139 Comments
User's avatar
Feral Finster's avatar

It doesn't matter whether we fall for the propaganda or not. They'll do what they want to anyway.

The propaganda is by itself the justification.

jamenta's avatar

Well, it's easier for them if we swallow it down whole and not make a ruckus.

Ling's avatar

Couldn’t agree more. They’re counting on people’s apathy, cynicism and defeatism to keep the crimes going. We all can throw a bit of sand to the machine.

jamenta's avatar

They're also working on disappearing or even killing us if we dare disobey. Not sure what's going to happen in the next month or two, but the pot is starting to boil over here in the US - and Internationally as well.

So you want to live in interesting times? Maybe. If we all end up dead, maybe not.

Ling's avatar

Yes, it’s scary, but no way near what the full-on terror regime would bring, when there isn’t even going to be any space to defy.

Do it while we can. Hopefully collective actions will put the worst scenario to a grind.

“Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will,” as Gramsci said. Always a good reminder in dark times.

Feral Finster's avatar

You may note that Scott Ritter's bank terminated his account today, without warning or explanation.

https://scottritter.substack.com/p/de-banked

Landru's avatar

A friend told me Scott Ritter is on the Jimmy Dore show now and will talk about his debanking.

Landru's avatar

Wow, I didn't know that. I have heard others who speak out have had the same done to them. Humm, maybe those gold ads are right.

David Avenell's avatar

Do you or anyone else, happen to know if there's any way Scott can access donations made via Substack without a bank account?

jamenta's avatar

The pessimist sees the bars, the optimist sees the stars.

Amos's avatar

I’ve been thinking for a while that it’s scary how we’re being herded into revolution. I mean, voting will get us nowhere, so revolution is the only option? Right?

But if they know it’s the only option and they’re herding us towards the door you’ve got to assume they’ve got a plan for when we go through the door.

Stay safe!

jamenta's avatar

I guess we need to decide whether we go quietly into the goodnight, or fight back, as previous generations of Americans have done. It can be tough choice if you might lose your life in the process.

dale ruff's avatar

There are two ways to fight back: with violence, which tyrants love, or with massive non-violence, against which they are defenseless, witness Eastern Europe 1989 when 9 dictatorships collapsed before massive protests and strikes, without bloodshed.

dale ruff's avatar

They would love a revolution with real or manufactured violence as an excuse to mow us down, declare martial law, and cancel the election What tyrants cannot handle is massive non-violent protest and strikes, witness the 7 Eastern European nations where dictators collapsed without bloodshed in 1989.

“When it gets down to having to use violence, then you are playing the system’s game. The establishment will irritate you – pull your beard, flick your face – to make you fight. Because once they’ve got you violent, then they know how to handle you. The only thing they don’t know how to handle is non-violence and humor.”

― John Lennon

Violent revolutions almost always produce violent backlash, while non-violent political revolutions actually cannot be defeated if the protests and strikes are massive. So, since you do not specify what you mean by revolution, let this be a warning: it is Trump today who is claiming there is a revolution (insurrection by leftists) that he uses as a pretext for cracking down. Do not help him by gifting him the excuse he is seeking to destroy us.

jamenta's avatar

I'm all for non-violence until it becomes foolish and counter-productive. I believe violence was necessary against Adolph Hitler, and Imperial Japan. I am not a Christian. I don't believe in putting myself on the cross for Nazis or fascists of any kind.

Amos's avatar

I think the death of John Lennon was one of the must significant events of the 20th century, as before that moment, the major cultural movement of the century was political, and after that moment it wasn’t.

dale ruff's avatar

And if discouraging voters doesn't work, provoke violent protests to justify martial law so the elections can be canceled.

dale ruff's avatar

"If elections are postponed or altered, it’s only under state law emergency provisions — for example, some states allow a governor or election official to delay or reschedule an election" The majority of states have Republican governors....so that's how the election could be nullified....while ICE slaughters protesters in the streets to maintain the emergency shutdown of elections.

SW's avatar

It doesn’t matter if we make a ruckus. It won’t be reported or affect their actions in any way. Netanyahu and Dumbkoft want to bomb Iran dammit so that’s that!

