Blogging is going to be light for a while

For the next three weeks or so. Especially if some lazy people don't pick up the slack.
And you all out there: behave!

Israel as a magnet for foreign journalists

I could source this text only to a Russian FB post. But it clinches nicely with what I know personally about the subject, so...

Pilar Rahola i Martínez - a Spanish journalist, writer, and former politician and MP about her fellow journalists in Israel.

Israel is a magnet for foreign journalists, not because there is more terror than in Mexico, and not because any of the journalists really care about the war of the Arabs vs the Jews. The real reason: Israel is the West. Foreign journalists live comfortably in Israel, they are looking for the slightest excuse for sensational stories with a magnifying glass and created a reputation for Israel, where shooting happens around every corner. Hence, the stay of a foreign special correspondent in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and so on is life-threatening, and the correspondent has to be paid at the higher rate.

At least 100 foreign special correspondents live in Israel permanently, including reporters of Al Jazeera and all this writing and broadcasting community is eating at the restaurants with clean utensils and regular health supervision. No matter whom of my colleagues I asked, no one dares to buy food in the Arab markets, with the exception of Jaffa, where on Saturdays the Jewish throngs gather. I forgot to point out that there are less accredited foreign journalists in Argentina than in Israel, not to mention Mexico and Colombia.

For a pleasant life one has to pay by providing material. As a result, when Israeli border guards kill two Palestinian terrorists, moans and cries rise to high heaven, but when in Mexico the gangsters and the police shoot 20-30 people daily, the wide world doesn't even know about it.

At the end of the reporting Rahola writes: "Israel must undoubtedly be considered a country under martial law. Any other country in this situation will introduce a strict censorship and definitely establish a Ministry of Information. Israel - an exception. In all the years of [Israel's] existence such ministry or government office has not been established.

When people ask me, "How did they live there ?!" - I say, "Okay," - and they say, "You're kidding, right?".

Operation Charlie Foxtrot

The man uses same noun twice in the quoted below sentence, but a fact is a fact:

In fact, you can say what you want about the origins of the current mess in the Middle East, but the fact that America’s relations with every important country in the region are worse with the exception of Iran is telling.

Or, in an even shorter but all-inclusive description:

The technical foreign-policy term for this is giant cluster-fuck. (In the military’s shorthand, using its own phonetic alphabet, the expression is charlie foxtrot.)

Now read the whole piece (subscription required, but easy with your e-mail address or your FB ID).

Germanwings Pilot, Andreas Lubitz exposed as a Jewish Mossad Kamikaze agent

Oh well, it was only a matter of time:

Since the crash occurred, a lot of people have come out and claimed that Andreas Lubitz was a Muslim or a Muslim-convert. This is completely false, Mr. “Lubitz” was in fact a German Jew.

And there are tons of proof in the article, like this:

It should be fairly obvious to the seasoned Jew-Spotter that Mr. Lubitz is not a White man. Firstly, let us examine the eye slits of Lubitz, we find that they are small and slit-like. This is a common feature among the Jews, for they are originally from the desert and the eyelids evolved in a way as to defend the eyes from sun glare.

I cannot give you the direct link, since we here don't link to dreck like that, for fear of ITDs, but a search for the headline will definitely bring it up.

But I definitely could give you a link to the author of the piece, one Joshua Mark John Bonehill-Paine. Judging by the double-barreled name and proliferation of other names, it must be a sad result of inbreeding...

But "Jewish Mossad" is a good enough giveaway, without the name being "racially profiled".

So there.

Update: 2 days after publication and already 450 hits on search for the text in the headline. Cool.

When even MSNBC don't buy your crapola...

it is just the time to regroup.

The panel on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” wasn’t having any of what White House press secretary Josh Earnest was saying about Yemen, calling him out multiple times and putting him on the defensive during a tough interview Thursday morning.

The issue is that Earnest and the administration are touting Yemen, which is in the midst of civil unrest and being overrun by Houthi rebels, as a success story and a model for fighting against terrorism.

Saying that the jobs of various administration spokepersons became more difficult lately isn't saying much...

Yemen as a model or I still don't want Jen Psaki's job

...a reporter asked if the State Department still agreed with President Barack Obama’s September claim that Yemen is the model for his successful counterterrorism strategy.

Spokesperson Jen Psaki answered, “Correct and we stand by that.”

Somebody give the gal a medal. A big one, please...

King Bibi - the one-eyed man in the land of the blind?

Since this post isn't going to be complimentary to our new/old PM, let's start with a disclaimer: Benjamin Netanyahu is absolutely right in his fight against the Iranian quest for nuclear weapons. Even without the nukes Iran is the hub of destructive overt and covert terrorist and expansionist activities in the Middle East and all over the world, pulling strings and sowing seeds of dissent. Nuclear Iran will become a major nightmare, and those who tend to reduce the problem to Israel only are due for a rude awakening. So yes, everything Bibi says about Iran is true. And this more or less exhausts the repertoire of good things to say about the subject.

Otherwise - but this blog was never too kind to various negative traits of Mr Netanyahu. While not being solely focused on Bibi, as some people are (Ben Caspit of Maariv comes to mind immediately, with his almost obsessive coverage of the "royal" family), nevertheless many unkind (but true) things were said here on the subject. Yes, the man is clearly focused on his political survival at any price, his personal vanity is exceeded only by that of his spouse and his adherence to truth, common moral and elementary decency tend to disappear if his political survival is endangered.

Oh, and on top of all that he is a very poor liar. But this is an established fact since times immemorial, probably since his affair with Ruth Bar. The affair has shown how easily Bibi breaks down when a bit of pressure is applied (after all there was no "in flagrante delicto" recording, and Bibi's public confession was for nothing, as it appeared).

I frequently used Ariel Sharon's characterization of Bibi's inability to withstand pressure, but it is time to document the quote, for instance from this Hebrew source (supported by video recording):

This man generally tends to panicking. Netanyahu is a jittery man that every time folds under pressure and loses his marbles.

I have seen him this way several times. Israel is a special country, here you have to manage the country and to stand up to most complex problems, you need common sense and nerves of steel. He is lacking both.

And the above is not the only occasion when Arik characterized Bibi in this way. So why this reference to the opinion of a man who wasn't without faults himself? Just because Arik's description of Bibi's traits appeared to be prophetic, and also because the traits have never before been taken to such absurd heights as in the last elections campaign. 

