Michael Hastings, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdah and War Crimes

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Re: Michael Hastings, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdah and War Crimes

Postby 8bitagent » Mon Jun 09, 2014 4:37 am

I remember reading that Patrick Tilman was intentionally fragged because of growing anti war concerns? I also read about several of Pvt Jessica Lynch's comrades being all mysteriously gunned down when they
returned stateside.

I consider people like Bowe and others the real heroes, because it takes more courage to realize what you're a part of is immoral than to go along following orders to blow up brown people in a country you don't even belong in.

Regarding Seemslikeadreams article quoted

To honor the aid given by Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda during the Soviet War the Taliban granted him safe haven in Afghanistan. But what is never reported is that the Taliban warned Al Qaeda not to use Afghan territory for attacks on American targets. The logic was simple. The Taliban did not want American heat to come down on them. Indeed, the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon were plotted in Germany. The Taliban did not attack the United States on September 11, 2001. Nevertheless the plans to invade proceeded immediately. Because Bush-Cheney believed Afghanistan would be a cakewalk they diverted military assets to the far greater and more strategic reservoir of oil in Iraq, thereby enabling the Taliban to escape into neighboring Pakistan.


Well there's the twin Bamayam buddhist statues that were blown up in March 2001. I still find that an interesting coinkydink. The US said if the Taliban gave up bin Laden, we would not attack. The Taliban said sure, just give proof. But the US never gave proof. Yet to appease the "liberals", this lie about "well the Afghan war is about humanitarianism" was started. Wait, I thought Afghanistan was in response to 9/11? Because shit, I recall Clinton supporting the Taliban. And regarding Germany, Ramzi bin alshidh was in contact with Anwar al Awlaki and his Saudi government attache pals in San Diego and Falls Church Virgina via phone. Gernany is also home to the BND protected
Hamberg Cell co-leader, Mamoun Darkazanli.

In reality, Afghanistan turned out not to be a boon for some fantasy pipeline pipe dream...but for billions in Chinese mineral companies and multi millions in big pharma and black market opium
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Re: Michael Hastings, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdah and War Crimes

Postby seemslikeadream » Mon Jun 09, 2014 9:34 am

In Brief: Time Magazine Really Shouldn't Go Down This Road

Image
That's really a question, Time (motto: "Instant Nostalgia")? Was Bowe Bergdahl worthy of being swapped for five Taliban detainees? Or maybe was it "worth it" to make a deal to get an American soldier home? And it's a question that lots and lots of people are asking, since, in the worst case, six other soldiers died on patrols that included looking for Bowe Bergdahl. But if we're gonna go down the big ol' "what if" highway, if we're gonna ask if something that's already done was worth the cost of doing it, well, shit, if we're gonna play, let's play:

Was the Afghanistan War worth the loss of 2300 Americans, countless wounded, thousand of dead Afghanis, and hundreds of billions of dollars?

Was the creation of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay worth the number of people who may have died because terrorists used Gitmo as a recruiting tool?

Was it worth arming the Mujahideen back in the late 1970s and early 1980s so that their existence could lead to the formation of the Taliban (which was both part of and a reaction to the Mujahideen)?

Was it worth electing Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, both of whom supported the Mujahideen?

See, when you get into fucked-up existential questions like who is worth what, you can't act like that worth is to be judged in a vacuum. Bowe Bergdahl's captivity was the result of decades of bullshit American foreign policy. (Hell, if you want, you could go back to British imperialism in the land that would become Afghanistan.)

Yeah, great, Time, let's put a price on a human life, by all means. Let's talk about "greater good" and utilitarian approaches to war. Or maybe we could acknowledge that such ideas are worthless when your are talking about a worthless venture in this worthless time



A Few Questions to Those Questioning the Prisoner Exchange for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl
The Rude Pundit's gotta be honest: he can't wrap his head around this one. Oh, sure, sure, he can figure out why conservatives would go bugfuck insane over things like Benghazi (dead Americans), Obamacare (living poor Americans), and abortion (freedom for women). They're dead damn wrong on them and they're wasting everyone's time and money, but there seems to be at least a tincture of logic. Fuck, he can even figure out the brain-damaged logic behind yahoos open-carrying their weapons (in a time of extreme disempowerment of the average person, that person attempts to cling to the accoutrements of power in any way he/she can).

