GETTING GOOD NEWS: The Government vs. the Press in Times of War (realaudio) (WindowsMedia) ALT wma Mike's BROWN U. LECTURE (listing)- History of Press restrictions in Wars since WW2; How Vietnam changed everything and made the media the enemy- 27 min., Salomon Hall, Brown Univ., Dec 13, 04 Poster Post Movie Lecture (realaudio)- 52min MP3

 GAZA HORRORS, DUMB DEMS, TESLA RECALL, TRUMP'S TRIALS + HUNGER FOR JAIL, SANTOS EXPELLED, TRUMPORES/REPUBS TREASON ON UKR,  XI + the PANDAS, KISSINGER DEAD

 Updated Dec 31:  

 GAZA HORRORS           AP GAZA news

Hamas's stunningly vicious + successful surprise attack has shaken Israel to the core, and may finally provoke Net and Yahoo's demise, but whatever comes after may be worse. Of course, Hamas's admitted hope was to provoke a vast Israeli overreaction and slaughter of their poor charges, and a wider regional War. As several Arab countries made historic peace with Israel, Palestinian misery and hopes were being forgotten, and they wanted to "bring attention to the issue". Even they were shocked by the "success" of their brutal operation- killing, capturing, wounding ~2000 southern Israelis in 25 odd

Murdered Israeli

border punch-throughs; by land, sea, and air with paragliders, attacking 22 settlements and a rock festival. If past Israeli Invasion stats held, one could expect many tens of thousands of innocent Gazans to be slaughtered in the wild general retaliation against a relative few Hamas militants 30,000? (most of the attackers were killed, as many as their victims, but it was always a suicide mission) at the moment Gaza ~22,000 (Dec 31) fatalities claimed, but nobody has any idea how many are trapped under the 10,000 pancaked buildings... and no one is searching (and may never search). Already more have been killed in 2 months than 20 years of the US Afghanistan War! If only 5 couldn't or wouldn't leave per building, that would be 50k deaths there alone!!

The only good result of the reckless Repub budget and legislation freeze was that JoeB's 11 bil "emergency aid" request for Israel was also stuck. Imagine the PR debacle if that Aid arrived just as Israel was invading and depopulating hospitals- they are a Superpower, they don't need one more weapon from us to annihilate Gaza, already 95% of bombs, shells, bullets say MADE in AMERICA. Of course, they have the right of self-defense, but they are generating 10-20 new terrorists for every one they kill now, other Arab countries won't go back to any table for 

 Gazan premie babies, yanked from BICU

years; and the atrocities on all sides are ripping Israel apart.  

Dec 9 INSANELY, not only has JoeB shipped an emergency package of shells to Israel (not Ukraine), but to our everlasting shame, rejected a Security Council motion for a Cease Fire... just as the Blockade/ Israeli attack become increasingly murderous. Vids show desperate 3yo refugees sucking street disease-ridden puddle water through a straw- Epidemics will follow. More Gazans are now expected to die of the Embargo + Epidemics than the bombings. America will pay for this not only in the Court of Public Opinion but likely in blood, as Moslems outraged by the horrific spectacle, attack the enabler, not the executioner.

 I actually predicted in 2002 Israel's attacks on the hated PLO (threatening to kill Arafat) may end up provoking a much worse actor, HAMAS, into taking power. 4 years later in 2006, in Gaza, it did, after defeating the PLO on the streets + ballot. Since then there have been NO Elections, but Gazans are not in control of Hamas!  Gaza victims-

Israel's understandable fury has known no bounds, Settler attacks on West Bank residents (120 dead?), and jailings for the most minor SM posts are rampant. Meanwhile, 1.9 mil Gazans have been uprooted of 2.2 M with water, food, electricity, fuel, cut; which alone could kill many thousands- told to go South to clear the way for the great Hamas hunt, many were attacked there as well. With many taking refuge in hospitals, if only for water, safety, toilets; then they were  attacked there. The Hamas Command Centers are in tunnels under the Hospitals, Israeli's say (probably true), but so are the 129 hostages!         Israeli pinpoint strikes

Previously, Israel showed overwhelming concern for even just 1 hostage, exchanging 1 soldier for 1000 Gazans (crazy), now they seem resigned to their fate- even if killed by their own attacks. 60 have, say Hamas, that they haven't issued propaganda pronouncements shows how desperate their situation is.

