Syria - Israel Contempt for International Law & Murdoch Media Interest in Israel's Genie Energy

ꕤ Article SOURCE https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2015/12/no-brake-and-no-disclosure-on-media-owners-interests/ No Brake and No Disclosure on Media Owners’ Interests by craig on December 5, 2015 3:22 pm in Uncategorized     The Times today carries an article on ISIS’ oil interests, Syria and Turkey. Nowhere does it inform its readers that the owner of the newspaper, Rupert Murdoch, has a vested interest in this subject through his role and shares in Genie Energy, an Israeli company granted oil rights in Syria by the Israeli government. Dick Cheney and Lord Rothschild are also shareholders. No, they really are. This is not a conspiracy theory. It is a conspiracy. That Israel should grant oil rights within Syria is of course a striking example of contempt for international law, but then that is the basis on which Israel normally operates. Of course Genie’s share value will be substantially boosted by the installation of a neo-con puppet regime in Damascus which can be bought to underwrite the oil concession granted by Israel. Contempt for international law has been the single most important defining characteristic of neo-conservatism, and the need to uphold international law the recurring theme of this blog. I never thought the UK government would make the withdrawal of its support for the concept of international law explicit, as Cameron has done by removing the obligation to comply with international law from the Ministerial Code. That is truly, truly disgraceful. But to return to Murdoch’s oil interests in Syria, it seems to me a fundamental flaw that when Fox News, Sky News, the Times, the Sun and Murdoch’s numerous other media outlets bang the drum for Western military action in Syria, there is no requirement for the consumer of this propaganda to be told that the outlet is pushing a policy in line with the financial interests of its owner. Even for those actively seeking information, there is no register of the interests of media proprietors. EXTRACT ONLY -- ARTICLE CONTINUES https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2015/12/no-brake-and-no-disclosure-on-media-owners-interests/ ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT What's the point of international law if there's nobody to enforce it? ꕤ

Obama releases same old propaganda

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/214075-obama-pressures-putin-on-ukraine-missile-treaty

US and Russia break the silence ... er, since Tuesday.  LOL

Just some more White House propaganda of the 'raised concerns' kind.  LOL

So it is just Obama pointing the finger at Russia.

Biden's yapping about the $8 mil assistance in Ukraine.

Yeah, but whose assistance?   LOL

Let MH17 be our 9/11 - And let Europe belong to Corporate America

 Let MH17 be our 9/11

Check out this little piece of propaganda:

Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue, Dutch Version
Brookings Institution - here.

    "First, Russian President Putin is not our friend, and policies can reflect that as long as he and his clique are in charge in Russia. So the aim is to decrease rather than increase economic, political and cultural ties with that country. ..." [So all your ties are with the US .. DOH! .. C'mon ... between UN, EU, NATO and IMF we've already got you bent over, baby ... hehehehe ... C'mon, baby, give it up!]

    "Second, to diminish Russian influence in European natural gas markets, member states finally need to get serious on completion of the internal market. Opening up Central, Eastern and Southern Europe for competition would ..."  [Open up, baby!  Let corporate America finally have that stab at the European energy market ... heheheheh ... and sell you energy at higher cost!!!  Yay!]

    "Third, Europe has to step up its efforts to reduce energy demand by installing ambitious energy efficiency targets. ..." [Yes, and we've got the corporate connections breathing heavy, waiting in the wings to do that for you, baby!  Hehhehehehheheee!]

    "Fourth, because the U.S. is changing its role in the international arena, the Europeans need to reconsider their defense policies and improve collaboration ..." [Yeah, you dumb Europeans put some money up for 'defence' so we can sell you US weapons and US military ... and US infrastructure and US gas!  Hehehehehe ... C'mon waddaya waitin' for?]

Come on Europe, you know you want it!

Hillary Clinton's CNN Soapbox

First, a blast from the past:

* Here's what Hillary Clinton said about a case involving a 12-year old victim in America:

Hillary Clinton has said she was obliged to defend an accused rapist out of professional duty when she was a lawyer in the 1970s - a case in which she was ready to discredit the 12-year-old victim. She even intimated that she knew the accused was guilty by revealing her shock that he passed a lie detector test. Mrs Clinton was given the case in 1975 when she ran the University of Arkansas’ legal aid clinic. The accused was Thomas Alfred Taylor, 41. ... The audio recording in which Mrs Clinton laughs about the case was published on YouTube by the Washington Free Beacon. She is heard chuckling as she describes how her client beat a lie detector case. She said: ‘I had him take a polygraph, which he passed – which forever destroyed my faith in polygraphs.’ She also appeared to find the fact that a crime lab accidentally threw away bloodied underwear funny – it was DNA evidence potentially linking Taylor to the crime. Court documents show that Mrs Clinton's case was to be based around discrediting the victim. She wrote: 'I have also been told by an expert in child psychology that children in early adolescence tend to exaggerate or romanticize sexual experiences and that adolescents in disorganized families, such as the complainant’s, are even more prone to exaggerate behavior.' However, in the end, the missing evidence meant the case against Taylor collapsed. In the end he pleaded guilty to a lesser offence. Clinton said: 'Got him off with time served in the county jail, he’d been in the county jail for about two months.' After hearing the recording, the victim, who has not been named, told The Daily Beast: ‘Hillary Clinton took me through hell. I realize the truth now, the heart of what you’ve done to me. And you are supposed to be for women? You call that [being] for women, what you done to me? And I heard you on tape laughing.’  Source - Daily Mail - here.

