palestine

Set In Motion…

by MyBaconPress

Well, it looks like Israel has decided to stop bombing Gaza for a while. The world is referring to it as a “cease-fire.” It seems, to me, more like a hostage deal. We’ll all find out about ceasing fire later. Don’t get me wrong, I’m okay with a hostage deal. It’s a beginning. But the fundamental agitants that exist between Israel and Gaza are still there.

What, you think Israel is going to stop building new settlements in disputed land? Do you think the wall surrounding Gaza is coming down anytime soon? Does it seem likely that Israeli control over the region will become less hostile? I’ll say, “time will tell.”

I’m hoping Hamas gets dissolved but I suspect whatever group takes over will, itself, become more hostile and then downright militant – and then the whole thing heats up again. I think Israel and Palestine have been at war since 1948, when the Israelis threw the Palestinians off of ancestral land soon after Israel was declared an independent nation. I think constant Israeli encroachment will continue to “flick the beards” of the Palestinians.

Sadly, I don’t think the Palestinians will do anything to help themselves. They need to win in the court of public opinion, because they’re not going to win in a hot war. But still, from time to time, they choose hot war. It’s dumb. It’s dangerous. It’s destructive. It’s always deadly.

Over all of it is the suggestion that Netanyahu is in legal trouble. He faces allegations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. It’s no wonder Donny likes the guy. Birds of a feather, you know? There has been much speculation that he’s keeping the war alive because the war keeps him in power and out of jail.

The GOP, Israelis, and the Palestinians are hailing Donny as the architect of the peace plan. That may be so, but I’ll need to see some of that peace before I start partying. Hope springs eternal and people have been suffering for so long, I can understand why they start celebrating before the ink is dry on a deal not yet fully hammered out. But that “deal not yet fully hammered out” part is doing a lot of heavy lifting at the moment. Fingers crossed…

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Here’s a thing that’s important to remember: Americans know Donny and co are lying. For their part, Donny and co know that Americans know that Donny and co are lying. So, how can they just stand there in front of cameras, knowing we know, and lie, lie, lie? That’s pretty easy. Those lies aren’t for you. They don’t care that you know they’re lying. Those are soundbites intended to be fed into MAGA media and put on a loop – to keep them confused.

You see, MAGA doesn’t know Donny and co are lying. Yes, I get it, they should. But they don’t. What are YOU going to do about it? That’s right. Nothing…

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MAGA Mike, the Johnson, says, “Republicans are the party working around the clock every day to fix health care.” In reality, Republicans are the party working around the clock every day to prevent the release of the Epstein files and have fled Washington DC in order to keep from having to take a vote on the release of the files. The fact that it gives them a convenient excuse to not negotiate on the health care issue is just gravy.

You see, Adelita Grijalva just won a special election. She’s a Democrat and has said she’ll be the 218th signature on the Thomas Massie’s petition to release the Epstein Files. SO… the Johnson refused to swear her in and then sent the cons in the House home for awhile. Cowardly, but effective, I guess…

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Deadbeat Donny says he may not pay government workers who have been furloughed. He’s trying to be coy about it, suggesting he’ll pay some, the worthy ones. Not paying furloughed workers is a violation of the law. It’s a law that was passed after the longest government shutdown in US history in 2019. I know MAGA doesn’t like stuff like this, but look at your calendar.

Who was “President” in 2019? Why, yes, that would be Deadbeat Donny, the First Felon. Who was responsible for the longest government shutdown in US history? Yes, that’s correct. That, too, was our inglorious misleader, Deadbeat Donny. Who signed the subsequent law, ensuring that workers get paid? Oh, you’re on a roll. Yes, it WAS 47. Now he says he might not honor his word.

To say I’m surprised is to put it… nah, I’m not surprised. He’s made an entire career of not keeping his word and not paying people he owes. That’s what MAKES him a deadbeat – he doesn’t pay what he owes.

There are all kinds of workers out there who depend upon government paychecks. Many of them still have to work, even though those paychecks aren’t coming. But workers generally don’t work just for the thrill of working. They want – even need – that paycheck. Take air traffic controllers as one example. They’re expected to work. They expect a paycheck. They’re not getting the paycheck so several of them are not working.

There’s a sudden outbreak of a certain kind of flu, blue flu, I think they call it. It’s a term first ascribed to cops who used calling in sick as a kind of protest without going on strike. Now the ATC’s are doing it, too. There was a period of about six hours when Burbank airport had no controllers on duty at all.

Burbank’s air traffic was handled by an FAA facility in San Diego. Don’t let that bother you if you’re getting on an airplane today. Oh, also? IF you’re getting on an airplane today, don’t get on an airplane today. Studies have shown that Air Traffic Controllers are pretty important to, you know, controlling air traffic.

HE says he has fixed the economy. Those of us stuck living in it know that’s not true, whether MAGA confesses that or not. And we all know, when Donny is saying the economy is better than ever, the economy is in desperate trouble, right? So what happens as the bills stop being paid by all the furloughed workers?