Starting with the (in)famous visit and speech in the Congress. As I said at the start of this post, the speech was necessary and a real case of speaking truth to power. But - and this is an important but - the timing and the botched arrangement of the speech have done nothing to alleviate the mutual dislike between the POTUS and Bibi. Rather the opposite - it is so close to hatred now as to be practically indistinguishable - indeed a fine diplomatic coup for a man who was for a very long time gainfully employed in various diplomatic roles. A fine outcome indeed, and the whole country will pay for it for a long time. But Bibi was sure it will be a feather in his hat as far as the coming elections are considered, and nothing could deter him from this act...

Is Obama delusional about Iran? Definitely. Are Bibi's shenanigans the way to turn the tide? Highly doubtful.

And then came the famous pre-election polls, showing a significant lead of the center-left Zionist Camp, and Bibi completely lost it - just as Arik diagnosed. His declaration of no more support for two state solution, aimed at the right wing voters, his alarm at (imaginary) buses the lefties use to bring more Arab voters to the polling stations, aimed at the Jewish population, his overuse of Iranian scarecrow - in spite of the polls showing that voters care more (much more) about the skyrocketing housing prices, his hysterical poaching of voters even from the friendly right wing parties... All that and more was a clear sign of panic. Come what may, Bibi was seeing his political demise, and it scared the crap out of him. Hence the results.

Theses days, after the Pyrrhic elections win, Bibi is feverishly - and not very successfully - mending the broken links, but at least one and most important link - that to the White House - stubbornly refuses to be mended, and there is no single lump payment that will mend it. We all shall pay the price - in many installments over the years to come.

And no, I am not saying that the current state of Obama-Bibi relationships is solely Bibi's fault - far from it, the POTUS (I am ready to bet) is only too happy to use (abuse) the situation. But Bibi has done a lot and more to give the White House sufficient reasons for this state of affairs. And a good part of this just because he broke down and lost his marbles and his common sense - as predicted.

It is a sad fact that a small and resource-less country that has nevertheless excelled in science, technology, agriculture etc, has dismally failed in one area - it failed to produce at least a few political leaders with gumption, vision and coolness to take on the many problems it is faced with. And no such leaders in view, unfortunately.

Too bad.

For desserts: Ashamed of Netanyahu, infuriated with Obama by David Horovitz.

In Latest Column, NYT’s Friedman Mirrors Administration’s Shift on Iran

This The Tower article summarizes aptly the Friedman's about-turn:

Three years ago, Friedman touted Obama’s toughness in confronting Iran. Now he’s justifying the president’s retreat.

Enough said.

Only one detail: is it my eyes or the TF's nose in the picture is somewhat brown-tinged?

The most striking aspect of the Israeli spying leak: stupidity

I have allowed myself a slight modification of the Business Insider's article headline. Because Business Insider's Armin Rosen put his finger at the aspect of the matter previously not discussed.

To start with, the original WSJ article that caused the whole brouhaha doesn't contain a shred of proof of Israel divulging secret information of any kind to US lawmakers. On the other hand, as Rosen noticed, it provides proof that American intelligence services continuously spy after the Israeli VIPs:

In fact, the only confirmed spying between allies in the entire piece comes in the course of disclosing the alleged Israeli operation (emphasis ours):

The White House discovered the operation, in fact, when U.S. intelligence agencies spying on Israel intercepted communications among Israeli officials that carried details the U.S. believed could have come only from access to the confidential talks, officials briefed on the matter said.

So US officials disclosed a confidential counter-intelligence operation against an ally in order to float a factually vague accusation that that ally was in fact spying on them.

What can I say to that "unnamed senior source" in the current administration that fed the bunkum to WSJ? Only one thing: don't cut off your nose to spite your face.

And what can I say to WSJ editor responsible for the article? Thanks, buddy, but do look for another job. Just in case, you know...

The rage and loathing in Washington D.C.

The latest WSJ article Israel Spied on Iran Nuclear Talks With U.S. is a triumph of intention over substance, as anyone who read it can testify. The intention in question being that of White House and State Dept: to inflict another painful blow on Bibi.

Let's try to deconstruct the story. First of all, complaints about spying coming from US, whose spying activities were in the last few years discovered everywhere, save (probably) the Antarctic - which is to be still checked with the penguin population - do sound somewhat ridiculous. The people who can't live with understanding that everyone spies on everyone should probably retire to the above mentioned continent. A name of a certain whistleblower that resides in Moscow, if my memory is not deceiving me, comes to mind, as well as names of several European leaders who found a CIA or NSA grubby hand, while trying to retrieve a sensitive document from their own pockets etc. And a face of a certain American lover of photography - but not bird photography, rather that of military objects in Israel, whom I had a pleasure to escort from a military restricted area during my army days - is etched in my memory too... rather an arrogant fellow, if I might add.

But let's proceed with the article: it doesn't (unlike some hotheads initially claimed) state that Israel spied after US diplomats (although it wouldn't have surprised me - see above). It claims that Israel used the intelligence it gained in order to influence U.S. lawmakers against the deal with Iran. Strangely, it offers as proof the facts that could be retrieved from any public source - such as the 6500 centrifuges Iran is allowed to keep - against all reason and sense, it has to be added. And other similar crapola, intended to muddy the waters while the Iranian deal is being criticized by a rising number of Congress members and the tide of criticism is gathering a real bipartisan support.

The last part of the article, unbelievably, delves again into the "insult" caused by Bibi's visit and speech at the Congress. Unbelievably, because it is wondrous to see how long it is considered possible to milk this totally dry cow. And how hyper-sensitive is the current administration to shenanigans of one specific politico out of hundreds.

Amendment: See the comment by Sad Red Earth. I am ready to recognize the fact that Bibi's visit and speech, besides being poorly timed, was a significant insult to the authority and the seat of power of US.  More significant than I estimated from far away.

So the timing and the goals of the new Israel-bashing campaign, as all the previous ones - deserved or not - show without a shadow of a doubt that the current administration surely decided to remove the gloves in its treatment of Israel in general and Bibi in particular.

Not saying that it is totally undeserved where Bibi is concerned, but I am afraid that Bibi alone is already too small a goal for the all-consuming rage of some people in Washington D.C.

Interesting times we are coming to, indeed.

Update. From CNN, of all sources:

Members of Congress were both surprised by and dismissive of a Wall Street Journal story that the Israeli government spied on the U.S.-led negotiations and leaked information on the developing deal to legislators.

More than a half-dozen lawmakers in both parties and chambers denied receiving such briefings from Israel.

And even more titillating, by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker:

I think y'all all understand what's happening here. I mean, you understand who's pushing this out.

Indeed, we do.

Just a good story

In 1921, one of the blackest years in Russian history, painter Boris Kustodiev, who was working on a Portrait of Chaliapin at the time, was visited by two penniless youngsters who asked him to draw their portrait. One of the pair was 27 years old, the other - 25. They promised the painter two things: that they will become famous and that they will pay by a sack of flour. The wise guys got the flour by repairing something at a mill. Kustodiev just couldn't refuse the rare at the time merchandise. And the two heroes of our story had to keep to their other promise.

