. . . and similar manipulative spin and mob-ocracy games masquerading as truth, news, knowledge/education, etc now clearly needs to be confronted — if we are to think straight and act soundly in good time to avoid going over the cliff as a civilisation:
Of Lemmings, marches of folly and cliffs of self-falsifying absurdity . . .
The Parable of Plato’s Cave (and the linked idea of the Overton Window):
. . . has much to teach us in a media-dominated age where manipulators keep trying to push/pull our window of acceptability through deceit, poison, accusation, polarising and more.
Especially if we ask ourselves: how does the shadow show come to be, and how is a community so manipulated that it loses contact with objective reality?
Acts 27 gives us a picture in miniature (once we realise that it was common knowledge that some seasons were dangerous for sailing in the Mediterranean basin of 2,000 years ago, but that many people can be induced to go along with those they look up to for leadership, power and expertise):
>>Ac 27:4 . . . putting out to sea from there [= Sidon] we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us.5 And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia.6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board.7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone.8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.
9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast[a] was already over, Paul advised them,10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.”11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said.12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.
The Storm at Sea
13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore.14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land.15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda,[b] we managed with difficulty to secure the ship’s boat.17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird [= frap] the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear,[c] and thus they were driven along.18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo.19 And on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands.20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss.22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship,24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.26 But we must run aground on some island.”>>
Here, Mr Moneybags and his bought- and- paid- for technico manipulated the passengers and the Centurion into going along with a foolhardy voyage. That Jeremiah over there in chains with scars from three previous shipwrecks? Just ignore that half-mad idiot rejected by his own people. We are the experts and our consensus is, we can do it . . . it will only take an afternoon’s sail on a comfortable reach to go forty miles to a safe and commodious harbour. Of course, the predictable result of turning democracy into a manipulated de-mockracy, was shipwreck.
And, on many, many dimensions, that is exactly what we face today.
(BTW, I think we would all profit from reading and viewing this Melanie Philips article and video interview here.)
Our challenge is to de-spin the dominant agenda and its seven mountains/ commanding heights citadels, to come to a critical mass of prudence towards a sounder more sustainable alternative:
Oh yes, I doubt that it is a mere accident that the Limousine torched on Trump’s Inauguration day
. . . was rented for Wallnau, and that the bought and paid for “Anarchists” — a dead political movement if ever there was one — claimed to be “We the People.”
Where, it is worth the while to pause and unpack the old Soviet/Bolshevik term, agit prop.
Namely, it strictly/narrowly . . . per current dictionary definitions . . . speaks to twisting the theatre, arts, literature and the like into propaganda. However, on both the history and the inherent dynamics as work it readily extends to the mob-ocracy game, in which the streets and news media or institutions of intellectual leadership and education — notice the appeals to “consensus” on matters of controversy or where something is patently wrong with the dominant and too often domineering schools of thought . . . — are turned into a grand theatre projecting shadow shows confused for reality.
Often, such shadow shows are sponsored by governments, sometimes by powerful factions. And of course, such theatre too often becomes bloody, creating a horrific escalating spiral of chaos, confusion, retaliation and polarisation.
U/D, Feb 2 — it looks like live events are demonstrating my point:
Here is a girl being struck and pepper-sprayed at UC Berkeley for the thought crime of objecting to the riots:
(Ask yourself, what if she has a medical condition such as grand mal epilepsy or asthma or the like that could be triggered, sometimes with severe consequences? Do these rioters think or care about what fires they could be playing with?)
Likewise, people are being chased and struck to the ground by blackshirts (pardon language that pops up):
Here is some media coverage, in this case backgrounders leading up to a telephone interview with the proposed speaker whose speech event was shut down by the riot:
(I further understand her husband was beaten unconscious [which more or less implies concussion injuries] with several of his ribs being broken.)
U/D Feb 6th: The friend “pepper” sprayed during an interview also speaks out about the attack, indicating that it was the identification as My/Trump supporters that triggered the first and second attacks:
(And in case you think pepper spraying is minor, consider the implicit threat as something much more destructive up to a poison gas could easily have been used. BTW, why didn’t someone realise, assault with a potentially deadly weapon and tackle this suspect/perpetrator to the ground? ANS: People are not trained for that and by the time you observe, orient, decide and begin to react [cf. on John Boyd’s OODA Loop, here] it is over for good or ill; that is why trained security should have been right there, preferably law enforcement. It is also why a clear entry area protected by barriers with adequate separation should have been in place . . . another point of negligence by the authorities. Likewise consider how dazzling was used to initiate the second attack, which ended in mayhem: disorientation that could easily have prepared for anything from kidnapping to stabbing or shooting. If the pepper spray woman can be caught and interrogated, this would be important as she — it is likely to have been one individual — initiated the attack sequence. Given the hostile nature of the interview, perhaps it would be useful to interrogate the interviewer as possibly being complicit given what happened and what could all too easily have happened. Then, compare this sort of coverage with how the major media have treated the events at UCB last Wednesday evening, to see how street agitation and bully-boy tactics then feed into the theatre of narrative propaganda, spin tactics, gaslighting and outright brainwashing. Something truly ugly is going on.)
U/D Feb 5th: Meanwhile, we have a picture of police in riot gear inside the student union while riot-induced chaos was going on outside:
The poster of this very tellingly asks:
>>I was at UC Berkeley last night. Here is a pic I got after the speech cancellation of nearly 100 SWAT and campus police sitting inside the student union building doing NOTHING while people were getting beaten outside. WHO told them to stand down?>>
Further U/D Feb 5, pm: Notice — HT Zero Hedge, Feb 2nd — how the street theatre then gets projected by the media houses (CNN as an example, but take note of ZH’s own perspectives, too . . . ) to suit their particular agendas and narratives:
Under certain circumstances, agit prop becomes not just rioting but rebellion and guerrilla war — these days, 4th generation war [think of how the Palestinian Arab uprisings and declaratively genocidal terrorism campaigns have come to be viewed as “liberation” struggles by many across the world . . . ] — or even radical revolution.
I again point to the de-spinning framework I developed a decade ago:
Let us wake up to what is in front of us regarding not just design debates but ever so many issues and agendas across our civilisation. Plato’s grim warning from nearly 2360 years ago, is again all too apt:
>>
Ath [in The Laws, Bk X 2,350+ ya]. . . .[The avant garde philosophers and poets, c. 360 BC] say that fire and water, and earth and air [i.e the classical “material” elements of the cosmos], all exist by nature and chance, and none of them by art . . . [such that] all that is in the heaven, as well as animals and all plants, and all the seasons come from these elements, not by the action of mind, as they say, or of any God, or from art, but as I was saying, by nature and chance only [ –> that is, evolutionary materialism is ancient and would trace all things to blind chance and mechanical necessity] . . . .
