COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Monday, November 27, 2017

Africa Needs to Solve its own Problems - Exporting Them is No Option

EU warned it is ill-prepared for African migration rush

European Parliament chief calls for Marshall plan to give people reasons to stay at home






Population growth in Africa threatens to push millions of people to an ill-prepared Europe in the next decades, the European Parliament president has warned, in a sign of wider fears over the EU’s migration strategy. 

Antonio Tajani called for a “Marshall plan” for Africa to supersede scattergun EU and national government initiatives in an effort to give people more reasons to stay in their home countries. 

Mr Tajani’s remarks ahead of a biennial EU-Africa summit in Ivory Coast this week echo wider concerns that Europe still lacks a viable long-term plan on migration should a recent sharp fall in numbers start to reverse.





Poverty, climate change and conflict in some African states would exacerbate the impact of sharp population growth in driving people from the continent. “Altogether these problems are a bomb,” he said. “The problems will push, without a solution, millions of people from Africa to Europe.”

Improved EU co-ordination and a €40bn Marshall plan to invest in long-term initiatives were needed to help stem the flow of people, he said. EU countries should look for imaginative ways to generate funds, such as levies on internet companies and tax havens, rather than tap European citizens.

“Without a strategy we will have terrorism, illegal immigration, instability,” said Mr Tajani, a close ally of Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian prime minister who signed a contentious 2008 deal on migration with Col Muammer Gaddafi’s Libya. “There are too many voices on Libya, on Africa.”

Migration has slipped down the European agenda after sharp falls over the past two years in the numbers of people taking the eastern Mediterranean route to Turkey and the central Mediterranean route to Italy. The EU has invested in measures ranging from a crackdown on people smuggling in the west African state of Niger to a 2016 accord for Turkey to take back migrants who cross to Greek islands. 

The EU-Africa summit in Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s commercial capital, is focused on youth but EU diplomats say migration will also inevitably be discussed. 

“We don’t want this to be a summit on migration but it is, of course, a part of our relationship,” said one senior EU official. Libya was a “major crisis” on which the EU, UN and intergovernmental African Union all needed to “step up”. 

The EU aims to address “root causes” of migration by investments ranging from vocational training to support for the development of companies to work in the ethical fashion supply chain. EU member states also have myriad bilateral projects with African counterparts. 

Many EU diplomats acknowledge the likelihood of another migration surge, amplified over time by the demographic trends in some big African countries. But the matter’s scale, complexity and geographic spread have made it hard to address at an EU level, they add. 

“The awareness is there, but launching this kind of grand strategy is probably not feasible now,” one EU diplomat said of Mr Tajani’s plan. “But there is a feeling that we should be able to develop some elements that would enable us to be more up to the task.”
✧✧✧✧✧

As Negev detention centre closes, Israel prepares to deport African migrants

Government preparing to send migrants to Rwanda, which will accept them for $5000 per head


Israel’s government has decided to close the Holot migrant detention facility in the Negev desert as part of a crackdown on the country’s illegal migrants originating from Africa.

Instead of being kept in open detention, those without a legal residence permit will be given the choice of going to prison indefinitely or being deported to Rwanda.

The government claimed the new policy, which attracted support from sections of opposition parties Labour and Yesh Atid, was moral and confirmed to international law.

There is no certainty in Israel on how many foreign citizens are currently living without a legal permit.

An estimated 40 thousand refugees from Sudan and Eritrea are claiming to be political asylum seekers, but the government insists they are work migrants.

The African migrants have been in the country for at least five years, arriving on foot through the Sinai Desert before a new border fence was completed in early 2013.

Most live packed into apartment blocks in the working-class neighbourhoods in South Tel Aviv, where they find support only from a few left-wing MPs and a handful of charities.

Israel has an agreement with Rwanda, which will accept migrants at $5,000 (£3,760) a head, concluded after an earlier agreement with Uganda fell through.

The few thousand migrants who have so far voluntarily agreed to go to Rwanda have each been given $2,000 each, but it is still unclear whether this arrangement will hold for the tens of thousands still remaining.

Even if the Africans are all deported at a cost of a quarter of a billion US dollars, unknown numbers of migrants from the former Soviet Union will remain.