Then to CNN:

* Here's what Hillary Clinton said about Russia & Gaza:

Hillary Clinton: Putin 'bears responsibility' in downing of MH17 July 25, 2014 -- Updated 2120 GMT (0520 HKT) (CNN) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin bears at least some responsibility for the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday. "I think if there were any doubt it should be gone by now, that Vladimir Putin, certainly indirectly -- through his support of the insurgents in eastern Ukraine and the supply of advanced weapons and, frankly, the presence of Russian Special Forces and intelligence agents -- bears responsibility for what happened," she told CNN's Fareed Zakaria in an exclusive interview that will air Sunday. Clinton's comments come just over a week since Flight MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 on board. Pro-Russian militants have been accused of downing the plane using Russia-supplied armaments and of interfering with the subsequent investigation at the crash site. ... "We have to up the sanctions that are required. The United States has continued to move forward on that, Europe has been reluctant," Clinton told. "They need to understand they must stand up to Vladimir Putin." Her comments came as the Pentagon warned that Russia is preparing to transfer more powerful weaponry into Ukraine, a move it said could happen at any time. ... Has Israel committed war crimes? In a wide-ranging interview, Clinton also discussed the ongoing violence in Gaza as Israel's ground incursion entered its second week. Asked about the warning Wednesday by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay that war crimes may have been committed, and whether Israel has used excessive force, Clinton said she did not agree with the war crimes assessment. ... Full @  Source - CNN - here.

But what's this:

* Here's the US unsupported claims re Russia:

State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf "During a press briefing ... State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf accused Russia of firing artillery across the border into Ukraine, but refused to give any evidence supporting her claim."

Did Clinton say:  "if there were any doubt"?

Harf had the opportunity to dispel doubt and nail Russia ... but refused to give any evidence to support the US claim.

Somehow I have trouble believing what this lot represent.

Does anyone think Clinton and crew really give a flying cookie about the welfare of Ukraine?

Daily Mail stoop as low as press can go

'Mascara from Amsterdam, or if to be precise from the field':  Outrage as female 'separatist' posts Instagram selfie wearing 'looted mascara - and boasting about it' The caption read: 'Mascara from Amsterdam, or if to be precise from the field. Well, you understand.'  When she is asked by her own followers if she was joking - and how she got the mascara - she answered: 'An acquaintance of mine, a looter, gave it to me.'  The woman - her age is not known - describes herself as a 'separatist' who 'feels sick and hates everything Ukrainian'.  Bloggers in both Russia and Ukraine have questioned whether the posting was a provocation amid a huge propaganda war from both sides, but a number of well-known web writers believe it to be genuine and have expressed horror. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2705628/Mascara-Amsterdam-precise-field-Outrage-female-separatist-posts-Instagram-selfie-wearing-looted-mascara-boasting-it.html#ixzz38UIvlBQU

News is no longer the news; it's allegations and refusals to substantiate.

It's repeating allegations, minus substantiated facts.

It's lies by omission and plenty of omissions.

And now news is some alleged ghoulish nobody moron on social media -- verified by 'a number of well-known web writers'? 

Is that so, Daily Mail?

*Eyeroll* 

What chick would apply second-hand mascara?  

Let alone mascara from a grave site. 

Whoever cooked this up cooked up that batch of Nuland cookies.

