Bolivia Coup - and MSM Lie... Again

Once again, a South American country, Bolivia, experienced a US backed coup against a democratically elected government. The military backed self-appointed government, is a right wing, Nazi/Christian fundamentalist, racist group, that since the coup, have been committing murder on the majority of indigenous population in the country. Headed by Jeanne Anez, a bible thumping radical, declared herself “president”, despite only receiving 4% of the vote, entering the presidential palace, waving a ten pound bible. Main stream media portrayed this takeover as a “return to democracy”. That Evo Morales, the elected president of Bolivia, simply resigned - all propaganda, all a lie.

The history of Latin American countries with democratically elected governments, violently usurped by right wing regimes has a long history: by the way, all of which had US backing. The worst that comes to mind was the Pinochet regime in Chile in the early 70's. This Chilean coup d'etat was launched against the elected socialist president, Salvador Allende, with the military and strategic backing of the CIA. At the time, President Nixon ordered the military take over, granted during the height of the Cold War, which over time resulted in the Pinochet regime engaging in over 80,000 assassinations, imprisonment of political agitators, and a near genocide of the indigenous population of the country. Also, not to mention, the forced “disappearances” of the Chilean people rank as high as 3500. Later in 1998, Pinochet, once arriving in London airport, was arrested for crimes against humanity. He was also found to have illegally amassed $24,000,000 through his various corrupt activities throughout his reign. The dictator died on December 2006 without having to face trial.

The US government since the Nixon administration, and the Reagan administration particularly, has engaged in regime change in various Latin American countries at an alarming rate. Without going into too much detail, these countries include: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Bolivia, and the recent failed coup attempt in Venezuela. The US government has not denied these brutal regime changes because as a result of the Truman Doctrine, and during the Cold War, they were “justified” in combating communism. However, the Cold War has been over since 1991. This is not about stopping the evils of the Soviet Union anymore, but a corporate grab for the various countries natural resources.

In a few words, Venezuela has the richest oil reserves on the planet, exceeding those of Saudi Arabia. Bolivia is rich lithium, a mineral used to power our cell phones, and in the future, power our electric automobiles. One would need to be living in a cave not to see the true intentions of the American Corporate empire. (See review: Confessions of a Economic Hit man).

If your average citizen doesn't realise it by now, our MSM is owned by massive corporations, and our government is bought by these corporations. That's the reason they want to feed us the same old right wing talking points, that these brutal regime change actions are democratically motivated. For example, Evo Morales, the elected president of Bolivia, is a dictator, harming the population with socialism. In fact, Morales has done more for the indigenous population in terms of lowering poverty, enhancing education, and stimulating the country's economy, more than any other president before him. The new self-appointed president, who only won 4% of the vote in the last election, justifies the coup as an “Act of God”. Now, she has currently pardoned her military for the murder of indigenous protesters that is rising as I write this piece.

Indeed, for the sake of truth, find your news outside the MSM corporate-state-bubble of egregious propaganda.

John Perkins – Confessions of an Economic Hit man – Review

Since the end of WWII, American imperialism has been on a steady and successful march, according to John Perkins, not with guns, soldiers and bombs, but through economic manipulation, political subterfuge and enormous intimidation.

What Perkins calls the "corporatocracy", a closely networked collusion of government, powerful banks and corporations, (MAIN, Bechtel Group, Halliburton, World Bank, WTO, NSA, CIA and The U.S. Department of Treasury) have infiltrated numerous key third world countries, (Colombia, Indonesia, Argentina, Panama and Ecuador) especially targeted for their abundance of natural resources (oil) or their particular military geographical strategic advantage, hoodwinked to accept enormous loans under the guise of vastly improving the country's infrastructure, creating massive debt, thus, the country is forever beholden, economically held hostage by the creditor, (U.S.) and bullied, intimidated to the extent where the few wealthy benefit while the majority of the country's population suffer in poverty.

