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Porkins Policy Radio episode 186 Ken Silverstein on The Intercept, NRA spending scandal, and Venezuela

May 15, 2019 – 8:18 pm

In the first hour, I went solo and talked about some recent developments in the West African nation of Burkina Faso. I started off with the recent hostage rescue operation by French special forces which freed 4 tourists. I talked about the political instability that Burkina Faso has been facing over the past several years. I also talked about the rumors that the hostages were going to be handed over to the Macina Liberation Front in Mali. I spoke about the rise of jihadi groups across West Africa and how much of it unfolded in 2012 with the ouster of Mali’s president Amadou Toumani Toure. I also discussed the role that France continues to play as a colonial overlord in West Africa. I finished off by looking at a recent attack on a church in northern Burkina Faso and how it might link to gold mining in the country, and how this is exploited by groups like the neocons.

In the second hour the founder of Counterpunch and Washington Babylon, Ken Silverstein, joined me. We started off by talking about Ken’s latest media project WashingtonBabylon.com. Ken talked about the structure of the site and the unique way they are approaching both journalism and political reporting. Later we talked extensively about The Intercept and the myriad problems facing the billionaire-funded outlet. Ken talked about the recent scandal where yet a third whistleblower has been sent to jail after cooperating with The Intercept and Jeremy Scahill. Ken talked about his own time at The Intercept and why he ultimately had to walk away. Ken and I trashed Glenn Greenwald and also talked about the theory that The Intercept is, in fact, an intelligence operation to entrap whistleblowers. Later we talked about some of Ken’s reporting looking at the NRA spending scandal and why Wayne LaPierre paid $14,000 in rent for a summer intern. We finished the conversation by looking at the situation in Venezuela. Ken also teased a bombshell story he is writing on Marco Rubio.

Download episode 186

Show notes:

French special forces rescue hostages in a deadly Burkina Faso raid

French ex-hostages arrive in Burkina Faso capital, pay tribute to soldiers killed

French troops free hostages in Burkina Faso

Macina Liberation Front

The Complex and Growing Threat of Militant Islamist Groups in the Sahel

Burkina Faso: Gunmen Kill Priest, Worshippers in Burkina Faso Church

Burkina Faso church attack: Priest among six killed

Burkina Faso – An Emerging World-Class Gold Province

Nexus Gold Corp

WashingtonBabylon.com

@KenSilverstein1

Where Journalism Goes to Die

The Intercept Is The Surveillance State: How Scahill & Cole Got Played By NSC & NSA

Is The Intercept An Intelligence Operation? An Ongoing Inquiry

EXCLUSIVE: DID THE HEAD OF THE NRA HAVE AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH A RUSSIAN SPY AND HAVE HIS GROUP PAY HER APARTMENT RENT?

Why a Coup Is Unlikely in Venezuela

Caracas Chronicles, Part I of an Ongoing Series

By porkinspolicyreview | Posted in Porkins Policy Radio | Also tagged al Qaeda, Amadou Toumani Toure, AQIM, Burkina Faso, cfa franc, church attack, clash of civilization, Dablo, france, Glenn Greenwald, gold, islamist extremists, jeremy scahill, jihadi, journalism, ken silverstein, Macina Liberation Front, Maduro, mali, marco rubio, neocons, NRA, nra spending scandal, pierre omidyar, Venezuela, war on christians, washington babylon, wayne lapierre, west africa, whistleblower | Comments (1)

Porkins Policy Radio episode 160 Quarantining 9/11 with Robbie Martin

October 10, 2018 – 4:29 pm

Frequent guest and friend of the show Robbie Martin joined me this week. We started off by discussing Reddit’s recent quarantining of 23 subreddits. We focused on their quarantine of the 9/11 Truth subreddit. We talked about the specific language that was used for 9/11 Truth about misinformation, and that the fact that no other quarantines specified misinformation. Robbie talked about the levels to which 9/11 Truth has been stifled in the past few years. We also contemplated the role of open source and crowd sourced research in today’s political landscape. We talked about Bellingcat’s role as a open/crowd sourced outlet and if this is the preferred model of western governments. Robbie also touched on Bellingcat’s role in the Skripal Poisoning Saga. We talked about Bellingcat’s recent report identifying some of the alleged GRU agents involved in the operation.