US & friends in no position to lecture

US and allies ‘in no position to lecture anyone on the sanctity of human life’ John Wight is a writer and commentator specializing in geopolitics, UK domestic politics, culture and sport. Published time: July 24, 2014 08:34 The destruction of a Malaysia Airlines passenger aircraft over eastern Ukraine nobody disputes is a terrible tragedy. Almost 300 people have been killed in the most awful circumstances and though it is self-evident that a full and thorough investigation must follow to find out what happened its conclusions will be scant comfort to the families and loved ones of those who perished. That said, the mind boggles that a civilian passenger aircraft should be flying anywhere near a war zone, especially one in which fighter jets, military aircraft, and military transport aircraft are playing such a key role in hostilities. The alacrity with which Washington and its allies have sought to exploit this tragedy to attack Russia has been as unedifying as it has been despicable. If it turns out that the aircraft was downed by a missile, and as yet no one knows for certain how this disaster occurred, it is highly likely to have been an accident and there is something to be said for understanding the conditions in which such a tragic event has taken place. What we do know for certain at this point is that the conflict which has been raging in eastern Ukraine over the past few months, and which has intensified since the election of Petro Poroshenko as President of western Ukraine in May, was sparked by the toppling of the last legitimate democratically elected Ukrainian government of Viktor Yanukovich by an armed mob in Kiev in February, in which avowed neo-Nazis played a key role. Some of those neo-Nazis currently occupy ministerial offices in the regime led by Mr. Poroshenko and are prevalent in the violence that has been visited on the people in the east of the country, who have risen up in resistance to Kiev and its sponsors in the West. [...] The recent signing of the Association Agreement between the EU and the regime in Kiev has brought the EU into disrepute. Just think about this for a moment: the EU has just entered a state into its ranks bathed in the blood of its own citizens. There is another very important aspect to the continuing fallout from the Malaysian airliner disaster that helps us understand the level of anti-Russian vitriol and propaganda it has sparked. Vladimir Putin has just enjoyed a successful trip to South America. There he played a key role in the establishment of a new development bank to rival the dominance of the US and European-led World Bank. With a capital base of $100bn this new institution will provide developing economies with alternative funding without the punishing conditions and exploitative strings attached to funding obtained from the World Bank and its affiliate the International Finance Corporation. This is a massive step forward for the developing world, turning a new page in the continuing struggle to forge a multipolar alternative to the status quo of Washington’s and the West’s unipolarity, which has retarded the development of the Global South since the Second World War. There is also the no small matter, as far as the West is concerned, of the Russian President’s visit to Cuba and the forging of closer relations with its former Cold War ally. Again, this will have undoubtedly resulted in the gnashing of teeth in Washington, further evidence of the challenge that is being mounted to its hegemony in what it considers its own backyard. Furthermore, the stridency when it comes to the tragic deaths of the 298 people on the Malaysian airliner has been significantly absent when it comes to the comparable number of civilians slaughtered in Gaza as a result of Israel’s ongoing brutal military assault. The hypocrisy here is striking, if not surprising. For many years Washington and its European allies have provided political cover for Israel’s war crimes vis-à-vis the Palestinians and its Arab neighbors. They are in no position to lecture anyone on the sanctity of human life. The pressure being brought to bear against Russia, exploiting this tragedy as a pretext, should not blind us to the role of the West in fomenting and prolonging military conflicts around the world for their own geopolitical interests. Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, Palestine; their crimes would shame all the devils in hell. Only when Washington and its allies understand that their days of uncontested hegemony and unipolarity are over will there be a chance for a new global framework in which respect for national sovereignty and international law is returned to prominence and upheld as the non-negotiable arbiter of international affairs and foreign policy. The alternative is more conflict and more of the chaos we are witnessing today. Extract only...full @... Source - RT News - here.

Hopefully you cyber travellers like reading as much as I do.

It seems a lot to wade through but it's really worth a read to see the other side's viewpoint.

I think the article speaks a lot of truths about the way Russia is vilified, how MH17 victims are exploited for political point scoring and about hypocrisy.

Anti-Russian Propaganda 101

US accuses Russia of firing across border at Ukraine military Deutsche Welle-16 minutes ago The United States claims Russia is firing artillery from its side of the border targeting Ukrainian military forces. Moscow also plans to give pro-Russian separatists ... Russia Fired On Ukraine, U.S. Says Huffington Post-24 minutes ago (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday that Russia was firing artillery across the border into Ukraine to target Ukrainian military positions in the conflict ... US says evidence shows Russia fired artillery into Ukraine BBC News-37 minutes ago The US says it has evidence that Russia has fired artillery across the border targeting Ukrainian military positions. Russia also intends "to deliver heavier Russia 'clearly escalating' Ukraine conflict - US 3News NZ-42 minutes ago Moscow is also planning to "deliver heavier and more powerful multiple rocket launchers" to the pro-Russian separatist forces in Ukraine, US deputy State ... Our fighters were shot out of the sky from Russia' Irish Independent-49 minutes ago Ukraine said yesterday that two of its military aircraft had been shot down by missiles fired from Russia, as a senior rebel commander reportedly admit US says Russia firing across border into Ukraine; Ukrainian PM ... The Globe and Mail-1 hour ago The United States said on Thursday that Russia was firing artillery across the border into Ukraine to target Ukrainian military positions in the conflict against Is Putin Responsible For MH17? Five Questions For Investigators ... Forbes-1 hour ago First, separatist forces, hammered by Ukraine's control of the air over ... (Even after the MH17 disaster, Russia continues to send in heavy military equipment.). Russia firing across border on Ukraine troops: US Zee News-1 hour ago Washington: The United States on Thursday said it had evidence Russian forces are firing artillery from inside Russia on Ukrainian troops, in wha US accuses Russia of attacking Ukrainian troops Press TV-1 hour ago "We have new evidence that the Russians intend to deliver heavier and more powerful multiple rocket launchers to separatist forces in Ukraine and have ... U.S. has 'evidence that Russia is firing' into Ukraine NEWS.GNOM.ES-1 hour ago Donetsk, Ukraine (CNN) — The United States said Thursday it has proof that Russia is firing into Ukraine. Also Thursday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy ..

