146 Comments

Little Marco is a despicable human being.

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True enough, but the bigger story is about how a supposedly liberal pro-democracy (and anti-Rubio) rag comes around to giving comfort and ammunition to a reactionary demagogue like Marco Rubio.

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Watch it, Bob. When slugs are insulted I take it personally.

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founding

Slugs are far more human than Rubio.

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And they're not disgusting. Only to nature-hating city dwellers.

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Rubio listed nine organizations that he said should be investigated “for potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.”

But he missed the USA's #1 foreign controlled organisation and the hundreds of US elected politicians that owe their seats in government and their comfortable lifestyle to their influence (control). Israel and its Neocon brigade living in the USA, subservient totally to the dictates of Israel with a Head Office as large as life called AIPAC. All members of government mandated to attend when required.

Oh, where is a modern day investigator like a 1950's version of Joe McCarthy, who spent his time chasing harmless communism up hill and down dale, which when compared the present day Netanyahu nasties with their corrupting Neocon philosophies, controlling both houses of the US government, are an ever present danger to the stability of the USA. In fact, the reason for some many to its. current problems.

Perhaps too late to fix this problem as "we own America" is their theme song, unquestioned.

Just ask Rubio.

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Of course -- and:

Russia-gate is a fraud of the century -- J6 “armed insurrection” was the most brazen set-up by DNC-FBI/CIA criminal cabal !!

Ep. 15 – Aug 10 -- Former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund reveals what really happened on January 6th. Our Fox News interview with him never aired, so we invited him back.

https://twitter.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1689783814594174976?s=20

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time to join Code Pink.

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founding

Code Pink I believe is Pro War on Russia? They refused a request to join the Rage Against the War Machine.

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Aug 13, 2023·edited Aug 13, 2023

That is completely wrong, Media Benjamin wrote a very good book "War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict". Code Pink never supported the invasion of Ukraine or the Russian government. What Jimmy Dore and others did not mention was that the rally was taken over by a hard right wing faction of the libertarian party that peace groups do not want to be associated with. Media Benjamin was there in support of the speakers but did not speak.

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I don't think that the Rage Against the War Machine rally was "taken over" by "a hard right wing faction." That group was one of many which oppose the American empire. They attended the rally like everyone else. We have to accept that many different people, some of whom have different views than our own, will join together to oppose nuclear war, which was what the Rage Against the War Machine rally was all about.

I feel that Code Pink was wrong about their choice. When we are all dead from nuclear weapons, it won't matter if we are squeamish about the views of the groups that agree with us (as Code Pink was) or not. Code Pink appeared to me to be virtue signaling, arrogant, and selfish.

Jimmy Dore was right.

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Why don't you tell Scott Ridder this, he has a substack here. He wrote a long article about how he was jerked around by the Libertarian party. What has the Libertarian party done since? The Mises Caucus is hard right wing and they gained control of that party, that is a fact. The Mises Caucus then proceeded to ban people they didn't like from the protest. Code Pink and others don't want to be associated with them, they are vile, their sincerity about wanting peace was and is highly questionable.

I do think Code Pink was wrong for asking Benjamin not to speak, she wanted to, but the fascist remarks spewing from Mises caucus made her appreciate what the Code Pink board wanted.

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It's "Scott Ritter."

Did you watch the Rage Against the War Machine rally?

I did. I didn't see that anyone was banned or that they would have complied even if one group among many told them they couldn't show up.

It seemed to me that it was more Code Pink who wanted to do that.

I don't care what a group that is protesting against nuclear war is "spewing." As I said in my first comment, when we are all dead from nuclear war, it won't matter what the other groups who agree with us that dying in a nuclear holocaust is bad for us thought about other issues.

You have allowed your partisanship to stop you from keeping your eye on the ball.

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Thank you for your vast knowledge

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Let's be fair now. The NYT would be happy to assist in the persecution and silencing of anyone opposed to the Empire and its wars, left, right, libertarian, socialist, anarchist or none of the above.

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It appears the US Government and its corporate overlords are jealous of what China has achieved, an authoritarian capitalist system.

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It often seems the US is following in China's footsteps. "Lockdowns? We gotta do that too."

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Why do you need to believe that China is the source of evil?

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Hey Society. The simple answer we need to believe that China is evil is because we are told to by the massive propaganda apparatus in our country. And that is being enforced by arrests, de-banking, accusations of being a communist agent, loss of internet access, and so forth. It doesn’t help that we are being dumbed down also. It is becoming dangerous to speak kindly of a country that the Empire has declared an enemy, Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, China, Iran and so forth. I myself look at China as a 4000 yr old civilization that has wrought miracles as of late with a population number that is staggering. Rebuilding modern cities, energy efficient, bringing the rural downtrodden into the middle class in a matter of years. I often wonder whether the answers to many of our woes could be more rapidly solved with a benevolent dictator rather than the crushing wheels of our so called democracy. Just think, with one click of the fingers, the entire country goes to alternative green energy in 5-10 years. Just fantasizing, maybe. I certainly appreciate the wonders of this country but our house is on fire and no one knows where the fire extinguishers are.

