Tag: tactics

Russia -Ukraine

Pathos and Panic: Russians Are Mobilized for an Undeclared War – Mother Jones

Russia is not at war, despite what you may have heard. Despite the mobilization of reservists, the stories and images of destruction and death, despite the refugees fleeing. Russia is not at war, as Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Kremlin stressed in a recent interview. Instead, it is conducting a special military operation “to fulfill certain goals in Ukraine.” Reservists have had to be mobilized for this special military operation, half a year since it began, because “we have been de facto confronted…with the NATO block and all its logistics capabilities.”

Source: Pathos and Panic: Russians Are Mobilized for an Undeclared War – Mother Jones

Russia

Putin fast-track more Russian passports – Michael West

Putin fast-track more Russian passports – Michael West

The Russian passport move appears to be part of Putin’s political influence strategy, which has also involved the introduction of the Russian rouble in occupied territory in Ukraine and could eventually result in the annexation of more Ukrainian territory into the Russian Federation. Russia already annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula on the Black Sea in 2014.

The Russian president set the stage for such moves even before Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine, writing an essay last summer claiming that Russians and Ukrainians are one people and attempting to diminish the legitimacy of Ukraine as an independent nation. Reports have surfaced of Russian authorities confiscating Ukrainian passports from some citizens.

The passport announcement came hours after Russian shelling of Ukraine’s second-largest city on Monday killed at least six people and injured 31, prosecutors and local officials said. Russian troops launched three missile strikes on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, in an attack one official described as “absolute terrorism.”

Putin fast-track more Russian passports – Michael West

LNP, LNP Government, LNP Tactics

They were trapped in immigration detention for nine years. Here’s what life after the Park Hotel looks like – ABC News

Two men stand next to each other.

Morrison simply can’t speak to the truth because to the truth of the matter would condemn and reveal him to be what he is on a larger and more intense scale than currently publicly seen. It’s why he’s currently being condemned by so many members within the Liberal Party and why so many are abandoning the Party in numbers and droves never seen before. The Party has shifted to no longer be  a diversity of individual opinions to become one of strategists tactitionsand liars to achieve one mans goal and win at any cost.

Should Morrison win this election the cycle of shattered promises and increased repression will be felt in the first year revealing truth and fakery. But shortly after Morrison’s campaign of lies and illusion will begin again with media aid forging a path to the election in 2025. Dealing in the lies is now the norm, to win the goal, ignore democracy, serve oneself and  a select group supporters and have those least likely to vote for you pay. Groups, organizations and Institutions like ABC, Universities, the Arts, were critical thought might flourish will be dismantled or neutered. Systems that maintain power and enable reward to trickle, no flow up not down strengthened. As a consequence decisions that serve the Nation merely secondary in intent. This has been the increasing autocratic nature of the LNP this century and their ever increasing move to the extreme and religious right.

Since arriving in Minnesota, local support groups have found the cousins a two-bedroom rental property, helped pay the bills and provided medical assistance. “As soon as we came here, they treated us with dignity,” Mehdi says. “Australia has never done that.” Former immigration minister in the Fraser government, Ian Macphee, says the Coalition’s track record with refugees makes him ashamed to be Australian. “People like Mehdi have committed no crime and yet have been locked up with no idea of when they’ll ever get out,” Macphee says. “The inhumanity of it is appalling, it’s racist and it’s hidden from most of us.” On March 24, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews announced Australia had agreed to New Zealand’s offer to take some of the boat arrivals, an offer made nine years ago. Mehdi welcomed the news but was sceptical: “I think they’re just trying to say before the election, ‘Look, we made a deal’.”

Source: They were trapped in immigration detention for nine years. Here’s what life after the Park Hotel looks like – ABC News

Scott Morrison

Lockheed Martin and Friends Don’t Want You to Know What They’re Up To

Australia’s PM Morrison wants our manufacturing to become a much more active participant in the global Industrial Military Complex about which questions can’t be asked. Just as he created an “On the Water Matters” to brush off embarrassing information about the treatment of asylum seekers. Making  government supported manufacturing a ” National Security Area” a zone of privileged information exclusive to the LNP and its friends.

The boards of defense companies like Lockheed Martin and Boeing are encouraging their shareholders to vote against transparency measures. Maybe the US government shouldn’t fund companies whose profits would be harmed by the collection of human rights data?