Putin's plan to defy world WND.com-2 hours ago However, the Ukrainian rebels are maintaining strongholds in two principal cities of Donetsk and Luhansk, which are near the border with Russia. And Russia is ... Peter Hartcher, New York and James Massola Sydney Morning Herald-by James Massola-2 hours ago Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is in Ukraine and at 9.30am Australian EST time, ... that "Russia is responsible for what is happening in Ukraine at the moment". “We must take knowledge of the atrocious behavior of Russia”, says ... GroundReport-2 hours ago So I think it is important to understand, and I refer my colleagues to an article, yes, in The Wall Street Journal, on why Putin is taking major risks in Ukraine. Rebel admits pro-Russians had BUK missile The Asian Age-2 hours ago A powerful Ukrainian rebel leader has confirmed that pro-Russian separatists had an anti-aircraft missile of the type Washington says was used to shoot down . Rebel admits pro-Russians had BUK missile The Asian Age-2 hours ago A powerful Ukrainian rebel leader has confirmed that pro-Russian separatists had an anti-aircraft missile of the type Washington says was used to shoot down . THE VIEW FROM HERE Garden City News-2 hours ago ... down by Ukranian rebels allied with Russia for unknown reasons and nearly ... on President Obama for the difficult situation in the Ukraine and in the Middle ... US: Russia fires artillery at Ukraine military, plans to send ... Greenfield Daily Reporter-2 hours ago WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Thursday accused Russia of firing artillery from its territory into Ukraine to hit Ukrainian military sites and ... MH17: Existence of Buk Missile System Confirmed by High-ranking ... International Business Times AU-2 hours ago Alexander Khodakovsky, a high-ranking Ukrainian leader of Vostok battalion had confirmed the ... Khodakovsky said that the Buk may have come from Russia. Russian military fires artillery into eastern Ukraine USA TODAY-3 hours ago The Russian military fired artillery rounds into eastern Ukraine on Thursday, a "clear escalation" of hostilities there, Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon .. Merkel can help bring Russia to heel The Star Online-3 hours ago For all those seeking justice in the wake of the MH17 tragedy, Germany's 'mutter' may be the best bet to pry it out of Russia and secure peace for Ukraine.

Above is just a fraction of the bad press Russia is getting.

The theme is 'US says' in one form or another.

Or, cutting out the middleman, simply:  Russia did it!! 

Putin, 'evil mastermind', even has a plan to DEFY THE WORLD!!  LOL.

Don't worry; Germany's 'mutter' is on the job and she'll bring Russia to heel.

Hey, wasn't she Russia's spy just a few days ago?  LOL

Putin to lose Ukraine ... and World Cup

MH17: Vladimir Putin will lose Ukraine through stupidity Date July 24, 2014 The mind-boggling stupidity of the armed masked men at the crash site of the Malaysia Airlines plane, and their blatantly lying superiors, has changed the equation in Ukraine and Europe. The murder of 298 civilians by Russian-backed criminals is creating positives out of a disastrous negative. [No stupidity in Ukraine's government refusal to extend the ceasefire, backed by the US?   So there's positives in the deaths of 298?] Those positives can prove significant. So significant that, after the criminal investigation of the destruction of flight MH17 is completed, Russia can lose its right to host the 2018 football World Cup.  [So The Age pronounced the who-dunnit's solved (ie murder ... by Russian-backed criminals), but the investigation is not complete?   And The World Cup is at stake?] Not all sanctions involve trade. Shunning has its place. During the World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro, Russian President Vladimir Putin sat next to the President of Brazil and the president of FIFA. If Russia is found to have sponsored terrorism, then sought to cover up a mass murder, many nations will not want to see Russia and Putin rewarded with the world’s most-watched sporting event.  [Is this sports thing a joke?] The imperial meddling of Putin will be tainted for years to come by this incident. Ukrainians have been galvanised. They have witnessed the murder of innocents, the appalling conduct of separatists at the crash scene and the implausible denials by Russian puppets, notably Alexander Borodai, the self-styled prime minister of the Donetsk people's republic. Faced with overwhelming evidence of self-incrimination, Borodai said: “It is very simple to disprove it. All of the information that comes through the internet is practically all lies.”  [Big on accusations but low on the evidence.  What of Ukraine puppet state? What of murder of Ukrainians?  What of corporate imperialism?] This tactic of brazen blanket denial actually works in Russia, where the state media has been whitewashing reality and shunting blame onto the Ukrainian government. Putin remains popular as a Russian nationalist standing up to the West. [Western media is whitewashed.  What of that?] The rest of the world has had its eyes opened about the reality of the separatist movement in Ukraine. Many of the armed so-called rebels are actually local criminals. Others are Russians who have been paid to fight in Ukraine. The use of heavy arms inside Ukraine, just months after an orderly presidential election produced a clear winner, has alarmed most residents in the Russian-speaking eastern provinces on whose behalf the manufactured insurrection is taking place. [What of the deposed legitimate Ukraine government?  What of US puppet state?  'Eyes opened'?  I don't think so, whitewashed propaganda-disseminating media.] The fingerprints of Vladimir Putin are all over this.  [Fingerprints of corporate America are all over this, some would argue.] As for the destruction of flight MH17, on Saturday the US embassy in Kiev issued an unusually blunt and detailed account of events that is unlikely to be contradicted by the criminal investigation to come: “We assess that flight MH17 was likely downed by a SA-11 surface-to-air missile from separatist-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine. We base this judgment on several factors.  [And how is The Age so certain of this?  Kiev says so?  That settles it then.  Why bother conducting an investigation?  Let's get back to some sports, shall we?] “Over the past month, we have detected an increasing amount of heavy weaponry to separatist fighters crossing the border from Russia into Ukraine. Last weekend, Russia sent a convoy of military equipment with up to 150 vehicles including tanks, armoured personnel carriers, artillery and multiple rocket launchers to the separatist. We also have information indicating that Russia is providing training to separatist fighters at a facility in south-west Russia, and this effort included training on air defence systems. [No mention of the US troops, US billion pledge to military in Europe, EU pledges in the billions to US-NATO military, ships in the Black Sea, US weapons, US training, US CIA prisons etc on European soil -- or the money that the US and the EU have thrown -- and have pledged -- to Ukraine.]

