Saturday, October 01, 2022

The movie you need to see

 

If you like funny movies, you'll love BROS.  The film stars Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane.  They meet at a club with Aaron showing up and disappearing repeatedly.  Finally, they go on a date.  But one's afraid of being close and the other's afraid of being hurt -- that's my interpretation of Bobby.

Teachers let him down, even his own father.  Bobby doesn't want to be hurt again.  Then Aaron hurts him in the worst way -- the same way the teachers and his father did -- asking him to be something he's not, to refute who he is.

Only the ones we love can really wound us.  We can walk off the other injuries.

And Bobby loves Aaron and Aaron loves Bobby.  

And you want them to get together.  You understand the hurdle, the mountain between them, but you want them to get togther.


And they do.


And you're laughing throughout.  


It's a hilarious film.  I hope you'll see it.


I hope we live in a world where this film can find a big home.


And if you were a SCANDAL fan, heads up, because Huck is in it.  Guiellermo Diaz, who was also on WEEDS as Guiellermo and he was in PARTY GIRL (the movie) as Leo.  Jim Rash who was the dean on COMMUNITY is also in the film, so is Debra Messing (and she's very funny in it -- especially whens he explodes that she is tired of every gay guy assuming she is Grace -- that it's a role she won an Emmy for it, that she even beat Sarah Jessica Parker that year) and Amanda Bearce who was Marcy Darcy on MARRIED WITH CHILDREN and Harvey Fierstein (he runs a bed and breakfast in Provincetown that Bobby and Aaron stay at) and Monica Raymond (CHICAGO FIRE's Gabriela) and GLEE's Dot-Marie Jones and Kenan Thompson and Ben Stiller and Amy Schumer and a lot more.


It's very funny.  You will howl with laughter.

And you'll laugh -- because it's a funny song -- when Billy's Bobby sings a song about falling in love with Aaron but you'll also cry a little because Bobby and Aaron really do belong together.


"Iraq snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):

Friday, September 30, 2022.   Terrorist, the catch all excuse for violence.




Yesterday, the State Dept's Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel conducted a telephone press briefing and we'll note this:

QUESTION: Thank you. Hi, Vedant. Thank you for taking my question. I have a question about Iran as well but not the sanctions. Regarding the possible fatalities in Iraqi Kurdistan due to the Iranian missile attacks, do you have any updates – have there – do you know of any Americans having been among those killed? Because we have gotten information on at least one individual, U.S. citizen. And also the second part of my question, yesterday, the Iranian president said that the demonstrations are part of a U.S. plot. Did the Biden administration ask the people to go out on the streets and demonstrate? Thank you.

MR PATEL: Thanks, Guita. First and foremost as it relates to the attacks, I want to reiterate that we condemn Iran’s violations of Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. And the genesis of your question – we can confirm that a U.S. citizen was killed as a result of a rocket attack in the Iraqi Kurdistan region yesterday, but due to privacy considerations I don’t have any further comments to provide.

And on your piece about the protests – these protests are not at all about the United States. This is about the Iranian Government and its efforts to cut or disrupt access to the internet, its efforts to crack down on peaceful protestors, its efforts to infringe on basic human rights. That’s what these protests are about. It is not about the United States.


The government of Iran claims it was attacking terrorists.  From PRESS TV:

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force has defended the latest ballistic missile and drone strikes against terrorist bases in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, stating that operations will continue until all anti-Iran separatist and terrorist outfits holed up in the rugged mountainous area lay down their arms and surrender.

 “In the wake of an uptick in the seditious acts of separatist and terrorist groups stationed in Iraq’s northern region (of Kurdistan), the proven role and involvement of some terrorist and separatist outfits in the recent riots that have gripped some Iranian towns and cities, the discovery and neutralization a major sabotage plot hatched by Komala terrorist group against Iran's nuclear facilities, and disregard of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials for calls demanding the destruction of the terrorists’ bases, the IRGC Ground Force identified their command centers and headquarters, which were also instigating and supporting recent wicked acts, and heavily bombarded them in a decisive and retaliatory response,” it announced in a statement.

And, of course, the government of Turkey always claims it is targeting terrorists in Iraq.  IANS notes:

Turkish forces have destroyed 16 targets of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Iraq, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said.