[Thus, they hold] that the principles of justice have no existence at all in nature, but that mankind are always disputing about them and altering them; and that the alterations which are made by art and by law have no basis in nature, but are of authority for the moment and at the time at which they are made.-
[ –> Relativism, too, is not new; complete with its radical amorality rooted in a worldview that has no foundational IS that can ground OUGHT, leading to an effectively arbitrary foundation only for morality, ethics and law: accident of personal preference, the ebbs and flows of power politics, accidents of history and and the shifting sands of manipulated community opinion driven by “winds and waves of doctrine and the cunning craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming . . . ” cf a video on Plato’s parable of the cave; from the perspective of pondering who set up the manipulative shadow-shows, why.]
These, my friends, are the sayings of wise men, poets and prose writers, which find a way into the minds of youth. They are told by them that the highest right is might,
[ –> Evolutionary materialism — having no IS that can properly ground OUGHT — leads to the promotion of amorality on which the only basis for “OUGHT” is seen to be might (and manipulation: might in “spin”) . . . ]
and in this way the young fall into impieties, under the idea that the Gods are not such as the law bids them imagine; and hence arise factions [ –> Evolutionary materialism-motivated amorality “naturally” leads to continual contentions and power struggles influenced by that amorality at the hands of ruthless power hungry nihilistic agendas], these philosophers inviting them to lead a true life according to nature, that is,to live in real dominion over others [ –> such amoral and/or nihilistic factions, if they gain power, “naturally” tend towards ruthless abuse and arbitrariness . . . they have not learned the habits nor accepted the principles of mutual respect, justice, fairness and keeping the civil peace of justice, so they will want to deceive, manipulate and crush — as the consistent history of radical revolutions over the past 250 years so plainly shows again and again], and not in legal subjection to them [–> nihilistic will to power not the spirit of justice and lawfulness].
>>
To be forewarned is — if we are wise — to be forearmed. END
Comments
AJ, I have asked that question a number of times here. They never give a straight answer. Obviously because they know themselves their talk of holocaust etc is total hyperbole. Despite what they say, they clearly don't see abortion as murder. Of if they do they are all absolute hypocrites. At best.Pindi
March 12, 2017
March
03
Mar
12
12
2017
12:58 PM
12
12
58
PM
PDT
KF@275, yet I notice that you are still conveniently avoiding my question. Maybe you missed it amongst the other text.
If you would use violence if necessary to prevent the killing of a young child, why are you not prepared to use violence to prevent millions of abortions? Especially considering that you know where these abortions take place.Armand Jacks
March 12, 2017
March
03
Mar
12
12
2017
11:12 AM
11
11
12
AM
PDT
AJ, you inadvertently underscore the point, by dehumanising our posterity in the womb and robbing unborn children of the first right, life. Without that, there are no other rights. Our blood guilt in this matter and the rhetorical, mental and policy gymnastics we have gone through about it are a big part of the corrosion of our civilisation. KFkairosfocus
March 12, 2017
March
03
Mar
12
12
2017
11:03 AM
11
11
03
AM
PDT
Doxxing Bannon to create a cloud of suspicion and scandal?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/during-his-political-rise-stephen-k-bannon-was-a-man-with-no-fixed-address/2017/03/11/89866f4c-0285-11e7-ad5b-d22680e18d10_story.html
--> Spending huge resources to track down a man's residence patterns and construct a narrative seems just a bit over the top.
KFkairosfocus
March 12, 2017
March
03
Mar
12
12
2017
10:59 AM
10
10
59
AM
PDT
KF:
AJ, It is not so-called holocaust,..
I didn't refer to it as a "so-called holocaust". If I was asked, I would say that it is an unpleasant and uncomfortable act that I wish was not considered necessary by any woman. But unwanted pregnancies, particularly teen pregnancies, and abortion are as old as recorded history. All of the sermonizing and laws will not prevent them. To equate them to the holocaust is not only ridiculous hyperbole, it is an insult to all that suffered and continue to suffer because of the holocaust.
So, we are tainted by mass blood guilt, pervading all of our significant institutions across the whole world, ...
If by mass blood guilt you mean women's reproductive health, of which abortion is only a small part, I am proud of this. In fact Canada has just announced that they will give $650,000 for international women's reproductive health.
I wonder what we will have to say for ourselves when on That Day, we stand before the Judge of all flesh.
Feel free to worry about it. But since I am an atheist, I am not going to worry about it.
PS: As for obscurity of UD, you would be surprised.
Not really. I have seen the numbers.
But I noticed that you have studiously avoided my question. If you would use violence if necessary to prevent the killing of a young child, why are you not prepared to use violence to prevent millions of abortions? Especially considering that you know where the abortions take place.
I am not trying to downplay your abhorrence to abortion, but I can tell you that repeatedly referring to it as the worst holocaust in history is viewed as unnecessary hyperbole and seriously detracts from your message. Just a suggestion.Armand Jacks
March 12, 2017
March
03
Mar
12
12
2017
09:03 AM
9
09
03
AM
PDT
AJ, It is not so-called holocaust, holocaust -- refused acknowledgement as such -- it is: 50 million unborn children per year currently, under the most flimsy of reasoning, and with a simple, conservative growth model known to be an under estimate if anything, we can see that 800+ millions in 40+ years is a reasonable cumulative number. So, we are tainted by mass blood guilt, pervading all of our significant institutions across the whole world, I wonder what we will have to say for ourselves when on That Day, we stand before the Judge of all flesh. Who, was himself targetted by a jealous king who slaughtered the young children of Bethlehem. And this horror is going on under false, deceptive and destructive colour of law, freedoms, rights and more. in terms of correcting horrible and pervasive corruption in a culture, we have two choices, revolution and reformation. The history of revolutions gives pause to any responsible person and so we see the issue of the slower, painful path of reform rooted in recognition of evil that must be removed. And surely, you can realise that this path is what I have taken and what many others have taken. KF
PS: As for obscurity of UD, you would be surprised. And don't forget that part of my work elsewhere is good governance reform, promoting transparency and accountability in the systems that influence, make and carry forward key decisions. Where, the abortion horror cannot stand the cold light of day. Where also, a good part of the riot and manipulation now at work are due to fear that things are tipping in a very different direction than the radicals so long worked to push through. This is expressing itself in the blatant attempted undermining of peaceful transfer of power on legitimate election.kairosfocus
March 12, 2017
March
03
Mar
12
12
2017
04:42 AM
4
04
42
AM
PDT
KF:
AJ, you unfortunately failed the litmus test by side-stepping it.
And then you go on at length about what you have repeatedly claimed is the worst holocaust ever.
Might I suggest that you are yourself failing the litmus test. I am confident that you would risk your life to save a young child from a killer. And, if absolutely necessary, resort to lethal force to do so. As would I and most other people. We would consider our actions to be morally acceptable, and possibly our moral obligation. Yet, when presented with an ongoing mass murder, murders for which you know the times and locations, you limit your action to complaining about it on an obscure web site. And possibly other peaceful protests that I am unaware of.
