101.”
“No, no, lads. Put them as high as you can above the waterline. Otherwise CNN won’t be able to see them on their video.”
“Okay, captain.”
I had a feeling there was something odd with Craig’s analysis on this–was just about to check in with Rachel Maddow!
There is one more aspect that I would like to ask Captain Mustafa Raincoat. Why use an unusual technique of fastening limpet mines with nails. US Navy discovered (a) a gismo attached to the hull that kept the removed limpet mine in place, (b) a whole made with a nail, presumably for the matching gismo. Unlike limpet mine of the type described by Wikipedia etc., this mine was easy to remove — just take it off the gismos playing the role of picture hooks — but hard to install, try your trusty hammer and drive a nail into 25 mm (1 inch) high quality steel.
I have a bit of experience with that when I lived in Communist Poland. Most of the apartments in my home town were in buildings make of reinforced concrete, and to hang something on the wall one had to use a special drill. Needless to say, it is a very noisy operation. And time consuming, after making a hole you cannot just hand something on nails, you must create an anchor that would not fall our.
Then there is a mystery how any big holes were created by limpet mines above water. Limpet mines have smallish amount of explosive compared to floating mines, torpedoes and missiles while ship hull is at least one inch thick. If on one side of the mine you have air and on the other, hard steel, most of the exploding gas bounces off. But the gas bounces off water almost as readily as off steel because water does not compress, thus the same explosive charge has many times larger effect underwater.
I called out Luke Harding about his hit piece on Assange and he told me that his sources were credible. When I asked him who they were he said that it was the CIA. lol… Hopefully Wikileaks will get enough money to sue the guardian and other websites that have slandered and defamed Julian Assange.
One thing I appreciated about Trump was his honesty. During the Venezuelan coup attempt he flat out told us that he was doing it for the oil. I’d be nice if he told us that he is going to war on Iran for Israel and the Saudis. And of course for the oil companies..
The Ugly View – Blatant interference by Israel in the U.S.’s democracy
The Lobby – USA, Episode 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1OgxfCT044
An Al Jazeera reporter infiltrated several pro-Israel Lobby organisations in Washington, D.C. including The Israel Project, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the Israel on Campus Coalition, and the Zionist Organization of America’s (ZOA) Fuel For Truth.
On February 8, 2018, it was reported that Qatari leaders had reassured the leaders of Jewish American organisations that Al Jazeera would not be airing its companion documentary series on the Israel Lobby in the United States.
According to Haaretz, the Qatari government had reportedly hired Republican Senator Ted Cruz’s former aide Nicolas Muzin to open communications channels with Jewish American organisations. Earlier, the network had sent letters to several American pro-Israel organisations informing them that their employees would appear in the documentary. These letters generated speculation that the Qatari government had reneged on its earlier promise to block Al Jazeera from screening the documentary.
In March 2018, a bipartisan group of pro-Israel Lobby backed US lawmakers including Democratic Congressman Josh Gottheimer, Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin, and Ted Cruz penned a letter urging United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate whether Al Jazeera should register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. They also urged the Justice Department to investigate reports that the network had infiltrated non-profit organisations and accused Al Jazeera of broadcasting antisemitic, anti-Israel, and anti-American content.
On April 10, 2018, the Zionist Organization of America’s president Morton Klein claimed credit for lobbying the Qatari government not to screen Al Jazeera’s documentary series focusing on the American pro-Israel Lobby. In late August and early September 2018, leaked portions of the documentary series were aired by several outlets including The Electronic Intifada. In early November, The Electronic Intifada released all four episodes of The Lobby – USA simultaneously with the French media outlet Orient XXI and the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar.
The Ugly View – Blatant interference by Israel in the U.K.’s democracy
The Lobby Episode 4: The Takedown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1590&v=pddH2sfNKNY
Israeli embassy official in London discusses potential plot to ‘”take down” UK politicians – including a senior British government minster.
Craig Murray:Incidentally, I cannot find Matt Kennard’s excellent work set out anywhere, except in that twitter stream. Surely there is an article on a website somewhere? I cannot find anything on Google, but as it is exactly the kind of information Google routinely suppresses, that does not mean it is not out there. Anyone seen it?