Immigration experts believe there are much larger numbers of Russian, Ukrainian and Georgian citizens living illegally in Israel, but critics say they are less obtrusive because they are white and live among the Russian-speaking communities around the country.

The closure of Holot comes as Israel confronts some of the most sweeping demographic changes in its history. With over eight million citizens, a relatively high birth-rate and an attractive quality of life, it is rapidly becoming comparable to many countries in Europe.

This has attracted migrants from poorer parts of the world looking for a new life, but Israel remains a special case because it is locked in a complex demographic balance with the Palestinian population. There is no standard naturalisation process in the country either, apart from the Law of Return that allows Jews and their family members to emigrate.

With unemployment at an all-time low and Israeli business already employing over fifty thousand Palestinian workers with daily work-permits, supporters believe the Israeli economy could easily absorb the African migrants.

But allowing the Africans to work legally in Israel would mean changing the country’s immigration laws and opening an avenue for large numbers of non-Jews to move to Israel. For the moment, that remains a political taboo.

67 comments:

  1. Africa's population has rapidly increased over the last 40 years, and consequently, it is relatively young. In some African states, half or more of the population is under 25 years of age. The total number of people in Africa grew from 221 million in 1950 to 1.2 billion in 2016.

    The average IQ in sub-Saharan Africa is under 70. Nothing will help Africa without population control and population deflation. It is an African problem. No western country has an obligation to commit cultural suicide regardless of what happened 100 years ago in the colonial period.

    History cannot be repaired.

    The political class in countries such as France , the UK and USA made disastrous mistakes in destabilizing country after country in the Middle East and Africa. Africa is a disaster and much of it is of its own making.

    The average non-political majorities in every western country have no obligation to destabilize and ruin themselves.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 40% of all detainees in Italian prisons are non EU citizens (That is Euro Speak for Africans and non-European Muslims).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Switzerland - 74.3%
      Spain - 32%
      Sweden - 30%
      Germany - 28%
      Holland - 21%
      UK -13%

      Poland - 0.6%

      Delete
  3. Pope Francis has told nations to prioritise the safety of asylum seekers over national security.

    He also wants countries of migration to provide newcomers with health services, education, pension plans, a minimum amount to live on and the ability to open bank accounts.

    In opposition to strong, effective border protection policies of countries such as Australia, he said: “For the sake of the fundamental dignity of every human person, we must strive to find alternative solutions to detention for those who enter a country without authorisation.’’

    Children, he said, “must be spared from any form of detention related to migratory status, and must be guaranteed regular access to primary and secondary education. Equally, when they come of age they must be guaranteed the right to remain and to enjoy the possibility of continuing their studies. Temporary custody or foster programs should be provided for unaccompanied minors and minors.’’

    The Pope said he wanted to encourage “a determined effort to promote the social and professional inclusion of migrants and refugees, guaranteeing for all — including those seeking asylum — the possibility of employment, language instruction and active citizenship, together with sufficient information provided in their mother tongue.’’

    ReplyDelete
  4. For the Trump haters

    New Department of Justice data shows that more than 90 percent of foreign-born prisoners held in the U.S. federal prisons are illegal immigrants.

    The data shows that about 24 percent of the federal prison population are foreign born, 45,493. Of those, just 3,939 are U.S. citizens, and the remaining 41,554 are illegally in the United States.

    The department released the data on Tuesday as part of a requirement under President Trump's executive order on public safety signed in February.

    "Illegal aliens who commit additional crimes in the United States are a threat to public safety and a burden on our criminal justice system," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "This is why we must secure our borders through a wall and effective law enforcement, and we must strengthen cooperation between federal, state and local governments as we strive to fulfill our sacred duty of protecting and serving the American people."

    The data also shows that 54 percent of the illegal immigrants identified have received final deportation orders, and another 33 percent are under investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for possible deportation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. So we now see where Mr Sessions priorities lay.

      Salvadorans are so much easier to prosecute than are corrupt US politicos.

      Deporting crimials instead of putting them in prison ...
      a policy of revolving doors


      Delete
  5. If I was EU I'd suggest the EU ought to let the Chinese deal with Africa, and let the USA deal with the Chinese.

    Then I'd return to affirming my superiority over everyone else.

