Denmark - Venstre Party (ie 'Left' for 'Liberal' | Not Socialist)

DENMARK names: eg Lars Løkke Rasmussen eg Anders Fogh Rasmussen Middle names - eg 'Fogh' and 'Løkke' denote mother's family name and do not normally form part of the name / used in press to distinguish the Danes, who all seem to have the same names ... (I think, lol) Venstre (Denmark) Founded as part of a peasants' movement against the landed aristocracy Blue Bloc (Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti) ie English: Left, Denmark's Liberal Party Therefore: Venstre = 'left' TODAY  the 'Venstre' (for 'left') reference is to: liberalism NOT socialism f. 1870 then name: Det Forenede Venstre (The United Left) 1895–1910 then known as Venstrereformpartiet (Left Reform Party) opponents, Højre (Right) forerunner of the present-day Conservative People's Party advocated for established interests, esp.  Church of Denmark & the landed gentry Distinction b/w  concepts of Venstre (Left, ie party bearing name) venstrefløj (left wing / socialist & other left-leaning parties) TODAY Venstre advocates an economically liberal pro-free market ideology the major party of the centre-right in Denmark third largest party Venstre party has produced many Prime Ministers governed from 2001 to 2011 as the major partner in a coalition w/ Conservative People's Party with support from the Danish People's Party 2015 parliamentary elections Venstre / Blue Bloc received 19.5% of vote 34 out of 179 seats won a tight election party came THIRD overall winning Lars Løkke Rasmussen ability to form a govt PARTY LEADER Venstre = Lars Løkke Rasmussen = IN OFFICE appointed PRIME MINISTER of DENMARK (fm 28 June 2015) Was PREVIOUS Prime Minister Apr 2009 to Oct 2011 / law degree was president of the youth branch of Venstre ie 1986 to 1989, prior to obtaining law degree Since 2001 Venstre enacted a "tax stop" to halt the growth in taxes seen during previous eight years under Social Democrats 2010 Rasmussen's govt = major spending cuts and measures designed = unemployment insurance (unemployment benefit cut from max of 4 years to 2) Take over from: Anders Fogh Rasmussen former leader Venstre Prime Minister of Denmark from 27 Nov 2001 to 5 Apr 2009 AFR - Appointed Secretary General of NATO in 2009 Fogh Rasmussen in favour of centralisation privatisation limiting the size of govt relied on Danish People's Party for support, keeping Danish tradition of minority govt Fogh Rasmussen was a strident critic of the welfare state 1990s, his views moved towards the political centre His government introduced tougher limits on non European Economic Area (EEA) immigration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venstre_%28Denmark%29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_L%C3%B8kke_Rasmussen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anders_Fogh_Rasmussen ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- ꕤ

