Forum Post: ''Bitter Lake'' - ‘A Story of Violence, Bloodshed and Bitter Ironies’ by Adam Curtis
Posted 9 years ago on Feb. 16, 2015, 6:36 p.m. EST by lugano
(1221)
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''Bitter Lake'' - ‘A Story of Violence, Bloodshed and Bitter Ironies’
If you can wangle access to the BBC’s 'iPlayer' - a viewing of Adam Curtis’ “Bitter Lake” may improve your chances of making sense of the modern world and here's a You-Tube link but I'm not sure for how long.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXcpDO8_3qU
Enjoy.
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EDIT:
Re. "Bitter Lake" ..... New Links to this whole incredible feature length documentary film.
P.1 - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hdcji (40m)
P2- http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hdd54 (40m)
P3 - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hde2l (60m)
Again not really sure how long links will work and again recommending this to everyone.
''The U.S. Empire and ISIS: A Tale of Two Death Cults'' - http://www.blackagendareport.com/node/14679
''President Obama is a master of military supply and demand. His operatives and allies supply jihadists with enough weapons, financing and, in the case of Libya, a Euro-American air force, to plunge vast tracts of Africa and Asia into bloody chaos, thus creating a demand for intervention by the planet’s only “indispensable” nation: the United States. It’s a diabolical formula for fomenting hell on earth, driven by a simple logic: Since the U.S. is superior to the rest of the world ONLY in military terms, Washington finds its ultimate advantage in turning the whole world into a battlefield. U.S. imperialism in terminal decay sees no salvation except through global war.''
"ISIS Is Proof Of The Failed “War On Terror” - http://qz.com/347398/isis-is-proof-of-the-failed-war-on-terror/
''War Porn - Hollywood and War from World War II to American Sniper'' - By Peter Van Buren:
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175958/tomgram:_peter_van_buren,_watching_the_same_movie_about_american_war_for_75_years/
''Christian College Gives Torture President Honorary Humanities Degree'' - By William Boardman:
http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/28662-christian-college-gives-torture-president-honorary-humanities-degree
"Since 9/11, We've Had 4 Wars in the Middle East. They've All Been Disasters.''
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/02/911-weve-had-four-wars-middle-east-theyve-all-been-disasters
Sorry to say that the You-Tube link for ''Bitter Lake'' has now been pulled so here is a short trailer but it does not do justice to the whole Adam Curtis film - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzeiA5MkTXw
And to quote a comment made there ''It’s hard to believe a more damning or dangerous documentary will be released this year. Bitter Lake is an astounding journalistic intervention, a disorienting film where moments of ideological innocence are intercut with bombings and murder. In the face of increasingly simplistic narratives about the enlightenment and Western intervention in the Middle East: I dare an American network to air it.'' So if anyone here finds a working link to ''Bitter Lake'', please post it here.+
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/10/07/key-democrats-led-hillary-clinton-leave-doubt-endless-war-u-s-doctrine/
Concise and clear analysis of the ISIS crisis on RT's "CrossTalk – Forever War"
http://stopimperialism.org/crosstalk-forever-war/ Poetry & Prose on USofChaos!
Very sadly, "America Has Been At War 93% of the Time – 222 Out of 239 Years – Since 1776"
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/02/america-war-93-time-222-239-years-since-1776.html
That's sad, but... The fact that Laura Poitras (director of Citizenfour) stood up at the Academy Awards, and was applauded after she defended Edward Snowden as an American hero, is very promising. The tide is turning.
Re. "CitizenFour", a Laura Poitras Q&A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op9CRU05llo + Edward Snowden is exactly as you suggest - a true hero that all thinking Americans should be very proud of.