Surely if you see it as a moral obligation to use force, if necessary, to prevent a young child from being murdered, it is also a moral obligation to use force, if necessary, to prevent the murder of millions. Until you can reconcile the difference in the level of action you are prepared to take to protect a young child and to prevent abortions, referring to abortion as a holocaust and mass murder will just be dismissed as hyperbole.Armand Jacks
March 11, 2017
March
03
Mar
11
11
2017
09:43 PM
9
09
43
PM
PDT
Meanwhile, we see testimony pointing to an out of control surveillance state. More ugly smoke:
http://www.wnd.com/2017/03/the-dark-intelligence-state-and-the-judiciary/
Klayman: >>Years ago, I had the occasion to meet a former NSA/CIA contractor, Dennis Montgomery, who was then serving as a consultant for Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County in Arizona. Montgomery revealed to me, as he had to Arpaio’s investigators, that these intelligence agencies, then run primarily by James Clapper, the former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and John Brennan, the former director of the CIA, had been for years “harvesting” the confidential information of scores of prominent Americans, such as the chief justice of the Supreme Court, other justices, 156 judges, prominent businessmen such as Donald Trump, and even me. Indeed, anyone who was in the public eye or an activist was within the sights of the intelligence agencies.
This surveillance, according to Montgomery, was being carried out without probable cause that there was any connection to communications with terrorists or that a crime was being committed. It was done simply to collect confidential information that could be used to coerce or blackmail or for what other ever purpose the intelligence agencies had in mind, presumably on behalf of others in or outside of government.
This criminal conduct was particularly dangerous when applied to Supreme Court justices and judges, the public servants who are supposed to be free from outside influence and serve are a check to the tyranny of the other two branches of government, the executive and the legislative.
After hearing what Montgomery had to say, I asked him for backup proof of what he had revealed. He then told me that he had left the service of the intelligence agencies with 47 hard drives of material, amounting to over 600 million pages of information, some of which was classified.
At that point, not knowing or wanting to know what specifically was on these hard drives, I contacted one of the few people I really trust in Washington, D.C., the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. With Judge Lamberth’s help, I took Montgomery to the general counsel of the FBI, James Baker, who works just under Director James Comey. With Judge Lamberth’s help, Baker then put me in contact with the U.S. Attorney’s office in the District of Columbia, and through Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah Curtis I was able to get use and derivative use immunity for Montgomery to come forward and produce his 47 hard drives for FBI investigation. During this time period, I had asked to meet with Director Comey himself, but Baker assured me, even though Comey was “unavailable” to meet, that he was fully informed about this and would “personally” supervise what was going on at the agency.
Later, Montgomery was asked to sit down with FBI Special Agents Walter Giardina and William Barnett and be interviewed under oath about the contents of the 47 hard drives and what Montgomery knows about the illegal surveillance. He did so for nearly three hours in a secret room at FBI Field Headquarters in D.C. The testimony was videotaped, and I have asked the FBI to preserve it as Montgomery has a potentially fatal brain aneurism and could die at any time.
Since that time, I have heard nothing from the FBI, General Counsel Baker, or the two special agents that were supposed to be investigating from a working level. It has now been nearly two years since Montgomery’s interview . . . .
When Supreme Court justices, 156 judges and others such as President Trump himself are under the sword of the lawless intelligence agencies who have no respect for the constitutional protections of the Fourth Amendment, of the citizenry to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures, our nation faces a threat bigger than even ISIS. As just one primary example, under this Orwellian state, no one can be sure that the decisions of judges are free from influence and that they are not being blackmailed by the powers to be, including but hardly limited to ethically challenged congressmen like Peter King, who not coincidentally sits on the House Intelligence Committee.
In short, our country is in grave danger when its judges in particular are subject to coercion and blackmail. Without a pure system of justice, we are no better than the former Soviet Union and now, ironically, Russia, doomed for eventual extinction at the hands of lawless forces in the intelligence community . . . >>
--> Where is this tape, where are the 47 drives of information? What is the status of this potentially explosive investigation?
--> Big brother is watching is not a healthy sign, and this does tend to confirm that we have a situation of compromised governing elites under secret blackmail or potential blackmail.
--> More ugly smoke rises.
KFkairosfocus
March 11, 2017
March
03
Mar
11
11
2017
08:07 PM
8
08
07
PM
PDT
AJ, you unfortunately failed the litmus test by side-stepping it. In effect, you are in the position of pointing to those who you obviously regard as ideological enemies and saying, see there is ugly smoke rising up from under your institutions. Meanwhile, ugly smoke is rising up all over the place from every institution, warning us of a civilisation on a march of folly to ruin, already on the brink of a crumbling cliff. We are of a generation that is the worst in history, we collectively are responsible for the worst holocaust ever, which mounts up at the rate of a MILLION new victims per week. Our silence or enabling or participation in this condemns us. Yes, reasonable professional measures need to be taken when any professional is found in serious ethical violations, and in some cases this may warrant civil sanctions as well, but this is not confined to the clergy, it holds for lawyers, engineers, soldiers, doctors, teachers, journalists and editors, and more. So salient is this, that there should not be an isolated, ideologically loaded singling out of any one profession for in effect a piling on attack, there needs to be recognition that there is a broad-based ethical breakdown that needs to be addressed across the board. In the case of politicians, parliaments or key executive and judicial officers are often immune from ordinary law (which could readily be used to harass them without good cause -- e.g. slander accusations), but there are provisions in constitutions for impeachment that removes them from shields, and/or there are provisions in the laws and practices of parliaments -- cf Erskine May for a good example -- that allow judgement by their peers including custodial sentences [e.g. for contempt of parliament]. What we are seeing is a refusal to deal with the pattern pointing to the common, subterranean dirty fire, which includes evidence of widespread sexual misconduct and perversities, but also financial and many other ethical issues and concerns that amount to a grand failure of our governance classes across the seven mountains of influence. I repeat, the ongoing abortion holocaust is the litmus test that tells us much. KF
PS: Wiki on Liberal, Learned Professions should be of some help in understanding the importance of responsible independence of professions and public recognition of self-regulation, with a measure of trust implying a linked degree of responsibility: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profession (The manifest, ongoing corruption of the professions in our time is a significant and terrible sign.)kairosfocus
March 11, 2017
March
03
Mar
11
11
2017
07:50 PM
7
07
50
PM
PDT
KF:
Did you not see what the pope actually said?
Yes I did. My comment wasn't a critique positive or negative about what the Pope said. I merely posted my opinion about the forgiveness that should be (or should not be) afforded to people who take advantage of their position of authority and trust. The pedophile priest is the obvious example, but the same would apply to Protestant ministers, teachers, coaches, etc.Armand Jacks
March 11, 2017
March
03
Mar
11
11
2017
02:42 PM
2
02
42
PM
PDT
AJ,
Did you not see what the pope actually said?