Dec 18: Forget Israel rescuing the remaining hostages- after they blew away 3 surrendering shirtless hostages waving a white flag + screaming in Hebrew, just don't kill them! It shows the spectacular carelessness with which Israelis fire, "shoot anything that moves", soldiers were told after civilians were supposedly cleared- Israel is the most dangerous war theater for journalists ever (68 in 10 weeks, 61 of them Pals) + doctors, worse than Ukraine or Russia. Huge waves of outrage swept Israel, this could stop the assault or be a real death knell for the tone-deaf and brutal Net and Yahoo. JoeB is discovering what every Pres has, Bibi can't be trusted. NOW (Dec 31) he is pledging "many months more" of Israel's mechanized assault, which would lead to +100K dead- thirst, starvation, and cold deaths have started; and epidemics will ignite soon.

In the latest Swap Agreement, the ration is 3: 1, Hamas prisoners for Israelis, initially 50 Israeli hostages, with more by the same ration; and 4 day cease Fire + 300 relief trucks a day. That started Nov 24, 230 trucks, by Nov 30 about 111 hostages were returned in exchange for 240? Palestinian prisoners, both mostly women + children. The Cease Fire was extended for another 2 days, the return of prisoners proving too attractive, resuming general attacks on Gaza would shatter any comity produced. Nov 30: They extended the exchanges/cease fire for only one more day at the last minute Wed night, but Net and Yahoo continues to swear he will resume the War. Which he did Friday and Sat, including numerous attacks on the safe area of South Gaza, maybe with reduced ferocity, although they also claim to have bombed 200 apartment blocks, meaning many times those fatalities! The exchanges collapsed totally after the ~7 days, but family members have become more + more strident (Dec 31), Net+ ignores them at extreme peril.

The whole world was calling for a Cease Fire of this slaughter, America was supposedly finally on board, with blanken Blinken desperately trying to moderate Israeli depredations, if/when the Attack is renewed, but shamefully we have since blocked action in the UN Security Council over and over. Crushing Hamas totally without committing massive War Crimes in Gaza is a fools errand- 10x more terrorists are being generated than killed... the objective of ALL TERRORISM! JoeB has been treading a fine line, blithely pro-Israel to try to influence the famously duplicitous Net+Y... he lost some youth + Muslim support in refusing to believe Gazan death tolls- likely a big undercount- nobody is counting all the bodies under the buildings- (35K if this ends now?). But really, do any Muslims think Trump has their interests at heart??@#$%&

DUMB DEMS HELP DEPOSE KEVIN TO GET AN EVANGELICAL MAGAt

In the most reckless, heedless, foolish bit of political idiocy I've seen in some time, Dems helped the despicable Freedumb Caucus depose 2-faced Kevin McCarthy to to get a middle of the road Repub- lunatic Christian extremist Magat DENIER Mike Johnson, who wants to cut Ukraine off at the knees + ban Gays. You do not stage a COUP without having a better alternative, and there were none among Repubs, only worse and worsest. They got one of the Worst.. a serious Trumpore Denier who trimmed off

money for Ukraine and Israel in his budget extension extension, working w the hated Dems more readily than discarded Kevin! (Hey kids wasn't this FUN, let's do it again in 2 months). Great, so Dems emphasized the incompetence and disarray of Repubs, BUT they empowered the hateful Gaetz and his rabble allies; and lost the War for the sake of a Pyrrhic battle!! And now may pay for it for 1-3 years!! And not one Dem resisted this suicidal move. Hakeem was supposed to be brilliant!

