Mediaboss Marketing

|

Posted: Jul 27, 2017 12:01 AM

As soon as the story broke about the Somali cop fatally shooting the pretty white Australian girl in Minneapolis, one of my Muslim fans emailed me a story:

"Re: Hunting in Kuwait as explanation why this Noor guy shot through the car

"I remember being in Kuwait with the president of the investment bank I worked for. We were invited by one of our directors to hunt turtle doves. There were five of us in all and each had a 12-gauge shotgun.

"Instructions were: Only shoot straight and up; shotgun point in air resting on shoulders when not being used. That's it. I was on the far left, and the fellow on the other end was a Syrian.

"Well, we were out there and no straggling turtle doves were migrating. A half-hour later, not one shot was fired. Then, two birds from a tree ahead darted out, between me and the houses on my left.

"We all looked, but the Syrian turned toward us and began shooting over our heads at the birds. The rest of us hit the ground. Even though our host took his gun away, I gave them mine and went back because, if there is a way to overreact, the Syrian would think it is natural and can't even consider the consequences.

"You cannot place these people in a position of authority (for example with a gun in their hands). They will always shoot as a default reaction to anything that is instant. Neither training nor thinking can change their natures.

"And that is why he shot. He had a gun."

Since then, we've found out that this is exactly why Officer Mohamed Noor shot the gentle yoga instructor walking toward the police car. He heard a loud noise -- or as Powerline blog is calling it, "The Loud Noise Heard 'Round the World."

Noor shot from the passenger seat, killing Justine Damond, according to his partner, sitting at the wheel, who is presumably now deaf. Damond had called 911 to report what sounded like a rape in the alley behind her house, and was approaching the responding police car when she was shot.

As usually happens when Muslims attack, the press is consumed with worry about their mental state and well-being.

Sample Headlines:

Somalis on edge after Minneapolis cop named in fatal shooting -- The Daily Herald (Everett, Washington), July 18, 2017

Somalis in Minneapolis on defensive after police shooting -- St. Paul Pioneer Press (Minnesota), July 21, 2017

Minneapolis shooting brings unwelcome attention to Somalis -- Associated Press, July 22, 2017

There are nearly 2 billion Muslims in the world, amounting to a quarter of the world's population, controlling 50 countries. The English-speaking world is about a fifth that size and constitutes a dwindling majority in about a half-dozen countries. But, somehow, no matter how the story is written, Muslims always get to play the victim, and Anglo-Saxons are cast as the aggressors.

That's why a Somali cop's fatal shooting of a pajama-clad Good Samaritan has gone directly into the "Be Nice to Muslims!" file, rather than the "Why Are All These Somalis Here?" file. (Answer: Because of an earlier mistake with excessive Scandinavian immigration.)

I can't help noticing that it was precisely the "Be Nice to Muslims!" dictate that put this Somali nincompoop on the police force in the first place.

Among Noor's evident errors the night he killed Justine:

1) Shooting from the passenger seat, the bullet whizzing inches past his partner's face, through the driver's side window;

2) Not turning his bodycam on when responding to a 911 call;

3) Shooting to kill because he heard a loud noise;

4) Believing that white women in America pose a threat to a policeman.

A few of the Weather Underground ladies were accomplices to cop-killings, 40 years ago, but even they weren't lone white women cop-killers.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, women of any race committed about 10 percent of all murders from 1980 to 2008, and black people committed a majority of all murders. Other than a small child, it's difficult to think of a demographic that poses less of a threat to a policeman in America than a 40-year-old white woman.

Noor's African-American neighbor, Chris Miller, said he was shocked when he heard about Damond's shooting -- until he found out it was Noor. Miller told The Daily Telegraph (Australia) that his Somali neighbor was quick to anger and was always going off on women and children. "He is extremely nervous," Miller said, "a little jumpy ... he doesn't really respect women, the least thing you say to him can set him off."

Sounds perfect for a police officer!

May we see Officer Noor's cadet exam? His training reports? Does anyone believe there is the slightest possibility that Noor was not rushed through the Police Academy so that the nice people of Minneapolis could feel good about themselves for having a real Somali on the police force?

Minnesota's importation of these stone-age people is a completely self-inflicted wound. It's as if the state decided to inject itself with Hepatitis C. Hey, you know what? We're too white and pure. Everyone tie a vein off and give yourself a shot of hep C. We could learn from that!

With Somalis, you get all the social pathologies of Muslims and the American underclass rolled into one package. There's the terrorism and pederasty -- but also the criminality and joblessness!

At least with taxpayer-draining Mexican illegals, you can say, yes, but they provide the rich with such cheap labor! Someone, somewhere in America, gets a benefit. There is absolutely no benefit to the more than 100,000 Somalis brought in by Minnesota, except to feed the Scandinavian ethnomasochism, expressed as arrogant self-regard.