(And kindly note, I am a convinced Protestant who is not at all pleased with the pattern of scandals that have engulfed too many Christian bodies AND with the unresponsiveness to the evidence that points to far wider corruption across our civilisation, note my speaking of ugly smoke coming up from all over the place pointing to a vast subterranean dirty fire that is wrecking our civilisation on many levels. Not just with pedophilia and other forms of sexual corruption, but in a vast array of situations. For cause, I hold that the number one case in point is the ongoing worst holocaust in history, of posterity: 800+ millions in 40 years and mounting up now at a million more per WEEK. When I see responsiveness to this case, I will take the remarks of those pouncing on any one or two groups they are hostile to anyway seriously. This, for cause, is litmus test that searches out soundness or otherwise of conscience and reason. Your response to this case, holocaust, is: _____________ ?)
He spoke to repentance and to reform of life, then contrasted the problem that we deal always with the moral hazard of being human, with the issue of institutional corruption that instead of repentance and reform, seeks to pretend that all is well and resists correction.
That is a beginning, in a key institution in our civilisation.
KFkairosfocus
March 11, 2017
March
03
Mar
11
11
2017
02:10 PM
2
02
10
PM
PDT
KF@263, forgiving sin at the priest level is fine. As long as that sin does not involve an abuse of his power. For example, a priest having an affair with someone, regardless of gender, with someone that is not part of the congregation may be sin but certainly one that deserves forgiveness.
However, having sex with someone within the congregation, even though consensual, should carry far greater consequences. The priest is an authority figure for the congregation and that carries certain obligations. And having sex with a minor should never be forgiven. The priest, in those circumstances, should be handed over to the police.Armand Jacks
March 11, 2017
March
03
Mar
11
11
2017
08:24 AM
8
08
24
AM
PDT
Some media talking points on "persecution" of Muslims and "immigrants" [note, consistent failure to affix: "illegal"]:
http://www.breitbart.com/video/2017/03/10/msnbcs-reid-bread-and-circuses-for-trumps-base-includes-the-persecution-of-muslims-and-immigrants/
>>On Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “All In,” MSNBC anchor Joy Reid argued that the “bread and circuses” for President Trump’s base, “includes the persecution of people they fear, the persecution of Muslims is part of the bread and circuses, the persecution of the immigrants, throwing out DREAMers from the country, people that it’s easy for his base to hate and to fear.”
Reid said, “[T]he most cynical thing he’s done so far, is to say, I have to ban people from these seven Muslim countries. It’s urgent. I’ve got to do it now. And then, when it gets rejected by the courts, the 2nd version of this ban, actually can wait because he’s getting lauded by the press. And so, while he’s being applauded, it’s not so urgent. It can wait now.”
She added, “[T]he bread and circuses for his base includes the persecution of people they fear, the persecution of Muslims is part of the bread and circuses, the persecution of the immigrants, throwing out DREAMers from the country, people that it’s easy for his base to hate and to fear. That is part of the show he gives them instead of giving them substantive things like, I don’t know, health care.”>>
--> A commenter in the combox: "The concept is really simple: Illegal immigrants and immigrants from countries exporting terrorists have no business being in the US. It's called common sense."
--> Obviously, there are racists and ill-informed hotheads using concerns about such issues to advance dubious agendas, but unless there is a responsible balance that can address the issues of security and economic impacts of illegal immigration and countries that are terrorism etc hot-spots, the fringe will have the free gift of being the "only" voices making at least some sense on key issues of concern.
--> I do not think it is wise to go down that road.
KFkairosfocus
March 11, 2017
March
03
Mar
11
11
2017
12:54 AM
12
12
54
AM
PDT
The mentality (and some tactics) of the blackshirts, in their own words:
https://barricadasblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/05/on-black-bloc/
--> Truly ugly
--> You doubt, here, on Molotov cocktails (and remember no blood would be spilled if there were no rioting and deliberate provocation by the blackshirts):
The tactical use of molotovs is multifold. One use is to create a visual and thermal deterrent to the police deploying in front of the you or to your sides by throwing Molotovs between them and us. Pigs may wear armor, but they’re still human, and humans fear fire.
Another use is after the cops have drawn blood. Destruction of police vehicles via Molotov to the back seat and fuel intake is an effective way to escalate things. And watching police dance like a damned soul all aflame is still a beautiful thing.
--> This is the mentality on the loose, folks.
KFkairosfocus
March 10, 2017
March
03
Mar
10
10
2017
11:27 PM
11
11
27
PM
PDT
PPS: Meanwhile on the church reformation needed front: http://religionnews.com/2017/03/09/claims-of-sex-orgies-prostitution-and-porn-videos-shake-catholic-church-in-italy/
Observe a key clip that might be a good start:
>>Since his election the pope [= Francis] has taken a tough line on ethical behavior in the church though he has also recognized the reality of human imperfection and personal flaws.
In recent weeks he has spoken out many times against “temptation,” and last week he told a gathering of clergy at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome that faith could not progress without the challenge of temptation.
“Temptation is always present in our lives. Moreover, without temptation you cannot progress in faith,” he said.
Alberto Melloni, professor of church history at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, said there is nothing unusual about scandals in the priesthood.
“There is no sin that a cleric doesn’t commit. Scandals to me seem quite normal,” he told RNS.
“And I think the illusion of stopping scandals through better selection of personnel is not very promising and has not yielded great results. ”
Francis has frequently called for a more rigorous screening process for seminarians, and he has taken direct action when scandals erupt in Italy.
A case in point: When reports of “playboy priests” surfaced in the Italian diocese of Albenga-Imperia in the northern region of Liguria in late 2014, the pope sent a special envoy to investigate claims that clerics had posted nude photos of themselves on gay websites, sexually harassed the faithful and stolen church funds.
Two years later the pope replaced the leader of the diocese, Bishop Mario Oliveri.
Austen Ivereigh, commentator and author of “The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope,” said the pope distinguished between sinfulness and corruption and was intent on “rooting out” corruption inside the church.
“The remedy for those who succumb to temptation is forgiveness and a fresh start,” Ivereigh told RNS. “The problem is when priests turn their backs on the people, lead hidden lives and end up justifying their conduct. That’s corruption.
“And it’s only possible in the priesthood because of clericalism. That’s why the pope is so intent on rooting it out.”>>kairosfocus
March 9, 2017
March
03
Mar
9
09
2017
11:34 PM
11
11
34
PM
PDT
The demonisation-smear tactic (as part of polarising narratives in media shadow-shows); here, an attack on Mrs Trump by way of fallacy of complex question loaded assumptions and assertions against her husband:
http://www.breitbart.com/video/2017/03/09/dan-savage-melania-trump-is-ugly-on-the-inside/
>>on his “Savage Love” podcast, gay rights activist Dan Savage went after first lady Melania Trump, saying she was “as ugly on the inside as she is pretty on the outside.”