Nikolay Semenov (on the right) got the 1956 Nobel Prize in chemistry and Pyotr Kapitsa got his Nobel Prize in physics in 1978.

That's all. I couldn't check the particulars of the story, but doesn't it sound good?

Lifted from a FB blogger Lilit Abrahamyan.

Captain Obama and the Great White Whale

This article by Walter Russel Mead is a relatively short concise summary of the state of US-Iran nuclear negotiations and the amazing hardheadedness displayed by the current administration in its seemingly senseless drive toward the goal. Where the goal is illusory, the partner is a proven cheat and the Senate and the Congress are growing more and more united in their resistance to the agreement.

There seem to be four leading scenarios on the horizon. One is that the President gets his deal, somehow steers it past (or around) Congress, and the deal works: Iran becomes our friend and the Middle East gets better. At that point he looks like a genius and the doubts are forgotten. The critics look bad as the United States sails into a bright new day, and President Obama goes down in history as a courageous and visionary peacemaker who stuck to his guns when the going got tough. This seems unlikely, but it can’t be ruled out.

The second is uglier, but more probable. In this scenario, Iran signs a deal, and after an ugly fight, Congress gives it a grudging and perhaps partial OK. Then pundits and policymakers argue for years about whether it was a success or not, the public mostly dislikes it, and the Iran deal, like Obamacare, becomes a pyrrhic victory. The President notches up a win but his party stumbles under the weight of the baggage.

The third possibility is uglier and, based on today’s news from Congress, more probable still. In this scenario, Iran and the President strike a deal, but Congress succeeds in crippling it. Perhaps it passes a bill and then overrides his veto; perhaps it refuses to pass enabling legislation that the Iranians say is necessary. At that point, the deal breaks down, some of the P-5 begin to circumvent the sanctions, and the President will have a big mess on his hands as Iran, perhaps, accelerates its march toward a bomb.

The final possibility is that the Iranians walk away from the deal. That is not a worst case scenario for the President; if there isn’t any deal he doesn’t have to consume the next several months of his presidency in an all-out effort to protect it from Congress. The biggest downside: He will then have to start from close to zero on Middle East policy, and presumably head back to some angry, jilted allies for help even as relations with Iran grow worse.

The President himself gives 50-50 odds for a deal at this point; if he’s right, and if we assume that the other scenarios are equally probable, he has about a 17 percent chance of emerging from this process with a clear win, a 17 percent chance of a pyrrhic victory, and a 67 percent chance of an outcome that will be considered a defeat.

Dispensing with the mathematics above, the prognosis is not good for Obama.

But the article is focused on the internal fallout (no pun intended) of the looming agreement on US internal politics, leaving mostly aside the existential nightmare that is nuclear Iran. The fallout in question might be bad for White House political standing. But the possible outcome is even worse for the world in general and the disparate group of countries in the Middle East that heretofore considered themselves to be US allies in particular.

Marco Rubio: criticism of White House policy on Israel

Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, Likudnik or Labour, whether you support Senator Rubio on other issues or not: here is a brilliant, fact-based delivery of salient points and a scathing response to the propaganda efforts revving up in White House and State Department lately.



Thank you, Senator Rubio.

Dr. Karen Halnon, civil disobedience and FBI/TSA torturers

I don't know how many of you still remember the heady years of (relative) freedom, when a free man and woman were allowed to light up on board a plane. There is a ray of light in the darkness of the anti-smoking repressive world, and the ray is named professor Karen Halnon. Who knows, we may yet see the day when the chains of subjugation are destroyed.

Here is what this courageous woman has done:



And she didn't just make a strike for the smokers, no, she produced a devastating broadside against the imperialism in general:



Here is a summary of what the learned professor taught the public on this flight (and after it):

• The United States has declared war on Venezuela
• The United States has previously owned the oil in Venezuela
• But Hugo Chavez nationalized the oil
• The United States has declared Venezuela an enemy of United States
• All of the above was part of a necessary act of civil disobedience
• They [US] tried to take out Hugo with a coup, and then they took him out with cancer
• Fidel agrees with Dr. Karen Halnon on all these points
• The problem is U.S. military global domination. And they want the oil. And they want the water. (Not sure Fidel agrees with this, it was added afterward)
• Smoking on the plane was an act of identification with the revolutionary cause (I don't know what Fidel thinks about it, Dr. Halnon doesn't clarify, but I am totally with her on this point)

But of course a real revolutionary must suffer for his/her beliefs and acts of courage. And the repressive imperialist powers did cause a lot of suffering to Dr. Halnon. Here I just have to quote her verbatim:

The FBI and TSA tortured me. My voice generally doesn't sound like this. I was put in a room with two fans in the ceiling, it was freezing cold for hours and hours and hours. I asked repeatedly to go to the bathroom. They made me wet my pants. They humiliated me. And then to make matters worse, I have a stomach condition. Everything that comes in goes out. I've been like that for months since I left Cuba. I've lost over 30 pounds. And I was yelling that I had to go to the bathroom. But they ignored me, and I defecated on the floor. And they made me pick it up and laughed at me.

That post-Cuba stomach condition: I wonder whether it is CIA in cahoots with revisionist Raul C. who caused it?

The truth will out...

Hat tip: T.P.

Kim Jong-un adds American Studies 101 to university curriculum

I know that most people outside of somewhat secretive North Korea are pining for a glimpse of its higher education. Here comes a rare opportunity: a short (only four and a half minutes) lecture, supported by wealth of visual aids, on the life and habits of an average American citizen. Apparently, when not drinking coffee made of snow, your average John Smith is busy acquiring weapons and killing children. And more, but I shall not spoil it for you. Enjoy.



P.S. Judging by the Russian subtitles, the same course will be used by the Russian RT. I hope they will precede the viewing by a lecture from George Galloway.

Israeli elections: exit polls and exit pols

It is not that you can teach an old dog to perform new tricks, it is just that the old dog has a sufficient stock of old tricks, as it appears.

Once again the hopes of Bibi's aspiring rivals were crushed, in quite a cruel way. The relentless waves of pre-elections polls, predicting a win of the Labor+, were a heady and intoxicating brew - that left a serious hangover after it appeared to be misleading.

So Bibi will play the game of coalition building again, this time quite easily, if the numbers are to be believed (some small adjustments could be caused by remaining 1% of the votes to be counted still). It seems that getting the majority coalition of 67 seats will be a child's play for the time being.

