Max Blumenthal (Alternet/Daily Beast) goes after Russiaphobe Rep. Rankin of Md.

A

anatta

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Crowd: Lock Her Up. Lock her up.

Max Blumenthal: You said we don't have all the facts. What is the most powerful-

Jamie Raskin: Well that's why we need an independent commission. We need an independent commission to get all the facts. All we have is clues, you know, so we know that Page, and Manafort, and Stone were on the Russian payroll. We know there were all of these meetings between the son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Kislyak, and all these Russian agents. I don't know whether there was a money making operation, I don't know whether they were actually colluding to distort the news and to frame the campaign, but that's why we need an independent commission.

Jamie Raskin: But in France, they hacked and trashed Macron. In a bid to elect the right-wing, immigrant-bashing, Marine Le Pen.

Max Blumenthal: You said that Russia attempted to hack Macron in the French elections.

Jamie Raskin: Yeah, well we know that. I-

Max Blumenthal: The Washington Post has reported that the French Cyber Intelligence Agency has said that it's not true.

Jamie Raskin: Well I haven't read this article but, certainly Macron is convinced-

Max Blumenthal: It's not true.

Jamie Raskin: Well certainly if Macron is convinced of it, and everything that we read before was that there-

Max Blumenthal: Well it was reported days ago, in the Associated Press.

Jamie Raskin: Well all the information I've seen is that there was a hacking and a data dump the weekend before. There was certainly a data dump and so are they saying-

Max Blumenthal: Maybe it could have been anyone.

Jamie Raskin: Well, it's quite-

Max Blumenthal: The French top cyber intelligence agency, the government got access to the servers.

Jamie Raskin: Do you support an independent commission?

Max Blumenthal: Yeah but I-

Jamie Raskin: Well then maybe we'll get to the bottom of it.

Max Blumenthal: But you said that Roger Stone hosted a show on RT.

Jamie Raskin: Roger Stone, he hosted a series on the Russia propaganda network.

Jamie Raskin: Do you believe that we need-

Max Blumenthal: Roger Stone didn't host a show on RT.

Jamie Raskin: You're saying he's never been on RT?

Max Blumenthal: That he didn't host a show.

Jamie Raskin: Okay, well look, you can go over any picayune details you want, but I don't see why it would be in your interests to support an autocratic, authoritarian government, which is jailing journalists and fighting against freedom around the world.

Max Blumenthal: But I think we should tell the people the truth.

Jamie Raskin: Well we absolutely need to tell the people the truth. If Macron is now saying that the Russians had nothing to do with it, I'll very happily stand corrected but we know from the FBI, the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency that Russia was involved in trying to subvert our election. And why would you try to hide that?

Max Blumenthal: You also talked about Venezuela, Philippines and Syria.

Jamie Raskin: Duterte's Philippines, Assad's Syria, the recent chaos in Venezuela. All the despots, dictators and kleptocrats have found each other and Vladamir Putin is the ringleader of the unfree world.

Max Blumenthal: Do you support regime change in those countries?

Jamie Raskin: Absolutely, from the people. Democratic revolution I-

Max Blumenthal: Who do you think would come into power?

Jamie Raskin: Duterte's a killer. Let's talk about Duterte-

Max Blumenthal: He was democratically elected.

Jamie Raskin: But he's a killer who has assassinated-

Max Blumenthal: He was elected. He has 80% approval. You support regime change?

Jamie Raskin: Well Hitler was elected too then, you may as well say-

Max Blumenthal: He wasn't elected.

Jamie Raskin: There's massive-

Max Blumenthal: Hitler won power through a coalition with the conservatives.

Jamie Raskin: Well, but there was a democratic government. The Weimar Regime was a democratic government but-

Max Blumenthal: Who would come into power in Syria, do you think, if Assad and the whole government were overthrown? Considering that Al Qaeda is leading the armed opposition.

Jamie Raskin: Well I would not favor Al Qaeda and I presume you wouldn't favor Al Qaeda either?

Max Blumenthal: I think it's very dangerous to get up and call for regime change.

Jamie Raskin: To call for democracy around the world, that's what America is. You don't support democracy and human rights all over the world?

