Was it the Nazis or the neocons that turned him (as if there were a difference)?

MARK CRISPIN MILLER

MAY 21, 2023

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Some day, when real historians explain the US operation in Ukraine, they’ll surely tell us all about Zelensky’s early peacenik phase, and why it ended.

(If you know how to reach Sean Penn, feel free to send this to him,)

May 21, 2023

Source: Agencies

ByAl Mayadeen English

Russian troops successfully gained control over Bakhmut, and Zelensky acknowledges its loss.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emerged on Sunday toacknowledge Bakhmut’s defeatto the Russians, saying there was “nothing left” of the city.

When asked if Ukrainian soldiers were still holding out or if Russia had taken the city, Zelensky was evasive, saying only, “You have to understand there is nothing” there.

“For today, Bakhmut is only in our hearts.”

Retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski toldSputnikthat the Russian forces’ control overthe important transport hub of Bakhmuton May 20 marks a critical turning point in the battle between Kiev and Moscow.

The liberation of Bakhmut demonstrates that Ukraine’s political leadership’s approach has failed, because…

bybeyondnuclearinternationalhttps://beyondnuclearinternational.org/2023/05/21/lying-is-the-new-black/

And the nuclear industry is going for the fiction prize

By Linda Pentz Gunter

Lying is the new black. It is everywhere. It is in, and cool and entirely acceptable in the circles where judgement and ethics are permanently suspended. Disgraced (and now criminally charged) U.S. congressman, George Santos, is the poster child of this new fashion statement. Make up something outlandish and Santos has probably claimed to have said it or done it. None of it is true. And he is still in Congress.

In this (hopefully permanently) post-Trump era, lying with impunity has become precisely that: unpunishable, even applauded, as Trump was on his CNN debacle, which consigned that network to the dustbin of what once used to be called journalism.

It’s all about entertainment now, and clicks, likes, readership and ratings. And fiction. And the nuclear industry boosters are going for the Pulitzer Prize…

Indian Punchline BYM. K. BHADRAKUMAR

The G7 Leaders’ 2700-wordstatement on Ukraine, issued in Hiroshima after their summit meeting glossed over the burning question today — the so-called counter-offensive against the Russian forces.

It is a deafening silence, since rumours are swirling about the disappearance of the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces. Significantly, President Vladimir Zelensky himself is making himself scarce from Kiev touring world capitals — Helsinki, Hague, Rome, Vatican, Berlin, Paris, London and Jeddah and Hiroshima.It does seem that something is rotten in the state ofDenmark.

As the G7 summit ended, the head of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin announced on Saturday that the Russian operation to capture the strategic communication hub of Bakhmut in Donbass region of eastern Ukraine lasting 224 days, has been brought to a successful completion, overcoming the resistance by more than 80,000 Ukrainian troops.

It is a painful moment for Zelensky…

RT.com ByVladislav Ugolny,a Russian journalist born in Donetsk 21 May 23

The battle for Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut by the Ukrainians) began in August 2022, and gradually turned into the epicenter of fighting betweenRussia and Ukraine. While other parts of the front remained relatively stable, both sides actively brought forces to this small city. For Kiev, which in May 2022 suffered a defeat at Azovstal that helped undermine its image, Artyomovsk became the new Mariupol. Ukrainian propaganda labeled it ‘the Bakhmut Fortress’, and attempted to give an air of heroism tothose fighting there.

………………………………………………………. The importance of the city grew tremendously after the start of Russia’s military operation in February 2022. Initially, when Russian troops broke the first line of fortifications in the area of Popasnaya, Zolotoye, and the Lisichansk-Severodonetsk agglomeration, Artyomovsk was an important transport hub. It kept the Ukrainian front line connected with the rest of the country.

After…

Strategic Culture Editorial May 19, 2023

The Group of Seven held a de facto war summit in Hiroshima, a place that is synonymous with the horror and evil of war.

The United States-led “Group of Seven” cabal held one of their increasingly meaningless jamborees this weekend in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The posturing of solemnity by these warmongering elites in a place that represents the ultimate barbarity of American imperialism is not only sickening in its hypocrisy and profanity. The evident lack of awareness and shame of these charlatans is a sure sign that their privileged historical charade is coming to an end……………..

The proceedings began with a cynical and disingenuous “dedication” at the Hiroshima Peace Park whose centerpiece is the Genbaku Dome, the iconic spectral ruin caused by the U.S. atomic bombing in 1945. The very gathering of leaders at this sacred place is the same people who…

The China-brokered Iran-Saudi deal marked a significant shift toward establishing Persian Gulf and regional stability, but is a major setback for Israelis who have cultivated Arab-Iranian divisions for years.

The recent rapprochement between regional arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran has added a new layer to the already complicated geopolitical landscape in West Asia, especially as the kingdom was once touted to be the next major Arab state to normalize relations with Israel.

Signed in March, theChinese-brokered agreement, which reestablishes diplomatic relations and reopens embassies in Riyadh and Tehran after a seven-year hiatus, is seen by many as a watershed moment that could potentially reduce bilateral animosity and ease tensions throughout the region.

However, the deal has caused great dismay in Tel Aviv and caught Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu off guard.

It is understandable why Israel is disappointed, as theprioritization of the Abraham Accordshas been a cornerstone…

I posted recently on the emerging insurance crisis in Texas and Louisiana, related to Climate risks.
It’s not getting any better.

New York Times:

If you don’t think you’ve been affected by global warming, take a closer look at your last homeowners’ insurance bill: The average cost of coverage hasreached $1,900 a year nationwide, but it’s $4,000 a year in New Orleans and about $5,000 a year in Miami, according to Policygenius, an online insurance marketplace. And that is pocket change compared with the impact climate change may ultimately have on the value of your home.

