Reading

Created
Tue, 21/03/2023 - 04:30
The press got so excited Those who were following politics 20 years ago surely remember how the media reacted to the invasion of Iraq. I’ve never seen them so stimulated. Here’s what I wrote on this day in 2003: Resistance Is Futile The United States knows all and sees all. Schwartzkopf said he’s never seen anything like this “awesome” technology. The BBC said “it’s as if the US has a 3 dimensional picture of every single thing that is happening in Baghdad.” No need to tell the Brits about the strike, though. Gotta move fast. They may represent 70% of the coalition ‘o the willin’, but Blair is still a limey twit, always making Bush sound stupid. Killing Saddam’s like swatting a fly. We have X-Ray vision and he’s probably dead. We think. Like Osama. Oh wait. We got to watch Bush putting on his make-up on the BBC feed for about 5 minutes before the speech. He looked psyched.
Created
Tue, 21/03/2023 - 04:15

The case to invade Iraq on March 19, 2003 was based on an NIE that was prepared not to determine the truth, but rather to “justify” preemptive war, when there was nothing to preempt.

The post Iraq War 20 Years: Ray McGovern—The Uses and Abuses of National Intelligence Estimates appeared first on scheerpost.com.

Created
Tue, 21/03/2023 - 04:07
I. Preamble

In 2022, the vicious cycle of democratic pretensions, dysfunctional politics and a divided society continued in the United States. Problems such as money politics, identity politics, social rifts, and the gulf between the rich and poor worsened. The maladies afflicting American democracy deeply infected the cells of US politics and society, and further revealed US governance failure and institutional defects.
Created
Tue, 21/03/2023 - 03:51
People read much into the implications of currency swaps that is not there. Much ado about nothing. Brian explains why in terms that are simple to understand.

Why swaps?
You either have capital controls, or you have central banks acting as swap dealers of the last resort, or you have periodic meltdowns of the currency system. Pick your poison.
Bond Economics
Currency Swap Facility Comment
Brian Romanchuk
Created
Tue, 21/03/2023 - 03:30
“Fall in line” seems to be the order of the day Donald Trump announced over the weekend that he was going to be arrested on Tuesday by publishing a series of hysterical posts on his Truth Social media platform exhorting his followers to take to the streets in protest. As it turns out he doesn’t actually know that he’s being arrested on Tuesday but surmised it from the media reports and decided to signal his loyal followers to get organized. As I write this it seems that an indictment is imminent but there is at least one more witness scheduled to testify to the grand jury today (Michael Cohen’s former lawyer), so it’s unclear exactly when it’s coming. Trump isn’t taking it well: Social media set itself on fire over Trump’s announcement and some of Trump’s minions appeared on TV to echo his rage suggesting that the case is being brought to hide the crimes of the “Biden Crime Family” which includes the widow of the late Beau Biden.
Created
Tue, 21/03/2023 - 02:06

Disclaimer: None of the panel you'll see here are 'final'. I'm still in the process.

Also, "spoiler alert" obviously..

Hey, I'm doing a pause today to share with you where I am in process of the production of Episode 38 and also look back in the mirror of what happened so far since summer 2022, the last time I published an episode of Pepper&Carrot. I'll try to explain all the process of what happened for me to take so much time on this one.

You'll find that the big bottle-neck was mainly at the step of the scenario.

Created
Tue, 21/03/2023 - 01:39

I know Tony Blair knew there was no stockpile of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq before Britain and the United States launched the invasion. The revelation came in a bizarre encounter in a spartan, windowless room at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) headquarters in Whitehall. The meeting with the government’s expert on Iraq’s WMD […]

Created
Tue, 21/03/2023 - 01:30
Luckovich again Gov. Wokety-woke DeWoke has even lost Bret Stephens (like I care): “He’s showing he’s just another George Costanza Republican, whose idea of taking a foreign-policy stand is to “do the opposite” of whatever the Democrats do.” Gail Collins and Stephens got distracted by DeSantis before making a passing reference to the prospect of a Donald Trump indictment this week. Joe Scarborough (like I care) believes any indictment will fire up Trump’s base briefly before fading, and any indictment will erode Trump’s support in Wisconsin, in Michigan, in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Sounds about right. But before that fade happens:
Created
Tue, 21/03/2023 - 00:41

It’s not just that media figures who sold the most devastating war crime of the 21st century never faced any professional consequences—they’re more powerful and influential now than ever.

The post US Media’s Iraq War Pushers 20 Years On: Where Are They Now? Rich and Influential appeared first on scheerpost.com.

Created
Tue, 21/03/2023 - 00:32
Analyzing The Trans Panic

This is an article I’ve been avoiding writing for a few years now because there’s no upside to it, much like a man weighing in on feminism or a white person writing about first nations or anyone who isn’t a Zionist racist piece of garbage writing about Israel. But because trans-rights have become a political wedge issue, I feel it has become necessary to discuss them.

I’m fifty-five years old. When I was growing up two things were true about transvestites (which we universally thought of as male to female). People didn’t like them, and people mostly didn’t think it was any of their business unless they were tricked into a romantic or sexual encounter with one.

I don’t want to underplay how much they were disliked. Watch the end of the first Ace Ventura movie to get a feel for it.