These people want to trademark QAnon to cash in on

novelty hats

QAnon has an estimated 4.5 million followers worldwide.

The race is on to trademark it to sell Q-branded hats, T-shirts, mugs and consulting services

By GIAN VOLPICELLI

Tuesday 6 October 2020

It was bound to happen. People across the world are trying to trademark QAnon, the American far-right conspiracy theory baselessly claiming that Donald Trump is saving the world from a group of elite satanist paedophiles.

According to data from the World Intellectual Property Organisation, a UN agency dealing with patents, copyrights, and trademark, seven applications to register “QAnon” or “Q Anon” as a trademark have been filed since the conspiracy theory debuted on 4Chan in October 2017. Of these, two have been successful – one in Australia and one in Germany – one has been dismissed, and the remaining four are pending. Most applications declare the intention to use the word – the pseudonym of the conspiracy theory’s initiator and now a byword for the whole delusion – as a brand for clothes, hats, coffee mugs, gadgets; some also aimed at registering the trademark to provide entertainment products and consultancy services.

As QAnon goes global, spreading to the UK, Germany, Italy, and gaining an estimated 4.5 million followers worldwide, it is easy to see why entrepreneurial individuals might want to appropriate the brand and monetise it.

But the United States, where QAnon was born and most of its followers are based, is also the country where trademarking it might prove toughest. “Every time there's a cultural phenomenon, someone will try and register the associated phrase as a trademark,” says Rebecca Tushnet, a professor of law at Harvard Law School. “In the US, it usually fails.”

That is because trademarks are supposed to work as indications of source: a swoosh on a pair of sneakers will tell you that those shoes were made by Nike rather than Reebok; an apple on a laptop will remind you that your computer was designed in Cupertino. In contrast, a QAnon logo on a T-shirt would not bring to mind any particular stylist. “The US Patent and Trademark Office [USPTO], which is the US entity that scrutinises these things, is likely to say: ‘This is just a name of a dispersed movement’,” Tushnet explains. “It doesn't tell anything about the source of the product.”

Many bids to trademark political slogans such as Black Lives Matter failed for exactly that reason. And the same rationale appears to have doomed several attempts to trademark QAnon-adjacent formulas in the US. Jason Stringo, a Texas-based man who applied to trademark “Q Anon”, alongside related slogans “We Are the Storm” and “WWG1WGA”, ended up abandoning all three of his applications. In a letter refusing the registration of WWG1WGA, the USPTO wrote that the battle cry was so widespread that potential customers “would not perceive it as a mark that identifies the source of applicant’s goods but rather only as conveying an informational message”.

The most recent – and still pending – application for registering “QAnon” as a US trademark was filed on August 21, 2020 by Napoleon Yancey, an attorney and the owner of Tennessee-based Napoleon Law Firm. Yancey says he has filed the application on behalf of a client, who wished to remain anonymous. “My client's ideals do not align with that of QAnon; however, they have identified a potentially valuable asset and would like to obtain the property rights,” Yancey writes in an email. “The client intends to meet all requirements necessary by the trademark office to secure the mark.”

Tushnet thinks that Yancey’s application will likely go down the same route as Stringo's. “I rate the chances of this working as slim to none,” she says. That is regardless of who Yancey’s client might be. Even if the person who allegedly hired Yancey were the person who concocted the QAnon persona in 2017, they still would have a hard time registering it as a trademark for a clothing line, as the application intends to do.

“There would be at least a possibility for that person, but only for a limited set of things,” Tushnet says. “In theory, QAnon himself or herself – and I'm guessing him – could claim trademark rights in providing conspiracy theories. Entertainment services or informational services would be the usual thing.”

According to Dev Gangjee, a professor of intellectual property law at the University of Oxford, a successful scenario is not only remote but impossible. “Even if somebody originally invents a phrase, but then it quickly gets swept up by the general public, and it starts being used to talk about a movement or a set of ideas, then it doesn't matter if you came up with it,” Gangjee says. “You've lost it.”

More at Link:

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/qanon-trademarks

>>10943526

CONT:

Reached on the phone, Yancey says that he does not believe his client is the inventor of the QAnon personage; he also says his client is not linked to Jim and Ron Watkins, a father-and-son duo who run the 8kun online forum – a QAnonist stronghold – and who have been often been accused of having ties with QAnon’s originators. Jim Watkins did not reply to messages sent to his Instagram account by the time of publication.

But not all is lost for those planning to trademark QAnon. “Most countries don't have the kind of substantive examination process that the US does,” says Tushnet. “There are a lot of places where it could, in theory, function as a trademark.”

That has already happened. In Germany, the owner of a children’s event company called René Reimann successfully managed to get the word trademarked in October 2018, alongside QArmy, and WWG1WGA. Reimann, who seems at least sincere in his support for the QAnon fantasy, [link url="https://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/brand-management/qanontm-the-global-efforts-trademark-far-right-movement"]told trade publication World Trademark Review[/link] that he hopes the profit from selling QAnon-branded gear might be used to “do a lot of good with the Q-Story”.

In Australia, someone called Kane Oliver has owned the trademark since July 2018. Other applications are pending in France, and before the EU’s Intellectual Property Office. QAnon profiteers in Morocco might have a hard time, though: there, QAnon has been registered since 2011 as a brand for hardware and machinery.

Conspiracy QAnon Raises Controversy Over New Movie

‘Cuties’

With the help of conspiracy theorists, ‘Cuties’ may have sent the wrong message to its viewers about the sexualization of young girls.

By Jack Wilan October 5, 2020

The new Netflix movie Cuties is rumored to be part of the global conspiracy QAnon, involving Tom Hanks, Hillary Clinton, Jeffrey Epstein, and Comet Ping Pong Pizza. Cuties has been added to the long list of people and things involved in the conspiracy, which is about a global child sex trafficking ring that Donald Trump is fighting to take down.

Cuties is a new French language Netflix film that has caused nationwide uproar over its content. Since its U.S. release, it has prompted thoughtful individuals such as Alex Jones (of InfoWars) and the aforementioned organization QAnon to promote the downfall of Netflix.

Cuties is set in Paris, where an 11-year-old girl Amy — played by 14 year old actress Fathia Youssouf — distances herself from her conservative Muslim family. Amy defies her family, originally from Senegal, by joining a group of girls known as “the Cuties,” who want to enter a dance competition. It is a classic story of loneliness, living between two worlds, and the sexualization of young girls. The movie’s intent is to showcase how girls and women can feel powerless in a male-dominated society and how sexuality can perhaps empower women. Cuties often juxtaposes imagery of “the Cuties” dancing in an intentionally provocative way with dialogue suggesting they are unaware of their overt sexuallity at such a young age. Maïmouna Doucouré, the Black female director and creator of Cuties, commented that the movie was meant to convey that “Childhood is precious and we have to protect our children.”

Unfortunately, the intended message conflicts with the images that viewers received. All the girls — the “Cuties” — wear suggestive clothing, such as leather pants and tube tops, and dance in suggestive ways. Discomfort was part of Doucouré’s goal, which is why the dancing and behaviour of the young girls is overtly sexual. Doucouré hoped that this discomfort would lead to a reevaluation of how we, as a society, let girls be children. What Doucouré seemed to forget is that once something enters the mainstream media the way her film did on Netflix, the way that people view or interpret the content cannot be entirely controlled. Doucouré left a lot to be interpreted.

More at Link:

https://berkeleyhighjacket.com/2020/entertainment/conspiracy-qanon-raises-controversy-over-new-movie-cuties/

Tensions rise in 7th District after death threats to Malinowski,

QAnon slur, GOP ad

JON HURDLE, CONTRIBUTING WRITER | OCTOBER 6, 2020 | NJ DECIDES 2020, POLITICS

Democratic incumbent accuses challenger Tom Kean and

Republican committee of spreading false allegations

Death threats to Democratic Congressman Tom Malinowski following false allegations that he argued in defense of sex offenders more than a decade ago have raised the temperature of an already-competitive race for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.

