This presentation by Mario Sousa – less than an hour in duration – will change your view of history. “Most sane and educated people accept that there were serious human rights abuses in the Soviet Union, during the Stalin period.” he says. The evidence is everywhere – everyone says so, and there’s no smoke without fire, after all. But what is the evidence? And where does it come from? The present author, Mario Sousa, is a member of the Communist Party in Sweden.

Andre Vltchek from Hong Kong – It was once a British police station, as well as the Victoria Prison Compound. Hong Kong inhabitants used to tremble just from hearing its name mentioned. This is where people were detained, interrogated, humiliated, tortured and disappeared.

Now, after Hong Kong ‘returned to China’, it was converted into the Tai Kwun Center – one of the biggest and the most vibrant art institutions in Asia.

This transformation was symbolic, the same as the conversion of the former British-era slums into public parks has been symbolic.

But now, as the pro-Western and anti-Chinese treasonous hooligans are dividing and ruining this former U.K. colony, the old-colonialist flags of “British Hong Kong” are being waved alongside the flags of the United States, while Chinese flags are being humiliated, and thrown into the bay.

Rioters seem to remember nothing about those ‘good old times’ (according to them), when signs shamelessly declared: “No Dogs and Chinese”. As they seem to close both eyes and ignore the neo-colonialism and massacres, that both North America and Europe are constantly committing in all corners of the world.

Now, the citizens of Hong Kong are scared. Not of the “government”, not of the police, or Beijing: they are frightened of the so-called protesters, of ninja-like looking young people with covered faces and metal bars in their hands.

Mr. Edmond, who works for the Tai Kwun Center, speaks bitterly about the events in his city:

“What is truly scary now, is that families here in HK are deeply divided. Father does not talk to his son. Silence reigns inside the families. Colleagues do not touch the subject of riots. The situation is thoroughly ruining our city, our society, our families.”

“If someone publicly disagrees with the protesters, they get beaten. They managed to silence people.”

“People come here, to this wonderful art center, and if they are from Beijing, they are now hiding their identity. It is because they are scared.”

Mr. Edmond keeps repeating that “disagreements should be like disputes inside the family”. He means, disagreements between the Hong Kong inhabitants, and Beijing. According to him, the outsiders should not be involved.

This is what the majority of the people feels in Hong Kong now. This is what they felt in 2014, when I wrote about another prolonged and destructive event which was sponsored by the West – the so-called “Umbrella” uprising.

They feel this, but most of them would not dare to express it. The rioters are young, in good physical shape, and armed with sticks and bars. They have no identity, as their faces are covered by scarves. They are drunk on fanatical self-righteousness; stoned on a primitive sense of purpose. Their behavior is not rational – it is religious.

I have been talking to them. In 2014, and now. Most of them know nothing about the foreign policy of the West. They have no clue about the brutality of the British Empire. They do not want to hear about the humiliation and pain of the Chinese people, when their country was invaded, broken into pieces and occupied.

They are selfish; grandstanders, and extremely arrogant.

They wave flags; foreign flags. They spit on their own banners. They do what they are told to do: by the hostile, foreign powers. And they do, what they are paid to do. It is as depressing, as it is embarrassing, to watch.

“President Trump, please liberate us!” “Please Save us, President Trump!” That is what they shout. That is what their posters say.

It is very hard to talk to them. I tried. Most of them do not want to uncover their faces, and to speak. They seem to feel secure only when in packs, in multitudes. When challenged, they reveal that they know very little, even about China; or even about Hong Kong itself.

But they are ready to preach; to lecture.

When faced with logical arguments, which they cannot refute, they become brutal.

Just a few days ago, they attacked a local teacher who was singing the national anthem of China. They beat him up. A child witnessing the event was horrified. He cried. The teacher kept singing.

They are beating those who try to make them stop destroying the city. They are beating those who are shaming them.

Whenever I manage to have longer exchanges with them, it somehow feels the same as when I am confronting religious fanatics in the Middle East. Perhaps, it should not even be surprising, as both are products of the Western propagandists and their allies.

