2016 Political Highlights

[rowan]

Chris Hedges lists 4 reasons for the US hacking claims against Russia:

1 to discredit Trump

2 to discedit the alternative media

3 to justify NATO expansion into Eastern Europe

4 to smokescreen the Democrats' stunning demise

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the ... g_by_russi

Also interesting - A World of Lies:

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/don ... 00136.html

[rowan]

Undoubtedly 2017 will be remembered mostly for Trump's first year at the helm of American politics. POTUS tends to feature heavily in the international headlines due to the US' status as the world's major super power and its tendency to meddle in the affairs of other countries all over the world. So how did Trump do? Firstly, in spite of firing a few parting shots at the Syrians over bogus claims of chemical weapons, he lived up to his election campaign promise of ending the war in Syria; or at least allowing it to end, discontinuing the previous administration's support for anti-government rebels and terrorists, and entering into peace negotiations with the Russians and others. There has been no sign of let-up for Afghanistan, however; with further US military build-up as the occupation approaches its 17th year. In April America proudly dropped the MOAB, apparently killing around 100 'terrorists.' Little sign of peace on the horizon in Iraq either, as that conflict continues with intermittent terrorists attacks 14 years after the illegal invasion. Libya has gone from bad to worse since the NATO invasion of that country six years ago, while the flood of Sub-Saharan migrants attempting to take advantage of the chaos has led to countless more deaths in the Mediterranean and, apparently, a thriving 21st century slave trade. The Saudi-US coalition continues to bomb civilian targets in Yemen, killing tens of thousands of men, women and children, and triggering a cholera outbreak effecting more than 200,000. Famine has also been reported both there and in Somalia, as well as South Sudan and Nigeria, all due to ongoing warfare. A truck bombing in October killed over 500 Somalians. In Myanmar government forces drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims from their homes and across the border into Bangladesh, leaving 6,700 dead, with many atrocities reported - while Nobel Prize-winning political leader Aung San Suu Kyi did nothing. Meanwhile, the US continues to play a game of cat & mouse with North Korea, carrying out military drills with Japan and South Korea along its borders, then accusing Pyongyang of threatening world peace when they test-fire a few missiles. Warfare aside, Britain began Brexit negotiations in February, a mass-shooting in Las Vegas killed 58 and wounded over 500 in October, Catalonia's attempts to formally vote on independence were shut down by the government in Madrid, & Kurdish aspirations of independence suffered a similar fate, Panama Papers investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated in Malta, & 93-year-old Robert Mugabe was finally deposed as leader of Zimbabwe after a 37-year-reign. Meanwhile back in the US, Hollywood and Washington are both rocked by sex scandals with producer Harvey Weinstein facing the most serious accusations. Oh, and Trump decided to ignore international law, historical fact, native rights and popular world opinion by declaring Jerusalem capital of an occupying force which has ethnically cleansed a portion of the region and imposed an Apartheid state.

[Donny osmond]

We're having people over to the house this afternoon for kinda neighbourhood xmas drinks and nibbles. Looking forward to it.

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[Digby]

We're having people over to the house this afternoon for kinda neighbourhood xmas drinks and nibbles. Looking forward to it.

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Xmas?

[Donny osmond]

We're having people over to the house this afternoon for kinda neighbourhood xmas drinks and nibbles. Looking forward to it.

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

Xmas?

Xmas!

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[rowan]