What happens when bills stop being paid by laid off factory workers with no work because nobody is buying things? What happens as the damage trickles down, becomes a deluge, and drowns Americans? The short version? Nothing good.

And Deadbeat Donny is setting it ALL in motion…

Beggars Belief…

by MyBaconPress

Is there still any question that Israel is engaged in attempted genocide? Are there still apologists for Israel? (Check with Bill Maher.) Even Israeli citizens are hitting the streets, protesting the ongoing violence in Gaza. It’s one thing for other nations to comment. Israel has an out for that, “You weren’t attacked.” But when Israelis start protesting and calling for peace, Israel loses it’s pretended moral stance.

The enforced starvation of civilians in Gaza has been playing out in front of media cameras (when the reporters aren’t being targeted by Israel) and the whole world’s watching. Some people are trying to do something about it. If nothing else, they’re trying to highlight the plight of the Palestinian people by just showing up.

Well, they’re bringing food and supplies but it’s not nearly enough. It’s more of a show than an actual assist, meant to shame the rest of the world into stepping in. Noted climate activist Greta Thunberg – among others – has joined a flotilla heading to Israel with humanitarian aid. This is her second run. The last time she tried, she and her companions were intercepted, treated decently, and sent away. This time? Israel is promising to handle things… differently.

THIS time, Israel has threatened to toss Thunberg and her compatriots into “terrorist level” detention with a specific goal: “Following several weeks at Ktzi’ot and Damon, they’ll be sorry about the time they arrived here. We must eliminate their appetite for another attempt.”

Israel is playing political games and, as always, actual lives hang in the balance. Israel has all the stories down pat. “We’re defending ourselves from Oct 7.” No, you’re not. Any moral superiority you once enjoyed – and you did – has long-since evaporated. Starving babies and other innocents is a war crime. It’s NOT self-defense.

“We have to impose a blockade to prevent weapons from getting to Hamas.” Uh-huh. Nobody is bringing weapons on these flotillas. These are high-profile protests against the above-mentioned war crimes. Thunberg, et al, are trying to help people. Israel knows that. But what Thunberg and company are doing flies in the face of what Israel wants: all the land for themselves.

I’ll tell you this: When Israel starts classifying activists trying to feed starving people as “terrorists,” I’m pretty sure Israel has surrendered ALL moral superiority…

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Meanwhile, there are still stories swirling that the US will begin taking control of Gaza and “administer” the area for the next ten years while “relocating” the people who own the land and live there. Then, Donny gets to try to carry out his plan to turn Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

I didn’t realize MAGA was so into nation building and foreign interventions, but this, apparently, is what they voted for so I guess they’re happy. In fairness, though, even if they’re not happy about it, today, they’ll GET happy about it once Donny tells them to…

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I don’t guess I understand this. Donny has been rounding up not-white people and shipping them out of the country as fast as he can. Then, suddenly, he decides he’s going to allow 600,000 Chinese students to come to American universities? Okay, first question, why would they WANT to? I mean, now that Donny has seized control over various college’s curricula, what value will an American education have?

The only thing the Chinese students will learn is that Donny saved the day at the Alamo, Donny led the charge up San Juan hill, Donny led the beach landings on D-Day and single-handedly raised the flag on Iwo Jima, Donny was the first man on the moon, Donny invented vaccines but then immediately destroyed them since all vaccines are always bad, Donny was the first signer of the Constitution, Donny, personally, invented the atom bomb and personal computers with his “big, beautiful brain,” and it was actually Donny who discovered the double-helix of DNA. Watkins, Crick, Franklin, and Wilkins only got the credit because “the whole thing was rigged.”

Still, MAGA got pretty upset with the announcement that 600,000 Chinese students would be allowed to come here for school. It’s hard to blame them. Earlier this year, Marco Rubio laid out the official position that the US was going to “aggressively revoke” visas from Chinese students, especially those “with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.”

Now Donny has just opened the door and let them in. 600,000 Chinese students. That’s 600,000 people who are – shh – not white. Naturally, there was a backlash. Donny fixed it, though. He said, “I think it’s very insulting to a country when you say you’re not going to take your students” before insulting other countries by refusing to take their students…

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I think it’s important to remember that no matter where he was during the mysterious missing four days, he was still Jeffrey Epstein’s best friend for fifteen years and the two of them likely raped children together.

The White House is trying to float the story that the Drumpfster was out playing golf with John Gruden over the weekend, but the photos they shared had been previously shared by Gruden a few days earlier. I suppose it’s possible 47 just now got around to posting the photo from over a week ago. Things like that happen. They just become a bit more suspicious when there’s already speculation going on about where he was.