But the idea that something is wrong with negotiating the release of an American soldier held prisoner by the Taliban is just utterly bizarre. Like "Stop beating your head with that fish, Skeeter" weird. It's left the Rude Pundit with a few questions for anyone who thinks there was something hinky about the exchange of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for a quintet of bearded losers.

1. Were we supposed to just leave him there, even with a deal on the table? That's the not-so-subtle implication from so many of the Bergdahl truthers, who believe he deserted and may have worked with his captors. The Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol said, "It's one thing to trade terrorists for a real POW, someone who was taken on the battlefield fighting honorably for our country. It's another thing to trade away 5 high-ranking terrorists to someone who walked away." Considering Kristol's record for being wrong about every fucking thing, it more than likely means that Bergdahl ought to be awarded a medal for bravery.

2. Isn't Bergdahl entitled to a trial for any charges of desertion or collaboration? Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey said of the allegations against Bergdahl, "Like any American, he is innocent until proven guilty," but, he asserted, "the questions about this particular soldier’s conduct are separate from our effort to recover ANY U.S. service member in enemy captivity." Yes, it would have been easier just to drone murder the shit out of Bergdahl, but, hey, he's white, and so far that has been a decent way to avoid missile death. But Bergdahl can still be courtmartialed. You need look no further than another shitty war for proof: Marine Pfc. Robert Garwood was held in Vietnam until 1979. When he was released, he was charged with desertion and aiding the enemy, and he was convicted, despite an insanity plea. (Side note: Garwood's guilt being questioned by a TV-movie caused a certain senator from Arizona to go apeshit on the Senate floor in 1993.)

3. So if we left Bergdahl in Afghanistan because some people are absolutely convinced of his guilt, doesn't that mean he's being sentenced without trial? The Rude Pundit can't figure out this mania on the right to convict people without ever even charging them with a crime. Leaving Bergdahl behind would have set the precedent that we judge, without knowing the truth, who is worthy of being released. How reassuring that would be to soldiers.

4. Isn't it a huge bowlful of hypocrisy stew for Republicans to become whiny titty babies over President Obama finessing the law when the Bush administration fucking redefined things like "torture" and "duties as commander-in-chief" to get around niceties like congressional approval and oversight? Breitbart.com has gone full nutzoid on the Bergdahl release, questioning Obama's actions, quoting Queen Dink herself, Sarah Palin, on the matter.

5. And what's with the Wag-the-Dog shit about the VA scandal? This is another game the right plays with Democratic presidents: every action is done only to distract from what they see as worse shit. Clinton bombed a place where he thought Osama bin Laden was. The GOP said it was just meant to distract from the Blow Job That Coated the World. Now, Obama is supposed to have started a whole new controversy to divert attention from the problems at the VA. Obviously, Republicans are used to leaders who can't walk and chew gum at the same time. Or, you know, watch TV and eat a pretzel.

At some point, doesn't it get exhausting, Republicans? Doesn't it get tiresome to have to attack everything, no matter how seemingly goddamn positive? Is there nothing you have to talk about that isn't merely saying "No" to every "Yes"? Are you that devoid of purpose? Because that'd be some hang-yourself-existential-crisis shit right there. By all means, go ahead and here's a rope.
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Re: Michael Hastings, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdah and War Crimes

Postby seemslikeadream » Sat Mar 28, 2015 4:06 pm

Army Report Confirms Bergdahl Never Intended to Desert
Jason Ditz, March 27, 2015

The charges leveled against freed POW Sgt Bowe Bergdahl this week are making less and less sense the more details of Army reports emerge, as the Army had apparently concluded that Bergdahl did none of the things he’s being charged with.

Bergdahl is facing two main charges, desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. The later was seen as particularly strange at the time, since the Army had already cleared him of misconduct during his near five years as a hostage months prior.