Malinowksi, who is running for reelection after winning the seat in 2018, received six of the threats to his Washington office last week after the airing of a TV advertisement by the Republican National Campaign Committee; the ad claims that, in his work with the nonprofit Human Rights Watch in the mid-2000s, Malinowski opposed a provision in a crime bill that would have broadened registration requirements for sex offenders. The ad says: “Tom Malinowski tried to make it easier for predators to hide in the shadows.”

The allegations have been repeated by his opponent Republican Tom Kean, a longtime state lawmaker now serving as the GOP leader in the state Senate who is making his second run for federal office in a district that Malinowksi flipped to the Democrats two years ago after 37 years of continuous representation by Republicans.

The allegations may be overshadowed by voter sentiment on President Donald Trump, whose polarizing personality is expected to play an outsize role in the outcome of the 7th District race.

“Donald Trump is the dominant issue,” said Ben Dworkin, a professor of politics at Rowan University. “He sucks all the oxygen out of the room. Then health care, transportation infrastructure, taxes. But the issue that is front and center is the president and that overshadows everything else.”

In 2018, Republican incumbent Leonard Lance tried to distance himself from Trump because of the president’s unpopularity in the district, Dworkin said, but it didn’t work, and Lance lost to Malinowski.

“When the voters who don’t like the president say they don’t like what they’ve seen, there is an additional desire to not enable the president by not electing more Republicans,” Dworkin said. “In a place where the president is not popular, like parts of New Jersey, it becomes very tough to run as a Republican.”

More at Link:

https://www.njspotlight.com/2020/10/nj-election-2020-7th-district-tempers-fray-false-qanon-allegations-malinowski-blames-kean/

Why Facebook needs to be more paranoid about QAnon

‘Once again, short-sightedness from Silicon Valley has allowed

extremist thinking to flourish’

Hannah Murphy 5 HOURS AGO

In May, Facebook casually invited me to join a conspiracy cult that believes the world is controlled by a Satan-worshipping, baby-eating, deep-state coterie and can only be saved by US president Donald Trump.

“Join groups to connect with people who share your interests,” the social media network implored in a recommendation email. Below was a suggestion that I become part of a 135,000-strong Facebook group called “QAnon News & Updates — Intel drops, breadcrumbs, & the war against the Cabal”.

QAnon is an outlandish far-right conspiracy theory; in essence, an anonymous individual “Q” is drip-feeding believers “classified” information about Trump’s fight against a diabolical collective of Democrats and business elites. As QAnon has ballooned, it has taken on menacing undertones: followers, calling themselves “digital soldiers”, are encouraged to take an oath to “defend” the US constitution. Last year, the FBI labelled fringe political conspiracies, QAnon included, a domestic extremist terror threat.

But in 2020 it has metastasised from the fringes of internet culture to a mainstream phenomenon — Trump himself has publicly praised the group for its support — and has become a topic of consternation for observers of the presidential election, now less than a month away. That is a problem for Facebook and for the US.

What is particularly jarring is that this is history repeating itself: once again, short-sightedness from Silicon Valley has allowed extremist thinking to flourish.

In 2018, former YouTube staffer Guillaume Chaslot criticised the video site’s recommendations algorithm for pushing some users down a conspiracy-theory rabbit hole. Google-owned YouTube’s recommendations generate 70 per cent of views on the video platform. They have been crafted to keep you engaged for as long as possible, allowing more opportunity to serve advertising. This could mean repeatedly showing you similar content, Chaslot argued, deepening existing biases you might have. These are blind spots in the business model. The company promised in 2019 to do more to downrank the biggest conspiracy theories, though critics say it is yet to convincingly solve the problem.

So what had warranted Facebook’s QAnon advances towards me? The email was linked to my work Facebook page, which I use to monitor posts and live streams from Mark Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives. According to my search history, I had looked up the phrase “QAnon” several days earlier, likely triggering its recommendations algorithm.

By design, Facebook’s algorithms seem no less toxic and stubborn today than YouTube’s back then. Permitting such dangerous theories to circulate is one thing, but actively contributing to their proliferation is quite another.

Internal Facebook research in 2016 found that 64 per cent of new members of extremist groups had joined due to its recommendation tools. Its QAnon community grew to more than four million followers and members by August, up 34 per cent from around three million in June, according to the Guardian.

More at FT:

https://www.ft.com/

QAnon, the decentralized far-right conspiracy network, makes it

into the mainstream

By Sujay Utkarsh | Oct 5, 2020

In 2016, a devout Christian man drove from North Carolina to a little pizzeria in Washington D.C. named Comet Ping Pong. Armed with an AR-15 assault rifle, he arrived for the sole purpose of stopping a sex trafficking ring run by the Clintons. The infamous Pizzagate became an endless source of memes for those not part of the fringe-right, but I don’t think anyone could have truly comprehended the degree to which Pizzagate would be a turning point for far-right radicalization.

Later on in 2017, an anonymous 4Chan user going by the name of “Q” posted in the /pol/ forum claiming that he was someone with a high security clearance who had evidence that Trump is fighting a secret war against the “deep state”. The conspiracy hinges around Trump’s own rhetoric: everyone is out for him and he is the one who is right about the way things truly are.

Since then, QAnon has evolved into a decentralized, far-right, white supremacist network whose conspiracies and rhetoric have been co-opted by many far-right “news” organizations, militias and extremists, not to mention many Republican politicians and congressional candidates. Even Pittsburgh’s Mayor, Bill Peduto, has retweeted a QAnon conspiracy theory. To add to this, about half of Americans are at least aware of QAnon, and believers are able to maintain a strong presence, despite social media platforms like Twitter continuously trying to ban QAnon content and accounts.

One of the latest QAnon conspiracy theories, #SaveTheChildren, focuses on an alleged sex-trafficking cabal run by elite Democrats, while hijacking the legitimate efforts of the nonprofit Save The Children. The theory is absurd and baseless, but it has found a significant and sizable audience of people you wouldn’t expect. Suburban housewives and some parenting influencers, who once posted Minion memes and “1 like = 1 prayer” posts, have transitioned to posting QAnon content. These same people are also reposting the bogus “5G causes coronavirus” conspiracy theory, as well as the conspiracy that Bill Gates and other liberal elites planned the pandemic.

It’s easy to laugh in disbelief at insane fringe conspiracy theories and at the “Karens” and “boomers” who believe them. But this level of detachment from reality combined with a self-destructive, narcissistic view of the world can very easily lead to violence. It has already done so, to the point that the FBI believes QAnon is a source of domestic terrorism.

Since it is such a decentralized network, QAnon’s disinformation and supporters move between other right-wing networks easily. For example, incels, a group of frustrated men who blame their personality issues on women, LGBT+ people, and minorities, have a huge overlap with QAnon and other far-right and white supremacist networks.

The rise of these far-right movements and fascism isn’t new. There’s a correlation between financial crises and the rise of far-right populism, as political figures take advantage of the institutional distrust and disaffection toward the elite to present simple solutions to systemic issues at the expense of minorities and immigrants. Once accepted into the mainstream, the ideology spreads like wildfire.

The 2008 financial crisis was a boon for the far-right Tea Party movement in 2010, and the Republicans quickly accepted them. With a Democrat president in power who had just bailed out the banks without punishing anyone involved, combined with the anti-globalization sentiment that had been festering, it was too easy for the Tea Party to gain momentum. Similar movements also took place across Europe, as well as in India and Latin America later on in the decade.

The Tea Party movement was normalized through palatable buzzwords and imagery, and figures like Sarah Palin were capable of embodying the movement. We’re seeing that now with the rise of fascism under the Trump administration.

The Democratic Party is mildly complicit in this process, as they had ample opportunity to provide strong opposition and failed to do so. Instead, they forwarded establishment politics and passed increases in the military budget, created ICE detention centers, and passed corporatist economic policies. Combine all of the above with social media echo chambers accelerating the spread of disinformation, and we’ve reached an environment where QAnon is a movement with legitimate mainstream support. The current attempts at opposition from Democrats, while welcome, have come too little, too late.

More at Link:

http://thetartan.org/2020/10/5/forum/far-right

>>10943576

more:

However, QAnon is just the tip of the iceberg. There are much more dangerous far-right networks that still have yet to be designated as terrorism. Major attacks, such as in El Paso, Charleston, Pittsburgh, and recently in Kenosha, are not labeled as acts of terrorism, but all of the attackers have connections to the diffuse network of white supremacy.