The operation destroyed caves, bunkers, shelters and command posts of the PKK, a Kurdish militant political organisation which is outlawed by Ankara, in the Asos Mountain region of Iraq on Tuesday, the Minister told reporters on Thursday.

The targets were hit by airstrikes of the Turkish Air Force, Xinhua news agency quoted local media reports as saying.

Turkey respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty rights of all its neighbours, especially Iraq and Syria, Akar noted.

'Syrians are our brothers, Iraqis are our brothers. There is no problem with that. Our problem is terrorists. We are after terrorists. This struggle will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated,' he said.



And, don't forget, US troops are in Iraq and went there in the first place because of 'terrorism' (the US government and media falsely linked Iraq to 9/11 and the US government also falsely claimed Iraq had WMDs).

Yesterday was the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste:


BAGHDAD – On the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) call for action to address food loss and adopt sustainable food waste management in Iraq.

IDAFLW aims to raise awareness about food loss, waste issues and possible solutions, to promote global efforts and collective actions toward meeting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 12.3 that aims at halving per capita global food waste at retail and consumer levels and reducing food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses by 2030.

We call upon the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to establish develop national targets and strategies in line with SDG 12.3. We also call on the government to encouraging supply chain collaboration with the aim to reduce food waste during production, processing and storage stages as well as support innovative behavioral changes to shift and reduce consumer food waste norms.

To reduce food waste in Iraq, efforts must be made to encourage improved behavioral practices among food providers and consumers, as well as increased investments in intra-regional trade and the modernization of food supply chains.

Globally, while more than 820 million people go to bed hungry each night, FAO estimates that one-third of global food production – estimated at 1.3 billion tons of food – is annually lost or wasted along the supply chain, amounting to a financial loss of about US$ 1 trillion annually. The food produced but never eaten would be enough to feed two billion people[RN1] . That’s more than twice the number of people on the verge of famine across the globe. 

Food production has environmental and monetary costs and has become increasingly difficult in the current climatic condition with an ever-increasing population is very difficult. Food waste and food loss drains valuable resources such as water, land, energy, labour and capital especially in the region; one of the world’s most affected by water scarcity.

The impact of food waste on the environment is also massive; it is estimated that food loss contributes 6-8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, effectively helping accelerate climate change. Most of the discarded food ends up in landfills, and as it decomposes it produces methane, a greenhouse gas that has 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide.

FAO and WFP renew their commitment to work with both governments to develop and implement “awareness campaigns” and “food banks” to mitigate food waste by collecting unserved food and channeling it to people who need it and complement Iraq’s efforts to end poverty, reduce hunger and improve human health.[RN2]




Combatting hunger effectively, or climate change, or anything requires a functional government.  Iraq still doesn't have one.  







October 10th, elections were held.  Still no president, still no prime minister, still no Cabinet of Ministers.  Ten days away from a full year since the election and still nothing.



Two years earlier, in October 2019, young Iraqis across central and southern Iraq took to the streets to protest. This movement, known as Thawrat Tishreen – Arabic for October Revolution – did not call for the removal of a specific leader or party but instead for revolution against the system. They chanted: ‘We will never back off. No way. Let all parties hear us.’

Since elections only reinforced the toxic political order, its followers refused to vote and instead insisted that protest was the only way to be heard. Iraq’s ruling elite struggled to respond to Thawrat Tishreen. They could no longer convince the electorate that they represented their ethnic, sectarian or other communities, or that they promoted democracy and reform. Nor could they provide economic benefits, namely public sector jobs.

Ideologically and economically bankrupt, Iraq’s elite and the political machinery turned to direct violence to suppress the movement, killing hundreds of protesters and wounding thousands more.

Since then, the system has continued to employ violence to minimize free speech and protest. Someone familiar with this is Ahmed al-Bashir, the prominent Iraqi political satirist. To continue producing his Albasheer Show on television and YouTube, which reaches millions of Iraqis, Bashir lives and works outside Iraq because of threats to his life. ‘In Iraq there is no longer free speech,’ he said at Chatham House’s annual Iraq Initiative conference last year.

Demographic realities and shrinking public authority have exacerbated intra-elite fragmentation. One speaker close to the Sadrist movement has stated that Sadr wants none of the former leaders to be able to participate in elections or government formation.