But then the question about the reasons Bibi started the whole elections process start to surface. Ostensibly, Bibi's chief motivator was the impossibility to keep Yair Lapid, with his rather amorphous and vision-less Yesh Atid ( "There's a Future") toeing the line. Be it as it may, the previous coalition of four parties will be replaced by a seven-party bazaar, where the ultra-orthodox factions, back at the helm after a dry and hungry years of opposition, will do their best to replenish their greedy stomachs. Let's see Bibi forcing these ones to toe the line.

And now I shall go out on a limb and predict the direct cause of the next elections:

Yes, Aryeh Deri, the unrepentant convict, the racist, the liar, one of the last beaters of the dying ethnic political horse and all around scoundrel. You see, the Shas' 7 mandates is rather a painful loss of about 5 seats from the customary 11-12 Shas used to get. This time the fail is due to the internal split, caused by Deri's rivalry with Eli Yishay, previously his deputy in Shas. It is true that Yachad, led by Yishay, failed to gain enough votes to pass the minimum required, but for the moment the voices of Yishay's followers are lost to Shas.

So the post-election festivities by Shas were rather an expression of Schadenfreude than a celebration of achievement. Now, it is almost certain that in a few months or so Mr Deri will decide that the time came to consolidate his power in the Mizrahi orthodox community and to increase his presence in the Knesset. And the only way to do this is... you can see it now.

As for the losers:

Mr. Herzog... too bad. You should have seen in advance that being a nice guy is not the ticket. If in the future some supernatural powers grant you sufficient leadership qualities, including charisma, demagoguery, ability to cheat your way to power and lie unblinkingly, plus... let's call it by its name: a pair of balls, then maybe you'll have a chance. Oh well, we know it wouldn't happen, don't we?

 Mr Yishay... my only regret is that you couldn't have taken your ex-chief, Mr Deri, with you into the wilderness of normal life. It's a pity, since the differences between the two of you are so minor you would have made a perfect pair of snake-oil peddlers somewhere in the boonies. At least this way you can have a early start and then make him your junior partner at some point in the future. Deal?

Ms Gal-on... chiao. Somebody else, no doubt, will take up the job of selling siren songs to our kids. Worthy, even if not very profitable business, ain't it?

Update: due to relentless public pressure Ms Gal-On agreed to continue with the siren song. So consider the farewell canceled.

Oh yes, and re Bibi's despicable behavior during the pre-elections time and the elections day - read this. No surprises there, though. But there is a list of excellent questions in this article, regarding Bibi's future activities. Unfortunately, knowing the subject matter a bit, the answer to most of the questions is "no". The Do Nothing man will keep doing it.

Suha Arafat wouldn't be able to mine hubby's underwear for polonium, say eggheads

The pioneering quest for the valuable radioactive element was discontinued due to nearsightedness and lack of scientific courage of Russian and French scientists.

"The measly two or three hundred millions US dollars my husband left me barely allow me to survive, what with the crazy prices in Paris," Suha complained, "and the only hope to improve my lot was to start mining polonium from my dear Yasser's remains. Now this hope was dashed."

Clarification: due to shortage of time to presses, the only available picture of Suha was the one above. Suha is on the right. The person on the left... let's just say it's a whole other story.

זעקי, ארץ אהובה Cry, The Beloved Country

יום גורלי היום למדינת ישראל.
האם ימשיך שלטון הלא כלום? שלטון ההפחדות? שלטון ה"הכי חשוב להיות חזקים"? שלטון השחיתויות והשקרים?

בשבועות האחרונים נחשפנו לכמויות עצומות של פוליטיקה. בעיתונים, בטליזיה, בתכניות סאטירה ותכניות ארוח, ברשתות החברתיות ובעיתונים, בשלטי חוצות ובשיחות סלון.
איזה מזל שלפחות זה נפסק.
עכשו כמה שבועות של מתח - מי יהיה ראש הממשלה הבא? ומי יהיו חבריו לממשלה?

ובינתיים, מזג האויר בארצי האהובה הוא הכי נעים שיכול להיות. סביב 20 מעלות ביום.
השמיים כחולים כחולים, והאדמה ירוקה ירוקה עם מיליון כתמי צבע של פריחות. כמויות הגשם העצומות שירדו החורף הביאו לפריחות חריגות בעצמתן.
יום של טיול בטבע מזכיר לנו עד כמה הארץ שלו יפה. עד כמה החיים שלנו בה יכולים להיות נפלאים.
לו רק היינו נותנים לטבע לזעוק את זעקתנו לחיים שלווים, לחברה מתוקנת, לשלטון שידאג לעם ולמדינה.
ועד שזה יקרה, קבלו דוגמיות ליפי הטבע.

I Have Morgellons and So Do You

Yesterday, while putting finishing touches on the post on chemtrails, I have missed an exquisite recording on the subject. Very much recommended, and besides getting tons of knowledge for free, you get to see a boob (partial image only).



More on the Morgellons.

And, as a bonus: Everything Is a Lie

To read or not to read?

Probably the most oblique description of a horse arse I have seen so far:

Behind the glamorous exterior of horse racing, lies the gritty reality of the backside.

Or was it about something else? Cannot figure it without reading the book...

Chemtrails over Swedish parliament

Well, it escalated quickly. Nah, it is a wrong beginning for this post.

It has escalated for years. Years ago the first yahoo looked up at the sky and, seeing a vapor trail from a passing jet, scratched his unkempt head. Since the scratching caused his few brain cells to bump together, the result was a moment of enlightenment that spread like wildfire through the conspiracy-mongering community. Today the term "chemtrails" is one of the mainstays of the said community, so much so that it has become a recognized term, for instance in Wiki.

Chemistry being a boundless field of different compounds, every conspinut could fill the chemtrail by the substance (or substances) his/her particular imagination fears the most. Add biology with its plethora of bacterial and viral menaces, and chemtrails become a rival of the most powerful conspiracies, getting comparable even to (I don't believe I am saying this) the House of Rothschilds!

Still, all these were the juvenile years. True, the numbers of chemtrail conspinuts grew and the Internet presence of the ubiquitous photographs of the trails became a daily affair, but so far not a single "official" voice was raised in support of the chemtrail menace from the skies. Unlike the 9/11 conspinuts who count in their midst quite a few government officials and politicos, poor chemtrail sufferers were, so to say, orphaned. They felt like fringe folks and, to be sure, behaved like ones:



My heart goes out to them, really. It is a shame that no one was there to explain that the tinfoil beanie should cover the ears and the back of the head down to the neck to be of some (limited) effectiveness against the Elders' mind control rays. In short, they are alone in the desert of life, exposed to the uncounted dangers, chemtrails only one of these.