Sadly, the people in Greenland speak English and refuse to say they’re oppressed so we’ll have to force oppression on them just as soon as the Shock Troops in Minneapolis hone their skills terrorizing unarmed citizens.

Davina's avatar

True, right now the people that need saving are in the US because their country has gone rogue and is killing its own people by bringing IOF-like thugs against them.

jamenta's avatar

I know. It's terrifying. I'm heartened by the pushback so far: both legal and by ordinary Americans. But that we've reached this point is (many people will probably say not surprising) - but still is shocking when it actually happens.

There is also some growing signs that a large first-strike attack on Iran is imminent - i.e. Netanyahu's own jet has left Israel, and Trump just made an implied threat that is just as ominous.

And on top of all that, the American economy is collapsing further in a spiral downward of lost jobs, and lost revenue.

All this converging at once. It's hard to believe the stupidity of Trump & Netanyahu to actually attack Iran once more. And yet every indication appears they're going to do just that.

Landru's avatar

The continuing resolution ends Jan. 30th so there is that too. Could it be war and end of budget triggers marshal law? I was having coffee with a friend this morning. He said, " I have lived through this fascist takeover before in Argentina. Years ago he told me stories of that time. We will need each other my friend more than ever.

jamenta's avatar

Yes and the thing is, the equivalent of the Democratic party in Germany - laid down and played dead to Hitler's ruthless takeover. And so what happened, he took over - and a bloodbath ensued.

Why it's so important this whole thing be brought to a head here and now. There are two significant aspects of the fascist takeover taking place before our eyes that Hitler and his Brown Shirts did not enjoy:

1) The omnipresence of cell phones that can be used to video record - from every ordinary US citizen, the brutality and Unconstitutional Search and Seizure of their fellow Americans by thugs in masks. (Note, no other Police force in the nation wears masks. If you wield the power to drag an American off, or even use deadly force toward an American, you don't get to wear a mask. That's not a thing.)

2) Trump's popularity is not close to the popularity of Hitler at the time. Only a minority of Americans now support Trump's agenda - which increasingly appears fascist in almost every aspect: economic corruption, a formation of a secret police, unprovoked first strike wars abroad, violating International and Constitutional laws, the unrepresented corporate interests over public interests, etc.).

PForty7's avatar

They laugh at ruckus.

Landru's avatar

Yes, each lie they tell is harder for people to swallow. The murder of the woman from Minn. was something they expected to talk their way out of and it seems they are burned by their lies.

Ginnie's avatar

yeah but it's working. I have never seen so many people talk about the same crap they fed people during Iraq: we must bring them freedom/Saddam a threat to world peace/dangerous country. Few people have learned the lessons of the past.

Feral Finster's avatar

Humans are as easily led as any sheep or dog.

Davina's avatar

Obviously you did not know my dog, stubborn doesn't cover it.

hierochloe's avatar

I've been through that, I think I know your pain

Occam's avatar

100%

I'm flabbergasted that this shit is working again, on the same people that have been supporting trump in part because of his anti-war election stance.

And I love how the right are now full experts in the domestic affairs of Iran. Although, thinking about it, there's probably a 100% overlap with people that pronounce Israel as the bastion of freedom & democracy (tm) in the ME.

Davina's avatar

If armed forces service is compulsory you are not free.

Occam's avatar

Interesting point, ff.

Might be that the propaganda is just targeted at themselves so they can rationalize war.

Kinda like stories in nyt, wapo, etc. are just signals to the true believers in what the talking points of today are.

Nice system we got here, ain't it.

Ned B.'s avatar

It's time to take a proper gander at the propaganda.

https://nedb.substack.com/p/proper-gander

Lisa Savage's avatar

Caitlin, you occupy a unique position in our 21st century information hellscape: media consumption coach. Thank you for your service!!!

PK's avatar
Jan 22Edited

As James Corbett likes to say, “this is for the hard of thinking “

😁

SL's avatar

You might find this article interesting. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/01/14/miami-beach-facebook-comment-police/ She made a Facebook comment about her mayor. Then the police arrived.

