Day: May 9, 2019

Fear An Old Foe!

Closing Thought–09May19

Is it 1950?

No?

Then why am I having to listen to yet another mental midget whip up fear from 60 years ago?

The Commies are coming! The Commies are coming!

It seems that the art of lying is rubbing off on all those Congressional enablers of Donald Trump…..just recently the chants of the Commies are coming could be heard from a rally of GOPer Matt Shea of Washington…..

Washington state Republican representative Matt Shea and several associates regaled an audience with conspiracy theories, separatist visions, and exhortations for listeners to arm themselves ahead of a looming civil war, at a gathering at a remote north-eastern religious compound last year.

In recordings obtained by the Guardian, Shea and Jack Robertson, also known as radio personality John Jacob Schmidt, invoked their visions and fears of a violent leftist revolt in speeches at the 2018 God and Country event in Marble.

The Guardian last week published leaked chat records in which Shea and Robertson were revealed to have discussed the use of surveillance, “psyops” and violence against liberal and leftist activists.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/01/republican-matt-shea-rightwing-rally-guns
 
Are there truly still those so goddamn ignorant that they will believe this lie?
 
There must be for I hear it repeated (in various forms) almost daily….and not all from the GOP…..even the corporate Dems have a version of this meme……
 
Of course it is bullshit but that never stopped a politician from voicing such crap…..I will have more to say on this as the election draws nearer……
 
That is it from me for the day…..have a day…..

‘Caravan’ Heads North!

OMG! The brown people are coming….again!  (and that is how you do ‘sarcasm’)

WE all know about the now infamous ‘caravan’ that was making it’s way through Mexico….it was a driving issue for Trump and the GOP in 2018.  Just an exaggerated attempt to foment hate and fear…..

But sadly I cannot join in the total bullshit of those immigrants looking for a better life……but I might consider joining a ‘caravan’…..and head North.

A “caravan” of Americans living with Type 1 diabetes made its way across the U.S. border into Canada over the weekend in search of affordable medical care in a country where they can get the “exact same” life-saving drugs for a dramatically lower price. 

“We’re on a #CaravanToCanada because the USA charges astronomical prices for insulin that most people can’t afford,” tweeted caravan member Quinn Nystrom as she shared updates on the journey. 

Nystrom was among a group of Minnesotans who piled into cars on Friday to make the 600-mile journey from the Twin Cities to Fort Frances, Ontario, where she said insulin, the hormone patients with Type 1 Diabetes rely on to regulate their blood glucose levels, can be bought for a tenth of what it costs in the U.S. 

https://www.newsweek.com/caravan-americans-crossing-canadian-border-get-affordable-medical-care-1417582

And the Trump has an answer for high drug prices……

Those ever-present TV ads for prescription drugs will soon reveal prices, too, the nation’s top health official said Wednesday, responding to a public outcry for government action to restrain medication costs. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the Trump administration has finalized regulations that will require drug companies to disclose list prices of medications costing more than $35 for a month’s supply. “What I say to the companies is if you think the cost of your drug will scare people from buying your drugs, then lower your prices,” Azar said. “Transparency for American patients is here.” The AP has standout details and reaction:

  • Drug companies responded that adding prices to their commercials could unintentionally harm patients. “We are concerned that the administration’s rule requiring list prices in direct-to-consumer television advertising could be confusing for patients and may discourage them from seeking needed medical care,” said a statement from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the main trade group.
  • But one major firm—Johnson & Johnson—has already announced it will disclose the cost of its blood thinner Xarelto in TV advertising.
  • Drug pricing details are expected to appear in text toward the end of commercials, when potential side effects are disclosed. TV viewers should notice the change later this year, perhaps as early as the summer.
  • The disclosure requirement will not apply to print or radio ads for the foreseeable future. It covers all brand name drugs covered by Medicare and Medicaid, which is nearly all medications.
  • The government is hoping that patients armed with prices will start discussing affordability with their doctors, and gradually that will put pressure on drugmakers to keep costs in check.
  • According to the latest government figures, the 10 most commonly advertised drugs have prices ranging from $488 to $16,938 per month or for a usual course of therapy.
  • Although most patients do not pay the full list prices that will be included in ads, experts say those prices are still important. They’re the starting point for negotiations between drugmakers and insurers. Also, copays that patients face are often based on list prices. And many people who have high-deductible insurance plans pay list prices for medications because their insurance doesn’t start covering until patients have spent several thousand dollars of their own money.

This is a truly sad situation….that Americans have to resort to this….especially since we have the best health care in the world (another sarcasm)……

Why do I not feel confident that my insulin will be cheaper with this plan.

If you want to have good health care….then I suggest you check into Medicare For All…..Medicare X is a cop-out.

Learn Stuff!

Then go VOTE!

We Have Been Warned!

