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Ron Stockton's avatar

Albanese replied to the Israeli calling her a witch by saying Israel was guilty of genocide so if the worst she could be called was a “witch”, she’d accept that. She went on to say that if she were a witch she’d use her powers to stop the murders of Palestinians. Francesca Albanese, a hero of our time.

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William Zannoni's avatar

She definitely put him in his place: she also said "if I really had spells, I would immediately use them to stop you"!

But alas, the speech of the Italian UN representative...what a shame.

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hierochloe's avatar

if the Nobel PP were actually relevant anymore, to her it could go

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Ron Stockton's avatar

Or perhaps, jointly to Francesca Albanese and the people of Palestine.

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KHGUAN's avatar

I wished she called him a biblical nutcase

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Vin LoPresti's avatar

Poor Dick Cheney; still around, on his umpteenth heart, gets only derisive mention along with the likes of John McCain when US bombs fall all over the planet. I always wonder if old Dick is actually immortal. Then you write a piece like this making me remember that he really is, that his spiritual essence -- war and imperialism -- will persist in the American psyche indefinitely. Until this miserable bloody empire finds the bottom of some deep pit in hell.

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Rhys Stanley's avatar

Vin

When you mention Cheney it certainly indicates how little progress has been made in the USA since that man was creating havoc in his various roles in government. Progress almost zero.

The Bush period was the beginning of the failure of the USA to maintain anything in the way of respect from the rest of the world and downhill since then. But nothing will ever equal the deeds of the current US narcissist and there is more to come. We all know that. Look what he has got away with already as the puppet of Israel.

The most frightening indication of the deterioration of decent values in that USA is the similarity of the two parties, all able to be purchased by the Israeli loyalists and now representing 86% of all elected members. Paid for by the likes of Adelson and friends, calling themselves loyal Americans.

So, where to from here? More of the same and if the recent No King campaign was the best we can expect from the population at large, then Trump has a clear path to be able to claim the title as the greatest criminal in the history of the world making Hitler pale by comparison and making Bush and Cheney a distant fading memory.

Right there behind him, pulling the strings is Netanyahu and his criminal state, who without the weakness of the US government and the US veto at the UN would be of little concern to the rest of the world, as cunning and as devious as they have always been. The nature of the parasitical beast., known by all.

It is safe to say that the weaknesses in the structure of the US Constitution, its so very obvious obvious weaknesses now on full display, is now able to be manipulated in any direction as we have seen since January, 2025 and will contribute in a large measure to the eventual end of the United States of America.

It will take some time, but they are well on the way.

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CK's avatar

Cheney’s great contribution was the concept of outsourcing much of the role of the military to private contractors. Yes, defense contractors have provided weapons and materiel for centuries, but Cheney outsourced logistics, equipment maintenance, construction and maintenance of housing, food preparation and delivery, IT systems provisioning and support, etc.

Most of the skilled trades and administrative jobs that used to be done by military personnel are now done by for-profit contractors.

Even more interesting is that the contractors operate a “multi-level marketing system” analogous to Amway, Avon, MaryKay, etc., with each level getting a guaranteed profit markup.

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Guest's avatar

For-profit contractors weren’t so hot when it came to showers. Shocking.

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Tom High's avatar

You’ll know we’re headed back in the right direction when the Army cooks return to peeling potatoes for the mashed spuds served in the chow line.

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JennyStokes's avatar

I have said countless times: US is owned by a small State called Israel.

When war comes the the USA it will be a religious war owned by Israel and the Evangelists.

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Landru's avatar

I have to say I disagreed with you the first time you said it. I remember saying we own israel. I am so sorry to have doubted you my friend. I apologize.

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JennyStokes's avatar

No apologies needed.

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Doug Belknap's avatar

I don’t think the tail is wagging the dog.

The Orcs in Israel were fostered to be the ‘bad cop’ in the scenario.

The power of orchestration resides in the USA.

Whether Nazis in Ukraine or Zionist Israel the USA (the West) has mastered the ability to manufacture monsters. Taking traumatized groups or individuals and making them into psychopathic Orcs.

Michael Hudson and Brian Berletic are two dependable sources for reminding everyone as to who’s running the show - human-wise.