Source: Lockheed Martin and Friends Don’t Want You to Know What They’re Up To

LNP

Australia’s Conservatives Are Cynically Courting the Far Right — and It’s Starting to Backfire

Just as John Howard pitched to the right to attract One Nation voters, Australia’s Scott Morrison is cravenly trying to win over far-right voters today. The danger is that the tactic will backfire, fracturing the Coalition and encouraging a far-right movement.

Source: Australia’s Conservatives Are Cynically Courting the Far Right — and It’s Starting to Backfire

Steve Bannon

‘Hugely Significant, and Entirely Appropriate’: Bannon Indicted for Defying House Subpoena

Steve Bannon speaks before introducing Republican Senatorial candidate Roy Moore during a campaign event at Oak Hollow Farm on December 5, 2017 in Fairhope, Alabama.

“Steve Bannon’s indictment should send a clear message to anyone who thinks they can ignore the select committee or try to stonewall our investigation: No one is above the law.”

Source: ‘Hugely Significant, and Entirely Appropriate’: Bannon Indicted for Defying House Subpoena

Culture wars

Government asked to set up open process to pick human rights commissioners

Newly appointed human rights commissioner Lorraine Finlay’s views have drawn fire.

Human rights experts and Amnesty International are demanding the government commits to transparent and open appointments to the Australian Human Rights Council after it gave a plum posting to a law lecturer with strong ties to the Liberal Party.

Source: Government asked to set up open process to pick human rights commissioners

Fox News

Fox News May Be Heading Towards an Epic Election-Night Showdown | Washington Monthly

Screenshot_2020-10-27 Fox News May Be Heading Towards an Epic Election-Night Showdown Washington Monthly

Donald Trump has made it clear that he plans to declare victory on election night. He’ll do it when the returns are primarily based on in-person voting from that day. The president and his enablers launched a massive disinformation campaign based on the lie that mail-in ballots are fraudulent so that he could create chaos by claiming that they shouldn’t be counted.Donald Trump has made it clear that he plans to declare victory on election night. He’ll do it when the returns are primarily based on in-person voting from that day. The president and his enablers launched a massive disinformation campaign based on the lie that mail-in ballots are fraudulent so that he could create chaos by claiming that they shouldn’t be counted.

Fox News May Be Heading Towards an Epic Election-Night Showdown | Washington Monthly
Informed Comment

How do you introduce a policy detrimental to your own integrity? – » The Australian Independent Media Network

What is it in the hearts and minds of men (l declare women more honest than men, but they also indulge) that turns them into liars, robbers, cheats, people of ill repute, corrupt scoundrels who would take from the public purse – that which is not theirs – in order to feather their own nest?

How do you introduce a policy detrimental to your own integrity? – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Informed Comment, Uncategorized

Risk avoidance vs disaster response – how the Coalition creates crises – » The Australian Independent Media Network

We are witnessing what their deregulation and erosion of job security and ignoring of expert warnings deliver. Rather than learn any lessons during this pandemic, our Treasurer invokes Thatcher and Reagan who hugely increased inequality and diminished workers’ rights and protections. Persistently high rates of income or wealth inequality are bad for social cohesion, political inclusion and crime. The evidence for this is overwhelming.

via Risk avoidance vs disaster response – how the Coalition creates crises – » The Australian Independent Media Network

China, Uncategorized

COVID-19: A Diabolical US Anti-China Plot? – Stephen Lendman

Two women wearing protective facemasks stand inside a shopping mall in Bangkok on 5 February 2020.

It was a Cold War against the USSR, Afghanistan,Liya,Iraq,Syria Cuba Venezuela and now the same propaganda is being applied to China all for political advantage and power.(ODT)

In February, the Trump regime “designated five Chinese media entities in the US as ‘foreign missions’ and imposed a cap on the number of their employees, in effect expelling Chinese journalists from the US.”

Beijing imposed “reciprocal measures” on US correspondents because of “unreasonable oppression the Chinese media organizations experience in the US” — what the Times and other establishment media failed to explain, including the following Chinese Foreign Ministry remark:

“What we reject is ideological bias against China, fake news made in the name of press freedom, and breaches of ethics in journalism.”

“Should the US choose to go further down the wrong path, it could expect more countermeasures from China.”

US fake news about China and other sovereign independent countries on its target list for regime change is longstanding.

A WaPo editorial last week falsely accused China of spreading COVID-19 globally, along with “cover(ing) up the truth as the virus spread (sic).”

