Election games show what’s really killing America
The National Interest points out that a key issue, the US debt, is being erased from the presidential debates. This is not the only issue that can't be debated.
You can read the entire NI article here.
However, the real underlying problem for the US is that voters’ attention is diverted from ALL key issues at election time, not just the debt
Suppression of debate around the main issues is a constant at election time in America, but no malady can be cured when there can be no honest straightforward examination of the cause of said malady.
But even before we can diagnose the disease, we must identify the taboo subjects and the people who have imposed the taboo on discussing them.
I won’t waste a lot of your time delving into who is behind this sweeping taboo. No one will doubt that the people who ban discussion of any given topic are the ones who benefit from silence. The people clamping a muzzle on us all are the ones who control our government – a government that is supposed to be of, by and for the people but is anything but. These would be the lobbyists, including foreign lobbies, which are of course illegal unless duly registered, though this rule is cavalierly ignored.
I had written here that illegal foreign agents and officials who take bribes from them must be arrested and jailed in the interest of domestic security. I wrote:
Paid-off US officials are caught in a bind. The world knows they are aiding and abetting serious atrocity crimes against humanity against Palestine, but they feel loyal to their paymasters.
So far they have never faced the consequences of their criminal behavior, even though they are causing the US to lose the trust of allies and are isolating us like never before. The cost of this corruption in terms of world standing and dollars is incalculable, and this lawlessness must absolutely not be allowed to continue.
In Russia there are laws that protect the national sovereignty against perpetrators who have been identified as foreign agents, and these [laws] are vital to the country’s further existence. Soros was trying to start a regime [change] operation in Russia but was stopped dead in his tracks by the law, which banned him and his NGO from the country.
I had written here that federal officials who accept bribes should be arrested and jailed. And the definition of “accepting bribes” includes accepting campaign contributions from entities which benefit in any way from decisions, including voting and initiating legislation that can be made by the recipient of such bribes including campaign contributions. A little-known fact is that, once the election campaign is over, what is left unspent of the campaign contributions may legally be pocketed by the candidate. It’s an invitation to corruption and abuse of power.
In fact, the suppression of discussion on key issues is THE key issue because if we can’t discuss what REALLY ails us, we can’t diagnose our problems and we therefore can’t prescribe a remedy. Thus we are permanently disabled as a nation and the situation can only grow worse.
Further, suppression of the discussion of key issues is actually key to diagnosing us as a society. Thus, identifying the taboo issues that voters aren’t supposed to examine is the first step to diagnosing our maladies and finding the cure. Identifying the people who are denying us this vital discussion is the second step.
So let’s jump right into some of what is not supposed to be discussed in presidential debates (but also in the msm all the time)
The foreign lobbies, notably AIPAC and the Anti-Defamation Defense League (ADFL) as well as the “defense” industry, strongly influence the media and in particular, the media that get involved in writing the questions submitted to the participants in the presidential debates,
Issues such as the genocide in Palestine are categorically censored under pressure from Israel-related groups such as those mentioned above as well as others. Under pressure from such groups, which are in fact foreign agents but are never treated as such, dangerous legislation has been written by unscrupulous (bribe-taking) lawmakers in both state and federal law, notably a distortion of the definition of “anti-Semitic” such that in public discourse, everyone is now constrained to consider language – including that relating to Israeli atrocity crimes such as genocide, infanticide, inhumane treatment of prisoners, jailing of juveniles, killing of journalists – that in any way impugns Israel for such crimes, as anti-Semitic. Thus, if this proposed law is passed, the killing of 40,000+ civilians by the IDF may not be treated as a crime or atrocity because to do so is “anti-Semitic” under this absurd new racist law (which is part of a legal scheme that seeks to exterminate the whole of the Palestinian culture and ethnicity!).
Just to illustrate the absurdity of this new definition, note that there is an increasing number of Jewish groups and authorities that strongly oppose Zionism and that publicly denounce the crimes being committed openly in Palestine. I think you will agree that to call a Jewish person or group “anti-Semitic” is absurd. Yet if passed, the new legislative bill would force such anti-Zionist Jewish groups to be labeled as anti-Semitic.
As stated above, the shadow ban on discussion of the national debt in presidential debates, as mentioned in the above-linked National Interest article, is only the tip of the iceberg. It is not just the debt that dare not be mentioned in a presidential debate (where golf scores take precedence!), but in fact, ALL truly key issues are assiduously avoided. For example, no one may mention the fact that powerful lobbies, like AIPAC and the arms lobbies, completely overpower the voters, making a mockery of the “government of, by and for the people.” There is nothing close to this Pollyanna fiction in real life. There is NO democracy in America. And such sensitive topics are avoided for the most part in msm and in all public debates. Bloggers and other influencers who touch on these topics are shouted down as “conspiracy theorists.”
