Sheldon Wolin - Inverted Totalitarianism - Corporate State

ꕤ Article SOURCE http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/11/02/sheldon-wolin-and-inverted-totalitarianism Article by Chris Hedges Summary Sheldon Wolin US political theorist / academic d. 2015 America:  'Inverted totalitarianism' + other More  Sheldon Wolin US  political theorist Prof. politics Princeton (1973 to 1987) + other posts - 40 years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheldon_Wolin Wolin books: >> 'Democracy Incorporated: Managed Democracy & the Spectre of Inverted Totalitarianism' >> 'Politics & Vision' Wolin discusses: 1. Bankrupt democracy. 2. Decline US Empire. 3. Rise: corporate power  -- ie “inverted totalitarianism” Ahead of his time: Sheldon Wolin / theorising: heavy statism forging --> neoliberalism / centralized govt control re economic planning &  policy Wolin: statism --> neoliberalism -->  fusions of economic with political power -->  poisoning democracy at its root Wolin last book: 'Democracy Incorporated' -- details American peculiar form of corporate totalitarianism. Wolin: “Democracy Incorporated” / US corp. totalitarianism No USA  institutions can be accurately be described as democratic Wolin #USA undemocratic: --> highly managed national institutions --> money-saturated elections Wolin #USA undemocratic: -> lobby-infested Congress -> imperial presidency -> class-biased judicial + penal system -> media Sheldon Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' -->  is different from classical forms of totalitarianism. Sheldon Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' = within:   faceless anonymity of corporate state NO demagogue or charismatic leader Wolin: American 'Inverted totalitarianism' effectively seized all mechanisms of power to render citizen impotent 1/3 Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' seized all mechanisms of power: outward façade of: electoral politics Constitution 2/3 'Inverted totalitarianism' seized mech. power: civil liberties freedom of press independence of judiciary iconography 3/3 Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' seized all mechanisms of power --> traditions language of US patriotism Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' Corporates --> effectively seized all mechanisms of power -->  to render citizen impotent Hitler's NSDAP (Nazi) govt -> life uncertain for wealthy + privileged -> providing social programs for working class & poor 1/ Unlike NSDAP (Nazi), inverted totalitarianism exploits the poor  ... 2 2/3 Unlike NSDAP (Nazi) totalitarianism, inverted totalitarianism reduces or weakens health programs + social services 3/4 Unlike NSDAP (Nazi) totalitarianism, inverted totalitarianism regiments mass education for insecure workforce 3/4 Unlike NSDAP (Nazi) totalitarianism, inverted totalitarianism *threatens working class --> importation of low-wage workers Sheldon Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' working in high-tech, volatile & globalised economy as precarious as the Depression Sheldon Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' projects power upwards --> antithesis of constitutional power Sheldon Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' projects power upwards to create instability =  citizenry off balance & passive Sheldon Wolin: 'Inverted totalitarianism' rational system economy of fear / feeds uncertainty Wolin: 'inverted totalitarianism' --> perpetuates politics all time endless extravagant show elections politics w/out politics Wolin: 'inverted totalitarianism' 'Citizen' is NOT participating in power --> is invited to have ‘opinions’ Wolin: 'inverted totalitarianism' 'Citizen' opinions: --> are measurable responses to questions pre-designed to elicit them. Wolin: 'inverted totalitarianism' political campaigns rarely re real issues --> focus political personalities, empty rhetoric, PR Wolin: 'inverted totalitarianism' Money has effectively replaced the vote --> citizen of US Empire irrelevant spectator. Wolin: 'inverted totalitarianism' IMPOTENT CITIZEN --> permitted empty vote & forgotten once election carnival over. Wolin inverted totalitarianism elections serve up pliant legislators for lobbyists to shape misrepresentative or clientry govt Wolin: inverted totalitarianism elections --> produce lobbyists' puppets = depoliticisation of citizenry = antidemocracy system Wolin inverted totalitarianism: --> public is DENIED use of state power trivialization discourse = corp. power - UNCHALLENGED Wolin inverted totalitarianism: trivialization discourse =  tactic: fragmentation, emotions, antagonism --> corp. unchallenged Wolin inverted totalitarianism: Cultural Wars --> NOT strong political involvements Cultural Wars = SUBSTITUTE Wolin inverted totalitarianism: Cultural Wars --> POLITICS OF THE INCONSEQUENTIAL / substitute exploited by MEDIA & politics Wolin inverted totalitarianism: Cultural Wars --> DISTRACTS ATTENTION trivialization discourse --> corp. unchallenged Wolin inverted totalitarianism: Ruling groups --> tools to UNDERMINE PUBLIC COHESIVENESS =  public POLITICALLY INEFFECTIVE Wolin classic totalitarianism: economics subordinate to politics / inverted totalitarianism: ECONOMICS DOMINATES POLITICS Wolin inverted totalitarianism: POLITICS DOMINATED BY ECONOMICS --> in varying forms of ruthlessness Wolin inverted totalitarianism: POLITICS DOMINATED BY ECONOMICS -> USA showcase of MANAGED democracy (suppression not visible) Wolin inverted totalitarianism: corporate state --> legitimated by elections it controls Wolin inverted totalitarianism: corporate state Extinguishes democracy rewriting & distorting laws (once supported democracy) Wolin inverted totalitarianism: corporate state --> basic rights REVOKED --> by judicial & legislative fiat (sanction) corporate state Courts & legislative bodies, in the service of corporate power Wolin inverted totalitarianism: COURTS --> interpret laws to strengthen corporate control & abolish corporate oversight Wolin (Nazis negated constitution) BUT inverted totalitarianism: exploit porosity & legitimate power --> by law interpretation Wolin inverted totalitarianism eg. EXPLOITATION law --> HUGE contributions protected under 1st Amendment (speech) Wolin inverted totalitarianism HIJACKS 1st Amendment to treat HEAVILY FINANCED LOBBIES & CORPS. like PERSON petition govt. Wolin inverted totalitarianism harsh & violent control measures avoided AS LONG AS:  dissent remains ineffectual Wolin inverted totalitarianism elites -- especially ** intellectual class ** HAVE BEEN  BOUGHT OFF --> various methods - list Wolin inverted totalitarianism / intellectual class OWNED: *govt contracts *foundation funds *joint projects: uni. + corp. Wolin intellectual class OWNED: joint projects w/ wealthy donors intellectuals -->seamelessly integrated into corp. system Wolin inverted totalitarianism will become as brutal and violent as past totalitarian states if RIGHTS / privacy etc eroded Wolin inverted totalitarianism 'War on Terror' - pre-emptive / released re restraint --> PRESUMES STATE POWER CAN TURN INWARDS Wolin inverted totalitarianism -- claimed power domestically --  projected powers abroad --> measure NOT by CONSTITUTION Wolin inverted totalitarianism POWERS claimed not by measure of Constitution but by OFFICIALLY DEFINED 'terrorism' Wolin inverted totalitarianism = corporate state 'legally' harass & kill citizens with impunity --> eg police VIOLENCE / poor Wolin inverted totalitarianism *militarized police *wholesale surveillance *extra-judicial police killings for underclass Wolin inverted totalitarianism reality for underclass will BE reality for US ALL IF we begin to RESIST FUNNEL OF POWER UPWARD Wolin inverted totalitarianism / We are tolerated as citizens ONLY as we PARTICIPATE IN ILLUSION of PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY Wolin Corporate State inverted totalitarianism --> will eventually look like classic totalitarianism Wolin -- on African-American prison pop criminal justice -->strategy of political neutralisation + channel of instinctive racism Wolin Corp. monochromatic media pundits set agenda & parameters --> those changing context dismissed or labelled 'extremist' Wolin Corporate State inverted totalitarianism illusions disseminated  --> myth dominates decisions -->  DISASTER ON EMPIRE Wolin Myth cannot govern decisions in real world: ambiguity + stubborn facts abound --> disconnect between actors & reality ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT Really enjoyed this article. Sheldon Wolin sounds like he was an interesting guy (died 2015). ꕤ

