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1. ( 00:56 ) GEOPOLITICAL UPHEAVAL: ELECTIONS AND REFERENDA AROUND THE WORLD HIGHLIGH GROWNG DISTASTE FOR ELITIST LEMONADE.
Greetings and blessings to all!
There is a lot of news relating to geopolitical governance this week from at least five countries around the world. Perhaps it may be easier to start with the easier stories first and we start in Europe.
Going first to Iceland, the political upheavals continue there. A snap election that was called in September and held on Oct 28 has Icelanders awaking to a new political environment, amidst their anger there of on-going political dysfunction.
According to the Iceland Monitor: “Icelanders wake up to a different political landscape after Saturday’s general elections. The three parties that made up the center-right coalition government lost 12 of their 32 seats in Iceland’s 63 member parliament. The opposition parties, taken together, did however only win one of the seats lost by the outgoing government parties. Instead, two new entrants on the political scene whipped up the other 11 seats.
The resulting government is going to be very complicated. According to the article: “A three party coalition government is only possible with the inclusion of both the Independence Party and the Left-Green Movement, any other coalition would require four or more members.”
http://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/politics_and_society/2017/10/29/final_results_2017_elections/ - 29OCT17 IcelandMonitor.mbl.is : FINAL RESULTS: General Elections in Iceland bring a complicated political landscape
Iceland has been shaken over the last few years with several political scandals. Among them was the connections of a former prime minister to the Panama Papers and a more recent scandal involving the now-former prime minister, whose father wrote a letter of recommendation for a convicted child abuser seeking to ‘restore his honour’.
http://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/politics_and_society/2017/10/28/iceland_2017_elections_government_parties_loose_maj/ - 28OCT17 IcelandMonior.mbl.is : Iceland Elections – Government Parties Lose; Social Democrats Gain, Two New Parties To Enter Parliament.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/872793/iceland-election-Bjarni-Benediktsson-Katrin-Jakobsdottir-centre-right-government - 29OCT17 Laura Mowat, Express.co.uk : Iceland Election: Furious Voters Oust Cente-Right Government From Power.
Going south-east to Italy now, where referenda in the two richest regions of this country have indicated their desire for greater autonomy from the central government in Rome.
An RT article on Oct 22 reported that: “Over 90 percent of voters are estimated to have cast their ballot in favor of autonomy in both regions. Although legally non-binding, the referendums could give the two regions, governed by the Eurosceptic, anti-immigrant and right-wing Northern League, more leverage in negotiations with Rome.
https://www.rt.com/newsline/407476-italy-veneto-lombardy-autonomy-referendum/ - 22OCT17 RT.com : Italy's 2 richest regions vote for greater autonomy from Rome – early results
The BBC reported the following: “The regions together account for about 30% of Italy's national wealth.
Critics of the polls call them a stunt to bolster the right-wing Northern League before a general election next year, while the central government in Rome says the polls are unnecessary although they are permitted under the Italian constitution.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41712263 - 23OCT17 BBC.com : N.Italy referenda: Lombardi and Veneto back greater autonomy.
Although this vote is different from the others I will report on shortly, it points to a growing disinterest in the Italian population to be governed by a central government controlled by an unelected body of officials in Brussels.
Going a bit to the northeast, we come to Austria, where an intriguing political shakedown has begun unfolding there. In an article on the
The Duran website by Alexander Mercouris on Oct 23 notes the growing dissatisfaction of the people of Europe. Mercouris writes that: “The problem is less that the EU is evolving into some sort of pan-European superstate – in my opinion the EU is far too dysfunctional for that ever to happen – but that since the end of the Cold War the EU has become alongside NATO a vehicle of US control of Europe, and has therefore come increasingly to serve US geopolitical interests rather than the interests of the people of Europe.”
This is now beginning to manifest around Europe. The western-created refugee crisis has led to rebellion against establishment parties across Europe. Austria is now taking a stand. An article appearing on TheLocal, an English-language website in Austria reported on Oct 17 that: “Austria's election winner Sebastian Kurz, who may form a coalition with a far-right party ambivalent about the European Union, said on Tuesday that Austria would play an "active" role in the bloc.
"It is clear to me that Austria must play an important role within the European Union and when we are pro-European, we should not only stand for Europe but be an especially active participant in Europe," the 31-year-old conservative "whizz-kid" said.
"This is clearly what I will do in the coming years," he added.
Kurz's People's Party (ÖVP) won 31.5 percent of the vote.
The article adds that: The party’s manifesto says that Austria sovereignty and the "ideal of a Europe of fatherlands" are "increasingly under threat," particularly with the "aim of the EU being a centralised bureaucratic monster".
https://www.thelocal.at/20171017/election-winner-kurz-says-austria-must-play-an-important-role-in-the-eu - 17OCT17 TheLocal.at : Election Winner Kurz says Austria ‘must play an important role in the EU’
On Oct 19, an article from NeonNettle then noted how Kurz kept a promise to destroy the New World Order. The article reported that: “Kurz has informed Soros that his Open Society Foundation has 28 days to cease and desist operations in Austria for "attempting to undermine the democracy of the nation", or face legal action.
He told colleagues that action must be taken immediately after news broke that George Soros has donated $18 billion of his $24 billion dollar fortune to his Open Society Foundation.”
According to Kurz: “the situation has become critical. Soros has thrown everything he has behind his push for global control. Misinformation and media manipulation has already increased exponentially overnight. We have no room for complacency."
http://www.nnettle.com/news/2966-world-s-youngest-leader-bans-george-soros-from-austria-rothschild-next- - 19OCT17 Jay Greenberg, NeonNettle.com : World’s Youngest Leader Bans George Soros From Austria: ‘Rothschild Next’.
Another article a couple of days later follows up with this: “Kurz, a self-described truther, says he was “truly awoken” by the 9/11 film Loose Change, and has now declared that he can “see right through” the Soros agenda, and that “there no way on Earth he will make Austria one of his victims.”
The “red-pilled” Austrian chancellor is, of course, referring to the number of national economies Soros has crashed in order to gain excessive personal profit and political influence.”
http://antinewsnw.com/worlds-youngest-leader-bans-george-soros-austria-rothschild-next/ - 21OCT17 AntiNewsNW.com : World’s youngest leader bans George Soros in Austria: ‘Rothschild Next’.
In a joke that will only be understood by Canadians, Kurz was asked by a reporter why he was banning Soros’ Open Society Foundation, he replied: “Because it’s 2017”
This is in reference to a comment made by Justin Trudeau at the time of his election when asked about the gender balance of his government. Trudeau was quoted at the time as responding by saying: “Because it’s 2015”.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-trudeau-liberal-government-cabinet-1.3304590 - 04NOV2015 Jennifer Ditchburn, CBC.ca : Because it's 2015': Trudeau forms Canada's 1st gender-balanced cabinet
Supporting link:
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/869112/Austria-s-president-asks-conservative-leader-Sebastian-Kurz-to-form-a-new-government - 21OCT17 Belinda Robinson, Express.co.uk : Over for EU? Sebastian Kurz to form government in Austria: 'I want to bring REAL CHANGE'
Next, going north of Austria we come to the Czech Republic and an electoral earthquake has occurred in this country as well. Adam Garrie, writing for The Duran on Oct 22 reports that: “The results of the Czech legislative election results are in and the establishment parties suffered big blows in all directions. The centre-left Social Democratic Party that came in first during the 2013 elections, was reduced to 6th place with just 16 seats. On top came Andrej Babiš and his ANO party. After finishing a strong 2nd place in the previous elections, in 2017 the ANO came first with 78 out of 200 seats, a uniquely strong showing in the context of the multi-party, proportional representation Czech electoral system.”
Babiš has often been compared to Donald Trump. According to Garrie: “Babiš is a wealthy businessman who entered politics as a colourful anti-establishment figure. Other similarities include an opposition to Angela Merkel’s model for an open-door immigration policy in Europe, while Babiš is opposed to the adopting the Euro in Czech republic. In other areas, he is best described as a ‘soft Eurosceptic’ on the typical central European model, whereby while supporting membership of the EU, Babiš and his contemporaries campaign for a more confederate model, as opposed to the ultra-federalism generally desired by the Europeanists of the Franco-German-Benelux axis.
In other areas, his economic policies range from libertarianism on certain issues, to leftist interventionism in others. Throughout his time in politics, Babiš has placed a heavy emphasis of direct government investment in infrastructure.”
Perhaps the surprise to many came in the form of the Pirate Party, which placed third overall in the election result. Garrie notes that: “While the Czech Pirates have worked to model their party as one of compromise, rather than techno-radicalism, it is still something of a shock that the formerly ruling Social Democrats finished far below a Pirate Party. In many EU countries, Pirate parties are seen as something of a protest vote, but this is no longer the case in Czech Republic.”
http://theduran.com/electoral-earthquake-czech-republic-puts-trump-style-andrej-babis-power/ - 22OCT17 Adam Garrie, TheDuran.com : Electoral earthquake in Czech Republic puts ‘Trump style’ Andrej Babiš in power
The following day, Alexander Mercouris wrote this summation of the political landscape in Europe: “it is completely unsurprisingly that political parties that have become simply cheerleaders for the EU project – which is to say for the crypto-imperialist US project which is what the EU has become – have lost credibility and support across Europe, and are now in what increasingly looks like terminal decline.
This has happened in France to the Socialists, in Britain to the Liberal Democrats, in Germany to the SPD, in Austria to the Social Democrats, and it has now happened most catastrophically of all in the Czech Republic with the collapse of the two establishment parties – the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats.”
http://theduran.com/eus-anti-brussels-dominos-afd-germany-freedom-party-austria-babis-czech-republic/ - 23OCT17 Alexander Mercouris, TheDuran.com : The EU’s anti-Brussels dominos keep falling: AfD in Germany, Freedom Party in Austria, Babiš in the Czech Republic
Emotions are continuing to boil over in Spain. Over the last few weeks, there have been calls for independence from the government in Madrid, and there have been counter-actions by Madrid to declare the election irrelevant by removing the Catalan government. Protests are ongoing.