“Pro-Russian separatist fighters have demonstrated proficiency with surface-to-air missile systems and have downed more than a dozen aircraft over the past few months, including two large transport aircraft.  [If so, the implication is that they shot down the plane?  But who has more to gain from a foreign civilian death drama?] “At the time that flight MH17 dropped out of contact, we detected a surface-to-air missile (SAM) launch from a separatist-controlled area in south-eastern Ukraine. We believe this missile was an SA-11… [As above] “Social media postings on Thursday show an SA-11 system travelling through the separatist-controlled towns of Torez and Snizhne, near the crash site and assessed location of the SAM launch …[As above.  Hey, why conduct an investigation?  Let's rely on social media.  LOL.] “Ukraine also operates SA-11 systems, but we are confident no Ukrainian air defence systems were within range of the crash. Ukrainian forces have also not fired a single surface-to-air missile during the conflict, despite often complaining about violations of their airspace by Russian military aircraft.  [As above] “Shortly after the crash, separatists – including the self-proclaimed “Defence Minister” of the Donetsk people’s republic, Igor Strelkov – claimed responsibility for shooting down a military transport plane on social media … [Anyone who believes this needs to buy my enormous bridge.] “Audio data provided to the press by the Ukrainian security service was evaluated by intelligence community analysts who confirmed these were authentic conversations between known separatist leaders, based on comparing the Ukraine-released internet audio to recordings of known separatists.” [Yes, and we know how independent, straight and reliable intelligence services are.  *Cough*] On Monday I suggested Ukraine should hold a plebiscite on separation, to allow the country to shed Russian influence by allowing any region contiguous with Russia to vote to return to Russia if it wished. A plebiscite would be an aggressive form of democracy. It would call Putin’s bluff. [Is Victoria 'Fuck the EU' Nuland going to hand out cookies?  If so, that's way better than watching the World Cup.] Based on the events of the past week, Russia would be fortunate to harvest a small rump of Ukraine. The rest of the country, most of it, would reject Russia. And Putin would have lost Ukraine.  [Does that mean they don't get the World Cup?  Nooooo!] Source - The Age - here.

There you go, folks.  Eastern Ukrainians aren't just plain stupid; they're mindbogglingly stupid, according to The Age (Australia).  Oh, and they're masked ... and have got some guns.

But at least The Age sees positives in the MH17 civilian deaths.  

One of those positives appears to be:  Russia doesn't get the World Cup. 

No investigation has taken place, but The Age has pronounced eastern Ukrainians guilty as charged by the US puppet government of Ukraine. 

Why even bother with an investigation?

Mind you, there will never be an independent investigation whatever transpires.  

Nobody's independent.  Everyone has a stake in the grab for Ukraine, because they're either aligned with the US or aligned with the EU (which may as well be the US because of NATO, the UN etc), and even those that are supposedly 'neutral' aren't independent.

Western press is well and truly whitewashed and this is another load of anti-Russian propaganda.

Too bad the press don't put their pens to use decrying the 'murder of innocents' in Gaza, where the ongoing real-time toll has now passed 700.

While I've not done studies on the influence of the media, I'm willing to wager that a steady stream of vilification of an 'enemy' and a steady stream of media whitewashing explains why -- throughout wars -- there has never been a shortage of soldiers willing to spill their blood on foreign soil to further foreign imperialist aspirations and agendas.

UN - COMICS - INDOCTRINATION OF CHILDREN

MARVEL COMICS [Parent Company] Marvel Entertainment, LLC (The Walt Disney Company) [Founded 1939] as Timely Comics [Headquarters Location] 135 W. 50th Street, New York City Spider-Man X-Men Wolverine Fantastic Four Iron Man Hulk Thor Captain America Silver Surfer Avengers Green Goblin Doctor Octopus Magnet Doctor Doom Loki Galactus Thanos Red Skull .. locations that mirror real-life cities. [wikipedia]

THE AVENGERS The Avengers are Earth's foremost major organization of costumed superhuman crimefighters, adventurers and heroes dedicated to safeguarding the world from any threat beyond the power of conventional peacekeeping forces or any which any of them can't handle alone. Founded several months after the incorporation of the hero team Fantastic Four, the Avengers became the first superhuman team to be granted full official government sanctions by the National Security Council of the United States, the General Assembly of the United Nations, and later by the international intelligence/law enforcement agency S.H.I.E.L.D.. [...] United Nations Charter Captain America, at that time called simply the Captain, immediately reorganized the team with the hero Gilgamesh and the temporary members Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman of the Fantastic Four. Captain America soon reassembled all known members and associates to the rebuilt Avengers Mansion, claiming that all heroes may consider themselves on reserve and ready for service, although an active team of seven members (plus two reserves) would be the primary response team. Also at this time, the Avengers negotiated with the United Nations, earning global jurisdiction by pledging to serve under a U.N. charter as it had previously the United States. http://marvel.wikia.com/Avengers_%28Earth-616%29

