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In His Thirst for War, Senator Jim Inhofe Releases Fake Photos of Russian Troops in the Ukraine

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Screen Shot 2015-02-13 at 2.34.06 PMMembers of the Senate Armed Services Committee first viewed the graphic pictures in December. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R., Okla.) then obtained the photos and worked to independently verify and confirm the authenticity of the photos, before providing them exclusively to the Free Beacon.

Inhofe said he hopes the images act as a wake up call to the Obama administration and American people, who largely have been spared from seeing the graphic violence inflicted upon Ukraine by the Russian-backed separatists…

Following publication of this story, serious questions have been raised about the authenticity of some of the photographs provided by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R., Okla.). Several images of the Russian convoys appear to have been taken in 2008, during Russia’s conflict with Georgia. Given the similarities between the earlier images and those provided by the senator’s office, the Washington Free Beacon is investigating further and will update as necessary.

Sen. Inhofe said in a statement: “The Ukrainian parliament members who gave us these photos in print form as if it came directly from a camera really did themselves a disservice. We felt confident to release these photos because the images match the reporting of what is going on in the region. I was furious to learn one of the photos provided now appears to be falsified from an AP photo taken in 2008. 

– From the Washington Free Beacon’s article: Updated: Provenance of Photos Showing Atrocities Questioned

This is absolutely incredible. Incredible.

First of all, I don’t claim to have any idea about what is happening in Ukraine. Many people out there feel obligated to pick a side, but I can promise you that 99% of them don’t actually have a clue. I don’t think there are many “goods guys” on either side of this fight, and my assumption is that both sides are lying as much as possible. It’s a very sad situation, but very few people really knows what’s going on. That’s why I don’t comment on it much.

I wish I could say the same thing for United States Senators, you know, the people who actually play an important role in deciding when the country goes to war (that is, when Obama decides to consult them).

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Meanwhile in Spain…

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Things have gotten a bit feisty in the Spanish city of Burgos, where violent protests have emerged in recent days over the decision to reduce the size of a road by half. It seems the protestors made a special point to vent their anger at a branch of Spanish bank Santander. Don’t worry though, everything’s just … Read more

New Zealand Prime Minister Flees Press Conference When Confronted on Illegal Spying

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Not to be outdone by leaders in the U.S. and UK acting like spoiled children upon the realization that the citizenry has had enough of their mass surveillance and their bullshit generally, New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key has decided to thrown a little temper tantrum of his own. During a press conference on a new … Read more

Bitcoin is Recognized as “Private Money” in Germany

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We should have competition in the production of money. I have long been a proponent of Friedrich August von Hayek scheme to denationalize money. Bitcoins are a first step in this direction.

– Frank Schaeffler, member of German parliament’s Finance Committee

The story of the German Finance Ministry stating Bitcoin is a form of “private money” has been making the rounds all over the virtual currency and technology world this morning and for good reason. This is a very, very big deal. Not just because some bureaucrat seemingly “legitimizes” the crypto-currency, but because it is the first commonsense approach from a major economy to-date.

While the U.S. government runs around like a chicken with its head cut off, issuing subpoenas and launching Senate investigations on Bitcoin, Germany is merely accepting the obvious. This is the wave of the future, you can either act like an incorrigible child and fight it, or you can accept reality and pave the way to the future. I’m pleased to see Germany, home to the most dynamic Bitcoin community on the planet, in Kreuzberg, taking a reasonable approach. Not to mention the fact I could never see a U.S. bureaucrat ever endorse Hayek or Austrian economics. The times they are a-changin’. From CNBC:

Virtual currency bitcoin has been recognized by the German Finance Ministry as a “unit of account”, meaning it is now legal tender and can be used for tax and trading purposes in the country.

Bitcoins is not classified as e-money or a foreign currency, the Finance Ministry said in a statement, but is rather a financial instrument under German banking rules. It is more akin to “private money” that can be used in “multilateral clearing circles”, the Ministry said.

“We should have competition in the production of money. I have long been a proponent of Friedrich August von Hayek scheme to denationalize money. Bitcoins are a first step in this direction,”said Frank Schaeffler, a member of the German parliament’s Finance Committee, who has pushed for legal classification of bitcoins.

Schaeffler said the new ruling showed German authorities were preparing regulations on how to tax bitcoin transactions. According to German newspaper Die Welt, the government has stated that the legal classification of bitcoin means that commercial profits that stem from using the currency may be taxable.

Kathleen Brooks, a research director at FOREX.com, told CNBC that classification by the German government gave bitcoin legitimacy to be used as a settlement currency in one of the world’s largest economies. She said this was a big step forward for the bitcoin movement.

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Richard Stallman: “Facebook is a Monstrous Surveillance Engine”

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If you want to have the possibility of some privacy someday, you’d better join the fight now, because now a bunch of other people are joining the fight. Now is the moment when you can make a difference. If you wait until the day you wish you had some privacy and only then try to do … Read more

Barrett Brown: A Jailed American Dissident

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If you watched the excellent Anonymous documentary We are Legion, you will be familiar with Barrett Brown.  The interview below is from March 2011, but I found it really interesting since in it Barrett cryptically discusses his potential future arrest; an event that ultimately took place in September 2012.  When asked about him being targeted … Read more

The UK’s Independent Calls Max Keiser: “The Most Widely Watched News Commentator on the Planet”

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The UK’s Independent has just released a fantastic interview with Max Keiser in which Robert Chalmers describes him as “”the most widely watched news commentator on the planet.”  Max and Stacy have been supportive of my writing and voice from day one, and this presents a perfect opportunity to thank them for all they have … Read more