Off-Topic - Poltergeist & Rajma

---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Had a freaky 'kitchen poltergeist' experience while rinsing rice. Something dark fell into the sink and scared the #$@!! out of me. Turned out to be my hair tie ... but my hair was firmly tied back (or I thought it was). Hair's shedding like crazy, so it's a must.  Like maybe 2 years of shedding, or something like that.  It never stops.  I'll have to wear a headscarf if it doesn't stop soon.  Don't fancy the bald or the scarf options,   so I saw a doctor a while back, but he didn't think there was anything to be concerned about. So that's that.  I'll probably slowly go bald and maybe tattoo exotic flowers my head.  lol  Guess my hair wasn't properly tied, and the tie sort of slid off onto my clothing.  Probably didn't notice because I'm really tired; been keeping insane hours again. Yep.  I'm going with that.  lol Prepared another bean curry.  I never tire of beans or curries.  Yum. Rajma / Red kidney Bean Curry Link | here Tend to adjust things to suit me and how I want to do things. I threw some finely diced carrots (you don't want hard bits of carrot in there) in with the onions to fry. Did something like: 2-3 tsp garam masala 2.0 tsp coriander 1.0 tsp chilli powder 3/4 tsp tumeric 1.0 tsp sugar x2 garlic cloves crushed (love garlic) 1.0 tsp fresh ginger (organic jar ginger tastes fine to me) 1.0 onion fresh coriander x2 beans cans x2 tomato cans abt. 2  tins water (or thereabouts / go by feel) Did the thing where you throw in the tinned tomato (once the onion, garlic & ginger (and carrots, in this case) are cooked off) and you then throw in the spice mix and let the whole thing cook down until it totally thickens, before throwing in water and the beans (+ coriander). As it cooks down, you mush up some of the beans, with spatula or whatever you're using,  for an extra thick, creamy sauce. Adding more water and cooking it right down works, but I couldn't be bothered waiting.  Tastes good.   Works really well.  Very nice. It's so quick and easy and it makes a really yummy meal, with very few ingredients and just one pot (which is a bonus). Recipe's probably much like the last rajma I cooked. Cooking is pretty much the same formula and pattern for given dishes, so it's mostly the same deal once you understand the formula (with little variations, as desired). The coriander was from the other day.  I trim off what I don't want (eg unusable hydro roots), rinse the whole lot, use what I need at the time, and let rest drain before wrapping in paper towel & storing in freezer bag in refrigerator.  It helps fresh herbs keep, I find.  Don't know how long for.  Maybe 3 or 4 days so far? That was my probably not-so-spooky kitchen adventure. ꕤ

Corporate State Capture - Inverted Totalitarianism

ꕤ Article SOURCE as marked Years ago when Congressman Otis Pike investigated the CIA he concluded that it was an obedient arm of the executive branch. And yes, accounts of a “rogue agency” are occasionally dusted off when the President needs plausible deniability but in general the spies in Langley do what they’re told. Pike concluded that it wasn’t just one or two bad apples in the barrel. He decided the whole barrel was bad. This no doubt explains why the government classified his report. In a nutshell, then, the United States executive branch is being driven by corporate forces that transitively dictate the long-term strategic goals of the intelligence services.  Activists like William Blum have spent their lives investigating and carefully recording this reality. For additional illumination check out the War and Peace Studies performed by the Council on Foreign Relations during World War II on behalf of the State Department. It’s a flat out recipe for neoliberal hegemony. As Canadian filmmaker Scott Noble demonstrated in his movie “Counter-Intelligence,” the United States is part of a corporate empire and the intelligence services are the Praetorian Guard of this empire. So Glenn, does this mean that addressing mass surveillance, and the mass subversion which enables it, will entail tackling the related problem of corporate state capture? Or, as Sheldon Wolin refers to it, the specter of inverted totalitarianism? http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/06/19/an-open-letter-to-glenn-greenwald/ Sheldon Wolin Writer "American political theorist and writer on contemporary politics. One of the most original and influential American political theorists of the past fifty years ..." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheldon_Wolin ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT No time to check this out properly. I just think it's cool that there's a name for usurping government:  'corporate state capture' &  'inverted totalitarianism'. So when I'm throwing around 'totalitarianism', it's good to know I'm not crazy.  lol ꕤ