Perkins was hired by MAIN, with one primary objective, which was to justify to a particular country borrowing billions of dollars for engineering and construction projects that would be eventually funnelled back to MAIN, because the country would not be able to pay back the loan.This made the country an easy target for unusual favours, such as military bases, U.N. votes, oil and natural resources. 

Perkins was known secretly in this trade as an EHM, economic hit man, inflating economic forecasts on huge construction and engineering projects, with the single intent of bankrupting the particular country. 

The man was trained specifically for this task, evidently battling with his conscience for over

thirty years until a few major world events, such as 9/11, caused him to break away completely.

This book certainly reads like a good Robert Ludlum novel. Perkins' first training came from a smart and attractive woman known as "Claudine", meeting secretly at her apartment, and learning the strategies of an EHM, skilfully inflating economic forecasts on projects to foreign government officials, ensuring billion dollar investments, knowing full well that the country would be in debt in a matter of a few years. "Claudine" goes on to say:

"We're paid - well paid - to cheat countries around the globe out of billions of dollars. A large part of your job is to encourage world leaders to become part of a vast network that promotes commercial interests...we can draw on them whenever we desire - to satisfy our political, economic, or military needs." (P.17)

Perkins cites many examples throughout the text, including the Saudi Arabian Money Laundering Affair connecting the United States to a country that give terrorists asylum, yet will continue to keep the money and oil flowing, making the wealthy richer and our gas tanks full. Even more disturbing are the examples of Argentina, the illegal invasion of Panama, and lastly, the invasion of Iraq, where now the Halliburton Corporation (Vice President Cheney once was CEO) has the contract to "rebuild" this war torn country.

This is an honest account from a man whom was threatened and bribed not to write this book, but could not stand his raging conscience after recent terrible world events that could lead to further crisis.

My gut impression, after turning the last page, is that Perkins is not out to become famous, make more money or seek political office, but a man whose conscience required him to tell this story.

This book is both enlightening and terribly disturbing, but a necessary read for all those concerned about the world situation, and where it is possibly leading.

The Rise of Fascism in Australia

In the last year, it is evident, that the Australian government has become much more authoritarian than any time in recent memory. More accurately, the government has moved heavily Right-wing, instigating raids on the free press, prosecuting whistle-blowers, and currently threatening to outlaw boycott campaigns, that PM Scott Morison argues, "could hurt the country's mining industry.” Boycotting and protesting, PM Morrison, is a basic human right in a democracy.

In 2018, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) stormed a news corp journalist's home, after an article was published, revealing new powers of the Australian Intelligence Agencies to spy on its citizens without due process. These new laws were ratified in secret, and the Australian people would not have known about this draconian law, if not for a whistle-blower contacting the News Corp. journalist.

A day after the raid on the journalists home, the headquarters of the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) in Sydney, was again stormed by the AFP, over the series of stories covering the unlawful murders by the Australian Special Forces in Afghanistan. These are actual War Crimes committed, that the government wanted to keep from the public and the world.

Early 2017, a Australian Tax Office (ATO) whistle-blower, Richard Boyle, revealed severe malpractice within the powerful institution, and could be sentenced to as much as six life terms; this exceeds the sentence of Australia's most prolific serial killer, Ivan Milat. Certainly a huge red flag for anyone concerned with justice and the truth. The government is sending out a terrifying message to all future whistle-blowers: reveal our crimes, and you'll pay for the rest of your life.

Again, Australia's totalitarian-reptilian-head raised omnivorously, with the police brutality in Melbourne last week, over the peaceful climate protesters, Extinction Rebellion, beaten with ferocious violence; while a police officer was photographed flipping the white supremacy hand signal, smirking at the camera. When one watches the video of the police beating on peaceful protesters with abandon, anger is the first visceral response, followed by a tinge of fear, over where Australian society is headed: Absolute-totalitarianism.

As I was thinking about what is currently happening to my country, I was reminded of a line from George Orwell's political satire, Animal Farm.