The more you know about him, the more MikeJon seems a seriously fringe character; like he + his son monitor each others porn usage! Oh, really, is there a problem there?? Sir, Dennis H is on the line! McCarthy was understandable livid about the Coup, cursing out The Donald to his voice on the phone, and saying Gaetz should be in jail, well Dems coulda worked with him on that! Meanwhile Ukrs die because of this Trumpore. If they are starved of war material for Dec, Jan, Feb it may be the end of Pax Americana (Fiona Hill),  and Trump will have done his job for Vlad Vlad, why the Sovs encouraged him to become President in '87.

 

TESLA RECALL

Tesla recalled essentially it's whole fleet due to too many fatal accidents (only for software update). 2 weeks ago I asked Autonomous Car Safety expert + fmr Navy fighter pilot Missy Cummings about why TESLA was allowed to operate when their (radar/lidar?) system ignored anything not moving in the same direction, like uhhh, pedestrians at a crosswalk! This is one of oldest Scientific Societies in America- tremendous speakers, brilliant members, exc hors d'oeuvres; and about DC's only night lecture. 

"They rely on computer vision, + sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't... in my testing... half the time pedestrians are detected, half the time, they're not"!!!!  Absolutely unbelievable... 50%?? Was it only Musks power that prevented any action?

@ 54:06 Jumps 2 question:  https://youtu.be/NeWJYeGPs28?t=3246

https://pswscience.org/meeting/2486/  Cummings Bio + information

 

TRUMP'S TRIALS + HUNGER FOR JAIL

The LYIN' KING is finally getting a shot at the Big House, with his 4-5 trials and endless attacks, threats, incitements, and whining about the Judges, Prosecutors, + Staff; no matter how many times he is "muzzled", fined, or threatened, he will keep going till one of his loyal  Trumpores kills or wounds a Prosecutor or Witness. Only THEN, will Agent Orange be jailed, as he should have been months ago. He is uncontrollable and I pray they don't allow any trial to be televised for him to "instruct" his acolytes. Dec 10 - After one disastrous appearance, Trump finally got his preening lust for the limelight under control, listening to his screaming lawyers, and refused to testify Mon... ahhh too bad, it's always nice when the perp shouts his guilt.

His lawyers are chips off the ol' Blockhead, endlessly attacking the Prosecution with frivolous motions, Alina looks like a call girl, but he likes them hot- competence isn't mandatory. Incredibly, Trumps dime store lawyers didn't even request a Jury trial, guaranteeing him a conviction by the Judge he had trashed dozens of times! Trump's "defense" is that I did nothing wrong, I had a right to do it.. do anything, because I'm rich!  Best thing for the Judges to do is simply RULE him Guilty, as Engoron has already done. There really doesn't need to be any Trial, Trump trumpets his guilt! I listened to 2 hours of live trial on whether to reestablish the Gag order on The Pig, and it was quite incredible how the Appeals judges bent over backward to accommodate Trump, when the case was simple- anyone else would be in jail for his endless attacks, slanders, + threats- Was Trump above the law? With his appointment of 28% of (high?) Federal Judges.... maybe! That was on display when the Supreme Repubs pretty much decided to let Trump's Mafiosa DELAY TO DEATH  legal strategy... succeed by denying Jack Smith's appeal to expedite a ruling on Trumps idiotic Immunity claims; and Apeals court delays. Everything now looks to be pushed past the Election!

Were Presidents... untouchable, a dangerous idea to even entertain!! Trumps Fascist tendencies are also being TRUMPETED, he "will cleanse America of the VERMIN", as his hero Adoff said. At what point does our self-defeating Intel Community realize this guy is the greatest threat since the Civil War, and deal with him?? Just release the 40 years of tapes of Trump doing business with Russians, our Mafia, oligarchs- record a degenerate hustler hobnobbing with foreign enemies and mobsters is what they doooo!!! Obama's failure to do this in 2016 has endangered our very Republic. 