Sadr’s attempt to form a majority government after his 2021 electoral victory was his solution to the crisis and a bid to regain some ideological power with his base and the wider, disenfranchised population.
Following its failure and this summer’s violence, the Sadrists seem unwilling to play by the rules of the game and form another consensus government.   

In response, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Iraq, has struggled to bring together the elite, including Sadr and Nouri al-Maliki, to reach a consensus government to combat the direct violence. Following the clashes in August, the United Nations
Assistance Mission for Iraq issued a statement that ‘Iraqis cannot be held hostage to an unpredictable and untenable situation.’

However, Iraqis have not only been held hostage to the recent violent clashes, they have been hostages of the political order put in place after 2003, when the US-led coalition worked with returning exiled Iraqi political parties to establish muhasasa. Since then, this ruling elite has acquired its wealth and power through corruption.
 
Iraq’s political system has proved resistant to both grassroots revolutionary protest and attempts at manipulation by its elite. In their current efforts at stabilization, both Iraqi and international actors are again focusing on a short-term settlement within the elite. Their solution is to limit the direct violence that erupted this summer in the hope that this will lead to change.

But such a settlement will not address the everyday conflict consuming Iraqis. Instead, it will reinforce the status quo and once again ignore the dynamics of structural violence, which will continue to take the larger toll of lives.


Lastly,  Will Lehman is running for president of the United Auto Workers union.  Big Tech is opposing his campaign as evidenced by Twitter's latest move.


On Thursday morning at approximately 11 a.m. Eastern, Twitter locked the account of United Auto Workers presidential candidate and rank-and-file worker Will Lehman. The action against Lehman’s account, which Twitter falsely claimed was implemented in response to violation of its rules, is a flagrant act of censorship and attack on the democratic rights of workers.

The lock on Lehman’s account came without warning, Lehman’s campaign told the WSWS, occurring almost immediately after it tweeted a thread reporting on the support for his campaign among John Deere agricultural equipment workers.

The specific tweet in the thread that Twitter claimed violated its rules stated, “Equality is a central concern of workers, as this young worker at Deere Harvester says:”

The tweet included a short video of a young worker at Deere’s Harvester Works expressing his support for Lehman’s campaign.

In the video, a supporter of Lehman asks the worker, “So what do you think about what Will’s calling for, building a rank-and-movement of workers to put an end to the UAW bureaucracy and fight for what workers need?”

John Deere Harvester worker voices support for UAW presidential candidate Will Lehman

The worker replies, “I think Will’s doing a good job in putting into this. We need someone to step up in the union, to give us the chance to have equal rights, just like the salaried side. I think what Will is doing is good for the future of John Deere Harvester, and I’m right behind you Will.”




The following sites updated:

Posted by at

Thursday, September 29, 2022

Big Sky

BIG SKY.  Episode two of season three aired last night.  I'm not doing recaps.  I don't know how people do that.  I'm not going to summarize a 60 minute shows.  I will note that Jensen Ackles is a good addition to the cast.  He's also much better on this then on THE BOYS.  (I didn't think he was awful on THE BOYS but the show never let the character develop.)  Did Cassie change her hair?  I'm not remembering the middle part.  I'm assuming Jerrie is gone.  She and Cassie were in the triangle with the detective that's now gone and I miss him.  

Pretty much everyone's gone.  Ren's gone, her brother's gone.  

The new evil person this year?  I think it's Reba McIntire.  I think?  She can't act.  She couldn't act on REBA and she can't act here.  Ava and C.I. nailed her 'performances' years ago when they wrote:

That a professional singer could deliver her lines in the same pattern with the same emphasis makes us seriously question how talented Reba McEntire is as a singer? She's like a teacher on the Peanuts cartoons but enuciating a little more clearly.

It doesn't matter what the line is, she's saying it her usual bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bah. And you can't miss the sneak to the audience that seems to say, "Ain't I funny! Don't I tickle you!"

It's as though The Brady Bunch's Susan Olson's body grew but not her mind or her talent.



That's Reba.  Her son Walter may be the bigger evil.  I can't tell.  We were supposed to think he was crazy and evil but he might just be crazy.  Reba seems to control him.  We thought he killed a hiker in the first episode.  Turns out, he didn't.  He brought the hiker to Reba.  Reba dismissed him and then let the hiker die next to her.  

Don't feel sad for the hiker.  Reba was crouched next to him singing.  Bleeding while she sings or dying?  I'd go with dying.