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

Australia's prime minister is an admirer and close allies with US president, Donald Trump. Both men are right wing hacks devoted to supporting the rich, denying climate change, draconian on immigration, and funded by fossil fuel ass holes, and denying that the climate crises actually exists. Added to this insanity, Trump is backed by the radical Christian Right. Scott Morrison belongs to the Pentecostals, a right wing christian cult, obsessed with the Apocalypse. These sociopaths are focused on Armageddon, hoping to experience the “rapture”, and taken to heaven.

Australia, under the current government, desires to take us into pure fascism. We will never allow this to happen.

Comment: Max Blumenthal's Arrest.

On a quiet Friday morning around 9:00 am, in a suburb of DC. Max Blumenthal, editor of an alternative news outlet, The Grayzone Project, was awoken to loud pounding on his front door. After threats of breaching the entrance, Max opened the door to a swat-style gang of police, a warrant in hand for his immediate arrest. Still wearing his pyjamas, he requested that he retrieve a coat, and followed to his bedroom. Then shackled like a serial killer, bank robber or a member of Al Qaeda, and thrown into a paddy wagon with only a small rope to hold on to, and remanded in D.C., Central Detention Agency for two days, and refused his constitutional phone call to contact his attorney. He was released without bail, and told to await the “paper work” for his future hearing. The arrest warrant was for a minor assault charge, that happened over five months prior, which Blumenthal says is a complete fabrication.

Back in May, the Venezuelan Embassy was under siege by the government's opposition, a false party created by the US government to over throw the democratically elected Maduro government. The diplomatic corp of the embassy fled back to Venezuela, leaving a small group of protesters within the embassy. This small group was given permission to be there, while outside, anti-Maduro and pro- regime change protesters, stood around the building spitting on any adversaries, and engaging in mafia-style intimidation to anyone who crossed them. The DC police were on the side of the spitting thugs, the US government's support of the illegal Juan Guido regime. It was during this time, while Blumenthal and other pro-Maduro protesters, were attempting to give food to those inside the embassy, that this alleged assault occurred.

The Grayzone and particularly Blumenthal, for years have been critics of the US government's foreign policies in Israel/ Palestine, Syria, and Venezuela. In this case, The Grayzone's reporting challenged the Trump administration main-stream narrative, and the MSM's as well, revealing their blatant lies about Venezuela's economic crises. For some pundits and journalist's this charge of assault against Max, is a direct result of his honest reporting. As we know from the many whistle blowers and journalist that have gone against the establishments' narrative, have paid the price with fines, broken lives and imprisonment. Indeed, Julian Assange comes to mind.

What is mind-boggling, and from another perspective, not at all surprising, is the vast majority of the media, have been silent on this obvious authoritarian action against a journalist. This only confirms the troubling fact, that journalism as we once new it, punching up to power, is now part of corporate/government and the wider Military Industrial Complex. This became more than evident on the MSM's attacks or silence about Julian Assange and Wikileaks. Here in Australia, for example, main stream journalist from leading newspapers parroted the untruth that Assange was not a journalist. Journalism, at least in the mainstream, are either stenographers or beacon's of disinformation at the behest of the National Security State.

It should be extremely troubling and down-right terrifying, that our so-called 4^th Estate has gone the way of totalitarianism. When a voice of truth, speaks out against the lies of the establishment and are severely punished for their reporting, we should be all alarmed.

Max Blumenthal's false arrest, detention and intimidation should be a warning not only to the “free press”, but to anybody concerned about our human rights. Freedom of speech. Freedom of the Press.

Authoritarianism is escalating, and something needs to be done, before it's all too late.

Matt Taibbi – HATE INC. - Review

Back in early 2018, at the beginning of the Trump administration, I published a piece on my BLOG titled: “The Purveyors of Propaganda and Divisiveness – Maddow vs. Hannity – two sides of the same Coin?” ( https://sychronicity1.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-purveyors-of-propaganda-and.html .

Interestingly, in just over 500 words, I manage to touch a few of the same themes in Taibi's HATE INC. And that is, generally, news has become a contact sport, “silo'ed” into only two binary clubs. Never offering any real news as such, but speculation, trauma-laden “breaking news” troupes, designed to keep us riveted as consumers, without reporting anything of real value, in terms of our day to day lives.