UKRAIN - NATO - ANDERS FOGH-RASMUSSEN - LEHMANN ARTICLE

24.08.2014 Author: Christof Lehmann NATO’s Summit in Wales: Why Anders Fogh-Rasmussen? Column: Politics Region: USA in the World NATO will hold its 2014 summit in Wales under Secretary-General Anders Fogh-Rasmussen in September. The summit will be held against the backdrop of a widening Middle East war and the war in Ukraine. A profile of Anders Fogh-Rasmussen suggests that he was chosen with NATO’s eastward expansion and the ”containment” of Russia in mind, even at the risk of a European or global war.  Anders Fogh-Rasmussen spoke to journalists in Denmark on August 15 and stressed that the Alliance would focus on its readiness to deal with the full range of threats and with NATO’s readiness. He said ”we will adopt a Readiness Action Plan to make ourselves faster and more agile”. He added that NATO leaders planned to strengthen NATO’s partners and their institutions. Fogh-Rasmussen underlined that the success of NATO would depend on all Allies investing adequately in security and defense, especially given by the new security climate created by Russia’s illegal actions in Ukraine. ”Security is like insurance: to have the best insurance you have to pay premium. We are now facing a new security situation, and the premium has gone up”, he said. Fogh-Rasmussen, a Dane, praised Denmark for its always present readiness to contribute and added operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Libya as examples for ”NATO’s collective defense”. The statement is breathtaking, considering that NATO’s 25th summit in Chicago, in 2012, concluded that NATO operations in Libya in 2011 were ”a teachable moment and model for future interventions”. This interpretation of NATO’s role in Libya stands in stark contrast, to how it was perceived by the then Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Russia, and many other UN member states. During a joint press conference with the then Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen in Copenhagen, Putin stressed that NATO had overstepped its authorization via UN Security Council Resolution 1973 (2011) on Libya. The atmosphere between Putin and Lars Løkke Rasmussen was visibly tense. Adding to the tensions was probably, that Putin has a KGB background and must have known that Lars Løkke Rasmussen raised millions for the ”mujahedeen” and other US/NATO creations in Afghanistan during the 1980s. Another one who would probably say ”not so fast” to NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s statement about NATO premium insurance policy is the Russian Ambassador to NATO, Vitaly Grutchko. After the collapse of Russia – EU negotiations over the Third EU Energy Package, at a meeting in Brussels in 2013, Grutchko said ”Someone here in Brussels made the most profound point by saying that if you are holding a hammer, you should not think that every emerging problem is a nail. We think that the world has ample opportunity to engage in energy cooperation and to ensure energy security without making use of military-political organizations as instruments”. Analysts had by that time warned for a year that the failure of NATO’s strategy in Syria had made a NATO provoked war in Ukraine as predictable as a clockwork. The appointment of a NATO Secretary-General helps forecast NATO long-term planning. One example? In 1987 NATO appointed the former German Defense Minister Manfred Wörner. The appointment of Wörner was followed by the German reunification in 1990. On December 26, 1991, the Soviet Union was dissolved. Wörner, Germany, and inner-German, German – Czechoslovakian and especially German-Russian relations were crucial elements to these developments. Wörner died from intestinal cancer at the age of 59 in 1994. Wörner was known to be skeptic with regards to NATO’s eastward expansion. Denmark and Fogh-Rasmussen should come to play crucial roles in tying the former Soviet Republics in the Baltic, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania to the European Union and to