lucius septimius 12/15/2020 5:27:10 AM

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With respect to a discussion last night regarding Roger Waters, I suspect that he is one of many who look on the horrors of the Holocaust and rather than seeing Jews see people like themselves, or at least, the people they fancy themselves to be -- rebels, outsiders, workers, proletarians, marginalized peoples, etc.  The victims are the standard victims of fascism and militarism.  In that sense, they have internalized the official Soviet interpretation of the Holocaust.

According to the Soviets, the people killed in the camps were Communists.  And here they could draw on the existing Nazi propaganda that described in detail "Jewish Bolshevism" and emphasized the influence of the Red Jew.  It's easier to build a new lie on the backs of another lie that has already been widely accepted.

One of the first, and particular insidious, turns in this regard was the way the Queer movement decided to coopt the Holocaust for themselves.  The whole pink triangle thing was an attempt to claim that they were the specially chosen focus of discrimination and persecution, then and now.  

Israel, because for the first time in over 2000 years the Jews decided to punch back, seemed utterly at odds with the notion of the persecuted.  On this point, Dayan was, I think, right -- occupying the West Bank in 1967 was a bad idea and would end up causing nothing but trouble.  It reversed the order of things making Jews the "bad guys".  Of course it also played into Soviet propaganda that sought to demonize Israel as a Western "colony," terminology that has recently been resurected.

On a somewhat related note, it is easy to forget how important Leon Uris's Exodus was, both the book and the movie, in creating a positive image of the state of Israel in the minds of the American public, few of whom knew very much about Israel's origins.  The victory in '87 confirmed Israel's position as both plucky underdog and our ally in the fight against Soviet aggression.  The demonization of Israel by the left coincided with their insistence that we had been defeated in South East Asia.  The left opposed Israel because it was the one western ally who successfully resisted the Soviet.  

vxbush 12/15/2020 7:19:45 AM

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I'm getting the impression there is more going on with the Solar Winds fiasco than is being released by the media, based on what is being said in the MSM and what is being said in the conservative-leaning blogosphere. The MSM is saying it's a security issue only, whereas the blogosphere is connecting the hack--which happened months ago--to the election. 

Something very fishy has been going on, but there aren't enough pieces out in the open to know for sure. And the immediate allegation in the MSM of the hack to the Russian Cozy Bear group without supporting evidence is too consistent with previous claims of supposed hacking that didn't happen. 

But finding the info on the right blogs would take way too much time today. 

buzzsawmonkey 12/15/2020 7:21:34 AM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 1:

Good points.  Several more need to be mentioned, but I don't quite have the energy just yet.

buzzsawmonkey 12/15/2020 7:22:22 AM

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In #2 vxbush said: the Solar Winds fiasco

I saw some mention of this the other day, but what is it?

lucius septimius 12/15/2020 7:44:38 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 3:

Somewhere I have a copy of the local gay/alternative newspaper that had a cover story on the fascist tendencies of the Queer Movement.  It was fascinating, and I'm sure the author (if he's still alive -- this was back in the depths of the AIDS epidemic) has been thoroughly cancelled.

vxbush 12/15/2020 7:45:47 AM

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In #4 buzzsawmonkey said: I saw some mention of this the other day, but what is it?

This gets into heavy networking stuff, and I'm not as knowledgable about this as many others. Solar Winds allows you to analyze the network for an entire site and review the traffic, the types of requests coming in, etc. etc. It's designed to let you look at the network, see what is causing problems, and then mitigate them remotely. 

But it is all sitting in the cloud, which means it is able to be accessed remotely by the network admins who set it up--and that means that it might be accessed by entities other than the companies you are working on, and the news has been that it has been hacked to get into the companies that are using the products. And apparently this seems to be *everywhere*. Per the CISA announcement: 

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) tonight issued Emergency Directive 21-01, in response to a known compromise involving SolarWinds Orion products that are currently being exploited by malicious actors. This Emergency Directive calls on all federal civilian agencies to review their networks for indicators of compromise and disconnect or power down SolarWinds Orion products immediately.