Max Blumenthal: What happened in Iraq?

Jamie Raskin: Why is that dangerous?

Max Blumenthal: Well look what happened in Iraq. It sounds like-

Jamie Raskin: Iraq was based on lies and propaganda by the Bush Administration. As though all these different-

Max Blumenthal: How do you know this isn't lies and propaganda to advance an agenda?

Jamie Raskin: That's why we need an independent commission, are you opposed to that?

Max Blumenthal: All the people out here are-

Jamie Raskin: Let me just ask you a question. Are you in favor of an independent commission to get to the truth or do you oppose that?

Max Blumenthal: It would be fine, but I think a lot of what we'd uncover is that you have not told the truth.

Jamie Raskin: We don't know what we'd uncover. Well that's-

Max Blumenthal: But you got up and stated certain things as facts that are clearly not true.

Jamie Raskin: Well that's why we need an independent commission, 'cause all we know right now is what leaks out of the Trump administration. Do you think the Trump administration is telling the truth about their connections with Russia, and Azerbaijan and the-

Max Blumenthal: Well, I think that Kushner-

Jamie Raskin: That's an amazing thing-

Max Blumenthal: Kushner owes-

Max Blumenthal: Hey wait a minute, I'm in the middle of an interview boss.

Max Blumenthal: Why aren't you talking?

Jamie Raskin: The politics of what you're doing.

Max Blumenthal: Okay wait a minute. Why don't you think we're talking about Saudi and Israeli influence here?

Jamie Raskin: Go and look at a speech that I made about Saudi Arabia and the human-

Max Blumenthal: And Israeli influence

Jamie Raskin: By all means, let's have the truth.

Max Blumenthal: Well why aren't you doing that here. Why aren't we talking about jobs or racism?

It's about Russia taking-

You said that Russia-

Jamie Raskin: Let's set up a debate. Let's set up a debate and we'll have debate about it.

Max Blumenthal: Do you want to do it?

Jamie Raskin: Donald Trump is the hoax, perpetrated on the Americans by the Russians.

Max Blumenthal: He got up and said that Trump is a Russian hoax.

Lauren Doney: He said there's a lot of uncertainty-

Max Blumenthal: He said that Trump is a Russian hoax and we have it on camera
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=19247
 
the Maryland congressman continued to spew falsehoods throughout his speech, such as saying that Russian hackers targeted French president Emmanuel Macron and that longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone “hosted a series on the Russian propaganda network.”

Raskin later said in an interview with journalist Max Blumenthal that “we know [former Trump foreign policy adviser Carter Page, former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, and Stone] were all on the Russian payroll.”

In response to these claims about him, Stone told The Daily Caller, “Rep. Raskin is a lying cocksucker.”

“I have never been ‘on the Russian payroll’ or had any Russian clients. Nor have I ‘hosted a series on the Russian propaganda network,'” Stone said. “I have appeared on RT twice for which I was interviewed and have never been paid. RT was more accurate and less censored than CNN.”

The longtime Trump confidant added:
“The congressman’s claims are baseless, reckless, and irresponsible and the congressman is a brainless asshole.”
Click to expand...

The Associated Press has reported that Manafort was paid by a Russian oligarch, but Manafort denied this had to do with representing Russia’s interests. There are also no reports about Page being on the”Russian payroll,” and Raskin’s press secretary did not respond to an inquiry about his claims.

After his speech, Raskin was interviewed by journalist Max Blumenthal and was stumped when asked about his falsehoods. Blumenthal informed him that the French government had determined that Russian-backed hackers weren’t behind an email dump targeting Emmanuel Macron and Raskin deflected by saying he hadn’t seen these reports from days before his speech. The congressman then asked the non sequitur, “Do you support an independent commission?”

Blumenthal also asked Raskin about his statement that Stone hosted a Russian propaganda series, and the congressman replied: “You can go after any details you want, but I don’t see why it would be in your interest to support an autocratic authoritarian government which is jailing journalists and fighting against freedom around the world.”
 
