Americans don't know much about the Central African Republic. Until the last couple of weeks it hadn't been in the American news cycles since 1979 when French paratroopers ousted self-proclaimed Emperor Jean-Bedel Bokassa, who had been eating school children. He was found guilty of related charges but they never proved the cannibalism charges-- nor did they try very hard since it was seen as a national embarrassment-- and he served 7 years of his life-in-prison sentence.

Webster G. Tarpley, Ph.D. TARPLEY.net – World Crisis Radio January 11, 2014 [download audio]  

At least 48 people were killed, many of them insurgents. Another 37 were wounded in attacks across Iraq.

Boiling Frogs Post | Alternative to what and independent of whom? These are the questions that are seldom asked of the pseudo-alternative, foundation-funded and establishment-dependent “alternative” media. Today on the BFP Roundtable, Sibel Edmonds, Peter B. Collins, Guillermo Jimenez and James Corbett...

TOR Radio #87 | Larry Pinkney joins us to discuss the prison release of the "people's lawyer," Lynne Stewart, and why it serves as a reminder of the collective power of the people. Also, the truth about COINTELPRO, how it persists in 2014 and how it never really went away.

Even though, or perhsps because, the comic-book store has descended into ghostly solitude, Stuart (Kevin Sussman) has amply rewarded the increased attention of The Big Bang Theory's producers -- and the other "supporting" characters are coming up aces too.by KenI haven't been doing much "TV Watch"-ing lately, which might be because I haven't been doing much TV watching, but anyone who knows me knows that that's a laugh.

Alternative to what and independent of whom? These are the questions that are seldom asked of the pseudo-alternative, foundation-funded and establishment-dependent “alternative” media. Today on the BFP Roundtable, Sibel Edmonds, Peter B. Collins, Guillermo Jimenez and James Corbett discuss the meltdown of the dinosaur media paradigm and how the establishment is using the pseudo-alternatives to continue to forward their agenda. We also discuss ways of counteracting this and positing real solutions to the problems we are facing.

Press TV
January 11, 2014
US seeks to ‘exonerate’ troops from ‘atrocious killings’: activist\
Audio
The US government’s pressure on Afghanistan to sign a security pact is aimed at exonerating US troops from the “atrocious killings” and “unspeakable crimes” they are committing, a peace activist says.

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Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
Lion Feuchtwanger: There is no greater crime than an unnecessary war
Lion Feuchtwanger: War to make the world safe for democracy
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In Georgia, they want Medicare expansion and they want to keep their crazy anti-healthcare Governor. Maybe they listen to too much Hate Talk Radio and watch too much Fox News and have wound up with addled brains, but an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll released today yields a portrait of one very confused electorate.

By Alexander Bolton – The Hill – 01/11/14

Democratic senators are pleading with President Obama to abandon his proposal to trim Social Security benefits before it becomes a liability for them in the midterm elections.

By Matthew Alford and Robbie Graham | January 21, 2009

Melville United Church, in Fergus, Ontario, a platform to speak on Gaza
I’ve very pleased that the Melville United Church in my town, Fergus, Ontario, has invited me to speak at their Sunday service, tomorrow.
I always admit utter ignorance on Palestine even just 8 years ago, and always wish I’d heard the truth, or anything at all, a long time ago.  Thus, I’m very happy at each and every opportunity to share some of what I’ve seen in occupied Palestine.
If you’re in the area, come on out.Filed under: Canada

Death of Ariel Sharon: the world reacts

RULE #1 – DON’T BUY THESE CARS / RULE #2: If you do, disable the GD tracking systems and hack ports.

Ford
Jim Farley of Ford

No Matter what the CONSENSUS is from ‘We the people’…. or no matter what equivocates common sense…. The Tea O Cons and establishment republicans will disregard it all.  Is this what you have to say to get selected these days? Forget it!
Via THE RAW STORY
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas on Friday criticized President Barack Obama for not arresting people in Colorado who violated federal law by using marijuana.

Most West Virginians never seem to learn any lessons about the natural resource exploitation companies that hold absolute power in their state. Their bottom lines-- the only priority they care about-- trump the well-being of the rest of society. That simple. It's why healthy societies protect themselves from predators with regulations and effective government.

By Noel Brinkerhoff | AllGov | January 11, 2014

Members of Congress continued to get richer last year, resulting in more than 50% of lawmakers possessing a net worth of $1 million or more—something that’s never happened before in congressional history.

January 10, 2014 (ATN) - Akanat Promphan is a spokesman for Thailand's current protests. He has created a series of brief videos explaining the political conflict from the protesters' point of view.

By James Petras | January 10, 2014

Ma’an – 11/01/2014

BETHLEHEM – Israel’s pressure on Palestinians to recognize it as a Jewish state is an attempt to legalize “racism,” a PLO official said Saturday.
PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi said defining Israel as a Jewish state would signify that any Jewish person would have the right to return to Palestine, while Palestinians would lose that right.

Let me start by saying that Blue America is backing Shenna Bellows for the Maine Senate seat currently occupied by conservative Republican Susan Collins. We are raising money for her and helping her connect to like-minded voters in Maine.

 Updates at bottomTop of the news heap this am. Don't know why. He has been dead for a long time anyway.Certainly none of us ordinary people would be kept on life support for the length of time this man was.There are articles referencing his leadershipHero or Butcher?Since he was a military man. In a lead position. Filled with hate. I am going with butcher, myself.

Regime threatens protesters daily, attacks them nightly - with their notorious "men in black" force. January 11, 2014 (ATN) - There have been several troubling warnings by the regime and its backers that they plan to deploy covert violence against protesters and their own police in order to disrupt growing dissent against the embattled regime of dictator Thaksin Shinawatra.

via ANCReport.com: James Corbett and Ryan Dawson interview each other in a conversation about the Bombings in Russia, the true nature of terrorism, and also their 2 cents on Glen Greenwald’s maple syrup-like releases of the Snowden documents.

Criticism in the memoirs of former secretary of defense Robert M. Gates of President Barack Obama’s lack of commitment to the Afghan War strategy of his administration has generated a Washington debate about whether Obama was sufficiently supportive of the war. But the Gates account omits two crucial historical facts necessary to understanding the issue. […]

GAZA CITY (IPS) – The border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip used to buzz with activity until a few months back as traders brought in an array of Egyptian goods – from food supplies to raw material – through hundreds of tunnels. But these underground structures, located 40 km from here, between Rafah in […]

 

 
by FRANKLIN LAMB
Ain el Helweh camp, Lebanon
 
It’s not just the leadership of the Zionist regime still occupying Palestine, six decades after the 1948 Nakba, that appears to be salivating at the current stoking of  current tensions between the Palestinian Resistance and in some respects, its historic off-spring Hezbollah.

For the final stanza of "In diesem Wetter," the last of the Kindertotenlieder, Mahler switches from minor to majorThomas Hampson, baritone; Vienna Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein, cond. DG, recorded live, October 1988

At least 19 people were killed and 39 more were wounded in
fresh attacks.

"I don't know whether this was a traffic study that then morphed into a political vendetta or a political vendetta that morphed into a traffic study."-- New Jersey Gov. Kris KrispyKreme,at his press conference yesterdayby KenI wrote most of this post yesterday, then decided to hold my peace. (Howie covered this ground in his late post last night.) Today maybe not so much.

 The Economist reinforces the perception management  put forth by the elites and their sycophants.I will highlight the perception management

by Judith Curry A few things that caught my eye this past week. Ship of fools . Well the ill-fated ship passengers in Antarctica have been rescued.  Mark Steyn has  a piece  in the Spectator that sums it up.  Excerpts: … Continue reading →

12 years ago this week, Bush opened the Guantanamo prison, pretending it was beyond the reach of laws against torture…Click here for free audiobook download from Audible, and generate $15 to the PBC Podcast!
A Yemeni man expected to be held indefinitely without charge or trial was cleared for release by a Gitmo review panel today.
–Miami Herald describes clampdown by management of Guantanamo, observer says it’s “worse than McCarthy”

Voice of Russia
January 10, 2014

Only US/NATO success in Afghanistan: 40 fold opium increase – Rick Rozoff
John Robles
(Recorded in late December)

Photo: EPA

 
Download audio file

By Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett | Going to Tehran | January 10, 2014

Yadda, yadda, yadda… Nancy Pelosi, of course, voted against the latest attempt to take health care away from poor people. So did 121 other Democrats. But every single Republican and 67 Democrats-- many from the Republican-wing of the Democratic Party-- voted with them.

In place of our postponed interview with Tom Secker (reschuled for next week), we take the opportunity to share a classic lecture by Peter Schiff. In characteristically informative and entertaining style, Schiff explains how succeeding US governments set the stage for the 2008 Crash through years of economic mismanagement, and takes the listener on a fascinating journey through booms, busts and bailouts.

In place of our postponed interview with Tom Secker (reschuled for next week), we take the opportunity to share a classic lecture by Peter Schiff. In characteristically informative and entertaining style, Schiff explains how succeeding US governments set the stage for the 2008 Crash through years of economic mismanagement, and takes the listener on a fascinating journey through booms, busts and bailouts.

By Tim Cushing | Techdirt | January 10, 2014

My first thoughts about the climate change debate were written five years ago today.

By Dave Lindorff | This Can’t Be Happening! | January 9, 2014

Can you blame the Ukraine now for not wanting to be a part of the EU?

Via Global Research
Karen Hudes is a graduate of Yale Law School and she worked in the legal department of the World Bank for more than 20 years.  In fact, when she was fired for blowing the whistle on corruption inside the World Bank, she held the position of Senior Counsel. 

Jonathan Pollard Is No Victim

Recently there has been much talk about the Youtube video that shows high levels of radiation along a beach in Northern California....

WSJ: Obama & the Sunni - Shiite war   Fouad Ajami- The U.S. tilt to Iran is upsetting allies and disrupting the Middle East.Presenting a simplistic take on reality. Heavy on the demonization of Iran.So much for that nuclear agreement... Just a ruseThere has been no tilt to Iran.

An al Qaeda fighter in Fallujah stands guard near the Iraqi police truck he set on fire near a government building, Jan. 1. Uncredited/Associated PressUncredited? Curious?