This all sounds terrifying, but we should not be scared by the far-right. That’s giving in to what they want. We should also not try to reason with them because they’re too far gone from reality, and white supremacy and fascism are not “opposing views.” We should not provide platforms for them to amplify their ideology as that fuels their self-victimization narrative. This should be obvious, but I continue to hear rhetoric that we should let them talk so that we can understand them and expose them, which is not doable. A simple glance at any far-right forum will prove that point.

I imagine, in a world where CEOs get punished for robbing the country and our politicians are invested in the working class instead of the One Percent, things may be different today. But the current reality is that the Trump administration has normalized far-right, white supremacist movements. After all, the president endorsed eugenics in a Minnesota rally, all while ICE is performing hysterectomies on migrant women in concentration camps on the border and right-wing terrorism is on the rise. It’s our obligation to cut through the noise and stand up strong against the fascists and the far-right. I hate to say it, but the future of the country is at stake.

James Comey and Robert Mueller have Massive Clinton

Foundation Problems

By Charles Ortel October 6, 2020

James Comey is not an effective liar. He fooled only the gullible last week with his evasive testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Previously, Robert Mueller was also not effective deterring the Trump Administration from uncovering significant, far-reaching crimes that the former F.B.I. Director "missed" from September 2001 through September 2013.

For almost 18 years, Comey and Mueller have been covering for powerful Republicans and Democrats, letting serious crimes go unpunished. Many of these involved fake charities that operate internationally, including the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

These are perfect conduits to trade donations for influence, especially for foreign governments who, in theory, are barred from investing in U.S. politicians.

We are approaching a "put up or shut up" moment, where President Trump must deliver on the most important campaign promise he made in closing arguments during the 2016 campaign: that justice would finally be administered to each American, without fear or favor.

This hard deadline is not Nov. 3, 2020 but 13 days later when many Clinton charities must file I.R.S. returns that are complete and truthful. None can do so, yet each must.

Here is some of the back story.

According to page 463 of a report by Inspector General Horowitz entitled "A Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election", the FBI opened an investigation into the "Clinton Foundation" in January 2016, when Jim Comey was Director.

So far, we do not know how aggressively Comey's FBI may have pursued its Clinton Foundation "investigation." By now, however, John Durham and his team should have examined all available records pertaining to the 2016 era effort to see how and why it must have been stymied and by whom.

For, in January 2016, during years before and to the present, there was no lawfully organized or operated "Clinton Foundation." This is a hard fact that Comey and Mueller must have learned over the course of a previous FBI investigation that ran from 2001 to 2005. That investigation centrally involved Comey and was briefed to Mueller.

Worse for Comey and Mueller, are stories that a whistleblower tried to tell starting early in January 2016.

More at Link:

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/10/james_comey_and_robert_mueller_have_massive_clinton_foundation_problems.html

US attorney tapped by Barr to review process of 'unmasking'

resigns from DOJ

US Attorney for the Western District of Texas John Bash resigned

By Brooke Singman | Fox News

Published 9 hours ago

U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas John Bash, who was tapped by Attorney General Bill Barr to review the practice of unmasking, resigned from the Justice Department on Monday.

“This morning I submitted my resignation to the President and the Attorney General, effective Friday,” Bash tweeted Monday. “Last month I accepted a position in the private sector.”

Bash said he was “grateful” to President Trump and members of the U.S. Senate for “the opportunity to serve the people of Texas.

Bash, in a statement, said that Barr has “elected to appoint Gregg Sofer” to succeed him as U.S. attorney, whom he described as “an inspired choice.”

“He is a veteran Department of Justice attorney, serving first in the National Security Division at Main Justice and then for over a decade as a national-security specialist in our Austin office,” Bash said. “In the latter role, he built a reputation as a dogged and tremendously effective prosecutor.”

Bash added that Sofer will “make an excellent U.S. Attorney.”

“I leave the Department with a profound respect for its people, its traditions, and its importance to our constitutional democracy,” Bash said.

In May, Barr appointed Bash to launch a more focused review on the process of unmasking before and after the 2016 presidential election.

The Justice Department also, at the time, revealed that U.S. Attorney John Durham from Connecticut, who is reviewing the origins of the Trump-Russia probe, was also investigating the so-called unmasking of Trump campaign associates as part of his broader review. That line of investigation was confirmed after Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., made public a list of Obama officials who purportedly requested to “unmask” the identity of Michael Flynn, who at the time was Trump’s incoming national security adviser.

"Unmasking inherently isn't wrong, but certainly, the frequency, the motivation and the reasoning behind unmasking can be problematic, and when you're looking at unmasking as part of a broader investigation like John Durham's investigation looking specifically at who was unmasking whom, can add a lot to our understanding about motivation and big picture events," Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said in May, after Bash was tapped to take on the task.

More at Link:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-attorney-reviewing-unmasking-resigns-doj

Andrew McCabe hearing scrapped after he refuses to testify

over COVID-19

By Steven Nelson October 5, 2020 | 5:36pm

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday delayed a hearing with former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe after he refused to testify citing COVID-19 infections among Republicans.

McCabe’s refusal to appear may deny allies of President Trump an opportunity to confront him before the Nov. 3 election about his role in the FBI probe of possible Trump collusion with Russia.

It’s unclear if Republicans will seek to punish McCabe for refusing to appear either in-person or via video feed.

A spokesman for committee chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) did not immediately reply to The Post’s request for comment.

McCabe, now a paid CNN contributor, occupies a villainous role in Trump’s telling of the Russia investigation, which ultimately found no evidence of a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Trump routinely accuses McCabe and former FBI Director James Comey of being “dirty cops” who sought to stage a “coup” after Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election.

McCabe’s wife was a Democratic state senate candidate in Virginia in 2015 and received $467,500 from a political action committee run by close Clinton ally and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

McCabe was fired in 2018 by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions on the recommendation of the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility after the Justice Department’s inspector general found he lied repeatedly to FBI agents and then-FBI Director James Comey about his decision to authorize a leak to the media.

Lying to the FBI is a crime punishable by five years in prison. Prosecutors reportedly recommended that McCabe be indicted, but he has not been charged and denies lying.

Republicans often say McCabe’s non-prosecution is unfair because former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn was charged with lying to the FBI.

McCabe was acting FBI director during the initial phase of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and was the second-in-command when FBI agents sought Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court orders to monitor former Trump adviser Carter Page using an opposition research dossier financed by Clinton’s campaign.

The Justice Department inspector general last year found “significant inaccuracies and omissions“ in documents submitted by the FBI to the FISA court and a former FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, pleaded guilty in August to falsifying records to the court.

McCabe attorney Michael Bromwich informed Graham in a letter that McCabe was unwilling to testify because Republican members of the committee were exposed to COVID-19 during a Sept. 26 Rose Garden event where Trump announced his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court.

“Mr. McCabe was still prepared to testify voluntarily and in person on October 6 as recently as the latter part of this past week. However, since that time, it has been reported that at least two members of your Committee – Senators Mike Lee and Thom Tillis – have tested positive for COVID-19, and it may well be that other members of the Committee and staff who plan to attend the hearing will test positive between now and then, or may have been exposed to the virus and may be a carrier,” Bromwich wrote.

The attorney said McCabe could not testify via video feed because he wanted “fairness” and “[a] fair and appropriate hearing of this kind — which is complex and contentious — simply cannot be conducted other than in person.” Comey testified remotely last week.

https://nypost.com/2020/10/05/mccabe-hearing-scrapped-after-he-refuses-to-testify-over-covid-19/

rerun for today's new eyes

Nigel Farage's NEW plan to dethrone Boris Johnson exposed

amid Brexit chaos

NIGEL FARAGE could completely transform the scene to the massive detriment of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the next general election, journalist and former MEP Patrick O'Flynn has claimed.

By MARTINA BET

PUBLISHED: 08:01, Tue, Oct 6, 2020 | UPDATED: 09:27, Tue, Oct 6, 2020

Mr Johnson's first year in office has been anything but easy. It has seen Brexit, a baby and a brush with death from coronavirus. However, some of the challenges still lying ahead of the Prime Minister suggest the job is not going to get any easier. It is possible that the virus will be more virulent in the winter months, adding to the seasonal pressure faced every year by the NHS.

Moreover, while Mr Johnson may have “got Brexit done” by getting the UK out of the EU on January 31, the current negotiations on the future relationship with Brussels are proving just as difficult as the process of leaving.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s reluctance to make concessions on fish is stirring concern among officials he could sink efforts to reach a wider trade accord.

The two sides are nervous that major compromises on the key disagreements of fishing rights and state aid are still to be made, officials said.

As many wonder whether Mr Johnson will end up softening his stance on Brexit in order to strike a deal, in a recent report, journalist and former MEP Patrick O'Flynn argued that by doing so, the Prime Minister might risk losing the next general election.

Mr O'Flynn claimed that Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage is waiting exactly for this move to make his comeback to British politics.

He wrote: "A few weeks ago, Nigel Farage enjoyed a get together with a very senior Conservative Party figure. Brexit was, naturally, at the heart of the conversation. As he departed from the convivial rendezvous he delivered a line that lowered the temperature in the room and is likely to concentrate Tory minds: 'If you screw it up again I will come back and kill you.'

"So far there is little sign of Boris Johnson’s administration going soft on post-Brexit negotiations.

"But Tory wariness of Farage persists and is understandable. After all, this is the man who has built a political brand that has haunted the party’s every waking hour not once, but twice."

More at Link:

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1343990/nigel-farage-news-brexit-boris-johnson-brexit-party-general-election-trade-talks-spt

>>10943632

More:

Mr O'Flynn recalled how the first time round, former Prime Minister David Cameron conceded an EU referendum in large part because "he had Ukip breathing down his neck".

The second time, it was Mr Farage’s Brexit Party that effectively ended former Prime Minister Theresa May’s premiership by winning the European elections.

The former MEP then asked: "So could there be a third dose of Farage on the horizon? And given growing discontent among Tory-inclined voters about various issues, why hasn’t it happened yet?"

He continued: "Well, yes there could be. Those close to the former Ukip leader say he has noticed that a big chunk of the 2019 Tory vote – perhaps up to a third – has 'worked loose' already on three separate issues: an apparent failure to stand up for British history and culture; opposition among libertarian-inclined people to lockdown measures and the continuing chaotic immigration system.

"Of these, he thinks the third has the most potential traction and has made exposing it a major part of his political and social media activity over the summer and autumn. The other two issues are regarded as potentially useful supporting pillars for an alternative offer from the Right but less likely to affect an outright change in the way people vote.

"Recent political history tells us that there are around four million voters highly susceptible to his appeal. At the 2015 general election, a substantial number of them defected to Ukip from Labour, causing the likes of Ed Balls to lose an early smattering of 'Red Wall' seats. For many such voters, Ukip proved a gateway to voting Tory in the 2019 general election."

Mr O'Flynn concluded in his piece for The Spectator: "Were he to re-enter the fray even as the 'Mr Ten Percent' of British politics, Nigel Farage could completely transform the scene to the massive detriment of the Conservative Party.

"So he watches and he waits, knowing all the time that a Tory failure to deliver on Brexit or immigration will let him back in the game. A memo to the Tories about how to fend him off could be written in two words: Don’t fail."

CIA Director Gina Haspel and the British Role in the Anti-Trump

Plot

by Chris Farrell

October 6, 2020 at 5:00 am

In the next paragraph, [Washington Post reporter Scott] Shane notes breathlessly: "… Trump has accused the United Kingdom of conspiring with American intelligence to spy on his presidential campaign."

President Trump certainly has made that claim, and one believes for very good reasons that seem to compound weekly.

Having the British run an aggressive intelligence collection operation against Team Trump targets, bypassing US legal prohibitions, and then laundering the intelligence "take" back to US officials via the UK-US liaison relationship is precisely something an "honorary UK desk officer" might be good and adept at accomplishing. Certainly, these subjects and questions deserve closer examination, without the phony prophylactic defense of grave warnings about "sources and methods."

CIA Director Gina Haspel can answer all of those questions, and she does not even have to touch upon classified information to do so. The American public is due her answers.

We have raised and discussed serious matters of fact and questions about the role of CIA Director Gina Haspel in the Anti-Trump conspiracy. It appears Haspel (while serving as London Chief of Station from 2014 to early 2017) was an active, knowledgeable party to the efforts to target candidate Trump with an FBI-instigated foreign counterintelligence operation. That seditious conspiracy carried forward to a more sophisticated and aggressive plan to carry out a soft coup against President Donald J. Trump.

Looking back on news reporting concerning Haspel, we turn (with caution) to a Washington Post article from July 2019 by Scott Shane, titled: "The quiet director: How Gina Haspel manages the CIA's volatile relationship with Trump". We are supposed to believe that Haspel and her office did not cooperate with the reporter for the article. Shane disclaims Haspel involvement by writing:

"This report is based on interviews with 26 current and former officials who have worked with Haspel in the United States, particularly when she served in senior management roles at headquarters, and in London, where Haspel served two tours as the CIA's top representative — chief of station — a plum post that is usually the steppingstone to the agency's highest ranks."

No Washington Post article in the last decade has contained such a scrupulous sourcing statement. Of course, Haspel had nothing to do with the article. Remember that, won't you?

Haspel, twice-over Chief of Station in London, had close connections with the British intelligence and security services. Given the nature of the "special relationship" between the two countries, that is hardly surprising. Shane's interviews of British intelligence officers take things a step further, however:

More at Link:

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16601/haspel-britain-trump-coup

>>10943650

MORE:

Shane goes on to explain:

"Haspel has become the CIA's linchpin to the Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6, its most important foreign partner. Her British colleagues say that she knows them so well — warts and all — that they call her the 'honorary U.K. desk officer.'"

In the next paragraph, Shane notes breathlessly:

"… Trump has accused the United Kingdom of conspiring with American intelligence to spy on his presidential campaign."

President Trump certainly has made that claim, and one believes for very good reasons that seem to compound weekly. Reasons that make the "intelligence community" and 95% of "official Washington" extremely nervous. It is the sort of statement that presidential aides and counsels look nervous about, wring their hands and respectfully, earnestly plead: "But Mr. President, you just can't say that sort of thing!" Truth be damned.

Concurrent with the FBI's anti-Trump foreign counterintelligence operation, launched from the United Kingdom (with Haspel's affirmative "coordination"), keep in mind that the UK's version of the National Security Agency the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) was engaged in an aggressive Signals Intelligence campaign later codified in UK law as the Investigatory Powers Act (and referred to colloquially as the "Snoopers' Charter"). Having the British run an aggressive intelligence collection operation against Team Trump targets, bypassing US legal prohibitions, and then laundering the intelligence "take" back to US officials via the UK-US liaison relationship is precisely something an "honorary UK desk officer" might be good and adept at accomplishing.

Certainly, these subjects and questions deserve closer examination, without the phony prophylactic defense of grave warnings about "sources and methods." No one examining the coup against President Trump is seriously interested in the precise technical collection techniques of GCHQ – they just want to know if the Brits were involved in an attempt to subvert a presidential campaign and then overturn the results of an election. CIA Director Gina Haspel can answer all of those questions, and she does not even have to touch upon classified information to do so. The American public is due her answers.

Chris Farrell is a former counterintelligence case officer. For the past 20 years, he has served as the Director of Investigations & Research for Judicial Watch. The views expressed are the author's alone, and not necessarily those of Judicial Watch.

FARRELL: It’s Time To Have All Of The Facts About

Russiagate

CHRIS FARRELL JUDICIAL WATCH

October 05, 2020 12:01 PM ET

We have learned a lot in the past week about the Russiagate anti-Trump coup plot. The dots are slowly being connected, far too slowly for those who would like the full truth to come out. But any progress in Washington can be counted as a small victory.