When I google Matt Kennard Guardian, the 4th hit is Guardian compromised by UK MoD? Deputy editor thanked for ‘re-establishing links’ post Snowden leaks.
Here is the complete 5 page document that Kennard refers to.
I, too, “hope… for public reaction against the political classes as strong as the situation demands.” May it come soon, before the 1o’s of millions, 100’s of millions of relatively innocent people die due to any one (or combination of) the crises of wealth (and political power) inequality, war and preparation for war, and, of course, the existential threat of climate catastrophe (and the killing off of the biosphere whose only ‘crime’ is to have spawned humanity). But, when has democracy ever been truly anything but ugly? In ideal for sure, but beauty is the nature of the ideal; the ideal of representative government, the ideas of peace, justice, and human happiness, the ideal of freedom of thought, etc. are all beautiful, but pragmatic (i.e., rank interestedness) politics prevail. And the West thinks they are capable at navigating the crises they have made.
Journalist: “What do you think of Western civilization?”
Gandhi: “I think it would be a good idea.”
(attributed)
jmg – Gandhi’s one liner is as spot on the mark today as the day he uttered those words.
Amazing that Murray never once mentions Israel, even though “the Trump administration’s intent” to “push back”, parroted by Trump and Pompeo, is entirely scripted by the pro-Israel Lobby.
“This blatant interference by a foreign power in the U.K.’s democracy is an absolute scandal.”
Israeli Interference in British Politics: Targeted against Corbyn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asffxrwcrvA
Israel is the elephant in every room of every house in the world , but is rarely even noticed. You are a welcome exception to that rule. Keep it up.
Tnx CN, Craig… was goin2 comment re: Goog similarity w/ Guardian (which earned award 4 Snowden report b4 joinin the Baddies) but sir you beat me2 it… Suppose i should be Honored2 appear on Goog’$ forced censor list (utub version)
Best Goog comment viewed: “Guess they don’t take their motto seriously anymore” (ref: don’t do evil)…
Goog xcuse (& capitalism’$): “We only ream the public2 benefit our $tockholders”
“The Ugly View…” comports well with my pre-existing opinions. As here, I find Craig’s stories persuasively crafted and compatible with sweet reason.
George Collins
If I could post on the Crowdstrike article, which seems to be under cyber attack right now, I’d bring everyone’s attention to this post on the RI blog.
It’s perhaps the most lucid of the several articles that have come out on the matter since yesterday’s Zero Hedge article, followed closely by Ray’s excellent comprehensive posting, which I took as a rebuttal to the trolls who swarmed his previous article directed at Brennan.
https://russia-insider.com/en/roger-stone-goes-offensive-against-russiahoaxers-makes-devastating-legal-move/ri27285
I’m not a Roger Stone worshipper in any sense, but he’s making himself useful on this one.
This link is much appreciated, Realist.
It will be “interesting” to observe how it can be argued that the government has no burden of providing proof.
The “rule” of law seems to have been bent sufficiently far that only an empty “form” of law may remain. An empty nothing that may be twisted, warped, and “sculpted” to whatever ends “authority” might wish, without even the necessity of “special circumstance”.
Isn’t it sad that people feel that they need to say this?
“I’m not a Roger Stone worshipper in any sense, but he’s making himself useful on this one.”
Anyone who doesn’t believe in Russia Gate never needs to explain why to me… I just think that they are smart people who see through the propaganda.
Sounds like you do want an explanation. Obviously, I do not buy the hoax that is “Russiagate” for one minute. It was a dirty, underhanded, damaging attempt by Hillary first to sway the election, then to explain away her ignominious defeat. That does not mean, however, that I am an acolyte of Donald Trump’s disastrously unfolding administration for which, in the eyes of probably most of the public, Roger Stone has come to symbolize.
I wish no ill towards Mr. Stone, especially since he is not guilty of a charged crime which never existed. Good for him personally if his legal gambit succeeds, and, if so, he is also providing a service for the country at large in deconstructing the bogus charges that have been directed at the administration, love it or hate it. Just making clear that one can take that position without being a MAGAphile. It’s the principle, not the personalities. Do you still feel sad?