Undoubtedly 2017 will be remembered mostly for Trump's first year at the helm of American politics. POTUS tends to feature heavily in the international headlines due to the US' status as the world's major super power and its tendency to meddle in the affairs of other countries all over the world. So how did Trump do? Firstly, in spite of firing a few parting shots at the Syrians over bogus claims of chemical weapons, he lived up to his election campaign promise of ending the war in Syria; or at least allowing it to end, discontinuing the previous administration's support for anti-government rebels and terrorists, and entering into peace negotiations with the Russians and others. There has been no sign of let-up for Afghanistan, however; with further US military build-up as the occupation approaches its 17th year. In April America proudly dropped the MOAB, apparently killing around 100 'terrorists.' Little sign of peace on the horizon in Iraq either, as that conflict continues with intermittent terrorists attacks 14 years after the illegal invasion. Libya has gone from bad to worse since the NATO invasion of that country six years ago, while the flood of Sub-Saharan migrants attempting to take advantage of the chaos has led to countless more deaths in the Mediterranean and, apparently, a thriving 21st century slave trade. The Saudi-US coalition continues to bomb civilian targets in Yemen, killing tens of thousands of men, women and children, and triggering a cholera outbreak effecting more than 200,000. Famine has also been reported both there and in Somalia, as well as South Sudan and Nigeria, all due to ongoing warfare. A truck bombing in October killed over 500 Somalians. In Myanmar government forces drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims from their homes and across the border into Bangladesh, leaving 6,700 dead, with many atrocities reported - while Nobel Prize-winning political leader Aung San Suu Kyi did nothing. Meanwhile, the US continues to play a game of cat & mouse with North Korea, carrying out military drills with Japan and South Korea along its borders, then accusing Pyongyang of threatening world peace when they test-fire a few missiles. Warfare aside, Britain began Brexit negotiations in February, a mass-shooting in Las Vegas killed 58 and wounded over 500 in October, Catalonia's attempts to formally vote on independence were shut down by the government in Madrid, & Kurdish aspirations of independence suffered a similar fate, Panama Papers investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated in Malta, & 93-year-old Robert Mugabe was finally deposed as leader of Zimbabwe after a 37-year-reign. Meanwhile back in the US, Hollywood and Washington are both rocked by sex scandals with producer Harvey Weinstein facing the most serious accusations. Oh, and Trump decided to ignore international law, historical fact, native rights and popular world opinion by declaring Jerusalem capital of an occupying force which has ethnically cleansed a portion of the region and imposed an Apartheid state.

This guy nails US war strategy:

[Donny osmond]

So we're nearly ready, boiled some gammon in coke a la Nigella. Got a lovely Clementine cake made with ground almonds for our coeliac friends. And two goats cheese tarts. Should have the bases covered I think.



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[Stones of granite]

So we're nearly ready, boiled some gammon in coke a la Nigella. Got a lovely Clementine cake made with ground almonds for our coeliac friends. And two goats cheese tarts. Should have the bases covered I think.



Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

This is nibbles?
What do you do for a feast?

Wait I’ve just noticed something. You label all the dishes?

[Donny osmond]

My daughter labelled them, with hilarious spelling mistakes.

First mulled wine of the day. I was hoping to be on the eggnog by now, but have been told to wait for the guests. Ffs.

[Digby]

We're having people over to the house this afternoon for kinda neighbourhood xmas drinks and nibbles. Looking forward to it.

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

Xmas?

Xmas!

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

I've got my fingers crossed for a house fire

[rowan]

Undoubtedly 2017 will be remembered mostly for Trump's first year at the helm of American politics. POTUS tends to feature heavily in the international headlines due to the US' status as the world's major super power and its tendency to meddle in the affairs of other countries all over the world. So how did Trump do? Firstly, in spite of firing a few parting shots at the Syrians over bogus claims of chemical weapons, he lived up to his election campaign promise of ending the war in Syria; or at least allowing it to end, discontinuing the previous administration's support for anti-government rebels and terrorists, and entering into peace negotiations with the Russians and others. There has been no sign of let-up for Afghanistan, however; with further US military build-up as the occupation approaches its 17th year. In April America proudly dropped the MOAB, apparently killing around 100 'terrorists.' Little sign of peace on the horizon in Iraq either, as that conflict continues with intermittent terrorists attacks 14 years after the illegal invasion. Libya has gone from bad to worse since the NATO invasion of that country six years ago, while the flood of Sub-Saharan migrants attempting to take advantage of the chaos has led to countless more deaths in the Mediterranean and, apparently, a thriving 21st century slave trade. The Saudi-US coalition continues to bomb civilian targets in Yemen, killing tens of thousands of men, women and children, and triggering a cholera outbreak effecting more than 200,000. Famine has also been reported both there and in Somalia, as well as South Sudan and Nigeria, all due to ongoing warfare. A truck bombing in October killed over 500 Somalians. In Myanmar government forces drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims from their homes and across the border into Bangladesh, leaving 6,700 dead, with many atrocities reported - while Nobel Prize-winning political leader Aung San Suu Kyi did nothing. Meanwhile, the US continues to play a game of cat & mouse with North Korea, carrying out military drills with Japan and South Korea along its borders, then accusing Pyongyang of threatening world peace when they test-fire a few missiles. Warfare aside, Britain began Brexit negotiations in February, a mass-shooting in Las Vegas killed 58 and wounded over 500 in October, Catalonia's attempts to formally vote on independence were shut down by the government in Madrid, & Kurdish aspirations of independence suffered a similar fate, Panama Papers investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated in Malta, & 93-year-old Robert Mugabe was finally deposed as leader of Zimbabwe after a 37-year-reign. Meanwhile back in the US, Hollywood and Washington are both rocked by sex scandals with producer Harvey Weinstein facing the most serious accusations. Oh, and Trump decided to ignore international law, historical fact, native rights and popular world opinion by declaring Jerusalem capital of an occupying force which has ethnically cleansed a portion of the region and imposed an Apartheid state.