Also note another of the maladies of US politics and society, namely, the issue of “our superpower status.” This special status has given the US its endless list of endless wars that so far have killed tens of millions of innocent civilians around the world and cost us many of those $34.5 trillions. And this status has also made us the number 1 genocidal maniac in the world, notably with our undying support of Israel and our artificially ginned up racist national hatred of Palestine and other Arab entities that refuse to endorse our Nazi-like support of assorted atrocities by the Only Democracy in the Middle East. On the issue of the Palestinian genocide, Trump can only say “finish them off,” and for this, instead of well-deserved condemnation of this blatant racism, he reaps praise for his undying support of Israel. (In fact, I am convinced that the reason all the msm picked Biden as the loser of the first debate is that he had committed the unpardonable sin of talking back to Netanyahu).
In my commentary entitled There is no actually defensive army in the US-led West, I showed that the existing US defense doctrine doesn’t even mention the word defense and is unconstitutionally focused on US dominance (eg, hegemony), and the bulk of our “defense” budget is spent on non-defense items. Since then, we have seen some of the fruits of this mission creep, namely, a dangerously runaway debt and severe depletion of our armament stockpiles due to the massive transfer of US arms to Ukraine, a state that has no strategic alliance with the US!
In the Ukrainian scenario, btw, Russia was portrayed as an “enemy” by provoking it into attacking by breaking the promise not to bring NATO to its borders and by installing a Neonazi regime in Kiev in 2014 that was hand-picked for the purpose of goading Russia into attacking in defense of the Russian-speaking Donbass, first with aerial bombs and then with artillery, killing an estimated 15,000 innocent civilians. These artillery attacks were stepped up in the weeks just prior to the Russian incursion into Ukraine on February 24, 2022 under the guidance of unscrupulous Neocons who knew that this would force Russia to start its special military operation based on the requirement set forth in the Russian constitution that Russia is to defend ethnic Russians everywhere who come under attack. The sinister plot was completely obfuscated in the Western press, which forbade journalists to travel to Donbass and report from there after 2014. Fortunately, a few brave Western journalists defied this ban and shared footage of these attacks with the Western public.
Another of the many key issues that may not be discussed in public forums is the fact that, while the US and allies spend money like water on war against countries that are actually not enemies, there is never an extra dollar to spend on health care, and in fact, anyone mentioning this is called a communist or socialist and these two political directions are considered the worst of all sins.
If the public debate cannot be opened up to include the aforementioned untouchable topics and others, we can just resign ourselves to a world in which your mind is increasingly controlled by someone other than you and your vote makes no tangible difference in the issues that affect your life.
Nothing new really.
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Air strike update for July 1, 2024
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
https://ria.ru/20240701/spetsoperatsiya-1956617518.html?ysclid=ly33euun1b923780331
1.7.2024
Russian military hit Ukrainian Armed Forces aircraft in an open parking area
The Russian military struck the infrastructure of a military airfield
© RIA Novosti / Stanislav Krasilnikov
MOSCOW, July 1 – RIA Novosti. Aviation, artillery and drone crews of the Russian Armed Forces hit Ukrainian Air Force aircraft in an open parking area, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Monday.
In addition, aviation, artillery and drone crews of the Russian Armed Forces within 24 hours hit Ukrainian Air Force aircraft in an open parking lot and the infrastructure of a military airfield, as well as the repair and restoration complex for weapons and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, storage areas and preparation for the use of unmanned boats.
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Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
June 1, 2024
The Russian Aerospace Forces attacked the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Ugledar with FAB-250 and FAB-1000 bombs
Anastasia Selivanova
The Russian Aerospace Forces attacked positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Ugledar in the DPR with FAB-250 and FAB-1000 aerial bombs. ANNA News reports this.
According to the channel, the strike was carried out using aerial bombs equipped with universal glide and correction modules (UMPC). The Topaz artillery reconnaissance brigade helped guide the missiles to the target.
There is no data yet on losses in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a result of the strike.
The publication also published footage showing four strikes on Ukrainian Armed Forces positions. After the munitions landed, four columns of smoke rose into the sky over the area.
The day before, the Russian Aerospace Forces launched three strikes with an even larger (in size and weight) of explosive aerial bomb - FAB-3000 - on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Northern Military District zone.
The targets were brigades of the National Guard of Ukraine near Kharkov, as well as positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the settlements of Novgorodskoye (New York) and Dzerzhinsk (Toretsk) in the DPR.
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How Jewish Americans Are Turning On Israel - w/. Simone Zimmerman
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Our thanks to JS:
Anti-Zionist Jewish Voices and Insights
Sat 2/10/2024 1:06 PM
Anti-Zionist Jewish Voices and Insights
Decoded: Jewish support for the liberation of Palestine
What's behind Jewish support for Palestinian liberation and anti-Zionism?
[Video: 5m 36s] TRT World, Dec 25, 2023
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She had never heard of the Nakba. She was told Palestine was an empty land and that all Arabs were anti-Semitic. Meet Amanda Gelender, a Jewish American writer who shares with TRT World her personal experience with Zionism and Israel’s tactics to solidify Palestine’s occupation by luring Jews worldwide into the region.
[Video: 2m 34s] Dec 24, 2023
‘Hanukkah for ceasefire’: Anti-Zionist Jews protest Gaza war outside White House
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[Video: 1m 20s] TRT World, Dec 12, 2023
Jewish protester encourages Jews to join pro-Palestine protests while wearing their kippahs.
“You can come with your kippahs and you'll face nothing but love from the people here.” Jewish protester, Maudi, who attended the pro-Palestine march in London on Saturday encouraged fellow Jews to show their support and attend demonstrations while wearing their kippahs.
[Video: 1m 08s] Middle East Eye, Nov 11, 2023
Young Israelis refuse to participate in Gaza ‘genocide’
Meet the youngsters in Israel who are refusing to serve in the army and are speaking out against their government’s fascist tendencies. The risks they have taken are high, but their courage is inspiring.
[Video: 1m 25s] TRT World, Nov 11, 2023
'I was taught Israel was the victim'
“The truth is we’re not fed accurate information” Social media users say that Israel's relentless attacks on Palestine’s Gaza made them realise Palestinians are the real victims of the conflict, contrary to what they were previously taught.
[Video: 1m 20s] TRT World, Nov 5, 2023
Israeli journalist shares message after being attacked by mob over expressing solidarity with Gaza
Israel Frey, an Israeli journalist who went into hiding after his house was attacked by a mob over expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza last week, recorded a video message that was shared by his friends and colleagues. In the video, Frey addressed the ongoing campaign of intimidation against Jewish journalists, as well as Palestinian citizens of Israel. He added that the war is being used to further escalate tensions in the occupied West Bank and called on Israelis to speak up against their government. Frey also urged the rest of the world to be careful with their support for Israel and to not encourage the Israeli government’s “policy of ethnic cleansing, of prosecuting opposition and instilling fascism on the land.”
[Video: 4m 06s | Hebrew with English subtitles], Middle East Eye, Oct 19, 2023
Jewish Google employee quits over ‘silencing’ of pro-Palestinian voices
‘Google has created a toxic culture of silencing Palestinian voices.’ Jewish Google employee Ariel Koren has quit Google over hostility to concerns raised by staff about Project Nimbus, a $1.2bn contract between Google, Amazon and the Israeli military
[Video: 3m 12s], Middle East Eye, Sep 2, 2022
Jewish-American activist Maya Edery on her journey away from Zionism
“Our education was so entrenched in believing that you should support Israel and that being Jewish meant loving and supporting Israel that I didn’t know there was another way to be Jewish.” Jewish-American activist, Maya Edery, from Jewish Voice for Peace, speaks to MEE about changing her perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
[Video: 5m 26s] Middle East Eye, July 7, 2021
Peter Beinart: Why I no longer believe in a Jewish state
American political commentator, Peter Beinart, speaks to MEE about why he no longer believes in a Jewish state.
[Video: 5m 15s] Middle East Eye, Jun 23, 2021
"Anti-Zionism is not the same as Anti-Semitism"
Activist and academic Sai Englert explains why conflating Anti-Zionism with Anti-Semitism is "problematic".
[Video: 5m 24s] Middle East Eye, February 14, 2019
Great commentary, Don!
Big Money buys Big influence.
Call for transparency of lobbyists, PACs, and foreign influence. Remember the Clinton Foundation which peddled influence opening the door for foreign money to influence the U.S. Congress as an example. The Militarists and Defense Contractors are another huge lobbying cash cow for Senator Lindsey Graham as was the Halliburton Corporation for Mad Cowboy Dick Cheney. Americans need to know how corrupt their Congressman/woman is before voting.