“Just making clear that one can take that position without being a MAGAphile.”
You just made Abe’s point , again.
One shouldn’t feel the necessity to qualify one’s disbelief in Russiagate with a ” MAGAphile disclaimer” , but we all do feel that need. It IS sad.
We feel the need because the world is full of blockheads. I’m just trying to help them gain some clarity.
My explanation was as much for them as for Abby. Their understanding might affect ultimate outcomes of this great game being played out.
From the very beginning of Russiagate, a considerable segment of the public has needed guidance on the distinction between supporting the constitution and supporting Trump’s agenda.
I think Abby was complimenting you, Realist. I know for a fact that when I mention the Russiagate hoax to anyone in my general purview, surrounded as I am by latte liberals in a very blue state, that I get furrowed-brow looks and sometimes comments that I must be a “Trump supporter.” The truth is, I am revolted by him. I am about as far left as I could get. No one represents my interests in this sorry, slipshod, ridiculous land they call an “exceptional nation” – exceptionally stupid, perhaps.
Thanks for the input, ML.
I wasn’t offended by Abby’s comment. I used the opportunity to let people know precisely where I stand on the key issues. The constitution and the offices created by it need protection from power-grabbers, many entrenched inside the system, who would try to hijack it.
Like you, I am part of no faction. Both sides disappoint me, including the “left” which has some potential remedies to the vast injustices incurred in this country but are never tried. Their “spokespersons” are never true believers, only con artists in the game for their own gain. They want the votes of liberals and progressives but never have any intentions of delivering the goods. Obama was the perfect example of such a chameleon. People could see Hillary was too, and so we got Trump.
People across the entire spectrum sincerely claim they want the same things: freedom, democracy, world peace, justice, affluence, good health, safety, security, equal opportunity, a good education for their kids and a long list of additional platitudes, but I think the definitions of these terms are slippery and not precise, sometimes even changing over time in a single individual’s mind. All might be a lot more predictable and consensual if words had the unchanging certainty of constant factors in mathematical equations. I guess human minds would then be as interchangeable as computers.
The false dichotomy you mention is a plague. Those of us immune to it are a rare bunch indeed.
As soon as I heard it, I judged it the Dems version of Birtherism – a complete fantasy.
If they are able to hold the already long suffering, tortured and in failing health, Julian Assange; incarcerated in similar horrendous prison conditions as was Mohammed Morsi – ousted, first democratically elected President of Egypt – for as long as he was held, then too, the world, in all likelihood, will witness in Julian Assange’s like Show Trial, the probability of a ‘show’ death, on the worlds stage. This is the message the performance is intended to convey.
It surely is the objective of the hegemon; to set yet another example of what tyrannical barbarism looks like.
How many millions were in the streets of Hong Kong these past days?
How many millions were in the streets of the West since Julian Assange’s illegal removal from the Ecuadoran Embassy to the harshest prison in the U.K?
Takes the breath away!
Western democracy? Surely you jest. Democracy is government by the people, not by hidden forces. Citizens getting the opportunity to vote for one clown or the other every four years, and then get to sit down and shut up on important matters, does not constitute democracy.
amen!!!
And so it goes *
[Senator] Mike Gravel has long been an advocate for direct democracy: https://mikegravel.com/direct-democracy-by-mike-gravel/
He says that his “dream ticket” is Sanders/Gabbard (or Gabbard/Sanders <- I think that this combo/ordering would be unstoppable [Gabbard as Commander In Chief]). This may be the best and last chance to stop the madness (without having a lot of blood spilled). True leadership facilitates, allowing The People (not the handful of elites) to operate. Facilitation requires having hands on the bullhorns and control over the military and police forces.
Just as Trump was able to draw up energies for destructive forces, others could draw up energies for constructive forces. I believe that we now have a choice not between evil and lesser evil (last election being HRC vs. Trump), but of evil and decency: stomping out the corporate Dems will gets us that option of "decency."
Don Bacon, I do believe that Smedley Butler would approve of Tusli Gabbard.