It seems, it has been reported, that China has warned the US about sailing into the disputed waters in the South China Sea…..yes I said WARNED!

China said on Monday that it has warned two US ships sailing near disputed islands in the South China Sea to leave the area.

The move comes amid heightened tension between Beijing and Washington over trade tariffs, sanctions and Taiwan.

Warships in the South China Sea

  • US guided-missile destroyers Preble and Chung-Hoon traveled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs.
  • The reefs form part of the Spratly Islands, a region of the South China Sea over which China claims sovereignty.
  • The Foreign Ministry said the US vessels entered the waters without Chinese permission.

‘Infringed on Chinese sovereignty’

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a press conference that China “is strongly dissatisfied and is resolutely opposed” to the US operation.

https://www.dw.com/en/china-warns-us-after-warships-sail-in-disputed-south-china-sea/a-48614428

Interesting turn of events……usually the US is the country warning others with our might and now the shoe is on the other foot.

China is expanding and the Pacific is their “backyard”…..

On September 30th 2018, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy Type 052C destroyer Lanzhou maneuvered dangerously close to American guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur as it patrolled the South China Sea. Lanzhou came within 50 meters of Decatur’s bow, sounding collision warnings on the bridge as radio calls went unanswered. Chinese skippers typically shadow U.S. vessels in these contested waters, but this behavior was uncharacteristically aggressive.

Decatur was conducting what the U.S. calls a freedom-of-navigation operation  near Gaven Reef in the hotly-contested Spratly Islands.[1] These operations demonstrate the U.S. Navy’s ability to transit international waters under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea—a treaty the U.S. recognizes even if it has not ratified it.[2] China, which is a party to the law of the sea convention, claims adherence to its letter but often violates its spirit with excessive maritime claims.[3]

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2019/05/08/red_star_over_the_pacific_114408.html
 
Things are still tense in the South China Sea….maybe the US should focus on this instead of issuing more tariffs that will make any situation worse……this situation will be tense and will be watched……hopefully calmer intentions and/of rhetoric will prevail.

What Of The War On Terror?

Gee there is not much news these days about those pesky terrorists that were all the rage 2 years ago. NO now we must learn about some damn silly horse race or some golfer who gets a medal for what we are not sure or then there is the Royal birth…another mouth for the country to feed. But what about that all important War on Terror?

I am so glad you asked.

First how about an assessment of Global Terrorism?

……..the jihadist threat has become more diverse since the horrific attack on September 11, 2001. Prior to 9/11, al-Qaeda maintained a base in Afghanistan and fought alongside the Taliban, operating primarily at the cellular level in several other countries throughout Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Al-Qaeda’s base in Afghanistan was key to allowing it to recruit and train its cadre of global operatives for attacks against the U.S. and its allies. Iran’s primary proxy was Hezbollah in Lebanon, and it also supported Palestinian terrorist groups against Israel.

Since 9/11, al-Qaeda’s footprint has greatly expanded. It has established branches in Yemen and Saudi Arabia (al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula); North and West Africa (al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM); Somalia and East Africa (Shabaab); Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar (al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent); and in Syria. In many of these countries, al-Qaeda maintains an active insurgency, and in some, al-Qaeda’s branches or allies control a significant amount of land.

https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2019/04/30/examining-the-global-terrorism-landscape/

Speaking of 9/11 al-Qaeda were the bastards that committed that atrocity so how have they been dealing with the loss of Osama?

The organisation he led was considered one of the deadliest jihadist groups in the world, commanding thousands of fighters.

It was also believed to have had considerable financial resources.

But with the demise of its leader and the emergence of the Islamic State group (IS), al-Qaeda’s power and influence have weakened considerably.

So how influential is the group today, and what threat does it now pose to global security?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48056433

One last report about terrorism……

Most people know who ISIS or IS or Daesh are and what they are capable of doing…….and most people that have watched the Middle East know who Blackwater is and the crimes they committed with the deaths of Iraqi civilians…..why are these two mentioned in the same breath?

I am so glad you asked!

The Arabic-language newspaper al-Akhbar reported that Blackwater and other security firms have been allowed to operate in Iraq since early 2018 under intense US pressure.

The daily cited sources close to the chargé d’affaires of the US mission in Iraq, Joey Hood, as saying that Blackwater had transferred US military equipment from Jordan to the western Anbar Province.

According to the sources, the private company is currently training Daesh terrorists at the Ein al-Assad base which President Donald Trump visited in December. 

Al-Akhbar quoted field sources as saying that trucks carrying Daesh militants were transferred from the town of Baqouz, the last piece of land which the terror group held in Syria

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/05/06/595230/US-Blackwater-training-Daesh-Iraq

Seriously?

Read that report carefully!

If true then there is something rotten at the Pentagon.

The War on Terror is about as ineffective as the War on Drugs…wasting money and making people wealthy while doing as little as possible.