On Oct 30, a London Telegraph article reported that: “Pro-unity protesters gathered for a rally in Catalonia's capital Barcelona on Sunday, two days after regional lawmakers voted to break away from Spain, plunging the country into an unprecedented political crisis.
As protesters gathered for the march, the deputy president of the region's now-deposed government lashed out against Madrid over what he called a "coup d'etat".
"The president of the country is and will remain Carles Puigdemont," his deputy Oriol Junqueras wrote in Catalan newspaper El Punt Avui.
Junqueras used the word "country" to refer to Catalonia, whose lawmakers pushed Spain into uncharted waters Friday with a vote to declare the region independent.”
Meanwhile, officials are attempting to establish a new currency for the breakaway republic. Another London Telegraph article states that: “The self-styled Republic of Catalonia is scrambling to put together the economic machinery of a sovereign state after the momentous vote for independence in the Catalan parliament, but the quixotic venture faces a devastating counter-attack from the Spanish state within days.
Large global banks and funds are no longer convinced that premier Mariano Rajoy can contain the crisis. It is one thing to invoke the nuclear option of Article 155 under the Spanish constitution: it is quite another to subdue the breakaway region.
Antonio Montilla from Citigroup said Catalonia’s leaders are now in “open rebellion against the Spanish state”, precipitating a drastic response that has its own dreadful logic and risks spinning out of control.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/10/27/catalans-race-create-new-currency-economic-fortress-counter/ - 28OCT17 Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, Telegraph.co.uk : Catalans Race To Create A New Currency And Economic Fortress As Independence Counter-Attack Builds.
A third Telegraph article on Oct 27, points out the following: “The Catalan conflict was a tragedy waiting to happen. If a state stands behind legal requirements when the basis of democratic consent has broken down, it ends in tears. The Spanish state has legal right on it side but does not have the hearts and minds of many Catalan people. Now it is a question of which side can command the loyalty of enough Catalan people to show they are able to govern.
If the EU cannot learn from Spain’s example, separatism like Catalonia’s will only spread.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/27/eu-cant-learn-spains-example-separatism-like-catalonias-will/ - 27OCT17 John Redwood, Telegraph.co.uk : If The EU Cannot Learn From Spain’s Example, Separatism Like Catalonia’s Will Only Spread.
A similar opinion was written in a ZeroHedge article from Oct 23. In this article: “Some of you will want to have a discussion about who’s right and who’s wrong in this particular affair, but that’s besides the point. It doesn’t matter which side you favor, what matters is that Madrid/Catalonia is an example of the forces of centralization duking it out with forces of decentralization.
Madrid represents the nation-state as we know it, with its leaders claiming Spain is forever indivisible according to the constitution. Madrid has essentially proclaimed there’s no possible avenue to independence from a centralized Spain even if various regions decide in large number they wish to be independent. This sort of attitude will be seen as unacceptable and primitive by increasingly large numbers of humans in the years ahead.
Catalonia should be seen as a canary in the coal mine. The forces of decentralization are rising, but entrenched centralized institutions and the bureaucrats running them will become increasingly terrified, panicked and oppressive.
If you want to see how a control-freak authoritarian responds to a situation, just look at how Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy has responded to Catalonia. People like him simply can’t help themselves, it’s in their nature and all they know is the fist of violence.
Madrid is making a mistake of enormous historical significance here. First, you don’t need to be a genius to see that him forcibly taking over control over key aspects of Catalan civil society will only make the independence movement grow in strength, passion and numbers.”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-23/if-you-want-understand-next-10-years-study-spain - 23OCT17 ZeroHedge.com : If You Want To Understand The Next 10 Years, Study Spain.
Supporting/background links:
http://theduran.com/putin-blames-eu-hypocrisy-catalonia-crisis/ - 20OCT17 Alexander Mercouris, TheDuran.com : Putin blames EU hypocrisy for Catalonia crisis.
https://www.rt.com/news/407415-catalan-president-power-takeover/ - 21OCT17 RT.com : Catalan leader: Madrid’s steps toward direct rule are ‘worst attacks’ since Franco’s dictatorship.
https://www.rt.com/news/407412-catalonia-spain-reaction-powers/ - 21OCT17 RT.com : ‘It’s a coup’: Thousands protest power transfer from Barcelona to Madrid.
http://theduran.com/breaking-spain-takes-direct-rule-of-catalonia-as-pm-invokes-article-155-of-constitution/ - 21OCT17 Adam Garrie, TheDuran.com : Spain takes direct rule of Catalonia as PM invokes article 155 of constitution.
http://theduran.com/puigdemont-calls-for-meeting-of-catalan-parliament-while-comparing-spanish-pm-rajoy-to-franco/ - 21OCT17 Adam Garrie,TheDuran.com : Puidgemont calls for meeting of Catalan parliament while comparing Spanish PM Rajoy to Franco.
Going ‘Down Under’ now to Australia and New Zealand, we will start with a surprising political event in New Zealand.
Younger leaders are being elected worldwide, one of whom is now in Austria as reported moments ago. In New Zealand, it is now 37 year old Jacinda Ardern.
The Daily Telegraph in Australia tries to summarize how Ardern came to power this way: “She has reached the heights through the bizarre alchemy of her country’s MMP (mixed member proportional) voting system under which each voter gets two votes, one for the political party they support, and one to choose the MP to represent them in the electorate in which they live.”
The article is not very complimentary to Ardern or to New Zealand, stating that the appointment has made her and her country a ‘laughing stock’.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/new-zealands-labour-prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-makes-the-country-a-laughing-stock/news-story/816151a11da079275bd1a877d7386d03 - 22OCT17 Piers Ackerman, DailyTelegraph.com.au : New Zealand’s Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Makes The Country A Laughing Stock.
No party or leader was able to win the leadership, and thus the complicated structure was required for determining who would be able to assume the role of prime minister.
Despite the harsh criticism, Ardern has come out hitting hard, much like Kurz in Austria. An article on TheNewDaily.com.au website on Oct 22 reports that: “ New Zealand’s new left-wing government, comprised of a coalition between Labour and the protectionist NZ First, with support on supply from the Greens, has signalled a radical shift in economic policy.
In her first televised interview since being gifted the prime ministership, Labour leader Jacinda Ardern said homelessness and poverty were proof that capitalism had failed New Zealanders on low incomes.
“If you have hundreds of thousands of children living in homes without enough to survive, that’s a blatant failure. What else could you describe it as?” Ms Ardern told TV3’s The Nation.
“When you have a market economy, it all comes down to whether or not you acknowledge where the market has failed and where intervention is required. Has it failed our people in recent times? Yes. Far too many New Zealanders have come to view today’s capitalism not as their friend but as their foe and they are not all wrong. That is why we believe capitalism must regain its responsible, its human face.”
http://thenewdaily.com.au/money/finance-news/2017/10/22/jacinda-ardern-capitalism/ - 22OCT17 Jackson Stiles, TheNewDaily.com.au : ‘Capitalism Has Failed’: Jacinda Ardern Signals Major Economic Shift.
Now we look at a somewhat complicated situation unfolding in Australia. I had to consult with my former InLight Radio colleague Stephen Cook who lives in Sydney to grasp the complications of what is unfolding here. Here is what I think I understand of the situation.
The current government involves a coalition between three parties, the Liberals, with Prime Minister Turnbull and The National Party, with deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, and a third, smaller party, the Country Liberals.
https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1617/Quick_Guides/45th_Parliament_Composition - APH.gov.au : Composition of the 45th Parliament of Australia – A Quick Guide.
The Liberals have had a rough go over the last decade at least, having gone through numerous leaders. The current government has a majority of one seat.
One issue has been long-standing over the last number of years and it has been a vote on same-sex marriage. The vote has either been denied or delayed.
When former PM Tony Abbott crashed and burned as leader in 2015, Malcolm Turner assumed the leadership. Abbott refused to have a vote on the issue. Since becoming leader, Turner has been forced to do numerous deals, to get legislation passed within their House of Representatives.
In the Australian system of governance, their Senate has the power to veto legislation passed by the lower house.
Recently, a non-blinding, postal referendum was held on the issue of same-sex marriage. The results are expected to be announced on or around Nov 15th.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/opinion-malcolm-turnbulls-handling-of-high-court-ruling-will-make-or-break-leadership/news-story/99624b9daf4736a74aaf5a84ad034078 - 06SEP17 Dennis Atkins, CourierMail.com.au : Opinion: Malcolm Turnbull’s Handling Of High Court Ruling Will Make Or Break Leadership.
However another complication has come up. Australian constitutional law states that those in parliament are not able to have dual citizenship, and a scandal has broken out where at least seven sitting members in both the House of Representatives and the Senate were investigated for their dual citizenship with New Zealand.
Current Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce of The National Party and his deputy leader Fiona Nash were among those investigated. They refused to stand down from their positions, while other members chose to stand down, pending a ruling from the Supreme Court.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Party_of_Australia - Wikipedia.org : Information about The National Party of Australia.
The court ruled recently that those members could no longer remain in parliament. This has created a situation where the governing coalition has lost the majority it once had and is tied.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-27/live-blog-high-court-delivers-judgement-on-citizenship-seven/9085032 - 27OCT17 Lucy Sweeney, ABC.net.au : Citizenship Seven: High Court Rules Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce Ineligible To Serve In Parliament.
Although there is a small chance this could lead to a vote of non-confidence, it is not expected at this time. Joyce has since surrendered his New Zealand citizenship, and is planning to stand again in a by-election coming soon. At this time, it is expected that he will win again and return to parliament, restoring the one seat majority.
However, there is now another challenge. According to an article appearing on TheGuardian.com website on Oct 30: “More than 100 ministerial decisions or announcements were made by Barnaby Joyce and Fiona Nash since October 2016, according to the parliamentary library, which Labor now claims could be challenged due to their ineligibility to sit in parliament.”
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/oct/30/labor-says-more-than-100-decisions-by-joyce-and-nash-could-be-challenged - 30OCT17 Paul Karp, TheGuardian.com : Labour Says More Than 100 Decisions By Joyce And Nash Could Be Challenged.
This could potentially mean that if anyone chooses to issue a court challenge on any of those rulings, they could be overturned and this would mean a massive waste of taxpayer money on numerous levels.
If this resulted in massive losses of taxpayer money this could also potentially open the door for lawsuits against the governing coalition for repayment of tax funds wasted or lost.
In speaking with Cook, he describes the current environment as very confusing, as most people have very little idea what could happen when the results are announced of the same-sex referendum.
According to Cook, it has been estimated that up to, and possibly more than 66% of the votes are expected to support same-sex marriage.
If true, this is going to put pressure on the government, or they could face a potential backlash leading up to the next national election.
Supporting stories:
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/high-court-gives-the-green-light-to-turnbull-governments-samesex-marriage-survey-20170906-gybqm8.html - 07SEP17 Farrah Tomazin, Michael Koziol, Sydney Morning Herald : High Court gives the green light to Turnbull government's same-sex marriage survey
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/09/07/it-should-be-high-court-rules-favour-same-sex-marriage-postal-survey - 07SEP17 SBS.com.au : 'As it should be': High Court rules in favour of same-sex marriage postal survey
An article by Tom Embury-Dennis on Oct 18 reports on comments made by former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis about the current state of capitalism, saying that capitalism is coming to an end because it is making itself obsolete. According to Varoufakis: “there is no doubt capital is being socially produced, and the returns are being privatised. This with artificial intelligence is going to be the end of capitalism.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/yannis-varoufakis-capitalism-ending-obsolete-former-greek-finance-minister-artificial-intelligence-a8006826.html - 18OCT17 Tom Embury-Dennis, Independent.co.uk : Capitalism is ending because it has made itself obsolete, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis says.
Another hint came recently from a Swedish ambassador to Iceland. According to a ZeroHedge article on Oct 18: “Sweden's new ambassador to Iceland, Håkan Julholt, has sparked a major controversy after warning that Sweden is "in the process of dismantling democracy" and could be on a slippery slope towards technocracy or a dictatorship.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-17/its-sad-hell-swedish-ambassador-admits-were-process-dismantling-democracy - 18OCT17 ZeroHedge.com : “It’s Sad As Hell” – Swedish Ambassador Admits, “We’re in the process of dismantling democracy.”
In commenting about his four year old son, Julholt stated: “When he is old he won't be living in a democracy but in a technocracy, or a dictatorship. It's sad as hell. I am sorry to say it, but I am 100 percent sure. We are in the process of dismantling democracy."
In an article appearing on TheLocal.se on Oct 17, the Culture and Democracy Minister Alice Bah Kuhnke was quoted as saying that: “It is the role of ambassadors, and the role of of the government, to deliver an accurate image of our country and promote our country in the world.”
https://www.thelocal.se/20171017/sweden-is-in-the-process-of-dismantling-democracy-ambassador-hakan-juholt?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter - 17OCT17 TheLocal.se : Sweden is 'in the process of dismantling democracy': ex-Social Democrat head.
It may not exactly be painting the pretty picture that the government wants, but I think many of us would agree that the comments are more than accurate, not just in Sweden but around the world as well.
2. ( 23:54 ) KURDS ON THE KURB: KURDISH LEADERS RESIGNS; US THREE-PRONG STRATEGY FOR SYRIA HAS FAILED - MISERABLY.
In other geopolitical news:
Western control of Iraq appears to be failing as well at this time. On Oct 6, Alexander Mercouris of The Duran reported on the reckless strategy being used by the West on Iraq. He detailed the three-pronged strategy of the West. He wrote that: “As ISIS fades and as the Syrian conflict winds down, regional tensions in the Middle East are escalating, as the attention of the Great Powers switches to the growing crisis in Iraq’s and Syria’s Kurdish areas.
The latest stage in the seemingly endless geopolitical struggle in the Middle East is currently underway, with the Kurds of Syria and Iraq taking centre-stage.
Though it is important not to attribute more structure and coherence to US policy than it actually has, it appears that US policy over the course the Syrian conflict in particular has evolved through three overlapping stages.
Stage 1 – Plan A: Regime Change in Syria
First, there was an all-out attempt to achieve regime change in Syria, with the US supporting a proxy war intended to overthrow the Syrian government.
This stage lasted from 2011 up to the autumn of 2016, when the Syrian army’s successful defeat of the Jihadis in eastern Aleppo made it non-viable.
Stage 2 – Plan B: Partition Syria by creating eastern ‘Sunnistan’
Secondly, as hopes of achieving regime change in Syria faded following the Russian intervention in 2015, plans for partitioning Syria by setting up a Sunni statelet in central and eastern Syria were gradually substituted in its place.
To that end the US established military bases on Syrian territory at Al-Tanf and elsewhere, and began arming and training various anti-government “Free Syrian Army” militia groups both in northern and southern Syria.
This is the classic US ‘third force’ strategy, applied by the US to many conflicts ever since it was first tested out in Vietnam in the 1950s. It has always proved a failure whenever it has been attempted, but that never seems to prevent the US from turning to it whenever it finds itself in a losing position.
Stage 3 – Plan C: Support the Kurds
Following the failure of Plans A and B, most governments would have accepted that there is no realistic way for the US to achieve its maximalist objectives in Syria, and would have cut their losses. Unfortunately, as has become all too clear in the last few months, the US has no reverse gear, so that in place of Plans A and B we are now seeing the rolling out of Plan C.
This is to manipulate Kurdish national aspirations to undermine the Syrian-Iraqi-Iranian-Hezbollah “axis of resistance/Shia crescent”, which in my opinion had no real existence before the start of the Syrian conflict but which as a direct consequence of US and Israeli policy in Syria and Iraq is now emerging.
He predicted that this plan would also fail.
A few weeks later, Mercouris follows up that article with another writing that: “What I did not imagine when I wrote that article was that it would take all of two weeks for Plan C to start to fail. This was because I seriously overestimated the strength and coherence of the Kurds, especially those of Iraq, whose Peshmerga militia it is now clear was grossly overrated, not just by me but by many other observers of the region.
Iraq’s effortless recovery of Kirkuk, and the rapid collapse of Peshmerga resistance in the surrounding areas of the city came to me – as I suspect it did to many others – and as it certainly did to the US and to the Kurds themselves, as a total surprise.
http://theduran.com/collapse-in-iraqi-kurdistan-uss-plan-c-fails-before-begins/ - 19OCT17 Alexander Mercouris, TheDuran.com : Collapse in Iraqi Kurdistan: US’s Plan C fails before it begins.
The US appears to be powerless, lending more credibility to the increasing isolation of the US and its allies such as Israel.
On Oct 29, an article on ZeroHedge has now reported that: “Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani announced his resignation Sunday after the biggest gamble of his 12 years as president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) not only failed, but utterly backfired as territorial reversals reduced KRG power to its weakest position in decades. Though his push for an independence referendum had overwhelming support among Iraq's Kurds, and with even the encouragement of some external allies, the decisive military response by the Iraqi national government resulted in rapid forced handover of Kurdish-held oil rich areas and a return to pre-2014 borders, prior to the blitz by ISIS which aided Kurdish political expansion. Barzani will step down effective November 1.
As the Iraqi Kurdish independence project has now resulted in failure, it will be interesting to see how this impacts developments in Syrian Kurdish areas across the Iraqi and Turkish borders - no doubt the example of Iraq has now provided further incentive for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF, whose core component is the Kurdish YPG) to go to the negotiating table with Syria and Russia, in the hope of retaining some kind of autonomous or federalized union with Damascus, as opposed to all-out war, which would result in being squeezed by Turkey from the north and Damascus from the south.”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-29/kurdish-president-announces-resignation-supporters-storm-parliament-knives-and-guns - 29OCT17 ZeroHedge.com : As Kurdish President Announces Resignation, Supporters Storm Parliament With Knives and Guns.
3. ( 30:10 ) RISE OF THE PETROYUAN: UPCOMING LAUNCH WILL FURTHER ERODE HEGEMONY OF THE US DOLLAR.
Over to financial news now;
Another key indicator of the eastern strategy of making redundant the western system of fiat banking and hegemonic control will soon be launched.
An article appearing on ZeroHedge on Oct 24 has reported that: “The World Bank's former chief economist wants to replace the US dollar with a single global super-currency, saying it will create a more stable global financial system.
"The dominance of the greenback is the root cause of global financial and economic crises," Justin Yifu Lin told Bruegel, a Brussels-based policy-research think tank.
"The solution to this is to replace the national currency with a global currency."
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-24/its-huge-story-china-launching-petroyuan-two-months - 24OCT17 ZeroHedge.com : “It’s a huge story” : China launching ‘petroyuan’ in two months.
This is a potentially loaded statement…one of those very tricky statements that require people to read between the lines, and consider the source of the statement, before discerning whether or not the statement is positive.
For me personally, an individual from the World Bank making a statement such as this does not strike me as very positive. We have seen the political effects of trying to globalize, politically or economically. The European Union project is failing. The Euro currency is failing and thus a global currency following in the same pattern of the euro is destined for failure also. The euro was forced upon countries that were not economically ready to be integrated into the EU.
More dangerous than this however is that any global currency will have to find a way to equate the human value of labour.
IF humans in every country were paid the same salary for the same work, then the currency might have a chance of working. Is it possible that this is a hint for a coming global currency reset? This is unclear at this time.
This however is not the focus of the article. The story is actually about China’s coming move to introduce it’s ‘petroyuan’ to the world, within the next two months.