In the second hour Robbie talks about the new film The Magnitsky Act: Behind the Scene. We discussed the history of Magnitsky and his partner Bill Browder in the context of the New Cold War. I closed out the show by answering a listener question about some of the most important books in my life.

Download PPR episode 160

Show Notes:

MediaRoots.org

AVeryHeavyAgenda.com

List of subreddits quarantined on Sept. 27th

Brett Kavanaugh cover up of Vince Foster Murder

Coverup: Why All You’ve Heard From Mainstream Media About the Magnitsky Act is Probably Wrong

Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia by Ahmed Rashid

Xala by Sembene Ousmane (full book)

Xala (full film)

Aberration in the Heartland of the Real: The Secret Lives of Timothy McVeigh by Wendy S Painting

Legacy of Deception: An Investigation of Mark Fuhrman & Racism in the L.A.P.D. by Stephen Singular

Revolve: Man’s Scientific Rise to Godhood by Aaron Franz

By porkinspolicyreview | Posted in Porkins Policy Radio | Also tagged 9/11, 9/11 truth, A very heavy agenda, bellingcat, bill browder, brett kavanaugh, CIA, conspiracy theorists, conspiracy theory, crowd source, Eliot Higgins, GRU, hate groups, magnitsky act, media roots, new cold war, novichok, open source, oz katerji, quarantining, reddit, Robbie Martin, Russia, Sergei skripal, Skripal, SPLC, subreddit, vince foster, yulia skripal | Comments (0)

Porkins Policy Radio episode 97 The Decline of Leaking: From Chelsea Manning to Reality Winner

June 14, 2017 – 1:22 pm

Tom Secker and Robbie Martin join me for a very wide ranging discussion on everything from Reality Winner to Dennis Rodman. Tom and I start off the conversation by talking about the Wikileaks Twitter account tweeting about our issue on The American Journal of Economics and Sociology. We talk about the obvious divide right now between Assange and Wikileaks not just in terms of Twitter, but in terms of their media strategy. The three of us then dive into the bizarre case of NSA leaker Reality Winner. We theorize as to whether she is a true leaker, or a truly disgruntled employee. We discuss the possibility that Winner was set up to leak, and if this is really a move by the Trump administration to ward off future potential leakers. Robbie and Tom also touch on the strange behavior of The Intercept and how they mismanaged this entire story and their lack of protection of Reality Winner.

In the second hour we ponder the question as to whether Reality Winner represents a bookend to the celebrity culture of leakers and whistleblowers. We take a close look at Chelsea Manning and her recent media interviews. The three of us talk about the media’s obsession with Manning as a trans celebrity, and the ways in which they have sexualized and fetishized her since her release from prison. We discuss how the media has largely ignored or forgotten the true reasons for why she was imprisoned in the first place: leaking thousands of government documents. We talk about the notion that Bradley Manning and the actions associated with him are now dead and therefore are no longer a topic of discussion among the media. We round out the conversation by talking about Dennis Rodman’s most recent trip to North Korea. We talk about the possibility that Rodman is being used as either a back-channel or some form of intermediary between Kim Jong-Un and US intelligence. Robbie, Tom, and I also touch on the cryptocurrency Potcoin which has sponsored Rodman’s trip to the Hermit Kingdom.

