That's where the Globe pushed me today:
"The murky role of mental illness in extremism, terror" by Maria Cheng Associated Press July 21, 2016
PARIS — After family members of the driver who slammed a truck into a holiday crowd in the French city of Nice said he suffered from depression, questions have been raised again about the links between mental illness, extreme ideology, and mass violence.
PFFFT!
Mental illness cannot be blamed for terror attacks, experts say. The overwhelming majority of people with mental illness never turn violent. But mental health disorders may make some people more susceptible to extremist ideology, and in rare cases that ideology can lead to horrific acts.
Is that why the FBI is always setting them up in pathetic plots instigated by informants?
‘‘People who are loners and who become angry and resentful can easily be drawn to extremist ideologies,’’ said Dr. Raj Persaud, a psychiatrist and professor at London’s Gresham College. ‘‘They begin to dehumanize others and may not need much more motivation before deciding to commit a terrorist attack.’’
OMG!
That coming in a WAR-PROMOTING PAPER spewing such propaganda!!
It is not known for sure that the Nice attacker, 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiyej Bouhlel, was mentally ill. It is also unclear whether he was acting out of personal impulse or was driven by ideology. But the Nice attack and other recent ones, like the attack at a nightclub in Orlando, Fla., have involved a murky mix of extreme ideology and hints of mental illness.
Not connected, don't know, but are going to connect anyway!
Have they no shame, these spewers of rubbish?
‘‘Terrorist acts are not caused by mental illness, but mental illness can provide a background that’s receptive to terrorist activity,’’ Persaud said.
What about mass-murdering, war-criminal presidents and the newspapers that front-paged their lies? Where do they fit into the mental illness picture, and for that matter, where does greed for money?
Why was Bliar nothing but a one-day wonder?
Bouhlel’s relatives say that he was once prescribed antipsychotic medication.
There you go, mind control through pharmaceuticals. Makes one easy and open to suggestion.
They describe an angry young man estranged from his wife and withdrawn from society.
I'm glad I'm a jaded old man still very much part of society.
His uncle in Tunisia, Sadok Bouhlel, said his nephew’s family problems made him vulnerable to an Algerian recruiter for the Islamic State who converted him in just two weeks.
Must be the fast track program.
Still, there are angry men estranged from their wives and withdrawn from society around the world who will never feel the impulse to slaughter a crowd of innocent people....
Normal conduct for heads of state.
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Related: Europe on Edge
Sorry I don't have the ‘terror fever, folks.
And while you were cowering in fear, Frenchie:
"French workers lost some of their famed labor protections Wednesday, as the government tries to keep up with the global economy by weakening union powers and giving employers more freedom to fire people and lengthen their hours. It was a bitter victory for President Francois Hollande. The bill unleashed months of violent protests and tore apart his Socialist Party, and the government had to force it through Parliament without a vote. And conservative critics say it doesn’t go far enough and won’t make a difference. The bill formally maintains the 35-hour workweek, but allows companies to organize alternative schedules. The law also offers the ‘‘right to disconnect,’’ with companies of more than 50 people forced to negotiate a ‘‘charter of good conduct’’ detailing the hours, usually evenings and weekends, when employees will not be expected to be connected to their smartphones and laptops."
$ociali$t president had to choke it down, huh?
That's not Nice!
How about next door?
"May meets with Merkel on Britain’s exit" by Stephen Castle New York Times July 20, 2016
LONDON — Underscoring her arrival in the political limelight, Britain’s new prime minister, Theresa May, on Wednesday faced down the opposition leader in Parliament before flying to Berlin to discuss British withdrawal from the European Union with Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In Berlin, the early signs were positive, though the visit was less about detailed negotiation than it was establishing positions and developing a working rapport with Merkel.
They must mean her willingness to fire off nuclear missiles.
Initially, the two appeared tense, and, as Merkel opened with her remarks, she occasionally glanced at May, who kept her gaze ahead, listening intently to the translation.
But, when asked about their first impressions of one another, May broke into a wide smile and responded that, “We have two women here who, if I may say so, want to get on with the job and want to deliver the best possible results for the people of the UK and of Germany.”