“The compromise of SolarWinds’ Orion Network Management Products poses unacceptable risks to the security of federal networks,” said CISA Acting Director Brandon Wales. “Tonight’s directive is intended to mitigate potential compromises within federal civilian networks, and we urge all our partners—in the public and private sectors—to assess their exposure to this compromise and to secure their networks against any exploitation.”  

We know the intrusion took place no later than May 2020, so why is it being announced now? It's common enough that hacks are investigated for a long period before an announcement is made. You don't want to let the malicious actors know that you know, so you can hopefully trace back to the perpetrators. But what makes this more dangerous is that Solar Winds is used for government networks at many levels of government, including federal. 

Sundance noted the following: 

All of that said, let’s stand back and take a look at the relationship between the Dominion vote counting issues, and the cyber intrusion into SolarWinds’ Orion.

A backdoor into SolarWinds’ is essentially a backdoor breach into the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).  That same agency is in charge of operating all security networks connected to U.S. voting and election security systems, including the Dept. of Homeland Security.  In essence, and as a matter of emphatic emphasis, the breach into SolarWinds’ is a breach into the U.S. election security network.
Considering the hack itself, meaning the implant of the malware itself, has identified no actual extraction, or quantification of extracted, data… Then why else would the malware be implanted – except to coordinate some other activity connected to the doorway?

What is drawing Sundance's concern is that bigwig at SolarWinds were cashing out their stocks in November. On that same page, Sundance links to a Sean Hannity audio blurb about law enforcement groups at the SolarWinds corporate office in Austin. 

What is bothering me is that this bug has been out for 7 months--most hack situations I'm aware of allow this behavior for at most 2 months--and the notices have had very little in the way of details. What was hacked? What caused the hack to be detected? What have they been doing for 7 months while the hack has been ongoing? 

Folks are upset that CISA wasn't the one catching this, but it was a company who tracked this down--but that doesn't surprise me at all. I caught someone hacking into one of my servers and our network guys never even figured it out. Nothing was stolen, all credentials were changed, and I spent one all nighter locking down the system. The sysadmin for the system is going to be the one who finds the problems, not the government entity who is supposed to gather information. 

But something just doesn't smell right, still. 

buzzsawmonkey 12/15/2020 7:45:51 AM

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lucius septimius 12/15/2020 7:59:18 AM

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In #7 buzzsawmonkey said: Joe Biden to FDR.

The young spry FDR whose policies lead to a far deeper and worse depression or the old addled FDR who gave away half of Europe and nearly all of Asia at Yalta?

vxbush 12/15/2020 8:03:41 AM

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In #8 lucius septimius said: The young spry FDR whose policies lead to a far deeper and worse depression or the old addled FDR who gave away half of Europe and nearly all of Asia at Yalta?

Yes. 

Occasional Reader 12/15/2020 8:54:20 AM

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In #1 lucius septimius said: Dayan was, I think, right -- occupying the West Bank in 1967 was a bad idea and would end up causing nothing but trouble. 

I was not aware that Dayan had that position.  It's always possible that Moshe Dayan knew more about this subject than I do [perhaps, just maybe!], but; from my perspective, a West Bank occupied by a hostile Jordan was militarily untenable, from Israel's perspective.  I've seen that aspect in particular sardonically referred to as the "Auschwitz Borders". 

lucius septimius 12/15/2020 10:13:25 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 10:

I've read several books that have made that point.  On the one hand, it was to an extent unavoidable and did have the effect of simplifying Israel's defense.  On the other hand, it left Israel to deal with the Palestinians who have always proven impossible to govern - just ask the Jordanians who legitimately tried to genocide them.  

Occasional Reader 12/15/2020 10:23:49 AM

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NYC city council seeks to bar police from ANY interaction with "the homeless". 

If they were deliberately looking to kill the city, what would they do differently? 

vxbush 12/15/2020 10:29:01 AM

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In #12 Occasional Reader said: If they were deliberately looking to kill the city, what would they do differently? 

If I had to guess--and that's all it is--they are doing whatever they can to force a budgetary crisis in their state, so they can turn to the federal government and get a bailout. Illinois is doing the same. 