    And would soon prove it too, as he who sits on his ass longest laughs last, as an old Scandinavian saying has it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The U.S. Department of Justice released statistics today regarding aliens incarcerated in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It found that as of March 25, there were 41,528 illegal immigrants in its prison system. The cost of this to the American taxpayer runs into the billions. Of the 41,528 inmates, 22,541 have already received immigration orders for removal. Meanwhile, 13,886 aliens are being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for “possible removal,” and 5,101 aliens are “still pending adjudication.” (Pending adjudication means that a final disposition has yet to be settled, but ICE officers have charged these inmates under deportation cases.) Which is to say that U.S. taxpayers are spending in the ballpark of $1.2 billion per year on the incarceration of illegal immigrants. The Federal Bureau of Prisons spends on average $29,226 per year on each inmate (this average takes into account all inmates, including those who need high security, medium security, and low security). Moreover, U.S. taxpayers are footing a bill of roughly $660 million per year — or $1.8 million per day — for inmates who have already received deportation orders.

    more for te Trump haters

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Deporting criminals is no answer...

      It is a revolving door

      Deportation is a failed pilicy, as far as crime prevention is concerned



      Delete
    2. Then take down the revolving door,

      Delete
  7. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

    The first decentralized peer-to-peer payment system, bitcoin, has broken through the $10,000 mark on South Korea’s Bithumb, one of world’s biggest exchanges for cryptocurrencies. The price of bitcoin this year has jumped more than 10-fold.

    The digital currency is still unrecognized or regarded as an asset by most central banks. It started the year at below $1,000.

    ReplyDelete
  8. RE-LEARNING HISTORY

    Sir Thomas Gresham (1519–1579)

    Gresham's law is a monetary principle stating: "Bad money drives out good".

    if there are two forms of commodity money in circulation, which are accepted by law or market as having similar face value, the more valuable commodity will disappear from circulation.

    The law was named in 1860 by Henry Dunning Macleod, after Sir Thomas Gresham (1519–1579), who was an English financier during the Tudor dynasty.

    The phenomenon was observed earlier by Nicolaus Copernicus; "Copernicus Law".

    Prior It was also stated in the 14th century, by Nicole Oresme c. 1350.
    Noted by Aristophanes in his play The Frogs, 5th century BC.



    Of course, this time will be different.

    ReplyDelete
  9. HEADLINE INDEPENDENT

    Is Bitcoin A Legitimate Asset Or A Super-Bubble Waiting To Implode?

    Most widely used digital currency crossed $7,000 mark on Thursday and is up more than 650 per cent in 2017

    DATE:

    Eric Lam Friday 3 November 2017 09:17 GMT

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 25 days "so-called money" goes from $7000 to $10,000, per coin. What could go wrong?

      Delete
  10. Bitcoin’s Backers

    Bitcoin ‘boom’ failing to attract big name investors { I wonder why?}

    The digital currency’s evangelists are led by Roger Ver, known in the industry as “Bitcoin Jesus.” Ver remains optimistic about bitcoin’s sustainability amid attempts from governments like China to curb some of the more speculative elements of trading. “The only way to stop (bitcoin) is to turn off the entire Internet in the entire world and keep it turned off,” he said in a September interview with Bloomberg News. Some countries are jumping on the bitcoin bandwagon, with Argentina’s most important futures market considering offering services to investors in digital currencies, while Turkish Central Bank Governor Murat Cetinkaya said digital currencies may contribute to financial stability if designed well. Former Legg Mason Inc. fund manager Bill Miller has boosted his Miller Value Fund’s holdings in bitcoin to 30 per cent from 5 per cent a year ago. The investment has paid off — his fund is up 72.5 per cent this year.

    ReplyDelete
  11. CHANGE RESEARCH
    Alabama Senate poll: Moore opens up five-point lead

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. More FAKE NRWS from an anonymous source

      Delete
    2. https://medium.com/@ChngRsrch/moore-opens-up-49-44-lead-in-alabama-just-9-of-trump-voters-believe-allegations-against-moore-6d74baa84a68

      Delete
  12. RISKY BUSINESS

    Bending over in the presence of Bill Clinton was a risky undertaking, according to former White House staffer, Linda Tripp. The staffer-turned-whistleblower said new criticism of Clinton’s outrageous behavior is “a day late, and it’s a dollar short.”