Video - TURKEY'S PIVOTAL ROLE IN SYRIA INSURGENCY - Serena Shim - Killed Turkey

ꕤ Video SOURCE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ND3CWaAmaA&feature=youtu.be Turkey's Pivotal Role in Syria's Insurgency: PressTV Report from Inside Turkey Reporter Serena Shim American national Lebanese descent Killed in Turkey 2 days after Turkish intelligence accused her of being a 'spy' feared for her life US refused to investigate ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Incomplete Notes: TURKEY'S PIVOTAL ROLE IN SYRIA INSURGENCY 'In Focus' PressTV Serena Shim Turkey key player for Western powers in execution of plot against Bashar al-Assad / Syria Turkey opened its borders to Syria to anti-Assad militant groups collectively known in West as Free Syrian Army (FSA) Turkey - opened borders to militants - funded the militants - supplied arms & equipment to militants Syria 2011 conflict began between Syria government forces & foreign-backed militants (calling themselves Free Syrian Army (FSA)) Turkey -- critically, permitted its borders to be taken over by anti Assad forces -- thus, the only current legally controlled border by the Syrian army is **** -- Sounds like: Ledia [?] [possibly -  Latakia ??] SYRIA-TURKEY BORDER CROSSINGS Akçakale Al-Darbasiyah Kobanî Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing Ceylanpınar Cilvegözü Cizre Çobanbey İslahiye Karkamış Mürşitpınar Nusaybin Şenyurt Tell Abyad Yayladağı https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Syria%E2%80%93Turkey_border_crossings Syria Borders - Apr. 2015 Assad government controls only borders along Lebanon Turkey, Iraq, Jordan & occupied Golan Heights closed or under control of militant groups: Free Syrian Army Daesh al-Nusra Front Kurdish militants Syria-Jordan In Jordan, al-Nusra Front -- seize Nasib-Jaber (Deraa province, Syria) In Jordan, al-Nusra Front -- seize Ramtha (Derra province, Syria) -- in control of NF & opposition forces since Oct 2013 In Iraq Albu Kamal-al Qaem crossing -- control of Daesh / ISIS since capture Albu Kamal, Nov 2012 -- located Deir el-Zour province, Syria Yarbia- Rabea crossing -- located north-eastern pal-Hasakha province, Syria -- seized by Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces + Syrian Kurdish factions since oct 2014 In Iraq - only Assad Govt Border Al-Tanaf/Al-Walid -- only border crossing along Iraq border under control of Assad -- *no movement on this crossing* -- reason:  Daesh (ISIS) controls Iraq side of the crossing Turkey - 900km of border with Syria - abt 13 border crossings Turkey shut down Assad govt crossings Turkey shut-downs incl: -- Kasb crossing - northwestern province of Latakia -- al-Qamishli crossing - al-Hasakah province, northern Syria -- Tal Abyad, Raqqa province, Syria -- Garables, Aleppo province, Syria Crossings Western-backed Syrian opposition militant groups control on Syrian side of Turkish border - REMAIN OPEN: -- Bab al-Salama border crossing, Aleppo province, Syria -- Bab al-Hawa in Idlib province, Syria Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (presumably also Western backed) control: --  Tal Sheir crossing - Kobani, Syria --  Raas al-Ayn, al-Hasakah province, Syria Golan Heights - Syrian Side controlled by al-Nusra Front + other Western-backed militant groups incl. Free Syrian Army since Aug. 2014 Lebanon - Assad, Syrian Govt Control -- Al-Oreida -- Jadidat Yabous -- al-Dabbousiya -- Josiya -- al-Aboudiya -- Jesr al-Qmar http://www.worldbulletin.net/haber/157362/syria-assad-regime-losing-control-of-border-crossings ꕤ