Until now. Because the deliverance is nigh and a new wind is being broken - in Swedish Parliament, no less!

Er... something went wrong with the previous sentence, I am afraid, but no matter, I shall get to it at some later stage. To the article at hand:

So persistent is the chemtrail theory that US government agencies regularly receive calls from irate citizens demanding an explanation. Pernilla Hagberg, a Swedish politician, even raised the issue.

A Swedish politician, no less! Now the chemtrail conspinuts have a powerful backing and are able (deservedly) to come out with headlines similar to this:

Swedish Official Admits Toxic ‘Chemtrails’ Are Real, NOT a Wild Conspiracy Theory

There are some reedy voices claiming the Ms Hagberg is not a politician, at least not a "Swedish Green Party leader", as it is claimed:

Too little and to late, Mr Blomberg: the intertubes will ignore your lone cry and, in fact, already are ignoring it. Conspinuts are celebrating this unexpected reinforcement all over the world. And here is the final blow to the reactionary forces of chemtrail producers and coverers - a rousing speech about Pernilla Hagberg.

Warning to the faint of heart: whether the speaker is or isn't Green, she is Green not only ideologically. Be ready for it.



I watched the above recording till the end and highly recommend it. Probably the voice and the general hue of it are psychedelic, since after about 30 seconds of watching I have totally lost the thread of the subject matter, but after it ended I was filled to the brim with an indescribable euphoria. I shall definitely watch it again.

I am confident that the recording might serve as a remedy against the poisonous chemtrails. So groovy it made me feel.

Peace...

BREAKING! ALL RUSSIAN EMBASSY PERSONNEL IN LONDON HAVE LEFT THIS IS IN PREPARATION FOR WAR!

I wish I knew what that headline means, but I can't read words in capital letters...

Anyway, it is all here.

Also: Elitists Use Circumcision To Dumb Down Males And Rule World. That one I can dig! And it's all true. Snip snip...

Peace and conflict resolution according to professor Jake Lynch

This highly intelligent-looking gentleman is Associate Professor Jake Lynch, PhD (City University, London) is Director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney. This is, at least, what he does for living. His hobby is to be one of the chief supporters and even a leader of the Australian branch of BDS (BiDetS) movement. Ostensibly to build peace in the Middle East. As an expert in peace and conflict resolution prof Lynch is very active in the media, not hiding his highly negative opinion of the Zionists. Which is his democracy-given right, I believe.

But, apparently, professor Lynch has another hobby, which is being a Jew baiter. Here is how this predilection gets exposed. First the background:

On 11 March 2015, a public lecture held at the University of Sydney on the ethics of military tactics by retired British Colonel Richard Kemp was aggressively interrupted.

Protestors wrestled with security guards who had asked them to leave and were then forced to remove them. Protestors stood on chairs, began to push students and shout loudly at those who objected to their behaviour.

And then the role of our good professor:

As a faculty member, Professor Lynch should have been defusing the situation in defence of freedom of speech and academic discourse. Instead, Lynch shouted in the face of students, obstructed campus security, filmed students without their consent and waved money in the faces of Jewish students and guests.

Well, so much for peace and conflict resolution...

Oh, by the way, professor Lynch was already accused of antisemitism, he even figures in an article Jake Lynch: my year of fighting anti-Semitism charges.

So much for your year of fighting antisemitism charges too, professor...

P.S. And don't forget to sign this petition, please.

Update: A letter by Colonel Richard Kemp to University of Sydney Vice Chancellor.

Terry Pratchett RIP

Terry took Death’s arm and followed him through the doors and on to the black desert under the endless night.
— Terry Pratchett (@terryandrob) March 12, 2015

Rest in peace, young man. See you in the Discworld.

Cynthia McKinney: If you love Jon Stewart, you should like Dieudonné!

Cynthia McKinney, one of my favorite shit-for-brains politicos (ex-politicos, thankfully, in her case) produced another cool one. Just in case she might come to her senses (a slim chance, but still) and erase it, here is a snapshot of her tweet:

The public response was non-equivocal. Below is a small part of the comments to that tweet (click on the image to read):

Yeah... here is a small selection of Ms McKinney at her level best, to make sure you understand the material better - in case the name is new to you.

And something for you think about for a while, from that Wiki entry about the lady:

As a member of the Democratic Party, she served six terms in the United States House of Representatives.

Yes, emphasis totally mine.

Susan Rice quote: spoof and reality

 Every joke is only partly a joke

When I have seen this cartoon a day or two ago in a post by a friend, it was presented as a real quote. Seeing red as a result, I was already on the brink of copy/pasting the whole post, when my sense of caution (rarely experienced by this here impulsive blogger) told me to do some digging.

The digging has quite easily shown that, while the quote is used quite extensively on the intertubes, there are no major media sources anyone would refer to. Moreover, at the root of all the references I've seen hides a site called Newslo - "the first hybrid News/Satire platform on the web", as they define themselves.

When you look at the article in question, you shall immediately see two things. First of all, the incendiary quote in the cartoon above is missing the word "best", the addition making it even more incendiary:

Rice: “Netanyahu Must Understand That US Needs To Support Its Best Middle Eastern Friend – Iran”

And you shall also see two big red buttons: "Show facts" and "Hide facts". Play with these buttons and see which parts of the whole are fake. You will quickly detect that the mind-boggling quote in question is a fake. A bit awkward (in my opinion) for a good satire site, but whatever makes people happy.

So, apparently we can put the story to rest somewhere where all canards go for their final rest. And yet...

I was recently reading an article by Michael Doran of the Hudson Institute, titled Obama's Secret Iran Strategy. Its main premise is disclosed (more or less) it the lede:

The president has long been criticized for his lack of strategic vision. But what if a strategy, centered on Iran, has been in place from the start and consistently followed to this day?

I am not sure about the somewhat bombastic headline and the lede, both hinting at undue secrecy: after all, President Obama never hid his penchant for rapprochement and engagement with the Middle Eastern powers that were hitherto not in the list of US friends. Not that after six years on the job POTUS can boast about any achievements in the area, rather just the opposite: the Middle East war rarely in a shape as bad as it is now. And so is the nuclear deal with Iran, no matter how brave a face Mr Kerry still does his best to put on.

The Doran's essay, by the nature of an article that tries to dig into the mostly secret details of US/Iran relationships, is full of conjectures and educated guesses. However, it is an essay one can't discard by derision or by pinning it on the political map (yes, Doran, I guess, is not one of starry-eyed lefties). This is a serious job and should be accepted as such. And you could use your time in a much worse way by not skipping over several responses to the Doran's article by quite a few respected and knowledgeable people - who mostly support his conclusions.

