Epstein and JP Morgan

https://www.democracynow.org/2025/9/9/epstein_book

This segment will prove enlightening for those unfamiliar with certain aspects of Epstein's profile and just how he 'fit in' with the Capitalist ruling class or elite. The notion that Jamie Dimon (CEO of JP Morgan) was unaware of Epstein's relationship to the bank is absurd and obviously he's perjured himself. Why would he do this? Why would he do this with seemingly no fear of being held to account?

The Dominionist Ziklag

https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-ziklag-secret-christian-charity-2024-election

The Christian Right's fundraising and lobbying machine is a veritable labyrinth and this is by design. Money is effectively laundered and the smoke and mirrors make it all but impossible to tell where the money is coming from and where the power is located. There are certain names that always seem to appear - these are in some cases key agents or actors. Sometimes they are the powers, the 'movers and shakers', other times they are the action-arms of the powers - which are often very wealthy people or the people that manage the wealth. It's complicated.

The Orlandi Documentary

Emanuela Orlandi disappeared from near the Vatican in 1983 and while the popes and curia wish the story would go away, it lingers on. It is captivating to say the least and every so often it pops up again in the news. Netflix recently released a documentary which more or less summarizes the story to this point and attempts to advance it a step or two. And much to the chagrin of the Vatican, this documentary has effectively put a spotlight on the story and has introduced it (and the scandals connected to it) to a new generation.

Smoke and Mirrors: Drug Cartels and the State

https://www.democracynow.org/2022/10/12/mexico_military_drug_cartels_ayotzinapa_ministry

The GOP is screaming once again about the border. Biden visited El Paso on his way to a North American Summit meeting in Mexico City. The Right has been howling for months about his failure to visit the actual border. So then when he shows up they go on the attack.

'How dare he!'

'It was a mere photo-op!'

Undoubtedly this is the case. This is what politicians do. Here's the question. If Biden had showed up and took a list of demands made by the governors of Florida and Texas and agreed to meet all their demands, what would they say?

Dead Oligarchs in Moscow and Catalonia

https://www.newsweek.com/oligarchs-murder-suicide-1699766

These could have been Putin ordered hits but the larger story is one of a smashed machine – of fissures become chasms. The sanctions regime is pushing the Russian economy to the limits and while fortunes are made in some cases and lost in others, many actors are forced to make rash decisions. Debts are called in – sometimes they can't be paid because money was lost, squandered, or used for other means. Such trying times expose these realities and powerful men are quickly toppled.

The Vatican Bank Scandals: New Developments and Unanswered Questions

https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2022/01/court-upholds-ruling-against-two-ex-managers-of-vatican-bank

A Vatican appellate court has upheld the conviction of two clerics in a corruption and money laundering scandal that dates back almost a decade.

Does this represent a slap on the wrist or a sign of real reform in the notoriously corrupt and scandal-ridden institution?

A Uighur Money-Launderer's Murder in Istanbul

https://www.rferl.org/a/man-who-exposed-kyrgyz-smuggling-scheme-was-hunted-by-contract-killers/30940261.html

I cannot be sure what the true nature of this story is but given the way it's being framed by RFE/RL and the involvement of outlets such as Bellingcat I am led to believe that it is something of a false expose', serving as a means of cover-up.

Money and the Hong Kong Protests

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Hong-Kong-police-seizes-70-million-dollars-in-donations-for-democratic-movement-48868.html

This is the other side of the story when it comes to the Hong Kong protests. When you realise how much money flows into some of these protest movements one must legitimately question their democratic and 'grass roots' nature.

The Malta Scandal, Energy Deals and Azerbaijan

One aspect to the scandal surrounding the car-bombing death of journalist Daphne Galizia that has not been focused on, at least not so far, is the connection to Azerbaijan and the politics of the Caucasus.

IOR Obstruction

http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2019/10/02/five-vatican-officials-suspended-over-finance-probe_04a93a47-8048-4861-899a-d8636bb79436.html

As mentioned in the January 2019 piece (linked below) there will be continued resistance to reforming the IOR/Vatican Bank.