The latest details are that the Army report explicitly says Bergdahl never intended to desert, either. Bergdahl left his outpost in July 2009 to report wrongdoing, planning to walk to the nearest base to report it to senior officials.

The details of what he intended to report still haven’t come to light, but officials called them “disturbing circumstances,” adding that he “wasn’t planning to desert.” Charging him with desertion, then, makes no sense at all.

Hawks were objecting to the POW exchange last year when it happened, and have attacked Bergdahl for getting captured in the first place. It seems that this political bias against him is fueling a lot of the momentum behind the charges, as the facts that have come to light so far don’t support the charges at all.


Army report: Bergdahl intended to walk to nearest base
By Barbara Starr, CNN Pentagon Correspondent
Updated 8:34 PM ET, Fri March 27, 2015

Washington (CNN)Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl told the military he left his unit in eastern Afghanistan in July 2009 intending to walk to the nearest U.S. military outpost to report wrongdoing, believing he could not trust his own commanders to deal with his concerns, according to sources familiar with the Army investigation. It is the clearest indication yet of the motive behind his decision to leave his post.

Bergdahl was planning to report what he believed to be problems with "order and discipline" in his unit, a senior Defense official tells CNN. A second official says Bergdahl had "concerns about leadership issues at his base."

This information is part of the report presented to General Mark Milley who this week decided to charge Bergdahl with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. This information outlines what could be a key part of Bergdahl's defense, which the army is already aware of.

Both officials declined to be identified because of the legal proceedings against Berghahl, but both have direct knowledge of the information outlined in the report. "This was a kid who had leadership concerns on his mind," the second official said. "He wasn't fed up, he wasn't planning to desert."

What Bergdahl's concerns were, and whether they are relevant to the case of desertion the Army is trying to make will be a matter for military authorities to decide. "I can't tell you if his concerns were valid, but in his mind they were," the official said.

Both officials said Bergdahl believed he could make it to the next base by relying on wilderness skills he learned growing up in rural Idaho, even though the area was full of insurgents. It was not immediately clear how far the nearest base was during that timeframe in July 2009.

The first hint of what Bergdahl says his intent was came Wednesday in a 13-page letter to the Army from his civilian attorney Eugene Fidell. In that letter Fidell said that a still publicly unreleased initial Army investigation report "while hedging its bets.....basically concludes that Sgt. Bergdahl did not intend to remain away from the Army permanently."

Read the letter

Fidell went on to say the report "also concludes that his specific intent was to bring what he thought were disturbing circumstances to the attention of the nearest general officer." Fidell said he has received an executive summary of the initial Army report.

CNN reported last year that a British filmmaker working in Afghanistan in 2009 filmed Bergdahl and other members of his platoon in Afghanistan, showing alleged lax discipline, including the soldiers not wearing mandatory protective gear. One sergeant was demoted and three others reassigned. At that time, a U.S. official who had been briefed on the initial Army fact-finding investigation conducted in the months after Bergdahl disappeared told CNN that some of Bergdahl's teammates said he had expressed "boredom" and thought his unit was too passive and should have been "kicking down doors," the official said.

It is not clear how much of this information about Bergdahl's intent was conveyed to investigators directly by Bergdahl or may have come from testimony of others. His attorney has said Bergdahl fully cooperated with them.

Fidell declined to comment beyond the details in his letter.
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Re: Michael Hastings, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdah and War Crimes

Postby seemslikeadream » Mon Sep 21, 2015 11:09 pm

Lawyers Want Military Report on Bowe Bergdahl's Disappearance Made Public
BY REUTERS 9/21/15 AT 6:29 PM
Bowe Bergdahl
An image of U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl appears on a Taliban affiliated website in 2009. Bergdahl was exchanged for five members of the Taliban, who had their travel ban extended on June 1, 2015. Bergdahl faces charges for deserting the military. REUTERS

The lawyers for U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl filed papers on Monday seeking the public release of the military report on the soldier who left his post in a remote part of Afghanistan and spent nearly five years imprisoned by the Taliban.