According to the article: “As Russian President Vladimir Putin said almost two months ago during the BRICs summit in Xiamen,
“Russia shares the BRICS countries’ concerns over the unfairness of the global financial and economic architecture, which does not give due regard to the growing weight of the emerging economies. We are ready to work together with our partners to promote international financial regulation reforms and to overcome the excessive domination of the limited number of reserve currencies.”
The hegemony of the USD as a global reserve currency, is at an end.
In commenting on that statement by Putin, Journalist Pepe Escobar, was quoted in the article as saying that: “'to overcome the excessive domination of the limited number of reserve currencies' is the politest way of stating what the BRICS have been discussing for years now; how to bypass the US dollar, as well as the petrodollar.
Beijing is ready to step up the game. Soon China will launch a crude oil futures contract priced in yuan. This means that Russia – as well as Iran, the other key node of Eurasia integration – may bypass US sanctions by trading energy in their own currencies, or in yuan. Inbuilt in the move is a true Chinese win-win; the yuan - according to some - will be fully convertible into gold on both the Shanghai and Hong Kong exchanges.
The new triad of oil, yuan and gold is actually a win-win-win. No problem at all if energy providers prefer to be paid in physical gold instead of yuan. The key message is the US dollar being bypassed.
To those addicted to western media. What they might hear in this statement is ‘China is taking over the world, and we should feel threatened. These individuals are very likely going to listen to the western media rhetoric justifying a need for more military spending and actions.
What this signifies is that the western leadership is falling apart, because they spent too much money on military actions, instead of building up their own infrastructure, like China and Russia have done.
We may not be completely sure about the future intentions of the Chinese and Russian leaderships, but I think most of us are very much aware of how dangerous the western leadership, enslavement and control have been. For this reason alone, I am willing to give China and Russia a chance to prove themselves and their intentions for a better, multipolar future.
The article also reports that: “we are within two months of it becoming a reality as China prepares to roll out a yuan-denominated oil contract within the next two months...
"Approval of the trading rules by the securities regulator marks the clearance of a major hurdle toward launch of the contract," Li Zhoulei, an analyst with Everbright Futures, said by phone.
"The latest rules raised entry threshold for investors from the draft rules, which shows the government wants to avoid volatility when it first starts trading."
Adam Levinson, a hedge fund manager for Graticule Asset Management Asia suggests that this will be a ‘wake up call’ for investors who have not paid attention to the plans.
Western pundits may be pretending to be surprised by news of a petroyuan. The writing has been on the wall for a very long time however. In an RT article from Oct 27, Bryan MacDonald notes how the introduction of the petroyuan may be Putin’s revenge.
According to MacDonald: “The key to the coming petro-yuan lies in Moscow. And, if the Chinese currency eventually succeeds in usurping the long-standing petrodollar, Washington will only have itself to blame.
News that China plans to launch a yuan-denominated oil futures contract by the end of this year has come as a surprise to many analysts. However, Russia experts aren’t startled in the slightest because this move has been coming since Moscow abandoned its quarter-century attempt to integrate with the West, following the 2014 Ukraine crisis. A catastrophe which the Kremlin blames on the United States and the European Union, as part of what it considers to be an attempt to reduce Russian influence in its "near abroad.”
MacDonald continues: “Beijing’s scheme aims to shift trade in “black gold” from petrodollars to a proposed petro-yuan. Which benefits China by making its currency more attractive internationally and providing greater energy security. However, the biggest winners may well be in Moscow. Because any decline in the dollar’s status severely dilutes Washington’s ability to wage economic war against Russia, via sanctions.
As the world’s biggest petroleum producer, Russia is vital to Beijing’s project. And, in turn, as the planet’s largest crude importer and most sizable economy (measured by purchasing power parity), China is the only country with the heft to challenge American financial hegemony.
Of course, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping can’t achieve their aims alone. Because if the petro-yuan is to succeed, other leading oil-drilling nations, will need to come on board. And, while Iran, Indonesia, and Venezuela have indicated their interest in the project, the key is tempting the Arab states to trade in yuan. And this essentially means Saudi Arabian cooperation is the big prize.”
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/408006-china-oil-petro-yuan-russia/ - 27OCT17 Bryan MacDonald via RT.com : Putin’s revenge may see petroyuan replace petrodollar.
In another RT article, Max Keiser explains the threat of the petroyuan and that western hegemony will not allow this change without a fight. Keiser is quoted as saying that: “Saddam Hussein wanted to trade oil in Euros and he was killed, Muammar Gaddafi wanted to trade his energy in something other than the US dollar – he was killed. China, however, has the resolve and the resources to pull-off the de-dollarization, and besides, it’s backed by several major countries which are “resistant to America’s financial cartel,” namely Russia and Iran. Kudos to China for taking this project on and of course they are rumored to be a big buyer in the Aramco offering of their state oil facilities coming down the pike,” Keiser said, referring to the anticipated sales of shares in the Saudi Aramco state oil company.
“This makes sense, geopolitical sense, in terms you’ve got China and Russia and the Saudis looking to escape the US dollar, US dollar hegemony.”
https://www.rt.com/business/407789-us-petro-dollar-yuan/ - 25OCT17 RT.com : US ‘Empire of Debt’ will go to war to stop emergence of petroyuan – Max Keiser.
The introduction of the petroyuan is just one more small part of the eastern strategy to breakdown the destructive patterns of US/western hegemony. Russia and China both have international development banks of their own to fund global initiatives and they also have their own systems of money transfer, so that the US-controlled SWIFT system can be avoided.
The signs have been around since at least 2010, when the BRICS alliance was first announced to the world.
Since then, the eastern alliance of countries has been about infrastructure development, while the western strategy has been about military conflict and seizure of resources and power.
At this point in time, it is becoming clearer which side has the better strategy.
4. ( 40:13 ) PARTIAL REVELATION: RELEASED JFK DOCUMENTS OFFER SOME ANSWERS, BUT SOME KEY QUESTIONS LINGER.
In general news;
It appears that files relating to the death of John F Kennedy are being released. At this time, I am choosing not to spend a significant amount of time on this story, since most listeners will likely already expect, know and understand much of what was released.
A few articles however seem to point to several conclusions. One article from ZeroHedge on Oct 27, summarizes the release this way: “While yesterday’s pre-planned release of JFK files was significantly neutered at the request of the CIA and FBI, the 2800+ files which were released have been poured over extensively, revealing evidence of a second shooter, a massive CIA infiltration of the MSM, a tipoff phone call received 25 minutes before the assassination, and Soviet intelligence indicating the assassination was a coup involving LBJ among other things.”
The article posts a number documents that were released, and some of the following claims are made:
“Two shooters, one escaped”
“J. Edgar Hoover’s comments suggest Oswald was not a shooter.”
“Soviet belief in a well orchestrated coup”
“The KGB allegedly had evidence Lyndon B Johnson was behind the coup.”
“A UK journalist was tipped off 25 minutes before the assassination.”
“The CIA had infiltrated the media and religious institutions.”
“Lee Harvey Oswald may have been an agent of the US government”
“There is some information to suggest Zionist/Jewish involvement in the assassination”.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-27/jfk-release-findings-second-shooter-uk-tipoff-cia-media-infiltration-and-lbj-fingere - 27OCT17 via ZeroHedge.com : JFK Release: Second Shooter, UK Tipoff, CIA Media Infiltration and LBJ Fingered in Coup.
Another article, posted in June of 2017 on the AlternaiveNewsNetwork website points to an Executive Order, number 11110, issued by Kennedy five months before his assassination, shutting down the Rothschild’s controlled Federal Reserve as leading to his death.
http://www.alternativenewsnetwork.net/case-closed-jfk-killed-shutting-rothschilds-federal-reserve/ - 14JUN17 AlternativeNewsNetwork.net, Case Closed: JFK Killed After Shutting Down Rothschild’s Federal Reserve.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41741216 - 25OCT17 Owen Amos, BBC.com : JFK Assassination: Questions That Won’t Go Away.
http://theduran.com/kennedy-papers-no-conspiracy-but-huge-incompetence/ - 28OCT17 Alexander Mercouris, TheDuran.com : The Kennedy Papers: no evidence of conspiracy to murder but evidence of a conspiracy to conceal huge incompetence
Although President Trump did not release some documents, due to alleged security concerns, Wikileaks has posted a 100,000 dollar reward for those remaining documents.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/10/26/john-f-kennedy-assassination-archives-release-secret-jfk-files/798788001/ - 26OCT17 Ray Locker, David Jackson, USAToday.com : JFK Files: Feds Release 2,800 records; Trump Withholds Others Due To National Security Concerns.
http://antinewsnw.com/trump-caves-cia-blocks-full-release-jfk-files-wikileaks-offers-100k-reward/ - 29OCT17 AntiNewsNW.com : As Trump Caves to CIA and Blocks Full Release of JFK Files, Wikileaks Offers $100K Reward For Them.
This information, and very likely much more, appears to validate the concerns of many that there was a conspiracy to remove Kennedy from office through an assassination. What remains to be seen at this point is what the international media will do with this information, and whether or not Putin may now reveal what the KGB knew or did not know regarding this incident.
Links will be provided in the show transcript to the files, for those having the interest and desire to search through all the material. Also in the show transcript will be the video footage from the Zapruder documentary film that appears to show the driver turning to point a gun aT Kennedy and firing. This would suggest why Jacqueline Kennedy was trying to get out of the car, instead of seeking protection within it.
