When Maxine Waters goes gung-ho crazy for the War Party, it tells us
that the Black political class -- overwhelmingly Democrats -- are
utterly useless to any movement for peace and social justice. In the
throes of a terminal case of “Anti-Russia Dementia,” otherwise known as
“Putin Derangement Syndrome,” the California congresswoman told a Tax
March crowd in front of the U.S. Capitol that President Trump and
Russia’s Vladimir Putin somehow conspired to arrange both the chemical
event that killed dozens in northern Syria and the U.S. missile strike
on a Syrian military airfield that followed. In a interview with a
Huffington Post reporter, Waters said:
“I don’t believe there’s any real tension” between Trump and Putin.
“I think they’re putting on a show. And I think Putin is gonna come back
and make it look as if he’s gonna hold the line somewhat on Syria now,
and then want something in exchange for that -- and that exchange is,
lift the sanctions.”
Waters has clearly lost her mind, her brain operating at the cartoon
level. But, her mental and moral disintegration differs only in degree
from that of the Congressional Black Caucus as a body, which has been
drifting to the dark side on war ever since the First Black President
got his hands on the nuclear button. Even Barbara Lee,
the only member of Congress to vote against the invasion of Afghanistan
in 2001, appears to accept the manifestly false allegation that the
Syrian military used chemical weapons in al-Qaida controlled Idlib
province. She demands only that the U.S. Congress be allowed to play its
part in the aggression.
-- Glen Ford, "Maxine Waters Loses Her Mind to “Anti-Russia Dementia” – Like the Rest of the Black Caucus" (BLACK AGENDA REPORT).
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Truest statement of the week II
Nearly every day there is a new report of desperate migrants rescued
at sea in the Mediterranean. Some are less fortunate and are among the
estimated 12,000 who have died
there in the last three years alone. Their point of embarkation is
Libya, a nation now a haven for human traffickers because of President
Barack Obama and his secretary of state, Hillary Clinton.
Their deliberate destruction of Libya was a war crime by all standards of international law. That country was just one victim of the American plan to eliminate secular governments in the Middle East. Under the guise of a phony “responsibility to protect” and with cover from organizations such as Human Rights Watch, American propaganda gave an atrocity the appearance of a humanitarian act. Now come reports from media and the International Organization for Migration that African migrants are being openly bought and sold in Libya. This practice would not be taking place if Muammar Gaddafi not been murdered by American backed jihadists in 2011.
Obama’s evil success in Libya set off an endless trail of disasters. Libya is a hot bed of ISIS activity along with Iraq and Syria. It is not a coincidence that all three countries were targets of American regime change. Even the American ambassador in Libya fell victim to his government’s machinations in Benghazi.
-- Margaret Kimberley, "Freedom Rider: Obama and Clinton Brought Slavery to Libya" (BLACK AGENDA REPORT).
Their deliberate destruction of Libya was a war crime by all standards of international law. That country was just one victim of the American plan to eliminate secular governments in the Middle East. Under the guise of a phony “responsibility to protect” and with cover from organizations such as Human Rights Watch, American propaganda gave an atrocity the appearance of a humanitarian act. Now come reports from media and the International Organization for Migration that African migrants are being openly bought and sold in Libya. This practice would not be taking place if Muammar Gaddafi not been murdered by American backed jihadists in 2011.
Obama’s evil success in Libya set off an endless trail of disasters. Libya is a hot bed of ISIS activity along with Iraq and Syria. It is not a coincidence that all three countries were targets of American regime change. Even the American ambassador in Libya fell victim to his government’s machinations in Benghazi.
-- Margaret Kimberley, "Freedom Rider: Obama and Clinton Brought Slavery to Libya" (BLACK AGENDA REPORT).
A note to our readers
Hey --
A Tuesday..
A Tuesday..
Let's thank all who participated this edition which includes Dallas and the following:
The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's Kitchen,
Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.
The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's Kitchen,
Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.
And what did we come up with?
Editorial: The silent protester?
Huh?
Chelsea Clinton, the silent protester?
If Chelsea wants to claim she was against the Iraq War, she better expect questions.
Like why is it no one knew of her protests?