People refusing to accept their leaflets at the airport –get beaten. If visitors to shopping centers challenge the rioters – a public beating takes place.

This covering of faces with black scarves would be illegal in many parts of the West, were the black scarves to be worn by, let’s say, Muslim women, or local rioters. But the Western media, outrageously selective in its coverage, is glorifying it here, simply because it is against the interests of the People’s Republic of China.

Chinese people, with thousands of years of culture, mostly tolerant, are not used to all this. These events of the last three months are something extremely foreign to them. Therefore, many are scared. Very scared. Desperate.

Ninjas of this nature are usually jumping and hitting in all directions, but from the screens of television sets, not right in the middle of the streets.

As I am filming in Hong Kong, as I am reporting for television stations, the picture is becoming clearer and clearer.

There are U.S. flags being carried, the U.S. anthem is sung, then immediately, hundreds of Western media crews start filming.

But when public property is being damaged, subway stations vandalized, pedestrians and motorists attacked, Western cameras are nowhere in sight.

If rioters were to trash Heathrow Airport in London, the army would be called, immediately. Here, the rioters are cheered on by foreigners.

It is obvious that Western mass media outlets and the rioters are working hand-in-hand. They have the same goals.

Fear is mixed with shame. No one in Hong Kong is speaking openly, on the record. Even on such seemingly ‘innocent’ topics like the collapse of tourism.

Those who are destroying the city, are obviously not willing to take responsibility for the hardship they are causing to its citizens.

Those who are with Beijing, those who believe in “one China”, which is the silent majority of the citizens, feel shame, because there are so many traitors living among them, in one overcrowded urban area.

Therefore, silence!

Everyone here in Hong Kong and in Mainland China, understands how dangerous the situation really is. Leaders of the riots, like Joshua Wong, are groomed by Washington, London and Berlin. They are morally and financially supported, not unlike people like Guaido in Venezuela. Mr. Wong is known to associate himself with organizations such as the “White Helmets”, which is working on behalf of the West for “regime change” in Syria.

To damage, to break China into pieces, is now the main goal of Western foreign policy. Beijing is being attacked on all fronts: Uyghurs, the Belt and Road Initiative, Taiwan, Tibet, South China Sea, trade. The more successful China gets; the more attacks it has to face.

Hong Kong used to be a city where “streets were paved with gold”, according to the legend. Mainland Chinese used to see it as a semi-paradise. All this has changed, reversed now. Neighboring cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou, count with much better infrastructure, a greater cultural life, and lesser levels of poverty.

In one of the international hotels of Hong Kong, I was told by a manager:

“Mainland Chinese people do not see Hong Kong as something attractive, anymore. They do not travel here often, anymore. They are not treated well here. They go to Thailand or to Europe instead.”

The citizens of Hong Kong feel frustrated and angry. Their “uniqueness” is evaporating. They are being left behind. Poverty rates are high. English language proficiency is declining, and businesses are moving to Singapore. Hong Kong is the most expensive city on earth, and it is unaffordable for most of its citizens.

Extreme capitalism here has brought nothing spectacular to the people. It is increasingly obvious that the Communist (or call it “socialism with the Chinese characteristics”) system has become much more successful than the old British-style neo-liberalism; in terms of social policies, infrastructure, the arts and general quality of life.

The spoiled, egotistical young people of Hong Kong are outraged. What? They are suddenly not on top of the world? The Commies across the line are better at almost everything they touch?

Instead of working harder, they turn against China; against the Mainland.

They want to convince the entire Hong Kong and even the Mainland, that the ‘Hong Kong way’ is the only correct way. And of course, there is plenty of funding available to support their insane claims. The funding comes from the fellow-collapsing societies – those in the West.

Most of the citizens of Hong Kong are scared that the rioters may succeed.

They have already forced the withdrawal of the Extradition Bill, which could help Hong Kong to fight the endemic corruption and invulnerability of its business elites.