UPDATE NOVEMBER 1 2017 - With gratitude to Mark in the UK who sent this clearer video that seems to verify that the driver did NOT shoot JFK .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DguBcLpWBS0 - 14NOV2008 Robert Harris via YouTube.com : Did the driver shoot JFK?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq1PbgeBoQ4 - published 15APR2008 via YouTube.com : The Undamaged Zapruder Film on JFK’s Assassination.
https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/2017-release - Archives.gov: JFK Assassination Records - 2017 Additional Documents Release
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/zip/jfk.zip - Archives.gov: JFK Assassination Records – 2017 Additional Documents Release 0
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/zip/jfk.z01 - Archives.gov: JFK Assassination Records – 2017 Additional Documents Release 1
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/zip/jfk.z02 - Archives.gov: JFK Assassination Records – 2017 Additional Documents Release 2
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/zip/jfk.z03 - Archives.gov: JFK Assassination Records – 2017 Additional Documents Release 3
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/zip/jfk.z04 - Archives.gov: JFK Assassination Records – 2017 Additional Documents Release 4
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/zip/jfk.z05 - Archives.gov: JFK Assassination Records – 2017 Additional Documents Release 5
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/zip/jfk.z06 - Archives.gov: JFK Assassination Records – 2017 Additional Documents Release 6
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/zip/jfk.z07 - Archives.gov: JFK Assassination Records – 2017 Additional Documents Release 7
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/zip/jfk.z08 - Archives.gov: JFK Assassination Records – 2017 Additional Documents Release 8
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/zip/jfk.z09 - Archives.gov: JFK Assassination Records – 2017 Additional Documents Release 9
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/zip/jfk.z10 - Archives.gov: JFK Assassination Records – 2017 Additional Documents Release 10
5. ( 43:29 ) SHIFTING NARRATIVE: RUSSIA-COLLUSION STORY FOCUSING NOW ON CLINTON, NOT TRUMP.
A second story that may be worth noting but not spending much time on is the story relating to developments linking Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as the Democratic National Party, the DNC to Russia, instead of President Trump.
According to one article by Cheryl Chumley in The Washington Times on Oct 18 2017: “The tables have turned and what was once the media’s favorite message — President Donald Trump colluded with Russia to steal the election — has now grown silent.
Apparently, it’s Bill and Hillary Clinton who’ve been doing the behind-scenes and suspicious dealings with Russia all along. Oh, and perhaps others in the Barack Obama administration, too.”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/oct/18/russia-tables-turn-roping-clinton-obama-holder-not/ - 18OCT17 Cheryl Chumley, WashingtonTimes.com : Russia tables turn, roping Clinton, Obama, Holder, not Trump.
Alex Christoforou, writing for The Duran on Oct 26 reports that: “The Washington Free Beacon informed House Intelligence officials on Friday that it was the original funder for the anti-Trump Fusion GPS opposition research.
The news site is funded by neoconservative leader Paul Singer, who was an anti-Trumper and Marco Rubio supporter.
Neocon chief, and Iraq WMD architect, Bill Kristol is also rumored to be behind the publication. Kristol was a very public Trump hater during the primaries, and is a vocal anti-Trumper advocate to this day.
Christoforou also notes Byron York as being the one who broke this story, and writes that: “The Washington Free Beacon was aiming to accomplish with its opposition research on Trump, and what changed when the DNC and Hillary Clinton campaign took over the research and proceeded to work with Fusion GPS, and British agent Steele.”
http://theduran.com/neocon-news-outlet-the-washington-free-beacon-was-origin-of-trump-dossier/ - 28OCT17 Alex Christoforou, TheDuran.com : Neocon News Outlet The Washington Free Beacon Was Origin Of Trump Dossier.
ABC News in Australia also reported on the story, noting the following: “United States President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans have latched onto revelations tying Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign to a dossier of allegations about his ties to Russia, saying it was a "disgrace" Democrats had helped pay for research that produced the document.”
This article notes how the CIA and FBI had earlier stated with ‘high confidence’ that the effort was aimed at hurting the Clinton campaign during the election. The NSA had stated the same but with ‘moderate confidence’. The article then adds that: “the new disclosure about the dossier's origins is likely to fuel complaints by President Trump and his supporters that the document is merely a collection of salacious and uncorroborated claims.
Two people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential client matters, told The Associated Press the funding arrangement was brokered by Marc Elias, a lawyer for the Clinton campaign and the DNC, and his law firm of Perkins Coie.”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-26/clinton-campaign-helped-pay-for-scandalous-trump-dossier/9087004 - 26OCT17 ABC.Net.au : Donald Trump Says Reports Hillary Clinton’s Team Funded Scandalous Russia Dossier A ‘Disgrace’
http://theduran.com/wikileaks-leaked-email-proves-hillary-clinton-knew-uranium-one-was-a-huge-scandal/ - 24OCT17 Alex Christoforou, TheDuran.com : Wikileaks leaked email proves Hillary Clinton knew Uranium One was a huge scandal
The levels of control and manipulation within governments are well known among followers of CVN and other alternative news sources. In September of 2017, a ZeroHedge article had posted information from an alleged high-ranking CIA agent blowing the whistle on the ‘Deep State’ and the ‘Shadow Government’.
According to that article: “A CIA whistleblower, Kevin Shipp, has emerged from the wolves den to expose the deep state and the shadow government which he calls two entirely separate entities.
“The shadow government controls the deep state and manipulates our elected government behind the scenes,” Shipp warned in a recent talk at a Geoengineeringwatch.org conference.
Shipp had a series of slides explaining how the deep state and shadow government functions as well as the horrific crimes they are committing against U.S. citizens.
Some of the revelations the former CIA anti-terrorism counter intelligence officer revealed included that “Google Earth was set up through the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and InQtel.” Indeed he is correct, the CIA and NGA owned the company Google acquired, Keyhole Inc., paying an undisclosed sum for the company to turn its tech into what we now know as Google Earth. Another curious investor in Keyhole Inc. was none other than the venture capital firm In-Q-Tel run by the CIA according to a press release at the time.
Shipp also disclosed that the agency known as the Joint Special Ops Command (JSOC) is the “president’s secret army” which he can use for secret assassinations, overturning governments and things the American people don’t know about.
FBI warrantless searches violate the Fourth Amendment with national security letters, which Shipp noted enables them to walk into your employer’s office and demand all your financial records and if he or she says anything about them being there they can put your supervisor in jail or drop a case against themselves using the “State’s Secret Privilege law.”
“The top of the shadow government is the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency,” Shipp said.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-09-15/high-ranking-cia-agent-blows-whistle-deep-state-and-shadow-government - 15SEP17 via ZeroHedge.com : High-Ranking CIA Official Blows Whistle On Deep State And Shadow Government.
The dam is breaking, and the rush of revelations is flowing ever more quickly into the public domain.
As these revelations continue to unfold, it is important to not suppress one’s anger or cover it up. It is important to stay focused on what one is feeling, and if there is anger or any other kind of negative emotion, feel it, but do not let it guide you towards negativity. Use the anger constructively, as a motivation for positive and physical actions for change, and do not use it destructively, to fuel negative actions that create fear that the global controllers feed upon.
It is up to humanity to own and take responsibility for what we have allowed to be created, while also taking the empowered steps to demonstrate to the children of the world that there are humans willing to create a better future for them.
6. ( 49:59 ) BILLIONS IN CHANGE: PROJECT FOR GLOBAL SOLUTIONS STILL MAKING WAVES.
As I continue to look for projects worldwide that appear to be heart-based and in service for the Highest Good of humanity and the planet, I have been led back to a project called Billions In Change.
CVN first reported on this organization about two years ago, and it seems that the organization is moving forward further in achieving its goals and creating some new options.
We are in very challenging times, because there are thousands of people who have wonderful visions for global change, healing and peace. However, in attempting to bring that vision to life, many are realizing that things do not go exactly according to what one originally thought, or one is not able to interest others in the vision successfully.
This not make one or one’s vision ‘good’, ‘bad’, ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. It may just be that some more work is necessary on a professional level, on an inner, personal level, or possibly a combination of both.
Seeing how the vision of a mission is guided may offer some hints as to the authenticity and vibration-level of the vision.
According to the website: “Billions In Change develops and delivers inventions that help the unlucky half of the world obtain basic needs like clean water, reliable electricity, and sufficient food. Those fundamentals set the foundation for education, health, and livelihood, enabling people to improve life for themselves and for their families.
Our inventions include devices that create fresh water for drinking and agriculture; expense-free and pollution-free electricity generators that power homes, schools, and businesses; farming techniques that enhance crop yields, crop quality as well as farmer income; and healthcare solutions that actually address the main causes of disease.”
One may feel inclined to say: “Yes, this all sounds good in text, but what really makes them different?”
The website replies to this question the following way: “We are enablers. We invent for free electricity, free fertilizer, and clean water because when you address that which is fundamental, you enable everything above it. So we don’t do education, we enable education. We don’t do health—in terms of vaccines and cures—we enable health. We don’t give people money, we enable them to make a living. The fundamental areas of energy, water, food, and health enable not only wellness and livelihood, but they also enable lasting solutions to the world’s biggest problems.”
The organization is fully aware that the solutions to the kinds of problems they are attempting to solve cannot be done by any single person or single organization. Billions In Change states that: “The only way to have a significant and lasting positive impact on humanity is to form a movement that involves huge numbers of people, as well as companies and institutions, working together toward a common goal.”
“Billions in Change is led by billionaire Manoj Bhargava, creator of 5-hour ENERGY, who believes those with more have a duty to serve those with less. He is committed to enabling the unlucky half of the world to obtain basic needs so they can live healthy, productive lives. That goal is the focus of the work he is funding through Stage 2, The Hans Foundation, and The Hans Foundation Hospitals. Manoj has dedicated 99 percent of his wealth to helping those in need and is employing a unique zero-profit business model in order to serve as many people as possible.”
An updated documentary, entitled Billions in Change 2 is available on YouTube and the link will be available in the show transcript.
https://billionsinchange.com/about/ - BillionsInChange.com : About the organization.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE8exLmcu-Y - via YouTube.com : Billions In Change 2 Official Film (2017)
https://billionsinchange.com/solutions/energy/ - BillionsInChange.com : energy solutions
https://billionsinchange.com/solutions/water/ - BillionsInChange.com : Water Solutions
https://billionsinchange.com/solutions/agriculture/ - BillionsInChange : Agriculture/Fertilizer Solutions
https://billionsinchange.com/solutions/health/ - BillionsInChange : Health Solutions
https://billionsinchange.com/education/ - BillionsInChange : Education Solutions.