Why is it no one knew of her opposition?
Why has it taken 14 years for 'protester' Chelsea to reveal she was against the Iraq War back in 2003.
With her mother's well known history of lying regarding Iraq, why should we believe her?
Chelsea's weighing pursuing public office -- having failed at everything else.
This sudden claim emerges against the backdrop of that.
And we should all be skeptical.
It's not "anti-American" to be opposed to AUMF & Afghanistan war. Should've protested mom's Iraq war vote & dad's sanctions that killed 500k
Chelsea Clinton, the silent protester?
If Chelsea wants to claim she was against the Iraq War, she better expect questions.
Like why is it no one knew of her protests?
Why is it no one knew of her opposition?
Why has it taken 14 years for 'protester' Chelsea to reveal she was against the Iraq War back in 2003.
With her mother's well known history of lying regarding Iraq, why should we believe her?
Chelsea's weighing pursuing public office -- having failed at everything else.
This sudden claim emerges against the backdrop of that.
And we should all be skeptical.
TV: HBO's continued struggles
Clyde says we revealed secrets that shouldn't have been revealed. Labreea argues we said too much. Renee insists we spoiled the whole thing for her.
They're referring to "TV: HBO finally scores another hit" and specifically to this:
Where is Ziggy's father?
Jane says he's out of the picture.
Is he?
There's a way she looks at Celeste that suggest Perry may be the father of Ziggy.
That would explain Jane's comments like, "I see this life -- and it's so wonderful -- but it's like, it doesn't belong to me."
In the final ten minutes of the seventh episode of BIG LITTLE LIES, it's revealed that Celeste's husband Perry is the father of Jane's son Ziggy.
BIG LITTLE LIES is an HBO mini-series that ran seven episodes this year.
That's the shortest explanation of what the David E. Kelley created and written (and produced) mini-series was.
A fuller explanation would include the fact that Academy Award winning actresses Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman were also producers.
And that the two women were part of an amazing cast that also included Alexander Skarsgard, Zoe Kravitz, Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley.
That even Adam Scott got an outstanding moment or two in the mini-series.
Hopefully, someone would mention the amazing soundtrack.
It added so much to the mini-series.
But the writing was what carried it and provided the bedrock for the amazing accomplishments by the cast.
The writing.
What has been so lacking in so much of what HBO has offered over the last years as so many of their shows struggled to find an audience.
Take the alleged comedy GIRLS which wrapped up its sixth and final season this year. Ten episodes, and not one managed to crack a million viewers.
Why in the world was this show kept on?
It didn't bring in viewers.
It wasn't funny.
DIVORCE is another HBO comedy with disappointing ratings.
But it's only had one season.
And Sharon Horgan's visison actually is comedic and Sarah Jessica Parker can actually act.
There's a strong argument to be made for a second season (which HBO has already commissioned) because this show could find an audience -- it really just needs a sexy male -- a Mr. Bigg, if you will, to bring some sizzle to the show.
What's the excuse for VEEP?
It's ratings didn't justify a third season, let alone the recently concluded sixth season.
BIG LITTLE LIES increased its ratings.
VEEP's just kind of cratered.
The biggest question about VEEP is how Julia Louis-Drefyus has won five Emmys for it so far.
The second biggest question about VEEP is why?
Why did anyone even bother?
It's yet another mockumentary.
Didn't we get enough of that already with ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, PARKS AND RECREATION, MODERN FAMILY, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, THE OFFICE, LOUIE, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, REAL HUSBANDS OF HOLLYWOOD, . . . .
Unless your name is Christopher Guest, you really need to move on.
Christopher Guest has perfected the genre in film and can stay with it as long as he wants.
On TV?
It really hasn't worked that well.
VEEP's inability to take off in six seasons was evident immediately.
It was a comedic stillborn that didn't deserve subsequent seasons.
How does HBO explain it?
Last week, in "TV: How the network brass fails the shareholders," we pointed out that network execs at NBC, ABC and FOX are betraying the shareholders by repeatedly making these single-cam sitcoms that do not (a) do well in syndication and (b) do not do well in the ratings.
CBS continues to rule the ratings with sitcoms.
