Doug Nickle

More notable links between religious-terrorism and narco-terrorism. Heard of these connections through several sources now, and more reporting coming out on these cooperative efforts. #narco #religious #ideological #violence #training #cooperation

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One of the top stories in the drone industry right now: all sorts of legislation to block DJI drones in the U.S. This latest proposal to put tariffs on Chinese-made drones is definitely making waves. Here's my take:

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America under the influence of free market fundamentalism de-regulated itself into this. First it was the FCC's revocation of the Fairness Doctrine, which had mandated balance on the airwaves for political speech. Rush Limbaugh became a nationwide radio syndication value proposition not long after, because it became easier to segment audiences by ideology, which in turn promoted polarization. Then came Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which released internet platforms and ISPs from liability for the content that users published. The "decency" part is long gone -- the anti-pornography parts were revoked. What was left is the free pass for libel. It's virtually impossible to propagate a conspiracy theory without lying publicly about somebody. These two deregulations made character assassination cheaper, easier, safer, and more profitable. Supposedly, a "marketplace for ideas" would prevent poorer quality ideas. But that "marketplace" metaphor was framed in a Supreme Court judgment before radio emerged. The thing about markets is that they work when buying costs you something. In that era, the price was reading, which allows time to pause and think--a cost in time and effort. Audio and video makes political communications much more entertaining than reading -- and less likely to evoke thought as opposed to feeling. Freedom of speech was constitutionally guaranteed back when audience sizes were limited to how far your voice could carry. Freedom of the press was defined back when propagation of the printed word was relatively expensive, and so was the education that allowed a community opinion leader to become influential through reading and careful thought. Electronic mass communication is not, in their original senses, either speech or the press. And it tilted the "market" playing field toward propagandists. Hitler, Mussolini, and the Japanese militarists all surfed to power on the airwaves. America had some countermeasures against the weaponization of electronic mass communications. Unfortunately, greed and power-lust won the day. And they are still winning. As they have before. Don't say "it can't happen here" if you don't understand what happened over there.

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Frontsight Media is on the ground now in the general region of the #HurricaneHelene disaster impact zone, North Carolina (Blue Ridge mountains). One of the most important messages we're hearing is that civilian efforts are leading the charge to support whole townships that are completely cut off. Politics and other problems are clouding the narrative. Locals want the rest of the nation to know that this is hindering the process of getting vitals to people trapped on the edge of steep slopes in a zone at major risk of mudslides. One of the volunteer pilots told me that you can help by supporting Operation Air Drop. Operation Air Drop is a nonprofit that is organizing the collection. I've added the link below. My full dispatch is coming soon. For now, here's our take: The Bottom Line Upfront: 🔇 the response is highly civilian mobilized and can use all the civilian charitable support it can get. It is not overselling this to say that the devastation will go down in history as every bit the catastrophe that Katrina was. The Breakdown: 🚁 Calling all #pilots. If you have a private aircraft that can carry freight, volunteers are needed. Organizations are willing to accommodate support if you can fly to the Blue Ridge area. The regional airport in Concord, North Carolina has been acting as the meet up for Operation Airdrop, but there are others. 📦When sending in donation boxes, small is good. Don't be shy about sending goods in little boxes, or donating smaller sized items at a local East Carolina Walmart drop off. ⚖️ This is because freight sizes matter. Smaller size containers will make it easier to take to the drop zone. The pilots doing the literal heavy lifting of support work are carrying these supplies in with little bush planes and helicopters. I've only seen one U.S. Army helicopter of larger size, so I can say I visually confirmed that the majority of the relief effort out of the Concord airport at least is being carried out by civilian craft. Each parcel is weighed, and the more intentional the packaging, the more efficient the payload. 🚰 Bottled water supplies have been the highest among demand. The region faces a water crisis. See my last post for more information about why flood water is toxic. I've also seen boxes of powdered Gatorade and electrolyte drink among the donations. 🔄 I'd like to personally recommend people send things like camping water purifier tablets or something like the LifeStraw, as I did not see these personally among the freight. Clean and safe drinking water is going to be a problem for a while, and anything that can help keep provided water potable for longer is a good thing, from my observation. 👼 Families are asking for baby supplies. I have seen diapers, baby wipes, and powdered formula among the freight. Anything that would be difficult for families with young children to replicate, this is useful. More to come. #frontsight https://lnkd.in/eJzMedAy

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On the anniversary of the nuclear attack on Hiroshima, here is this piece I wrote on the West's role in the development of the bomb and its troubling legacy. https://lnkd.in/gc2qiSqU