I wouldn't spoil your enjoyment by quoting from the article - it is much better when read in its pristine fullness. There is only one thing I have to say that connects the article at hand with this unfortunate fake quote ascribed to Ms Rice:

Every joke is only partly a joke

So there.

Gaza Girls: Kill All the Jews hit

The Gaza Girls, a new  Palestinian girls band, is pleased to 

announce its new single, "Kill All the Jews.”

The Gaza Girls hope to inspire Muslim women across the globe

to express their individuality and say what they truly think!

The lead  singer of Gaza Girls is Tina Shahida, an American 

convert to Islam who felt inspired to start this band after 

Israel supposedly committed genocide in Gaza in the summer 

The way to win hearts and minds is through music!

And other U.S. allies in the region...

Mick Hartley on the Arab responses to Bibi's speech. What caught my eye:

In just a few words, Mr. Netanyahu managed to accurately summarize a clear and present danger, not just to Israel (which obviously is his concern), but to other U.S. allies in the region.

Faisal J. Abbas, the powerful Editor-in-Chief of Al Arabiya English, might be a bit naive on that point. "Ex - U.S. allies in the region" would be a more fitting description, it looks like.

Come on, ADI!

This is an ad from the Israeli organ donors' association ADI. I am a long time member, but I am not sure this is the most successful PR image for the outfit. I would say that the faces of the potential beneficiaries could be a bit more solemn, while witnessing my last throes.

That's all.

Maradona - before and after

Randomly sequenced, you decide...

Details.

Why Iran's rise is a good thing? Please do tell.

 The article by Hillary Mann Leverett*, with its usual CNN disclaimer "The views expressed are her own", is quite a show. Created by CNN on-line editor and by the author both. Its catchy formatting and the embedded clip** with Josh Earnest's criticism of Netanyahu's appearance in the Congress make it look like something coming from very high up on the US political ladder.

The author, though, isn't a member of the official political elite, not anymore, at least according to the blurb:

Hillary Mann Leverett, co-author of "Going to Tehran: Why America Must Accept the Islamic Republic of Iran," served at the National Security Council under Presidents Clinton and Bush. She is CEO of Strategic Energy and Global Analysis (STRATEGA), a political risk consultancy.

The fact of the author not really representing the current administration, at least not formally, is somewhat becalming, but only somewhat. For the reasons to be presented later. Now to some recreational fisking of the piece. It starts with the following recollection:

In September 2002, then-former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a U.S. congressional committee "there is absolutely no question whatsoever" that Saddam Hussein's Iraq was developing nuclear weapons at "portable manufacturing sites of mass death."

Ms Mann Leverett, however, omits two relevant and important points: first of all it was Israeli Air Force that destroyed the Osirak nuclear reactor in 1981, pushing the Iraqi nuclear efforts quite a few years back. Secondly, way ahead of the US 2003 invasion of Iraq, Ariel Sharon - the then PM of Israel, was quite open about his objections to this adventure (part of the info here).

Fast forward to this week, and Netanyahu was back, this time as prime minister, to make virtually identical claims about Iran.

Virtually identical? Assuming that Bibi made some questionable claims in 2002, even Iranians would be insulted to call the state of the art nuclear industry they have developed "portable manufacturing sites". No, madam, this is a trite attempt, sorry.

Yet not only has the U.S. intelligence community disagreed with Netanyahu's assessment of Iranian nuclear intentions, so does Israel's, according to leaked documents.

Bunkum too, as you can clearly see.

Sadly, Netanyahu's presentation reinforces caricatures regularly advanced by American and Gulf Arab pundits -- caricatures of Iran as aspiring Middle Eastern hegemon, bent on overthrowing an otherwise stable regional order.

You can use this quote as a lesson in stealthy building of a strawman. First of all - a perfectly reasonable beginning that mentions presentation (but hardly a caricature) of Iran as an aspiring Middle Eastern hegemon. A person's skull must be pretty thick not to agree with this assessment. And then, on top of this, Ms Mann Leverett adroitly bolts on her own invention of "an otherwise stable regional order", putting into Bibi's mouth something he could have hardly imagined, let alone said.

It becomes quite boring actually, so easily finding falsity in almost every statement of that article, but here Ms Mann Leverett felt the ramp-up was sufficient and went into a full-out attacking mode:

It's [the quote above] a misguided perspective that is actually hurting the United States.

How so, you might ask? Because:

...rapprochement with a genuinely independent Iran -- not a nominally independent Iran whose strategic orientation is subordinated to U.S. preferences -- is vital to halting the decline of America's strategic position.

And how do you stop the decline? Very simple:

...for its own sake, the United States needs to stop trying to be the Middle East's hegemon.

Frankly, it is probably a more complicated thing than you and I can understand. You stop your decline by not trying to be a hegemon anymore - figure it out, please.

However, Ms Mann Leverett is much clearer regarding Iran's hegemony ambitions:

Iran has gained influence in Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen by backing political structures that, in Tehran's judgment, will produce governments committed to foreign policy independence.

Leaving aside the nigh impenetrable wording of the sentence after the word "Yemen", it is all crystal clear. In one of the quotes above Ms Mann Leverett called the picture of Iran hegemony drawn by Bibi "a caricature", remember?. Now she is going out of her way to draw the same picture...

So US as a hegemon - bad, Iran as a hegemon - good. Got it? If not, do not ask me for explanation. Because it is too high on the academic complexity scale, y'all know...

From this point on, Ms Mann Leverett dives into a scathing denouncement of Israel, and I am really not in the mood to fisk that crapola, frankly. But the conclusion, the conclusion of the whole piece, it is simply phenomenal! To build it up, the author gets to another quote from an Israeli VIP (taken out of context, by the way):

The reality is that Israel's concern about Iranian nuclearization is not that Tehran will use (at the moment nonexistent) nuclear weapons against a nuclear-armed Israel. Instead, as then-Defense Minister Ehud Barak explained in 2012, it is that a nuclear Iran would "restrict our range of operations."

Let aside the fact that the two sentences in the quote above somewhat contradict one another. Let aside the fact that Barak's quote looks quite different in the original text. Because here it comes, the bomb (no pun intended):

But this is precisely what a truly stable balance of power requires.

Let us see: it is not enough that Iran of the Ayatollahs, the supporter and enabler of mayhem and terror all over the globe, puts its mitts on Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen, building up its presence on two Israeli borders. On top of it Iran has to get nukes. Because "true balance" requires it... Ain't it cool to be a professor?