Download PPR episode 97

Show Notes:

Wikileaks tweets our issue of The American Journal of Economics and Sociology

Spy Culture

A Very Heavy Agenda

Top-Secret NSA Report Details Russian Hacking Effort Days Before 2016 Election

Statement on Justice Department Allegations

Do Not Trust The Intercept or How To Burn A Source

Reality Winner

Reality Winner Indictment

WikiLeaks offers $10,000 to get Intercept reporter fired

The Long, Lonely Road of Chelsea Manning

Chelsea Manning explains why she leaked secret military documents, fought for transgender rights behind bars

Anthrax And “Russiagate”: Mueller’s Special Counsel Appointment Should Raise Concern

Potcoin Sends Dennis Rodman Back to North Korea

Apparently, Tourists Love North Korea For The Super Cheap & Legal Weed

North Korea releases American student reportedly in coma as Dennis Rodman returns to the reclusive nation

A cryptocurrency for weed is soaring in value after it sponsored Dennis Rodman’s trip to North Korea

By porkinspolicyreview | Posted in Porkins Policy Radio | Also tagged 2016 election, A very heavy agenda, assange, bill binney, bradley manning, cannabis, chelsea manning, ClandesTime, dennis rodman, donald trump, Edward Snowden, Julian assange, kim jong un, leaker, North Korea, NSA, potcoin, reality winner, Robbie Martin, robert mueller, russiagate, russian hacking, Snowden, tom secker, trans rights, transgender, trump, whistleblower, wikileaks | Comments (1)

ClandesTime 066 Homeland Season 5 Finale

December 27, 2015 – 3:11 pm

From SpyCulture:

This review of the finale of Homeland discusses not just the final episode but the entire season. We reflect on what is new and different about this fifth season, from the religious dimensions being crow-barred into the show to the use of Russians as the enemy image and hackers as second-level terrorists. We examine the storyline of the recruitment of the Laura Poitras character by the BND, both drawing a parallel with the real life person and identifying this as a metaphor for Homeland as a state-sponsored show. We dwell on whether the CIA staff actually hate Laura Poitras, unaware that she may be an asset of some section of the Agency.

As the conversation progress, we outline the idea that Homeland is an experiment to see how far they can make people doubt their own perceptions of not just the show itself but also the geopolitical realities it sometimes portrays. We explore the idea that Homeland is designed to assault the audience’s confidence in their own perceptions. We wrap up looking at Homeland’s obsession with predicting or commenting on current events, often events that happen during the production or broadcasting of the show. We outline Alex Gansa’s recent admissions that the major creative players in the show – including Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin – attended four days of meetings at a private club in Georgetown. The meetings were arranged by former CIA deputy director John MacGaffin – the main consultant on Homeland – and involved currently serving CIA officers, State Department officials and White House staffers.

Download ClandesTime episode 066

Vimeo version

Show Notes:

Watch Homeland season 5

Alex Gansa on Homeland and Responding to Real Life Terrorism

Why fiction mirrored grim reality on Homeland this season

Homeland Is Not A Series

By porkinspolicyreview | Posted in Porkins Policy Radio | Also tagged alex gansa, BND, CIA, claire danes, georgetown, hackers, Homeland, homeland hackers, John MacGaffin, Laura Poitras, Mandy pantinkin, Otto Durring, paris attacks, predictive programming, propaganda, Russia, season finale, Syria, terrorism | Comments (0)

Porkins Policy Radio episode 44 Homeland Season 5 ep 11

December 19, 2015 – 5:42 pm

On this penulitamte episode of our Homeland series Tom and I begin by venting about our hatred of Alison. Next we move onto the shows continual use of women as negative characters. WE discuss the similarities between Alison and real life Russian spy Anna Chapman. We look at the parallels between these two characters and the notion that Alison will receive a hero’s welcome if she returns to Russia. Next we explore if the Russian government would actually let an attack happen, as Homeland suggests, in order to galvanize the West to fight ISIS. Tom and I lay out some of our theories as to why the Russian’s don’t talk about the Gladio operations (Boston, 9/11, Paris) that they clearly are aware of. We discuss the emergence of yet another evil female spy this time in the form of a German Foreign Office offical. Later Tom and I discuss one of the major takeaways from this season: that the CIA no longer engages in torture. Through out this season we have seen several distinct plot lines that lead us to believe that the CIA no longer uses this brutal tactic. Tom and I discuss the moral issues surrounding torture and the aspects of torture that are never brought up in the debate. We discuss how the show uses the character of Marwan to illustrate that torture doesn’t work, and how this is most likely a deliberate propaganda move to wipe clean the CIA’s hands. We also note how the show has routinely made the German’s look not only like torturers, but Nazi’s and Stasi as well. Tom and I also touch on Hollywoods false portrayal of strong female characters in movies such as Spy, and how this is really just more of the same. Later we move onto the portrayal of Laura Poitras in the show and how this may reflect the CIA’s various desires to portray her as hero and villain. We round off the conversation by discussing some very interesting listener emails and tweets.

