Cause And Effect

[Aianawa]

Susssink n no plug Modster, well nailed.

Will attempt to communicate and give clarity here , best able ( been getting edited posts due to Aiannaweezey evolving imo ) .

yes

[Fred Steeves]

I kinda remember a time when people and governments of the west sort of frowned on apprehending journalists.

Well, we still do, sort of. Kind of like in Stephen King's book "Pet Sematary", where you can bury your dead pet or even your dead son, and they come back to life. Sort of...

If the reporter is on the right team, if their in cozy comfy with their partners in government and the Intel agencies, then they will move heaven and hell to keep you safe and propped up tall.

But if your on their ass about things, exposing deep state corruption, then your Constitutional protections are subject to revocation at any time.

The rest of the world see these blatant hypocrisies, but we like to play pretend that they don't. A fun little down low game of "do as I say not as I do, because I'm the Rules Based International Order that has you by the short hairs, and I say so".

[modwiz]

Well, we still do, sort of. Kind of like in Stephen King's book "Pet Sematary", where you can bury your dead pet or even your dead son, and they come back to life. Sort of...

If the reporter is on the right team, if their in cozy comfy with their partners in government and the Intel agencies, then they will move heaven and hell to keep you safe and propped up tall.

But if your on their ass about things, exposing deep state corruption, then your Constitutional protections are subject to revocation at any time.

The rest of the world see these blatant hypocrisies, but we like to play pretend that they don't. A fun little down low game of "do as I say not as I do, because I'm the Rules Based International Order that has you by the short hairs, and I say so".

My take is, real life has laws and games have rules.

And, people agree to play a game.

[Aragorn]

Will attempt to communicate and give clarity here

It's... not working all that well...

(You didn't really expect that you could toss a line like that out on the table and then get away with it too, did ya? )

[Aianawa]

Well the reply which was removed was not meant for anyone except whom was replyed to, whom may have overstood saiod reply, was a gist of, shell of, measured n feathered sorta reply, but yes no comprendayyy kill it.

[Diabolical Boids]

My take is, real life has laws and games have rules.

And, people agree to play a game.

Now that's something a person could embroider on a pillow.

[Aianawa]

Am working on the cause atm > https://effectiviology.com/humor-effect/

[Fred Steeves]

This is a good little rant by Caitlin Johnstone on Twitter. I've been thinking along the exact same lines she's getting at here, that culture war issues aren't necessarily without merit, but that they're constantly being amped up to keep the people fiercely divided amongst themselves.

Yes, an ongoing psychological operation. Cause and effect.

The first of 10 Tweets:

If the culture war looks like a psyop to you, it's because it is. I've seen some people calling it a distraction — and to be sure it serves the powerful to keep everyone arguing about subjects that threaten the powerful in no way — but it actually goes a lot further than that.

https://twitter.com/caitoz/status/1663320766530879489

[Fred Steeves]

Amazing how an otherwise smart people can be subjugated into thinking this is being responsible

US secures deal on Philippines bases to complete arc around China

The US has secured access to four additional military bases in the Philippines - a key bit of real estate which would offer a front row seat to monitor the Chinese in the South China Sea and around Taiwan.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64479712

...

And this is being irresponsible

Xi Jinping Raises Prospects Of Bringing Chinese Soldiers At America's Doorsteps With New Cuba Military Facility: WSJ

China and Cuba are in advanced negotiations to establish a joint military training facility on the island, raising concerns in Washington about the potential for Chinese troops and other security operations to be stationed just 100 miles off Florida’s coast, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...99b04f77&ei=12



And then there's neocon splainin, similar to cop splainin:

Blinken says US will ‘make sure Taiwan has the means to defend itself’

https://thehill.com/policy/internati...defend-itself/

Yep, it makes sense to recognize both the internationally respected "One China Policy", and to also aid China in defending against itself...


The unwritten mantra for the masses:

"Don't question, just nod blankly and continue about your business. It's trendy to be kind of dumb and gullible these days".

[Emil El Zapato]

Makes Barack Hussein Obama look pretty smart for trying to normalize relations with Cuba, huh? You know who poopooed all over themselves putting the kabosh on it. Don't know how accurate the above post is in any case.