One important revelation was that the primary sub-source – used by British spy Christopher Steele to compile his discredited, rumor-filled anti-Trump dossier in 2016 – was linked to Russian intelligence. This was revealed when senators requested that the Justice Department declassify a footnote to Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s 2019 report on FBI FISA abuse against Trump campaign aide Carter Page. Attorney General William Barr then provided a two-page summary of an FBI counterintelligence investigation into Steele’s sub-source, Russian national Igor Danchenko, which lasted from 2009-2011. Danchenko was a known associate of Russian intelligence operatives, but the investigation ended after he left the country in 2010.

Why this information was redacted from the Horowitz report is anyone’s guess since hiding it serves no national security interest; but keeping it from public view did at least keep that part of the Steele dossier coverup alive. In his testimony this week to the Senate Judiciary Committee, former FBI Director James Comey downplayed the role of the Steele dossier in obtaining the FISA warrant, but it is reasonable to assume that the warrant would never have been issued had the FISA court been given the full provenance of the document. No, the dossier was central to obtaining the Carter Page FISA warrant and all that flowed from it through targeting Page’s contacts and tertiary individuals, possibly including Donald Trump himself.

We also now know more details about how the “insurance policy” famously mentioned by FBI agent Peter Strzok was implemented. Newly released texts related to the Michael Flynn case show that the case against Flynn was being readied to be closed just before the 2016 election, but when Donald Trump unexpectedly won, there was a flurry of activity to find justifications to keep the case going. Then after the infamous January 5, 2017, Oval Office meeting between President Obama, Vice President Biden, FBI Director James Comey, national security adviser Susan Rice, CIA Director John Brennan, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, another flurry of activity to keep the investigation going under the specious rationale of the Logan Act.

“What’s the word on how O’s [Obama’s] briefing went?” one exchange started. “Don’t know,” another FBI employee responded, “but people here are scrambling for info to support certain things and its [sic] a mad house.” “Jesus,” someone replied. “Trump was right. Still not put together….why do we do this to ourselves. What his wrong with these people.”

Then there is a newly declassified letter from Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe that alleged that Obama administration officials had been informed that former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was using the issue of Trump’s alleged ties to Russia to distract attention from her illicit email scandal. The intelligence, briefed to Obama by CIA chief Brennan, “alleged approval by Hillary Clinton on July 26, 2016, of a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisors to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by Russian security services.” An investigative referral was forwarded to the FBI and landed on Peter Strzok’s desk, where of course it died.

More at Link:

https://dailycaller.com/2020/10/05/farrell-its-time-to-have-all-of-the-facts-about-russiagate/

>>10943665

MORE:

Democrats have charged that the Ratcliffe letter itself is Kremlin disinformation, firm in their belief that the Russia card still works. But even at the time Hillary Clinton’s campaign was publicly talking about weaponizing the supposed ties to Putin, and the New York Times reported on July 24, 2016, that promoting the Russia scandal was turning into a major theme of Clinton’s campaign. No, the scandal is not that Hilary was pushing the Russia lie, we already knew that. It is that the Obama administration knew this was going on and did nothing about it, ignoring (or cooperating with) Clinton campaign influence over Steele and Fusion GPS.

How much more will come out? There are reports that U.S. Attorney John Durham will not issue a report on his investigation into the roots of Russiagate before the election. Also CIA Director Gina Haspel is reportedly blocking the release of documents that would further explain the CIA’s role in this affair. Russiagate victim George Papadopoulos tweeted that “the CIA and MI6 were more involved than the FBI” and it was “not shocking to see Gina Haspel trying to block declassification of what was going on in London with the CIA among other capitals” since she was Station Chief there when all this went down. The CIA’s role is more important than the FBI’s since the intelligence agency was in a position to manufacture and feed information to the FBI, using foreign sources and coordinating with foreign intelligence services. This could be fed directly or indirectly to FBI counterintelligence to manufacture the predicate for the case against Trump.

Papadopoulos has called on President Trump to declassify this information immediately. In fact, that has been the call from many quarters for years. There is no excuse not to do it, and it is mystifying that Trump has not just exposed the entire documentary record of the plot. During the presidential debate Trump said, “They came after me spying on my campaign. They started on the day I won and even before I won. … And we’ve caught them. We’ve caught them all. We’ve got it all on tape.” OK, Mr. President, let’s hear it. It’s time to let the people decide for themselves.

Chris Farrell is director of investigations and research at Judicial Watch, a nonprofit government watchdog. He is a former military intelligence officer.

Why Pompeo’s Crusade Against the Pope Failed

Christian conservatives in the United States are using religious freedom in China as a smokescreen in their ongoing culture war against Pope Francis. It might win votes at home but won’t sway the Holy See.

BY ANNA MOMIGLIANO | OCTOBER 6, 2020, 4:43 AM

If the medium is the message, the White House’s message to Pope Francis couldn’t be clearer. When U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote an opinion piece last month in the magazine First Things, urging the Vatican not to renew its agreement with China on the appointment of bishops, the choice of outlet didn’t go unnoticed in Rome: In past years First Things, a religious publication close to the Catholic right, has grown increasingly favorable to the Trump administration and hostile toward the Holy See, declaring, among other things, Francis’s popedom “a failing papacy.”

The venue itself “already says something about the intention of those who wrote this article,” the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, told reporters. “It was a declaration of which side Pompeo was on,” Massimo Faggioli, a church historian at Villanova University who recently wrote the book The Liminal Papacy of Pope Francis, told me. Pompeo, an Evangelical Presbyterian, also met with Italy’s prime minister and foreign minister late last month to discuss China—according to the Italian press he warned them against Beijing’s involvement in 5G networks.

In this context, Faggioli points out, Pompeo’s intrusion into Chinese-Vatican relations had more to do with U.S. electoral politics than with China: “He was telling the Catholic and the evangelical right that he’s on their side and doesn’t care about clashing with the pope.” The Holy See has no official diplomatic relations with China and, far from being a comprehensive deal, the 2018 provisional agreement between the two that is on track to be renewed this month is strictly specific to the ordination of bishops in mainland China, which is not a top priority for U.S. President Donald Trump. The Catholic vote in the United States is, however.

The leadership of the Catholic Church in the United States, which leans politically conservative, is at odds with the direction that the pope is giving to the church, especially when it comes to issues such as protecting the environment, safeguarding migrants’ human rights, and fighting the death penalty—causes that are dear to Francis but hardly align with Republican politics.

Many U.S. bishops, Faggioli noted, see such conservative causes as the fight against abortion and the advocacy of traditional gender roles as “the only keys to the church’s survival,” while Francis has refused to focus his advocacy on just these issues. He has expressed progressive views on social, economic, and environmental issues, while firmly defending the church’s stance against abortion and against the notion that gender is a social construct, although he has slightly softened its rhetoric on homosexuality.

In certain passages, it’s hard to miss the references to U.S. politics. “Certain populist political regimes, as well as certain liberal economic approaches, maintain that an influx of migrants is to be prevented at all costs,” reads the encyclical.In certain passages, it’s hard to miss the references to U.S. politics. “Certain populist political regimes, as well as certain liberal economic approaches, maintain that an influx of migrants is to be prevented at all costs,” reads the encyclical. “It is born of a certain insecurity and fear of the other that leads to rejection and the desire to erect walls for self-defence.”

The United States is home to around 51 million Catholic adults, evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, according to the Pew Research Center. It’s worth noting, though, that divisions often run along ethnic lines, with Hispanic Catholics leaning left and white Catholics leaning right, per Pew data.

More at Link:

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/10/06/why-pompeos-crusade-against-the-pope-failed/

>>10943688

CONT I:

Faggioli said that in the past decade the most traditional and white segment of the U.S. Catholic Church have converged politically with white evangelicals, fully embracing the nationalist, “America first” agenda, which previously was perceived as incompatible with Catholic universalist doctrine, even in conservative circles.

Among the most prominent pro-Trump Catholics, there are former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, whose wife, Callista Gingrich, was nominated by Trump as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, and former White House advisor (and culture warlord) Steve Bannon, who attempted to establish a right-wing political school in a former monastery outside Rome, to no avail.

The same group also has a negative opinion of Francis, whom they see as the logical consequence of the Second Vatican Council, which in the 1960s sought to modernize the church, to the dismay of hard-line conservatives. Just like white evangelicals, traditionalist Catholics see Trump as a bastion against postmodern cultural relativism.

But this doesn’t automatically translate to mass support for the Republican Party. Although still in the lead among this demographic group, Trump is actually losing some of his support among white Catholics: In the past election, 64 percent voted for him, while in the upcoming one about 59 percent plan to do soTrump is actually losing some of his support among white Catholics: In the past election, 64 percent voted for him, while in the upcoming one about 59 percent plan to do so, according to the most recent Pew poll. If Democratic candidate Joe Biden were elected, that would make him the second Catholic president in U.S. history, after John F. Kennedy.

Pompeo’s attack seems specious both because relations with China are not a top priority for U.S. Catholics and because the renewed agreement between the Holy See and China is unlikely to alter the balance between Washington and Beijing, which the Trump administration sees as its main competitor.

However, the agreement is not above criticism.

Although the details are secret, the Vatican has made it clear that it is provisional and concerns solely the appointment of bishops in mainland China. It “has reestablished full communion with Chinese bishops ordained without papal mandate,” reads a statement by the Vatican’s news agency.

Since 1957, Chinese authorities have refused to let the pontiff pick his own bishops, taking it upon themselves to ordain bishops without papal approval, which is strictly incompatible with Catholic doctrine. Since its establishment, the People’s Republic of China has maintained the party line that religious activities in its territory should be limited and under the direct authority of the Communist Party, which is officially atheist. Catholicism in particular was viewed with suspicion in the early days, because it was associated with Western influence, but in the past few years Beijing has focused its efforts on containing Islam, which is perceived as a threat to Chinese cultural homogeneity.

Over the decades, this situation has led to the coexistence of two Catholic Churches in China, one official church sanctioned by the government but not recognized by the Vatican, and an underground church loyal to Rome. After decades of negotiations, the Vatican reached a provisional agreement in 2018, in which it retroactively recognized the bishops ordained by Chinese authorities and obtained the right to ordain new one while giving Beijing a say in the picks.

>>10943699

CONT II:

But it also comes at a time in which China is cracking down on religious freedoms, including that of its some 10 million Catholics, a tiny fraction of the country’s population, not to mention Beijing’s human rights violations against Muslims.

According to several reports by the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions’ news agency, Chinese authorities have severely limited the practice of Catholic religion—including a prohibition on minors attending services and a ban on religious education in some provinces—and harassed priests who refuse to join the state-controlled churchChinese authorities have severely limited the practice of Catholic religion—including a prohibition on minors attending services and a ban on religious education in some provinces—and harassed priests who refuse to join the state-controlled church. Some Chinese Catholics, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions, have urged the pope not to renew the agreement because it’s not benefiting the community.

But, when it comes to China, the Holy See is negotiating from a weak position. Francis has almost no leverage to pressure Beijing on the treatment of Catholics, let alone broader human rights.

As an economic superpower with a small, embattled Catholic population, China isn’t eager to make significant concessions to the Vatican. By contrast, the Holy See, which under Francis has vocally promoted human rights and hasn’t shied away from criticizing Western leaders, has a history of maintaining a low political profile in nations where its followers are in an underprivileged position.

While conservative Catholics in the United States, emboldened by their alliance with the Trump administration and its white evangelical fan base, are eager to wage an all-out culture war, Rome’s priorities couldn’t be more different. By snubbing Pompeo, the pope made that clear.

FIN

India’s Show Of Strength Amid Tensions With China:

Five Missile Tests In Two Weeks; At Least Two Capable Of

Delivering Nukes

by Swarajya Staff-Oct 6, 2020 05:11 AM

India has conducted five missile tests in the last two weeks.

Coming amid the ongoing standoff in eastern Ladakh, the most serious border confrontation with China in over four decades, experts say these tests carry a message from New Delhi to an increasingly aggressive Beijing.

LINK:

https://swarajyamag.com/news-brief/indias-show-of-strength-amid-tensions-with-china-five-missile-tests-in-two-week-at-least-two-capable-of-delivering-nukes

China engaged in increasing the strength of Pakistan’s war,

Killer submarines found in pictures

by Bhavi Mandalia October 6, 2020 in World

Karachi

Pakistan’s Navy expansion in Karachi is clearly visible. Major changes can be seen in the shipyard here. A new construction hall and a large capacity dry dock can be seen. Information about this is still limited. However, it is believed that China-designed AIP (Air Independent Power) submarines will be built locally. The arrival of eight Type-039B ‘Hangor Class’ submarines in Pakistan’s Navy will increase its strength.

China and Pakistan are making together

HI Sutton for Naval News has reported that the new submarines will be similar to the Chinese Navy’s Type-039A Yuan Class. These will be built by the Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) of China and Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW). Earlier, France-designed Agosta class submarines of Pakistan have been built in Karachi.

Later warships may be used.

The new construction hall and dry-dock are in the southern part of KSEW. The two-lane hall has been in place since 2015. The exterior is largely completed. Here two submarines can be built simultaneously. At the same time, the work of dry dock is going on since 2016. Norway’s Syncrolift ship-lift design has its dock upstream. The dry-dock is 126 meters long and 32 meters wide and has a lifting capacity of 7,881 tons. It is considered adequate for new submarines. Freegate-sized warships and large submarines can also be used.

China-Pakistan do exercises together

According to the information so far, the first submarine has been built in China and can be delivered by 2022. Local construction can last until 2028. The acquisition from China is part of the trend. Many Pakistani naval warships have gone to China. The navies of Pakistan and China work closely with each other. Both warships and submarines also perform maneuvers simultaneously.

MESMA is left with Pakistan

These construction halls will also be located near the main submarine berth of the Pakistani Navy. PNS Iqbal is also close from where the Pakistan Navy’s X-Craft Midget Submarine Program is running. KSEW will benefit from technology transfer. Stirling’s AIP technology differs from France’s MESMA system in the Agosta-90B type boat of Pakistan. Pakistan is the only country that operates on MESMA.

LINK:

https://pledgetimes.com/china-engaged-in-increasing-the-strength-of-pakistans-war-killer-submarines-found-in-pictures/

Pakistan’s New Type-039B AIP Submarines: Image Shows

Shipyard Expansion

The Pakistan Navy's expansion is gearing up in Karachi. Major enhancements are evident at a shipyard, where a new construction hall and a dry dock greatly increase capacity. Although details are scarce, it seems likely that the local construction of Chinese-designed AIP (Air Independent Power) submarines will take place there.

H I Sutton 06 Oct 2020

The eight Type-039B ‘Hangor Class’ submarines will be a major boost to the Pakistan Navy. They will more than double the size of the Pakistan Navy’s submarine fleet.

The new submarines are variant of the Chinese Navy’s Type-039A Yuan Class. Construction will be split between the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) and Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW) in Karachi. KSEW previously participated in local construction of Pakistan’s French designed Agosta class submarines.

The construction site in Karachi may put to rest previous reports that the subs would be built in Ormara. In 2016 it was reported that the local submarine construction would occur at a new Submarine Rebuild Complex (SRC) being built there. No significant construction work is evident at Ormara.

The new construction hall and dry dock are at the southern end of KSEW’s Karachi shipyard site. Footings for the halls was first observed in 2015. The twin-lane halls have slowly taken shape since then. The outer shell appears largely complete. Under their roof there should be enough room to build two submarines in parallel.

Work on the aligned dry dock appears to have started in 2016. It is a Norwegian designed Syncrolift ship-lift type built out over the water. Manufacture of the sections likely took place in China. The dry dock is 126m (415 ft) long and 32m (105 ft) across and has a lifting capacity of 7,881 tons. This is large enough for the new submarines, and would allow frigate sized warships and larger submarines in future.

Based on current information the first of the new submarines, built in China, is expected to be delivered in 2022. Local construction of the last four hulls will last through to 2028. The acquisition from China is part of a trend. Several major Pakistan Navy warship programs have gone to China in recent years. And the Pakistan Navy and Chinese Navy already cooperate closely, included close exercises involving Chinese warships and Pakistan Navy submarines.

More at Link:

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/10/pakistans-new-chinese-aip-submarines-image-shows-karachi-site/

US building obliterated, as China expands Cambodian

naval base

By James Massola October 6, 2020 — 4.17pm

The demolition of a US-funded building at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base has heightened concerns China will use the facility for access to the South China Sea from the Gulf of Thailand.

The razing of the building, revealed in new satellite imagery released by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies' Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, is thought to have occurred between September 5-10.

The building was the Tactical Headquarters of the National Committee for Maritime Security. It was US-funded and equipped by Australia, according to a speech delivered by Deputy Prime Minister Tea Banh at the facility's opening in August 2012.

Speaking to the Agence France-Presse on Sunday, Tea Banh dismissed suggestions the Chinese-funded expansion works at the base meant China would have greater access to the facilities. He said the headquarters would be relocated 30 kilometres away.

"We relocated the facility to a new spot. We cannot keep it anymore and the building is already old," he said.

But Sophal Ear, a Cambodian-American associate professor at Occidental College in Los Angeles, said the demolition suggested "full steam ahead with plans [to] transform the base into the second naval facility outside of China and Djibouti [Africa], where the Chinese will have a foothold".

"The Prime Minister of Cambodia [Hun Sen] keeps saying 'nothing to see here' and maintains this [a Chinese base] would be against the Cambodian Constitution. There are many, many things happening in Cambodia that are unconstitutional."

In July last year, Cambodia signed a secret deal that would allow China to use the base, which sits near the coastal city of Sihanoukville, to station troops, store weapons and berth ships.

Hun Sen denied the report but there is growing concern about China's presence in and around the base, which The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age investigated in August 2019 and in Sihanoukville, which has seen huge amounts of Chinese business investment.

Australian security analysts John Blaxland and Euan Graham have warned that a Chinese presence at Ream would allow the People's Liberation Army Navy to operate near Singapore, Malaysia and Australia, and that it would strengthen China's strategic position with regard to the contested South China Sea.

More at Link:

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/us-building-obliterated-as-china-expands-cambodian-naval-base-20201006-p562i1.html

US Navy struggling to keep ageing surface fleet ‘fit for purpose’

MARITIME AND UNDERSEA WARFARE

06 OCTOBER 2020

By: Stephen Kuper

Burdened by global responsibilities and a shrinking budget, an internal report has revealed the US Navy is apparently struggling to maintain and modernise its fleet at a time when it will be required to play an increasing role in maintaining security and freedom of access in the maritime commons, meaning one thing: America’s allies are going to have to do more.

Throughout history no naval force has so effectively and dominantly managed the security and freedom of navigation on the global maritime commons as the US Navy –- emerging from the Second World War as the premier naval power and surging out the other side of the Cold War victorious it seemed as if none could challenge the unassailable might of the US Navy.

Today, as we look not only across the Indo-Pacific but more broadly around the globe, many established and rising powers are expanding the capability and composition of their respective naval forces as tensions continue to mount in the post-COVID world.

The US, divided domestically and weary from decades of serving as the world's policeman is feeling the weight of its global responsibilities, is being stalked by the 'newcomer'; Communist China, an ancient power, with a proud and storied history, reinvigorated by decades of development seeking to extend its influence and prestige as a truly global power once again.

This economic, political and strategic competition is gaining increasing traction in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly as both sides embark on one of the single largest naval modernisation and recapitalisation programs in history.

China's rapid recapitalisation and modernisation has seen the People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) evolve into one of the world's most powerful and modern navies, capable of global reach on an increasing scale, with aircraft carriers, ballistic missile submarines, amphibious warfare ships and next-gen large surface combatants all on the shopping list.

On one side of the Pacific, the US Navy is struggling to modernise, repurpose and recapitalise a range of Cold War-era platforms that have formed the backbone of the world's most powerful navy since the end of the Second World War – increasing budget overruns, delivery delays and a focus on land-based wars in the Middle East have seen the fleet fall by the wayside.

Despite efforts by US President Donald Trump to establish a 355-ship fleet capable of reaffirming America's global responsibilities and reassuring allies in the face of growing great power tensions, funding has been hit and miss, with many large-scale programs absorbing much of the additional funding promised.

This is particularly relevant as Beijing's own fleet strength continues to grow. In response, US Defense Secretary Dr Mark Esper has redoubled calls for more funding to directly support America's naval modernisation.

Secretary Esper explained this push, stating, "We will build this fleet in such a way that balances tomorrow’s challenges with today’s readiness needs, and does not create a hollow Navy in the process. To achieve this outcome, we must increase funding for shipbuilding and the readiness that sustains a larger force. Doing this, and finding the money within the Navy budget and elsewhere to make it real, is something both the Navy leadership and I are committed to doing."

This call is backed by a record US$207 billion request for the US Navy as part of the Pentagon's 2021 budget request as the force pivots to respond to key capability developments by Beijing, namely, a powerful fleet, paired with shore-based, long-range anti-ship missile capabilities designed to blunt traditional US and allied advantages and, critically, to keep the US Navy’s powerful carrier air wing out of striking distance.

More at Link:

https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/maritime-antisub/6950-us-navy-struggling-to-keep-aging-surface-fleet-fit-for-purpose

350 smoke break

Sex-trafficking survivors say 'infuriating' QAnon conspiracy

theories are silencing their voices

Kelly McLaughlin 12 hours ago

The far-right conspiracy theory QAnon claims a network of liberal elites is kidnapping children into sex-trafficking rings.

The QAnon movement, which originated on the internet message board 4chan and is considered by the FBI to be a domestic-terror threat, has been criticized by people working to prevent sex trafficking.

Sex-trafficking survivors told Insider they felt exploited by QAnon, and they say the group's conspiracy theories are infuriating.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Christy Croft, a sex-trafficking survivor and activist, was scrolling through social media in July when they came across a debunked conspiracy theory claiming that the furniture company Wayfair was selling kidnapped children.

At the time, hundreds of thousands of people on social media were discussing the falsehood. Croft decided to look into the conspiracy theory after seeing that other survivors and fellow anti-trafficking professionals were criticizing it.

"I was appalled — and immediately frustrated with the really strong pushback I encountered with people when I tried to correct misinformation," Croft told Insider.

The accusation about Wayfair, traced back to the larger conspiracy theory QAnon, is not true. Wayfair has denied claims it is trafficking children, and the claim has been debunked by Snopes, independent fact-checkers, and many journalists.

This wasn't the first time Croft encountered misinformation while working as an activist against sex trafficking. But Croft has noticed an uptick, driven by the QAnon movement's ability to spread misinformation so easily.

At its core, QAnon is premised on the baseless conspiracy theory that President Donald Trump is secretly fighting a cabal of satanic pedophiles and cannibals. One of its most prominent preoccupations is the false notion that Democratic elites run a vast pedophilic sex-trafficking ring.

QAnon theories, Croft told Insider, make it harder to fight misinformation about the real-life problem and hijack attention from the cause. Croft and other sex-trafficking survivors told Insider the discredited theories were exploitative and, oftentimes, infuriating.

"As a survivor, when I see it, I feel exploited again," Croft said. "I feel like my trauma and the trauma of people like me is being exploited for purposes other than ending trafficking."

QAnon appropriates the real-life problem of sex trafficking

Croft said QAnon believers often questioned and attempted to discredit work done by survivors, accusing them of being "part of the cover-up."

"It's really infuriating when you have survivors who have lived experience and are working full time in this field and have helped tons and tons of survivors saying 'Actually that's not quite right,'" Croft said. "And you have someone with no experience and no professional expertise with a whole day of internet research on unverified sites telling you: 'You don't know your own life.'"

More at Link:

https://www.insider.com/qanon-conspiracy-theories-sex-trafficking-survivors-criticize-misinformation-2020-10

How did QAnon conspiracies spread so fast in 2020?

The QAnon conspiracy theory has seen its following grow

sharply during the coronavirus pandemic

Qasim Nauman AFP October 6, 2020

The increasingly visible and vocal followers of QAnon promote a bewildering blend of unsubstantiated conspiracy theories, worrying everyone from Facebook to the FBI.

Once on the fringes of the internet and focused on US politics, the movement has seen sharp growth on mainstream social media platforms this year, prompting tech firms to tighten controls and ban QAnon followers.

The movement is centred on the unsubstantiated belief that the world is run by a cabal of Satan-worshipping paedophiles. It has extended that this year to allege, without proof, that the coronavirus is a conspiracy by that group to control people using vaccines and 5G.

Did the pandemic have something to do with it?

Researchers detected sharp spikes in QAnon content and related searches in March, when many countries had started imposing lockdowns and other social distancing measures.

The anxiety, frustration and economic pain caused by the pandemic coupled with the increased amount of time people were spending online became an explosive mix that drew people to QAnon, experts say.

"QAnon blamed these events on global elites while also increasing distrust in mainstream media, government and organisations such as the WHO," said Mackenzie Hart, a disinformation researcher at the London-based ISD think tank.

Core QAnon beliefs were also coupled with anti-vaccine messaging and far-right campaigns, further expanding its following.

Why was it so easy to spread QAnon on social media?

Tech analysis have pointed to a feature at the core of most major social media platforms as a key driver of QAnon growth: the recommendation algorithm.

Users who view, post or search for certain content are guided to what the platform's algorithm determines to be other content they may be interested in. Analysts have said this helped link existing conspiracy theories such as those about vaccines and 5G with QAnon.

"They know this, especially the core of true believers, they are very good at leveraging the algorithmic… amplification techniques to drive engagement to their videos or posts," said Alex Newhouse, a disinformation researcher at Middlebury College's Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism.

More at Link:

https://news.yahoo.com/did-qanon-conspiracies-spread-fast-095641924.html

‘A perfect storm’: Experts worry as QAnon conspiracies go

global - posing ‘an incredible threat to public health’

By Agence France-Presse

Published 34 mins ago on October 6, 2020

Powered by fear, anger and big tech’s algorithms, the QAnon conspiracy movement has exploded from the US political fringe into the global mainstream during the pandemic.

Its influence can be seen at anti-lockdown and anti-mask rallies from Los Angeles, to London, Berlin and Melbourne — with protesters warning, without evidence, that the pandemic is a conspiracy by a cabal of satanist paedophiles who control the world.

Experts say QAnon has grown sharply during the pandemic because it acted as a binding force — mixing its core tenet with long-running conspiracy theories about vaccines and 5G mobile technology, anti-Semitic and white supremacist tropes, as well as far-right and libertarian politics.

“In some ways, the pandemic has created the perfect storm for conspiracy theories like QAnon to grow,” Mackenzie Hart, a disinformation researcher at the London-based ISD think tank, told AFP.

“Not only are people stuck inside and spending more time online, but people are scared. When people are scared, conspiracy theories provide easy answers.”

ISD’s analysis of QAnon-related posts on major social media platforms showed explosive growth between March and June this year — nearly 175 percent on Facebook, 77.1 percent on Instagram, and 63.7 percent on Twitter.

This rise happened as coronavirus infections were spiking around the world, forcing governments to tighten social distancing rules and impose lockdowns of varying intensity.

While QAnon content has remained most dominant in the United States, researchers have found related social media content originating from around 70 countries.

Many QAnon followers believe the coronavirus is a conspiracy to take away people’s liberties and control them using 5G and vaccines.

Some have branded it a “Plandemic”, accusing prominent figures such as Bill Gates, Hillary Clinton and even Tom Hanks of involvement.

Its adherents have offered no credible evidence for any of it.

The movement is based on cryptic posts that started appearing on the anonymous messaging board 4chan in October 2017 — later migrating to a similar site, 8kun — by a user named “Q Clearance Patriot”, who claims to be an American intelligence official with access to classified information.

Without proof, Q has said that a war is being waged by Donald Trump against the “deep state” and other elites, and his followers believe the US president is planning to go after his enemies — including the satanist paedophile cabal.

More at Link:

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/10/a-perfect-storm-experts-worry-as-qanon-conspiracies-go-global-posing-an-incredible-threat-to-public-health/

Trump Camp Runs Ads Defending Conspiracy Theorists

DEFEND THE RABBIT HOLE

Most presidents would want to distance themselves. Trump rushes to their defense.

Updated Oct. 06, 2020 5:08AM ET

Published Oct. 06, 2020 4:49AM ET

by Will Sommer

Donald Trump’s campaign has put out a new ad warning that former Vice President Joe Biden wants to “cancel” conspiracy theorists, an unusual defense of a section of the populace that would be shunned by almost any other White House.

The ad, which ran on Sept. 29 and 30 online, according to a Google ad database, warns that conspiracy theorists are on the list of Biden’s first targets to “cancel.”

“Joe Biden’s cancel culture is getting out of hand,” the ad warns, through messages flickering on an antique TV. “Biden and the radical left want to cancel the politically incorrect, the conspiracists, the free thinkers, and after that, the political opposition.”

The Trump campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The ad portrays conspiracy theorists as one of Biden’s first targets, warning that after that effort is successful, Biden will go on to “cancel” comedians, before moving to cancelling concepts as broad as “jobs,” “music,” and “history.” As Biden’s supposed cancelling scheme heats up, flames flicker over the TV and lightning crackles in the background.

The Trump campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment.

It’s not clear which conspiracy theories the ad is referring to. But the ad defending “conspiracists” comes after Trump spoke increasingly positively about believers in the QAnon conspiracy theory, and after Biden called QAnon “embarrassing” and urged its believers to get help for mental illness.

In August, Trump praised QAnon believers, calling them “people who love our country.” The conspiracy theory, which posits that the Democratic Party is run by Satanic cannibal-pedophiles who will soon be swept up in mass arrests ordered by Trump, is considered a potential source of domestic terrorism by the FBI.

Liberal super PAC American Bridge 21st Century slammed the ad defending “conspiracists” in a statement to The Daily Beast.

More at Link:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-camp-runs-ads-defending-conspiracy-theorists

>>10943961

MORE:

“Donald Trump made it crystal clear that he won’t disavow the anti-Semitic QAnon delusion,” American Bridge 21st Century spokesman Kyle Morse said. “Now his campaign is quietly running ads explicitly appealing to ‘conspiracists’ as the president continues to spread disinformation about coronavirus and the legitimacy of the upcoming election.”

The QAnon conspiracy theory has continued to make inroads with the GOP, with at least one QAnon believer likely to win a House seat in November. And the Republican Party has increasingly been less willing to fight back against it. Though House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has said there is no place for QAnon in the Republican Party, the National Republican Congressional Committee ran an ad that falsely accused Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) of supporting pedophiles. The ad inspired a wave of QAnon-related death threats against Malinowski.

The Trump administration has been even more openly amenable to QAnon believers. When Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) said QAnon had no place in Congress, the Trump campaign attacked him.

QAnon references have also appeared in the Trump campaign. One Trump campaign ad featuring footage from rallies included QAnon signage. In 2019, a Trump campaign rally warm-up speaker mentioned QAnon slogan “Where we go one, we go all” from the podium, though he later claimed he didn’t mean the phrase to have QAnon connotations.

QAnon believers have been tied to multiple criminal incidents, including two murders, a terrorist incident near the Hoover Dam, threats to kill Biden, and three child abduction plots. Last week, a Utah QAnon believer allegedly abducted her son, only to be discovered in Oregon hiding out with another QAnon supporter.

>>10943668

GM, Sam

>>10944010

my ad blocker says no, no I am not.

>>10944000

Calm down as it's only universal expansion static. Trademark-Anon

>>10944000

The Kitteh Notes Take!

Wanna get bent next bread, Kitteh?

I mean like BROKEN!?

I been keeping all this shit in, never stop your enemy while they are making mistakes yet these dumb motherfuckers never stop fucking up!

So I am all like "BY ALL MEANS, PLEASE CONTINUE COMMITTING EVERY FORM OF SUICIDE KNOWN TO MANKIND" and they do!!!

What's a Patriot ta do?! ya know?

Anyways, Let's get Broken NB ya wanna?

Whole crew will act TF up!?

>>10944114

It's OKAY newfag. We are here for you.

There are approx. 4000-5000 articles now and anons are proud of that shit!

Anons are the fucking News Now!

5:5 o7

Oorah!

>>10944141

do you shave your pussy too?

>>10944156

I don't normally steal memes so… fuck you!