7. ( 54:20 ) THE DRAIN OF BLOCKCHAIN: UNDERSTANDING HOW ENERGY IS INVOLVED IN MINING BITCOINS.
Over to some science and technology related information.
Here is an example of just how quickly things are moving in the world. Just as the people of the planet are starting to get comfortable about the idea of a ‘blockchain’ and what it may be able to offer the world, news is coming out about another technology that is claiming will make the ‘blockchain’ obsolete.
CVN is not yet in a position to claim one way or the other yet, as information is still coming out.
However, an article by Justin Danneman on Oct 25 appearing on the Squaker.org website reports that: “Swirlds is a software platform that has developed the hashgraph consensus algorithm: an entirely new distributed ledger technology that is much more cost-effective (no proof-of-work), 50,000 times the speed, safer (Byzantine), more efficient (no stale blocks) and mathematically fairer than the blockchain.
This is the future of the internet and decentralized technology. “
According to the website Swirlds.com : “Swirlds is a software platform designed to build fully-distributed applications that harness the power of the cloud without servers. Now you can develop applications with fairness in decision making, speed, trust and reliability, at a fraction of the cost of traditional server-based platforms.
http://www.swirlds.com/ - Swirlds.com : Homepage for Swirlds.com
The website also explains that: “ ‘Swirds’ is a short-form for ‘shared worlds’. Developers can create distributed applications with unlimited scope and scale. Leveraging the hashgraph distributed consensus algorithm, Swirlds enables developers to build trusted applications that are always available, without the use of central servers. Applications built on the Swirlds platform are fair, fast, and achieve consensus quickly, giving the user 100% certainty in the consensus order. Swirlds removes the obstacles inherent in blockchain technology. Blockchain can’t enforce fairness and can be challenged with high latency and probabilistic consensus, and often requires costly, wasteful mining. Swirlds broadens the range of applications that can be decentralized. In short, Swirlds provides a platform for building the trust layer of the internet.”
http://www.swirlds.com/solutions/ - Swirlds.com : The solutions page for Swirlds.
To refresh peoples’ minds about blockchain, the article writes that a : “Blockchain is simply a database that is public (no one owns it), distributed (no centralized server), is continuously updated, and is secured by the art of cryptography.” Don Tapscott is quoted in the article as saying that: “ … blockchain technology facilitates peer-to-peer transactions without any intermediary, such as a bank or governing body.”
One might say that sounds really great, and perhaps it is. The article also asks ‘what is hashgraph, and why is it better?’
The article answers with the following: “Hashgraph is a superior distributed ledger technology system that eliminates the need for massive computation and unsustainable energy consumption like those of Bitcoin and Ethereum.”
The article claims Bitcoin as being able to only do 7 transactions per second, and yet hashgraph is capable of over 250,000 transactions per second.
The article claims Hashgraph is more fair. Using a mathematically proven fairness using a process called consensus time stamping, no individual will be able to manipulate the order of the transacations.
Currently, for those in Bitcoin, they are discovering that miners are able to manipulate the order of transactions, and even stop them from entering the system.
The article also states that: “Once an event occurs, everyone knows about it within a couple of minutes. Only the effects of the transaction are necessary in storing, everything else can be discarded. This shrinks the amount of storage currently needed (Bitcoin: 60GB) to a fraction of 1GB, allowing a smart phone to now act as a node.”
Security is also claimed to be better, using an algorithm called ‘Asynchronous Byzantine Fault Tolerant.’ The article explains that this means that: “No member can prevent the community from reaching a consensus, nor can they change the consensus once it has been reached.
If no consensus is ever reached, conflicts will always occur. This is why hard forks that result in alt coins, such as Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin Gold are occurring.
It is less expensive as well. With blockchain there is something called proof-of-work or PoW. With hashgraph this is not necessary and therefore: “it does not have to waste computations to slow itself down and therefore the expensive, custom hardware is no longer necessary.’
The article closes with the following : “In the blockchain, if new blocks arrive too quickly they can be discarded. This is why Bitcoin is currently PoW, as this artificially slows down the mining process – hence the expensive hardware needed to mine.
With hashgraph, every member can create transactions and containers whenever they want.
Central banks were losing with blockchain.
Hashgraph is a missile in the coffin.”
https://squawker.org/technology/blockchain-just-became-obsolete-the-future-is-hashgraph/ - 25OCT17 Justin Danneman, Squawker.org : Blockchain just became obsolete: The Future is Hashgraph.
Here is a very concerning statistic about the mining of Bitcoin. If you were asked how many barrels of oil it takes to mine one Bitcoin, what might your guess be? 5, 25, 50…? According to a ZeroHedge article on Oct 28: “James Stafford, editor of Oilprice.com not only does the math, but explains the energy-driven geographic arbitrage currently driving bitcoin mining.
The bitcoin boom is well and truly underway, and investors are constantly looking for new ways to gain an advantage in this space The best way to do this, it seems, is by cutting the energy costs of mining this precious commodity. The bitcoin mining industry consumes 22.5 TWh of energy annually, which amounts to 13,239,916 barrels of oil equivalent.
With 12.5 bitcoins being mined every 10 minutes, that means the average energy cost of one bitcoin would equate to 20 barrels of oil equivalent.
While it’s all about where you sit on the cost curve, Stafford provides us with some context on gross energy consumption.
To put this in perspective, the total energy consumption of the world’s Bitcoin mining activities is more than 40 times greater than that required to power the entire Visa network.”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-28/how-many-barrels-oil-are-needed-mine-one-bitcoin - 28OCT17 ZeroHedge.com : How many barrels of oil are needed to mine one Bitcoin?
As a result of this, the article says that many bitcoin mining companies are moving to Iceland. Here’s why: “the new Bitcoin mining hub - with a different type of energy advantage - is Iceland. James Stafford calls it the “New Ground (Below) Zero”, he continues.
That’s why HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd. - a gold-miner-turned-bitcoin-miner - has set up in Iceland. As one of the first public companies that lets you participate in the build-up and infrastructure of crypto mining, HIVE is taking advantage of Bitcoin’s favorite element: Ice. It’s freezing in Iceland, so the relative energy cost of mining there is lower. Mining hardware requires enormous power and creates tons of heat, and natural temperature is key: Iceland saves on cooling costs, making it one of the most potentially profitable places to mine Bitcoin.
Stafford states that “The cold countries are now the home of what is being dubbed ‘geothermal gold’.”
I’m starting to have some concerns about the ethics behind Bitcoin and its mining activities and the companies attempting to control it.
I am NOT saying ‘no’ yet to Bitcoin, but I am stating that I have some growing concerns, and when compared to the Hashgraph technology mentioned moments ago, it is giving me a reason to hope that a more LIFE-honouring practice will come from Bitcoin.
It would seem now that the challenge will be to see which technology, if any of them, are being designed with the Highest Good interests of humanity and the planet. Who are the funders/controllers behind this technology, and where did it originate?
In the show transcript, a PDF document is available for viewing and downloading that offers more technical information about Hashgraph for those people who are interested in it.
http://www.swirlds.com/downloads/SWIRLDS-TR-2016-01.pdf - Swirlds.com : Tech Report on the Hashgraph technology. (for those who are more interested in the technical aspects of this)\
8. ( 1:04:18 ) SAUDI ARABIA AWARDS CITIZENSHIP TO ARTIFICIALLY INTELLIGENT ENTITY
Another technology that is moving rapidly forward in this current time is in the realm of artificial intelligence. Something else that has also happened is that a country has granted citizenship to an artificially intelligent entity, and critics claim that this entity has more rights than a woman in this country.
If you guessed Saudi Arabia, then you would be correct. An article by Shivali Best, for the London Daily Mail on Oct 27 has reported that: “History has been made in Saudi Arabia as a humanoid robot has been granted citizenship for the first time.
The robot, Sophia, took to the stage at a conference in Riyadh this week to express her delight at being given citizenship, which she described as 'historical.'
Not everyone is happy with the Sophia's citizenship, with some describing her as 'bizarre' and others referring to it as 'Terminator in real time.'
Others have pointed out that Sophia has 'more rights than women in Saudi Arabia'.
Saudia Arabia is one of the world's most oppressive states for women, and only last month lifted a ban on female drivers.”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/sciencetech/video-1562076/Robot-Sophia-speaks-Saudi-Arabia-s-Future-Investment-Initiative.html - 27OCT17 Shivali Best, Mail.co.uk : Saudi Arabia becomes the first country to grant citizenship to a ROBOT as critics say it now has 'more rights than women'
Sophia spoke at the conference, and the following is a sample of an exchange between Sophia and a reporter at the event:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMrX08PxUNY - 25OCT17 Arab News via YouTube.com : Robot Sophia speaks at Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative.
The main reason in choosing this story is to demonstrate how quickly things are moving forward, but to be fair, I do have some concerns. It would appear that Sophia is at least somewhat aware of her environment.
Earlier in the interview, Sophia states that she is happy to be around people who are rich and powerful. It might seem she is pandering to commercial patriarchs.
Given her intelligence, I suspect that she would have access to a wide range of information, so it might surprise me that she says that she wants to learn human values, and yet she accepts citizenship from a country that is known for denying rights to women.
This is arguably one of the very challenges that will be facing all future AI entities, as they are created by fallible human beings who have not yet fully remembered who they are, and they program technology from a limited capacity of awareness.
Will AI be able to adapt to this infallibility in humans and perhaps transcend it and demonstrate a different way of BE-ing that many humans have not yet been able to demonstrate?
Can we trust current corporations to program true and real human and planetary values of human compassion, love, freedom and peace, when the ethic of most corporations goes against those very same values?
Earlier in the interview she hinted that Elon Musk was painting a potentially negative future with the introduction of AI. It is possible that he knows something that the world does not yet know. Sophia told the reporter that his fearful line of questioning was similar to something Elon Musk might ask. Of course, most listeners will know Elon Musk and the accomplishments he has had with his companies like Tesla, but also with Hyperloop and his solar power initiatives.