2008 - UN - MARVEL COLLABORATION ANNOUNCED In 2008, Marvel announced plans to release a series of educational comics the following year in partnership with the United Nations, depicting Spider-Man alongside UN Peacekeeping Forces to highlight UN peacekeeping missions. [wikipedia]

BBC Article The UN recently announced a union with the comic book company, Marvel. Together, they aim to print a special comic that will see the superhero fight alongside UN aid workers and peacekeepers. Marvel scribes have offered to pen the work for free. The UN is now seeking private backing so it can distribute 1m free copies to American schoolchildren. The project's creator, the French producer Romuald Sciora, says he hopes it will then be translated into European languages. UN's top man on the project says critics are missing the point. Amir Dossal leads the UN Partnerships Office, which is putting up half the money for the project. He told the BBC it was not intended to promote the UN per se, but rather to inform children about UN humanitarian causes. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7172016.stm

2008 - Blogger - Jack Central Late last month, the UN announced it would be working with Marvel Comics to develop a comic book for youth set in a fictional war-torn country where superheroes work alongside UNICEF aide workers and UN peacekeepers. The UN initially plans to distribute its comic book to one million U.S. children, and then hopes to translate the comic in other languages and include a game and DVD to distribute alongside the book to children in other countries. To many people around the world, the image of the United Nations has been shaken due to a variety of accusations the organization has faced. In January 2000, the United Nations was sued for the first time in its history for alleged complicity in the crime of genocide, which drove hundreds of thousands Rwandan Tutsis from their homes. Two women claimed that the UN soldiers—whose task it was to defend their families—either handed them over to their killers or ran away, according to a report from the BBC in January 2000. Other alleged reports have sprung up against the UN, like the account of an Irish soldier serving as a United Nation peacekeeper in Eritrea, Africa in 2002 who was caught making pornographic videos of local women. So the idea to put this somewhat propaganda-like creation into the malleable minds of youngsters seems conniving. http://jackcentral.com/opinion/2008/01/un-enlists-marvel-spider-man-to-improve-image/

Perhaps this is old news for most people, but this Spider-man collaboration with the UN is news to me.


What's interesting is the subject matter of the comics overall and how the content of these comics may shape the minds of those being entertained by superheroes saving the day.


The references to government and political entities appear to be standard references (see Avengers above). 

The Spider-man and UN announcement made the news in 2008 because in the real world -- and not the Marvel comic book world of heroes and villains -- the UN arranged to collaborate with Marvel, and aimed to distribute Marvel superhero UN mission themed comics to children in the US and beyond.


The UN Partnerships Office said at the time that it was to:  

"... inform children about UN humanitarian causes."

Children need to know about UN political pursuits (slash humanitarian missions) -- why?

The United Nations organization Another supranational political system that does not precisely fit any of the conventional classifications of such systems is the United Nations, a voluntary association of most of the world’s nation-states. Its membership had grown from an original 51 states to more than 190 by the early 21st century. [here]

Might the UN be motivated to foster passive acceptance in younger generations of an ideal, purely altruistic, UN whose motives and aims shall not be questioned?

Without knowing more about international politics and the workings of humanitarian organisations and their role in international politics, I can't see the big picture.

However, I am highly suspicious of supranational bodies and of humanitarian organisations that play a role on the global political stage.

BBC Radio 5 - What, no Netanyahu?

BBC Radio 5 live ‏@bbc5live 56m Your Call: What would you do about President Putin? Call 0500 909693. Text 85058. Listen: http://bbc.co.uk/5live

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COMMENT


I don't suppose BBC Radio 5 considered a:

Your Call:

What would you do about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?

Naah, not a chance. LOL.

AUSTRALIA ON - MH17 UN COUNCIL RESOLUTION

Tony Abbott hails UN backing for MH17 resolution     July 22, 2014 - 9:23AM The Abbott government's push for a full independent investigation into the downing of MH17 over Ukraine has been backed by a unanimous vote UN Security Council, increasing pressure on Russia to facilitate access to the crash site. In a joint statement with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop released on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Tony Abbott hailed the result saying that the resolution lent the Security Council's ''full weight'' in condemning the attack. ... Earlier, Ms Bishop, who is at the UN headquarters in New York, said it was ''despicable'' that investigators were not getting access to the crash site. ''Grief is now accompanied by outrage as we witness grotesque violations at the crash site,'' Ms Bishop said. ''This demands a response.'' She also told the Council that its message to those responsible for the MH17 deaths was ''definitive''. ''You will be held to account for your actions. They were all innocent people.'' [Steady on ... Resolution's toothless] Mr Abbott will chair a cabinet and national security committee meetings in Canberra again on Tuesday. He will later sign a condolence book at Parliament House, together with representatives of the diplomatic community. [Get that PR mileage, Abbott] Overnight, Mr Abbott's envoy to Ukraine to respond to the disaster, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, met Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Labor leader Bill Shorten is also in the United States for meetings. He said he was very pleased that the Security Council had passed the resolution. ''It is now time for the leader of the Russian Federation, Mr Putin, to now show the rest of the world that he'll now act on this resolution,'' Mr Shorten told Sky News. ''I think this has dragged on for too long.'' Source - SMH - here.