“I want to open today’s show talking about someone I hate,” Savage, who is a self-proclaimed anti-bullying activist, said. “But God knows there’s enough hate in the world, and I don’t want to add to the sum total but forgive me, I have got to get this off my chest: I [SNIP] hate Melania Trump.”
He continued, “I’m not alone in loathing Donald Trump’s third wife — she’s married to a misogynist after all. Odds are good her husband hates her, too. But there are some folks on the left who not only don’t hate her. They view her as some sort of sympathetic figure. The pretty princess in the tower locked up by the orange ogre with the bad combover, a princess desperately blinking out distress signals during swearing-in ceremonies and inaugural balls.”
He added, “I think we can credit that undeserving charitable view of our new first lady to our propensity as humans, as a species to think that the insides of pretty people match the outsides of pretty people. And that may be true sometimes but only randomly. And everyone always beware of confirmation bias. And you know what it’s definitely not true in this case. Mrs. Trump, Melania Trump, is as ugly on the inside as she is pretty on the outside. She is a birther. Pretty Melania went on TV to push the same racist conspiracy theories about Barack Obama that her husband did. She’s an immigrant who doesn’t give [SNIP] about the plight of other immigrants. She’s famously a plagiarist. And she’s brought ruinous lawsuits against journalists and bloggers accusing them of, among other things, potentially interfering with her ability to profit off her role as first lady.”>>
--> Much of this is hate-driven projection, and in particular Savage has utterly distorted the substance of Mrs Trump's suit against those whose assertions directly implied that she was a prostitute.
--> That distortion is already fair warning as to the nature of his remarks and utterly discredits him to a fair-minded informed person. But, the target audience he has are anything but this, we see here a part of the agenda of sowing discord and stirring up hate-driven hysteria in pursuit of undermining peaceful transfer of power through a legitimate election.
--> If you want to understand where the negative emotional energy behind rioting etc is coming from, this sort of incitement should be seen for what it is. Incitement.
--> Likewise the list of assumptions and projections are driven by agenda-loaded narratives that simply dismiss or distort then demonise the other side.
--> For example, it is a serious flaw in US elections that voters are often not properly identified, and that candidates have not been properly vetted as to core elements of identity and background. (For a potentially significant development, cf here from "Malik")
--> Likewise, there is a world of difference between a legal, background checked, legitimate immigrant, and an ILLEGAL one (especially those who slip over the border instead of overstaying a visa). It should be obvious that the latter are a security concern, on many levels.
--> This is how situations spin out of control. And you had better believe that such continues because at high behind the scenes levels, some hope to profit. Otherwise, we would have seen a united front calling for civility. (For instance, a First Lady of the USA is not typically an active political figure and people normally draw a line against attacking those not involved.)
--> So, silence where a voice of correction/calming is called for, speaks volumes.
--> In a related development:
http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2017/03/09/trump-campaign-ads-more-policy-than-clinton/
>>Donald Trump’s 2016 TV campaign advertisements were far more focused on promised policies than were the ads run by Hillary Clinton’s team, which were far more numerous, negative and narrowly focused on personality claims, says a new report.
“Over 60 percent of ads supporting Clinton were solely about candidate characteristics, while only about 25 percent were focused on policy,” said the report, titled “Political Advertising in 2016: The Presidential Election as Outlier?”
“This is a huge difference from Trump’s advertising, over 70 percent of which was focused on policy,” said the report, released March 6. “These strategic differences may have meant that Clinton was more prone to voter backlash and did nothing to overcome the media’s lack of focus on Clinton’s policy knowledge, especially for residents of Michigan and Wisconsin, in particular, who were receiving policy-based (and specifically economically-focused) messaging from Trump.”
“Clinton’s message was devoid of policy discussions in a way not seen in the previous four presidential contests, “ said the report, which was prepared by the Wesleyan Media Project . . . . The report debunks much of the establishment media’s narrative, which portrayed Trump’s campaign as a personality-driven chaotic scramble, saying:
For all of the talk of the unusual advertising campaign that Trump ran in 2016, his message strategy was more traditionally policy-focused. Ironically, it was the Clinton campaign that deviated sharply from the conventional playbook when it came to messaging despite following conventional norms in terms of volume, placement and targeting of ads. Indeed, only one in four Clinton campaign ads focused on policy, which is by far the lowest percentage we have seen since data from Kantar Media/CMAG have been available.
The media narrative also ignored Clinton’s far greater expenditure on TV advertising. In prior presidential campaigns, coverage by the establishment media has often bemoaned the scale and negativity of the campaign advertising, but according to the report:
Hillary Clinton’s campaign (alone and with her allies) spent vastly more on campaign advertising than did Donald Trump’s. And yet Trump won the election …
The Clinton campaign aired just under 200,000 ads at an estimated cost of just under $120 million during the last 9 weeks of the campaign, dwarfing the Trump campaign’s 76,000 ads at a cost of $66 million. Clinton’s advantage becomes even more stark when one adds in the almost 50,000 spots aired by Priorities USA Action, a pro-Clinton super PAC. There was some outside group spending on behalf of Trump, including the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, which aired about 10,000 ads on broadcast during the general election period …
Clinton’s campaign also bought almost 300,000 ads on local broadcast and national cable outlets, plus almost 700,000 ads on local cable channels. In contrast, Trump’s campaign funded less than 100,000 ads in both categories combined.>>
--> In short, we have seen the impact of a polarisation vs policy campaign, and its consequences continue to play out.
KF
PS: Notice, in this case how the loaded word "NAZI" was used based on a haircut -- that turns out to be a matter of grave health challenge:
http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2017/03/09/bee-mocks-man-brain-cancer-nazi-hair/
>>TBS’ late-night comedy show Full Frontal with Samantha Bee issued an apology Thursday after a video segment mocked a conservative man for sporting a “Nazi” haircut when in fact he suffers from Stage 4 brain cancer.
“This year, the bow ties were gone, replaced by Nazi hair, Nazi hair, Nazi hair… and CPAC was decidedly Trump country.” a Full Frontal correspondent says in the video clip, as multiple images of young men with partially shaved heads appear on screen.
One image, however, showed Kyle Coddington, who, according to his sister, Megan, is suffering from “stage 4 brain cancer.”
“When @iamsambee makes fun of your brother for having ‘Nazi hair.’ He actually has stage 4 brain cancer, but whatever floats your boat,” Megan wrote on Twitter Thursday morning.>>
--> why is "Nazi" being so readily used as a rhetorical club? To incite and polarise. One commenter pointed to Alinsky's Rules for Radicals (which calls for demonisation, polarising and targetting of opponents and the pretence that "we" are angels fighting devils, and another astutely notes:
It's much like the word Racist or Islamophobia or Homophobia. They are used repeatedly thrown around in attacks in order to make their targets appear to be something that they probably are not. Of course...it's interesting because it has always typically been the Left and the Democratic party that has been associated with these things but I guess they figure the more they call people names and try to deflect....the more they will appear like the good guys.