I need to tell Mike about Walter -- he's played by Seth Gabel and I know Mike liked him on FRINGE.  

So Reba runs a resort where you hike.  And there's a man who worked for a company making airplanes that became a whistle-blower because the planes will crash.  That's what Jenny's working on.  Cassie's trying to find the missing hiker (who is now dead).   Beau (Jensen -- I keep wanting to type Dean, his character on SUPERNATURAL) has a daughter and she and her step-father are at Reba's dude ranch/resort.  Also on the excursion?  A couple that has stolen money or something.  This episode ended with Beau's daughter running from the man in that couple after she discovered -- and took a picture of -- him trying to wash a lot of blood off in the river.  

I like this season better for one reason: Children are not the targets.  As a parent, that was hard to watch last season.


"Iraq snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):

Thursday, September 29, 2022.  The US government and the western media is concerned about attacks on Iraq . . . when carried out by Iran and Joe Biden sports his dementia publicly.

Sometimes Iraq gets attention from the press.  We're never supposed to notice that some topics really get glommed on by the press and we're never ever supposed to notice that these topics that the press just loves seemed geared to increase the likelihood of war.  David Gritten (BBC NEWS) reports:

Thirteen people have been killed in Iraq's Kurdistan Region, officials say, as Iran launched missiles and armed drones at what it said were bases of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups.

A pregnant woman was reportedly among those who died in the strikes.

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps said it hit "separatist terrorists" who had supported recent "riots".



The strikes were reported after Iranian authorities accused armed Iranian Kurdish dissidents of attacking and infiltrating Iran from the northwest of the country to sow insecurity and riots and spread unrest, especially in the northwest where most of the country’s population of over 10 million Kurds live.

Nine people were killed and 32 wounded in the attacks near Erbil and Sulaimaniya in Iraqi Kurdistan, its health minister, Saman Bara­zanchi, said in a statement.


There are many other outlets reporting but let's move on to condemnations.  KUNA notes:

Arab League Secretary General Ahmad Abul Gheit condemned on Thursday Iran's missile-drone strikes that took place over the past days targeting many areas in Kurdistan region norther Iraq, resulting in a a number of deaths and injuries.
He expressed in a statement his total rejection of such Iranian violations of the Iraqi sovereignty, calling on Iran to respect the international law and good neighbliness principles, and to stop undermining regional stability and security.


UNICEF delivered the following statement:

“UNICEF abhors and condemns the attack which impacted a school today in a refugee settlement in Koya, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. 

“At least two children were injured and one pregnant woman was killed, according to initial reports. UNICEF extends its sincere condolences to the families and friends of those killed and wishes the injured children a fast and complete recovery.

“Attacks on children and their school facility are unacceptable and can be a grave violation of children’s rights. School facilities should always be a safe place for every child, where children can learn, play and grow to reach their full potential.

“UNICEF reiterates its call on all parties to protect children from all forms of violence at all times and under all circumstances, and to respect the Safe Schools Declaration.”



The US State Dept issued this pronouncement from spokesperson Ned Price:

We strongly condemn Iran’s use of ballistic missiles and drone attacks against the Iraqi Kurdistan Region as an unjustified violation of Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity.  We are also aware of reports of civilian casualties and deplore any loss of life caused by today’s attack. Moreover, we further condemn comments from the government of Iran threatening additional attacks against Iraq. We stand with the people and government of Iraq in the face of these brazen attacks on their sovereignty.


Not only did the State Dept offer that, the issue also came up at yesterday's press briefing.


QUESTION: You put out a statement condemning the missile and drone attack by the Islamic Republic of Iran against the Iraqi Kurdistan. What is the U.S. Government doing to protect – to help protect the region, especially given that there are U.S. forces stationed there as well?

MR PRICE: So you’re right. We did put out a statement. We put out a statement in my name. The National Security Advisor also condemned these drone and missile attacks against Iraq’s Kurdistan region earlier today. We’ve made the point that we stand with Iraq’s leaders, its leaders in its Kurdistan region as well as in Baghdad, in condemning what was a brazen assault on Iraq’s own sovereignty and Iraq’s own territorial integrity. This is unfortunately just another instance of Iran’s flagrant disregard for not only the lives of their own people but also for their neighbors and for what are core principles at the crux of the UN Charter: sovereignty, territorial integrity.