Posting a photo that COULD be interpreted as trying to distort the timeline seems like it will only aggravate the controversy. You know, the way his many efforts to distract from that fact that he was Jeffrey Epstein’s best friend and the two of them likely raped children together has mostly served to keep that story alive…

Book ’em, Dano. Please? Finally?

by MyBaconPress

WOW! Just wow. I mean, like, wow, wow, WOW! Yet another criminal complaint against Trump has been filed, this one in Ohio. Guess why. No, you have to guess, but I’ll give you a hint. It involves cats and dogs and people eating them…

See it turns out, Ohio has a law that allows a private citizen to swear out a criminal complaint. If someone does, it goes before a judge to check the merits of the case. If it survives that scrutiny, it becomes just another criminal complaint to be handled. And all of that is what happened. A warrant for the arrest of Donald J. Trump and JD Vance has been issued by the State of Ohio.

During his debate against Harris, Trump insisted that Haitians were up in Ohio eating their neighbor’s cats and dogs. They’re not. It’s a made-up story and the woman who made it up has made that completely clear. Still, even after he was told, point-blank, that, no, that’s not a real thing and it’s not happening, he maintained his false story. Authorities in Springfield, Ohio insist no such thing is happening but Trump saw someone blathering on TV (or so he says) and decided to believe the blatherer. He probably wants to make that person Secretary of Ag or something.

The thing is, as we know, when Trump speaks, MAGA acts, and they have been faithful. Haitians in Springfield started getting death threats and enduring other threatening behavior. (MAGA likes to make clear: one does NOT tell the truth about Trump…ever! It’s the law – or soon will be.) That threatening behavior is the basis for the criminal complaint.

So our President-elect, aside from being a felon and adjudicated raper, is now a wanted man in Ohio. Bizarro America is NOT a great place, but it’s going to have it’s elements of fun, you know?

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Well, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant for the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu, one of his “defense” ministers, and a leader of Hamas, Mohammed Deif. I’d say the hardest one to serve is going to be on Deif, who was reportedly killed by Israel. But all three are charged with committing war crimes. That seems appropriate, in view of events in Gaza and spreading.

Warrants from the ICC carry little to no weight. Theoretically, those three might be arrested if they travel to certain countries. In practice, that doesn’t really happen. The ICC has no enforcement authority. Israel goes around acting badly because they have a bodyguard, the United States, who will defend them, no questions asked. The ICC certainly isn’t going to get involved in that, and, again, Deif is too dead to be charged.

Besides, with Trump coming in, Israel is about to be unleashed completely and I see the Palestinians being “cleansed” from the river to the sea…

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The left just never seems to get it, you know? We keep thinking sexual assault should be a deal killer for people nominated to some of the highest offices in the land. We expect those charges to derail their confirmations because of, well, decency. Fools. Take a look at the list. It’s long and getting longer. Sexual assault is treated like a peccadillo to be overlooked and/or brushed aside but worse, it seems to be a requirement to working for Trump.

Apparently, Trump is surrounding himself with people who “get him…”

By Thursday afternoon, one of Trump’s fellow perverts – to be clear, I mean Matt Gaetz – had to withdraw his name from consideration for the job of Attorney General. It won’t be that big of a deal for Trump. I’m sure he has a long list of fellow child molesters totally unqualified to do whatever job Trump assigns so he’ll just get one of those. He must have seen SOMEBODY on television that he can choose.

It may be a bigger deal for Gaetz. He stepped down from Congress in order to quash the ethics investigation that was about to do him so much harm. (I base the ‘do him so much harm’ comment on the reality that whenever the idea gets floated of releasing that report anyway, Republicans crap their panties and run. MAGA Mike insists releasing the report would “open a Pandora’s Box.” One has no such concerns when the report says, “Nope, no evidence. All is well.”)

He THOUGHT he was going to be USAG. That hasn’t worked out. But, hey, it’s possible he’s going to be closely associated with an AG office, here, in the very near future…

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In yet another example of how the corruption of the criminal courts is proceeding, Judge Juan Merchan, the judge presiding over Trump’s so-called “hush money criminal trial” that was REALLY an embezzlement trial he lost, is hearing an argument put forth by the defense that the charges against Trump should just be dropped. After all, they argue, being convicted of the crimes one actually committed is VERY inconvenient to one’s future. Failing that, they’re asking the court to, you know, just wait for sentencing until after Trump is finished “Presidentin’,” despite the 40+ felony convictions connected with the case.

Some of us doubt Trump ever intends to leave office under any circumstances. If nothing else, such a ruling by Merchan would give Trump even greater incentive to stay in office.
“We’ll sentence you when you come out.”
“Well, then, I’m not coming out!”

In fairness, I can see how serving the time for your crimes might interfere with the duties of the President. I’m a reasonable guy. I’d move forward with the sentencing. But I’d let him out on a work-release program by day. He could just spend the evenings and weekends in the clink, and come out and harm the nation during the day…

I’ll tell you this: when laws stopped applying across the board, the US was in trouble. These days, the phrase “rule of law” sounds like a punchline of some kind…