The chancellor, after pausing for a moment to hear the final words of the translation, turned to May with an equally broad smile and said, “Genau,” German for “exactly.” Merkel appeared to soften her impatience over London’s delay in triggering the start of formal negotiations, and signaled a willingness to give May’s new government time to figure out what it wants.
An understanding between the two leaders could provide crucial support, and time, for May and her negotiators as they tackle the complex task of extricating Britain from more than four decades of European integration.
In both capitals, May showed few signs of being a novice, despite having been in the job for just one week. She seemed relatively at ease both in the rather sober and businesslike forum with Merkel and in the rowdy atmosphere of Parliament during the question session.
On Thursday, May plans to meet in Paris with President François Hollande.
While Merkel was diplomatic Wednesday, German and French politicians insist that Britain cannot keep access to the EU’s single market without accepting the free movement of workers across frontiers. In the parliamentary session, May refused to be drawn out on that issue....
Smart move, keeping cards close to your vest.
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Also see: Pimco hires head of British hedge fund
Oh, yeah, the kid acted alone and "the attack has fueled the debate about whether Chancellor Angela Merkel erred by throwing open her nation’s doors to asylum seekers."
Turkey Update
Just flying by where I have been going for information regarding that event.
Then, for comparison purposes:
"Turkey to shut hundreds of schools in anti-coup measure" by Suzan Fraser and Christopher Torchia Associated Press July 20, 2016
My print piece was by the NYT, and I'm tired of the shell game.
What are they hiding?
"In a televised address on Wednesday evening, Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, declared a three-month state of emergency and said the extra powers were needed to protect Turkey’s democracy, and he criticized Western nations who have accused his government of overreaching in its efforts to root out opponents.
What would any government being overthrown do? Let the traitors wander free?
And a coup is a lot worse than terrorists.
“The aim is to rapidly and effectively take all steps needed to eliminate the threat against democracy, the rule of law and the people’s rights and freedoms,” Mr. Erdogan said.
“This measure is in no way against democracy, the law and freedoms,” he added. “On the contrary, it aims to protect and strengthen them.”
He did win elections, no matter how rigged.
The moves come as a response to the revolt over the weekend, when renegade military units captured a number of officials and attacked the Turkish Parliament and other government buildings before encountering resistance from army and police forces, as well as from Turkish citizens.
The people threw back the CIA-NATO attempt. Good for them!!!
More than 250 people were killed before the rebellion was put down.
Some European leaders and human rights groups have criticized the scope of the government’s subsequent purge of state institutions as well as calls by many Turks to reinstitute the death penalty to punish those involved in the coup.
“Europe does not have the right to criticize this decision,” Mr. Erdogan said during his address, noting that some European countries had taken extraordinary measures after terrorist attacks within their own borders...."
Apparently wasn't enough given what's been happening there.
It also looks like war with Russia is inching ever closer.
NDUs:
Looks like Erdogan is now the Turkish Trump, and the pre$$ isn't saying it but Obama has LOST TURKEY as an ALLY!
"ECB keeps rates steady but still faces plenty of uncertainty" by David McHugh Associated Press July 22, 2016
FRANKFURT, Germany — The European Central Bank says it’s ready to give the eurozone a further dose of stimulus if Britain’s vote to leave the European Union starts to weigh on the region’s economy.
But its president, Mario Draghi, stressed Thursday that the bank would need more time to monitor the situation and refrained from any clearer indications of what would force its hand.
Britain’s unprecedented vote to leave the EU could hurt trade in the region and weigh on business confidence as it could take years to establish new trade relations. While it’s still early to tell what the full effect of the vote will be, many businesses in Europe are expressing concern.
At its first meeting since the June 23 vote, the ECB decided to leave its key interest rates on hold at record lows. But at a subsequent news conference, Draghi said the central bank had the ‘‘readiness, willingness, ability’’ to help the eurozone economy.
‘‘Over the coming months, when we have more information, including new staff projections, we will be in a better position to reassess the underlying macroeconomic conditions,’’ he said.
