The following headline news was reported by Guardian-UK on Friday, and has been picked up and circulated by other mainstream and alternatives alike since:

West training Syrian rebels in Jordan

Western training of Syrian rebels is under way in Jordan in an effort to strengthen secular elements in the opposition as a bulwark against Islamic extremism, and to begin building security forces to maintain order in the event of Bashar al-Assad’s fall.

Jordanian security sources say the training effort is led by the US, but involves British and French instructors.

…

According to European and Jordanian sources the western training in Jordan has been going on since last year and is focused on senior Syrian army officers who defected.

…

Is this an accurate report? Is it right and credible? Yes- most definitely. However, what is being reported and marketed as breaking news and headline-worthy is as stale as a 15-month old moldy loaf of bread. How do I know that? Boiling Frogs Post broke that story 15 months ago. Together with James Corbett we broke and covered that story as the only news source for it while being ignored and in some cases attacked by the mainstream and pseudo-alternatives.

Let’s set the record straight on what we reported 15 months ago, and have us question the reason, or reasons, why the mainstream and their quasi-offshoots kept a lid on it for this long. Here is our first report on December 11, 2011: Read more È

From Omission to Non-Denial Denials

On November 5 I published a piece on David Swanson’s well-made case in an interview on voting independent, with a few deservedly strong words on ‘The Real News’ sharing common characteristics with way-too-many pseudo or semi-alternative news outlets backed by the same-alphabet-soup of foundation backers and tainted by the same-divisive & destructive-partisanship. You can watch the interview clip in question and read my commentary here.

This morning I received a rant-full and long-winded e-mail from Mr. Paul Jay- the founder and host of this not very real ‘Real News’ network- filled with lawsuit threats against me, poorly-argued points, omitted facts, non-denial denials, and a few plain old lies. Per his request and happily I just posted his e-mail response in the comment section of my commentary post here. Okay, now I want to further highlight and elaborate on my factual statements and assessment of Mr. Jay and his enterprise ironically (and uncreatively) called ‘The Real News.’ In order to do this I am going to take one point at a time, put each in context, provide real examples and parallels, and let you assess each one’s validity. Read more È

Going on Record on AntiWar.Com’s Labeling & Censoring Game, Using MSM’s Favorite ‘Radical,’ ‘Anti-Semite’ & ‘9/11 Kook’ Labels

The followers of Boiling Frogs Post know where I stand on responding to petty attacks, name-calling, and false-labeling geared towards our articles, analyses and interviews. For the last three years we have simply ignored vicious attacks and have continued our independent and nonpartisan mode of operation at this website. When we take on the Israel lobby we are labeled ‘anti-Semite.’ When we cover the Gulen lobby and movement we are yelled at as ‘Anti-Muslim.’ When we criticize President Obama we are tagged ‘racist.’ And when we go after Republican Neocons we are categorized as ‘bleeding heart liberals.’ Obviously, we can’t be all those things simultaneously. Obviously, taking on each and every one of these smear campaigns would be an act of futility, a waste of time and energy. Thus; our silence; our three-year-long track record of ignoring.

Today, for the first time, I am going on record with publicly responding to the most vicious name-calling and smearing campaign I have ever faced. When I say ‘ever’ that includes my entire ten-year battle as a whistleblower. During my ten-year long battle as a whistleblower, as the director of the largest national security whistleblower organization, and as an activist, I have never been attacked so viciously, blatantly, and nastily by any media, forum, or group. Never. What makes it worse is that it comes from a now-pseudo alternative site which I used to support, until recently.  And what makes it even worse than that is the attack and labeling being targeted not only at me, but also at my partners and authors here at BFP whom I value and respect. I carefully select my partners and contributing authors and analysts here at BFP. Once selected as partners, I treat them as such, and happen to be highly protective of them. That’s me.