--> why was a haircut used as a basis for such a projection? Because the narrative talking point has been spread.
--> Why is a mere apology regarding this instance not enough? Because this accusation is by and large a smear driven by historical and ideological ignorance (Nazi's are right wing and so those to the right of progressivism are suspect fascists . . . cf above in thread), and needs to be corrected, acknowledged and apologised for.kairosfocus
March 9, 2017
March
03
Mar
9
09
2017
10:47 PM
10
10
47
PM
PDT
WJM, good, they need to face serious consequences. There is no excuse for riots and street violence in a reasonably democratic country. Contrast 44 annual marches for life, protesting the worst holocaust in history, which is ongoing. Police and local officials, too need to face consequences for creating a riot friendly atmosphere. So do the media. The violence and rioting have been escalating for a year, there is no excuse. KF
PS: I see one of the escorts in Berkeley was arrested and charged but now they have backed off, I guess seeing vid that he hit those hitting or trying to hit others, and realising that their inaction led to the need for escorts, is just maybe beginning to hit home. Unfortunately, he has been "doxxed" in an effort to invite targetted attacks, showing what we are dealing with. These jokers do not realise that rule 303 upgraded to 6.5 mm 800 - 1200 yd sniping is serious business indeed. And that is where this is headed if it spirals further out of control.kairosfocus
March 9, 2017
March
03
Mar
9
09
2017
05:01 AM
5
05
01
AM
PDT
Over 200 of those involved in the inauguration day anti-Trump "protest" in Washington, DC have been charged with felony rioting.
The information I have about the nature of those rioting and engaging in anti-free speech violence and intimidation is that while there are no doubt a few thousand hard-core, militant true believers, by far the bulk of the agit-prop is populated by paid activists (who mostly have no idea what they are protesting about) and cultural fashionistas who are marching/participating as a means of virtue-signalling. They also largely have no idea what they are protesting, and they are the progressive left's "useful idiot" class, deliberately molded into such by post-modernist, marxist academia.
A lot of them will be rudely awakened by the new law enforcement protocols. Just as border arrests of incoming illegals have dropped to their lowest point in 5 years (very meaningful, given the mild winter and new zero tolerance enforcement) signalling a big drop in border crossing attempts, you can bet that jackboot tactics will decline once enforcement and and a new air of zero tolerance for rioting, violence and intimidation starts to sink in.William J Murray
March 9, 2017
March
03
Mar
9
09
2017
03:06 AM
3
03
06
AM
PDT
5-Principles of self-defence: https://lawofselfdefense.com/the-five-principles-of-the-law-of-self-defense-in-a-nutshell/
--> Obviously, go see a lawyer.
--> It seems pretty clear that police are in many cases going to stand down, and that has serious implications.
--> Do we really want a situation where black shirts own the streets, including queues for events in lecture halls?
--> I suspect some serious cases can be made for esp Berkeley and UCB, on failure to protect the public from rioters, arsonists, and violent assault.
--> At this stage, it is clear to me that the pro-Trump supporters rallying Mar 4 followed the advice available online that they needed escorts ready to fight in a context of riots.
--> Rioters showed up and it seems the escorts held the line.
--> Police again stood down, and we see their rationale as linked; put up in the local paper . . . that is public notice if there ever was such.
--> This is a very dangerous threshold and the authorities need to re-think i/l/o the trend building up.
--> What steps are being taken to deal with the obvious outlaw blackshirts, decisively?
--> Failing that, what is going to happen when the next levels of escalation kick in?
--> For, rule 303 is obviously not very far away now.
--> The media, here, have some terrible responsibility for what they have fomented. Including the wider issue of undermining peaceful transfer of power on legitimate election, joined to feeding polarisation and trumpeting slander.
--> Again, it is time to turn back from the brink of disaster before it is too late.
KFkairosfocus
March 9, 2017
March
03
Mar
9
09
2017
01:53 AM
1
01
53
AM
PDT
WM@252,
As I mentioned earlier, I don't want to drag KF's thread off on a tangent. Might I suggest that you post an OP here (or elsewhere) with the five pieces of evidence that you feel are most compelling to you pointing towards s link between Comet Pizza and a pedophile ring. We can then discuss it in detail.Armand Jacks
March 8, 2017
March
03
Mar
8
08
2017
01:42 PM
1
01
42
PM
PDT
Were the Berkeley police right (in a lawfare world)? http://www.berkeleyside.com/2017/03/07/intervention-risks-escalation-berkeley-police-explain-approach-march-4-demonstration/
--> Or is this simply playing with bigger fire, long term as the public realises things are out of the control of the civil authorities?
--> How did it go down in Germany in the 1920's and 30's?
--> I don't buy the police line, last time unarmed unprotected people were assaulted, pepper sprayed, swarmed down and kicked and stomped by black shirts. That seems to be a very good explanation of why the pro Trump marchers brought along escorts willing to fight to protect them. And, this is a sign that things are spinning out of control
KFkairosfocus
March 8, 2017
March
03
Mar
8
08
2017
01:38 PM
1
01
38
PM
PDT
*Breaking News*: Trump used Russian dressing during campaignOrigenes
Tangled webs of tapped wires and twisty half-denials? http://www.wnd.com/2017/03/irony-alert-n-y-times-asks-wheres-evidence-for-own-wiretap-story/ (Look at the picture of NYT Jan 20.)kairosfocus
March 8, 2017
March
03
Mar
8
08
2017
10:55 AM
10
10
55
AM
PDT
Pindi: It’s hard to disprove wild accusations. Trump has accused Obama of wiretapping him. This has been denied by Obama and the FBI. Trump and no doubt the extreme right news sources he relies on, maintain its true.
Isn't it correct that the BBC, New York Times and the Washington Post are among those sources?
Mark LevinOrigenes
March 8, 2017
March
03
Mar
8
08
2017
07:41 AM
7
07
41
AM
PDT
A few notes about Armand Jacks' comments in this thread.
Let's begin with this comment he made:
All because of a conspiracy theory that has been proven to be false.
However, after challenging AJ to direct me to where this disproving could be found, he backtracked:
I admit that me using the word “proven” was ill advised. I should have said “discredited”.
This statement implies that the accusations "has been discredited" (replacing "proven to be false" in his original claim). Again, I challenged this assertion, asking to be directed to where this "discrediting" occurred and how it was achieved.
AJ further walks back this lesser claim with this:
The same sources that you have used. The internet. Every piece of evidence that I have looked into has quickly unravelled on even a cursory examination.
Note that "proven to be false" which lends itself an air of authority as if some actual investigation has taken place, has been walked back to a much more modest "I don't personally find the claims credible" (paraphrasing).