The report on Bergdahl's disappearance and capture was put together by Major General Kenneth Dahl, who told a military hearing last week at a base in San Antonio that he did not believe the soldier should face jail time for his actions..

Bergdahl's defence counsel said in its filing: "These documents are unclassified. They were repeatedly referred to in testimony in open court in the presence of spectators."

The lawyers added Bergdahl had been vilified in the media and among some politicians over the past year, and the release of the military's official report, which includes 371 pages of testimony from Bergdahl, would help the public better understand what happened.

U.S. military prosecutors said at the end of the two-day hearing that Bergdahl intended to desert his post, his actions fundamentally altered American operations in Afghanistan and that he should be held accountable for his actions.

The hearing at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio was to gather evidence to reach a decision whether Bergdahl, 29, should be court-martialled on charges brought against him in March of desertion and misbehaviour before the enemy.

Bergdahl was held by the Taliban in Afghanistan for five years before being swapped in 2014 for five of the group's leaders in a move that generated a political firestorm. If convicted of misbehaviour, he could be sentenced to life in prison..

Bergdahl did not sympathise with the Taliban and was motivated to act over what he perceived to be problems of leadership so severe that he felt his unit was in danger, the major general who led the investigation said, adding Bergdahl's views of those around him could be naive and uninformed.

A massive search was launched for Bergdahl that lasted 45 days. Soldiers were pushed to the limits on the mission that covered vast and difficult terrain.

"My conclusion is that there were no soldiers killed who were deliberately looking for Sergeant Bergdahl," Dahl said.

Terrence Russell, an expert with the military's Joint Personnel Recovery Agency, said Bergdahl received some of the worst abuse at the hands of his abductors of any U.S. prisoner of war in the past half century.
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Re: Michael Hastings, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdah and War Crimes

Postby Luther Blissett » Sat Dec 12, 2015 10:59 am

Alright, well, I'm going to keep this thread at the top for the next couple of months. This season's Serial podcast with Sarah Koenig is going to explore the saga of Bowe Bergdahl and what exactly happened to him.

Of major interest to rigorous intuition readers is the injection into the investigative team of Mark Boal, the screenwriter for "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Hurt Locker." I've only listened to the first 20 minutes of the first episode, but Boal has been having these very bizarre phone conversations with Sgt. Bergdahl on his base for the past year. Not interviews necessarily, but seemingly normal phone conversations. Koenig will be teaming up with Boal and/or using his recordings in her investigation. I can't decide yet whether this will be totally co-opted from the start or whether the relationship between Koenig and Boal will be adversarial. Koenig is an odd mix between skeptic and gullible, but I think at least she's thorough.

It's going to make for interesting listening. I related heavily to the deep research and investigative nature of the first season, even though in the end I was let down and felt as though the target should have dreamt a little bigger in terms of subject matter. This could be it, or it could be Mockingbird.
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Re: Michael Hastings, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdah and War Crimes

Postby Elvis » Sun Dec 13, 2015 1:05 am

Luther Blissett wrote:I'm going to keep this thread at the top for the next couple of months. This season's Serial podcast with Sarah Koenig is going to explore the saga of Bowe Bergdahl and what exactly happened to him.



Thanks, Luther, I look forward to reading about it here. Bergdahl is back in the news (at least today on NPR), and whenever I hear or read about this case, for me it always boils down to this: the real culprits are Cheney, Bush, Wolfowitz and the rest who fooled this young man into going to war.

(I really like the idea of a class action suit against them.)
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Re: Michael Hastings, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdah and War Crimes

Postby 8bitagent » Sun Jan 03, 2016 7:03 am

Luther Blissett » Sat Dec 12, 2015 9:59 am wrote:Alright, well, I'm going to keep this thread at the top for the next couple of months. This season's Serial podcast with Sarah Koenig is going to explore the saga of Bowe Bergdahl and what exactly happened to him.