This cable news phenomenon, first designed by FOX magnate, and sexual predator, Roger Ailes, narrowed the demographic to a very distinct group: white men over 50, conservative, and fearful of any new progressive idea. MSNBC soon caught onto this winning formula of entertainment masking as real journalism, focusing on a uninformed liberal audience, gone feral over the Trump presidency, and hammered conspiracy theory after tall tale about Trump being a traitor and Russian puppet, doing Putin's every bidding. This “Left” leaning target market, these seething Trump haters gobbled these fairy tales up in mouthfuls, pushing Rachel Maddow's ratings through the roof. Making millions for the network, and leaving a wake of un-thinking-Trump hating-conspiracy theorists, that now, even since the Mueller Report revealed otherwise, has remained in the minds of many, who continue to spout Russian nonsense.

Taibbi recalls the neocon push for the Iraqi war, when the NYT's and other mainstream news outlets, rattled the sword for a full-blown invasion. He goes into specifics, how the establishment hacks of MSM, never investigated, but merely acted as stenographers for the military industrial complex. And most of us know how this turned out.

MSM, Taibbi argues, 'You'll find virtually every story checks certain boxes”. (p.41) In chapter 2, “The Ten Rules of Hate”, he lists these rules with a short definition with persuasive examples. As follows:

1. There are only two ideas.
2. The two ideas are in permanent conflict.
3. Hate people not institutions.
4. Everything is someone else's fault.
5. Nothing is everyone's fault.
6. Root, don't think.
7. No switching teams.
8. The other side is literally Hitler.
9. In the fight against Hitler, everything is permitted.
10. Feel superior.

Reading through this list, after three years of watching cable news, I believe you get the idea. The notion here is to instigate a sports fan mindset, my team is absolutely correct, and the other is absolutely wrong. In this limited game of politics, there is no room for nuance, there is no room for thinking outside the box. MSM has moulded us into intellectual imps, waving only blue or red flags, spitting at each other, as we pass each other in the hall. Even more disturbing, any attempt at a bi-partisan idea for, let's say, no more regime change wars, each side would be screaming from their respective silos, that we are all Russian bots or socialist-loving wet blankets – Assadists, Putin puppets or traitors to American exceptionalism. Most of us on social media, for example, has experienced the *hate* first hand.

MSM has turned the news into a contact sport, using superficial, anti-intellectual stances, pushing us into just two camps.

Taibbi writes:

“A political party may be preferable to another. A news channel, though, can't be a vehicle for a political party and be anything but a bad thing.” (p. 272)

At the end of Hate INC., in Appendix 2: An Interview with Noam Chomsky, Taibbi asks Chomsky about his famous text “Manufacturing Consent”, and its relevance to today's toxic binary media. I found this section of the book to be insightful on many levels. A good interview indeed.

For a greater understanding of today's corporate media, it's biases and all-to-easy slip into pure marketing as opposed to real journalism, you would be egregiously remiss, not to crack the covers of, HATE INC.

Edward Rice: Sir Richard Francis Burton: A Life – Review

This is by far one of the best biographies I've read in recent times. Not only is the subject matter astonishing, capturing the life of one of the most exciting figures of the 19th century, the author focuses on the man's profuse writings, thankfully leaving out the once fashionable psychoanalytic approach of interpretation when writing biography. This is the third life history I've read on Richard Burton, and it's certainly the finest written and the most thorough.

Those of you, who are not familiar with R.F. Burton, are in for a thrilling reading experience. This man, probably more so than Lord Byron himself, is the archetypal Byronic figure of the age: a linguist, (29 languages and numerous dialects), scholar of eastern literature and religion, particularly the mystical arm of Islam, Sufi; a practising mystic; explorer of Africa (co-discoverer of the source of the Nile); a secret agent working for her majesty during England's acquisition of India's wealth, known to historians as 'The Great Game'. He was also one of the first white men, who made the Pilgrimage to Mecca, and as Rice argues, Burton was and continued to be a practising Muslim, therefore his pilgrimage was deeply religious as well as a journey of danger and adventure. Burton was dashing, an expert swordsman and horseman, and a prolific writer, poet and translator who rank as one of the best of his time.