A WSJ report was similar, quoting Senator Rick Scott, calling for a congressional investigation into the alleged WHO’s “role in helping Communist China cover up information regarding the threat of the coronavirus.”

Over the weekend, Trump warned of “consequences” if China was “knowingly responsible” for spreading COVID-19, adding:

“It could have been stopped in China before it started and it wasn’t, and the whole world is suffering because of it (sic).”

His weekend and earlier remarks were all about falsely shifting blame to China for his own failings and malfeasance.

via COVID-19: A Diabolical US Anti-China Plot? – Stephen Lendman

America's Shame, Uncategorized

US would attack foes & friends to protect its hegemony and doesn’t shy away from using terrorists as proxies – Assad to RT — RT World News

US would attack foes & friends to protect its hegemony and doesn’t shy away from using terrorists as proxies – Assad to RT

They already have (ODT)

via US would attack foes & friends to protect its hegemony and doesn’t shy away from using terrorists as proxies – Assad to RT — RT World News

Conservative Ideology

Distrustful nation: Australians lose faith in politics, media and business| The slogans of distrust began with Tony Abbott. Remember Wayne Swan who deflected the GFC. We weren’t distrustful or afraid then. The Conservatives lead by the IPA, Murdoch and Abbott changed that..

“We’re talking about a trust crisis that is causing a systemic meltdown.”

Source: Distrustful nation: Australians lose faith in politics, media and business

Murdoch Media

Bill O’Reilly Blames ‘Reverse McCarthyism’ For Entertainers Refusing To Participate In Trump Inauguration |  It’s where Australia’s Andrew Bolt  learned to “Reverse” everything whenever he hasn’t an argument.

Charles Krauthammer was not amused.

Source: Bill O’Reilly Blames ‘Reverse McCarthyism’ For Entertainers Refusing To Participate In Trump Inauguration | Crooks and Liars

Politics

Trendy electoral superheroes: from the Americas to Europe, the populists confront us

Populist politicians are on the march, first in Latin America, then in Europe and the US. They are on both the left and right, and their policies vary, but their approach carries the same risks.

Source: Trendy electoral superheroes: from the Americas to Europe, the populists confront us

Liberal Party

How Tony Abbott can use the lack of rules to survive a leadership spill vote The Liberal party has no rules about whether the vote to force a spill is secret or not. And that may be all the prime minister needs to save his job on Tuesday

Tony Abbott leaves his brief press conference about the leadership ballot on Friday.

Tony Abbott’s immediate fate is to some extent in his own hands. As chair of the Liberal party room meeting he will decide whether the all-important “spill” motion is a secret ballot or a show of hands.

When the 102 Liberal MPs vote on the motion to declare the leader’s and deputy leader’s positions vacant on Tuesday, it can either be by secret ballot or show of hands. Party whip Philip Ruddock says without written rules, it is up to the leader to decide. “It’s Tony’s call,” he said.

The two West Australian MPs who will move and second the motion, Luke Simpkins and Don Randall, said they believed the spill motion should be voted on by secret ballot.

When Malcolm Turnbull faced his showdown as opposition leader in 2009 he asked former prime minister John Howard, who said it was up to Turnbull and Turnbull opted for a secret ballot.

The decision is important because it would put the ministry in a very difficult position. Voting for an unsuccessful spill would be a vote of no confidence in the executive of which they are a part. There are 19 cabinet ministers, 11 outer ministers and 12 parliamentary secretaries who owe their jobs to the prime minister.

Should the spill ballot be successful, the actual leadership vote would be by secret ballot.

Ruddock, the father of the house who entered parliament in 1973 told Guardian Australia he could not recall other examples of a secret ballot being allowed for a spill motion. But back in 2009 then opposition whip Alex Somlyay could recall two precedents for a secret ballot – in 1974 when Malcolm Fraser was trying to overthrow Bill Snedden and in 1989 when Andrew Peacock was stalking John Howard.

Abbott’s office said the voting procedures “remained unclear”, but senior Liberals said they would be surprised if Abbott tried to force a “show of hands” because he would want the ballot to be seen to be fair.
How many candidates stand could also be critical to the outcome. Abbott’s own surprise victory on December 1 2009, by a single vote, was due to Malcolm Turnbull recontesting, instead of standing aside. Unexpectedly Hockey was eliminated in the first round of voting and then Abbott won the subsequent ballot by 42 votes to 41.