As Gravel states (from the above link):
There are only two possible venues for change: the people or the government. It is in the latter, wherein exists the structural problem of governance. Efforts at improving the structure of representative government by bringing the people into its legislative operations are unfortunately dependent on the legislative actions of representatives who are averse to diluting their power under the present structure. We are left with the fiction that electing the right people to public office will bring about fundamental structural change. So we repeat over and over again something that has been proven repeatedly not to work.Nevertheless, this logic does not diminish the need to elect people of integrity to public office. The point is that the election of representatives is not enough to overcome the control of representative government by society’s elites.
Seer, if Mike Gravel we’re allowed a five minute intro at the coming democratic debates, he’d be able to blow the whole party out of the water. He’s that decent.
Gravel would be in the debates if ~ .02% of the voting public had sent a solitary buck to his campaign. Everyone who knows even a little bit about him probably did send him that buck. It’s a pretty damning indictment of our freedom-loving, so-called democracy , and its future prospects , that 99.98% of voters have no clue that Mike Gravel is running for President , or , for that matter , have ever even heard of someone named Mike Gravel.
Indeed, Don Bacon- to the point and in perfect clarity!
It is a good thing to have Craig Murray around to remind us all of how much our war criminal leaders deceive us at every turn. And yet people buy into these phony narratives time and time again. Could this acceptance of these lies be the result of a MSM guided by the National Security Deep State hell bent on deception? You bet your life the MSM is controlled by the NSDS and with that goes out the window the truth for what that may have mattered. It’s high time and long overdue we citizens wise up to these control freaks who commit war crimes in our name not to forget wage war on innocent civilians with our tax dollars. Until the truth be known and accepted by the majority nothing stands a chance of getting to somewhere of a normal state of being. The Empire is running scared and with this fear of the truth comes more lies on top of already established lies. Again you will know it’s safe to come out when the truth finally does prevail.
Murray thought provoking, as usual. “Just as the Guardian has never apologised for, nor withdrawn, the utter lie of the Assange/Manafort story, so the identity-politics-promoting, false “left” has never apologised for its pursuit of Assange over sexual allegations in Sweden, which were obvious on the slightest scrutiny to be only a fit-up designed to get him into custody.” I look forward to more discussion on this topic, as both men and women still say, as feminists, they can’t support Assange.
There’s a link to a few foreign policy pieces that came up in a search but I use duckduckgo. I wouldn’t be caught dead using google for anything.
I’m not convinced that the public’ are even interested in their well-being ….. we live in troubled times but who is living in their own bubble, them or us??
I guess this is the Paul Johnson you’re talking about, Deputy Editor of The Guardian, and author of this:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/04/surreal-moment-guardian-destroyed-snowden-files
If you were to ask me, which few people choose to do, I would tell you that the brunt of the problem is that “democracy” is a doomed ideology. That’s why those who crafted the US made it a “Constitutional Republic” with a Bill of Rights that protected “the people” from mob rule (aka democracy).
So, imo, if you want democracy then you should realize that you are getting it — and getting it good.
If you want rights for the people? You might want to re-read the Bill of Rights and enforce them. Otherwise, the rich and powerful mobs will rob you of them.
Doesn’t that make sense?
The rich and powerful largely control the courts.
Very refreshing to see someone with the guts to say out loud what we have been brainwashed (I mean “educated”) with since the first day we entered “school,” with pledge recitation, and of all patriotic things, prayers!
Actually, that’s the tale to allow the elites to rule. Just look around to see how well “representative democracy” has worked for The People.
I hardly doubt that “mob rule” could do worse than what we currently have (in-bred elites ransacking the masses and constantly stirring up war).
For a clearer view of what actual democracy should look like:
https://mikegravel.com/direct-democracy-by-mike-gravel/
[I am fortunate in that I live in a State that allows citizen initiatives; and, I’ve even been involved in orchestrating one.]
The USA Bill of Rights does not protect against mob rule. Its purpose is to offer protection against the tyranny of the ruling majority in Washington.
The proof is right before our eyes. The First Amendment is Addressed to Congress, not a mob. The first 8 amendments are addressed to the current government. Amendments 9 and 10 are addressed to the people in their capacity as citizens of the US and citizens of a state or territory.