This is not the first time that we have seen Iran use these tactics – ballistic missiles and drones – but we are going to continue working with our partners in the region to help them defend against these types of threats. And we can do that in a number of different ways. We have levied sanctions when it comes to networks of UAV – when it comes to UAV networks in Iran. We have taken a number of steps with partners in the region to provide them with supplies and assistance that they would need to defend themselves against the types of Iranian-provided weapons systems that are such a destabilizing force. So we’ll continue to do that. Ultimately this was an attack – a brazen assault on the sovereignty of Iraq. And the most important thing we can do in many ways is to stand with Iraq’s leaders, Iraq’s leaders in Baghdad, Iraq’s leader in the region – leaders of Kurdistan and Erbil going forward.

QUESTION: Have they reached out for any assistance?

MR PRICE: I’m not aware of any requests for assistance?

QUESTION: Same topic.

QUESTION: Can I follow up on that? So a duel citizen or an American citizen was actually confirmed to be among the killed. We just confirmed that. But also the CENTCOM put out a statement saying that they shot down a drone that they believe was going towards American forces. So is there any safety concerns for Americans in Kurdistan region?

MR PRICE: In the aftermath of these attacks, we did an accountability check. In the aftermath of that, we determined that there were no casualties on the part of American officials in the region. Of course, we take threats – potential threats like this very seriously but in this case there’s nothing to suggest that American officials were injured.

QUESTION: So I know that you guys have two statements out, but I am just curious what’s the understanding here. Why is Kurdistan region a target of Iranian attack?

MR PRICE: That would be a question for Tehran, not for Washington.

QUESTION: And last question. During the Obama administration and then early Trump administration, the Iranian opposition were able to engage with U.S. officials, but then former Secretary Mike Pompeo put out an order to kind of refrain from engaging with the Iranian opposition. What is the position of your administration? Do you guys engage with them? If not, why not?

MR PRICE: The Iranian opposition inside of Iran?

QUESTION: Or here, like —

MR PRICE: Of course, we’re always open to listening to those who have a perspective when it comes to Iran and its people. I think the most important thing we can do is to listen to those brave Iranians who were peacefully taking to the streets to exercise and to make clear their aspirations for greater levels of democracy, of freedom, of human rights. It’s important that the world not only listen but important that the world be able to hear them in the first place.

And so that’s why we’ve taken some of the steps we have not only in recent years, including the general license that was issued in 2014 but the so-called General License D-2 that we issued late last week, whose primary purpose was to allow the voice of the Iranian people to be heard by the outside world. It’s an important tool, and it’s – since the issuance of this general license last Friday, we’ve seen indications that U.S. technology companies have availed themselves of this newfound ability to provide services to the Iranian people. It is our hope that the Iranian people are in a position to take advantage of these – of this new technology, of these new services, not only to communicate with one another but to see to it that their voices are heard around the world.

Yes, in back.

QUESTION: You said there were no U.S. officials among the victims. There was one U.S. citizen. His name is Omar (inaudible), known as Chichu. So do you have any response other than the statement you put out?

MR PRICE: I am not aware that we’ve been able to confirm that just yet, but if and when we are, we’ll let you know.

QUESTION: Also, I have a question about sanctions, because you were talking about sanctioning the morality police. I want to ask about the – about the existing sanctions that we already have in place regarding specifically Iranian oil sanctions. Do you believe that these sanctions at the moment are properly executed? Because based on statistics, we know Iran boost its own oil exports, specifically to China.

MR PRICE: So some of the – and these are all, of course, open-source estimates, and so to some extent there is always going to be a margin of error when you look at statistics like that. I think what we can say with some confidence is that some of the open-source statistics have been inflated, and that is the case when it comes to certain reports of Iranian oil exports to the PRC.

But the fact of the matter is that sanctions and sanctions enforcement, it is an iterative – it requires an iterative approach. We are always looking at ways we can optimize the sanctions regimes that are in place around the world. We can optimize them in two important ways. One is to ensure that there aren’t humanitarian implications and to make sure there aren’t spillover effects on arenas that are important to us – like humanitarian arenas, for example – but also to ensure that the limitations and the restrictions that these sanctions are designed to impose are as constricting as possible.