They have already managed to scare the Hong Kong government into compromises.

The rioters are acting like huge, violent gangs, and they are enjoying full propaganda support from the West.

But whether they like it or not, Hong Kong is China. Ask a grocery vendor at North Point, ask coolies, old ladies on a park bench, or an elementary school teacher, and you will understand. These people do not care whether Hong Kong is exceptional or not. They do not need to show-off. They just want to live, to survive, to look forward to a better future.

And a better future is definitely with Beijing, not with Washington or London.

They already had London. They had enough of it.

“More Beijing, not less”, you would hear if people were not scared to talk. In 2014, when things were not as extreme as now, they used to tell me.

Now, it is not easy to fight the hundreds of thousands of face-covering and metal-bar-waving zealots and fanatics. Their religion is simply “The West”. It is abstract. As are their demands. As are their violent outbursts of inferiority complexes.

Both, the local majority, and Beijing, have to think hard as to what strategy to apply, in order to protect, and to defend Hong Kong and China against those brutal, frustrated, morally corrupt hooligans and treasonous cadres.

https://www.jerrygoldsmithonline.com/poltergeist_2_review.htm

Poltergeist II The Other Side remains one of Jerry Goldsmith’s best scores of the 80’s and the fact that this could have easily been a re-hash of the Oscar nominated first score makes this score even more impressive. Goldsmith found a new identity to his score and the film by way of the Indian mystic Taylor, introducing his elegant shaman theme for synths over the opening credits (The Power). The lengthy opening affords the composer a chance to build his theme adding layer after layer with a final presentation of solo trumpet. From here Goldsmith introduces the ominous Kane theme, utilising the character’s evil Preacher incarnation and turning the theme into a distorted hymn, finally adding voices for the tortured sound of lost souls.

Things remains a major highlight and opens with an ominous variation on the original Carol Anne theme, before revealing a gorgeous rendition for synths, strings, harp and woodwinds. This is further expanded in the sublime Late Call with its mystical presentation of Carol Anne’s lullaby, again for synths but ably supported by warm strings. The Mall signals the ominous arrival of Kane into the lives of the Freelings as Carol Anne’s theme is turned into a frantic suspense cue. They’re Back is a major turning point for the score developing from chilling ‘Omenesque’ chorus, minus original lyrics, into a thoroughbred action cue with snare drums and crisp brass.

Butterflies is a short but hypnotic rendition of the Taylor theme and provides a rest bite before the onslaught of evil kicks in. The Visitor is a new cue providing more of Kane’s eerie accompaniment, but develops some intriguing latter elements of chanting and stabbing string figures. Wild Braces opens misleadingly with Carol Anne’s theme before all hell brakes loose with distorted voices, beeping synths and more orchestral action and chorus.

Leave Us Alone and The Smoke are low key developments of both Kane’s and Taylor’s theme. The latter cue develops the Kane theme to a crescendo with more chorus as his hideous past is relived before the ceremonial Taylor theme returns to dominate and close. The Worm sequence opens as a propulsive suspense cue, with strings and electronics providing the chanting, before things settle to a chilling and dissonant variation of the Kane theme as Stephen is possessed by a vomit monster. As the creature is rejected and Stephen wins the battle Goldsmith unleashes a maelstrom of snarling brass and thundering percussion for a wild finale. Back to Cuesta Verde introduces the final act with Goldsmith whipping the orchestra into a frenzy with a pulse pounding action piece for a fight with a chainsaw, before melancholy sets in as Carol Anne’s theme becomes ominously distant.

Reaching Out signals the final battle between good and evil as the family enters the nether world to destroy evil and retrieve Carol Anne. Goldsmith’s lengthy cue is a tug of war between three themes as the family try to pull her back, with Goldsmith’s celestial scoring repeatedly thrown between darkness and light. Taylor’s theme is now trumpeted with brass, while electronics now take on their true role as evil. Momentarily, with Carol Anne lost, Goldsmith provides a heartbreaking moment with a tragic new variant on her theme, before she is returned to the light signalling a triumphant restatement. Taylor’s mystical theme makes one final appearance to close the film and introduces the credits with Carol Anne’s touching lullaby for chorus (Carol Anne’s Theme).