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dboing dboing's avatar

the supremacy of god is there, despite having severed the link to a king. The divine source of power has been "lurking". I must sound like a heathen for those who can't really separate church and state, in spite of the rest of their western democracy constitution to that effect (variable from country to counrty). I have nothing against a moral god, but a political one, it has bad historical precendents, all religions alike. So my conclusion, is don't mix god and politicis that deep. But I might have been brainwashed from some narrative of the French revolution, in all its posterior duplicitous colonial exceptionalist application, the narrative did not include that. But maybe I am stuck in finding it a problem (putting a moral god on a political structure). I know also that my reasoning has some flaw, for what is politics really.... So this is just an idea or even question. Could it be that God is there, and that might allow ursurpation or sublimation of the democratic pillars also in the constitution? come the right government was the enemy, it was vanquished and conquered by the donor class (any religion, btw or none, does not change a thing to the proposal here), and the last real election found that libertarian maximus god kind liberator of the oppressed billionaires and those next in line aspiriing to). I said this is a question, an hypothesis.. call me heathen I don'T really know what that means, the emotion of it...

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Vin LoPresti's avatar

Thanks for this. More folks should consider subscribing to BettBeat Media. Intelligent commentary from a socialist, not a shitLib perspective.

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Aamir Razak's avatar

Well said Mr. LoPresti. His ethos stills looms large in the political sphere to this day, influencing policy even though he's not physically present. The bloodstained military-industrial complex continues to operate, driving and perpetuating war

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ikester8's avatar

Only a Cheney can kill a Cheney, and we lost our chance with Liz.

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George McFetridge's avatar

The USA holding company is thrashing around as it dies. Maybe the current conniptions are really the end this time, as China looks more and more the dominant fucked-up force.

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A Parseeker's avatar

The American empire is teetering, creaking, crumbling, gasping, then harrumphing a little before teetering some more. If you’re outside the edifice, you know it’s coming down. Only dimwits and profiteers hang around.

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Vin LoPresti's avatar

You're discounting quite a lot of the populace as dimwits and profiteers , my friend. How about dimwits, profiteers and those economically enslaved by the empire's investment in imperialism via Israel & all its other mechanisms, thereby failing to invest anything domestically, like all empires as they crumble. A more realistic representation I think.

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Hear, Here!'s avatar

Dickliz Cheney.

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Bazzio101's avatar

The U.S. Has Killed More Than 20 Million People in 37 “Victim Nations” Since World War II

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JennyStokes's avatar

......and more to come.

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Alan's avatar

🤬

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Alan's avatar

🤬

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William Zannoni's avatar

As Chomsky once put it, "governments will use whatever means to combat their primary enemy: their own populations"

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Aamir Razak's avatar

and control of the media, and its use as a tool of advancing the interests of the wealthy, influential elite to keep the population from being aware of the real issues and doing something about them is one of those means

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JennyStokes's avatar

The US people can walk down the streets of the USA with their pathetic NO KINGS march.

How about shutting down your media? Protest outside Mainstream Media offices..........these are the people you SHOULD be fighting against.

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Landru's avatar

Yes, I asked what are we asking for? No one had an idea what I was saying. I was there for my friend fighting ICE in our city. They arrested a citizen going to work at our local hospital. You are right, the civil war is coming.

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Landru's avatar

Yes, the fight is bottom up , not left, right.

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martin's avatar

i think it's astounding how they managed to make the left-right fight something other than the bottom-up fight. i bet in 20 years they'll be saying 'it's not the bottom-up fight, it's the left-right fight'. imo, there's never been an up-left or a bottom-right.

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Jennifer Akdemir's avatar

America - the Great Satan.

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Diana van Eyk's avatar

Like a propaganda war after watching two years of mangled kids is going to work for Israel. Words don't do the trick when you see what Israel is actually doing.

And didn't Francesca Albanese have a great reply to the accusation that she was a witch?

“Look, it’s grotesque and frankly delusional that a genocidal state can’t respond to the substance of my findings,” she said, “and the best thing it resorts to is accusing me of witchcraft. So let it be — you are the one accused of genocide. If the worst thing you can accuse me of is witchcraft, I take it.

But rest assured, if I had the power to make spells, I would use it — not for vengeance, but to stop your crimes once and for all, to make sure those responsible end up behind bars, and that everyone from the river to the sea — Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and secular — lives in freedom and enjoys their rights, not just privileges for a few.”

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Tom's avatar

You'd be surprised. Americans are not only conditioned to be highly susceptible to propaganda, but also to have very short collective memories, especially for things that didn't happen on US soil (or that the media didn't contemporaneously drill into their consciousness). The whole Gaza genocide was minimally covered by the dominant players in media (print, online, socials, cable) compared to stuff like 9/11 and the illegal invasion of Iraq. Most people who were fervent supporters of the Bush/Cheney regime can't even remember their own stance on Iraq accurately now. Believe me, I've had these conversations with some of them and it's mind blowing. I've even pulled up their own emails and social media posts about various US wars between 2003 and 2016 which directly contradict their stated recollections. It's fascinating when they start the mental gymnastics - and a lot of "us" do it.