    The housekeeping staff that worked during Clinton’s tenure in the White House were “afraid to bend over in his presence,” Tripp told the Weekly Standard in a recent interview. She said that stories of Clinton’s "libidinous impulses" as governor of Arkansas were well-known even before his arrival in the White House in January 1993.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. None of the maids nor Ms Tripp were minor children, just 14 yeqrs old

      Bill Clinton ...
      A well documented pig

      But no pedophilia, as the Republicans have run up the flag pole in Alabama.

      There is no equivalence.

      Delete
  13. November 28, 2017
    Accusing Moore's Accusers
    By Hugh McInnish


    http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2017/11/accusing_moores_accusers.html#ixzz4zk5fdwWr

    The Democrats are worried. This military guy that just announced a write in campaign is part of their effort to split the vote.

    One thing that can be said about Roy, he's paid for the upbringing of all his children.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. The Democrats went from 12 points behind to a toss-up, in a State the Democrats have not carried since the 1990s.

      The Democrats have no worries, in Alabama...
      ... only upside opportunity

      They are not the ones worried.

      Delete
  14. .

    Who you gonna call?

    Ghostbusters. If you are Donald Trump.

    For the last two years, the GOP has refused to bring up Obama nominees for the federal courts. This was an obvious plan to stack the courts with conservatives once a new president was elected. Upon election, Trump bragged he would name record numbers to the federal courts. Now, we see the repercussions of these actions.

    Yesterday, Trump once again proved he has neither temperament nor the mental capacity to hold the office of president when he again embarrassed the office and himself with inappropriate comments during a ceremony honoring WWII Navajo code talkers.

    He did it again with an absurd (some might say criminal, as in felony stupid) nomination to a life-time tenured federal judge position.

    Trump nominated 36 year old Brett J. Talley for a federal judgeship in Alabama. Talley was already being criticized for having no court experience. In fact, he has never had any case experience at all. He was one of the few nominees ever to unanimously rated 'Unqualified' by the National Bar Association.

    Talley, a blogger, has never served as a judge. He also failed to disclose that he’s married to a White House official: Ann Donaldson, the chief of staff to counsel Donald F. McGahn II. (Donaldson is a witness in Robert Mueller’s investigation of ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.)

    But Talley is apparently qualified to track ghouls and goblins. The Daily Beast reports that he was a member of the Tuscaloosa Paranormal Research Group from 2009-2010...

    Aside from ghost-busting, Tilley also writes Lovecraft-inspired regional horror fiction. The true horror is that he may soon preside over federal cases.


    https://newrepublic.com/minutes/145817/trump-nominated-ghostbuster-federal-judgeship


    For the Trump loyalists out there, a simpler explanation...

    A Scoobydoo Level Presentation of the Facts

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. :)

      I admit, even you are more qualified.

      You, at least, have been in many courtrooms, have much courtroom experience.

      This wonker has to be confirmed, and if he is, shame on Congress and the President.

      All I got to say is it's a BIG Twinkie.

      Ghostbusters BIG Twinkie:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzaQjS1JstY

      Delete
    2. It's disgusting for anyone to falsely claim they are Native American so as to qualify for a free ride in education. AND, then shamelessly continue the claim to enhance a political career.

      It's also shameful for the Indians to claim they are the 'Native Americans' when they are really johnny come latelys to the Solutreans, my people. And your people too, Quirk-O.

      Don't you feel cheated ?

      I do.

      You should.

      Delete
    3. .

      You are an idiot, Bob.

      You deserve Trump.

      .

      Delete
    4. .

      Instead of presidential, Trump continues to act like the drunk uncle at a Christmas party.

      He thinks he's funny but he's not; yet, he continues cracking wise at the most inopportune moments.

      It makes your skin crawl.

      .

      Delete
  15. .

    Speaking of FAKE NEWS

    One has to laugh at Doug and his silly arguments that the MSM and their Fake News ((defined as any story Doug or Trump disagree with) are the root cause of all the problems this country faces. It would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

    Fake News or MAGA or any of the other flippant soundbites Trump throws around amount to nothing more than 'ritual aggression' designed for the more gullible in his base. It appeals to their grievances and their fears. Like the ritual aggression used by certain Pacific islanders they cause no serious harm but they do provide a daily 'two minutes of hate' to pump up the base.