Gosh, they're good people. R.I.P. Justine.

Original post:
Pretty White Australian Girls' Lives Matter - Ann Coulter - Townhall - Townhall

KENS5.com Staff , KENS 3:57 PM. CDT July 24, 2017

Political commentator Ann Coulter (L) attends Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World Gala at the Frederick P. Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center on May 5, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images) (Photo: Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images, KENS)

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter turned to social media on Sunday to say that the victims of the smuggling truck tragedy would still be alive if we had a wall.

They'd still be alive, if we had a wall. At Least 8 Are Found Dead in Truck at Walmart Parking Lot in San Antonio - https://t.co/1hKnYmG4wy

On Monday, Coulter retweeted a tweet about Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick blaming the deaths on sanctuary cities. In the tweet, she again mentioned the fact we dont have a border wall.

Also, the fact that we don't have a wall. https://t.co/8QsNUAjELj

Patrick posted on his Facebook page on Sunday saying no one should have to die to come to America. He mentioned securing the border and legal immigration reform so immigrants can come to America in dignity.

No one should have to risk their life, or lose it, to get here and then live in the shadows, he wrote.

Patrick mentioned in a second post that tragedies like the one Sunday are the reason why he made passing Senate Bill 4, known as the sanctuary cities law, a top priority.

Sanctuary cities entice people to believe they can come to America and Texas and live outside the law, Patrick wrote. Sanctuary cities also enable human smugglers and cartels.

2017 KENS-TV

Originally posted here:
Hot truck victims would be alive 'if we had a wall,' Coulter says ... - kcentv.com

Jean-Claude Juncker leads a European commission cabinet, or college, that is entirely white. Photograph: Stephanie Lecocq/EPA

The EUs executive has been accused of being blind to black and minority ethnic communities after they failed to feature in a new diversity initiative to make the European commissions senior posts more representative.

Under a new Diversity and Inclusion Charter launched by the German commissioner, Gnther Oettinger, who was accused last year of racism and homophobia the commission has set as its goal the creation of a better workplace for all including women, staff with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersex (LGBTI) staff and older staff. The commission announced a target of having at least 40% women in management by 2019.

In a letter to Jean-Claude Juncker, Syed Kamall, the Tory MEP who leads the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European parliament, said he welcomed attempts to ensure the EU better represented those it served.

But Kamall added that he was very concerned by the failure of the commission to make mention of a need to tackle the lack of ethnic and racial diversity within EU institutions.

Every commissioner in Junckers cabinet, known as the college, is white. They are nominated by the member states but their appointments are approved by the European parliament.

Within the European parliament, of the 776 MEPs elected in 2014, fewer than 20 are thought to be from a minority ethnic background, although no official statistics are held.

As a group leader in the European parliament, an institution whose motto is united in diversity, I find the lack of racial and ethnic diversity within the European institutions deeply concerning, Kamall wrote to Juncker.

Since I became an MEP in 2005, I have seen very little progress in terms of representation of the black and minority ethnic (BME) communities within the institutions, with representation of staff and members falling far below what is representative of BME communities in many of the member states which we represent We need only look at the commission college, and amongst senior staff at the European commission, to see the lack of representation of officials from BME communities in our institutions.

Kamall, a Muslim born in Islington, north London, who is of Indo-Guyanese descent, said he feared the UKs exit from the EU in March 2019 would only reduce the representation of minority ethnic groups in Brussels.

Whilst the UK may be leaving the European Union, my fear is that with its departure, we will see a far diminished BME representation here in the parliament and elsewhere in the European Union institutions, he wrote. We as institutions are best served by reflecting the diversity which exists in our own society. A diversity of views, religions, ethnicities, gender, and sexuality, increases tolerance, makes for more inclusive policy-making, and makes us more representative of our citizens.

The failure to include mention of minority ethnic groups in the diversity initiative was said to be particularly concerning as the commissioner had spoken with the European parliaments anti-racism and diversity group about its inclusion, it was claimed.

Alfiaz Vaiya, the campaign groups coordinator, said: We are surprised that the commission and commissioner have failed to include race, religion and belief in the initiative despite repeated assurances that they would be included.

A commission spokesman said: Based on the feedback we received, the new strategy focuses specifically on the four target groups. Naturally, diversity and inclusion goes beyond that and we are fully aware that, in a changing world, we have to adapt and do more to be representative of our society. After all, we want to remain an attractive and motivating place to work in for all members of our society.

Earlier this year Oettinger was accused by rights groups, including Oxfam International, of being unfit to run the human resources portfolio in the commission because of his divisive record of racist, sexist and homophobic remarks.

Last year he was forced to apologise for referring to Chinese people as slitty eyes and making disparaging remarks about women, same-sex marriage and Belgian politicians in a speech.