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Diana van Eyk's avatar

Here in Canada, it used to be more like politics was something you didn't talk about, but it seems like more are talking about these things now.

I think in the west most of us are susceptible to propaganda to some degree or another. I realized only recently that I was taken in by the vilification of Gadaffi when the USA invaded Libya.

I wonder how we break through that conditioning, so that people can know the truth about what's going on in the world.

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George McFetridge's avatar

I recommend the blog by Yves Engler. Check out his writings.

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Diana van Eyk's avatar

Yes, I'm very familiar with Yves Engler and appreciate his work.

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George McFetridge's avatar

I hope others will check it out. If nothing else, it's a welcome diversion from the Overwhelm going on in the U S of A, with its suicide act - concurrent with and as ugly as the zionist entity's suicide act.

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Davina's avatar

They voted in Drumpf twice! That proves a lot.

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Davina's avatar

If I could cast spells there would be no such thing as zionism, Palestine would be a free and peaceful place -- with no over lords.

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Nana Baakan Agyiriwah's avatar

In his feeble attempt to insult and discredit her, he complimented her. Witchcraft is not just blowing on knots or hookas-pookas, or staring into a crystal ball or stirring a potion in a large caldron.

She is definitely casting a spell, by “spelling” out the atrocities of what Israel is doing. His claims come from a deep center of fear. He knows about psychological warfare and he knows about how it has to be countered. He knows that both approaches are “crafts” and are part of the “craft of war”. He knows exactly what he is saying and exactly what he means. He knows a fellowwitch when he sees one. I wanted to laugh when I first heard this, but dude is serious as a heart attack!

Ms. Albanese is “crafting” public opinion and she is so well armed that Hasbara (the craft of propaganda) is having a hard time staying afloat.

To some, what he has said, may seem immature or even infantile, but for those of us who know… we see a battle between the forces of two “crafty” people. One who uses facts and figures, the other who uses manipulation. We are looking at Darth Vader and Luke Sky Walker.

I will tell you this, you do not want Ms. Albanese to cross over to the dark side, she would be just as awesome.

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Mary Wildfire's avatar

But she is "well armed"--by Israel! She is not crafty in using the right words--what makes her special is her refusal to be intimidated or bought. Anyone with that much determination and integrity would do as well, with Israel constantly supplying the ammunition.

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Nana Baakan Agyiriwah's avatar

Mary, if you get a chance, check out my article. I think you will see what I meant by using the word "craft". Let me know what you think.

Danny Danon, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Calls Francesca Albanese a Witch

Definition: “witch” a woman who is believed to have magical powers and who uses them to harm or help other people:

https://topicsfromatoz.substack.com/p/danny-danon-israeli-ambassador-to

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Mary Wildfire's avatar

No, sorry, I don't really buy into that sort of thing. And I think Mr. Danon was just using witchcraft as a metaphor, to spout the same tired talking points of denial of the obvious, in fresh language. And NOT doing it well, because as you say, the word "not" doesn't work well in propaganda (the famous example is Nixon saying "I am not a crook.") And I don't think Ms. Albanese is special in crafting the most effective language--actually the "witch" I'd name there is Caitlin--what sets Francesca apart is her solid refusal to be intimidated, as practically anybody else with any power in the world has been intimidated. Is she protected by her well-wishers? I'd like to think so, but I don't believe it works that way.

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Nana Baakan Agyiriwah's avatar

Mary, we can agree to disagree, but I must say I agree with you here....

"what sets Francesca apart is her solid refusal to be intimidated, as practically anybody else with any power in the world has been intimidated."

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martin's avatar

i wouldn't give him any credit, nor is ms albanese 'crafting', imo.

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Nana Baakan Agyiriwah's avatar

Stay tuned to my next post on this, Martin, I will fully explain what I mean by "crafting".

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Nana Baakan Agyiriwah's avatar

Martin, here's the article where I explain my pov on the term "crafting". Hope you get a chance to check it out.

Danny Danon, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Calls Francesca Albanese a Witch

Definition: “witch” a woman who is believed to have magical powers and who uses them to harm or help other people:

https://topicsfromatoz.substack.com/p/danny-danon-israeli-ambassador-to

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Eddie's avatar

The fact that the Divided States of America is bombing at all while its federal government milking the shutdown to ensure that the poorest Americans starve: this is the worst federal government in existence and it is not even close.

I made a donation to the local county food bank today.