This is the fifth incarnation of Poltergeist II! Now featuring the complete score from analogue and digital mixes, the remaining short missing cues, alternates, cues minus choir and the unused finale music with and without choir.

Storm From The East

1. Birth Of An Empire
2. World Conquerors
3. Tartar Crusaders
4. Last Khan Of Khans

This series covers the life and accomplishments of Genghis Khan and examines the art, culture, science, and technology of Mongol civilization. Genghis Khan left not only a highly trained army, but the beginning of an imperial administrative framework, a system of taxation, a communications network—all of which were built upon and expanded by his successors. The series was filmed on location in Mongolia and also features battle re-enactments shot at historical locations throughout Europe and Asia. 4-part series, 50 minutes each.

This program explores Europes initial response to the Mongol onslaught, which was to presume it some form of divine retribution sent to punish a sinful world. In 1243, Pope Innocent IV sent forth a series of emissaries to glean the will of the Mongol lords and persuade them to consider Christianity. Unexpectedly, the papal envoy discovered a government of ambassadors and emissaries that actively encouraged religious tolerance, resulting in the widespread flourish of Christianity.

I wish I could tell you this was an April Fools joke. I really do.

About a month ago Bill Clinton sat in congress and admitted that he played a vital part in the willful destruction of the agricultural base of Haiti in order to “relieve them of the burden of producing their own food so they could leap right into the industrial revolution“. Not only does he try to pass off their neoliberalization scheme as a “mistake” but he admits it was really only good for ”some of my farmers (subsidized rice farmers) in Arkansas“.

Well, not only was it good for “his farmers” from his home state who just happened to be political donors as well, but it was also very good for another interest he had back in the day; the company that created a Board of Directors chair for his wife when he became Governor of Arkansas.

You see, the “leap into the industrial revolution” Bill Clinton was talking about was the predicted migration to the urban centers that the population of the rural farming areas had to make. This “blight flight” produced a vast number of dislocated migrant workers living in shanty towns who would work for next to nothing in all the sweatshops that Bill Clinton helped set up.

And of course who benefited from that? Walmart. Bill Clinton’s good old friends, the Forbes 500 top ten billionaire Walton Family.

“Since 1981, until about a year or so ago we started rethinking it, we thought that we rich countries that produce a lot of food should sell it to poor countries and relieve them of the burden of producing their own food so that, thank goodness, they can leap right into the industrial era. It has not worked. It may have been good for some of my farmers in Arkansas but it has not worked. It was a mistake. It was a mistake that I was a party to, I am not pointing the finger at anybody, I did that. I have to live everyday with the consequences of the lost capacity to produce their rice crop in Haiti to feed those people.” Bill Clinton, March 2010

Clinton’s mia culpa is clearly too little too late, especially considering the fact that he has been appointed, by his Secretary of State wife no less, to become the defacto emperor of Haiti.

In short, what Bill Clinton is saying is he purposefully and willfully destroyed the economy and the standard of living for millions of Haitians, so naturally of course, we should hand over to him complete control of all the money donated and raised for the rebuilding of that same nation. A $10 billion dollar fund will be handed over to one of the chief architects of the neoliberalization of Haiti …and no one bats an eye.

What Bill Clinton actually did was just an extension of the neoliberal scheme started by Reagan and Bush 41. The idea was to collapse the agricultural base of targeted nations by opening up their markets to corporate produced agribusiness food products that were subsidized by the US taxpayers.

This allowed these businesses, “my farmers” as Clinton refers to them, to get in and sell cheap products that would undermine rice prices in Haiti to the point where local farmers could not afford to compete. Top that with forcing the Haitian government to pass laws requiring local farmers to buy seed and fertilizer from our companies at inflated rates, and you have a recipe for deliberately wiping out the entire indigenous agricultural base.