    Anyone who takes Trump's 'fake news' claims seriously is himself 'unserious'. Trump is the conman-in-chief. He's always been the same. Trump is a congenital liar. The biggest promoter of fake news in this country is the President of the US. We have numerous examples. Trump admits as much in his own words...

    He offered this explanation for his actions while discussing an altered YouTube video he had tweeted as part of an unsubstantiated claim that a protester at one of his rallies had ties to the Islamic State: “I don’t know what they made up; all I can do is play what’s there,” Mr. Trump said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

    “All I know is what’s on the internet.”


    https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/business/media/trump-fake-news.html

    If Trump sees something on the internet that he likes he repeats it and re-tweets with no concern over its accuracy. Yesterday, he mentioned a fake news website that issued a list of his accomplishments saying jokingly 'I didn't realize how much I had accomplished'. In doing so, he gave validity to a relatively unknown website that has passed on every right wing fake news story over the last year.

    Yesterday, a story came out indicating that Trump's charity, the Trump Foundation, was a contributor to Project Veritas a site responsible for fake news stories in the past and currently accused of trying to dupe the WaPo with a story about a phony accuser of Judge Moore.

    Fake News? Trump is the Fake News President.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unemployment: Down
      Stocks: Up
      Housing Starts: Soaring

      Happy Days Are Here Again

      (oops, that's the Democrats' slogan, sorry)

      Delete
    2. .

      Happy Days Are Here Again?

      Only if what you read are GOP talking points.

      Unemployment: Down

      Unemployment has been steadily going down since 2010. What isn't mentioned is that companies can't find qualified people to hire. Why? Because the percentage of Americans 'not working' has continued to rise.

      Stocks: Up

      Good for those who benefit. Unfortunately, it does nothing for most of Trump's base who have been left behind and for whom the words 'stock market' have little meaning in any practical sense. What it does do is increase the gap between the 'have' and the 'have nots' in this country and adds more fuel to the growing polarization here. Another reason there is no justification for the tax cuts for the rich being pushed through by the GOP.

      Housing Starts: Soaring

      Wrong.

      From the Census Bureau (2017)

      Housing Starts Privately-owned housing starts in October were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,290,000. This is 13.7 percent (±10.5 percent) above the revised September estimate of 1,135,000, but is 2.9 percent (±10.1 percent)* below the October 2016 rate of 1,328,000.

      .

      Delete
  16. .

    This morning Trump tweets...

    "Meeting with 'Chuck and Nancy' today about keeping government open and working. Problem is they want illegal immigrants flooding into our Country unchecked, are weak on Crime and want to substantially RAISE Taxes. I don't see a deal!" Trump tweeted.

    Democratic response: Why bother with the meeting.


    A pissing contest among 5 year olds started by the '5 year old-in-chief'.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Call a medic.

      Quirk is deep into a TDS event.

      He may burst a gut.

      He may have a frenzy.

      Medic !

      Delete
    2. Meanwhile:

      Unemployment: Down
      Stocks: Up
      Housing Starts: Soaring

      Delete
    3. .

      Happy Days Are Here Again?

      Only if what you read are GOP talking points.

      Unemployment: Down

      Unemployment has been steadily going down since 2010. What isn't mentioned is that companies can't find qualified people to hire. Why? Because the percentage of Americans 'not working' has continued to rise.

      Stocks: Up

      Good for those who benefit. Unfortunately, it does nothing for most of Trump's base who have been left behind and for whom the words 'stock market' have little meaning in any practical sense. What it does do is increase the gap between the 'have' and the 'have nots' in this country and adds more fuel to the growing polarization here. Another reason there is no justification for the tax cuts for the rich being pushed through by the GOP.

      Housing Starts: Soaring

      Wrong.

      From the Census Bureau (2017)

      Housing Starts Privately-owned housing starts in October were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,290,000. This is 13.7 percent (±10.5 percent) above the revised September estimate of 1,135,000, but is 2.9 percent (±10.1 percent)* below the October 2016 rate of 1,328,000.

      .

      Delete

    4. .


      This is 13.7 percent (±10.5 percent) above the revised September estimate of 1,135,000


      .


      I call that soaring.

      ;)

      Delete
    5. .

      That comment shows the level of your thinking. Using the same logic

      This is 13.7 percent (±10.5 percent) above the revised September estimate of 0 would be soaring.

      :o(

      .