The Rape of Democracy, Liberty & Justice

ꕤ Article SOURCE http://www.crikey.com.au/2015/11/30/the-strange-case-of-julian-assange/ The strange case of Julian Assange Bernard Keane | Nov 30, 2015 1:10PM It’s become clear that the Swedish and UK governments will do virtually anything to ensure the investigation of Julian Assange never proceeds. Julian Assange faces very serious allegations, politicians like to say. That was the description from UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s office three years ago, defending the UK’s determination to extradite him to Sweden. And that was the description early this year from then-UK deputy PM Nick Clegg, too — “he should go to Sweden to face very serious allegations and charges of rape,” said Clegg, not long before leading his party to annihilation in this year’s general election. Clegg, of course, was peddling the oft-repeated lie that there are charges against Assange. But for very serious allegations – sexual molestation, unlawful coercion, sexual assault — the UK and Swedish governments have displayed zero interest in investigating them. In fact, the history of the case against Assange is a history of increasingly bizarre efforts by authorities to avoid questioning him. When Swedish prosecutors first examined complaints about Assange by two women in 2010, the Chief Prosecutor of Stockholm dismissed all but one of the allegations, including the accusation of sexual assault, saying “there is no suspicion of any crime whatsoever”. After speaking to prosecutors, Assange remained in Sweden for another week to be interviewed about the one remaining allegation (of molestation). However, after an appeal by former Swedish politician Claes Borgstrom, another prosecutor, Marianne Ny, reopened the whole case. Assange remained in Sweden and offered to be interviewed again, but, in the first of what would turn out to be a long litany of excuses, was told Ny was ill and unable to speak to him. Ny’s office then told Assange’s lawyer he was free to leave Sweden, but once Assange did so, an arrest warrant was issued for him. Assange then offered to return to Sweden to speak to Ny and gave her a full week of dates in which he would do so. These were all rejected. This was all despite Swedish police having access to the texts of one of the alleged victims of Assange saying she “did not want to put any charges on JA but that the police were keen on getting a grip on him”, that she was shocked when he was arrested given she only wanted him to take an STD test, and that “it was the police who made up the charges”. Ny’s unwillingnness to interview Assange would become the pattern for the next five years: Assange repeatedly offered to speak to Swedish authorities by phone, by videolink, or in person at the Australian embassy. The Swedes refused all opportunities to do so and demanded Assange return to Sweden, issuing a European arrest warrant for him. Eventually the EAW would be upheld by British courts under UK laws, which since then have been amended. Under current British law, a similar case to Assange’s would now be successfully appealed and the EAW rejected. Once he had sought refuge in the Ecaudorean embassy in 2012, Assange continued to offer Swedish authorities the opportunity to speak with him, and they continued to reject them. But while they regularly rejected Assange’s offer to be interviewed, other suspects were treated very differently: during the last five years, the Swedes have on 44 occasions asked to travel to the UK to interview, or asked British police to interview, other people in Britain in relation to allegations including violent crime, fraud and even murder. Assange, however, couldn’t be treated the same way — he had to go to Sweden. In fact, so absurd was Ny’s refusal to question Assange that in November last year, a Swedish court found she had breached her duty in failing to progress the case. With Assange’s Swedish arrest warrant in danger of being quashed due to her inaction and the expiry of three elements of the investigation looming due to Sweden’s statute of limitations, Ny then performed a sudden about-face — she said she would question Assange in the Ecuadorean embassy, as requested by Assange and Ecuador for years, and contacted UK authorities about the process for doing so. But Ny still had a card left to play: despite her saying in March that she would do so, she never contacted the Ecuadoreans about the interview — in fact, eventually she admitted that she hadn’t bothered contacting the Ecuadorean Foreign Ministry in Quito until “a late stage” — just five days before a scheduled interview with Assange in June. When the Ecuadoreans said they wanted diplomatic staff present during the interview given the country had given him refuge, the Swedes called the interview off and blamed the Ecuadoreans for failing to co-operate. Ny had managed to avoid yet another interview opportunity. The refusal of the Swedes to interview Assange seems to give credence to Assange’s fears the Swedes’ priority is to get him in custody not so the now one remaining allegation of sexual assault can be progressed, but so he can be extradited to the United States under the investigation into WikiLeaks’ role in the release of Chelsea Manning cables. We learnt in March that this US investigation is still on foot, despite Manning now being in the third year of her sentence. But if that seems like a conspiracy theory, it gets better: in October, it was revealed via freedom of information laws that UK prosecutors had urged Ny not to interview Assange in the UK, even before he sought refuge with the Ecuadoreans. “I suggest you interview him only on surrender to Sweden,” prosecutor Paul Close told Ny in 2011. He was concerned that the interview might suggest Assange was innocent. So despite the serious allegations the UK government said Assange faced, its prosecutors didn’t want him interviewed by the Swedes about them. Meantime, the Australian government had said nothing. Julie Bishop was happy to use Assange to criticise the Gillard government but since becoming Foreign Minister has barely mentioned him. If the plan was to use a sexual assault allegation — one prosecutors refused to investigate, one described by one of alleged victims as invented by police — to nullify WikiLeaks even if Assange avoided being extradited to the United States, it’s only partly worked. This year WikiLeaks has had its best year since 2010, releasing, inter alia, repeated iterations of chapters from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a vast accumulation of diplomatic cables from the monstrous Saudi Arabian regime, emails from CIA director John Brennan’s unauthorised personal email account, more revelations about National Security Agency surveillance targets, the text of the secret Trade In Services Agreement draft and details of the NSA’s massive