So even in the case of Iran, in recent weeks not only have we leveled – and levied, excuse me – new sanctions against Iran’s petrochemical and – petrochemical industry, but we’ve taken action against sanction evasion networks precisely for the reason that you highlight. We’re always in discussion not only with our interagency to determine what more we can do as a government, but also with other governments as well to make sure that we’re all working together to see to it that these sanctions regimes are as biting as possible.

Yes.


It's so very rare for Iraq to get attention from the press or the US State Dept.  

Bombing Iraq?  Violence and nothing to be praised absolutely.  But those of us who aren't idiots?  We immediately think of Turkey and how the government of Turkey has been bombing Iraq -- specifically Kurdistan -- for years now.  Terrorizing the citizens.  Sending armed troops into the country.  Establishing military bases in the country.  

And, in fact, Turkey attacked yesterday as well.  Tom O'Connor (NEWSWEEK) reports:


Iran and Turkey have conducted a series of strikes against rival Kurdish groups in the north of neighboring Iraq at a time when the country's capital has been consumed by political unrest and clashes between protesters and security forces.

[. . .]

Also on Wednesday, the Turkish Armed Forces announced a separate operation that "neutralized" two members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), another Kurdish separatist group involved in an insurgency against Turkey for four decades. The raid was part of the ongoing Operation Claw-Lock launched in April by Ankara as the latest effort in a years-long cross-border campaign.

The sites of both Iranian and Turkish military activity are under the immediate jurisdiction of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government, which condemned Iran's strikes on Wednesday.


And contrast the press briefing yesterday with the one on July 20th following Turkey's attacking on a resort in Duhok Province leaving at least nine dead:


QUESTION: Thank you, Ned. In the beginning of the briefing, you said the rules-based international order, undermined anywhere it’s undermined everywhere. Does that also apply to Turkish violation of the sovereignty of its neighbors? Just this morning Turkey bombed a civilian tourist site, killing eight Iraqi tourists and wounding over 20. Are you, first, aware of those reports? And if you’re not, are you generally concerned about Turkish repetitive violation of the sovereignty of its neighbors?

MR PRICE: I am aware of those reports. I do expect we’ll have more to say on this later today, but let me just say in the interim that we’re aware of the deadly shelling in northern Iraq today. It killed and injured numerous Iraqis, including civilians, according to these first reports. We reaffirm our position that military action in Iraq should respect Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity, and we express our condolences to the families of the victims of today’s actions. We emphasize the importance of ensuring civilians are protected and we will continue to monitor the situation closely as additional information emerges. For the time being, we’ll defer to our Iraqi partners for additional comment.

But to your broader question, the rules-based international order is agnostic as to the country behind it, and it applies equally to the United States as it does to any other country, whether that’s in the Middle East, in Europe, in the Indo-Pacific, in any other region around the world.

QUESTION: Did it apply to the United States in 2003?

MR PRICE: We can go down the historical rabbit hole, but I will try and – we’ll try and finish up here.


And that was that.  But we're never supposed to compare and contrast or interpret what gets covered and what doesn't and what gets the emphasis and what doesn't.

Which brings us back to a topic we've been covering since last week: Zainab Essam al-Khazali.


Zainab Essam Al-Khazali, a 15 year old girl was just shot dead by U.S troops in Iraq. No media outrage? No feminists crying? Oh yeah thats right because the news only shows what deaths fit their agenda. (Thread)
Image

The death of 15 yr-old girl #ZainabEssam Majed al-Khazali, killed by a stray bullet fired by #US forces in #Iraq exposes Western double standards!! Random shooting, collateral damage...?! No more hypocrisy & double standards! Justice and accountability for all! #justiceforZainab

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan declared, "Iran cannot deflect blame from its internal problems and the legitimate grievances of its population with attacks across its borders."  Who is deflecting from killing Zainab?



The story: The killing of a young girl allegedly at the hands of US forces has sparked outrage in Iraq. Iran’s allies in the country are capitalizing on the public backlash to double down on their demand that American troops must withdraw. They are also seizing on the incident to undermine Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi by slamming him for “his silence.” This comes against the backdrop of heightened political tensions in Baghdad, where a new government appears set to be formed.

The coverage: Zeinab Essam, a member of a family of farmers from the district of Abu Ghraib to the west of Baghdad, was killed by several stray bullets on Sept. 19.

  • Her father, Essam Majed, on Sept. 20 claimed that the gunfire came from Camp Victory at Baghdad International Airport.