So this was the goal of the whole article: to prove, in its roundabout and devoid of logic way, that Iran has to have nukes - for the "stable balance". But what worries me about it is how close most of the "logic" of the generally asinine piece dovetails the White House/State Department dysfunctional Middle East policy in general and policy on Iran in particular. Check out this article, one of many:

In its bold attempt at an Iranian opening, the Obama administration views Netanyahu, AIPAC, the Gulf States, Congress and, perhaps, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as obstacles. Its partners are Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Obama and a small knot of advisers believe this deal could be the defining foreign policy moment of the second term — the Cuba opening, times 100.

This driving vision has already distorted U.S. policy in a variety of ways. Obama could not take forceful action against Iran’s proxy, the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, for fear of undermining nuclear negotiations. The administration has downplayed the issue of human rights in Iran for the same reason. The United States has now blessed the operation of Iranian-dominated militias within Iraq — particularly in the liberation of Tikrit — raising the prospect of Iranian control over Iraq’s security and oil sectors. Iranian military forces and proxies now operate freely from Baghdad to Beirut, seemingly tolerated in the overarching strategic goal of defeating the Islamic State.

As Obama has avoided direct confrontation with Iran to preserve the viability of nuclear talks, Iran has been busy destabilizing the Middle East, replacing us as the major power and threatening our allies. And those allies have taken note.

I think that this quote covers the main points sufficiently. And, while no one in the Obama administration went so far as to say openly what Ms Mann Leverett blurted out, e.g. that Iran needs the nukes for the "stable balance", I am not at all sure that this thought never crossed any mind in the said administration.

Too bad. But this is what realpolitik is about, ladies and gentlemen. Too bad.

(*) Prof Hillary Mann Leverett has a long and distinguished past of rallying for Islamic Republic of Iran and the necessity of "genuine rapprochement" with it. She shares this passion with her husband, Flynt Leverett. To the tune of calling a site they keep together Going to Tehran (to be fair, in the name of a book they co-authored). The level of her obsession with Iran could be indicated by the headlines of her articles on Al Jazeera:

• Rouhani won the Iranian election. Get over it.
• Consequences of western intransigence in nuclear diplomacy with Iran
• The Iranian nuclear issue and the future of international order
• Obama's choice: Real diplomacy (or war) with Iran
• The coming collapse of Iran sanctions

(**) With a caption "WH: Obama's Iran strategy better than alternatives". I wonder, what else could Josh Earnest say?

CNN on terror attack in Jerusalem

The expression "wrong on so many levels" would have applied to that piss-poor article by CNN, there are only two problems with it: I am tired to hear it; and there is only one level in this article (guess which one one).

So, to start with: "authorities call it terror attack". I bet otherwise it could have been many other things, like an invitation to a bar-mitzva, for instance.

A Palestinian man rammed into a cyclist and four Israeli border police...

Technically true, but here is a quote from ToI:

Palestinian runs over 4 border policewomen and a cyclist...

Of course, gender neutrality is important in XXI century, the century of inclusiveness and Political Correctness. Oh well.

The suspect tried to escape, but was shot by a security guard and severely wounded before being taken into custody, police said.

Interesting. So the "suspect" tried to run, according to CNN. Here it goes from that other source:

After the car attack, he then emerged from the vehicle with a butcher’s knife and attempted to stab passersby, but was swiftly shot and incapacitated by a Border Policeman and a Light Rail security guard at the scene.

I rest my case. Or the case could rest itself, for all I care.

Slow weekend, ain't it?

Fully operational FEMA camp doubles as a police torture center in Chicago!

Proof in this picture:

Some details (not for persons under 18!):

With regard to law enforcement in Chicago, we are acquiescing in the face of tyranny. We are accepting thuggery and the existence of torture programs which are supported and funded by our locally elected leaders. For those of you that do not think that FEMA camps are not real, you may want to pay close attention to the rest of the contents of this article. To those who are blinded by cognitive dissonance, we have operation FEMA camps torturing and killing Americans today. The proof resides in the following paragraphs.

In an investigative report, The Guardian boldly alleges that rogue units of the Chicago Police Department maintains a secret interrogation compound in Homan Square. Citizens have accused the Chicago police of having subjected Americans to rendition. Victims are unable to be found by family or attorneys while undergoing enhanced interrogation similar to the CIA.

The most chilling detail in the article - it ends with:

Alex Jones mentioned a quote from Solzhenitsyn that I have used many times in order the

My only hope is that we'll hear from the author, a courageous man that goes under moniker "common sense". Here is what he looks like (looked like, while writing the piece, at least - who knows what was done to him by now):

Let common sense go, you reactionary godless NWO Illuminati! Otherwise I will re

Weasel riding on a woodpecker photo: still a fake. The real story!

You all are familiar by now with the photo, no news channel has escaped it:

Martin Le-May caught the moment when the woodpecker took flight with a weasel on its back

BBC provided a whole spread to the story, doing their best to add to its veracity (oh well, you know how it goes with BBC, don't you?).

However, the truth will out, and the hanky-panky with the picture was discovered. We can now show you (this is real citizens journalism!) the true original:

Eat our dust, BBC!

Hat tip: D.B.

Kremlin for sale: submit your bids, folks

This smashing news item was published on February 17, but I hope it's not too late. At least there wasn't any notice of sale made final yet. So check this out.

The official website of Gostorg* submitted Kremlin for sale. As the cause of the urgent sale the description of the lot offers "shortage of funds to help Novorossiya**". The starting price for Kremlin is set to 30 rubles.

The notice of Kremlin sale was posted on the official state website on February 17th. The beneficiary, as the description of the lot says, is administration of the Nizhneserginsky District, represented by Valery Eremeev - head of the administration. The status of sale was changed to "canceled/revoked," and the reason for the cancellation stated: "information was leaked to outsiders."

The initial selling price of the Kremlin is 30 rubles, auction step - 2 rubles. As stated, there is an encumbrance: "Russian President Vladimir Putin is the current occupier of the property, but should move out within 30 days from the date of sale of the building." In "the terms of the contract of sale" it is stated that "all proceeds from the sale are to be transferred to the account of the Novorossiya's militia***". For the money transfer the lot description carries a number of Savings Bank account.

The trading in the lot is prohibited to "any foreign and Russian legal entities in which at least 50% of the share capital is owned by members of the United Russia party or their close relatives, as well as citizens and individual entrepreneurs who are members of the said party, or who are in close relationship with the members of the said party (spouse, children, parents)".

In detailed description of the property it is stated that the building is in excellent condition, after restoration, equipped with a security system and special communication systems. Two underground floors. Convenient parking.