Why promote one's personal, subjective view of a subject as if one's view is based on some sort of substantial investigation that "proved" the issue one way or another? Why use the terms "disproven" or "discredited" as if they referred to something more substantial than one's personal opinion?
Still, this is what a lot of people on such forums do - characterize their personal views as some sort of proven or recognized fact, and other views as "discredited", in order to make their position seem stronger than it actually is.
Let's look at some other comments by AJ:
The entire conspiracy rests on emails that talk about going out for pizza and other nonsense.
That's not even close to a fair characterization of of what the "entire conspiracy" rests on; the fundamental pieces of "the entire conspiracy" rest upon actual arrests and convictions of high-level people like Savile, Hastert and Epstein; factual records of their relationships and travels, most notably the Clinton's personal relationship with Epstein and their multiple travels on the "Lolita Express"; Ben Sasse and his connection to the Congressional Page pedophilia scandal; the factual Podesta connections to Hastert and the Pizza place/owner in question; Hastert's connective relationships to multiple DC players who refuse to this day to disavow or condemn him; the historical linkages between many large pedophile scandals and high-ranking politicians, as revealed in the squashed documentary linked to earlier; etc.
For anyone to characterize "the entire conspiracy" the way you did necessarily means one of two things; you do not know what you are talking about, or you are deliberately mischaracterizing the information available that is most often linked to any serious compilation found online.
None of the case made by citizen journalists and investigators has anything whatsoever to do with anyone saying "let's go out for pizza" to a pizza place. That's an utterly, profoundly ridiculous characterization.
Let's go on. You said:
It is a pizza joint after all. Including a triangle in the logo? It is a pizza joint after all. Mentioning the word “sauce”? It is a pizza joint after all.
This is a blatant lie. The symbol in question is not a mere "triangle"; it is a triangle specifically with an inward spiral that follows the shape of the triangle inside its outer edges that makes the triangle look something like a maze.
Now, could that be a coincidence? Sure. But it simply and factually is not near the expected coincidence one would gather from the way you characterized it. If you had even a cursory reading or viewing of the evidence as you have claimed, there is not a single such collection of such evidence that fails to point out the specific nature of this triangular pedo logo.
So, you are either lying, or you have not looked at any evidence whatsoever that is presented by those investigating the conspiracy, because that is something they all point out at the very beginning because of the specificity of that particular logo.
I could move on to your characterization of the images and comments found on the various social media of those alleged to be involved, but countering that would require links and quotes that, honestly, are NSFW and are very distrubing. Suffice it to say, when "the whole conspiracy" includes Twittergate and thousands of hidden twitter accounts housing child porn and a network of sharing such images, it is clear that you are either entirely ignorant of what you are talking about or you are, for whatever reason, deliberately lying about it.
Let's move on to your attempt to draw an equivalence between the agit-prop techniques of progressive-left groups and "Pizzagate" investigators and advocates.
Every major investigative individual and group involved repeatedly reassert that these are unproven allegations and that they are acting only to collect data and to present it to legal authorities. They all expressly disavow any tactics that involve violence or intimidation. To date, we have seen one single event where a single man acted threateningly towards that particular establishment involving a discharged firearm where no one was physically harmed.
I agree that there has been online harassment of employees and others who have contributed to the social media posts in question; I don't think that rises to the level of agit-prop calling for the overthrow of a duly elected President and his administration, or actually killing cops in the streets. Do you?
A Pizzagate protest is scheduled for March 25th in Washington, DC. The organizers and major players require that all participants be lawful, non-violent and peaceful. Agitator will not be welcome and will be quickly dealt with.
Keep in mind, all of this is with the intent that this conspiracy accusation be officially investigated.
Now, compare this with the agit-prop tactics of progressive-left groups; they advocate and engage in violence and intimidation techniques, they chant about killing cops; they routinely physically attack trump supporters; they routinely destroy property; they shut down free speech; they attempt to physically block and harass people from attending events or talks they disagree with ideologically; they talk openly advocate circumventing a democratic election; they openly advocate assassinating Trump; etc.
To draw an equivalence between the two is irresponsible and I'm beginning to question your motives. For anyone who has actually investigated these subjects, it's starting to look like you are deliberately spreading disinformation.William J Murray
March 8, 2017
March
03
Mar
8
08
2017
07:02 AM
7
07
02
AM
PDT
Vault 7 -- is your TV watching you? Your phone? Your PC? And more?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/wikileaks-says-it-has-obtained-trove-of-cia-hacking-tools/2017/03/07/c8c50c5c-0345-11e7-b1e9-a05d3c21f7cf_story.html
>>A vast portion of the CIA’s computer hacking arsenal appeared to have been exposed Tuesday by the anti-secrecy organization WikiLeaks, which posted thousands of files revealing secret cyber-tools used by the agency to convert cellphones, televisions and other ordinary devices into implements of espionage.
The trove appeared to lay bare the design and capabilities of some of the U.S. intelligence community’s most closely guarded cyberweapons, a breach that is likely to cause immediate damage to the CIA’s efforts to gather intelligence overseas and place new strain on the U.S. government’s relationship with Silicon Valley giants including Apple and Google.>>
--> Who is watching whom?
--> Is anyone now prepared to deny that say Mr Trump's complaints, are not outlandish?
--> The surveillance state is here.
-->Infowars is of course going ape:
https://www.infowars.com/cia-turned-samsung-smart-tvs-into-listening-devices-wikileaks-dump-reveals/
>>Hackers within the Central Intelligence Agency have developed malware which can turn Samsung Smart TVs into listening devices, leaked documents published by WikiLeaks Tuesday reveal.
The malware, coined “Weeping Angel” – released as part of WikiLeaks’ “Vault 7” data dump – appears to have been created during a 2014 joint workshop with Britain’s equivalent spy agency MI5.
The attack, which seems to require physical access to the TV and an infected USB drive, enables a “Fake-Off mode” that allows the microphone to be accessed remotely even after the TV has been seemingly turned off. The malware also suppresses the TV’s LED lights, removing any suspicion that the device is still active.
Weeping Angel can also reportedly extract usernames, passwords and Wi-Fi keys – allowing the target’s network and other connected devices to be compromised.
“The tool appears to be under active development,” security researcher Matthew Hickey told Forbes. “The capabilities it boasts cannot currently capture video, according to the leaked docs.”
“But that is a goal of the project. It can record audio but it does not stream it in real-time to the CIA. Instead it copies it off the TV as files.”
Hickey also stated that Weeping Angel may be neutralized if the target updates their TV’s firmware since the malware is designed specifically for versions below 1118.
“Updating firmware over internet may remove implant (not tested) or portions of the implant…” Hickey said. “Firmware version 1118+ eliminated the current USB installation method.”