      Delete
    6. (+10.5 percent)

      That would be 24.2%.

      That would REALLY be soaring.

      :O)

      Delete

    7. 2.9% behind Oct 2016

      That is not soaring it is more accuractly described as ...

      in the toilet.


      Delete
  17. NKOREA FIRES BALLISTIC MISSILE....DRUDGE HEADLINE

    I was really hoping they would not do that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. You and Mr Obama, Robert 'Draft Dodger" Peterson, all you have to hype is hope.

      Typical liberal

      Delete
    2. There's something really wrong with you, rat.

      Delete
    3. bobal Fri Mar 20, 06:03:00 PM EDT
      Trish always was a syphilitic slut

      You disrespected Trish with the 'syphilitic slut' comment, now you want to make up and attribute a quote, one that you cannot reference in time or space ...

      You really are quite the misogynist, aren't you, Robert "Draft Dodger" Peterson?

      Delete
    4. There's something really wrong with you, rat.

      Delete
  18. .

    Speaking of Doug, he hasn't shown up for a few days.

    I can only assume he is among those Hawaiians reportedly digging fall out shelters in response to North Korea's nuclear moves.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He's already got the Lava Tube.

      He's currently lugging supplies, food, water into it.

      Delete
  19. 2,800 miles up.

    Nearly straight up.

    Fell somewhere around Japan.

    That could go to our East Coast, according to someone on Fox.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bob Fri Jun 02, 07:03:00 AM EDT

      And Trump's a fool if he thinks the Chinese are going to solve the problem of North Korea for him.

      Delete
    2. There's something really wrong with you, rat.

      Delete

    3. That does not change what Robert "Draft Dodger" Peterson gas written, Robert "Draft Dodger" Peterson.

      You really are in need of Mental Health help, Robert "Draft Dodger" Peterson.

      It is probably to late ...
      But what the hell you're nearly dead, what with no libido.

      Delete
    4. Yawn.

      There's something really wrong with you, rat.

      Delete

  20. The Benghazi Committee Spent $7 Million And Found No Wrongdoing By Hillary Clinton


    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. an 800-page report details what happened during and after the 2012 attack in Libya that took four American lives. The event and its fallout — along with Clinton’s related email scandal, which has been categorized as a criminal investigation — has weighed heavily on the presumptive Democratic nominee’s perceived trustworthiness throughout election season.

      With a final drum roll, the committee has absolved Clinton of all wrongdoing related to Benghazi.




      Delete
  21. A US jury found Ahmed Abu Khatallah guilty on four of 18 charges on Tuesday related to his role in the 2012 terrorist attack on a US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed US Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

    A federal jury came back with a guilty verdict for the following counts:

    Conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists.

    Providing material support and resources to terrorists.

    Using, carrying and discharging a semi-automatic assault rifle during a crime of violence.

    Maliciously destroying and injuring dwellings and property, and placing lives in jeopardy within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, and attempting to do the same.

    The jury found Abu Khatallah not guilty on the four murder charges of the US personnel killed in the September 2012 attack on the US office in Benghazi


    ReplyDelete
  22. I've been reading that the North Koreans do not generally launch missile tests in the fourth quarter of the year, due to the weather, and demands of work in the fields, when many military become peasants. So, this recent hiatus of some months, now broken, may not have had anything to do with any Chinese pressure on them to cool it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bob Fri Jun 02, 07:03:00 AM EDT

      And Trump's a fool if he thinks the Chinese are going to solve the problem of North Korea for him


      And Rober "Draft Dodger" Peterson is a fool if he thinks the Chinese are going to solve the problem of North Korea for US.

      But that is being redundant.

      Delete
  23. ‘Who are the traffickers? They are Africans’: Macron loses his cool at Burkina Faso Q&A (
    Published time: 28 Nov, 2017 17:25 Edited time: 29 Nov, 2017 08:00

    While on a four-day trip to promote a relationship reset between his country and Africa, French President Emmanuel Macron lost his temper when discussing human trafficking.

    Macron’s whistlestop tour of African nations will see him meet leaders in former French colonies Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast [Cote d’Ivoire], as well as former British colony Ghana. The visit has been pitched as a political bridge-building exercise.