Last week I wrote a commentary on Antiwar.Com which I believed, and still believe, to be an attempt to salvage a website that was once-upon a time a solid alternative media site: Read more È

Paul Craig Roberts on Silencing the Critics

I just finished reading Paul Craig Roberts’ latest commentary on silencing the critics. It is a must read- maybe not for the already-vigilant minority who’ve been saying and writing about this for years, but for those still in denial. Here are a few fiery excerpts telling the truth as it is:

The idea that the US is a democracy when it most definitely does not have a free watchdog press is laughable. But the media is not laughing. It is lying. Just like the government, every time the US mainstream media opens its mouth or writes one word, it is lying. Indeed, its corporate masters pay its employees to tell lies. That is their job. Tell the truth, and you are history like Buchanan and Napolitano and Helen Thomas.
…
Whose interests are being served by Washington’s endless and multi-trillion dollar wars? Certainly not the interests of the 50 million Americans with no access to health care, nor by the 1,500,000 American children who are homeless, living in cars, rundown motel rooms, tent cities, and the storm sewers under Las Vegas, while huge amounts of public funds are used to bail out banks and squandered in wars of hegemony. Read more È

Support this Independent, Corporate & Corporation-Foundation Free Alternative

We at Boiling Frogs Post, disgusted with the mainstream and pseudo-alternative media, have made a statement. We have taken action. We have become the needed alternative media.

Those of you who have had enough of mainstream propaganda and agenda-driven quasi alternatives can make a statement and take action as well. You can turn your back on them and make the real alternative your media.

Every week we bring to you enlightening, bold and hard-hitting podcast interviews and talk-shows not found elsewhere. Every week we present to you original investigative video reports on major topics blacked out by ‘others.’ Every week we showcase daring editorials, commentaries and political cartoons by truly independent experts and reporters. And every evening we provide you with an extensive collection of national and international news and views carefully selected from a wide array of sources.

We have been doing our share. This is our statement. We are taking action. Please do your share. Make a statement. Take action. Make Boiling Frogs Post, the real alternative, your media.

This is Week 3 of our Quarterly Subscription-Donation drive.  The existence of this project is solely dependent on you. Our truly independent, nonpartisan, corporate-advertisement-free and corporation-foundation-free website can only be sustained through collective support; your support. Please subscribe or donate to Boiling Frogs Post.

Thank you for all you do,

Sibel Edmonds

 

SUPPORT US NOW

The Only Way to Remain Corporate-Free & Nonpartisan

Every time I read lines pertaining to this ludicrous and completely illogical expectation that everything on the Internet should be free I am tempted to sit down and write a lengthy analysis of the illogical and ludicrousness of this unfortunately prevailing mentality among the new ignorant internet-dependent generation. However, each time I restrain myself and move on since the limited amount of time I have could instead be spent on far more critical and needed projects. This time I will slightly change my routine, take a few minutes of my limited time, and write a few words on this topic as it directly relates to our website and our efforts to keep it alive, running, and effective.

The other day I came across a well-written and argued commentary on this outrageously ridiculous and uninformed “everything free on the Internet� mentality:

“We created this culture. We’re the ones who have been giving stuff away for free for the past decade, not collecting anyone’s credit card information. We’ve conditioned users that everything should be free, always. This gives advertisers the upper hand in any negotiation, because they know that their way is the only way that most sites can make money. Why is this such a big deal? Relevant, contextual advertising isn’t bad, right? Not in moderation, no (see The Deck). But when ads become the only way out and advertisers are the ones calling the shots, users suffer. Also, as a matter of principle I firmly believe that it’s better to pay the makers of things directly than through some convoluted ad system.�

There is nothing that is free-on the Internet or anywhere in life. Period. There has never been, and will never be. Period. In almost all cases, when it comes to the Internet, “Free� has one meaning: someone or someones is paying for what is being offered. The only logical question then becomes: Why. If advertisers are paying- why would they? If corporate foundations and the sugar-daddies behind them are dishing out the money- why are they? If political parties and persons are chipping in- why do they? If a group motivated by a certain goal or agenda is shouldering the cost: Why is it?