Democracy is held together by a Gentlemans Agreement that the LOSER DOES NOT dispute the result- but this 2-3 time loser is not a gentleman (Putin won the 2016 Election for TPD). Nixon in 1960, Humphrey in 1968, Gore in 2000, and Hillary in 2008 had good cases that they actually WON, but none wanted to risk the Nations' Electoral stability on a challenge. In 2000, as Pres of the Senate, incredibly Gore crushed a Black challenge to certifying the Election, since the Supreme Republicans had made their corrupt decision + would again... imagine if that Election had stayed Undecided on 9-11!!!

GEORGE SANTOS EXPELLED 

 Congressional page George Santos

Amazingly for ethically challenged Repubs, there is SOME level of criminality that they won't accept, I think the final straw was the fabulist sleaze-bag ripping off another R-Congressman + his mother for ~$30K (w expenses) on their donations. This weasel won't be missed but is promising to spill the beans on multiple other Congresspeople, the charges he's leveled against leveled against 3 seem credible, incredible Reps confiding their sleaze and crimes to a such a flake newbie- Repubs are simply so corrupt that if the FBI pursued them with the same intensity they do w Dem Mayors + IL Govs, 90% of political convicts would be Repubs.

 Literally Santos was putting on his jacket in the middle of the vote, and they ripped off his name plate and changed the locks of his Office within minutes of him bolting the Capitol. But he is making $400K doing Cameo vids for detractors + admirers... he will need it ALL for the lawyers.

The Great Pretender, Trumpolini, must be shtng his pants with this demonstration how Repubs can turn on a wild degenerate lying criminal of their own persuasion. Let's see what Trump has done... compared to Santos w √ :

• 1. pathological lying about everything √
• 2. using campaign funds for personal expenses √
• 3. massive fraud- cheating friends, clients, investors, contributors, banks √
• 4. multiple aliases to disguise lying √
• 5. rape and molestation
• 6. Colluding w Russia on Election theft; R Agent since 1987
• 7. Organizing a Coup against Congress + Constitution Jan 6
• 8. Tearing America apart worse than anything seen in our lifetimes

Hmmm, looks like Trump is alot worse! Next stop on the Santos tour, min 5 years in prison in 6-12 months. And another beneficial effect, 1 less R-Magat for a few months!

 

XI + the PANDAS

In a finally hopeful sign- Biden + Xi stepped back from the brink of real violence and reaffirmed our need to live together- we are totally interdependent and it was crazy the Repub China-bashing seemed to sweep up Joe in harsh + foolish slams. Mind you China is a deadly threat, and WILL INVADE Taiwan, maybe not in the next year or 2; but their Uyghur Concentration camps and cultural genocide (sending Han men to "live" w wives of the prisoners); their spectacular land grab in the South China Sea; their constant bullying, harassment and threats against US surveillance flights, and every other SC Sea nation whose islands they've stolen.. all are the actions of a brutal rogue state; and I believe it may be time to shoot one of their 15 ft fly-by jets down! 

But constant screaming attacks, racial slanders, and pointless humiliation; like various Repubs (FBI Dir) dredging up the DISCREDITED Hunan Biolab Covid creation myth for the 10th time are ignorant and counterproductive. Or JoeB talking about containing China... of course we need + want to, but you can't talk about that openly... it's like Obama slamming Russia as a "faded Regional Power"- I physically winced, wondering how many people would die from Puta trying to prove him wrong.

 So, after stealing all US Pandas, including the Washington Zoo's US Citizen baby BORN HERE, the stone faced Xi will send some of the lovable marsupials back!! How about the same ones- they probably liked the freedom in America too. No social media scores! I had tickets for the DC Zoo, where it's all happening, but lame DC closes them at 4 or 5pm, even in the Summer, and still requires advance ticket requests, crazy for a Zoo. One goes to the Zoo with a new GF or BF, or as circumstances dictate, not plan 1 month ahead!! Then it will always rain!

