ICBM Missile Shield Test

https://johnyorks.tumblr.com/post/161282580058/us-says-test-shows-missile-defenses-outpacing

Dr. Morris Berman: Welcome to Trumpland and the Post-American World

politics is done in the darkness podcast #7

After far too long, here is the 7th (I think) politics is done in the darkness podcast.

Redacted Tonight: Election Fraud Special Report! (You Won't Believe This)

On Carroll Quigley

Good overview of Quigley's very big book.

The saga of the pre-selected 45th president continues

This from, of all people, Glenn Beck, only further reinforces my belief the American presidential elections are rotten to the core. From the writings of Webster Tarpley we learn that there has been a plan for sometime to make Sen. Ben Sasse the 45th President of the US. If this third party comes to be, I will no longer vote in the presidential elections of my country, as I will understand just how corrupt these elections are.

Articles about "Deep State" reach mainstream

Below are links to two articles that mention the "deep state" by name. The first is from Pat Buchanan, who oddly enough I agree with from time to time, especially on foreign policy from about the 90s on. The second actually appeared in the New York Times. Written by Philip Giraldi, this article seems more interested in the US connection with other countries who also have a "deep state." But it does mention "the establishment" as a stand in for our "deep state."

"The Sea Island Conspiracy"

"America's Establishment has Embraced Deep States"

A Lady Pole like feeling.

Sometimes, when I attempt to explain anything pertinent to our politics, I feel a bit like the character Lady Pole from the novel, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.  Whenever she would try to explain to people about the harm caused to her by the evil faerie prince, she was compelled to speak a kind of gibberish instead. This was because of the spell the faerie had her in.

Outside the land on Faerie, and more specifically, in the United States of today - there are many possible reasons why our political discourse can turn into gibberish. These reasons range from the mundane to the incredible. By "incredible," I mean that which is often relegated to the realm of "conspiracy theory"

A simple reason we might be inclined towards political nonsense is because we are constantly exposed to political nonsense. Mass communications, often one-way communications (with the possible exception of the internet) fill our minds with fantasy. What has become the mass media, including television, radio, and the internet to some extent, assaults us with the greatest illogic  history has ever known.

So far, I have been speaking of the mundane, which should be fairly obvious to most. Moving beyond the mundane, into the realm of ideas often relegated to "conspiracy theory," there is much to consider.

Let's start with one that is a little less controversial. For decades, we have known about the potential for subliminal messages to alter thought and behavior. Some would say the potential is exaggerated. For instance, it has been claimed that for one to be motivated to buy a soda at the drive-in movie, one first had to be truly thirsty. And, there is some quibbling over how "subliminal" is really defined.  The above link makes the case that sometimes we mean "supraliminal" rather than "subliminal."

To move further into the realm of "conspiracy theory," There are allegations that, whether this counts as subliminal or not, the US government has technology to broadcast audio messages directly to a single individual.   In fact, here is a video that shows a private individual demonstrating the technology allowing him to do this very thing.

Of course, there is much more, and I haven't even mentioned things like MK Ultra and Project Mockingbird. There certainly are cases when fact is stranger than fiction, but at least it is still unlikely that one could be manipulated by a faerie prince.

Lack of Democracy

Sometimes, when I'm motivated to write in this blog, I literally don't know where to start. I've probably used this next quote in other posts. I am often reminded of it. When George Carlin was on the Keith Olbermann show several years ago, at one point he told Olbermann very plainly, "This country is finished."   I would have to agree with Carlin if he meant the country is/was finished as a democracy. In fact, there have been scholarly studies suggesting just that. 

It could be argued that this concept is not new, as we have had academics tell us similar things even decades ago. For example, C Wright Mills wrote, The Power Elite in the 1950s. And I'm sure that some variation of the idea about the powerful elite of business, finance, and military interests dominating political life - of course with the help of the more staid media - has likely been with us for eons.

However, I would argue that in the US today (possibly other countries), things have gone way beyond that basic concept. It is such a big topic, and one is likely to have the scornful label of "conspiracy theorist" placed upon the one's self for even considering that our democracy might be corrupt beyond just the corruption of ordinary manipulation of opinion, and powerful persons having too great an influence on policy.

I tend to believe that at some point, I don't know when exactly, the very mechanics of our electoral democracy became corrupted. The first investigation into this that I am aware of was a book called, VoteScam: The Stealing of America. This book was written by two brothers, who having the experience of knowing some of the more radical politically minded people of the 1960s, decided that they should try to run an election campaign, just to record their experience. It was a way of testing whether they, two rather regular guys, could find the value, or lack thereof, of doing so.

According to them, they found out quite a bit more than they originally hoped to discover - namely that our elections are hopelessly corrupt. What was supposed to be a project to possibly write a book turned into a lifelong journey for them.