The CIA can also use a feature known as “prevent updates” to stop a device from removing the malware. While a factory reset code can bring the TV back to its original state, most users are unlikely to closely monitor firmware updates.
Security researchers have long warned about vulnerabilities with not only Samsung TVs but with IoT (Internet of Things) devices in general.
In a 2012 Wired article, entitled, “CIA Chief: We’ll Spy on You Through Your Dishwasher,” then-CIA Director David Petraeus’ heralded the role of emerging technology in espionage . . . .
[While] the Snowden files revealed massive surveillance programs that gathered data on millions of Americans, the CIA documents posted so far by WikiLeaks appear mainly to unmask hacking methods that many experts already assumed the agency had developed.
U.S. intelligence officials and experts said details contained in the newly released documents suggest that they are legitimate, although that could not be independently verified, raising new worries about the U.S. government’s ability to safeguard its secrets in an era of cascading leaks of classified data.
The files mention pieces of malware with names like “Assassin” and “Medusa” that seem drawn from a spy film, describing tools that the CIA uses to steal data from iPhones, seize control of Microsoft-powered computers or even make Internet-connected Samsung television sets secretly function as microphones.
The release of so many sensitive files appeared to catch the CIA, the White House and other government entities off-guard. A CIA spokesman would say only that “we do not comment on the authenticity of purported intelligence documents.”
In a statement, WikiLeaks indicated that the initial stockpile it put online was part of a broader collection of nearly 9,000 files that would be posted over time describing code developed in secret by the CIA to steal data from a range of targets. WikiLeaks said it redacted lists of CIA surveillance targets, though it said they included targets and machines in Latin America, Europe and the United States.
The release was described as a huge loss to the CIA by security experts and former U.S. intelligence officials. “It looks like really the backbone of their network exploitation kit,” said a former hacker who worked for the National Security Agency and, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the subject.
The breach could undermine the CIA’s ability to carry out key parts of its mission, from targeting the Islamic State and other terrorist networks to penetrating the computer defenses of sophisticated cyber-adversaries including Russia, China and Iran, former officials and tech specialists said.
“Any exposure of these tools is going to cause grave if not irreparable damage to the ability of our intelligence agencies to conduct our mission,” a former senior U.S. intelligence official said.>>
--> Big Bro is watching you (or, is that a whole tribe of big brothers?)
--> Just add SMICE.
--> Though, in fairness, there is a legitimate place for spying etc, the problem is, this is an utterly wicked generation.
KFkairosfocus
March 8, 2017
March
03
Mar
8
08
2017
03:37 AM
3
03
37
AM
PDT
The end of boycotts?
http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/322818-ivanka-trump-clothing-line-reports-record-sales
>>Ivanka Trump’s eponymous women’s fashion line is reporting record sales figures despite calls for a boycott and controversies surrounding President Trump.
“Since the beginning of February, they were some of the best performing weeks in the history of the brand,” Abigail Klem, the president of the Ivanka Trump fashion brand, tells Refinery29 in an interview published Tuesday. “For several different retailers Ivanka Trump was a top performer online, and in some of the categories it was the [brand’s] best performance ever.”
The news of a sales surge comes after Nordstrom announced in early February that it would no longer carry the 35-year-old’s clothing and accessories, citing poor product sales. The move caused President Trump to tweet shortly after the announcement that his daughter was being “treated so unfairly” by the luxury department store giant.
Also last month, Neiman Marcus stopped carrying the first daughter's jewelry line on its website, and employees of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls stores were instructed to throw away any signage advertising her wares.
The Office of Government Ethics recommended disciplinary action against White House adviser Kellyanne Conway after she urged viewers to “go buy Ivanka’s stuff” during a February interview on “Fox & Friends.”
A campaign called Grab Your Wallet, which is critical of the Trump administration, asked shoppers to boycott retailers with any Ivanka or Donald Trump-branded products.
According to the e-commerce aggregator Lyst, from January to February, Ivanka Trump sales increased 346 percent, Refinery29 writes.>>
--> It seems that enough people have been angered by the political targetting of Mr Trump's wider family to make a significant sales impact.
--> If Ms Trump's managers are smart, they will open a line of men's clothing!
KFkairosfocus
March 8, 2017
March
03
Mar
8
08
2017
03:08 AM
3
03
08
AM
PDT
Uh, oh, Alex Jones clips a CNN segment where a feed breaks just as a statistic that cuts across the narrative is revealed by a congressman on CNN. Yes, Mr Jones is not himself a source I regard, but he here accurately clips and summarises, giving yet another point where ugly smoke is rising:
https://www.infowars.com/watch-cnn-feed-cuts-out-as-gop-rep-mentions-refugee-terrorism-stats/
>>Republican Congressman Scott Taylor was attempting to discuss President Trump’s revised executive order banning travel from six terror-prone nations when his feed was abruptly and inexplicably cut off.
“Just today, the FBI comes out and says that 30 percent, 30 percent, of their domestic terrorism cases that they’re investigating are from folks who are refugees,” Taylor said. “It’s important not to label all refugees bad people, that’s not why I’m here, but –” Taylor attempted to tell CNN correspondent Dana Bash before his statement was interrupted.
“I was just going to say, congressman, it’s time to go, but I think the TV gremlins did that for us,” Bash says before ending the segment.
On Monday, a Department of Homeland Security official announced the FBI is currently conducting investigations into 300 refugees as potential domestic terrorists.
Last month, a segment featuring Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was also awkwardly cut short after the former presidential candidate joked that CNN was “fake news.”>>
--> Gremlins of convenience, anyone?
KF
PS: when I wake up back, DV, vault 7 from Wikileaks and for example the TV may be watching you. (BTW, on a recent incident where W-App initiated a video call against my will, I have taped over the cams. I have reason to be concerned Facebook may be listening in on conversations, and more.kairosfocus
March 7, 2017
March
03
Mar
7
07
2017
08:23 PM
8
08
23
PM
PDT
AJ, you obviously have a tin ear at this point. My policy (which differs from WJM's*) is, there is a point where enough has been said for the remnant. Good night. KF
*PS: Over years, I have learned to trust WJM. If he says there is a counter-movement trying to create critical mass to roll up a global network of evils and has indicated that pedo is a part, I believe him. He has indicated 1500 cases in one month just in the USA, and linked a list I saw. I picked up only the CA component, and saw the selective attention that refused to acknowledge the plight of 28 children. That is a red flag to me and tells me whose report to believe. There has been ugly smoke for decades, on multiple fronts. There has been strangely ineffectual resistance and evident going along with being a punching bag. The abortion holocaust under false colour of law is a litmus test, and our generation fails; collectively, we are the worst, most blood guilt ridden generation in history. We are on the whole not fit to think straight on morally tinged matters. I draw the very broad conclusion that the masses of ugly smoke coming up from so many points indicate a horrific, demonically dirty subterranean fire. And worse, nukes are now on the table.kairosfocus