Raquel Pacheco, 51, said Miami Beach police officers came to her home to ask about a Facebook comment she wrote about the city’s mayor. Raquel Pacheco began recording on her phone Monday as she opened her front door to the pair of police officers standing outside.

They told her they had questions about a Facebook comment she had written.

“Is that your account?” one officer asked. The other held out his phone, showing a message Pacheco had written days earlier about the mayor of Miami Beach, where she lives. Pacheco had left the comment about a post from Mayor Steven Meiner, who is Jewish, calling his city a “safe haven for everyone” — contrasting it with “places like New York City,” where he accused officials of discriminating against Jews. Pacheco suggested in her reply that Meiner’s words of welcome didn’t match up with his actions as mayor. At her door, the officers told Pacheco they were looking for the commenter because that person’s words could “probably incite somebody to do something bad,” her video shows. Pacheco refused to answer their questions without an attorney present, and the officers left within minutes.

Heart racing, Pacheco shut her door and texted her recording of the exchange to three friends who practice law. She struggled to comprehend why the officers were sent to question her — a private citizen who once ran for elected office, knew the mayor and other local officials, and had deep faith in American values. Where the officers saw a comment that could incite violence, Pacheco saw an expression of her right to free speech, she said. Miami Beach voters elected Meiner to his office, which is nonpartisan, a month after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed. Since then, the city — which was once inhabited mostly by Jewish people — has experienced a deepening rift among residents, including between Meiner and his constituents.

In March, the mayor tried to end the lease of a local cinema after it screened “No Other Land,” a movie made by Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers that shows Israelis bulldozing a town in the West Bank. Meiner described the documentary at the time as a “false one-sided propaganda attack on the Jewish people.” He backpedaled his efforts against the theater after a fraught, nine-hour city commission meeting.

Pacheco referenced the debacle in the comment that led police to her doorstep. On Jan. 6, Meiner’s official Facebook account published the post about Miami Beach being a welcome place. It featured a photo of the mayor with the text: “Miami Beach is a safe haven for everyone. We will always stand firm against any discrimination.”

Pacheco replied: “‘We will stand firm against any discrimination’ - unless you’re Palestinian, or Muslim or you think those people have a right to live.” She added: “Careful your racism is showing.”

The next day, the mayor’s post was shared on a community Facebook page, where Pacheco again responded.

“The guy who consistently calls for the death of all Palestinians, tried to shut down a theater for showing a movie that hurt his feelings, and REFUSES to stand up for the LGBTQ community in any way (even leaves the room when they vote on related matters) wants you to know that you’re all welcome here,” she wrote, alongside three clown emojis. It was this comment that police showed her when she opened her door Monday, Pacheco said.

“This is freedom of speech, this is America, right? I’m a veteran,” she told the officers, according to her recording of the two-minute conversation. Pacheco, who said she served in Connecticut’s Army National Guard from 1993 to 1999, said the officers told her she was not going to jail and that they were “just here to have a conversation.” Later in the video, an officer tells Pacheco: “I would think to refrain from posting things like that, because that can get something incited.” After the brief exchange, Pacheco sat in disbelief.

“There were cops at my door because of something I said,” Pacheco told The Post on Tuesday. “It felt like such a foreign, alien feeling.”

In the day since the officers’ visit, she has retained an attorney and made public records requests about the situation. Should it escalate, she said she was “prepared to sue.” While she described herself as progressive, she said she is “conservative when it comes to the Constitution,” a document she had come to revere since moving to the United States from Portugal in the 1980s. She said she strongly sees Monday’s interaction at her home as a violation of the rights guaranteed by it.

Bruce Maltby's avatar

This mayor Meiner needs removing - as does anybody in a position of authority who does not recognise that Palestine has the equal right to exist and thrive.

dacoelec's avatar

The communist and fascist stronghold is in Murica.

Landru's avatar

Communist? The DOD is the only Communist org. in the gov. Hardly, we don't even have Socialism for the rest of us. Fascism yes, that's what you get when you don't have a gov. working for working people.

dacoelec's avatar

I suppose you're right. It's just difficult to wrap my head around it all.

Diana van Eyk's avatar

I bet the Mossad infiltrators who shot people, police and burned down buildings, including mosques, haven't gotten much msm coverage.