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Max Blumenthal‏ @MaxBlumenthal

Thomas Friedman calls for supporting ISIS, giving rebels Manpads & providing air cover for Al Qaeda-dominated Idlib
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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/12/opinion/why-is-trump-fighting-isis-in-syria.html
America’s goal in Syria is to create enough pressure on Assad, Russia, Iran and Hezbollah so they will negotiate a power-sharing accord with moderate Sunni Muslims that would also ease Assad out of power. One way to do that would be for NATO to create a no-fly safe zone around Idlib Province, where many of the anti-Assad rebels

What else? We could simply back off fighting territorial ISIS in Syria and make it entirely a problem for Iran, Russia, Hezbollah and Assad. After all, they’re the ones overextended in Syria, not us.
 
That's an excellent clip with Tucker and Blumenthal and I'd like to get some JPP liberals to comment on it.

But it's astounding that progressives advocate regime change in Syria. As a conservative, I'm relieved that Republicans have distanced themselves from the neocon establishment [thank you, Donald Trump].

But progressives have taken up the neocon mantle. Never thought I'd see the day.

They have become neo-neocons.
 
Darth Omar said:
That's an excellent clip with Tucker and Blumenthal and I'd like to get some JPP liberals to comment on it.

But it's astounding that progressives advocate regime change in Syria. As a conservative, I'm relieved that Republicans have distanced themselves from the neocon establishment [thank you, Donald Trump].

But progressives have taken up the neocon mantle. Never thought I'd see the day.

They have become neo-neocons.
Click to expand...

Says the cheerleader for the invasion of Iraq.
 
Darth Omar said:
That's an excellent clip with Tucker and Blumenthal and I'd like to get some JPP liberals to comment on it.

But it's astounding that progressives advocate regime change in Syria. As a conservative, I'm relieved that Republicans have distanced themselves from the neocon establishment [thank you, Donald Trump].

But progressives have taken up the neocon mantle. Never thought I'd see the day.

They have become neo-neocons.
Click to expand...
damn right..and their desire to use 'bad Russia' as a silver bullet to go after Trump means the left is now the party of war..They allie with John McCain and Lindsey Graham.

This particular asshole interviewed by Blumenthal ( Rankin of Maryland) advocates REGIME CHANGE!!

That neo-liberal wing infestation of HRClinton/Albright/Obama has now infested the entire party.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal ( D. Cn.) absolutely froths at Putin -but he's not alone.
And as you incisively note the "Assad Must Go"was the organizing principle of Obama's Syrian policy

The Dems are being taken over by Russiaphobia; what was a convenient foil to go after Trump is now internalized
 
Thing1 said:
Says the cheerleader for the invasion of Iraq.
Click to expand...

Maybe I learned from it. But shouldn't you be jumping straight legged at the mere prospect Assad getting the Saddam treatment. Or are you like Ralph Peters who thinks the Kurds will take over Syria after Assad goes?

Where the your outrage? Or is it a partisan thing with you?
 
Darth Omar said:
Maybe I learned from it. But shouldn't you be jumping straight legged at the mere prospect Assad getting the Saddam treatment. Or are you like Ralph Peters who thinks the Kurds will take over Syria after Assad goes?

Where the your outrage? Or is it a partisan thing with you?
Click to expand...
:good4u:

unlike Hillary Clinton and the regime change folks who still cling to "smart power"-
or Thomas Friedman who says ISIS holding territory in Syria is Russia's problem
 
Darth Omar said:
Maybe I learned from it. But shouldn't you be jumping straight legged at the mere prospect Assad getting the Saddam treatment. Or are you like Ralph Peters who thinks the Kurds will take over Syria after Assad goes?

Where the your outrage? Or is it a partisan thing with you?
Click to expand...

The bolded it easily the most ironic thing I've ever seen. I'm against most American intervention, anywhere. I've been against every military action in my lifetime, except Afghanistan (a Republican President), which I came to regret.

Don't have the shamelessness to start lecturing me about a "partisan thing." You didn't learn a damned thing from Iraq. If Trump did the same thing, you'd be all in.
 