Occasional Reader 12/15/2020 10:34:45 AM

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In #13 vxbush said: If I had to guess--and that's all it is--they are doing whatever they can to force a budgetary crisis in their state, so they can turn to the federal government and get a bailout. Illinois is doing the same. 

And the point of that exercise is...? 

JCM 12/15/2020 10:36:16 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 12:

It was mentioned in that last documentary on Seattle.

A bill to make poverty, drug addiction, mental illness a positive defense against most criminal acts.

Polls show a majority, at least in City disagree with the direction of the Clowncil but then the incumbents get re-elected with 80%.

Where is the disconnect?

Let's say for example 60% disagree with the policy, that means 40% agree or have no opinion.

If the 40% vote for the incumbent that means 2/3 of the people who disagree have still vote for the incumbent.

That 40% who don't like the policy but vote for the persons promulgating the policy... where the fuck are their heads?

Those are the people fucking everything up for everyone else.

vxbush 12/15/2020 10:38:26 AM

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In #14 Occasional Reader said: And the point of that exercise is...? 

Free money.

JCM 12/15/2020 10:45:47 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 16:

I'm much more cynical.

Cloward-Piven

Occasional Reader 12/15/2020 10:50:02 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 16:

bankrupting yourself in order to turn to someone else for a (possible) handout simply does not make any sense, even under the most cynical of assumptions. You are better off not bankrupting yourself in the first place.

buzzsawmonkey 12/15/2020 10:52:22 AM

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Occasional Reader 12/15/2020 10:52:35 AM

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In #15 JCM said: Where is the disconnect?

I cannot explain it. It’s terrifying.

Occasional Reader 12/15/2020 10:54:43 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 19:

Per the link to article,DeBlasio is actually (publicly) opposed to this particular piece of idiocy. It’s the city Council pushing it.

buzzsawmonkey 12/15/2020 10:59:35 AM

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I wish I knew where to move to.  New York is killing itself; Chicago (and the state of Illinois) are doing likewise.  I'd like an urban area, given that it's good to be able to walk to things as one ages, and places like Florida you've got to drive to go anywhere---but the urban areas tend to be run, as we know, by Leftist loons.  

It's a problem.

vxbush 12/15/2020 11:05:12 AM

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In #18 Occasional Reader said: bankrupting yourself in order to turn to someone else for a (possible) handout simply does not make any sense, even under the most cynical of assumptions. You are better off not bankrupting yourself in the first place.

Ah, but if you consider JCM's Cloward-Piven answer, it makes sense to them in the bigger picture: more money for them (because they are "special", dontcha know) and everyone else gets to be serfs. 

JCM 12/15/2020 11:05:47 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 20:

V. I. Lenin...

Useful idiots.

People who vote, but vote for who they are told to vote for. And are not engaged enough to make a connection between the problems and policies.

buzzsawmonkey 12/15/2020 11:07:33 AM

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In #18 Occasional Reader said: You are better off not bankrupting yourself in the first place.

Andrew Cuomo, having just re-banned indoor restaurant dining and bar drinking, declared the other day that all the people thus affected must be bailed out by the federal government.

JCM 12/15/2020 11:13:40 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 25:

Reply to vxbush in 23:

What is the core principle of the Cloward-Piven strategy?

To push as many people onto the welfare rolls until the system breaks.

We are at 27 Trillion in debt, almost 200% of the GDP.

vxbush 12/15/2020 12:03:09 PM

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vxbush 12/15/2020 12:04:30 PM

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Reply to vxbush in 27: 

Occasional Reader 12/15/2020 12:16:01 PM

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Everything we know about the UK's "6th-gen" "Tempest" fighter aircraft.

Presumably the avionics suite in the Tempest will feature a thousand twangling instruments. 

Occasional Reader 12/15/2020 12:17:22 PM

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Reply to vxbush in 28:

I love the Flatiron Building.  It's perhaps my seconc-favorite building in Manhattan, after the Chrysler Building. 

And since early childhood, despite everything, I've always loved New York City.  It breaks my heart how the crazies are wrecking it.

