#Iran Contra

[probablyasocialecologist]

Some of the surviving members of the Cuban paramilitary invasion force went on to serve as hired guns for the CIA and other US agencies. Others continued to operate under their own initiatives. Many individuals affiliated with the Bay of Pigs invasion continued anti-Castro activities alone with US acquiescence, rather than direct support. Successor anti-Castro groups emerged such as Coordination of United Revolutionary Organizations (CORU), Alpha 66 and Omega 7. Luis Posada, for example, perhaps the most famous former CIA asset (1961–67) as part of the Brigade 2506 invasion force at the Bay of Pigs and a trained demolition expert, was behind the bombing of a Cuban Airline killing 73 people in 1976, with, according to declassified documents, full CIA advanced knowledge of the plan. Posada was also involved in a number of other bombing plots and terrorist attacks against Castro and Cuban nationals. One of these included planting bombs in Panama for which he was arrested and sentenced to eight years in prison. Despite this, he was kept in cahoots with the CIA and was later hired by Col. Oliver North to aid the Iran-Contra resupply efforts in the late 1980s. Another “freedom fighter,” ex-CIA operative, and friend of Posada, Orlando Bosch headed CORU, linked not only to the bombing of a Cuban airplane but also terrorist activities in the Miami area. According to a 1993 US Department of Justice report, many of these actors operated under the assumption that they had tacit or implicit support from the US government, based on the fact that they had received training and direction to commit these types of acts in the past.

Andrew Thomson, Outsourced Empire: How Militias, Mercenaries, and Contractors Support US Statecraft

[victusinveritas]

[odinsblog]

Frank Zappa in a 1988 interview on the markedly rightward (centrist/neoliberal) shift of mainstream media, how religious dogma (culture wars) would be used to turn America into a country of theocratic fascism, and how televangelists purchased the Republican Party. (source)

You ever see anything you’ve been saying for half of your adult life, only to find out that others have been saying almost the exact same thing probably before you were even born? I got sucked down a YouTube rabbit hole, and came across this video. I was four years old when this was recorded.

It’s always amazing to see people speak so presciently and be proved right years later.

I don’t know anything else about him, but on those points Frank Zappa deadass nailed it 🤯

[oldshowbiz]

Crossfire: Saturday (1987)

[emperornorton47]

[kontextmaschine]

Iran-Contra, where the Democrats tried to take Ronald Reagan out with some cheesy bullshit but he used the Konami Code

[evilmark999]

Reagan meddled with Carter's handling of the Iran Hostage Crisis in order to hinder Carter's chances at reelection. Who does that sound like?

By the way: The Iran hostages were released approximately TWENTY MINUTES after Reagan was sworn in as president. Yeah...

the funny thing is that i don't think younger people - and i mean those under the age of 40 - really have a grasp on how many of today's issues can be tied back to a disastrous reagan policy:

war on drugs: reagan's aggressive escalation of the war on drugs was a catastrophic policy, primarily targeting minority communities and fueling mass incarceration. the crusade against drugs was more about controlling the Black, Latino and Native communities than addressing the actual problems of drug abuse, leading to a legacy of broken families and systemic racism within the criminal justice system.

deregulation and economic policies: reaganomics was an absolute disaster for the working class. reagan's policies of aggressive tax cuts for the rich, deregulation, and slashing social programs were nothing less than class warfare, deepening income inequality and entrenching corporate greed. these types of policies were a clear message that reagan's america was only for the wealthy elite and a loud "fuck you" to working americans.

environmental policies: despite his reputation being whitewashed thanks to the recovery of the ozone layer, reagan's environmental record was an unmitigated disaster. his administration gutted critical environmental protections and institutions like the EPA, turning a blind eye to pollution and corporate exploitation of natural resources. this blatant disregard for the planet was a clear sign of prioritizing short-term corporate profits over the future of the environment.

AIDS crisis: reagan's gross neglect of the aids crisis was nothing short of criminal and this doesn't even begin to touch on his wife's involvement. his administration's indifference to the plight of the lgbtq+ community during this devastating epidemic revealed a deep-seated bigotry and a complete failure of moral leadership.

mental health: reagan's dismantling of mental health institutions under the guise of 'reform' led directly to a surge in homelessness and a lack of support for those with mental health issues. his policies were cruel and inhumane and showed a personality-defining callous disregard for the most vulnerable in society.

labor and unions: reagan's attack on labor unions, exemplified by his handling of the patco strike, was a blatant assault on workers' rights. his actions emboldened corporations to suppress union activities, leading to a significant erosion of workers' power and rights in the workplace. he was colloquially known as "Ronnie the Union Buster Reagan"

foreign policy and military interventions: reagan's foreign policy, particularly in latin america, was imperialist and ruthless. his administration's support for dictatorships and right-wing death squads under the guise of fighting "communism" showed a complete disregard for human rights and self-determination of other nations.

public health: yes, reagan's agricultural policies actually facilitated the rise of high fructose corn syrup, once again prioritizing corporate profits over public health. this shift in the food industry has had lasting negative impacts on health, contributing to the obesity epidemic and other health issues.

privatization: reagan's push for privatization was a systematic dismantling of public services, transferring wealth and power to private corporations and further eroding the public's access to essential services.

education policies: his approach to education was more of an attack on public education than anything else, gutting funding and promoting policies that undermined equal access to quality education. this was, again, part of a broader agenda to maintain a status quo where the privileged remain in power.

this is just what i could come up with in a relatively short time and i did not even live under this man's presidency. the level at which ronald reagan has broken the united states truly can't be overstated.

[larrywilmore]

Craig Unger on the Iran Hostage Operation

It happened 44 years ago and it's still hard to believe. Author Craig Unger provides context for what is perhaps the biggest covert operation this country has ever witnessed. 

Listen to our full conversation on @spotify-official 

[ophilosoraptoro]

WKJO: Who Killed John O'Neill?

One Actor, One Room, Seven Characters: 9/11.

Traumatized by the September 11th attacks, one man struggles to dismantle official history, at the expense of his sanity and even his life. Grappling with multiple realities - and multiple personalities - he must retreat into his mind in pursuit of the truth. In a fictional film about non-fictional events, there is a place where belief and faith will blind you, where nothing is sacred, and to get there all you have to do is ask:

"Who Killed John O'Neill?"

[cherryblossomshadow]

[Image ID: Image split into three sections

Top section is a picture of Brett Kavanaugh with text on top:

"The Kavanaugh investigation stopped" is a Watergate level story.

Middle section is a picture of Donald Trump with Vladimir Putin with text:

The "Putin gets COVID testing machines meant for hospitals" is an Iran-Contra level story

Bottom section is a picture of Donald Trump on the phone:

The alleged "7 private calls with Putin while in possession of classified materials after leaving office" is a Rosenberg level story.

At the bottom, all caps text reads:

THE MEDIA IS FAILING US

/end ID]

Corporate media downplays fascist corruption.

[victusinveritas]

Destro out here reading the Pentagon Papers.

[oldshowbiz]

[mossadegh]

Watch the video "The Secret Government: The Constitution in Crisis", a 1987 TV program hosted by Bill Moyers examining the Iran-Contra affair and the history of abuse of secret power, including the 1953 coup in Iran, the Guatemalan coup, Chile, the Vietnam war...

The Mossadegh Project

[alkiryuu]

Reagan was truly a sack of shit

[kramlabs]