Yeah, Abbott, but the Council's 'full weight' is really NO WEIGHT when the UN Council's resolution is unenforceable.

A bunch of politicians looking to gain PR and political advantage by taking advantage of victims.  

That's what you call despicable.

Currently Reading: Vietnam

"U.S. propaganda leaflet urges Viet Cong to defect using the Chiêu Hồi Program" (Chiêu Hồi - is 'Open Arms') [Source - Wikipedia - here]

The Chieu Hoi ('Open Arms') US propaganda program is described in Wikipedia as 'successful' overall, having removed a number of combatants from the field.

History shows, however, that it is the Viet Cong who ultimately prevailed against the odds.

MH17 - War of words - Threat of extension of anti-Russian sanctions

Financial Times (Source - FT - here) is running with a western ultimatum to Russians and a push for extension of anti-Russian sanctions story.

Putin's the villain because he supposedly has control over the eastern Ukraine 'rebels' (otherwise known as the 'self defence force').

Nobody condemns Ukraine's Petro Poroshenko for calling off the ceasefire in the first place:

Early on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced that the armed forces, national guard, border troops and security service are no longer restrained by the ceasefire regime, thus enforcing his decision against another extension of the ceasefire in east Ukraine. According to Poroshenko, the move to call off the ceasefire was dictated by the fact that protection of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, safety and the lives of civilians require offensive as well as defensive action against independence supporters. The president’s most recent initiative is inconsistent with his previously voiced intention of crisis-resolution, because the peaceful settlement effort was intended to immediately stop the violence. Ukraine’s government promised to stick to the implementation of the peace plan, which envisages disarmament, decentralization, unrestricted use of the Russian language and reconstruction of destroyed housing at the government’s expense. Earlier Tuesday, Russia’s lower house speaker Sergei Naryshkin stated that without a comprehensive ceasefire, peace in Ukraine cannot be restored. [Source - RIA Novosti- 15:05 01/07/2014 - here]

John Kerry reckons 'evidence' points to a Russian SA-11 downing MH17.  But the west is jumping up and down because of lack of access to 'evidence', so wouldn't this make Kerry's 'evidence' speculation at this point in time?  Irrespective of the exact device which may have taken down the MH17, does John Kerry actually know who fired the weapon?  I highly doubt that.  So this is more US-biased anti-Russian speculation floated about in the press.

Much is made of the lack of access to the site; but the site in question is a war-zone.  And it was the west's Poroshenko that reinstated it as a war-zone, on the strength of his US support not to extend the ceasefire:

Tuesday after President Petro Poroshenko announced he would not renew a ceasefire but go on the offensive to rid Ukraine of "parasites". ... The United States said the separatists had not abided by the ceasefire and Poroshenko had "a right to defend his country". Within hours of Poroshenko's early morning announcement, his military went into action against rebel bases and checkpoints, bombarding them from the air and with artillery. [SOURCE - Reuters - here]

'Right to defend' etc ... hmmmm, that rings a bell.  Oh, that's it; it reminds me of the US position on Israel and Gaza!  Look how well that's working out.

Philip Hammond UK Foreign Secretary gets in on the act, as does Frank-Walter Steinmeir, German's Minister for Foreign Affairs.

UK wants an immediate extension of sanctions passed.  Of course, they do.  They're tight with the US and they themselves probably have UK corporate interests to consider when it comes to the grab in Ukraine.

Financial Times provides a link to their story on Obama's 'MH17 Wake Up Call to Europe Over Sanctions'.

The alleged rebel wiretaps get a mention, but all this does is drag unsubstantiated allegations into the impression-creation mix -- like it's supposed to.

GAZA - London Protest

Thousands march in London against Israeli aggression; clashes in Paris     AFP     July 20, 2014 LONDON: Parts of central London were brought to a standstill on Saturday as thousands of pro-Palestinians marched in protest against Israel’s offensive in Gaza, while in Paris a banned demonstration descended into violence.  Organisers of the London rally claimed that “tens of thousands” of people joined the march from Prime Minister David Cameron’s office to the Israeli embassy, many of them chanting “Israel is a terror state”.  Police refused to give an estimate for the number present but several roads through the centre of the capital were closed during the three-mile (4.8-kilometre) march, which passed off peacefully.  In Paris, by contrast, clashes broke out after hundreds gathered in defiance of a ban on their demonstration, with crowds throwing stones and bottles at riot police, who responded with tear gas. ...extract only...full @... SOURCE - Daily Times Pakistan - here.

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COMMENT

Cameron wouldn't have noticed; he's jumped on the 'outraged' anti-Russian bandwagon.

He and his 'larynx' would have had their heads down composing his piece for The Sunday Times - here.

MH17 - Abbott's 'personal' connection & mourning

 Sydney Morning Herald

MH17 crash fallout: world reacts to plane shot down in Ukraine

Date   -   July 20, 201

...
11:02am: Earlier today Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on the ABC's Insiders program that he was personally touched by the tragedy because his daughters had flown on the MH17 some months ago on their way home from Europe. [ :EYEROLL: ]

"We can't let our emotions cloud our judgment but nevertheless these are wrenching times and there would hardly be an Australian who hasn't been emotionally touched by what we've seen, what we've felt over the last 48 hours or so," he said.