Excellent backgrounder to the Zionist movement here:

[Donny osmond]

Last guests have just left. Eggnog was the star of the show, non-alcoholic but with a couple of options if you fancied an Xmas treat.

Same time next year. We're calling it "Eggnog and breadsticks".

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[Digby]

You wouldn't catch me drinking any daft egg based drinks at Christmas

[Mellsblue]

Not a single embarrassing item in the background of that photo - not a single tie in sight.

[rowan]

Undoubtedly 2017 will be remembered mostly for Trump's first year at the helm of American politics. POTUS tends to feature heavily in the international headlines due to the US' status as the world's major super power and its tendency to meddle in the affairs of other countries all over the world. So how did Trump do? Firstly, in spite of firing a few parting shots at the Syrians over bogus claims of chemical weapons, he lived up to his election campaign promise of ending the war in Syria; or at least allowing it to end, discontinuing the previous administration's support for anti-government rebels and terrorists, and entering into peace negotiations with the Russians and others. There has been no sign of let-up for Afghanistan, however; with further US military build-up as the occupation approaches its 17th year. In April America proudly dropped the MOAB, apparently killing around 100 'terrorists.' Little sign of peace on the horizon in Iraq either, as that conflict continues with intermittent terrorists attacks 14 years after the illegal invasion. Libya has gone from bad to worse since the NATO invasion of that country six years ago, while the flood of Sub-Saharan migrants attempting to take advantage of the chaos has led to countless more deaths in the Mediterranean and, apparently, a thriving 21st century slave trade. The Saudi-US coalition continues to bomb civilian targets in Yemen, killing tens of thousands of men, women and children, and triggering a cholera outbreak effecting more than 200,000. Famine has also been reported both there and in Somalia, as well as South Sudan and Nigeria, all due to ongoing warfare. A truck bombing in October killed over 500 Somalians. In Myanmar government forces drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims from their homes and across the border into Bangladesh, leaving 6,700 dead, with many atrocities reported - while Nobel Prize-winning political leader Aung San Suu Kyi did nothing. Meanwhile, the US continues to play a game of cat & mouse with North Korea, carrying out military drills with Japan and South Korea along its borders, then accusing Pyongyang of threatening world peace when they test-fire a few missiles. Warfare aside, Britain began Brexit negotiations in February, a mass-shooting in Las Vegas killed 58 and wounded over 500 in October, Catalonia's attempts to formally vote on independence were shut down by the government in Madrid, & Kurdish aspirations of independence suffered a similar fate, Panama Papers investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated in Malta, & 93-year-old Robert Mugabe was finally deposed as leader of Zimbabwe after a 37-year-reign. Meanwhile back in the US, Hollywood and Washington are both rocked by sex scandals with producer Harvey Weinstein facing the most serious accusations. Oh, and Trump decided to ignore international law, historical fact, native rights and popular world opinion by declaring Jerusalem capital of an occupying force which has ethnically cleansed a portion of the region and imposed an Apartheid state.

Well encapsulated:

[morepork]

You are a champion Donny.

[cashead]

Anyone want to try Alabama white barbecue sauce? Donny's eggnog reminded me of the photo in this article.

https://thetakeout.com/alabama-white-bb ... lMarketing


Here's the recipe from it, for anyone too lazy to click.