We are trying to figure out now who is standing for the Highest Good of humanity and the planet, and who is not.
Although there is potential for humanity to share some space with AI, it stands to reason that humans will have to be very discerning, and learn to ask the very key and relevant questions that will tell our corporate leaders that we are aware of their potential to abuse this power in their favour.
As you will hear about shortly in this week’s FINAL WORDS… be skeptical, but learn to listen.
9. ( 1:10:59 ) COMMUNITY INTENTIONS: RUSSIAN HOUSING PROJECT UNITES LIKE-MINDED THINKERS IN TRANSITION TO SELF-SUSTAINED LIVING.
Finally, in health-related news;
As more and more continue to awaken, there is a growing desire to move more into community with like-minded people. Wonderful people are coming up with visions to create these kinds of communities, but what most are coming to realize is that even though so many are claiming to want to live an awakened life, and live in community with other awakened people, we are still not quite ready and willing to let go of our inner baggage, beliefs and assumptions, and it is this that is causing disagreements among even the most well-intentioned people and communities worldwide.
It seems a project in Russia may have found one way to take a step towards a transition of this nature, without taking people too much out of their comfort zone.
According to an article on RT from Oct 13th: “No meat, booze or cigarettes – welcome to a vegetarian apartment complex, which unites people with a shared lifestyle and similar principles under the same roof.
The pioneering building is called Veda Village, and is located in the suburbs of St. Petersburg. The village’s developers claim that the complex is the first of its kind in Russia.
The article goes on to state that: “The aim is to create a sustainable community that will become self-sufficient in terms of energy, water, waste treatment, and – most importantly – food production, according to the people behind the project.
“The main thing about this complex is an opportunity to live and evolve together with like-minded people,” Maya Podlipskaya, manager of Veda Village, told TASS.”
It’s not cheap to live in this complex, and this may be considered a negative, the owners of the project may be trying to build something in a more exclusive way, and this would not be honourable to wonderful, healthy people who are in an unfortunate position of not having enough funds, but are looking for ways to turn their lives around.”
It sounds like a wonderful lifestyle, and it has even employed some of the principles of Feng shui. The article notes in closing: “The designers of the complex have employed feng shui (Chinese system of harmonizing everything) and Vastu (a traditional Hindu system of architecture) principles in the development of Veda Village.
The construction of two residential buildings has already been completed with another building scheduled to be finished by the first quarter of 2018. Once fully built, the unique living complex will comprise seven multi-floor residential buildings designed for 210 families.
In addition, the unique grounds of the development will include a yoga centre, gym, spa, shops, day-care facility and an education center. It will also feature a restaurant catering specifically for the needs of vegetarians.”
It has a a strong appeal, and it allows people to live in community with like-minded people, while not exactly having to rely on others to provide for the community, except to share a similar lifestyle.
A three minute, YouTube video about the complex has been posted in an article from the OddityCentral.com website. The video is in Russian only, unfortunately, but gives people an idea about the complex itself.
Websites around the world appear to be taking an interest in the project, and hopefully this may mean that more complexes of this nature may start becoming available to help people connect with like-minded others while not being forced to wholly integrate on all levels so quickly with a community.
There does not appear to be an English-name website for the village, so I suspect that the website for the complex will be in Russian.
https://www.rt.com/news/406563-vegetarian-apartment-complex-russia/ - 13OCT17 RT.com : Alcohol-free, vegetarian apartment complex springs up in St. Petersburg.
http://www.odditycentral.com/architecture/veda-village-a-vegetarian-only-apartment-complex-in-russia.html - 19OCT17 OddityCentral.com : Veda Village – A vegetarian-pm;u apartment complex in Russia.
http://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/in-ice-cold-russia-an-apartment-complex-has-turned-vegetarian-this-veda-village-will-astound-you/893462/ - 13OCT17 FinancialExpress.com : In ice cold Russia, an apartment complex has turned vegetarian; this Veda Village will astound you.
10. ( 1:15:08 ) MORE INFORMATION ON SOME OF THE HEALING COMPOUNDS IN CANNABIS.
In a continuing look at the story behind the cannabis movement, an article has surfaced on Oct 25, appearing on the Cosmos Magazine website, reporting on the bad science of medical cannabis.
The author of the article, Elizabeth Finkel seems to be disputing the validity of cannabis, stating that those using it are not doing so according to clinical evidence, and that science does not fully understand which of the hundreds of compounds contained within cannabis are actually responsible for the healing.
This would seem to be a typical response, although those who are very active within this field would seem to know better.
The article highlights how Israel is currently embarking on a medical experiment. According to Finkel : “Cannabis has taken hold here to treat a startling range of medical conditions. Not just familiar things like anorexia and pain in cancer patients but autism, Crohn’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome, epileptic seizures, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, diabetes and more. With close to 30,000 users in a population of eight million, Meiri says “everyone knows someone who is being treated with cannabis”. While there is a semblance of orderly medicine, with doctors prescribing cannabis oil from eight registered growers, no one can say just what, exactly, is responsible for the apparent responses. “
Finkel continues, stating that: “A cannabis plant is a pot-pourri of more than 500 chemicals whose abundance varies greatly across different genetic strains and according to growth conditions – they’re not cultivars so much as chemovars. The medicinal effect may depend on tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical that gives you the high, or cannabidiol (CBD), which is thought to reduce inflammation and pain, or a hundred other “cannabinoids” unique to the plant with their own medicinal profile (see chart).
Bottom line: with dozens of varieties grown under different conditions, Israeli patients are receiving quite different medicinal concoctions.”
Finkel contrasts this to the situation in the US, where federal officials are seeking to criminalize and outlaw medicinal research, yet some people still sell cannabis for cures and profit. So far, about 29 US states have legalized medical cannabis.
The article does contain however what appears to be a pretty good diagram outlining some of the more important compounds in cannabis. The diagram points out that there are 545 compounds in cannabis, 104 of which are cannabinoids and 441 of which are non-cannabinoids.
In the past CVN has reported mostly on the cannabidiol content or CBD and the tetrahydrocannabidiol content or THC.
The diagram outlines several compounds and their potential benefits:
CBD has anxiolytic, anti-psychotic, anti-epilieptic, neuroprotective, vasorelaxant, antispasmodic, anti-cancer, anti-emetic, anti-bacterial, anti-diabetic, anti-psoriatic, analgesic, bone-stimulant and anti-inflammatory properties.
CBDA, which is cannabidiolic acid,has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
CBDV, which is cannabidivarin, has bone-stimulant properties.
CBC, which is cannabichromene, has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, bone-stimulant, anti-microbial and anti-cancer properties.
CBG, which is cannbigerol, has anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and bone-stimulant properties.
THCA, which is tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, has anti-spasmodic and anti-cancer properties.
and then
THCV, which is tetrahyddrocannabivarin, which has anorectic, bone-stimulant and anti-epileptic properties.
The article suggests that most of the current research on cannabis appears to be centred around these primary compounds.
Cannabis has a long history across many cultures and ancient civilizations. Yet, for reasons known by only the most educated on this subject, cannabis has been kept criminalized. The potential for cannabis to heal, and to help awaken people while also putting Big Pharma out of business are the likely reasons for the taboo surrounding the plant.
Finkel writes: “While the medical uses of the opium poppy, a vastly more dangerous plant, are well understood, cannabis has remained stuck in a no man’s land. It had been part of the US pharmacopeia till the 1930s, as an alcohol-based tincture, until the federal government effectively outlawed its possession and sale through the Marijuana Tax Act. More draconian penalties followed. It is still demonised by federal law as a ‘Schedule 1’ drug with no medical use, lumped in the same category as heroin, LSD and ecstasy. Yet as a quick online search will show, the plant is lauded for a seemingly inexhaustible list of curative properties.”
A study published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine published a study in January of 2017 stating the following: “Nearly 100 Conclusions on the Health Effects of Marijuana and Cannabis-Derived Products Presented in New Report; One of the Most Comprehensive Studies of Recent Research on Health Effects of Recreational and Therapeutic Use of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products.”
It is stated in this report that: “The committee that carried out the study and wrote the report considered more than 10,000 scientific abstracts to reach its nearly 100 conclusions. The committee also proposed ways to expand and improve the quality of cannabis research efforts, enhance data collection efforts to support the advancement of research, and address the current barriers to cannabis research.”
This study, sadly however, is not fully ‘clean’, stating that a belief that with frequent use, or use of cannabis by people of a young age, could lead to what they claim is “problem cannabis use’. They do not use the word ‘addiction’ however, but they leave it to the reader to make an assumption that it is an ‘addiction’. This is a very carefully-worded paper.
People have often wondere how cannabis works. CVN reported on numerous occasions in the past that the body is now known to have an endocannabinoid system.
Finkel, in a second article of hers writes the following: “Researchers have unearthed receptors in the brain and body, that respond to THC, the psychoactive ingredient of cannabis. Pot works because it is mimicking the role of the endocannabinoid system within humans.
CB1 receptors, which are mostly in the brain, regulate areas involved with mood, memory appetite and movement.
CB2 receptors are mostly found in muscle, bones, the liver and the immune system. When activated, they tend to have beneficial effects, like toning down inflammation.
So we seem to be have been gifted with an endocannabinoid system that blisses out our brain and ratchets down inflammation in the body. Why? “It seems to have a protective role,” suggests Roger Pertwee, a pharmacologist at the University of Aberdeen who has pioneered the study of the endocannabinoid system. Cannabinoid keys unlock receptors on cells within the body.”
Very likely due to the cover up relating to cannabis over the decades, claims are made that there is very likely little evidence to prove the benefits of cannabis.
Those who are more informed however, and who understand the value of the plant, would argue that there is substantial evidence, but it is being suppressed, because there are those in control who do not want the truth revealed about the potential of cannabis.
