December 25, 2016

Is Christmas fake news?

There has been a lot of talk lately about fake news, which partly helped Donald Trump get elected.
Then I read this article in 2014 from the Washington Post, explaining how there is no evidence that Jesus was born at all.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/12/18/did-historical-jesus-exist-the-traditional-evidence-doesnt-hold-up/?utm_term=.8ebb1b446152

Is fake news so powerful that today many of us take this one piece of fake news as reality?
Please discuss.

December 24, 2016

So Trump's planned 35-45% tariff now shrunk to 5%?

The rubes voted for Trump partly because he promised to impose a 35-45% on imported goods. New all of a sudden the number floated by Trump's team is 5%.
It doesn't matter to Trump. His deplorables elected him, and now the flip flops may begin.

December 23, 2016

How did Russia vote in the Israel settlement case?

Does anyone know if Russia voted for or veto the vote against settlements?

December 23, 2016

Jill Stein: There's no evidence that Russia tried to help Trump win

Responding to the FBI/CIA consensus regarding Russia's attempt to help Donald Trump win the Presidency, Jill Stein called the assessment "fake news".



Check out @DrJillStein's Tweet: https://twitter.com/DrJillStein/status/809847118697480192?s=09

Stein shared a table last year with Putin and Michael Flynn at a gala event.

December 22, 2016

Group allegedly behind DNC hack targeted Ukraine, report finds

Source: The Guardian

A new report suggests the same hacking group believed to have hacked the Democrats during the recent presidential election also targeted Ukrainian artillery units over a two-year period, that if confirmed would add to suspicions that they are Russian state operatives.

The report, issued by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, said a malware implant on Android devices was used to track the movements of Ukrainian artillery units and then target them. The hackers were able to access communications and geolocations of the devices, which meant the artillery could then be fired on and destroyed.

The report will further fuel concerns that Russia is deploying hacking and cyber-attacks as a tool of both war and foreign policy. The hack “extends Russian cyber-capabilities to the frontlines of the battlefield”, the report said.

Russia gave military and logistical backing to separatists fighting against Ukrainian forces in east Ukraine, in a war that broke out in spring 2014.


Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/22/dnc-hack-crowdstrike-ukraine-malware-russia

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But....But...Trump said the hacker is some random guy from New Jersey!

December 20, 2016

Austria's Far Right Signs a Cooperation Pact With Putin's Party

Source: New York Times

BERLIN The leader of the Austrian far-right Freedom Party has signed what he called a cooperation agreement with Russias ruling party and recently met with Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, the designated national security adviser to President-elect Donald J. Trump of the United States.

Word of the agreement with Russia was the latest sign that the Kremlin is forging bonds with political parties across Europe in what some European leaders suspect is a coordinated attempt to meddle in their affairs and potentially weaken Western democracies. Many of these efforts are murky and involve obscure groups, and it is unclear what, if any, direct involvement President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia may have.

The Freedom Party leader, Heinz-Christian Strache, reported the signing of the agreement with United Russia, Mr. Putins party, on Monday on his Facebook page, where he also disclosed that he had visited General Flynn a few weeks ago in Trump Tower in New York.

Internationally, the Freedom Party continues to gain in influence, wrote Mr. Strache, a dental technician who has led the party since 2005.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/19/world/europe/austrias-far-right-signs-a-cooperation-pact-with-putins-party.html?_r=0

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Translation: Hack left/center parties only, and spread fake news in Facebook/Twitter.

By the way, do you know which historic figure was a right-wing Austrian?

December 20, 2016

Bernie Sanders calls for the electoral college to be abolished

Bernie Sanders just tweeted:

"Clinton received almost 3 million more votes, but Trump will be the next president. It's clear the electoral college needs to be changed."

https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/811233271036125185

December 19, 2016

Killing of Russian ambassador "possibly linked to Russia's military involvement in Syria" (WaPo)

From the Washington Post: "A gunman in Turkey wearing a suit and tie opened fire Monday on Russia’s ambassador, killing the diplomat and wounding several others in an attack possibly linked to Russia’s military involvement in Syria."


https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/gunfire-wounds-russian-ambassador-in-turkey-reports-say/2016/12/19/ae32d1c8-c608-11e6-85b5-76616a33048d_story.html

December 19, 2016

The reason why the Russian ambassador to Turkey was shot is obvious to me

Vladimir Putin has been killing lots and lots of children and women in Aleppo. Most of these are Muslims.

News reports say that the man who shot the Russian ambassador in Turkey yelled "Allah is great". this was a Muslim seeking revenge against Russian intervention in Syria.

Of course, the killing is inexcusable , but this is what happens when you invade other countries on behalf of a murderer such as Assad.