Big Bob Gibson’s original Bar-B-Que white sauce

Makes 4 cups

2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup apple juice
2 tsp. prepared horseradish
2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and blend well. Use as a marinade, baste, or dipping sauce. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

[morepork]

Mayonnaise on meat. Sweet Jesus. You just know some big fat Billy-Bob ladles that shit down their gullet at the door of an open fridge in the dead of night.

[rowan]

Undoubtedly 2017 will be remembered mostly for Trump's first year at the helm of American politics. POTUS tends to feature heavily in the international headlines due to the US' status as the world's major super power and its tendency to meddle in the affairs of other countries all over the world. So how did Trump do? Firstly, in spite of firing a few parting shots at the Syrians over bogus claims of chemical weapons, he lived up to his election campaign promise of ending the war in Syria; or at least allowing it to end, discontinuing the previous administration's support for anti-government rebels and terrorists, and entering into peace negotiations with the Russians and others. There has been no sign of let-up for Afghanistan, however; with further US military build-up as the occupation approaches its 17th year. In April America proudly dropped the MOAB, apparently killing around 100 'terrorists.' Little sign of peace on the horizon in Iraq either, as that conflict continues with intermittent terrorists attacks 14 years after the illegal invasion. Libya has gone from bad to worse since the NATO invasion of that country six years ago, while the flood of Sub-Saharan migrants attempting to take advantage of the chaos has led to countless more deaths in the Mediterranean and, apparently, a thriving 21st century slave trade. The Saudi-US coalition continues to bomb civilian targets in Yemen, killing tens of thousands of men, women and children, and triggering a cholera outbreak effecting more than 200,000. Famine has also been reported both there and in Somalia, as well as South Sudan and Nigeria, all due to ongoing warfare. A truck bombing in October killed over 500 Somalians. In Myanmar government forces drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims from their homes and across the border into Bangladesh, leaving 6,700 dead, with many atrocities reported - while Nobel Prize-winning political leader Aung San Suu Kyi did nothing. Meanwhile, the US continues to play a game of cat & mouse with North Korea, carrying out military drills with Japan and South Korea along its borders, then accusing Pyongyang of threatening world peace when they test-fire a few missiles. Warfare aside, Britain began Brexit negotiations in February, a mass-shooting in Las Vegas killed 58 and wounded over 500 in October, Catalonia's attempts to formally vote on independence were shut down by the government in Madrid, & Kurdish aspirations of independence suffered a similar fate, Panama Papers investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated in Malta, & 93-year-old Robert Mugabe was finally deposed as leader of Zimbabwe after a 37-year-reign. Meanwhile back in the US, Hollywood and Washington are both rocked by sex scandals with producer Harvey Weinstein facing the most serious accusations. Oh, and Trump decided to ignore international law, historical fact, native rights and popular world opinion by declaring Jerusalem capital of an occupying force which has ethnically cleansed a portion of the region and imposed an Apartheid state.

Well encapsulated:

Zuma gone !!
Ramaphosa to take over, apparently...

[Donny osmond]

Cheers MP.

Might come back to that dip in the summer Cashead, looks good.

Having alcohol free eggnog that let you choose your poison was such a drop goal. I wish I could patent that idea.

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[morepork]

Mayonnaise on meat. Sweet Jesus. You just know some big fat Billy-Bob ladles that shit down their gullet at the door of an open fridge in the dead of night.

Wibble.

[cashead]

Mayonnaise on meat. Sweet Jesus. You just know some big fat Billy-Bob ladles that shit down their gullet at the door of an open fridge in the dead of night.

Wibble.

Mayonnaise counts as a beverage and you know it.

[Coco]

Not a single embarrassing item in the background of that photo - not a single tie in sight.

Not a beard or porn star mustache... Im a little disappointed.

[Donny osmond]

Not a single embarrassing item in the background of that photo - not a single tie in sight.

Not a beard or porn star mustache... Im a little disappointed.

I write my own story

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[Coco]

Not a single embarrassing item in the background of that photo - not a single tie in sight.

Not a beard or porn star mustache... Im a little disappointed.

I write my own story

Write it with a beard!