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My latest for MSNBC: The union plan to unleash a tsunami for Biden. "There’s plenty in the former president’s record w/ which these unions can make their case. Former President Donald Trump’s popularity among working-class voters is, to be blunt, a triumph of bluster over substance and presentation over reality. The former president says he is a friend of the common man. His actions demonstrate he is anything but. Trump’s administration was a wrecking ball when it came to worker rights, rolling back multiple safety initiatives. His Supreme Court nominees were instrumental in a major ruling weakening public-sector unions. His appointees to the National Labor Relations Board made it harder for workers to unionize. During his administration, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration even removed the names of people who died in workplace accidents from the front page of its website. And since he left the White House, he has fought with the United Auto Workers and urged its members to stop paying their dues. Biden’s strong pro-worker actions are a 180-degree turn from Trump’s record. He marched on a picket line last year with striking UAW members (a first for a sitting president) and met with Starbucks labor organizers. His NLRB appointments are more likely to back workers over employers. And he's been an aggressive advocate for nonunion workers. His administration’s ban on almost all non-compete agreements will most likely both increase entrepreneurial efforts and give America’s workers a wage boost of more than $500 a year. And, yes, the names of workers killed in workplace accidents are back on OSHA’s front page. Nothing highlights the difference between Trump’s & Biden’s attitudes toward working Americans better than how they both handled overtime compensation. Trump abandoned an Obama administration initiative to double the salary threshold under which salaried workers would be eligible for mandatory overtime pay. Biden’s administration didn’t just restore the Obama-era rule; it raised the threshold to just over $56,000 annually ... [But] a recent review of databases tracking Democratic candidate statements, social media posts and campaign ads during the 2022 election revealed relatively few House and Senate candidates emphasized kitchen table economics or Biden legislative achievements like the infrastructure bill or the Inflation Reduction Act. That is borderline political malpractice. These issues and achievements mean a lot to voters. But they won’t sell themselves. People, I’ve learned over decades of reporting on these issues, lead busy lives: They don’t spend their days thinking about political gains and losses. They are upset about inflation and the rising cost of living but aren’t aware of what Biden — or any politician, really — is doing (or not doing, when it comes to Trump) to make their financial lives better." #Biden #Trump #Election2024 #OSHA #NLRB #SEIU #noncompetes #overtime #WorkerRights #unions #Fightfor15

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Every American in the U.S. Government, academia, or the world of thinktanks who has even an iota of concern about the Republic of the Marshall Islands is duty-bound to watch the first episode of Majuro 5-OH, found here: https://lnkd.in/gukG9a4Q

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🔴 U.S. Central Command Neutralizes Imminent Threat in Houthi-Controlled Yemen Over the weekend, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed an Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen. The UAV, deemed an imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces as well as merchant vessels in the region, was neutralized to protect freedom of navigation and enhance safety in international waters. This action comes amid heightened tensions and ongoing hostilities, with Iran-aligned Houthi militants launching repeated drone and missile strikes since November. Many of these attacks have targeted ships perceived to be associated with Israel or the United States, demonstrating Houthi support for the Palestinians in the Gaza conflict. The successful interception of this UAV underscores the critical role of naval and military forces in maintaining secure shipping lanes in one of the world’s most strategically vital regions. As the maritime industry continues to face complex security challenges, proactive measures like this ensure the safety of not only the vessels but also the global trade routes that keep the world's economy flowing.  In a time when global supply chains are fragile, every action taken to secure international waters is a step toward maintaining stability and resilience in global commerce. #MaritimeSecurity #GlobalTrade #Houthi #CENTCOM #Geopolitics #SpotShip https://lnkd.in/eTxe494G

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OPINION: Fighting Fire With Fire: The Demise of Prometheus As the wildfire crisis in the American West reaches a tipping point, it’s time for a candid conversation about the role of federal agencies in managing forests and fighting this plague of devastating fires. LAKE TAHOE, NV.  As the American West grapples with an unprecedented wildfire crisis, a sobering reality emerges: our approach to forest management is not just flawed, but potentially catastrophic. The concept of using fire to fight fire, once hailed as innovative, now stands as a testament to our hubris in the face of nature’s raw power. With over 100 million acres of national forests dead or dying, we’re sitting on a powder keg. https://lnkd.in/gcaNSDFi

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For Breaking Defense, I took a thorough look at the icebreaking capabilities of the three signatory nations of ICE Pact to better understand why the United States is seeking help from Canada and Finland in the race with Russia and China to establish a stronger presence in the Arctic. The answer: This is a unique sector of shipbuilding and one that is not the forte of most American shipyards. Further, it is a specialty with which Russia has vast experience and China has big ambitions and investment plans moving forward. That said, both Canada and Finland will bring decades of expertise to the table that would otherwise take generations for the United States to accrue on its own. For the veteran icebreaker observers out there: I ask for your grace. This subject, as I learned, is filled with countless nuances and ambiguities. We did our best to provide folks with the broad overview, but I am certain there are intricacies we missed or didn’t cover thoroughly. I am but a humble ship-loving reporter at the end of the day. https://lnkd.in/eKTeAQ5s

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* The Gulf states will want to get close to Trump, even if they will not support Trump-sanctions on Iran since that may bring them some blow-back. * Secular nationalism in the Gulf states is an ideology that both unites the countries and lets the governments reach out to the young people.  * After the Arab ‘Spring’, the leaders had and both control the new digital spaces and stop opposition to the ruling families, but also to work with the young people and meet their demands. * In Saudi Arabia this meant the government had to take on the religious power structure that they had created, while also clamping down on the political voices seeking changes.  * The Arab ‘Spring’ was a diverse coalition in which younger and more liberal Islamists and Salafis worked with social liberals. * The end of the security guarantees of the Pax Americana meant that Gulf states now seek working alliances with regional allies, such as Iran and Israel. * The Gulf states have become middle powers in a middle space, that focus on their own internal development. * A possible Trump administration will avoid any long-term intervention,  act very tough game on Iran, see Iraq as a problem, and ratchet up support for Israel. * The Islamist movement is very weak right now after it lost Egypt. The UAE’s anti-Islamism idea has overtaken Qatar’s idea of working with Islamism.  

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We all know Withnail was sneaky. Who knew he thought like a spy? My latest Substack article reveals the surprising use of spy techniques in the iconic film Withnail and I. It’s available to read here: https://lnkd.in/eeF44Hyr

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