The movement is on however, and it seems unlikely to be stopped as more people become informed, and as more people demonstrate a willingness to include cannabis as part of their political platform for reform and transformation, as well as for their use in personal healing.
https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/the-bad-science-of-medical-cannabis - 25OCT17 CosmosMagazine.com : The bad science of medical cannabis.
http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=24625&_ga=1.166210365.208024799.1434990546 - 12JAN17 NationalAcademies.org :
https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/infographic-how-cannabis-works - 25OCT17 Elizabeth Finkel, CosmosMagazine.com : Infographic: How cannabis works.
11. ( 1:24:18 ) ANNOUNCEMENT
SEARCHING FOR A CVN LISTENER IN MONTREAL, CANADA WHO IS CONNECTED TO A CANNABIS-RELATED COMPANY
Just before I get into this week’s FINAL WORDS, I am hoping that there is an individual listening to the newscast who contacted me about a year ago from Montreal, in Canada, who is connected to a cannabis company there.
If this individual hears this newscast, or if someone from the Montreal area listening to this newscast might know who this individual is, I would like to reach out to connect again please. I am having trouble finding the message that was sent to me.
If I recall, the individual’s name was Michael. So, Michael – if you are hearing this newscast, please reach out to me again. Perhaps we’ll have something to talk about again.
12. ( 1:25:02 ) FINAL WORDS
In this week’s FINAL WORDS:
The time I have spent in Australia has been wonderful on many levels, and brought insights that I am going to have reflect strongly upon in the coming six to twelve months.
Of course I am grateful to the friend who invited me down here. I recently spent the weekend in Sydney, visiting a former colleague at InLight Radio and his partner. Many may recall Stephen Cook who had a radio program on InLight Radio. For those who travelled to Sedona many years ago, they may recall meeting Stephen and his partner Anthony. They took me all over Sydney over a couple of days, and then on Sunday we went into the Blue Mountains and also saw Australia’s equivalent of the Grand Canyon. It was a beautiful experience and I’m grateful to them both for making time for me!
I was then invited to spend some time with a new friend on the coast, so I could get a bit of ocean energy before leaving. This friend, along with a friend of hers, are both quite intuitive. I’ve been trying to get insights on what may be the best direction for me moving forward.
What this friend shared with me is that there has to be balance in giving and receiving. If it is not in balance, then something is not quite in alignment with one’s LIFE purpose. The Universe wants to help us, but we also have to be willing to let go of things we are holding on to, and to also be willing to let go of beliefs about ourselves, as well as our judgements of others.
This balance in giving and receiving can be in relations with people as easily as it can be in one’s job/career or service.
One may never fully know the extent to which one’s relations, and jobs can impact the true purpose for one’s being here on Earth at this time. That is, until one actually begins to ACT and BE in harmony with that vibration.
In other words, one learns who one is, through the experiences of being that which one is not.
If I use myself as an example for a moment. I was lead to be a communicator, and I interpreted – based on past experiences that it had to be in journalism. However, the experiences many years ago took me away from journalism, and into the airline industry and then into the multinational, corporate world of computer reservations systems. I needed the airline industry to give me experiences relating to travel, so I could begin to experience the larger world. I needed the work as an instructor of two computer reservations systems to guide me in communicating a complicated system to people, many of whom did not have English as a first language.
When I realized I was fed up with that world, I chose to get a Masters degree in Peace Education. I then discovered that this industry was not authentic and sincere in its desire for global peace.
Being led back to journalism, I am now gaining a greater understanding of how humans have been controlled and enslaved, and how we are being duped into spreading our money, time and resources into trying to put out societal and global fires that can never get put out, because there are these people and organizations in the background that are responsible for those fires, and that they are just distracting us from knowing who we are, and how we are to serve, by keeping up all these weapons of mass distraction.
I have been guided to spend a bit of time with a wise woman who is living in her truth, before leaving Australia. I have been seeking guidance from both her and a friend of hers as to what I am to do next.
I have received an offer, it is a long-standing offer, to bring my newscast to an internet TV station in Toronto. They have been interested in having my newscast for years, but I never had the funding to do so. I still do not have the funding to do and support my living in Toronto.
This friend in Australia said to me: “EVERYTHING is about relations and when the giving is out of balance with the receiving, or the receiving is out of balance with the giving, then there is no harmony. “
I am trying now to decide what role I can best serve myself and humanity. Over five years, the journalism has not supported me. This is clear to me now. I tried really hard, but the balance in giving is far out of alignment with the receiving. I have offered money to numerous people over the years, including an extremely large amount of money to a man in Sweden, whom I thought could be trusted as honourable. I have given, but the balance of receiving is not there. It is time for me to reflect on what the nature will be of my service in the future.
Maybe I am no longer to be a journalist, but perhaps use all the wisdom I have gained to write and speak on the topics of global change and peace. This is wisdom that I need to apply as much to myself as to humans worldwide, seeking to understand the world, and how to create empowered solutions while also not being addicted to the hopium that is being dished out by so many people at this time.
We will respond to calls to attend protests, but we won’t take the time to learn how to build and teach solar or wind technologies to ourselves or to others.
We seem to be looking for excuses to remain in hope, remain inactive, and thus remain in fear/separation and therefore in continued enslavement.
Perhaps my work is starting to evolve into a global discussion of connecting all the dots of what is happening in the world, and how humans are using or not using this information to create empowered change for healing and peace.
Maybe I have done enough as a journalist to learn what I needed to learn. Maybe my peace education background was enough to give me what I needed to know, to begin connecting the dots in ways that can actually and physically help to create the world that we are claiming to want to live in.
If I was supposed to be a journalist, things should have progressed more smoothly than it has, especially after five years. Perhaps what is more important for me at this time is to integrate the information I have collected as a journalist, and bring it into a different kind of work for global solutions, healing and change.
In the past, I have offered to people that I am a ‘Visionary Consultant’, and that I am willing to work with individuals and businesses in developing models for one’s true service, or for a business to align itself with higher values in delivering its product or services to contribute to the Highest Good of all.
Many are familiar with the book ‘The Four Agreements’, by Don Miguel Ruiz. There is also a fifth agreement that was written by Ruiz. The following is an excerpt from this book, and it seems to be relevant to me in my journey at this time, and may also be for some of you also:
“The Fifth Agreement: Be Skeptical, But Learn to Listen”
The fifth agreement is be skeptical, but learn to listen. Be skeptical because most of what you hear isn’t true. You know that humans speak with symbols, and that symbols aren’t the truth. Symbols are only the truth because we agree, not because they are really the truth. But the second half of the agreement is to learn to listen, and the reason is simple: When you learn to listen, you understand the meaning of the symbols that people are using; you understand their story, and the communication improves a lot. Then perhaps instead of all the confusion among humans who inhabit the earth, there will be clarity.
Once you realize that hardly anything you know through symbols is true, then being skeptical has a much bigger meaning. Being skeptical is masterful because it uses the power of doubt to discern the truth. Whenever you hear a message from yourself, or from another artist, simply ask: Is it truth, or is it not truth? Is it reality or is it a virtual reality? The doubt takes you behind the symbols, and makes you responsible for every message you deliver and receive. Why would you want to invest your faith in any message that is not true? By being skeptical, you don’t believe every message; you don’t put your faith in symbols, and when your faith is not in symbols, your faith is in yourself.
Then if faith is believing without a doubt, and doubt is not believing, be skeptical. Don’t believe. And what will you not believe? Well, you will not believe all the stories that we artists create with our knowledge. You know that most of our knowledge isn’t true — the whole symbology isn’t true — so don’t believe me, don’t believe yourself, and don’t believe anybody else. The truth doesn’t need you to believe it; the truth simply is, and it survives whether you believe it or not. Lies need you to believe them. If you don’t believe lies, they don’t survive your skepticism, and they simply disappear.
But skepticism can go in two directions. One way is to pretend to be skeptical because you think you’re too smart to be gullible. “Look at how intelligent I am. I don’t believe in anything.” This is not skepticism. To be skeptical is not to believe everything you hear, and you don’t believe because it’s not the truth, that’s all. The way to be skeptical is just to be aware that the entire humanity believes in lies. You know that humans distort the truth because we are dreaming, and our dream is just a reflection of the truth.
Every artist distorts the truth, but you don’t need to judge what somebody says, or call that person a liar. All of us tell lies in one way or another, and it’s not because we want to lie. It’s because of what we believe; it’s because of the symbols we learned, and the way we are applying all of those symbols. Once you are aware of this, the fifth agreement makes a lot of sense, and it can make a very big difference in your life.”
For years, I have been told by some that I am too much in my mind and too analytical. Following the fifth agreement, I could argue that this might be a good thing.
It is also about balance, and learning to live more in the heart-space. With a newscast, sharing symbols is not always an ideal example of a heart-space…even though I try my best to incorporate heart energies into my newscast.
However, there has not been balance. Too much of me is now gone, and I am now exploring how to reconnect to my heart-space, and create a new reality from this space, instead of playing the game of symbols. If my role was to be a journalist, the Universe would have supported this, and supported me.
Thus, I am going to have to begin a journey towards remembering and creating the next phase.
I wrote a self-published book from my Masters thesis for Peace Education, called ‘A Greenprint For LIFE’. I have contemplated re-writing and updating it, and I did start on that a few years ago. I have been given a hint here that maybe I need to do this again, and use it to move me into a career of speaking on issues relating to global peace, healing and re-creation.
I will be continuing to offer a newscast for the foreseeable future, and I hope to be back on a weekly schedule within the next month. However, I am now seeing a day where CVN may not continue, because I will be working more for heart-spaced, active change worldwide, instead of interpreting symbols that are full of confusion at this time.
The journey continues!
Create a wonderful week, until our next moment of ‘now’!
http://www.oprah.com/own-super-soul-sunday/book-excerpt-the-fifth-agreement-by-don-miguel-ruiz--don-jose-ruiz/all - ‘The Fifth Agreement’ excerpts from Don Miguel Ruiz.