After being criticised by a Chinese government spokesperson for a baffling sense of superiority, Oettinger admitted to not showing due respect. I can now see that the words I used have created bad feelings and may even have hurt people. This was not my intention and I would like to apologise for any remark that was not as respectful as it should have been, he said.

Originally posted here:
EU criticised for leaving out ethnic minorities in 'diversity' drive ... - The Guardian

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union warned on Wednesday that it was ready to act within days to counter proposed new U.S. sanctions on Russia, saying they would harm the bloc's energy security.

Sanctions legislation overwhelmingly approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday has angered EU officials: they see it as breaking transatlantic unity in the West's response to Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Brussels also fears the new sanctions will harm European firms with connections to Russia, and oil and gas projects on which the EU is dependent.

"The U.S. bill could have unintended unilateral effects that impact the EU's energy security interests," EU chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker said in a statement issued after a meeting at which European commissioners were united in their views, according to a senior EU official.

"If our concerns are not taken into account sufficiently, we stand ready to act appropriately within a matter of days. 'America First' cannot mean that Europe's interests come last," he said, mentioning President Donald Trump's guiding slogan.

A EU document prepared for the commissioners, seen by Reuters, laid out the EU's plans to seek "demonstrable reassurances" that the White House would not use the bill to target EU interests.

The bloc, it says, will also prepare to use an EU regulation allowing it to defend companies against the application of extraterritorial measures by the United States.

If diplomacy fails, Brussels plans to file a complaint at the World Trade Organization. "In addition, the preparation of a substantive response that would deter the U.S. from taking measures against EU companies could be considered," it says.

However, most measures taken by Brussels would require approval from all 28 EU member governments, which could expose potential differences in individual nations' relations with Moscow and Washington.

Despite changes to the U.S. bill that took into account some EU concerns, Brussels said the legislation could still hinder upkeep of the gas pipeline network in Russia that feeds into Ukraine and supplies over a quarter of EU needs. The EU says it could also hamper projects crucial to its energy diversification goals, such as the Baltic Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project.

The new sanctions target the disputed Nord Stream 2 project for a new pipeline running from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. But the EU note says: "the impact would in reality be much wider."

A list prepared by the EU executive, seen by Reuters, shows eight projects including those involving oil majors Anglo-Dutch Shell, BP and Italy's Eni that risk falling foul of the U.S. measures.

Voicing frustration at the fraying in the joint Western approach to Moscow, Juncker said "close coordination among allies" was key to ensuring that curbs on business with the Russian energy, defense and financial sectors, imposed in July 2014, are effective.

EU sources said Juncker told Commissioners the risk to EU interests was collateral damage of a U.S. domestic fight between Trump and U.S. lawmakers.

It was unclear how quickly the U.S. bill would reach the White House for Trump to sign into law or veto. The bill amounts to a rebuke of Trump by requiring him to obtain lawmakers' permission before easing any sanctions on Moscow.

Rejecting the legislation - which would potentially stymie his wish for improved relations with Moscow - would carry a risk that his veto could be overridden by lawmakers.

European energy industry sources voiced alarm at the potentially wide-ranging damage of the new U.S. measures.

"This is pretty tough," one industry source told Reuters. "We are working with EU officials to see what safeguards can be anticipated to protect our investment and give us certainty."

Five Western firms are partnered with Russia's Gazprom in Nord Stream 2: German's Wintershall [WINT.UL] and Uniper, Anglo-Dutch Royal Dutch Shell, Austria's OMV and France's Engie.

But EU officials warn the U.S. measures would also hit plans for the LNG plant on the Gulf of Finland in which Shell is partnering with Gazprom.

The EU document shows they might jeopardize Eni's 50 percent stake in the Blue Stream pipeline from Russia to Turkey as well as the CPC pipeline, carrying Kazakh oil to the Black Sea, involving European groups BG Overseas Holdings, Shell and Eni .

It further warns that BP would be forced to halt some activities with Russian energy major Rosneft.

Additional reporting by Philip Blenkinsop and Robin Emmott; editing by Mark Heinrich and Mark Trevelyan

Here is the original post:
EU warns US it may respond swiftly to counter new sanctions on Russia - Reuters

The long war in Afghanistan was a major issue for Barack Obama's administration, and one that the new United States president inherited in January 2017. In his second term from 2009, Obama had tried to force the Taliban and other armed opposition groups (AOGs) to the negotiating table, through deploying 30,000 additional American troops. But even this "surge", which had taken the number of western troops in the country to 140,000, proved insufficient (see "Trump's Afghan test", 16 February 2017).

In these circumstances, Obama decided on a policy of military withdrawal. Washington placed its new hope in training and equipping the Afghan National Army (ANA) to the point where a reasonable degree of security could be maintained. All but a handful of troops were to leave, including most of the 30,000 provided by coalition partners, with the UK foremost among this group. But even that did not work out, as spreading insecurity delayed the pullout schedule. By the end of 2016 there were still around 14,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, as well as many thousands of private military contractors.