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🔻Mohamed Salah Bchir🔻's avatar

Death to America country of terrorism

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Jim S's avatar

Thank You Caitlin

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Nana Baakan Agyiriwah's avatar

"The Empire doesn't just control the opposition, it controls the opposition to the opposition."

This strategy goes way back, if you can't beat them, you join them and then control them from within. This strategy has been the downfall of so many who started off as part of the resistance, then the resistance is co-opted and move ever so slightly away from its original precepts.

So many have fallen on their own sword by infiltrators who appear to be in alignment with the resistance, only to get into positions of power within the resistance movement and then are in a "strategic" place to undermine it.

What that does is sow seeds of discord among the resistance members and slowly but surely the resistance is dismantled.

I've seen this happen in so many "resistance" movements here in the USA from the small to the medium to the large movements.

I never understood the excitement around Nick Fuentes or Charlie Kirk. One thing that is for sure, once they get a lot of notoriety, fame and "fortune" they begin to yield to the pressure of becoming mainstream and if they don't yield they will be summarily demonized, threatened or eliminated. The infiltrators have all the "goods" on them and a good look into their bank accounts.

There was a time when Alex Jones was ahead of the curve. He created great documentaries... then he got rich.. What people don't realize is that the trap is being set to move them away from their opposing position.. like Caitlin said, the Empire controls the opposition to the opposition. Same thing happened with the Black Panthers, the Nation of Islam and even what happened during and after Katrina. There was a strong movement for reparations when the hurricane hit. Folks were unraveling the "inside" job that Katrina was. Before long, infiltrators came in under the guise of being part of the "opposition". Became strong advocates, moved to the top of the pile, only to get there and be the cause of the whole movement being dismantled. I can't remember the name of the African American man who was undermined by this infiltrator but it's a straight up CIA style op. Same thing happened with the so-called New Age Movement, the Disclosure Movement and so many others. The idea is to control it until it loses its power, discredit it, create distrust and ultimately destroy it.

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Chang Chokaski's avatar

>>"There was a time when Alex Jones was ahead of the curve."

Alex Jones was NEVER ahead of the curve (or anything of the sort). He was ALWAYS an opportunist (from the very beginning). Anyone that has read Michael Parenti or Noam Chomsky would know anything Alex Jones would talk about (and twist in his own conspiratorial ways). There are literally hundreds of people that have talked and written about things that Alex Jones simply repurposes, twists, manipulates, and sells in order to make a buck. He was ALWAYS a grifter.

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Landru's avatar

Exactly right my friend, exactly right. Free, Free Palestine.

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Nana Baakan Agyiriwah's avatar

Chang, how far back are you speaking of when it comes to Alex Jones. I'm talking about back when Google Video was a thing, and before Google bought YouTube. I learned a lot from those days from the documentaries that he shared. Now his radio show could have been "repurposed, twisted, manipulate" but for me, I have to give credit where it's due in terms of what I personally learned from him at the beginning. He did become a bit outrageous, especially with all the "sells" campaigns so I gradually stopped listening/watching him. I'm talking about decades ago.

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Chang Chokaski's avatar

I guess you don't know much about Alex Jones. I'm talking about him from the 1990s - before there was the web. He was a conspiracy theorist from the VERY BEGINNING. He grew up and was influenced by 'conspiracy culture' from his teenage years. Not only is he responsible for an immense amount of misinformation and disinformation, but also for inciting and encouraging 'emotional thinking' over 'critical thinking'.

Let me repeat myself - "Alex Jones was NEVER ahead of the curve (or anything of the sort). He was ALWAYS an opportunist (from the very beginning)".

But seeing as you yourself are somewhat of a conspiracy theorist, I doubt you would see things the way I do.

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Nana Baakan Agyiriwah's avatar

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 conspiracy theorist????!!!! Perish the thought!!!!!!

Why, I never!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣Clutching my pearls!!!

Well, since I am a product of a conspiracy, that is my father who was the mailman (not the milkman) conspired to impregnate my mother at the tender age of 17, I may very well have conspiratorial leanings. If you think about it, life is a conspiracy... I think I read somewhere the notion of "Let us make man in our image." But heck, maybe even that's a misinterpretation and being a believer in conspiracies, I am more apt to believe it ain't.

FYI, while "conspiracy theorists" have been relegated to the heap of "tinfoil hat wearing nutcases," it just takes a few millennia, decades, years and nowadays a few days for the so called "conspiracy theorists" to be correct. So there's that.

While I prefer to call myself one who "thinks outside the box" I really have no problem with you thinking I am just a nutcase, tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy theorist. I've been called worse names, Chang!

