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The Voice referendum dominated the national discourse for much of this year. The result was a major setback for the government. Fortunately for Anthony Albanese, his loss was quickly swept from the headlines by events in the Middle East. Then came a thirteenth RBA interest rate hike, the High Court’s decision on indefinite immigration detention, Continue reading »
“How is it that these atrocities are beamed across the world for all to witness, and yet so little is done to stop them?” Humanitarian groups and United Nations officials expressed horror Wednesday at the disaster unfolding in Gaza as Israeli forces stormed the largest city in the southern part of the strip, fueling concerns Continue reading »
The official story is that on October 7, 2023, thousands of evil Hamas terrorists broke out of their walled-in enclave and killed approximately 1,200 Israelis for no reason other than because they were evil and wanted to kill Jews. Nothing was done by the Israeli government to provoke this attack, and nothing of any relevance Continue reading »
In the aftermath of the Suez Crisis of 1956, the United States replaced Britain and France as the sole hegemon in the Middle East. The Middle East has never achieved lasting peace under US hegemony; and years of war and devastation have plunged many Middle Eastern countries into great economic difficulties. The bloody conflict between Continue reading »
2024 REPUBLICAN
4TH GOP PRIMARY DEBATE
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA
DECEMBER 6, 2023
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8:00 PM: The fourth and (hopefully) final primary debate opens by showcasing the GOP’s diversity with moderator Megyn Kelly, a blonde white woman, flanked by not one but two brunette white women. Kelly tells the candidates not to interrupt, to keep their answers brief, and to remember that Santa Claus is canonically white. She also asks the audience to keep their applause to a minimum, noting she can’t imagine there will be much to celebrate from this loser parade anyway.
The Toymaker makes their presence known in a sneak preview clip from BBC's David Tennant & Catherine Tate-starring Doctor Who: "The Giggle."
I watched that stupid also-ran debate last night and honestly, I have nothing much to say about it. They’re calling Haley the “front-runner” which she isn’t and praising Chris Christie for defending her but that’s about it. And everyone acknowledges that DeSantis is weird and Ramaswamy is a complete asshole. A few highlights: And DeSantis is obsessed with “child mutilation” words he used over and over again during the debate I think that about covers it. These debates are pathetic. And yet CNN just announced that they are hosting two more of them in January. No, Trump won’t show up for them either. By the way, according to Morning Joe, the ratings for the Newsom DeSantis debate were higher than for the Trump town hall with Hannity this week. I would guess it’s because a buch of Democrats tuned for the former but Trump has to be pissed anyway.
The Conservatives have made Britain's elections more exposed to risky foreign donations, according to Spotlight on Corruption
Murray Gold's "The Goblin Song" will stream this Monday, ahead of the Doctor Who Christmas Special starring Ncuti Gatwa & Millie Gibson.
Forests and trees Why do left-leaning independents in North Carolina’s bluest precincts turn out less than Democrats in their neighborhoods when independents statewide (including the Trumpiest counties) turn out more? Perhaps because Democrats are policy liberals and campaign conservatives. Taking chances? Not when every damned election is “the most important of our lifetimes.” Throwing the long ball? They are more inclined to fall on it. “Leave it all on the field” remains aspirational. What we’re getting at here is Democrats’ targeting of independents for turnout is too conservative. As Michah L. Sifry (The Connector) in July observed, “The Experience of Grassroots Leaders Working with the Democracy Party” report is sobering. Among the complaints (emphasis mine): Most volunteer leaders see their state Democratic party’s efforts to organize outreach as “too little, too late.” One in four call their party unresponsive. A majority of respondents said the party does a terrible job targeting voters, saying that its lists are far too narrow. That is what I find as well: This is my focus right now.
One way of understanding the ongoing bloodbath pitting Israel against Hamas is to see it as just the latest chapter in an existential struggle dating back to the founding of the Jewish state in 1948. While the appalling scope, destructiveness, and duration of the fighting in Gaza may outstrip previous episodes, this latest go-around serves chiefly to reaffirm the remarkable intractability of the underlying Arab-Israeli conflict. Although the shape of that war has changed over time, certain constants remain. Neither side, for instance, seems capable of achieving its ultimate political goals through violence. And each side adamantly refuses to concede to the core demands of its adversary. In truth, while the actual fighting may ebb and flow, pause and resume, the... Read more
For my daughter Tora and son David — with whom, when they were just little kids, yours truly spent hours and hours watching this series (now available on Netflix) back in the 1990s. You were my heroes then. You still are.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Lot No. 249 is this year's Christmas Ghost Story for Christmas on the BBC, adapted by Mark Gatiss with Kit Harington.
Meerkats are famous for their teamwork, but it’s enforced by a matriarch with an iron fist.
The post Queen of the Mob appeared first on Nautilus.
Robert Kagan is back already Robert Kagan’s doomsaying article about a Trump dictatorship and The Atlantic‘s“If Trump Wins” series sounded loud alarms. And then some. I cautioned Monday that overdoing the shock treatment can backfire. Along with the warnings people need hope and plans for action. Kagan got that message from his readers and is back today with an attempt at offering some, reluctantly. His heart isn’t in it. It’s not that we didn’t know what to do, Kagan begins. It’s that we didn’t do it when chances were better for stopping Trump. He offers “several things people could do to save the country but almost certainly won’t do, because they selfishly refuse to put their own ambitions at risk to save our democracy.” Feeling hopey yet? For one, Never-Trump forces could throw all their support behind Nikki Haley as the least odious Republican presidential candidate. Probably won’t work, but go for it, Kagan suggests. A majority of the GOP are committed cultists. A smaller faction wants Trump as their best chance of beating Joe Biden.
Penny Pepper reflects on the concerning and uplifting behaviours she witnessed during her four-week stay in hospital this summer
Hearkening back to the days preceding the 9/11 attacks, suspicious stock market activity suggests that someone with prior knowledge of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood sought to capitalize on the events on October 7.
The post Just Like 9/11? Suspicious Israeli Stock Market Activity Hints at Foreknowledge of October 7 Attack appeared first on MintPress News.
While Israelis see their captives, whether civilians or military, held in Gaza in terms of numbers, Palestinians approach the issue from an entirely different perspective.
The post Dying to Be Free: Releasing Palestinian Captives is Not a Numbers Game appeared first on MintPress News.
Since 2006, The Ferret — previously the Mad Ferret — has stood as one of the city of Preston’s most iconic venues. Once a standard pub on the arterial Fylde Road, the venue that sits opposite the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) campus has gained the loyalty of hundreds of bands and regular punters. But […]