90 Miles From Tyranny

Friday, February 25, 2022

The 90 Miles Mystery Box: Episode #1640

You have come across a mystery box. But what is inside?

It could be literally anything from the serene to the horrific,

from the beautiful to the repugnant,

from the mysterious to the familiar.

If you decide to open it, you could be disappointed,

you could be inspired, you could be appalled.

This is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended.

You have been warned.

White Lies, Black Ops & Red China: Insider Exposes Pandemic Money Trails

Girls With Guns

An RF-16 fighter jet drops flares during the live fire Han Kuang military exercise, which simulates China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) invading the island, in Pingtung, Taiwan May 30, 2019.

Taiwan’s air force scrambled again on Thursday to warn away nine Chinese aircraft that entered its air defense zone, Taiwan’s defense ministry said, on the same day that Russia invaded Ukraine, a crisis being watched closely in Taipei.

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained of regular such missions by the Chinese air force over the last two years, though the aircraft do not get close to Taiwan itself.

The number of aircraft involved was well off the last large-scale incursion, 39 Chinese aircraft on January 23, and since then, such fly-bys have been sporadic with far fewer aircraft.

The ministry said the latest mission involved eight Chinese J-16 fighters and one Y-8 reconnaissance aircraft, which flew over an area to the northeast of the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands at the top end of the South China Sea.

Taiwanese fighters were sent up to warn the Chinese aircraft and air defense missiles were deployed to “monitor the activities,” the ministry said, using standard wording for how Taiwan describes its response.

Taiwan has been warily watching the Ukraine crisis, nervous that China may try to take advantage to move on the island.

While Taipei has not reported any unusual movements by Chinese forces, the government has increased its alert level.

China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, and routinely condemns US arms sales or other shows of support from Washington.

Speaking in Beijing earlier on Thursday when asked about the new US Indo-Pacific strategy, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei reiterated that Taiwan was a “core issue” of China’s and it would tolerate no foreign interference.

“We urge the US side to recognize the high sensitivity of the Taiwan issue, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs and stop playing with fire on the Taiwan issue,” Tan said.

In the 12-page Indo-Pacific strategy overview issued earlier this month, the Biden administration vowed to commit more diplomatic and security resources to the region.

On Taiwan, Washington would work with partners inside and outside the region to maintain...

Visage à trois #71

Three Videos For Your Viewing Pleasure:

La petite mort bonus video:

Videos That Are:

Usually Short.
Usually Timely.
Usually Scraped, Gleaned And Pilfered From Social Media.

Visage à trois #2

Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #258

Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #257

Putin Announces ‘Special Military Operation for De-Militarization and De-Nazification of Ukraine’

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine in a surprise television announcement at roughly 6:00 a.m. Moscow time, 10:00 p.m. Eastern. The Russian dictator described the unprovoked attack as a “special military operation for the de-Militarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine.”

“I’ve made the decision to conduct a special military operation,” Putin said. “Our analysis has concluded that our confrontation with these forces [in Ukraine] was inevitable.”

“This is the red line that I have spoken of many times. They have crossed it,” he said, accusing the Ukrainians of “genocide” for attacking the two new “independent republics” he unilaterally conjured into existence on Monday.

“Russia cannot feel safe, develop, and exist with a constant threat emanating from the territory of modern Ukraine,” he said.

Putin bizarrely claimed Russia’s plans “do not include occupation of Ukrainian territory” and “we are not going to impose anything on anyone by force,” even as Russia launched missile attacks at targets across Ukraine, including its capital city of Kyiv.

“A couple of words for those who would be tempted to intervene. Russia will respond immediately and you will have consequences that you never have had before in your history,” he warned.