My elders taught me, that if I learn something from someone, that I should honor them because they were the vessel through which the knowledge came. In other words, we ain't gotta kill the messenger, just get the message and keep it moving. In my life, I have learned many things from some of the non-toward and even unseemly characters, nevertheless, their thoughts, actions and deeds have help develop my fund of knowledge so in that respect, I honor their contribution to my mental, physical, emotional and psychical development. I've even learned a lot from your pearls of wisdom. How about that!!!

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martin's avatar

i'd like to give the black panthers a little more credit in the way that they were not so much 'co-opted' but ultimately destroyed, primarily with institutional violence. iirc, they didn't compromise on their anti-capitalism. most other movements, which then are allowed to exist in a defanged form as a tool for the establishment, did.

this is why the establishment is always careful to let 'movements' denounce 'dictatorship', 'violence' and 'authoritarianism' (that's their exclusive shtick). actual revolutionary movements consider these things, unfortunately, as inevitable to suppress the reactionary impulses, unless one could find a way to make the ruling class part with their ruling class privileges in a momentary lapse of enlightenment (ain't gonna happen).

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Nana Baakan Agyiriwah's avatar

Martin, I definitely agree with much of what you have said here, in fact I would say most, but having had direct experience from the inside.. I still think that there was definitely some not so savory characters who infiltrated the movement, at least in the Philadelphia branch.

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martin's avatar

there was definitely infiltration (fred hampton's murder) and unsavory characters on the inside regarding the black panthers. if an org is not infiltrated (or at least attempts there to), it means it is no threat to the establishment and it's probably doing something wrong. revolutionary ideas also attract a lot of 'opportunists' (to quote lenin). hell, there's entire 'revolutionary' movements being astro-turfed (ukraine). extreme right-wing subversives otoh are very often left alone, mildly monitored or kept on hand to be used as patsies or useful idiots. they don't threaten the actual status quo.

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Nana Baakan Agyiriwah's avatar

🎯🎯💯💯 And then we have the "controlled opposition" types who go the whole gamut of being ostracized and or taken down. Sometimes they don't even realize that they are being used. The "power control force" has got to have it tentacles every where in order to stay in power. Critical thinking is a must, for real, for real.

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Explorer's avatar

Horrifying development, and even bigger than this, because Sudan (45mill. people) is quietly collapsing macro scale, under the same genocidal starvation killing landgrabbing regimes in the Middle East, led by UAE, funded by City of London and their zionist ilk, see Global GeoPolitics post on 30 October.

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Ahenobarbus's avatar

"The world needs to terminate the experiment by any means necessary and end the Zionist state forever."

This should be memorized and reapeted as often as possible. There is no other credible position on Israel today. It and it's backers in the US are the enemy of humanity.

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Scuba Cat's avatar

"The entire American right is just Dick Cheney wearing various costumes." Mostly. There *is* Ron Paul. Also, the American Left is also Dick Cheney in various costumes, which has given me the image of Cheney in an obnoxious Tax the Rich dress, which I find amusing, so thank you.

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gypsy33's avatar

Scuba, thank you for mentioning Ron Paul. Too bad his apple Rand fell a little too far from the tree.

I’m gonna add Marjorie Taylor-Greene to the short list. I’d give her a presidential vote based on her position on Palestine alone.

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Scuba Cat's avatar

Yeah, MTG impresses me in that she isn't afraid to challenge the establishment. I miss Matt Gaetz for that reason, too. Rand is sometimes okay, but I agree with you. He's def not his father.

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Landru's avatar

I never thought I would agree, and then listen to her for ten mins. and 2028 : ) I may write her in : )

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gypsy33's avatar

Never in a million years did I think I’d go full-on MTG either Landru.

Her stand on Palestine and refusal to be an AIPAC whore changed everything.

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Landru's avatar

I love you Мы Вас любим!

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Ohio Barbarian's avatar

Zionists have taught me all sorts of astonishing things of late. Francesca Albanese is a Wiccan. Who knew? And Manhattan has become a cesspool of Jew hate because Glamor Magazine picked Ms. Rachel and Rachel Zegler as their Women of the Year.

What WILL they think of next?

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includeMeOut's avatar

The demonization of “witchcraft” is in itself a deception since it has been used to smear mostly women who were primary holders of plant medicine knowledge and earth wisdom both of which were forcibly replaced by toxic pharma and the rise of allopathic medical orthodoxy.

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Hannahlehigh's avatar

Trump is the worst anti American president ever.

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George McFetridge's avatar

He's the vanguard of collapse.

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