    Touching on France’s colonial past, Macron told delegates at the University of Ouagadougou on Tuesday that “crimes of European colonization are indisputable.” On reports of slave auctions in Libya, Macron proposed a joint Euro-African initiative to eradicate people smuggling. However, a highly animated Macron left his audience of students in little doubt that the problem should be tackled by local authorities.

    “In Libya, we’re engaged in diplomatic relations to find a political solution,” he said, raising his voice. Macron then implied that Africans should look closer to home for a solution, claiming that local people are the chief traffickers.

    “Who are the traffickers? Ask yourselves – being the African youth – that question. You are unbelievable. Who are the traffickers? They are Africans, my friends. They are Africans. Ask yourselves the question.

    “It’s not the French who are the traffickers, it’s the Africans. So everyone should understand the responsibility, and we’ve started to do that, to dismantle them. But stop the argument saying, ‘It’s someone else.’

    “Show me a French, Belgian, German person, who carried out trafficking between Nigeria and Libya. This person doesn’t exist,” Macron added. “So, these days in Africa, there are Africans who make other Africans slaves, this is the reality. And there are Europeans who benefit from this misery in Europe, it’s unacceptable. In both cases, these are crimes. We are fighting both cases.”


    The tense exchange is unlikely to have endeared the French president to some of his critics, since he appeared to stray from his original line that he is “from a generation where we do not come to tell Africa what to do.”

    Macon has claimed to be a president raised on the speeches of Nelson Mandela and, during his election campaign, described colonialism as a crime against humanity. This stance was somewhat undermined, however, when Macron responded to a question Tuesday about the number of African students in France versus the number of French soldiers stationed in Africa.

    The president spoke of French soldiers dying while on duty in Africa, and telling the student, whose question he was responding to, that they owe French soldiers their applause.

    Macron's trip was marred even before his arrival in the country. Two hooded assailants on a motorcycle lobbed a hand grenade at a bus carrying French military in Burkina Faso on Monday. Three civilians were injured in the incident. Separately, the French delegation convoy was pelted with stones, damaging one vehicle, and protests were set up near the university Macron was due to address on Tuesday.

    The topic of migrant trafficking in North Africa is set to be a major point of discussion at an African-EU summit on Wednesday.

    While the North African country has historically been a gateway for people travelling to Europe, the UNHCR noted the instability caused by the outbreak of the Libyan civil war in 2011 as an aggravating factor.

    Macron, however kept rather silent on the issue, despite France having spearheaded the western bombardment of the country, which saw Muammar Gaddafi ousted and the state sliding into civil war.

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  24. Nothing has changed. There never could have been a slave trade in Africa without the fact that the suppliers and traffickers were black Africans, all too willing and eager participants to sell their own race to anyone with the cash.

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  25. As to the real culprits of instability of the entire region, look to the great humanitarians, Barack Hussein Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and George Walker Bush.

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    1. You mean ...

      the real culprits of instability of the entire region, look to the United States

      Now the Elephant Bar has joined the blame US first crowd.

      Delete
    2. Is that a new revelation for you?

      Delete
    3. Just for you, Rat Van Winkle:

      The US dropped an estimated $5 trillion on Iraq and Afghanistan alone, and counting those “relevant legacy costs”—like long-term healthcare commitments to U.S. veterans and interest on the debt incurred by these wars—the total is projected to top $12 trillion by 2053. With a current count of about 120 million taxpayers, that comes out to a cool $100,000 a head.

      And that’s if we’re done in Iraq and Afghanistan by the end of 2017, and not including any expenditures in Syria (let alone Libya, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen)—two huge qualifiers that suggest $100,000 a pop is too cautious an estimate.

      Beyond the fiscal costs, of course, is the incalculable toll these wars have exacted in blood and tears. Contrary to the claims of establishment hawks, it is impossible to honestly look at the Mideast today and say American foreign policy choices of the past 15 years were worth their price. Indeed, argues military historian and Ret. Col. Andrew Bacevich, it was U.S. intervention that “ended Iraq’s stability” and produced a regional power vacuum into which the Islamic State surged.
      Forbes

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  26. Macron needs to look no farther than France, UK and the US.

    Muammar al-Gaddafi had more brains, historical insight and political savvy than the three dolts of destruction combined and FUKUS.