Btw, do be aware of the biggest story that you are not being told about http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/26/police-black-site-chicago-washington-politicians-human-rights and see its importance along with http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/24/chicago-police-detain-americans-black-site
would have preferred Bradly Manning
was mentioned also
"Those with consciences recently marked the 12th anniversary on 19 March 2015 of the illegal and war criminal US, UK and Australian invasion of Iraq in 2003 that was based on false assertions of Iraqi possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction, was conducted in the absence of UN sanction or Iraqi threat to the invading nations, and led to 2.7 million Iraqi deaths from violence (1.5 million) or from violently-imposed deprivation (1.2 million). The West has now commenced its Seventh Iraq War since 1914 in over a century of Western violence in which Iraqi deaths from violence or violently-imposed deprivation have totalled 9 million. However Western Mainstream media have resolutely ignored the carnage, this tragically illustrating the adage “History ignored yields history repeated”
From - "12th Anniversary Of Illegal Iraq Invasion – 2.7 Million Iraqi Dead From Violence Or War-imposed Deprivation" By Dr Gideon Polya: http://www.countercurrents.org/polya230315.htm
Also - FREE http://www.chelseamanning.org/
Maybe so, but if we had a heap of either of them, we would be a lot better off.
"Bitter Lake" - New Links to this whole incredible feature length documentary film.
P.1 - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hdcji (40m)
P2- http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hdd54 (40m)
P3 - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hde2l (60m)
Again not sure how long links will work and again recommending this to everyone.
''The Economic Hitmen'' by John Perkins (Important Video)
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36999.htm
Have you read, "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" it's a very good book. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confessions_of_an_Economic_Hit_Man
''Confessions of an Economic Hit Man'' is an excellent book & John Perkins an insightful writer, who has come over from The Dark Side of ''The Neoliberal Banksterocracy''. Please consider the following links ...
http://resistir.info/livros/john_perkins_confessions_of_an_economic_hit_man.pdf -- PDF of whole book
http://www.democracynow.org/2004/11/9/confessions_of_an_economic_hit_man -- Interview with Amy Goodman on "DemocracyNow!" at the time of the 1st publishing of 'CoEH' in 2004.
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/26112-an-economic-hit-man-speaks-out-john-perkins-on-how-greece-has-fallen-victim-to-economic-hit-men -- A more recent piece by JP about Greece.
http://www.economichitman.com/ and http://www.johnperkins.org/ -- His websites.
''Former Defense Intelligence Agency Chief Says Rise of Islamic State Was “A Willful Decision” by Brad Hoff http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article42567.htm - and I'm interested what you think of that frf and - but only IF u can actually handle it ... http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article42566.htm
Quote''In his desperation to sink the Iran nuclear deal, Bibi Netanyahu is taking a hellish gamble. - Israel depends upon the United States for $3 billion a year in military aid and diplomatic cover in forums where she is often treated like a pariah state. Israel has also been the beneficiary of almost all the U.S. vetoes in the Security Council. - America is indispensable to Israel. The reverse is not true." Hmmmmmmmm...
Am driven to repost this again and again-----McCain & ISIS photo.
http://www.vieinter.com/news/the-mccain-photo-and-isis-in-syria-isis-supported-and-trained-by-us-government/
John McCain is NOT a fkn ''hero'' (& with that I may have a common point of view with Trump!) and there has NEVER been a war that this bastard has NOT been for. Re ISIS, well as we both know - all that the Corporate MSM spew is Very Far From The Truth! Therefore, I again append the following important link: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article39603.htm (Video & Transcript) Solidarity to you & yours
Stop Global US deployment of weapons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIvHd76EdQ4
peace
USG/TPTB distribute weapons, like candy on Halloween.
''A Future of Endless War: The Pentagon’s “2015 Strategy” For Ruling the World'' by, Mike Whitney:
http://beta.counterpunch.org/2015/07/03/the-pentagons-2015-strategy-for-ruling-the-world/ Solidarity.
RNC and DNP never question the DOD political party
Bi-Partisan support for War and Violence by R&D, also extends beyond US and is covered-up by MSM.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/blogs/politics/19638-the-washington-post-whitewashes-the-violence-of-israels-occupation
ruling through violence results in violence
Yep and ''Still Waiting for USS Liberty’s Truth'' by Ray McGovern (Ex-CIA):
https://consortiumnews.com/2015/07/04/still-waiting-for-uss-libertys-truth/
Not learning from history only condemns us to repeat it! We must WTFU!
Please please PLEASE show those Bipartisan votes in the USA Senate & Congress.
REALLY !!!
Use your vast knowledge to go to past voting records that show massive bipartisan support for the MIC and actions the military undertakes.
Or was it like nine blue dogs ( as usual ) that threw in with the rethuglicans?