It's been that way for 17 years now.
EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, TWO AND A 1/2 MEN, THE BIG BANG THEORY . . .
NBC's bringing back WILL & GRACE this fall for a limited run. That's a smart move. That sitcom and FRIENDS were the last big hits.
Everything since, one single-cam 'whimcom' after another, has failed.
The shareholders should be up in arms because so little money is being generated by these single-cam 'comedies' and they are in the business of making money.
Equally true, someone at HBO needs to be explaining how shows like GIRLS and VEEP got multi-seasons with such low viewership and so few laughs.
It's not impossible to pull in viewers. BIG LITTLE LIES proved to be a hit on HBO, for example. But you need strong writing and that's something that too few of HBO's offerings have had.
For those who felt we tipped them off to the ending of the mini-series (we had no idea if Perry would turn out to be Ziggy's father or not), our apologies.
Or for most of those.
To Renee?
If our comments spoiled the entire 7 episodes for you and not just the last ten minutes, maybe you should be an HBO exec because you seem to share their struggle with reality.
------------
The issue of the response to our BIG LITTLE LIES review was noted in last week's "TV Roundtable."
They're referring to "TV: HBO finally scores another hit" and specifically to this:
Where is Ziggy's father?
Jane says he's out of the picture.
Is he?
There's a way she looks at Celeste that suggest Perry may be the father of Ziggy.
That would explain Jane's comments like, "I see this life -- and it's so wonderful -- but it's like, it doesn't belong to me."
In the final ten minutes of the seventh episode of BIG LITTLE LIES, it's revealed that Celeste's husband Perry is the father of Jane's son Ziggy.
BIG LITTLE LIES is an HBO mini-series that ran seven episodes this year.
That's the shortest explanation of what the David E. Kelley created and written (and produced) mini-series was.
A fuller explanation would include the fact that Academy Award winning actresses Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman were also producers.
And that the two women were part of an amazing cast that also included Alexander Skarsgard, Zoe Kravitz, Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley.
That even Adam Scott got an outstanding moment or two in the mini-series.
Hopefully, someone would mention the amazing soundtrack.
It added so much to the mini-series.
But the writing was what carried it and provided the bedrock for the amazing accomplishments by the cast.
The writing.
What has been so lacking in so much of what HBO has offered over the last years as so many of their shows struggled to find an audience.
Take the alleged comedy GIRLS which wrapped up its sixth and final season this year. Ten episodes, and not one managed to crack a million viewers.
Why in the world was this show kept on?
It didn't bring in viewers.
It wasn't funny.
DIVORCE is another HBO comedy with disappointing ratings.
But it's only had one season.
And Sharon Horgan's visison actually is comedic and Sarah Jessica Parker can actually act.
There's a strong argument to be made for a second season (which HBO has already commissioned) because this show could find an audience -- it really just needs a sexy male -- a Mr. Bigg, if you will, to bring some sizzle to the show.
What's the excuse for VEEP?
It's ratings didn't justify a third season, let alone the recently concluded sixth season.
BIG LITTLE LIES increased its ratings.
VEEP's just kind of cratered.
The biggest question about VEEP is how Julia Louis-Drefyus has won five Emmys for it so far.
The second biggest question about VEEP is why?
Why did anyone even bother?
It's yet another mockumentary.
Didn't we get enough of that already with ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, PARKS AND RECREATION, MODERN FAMILY, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, THE OFFICE, LOUIE, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, REAL HUSBANDS OF HOLLYWOOD, . . . .
Unless your name is Christopher Guest, you really need to move on.
Christopher Guest has perfected the genre in film and can stay with it as long as he wants.
On TV?
It really hasn't worked that well.
VEEP's inability to take off in six seasons was evident immediately.
It was a comedic stillborn that didn't deserve subsequent seasons.
How does HBO explain it?
Last week, in "TV: How the network brass fails the shareholders," we pointed out that network execs at NBC, ABC and FOX are betraying the shareholders by repeatedly making these single-cam sitcoms that do not (a) do well in syndication and (b) do not do well in the ratings.
CBS continues to rule the ratings with sitcoms.
It's been that way for 17 years now.
EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, TWO AND A 1/2 MEN, THE BIG BANG THEORY . . .
NBC's bringing back WILL & GRACE this fall for a limited run. That's a smart move. That sitcom and FRIENDS were the last big hits.
Everything since, one single-cam 'whimcom' after another, has failed.
The shareholders should be up in arms because so little money is being generated by these single-cam 'comedies' and they are in the business of making money.
Equally true, someone at HBO needs to be explaining how shows like GIRLS and VEEP got multi-seasons with such low viewership and so few laughs.
It's not impossible to pull in viewers. BIG LITTLE LIES proved to be a hit on HBO, for example. But you need strong writing and that's something that too few of HBO's offerings have had.
For those who felt we tipped them off to the ending of the mini-series (we had no idea if Perry would turn out to be Ziggy's father or not), our apologies.
Or for most of those.
To Renee?
If our comments spoiled the entire 7 episodes for you and not just the last ten minutes, maybe you should be an HBO exec because you seem to share their struggle with reality.
------------
The issue of the response to our BIG LITTLE LIES review was noted in last week's "TV Roundtable."
Things To Tell Mommy
Dear diary,
I'm an important person. I am an important person. I'm an important person. I am an important person.
Marianne Williamson told me to repeat that.
Well, she told someone in first class to repeat that.
She wouldn't speak to me.
A lot of people are intimidated by me, Chelsea Clinton, because I've accomplished so much with my life.
There aren't a lot of people, for example, who can claim that their father was a president and their mother was a US senator.
But I can.
Because I'm a real hard worker.
And like both my parents ran a foundation.
Again, I'm an overachiever because how many people can say that?
Not many.
You really have to be able to roll your sleeves up and get to work to have my kind of accomplishments, you know.
And as I look around this first class cabin, I'm reminded of how far I've come.
I grew up in a governor's mansion.
In Arkansas.
But I didn't let that define me.
I didn't let that break me.
And, sure enough, my hard work and positive thinking paid off.
I ended up in the White House.
I know I intimidate people.
And I should.
I'm special.
I work hard.
I've accomplished so much.
Anyway, I can't find my note pad so I need to write this down here: Vanessa Bayer.
I need to tell Mommy about Vanessa.
Vanessa thought she was so funny.
"They all have on thing in common. None of their moms are president."
I will tell Mommy, I will.
She will not be pleased.
Vanessa, we'll see how funny she thinks it is.
I'm sure Russia paid Vanessa to make that joke.
I wanted to ask her, "How does it feel to be a traitor to your country, Vanessa, you Russian whore?"
But I have too much class for that.
I'll let Mommy do the screeching.
Poor thing, she doesn't have my good breeding. She had to work for a living.
Tres de classe, Mommy, tres de classe.
-----------
Illustration is Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "The Clinton Piggy Bank."
Oh, PETA
We like PETA.
We do.
But . . .
Have you given to PETA?
We have.
We filled out e-mail addresses and physical addresses.
As requested.
Now we tend to wonder why?
Because it's a rare week that goes by where we don't get a lengthy mailing from PETA.
Pages and pages.
How many trees are being consumed for these mailings?
And, repeating, they do have our e-mail addresses.
PETA cares about animals.
We get it.
But couldn't they take the time to care more about the environment as well?
BREAKING: Szenja, a polar bear at #SeaWorld, has died. PETA believes she died of a broken heart after companion of 20 yrs was shipped away 
We do.
But . . .
Have you given to PETA?
We have.
We filled out e-mail addresses and physical addresses.
As requested.
Now we tend to wonder why?
Because it's a rare week that goes by where we don't get a lengthy mailing from PETA.
Pages and pages.
How many trees are being consumed for these mailings?
And, repeating, they do have our e-mail addresses.
PETA cares about animals.
We get it.
But couldn't they take the time to care more about the environment as well?
Tweet of the week (domestic)
Hear my stirring tribute to America's Attorney and America's activist, Lynne Stewart:...
This edition's playlist
1) Nick Jonas' LAST YEAR WAS COMPLICATED.
2) Tori Amos' UNREPENTANT GERALDINES.
3) Ben Harper's CALL IT WHAT IT IS.