It's the staged colour revolution playbook, folks. This one should be so familiar to anyone who's been paying attention.

Davina's avatar

And if anyone, who realised their were israeli mossad agents, decided they needed killing and rightly so - the victim screaming from israel would be heard on the moon. So whoever decides on taking out these undercover agents, first should get as much evidence as possible to shove down Israel's throat as a counter to their victimisation of all jews everywhere, as usual.

Davina's avatar

Oops! "they were..." not their were, don't you just love how the spellchecker decides what you meant but not what you typed!

MakeTheWorldSafeForDiversity's avatar

Bill Ackman donates 10,000 dollars to ICE Agent who murdered American peaceful protester while zionists tell Americans to worry about American NGO-funded protesters in Iran.

Siobhan's avatar

Wouldn’t expect anything less from that piece of garbage

Stuart Estrine's avatar

Don’t insult garbage.

Landru's avatar

When will people care about ackman (lowercase intentional) enough to isolate him. We need to short his companies : )

Occam's avatar

peaceful protester, lol

Chuck Nasmith's avatar

Trump is worried about Iran executing protesters. Israel executes kids that throw rocks and others that do nothing. Any Palestinian (and others) could be executed even for not protesting and getting in the way of a Greater (Racist) Israel. Make Palestine Palestine. Iran and others have the right to defend themselves. Wage Peace and Justice.

Spunty's avatar

He's not very worried about ICE terrorists assassinating innocent Americans.

Chuck Nasmith's avatar

The data dump of 4500 Ice agents with photo's etc. would be a good way to make "Wanted for U.S.Terrorism" posters.

PK's avatar

You're spelling USrahell wrong

Antonio Brownlowe's avatar

3rd July 1988 IRAN AIRFLIGHT 655 was Shot down by Americas Navy

I have never listen to any western Report on IRAN for over 30 years. I dismiss everyone of them because all they do is lie ,lie and lie some more and western affiliated News report on Iran always lie from the lead up to the CIA overthrowing of Iran in 1953.

They have been trying to destroy IRAN since then. Iran bothered no one it is they that went there to bother them.

Just like the Palestinian was bothering no one they went there to bother them, whenever you try to defend yourself and to get the Foreign intruders m out of your land, you become the Evil and wicked Terrorist in your own land .

The same Colonial Imperialist game has been played all over for over 500 years .

When They deliberately shot down Iran’s passenger plane killing close to 300 people including Children they Claimed it was a ‘Spy plane ‘.Then the President G.W .Bush said he was never going to apologize for America no matter what the facts are .A REAL Good Godly American Christian .Yeah

Landru's avatar

Yes who would have thought people want to control their own resources, shocking.

Davina's avatar

And now America is using fighter planes disguised as ordinary passenger planes, which is another dirty, against international law, trick. Hegseth needs kicking out.

Kevin Flynn's avatar

At least we have a young, united and coherent opposition party with an actual clear plan fighting for us... Not.

Helen Londe MD's avatar

The Green Party of the US had a great platform for the US presidential election, so I think it is on the right side. I voted for Jill Stein for President. Please do not criticize me for not voting for the "lesser" of 2 evil genocidaires.

jamenta's avatar

My party supports genocide, but the other party is worse, so vote for my party. Gets me every time - Americans still falling for this "Lesser of Two Evils" crap.

Like that's a valid moral choice: voting for either of two corrupt parties that 100% sponsored the mass murder of children in GAZA. Not me. Don't know about you, but genocide is as red a redline can ever get.

Landru's avatar

Right with you on that. There is no lesser Genocide.

Davina's avatar

Happening in Australia, too. There was a time when we had five parties, which meant we had more than two choices until the so-called Liberals and Nationals became a coaltion, of course the Liberals had to be top dog and the Nationals their lap dogs. Sorry, we do have the Greens who would get more votes if they were less "Their way or tge highway" which sends them on the highway.

Landru's avatar

Sorry, I worked for Jill Stein collecting sig. , door knocking, donating. She was so clueless she didn't have anyone to notarize the sig. then didn't make the ballot in a very Blue state, not to mention not getting on the New York ballot, wow, that was clueless. She couldn't collect 50k sig.