Come On - PUT UP or SHUT UP.
Provide hard facts = Voting records.
We have had enough of your empty (might as well be scripted corp(se)oRAT talking heads crap) rhetoric.
NAFTA; TTP; TTIP; Social Security Depletion; Repeal of Glass-Steagall Act; Wall Street Bankster and Corporation - Coddling and Enabling; Illegal Wars; Extra-Judicial Murder and Drone Wars - ALL this and more happen(ed) under a Democrap POTUS'! No to mention the nearly three months at the biginning of his first Administration, that Obama had with working majorities in both houses - when he did sweet FA!
Dream on tho, you parDisan hack! But was my previous reply to you? + Who is this ''we'' that you speak for, btw? Too many intra-cranial voices - again? However. much more importantly, see: http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/31526-iceland-s-success-story - and maybe try to read and meditate, on that piece.
Provide hard facts = Voting records.
Despite your awesome points total - I'm not answerable to you, lol! You know what I said to be true but YOU had better go find the numbers, so as to prove any specious point that you may imagine you have.
YOU ALWAYS have an excuse for doing nothing.
But it always comes down to the fact - that - you have got nothing.
Never have had and never will have.
I'd be really concerned IF what you said had any truth - but it doesn't and so I won't - because you're doing 'something' - just begins and ends with voting for Democraps over Repugnants! Good luck with inspiring the kids and seeding the future with that.
YOU ALWAYS have an excuse for doing nothing (never a good excuse - but never the less ALWAYS an excuse).
But it always comes down to the fact - that - you have got nothing.
Never have had and never will have.
the two parties do nothing to change or shape the policies of the US war machines
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''Bitter Lake'' - Replacement Links : http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41894.htm
''Today’s referendum delivered a resounding call for a mutually beneficial agreement between Greece - and our European partners. We shall respond to the Greek voters’ call with a positive approach'' From: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article42308.htm by Prof.Yanis Varoufakis, Greek 99% hero!
We shall respond to the Greek voters
That has just gotta piss you off - you opt-out promoting FOOL !!!
Useless fkn DKhead. Jog On .. DNC Stooge.
We shall respond to the Greek voters
That has just gotta piss you off - you opt-out promoting FOOL !!!
Actually it shows what happens when people rally outside of their usual political choices and unite for an outsider group.
That group then put the power to decide directly into the hands of the people.
This is the thing that most of us endorse 100%. But it starts with the people initially deciding not to screw themselves as usual at the polls, and choose the same ol fascist choices.
The anti fascist movement is much larger in Greece than it is here. They understand the political landscape much better than the Americans.
Quite frankly, I don't think we would have the balls to vote like that.
One of the biggest problems with American "democracy" is the limitation of two parties. This is foreign to other countries. They simply cannot wrap their heads around the idea of being limited to two parties and calling it democracy.
Hmm re.''being limited to two parties and calling it democracy'' ... and also please note that that is happening within the context of .. ''A Hidden World, Growing Beyond Control'' by Danna Priest and William M.Arkin: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article42457.htm alarming & interesting!
Timely, given the recent take down of the shooter on the train bound for Paris by the 3 Americans. I couldn't help but think, wow, there are US military everywhere. I mean, what are the chances that a shooter/terrorist shows up on a train right next to trained US military. Pretty good, apparently.
''Quantitative Easing for People: The UK Labour Frontrunner's Controversial Proposal'' by Ellen Brown: http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/32670-quantitative-easing-for-people-the-uk-labour-frontrunner-s-controversial-proposal At bit of a tangent to your reply comment AND this thread - but here appended because the matter is important & .. so is Corbyn!
"People's quantitative easing is . . . a highly directed process where the debt that is . . . repurchased has been deliberately created and issued either by a green investment bank or by local authorities, health trusts and other such agencies for the specific purpose of funding new investment in the economy at the time when big business and financial markets are completely failing to deliver the scale of investment that is needed to get the UK working again and to restore our financial prosperity."
Corbyn in the UK. Sanders in the US. Maybe the times really are a changin'.
As I sit on my throne contemplating the meaning on our national toilet tissue paper, I come to like the idea of quantitative easing for people. There were enough quantitative easings by the eelites who had come to shit but only farted so mass catharsis should now be welcomed. I frankly sympathize with the affliction of Martin Luther as I sit between "the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge" in the peoples' temple.