NATO. Anders Fogh-Rasmussen served as Danish PM between November 27, 2001 and April 5, 2009. Centuries of close ties between the Baltic States and Denmark were crucial. In the post 9/11 climate and the Global War on Terror, Fogh-Rasmussen had come to prove that he was willing to engage Danish troops in an illegal war in Iraq. Moreover, the Danish courts rejected Danish plaintiffs who wanted Fogh-Rasmussen charged on these grounds, saying that they had no standing in court. Because it’s so great to be on the winning team. Danish loyalty towards NATO was relatively easy to forecast, also for historical reasons. Danes are all to aware of the fact that Denmark got ”a free ride” when Germany was defeated in WWII. Historical archives show that the then Danish Foreign Minister Peter Munch had a secret meeting with the German Reichführer ( Leader of the Realm) Heinrich Himmler in Rostock. The meeting took place in the weeks before the ”German invasion”. Munch’s son was known to be pedophile and the young man could risk jail or worse if he fell into the hands of a German prosecutor. Records which could have proven that Munch was blackmailed have in part be burned, others remain classified to this day. Danish forces mounted only symbolic resistance when German troops initiated operation “Weserübung” and occupied Denmark and Norway to “secure their neutrality”. The Danish flag was flown during the 2014 D-Day celebrations; Not for the State but because the effort of Danish sailors during the war. The Danish historian Niels Wium Olesen noted that those Danes who knew about it probably perceived it as”a pleasant misunderstanding”, because its ”so great to be on the winning team”. The appointment of Fogh-Rasmussen was a clear signal for NATO’s eastwards expansion, in breach with the terms agreed upon before the German reunification. That is, no NATO troops in any of the former Soviet republics or Warsaw Treaty member states. The summit in Wales: Rockefeller money vs. continental European consensus – War or Peace? The 2014 NATO summit in Wales will be held against the backdrop of an unprecedented risk for open war between NATO and Russia or the CSTO. Fogh-Rasmussen stressed that the insurance premium has gone up. He omits that core NATO members, especially the USA, UK, with almost absolute loyalty from Denmark, manufactured the wars in Libya and Syria since 2007; the war in Iraq since 2000 or before, and the war in Ukraine since 2012. Denmark and Anders Fogh-Rasmussen were the perfect choice ”because it’s so great to be on the winning team”. Fogh-Rasmussen’s term as NATO Secretary-General and the current conflict in Ukraine combined, raise principle questions: Who benefits from almost pathologically obsessive, Rockefeller-money-supported policy-makers like Zbigniev Brzezinski. In his latest book “Strategic Vision”, the Obama administration adviser argues that the Russia of Putin must be contained and isolated, that Turkey shall play a crucial role for NATO in the Middle East. Psychologically trained observers would assure that Brzezinski is obsessed with dividing Russia into independent republics and then to tie Moscow to a continental Europe under US/UK hegemony.  [So it's a US/UK empire ... Europe a province?] Who benefits from throwing a spanner into Russian – continental European relations and the provocation of a third, great European war over an subversively-created lack of convergence in EU – Russian energy-security requirements? Will a growing continental European consensus against bellicose policy, driven by Washington and London, reach sufficient momentum to prevent a worst case scenario? Fogh-Rasmussen’s preamble to the NATO summit in Wales spells war rather than peace. It will be one of the most crucial summits the Alliance has held since it was established in 1949. Dr. Christof Lehmann an independent political consultant on conflict and conflict resolution and the founder and editor in chief of nsnbc, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”. source: Journal-Neo.Org

ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI - US geostrategist - wikipedia link.

*A wealth of information in this article by Dr Christof Lehmann.

NATO - RASMUSSEN - WAR MONGERS FOR CORPORATE AMERICA

NATO chief urges Russia pull-back as shelling pounds Ukraine rebel city Placard Enlarge (Globalpost/GlobalPost) NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged Russia to "step back from the brink" during a visit to Kiev on Thursday and vowed support for Ukraine as fears mounted that Moscow was preparing to send troops into the conflict-torn east of the country. His visit came as the centre of the main rebel bastion Donetsk was hit by sustained bombardment for the first time in four months of fighting, and a dozen civilians were killed around the region. [So that would be Ukraine government shelling Ukraine civilians.] An AFP journalist also saw a Ukrainian fighter jet shot down as it flew low over rebel-held territory. The plane crashed after an explosion in mid-air and the pilot was seen parachuting out. Amid heavy fighting and political maneuvring, Kiev scrapped a ceasefire around the crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, a day after international experts suspended work there due to ongoing clashes. Russia meanwhile struck back at punishing Western sanctions by announcing a "full embargo" on foods from the United States and the European Union and threatening to ban flights from crossing its air space.  [Oh, striking back at sanctions by Russia is really 'on the brink' according to NATO propagandists?] Rasmussen's visit to Kiev came just a day after NATO accused Moscow of massing some 20,000 troops on the border with its former Soviet neighbour.  [What is NATO massing around Russia's border?  War mongers and Hypocrites. ] After meeting with Ukraine's leadership on Thursday, Rasmussen assured them that "NATO stands ready to support Ukraine with advisers and assistance" against what he called "Russian aggression."  [What Russian aggression is that?  None to date.] "Today, Ukraine's freedom and future are under attack. Instead of de-escalating the conflict, Russia continues to destabilise Ukraine," he said. [NO, AMERICAN INTERESTS and CORPORATE PROFITS MUST BE ASSURED.] The West accuses Russia of supporting and instigating the insurgency in eastern Ukraine, sending tensions with Moscow soaring to their highest point since the Cold War.   [US instigated insurgency in Ukraine itself before installing a puppet government.] "I call on Russia to step back from the brink, to step back from the border. Do not use peacekeeping as an excuse for warmaking," Rasmussen added, calling on Moscow to "stop its support for separatists." [Rasmussen and NATO are the war mongers on Russia's borders.] NATO has warned that Russia could invade Ukraine under the pretext of a "humanitarian" mission, but Moscow has dismissed claims it has ratcheted up troop numbers.  [Wouldn't that be a typical USA tactic? ] - Retaking Donetsk - Fighting raged on in Ukraine's industrial east, where local authorities have warned of a looming humanitarian catastrophe. Certain areas have been left without water or power and hundreds of thousands have already fled. In Donetsk, health authorities said one person was killed and two injured when a mortar hit a central hospital, as bombardments peppered the area around a key rebel base. [So this is the UKRAINE GOVERNMENT bombing its own people with US and NATO blessing and backing.] Two civilians were also killed by shelling in a western suburb of the city, the local administration said. Government forces have been gearing up to retake Donetsk in a bid to cut it off from the Russian border and the second largest rebel-held city of Lugansk. Heavy shelling of Gorlivka, another rebel bastion just north of Donetsk, killed five and wounded 10, adding to three more casualties overnight further south, local authorities said. So far, over 1,300 people have been killed and 285,000 have fled in four months of what the Red Cross has designated a civil war. The National Security and Defence Council said seven soldiers had been killed and 19 injured overnight. A military spokesman confirmed that rebels shot down a Ukrainian fighter jet and said a search-and-rescue operation was underway for the pilot. Ukrainian forces have lost a string of aircraft during the conflict. The plane came down some 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of the crash site of the MH17 passenger jet. The US has accused rebels of shooting down the plane at an altitude of some 10,000 metres with a missile likely supplied by Russia. Despite the fierce fighting, diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the fighting were ongoing on Thursday. A spokesman for the German government said Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed "practical ideas" to help ceasefire efforts during a phone call with Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko. The two also discussed the need for a resumption of the search around the MH17 crash site. - Sanctions and embargoes - Now Donetsk -- a pretty city of tree-lined streets and a population of one million people before the conflict erupted in April -- is set to become the next battleground of the war. There was a change in the leadership of the rebel-held city on Thursday, as the prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Russian citizen Alexander Borodai, announced he was stepping down in favour of a local citizen. Moscow meanwhile announced a "full embargo" on most food imports from the EU, US, Australia, Canada and Norway in a tit-for-tat move against punishing sanctions by the EU and US. The sanctions, which targeted Moscow over its alleged support for the separatists, have already forced a low-cost airline to ground all its flights. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Thursday that Moscow was also considering blocking overflights between Europe and Asia. bur-ssw/rh/rmb http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140807/nato-chief-urges-russia-pull-back-shelling-pounds-ukraine-rebel-city-0

How pathetic are these corporate American puppets looking to carve up Ukraine?

TWITTER - Tweet Responsibly & Combat Russian Propaganda Now!

TWITTER

A handbook for responsibly tweeting breaking news, 

via @onthemedia

** Verified account

**

When I die, bury me inside the Mars Cheese Castle. I write for @NationalJournal. Past: @Slate, @NPR, @Chronicle, @JournalSentinel. **@nationaljournal.com

Washington, DC 

* Some Twitter post above *   
-------------------------------------

COMMENT

It looks useful.

• #1 - So don't go to news outlets?  LOL.

• #2 - Hey, don't knock anonymous.  Not everyone will put their necks on the chopping block to get information out.  But that doesn't make the information any less valuable.  Just handle with caution.  LOL.

•   #3 - Are you kidding?  

Many legitimate and reliable sources quote other sources.  But if unsure of the source, I guess you go to  the original and check it out.

... Yeah, whatev-- for the rest.

