Monday, October 22, 2018

Notations From the Grid (Weekly Edition): On Our World




Voting for the Mid-Terms has begun in Earnest. 

 As we went to press, all members of our team had already sent it in their absentee ballots as the surge in voting was noted by the Orange County Registrar of Voters here in Orange County that has seen some of the most exciting of races as the Control of the US House of Representatives is at stake as noted below by the Voice of OC: 









Beyond the voting, there was this:



Reports we reviewed over the course of the past week courtesy of the Guardian of London noted that John Bolton was arguing for the withdrawal of the United States and he has prevailed--he has been ardent Arms Control opponent for years--and we understand he's about to leave for the Russian Federation.   This is as the United States has already withdrawn from the Paris Accords, has upended NAFTA, has undermined the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.

Beyond the shores of the United States, Afghanistan has held its' elections.  It has been bloody as the Taliban have lodged attacks throughout the Country.     This is strikes continue throughout Iran by the Teachers, the Truckers and other economic sectors in spite of this noted by a leading Iranian Analyst our team captured on the Grid over the week-end:


This is as Saudi Arabia is trying to somehow talk itself out of the cuplability of its' Crown Prince in the gruesome murder of the Jouranlist Jamal Khashoogi.    There were some attempts to somehow present an alternative view of Mr. Khashoggi   featured on the Real News Network:



This still, in our view, not justify the apparent brutal way in which he was murdered--and people evolve and grow--and what he noted in our view in his final column gave voice to the brutal realities of the over 400 Million residents of the Middle East who have been subjected to such brutal repression for a long time--with the direct support of the United States.     As Senior Officials of the Crown Prince's Entourage have been fired, President Trump's view is that is a "great first step", No one seems to be buying this explanation as exemplified by this reported over the weekend by the Washington Post. 

Truly challenging times indeed as a New Week Dawns......

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Notations On Our World (Special Edition): Remembering #JamalKhashoggi

The Journalist and Columnist for the Washington Post, Jamal Khashoggi went into the Saudi Consulate over two weeks ago and never came out.     His colleagues at the Washington Post remembered him as we agree with Karen Attah as she noted, "..his words are not gone".      This is as the Washington Post published his final column and the US Secretary of State advised the President to give the Saudis more time: 



We extend our profound condolences to Mr.Khashoggi's family, his fiancee and the Washington Post Family.  May He RIP.
  

Monday, October 15, 2018

Notations on Our World (Weekly Edition): On the Week That Was In Our World (Updated)

As a new week dawns,  our team decided to do a "snapshot" of the week that was as we await the fate of Jamal Khasoggi (as Saudi Arabia Came out Swinging) , assess the aftermath of Hurricane Michael,  the midterms loom and as the President of the United States sat down with 60 Minutes .   As we went to press with this snapshot, we were seeing reports of Cleaning Crews going into the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul as Turkish Investigators were preparing to enter the Consulate to do a search to investigate what actually happened--and as President Trump asserted that rogue killers may have killed the Journalist: 




Will the Disappearance of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi Bring Down the US-Saudi Alliance?
Journalist James M. Dorsey says Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) has suffered significant reputational damage on the eve of a major global trade conference known as Vision 2030 or  “Davos in the Desert”

Climate Crisis is Even More Dire Than the New IPCC Report Says
The IPCC’s new report is groundbreaking, but it misses crucial points on climate tipping points and feedbacks that could make the crisis even more urgent, says Durwood Zaelke of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development

Israeli Authorities Step Up anti-BDS Policies: Political Test to Enter Israel
Israel border authorities have detained US-Palestinian student for her alleged Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) activism, denying her entry into Israel, despite having a visa. Tallie Ben-Daniel of Jewish voice for Peace discusses the case and what it means for the BDS movement

What Does Low Unemployment Rate Mean When Most Jobs Created Are Low Wage?
3.9% Unemployment rate with almost half of new jobs low wage no benefits. And how many stopped looking for work? Saurav Sarkar of the Institute for Policy Studies discusses what’s behind the numbers

Author of New IPCC Report Says She Still Has Hope
The IPCC’s new report says we could face irreversible consequences of climate change by as soon as 2030, but a coordinating lead author of the report says policymakers, businesses, and individuals can still make big changes to protect our future

Is the U.S. Complicit in Saudi Journalist's Disappearance?
President Trump says the US is pressing Saudi Arabia for answers on the fate of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But new questions are being raised about the US role after a Washington Post report that U.S. intelligence intercepted communications of Saudi officials discussing a plan to capture and “lay hands on” Khashoggi. We speak to…

Trump Tears up Treaties Pushing for War on Iran, Using Bush-Style Iraq Lies
As the US ramps up aggression against Iran, withdrawing from agreements and imposing crippling sanctions, Iranians fear Trump and the neocons he surrounded himself with want war – and are echoing Bush-era Iraq “WMD” lies to justify it



It's Time for Chuck Schumer to Go
I'm sure he's a swell guy and a good fundraiser, but Chuck Schumer is not a wartime consigliere. And he is not suited to these times; he's too close to Wall Street and his latest deal with Mitch McConnell makes him look like the biggest sucker in two cordovans. At this point, I don't see a way for the Democrats to take the Senate. But, majority or minority, Chuck Schumer ought to be done as a leader of the Democratic Party in this moment. Gold watch, a hearty handshake, a warm ovation, and off the stage with him. Read More
Anderson Cooper Offered a Stunning Reminder of Where Our President's Attention Isn't
We were treated to another Presidential Circus on Thursday when Kanye West met Donald Trump in the Oval Office for the Narcissism Summit. All the while, though, the Florida Panhandle—and, soon enough, Georgia—was dealing with the worst storm ever to make landfall there. Hurricane Michael slammed into the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 with 155 mile-per-hour winds. It was the most powerful storm to hit the United States in 50 years. That observation was part of a remarkable segment Cooper put together last night, in which he placed footage of the Donald-Kanye summit next to footage of the devastating aftermath of the third-most violently powerful hurricane ever to strike this country. Read More


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