Occasional Reader 12/15/2020 12:20:06 PM

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In #22 buzzsawmonkey said: I wish I knew where to move to.  New York is killing itself; Chicago (and the state of Illinois) are doing likewise.  I'd like an urban area, given that it's good to be able to walk to things as one ages, and places like Florida you've got to drive to go anywhere---but the urban areas tend to be run, as we know, by Leftist loons.   It's a problem.

As William Jefferson Hamlet said, "Ophelia pain".   I like city life, too... although, not as much as I used to.  

For a good two decades, starting in the early- to mid-90s  it seemed like American cities were on an overall upward trend; that despite their consistenly leftward politics, they were actually becoming more liveable.  But apparently the Left simply could not tolerate that trend. 

vxbush 12/15/2020 12:32:53 PM

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In #31 Occasional Reader said:  I like city life, too... although, not as much as I used to.  

I have been in an on-again, off-again conversation with a friend about the differences in folks who live in the city vs. those who live in the rural areas, as I keep finding people assuming that those who choose to live in the rural communities are somehow backwards and can't cope with cities. These folks honestly can't seem to realize that it has more to do with the problems of city governance and high crime rates of the cities themselves and not the people who choose to turn their backs on the cities. My friend is trying to help bridge this divide, but isn't having much luck getting our mutual friends to understand. We've tried to understand what causes this dichotomy of views between the two, and we're not getting any closer to figuring out which aspects of personality create this difference. 

Occasional Reader 12/15/2020 12:59:25 PM

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In #32 vxbush said: olks who live in the city vs. those who live in the rural areas

Me, I'm a little bit country, and a little bit rock n' roll.

Occasional Reader 12/15/2020 12:59:48 PM

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In #33 Occasional Reader said: Me, I'm a little bit country, and a little bit rock n' roll.

(The rest is Baroque)

JCM 12/15/2020 1:08:17 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 33:

I listen to both kinds of music.

Country.... and Western!

;-P

buzzsawmonkey 12/15/2020 2:09:41 PM

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In #31 Occasional Reader said:  I like city life, too... although, not as much as I used to.  

I quite understand that; I'm just thinking about age.  My mother lived in an inner-ring suburb of Chicago, where (until walking became difficult, and then impossible) it was reasonably possible to walk to stores to acquire necessities.  But even there, it was better to be able to drive---and driving becomes extremely difficult, and dangerous, when one starts getting up in years.  

No matter how much I might like something more pastoral, the sane thing at my age would be to find a small-ish town which was not too overwhelmed by fentanyl and heroin addictions, and acquire a place reasonably within walking distance of a food store, hardware store, and dry cleaner/laundry.  

lucius septimius 12/15/2020 2:16:48 PM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 36:

Ah - my grandfather drove up until his death at 96.

buzzsawmonkey 12/15/2020 2:23:52 PM

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In #37 lucius septimius said: Ah - my grandfather drove up until his death at 96.

A rarity.  My mother did pretty well---drove into her nineties, until she became wheelchair-bound---but the point is it's not something you can count on.  Mom used to say that her mother warned her about the split-level stairs when our house was built, saying that they'd come back to haunt her---and my grandmother, sadly, was right.  

One cannot presume that one will be able to maintain certain accustomed behaviors as age advances; as I am looking at possible foot surgery in about a week, I am currently very conscious of that reality.

Occasional Reader 12/15/2020 2:24:45 PM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 37:

 No disrespect to your grandfather, but your post of course reminds me of the joke, “I want to die peacefully, in my sleep, like my grandfather....” [etc.]

Occasional Reader 12/15/2020 2:50:16 PM

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In #29 Occasional Reader said: Presumably the avionics suite in the Tempest will feature a thousand twangling instruments. 

No? Nothing?  Dammit, I was proud of that one... 

buzzsawmonkey 12/15/2020 3:29:38 PM

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When they Beijing the Biden
It brings back the sound of vote fraud so blatant
It brings back the chance of corruption latent
It brings back a hog wallow to widen...

---apologies to Cole Porter and "Begin the Beguine"

buzzsawmonkey 12/15/2020 4:19:07 PM

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The SolarWind came in promising security
It said computers never ever hacked could be
So through election time we cast our votes while quietly they grinned
Dominion and the SolarWind

---apologies to "The Summer Wind"