03/24/16
Daily Archives: March 24, 2016
03/24/16
March of Crimes
By: Julia Gorin | Republican Riot
“Presumed innocent until proven Serb”
–Balkans forum commenter
“The falseness of the entire situation here defies description.”
– Radovan Karadzic, Opening Defense Statement
Well, at least this Hague-held Serb didn’t turn up dead like six or so others.
Very little in or about the Balkans happens by accident. In 2008 Radovan Karadzic was arrested at a time that the U.S. and EU were desperately ramming through statehood for a criminal enclave named Kosovo. Conveniently, the arrest of Karadzic reinforced the image of Serb as war criminal just as they were looking to have fewer questions about officialdom’s obsession with this tiny place.
And it is again no accident that the date of the Karadzic verdict eight years later was “set for March 24th,” the infamous date in 1999 of America’s greatest international crime and shame, when a purportedly anti-war president took us to war against a Christian, European population that had been America’s historical ally. All for doing battle against domestic terror and the ambitions of Greater Islam which, having little experience with it at the time, Washington dubbed “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing.” As did Berlin, Paris and Brussels.
Payback is a bitch. Particularly when it’s self-orchestrated, as Europe and America are today reaping the karma and consequence of what they’ve sown, making Serbs of us all. As publisher Milo Yelesiyevich, who has translated Karadzic’s Opening Defense Statement, put it in a letter to me:
I hope the Europeans give Dr. K a second look, because they’re in for it now. In a few short decades, they’ve been cast in the role of “Serbs” in their own countries, yet they still refuse to acknowledge their complicity in their own downfall, which stems from having attacked Serbs and Serbia throughout the 1990s [on behalf of what would become the next nexus of jihad — Bosnia and Kosovo].
03/24/16
Boris, The EU and Lessons From The Bubonic Plague
By: Chris Knowles
The burial of the victims of the plague in Tournai. From Wikimedia Commons
A School Assignment
Yesterday I was involved in an interesting Facebook discussion about the positive things that arose as a result of the Bubonic Plague. My Australian friend’s daughter had been given the task of listing such positives as part of a school assignment.
At first glance such a project may appear rather sick for very obvious humanitarian reasons. From a personal standpoint while considering the interests of ‘number one’ the prospect is also horrific. Who in their right mind would want to die or watch others suffer while such a holocaust did its grisly work.
Lessons to be Learned
From a purely intellectual perspective, considering the long term impact of an event long past can be useful. Lessons can be learned that can help shape policy in order to maximise human well-being and social stability.
Such consideration is particularly relevant for our own age of controversial mass migration to the West and the dramatic demographic impact that this creates. It is also useful in explaining the lack of economic and political well-being in overpopulated parts of the poor world.
It could help policy makers to maintain both democracy and economic fairness in the rich world while at the same time increasing or creating democracy and economic fairness elsewhere. With power and money spread more widely in the poor world, the poor might even become rich.
03/24/16
Davos Man’s War on Trump
By: Chris Knowles
I first came across Harvard social scientist Samuel P. Huntington while I was doing my masters degree in the field of international relations. My friend from Libya had decided to do his dissertation on the Clash of Civilizations, Huntington’s article published in Foreign Affairs. In other work Huntington coined the term “Davos Man” to describe the internationally orientated elite who, in contrast to ordinary people, have no fixed geographical loyalty.
Above: Hiding behind the flag: The New York Stock Exchange – one of the redoubts of Davos Man
It now appears that Davos Man is now at war with Donald Trump. This can be seen with the outrageous scaremongering from that is being put about by The Economist Intelligence Unit in THIS article:
“The research firm warns he [Trump] could disrupt the global economy and heighten political and security risks in the US.”
03/24/16
The Spectre of the Cashless Society
By: Chris Knowles
I have just been reading a rather well written article by Tyler Lonergan about the virtues of a cashless society. He is quite in favour of it and points out many of the genuine benefits that would derive from such a society. You can read his article HERE, and perhaps join this important debate yourself.
Above: The Bank of England – The Central Bank of the United Kingdom
In this article I will argue that a cashless society would be a very dangerous development. I will do so be referring to two issues. The first is that it would lead to officially legalised theft. The second is that it would lead to tyranny. I will then make some conclusions on the basis of these issues. But to start off, I will set the scene by doing something unexpected and discussing the virtues of optimism and pessimism. This is an important part of the discussion as you will come to see.
03/24/16
WATCH: Trump’s donations to left-wing politicians (video)
By: Renee Nal | New Zeal
Ted Cruz released a new video highlighting Donald Trump’s history of donating to the Democratic party, including to individuals such as Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer.
It is also worth noting that the self-funded candidate at one time “quietly wooed Sheldon Adelson, Paul Singer and the Koch brothers” only to be turned away, as reported at Politico. A scorned Donald Trump lashed out at the millionaires and loudly declared himself to be self-funded, earning him the admiration of those who claim that Trump cannot be purchased by special interests.
03/24/16
Wait for the Meaningless Platitudes in the Aftermath of the Latest Terrorist Attack
By: Chris Knowles
Above: Solutions to terror? Eiffel Tower to be lit up in colours of Belgian Flag. What a relief!
Some people will say this latest attack is unbelievable, and will be asking questions such as why us? The usual platitudes and meaningless twaddle will be doing the rounds. Once the dust has settled the usual media talking heads will be wheeled out, disseminating disinformation and blaming the West.
The reality is that this latest attack is not unbelievable. This despicable act of terror is believable, inevitable and predictable. Western leaders just don’t get it! The way things are going there will end up being a Europe-wide intifada and the foolish and inept political leaders will still be scratching their stupid heads.
03/24/16
Climate Change Hysteria Strikes Again!
By: Chris Knowles
Above: Glaciers in the Alps taken from high above in a jet airliner.
Yesterday, I read an article (1) in The Guardian about the dire threat to civilisation as we know it posed by Global Warming. Don’t get me wrong I know for a fact that Climate Change is real. I also know that it is highly likely that humankind is having an impact on our global climate.
What I don’t get is how people can know for absolute certainty whether this is a good or a bad thing. I also dislike the tone of the current debate and how dogmatic it has become. Things have got so bad that some on one side want to deny their opponents freedom of speech. Not only is this a danger to human rights, it is a danger to science.
The Guardian article (1) continues “February 2016 was likely the hottest month in thousands of years, as we approach the 2°C danger limit.” Notice the word “likely” which of course makes what is being said completely meaningless. I suppose it could be read as grudging acknowledgement that the facts don’t come out on any side of the argument.
03/24/16
Our Watcher’s Council Nominations – Man Crush Edition
Simply disgusting in every sense. There’s no other term for this president’s conduct and demeanor.
Welcome to the Watcher’s Council, a blogging group consisting of some of the most incisive blogs in the ‘sphere and the longest running group of its kind in existence. Every week, the members nominate two posts each, one written by themselves and one written by someone from outside the group for consideration by the whole Council. Then we vote on the best two posts, with the results appearing on Friday morning.
So, let’s see what we have for you this week…
In Memoriam
Available at Amazon.com 