Burton is known to most as one of the scholars who brought 'The Arabian Nights' to the West...he heard a lot of the tales through the Persian oral tradition; memorised them in their original language, and sat around many a camp fire in the desert, re-telling these wonderful stories to anyone who would listen. Burton was a storyteller in the truest sense. But 'The Arabian Nights' only scratches the surface of his many translations from eastern literature - 'The Kama Sutra of Vatsyaya' and 'The Perfumed Garden' of the Cheikh Nefzaoui: A Manual of Arabian Erotology', to name an infamous few...

What impressed me most about Burton was his alarming intellectual curiosity, his exhaustive industry as a recorder of foreign cultures. While other 'gentleman' of his time would rather murder the wildlife to take back to their drawing rooms, to then hang on their walls, Burton preferred to sketch and write about the places and people he came across in his travels to then share with the rest of us.

Burton was an incessant scribbler. The man's thirst for life was daunting and this magnetic soul ensured he did not waste a minute of it...

Edward Rice's ~Captain Sir Richard Frances Burton~ is the definitive biography.

Michael Bliss - Harvey Cushing: A life in Surgery - Review.

It is a strange mystery why a man of such accomplishments and medical innovation in the history of neurosurgery, the American pioneer in fact, is not more well known in popular culture.

Dr. Harvey Cushing has to be one of the most fascinating, complex and astounding medical personalities in the last century.

He became the first of American medical men to be an international leader in this special field. Harvey was part of a long line of medical men, his great grandfather, grandfather and father were all competent physicians.

A Yale graduate, later attending Harvard Medical and working at John Hopkins, he paved the way, as he called "The Northwest Passage", in the area of brain tumour surgery, his OR innovations, insistence on sterile working conditions, the use of clips to prevent excessive bleeding and the diagnosis of brain tumours, were all devised and applied by him, having operated on over 2000 patients with brain tumour related illnesses during his long career.

This man takes the term "workaholic" and takes it to an entirely new level. A tireless researcher, recorder, bibliophile, surgeon and prolific writer, his drive and obsession for work and life, set the precedent for future surgeons. A truly remarkable individual.

Michael Bliss, however, is a competent biographer, revealing Cushing's genius as well as his many faults. Cushing was an irascible perfectionist with zero tolerance for any incompetence in the OR. His arrogance and caustic tongue became the stuff of legend; interestingly, as Bliss implies, his personality has become almost a stereotype for the brilliant surgeon, egotistic, sarcastic with no patience for mistakes while in surgery. He was a difficult man to work with and for, however, his care for his patients took priority over all other actions.

Ambitious and single-minded with an insatiable appetite for knowledge, Cushing pioneered brain surgery, writing volumes of medical articles and essays, countless lectures, and even a Pulitzer Prize winning two-volume biography on his mentor and world renowned physician, William Osler.

There are numerous anecdotes in this fine biography, but the one that really stands out is Cushing's first experience with a patient who dies in front of his eyes.

A young student at Harvard, he managed to get invited to assist with `etherizing' patients for surgery. Weeks pass and everything is moving along fine until one evening he administers the ether to a young woman under-going an operation for a strangulated hernia, whose chances for survival are next to nil.

The patient dies before the operation commences minutes after Cushing etherizes her. This of course devastated the young medical student, who walked the streets of Boston deciding to quit the profession. When he returned and told his teacher of his intent, he berated the boy, calling him "a damned fool" and to "buck-up", for they had work to do. He continued on, of course, but remembered this incident over thirty years later.

As any good critical biography should be, it is written with erudition, (explaining medical terms and procedures for the laymen) as well as presenting as a riveting narrative- this is an entertaining and inspiring work of an astonishing individual in American medical history.