They voted in Syriza, you idiot, the most anti-establishment, left wing party Europe has seen in years. The equivalent of voting in the Greens here. You gonna do that, you moron? No, you're gonna stand with the status quo and push the Military Industrial Complex every step of the way.
Exactly, instead of being someone of support, Dems and Reps will just attack anyone outside of the establishment, just like their masters want them to.
Like well trained dogs lol.
The revolution for the status quo thing. They learned in Greece that the status quo gets them no healthcare, starvation, several generations living under the same roof, cut pensions, high unemployment, closed banks, you name it. That's their status quo, and ours is coming.
11th track: (We erroneously conflate)
We erroneously conflate the dems and reps - as it provides us with cover as being against the system - while it throws mud at those who do not deserve it - and basically works to help people to choose to opt out of the process rather than make any united attempt to remove the actively evil from government - and so we support the status quo - "of this country being given to the 1%" - while hiding behind a claim of being revolutionary supporters of the people.
If the people of Greece had your attitude, the group you claim to support would have never came to existence.
12th track: (Hiding in plain sight) "Also known as trying to hide in the light"
We get really strident with this - when we feel we need to reapply shredded cover
All it requires - is - enough expressed vitriol for the system in general - and many will believe you mean it - while one need not provide any supporting substance.
(part 2)
When the 1st part is not enough we also love to pretend to support protest and things (whatever is handy) - helps to throw off suspicion.
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So far "You" are working to "vote in" NOTHING (nothing good for the people that is).
So . . . . PUT UP or SHUT UP.
Where is "your" political movement here in the USA ?
You (if you have a political movement) never provide anything from your political action group.
Nice points total BUT wtf are u talking about?
And see bw/tc for more appropriate analysis!
So far "You" are working to "vote in" NOTHING (nothing good for the people that is).
So . . . . PUT UP or SHUT UP.
Where is "your" political movement here in the USA ?
You (if you have a political movement) never provide anything from your political action group.
Keep fixating on your bi-paRDisan kabuki - you're fooling nobody here, except perhaps yourself!
So far "You" are working to "vote in" NOTHING (nothing good for the people that is).
So . . . . PUT UP or SHUT UP.
Where is "your" political movement here in the USA ?
You (if you have a political movement) never provide anything from your political action group.
ALL you ever provide - IS - EMPTY RHETORIC.
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Odin and his opt-out cronies all spew - Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah something shiny Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah duopoly Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah ain't got nothing to back my stance Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah dance dance dance change the subject Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Obama sucks so all dems suck as well Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah got no facts to back my stance Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah try to wrap ourselves in the ows flag Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah .............opt-out .......... ........ ..............Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah
By Abby Martin, ''The Rise of History's Biggest Empire" - http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/32691-the-rise-of-history-s-biggest-empire - AM was with RT-America's ''Breaking The Set'', where she was great!
"Thugs and Terrorists Have Attacked Black Churches for Generations"
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/06/thugs-and-terrorists-have-plagued-black-churches-for-generations/396212/?fb_ref=Default&utm_content=bufferd69c0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
''The attack on the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and its congregation also stoked memories of an additional burden borne by blacks: the hate crimes and terrorist attacks that have targeted their places of worship for generations, each incident signaling virulent animus toward the entire black community.
''Black churches suffered at the hands of thugs and terrorists throughout the Civil Rights era, as they had for a century before, but such attacks aren’t a matter of remote history. As recently as the 1990s, a wave of fire-bombings hit black churches.
''Congressional hearings were held in 1996 at the end of a two-year period when such arson spiked across the southeast. In South Carolina alone, black churches that suffered probable arson attacks included Mt. Zion AME Church in Williamsburg, Macedonia Baptist Church in Manning, Saint Paul Baptist Church in Lexington, Rosemary Baptist Church in Barnwell, St. John Baptist Church in Dixiana, Effington Baptist Church, Mount Olivet Baptist Church, and Allen’s Chapel. One member of Congress likened fire-bombings in those years to “the return of a biblical plague.” The most recent burning of a black church to make national headlines occurred in Massachusetts the day Barack Obama was inaugurated as the first black president. A white man was later convicted in what prosecutors called a racially motivated arson attack.