Buyer Beware

The mainstream media impart what they wish to impart, on behalf owners, on behalf of corporations, on behalf of government & on behalf of buddy politicians -- so handle with care.

Far better to read widely -- and that includes Twitter.

Close to incident isn't always the best place to read.  

There's nothing out of the Ukraine that I would bother reading (and most definitely not about the Malaysian Airlines MH17 incident).

So you take the risk and occasionally get it wrong?  Big deal.  

Twitter's not held up to some journalistic benchmark; it's a means of communicating information informally and rapidly.   

By all means, scrutinise Twitter but don't expect to hold Twitter to same benchmarks as mainstream media ... it's not that kind of beast.

By the same token, don't dismiss Twitter offhand ... there's some fantastic material on there.  And if there's the risk of the occasional hoax, well that makes it so much more fun.  LOL.

Mainstream media deliberately get it 'wrong' most of the time. What you get in mainstream media is impression creation and 'party line' propaganda -- or whatever agenda they themselves wish to push.

Read mainstream, but read it with a critical eye -- and check out what the *other side* is saying.  

As for Twitter ... don't be shy.  Check out whatever you damned well want &, never fear, tweet away to your little heart's content (it's not journalism ... LOL).

Take what you will and enjoy it for what it is.  LOL.

The Twitter poster who put up the above guidelines writes for:  National Journal (Washington):

National Journal
The Watergate
600 New Hampshire Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20037 

NationalJournal.com

NationalJournal.com covers politics and policy in Washington, including the following issue areas: White House, Congress, politics, energy, health care, defense, and technology. 

Owner:  Atlantic Media Company

David G. Bradley ... is the owner of the Atlantic Media Company, which publishes several prominent news magazines and services including The Atlantic, National Journal, The Hotline and Government Executive.

Before his career as a publisher, Bradley founded the Advisory Board Company [Global research & technology] and Corporate Executive Board [CEB is a publicly traded company that provides advisory services to businesses worldwide], two Washington-based consulting companies.

Politics

Politically, Bradley considers himself a centrist, although he has also described himself as "a neocon guy" who was "dead certain about the rightness" of invading Iraq. [wikipedia]

Well, thanks for the guidelines nice corporate people ...

P.S.

'A handbook for responsible tweeting' sounds like something out of Communist China.  LOL.

Hey, is this the first shot of the fight against Russian and Palestinian  'propaganda'?!!

Quick, someone tweet Rasmussen and the gang!

Obama & Rasmussen rally for war with Russia...but blame Russia (within confines of her border) as 600 US troops on European soil

So what kind of things are message boards put upon to censor, you may wonder?

Well, for starters, there's this pic of Anders Fogh Rasmussen:

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Secretary General of NATO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBEAHQS3Pv8

Perhaps not Rasmussen's proudest moment; covered in red paint by a protester in Copenhagen, in 2003.

However, there's nothing wrong with a bit of cyber satire involving political figures...and it's quite topical.

In today's headlines:

NATO Chief Says Russia Still Trying to Destabilize Ukraine

Anders Fogh Rasmussen Says Western Allies Must Bolster Defense of Europe

Updated July 8, 2014 6:35 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON—The leader of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said Tuesday that Russia is continuing to try to destabilize Ukraine, including through a new military buildup on its border, and that Western allies must push forward on efforts to bolster the defense of Europe.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, secretary-general of the military alliance, said that even though Kiev has gained the advantage in a fight against separatists, the alliance must make increased investments in its own military response force and create a "more visible" military presence in Eastern Europe.

Russia hasn't overtly responded to the Ukrainian counteroffensive in eastern Ukraine. But Mr. Rasmussen said that Russia throughout the crisis has periodically made moves aimed at reducing Western pressure while continuing to quietly foment instability.

"Whenever the international community puts more pressure on Russia, they take some tactical steps that will defuse the international response, then after a while, they continue covert activities to destabilize the situation," Mr. Rasmussen said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Since Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, the U.S. and other NATO members moved to increase deployments of small units of ground forces and aircraft squadrons to Eastern European nations. Mr. Rasmussen said those efforts must continue and, potentially, expand.