[Emil El Zapato]

US secures deal on Philippines bases to complete arc around China
Published
2 February

By Rupert Wingfield-Hayes
BBC News, Manila

The US has secured access to four additional military bases in the Philippines - a key bit of real estate which would offer a front row seat to monitor the Chinese in the South China Sea and around Taiwan.

With the deal, Washington has stitched the gap in the arc of US alliances stretching from South Korea and Japan in the north to Australia in the south.

The missing link had been the Philippines, which borders two of the biggest potential flashpoints - Taiwan and the South China Sea.

The deal, which in part reverses the US' departure from their former colony more than 30 years ago, is no small matter.

"There is no contingency in the South China Sea that does not require access to the Philippines," says Gregory B Poling, director of the Southeast Asia programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

"The US is not looking for permanent bases. It's about places, not bases."

The US already had limited access to five sites under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) - the new additions and expanded access, according to a statement from Washington, will "allow more rapid support for humanitarian and climate-related disasters in the Philippines, and respond to other shared challenges", likely a veiled reference to countering China in the region.

The statement came after US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin met Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr in Manila on Thursday.

The US hasn't said where the new bases are but three of them could be on Luzon, an island on the northern edge of the Philippines, the only large piece of land close to Taiwan - if you don't count China.

China criticised the agreement, saying "US actions escalate regional tension and undermine regional peace and stability".

"The United States, out of its self-interests and zero-sum game mentality, continues to step up military posture in this region," its embassy said in a statement.

Map of bases


These days the US is seeking access to places where "light and flexible" operations involving supplies and surveillance can be run as and when needed, rather than bases where large numbers of troops will be stationed.

In other words, this is not a return to the 1980s, when the Philippines was home to 15,000 US troops and two of the largest American military bases in Asia, at Clark Field and nearby Subic Bay.

Then in 1991 the Philippine government called time. The Filipinos had recently overthrown the hated dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, and sending the old colonial masters home would further cement both democracy and independence.

The Vietnam war was long over, the Cold War was winding down, and China was as yet a military weakling. So, in 1992, the Americans went home - or at least most of them did.

• US reopens Pacific embassy in push to counter China
• How US Marines are being reshaped for China threat
• The US wants to play in China's backyard

Roll forward 30-odd years and another Marcos is back in the Malacañang Palace.

More important, China is no longer a military weakling, and it's knocking on the Philippines' front door. Manila has watched - horrified but powerless to intervene - as Beijing has set about redrawing the map of the South China Sea, or the West Philippine Sea as Manila insists on calling it. Since 2014 China has built 10 artificial island bases, including one at Mischief Reef, deep inside the Philippines' own exclusive economic zone or EEZ.

Up to then relations between Manila and Beijing had been free of major problems, says Herman Kraft, a political science professor at University of the Philippines.

"We had a live and let live situation in the South China Sea. But in 2012 they tried to seize control of Scarborough Shoal. Then in 2014 they began building the islands. The land grab by China changed the relationship."

"We have very limited capability against the threat from China," says former Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia Jr.

He says the Chinese have repeatedly broken promises not to militarise their new South China Sea bases.

"The Chinese have militarised those features and that puts more of our territory under threat. Only the US has the power to stop them. The Philippines cannot do it alone."

But this time there will not be thousands of US marines and airmen filling the red-light districts of Olongapo or Angeles city again.

Olongapo, close to a US naval base, was a hub for the illegal sex trade in the 1970s

The history of violence and abuse by US troops in the Philippines is still a sensitive subject. There are an estimated 15,000 children left with their Filipino mothers when their American fathers went home.

"We have a long history of inequality in our relationship," says Renato Reyes, secretary general of New Patriotic Alliance, a left-wing group. "The Philippines has been forced to shoulder the social costs. There's a history of rape, child abuse, and of toxic waste."

The US' return to the Philippines is strongly opposed by the country's left-wing groups.

While there won't be as many troops as earlier, Washington now has access to bases facing the South China Sea and Taiwan. Unofficial reports point to options in Cagayan, Zambales, Palawan and Isabela.

The first one faces Taiwan, the second the Scarborough shoal, and the third the Spratly Islands. Any new US facilities will be inside existing Philippine bases. US troops will come in small groups and on rotation.

The aim, says Mr Poling, will be to deter further territorial expansion by China in the South China Sea, while also providing a place for the US to watch Chinese military movements around Taiwan.