We have reached a turning point: Climate risk is driving insurer decisions like never before.

After recent years of paying out claims forabout 20 disasters a year with damagesof over $1 billion, a sixfold increase from the 1980s, insurers are getting serious about new pricing models that incorporate the…

The Group of Seven held a de facto war summit in Hiroshima, a place that is synonymous with the horror and evil of war.

The United States-led “Group of Seven” cabal held one of their increasingly meaningless jamborees this weekend in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The posturing of solemnity by these warmongering elites in a place that represents the ultimate barbarity of American imperialism is not only sickening in its hypocrisy and profanity. The evident lack of awareness and shame of these charlatans is a sure sign that their privileged historical charade is coming to an end.

American President Joe Biden took time out from his nation’s collapsing economy and scandals over his rampant family corruption to attend the G7 summit in Japan. He was joined by so-called leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Canada as well as the premier of the host nation, Fumio Kishida. Joining the…

Ukraine’s neighbors push for Zelensky to pursue peace as millions of displaced people flow into Europe

By Seymour Hersh

May 20, 2023:Information Clearing House–In Tuesday,The New York Timespublisheda full-page advertisement signed by 15 U.S. national securityexpertsabout the war in Ukraine. It was headed “The U.S. Should Be a Force for Peace in the World,” and was drafted by the Eisenhower Media Network.

While condemning Russia’s invasion, the statement provides a more objective account of the crisis in Ukraine than the U.S. government orThe New York Timeshas previously presented to the public, including the disastrous U.S. role in NATO expansion, the warnings ignored by successive U.S. administrations and the escalating tensions that ultimately led to war.

may 4th 2023

“Fluoride is highly toxic,” according to the BSC Working Group, reported Bill Osmunson, DDS. Fluoride is also a “known neurotoxin.”

The BSC Working Group details, “If more [Fluoride] than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact the Poison Control Center right away. Directions: adults and children two years and older … do not swallow.”

“What about the words ‘do not swallow’ is tough?”

Watch the Full Hearing on #CHDTV:

https://live.childrenshealthdefense.org/chd-tv/events/fluoride-report-or-systematic-review-of-the-science-or-may-4-event-page/fluoride-report-systematic-review-of-the-science-may4th/

https://www.rt.com/russia/576550-terrible-price-ukraine-counteroffensive/

The country’s troops may have to pay a “terrible price” in a planned counteroffensive, envoy Vadim Pristaiko said

Ukraine could suffer heavy losses during its much-anticipated counteroffensive against Russia, Vadim Pristaiko, Kiev’s ambassador to the UK, warned on Thursday.

In an interview with British broadcaster ITV, the diplomat said:“I know that it can be a very terrible summer and the price is terrible.”

Pristaiko also said Kiev’s Western backers have piled“too much pressure”on Kiev and have built up“too much expectations”about the spring campaign.

When asked to comment on why Ukraine maintains its position on not revealing its losses in the conflict, Pristaiko replied:“internally, we understand how many of us are already killed and lost.”

“We understand that it will be extremely difficult to fight with a nation that is 16 times bigger than us,”the envoy said.“But we are determined to do…

Democracy Now, Laura Kelly,The Hill:May 19, 2023

HIROSHIMA — The cost of war is ever-present in this nuclear-scarred city, which this week is playing host to a high-stakes summit of the Group of Seven (G-7) nations amid Europe’s bloodiest conflict since WWII.

The Atomic Bomb Dome, bearing its skeleton roof and partially remaining walls from when it was irrevocably transformed at 8:15 a.m. on Aug. 6, 1945, is a haunting testament to the horror wrought by man’s determination to pursue maximum destruction.

And it serves as the backdrop for aweekend summit at a timewhen the use of nuclear war is once again openly threatened on the world stage — from loose Russian talk, North Korean provocations, Iran’s nuclear buildup and China’s expanding arsenal………………………………………

President Biden, attending the summit, will not be issuing an apology on behalf of the United States for using the atomic bomb…

Democracy Now, Laura Kelly,The Hill:May 19, 2023

HIROSHIMA — The cost of war is ever-present in this nuclear-scarred city, which this week is playing host to a high-stakes summit of the Group of Seven (G-7) nations amid Europe’s bloodiest conflict since WWII.

The Atomic Bomb Dome, bearing its skeleton roof and partially remaining walls from when it was irrevocably transformed at 8:15 a.m. on Aug. 6, 1945, is a haunting testament to the horror wrought by man’s determination to pursue maximum destruction.

And it serves as the backdrop for aweekend summit at a timewhen the use of nuclear war is once again openly threatened on the world stage — from loose Russian talk, North Korean provocations, Iran’s nuclear buildup and China’s expanding arsenal………………………………………

President Biden, attending the summit, will not be issuing an apology on behalf of the United States for using the atomic bomb…

https://www.democracynow.org/2023/5/19/headlines/biden_wont_apologize_for_1945_nuclear_attacks_on_japan_as_g7_leaders_gather_in_hiroshima, MAY 19, 2023

As the G7 summit gets underway in Hiroshima, Japan, world leaders agreed to new sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. Ahead of their first joint meeting today, President Biden and the other leaders paid tribute to the victims of the world’s first nuclear attack — the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 — laying wreaths at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and planting a tree. President Biden did not issue an apology for the attack. A group of anti-nuclear activists rallied on the streets.

Niishima: “Biden is in Hiroshima, and he’s brought along with him a button to fire a nuclear missile. I cannot forgive him for this. He needs to apologize to the people in Hiroshima.”

At least 140,000 people died in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, which leveled the city. Three days later, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb…