"Human Right Activists" Celebrate Facebook-Twitter Censorship

July 27, 2019 (Joseph Thomas - NEO) - All Facebook and Twitter accounts associated with Bangkok-based geopolitical analyst Tony Cartalucci have been deleted. The extent to which both American-based tech companies went to target Cartalucci could be seen in a recent Reuters article reporting on it. 

Written by Thai Reuters correspondent Patpicha Tanakasempipat, the article titled, "Facebook removes fake accounts from Thailand, Russia, Ukraine, Honduras," referred to the author claiming: 

The accounts removed in Thailand used “fictitious personas” to promote narratives about Thai politics, U.S.-China relations, protests in Hong Kong, and criticism of democracy activists in Thailand, Gleicher said. 

“We were able to determine conclusively that some of the activities of this network was linked to an individual based in Thailand associated with New Eastern Outlook, a Russian government-funded journal based in Moscow,” Gleicher said.

The article cited “coordinated inauthentic behavior” and hailed the move as countering "deceptive political propaganda."

No mention was made of how writing anonymously is "inauthentic behavior" nor were any examples provided of what was deemed "deceptive political propaganda" and why.

Matthew Tostevin, a Reuters correspondent also based in Southeast Asia and whose Twitter profile unironically invokes the hashtag, "Journalism is Not a Crime" celebrated the systematic, coordinated censorship, claiming in a tweet:

“Tony Cartalucci” Facebook and Twitter accounts inaccessible after Facebook said it had erased accounts of a network linked to “an individual based in Thailand associated with New Eastern Outlook, a Russian government-funded journal”.

The term "associated with" is often used to imply impropriety without providing any actual evidence of it. Tostevin's defence of Facebook-Twitter censorship fails to explain how getting paid to write articles is wrong, especially considering Tostevin himself makes his living doing precisely that for London-based Reuters.

Human Rights Watch's Thai representative, Sunai Phasuk, himself a verified recipient of foreign government funds, also celebrated rather than opposed Facebook and Twitter's coordinated censorship.

In his tweet (translated from Thai), he claimed:

The end of IO [information operation]! Facebook and Twitter suspend the accounts of Tony/Anthony Cartalucci (source of "slim" information) as well as related accounts for using a fake identity, disseminating false information, creating hatred for democratic parties and human rights activists/linked to Russian IO.  

The term "slim" is a derogatory term used by supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra, an ousted billionaire politician now living abroad as a fugitive and guilty of the worst human rights violations in contemporary Thai history.

Sunai not only reveals a complete lack of impartiality as a supposed human rights advocate, but also is clearly promoting censorship of information he and his foreign sponsors deem "false."

Regarding claims of using a "fake identity," Cartalucci himself has repeatedly stated over several years that the name "Tony Cartalucci" is a pen name and that he writes anonymously, as many authors throughout history have, particularly those writing about sensitive political topics.

Thai Crisis: Alternative Thai News Round Up

December 18, 2013 (Tony Cartalucci) - With the ongoing counter-color revolution unfolding in Thailand against the Wall Street-backed regime of Thaksin Shinawatra, here are some stories published on Alternative Thai News that weren't yet posted on Land Destroyer.

Thailand: Inside the Mind of a Thaksin Regime Supporter

Disturbing 2009 interview with pro-Thaksin demagogue reveals mentality of regime's supporters - utter ignorance regarding human rights, basic human freedom, and the very concept of democracy they claim to be defending. 

December 16, 2013 (Forward by Tony Cartalucci) - The following interview via Chiang Mai City Life, features pro-Thaksin demagogue Kanyapak (DJ Aom) Maneejak in late 2009, revealing "democracy" as defined by the current regime's supporters. From demanding participants of a legally sanctioned parade get their approval before proceeding (after violently dispersing a previous parade), to claiming "self-defense" when butchering an old man outside of his own home with knives and guns, to referring to convicted criminal, fugitive, and mass murderer, billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra, as the "embodiment of democracy," we are given a roller coaster ride through the twisted minds of Thailand's electorate which continues to return a dangerous criminal to power, whether or not he is on the ballot, or even in the country.

Remember the indicative words of Kanyapak the next time the Western media attempts to claim Thailand's current regime is "democratically elected," and their expectations for the rest of the country to simply shut up, sit down, and remain hostages to this clearly undemocratic, uncivilized mentality. 

Behold, inside the mind of a Thaksin regime supporter... Continue Reading Here 

New York Times Condemns Thailand's Counter Color Revolution

NYT hit piece claims unlike US State Department-backed "Arab Spring," current anti-regime protests in Thailand seek "less democracy."

December 17, 2013 (Tony Cartalucci) - The New York Times' Thomas Fuller has persistently written hit pieces regarding Thailand's political situation for years. In his most recent piece titled, "In Thailand, Standing Up for Less Democracy," he claims: 

"In a world now accustomed to democratic upheavals, including the Arab Spring and the Saffron and Orange Revolutions, the weeks of political upheaval in Thailand stand out for one main peculiarity. Protesters massing on the streets here are demanding less democracy, not more."

Ironically, it was the NYT itself that revealed the true nature of the so-called "Arab Spring." In its article titled, "U.S. Groups Helped Nurture Arab Uprisings," it was stated:

"A number of the groups and individuals directly involved in the revolts and reforms sweeping the region, including the April 6 Youth Movement in Egypt, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights and grass-roots activists like Entsar Qadhi, a youth leader in Yemen, received training and financing from groups like the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute and Freedom House, a nonprofit human rights organization based in Washington." Continue Reading Here

Asian Correspondent - Journalism or Infomercial?

December 18, 2013

 (Tony Cartalucci) - One may wonder about the one-sided pro-West editorial tones and outright propaganda peddled on the online "news" site,  Asian Correspondent. It is clear in Thailand, its "blogger collective" backs the regime and despises the protesters, in lockstep with the West's traditional corporate media (Reuters, BBC, NYT). Who are these "bloggers" and what is this platform called "Asian Correspondent?"

It is a business - and it is a business funded by Western corporations, as well as clearly driven by their interests. This is in fact openly admitted by Asian Correspondent founder, James Craven. A Guardian article titled, "AsianCorrespondent.com to build far-east foreign reporting collective," stated: Continue Reading Here

Thailand: Picking the Mind of a BBC Propagandist

Jonathan Head of the BBC is well informed, knows right from wrong, but either is told to, or willfully chooses to deceive his audience. 

December 18, 2013 (Tony Cartalucci) - During an impromptu debate today with the BBC's Jonathan Head regarding a recent exposé on his deplorable coverage of Thailand's ongoing political crisis, much was learned about what he really knows and what his reporting willfully omits. It is not that he disagrees with the truth - in fact - he seems to have a very good grasp on it. It is instead, that he chooses to weave a narrative that leads unsuspecting readers away from that truth.


The following transcript has been modified to replace shorthand necessary when using Twitter, with more readable English: Continue Reading Here  

US Now Overtly Supports MKO's Terrorist Operations

Land Destroyer interview by Kourosh Ziabaria, published by Iran Review. 

Iran Review
Interview with Tony Cartalucci
By: Kourosh Ziabari


In a flagrant show of hostility toward the Iranian nation and a clear exercise of double standards in dealing with international terrorism, the U.S. Department of State has just removed the name of Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) from its list of foreign terrorist organizations. MKO which was established on September 5, 1965 is a terrorist cult which assisted Saddam Hussein in the 1980s war with Iran and killed more than 40,000 innocent Iranian civilians. It's also responsible for the assassination of several high-ranking Iranian officials in the first years of Islamic Revolution and also 5 Iranian nuclear scientists since 2010.
 
The U.S. government claimed that MKO has not been involved in any terrorist operation in the past 10 years and thus its designation as a foreign terrorist organization should be revoked. This hostile decision by the U.S. government is obviously an attempt aimed at putting more pressure on Iran over its nuclear program with the final objective of persuading Iran to make political concessions. However, the high-ranking MKO officials have constantly declared that their final objective is a regime change in Iran. The Council of the European Union had removed the name of MKO from the EU's list of terrorist organizations in 2009.
 
In order to delve on the removal of MKO's name from the list of foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. Department of State and its underlying reasons, Iran Review conducted an interview with American journalist and researcher Tony Caralucci.
 
Tony Cartalucci, is an independent geopolitical researcher based in Bangkok, Thailand. He maintains the Land Destroyer Report blog and is regularly republished across the alternative media. His work has also appeared translated in newspapers from Europe and the Middle East, to Asia and South America. He is currently co-authoring a book with geopolitical analyst and photographer Nile Bowie, titled, "Subverting Syria" available through Progressive Press. 
Cartalucci is one of the informed American sources about the underground activities of the MKO and has written an elaborate article in this regard for the Global Research. What follows is the text of Iran Review's interview with Tony Cartalucci which was conducted a few days after the U.S. delisted MKO and provoked anger and astonishment across Iran.
 
Q: Dear Tony; please tell us about the proofs and evidence which are available and attest that the United States and Israel have been funding, equipping and supporting MKO in its anti-Iran operations. I think Seymour Hersh and Glenn Greenwald have extensively written in this regard. Am I right?
 
A: I am most familiar with Seymour Hersh's reports. Seymour Hersh, citing those directly involved in U.S. programs to fund, arm, provide intelligence and even training to MKO terrorists, has reported extensively on the group over the years. In 2008, he published an article titled, "Preparing the Battlefield," and revealed that MKO, still on the U.S. State Department Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list at the time, was receiving "arms and intelligence, directly or indirectly from the United States." In a 2012 article Hersh published, titled, "Our Men in Iran?" he reveals that MKO terrorists were actually trained inside the United States as far back as 2002.
 
Hersh's 2012 article also reveals that MKO terrorists have been working with Israel in carrying out their attacks within Iran, meaning that while Israel now attempts to convince the world that Iran poses a threat to its existence, Israel itself has been violating the security of Iran for over a decade, carrying out attacks that have killed Iranians and destroyed Iranian infrastructure.
 
Similar admissions have been made in articles published by the British press. One article from the Daily Mail titled "Mossad Training Terrorists to Kill Iran's Nuclear Scientists, U.S. Officials Claim," states that U.S. officials "confirmed" that Israel was behind the MKO terrorists that killed several of Iran's nuclear scientists.
 
But perhaps the most damning evidence of all, comes from U.S. policy makers themselves, particularly from within the Fortune 500 funded Brookings Institution in their 2009 report, "Which Path to Persia?" where they fully admit MKO is a terrorist organization. Brookings policy makers stated explicitly that "undeniably, the group has conducted terrorist attacks," yet MKO was still being considered as a viable "potential U.S. proxy." Brookings added that, "to work more closely with the group (at least in an overt manner), Washington would need to remove it from the list of foreign terrorist organizations." And that is just what U.S. politicians, former U.S. military and intelligence officers, and policy makers set out to do, lobby to get MKO delisted from the U.S. State Department's FTO list.
 
At one point, during the closing phases of America's occupation of Iraq, the U.S. literally handed over one of its military bases, "Camp Liberty," to MKO. The U.S. State Department played a leading role in organizing this handover, again, despite the U.S. State Department itself having the militant group listed on its own foreign terrorist list.
 
There is no doubt that the United States was for over a decade, using a listed-terrorist organization as an armed proxy against the nation of Iran as part of a wider strategy to destabilize, manipulate, and terrorize its population. This was all done in direct violation of U.S. and international anti-terror laws and understandings. Now that MKO is delisted, we can only expect this support and MKO operations to expand.

US-Funded "Pro-Democracy" Propagandists Prachatai - Update

Dishonest US-funded propagandists forced to disclose funding in 2011 have since failed to update their financial ties or disclose them to their Thai readers. 

December 30, 2013 (Tony Cartalucci) - According to it's "about us" page, Prachatai claims to be:

"Prachatai (www.prachatai.com or www.prachatai3.info) is an independent, non-profit, daily web newspaper established in June 2004 to provide reliable and relevant news and information to the Thai public during an era of serious curbs on the freedom and independence of Thai news media."

In reality, Prachatai is a propaganda front facilitating the current regime of Thaksin Shinawatra, lending support to its various sub-components including Shinawatra's notoriously violent "red shirts," their academic wing, "Nitirat," and an array of pro-regime propagandists such as disgraced former-Reuters editor, Andrew MacGregor Marshall.

In 2011 it was exposed as being heavily funded millions of baht a year by the United States government via the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), convicted criminal George Soros' Open Society Foundation, and several other Western corporate-financier funded foundations - all while begging for donations from its apparently witless readership. After months of denying their foreign financial ties, they eventually updated their "About Us" page in August of 2011.

Image: Taken from Prachatai's current "About Us" English page, readers can see they have not updated their foreign funding information since 2011, when they were first forced to disclose it after months of denying it. Their Thai "About Us" page features no disclosure at all - in a display of dishonesty and immense impropriety.  

....

How to Reply to a BBC World Service Request

Boycott & disassociate yourself from them - their legitimacy and prominence is granted to, and capable of being stripped by, we the people. 
by Tony Cartalucci

August 8, 2012 - I recently received an email from someone claiming to be Abla Kandalaft from the BBC World Service. This is the same organization that recently received cash from the US State Department (and here) to help undermine the sovereign governments of nations around the world including Iran and China.  

I find it difficult to believe the "Abla" who contacted me is a journalist of any sort - as surely they'd have read my take on the BBC in general and realized beforehand the response they'd get from attempting to contact me. My most recent take on the BBC's coverage can be found in, "BBC Rides with Al Qaeda in Aleppo, Syria," and begins with the sentence, "When big lies must be told, BBC is there."

This organization is guilty of egregious crimes against humanity, crimes against world peace, and is complicit in facilitating and covering up a multitude of atrocities around the world. They, and organizations like them, are one of the single biggest obstructions to real progress - as an informed citizenry is required to implement progress and BBC's singular task is to breed ignorance and misdirection on behalf of special interests instead.

While many would jump at the chance to collaborate with the BBC in any capacity, in reality, their hold on the public's attention can only be broken if we are resolved to expose, boycott, disassociated ourselves from, and eventually replace them, as is the case with all corporate-financier backed monopolies.

The following is the exchange that took place.

....

Dear Tony,
 

My name is Abla Kandalaft. I am a journalist at the World Service and have read your piece about the Pussy Riot trial being appropriated by the US for political destabilisation. Would you be able to tell me if you know of a Russian person or group that would also back this argument?
 

Basically we're doing a report for the programme World Have your Say on their arrest and we want a number of points of view on this.

Personally I think it is quite interesting as similar things indeed have happened in Syria.
 

Thank you for your help

Best regards

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Abla,
 

My sincere apologies, but the BBC is not in any way a journalistic organization, nor are any of its affiliates. I have not the will, time, nor patience to associate with anyone even remotely involved in their regressive misanthropic agenda.

Please do not contact me again.

Very Seriously,

Tony Cartalucci 

 ....

Kandalaft would disregard my request to not be contacted again, and claimed that she "agreed" with me on my take on things. However, anyone familiar with the BBC and the Western press in general, realizes that once you send your thoughts or comments to these propaganda outfits, they are edited to undermine both one's credibility and one's message. Again, the best approach is to ignore them, boycott them, and eventually, entirely replace them with viable, honest alternatives. 

 ....

 To read the article referred to in the email, please see "Who or What is Russia's "Pussy Riot?""

US Upstaged at UN General Assembly - Who's to Blame?

October 2, 2015 (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - The UN General Assembly this year celebrated its 70th anniversary which is why more leaders than usual attended and participated. While the speeches were typical and mostly irrelevant for people already well-informed about world events, there was one particular point to note that made this gathering more telling than most.

It wasn't a point that could be discerned by simply watching the speeches play out on the floor of the General Assembly hall, but rather revealed itself in the reaction to the speeches by American policymakers online.

While they predictably railed against the speech presented by Russian President Vladimir Putin, they also derided US President Barack Obama for being upstaged by his Russian counterpart. But it wasn't President Obama's shortcomings nor that of his speechwriters that led to this apparent humiliation. It was American policy itself, owed to the very policymakers being derisive.

Contrary to popular belief, American policy is not created by politicians either in the Oval Office or in Congress. Instead, doctrine, war plans, domestic and foreign economic policy, and geopolitical and strategic plans laid out for years to come, originate in corporate-financier funded think tanks and among the army of academics, industry leaders, and other lobbyists of special interests employed by them. These think tanks and the policymakers that work within them are unelected, transcending political party lines, and political administrations. 

The fact that a Democratic US president expanded the wars of his Republican predecessor, and provoked those this Republican opponents failed to implement during their term, illustrates perfectly the continuity of agenda prevalent in Western politics. Like the US often accuses its competitors around the world, the United States itself is ruled by an oligarchy of special interests who simply dress up their singular agenda as partisan politics to maintain the illusion of representative governance.

Their wars which in reality serve the singular purpose of achieving and maintaining global geopolitical socioeconomic hegemony are dressed up as "defending the homeland" under Republicans, and "humanitarian interventions" under Democrats. In following the unwarranted wealth and influence wrought from such wars, it can be seen clearly for what purpose they are truly waged. 

Thus, the criticism from across American foreign policy circles in the wake of the UN General Assembly, reveals precisely where America's true problems lie. It was their policy that President Obama was attempting to present to the world at the UN General Assembly. President Obama wasn't upstaged because he is a poor orator or because he depends on incompetent speechwriters, but because nothing the United States is truly doing around the world could be honestly presented to the public, leaving only the same tired rhetoric and boundless hypocrisy that even the least observant among us are beginning to notice.

This can best be illustrated in Syria, where the United States claims to be committed to defeating terrorism, all while it transparently supports terrorist militants in its goal to overthrow the government in Damascus. Thus, President Obama's talking points during the UN General Assembly regarding Syria rang particularly hollow. Conversely, when Russia stated that it planned to defeat terrorism in Syria, the world could already see clearly that it has been Russia supporting the only force within Syria's borders confronting terrorism - the government in Damascus.

American policymakers don't appear to realize or at least be willing to accept that it is they and the special interests they serve that are responsible for America's decline, its unpopularity, and the rise of competitors able to upstage the US in front of the UN General Assembly, and upon the stage of geopolitics.

These policymakers responsible for America's current course will never admit that they are not as smart as they believe themselves to be, or that their poor judgement, petty ambitions, egos, and plain incompetence has led to this irreparable decline in American legitimacy and influence.

And because they can never admit it, they can do nothing to resolve it. But maybe that is for the better.

Tony Cartalucci, Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher and writer, especially for the online magazine“New Eastern Outlook”.   

Thai "Civil Society Organizations" Aided Facebook Censorship

July 27, 2019 (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - Facebook's official statement regarding a coordinated smear and censorship campaign targeting and closing my Facebook and Twitter accounts claims I was engaged in "coordinated inauthentic behavior." 

I am a single individual thus there obviously was no "coordinated behavior," although Facebook's page feature specifically allows page owners to invite multiple administrators to help post content.

I have operated for over a decade on Facebook and Twitter openly under the pen name "Tony Cartalucci." This is not in any conceivable way "inauthentic behavior," though Facebook never does explain what they defined as "inauthentic behavior."

Facebook also revealed that "civil society organizations" aided them in their efforts to censor my work. Facebook in their statement claims:

We identified these accounts through an internal investigation into suspected Thailand-linked coordinated inauthentic behavior. Our investigation benefited from information shared by local civil society organizations.

I can only assume - since no specific organization was mentioned - that they are the same US-funded fronts I regularly expose through my work. This is particularly ironic since most of these organizations pose as "rights advocates,"  yet voluntarily aided a corrupt foreign corporation in carrying out censorship.

Facebook claims that my account was not taken down because of the content I published, but produced several examples of my content to make their case. They also attempt to associate me with Russian-based New Eastern Outlook to bolster their case and obviously once again referring to the nature of my content. 

While I do contribute to New Eastern Outlook, Facebook never makes it clear how this is grounds for deleting my account.

Facebook's statement claims:

We removed 12 Facebook accounts and 10 Facebook Pages for engaging in coordinated inauthentic behavior that originated in Thailand and focused primarily on Thailand and the US. The people behind this small network used fake accounts to create fictitious personas and run Pages, increase engagement, disseminate content, and also to drive people to off-platform blogs posing as news outlets. They also frequently shared divisive narratives and comments on topics including Thai politics, geopolitical issues like US-China relations, protests in Hong Kong, and criticism of democracy activists in Thailand. Although the people behind this activity attempted to conceal their identities, our review found that some of this activity was linked to an individual based in Thailand associated with New Eastern Outlook, a Russian government-funded journal based in Moscow.

Facebook never explains how the off-platform blogs were "posing as news outlets" rather than actually being news outlets. How any of my blogs are "not news" but organizations like the BBC caught repeatedly deceiving the public are, is another mystery Facebook's statement leaves unsolved.

WiFi + USB Drive = Your Own Mini-Internet (Freedom)

Editor's Note: There seems to be some confusion over the concept of the PirateBox. The entire point is not to be connected to the controlled, restricted, & monopolized Internet, and begin using local alternatives leveraging technology to go around draconian laws and regulations. 

 

A PirateBox is the smallest, but easiest way to connect with others locally and wirelessly,as well as anonymously, without connecting at all to the Internet. It is the first step to building larger local mesh networks, and eventually a parallel Internet built using mesh architecture designed, maintained, and used by the people, for the people - no government or corporate infrastructure would be required, and the means of monopolizing and controlling a decentralized people's Internet made nearly impossible. 

Think of the PirateBox as a prototype of a building block for something bigger and more significant. In the fight for freedom, we will not find complete solutions, prepackaged and waiting for us on the shelves of WalMart. We will have to research and develop our own solutions, patiently, incrementally, and in collaboration with our friends, family, neighbors and local community. Our problems were not created overnight, neither will the solutions. -Tony Cartalucci.

 

January 19, 2013 (LocalOrg-Tony Cartalucci) - Worried about draconian Internet laws? Creeping surveillance? The inability to share with others without being criminalized? The Internet is still a tool of tremendous power, but a deep rot has set in. We have caught it early and we are fighting to stop this rot, but there are other options we can begin exploring to hedge our bets, enhance our current efforts of fighting against corporate monopolies, and eventually, build an Internet of the people, by the people, for the people - big-telecom monopolies not welcomed.

Image: The PirateBox in use on a handheld device. Once the PirateBox is up and running, either on a standalone device like the one pictured to the right (background), or on your laptop as described here, it will appear as another WiFi network for people in range to connect to. Once connected files can be freely shared, and there is even a chat client users can communicate with. It is just as useful as a file server for a small business, as it is for circumventing the draconian criminalization of Internet file sharing. 

....

Think-Tanks Explained

Or, Where National Policy Comes From.
by Tony Cartalucci

January 12, 2012 - I was shocked to see the corporate-financier Lowy Institute of Australia tweet a story explaining the ins-and-outs of think tanks. I was equally shocked to actually read the article, titled "Devaluing the Think Tank," written by Tevi Troy and published in "National Affairs." It describes what is basically an extra-legal process where national policy is not produced by our elected representatives within the legislative branch, but rather in these policy think-tanks and in some cases, even described as being "marketed."


Image: "Your nation's policy has been brought to you by...." These represent just some of the corporate sponsors of just one single think-tank (the Brookings Institution) that creates both foreign and domestic policy for the United States, extra-legally beyond the nation's legislative branch, as well as the blueprints for America's future wars of conquest. Afterward, all that remains is for "elected representatives" to rubber stamp it and for the corporate-media to sell it to an unsuspecting public.

....

I was impressed by the depth at which Troy covered the inner workings of policy think-tanks and was only disappointed in three respects. One, Troy never mentions who actually funds and directs these think-tanks. Two, because of the first omission, the illusion that these think-tanks are aligned along and driven by political parties is created. And three, Troy whitewashes, and even defends think-tanks and their role in policy making that should remain exclusively within the realm of elected representatives and the legislative branch.

However, these omissions are easily remedied by reading "Naming Names: Your Real Government" and "Clinton Turns to Naked Corporate-Fascism" where the real forces driving this think-tank industry described by Troy is fully explained. While reading these three articles together is not going to be "light reading," those who succeed in doing so will walk away fully enlightened of how policy, both domestic and foreign, is created throughout the dominion of Wall Street and London.

Understanding how utterly futile faith in our representative form of government is when our "representatives" are simply handed policy by established think-tanks funded by a combine of billion-dollar multinational corporations is the first step in devising viable solutions to correcting this enormous imbalance of power.

Quite obviously, if corporate-financier interests dominate our policy because of the immense wealth and unwarranted influence we have granted them through our patronizing them, boycotting and replacing them back down to size would be a good first step.

To illustrate how complementary Troy's article is with "Naming Names," and "Naked Corporate Fascism," consider these two excerpts:

"Devaluing the Think Tank" by Tevi Troy

"The Center for American Progress is easily the most thoroughgoing example of what City College of New York professor Andrew Rich has called "marketing think tanks." For these institutions, the balance between original research and public relations is clearly tipped in the direction of the latter. As Rich puts it, these organizations often seem more interested in selling their product than in coming up with new ideas. CAP in particular seems to have turned marketing and organizing into an art form. According to a 2008 article by Bloomberg's Edwin Chen, CAP devoted about 40% of its resources to communication and outreach that year, eight times as much as typical liberal policy organizations did. At the time, CAP had a budget of $27 million and claimed 180 staffers, employing about as many full-time bloggers (11) as PPI did scholars. CAP has even been involved in the Occupy Wall Street protests: According to the New York Times, CAP "encouraged and sought to help coordinate protests in different cities"; a spokesman for the center told the Times that "we've definitely been publicizing it and supporting" the movement."

"Clinton Turns to Naked Corporate-Fascism" by Tony Cartalucci

Center for American Progress
americanprogress.org

Background: The Center for American Progress holds transparency in contempt, refusing to reveal on its website or in its annual report, exactly who is paying the bills. While "right-wing-styled" institutes are generally more proud to show off their corporate sponsors - a sign that they are for the "free market," allegedly left-leaning organizations attempt to portray their efforts as subsidized on goodwill alone. We saw this earlier this year when the self-proclaimed "independent" Prachatai, a "liberal news website" according to the BBC, which was exposed to be funded millions of Thai baht a year by the Neo-Conservative lined National Endowment for Democracy. Likewise, just beneath the surface of "American Progress" are billionaire bankers, corporate-lobbyists, and everyone else one would consider corporate-fascist.

The New York Times exposes the center's backers in an article titled, "John Podesta, Shepherd of a Government in Exile." And while the New York Times attempts to portray the center as "liberal," and its the lack of transparency as "normal," what we find is yet another corporate infested organization of unelected policy makers, producing reports and bills on behalf of the planet's monied elite, that are passed to Congress for rubber stamping, while their connections throughout the corporate-media ensure that the policy is promoted, sold to, and accepted by the public.

The New York Times reveals George Soros as a donor, as well as Peter Lewis of Progressive, a Fortune 500 insurance company, and Herb Sanders, formally of World Savings Bank, who made billions in the "mortgage industry." The center itself is headed by John Podesta, whose colorful career within the United States government is elaborated at length within his bio featured on the center's website. And despite the New York Times' long, ranting history of Podesta's ties to the Democratic party, what is never mentioned by either, is that he also heads a Washington lobbying firm, the Podesta Group representing corporate-financier interests including Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and British Petroleum.

A long and self-incriminating "record" of their past work can be found on their website. Despite the colorful pictures and adjectives used to describe Podesta's work, what is essentially representing corporate-special interests in Washington, we may see the clearest example yet of what and of whom these think-tanks are really made of -hardly "scholars." Lobbying firms like Podesta are literally the glue that holds this un-Constitutional, corporate-fascist system together. While bills like the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation shut down small, start up competitors, Podesta was busy "convincing" Congress that its client didn't need to be regulated - resulting in a system that is literally stacked against the people, in favor of the Fortune 500 - Wall Street and London.

Podesta even brags about its ability to use the media to manipulate public opinion on behalf of their clients. Ed Rothschild's biography on Podesta's site claims:

"Chairing the Podesta Group’s energy and environment practice, Ed crafts and executes government relations and public relations strategy for many of the firm’s clients, including companies, trade associations and advocacy groups. With his deep Rolodex of media contacts and communications savvy, Ed provides messaging guidance and media training, and opens doors to media outlets for clients."

Under a section of the Podesta Group's website titled, "International," is a breathtaking admission of how lobbying groups drive foreign policy for "clients," be they foreign governments or international corporations.

"Some consider international policy and Washington politics to be separate entities - we know better. Whether the client is a foreign government, international corporation or interest group, our team of experts is a favorite for international entities with regulatory, legislative and communications needs in Washington. Our strategists have worked in senior positions in the offices of Washington’s foremost decision makers, with international law firms and think tanks. They have experience at the highest levels of journalism, and have worked abroad, affording a global perspective necessary to crafting successful strategies here in the US. Routine tactics for many complex projects rarely work. Our international team understands the unique needs of global interests and in developing and executing customized strategies that are effective in any political environment."

On the same page, beneath the category, "PG at Work" and "PG in the News," we see links that lead off to the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Christian Science Monitor featuring Podesta's employees literally writing editorials and articles, the vast majority of them calling for or defending war with nations across the planet. Podesta employee Stephen Rademaker is even featured in an article declaring that he is now a "foreign policy adviser" for presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.

Clearly Mr. John Podesta is as compromised as any man can be in Washington, and clearly in bed with corporate-financier interests while heading a "think-tank" policy front simply dressing up his lobbying work with a certain air of "scholarly" credibility. Now, and hopefully to the alarm of all Americans, these lobbyists will be directly advising the US State Department.

Clearly Troy, while whitewashing and spinning the implications of "CAP's" activities, still gives readers insight into how they operate. The latter excerpt then gives readers a more detailed explanation of who funds CAP, why, what their real agenda is, and how they carry it out.

Not only will reading these three articles give us the ability to understand how policy is made, how our society is governed, and a starting point from which to begin changing this obviously fraudulent system, but by understanding where our policy comes from and following these think-tanks instead of the disingenuous corporate-media that then spins and sells these policies to the public, we can tell what the global corporate-financier elite are really doing and why.

Devaluing the Think Tank
Naming Names: Your Real Government
Clinton Turns to Naked Corporate Fascism

Europe Helps US Destroy Libya, Now Blames/Sanctions Russia

October 24, 2020 (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - The EU has leveled sanctions against Russia for - among other things - "meddling" in Libya's ongoing civil war.

AFP in its article, "EU sanctions senior Putin aides over Navalny, Libya," would claim: 

The EU said Wagner had committed "multiple and repeated breaches" of a UN arms embargo on Libya, where Russia has backed warlord Khalifa Haftar in his uprising against the internationally-recognised government.

The UK - despite leaving the EU - has also said it would uphold the sanctions. 

The EU's attempt to high-road Russia, however, raises an important point - that it was the EU alongside the US who destroyed Libya's government in 2011 in the first place. 

The 2011 Western military intervention led to the civil war now currently consuming the nation and its people. And if Russia really is supplying weapons to Libyan groups in Libya - they are fighting groups who are being supplied arms in violation of the same UN arms embargo by other nations - namely the EU and the US.  

The US and Europe Destroyed Libya in the First Place 

Libya's ongoing chaos is a direct result of a 2011 US-led military intervention which included forces from several European nations including the UK. After destroying much of the nation's infrastructure and ousting the Libyan government led by Muammar Qaddafi - Libya was plunged into perpetual infighting as the country was divided by competing warlords and terrorist organizations flush with weapons the US and Europe provided them. 

Why is the US Still Sanctioning Syria?

June 19, 2020 (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - Chinese media highlighted a recent plea by Beijing to the US to lift sanctions against Syria.

China's CGTN in an article titled, "Chinese envoy asks U.S. to lift unilateral sanctions on Syria," would report:

A Chinese envoy on Tuesday asked the United States to immediately lift unilateral sanctions against Syria.

Years of economic blockade have caused tremendous hardships to the Syrian people, in particular women and children. The sufferings caused by the devaluation of the Syrian currency and soaring commodities prices, including food prices, fall heavily on civilians across the country, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

China's attempts to aid Syria economically and challenge American sanctions aimed at Damascus follows Russia's open opposition to the US-led proxy war against the Syrian government which included Moscow's direct military involvement in the conflict and Russia's leading role in liquidating US-armed militant groups across the country.

US sanctions against Syria have long since outlived the alleged motivation for America's involvement in the conflict - claims of supporting the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people and opposing alleged human rights violations by the Syrian government.

It has been indisputably revealed that the US deliberately engineered the conflict - from organizing protests before 2011 to arming and deploying militants to the country to shift 2011 street protests into a destructive proxy war. It has also long been revealed that so-called "freedom fighters" were in fact extremists drawn from various terrorist organizations including Al Qaeda and its many franchises.

Since Syria's security operations were in response to what is now revealed to have been US aggression-by-proxy and eventually direct US military aggression against the Syrian government - the sanctions themselves are revealed to be merely an economic component to US attempts to decimate the Syrian nation - not in any way aid or assist the Syrian people.

Karma: British "White Helmets" Co-Founder Dead in Turkey

November 15, 2019 (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - Former British military officer James Le Mesurier suspected of ties to MI6 and the co-founder of the so-called "White Helmets" front was found dead this month in Turkey from an apparent fall from his residence.

The Western media wasted no time linking it to claims Russia had recently made that he was an intelligence asset involved in sowing instability worldwide - attempting to portray Russia as somehow likely responsible for Le Mesurier's death.

Not a Rescue Org 

In actuality, the "White Helmets" were an extension of Western armed and funded terrorist organizations operating in Syria with the "White Helmets" specifically serving the purpose of war propagandists thinly disguised as "rescue workers" or local "civil defense."

They found themselves repeatedly at the center of alleged chemical attacks the US accused the Syrian government of - indicating their likely involvement in carrying out false flag operations - many of which may have actually killed real people.

The deceptive manner in which the "White Helmets" operated has already been extensively exposed and their credibility rendered moot - not least because the terrorist organizations they augment are nearing extinction - surrounded in Syria's northern governorate of Idlib.

Dead Spook: Cui Bono? 

Le Mesurier's continued existence as the co-founder of a now irrelevant propaganda arm to a defeated proxy army makes no difference to Syria and its Russian allies.

Le Mesurier's continued existence - however - did pose the perpetual threat of the knowledge he had of covert US operations in Syria including the use of the "White Helmets" in staging chemical attacks and other atrocities and their role in manipulating international organizations like the OPCW eventually becoming public.

It is obvious that his death - whatever the cause - benefited the US and UK which backed him and his faux humanitarian relief organization - meaning that whatever secrets he harbored are now taken to the grave with him.

Work for Horrible People, Meet a Horrible End

Finally, let Le Mesurier's ignominious end serve as a warning for those serving the agenda of global aggressors particularly in the targeting and destruction of a sovereign nation like Syria.

Even upon death, the establishment that bank rolled him and propped him up used his corpse as a prop in their public relations campaigns. The truth of his death may never emerge. With the possibility that he was terminated by his own employers - pause for thought will hopefully reverberate across the peripheral operations created to prop up and promote the "White Helmets."

If someone like Le Mesurier can find himself at the end of his uselessness and likely disposed of by his own employers - what of a former-underwear salesman-turned-war propagandists for NATO or armies of compromised academics?

Anyone who finds themselves in possession of facts and willfully distorts them for profit in the employ of nations willing to lie to promote death and destruction on a global scale cannot possibly believe they are ever safe or will perpetually be more useful alive than dead. Regardless of the actual cause of Le Mesurier's death - he most certainly is more useful to the system that created him and whom he served dead than remaining alive with 8 years of secrets liable to spill out.

Like a gang member working for a violent Central American drug cartel - imagining that you'll serve horrible people involved in a horrible cause and somehow live your life out happy, healthy, and to blissful old age is a fantasy. But perhaps being able to indulge in fantasy is the only way ordinary people can bring themselves to serve enterprises like violent drug gangs or global hegemons in the first place.

Follow Tony Cartalucci on VK here.    

As the Syrian Ceasefire Collapses

September 25, 2016 (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - When Liz Sly of the Washington Post published her latest deceptive and particularly biased piece titled, "A ferocious assault on Aleppo suggests the U.S. may be wrong on Syria," she intended to give the impression that the United States sought peace in Syria. Never mentioned were open admissions by the US that it intended for years before the conflict even began to overthrow the government in Damascus and to specifically use sectarian extremists underwritten by US ally Saudi Arabia to do so.

Nor was it mentioned that so-called "moderates" fighting in Syria have long been tied directly to designated terrorist organizations, including Al Nusra with many groups openly aligning themselves under the Al Qaeda affiliate's banner just before a large-scale offensive was launched against Syria's northern city of Aleppo - a battle that continues even now.

Sly and other commentators among the Western media establishment cite Syrian and Russian planes carrying out airstrikes across Aleppo as a failure of the so-called Syrian ceasefire - a ceasefire in which the US carried out a sustained attack on Syrian forces in the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor, "accidentally" giving forces of the self-proclaimed "Islamic State" (ISIS) an edge, allowing them to seize valuable strategic territory. It was also a "ceasefire" armed militants refused to honor, including groups openly armed and backed by the United States and its allies.

Current bombing in Aleppo then, is not a "failure" for the US' attempts to mediate a ceasefire, rather a failure for the US' attempts to perpetuate a destructive war aimed toward achieving "regime change" merely under the guise of mediating a ceasefire.

The US State Department itself admits that Al Nusra, a US State Department-designated foreign terrorist organization, is indeed operating in and around Aleppo. Even as early as April of this year, the Business Insider in its article, "The Defense Department has a new line that helps Putin and Assad in Syria," would admit that:

US Army Col. Steve Warren, the spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, was asked whether Russian airstrikes on Aleppo, the current epicenter of the war, meant that Moscow was preparing to end the cessation of hostilities (CoH) agreement between government forces and the opposition signed on February 29. 

Warren responded that it was "complicated" because al-Nusra "holds Aleppo" and is not party to the agreement.

Ceasefire or not, the US, Syria, and Russia agreed that Al Nusra - along with other designated terrorist organizations - would not be spared. This fact was cited by the US itself as a pretext for why it too was carrying out airstrikes - including at  Deir ez-Zor - during the supposed ceasefire.

Interview by Patrick Henningsen of 21st Century Wire

December 20, 2020 (Brian Berletic - LD) - It was my pleasure to appear on 21st Century Wire's first Live show (they have many recorded interviews and shows here). 

We discuss my background as "Tony Cartalucci," US soft power around the globe, US-backed "color revolutions" past and present including here in Thailand where I am based, as well as where the US is going from here in its great power game with nations like China and Iran. 

21st Century Wire has helped share my articles for many years when I wrote anonymously under the pen name Tony Cartalucci - and hopefully this is the first of many interviews and video collaborations I will be doing with them in the future now that I'm out in the open. Like and share the video if you thought it was useful and think about subscribing to 21st Century Wire to catch new videos when they are published. 

AFP Dedicates Half an Article Justifying Hong Kong Assassination Attempt

November 6, 2019 (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - Hong Kong legislator Junius Ho narrowly escaped assassination when an opposition member attempted to drive a knife into his chest after luring him in for a selfie, RT would report.

RT's article would mention briefly in one paragraph that Junius Ho has been outspoken about ongoing unrest in Hong Kong.

Compare this to AFP's article, "Pro-Beijing politician stabbed in Hong Kong," which dedicates more than half its article to detailing Junius Ho's alleged misdeeds in what can only be interpreted as an attempt to justify the otherwise indefensible act of terrorism.

AFP even divides its article in half with the heading, "- Controversial figure -."

The article then claims:

Alongside Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam and police chief Stephen Lo, Ho has become one of the most loathed establishment figures among democracy protesters. 

He has long been one of the most stridently pro-Beijing politicians in the city.

AFP continues - attempting to paint Junius Ho in the least flattering manner possible - indirectly suggesting that perhaps he even deserved it. AFP also attempts to cite growing violence on both sides as if to suggest attempted assassinations are merely the next logical step in ongoing unrest.

Omitted from AFP's article is that fact that leaders organizing protests are confirmed to be funded, backed, and directed by the US government with many leaders literally travelling to Washington D.C. to openly lobby for and receive aid from the US.

Among them are Joshua Wong, Martin Lee, Benny Tai, and Nathan Law. One - Johnson Yeung Ching-yin - is literally a US National Endowment for Democracy (NED) fellow whose profile can be found on NED's official website.

Nations Have a Right to Defend Themselves Against Foreign Attack - Whatever the Form  

Foreign-sponsored sedition - including through the use of terrorism - justifies the targeted nation and its people in defending themselves through whatever means are necessary.

If AFP wanted to make excuses for violence - it could have done so on behalf of China including Hong Kong residents opposed to the ongoing unrest and seeking to restore order and stability to their streets, businesses, homes, and public infrastructure.

No one has the right to use violence to advance their political agenda. But people do have the right to defend themselves against those who try.

US-backed mobs have targeted businesses, infrastructure including trains they've tried to repeatedly derail - endangering hundreds of innocent lives - as well as having targeted residents and politicians themselves with violence for opposing the unrest.

Just as Western propagandists - including AFP - have done elsewhere around the globe - they are deliberately defending, spinning, or omitting violence initiated by the opposition - and portraying the response of security forces and local residents attempting to fight back as "aggression."

AFP to dedicate half its article on the attempted assassination of Junius Ho attempting to explain why he is "one of the most loathed establishment figures among democracy protesters" is nothing short of appalling propaganda and even an oblique sign of approval for the attack.

Exposing and undermining this propaganda at every turn not only prevents this from being effective in regards to Hong Kong - but disarms a dishonest Western corporate media from using this same trick in the many other nations either already under similar attacks - or next in line.

