Category: Communities of Practice

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John Steiner: 58% US Voters Want New Party

Civil Society, Ethics, Government
John Steiner
John Steiner

Americans Continue to Say a Third Political Party Is Needed

A majority of U.S. adults, 58%, say a third U.S. political party is needed because the Republican and Democratic parties “do such a poor job” representing the American people. These views are little changed from last year's high. Since 2007, a majority has typically called for a third party.

Americans' current desire for a third party is consistent with their generally negative views of both the Republican and Democratic parties, with only about four in 10 viewing each positively. Read full article.

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Chuck Spinney: Israel Bribes US Congress (Again)

07 Other Atrocities, 08 Wild Cards, Corruption, Government
Chuck Spinney
Chuck Spinney

The BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions — as were once applied to South Africa) movement is centered in Europe, but is gaining traction elsewhere.  It is aimed at sanctioning Israel economically for its treatment of Palestinians treatment.  That treatment is in clear violation of the Geneva Conventions and UN resolutions.  Think about it: If Russia was treating Ukrainians like Israelis are treating Palestinians, we would be howling a lot louder than is now the case. Coming on top of our growing differences with the EU over the Ukraine, introducing new conflicts with the EU in the form of economic sanctions aimed at the EU for pursing the same types of sanctions we pursue elsewhere is both hypocritical and dysfunctional … to put it charitably.

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Berto Jongman: World Press Freedom Declines

Cultural Intelligence, IO Impotency, Media
Berto Jongman
Berto Jongman

World Press Freedom Index 2015: decline on all fronts

The Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index ranks the performance of 180 countries according to a range of criteria that include media pluralism and independence, respect for the safety and freedom of journalists, and the legislative, institutional and infrastructural environment in which the media operate.

The 2015 World Press Freedom Index highlights the worldwide deterioration in freedom of information in 2014. Beset by wars, the growing threat from non-state operatives, violence during demonstrations and the economic crisis, media freedom is in retreat on all five continents.

Learn more.

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Berto Jongman: US False Flag in Ukraine? Competing Narratives — Trilateral Commission Death Run?

04 Inter-State Conflict, 05 Civil War, 06 Russia, 07 Other Atrocities, 08 Wild Cards, 09 Terrorism, 10 Transnational Crime, Corruption, Government, Idiocy, IO Deeds of War, Officers Call, Peace Intelligence
Berto Jongman
Berto Jongman

Being read in Europe.

America Hell-Bent on War: 80-Year-Old Analyst Has Never Been More Afraid

Lendman says that the US Congress almost universally demonizes Putin, and that the US media has sunk to its lowest depths in his lifetime. He fears a possible US-instigated war with Russia, and suspects a major false flag will be used as justification. “I'm 80 years old. I was never scared throughout the Cold War years. I'm very scared now,” he stated.  Read full article.

Nuclear War and Clashing Ukraine Narratives

Exclusive: America and Russia have two nearly opposite narratives on Ukraine, which is more an indictment of the U.S. news media which feigns objectivity but disseminates what amounts to propaganda. These divergent narratives are driving the world toward a possible nuclear crisis, writes Robert Parry. Read full article.

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Winslow Wheeler: USAF Lies About the A-10 — Is This Treason? Should the USAF Be Abolished and the US Army GIven Air Support Mission?

Corruption, Military
Winslow Wheeler
Winslow Wheeler

Last Thursday, USA Today published an article titled “A-10 Warplane Tops List for Friendly Fire Deaths.”  It purported to use data provided by sources inside the Air Force to substantiate the article and its title.  In fact, the article performed no significant, even rudimentary, analysis of the data the Air Force sources provided, let alone the history of the A-10, the operating characteristics inherent in its design and its long time record in four wars since Operation Desert Storm in 1991.  The USA Today article had every appearance of being a megaphone for spoon-fed misrepresentations to fortify the Air Force’s case to retire the A-10 prematurely and use the funds “saved” to force feed still more money into the disastrous F-35 program.

The gambit from those Air Force sources backfired—big time.

Continue reading “Winslow Wheeler: USAF Lies About the A-10 — Is This Treason? Should the USAF Be Abolished and the US Army GIven Air Support Mission?”

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Berto Jongman: Hybrid Warfare, EU Incapacity

Government, Ineptitude
Berto Jongman
Berto Jongman

All the areas where the Alliance is weak.

Hybrid Tactics: Neither New nor only Russian

CONCLUSION:

The Alliance can take action, primarily, in the military and intelligence fields – through deterrence and, if necessary, direct intervention. But the very nature of the threat requires a wider array of tools: well-trained police forces, functioning border management systems, and effective anti-corruption agencies, as well as transparency in the energy sector and in party political funding. It is here that the Union can make a real difference in contributing to a combined and integrated response.