This is why it is extremely hard to find information and news sources that can be considered truly independent. This is the reason it is a rarity to see those that are 100% nonpartisan. This is the explanation for way too many agenda-driven propaganda channels on the Internet posing as alternatives. And this is exactly why we at Boiling Frogs Post solely, completely, 100%, only, depend on our readers’ contributions and support.

You see, the question we face at BFP is not whether we should offer our diligently prepared podcast shows, time-consuming video productions, and in depth analyses and articles for free, or, not. The real question we face is: whether we continue this website and all that we provide, or, go out and work full-time and cease operation all together. There are no in-between points here.

You see, I first reduced my part-time contract work hours to start this project. I then reduced it again by half. And after that, last September, I quit it all together. If you have a chance please take a look at my qualifications under ‘About Us.’ For my ex-contract analyst-specialist contract work which also needed my linguistic skills I made $125 per hour. This is money my family no longer has. And there is no way I could manage full-time motherhood, part-time contract work, household work, and a full-time website. No one could. For me it boils down to: shut down BFP, obtain another 25-hrs per week contract, or, make far less, live on far less, have your modest support, and continue and expand this great news-information project.

One of our partners-producers had to quit his full-time academic job in order to provide greater and far more needed public good: investigative reports-production. He too has a family. He too has to sustain his family. He too must choose between living on far less, continuing this needed work by depending on your modest contributions, or, go back to a full-time teaching job and consider doing this an impossibility.

Another one of our partners-producers lost his primary part-time job (thanks to the corporate media!). This is a critical period for him to see whether he can make it through a couple of public-supported information sites, or, go out and enroll full-time with semi-mainstream operated channels out there. That decision too depends on you.

Yet another partner-producer-author is in the position of juggling a full-time student load, a part-time job, and our project here at Boiling Frogs Post. Neither I nor anyone else with common sense could expect him to choose getting evicted from his house or quitting his academic pursuits as the price for working for a far greater public good.

The other day I got an e-mail accusing us of being elitists and offering our work only to those who pay for a subscription. This is nonsense. It is uninformed and frankly, very ignorant. We have gone out of our way to find the right balance in being able to afford to run this project and yet offer all our services and news to everyone. That is why we are making all our archived podcasts and video reports open and free to all. And you know what? Without our supporters doing their share, contributing, however modest, we won’t be able to continue doing that. Again, this is why we call the maintenance and continuation of this project a collective responsibility.

This is Week 2 of our Quarterly Subscription-Donation drive.  The existence of this project is solely dependent on you. Our truly independent, nonpartisan, corporate-advertisement-free and corporation-foundation-free website can only be sustained through collective support; your support. We are doing our share. We are asking you to do yours. Please do your share and help us continue this truly independent news and views venue. Please subscribe or donate to Boiling Frogs Post.

SUPPORT US NOW

They Say it all Starts with ‘Informing’ …

Those of you who’ve been listening to our podcast series know how impatient I sometimes get when the question boils down to ‘what do we do? Where do we go from here?’ Look, I understand and agree with the general consensus out there among the intellectuals and activists: We must educate the people- We must inform. After all, isn’t it what we’ve been doing with our podcast series, investigative video reports, hard-hitting editorials, bold and eye-opening editorial cartoons, and propaganda-free real news? Right. But that doesn’t make me any less impatient and restless. I simply can’t stand the idea of spending decades to just  keep informing, meanwhile have no idea or even a certain degree of consensus on the next two important steps: organize & action.

If you’ve listened to our last podcast, our first episode on the making of a police state, you know exactly what I mean. I frankly admit to being very naïve once-upon a time when I wasted time and energy organizing whistleblowers, went around collecting petition signatures, held rallies in the congressional corridors here in our own little Red Light-District …Yah, all that jazz; futile jazz. So yes, one side of me understands and sympathizes with those who are engaged in all that waste of time and energy, yet, another side of me gets impatient and exasperated. It ain’t gonna happen with sending thousands or millions of petitions to the sold-out Congress, which happens to be one of  the main players-actors responsible for the terrible state we are in. Why do you think the corporate moguls-Soros, Rockefellers, Ford …put so much money into NGO operatives who have been re-channeling people’s restlessness-dissatisfaction-anger into writing and signing petitions to Congress-President and the rest of the enemy cabal, or lobbying to pass more ridiculous legislation? Look, last year alone, those red light  district porkies drafted and passed 40,000+ new laws-legislation. With each legislation-law adding further links to the chains that have turned us into slaves. Read more È