Donald Trumps administration is now facing a further deterioration in the security environment. A wave of attacks in the past week alone demonstrates the scale of the challenge.

* On 22 July, in an incident unfolding over several hours, Taliban paramilitaries mounted simultaneous offensives in parts of three provinces: Ghore, Faryab, and Paktia. This confirmed the movement's ability not just to conduct one-off attacks but to overrun and hold entire districts

* On 24 July, a suicide-bomber targeted government personnel in western Kabul, killing at least thirty-five and injuring more than forty. Some of the casualties were key senior officials from the ministry of mines, a sector of the weakened Afghan economy that needs every expert it can get

* On 25-26 July, in another well-planned operation, Taliban elements made coordinated assaults on an ANA outpost in Kandahar province that killed somewhere between twenty-six and up to fifty-one soldiers, according to variable estimates by the government and a senior security official.

Two further incidents of a different kind can be added:

* On 20 July, the son of Taliban emir Mullah Haibatullah killed himself in a suicide-attack on ANA forces in Helmand province. This was the region of the heaviest fighting against the Taliban in 2006-10, when British and American forces lost hundreds of their soldiers. When the British withdrew, then prime minister David Cameron rashly called it mission accomplished. Today, much of the province is once again under Taliban influence. That the provincial capital Lashkar Gar is still in government hands is partly because of the deployment of a force of several hundred United States marines.

* On 21 July, also in Helmand, an operation by US strike-aircraft went badly wrong and killed fifteen Afghan police, including two commanders. In a period when so much was already going wrong for the Afghan government, it was another bitter blow.

In this perilous situation, a further concern for the American military is mounting evidence of armaments and munitions it has supplied to the ANA and other Afghan security forces reaching Taliban hands. Corruption is part of the reason, but so is the Taliban's ability to seize such material on the battlefield. The wide-ranging supplies include Humvee vehicles (some of which were later used in suicide-bomb attacks) and M-4 carbines, the lighter version of the older M-16 assault rifle. This has been in production since the mid-1990s and is now the standard weapon for much of the United States army and marine corps. Yet another concern is the Talibans acquisition of night-vision equipment, some of it later being used in propaganda videos.

A different approach?

These incidents suggest that the prospects for security in Afghanistan are grim, a view reflected in several interviews from March 2017 with Nato and Afghan personnel inside the country. In one, a soldier remarks: "We face a stalemate today, but we also faced one five, eight, ten, fifteen years ago, we just didnt know it. The same conclusion is also drawn by Emily Knowless report for the Remote Control Project.

The main conclusion of In Afghanistan: more is not the answer (5 July 2017) is that the stalemate may hold, providing Nato states continue to maintain support. But there is little evidence that inserting several thousand more troops, as Trump may do, will have any substantive effect. A potentially much more effective strategy would be an effort by multiple parties, including Nato states, Russia, Iran, China, Pakistan, India, and of course Afghanistan itself. The required focus would be an integrated commitment to working together, with the aim of negotiating towards de-escalation.

In turn that process will have to involve the Taliban. It will also require the Afghan leadership itself to heal the current dispute between President Ashraf Ghani and chief executive officer Abdullah Abdullah, a point the International Crisis Group argued in its own report (Afghanistan: the future of the national unity government, 10 April 2017).

But if change is going to come, Washington has a crucial role - although regional powers such as Pakistan, India and Iran are important too. This explains the air of pessimism around people who truly wish Afghanistan well. Trump shows no signs of recognising the problem. He is strongly tempted to give the US military more power to take decisions. Above all, the state department is much depleted, many of its experienced Afghan diplomats having moved to think-tanks and the private sector. This is yet one more area where Trump's White House is proving disastrous, a reality no amount of early morning tweets can disguise.

Is there any other way? Perhaps it is worth speculating just for a moment. Imagine a parallel universe in which there was a country that had been involved in the war in Afghanistan since 2001, but had a government that now sought a way forward to bring the conflict to an end. Imagine that it had an experienced, professional and well-funded diplomatic service and that it maintained good relations with most of the aforementioned countries, and at least tolerable relations with the others, even allowing for recent and past history. In that parallel universe that country might be the UK, under a government that genuinely sought an internationalist direction of travel and had a strong commitment to the United Nations.

Much of that description in no way applies to the current Theresa May government and a certain Boris Johnson at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. But a Jeremy Corbyn government with an Emily Thornberry-led FCO could be very different. Yes, it is a parallel universe, for now. But it does no harm to speculate once in a while. In the right conditions, another Afghanistan is possible.

Read more from the original source:
Afghanistan: despair...then imagine - Open Democracy