spying on French presidents, which infuriated the government of Francois Hollande. Even so, Assange remains confined on the basis of very serious allegations, with the Swedish and UK governments apparently keen to ensure they are never properly investigated, while his own government would prefer that Australians forget about him entirely. http://www.crikey.com.au/2015/11/30/the-strange-case-of-julian-assange ---------------------- ꕤ ----------------------     Totalitarianism, Empire & Poodles Soviet WWII Propaganda Cartoons Soviet WWII [Napoleon Tomb is funniest.] COMMENT The Rape of Democracy, Liberty & Justice Governments of morally 'superior' and 'democratic' nations of the 'emancipated' and 'enlightened' West, commit abuse of state power, as if the powers wielded by publicly appointed, and therefore representative and accountable assembled governments, were derived from their very existence per se, independently of their role as representative and public servant. Such governments behave as if they were the embodiment and representation of god, as were rulers of an age gone by, and thus entitled to  practically function as:  absolute, opaque and unaccountable authorities, without obligation to function in accordance with law, or in accordance with principles of democracy. Governments of the deceived West transgress against democracy, law, justice and freedom, in an enlightened third millennium, while holding position as:  intended democracies, by appointment and in the service of the emancipated. Yet a journalist performing a rightful & vital function in democracy, upon publishing evidence of war rimes committed by multiple states, has been undemocratically and unjustly entombed by those he exposed, as criminal, corrupt. As evidenced by: the political persecution of Assange (which includes a 5-year US 120-man taskforce investigation and closed-door US grand jury investigation in relation to non-US nationals, WikiLeaks and Assange, whereby: (i) the US is seeking to redefine journalism as 'espionage'; and  (ii) seeking to extend their national boundaries & jurisdiction across the globe, in efforts to: 1) to decommission WikiLeaks;  2) and, more generally, to eliminate all checks on government conduct and power & to eliminate potential exposure of state wrongdoings And therefore to: ELIMINATE restrictions on state power, moving from democracy to (open) totalitarianism. the 5-year detention of Assange, without charge; the astounding amount of money the corrupt state has spent subverting justice and democracy the last 3 years alone, detaining journalist Julian Assange (24-hour uniformed and plain clothes police presence / now less high profile, plain clothes surveillance): @ GBP £13-MILLION + @ USD $19-MILLION + @ AUD $27-MILLION + @ EUR €18-MILLION + https://govwaste.co.uk/ as well as extraordinary refusal of the British authorities to abide by international law and to recognise political asylum granted to Assange by Ecuador, pursuant to  such law; the vengeful state authorities (whose corruption Assange exposed), presently wield power that is absolutely illegitimate in functioning democracy. That state feloniously commits unlawful and undemocratic political persecution of a journalist and has exacted 5 years detention without charge, in violation of the core principles of democracy, and, otherwise, in violation of international law. We, the divested, are rendered subjects of an authoritarian state and a (usurped) power unto itself. We are passive, silent and complaint sleepwalkers in the face of totalitarian injustice and abuse of power  -- a corrupted power that, in fact, derives from a public that is comprised of free men who must individually and collectively challenge injustice and perversion of democracy. The public remains misled by journalists, whose very role in a properly functioning democracy is that of guardian of liberty and democracy, and therefore voice against the abuse of state power. But the spineless, collective of emasculated lowlifes known as Western journalists, generally prefer to kneel and otherwise prostrate themselves in the service of the banker and corporate-serving, totalitarian (usurped) state, slobbering at the feet of corrupt authority. Not only do these contemptible cowards fail to challenge the corrupt state,  they perform the dirty work of that state by heaping smear and denigration on a politically persecuted and entombed journalist, who courageously defied corrupt authority and state might, to reveal the truth. A courageous Australian journalist and an outstanding Australian, who embodies the spirit of the Australian nation, is entombed in London. Nominally Australian politicians of the Antipodean colony that is Australia, shall, jointly and severally, be known by history for their role in the corruption and the rape of democracy, liberty, justice, and the betrayal of Australian journalist, Julian Assange. Julian Assange deserves fierce and unwavering national support, yet he has been abandoned by those appointed to represent all Australians. Politicians who remain silent and complicit in the face of abuse of power, corruption and violation of democracy that has robbed an Australian journalist of 5 years of his liberty and life, betray all Australians and make a mockery of sovereign Australian nationhood and a lie of freedom. Australians cannot continue to stand by and let this Australian journalist go unprotected and undefended, while the light that is his life is entombed and snuffed out by the lawless and corrupt state wielding undemocratic and, therefore, illegitimate power & a state that has so far spent: Over AUD$27-MILLION spent by Britain in 3 years blocking Assange's lawful political asylum ------------- 'STATE' refers to one or more of the following, individually and/or collectively:  Britain, Sweden, United States of America and Australia. AMERICA Managed Democracy. POLITICS DOMINATED BY ECONOMICS.  'Inverted totalitarianism'. Corporate Totalitarianism / Corporate State.  Extinguishes democracy.  Courts & legislative bodies, in the service of corporate power.  American 'Inverted totalitarianism' effectively seized all mechanisms of power to render citizen impotent.  Inverted totalitarianism exploits the poor.  Antithesis of constitutional power.  Show elections. Money has effectively replaced the vote.   FUNNEL OF POWER UPWARD.  Citizen of US Empire irrelevant spectator.  IMPOTENT CITIZEN. Misrepresentative or Clientry Government.  Corporate Power UNCHALLENGED Link | here ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Corporate State Capture Link | here ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Julian Assange Australian Journalist FAQ & Support https://justice4assange.com/ ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Collateral Murder WikiLeaks Iraq https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0 ꕤ