As they point out in the book, they believe they discovered sort of the pilot project for American democracy. Since then, as James Collier (one of the brothers who wrote the book) points out in various interviews, it has only gotten much worse.

I can't even recall if the electronic voting machines were introduced within the period covered in the book. Yet, at some point during the 1990s, these machines began to turn up in American polling places. The first time I remember reports of them appearing in the news was the election featuring Bush vs. Gore. For example, there was the voting machine that counted backwards.   By the time of the 2004 election, a great number of people had become suspicious of these machines, and believed they were being used to deliver elections to Republican candidates. Whether that is true or not, the machines are design in away that would allow either party, or potential outsiders, to basically rig an election.

In fact, those who were concerned with election integrity around this time were almost able to force a Republican tech consultant to appear in court in order for him to tell whatever he might know about alleged tampering with the 2004 election. Notice the circumstances of his not appearing in court.

At any rate, it would seem that the election result could be anything the machine says it is. I don't believe we select the president anymore, and I'm uncertain how much say we have in the lesser offices. Put this together with the work of people like C Wright Mills, and there is very little democracy regardless of the election results. This is truly a time of universal deceit.

election 2016 primary charade

If you could believe anything in the media, you would think that Americans absolutely love their elections. I can't say one way or the other if they really do or not. A large number seem to, and yet, many of those who actually vote (as I have for many years) suspect that something doesn't quite add up. For instance, we have the case of the former Governor of Alabama, who seems to have been sent to federal prison for political reasons. And there is much more to make one suspicious. 

This problem has been with us for a long time, however, as the video below demonstrates.

The Geneva talks and Syria's "opposition"

The media in the US is not going to really tell people exactly who the opposition to Assad in syria are, and where they came from - and especially not who supports whom. Finian Cunningham explains much better than myself.

A report from x22

This was so good, I've decided
to post it here in its entirety.

John Pilger is saying it about Syria

Finally, somebody on the left is saying this about ISIS and Syria. Different from what I've seen Chomsky and Amy Goodman going on about.

MI5 Spying on Ken Livingstone & Corbyn - Going Underground

Except I think Livingstone understates what goes on in the west

Classic Press Briefing on Russia and NATO

This is classic. I'm told this is from some time ago, but it makes the point clearly. I felt like I was watching a parody of some old 1960s movie, like "Dr. Strangelove" or something. The general (I believe he is a general) was like some stereotype of a fictitious general from some story book. He reminded me of something out of the book, The Little Prince , like when the Little Prince visits the planet where the militaristic leader is plotting out his territory.

Is Russia getting closer to NATO? Unbelievable. And this is how too many of our leaders think. No, the obvious answer is that NATO is getting closer to Russia. 

Media, RT, and Suspicious Minds.

Of course we should be suspicious when we hear one of the main innovators that created Russia Today is suddenly found in his American hotel room no longer among the living.   We know, as the article covers, that many in the American establishment are unhappy with the reporting RT does about them. We also know that many are unhappy with Russia, and Russian war policy in Syria. Odd, since ostensibly the US and Russia share a common enemy in ISIS. Of course, the real goal of US policy in Syria has been to remove Assad from power all along, but I digress....slightly.

So, we sometimes ponder the possibility, as I have titled this blog with belief in this very concept, that politics is something that is done in the darkness. What we get from NPR and the rest is just fragmentary trivia, not anything close to happenings in the vast darkness of the deep state.

So, yes I'm suspicious. I wouldn't put anything past the people who hold real power in this world, and it wouldn't surprise me if someday we learn that our most frightening suspicions about power were true all along. (Article about RT from The Free Thought Project.com)

Why is this congressperson saying things that seem true?

Hmm...Congressperson, Dana Rohrabacher, is saying some odd things for a congressman. He seems to be speaking the truth about Syria and Russia. Why would he do that so openly? Is US policy about to change? Difficult to know, but fascinating nonetheless. If it isn't what the ruling elite want from him, and they perceive this becoming a problem for their policies, then it could become difficult for this congressperson to keep telling so much truth. (note: For any who come across my blog, I am trying to use html code more when posting video - not to mention in general. So, be patient with my mistakes please.)source: Russia Insider YT.

Kerry, Lavrov, and the Turkish Border with Syria.

Here is how Mike Whitney concludes this article from CounterPunch about the prospects for peace in Syria, and the duplicity being exercised by Mr. Kerry and company regarding the war in Syria: "Putin sees terrorism as a direct threat to Russia’s national security. He’s going to do whatever it takes to defeat the enemy and win the war. If that means he’s got to put Russian boots on the ground to get the job done, then that’s what he’ll do."

RI Founder Charles Bausman Crushes Neocons on Russian Top Political Talk...

Reflections on Democracy, Taboo Ideas, and the Human Spirit - Joaquin

Joquin and Morris108 in a philosophical conversation. Quite good with many points made.