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  27. EU Official: Europe Has No Strategy For Impending Wave of African Immigration
    By Geller Report Staff - on November 28, 2017

    Surging immigration from Africa to the European Union is bringing with it a threat of massive cultural and political change — and leading government authorities have no way to deal with the crisis, the president of the EU parliament said.


    Migration from Africa to Europe is causing a dramatic shift in culture, politics and economics — and the European Union is failing on strategy to combat the change, a leading political figure said.
    Get ready for more terrorism, he warned.

    Such is the nature of the dramatic demographic shift, which will bring with it massive upsets to Europe’s politics, culture and economy.

    The Daily Caller News Foundation paints the dire picture:

    Antonio Tajani, the president of the EU parliament, said overcrowding, poverty and war and will likely push “millions” of people from Africa to Europe in the coming decades. Ahead of the annual EU-Africa summit this week, Tajani called for improved coordination among EU members and a “Marshall Plan” for Africa to help stem the flow of migrants.

    “Without a strategy we will have terrorism, illegal immigration, instability,” he said, according to the Financial Times. “There are too many voices on Libya, on Africa.”

    Immigration remains remains a potent issue in European politics, even as migrant flows have subsided from the height of the refugee crisis in 2015. Right-wing and immigration skeptic parties have enjoyed a surge in popularity in response to decisions by EU leaders, particularly German Chancellor Angela Merkel, to admit more than 1 million refugees and economic migrants from the Middle East since 2015.

    Although the EU has since managed to reduce the flow of immigrants via the land route through Turkey, illegal immigration from Africa across the Mediterranean Sea is surging. The number of African migrants arriving via the Libya to Italy sea crossing is up 40 percent from 2016, EU officials said this summer. Most of the immigrants are coming from West African states such as Senegal, Guinea and Nigeria in order to escape economic hardship and overcrowding.

    Demographic trends in Africa suggest the flow of migrants will intensify in the coming years. The continent-wide population is expected to double from 1.2 billion to 2.5 billion by 2050, with most of the growth concentrated in Africa’s least-developed countries, according to UN projections.

    Africa’s pending population boom takes on additional significance for Europe in light of the wave of migrants and asylum seekers that have arrived in the continent in recent years. Many European countries have already exhausted their capacity to absorb the flow of immigrants, forcing even centrist, pro-immigration leaders to address the problems posed by continued migration from Africa and Asia.

    https://pamelageller.com/2017/11/eu-official-europe-no-strategy-impending-wave-african-immigration.html/

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  28. A Change Research survey released Thursday found Democrat Doug Jones leading Republican Roy Moore 46 percent to 43 percent ahead of Alabama’s special Senate election on Dec. 12. The survey is just one of many to show that the allegations of child molestation and sexual misconduct against Moore have really eroded his support. Not only that, but the first few polls released after the allegations became public on Nov. 9 may have understated his problems. He seems to have fallen even further since then.

    ....

    But the deterioration in Moore’s standing may be even greater than that.

    Let’s take a look at the three pollsters — Change Research, Gravis Marketing and Strategy Research — that conducted at least two surveys after the allegations. Change Research’s first post-allegations poll, conducted Nov. 9-11, had Moore at +4 points. As we noted above, its Nov. 15-16 survey had Jones at +3. Gravis Marketing showed an identical 7-point shift toward Jones, going from Moore +2 on Nov. 10 to Jones +5 in its Nov. 14-15 poll. Strategy Research, meanwhile, went from Moore +6 in its poll ending on Nov. 13 to Moore +2 in its poll ending on Nov. 21.

    In other words, it doesn’t seem like the allegations against Moore took a one-time bite out of his support. Instead, he seems to have experienced a steady decline in the polls.

    That makes sense: After the initial stories about Moore, accusations from more women have come out concerning sexual misconduct. Those, in theory, could have caused additional voters — still on the fence after the first set of allegations — to move against Moore. It’s also probable that it took some voters a few days to hear about and process the first wave of allegations. There is precedent for this type of extended reaction. As I have previously pointed out, it took time for polls to fully manifest how much former Rep. Todd Akin’s “legitimate rape” statement hurt his standing in the 2012 Missouri Senate race.

    If these later surveys in Alabama are a truer reflection of where the race stands, Jones may actually have an advantage. An average of Alabama polls conducted over the past week, for instance, gives Jones a 47 percent to 43.5 percent lead.



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