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"Benevolent dictator" is pretty much an oxymoron.

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Starry Gordon: The Five Good Emperors of Rome (Marcus Aurelius is an example) were benevolent dictators. IMO a benevolent dictatorship is the best government. Unfortunately, once the good emperor dies his mad son or daughter or some other asshole may take over.

The Founders of the uSA struggled with this problem.

All governments are bad so the Founders tried to limit the damage with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

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Yes the words do not belong together, but Xi comes close.

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Mr. Xi is a curious case. He seems to have said in an interview that equality was a terrible thing, and yet he supposedly calls himself a Communist. I'll have to ask him about it next time I see him.

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why do you think xi is (or comes close to) a dictator?

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I mean it's a contradiction in terms. No doubt there have been dictators who thought they were benevolent because they didn't know any better, were victims of circumstance, and so forth, but surely the first task of a benevolent dictator would be to resign the dictator part.

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It's laughable to me that you accuse China of creating "an authoritarian capitalist system," while remaining blind to the authoritarian capitalist system right here in the good ol' US of A.

I remember to have read a comment somewhere about "seeing the splinter in your neighbors' eye while missing the beam in your own." Maybe you can find it.

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founding

I know, what flipped the switch? End Stage Capitalism demands these wars. All that's left of u.s. economic growth is the war machine. I find it funny when Yellen has to emergency fly to Beijing to beg China purchase bills,notes and bonds at the coming auction. DOD has to beg China to manufacture parts for the war machine to use against them/us. I work in science collaboration is the heart of science, even where I work people express the evil of Russia and China even though we have nationals on our experiment. Did Covid alter brain function?

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Who said China is the source of evil? Everybody knows about the severe Wuhan lockdown. Since at the time no one knew how deadly the disease was it seems to me like it was the prudent thing to do. I thought subsequent lockdowns in other countries tended to me mindless follow the leader.

I'm annoyed when Internet commenters address me as "you." So far their estimations have always been completely wrong. I beg you to abjure this practice.

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Yes, when people tell me what I think, feel, or believe, it really p!sses me off too.

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Not worth the effort

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The ruling party in China is Communist. The economy has tended towards a capitalist system. You figure it out.

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what does the cpc say about this contradiction?

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I don't know what they say but do know enough that it is a mixed system. The main thrust of the Communist revolution was to get rid of landlords. The government owns all the urban land and leases it out, so the profits from rising land costs go to the government. There is still rental going on but landlords wield much less power than they did in the old days. I think the banks are nationalized so the government gets all profits but am not sure about that.

The United States is also a mixed system, with Social Security being the most socialistic aspect.

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founding

These wars are not political, they are economic. End Stage Capitalism demands it, there can be only one as seen from Washington.

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China is not communist as far as there is industry and property owned by private individuals and certainly it is not a classless society. It becomes difficult to clarify completely it’s social and economic status. One could say socialistic as fairly accurate but also tending toward heavily regulated capitalism. They have a significant middle class now. Capitalism in the US is a distorted concept as it is not based on free market mechanisms, greed and power have corrupted our system. We have unfettered capitalism and a system where most all wealth resides in the hands of a few. It certainly is bound for failure as our Earth is being destroyed for more and more, and eventually desperate people will rise up against the inequities. I am not an economist but call it as I see it.

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Are you responding to Michael G?

Or to some mythical creature in your own head?

Because none of what Michael G said about the capitalism in the US today could possibly be misconstrued as "fan" talk.

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There is private property, there is a single labor market, there is a workplace. Where all three of those are present, there is capitalism. Self-identity doesn't cut it.

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I will grant that they seem to have some public utilities for personal provision and strong informal institutions to fill some of the voids, e.g. filial piety lessening the need for pensions.

When I say property I mean not real property, but property more expansively. Not all enterprises are state-owned. Foreign direct investment still exists, and has only expanded under RCEP and other liberalizing trade agreements. They're granting more rights to foreign owners, if the Premier's own words are to be believed, which I would call a move in the wrong direction. IP, in particular, is theft.

https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3215649/boao-vow-li-qiang-comes-right-time-china-and-world

>Li told [foreign executives, politicians and researchers] the mainland would align with international rules and strive to create a market-oriented, rule-of-law-based and internationalised environment.

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At which meeting was "total global Unity and Order" decreed desirable, and to the benefit of which classes? Where are the ideologists working to displace or negate this stuff? I don't propose any top-down theories of the world at all because every one rests on the foundations of Plato's unwritten doctrines: the doctrine of the One, and the doctrine of the Great and the Small.

As you might surmise from my name, insofar as I adhere to any direction, it is to contribute as best I can to liquifying that foundation and preventing anything from being built on it ever again. Everything classical society ever loved was error, or an instrument with which to love error, including the forms of devotion, sacrifice, heroism, contest, and virtue, and I am quite nearly prepared to extend that assertion to love itself.