The purpose of Bills of Rights is to protect people (most of the people who need protection are whistleblowers) from the government that rules the country – those that administer the police power and the courts.
The failure of democracy in the US is not inherent, but due to the rise of economic concentrations, and the failure of the emerging middle class to grasp the problem before the institutions of democracy (mass media, elections, and judiciary) were controlled by oligarchy.
Several major amendments are needed to form a much better democracy:
1. Prohibit funding of mass media and elections except by limited individual donations;
2. Monitor politicians and all relatives and associates for life for indirect bribes;
3. Prohibit foreign wars except humanitarian interventions under UN control;
4. Establish a fourth federal branch, the College of Policy Debate;
5. Declare economic influence upon government to be treason;
6. Declare economic and information war to be war;
7. Guarantee (by various workable means) employment to those who will work;
8. Guarantee health care for all;
9. Guarantee a secure retirement for the elderly;
10. Tax incomes progressively so that no one makes more than about 150K.
Great article Craig, I am incandesent about Pompeos comments and the lack of any msm coverage.Matt Kennards revelations are stunning good to have proof at last about the Guardian, having been a lifelong Guardian reader, I cancelled my subscription about 5 years ago, wrote and told them why, never got a response.
It is very true that our democracy is in name only as we are always only offered Hobson’s choice. As for the flimsy justifications we get. It’s all about narrative control and since the three sources of news that everybody uses are controlled by either the US or a US vassal state, what do you expect will happen?
certainquirk
June 18, 2019 at 12:40
You certain it’s in name only? You might have missed a comment posted by “certainquirk” on June 18, 2019 at 12:40.
I simply can’t thank you enough Craig Murray for your consistent honesty in the face of all odds. It is uniquely special that you are presented here as a connection to the late Great Robert Parry. With luck and persistence we will be able to shine a light on the truth going way back and make a better Society out of all of this… Many Thanks to all.
See this on zerohedge now.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-06-18/new-clinton-email-review-reveals-multiple-security-incidents
As Arte Johnson’s Wehrmacht character used to say, “very interesting.” Really, a great attention to details and their implications by Mr. Murray.
Also interesting is that CN must be experiencing another cyber attack in that I cannot post on the Crowdstrike article. Get one message saying, something wrong, your comment did not post; then, upon trying again, another message saying you’ve already posted this. Hillary’s deadenders must be getting desperate, especially her minions that worked out of Wassermann-Schultz’s office.
Now the comment box has completely disappeared for that article!!
Cannot post, nor reply to any post.
This is sabotage.
I second that emotion Realist. I have taken snapshots of some of your more salient posts, along with others I enjoy and after a week I return to see some replies and tour comments and the replies are missing. Sabotage indeed!
I’ll count the days this reply stays, if it is ever posted to begin with that is.
CN ain’t what it used to be!
Bob,
I can see Hillary wanting to occasionally cheat and circumvent the government-mandated official servers for her electronic communications. Probably most execs working out of the White House sometimes want to pass on information they dare not allow on the record or risk leaking. But her choice to send and receive everything via her own personal servers was just plain stupid and arrogant when essentially disposable trac phones are nearly a dime a dozen. Use it once to send an encrypted text message lost in quintillions of bytes of metadata (or to detonate a car bomb), smash it to pieces and sweep the fragments down the nearest storm drain. You remember what happened to Tom Brady’s cell phone when the NFL wanted to seize it in InflateGate (and he wasn’t even guilty as Robert Parry established). Procuring items like that are what CIA gophers are for. But Hillary was always undisciplined and entitled. It’s what made her so “likable,” er, “likable enough?”… actually Obama was wrong about that too.
Reply
Realist,
Years ago my heart sank as I realized that Democrats were nominating a petty con man (Slick Willie) to the Presidency. The debates that year featured three candidates and I voted for Ross Perot sensing that something was very strange. From Bill’s election on, we have been ruled by deep corruption, barely hidden below the surface. Nearly any skeptical reader could easily discern this. And, the corruption didn’t begin with the Clintons, they simply are comfortable with it… Exceptional, one might say. Thanks Realist for your vocal resistance!