Once that income source was cleared out, the rural communities that surrounded the agricultural industry of Haiti would soon be forced to relocate into the urban centers in order to simply survive. And those people moved right into Bill Clinton’s other neoliberal trap in Haiti, the sweatshop garment industry.

Forced to live like peasants and work like dogs for slave wages, the people of Haiti suffered for decades as a direct result of Bill Clinton’s and George H. W. Bush’s neoliberalization of a nation. The people suffered horrible lives for decades while the friends of Bill Clinton got rich selling those shirts and sneakers at Walmart. Of course those products being flooded into America ultimately undermined our textile industry and the strength of their realted unions and thus the viral infection of neoliberalization spread.

In a more recent interview, also covered on Democracy NOW!, Clinton again talks about the “mistake” they made back then, only this time he leaves out the “my farmers” part. But he does go a bit further in explaining the deeper destruction his neoliberal policies caused the people of Haiti. Policies that were basically enacted at gunpoint. Keep in mind the notion that the same process is happening here as you read his comments.

“We really believed for 20 years that if you moved agricultural production there (I suppose hes talking about “his” farmers in his home state again) and then facilitated its introduction into poorer places (forced open markets) you would free those places to get aid (impoverish the nation so the IMF and World Bank could come in) to skip agricultural development and go straight into an industrial era (garment factory sweatshops) and it’s failed everywhere its been tried… and it also undermines a lot the culture, the fabric of life, the sense of self-determination…. we genuinely thought we were helping Haiti…” Bill Clinton, late March 2010

As he delivered that last little part, the part where he says they thought they were helping the people of Haiti, you can see a little smirk on his face. He actually breaks out in a little smile as he says it.

Instead of flowing directly to the Haitian government, the aid will be managed by a proposed Interim Haiti Recovery Commission co-chaired by former President Bill Clinton and Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive. Democracy NOW!

It’s not hard to understand the real nature of what the Bill Clinton led program actually has in store for Haiti as that the signs are already there for all to see.

Last week Clinton and George (wipe my hands off) Bush traveled down to Haiti to strong-arm the puppet president there to pass a law which would allow the new neoliberal Clinton regime to take any land they saw fit from whomever they wanted for the reconstruction process. Its kind of an eminent domain law which the donors at this weeks conference wanted as an assurance prior to investing their “donations”. It basically allows for any corporation that Clinton is shilling for to take any land they want in order to basically do anything they want with, as long as it is going to turn a profit.

“of course this entire conference is the culmination of the final takeover of Haiti by the US… its pretty much a US run show. The World Bank is going to be deciding who gets the money.”

Clinton has apparently turned over a new leaf, even though he is still surrounded by the same financial advisors he had with him back in the days when they were “mistakenly” destroying the “fabric of life” of the Haitian people and others in Africa and so on. This new leaf seems to be to reintroduce agricultural business back into Haiti. I wonder if “his farmers”, the massive agribusiness companies, will be looking to move down to Haiti to set up corporate farms down there. The soil should be choice at this point considering it hasn’t been farmed for decades. Should get pretty good crop yields per acre wouldn’t you say? And with all that cheap labor waiting for “aid” down there, profits should be through the roof.

Only in a country this fucked up could a story like this one just slip under the radar of the main stream media.

When you have a political dynasty (one of two) so entrenched in our corrupt system that the secretary of state can anoint her own husband to manage $10 billion in reconstruction aid for a country that he has admittedly decimated, on purpose, for decades… and that story gets nearly zero coverage, and what little coverage it does get is actually positive, its beyond ridiculous. Just beyond ridiculous.

No wonder Clinton was practically laughing when he talked about thinking he was helping the people of Haiti. He was laughing at us. We are the April Fools joke here. and that ain’t no joke.

Please, Mrs. Applebaum. Try to keep it in.