Of major interest to rigorous intuition readers is the injection into the investigative team of Mark Boal, the screenwriter for "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Hurt Locker." I've only listened to the first 20 minutes of the first episode, but Boal has been having these very bizarre phone conversations with Sgt. Bergdahl on his base for the past year. Not interviews necessarily, but seemingly normal phone conversations. Koenig will be teaming up with Boal and/or using his recordings in her investigation. I can't decide yet whether this will be totally co-opted from the start or whether the relationship between Koenig and Boal will be adversarial. Koenig is an odd mix between skeptic and gullible, but I think at least she's thorough.

It's going to make for interesting listening. I related heavily to the deep research and investigative nature of the first season, even though in the end I was let down and felt as though the target should have dreamt a little bigger in terms of subject matter. This could be it, or it could be Mockingbird.


Just got sucked into Serial! While season one was about a high school killing, the way she narrates and presents the podcast reminds me of how I felt with the captivating nature of the 2004-2006 Rigorous Intuition blogs.
Id so love for her to do one on Michael Hastings or so many other mysteries we've talked about here, but that seems like itd be pretty dangerous. Ive for better or worse gotten a little sucked into all the new popular true crime stuff(Serial podcast, Making a Murderer on netflix, the Jinx) I got so tired of the youtube conspiracy "documentary" stuff over the last decade, Id like to see this serious investigative approach to even really taboo/RI-ish events.
Gonna check out season 2 soon.
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Re: Michael Hastings, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdah and War Crimes

Postby 8bitagent » Sun Jan 03, 2016 7:14 am

Luther Blissett » Sat Dec 12, 2015 9:59 am wrote: I was let down and felt as though the target should have dreamt a little bigger in terms of subject matter. This could be it, or it could be Mockingbird.


I don't know, I think the subject for season 1 was kind of genius. It serves as an experimental introductory for that format she's creating, and lures in a mainstream audience who is ok with a random crime...but may not
want to delve into a rabbit hole into deep state stuff as we're starting to possibly get with season 2. And, I like the idea of the 1930s radio serial coming back, albeit in podcast form. I forgot how crazy popular the first season 1. Even SNL did a skit spoofing it
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Re: Michael Hastings, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdah and War Crimes

Postby Luther Blissett » Sun Jan 03, 2016 12:22 pm

I'm up-to-date but there's nothing really new happening yet. She's barely interjected, but as you can imagine, there's a lot to exposit. The funny thing is, it's being done almost entirely through the words of Bergdahl himself and regional Taliban spokesmen. Sometimes the story aligns, sometimes not, but Bergdahl comes off as trustworthy through most of it.
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Re: Michael Hastings, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdah and War Crimes

Postby Bandit Manatee » Mon Jan 04, 2016 12:21 pm

Berghdahl reminds me of shades of Tillman. Someone who was in too deep and wanted out...
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Re: Michael Hastings, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdah and War Crimes

Postby Luther Blissett » Mon Jan 04, 2016 12:41 pm

Bandit Manatee » Mon Jan 04, 2016 11:21 am wrote:Berghdahl reminds me of shades of Tillman. Someone who was in too deep and wanted out...


The one element for which I have serious misgivings is his original intention for walking off-base. I think it's a sound story he concocted over his years of captivity. He claims he wanted to create a DUSTWUN — duty status whereabouts unknown — because it would force higher-ups to be exposed to the harsh conditions on the ground.

I'm closer to your thinking. I don't think walking off and attempting to reach a larger forward operating base on foot on his own was the most logical way to expose the breakdown of U.S. military leadership in Afghanistan.
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Re: Michael Hastings, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdah and War Crimes

Postby 8bitagent » Mon Jan 04, 2016 11:32 pm

Luther Blissett » Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:22 am wrote:I'm up-to-date but there's nothing really new happening yet. She's barely interjected, but as you can imagine, there's a lot to exposit. The funny thing is, it's being done almost entirely through the words of Bergdahl himself and regional Taliban spokesmen. Sometimes the story aligns, sometimes not, but Bergdahl comes off as trustworthy through most of it.