"The Philippines has no way to deter China outside this alliance," he says. "It's buying BrahMos missiles from India. The US would like to deploy Tomahawk cruise missiles. Together they can hold Chinese vessels."

With increasing concern about a conflict over Taiwan, the Philippines could offer a "rear access area" for US military operations, or even a place to evacuate refugees.

"People forget there are between 150,000-200,000 Filipinos living in Taiwan," Mr Poling says.

But Manila is not about to become a full-blown member of an American alliance to challenge or resist China's rise, Professor Kraft cautions.

"The Philippines is not doing those things like Australia and Japan, directly challenging Chinese interests in the South China Sea or East China Sea. President Marcos wants good relations with the US. But he also wants good relations with China for economic advantage."

Beijing too has indicated that it does not intend to allow a new base agreement between Manila and Washington to disrupt its relations with its neighbour.

In an editorial published to coincide with the arrival of the US defence secretary in Manila, China's state-run Global Times accused the US of "setting a trap for the Philippines" and "trying to push the Philippines to the frontline of confrontation with China".

"We are once again being caught in the middle," says Mr Reyes, who believes China is just as much a capitalist-imperialist power as the US.

"The Philippines still has a colonial mentality - it looks to the United States as its big brother."

[Fred Steeves]

Amazing how an otherwise smart people can be subjugated into thinking this is being responsible

US secures deal on Philippines bases to complete arc around China

The US has secured access to four additional military bases in the Philippines - a key bit of real estate which would offer a front row seat to monitor the Chinese in the South China Sea and around Taiwan.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64479712

...

Sooooooo, speaking of responsibility. Looks like it's time people of the West are trained to think that flying major implements of war into "China's Backyard" (a nice play on America's infamous Monroe Doctrine), is somehow a brilliant stroke of strategic gotcha that the bad guys have no answer for...

According to low brow neocon strategery, this may just be enough to make this next crazed dictator back off, and allow Uncle Sam unfettered naval access in the Straights of Taiwan. Hell, maybe this is enough to make Xi start to squirm, cry uncle, and scurry back into his crate like a good little doggie.

Like his buddy, the other crazed, Hitleresque dictator should have done.

The F-22 Raptor Landed Right in China’s ‘Backyard’

F-22 Raptors were sent to China's 'backyard' and near the South China Sea just months back in a clear signal to Beijing: A pair of U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors landed at Clark Air Base in the Philippines earlier in March, signaling closer defense ties between Washington and Manila.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...4bf6f381c&ei=9

B-52 Bombers Just Landed Right in China’s Backyard

United States Air Forces B-52s Landed in Indonesia For the First Time - Earlier this week, a pair of United States Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers landed in Indonesia for the very first time as a part of Washington's efforts to forge closer military ties with Jakarta. Though the countries have worked together for many decades, this marked the first time that the long-range strategic bomber was deployed to the Indo-Pacific nation.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...cff78563f&ei=8

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siwpn14IE7E

[Fred Steeves]

This is interesting. From early on in Russia's "unprovoked" invasion of Ukraine.

The real reason Ukraine’s information war is so successful

Information is a battleground fought by exploiting ethnic tensions, spreading disinformation, jamming communications, infiltration, and creating narratives through selective photos, video clips and news releases presented in such a way as to garner sympathy and solidarity from the rest of the world, while inspiring fear and sewing chaos in the mind of the enemy. Masters of this form of warfare use stereotypes, deeply held beliefs, and cultural ideas to prey upon their enemy’s weaknesses. This dark art goes well beyond communication on the internet and the stretching of the truth; it contains interconnected techniques in the physical and information domains. Like other forms of warfare, violence is inherent in the concept.

...

Militaries across the world are no doubt learning from and analyzing the performance of the Ukrainian military’s information warfare campaign. In 2016, the DoD was happy with a same-day turnaround on media products. Now, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is turning around footage to use in strategic narratives within hours, and sometimes within minutes. The United States Marine Corps recently announced this month the creation of new billets focused on influencing the information sphere. They called these new billets influence specialists or influence officers. Interestingly, the new positions combine multiple fields ranging from psychological operations to cyberspace operations. The announcement of these new slots acknowledged the importance of information and physical operations complementing each other.

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/ukra...formation-war/

The whole piece of course is disinformation, but they're also providing some insights into how this "dark art", is crafted. The average reader won't realize, or doesn't want to believe, that said disinformation campaign is aimed squarely at them, as they're being told how it's done.