Analysts say the ECB could opt later this year — in the fall or winter — to extend its bond-buying stimulus program past its expiration date of March 2017. Under the program, the ECB currently buys $88 billion in bonds a month. That pumps newly created money into the banking system in the hope it will increase lending and raise inflation to levels more consistent with steady growth.
That's there answer to everything, print more money, create more debt, and it hasn't worked ($ave for a few):
"Analysts at Capital Economics say that if the European Central Bank cuts one of its key interest rates further below zero, ‘‘this could have adverse effects on banks’ profitability.’’ Citing ECB chief Mario Draghi’s recent statements that the central bank could take more action in March, the analysts said the ECB ‘‘seems prepared to squeeze banks’ profitability further in the short term in order to support the economy.’’ In some markets, bad loans are already piling up — or have not been dealt with effectively since the global financial crisis."
Well, at least you know who they are really looking out for.
Even if he acts, he has an empty tool box other than printing pre$$.
The whole thing smells of desperation.
"Europe’s economy is finally showing signs of increasing strength, after years of sluggishness and false starts. That means the European Central Bank probably won’t have to step up its ongoing $1.93 trillion stimulus program when it meets this week. The chief monetary authority for the countries that use the euro will go on pumping newly printed money into the European economy in an effort to raise inflation. But that’s only due to measures that were decided at previous meetings, and which are either still running or just now being implemented. Analysts don’t expect any new stimulus to be announced at Thursday’s meeting of the bank’s 25-member governing council in Vienna. Some economists don’t expect anything more for the rest of this year, if at all. The ECB is holding steady just as the US Federal Reserve seems to be moving close to a rate increase. The US recovery is more advanced, so the Fed can contemplate withdrawing some stimulus. Europe’s inflation is still way too low, at minus 0.2 percent, and unemployment is painfully high at 10.2 percent. But the economy in the 19 countries that share the euro is showing signs of a somewhat more robust and lasting recovery. The eurozone grew 0.5 percent in the first quarter from the quarter before. It finally regained the level of output it had in the first quarter of 2008, before the global financial crisis and before a crisis over high debt in some countries that almost broke up the currency union. Figures published Monday showed that business and consumer optimism rose to a four-month high in May. Auto sales have risen for 32 straight months. Second, oil prices have crept up. That should give the ECB a bit of help by raising inflation."
Hey, a lot can change in a week!
It looks like the end of the Euro, folks. Britain is out, Turkey won't be joining now, and a world power is in decline as another rises for the death throes of corporate governance.
That program is ongoing and was stepped up as recently as March, meaning the ECB has not yet had a chance to see the full impact of the stimulus.
Beyond the bond-buying, the central bank has lowered its benchmark interest rate for lending to banks to zero. And it has imposed a negative rate on deposits left with it by commercial banks of 0.4 percent, a penalty intended to push them to lend the money.
That's a fancy way of saying they are skimming off the top and stealing your money.
Europe is enjoying a modest economic recovery but inflation of 0.1 percent is abnormally low and unemployment is falling too slowly to make people in countries such as Spain and Greece feel good about the economy.
Analyst Carsten Brzeski at ING-Diba wrote in a research note that Draghi ‘‘did not give any hint on possible ECB next steps . . . . More action in September is possible, though not a done deal yet.’’
Draghi spoke cautiously also on the discussion swirling around Italy’s troubled banks. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has raised the possibility of using government money to bail them out, which risks a clash with new EU rules limiting the extent to which troubled banks can dip into taxpayers’ pockets.
Draghi said it was up to the EU’s executive Commission to apply the rules. He urged action by markets and governments on cleaning up the bad loans burdening the finances of some banks, and said that a government backstop could play a role.
That's why Europe is being subjected to staged and scripted crisis drills gone live or Operation Gladio-type false flags. Another bank bailout needed. Europeans don't sit still for that $hit like Amurkns.
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Good thing there is something Nice to take your attention away from it all.
Whatever happened with the waves of migrants anyway?
UPDATE: ‘Several dead and wounded’ in Munich attack
From the photo and film footage I saw on ZNN it looks like a fake, but either way.... sigh.
Also see: Nine dead in Munich mall attack
They ‘suspect terrorism.’