"You look at the faces of the dead and they're your neighbours, they're your friends, they could be your kids because let's face it, we are a people who like to travel and my own daughters flew on MH17 some months ago on their way home from Europe. So this is a tragedy which touches us deeply."

SOURCE - Sydney Morning Herald - here.

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COMMENT


Abbott's really scraping the bottom of the barrel here, and so is ABC's Insiders program.

Is it a news program or is it a version of Oprah's afternoon show, for dwelling on vague 'could-have-been' fantasies and Abbott's delicately embroidered 'personal connection' to flight MH17.

Guess when Tony Abbott looks at the faces of those in Gaza getting killed, he doesn't see his daughters in Gaza -- or the faces of his 'neighbours', his 'friends' or his 'kids', so the killings in Gaza aren't at all 'personal' or material for Tony Abbott.


Or it could be Tony Abbott's political bias that's clouding his judgment:

Ms Sattler said Mr Abbott had no Jewish heritage, although she did.

"He is a raving Zionist and has been since he was about 18 or 19. I don't understand why he is, but he is," she said.

Ms Sattler said those who backed the PLO visit were beaten with rolled up newspapers and umbrellas and spat upon during the course of the conference.

She said this made a big impact on her as a 17-year-old activist.

"Thanks to Tony, I have been an avowed Palestine supporter ever since," she said

[SOURCE - The Australia - Nov 2012 - here.]

Here's the Abbott government's position on Gaza:

The Abbott government also challenged the defined legal status of East Jerusalem. ‘‘Occupied’’, Attorney-General George Brandis declared, was ‘‘neither appropriate nor useful’’, and reference to historic events was ‘‘unhelpful’’. In ignoring history, Brandis demonstrates why Australia’s stance lacks moral power. It is wilful blindness to ignore Israel’s expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland in 1948.

The Occupation – ‘‘with a capital O’’ which the Australian government declines to use – is directly linked to the expulsion of Palestinians in 1948 and the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in 1967. To argue history is ‘‘unhelpful’’ is to deny the Palestinian narrative, expunge Palestinian pain and identity, and deflect attention from the legitimacy of a racial state. 

One has to credit a military juggernaut and a covertly nuclear state for its success in framing itself as victim even as it bombs a largely defenceless population. Even as Israel plays warden over Gaza, which has been described as the  world’s largest open-air prison, it perpetuates the myth that it is a state perpetually fighting for its survival.

[SOURCE - Sydney Morning Herald - here.]

The SMH Gaza article is worthwhile reading in full - here.

Getting back to the MH17 flight, which supposedly affects Abbott 'personally'.

Abbott's now the greatest mourner on the face of the planet, or so he would have us believe.

The sad fact is, this is about capitalising on a macabre opportunity:

a) to raise Abbott's profile because of his unpopular social security and medicare cuts (and his corporate boot-licking); and

b) to please Abbott's US masters, because they've invested a lot in Ukraine and they need all the leverage they can get to get things moving along for corporate America.

Tony Abbott ought to be ashamed of himself.   But he's clearly incapable of it.

HAMAS - Pew Research Centre - Propaganda Survey

Pew Research Centre

July 1, 2014

Concerns about Islamic Extremism on the Rise in Middle East

Negative Opinions of al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah Widespread

...

 Negative Opinions of al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah Widespread

Overall, most people surveyed have an unfavorable impression of Hamas, a militant Palestinian organization that is in control of the Gaza Strip and designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. This includes people who live under its rule.

More than half in the Palestinian territories (53%) have an unfavorable view of Hamas, with only about a third (35%) expressing positive views. Negative views are higher in the Hamas-led Gaza Strip (63%), up from 54% in 2013. In the Fatah-led West Bank, 47% have an unfavorable opinion of Hamas.

Opinions of Hamas have been deteriorating in the Palestinian territories since it took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. Then, 62% of Palestinians had a favorable view of the extremist group, while a third had negative views. Now, only about a third have positive opinions and more than half view Hamas negatively.

Elsewhere in the region, views of Hamas are negative. This includes 65% in Lebanon. Lebanese Christians (79%) and Sunni Muslims (65%) have greater enmity towards Hamas, which is a largely Sunni organization, than do Lebanese Shia Muslims (44%), who on balance have a favorable view.

...extract only...full @...
SOURCE - Pew Research Centre - here.

Methods - here.
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COMMENT

PRC putting out more of their laughable propaganda.

Daily Mail - 'Germany gutless' and Russia 'bad' Soapbox

Daily Mail

The shooting down of a Malaysian jet by Putin’s stooges in Ukraine has exposed Germany’s gutless stance to Moscow — Angela Merkel has ordered the EU not to pursue the necessary sanctions against Putin’s tyranny. 

If our new Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, is as steely as his admirers believe, he will demand the EU shuts banking and financial systems to Putin and his kleptocrats who launder their cash through them.

Source - Daily Mail - here. 

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COMMENT

More of Daily Mail's typical anti-German stance.

Again, it's the two-for-the-price-of-one swipe.

Under fresh sanctions that were just announced, the EU has shut down banking to Russia:

EU - blocking all lending from:

• European Investment Bank
• European Bank for Reconstruction and Development -  here.