For whatever reason the Bergdahl story never really seemed to interesting to me. Guy awols, gets taken by Taliban for a few years, White House negotiates his release. Even if there's variables, maybe on its face it doesn't seem juicy enough. Even a Serial on Pat Tilman would be more interesting(pursing the intentionally killed angle as hinted at in the Pat Tilman documentary) So wish she had chose the murdered/killed theme, and tackled Michael Hastings,
the DC Madam, or heck the 2001 Chandra Levy missing intern story.
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Re: Michael Hastings, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdah and War Crimes

Postby Luther Blissett » Tue Jan 05, 2016 1:07 pm

I agree. I am interested now, but like you I wasn't previously too focused on his case, especially since I subconsciously married it to Benghazi.

That being said, there are some insights, surprises, and biscuit crumbs here. I'm fully aware that I can read and hear direct testimony from Islamic extremists on any number of platforms, but hearing them be interviewed and hounded on nuanced points is very revealing as regards their mentality, operations, mythologies, ideas and actions. It's also funny to "know" some things the Taliban believe, which Sarah casts as "ridiculous", like that superior officers managed to procure prostitutes. It is funny that almost all Afghans believe U.S. soldiers to all be constantly drunk.

The thesis question is really not all that big of one though. It would be interesting if they really uncover a big surprise.
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Re: Michael Hastings, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdah and War Crimes

Postby Project Willow » Fri Jan 08, 2016 11:49 pm

8bitagent » 03 Jan 2016 03:03 wrote:Just got sucked into Serial! While season one was about a high school killing, the way she narrates and presents the podcast reminds me of how I felt with the captivating nature of the 2004-2006 Rigorous Intuition blogs.
Id so love for her to do one on Michael Hastings or so many other mysteries we've talked about here, but that seems like itd be pretty dangerous. Ive for better or worse gotten a little sucked into all the new popular true crime stuff(Serial podcast, Making a Murderer on netflix, the Jinx) I got so tired of the youtube conspiracy "documentary" stuff over the last decade, Id like to see this serious investigative approach to even really taboo/RI-ish events.
Gonna check out season 2 soon.


Is there not a thread on Avery or The Jinx? There should be. Making a Murderer is making a big splash, the central theme I see in reactions is expressed shock and fear of the justice system. Something else that's trending is ever increasing awareness and use of the phrase The Deep State, in the wake of Talbot's and Lofgren's recent books. As if over night, I'm seeing Obama liberals begin to take notice. Hmmmm.
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Re: Michael Hastings, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdah and War Crimes

Postby bks » Sat Jan 09, 2016 7:43 am

Project Willow » Fri Jan 08, 2016 10:49 pm wrote:
8bitagent » 03 Jan 2016 03:03 wrote:Just got sucked into Serial! While season one was about a high school killing, the way she narrates and presents the podcast reminds me of how I felt with the captivating nature of the 2004-2006 Rigorous Intuition blogs.
Id so love for her to do one on Michael Hastings or so many other mysteries we've talked about here, but that seems like itd be pretty dangerous. Ive for better or worse gotten a little sucked into all the new popular true crime stuff(Serial podcast, Making a Murderer on netflix, the Jinx) I got so tired of the youtube conspiracy "documentary" stuff over the last decade, Id like to see this serious investigative approach to even really taboo/RI-ish events.
Gonna check out season 2 soon.


Is there not a thread on Avery or The Jinx? There should be. Making a Murderer is making a big splash, the central theme I see in reactions is expressed shock and fear of the justice system. Something else that's trending is ever increasing awareness and use of the phrase The Deep State, in the wake of Talbot's and Lofgren's recent books. As if over night, I'm seeing Obama liberals begin to take notice. Hmmmm.


Similar things been seen here. Post-Snowden, we may have reached the point where the Deep State's media wing recognizes that increased public exposure is inevitable and maybe even an opportunity. It can now get about devoting itself to managing that exposure for profit and for its further entrenchment.

A slogan for the new year:

Transparency management: making opaque, partial and entertaining what in saner hands would be made outrageous.

Think of it as a new kind of "public offering." Perfect for the death throes of Empire.

And Talbot's book is very, very good so far.
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