PELLEAS ET MELISANDE: Opera Review
In French composer Claude DeBussy’s Pelleas et Melisande, while out hunting Prince Golaud of Allemonde (Iowa bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen) stumbles upon Melisande (California soprano Sydney Mancasola) in the forest. They’re both lost and by the time the next scene takes place, we learn they have married. The couple have moved into King Arkel’s (Italian bass Ferruccio Furlanetto) castle, where Melisande proceeds to spend an inordinate amount of time with Golaud’s half-brother, Pelleas (Chicago baritone Will Liverman).
Golaud suspects that his wife is having an affair with his half-brother and, shall we say, complications ensure. Are they, or aren’t they? To this reviewer, the whole premise of the plot is senseless, unless Meilsande and Pelleas are indeed having a sexual relationship.
Wisconsin Before Lightning Strikes; Anti-Trans Warfare
Our GREE-GREE #132 foreshadows the major victory in Wisconsin’s critical state Supreme Court race that is being widely ranked as “the most important election of 2023.”
We hear from ANDREA MILLER of the Center for Common Ground, NORM STOCKWELL of Progressive.org, and THOMAS NELSON of grassroots Wisconsin on the coming of what would be a huge victory for the Progressive movement.
We know as you’re listening to this that the left-leaning “Judge Janet” Protasiewicz won this crucial judgeship by a substantial margin. She beat a MAGA Republican.
So if you want to know how this happened, listen in to the powerful views of a critically important trio of organizer/activists who helped make this progressive victory happened.
We then turn to BRYNN TANNEHILL and her uniquely brilliant systemic presentation on the national assault against the rights and freedoms of trans Americans.
"No Coup Again" If You Vote For Coup Maker
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Coup-maker Prayuth Chan-ocha hopes his snappy new promise -- "no coup again" -- will get him re-elected prime minister in May and end worries that the U.S.-trained military will topple the next government if the polls go against them.
Prime Minister Prayuth dissolved Parliament's elected half, the 500-seat house of representatives, on March 20, three days before its four-year tenure expired.
The Election Commission then had to choose an election date within 45-60 days, and selected May 14.
Prliaent's 250 junta-appointed senators remain unchanged.
"There should be no coup again," the now-Caretaker Prime Minister Prayuth recently told reporters.
"If any serious conflict occurs again [after the election], I don't know how to solve it because I have nothing to do with it now."
Coups, cannabis, and corruption are the biggest issues nationwide facing candidates for prime minister and parliament.
Some analysts wonder if the military will launch a coup if the next government does not satisfy them and their cronies among the elite's conservatives and old money.
"No Coup Again" If You Vote For Coup Maker
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Coup-maker Prayuth Chan-ocha hopes his snappy new promise -- "no coup again" -- will get him re-elected prime minister in May and end worries that the U.S.-trained military will topple the next government if the polls go against them.
Prime Minister Prayuth dissolved Parliament's elected half, the 500-seat house of representatives, on March 20, three days before its four-year tenure expired.
The Election Commission then had to choose an election date within 45-60 days, and selected May 14.
Parliament's 250 junta-appointed senators remain unchanged.
"There should be no coup again," the now-Caretaker Prime Minister Prayuth recently told reporters.
"If any serious conflict occurs again [after the election], I don't know how to solve it because I have nothing to do with it now."
Coups, cannabis, and corruption are the biggest issues nationwide facing candidates for prime minister and parliament.
Lying about Lying: Why We Must Revisit the Definition of ‘Fake News’
The phrase 'fake news' continues to be deployed routinely in US politics. In a polarized political atmosphere, both Republicans and Democrats distrust media organizations affiliated with opposing parties. This means that most of what is uttered or written by CNN is 'fake news' for Republicans, and much of what appears in Republicans-affiliated media is 'fake news' for Democrats.
The phrase is now so prevalent and has multiple meanings to the point that it is impossible to agree on a common definition. Even 'fact checking' organizations or news desks contribute to the troubling phenomenon of 'fake news' by selectively fact-checking news and information affiliated with one side of the political aisle, while ignoring the other.
Can they ‘repeal’ the dead? Ask Orwell.
Yesterday the US Senate repealed the Iraq 2002 ‘Authorization for the Use of Military Force’ (AUMF), in which, at the behest of the Bush Administration, the U.S. licensed itself to attack the people of Iraq, and, with a fusillade of pressure-packed, hysteria driven lies, dragged along a tricked-up international “coalition of the willing.”
The 2002 AUMF, now otherwise known as an official, categorical, murderous lie, passed twenty years ago, by a Senate vote of 77-23.
Yesterday’s repeal basically said: ‘We repeal the AUMF.’ That’s it. No explanation in the bill as to why. No preamble which recited the litany of lies which Congress bought lock, stock and two smoking barrels. The deaths of one million innocent Iraqis didn’t rate so much as a mention in the repeal.
No apology was made to the people of Iraq. No apologies to the families of dead and injured U.S. soldiers. No mention of the war’s on-going cost to U.S. taxpayers, the amount now approaching five trillion dollars.
Selective Outrage in Palestine: The Problem is Not Just Smotrich but Zionism
By his own admission, Israel’s new Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is a “fascist homophobe”. This declaration, which he made on January 16, should be enough to accentuate the violent nature of the new political concoction created by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last December.
Though Smotrich is not the only politician in Netanyahu’s cabinet with a track record of violence, both real and rhetorical, he is a special case. Unlike his boss, Smotrich does not feel the need for doublespeak or occasional diplomacy.
Xi-Putin & The Asian Century; Wisconsin Supremes; Dems Destroy Nevada; The War vs. LGBTQ & The Desantis Disaster
Our GREEP #132 starts with the “deal of the century” as Xi & Putin lay the foundation for an end of the American Century and the dominance of the dollar.
As part of that excursion we visit “The Big Short” and other critical documents on the most recent fall of the American economy.
KFPA/Flashpoint’s DENNIS BERNSTEIN, LYNN HEIDIKOPER and others help us with the horrendous details.
From there we go to the all-important race for the deciding seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, where grassroots organizing will make all the difference.
JOHN STEINER fills us in with critical details.
Leading U.S. War Propagandist John Kirby Thinks Depleted Uranium Is Just Fine
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said this week, when asked about UK shipments of Depleted Uranium weapons to Ukraine: “If Russia is deeply concerned about the welfare of their tanks and tank soldiers, the safest thing for them to do is move them across the border, get them out of Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesperson Garron Garn said Depleted Uranium had “saved the lives of many service members in combat,” and “other countries have long possessed depleted uranium rounds as well, including Russia.”