How We Differ from the Rest & Why We Need ‘You’

If a few years ago someone had told me that I was going to start a blog, gather a team of like-minded irate partners, expand, and turn the site into an alternative news and information site with daily news, top-notch editorials, independent analyses, weekly podcast programs and investigative video reports, commentaries, political cartoons and more, I’d say ‘are you nuts?!’ Don’t get me wrong. I was one of the major advocates for truly alternative news and information sites to challenge the illegitimate, stinky, completely dependent and sold-out, meek, weak, government propaganda machine, corporate pet-boys mainstream media. However, as a very private recluse foreign to the blogging-forum sphere with zero technical knowledge or abilities, I never saw ‘me’ in that scenario. You know, I was one of those a bit lazy ‘they’ should do this, ‘they’ should start that, ‘they’ must challenge it … cases. See, I admit. Read more È

Taliban Did Not Kill Afghan President’s Brother: NATO

The man who killed the influential half brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai three months ago carried out the attack for personal reasons and was not a Taliban fighter, a senior NATO official said Saturday.

“It was a murder, not an assassination,” the NATO official said of Karzai’s killing, in a briefing to unveil NATO statistics showing a fall in Taliban attacks. “It wasn’t politically motivated and it wasn’t an insurgent masterstroke.”

…

Well, we at Boiling Frogs Post did not need a half-baked NATO report, still far from being factual, to arrive at that conclusion. Three months ago I wrote the following commentary report on Ahmed Wali Karzai’s assassination:

The Assassination of Afghan Kingpin Karzai: A Case of CIA Liabilities Exceeding Its Asset? 

There is no point in wasting too many words and space rehashing what every media outlet has been reporting and recounting on the assassination of Afghan Heroin Kingpin Ahmed Wali Karzai. The US media began reporting on the Kingpin, his heroin network and operations, his shady deals and even shadier connections over two years ago. This is how it always goes when the relationship between Kingpins like Karzai starts souring with their masters in Langley…

Then, right after that commentary, no longer able to stand the mainstream and pseudo alternative media’s nonstop spreading of that fantastical script made-up by Langley, I wrote my next analysis of the likely story:

Gimme a Break: The CIA Asset Turned Taliban Bodyguard Assassin?!

The entire scenario of a Taliban-Turned confidante bodyguard didn’t sit well with me; way too Langley. When you get a chance read a bit about the assassination of Vietnam’s Diem Brothers, and then you’ll understand what I mean when I say ‘Too Langley.’

Anyhow, this morning I read the following headline: Bodyguard Who Killed Karzai’s Brother Was Trusted CIA Contact : Read more È

Anyhow, today I am going to talk about another very confusing label-adjective that is being used too often, and most often too broadly, confusedly and inaccurately. The fashionable adjective is ‘progressive;’ being progressive. What does it really mean to be progressive? Once upon a time I was sure I knew what it meant. Then came a time when I was not sure what it was. And now, I don’t have a clue what it means to be a progressive. I’ll go even further and say, if it means what many people claim it does, and use it as, then, I consider it an adjective far from flattery.

Sure. You can look it up in any dictionary and give progressive a common definition. Progressive: Favoring or advocating change, improvement, or reform; employing or advocating more enlightened ideas… Or find the popular definition of progressivism as a political attitude favoring or advocating changes or reform through governmental action. If you were to stop here, stay within this once-upon-a-time definition and usage frame, and then call me a progressive, I’d nod and say ‘thank you.’ However life is never that simple. And in this case the overly popular progressive does not mean what it used to mean, and is not used as it once was.

Allow me to put it in perspective. I am going to use real-life context and experiences; the real life being my life, and the experiences coming directly from me and my surroundings: Read more È