Follow Tony Cartalucci on VK here.  

Kiev Losing, Sanctions Flopped, Airliner Down, War Back On?

July 18, 2014 (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - With Kiev's forces being encircled and decimated in eastern Ukraine, western Ukrainians in Kiev protesting the war, and US sanctions receiving global ridicule as feckless - the downing of a Malaysian Boeing 777 airliner with over 280 on board in eastern Ukraine - allegedly shot down over a conflict zone - will undoubtedly be exploited by NATO to vilify Kiev's opponents, particularly fighters in the east and Russia who NATO accuses of "destabilizing eastern Ukraine."

Preceding the downing of Malaysian flight MH17, just hours beforehand, Ukraine claimed Russia had shot down one of its SU-25 ground attack aircraft. The BBC's article, "Ukraine conflict: Russia accused of shooting down jet," stated that:

A Ukrainian security spokesman has accused Russia's air force of shooting down one of its jets while it was on a mission over Ukrainian territory. 

Andriy Lysenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council, said an Su-25 ground attack plane was downed on Wednesday evening. 

Russia's defence ministry called the accusation "absurd", Russian state media reported. 

Rebels in eastern Ukraine say they shot down two Su-25 jets on Wednesday. 

Ukraine also alleges rockets were fired at its forces from Russian territory.

While the weapon systems used to down the Ukrainian SU-25's were not mentioned, previous aircraft lost to separatists in eastern Ukraine were most likely hit by Igla man-portable anti-air systems. The downed 777 was flying at an altitude of 33,000 feet - unreachable by the Igla system. To down it would require a sophisticated weapon system most likely inaccessible to eastern Ukrainian fighters. This was confirmed by the regime in Kiev itself. New York Daily News reported in an article titled, "Malaysia Airlines plane feared shot down in Ukraine near Russian border," that:

Anton Gerashenko, an adviser to Ukraine's Interior Minister, said on Facebook that the plane was flying at an altitude of 33,000 feet when it was hit by a missile fired from a Buk launcher, reported Interfax, a Ukranian news agency.

The Buk system is maintained by both Russia and Ukraine. Russia would most likely not supply the sophisticated weapon system to fighters in Ukraine even if it were backing them militarily, because it would be nearly impossible to prevent its use or abuse from being traced directly back to Moscow. Ukrainian Buk systems, had the regime in Kiev lost control of one or more, should have been reported missing and international precautions taken to divert vulnerable aircraft around the conflict zone.

US Middle East "Peace Deal" Designed to Perpetuate Conflict

February 19, 2020 (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - A deal that is entirely unacceptable to one of its principal parties isn't a deal at all. In the case of the US-proposed "Middle East peace plan" - unsurprisingly endorsed by the US and Israel and few others - everything about it is designed to sabotage peace and perpetuate conflict - perhaps even expand it.

The London Guardian in its article, "Palestinians cut ties with Israel and US after rejecting Trump peace plan," would note what are obvious conditions Palestine could not and should not accept:

The blueprint, endorsed by the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, calls for the creation of a demilitarised Palestinian state that would exclude Jewish settlements built in occupied territory and remain under near-total Israeli security control.

Demilitarizing Palestine and subjecting it to occupation blatantly illegal under international law and what would undoubtedly be continued Israeli aggression, provocations, and encroachment is akin to unconditional surrender and subjugation - conditions no government could be expected to accept with Palestine being no exception.

An op-ed published by Al Jazeera titled, Trump's Middle East plan may have a silver lining: Trump's plan will not make the Palestinians' lives better, but it could help dismantle the disastrous Oslo order," would aptly describe the deal as:

Basically, Trump's plan promises the Israelis an almost full realisation of the Zionist objectives to establish a Jewish state on all of historic Palestine, while offering the Palestinians "prosperous apartheid", ie life under occupation with more money but no dignity and basic rights.

Of course, promises of money may or may not be fulfilled. A Palestine rendered defenseless and entirely dependent on ill-willed sponsors has no way to ensure such promises are fulfilled.

Thus the "peace plan" is yet another demonstration of Washington's continued malign presence in the Middle East and its absolute disinterest in changing course. The Guardian would also note that several Arab allies of the US would side with Washington's proposal, prioritizing joint belligerence toward Iran rather than solidarity with Palestine.

Helping ease Arab allies of Washington out of their pretend concern for Palestine will - Washington hopes - help them focus entirely on US plans to create a united front against Iran as US power and influence in the region slips. 

Politics and Power, Not Religion 

This disingenuous and counterproductive "peace plan" does however help illustrate that the current, ongoing conflict in the Middle East is not driven by religion, neither Zionist nor Islamic extremism, but rather by politics and in particular - designs to maintain Western hegemony in the region that has existed since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Religion and its perversion through extremism is simply used to augment and propel these designs.

Were the conflict purely a matter of religion - Sunni and Shia'a soldiers wouldn't be fighting side-by-side in Syria against US-sponsored terrorists. Arab nations would not be abandoning Palestine in favor of joining the US and Israel in their collective belligerence against Iran. And no nation in the region - save for Israel - would accept the most recent "peace plan" proposed by the US.

Seeing through a "peace plan" intentionally designed to further inflame emotions and deepen divides and understanding the true interests driving regional conflict will help establish common ground rather than erode it. The actual people living in Israel have more in common with ordinary people living in Palestine than with the current circle of special interests dominating the Israeli government.

Ordinary people seek peace and stability - to live out their lives and provide for their families. Tensions and the conflicts they lead to only disrupt ordinary people from achieving this basic desire - whether they are Israelis or Palestinians.

The US proposal illustrates to people on either side of the divide that the US is not an honest broker and that the current process posing as pursuing peace should be dismantled.

Because of this, and just as the US has faded from other areas of the world and even from other areas within the Middle East - the US will fade from prominence regarding the Israeli-Palestinian question - hopefully opening the way for more honest brokers to move in and propose a genuine peace deal that will right injustices and provide for the best interests of ordinary people rather than merely pose as doing so while serving the interests of a malign few.

Tony Cartalucci, Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher and writer, especially for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.