  • Locals from Abu Ghraib on Sept. 20 stated that they have repeatedly complained about stray bullets from the firing range of the base.

The US media -- with the exception of WSWS -- is ignoring this killing.  The world is not ignoring it and selective outrage is registering.

It is disgusting and criminal that Iran is bombing Iraq.  But Turkey's been getting away with the same thing for years and that disgusting and criminal as well.  Selective outrage is hypocrisy and the media and the US government are condemning one action while ignoring another.  


Let's move over to Joe Biden's dementia.  From Mike's post last night:

Now let's deal with the sadness that is Joe Biden.   




Following Representative Jackie Walorski's death in a car crash in August, a memorial was held for the Republican lawmaker from Indiana, and the American flag was flown at half-staff in her memory. President Joe Biden seemed to have forgotten those tributes and that Walorski had died when he asked for her at a conference she helped organize on Wednesday.


"Is Representative Jackie here? Where's Jackie?" Biden asked. "I think she was going to be here."

Walorski was killed in a car crash along with two of her staffers and the driver of another vehicle in August. 





President Biden on Wednesday asked if Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), who was killed in a car accident last month, was in attendance at a White House hunger conference.

Biden was delivering a speech at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health when he recognized the lawmakers who helped make the event a reality.

“I want to thank all of you here, including bipartisan elected officials like Rep. [Jim] McGovern, Sen. [Mike] Braun, Sen. [Cory] Booker, Rep. … Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie?” Biden said, referring to Walorski.

Shortly after Biden spoke, White House domestic policy adviser Susan Rice moderated a panel at the conference and acknowledged Walorski’s death.

Walorski and two staffers were killed in an Aug. 3 car accident. She had served in Congress since 2013.






U.S. President Joe Biden publicly sought out Jackie Walorski, an Indiana Congresswoman who died in a car accident in August, during a conference on hunger on Wednesday, seeming to forget that she had passed away.


Biden thanked other conference organizers, then asked: "Jackie are you here? Where's Jackie?"

Walorski, a Republican, was one of four Congressional co-sponsors of the bill to fund the conference. She was killed with two staffers in early August.

Biden moved past the issue without any correction. 



He's 79 years old and doesn't have a clue.  He needs to resign.  He makes the whole country look stupid on the world stage.   The dementia . . .  He needs to resign.



At yesterday's White House press briefing, look who was deflecting and refusing to answer:

Q    What happened in the hunger event today?  The President appeared to look around the room for an audience member, a member of Congress who passed away last month.  He seemed to indicate she might be in the room.  What happened there?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So the President was, as you all know — you guys were watching today’s event, a very important event on food insecurity.  The President was naming the congressional champions on this issue and was acknowledging her incredible work.  He had — he had already planned to welcome the congresswoman’s family to the White House on Friday.  There will be a bill signing in her honor this coming Friday.

So, of course, she was on his mind.  She was of top of mind for the President.  He looks — very much looks forward to discussing her remarkable legacy of public service with them when he sees her family this coming Friday.

Q    He said, “Jackie, are you here?  Where’s Jackie?  She must not be here.”

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, I totally understand.  I just — I just explained she was on top of mind.  You know, this wasn’t — what we were able to witness today and what the President was able to lift up in this — at this conference at this event was how her — her focus on wanting to deal with, combat food — food insecurity in America.  And this is something that he was lifting up and honoring.

And, again, he knows that he’s going to see her family this coming Friday.  There’s a bill signing that’s going to happen in renaming a VA clinic in Indiana after the late congresswoman.  He knows that he is going to see her family, and she was at top of mind.


[. . .]



Q    I’m sorry to have to do this, but I’m compelled to ask you to go one more time back to the question about Congresswoman Walorski.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I’m not sure why.  Why?  Why one more time?

Q    Well, because I think — frankly, honestly, I think the memory of the congresswoman in history requires some clarity here. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Hmmm —

Q    Can you explain where the mistake was made?  Did the Pres- — was the President confused?  Was something written in the teleprompter that he didn’t recognize?  Can you just help us understand what happened?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, you’re jumping to a lot of conclusions. 

Q    No, I’m simply seeing — seeking to find —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, but you’re — but I —

Q    — out what happened here.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, I hear you, Steven.  I’m — I’m answering the question, that you’re jumping to a lot of conclusions.