Tom and I briefly talk about our participation in a brand new media project being spearheaded by Sibel Edmonds at the end of the podcast.

Download PPR episode 44

Show Notes:

Homeland Season 5 episode 11 Our man in Damascus

Laili Helms

Laila Helms could be a character in Homeland

Kathryn Bigelow Prepping Jihadi Recruitment Drama for HBO

First Look Media snags Comedy Central and NBC alum Lisa Leingang

First Look Media wants to make the next “Spotlight”

Music:

DMX – X Gon Give It To Ya

By porkinspolicyreview | Posted in Porkins Policy Radio | Also tagged 9/11, Anna chapman, BND, CIA, feminisim, First look media, germany, Gladio B, Hollywood, Homeland, ISIS, Kathryn Bigelow, Laila Helms, laili helms, Laura Poitras, Nazi, Paris attack, propaganda, Russia, sarin, stasi, Taliban, torture | Comments (0)

Porkins Policy Radio episode 42 The Homeland Hackers

December 1, 2015 – 1:15 pm

Today Tom and I spoke to the now world famous “Homeland Hackers.” Heba Amin, Don Karl, and Caram Kapp sat down with us to discuss how they got the opportunity to work on the show and how they subverted it by filling the set with Arabic graffiti saying, among other things, “Homeland is racist” “Homeland is not a show” and of course our personal favorite, “Homeland is a watermelon.” We began the conversation by discussing how in fact they were chosen by the set designer to work on episode 2 of season 5. The artists described how the production did little to no research into what would be in a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon, and essentially left them to their own devices once on set. Later we explored the show it self and how the propaganda with in Homeland has reached new levels of manipulation and racism. All three artists talked about how Arab’s and Arabic are used as mere window dressing and one dimensional plot devices for the show’s propaganda. Later we discussed the aftermath of the hack, and the typical media response; Muslim artist activists show the softer side of Islam. We also talk about how Laura Poitras and The Intercept got involved after the hack. As we wrapped up the discussion we got the seal of approval from Heba, Caram, and Don when we asked them about our podcast. In the outro section I talk about how Tom and I do not believe the rather crazy claims that this is some sort of CIA disinfo/ psy-op.

I have to say this was one of the most enjoyable and fascinating interviews I have conducted. Homeland is a Watermelon.

Download PPR episode 42

Show Notes:

“Arabian Street Artists” Bomb Homeland: Why we hacked an award-winning series

Homeland Hack News Coverage

Music:

Mr. Flagio – Take a Chance

By porkinspolicyreview | Posted in Porkins Policy Radio | Also tagged alex gansa, arabic, Assad, caram kapp, CIA, don karl, graffiti, heba amin, Homeland, homeland hack, homeland is a watermelon, homeland is racist, Laura Poitras, Lebanon, Paris attack, racism, refugee camp, refugee crisis | Comments (2)

Corbett Report Interview 989 Pearse Redmond Peels the TOR Onion

January 13, 2015 – 5:11 am

From Corbett Report:

“The TOR Project promises its users a modicum of privacy protection from would-be information gatherers, both small time crooks and nation-state cyber-security agencies. But do these promises hold up to scrutiny? And who is behind the TOR Project itself? And why did a TOR developer recently doxx a critic on Twitter? Joining us today to dissect this onion stew is Pearse Redmond of Porkins Policy Review.”