“As for the military sphere, modern Russia, even after the collapse of the USSR and the loss of a significant part of its nuclear potential, is today one of the most powerful nuclear powers. And moreover, it has certain advantages in a number of the latest types of weapons. In this regard, no one should have any doubt that a direct attack on Russia will lead to defeat and dire consequences for a potential aggressor,” he said, making it clear that he was threatening nuclear retaliation against the U.S. and NATO if they interfere with his attack on Ukraine.

“All responsibility for bloodshed will be on the conscience of the ruling regime in Ukraine,” Putin insisted, calling on Ukrainian forces to surrender.

“I urge you to immediately lay down your weapons and go home. All servicemen of the Ukrainian army who fulfill this demand will be able to freely leave the combat zone and return to...

At The Core Of Liberalism Is the Spoiled Child..

More O'Rourke:

Giving Money And Power To Government Is Like...

...Those Aren't Rights, Those Are The Rations Of Slavery...

At The Core Of Liberalism Is the Spoiled Child..

Enormous Effort And Elaborate Planning..

O'Rourke On Government Corruption..

...Enormous Effort And Elaborate Planning Are Required To Waste This Much Money.

CNN’s Anti-Trump Russia Hoaxer Paula Reid Is Married to a Chinese Communist Party Lobbyist.

The Jeff Zucker hire was also tasked with falsifying reports about Congressman Matt Gaetz.

The husband of CNN Correspondent Paula Reid formerly worked for a lobbying group representing Chinese Communist Party-linked companies before joining a financial advisory firm training companies on how to work with the brutal regime, The National Pulse can reveal.

Reid – who joined CNN as its Senior Legal Affairs Correspondent after working as a CBS News White House Correspondent – has frequently used her platform to spread the debunked narrative that Donald Trump colluded with Russia. Reid drew the ire of the former president during press briefings for abrasive and often flawed questions about his administration’s COVID-19 response.

Most recently, Reid was tasked by the disgraced former CNN President Jeff Zucker with falsifying reports about Congressman Matt Gaetz.

And despite Reid constantly peddling the “Russia Collusion” hoax, her husband, Jason Kolsevich, formerly worked as an analyst for the American Chamber of Commerce in China, according to his professional bio.

The Chamber, known as “AmCham China,” functions as a pro-Chinese Communist Party lobbying group, whose leadership is comprised of American companies keen on securing market access and outsourcing American jobs to the country.

AmCham liaises between the Chinese Communist Party and its American members to bolster ties:

“As a primary pillar in our pursuit of improving the business environment and helping American companies succeed in China, AmCham China’s advocacy efforts address a wide scope of industry needs and extend from the central government to the local municipality levels. AmCham China advocates on behalf of our members’ evolving needs in the ever-changing China business landscape through a host of central and subnational government engagement efforts, large events such as the Annual Appreciation Dinner, and ongoing policy analysis and recommendations.”

The group’s close ties to the Chinese Communist Party have frequently prompted its leadership to defend Chinese companies under scrutiny for ties to Beijing or the regime’s military.

The National Pulse can also reveal Kolsevich’s’ inclusion in AmCham China’s “China Brief” magazine from December 2011. The magazine lists the CNN Correspondent’s husband as either starting or renewing a “Young Professional Membership”:

DECEMBER 2011 ISSUE.

Kolsevich also obtained a Masters Degree from Peking University.

The Beijing-based university, headed by a former Chinese Communist Party spy agency leader, has seen its American graduates questioned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over fears of students being “co-opted by Chinese espionage efforts.”

The CNN correspondent’s husband now works as a Director at Water Street Partners, a joint venture advisory firm based in Washington, D.C. “He is responsible for serving a global client base of TMT, financial services, consumer, industrial, and energy companies – and focuses on business strategy, transaction structuring, and Board governance engagements,” explains his profile on the firm’s website.

The firm appears to engage with Chinese companies, publishing articles including “Three Steps To Negotiate Joint Ventures In China” in June 2016.

“The negotiating approach needs to be tailored to the individuals across the table representing the counterparty. In China, these individuals may represent the government, a state-owned enterprise, or...