Tag: Rand Paul

[07-2023] Zelensky showing ‘authoritarian traits’, says Swiss intelligence report

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Ukraine is at a “critical point” in its democratic evolution as it heads towards presidential elections in 2024, says a confidential assessment by the Federal Intelligence Service.

Zelensky showing ‘authoritarian traits’, says Swiss intelligence report (archived)

H/T: Emil Cosman / Rand Paul

Related:

[2021] Ukraine’s Accelerating Slide into Authoritarianism

The Maidan Revolution alumni now seem to be trying to devour even some of their own members. In mid‐May, Kiev mayor Vitali Klitschko charged agents of the SBU, Ukraine’s state security agency, had come to his apartment in what he denounced as a continuing attempt by his political rival, Zelensky, to put pressure on him. Earlier in May, the SBU, the state prosecutor’s office, and police carried out large‐scale searches of various units of the Kiev city government, accusing the local authorities of misappropriation of budget funds and tax evasion, among other offenses. Although Klitschko was one of the original leaders of the Maidan demonstrations, Zelensky apparently now regards him as an annoying rival, since the Kiev mayor was a close ally of former president Poroshenko.

[2021] KIIS poll: Every fifth Ukrainian ready to vote for Zelensky in presidential elections

If presidential elections were held soon, incumbent head of state Volodymyr Zelensky would receive about 21.8% of the vote, according to the results of a sociological survey “Social and Political Sentiments of Ukraine” conducted by Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).

Sen. Rand Paul: Ukraine Has Canceled Their Elections, So No We’re Not Defending Democracy

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Sen. Rand Paul: Ukraine Has Canceled Their Elections, So No We’re Not Defending Democracy

I don’t think good idea for our country to borrowing. We’ve given them, I think over $113 billion, they’re asking for another $24 billion. But if you read between lines, they’ll tell you it will last about two to three months and then they’ll be back again. Every two to three months they’re over here, you know, he’ll be here again today begging for more money.

US to cut military presence in Niger + Pentagon lied to Congress

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The Pentagon reportedly plans to pull out some of its troops from the African country

The US has begun “repositioning” the troops it has in Niger and plans to cut their number “nearly in half” over the next several weeks, Politico reported on Friday citing two Defense Department officials.

US to cut military presence in Niger

Related:

Pentagon Misled Congress About U.S. Bases in Africa

Rand Paul: Why do we still have troops in Niger?

US Intel Report Reveals No Incident Occurred at Wuhan Lab That Could Have Caused Pandemic, along with some observations and sarcasm

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

*But anonymous sources, at the State Department, told me that ‘patient zero’ had COVID-19! 🙄

Source.

Cleared by Congress, legislation later signed by US President Joe Biden in March ordered the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to declassify information regarding the potential origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The measure forced the DNI to declassify its report within 90 days.

US Intel Report Reveals No Incident Occurred at Wuhan Lab That Could Have Caused Pandemic

H/T: Unorthodox Truth

*Some observations: WCWP does not seem to prove that Ben Hu was ‘patient zero’. They link to a Daily Caller article, whose source is David Asher, who served in Trump’s State Department. He also happens to be a former Adjunct Senior Fellow at the ‘liberal’ hawkish think tank, Center for a New American Security. He’s currently a senior fellow at Hudson Institute and on the board of advisors of FDD’s Center on Economic and Financial Power (more neocon/hawkish think tanks). They also quote former FDA Commissioner, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, whom happens to be a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (neocon think tank) and on the boards of directors for Illumina, Inc and Pfizer (Big Pharma). See a pattern, here?!

Related:

Ridiculous,’ says Chinese scientist accused of being pandemic’s patient zero (archived)

Hu and two of his WIV colleagues were thrown into the furious COVID-19 origin debate on 13 June when an online newsletter called Public said the three scientists developed COVID-19 in November 2019. That was prior to the outbreak becoming public when a cluster of cases at the end of December 2019 surfaced in people linked to a Wuhan marketplace. Public’s report was quickly embraced by a camp that argues COVID-19 came from a virus stored, and possibly manipulated, at WIV, rather than from infected animal hosts, perhaps being sold at the Wuhan market. A Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article on 20 June that said it had “confirmed” the allegations against the three, without referring to any public evidence or named sources with direct knowledge, fueled the flames even more. Social media and other publications spread the charges—and the scientists’ names.

Senate Leaves AUMF for Secret Wars in Force

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)1 Comment

On March 29, the Senate voted to repeal two Authorizations for the Use of Military Force, (AUMF’s), one passed in 1991 and another in 2002. The repeal now goes to the House. But those Authorizations are irrelevant to the present; they apply only to the Iraq war. But a third AUMF, passed in 2001, was left untouched. And that AUMF is the only one that has a bearing on the present moment, because it provides legal cover for the many US military operations, open and secret, around the world.

Senate Leaves AUMF for Secret Wars in Force

Congress’ Best Idea to Save Local Journalism Would Actually Hurt It + Some Temporary Good News

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Congress’ Best Idea to Save Local Journalism Would Actually Hurt It

Meta reported $114.93 million in ad revenue in 2021, whereas Google reported $209 billion. But determining how much of that publishers should get is difficult—and the JCPA doesn’t even try. One version of the JCPA proposed platforms and publishers negotiate an agreed-to payment, and if they couldn’t come to a consensus, they’d enter forced-arbitration with no formula for what is fair. But whether the money would end up being vast or a modest bump to the bottom line, not every publication stands to benefit if the JCPA becomes law. While the JCPA’s alliances allow for partnerships, exclusionary elements of the JCPA would encourage big brands to unite selectively at the expense of smaller ones and shut out niche independent journalistic outlets altogether.

Related:

JCPA Update: The Dangerous Link Tax That Still Won’t Save Local Journalism

The original text of the JCPA already authorized print media companies to form one or several cartels and collectively bargain with the largest online platforms—defined in terms that single out Facebook and Google. Although the bill hinted at these news cartels being able to demand payment for merely linking to their content, or hosting snippets like the results you get from Google News, the mechanism by which they would be paid was left vague. However, the fact that the bill allowed news companies to withhold content strongly suggested a claim to some sort of property right, or ancillary copyright, that the targeted platforms would owe for hosting links and snippets.

Some Temporary Good News: None Of The Really Bad Internet Bills Seem To Have Made It Into The NDAA

This would also hurt independent media and bloggers (you would have to pay a ‘link tax’ to corporate media for linking to their articles—see below image)! So far, it hasn’t passed (it was attached to the NDAA) but there’s still the omnibus spending bill and the next session of Congress!

Source.

10/22/22 Patrick MacFarlane on the Populist Right’s Taiwan Hypocrisy

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those of Ms. Cat’s Chronicles.

Scott is joined by Patrick MacFarlane, the Justin Raimondo Fellow at the Libertarian Institute, to discuss an article he wrote recently as well as the new direction he’s taking his podcast Vital Dissent. Scott and MacFarlane first dig into the growing tension between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan’s sovereignty. MacFarlane points out that some of the best opposition to both the policies that provoked Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and NATO’s subsequent response is from populist right-wingers. But those very same people throw all their logic out the window when the topic turns from Russia to China.

Discussed on the show:

– Nothing But Welfare Queens: American Aid to Zelensky and Tsai Ing-wen

– Vital Dissent

10/22/22 Patrick MacFarlane on the Populist Right’s Taiwan Hypocrisy