I just answered the question.  If I had said — if that had been the case, I would have stated that.  Right?  I clearly have stated what you just laid out. 

What I had said is that she was on top of mind and that he is going to see her family in just two days’ time, on Friday, to honor her, to honor her work, to honor — to honor her legacy, if you will.  I just mentioned this.  It’s going to be a renaming of a VA clinic in Indiana in her name.  And, you know, that is — that is what he was thinking of. 

He was thinking about her as he was — as he was naming out and calling out the congressional champions on this issue — on this really critical issue that’s going to help millions of Americans.  And that is — that is — that is what the President was focused on.

Q    Would you be prepared to release the prepared remarks that the President had in the teleprompter just so we could understand?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I’m not understanding why — why that would be — would be necessary.  We always share the remarks that the President had — even, you know, delivered.  That’s probably going to be up on the website.  Not really sure what that has to do with anything. 

I just answered the question about her being on top of mind.  I don’t think that’s any — that’s unusual.  I feel like many of us have gone through that particular, you know, time where someone is on top of mind and you call them out and you mention them.  Especially in this — this type of context, if you think about how he’s going to the see the family in two days; if you think about how, when he sees them in two days, it’s going to be for such an important moment, assigning — signing a piece of legislation that’s going to rename a VA clinic in her state — that’s important — if you think about this issue and how important this issue is. 

And he was, again, calling out congressional champions for this particular issue.

[. . .]



Q    Lastly, I just wanted to return to this question of the congresswoman.  And I think we all totally get why she’s top of mind.  You’ve made that case pretty effectively.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Well, thank you.

Q    But I think the confusing part is why, if she and the family is top of mind, does the President think that she’s living and in the room?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I don’t find that confusing.  I mean, I think many people can speak to sometimes when you have someone top of mind, they are top of mind.  Exactly that.  And it is also — if you put it into the context, it’s not like it happened without — outside of context, right?

It happened at an event where we were cha- — we were calling out the champions — congressional champions, in particular, of this issue — this important issue, when it comes to food insecurity, something that this administration has led on — led on from the beginning of this administration, not just across the country but also globally.

You heard him talk about food insecurity last week at the U.N. and the investments that we have put forward as — as the — as the United States of America and helping — and helping deal with that.

Look, he was at an event — you all saw, you all watched, which is why you’re asking the question — right? — where he was calling out, again, congressional leaders — a bipartisan leadership that we have seen on this particular issue.

And, again, he’s going to see her family in just two days, and she was on top of mind.  I mean, I don’t — that is — I mean, that is — that is not an unusual — unusual scenario there.

Q    Karine, I have John Lennon top of mind just about every day, but I’m not looking around for him anywhere.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  When you sign a bill for John Lennon — Lennon as president then we can have this conversation.

Okay —

Q    Why doesn’t he just apologize?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  — go ahead.  Go ahead.

(Cross-talk by reporters.)

Q    Thanks, Karine.  There are —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead.  Go ahead.  Go ahead.

Q    These moments of confusion are happening with increasing frequency.

Q    Why not just apologize?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead.

Q    Excuse me.  There are reports that —

Q    Americans are watching this and are having concerns.  What do you say to that?

Q    There are reports that Treasury Secretary Yellen —

Q    What do you say to that?

Q    — is looking to leave the administration —

Q    This is a legitimate question.  We need to have some answers.

Q    — at the end of year.  What can you tell us about that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I’m sorry, somebody was yelling over you, so —

Q    No, we were asking about the mental acuity —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead.

Q    — of the President. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead.

Q    I said there are reports that —

Q    This is a valid question.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead.

Q    — Treasury Secretary Yellen is looking to leave Secretary Yellen is looking to leave the administration —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  It is not your turn to speak, and you’re being rude to your colleagues, and let your colleague answer the question.

Q    You might be being rude to us by —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead.  Go ahead.

Q    There are reports that —

Q    — not answering the question.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No.  I — you’re yelling and — over your colleague.  So that is incredibly rude.

Q    Can we have an answer to the substantive question here?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Go ahead.  Go ahead.

Q    We’re just trying to get an answer, Karine.  “Top of mind” is not an answer.


Joe sported dementia.  If it were your parent or grandparent, it would just be a moment.  But this is the president of the United States and you can't have these moments and be the leader.  He's not fit for the job, he never was.



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