90 Miles From Tyranny

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

British Prime Minister Theresa May calls Donald Trump to discuss ties, transition and NATO

Theresa May and US President-elect Donald Trump have agreed they should work to build relationships and meet as soon as possible.

During a telephone conversation on Tuesday, the Prime Minister and Mr Trump talked about how his transition plans were progressing.

They also agreed on the importance of NATO and on the need for members to meet the target of spending 2% of national income on defence.

Britain already meets that commitment, but Mr Trump has repeatedly complained about others falling short.

A Downing Street statement said: "The Prime Minister called the US President-elect this afternoon as part of establishing a regular dialogue between both of them.

"They agreed their teams should continue to build close relationships through this period, including...

On issues mattering most, The Times shamelessly publishes state and corporate propaganda, pretending it’s all the news fit to print.

Along with other media scoundrels, it long ago lost credibility, why alternative sources of news, information and analysis are growing at their expense. Following reliable ones exclusively is the only way to stay informed – essential in today’s dangerous world.

The Times and other media scoundrels misinform, distort, distract and lie, vital hard truths banished from their reporting – fake news their specialty.

A previous article discussed Google and Facebook intentions to halt what they call “fake news,” claiming it’s to counter misinformation.

I asked if their real aim is censorship. Will other online companies operate the same way? Is free and open Internet content at risk? Will reliable alternative media sources be targeted for elimination?

Will dark forces controlling America only let their message be disseminated, destroying the essence of democratic free expression?

On Monday, Global Research editor Michel Chossudovsky stressed the danger, saying “(a) smear campaign is currently underway accusing the alternative and independent media online media of producing ‘Fake News.’ “

Never before in America and other Western societies was it so urgent to stay vigilant about growing tyranny replacing fundamental rights – none more important than speech, media and academic freedoms. Without them, all others are at risk.

Does the NYT advocate what demands denunciation? It appears so from a Sunday editorial, headlined “Facebook and the Digital Virus Called Fake News,” the title indicating disturbing content to follow, saying:

“(M)illions of people (are) taken in by fake news stories…spread on social media sites” – what Times editors call a “scourge,” claiming “internet companies like Facebook and Google…ma(de) it possible for fake news to be shared nearly instantly with millions of users and have been slow to block it from their sites.”

“Fake news,” according to Times editors, is content disagreeing with what the self-styled “newspaper of record” reports. “Real news” is daily rubbish it publishes – a cesspool of misinformation, distortions and Big Lies on major issues mattering most.

Their solution is what Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky discussed in their book, titled “Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy and the Mass Media” – explaining how media scoundrels manipulate and control public thinking and perceptions by filtering news and information.

Acceptable “residue” only is reported. Dissent is marginalized. Government and dominant private interests alone are..

Reading the media analysis on the OSU attack gives me the laughs on how they are unable to decipher the code message by that Somali ISIS lone wolf Abdul Razak Ali Artan:

Artan posted a lengthy rant on Facebook blaming the US for all the problems in the Muslim world and hailing terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki as a “hero.” … There was no specific threat of violence but a suggestion that the U.S. could stop “lone wolf attacks” by making peace with “dawla in al sham,” an outdated name for ISIS.

What they are not telling you (or perhaps they are still so ignorant about) is that this is no “rant” and “making peace with “dawla in al sham” is (unlike what they stated) is a “threat of violence”.

“There was no specific threat of violence”? Idiots. Real idiots.

They do not comprehend the basics of Islam and its method of communication. Artan was giving out the standard Islamic “Aslim Taslam,” the mandate by Islam “make peace (by submission) and be at peace” or face the consequences. Islam mandates that such a declaration be sent out to justify an attack. This offer of truce is the pre-declaration of war throughout Islamic history. Artan simply posted the Caliphate’s mandate before he ...

Republican Mitt Romney made an impassioned statement in support of President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday to try to erase doubts about him among Trump's supporters and remain in contention for U.S. secretary of state.

Romney, a fierce critic of Trump during the Republican presidential primary battle, stopped short of an outright apology but his intention to wipe the slate clean was clear.

The former Massachusetts governor, who was the Republican presidential nominee in 2012 and lost, praised Trump for a "message of inclusion and bringing people together" since his Nov. 8 victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Noting the appointments Trump has made to fill key cabinet positions for his administration and his desire for greater unity among Americans, Romney said that "all of those things combined give me increasing hope that President-elect Trump is the very man who can lead us" to a better future.

Romney made his remarks after...

Democrats changed a lot of rules to benefit Obama. Now, many of those changes are coming back to haunt them. It couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of people.

In the clip below, Senator Chris Coons of Delaware admits that he regrets making it easier for the president to make appointments. They never planned for this. Once Obama was elected, they really believed they would be the party in power forever.

The Washington Free Beacon reported:

Sen. Chris Coons Regrets Making Appointments Simpler to Confirm
Senator Chris Coons (D., Del.) said on CNN Tuesday that he regrets the rule change Senate Democrats made to the nomination process.
“The filibuster no longer acts as an emergency brake on the nomination,” Coons said.
The senator was questioned on the nomination process and the rule changes that senate Democrats had made in order to keep Republicans from derailing their selected nominees.
Coons admitted that Democrats had watered down the nomination process after...