The responder at the support telephone number that is listed on the Gostorg site, would not comment on the sale of the property. The officer in question stated that all complaints of proposals for trading are considered by the Federal Antimonopoly Service, and claims are to be sent directly to the initiator of the specific trading. At the time of delivery of the material the calls to the administration of Nizhneserginsky District weren't answered. RBC [the source of the article] has sent the administration a written request for comment.


(*) An official government site that offers property for sale.
(**) The part of Ukraine Russia is aiming to grab lately.
(***) Meaning the pro-Russian militia, of course.

 The snapshot of the sale notice from the Gostorg site:

Click to embiggen

Naomi Wolf and her wondrous verification process

I wouldn't go back to the fairly sorry subject of this post, but some of my Facebook friends have been discombobulated by her recent attempt to revive the depleted uranium story circa 2013 (why, by the way?). The story itself fizzled out after a great debunking job by Elder of Ziyon, so the outcome was another egg on the face for Ms Wolf. Not that there is much room for new eggs, of course, but it doesn't make no nevermind to the lady.

But there was another curious snippet I noticed on Ms Wolf's FB page. This is the way the queen of the Facebook citizens journalism (or "global citizen's newspaper" as she sometimes calls it) presents her journalism "methodology":

A reminder that this site verifies so I do not uncritically post anything -- I wonder how many times I need to explain that -- I post as the start of the verification process, not its culmination. If something is wrong it is your job to provide the counter evidence; that is how we find out what happened.

This is simply fabulous. And I naively thought that her "two sources" verification practice is the peak of stupidity.

According to this theory, the citizens journalism of that "global citizen's newspaper" works in a very simple way: first you publish something, then you just wait for somebody "to provide the counter evidence", in other words to prove that what you have published is a big smelly load of bunkum. If no one cares to debunk whatever you published, it is declared a true statement.

My only hope is that the media moguls don't get a whiff of this practice - although sometimes I suspect that at least some of them have already got it.

As for Ms Wolf: I got me quite an interesting tidbit of info recently: she was caught in a high school boys' restroom, soliciting underage boys - no, not for sex, we are not interested in stuff like this here* - for news items to be used in her global citizen's newspaper.

Now it is up to Ms Wolf to confirm or to disprove this tidbit. I think a week will suffice.

(*) Well, up to a point.

Netanyahu's speech and some choice responses

Of course, this is not about the real aftermath of the speech. The real aftermath will show itself in coming weeks, months and even possibly, years. Such as the first hints on a coming punishment (via the radio this morning) from an "unnamed administration official", who warned that the new Pentagon budget  may not include financing for the anti-missile systems development by Israel (due to budget cuts, of course). Which is only the first sign of troubles ahead.

Nope, this post is only about the first verbal knee-jerk responses. And the least brainy of them belong to the high and mighty.

US President Barack Obama said Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu didn't offer any "viable alternatives" to the nuclear negotiations with Iran during his speech to Congress earlier in the day.

Well, knee-jerk is as knee-jerk does. Interestingly, some (probably not briefed in advance) other "unnamed administration official" had a different message to convey:

The White House believes Netanyahu not only failed to present an alternative to the emerging agreement, but also presented unrealistic demands for what he would deem a better agreement.

“In his speech, Netanyahu outlined a nuclear agreement that will never happen,” the senior official said.

If you read the quote above twice, you shall see that the "unnamed administration official" is a bit of a bumbler. So, on one hand, he echoes his Commander in Chief - Bibi "failed to present an alternative". On the other, "Netanyahu outlined a nuclear agreement". There is a big difference between not presenting a plan and presenting a plan that looks impossible. But what do I know?

Of course, Ms Pelosi, the brain center of the Democrats has an emotional angle to present:

“That is why, as one who values the US–Israel relationship, and loves Israel, I was near tears throughout the Prime Minister’s speech – saddened by the insult to the intelligence of the United States as part of the P5 +1 nations, and saddened by the condescension toward our knowledge of the threat posed by Iran and our broader commitment to preventing nuclear proliferation."

I don't know what does Ms Pelosi mean when she says "intelligence". I can only hope that it's something vastly different from her own. Otherwise we are all in deep shit...

At this point I wanted to insert something else intelligent, from NYT. Eventually I've decided that NYT spiritual twin, Haaretz, will do instead, and I wasn't much mistaken. Here is the headline:

Netanyahu presents Congress with a warped view of the Mideast

This article gave birth to one of the more idiotic passages I've witnessed lately:

It’s true Saudi Arabia has never called for the annihilation of Israel, but Iran has also never said it intends to destroy Israel — it relates to Israel as an entity that should not exist.

"In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king," they say. Who is that one-eyed man and who represents that kingdom? I leave it to you, reader. As an assistance I shall provide only the list of headlines on the subject from the same source (click on the image to embiggen):

This time Haaretz editors decided that no dissenting opinion will be allowed to soil their pristine anti-Bibi stance. And one even more amazing detail: notice how they recruit Iran in support of that stance... what else needs to be said?

Well, enough about smearing. It is time to inject a dose of antidote in that vat of poison. And here comes an interesting editorial from no other than Washington Post:

Obama needs to provide real answers to Netanyahu’s arguments

While the article doesn't laud the speech or Bibi, it asks all the relevant and hard questions, rounding up with utterly level-headed:

Rather than continuing its political attacks on Mr. Netanyahu, the administration ought to explain why the deal it is contemplating is justified — or reconsider it.

Of course, WaPo is not free of Bibi bashing (old habits die hard, I guess), but let's leave it alone for now.

The most amazing positive responses come from the Arab world. The Saudi Arabian daily Al-Jazirah (not to be confused with the Qatar's Al Jazeera):

Al-Faraj said Netanyahu’s effort to prevent the signing of the agreement is in the interests of the Gulf states, and that the prime minister “is right to insist on addressing Congress about the nuclear deal.”

And Al Arabiya English:

The powerful editor-in-chief of Al Arabiya English, Faisal J. Abbas, published a column on Tuesday in which he asked Obama to take notes from Netanyahu on the extent of the Iranian threat. In the piece, titled “President Obama, Listen to Netanyahu on Iran,” Abbas says, “one must admit, Bibi did get it right, at least when it came to dealing with Iran.”

Abbas has it right on more than just nukes issue:

Abbas slams Obama’s “controversial take on managing global conflicts that raises serious questions.” The “real Iranian threat” says Abbas, is not just the country’s nuclear ambitions, “but its expansionist approach and state-sponsored terrorism activities which are still ongoing.”

The big question remains: will the sides in this controversy be able to overcome the mutual personal enmity and the (chiefly artificially inflated) issues of protocol to work on a sensible resolution?

Somehow I am not hopeful. But the time will show. Soon enough.

P.S. A reminder: writer of this post in not a Bibi's supporter.