Helen Londe MD's avatar

Frustrating......I thought Stein was accessible at least on most state ballots.....She did terribly though, and I actually thought that Harris took votes away from Stein. Not that it matters.....just some irony.......

jamenta's avatar

Maybe form our own secret org, the NSCIA "Not So Central Intelligence Agency" for opposition? Would need a lot of crowd funding.

Landru's avatar

Or, Intelligence Agency with Intelligence : )

jamenta's avatar

heh That would be asking too much. Everything this agency has done for the last 5 decades has pretty much made the world a more dangerous place. Not to mention, their very likely involvement in the murder of JFK.

Non Wilshaw's avatar

We’re being played and it stinks

Basil Rathbone's avatar

They lie about pretty much literally everything, and always have but never quite so ceaselessly as now. Their lies have reached crescendo levels with the current runup for war on Iran. That there are still millions of Americans sleepwalking and cognitively impaired by living in a nation grounded in lies who will cheerlead this imminent war is a tragedy, but shouldn't be surprising.

Bruce Maltby's avatar

Tens of millions…

Stuart Estrine's avatar

Actually, if the perpetrators of genocide/imperialism’s lips are moving we know they are lying. I give you Exhibit A; the lifelong racist, grifter, inveterate liar, serial philanderer, covetous of his daughter (at least), fascist and war criminal Trump.

thelonegunman's avatar

you know they’re lying when their lips are moving

tre peperoncini's avatar

We know they lied about Iraq, Libya, Vietnam, Panama, Iran, Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Yugoslavia, John and Bobby Kennedy.

We know they are lying about Iran, Venezuela, Gaza, China, Russia, Ukraine, Nord Stream, Epstein.

They know that they are lying.

They know that we know they are lying.

We know that they know we know they are lying.

They know that we know they know we know they are lying.

And still, they lie, and still we believe.

In this country,

the lie is no longer merely a moral failure.

It has become an industry,

the pillar on which we stand.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, forgive me.

Jim S's avatar

Thank You Caitlin

Timothy Skeers's avatar

We are also getting a lot of the “they oppress women so terribly” argument that they use when the target is a Middle-Eastern and/or Muslim-majority country. “We have to help the women! No? What, why do you hate women? As if dropping bombs and blowing up things and destabilizing the country and bringing chaos will help women.

A short example clip from Empire simp Bill Maher (mercifully short; I can’t stand him but I did force myself to watch the whole thing as it is just over three minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF4Y9TO8uVA

Spunty's avatar

Meanwhile, in America, women are having their rights eroded... oh, and getting assassinated in their cars by federal agents.

jamenta's avatar

Talk about ironic.

musicbob's avatar

Sorry, I tried to watch it... really did... but couldn't stomach Maher's putrid smugness for more than 20 seconds.

Timothy Skeers's avatar

Understood lol! 😂 “putrid smugness” is a perfect description of him

Davina's avatar

He didn't get much of a chance to speak, let alone be smug, that woman knew what she wanted to say and made sure she got to say it. Good for her.

musicbob's avatar

From the little I stomached of the video (w/her speaking as well), she seemed like she was a hired-hand for the U.S. state-dept (but made to somehow appear as though she was somehow speaking for all native Iranians)... from the small time frame I watched.

Landru's avatar

Nope, nothing could make me watch Maher, not even a healthy chunk of cash. F him.

Landru's avatar

He is such a horrible shit, I would ask you remove the link.

Bruce Maltby's avatar

Masih Alinejad :-))

Joy in HK fiFP's avatar

More important than ever! The work that the Hind Rajab Foundation is doing to track down and bring Israeli criminals to justice is one that is vital in the effort to hold Israel accountable.  Let us hope they will also turn their sights on the criminal leaders of the countries of the west who are co-perpetrators of these crimes.

Find out what they’re doing here:

https://www.hindrajabfoundation.org

The least we can do is donate to help them:

Support the Hind Rajab Foundation

https://donate.stripe.com/cN228hbY5g7jaM84gg

Landru's avatar

Thank you for that. You can never be reminded of that enough.