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Americans are given contradictory messages in their youth.

We are living in the land of freedom, free to criticize our government and free to express our opinions, and freedom of speech is the very first right that our wise ancestors thought to protect constitutionally.

On the other hand, communists are evil and they are not free to express their opinions because that freedom isn’t protected by communist governments. So when we hear Americans expressing support for communist regimes, we must be vigilant and not allow their lies to proliferate.

This forked-tongue policy of patting ourselves on the back for supporting freedom of expression, while using all of our resources to punish communists for stating undisputed facts, is a very American worldview. You’re free to go with the flow, but if you don’t you must go.

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Americans enjoy freedom of expression but everyone says the same things -- Alexis deTocqueville

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If only American youths were given the analytical tools to unpick contradictions...

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unwarranted: PS: Try and say "Nigger" and see what happens to you.

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unwarranted: In America we are not free. To prove it try not to file your Income Taxes. Try to make an anti-Jewish or even anti-Israeli comment in public or online. Try and start a business without a license. Try and fix your house without a permit and city inspection.

Try it. See how free you really are.

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I will not even wrap my garbage in the NY Times.

(Because I'd need to actually BUY a copy of the NYT to do that and they will NEVER GET A DIME FROM ME)

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Even if you could get that for free you'd corrupt the garbage. Garbage in, double garbage out.

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Brevette Pfc. Billy Masterson: No one I know reads the NYT. The only people who mention the NYT are either in the MSM or the alternate media. Drives me nuts. Just ignore the NYT!

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There is a free NYT "highlights" email they start sending you if you let them, trying to get your subscription by requiring a sub to read the articles they mention. Some of the more egregious propaganda, oddly enough you can read all of THOSE articles without paying, though you have to pay for their cooking/recipes section or the big cross word puzzle...

I finally cancelled even that.

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Brevette Pfc. Masterson: I used to read the NYT for the obituaries but that was decades ago.

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How MANY Anti-U.S. Companies under Bush, Clinton and Obama abandoned U.S. Workers +Tax Responsibility to Support their Own nation’s People & Infrastructure by moving their entire manufacturing operations to Asia❓

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And those companies write generous checks to any politician that goes along.

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Code Pink is suspected of being a foreign agent. This businessman Singham lives in China and is married to Code Pink Co-founder, and is also suspected of being a foreign agent. Open and shut case that they are all conspiring foreign agents.

This type of circular logic always astounds me.

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Don't worry, you'll get used to it.

My favorite is Putin's insane plan to restore the USSR. How do you know he has this plan? Because he's insane. How do you know he's insane? He has this plan.

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The NYT cites the FBI and the FBI cites the NYT lol.

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Can a wealthy person truly be a "communist"? That's an intriguing thought that the "reporters" at the NYT should have done some research on... "What makes a wealthy individual support a system of government that believes in sharing the wealth with all members of society? Why does he want peace in the world and not eternal wars for profits. Why isn't he a selfish bastard like most American millionaires?" I suppose that line of questioning would have possibly insulted their owners.

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The Revolution Continues: Well, Stalin, Mao, and Kim IL DONG had plenty of wealth. Hahaha. Yeah, and next you'll say a wealthy man can't go into heaven.

Wealth isn't evil. The way one attains wealth can be good or bad. Wealth is a tool that can be used for good or evil.

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1 Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

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The Revolution Continues: Notice the modifier "For the love of money..." If you don't love money for it's own sake and instead, use money as a tool, you can keep the faith and avoid the many pains.

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"Yellow Press warns of Yellow Peril" describes every US mainstream "news" article on China. Journalism schools here need only offer one class for the Degree: How to Maintain an Echo Chamber...

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Thank you, Caitlin. This is exactly the sort of news reporting that the NYT ought to be doing, if it were more than a shadow of its better self (and yes, some great reporting has been brought forward by the NYT in my lifetime). Because your reporting is so thoroughly fact-based, I can forward your piece to my liberal-but-anti-Russian relatives with the prospect that they will not only read it but deeply consider it.

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Nyt also supported the horror of iraq.. anyone who reads it is.. but it is considered elite for some damned reason and pseudo intellectuals must be seen with a copy

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Rubio has always been a Bush tier warmonger. I dislike the fact that he is representing my state with these positions.

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Oceanus: Rubio also supports the sugar subsidy which goes to all the Cuban exiles making money and polluting with their sugar plantations in Florida.

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I have suzan cawwwlins

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I don't think the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) is permitted under the US Constitution.

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Literally Mussolini: The folks in DC quit following the US Constitution decades ago. But I'm sure FARA is not permitted by the Constitution.

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Yep, maybe even more than just a few decades ago.

I just call these things out as I see them, trying to make people aware.

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Literally Mussolini: You could go back to the American War Between the States for the first big break with the US Constitution. Any State has the right to secede from the voluntary union of the uSA.

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I’m a long time Code Pinker! But not a New York Times fan.

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