Audio - Dead Flowers

ꕤ It's just a shot away ❤ Gimme Shelter Gimme Shelter Audio | here   ❤ ꕤ COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- ꕤ

Qatar Buys Military Equipment from Ukraine For Shipment to ISIS - US Approves

ꕤ Article SOURCE http://www.voltairenet.org/article189366.html In Brief UKRAINE supplying #ISIS via #Qatar -->  through #Bulgaria + #Turkey UkrOboronProm http://www.voltairenet.org/article189366.html Qatar and Ukraine come to deliver Pechora-2D to ISIS   by Andrey Fomin Qatar has bought sophisticated military equipment from Ukraine on behalf of ISIS. The operation took place in late September 2015, just before the Russian military action against the terrorist organization. It was approved by the US embassy in Doha. Officially, the new emir is not involved in the war in Iraq and Syria.  Voltaire Network | Moscow (Russia) | 22 November 2015 The fact that the ISIS infrastructure in Syria and Iraq is absolutely vulnerable to the airstrikes of the international coalition is undoubtful. During the last week only the Russian Air Force and Navy hit around 826 ISIS targets (training camps, munition and explosives plants, depots, oil refinery and transport objects) causing critical damage to the terrorist groups and its revenue sources. The sponsors of the ISIS are certainly committed to acquire and supply to the jihadist brigades the air defense systems efficient enough to at least hamper the activities of the coalition in the Syrian sky. Back in September 2015, being aware of the Russian plans to launch anti-terrorist air campaign, a Qatari delegation from the Ministry of Defense came to Kiev to take part in the Arms and Security Expo, September 22-27, 2015: *** [IMAGE ] *** They reached a deal with UkrOboronProm (a state-run Ukrainian arms trader) to purchase the modernized Air Defense Missile Complex “Pechora-2D” *** [IMAGE ] *** On Sept. 30 Volodimir Kuruts, the Trade Councellor of the Ukrainian Embassy in Qatar, writes to his business contact in Cyprus Vasyl Babytskiy, director of the Blessway Ltd: Take note that it is the same Vasyl Babitskiy who resold 265 outdated Poland-made anti-aircraft autocannons to Saudi Arabia (eventually to the same ISIS), originally dedicated for the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior. The revealed information clearly indicates that the Qatar Ministry of Defense is arranging supplies of the Ukrainian air defense systems to Syria-based terrorist organizations via Bulgaria and Turkey. The US officers in Qatar have approved the deals. Taking into account that “Pechora 2D” system is able to strike the aircrafts at the heights up to 21 km, the investigation of the A321 Metrojet downfall over Sinai may receive an unexpected turn…   Andrey Fomin Founding editor of the online political analysis journal Oriental Review. He holds a Masters in Russian History (Lomonosov Moscow State University). http://www.voltairenet.org/article189366.html ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT This are much nastier and dirtier than I imagined: 1) savages for a proxy army against Assad. 2) Russian passenger plane blown up. 3) Paris shot up. 4) Russian bomber shot down. 5) Libya in ruins. 6) Syria in ruins. 7) a lot of Africa getting bombed. 8) Middle East in Ruins. 9) Saudis or ISIS sending Middle East & Africa to Europe -- Europe in ruins. It is the death of Europe. And European politicians are instrumental in this. ꕤ