While they do mention media, with good reason they're very stingy with how often they put 2 and 2 together, that being any good governmental disinformation campaign needs their willing partners in the media to pull it off.

[Fred Steeves]

'Serious Threat': Fears Putin Preparing to Blow Up Europe's Biggest Nuke Plant as He Evacuates Russian Troops

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...22dde843&ei=12

How do we know he's preparing for yet another terrorist attack, and how do we know he's evacuating the Zaporizhizhia nuclear power plant ahead of it?

The Zaporizhizhia nuclear power plant, managed by Rosatom, is facing a serious threat of sabotage from Vladimir Putin and the Russian army, leading to a potential radiation release, RadarOnline.com has learned.

Where did RadarOnline.com learn this?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned about this threat, calling for greater international attention to the situation at the facility, which is Europe's largest nuclear plant.

Ah, I see, Zelensky said so. That's all we need for evidence, because the US, NATO, and their allies, would never tell a lie. Only Russians lie...

In a recent statement, Zelensky alleged that Russia had planted explosives at four of the plant's six power units and cooling systems, indicating a potential terrorist attack on the facility.

Ukraine's military intelligence service has also raised concerns, stating that Russia is "technically ready" to provoke a localized explosion at the nuclear plant. This explosion, if triggered, could lead to a dangerous release of radiation

Now we have two sources, both from the same government. Is that what we consider further evidence?

The situation is further exacerbated by reports that Russian troops have been ordered to gradually withdraw from the plant, leaving Ukrainian staff and civilians vulnerable to potential emergencies.

And where do these reports come from? We just saw them above, but "further" implies there's even more.

Despite these alarming developments, a recent inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency found no evidence of explosives at the facility.

We only believe the IAEA when they're saying things we like.

However, it did mention the presence of mines around the site and critical access points, further highlighting the potential danger.

Further danger, the Russians have set up defensive measures!

It should be noted that the six reactors in the Zaporizhizhia nuclear power plant are currently in shutdown mode.

How often do we hear this part of it? That doesn't sound so bad after all.

Moreover, the wind in the area is currently blowing south-easterly, meaning that any potential radiation leak would drift toward Russian troop positions and the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

But the Russians are stupid, incompetent, they don't have the mental capacity to pause and consider factors such as wind direction when setting off nukes, and chemical weapons.

Russian troops 'choke on their own banned gas' after firing chemical weapon at Ukraine

Russian forces in eastern Ukraine allegedly fired a prohibited suffocating chemical gas at opposing soldiers but Ukraine's military say the wind blew the gas back towards them

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world...pon-in-Ukraine

And that brings us back to square one: how do we know this really happened? Well, Ukrainian officials said so...

Russia has been accused of firing an illegal chemical weapon at Ukrainian troops - only for the assault to backfire.

Russian forces in eastern Ukraine allegedly fired the banned suffocating chemical gas at opposition soldiers, but a Ukrainian military official said the wind blew it back towards the troops.

Russians fired a "chemical aerosol munition with suffocating effect on one of the positions," Valeriy Shershen, a spokesperson for the Joint Press Center of the Tavria Defense Force, said, according to Ukrinform's translation.

"But then the wind blew in the enemy's direction."

[Fred Steeves]

The tranceformation of the West is complete. Azov leaders have gone from Nazis, to far right nationalists, to just right wing, and now they're simply... freed heroes on their way back to the front lines.

Hell LOL, if anything, the other guys are now the Nazis.

Who says the human mind is not completely pliable, if given enough time and effort.

Ukraine Celebrates Return of Azov Commanders Held as Prisoners of War
Five members of the regiment returned home from Turkey to a heroes’ welcome on Saturday.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/09/w...ners-azov.html





And accordingly, this never even happened:

(2018)

Congress bans arms to Ukraine militia linked to neo-Nazis

...

“White supremacy and neo-Nazism are unacceptable and have no place in our world,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), an outspoken critic of providing lethal aid to Ukraine, said in a statement to The Hill on Tuesday. “I am very pleased that the recently passed omnibus prevents the U.S. from providing arms and training assistance to the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion fighting in Ukraine.”

...

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/3...-to-neo-nazis/


"Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past."

Guess who?