The question is... just who are these five officials? I'm not referring to their names, rather what faction do they represent? Are these people resisting reform with other connections to the hierarchy? Are these people acting in the interest of outside parties? Are their suspensions a protective measure, a tactical move on the part of one faction or the other?

Orlandi and the Vatican Scandals of the 1970's and 1980's

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/10/vatican-to-investigate-1983-disappearance-of-teenage-girl

http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2019/04/10/vatican-opens-probe-into-emanuela-orlandi_da1a1c1f-4f6d-4838-9672-0ca7d972a2b4.html

I think it unlikely that the true story will ever be told. This notorious case has been overshadowed by one salient fact... the Vatican itself has been the chief force of obstruction to the investigation. These articles contain some valid information but as usual the real meat is found in what is left out.

The Breaking of Honduras

https://www.france24.com/en/20190215-video-reporters-plus-honduras-drought-climate-refugees-migrants-caravan-usa

Honduras is suffering. It has become a textbook example of how globalisation is a form of imperialism in which the market subjugates the people, strapping them with massive debt for infrastructure projects they don't benefit from. From corrupt business deals to the NGO's and old stand by's like USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), to the ways in which Wall Street can manipulate the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), the imperial hydra is bleeding the nation dry.

Accountability at the Vatican Bank

https://apnews.com/b20053842f74405fbe4a79f583c21859

Some will celebrate this news. It's a watershed moment in the history of the IOR (Vatican Bank). Many will herald this conviction as a historical moment in which the Vatican Bank 'turned the page' and left behind its decades long history of corruption.

Murder and the Panama Papers

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/16/malta-car-bomb-kills-panama-papers-journalist

We've had countless incidents like this in the United States. Investigators and journalists have been killed under the most suspicious of circumstances and they're deemed accidents.

Of course a car bomb cannot be written off and yet once again in the US I would not be surprised if it were chalked up as a leaking fuel line or something to that effect. There have been some pretty outrageous rulings that beggar belief.

Peering into the Labyrinth: Frontline's Guns, Drugs and the CIA (1988)

I recently found this little gem, an old Frontline documentary from an era on PBS that's hard to imagine in our day. There's no way they would produce or condone a film like this anymore.

The Karzai Connection: Afghanistan, the CIA and Drugs

http://www.npr.org/2016/09/27/495632165/kingdom-examines-afghanistan-through-the-prism-of-the-karzai-family

Some time ago I listened to this Fresh Air piece on NPR. It was interesting but also a little frustrating in that it represents what I consider typical Establishment journalism.

Ahmed Wali Karzai, brother to the more famous and now ex-Afghan president Hamid Karzai was involved in the drug trade and had connections to the CIA. He occasionally made it into the international news but was largely ignored except by those following the seemingly endless US occupation. His assassination in 2011 is really the only reason he's getting any attention now.

Gülen's Compound: A Backcountry Exile... Conveniently Located

I must confess it was kind of exciting to sit in my car outside the gate of Gülen's compound in the Poconos. I was passing through and PA-33 actually facilitated my route. Coming out of southern New Jersey, I was working my way up to I-80. I pulled off in Saylorsburg and my wife turned to me and asked "Are you looking for that Turk?"

I couldn't suppress my grin. It's not a question I get asked every day.

Trump and the Qatar Crisis

While receiving some press coverage, the growing Qatar Crisis is worthy of larger consideration. Standard commentaries on the Middle East rightly identify the ongoing struggle between the Saudi's and Islamic Republic of Iran. Sometimes it's even referred to as the Middle Eastern Cold War. This is a multifaceted struggle over the leadership of Islam, Sunni vs. Shiite, Arab vs. Persian and it also represents an aspect of a larger proxy struggle between the great powers.

Dirty Oil Deals and The Italian Connection

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/mar/05/the-oil-deal-the-disgraced-minister-and-800m-paid-via-a-uk-bank

This is a link to a remarkable if incomplete story regarding oil corruption and money laundering. What is of particular import is that it points to the overlap between the corporate and finance sectors and strategic interests.  

Vatican Tensions Escalate

https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0213/852389-pope/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/04/vatican-civil-war-conservatives-battle-francis-lent

Some of you may have been following the scandal over the Knights of Malta. While the catalyst for the scandal was somewhat absurd it points to deeper tensions within the Vatican.