KISSINGER DEAD @ 100 yo

The endless Henry Kissinger, shrinking into his chair like a garden gnome, finally succumbed at an even 100. He was one of the most hated, reviled AND respected people in America, some of which, no doubt, was anti-Semitism, mostly about his Vietnam legacy. The brilliant power academic won the Noble Peace Prize- I present 2 pics of the many faces of a man, whom at one point, seemed to have the whole world wrapped around his little finger, jetting from capital to capital cajoling, browbeating, bullying warring participants into agreements.

My father was in a 12? man US Intelligence unit w Henry cruising around the shattered Germany, deciding whom to toss in jail for 6 months w/o appeal. But the ingratiating political wizard got himself appointed Mayor/Gov of a whole province, where he wined and dined visitors and assorted ladies at a hillside mansion, a mark of his spectacular ability to become invaluable to powerful people. In the 80's he gave a lecture in Providence, I was late, but had a photo studio, articles in Modern Photography, so staked out the exit.. and as he came out the back exit, ever present protesters slammed him with loud chants: BABY KILLER, KISSINGER, BABY KILLER... VIETNAM!!    and he shuddered and winced as I took the perfect shot. Sure to make Newsweek or some big paper, I then went to some Black dive bar to get some award winning gritty pics, and the camera was snatched within 3 seconds of me putting it on the pool table. Also had team pics, both of which promised to bring in $1000s, much more than the SLR was worth.  

I think he got a somewhat bad rap for the War Criminal slams- and did an extended Blog post on Vietnam, the passions, rage, untruths that became accepted unchallenged wisdom; and Kissinger's role- I spoke about the press misconceptions about Vietnam that led to the Media becoming the enemy to US Military in my Brown lecture, re The monstrous lies of GB2's IRAQ INVASION:

GETTING GOOD NEWS: The Government vs. the Press in Times of War (realaudio)  (WindowsMedia)  ALT wma     Mike's BROWN U. LECTURE (listing)- History of Press restrictions in Wars since WW2; How Vietnam changed everything and made the media the enemy- 27 min., Salomon Hall, Brown Univ., Dec 13, 04  Poster     Post Movie Lecture (realaudio)- 52min  MP3

 

All this is in a Sept 2005 BlogPost, when this Blog was young, at the end,        VIETNAM REDUX- final terrible act 30 years ago,

along with the lead, a long deep haunting analysis of 9-11, when I was supposed to fly smack over Manhattan.. the most compelling and important piece of +18 years of Blogdom. I had many amazing connections (predicted an attack on NYC or DC 2 months before, everyone knew something was coming) to that day, and was so mad... for so long... about the grotesque failures of US Intelligence; and the 20 years of hopeless War that could have been avoided.

9-11 Predictions + Dreams

 Sat Sept 16, 2001 - Manhattan on first day of commercial flight resumption-

 w Ground Zero smoke visible from Bridgeport CT! PVD-CIN. Still from Sony Hi-8 video 2001 MHammerschlag©2001

 

In early Dec 2001, with extraordinary effort, I got into the sprawling GZ zone and watched the 10 story subterranean rescue efforts from a skybridge to nowhere (a bldg that was gone!). See POST for extended photos of the event, site, my long tour up WTC after Y2K (5 hours), and many haunting connections (believe I ran into 2 hijackers in the Ft Lauderdale library in April 2001!). 

OLD ACQUAINTANCES: Rosalyn Carter, Sandra Day O'CONNER

The Indefatigable Rosalyn Carter also succumbed at 96, I bet many men would have give much to have a wife so steady, supportive, competent, and enterprising. Chances are Jimmy won't last long with his rock + light gone.

Sandra Day was a groundbreaker
first female SC Justice, and deserves credit for supporting the Right to Abortion, when she personally may have been against it... that it wasn't the State's RIGHT to impose their religious opinions on the public. But she lost much honor in supporting the Loser of the 2000 Election in a blatantly political decision (We can't let this GORE win!) that changed the course of World History (9-11, two 20 year Wars, 2 million? dead, + America crippling itself w promiscuous security- OBL's true objective).