At a planned summit of NATO leaders set for September in Wales, the alliance will discuss efforts to improve its reinforcement of member states. Mr. Rasmussen said there needs to be more investment in defense infrastructure, including designating bases that would receive reinforcements and pre-positioned equipment.

He also said the alliance must invest in intelligence capabilities and improve the NATO Response Force, a multinational crisis response unit that is supposed to be quickly deployed on a range of missions. Mr. Rasmussen said he wanted to see more European contributions to the force and stepped-up deployments of the U.S. units assigned to it.

He said the force also needs to create elite units that could remain ready to deploy to trouble spots or reinforce defenses in a matter of hours.

"We need to make it more responsive," he said. "What I could envisage is to develop what I call a spearhead for the NATO response force at high alert."

Speaking after a meeting with President Barack Obama Tuesday, Mr. Rasmussen outlined what he saw as a continuing threat to Europe by Russian aggression. NATO's stance toward Russia must change because Moscow's attitude to the alliance has shifted, Mr. Rasmussen said.

"Russia considers NATO not as a partner but as an adversary," Mr. Rasmussen said. "If you study Russian military documents and doctrine you will see that they point to NATO as an adversary and a potential threat. Of course, we have to take those words seriously." [Hello, it's NATO that's lined up troops & it's US troops on European soil as of 25/04/2014.]

But Mr. Rasmussen said he doesn't favor renouncing the 1997 Founding Act signed between the Alliance and Russia. The agreement, which states NATO and Russia won't use force against each other, remains in the interest of the alliance, he said.

Under the 1997 agreement, NATO said it wouldn't permanently station additional combat forces in Europe. The collective defense of NATO allies, Mr. Rasmussen said, can be strengthened without violating that agreement.  [I would suggest that 600 troops is a violation]

"I have no doubt we will need a more visible NATO presence in the east than we have seen in the past," Mr. Rasmussen said. [Again, he wants a troops build-up.]

President Obama has pledged $1 billion to shore up European defense, but NATO officials are looking for additional spending from other alliance members. [US is sinking $1b..and NATO wants more.  That doesn't bode well for the Russians or the 'Founding Act'.]

Investments in the NATO response force and improvements in military infrastructure will require increased spending, and leaders of the alliance have struggled to get most European nations to meet its target for defense budgets of 2% of gross domestic product. [Money...]

Mr. Rasmussen said that Russia's aggression was a wake-up call for the alliance, and has prodded some governments to "move in the right direction" on military spending. But he noted that after the last five years, Moscow has increased its military spending by 50% while NATO spending has been reduced by 20%. [What aggression is that, exactly?]

Russia's actions have caused a re-evaluation of NATO membership in some countries that train with the alliance but aren't full members, like Sweden and Finland. No, US-NATO machinations are the cause of this obvious rally to wage war in Europe.]

Mr. Rasmussen, a former prime minister of Demark, said while he would n't interfere in domestic debates inside Sweden or Finland, noted the alliance has a "well-developed partnership" with the two countries. [So they want Sweden & Finland under the US-NATO 'wing', as well ... but they're playing coy?]

"There is no doubt if Sweden and Finland should decide to apply for membership, they qualify and the accession talks would be easy and short," he said. [So is this a done deal?]

http://online.wsj.com/articles/nato-chief-says-russia-still-trying-to-destabilize-ukraine-1404857700?tesla=y&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304642804580017684219573298.html

--------------------------------------------------------

What Russian aggression?

All we are hearing is Rasmussen's (and obviously Obama's) 'need' for this & 'need' for that.

Russia's within the confines of its borders, but they are not.

What they are doing is painting Russia as the aggressor while they themselves step up US military presence & military spending, war training & rallying etc. -- on European soil.

But that's the beauty of the US, EU and NATO relationship.  LOL.