''One wonders how many black congregants are remembering bygone fires today.''(From your link above)
http://blacklivesmatter.com/ ; https://twitter.com/thecounted and https://www.facebook.com/TheCounted
Terror at home. "Why Recognizing The Charleston Church Shooting As An Act Of Racially-Motivated Terrorism Is Only The First Step"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/18/charleston-church-shooting-race_n_7609640.html?utm_hp_ref=tw&ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000027
Racist Terrorist - Dylann Roof, 21 .. named as the prime suspect in for Charleston, SC Mass Murder..
http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/jun/18/charleston-church-shooting-suspect-latest-updates
From your HuffPo Link: ''The agony pulsing through Charleston today is the same piercing pain felt each time a black life is lost to the acts of bigots and brutality. It is the familiar pain felt each time a black life is violently dehumanized, devalued and disposed of -- often without repercussion.
''It's not breaking news that being black in America can be difficult and frightening, to say the least. Now, more than ever, we cannot ignore or mask the reality that we live in a country where one’s complexion is a direct threat to their safety and livelihood.''
Rest In Peace .. State Sen. Clementa Pinckney and the other 8 innocent victims.
"Strange Fruit", by Nina Simone - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktsU01lfzLU
"Why are black churches burning"
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/south-carolina-black-residents-ask-whos-burning-black-churches
"US Muslim groups launch fundraiser to help rebuild burned black churches"
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/7/7/us-muslim-groups-launch-fundraiser-to-rebuild-burned-black-churche.html
That Dylan Roof's terrorist murders then went on to somehow ''evoke'' a spate of Church Burnings is a pretty remarkable testament to the depth of racism prevalent in the USA. The''Confederate Flag'' issue also shows this deep seated prejudice and affiliation with racism. Now imagine if the old Apartheid era flag was flown by white people in South Africa, what would we think? Roof was wearing the flag of old Rhodesia along side his ''Confederate Flag'' too. So what does this affiliation to such symbols tell us?
Some White People in the USA ... just do not want to face the deeper truths of either Slavery and The Genocides of Black People and Native Americans. The continued societal & epigenetic effects of both would be interesting, if controversial - subject of study. Here is an interesting link to a modern parallel: http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/31926-early-stage-gentrification-richmond-california-residents-push-back and thanks for your interesting articles.
RIP Mike Brown, killed a year ago today by police officer, Darren Wilson. Birth of the #BlackLivesMatter movement in Ferguson, MI. Going strong. Never give up!
RIP Mike Brown & please see: "On the Meaning of Ferguson'' by Mumia Abu Jamal: http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/32334-mumia-abu-jamal-on-the-meaning-of-ferguson .. which ends: ''For the youth, excluded from the American economy by inferior, substandard education; targeted by the malevolence of the fake drug war and mass incarceration; stopped and frisked for Walking While Black - were given front-row seats to the national security state at Ferguson after a friend was murdered by police in their streets. Ferguson is a wake-up call.A call to build social, radical, revolutionary movements for change.'' #BlackLivesMatter is arguably one of the most important Movements in the US, since OWS or before!
"#BlackLivesMatter is arguably one of the most important Movements in the US, since OWS or before!"
Agreed. Those who want to discredit it with the "All lives matter" meme are missing the point. #BlackLivesMatter points to the absolute higher risk their lives are at.
Take the tennis player, James Blake's experience, being slammed to ground and handcuffed by NYPD cops who mistook him for an ID theft suspect. (And, why is anyone being taken down like this for a non-violent crime?)
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/ex-tennis-star-james-blake-mistakenly-tackled-white-cops-article-1.2353983
Dise eleven - Surrender
''Massacre at South Carolina's Emanuel AME is an Attack on Historic Landmark of African-American Freedom'' -- http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/31472-massacre-at-south-carolina-s-emanuel-ame-an-attack-on-historic-landmark-of-african-american-freedom [Video + Transcript].
This heinous massacre was committed for political purposes and homicidal acts of violence for political purposes are both The Definition of ''Terrorism'' AND an old political tradition in the US but that'll be yet another thing to deny!