Thing1 said:
Embarrassing. Both of you are a complete embarrassment.
Click to expand...
the Democrats who gin up Russiaphobia as a blunt instrument to go after Trump,
or call for regime change like Rankin
are sanctimonious warmongers incapable of embarassment
 
Thing1 said:
The bolded it easily the most ironic thing I've ever seen. I'm against most American intervention, anywhere. I've been against every military action in my lifetime, except Afghanistan (a Republican President), which I came to regret.

Don't have the shamelessness to start lecturing me about a "partisan thing." You didn't learn a damned thing from Iraq. If Trump did the same thing, you'd be all in.
Click to expand...

Given how you, unfailingly, bring up Iraq at every opportunity, I just thought I'd see more outrage at your own party members who advocate taking Assad out.

Or maybe it was a little tepid and I missed it. But that makes it sound like a partisan thing.
 
anatta said:
Crowd: Lock Her Up. Lock her up.

Max Blumenthal: You said we don't have all the facts. What is the most powerful-

Jamie Raskin: Well that's why we need an independent commission. We need an independent commission to get all the facts. All we have is clues, you know, so we know that Page, and Manafort, and Stone were on the Russian payroll. We know there were all of these meetings between the son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Kislyak, and all these Russian agents. I don't know whether there was a money making operation, I don't know whether they were actually colluding to distort the news and to frame the campaign, but that's why we need an independent commission.

Jamie Raskin: But in France, they hacked and trashed Macron. In a bid to elect the right-wing, immigrant-bashing, Marine Le Pen.

Max Blumenthal: You said that Russia attempted to hack Macron in the French elections.

Jamie Raskin: Yeah, well we know that. I-

Max Blumenthal: The Washington Post has reported that the French Cyber Intelligence Agency has said that it's not true.

Jamie Raskin: Well I haven't read this article but, certainly Macron is convinced-

Max Blumenthal: It's not true.

Jamie Raskin: Well certainly if Macron is convinced of it, and everything that we read before was that there-

Max Blumenthal: Well it was reported days ago, in the Associated Press.

Jamie Raskin: Well all the information I've seen is that there was a hacking and a data dump the weekend before. There was certainly a data dump and so are they saying-

Max Blumenthal: Maybe it could have been anyone.

Jamie Raskin: Well, it's quite-

Max Blumenthal: The French top cyber intelligence agency, the government got access to the servers.

Jamie Raskin: Do you support an independent commission?

Max Blumenthal: Yeah but I-

Jamie Raskin: Well then maybe we'll get to the bottom of it.

Max Blumenthal: But you said that Roger Stone hosted a show on RT.

Jamie Raskin: Roger Stone, he hosted a series on the Russia propaganda network.

Jamie Raskin: Do you believe that we need-

Max Blumenthal: Roger Stone didn't host a show on RT.

Jamie Raskin: You're saying he's never been on RT?

Max Blumenthal: That he didn't host a show.

Jamie Raskin: Okay, well look, you can go over any picayune details you want, but I don't see why it would be in your interests to support an autocratic, authoritarian government, which is jailing journalists and fighting against freedom around the world.

Max Blumenthal: But I think we should tell the people the truth.

Jamie Raskin: Well we absolutely need to tell the people the truth. If Macron is now saying that the Russians had nothing to do with it, I'll very happily stand corrected but we know from the FBI, the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency that Russia was involved in trying to subvert our election. And why would you try to hide that?

Max Blumenthal: You also talked about Venezuela, Philippines and Syria.

Jamie Raskin: Duterte's Philippines, Assad's Syria, the recent chaos in Venezuela. All the despots, dictators and kleptocrats have found each other and Vladamir Putin is the ringleader of the unfree world.

Max Blumenthal: Do you support regime change in those countries?

Jamie Raskin: Absolutely, from the people. Democratic revolution I-

Max Blumenthal: Who do you think would come into power?

Jamie Raskin: Duterte's a killer. Let's talk about Duterte-

Max Blumenthal: He was democratically elected.

Jamie Raskin: But he's a killer who has assassinated-

Max Blumenthal: He was elected. He has 80% approval. You support regime change?

Jamie Raskin: Well Hitler was elected too then, you may as well say-

Max Blumenthal: He wasn't elected.

Jamie Raskin: There's massive-

Max Blumenthal: Hitler won power through a coalition with the conservatives.

Jamie Raskin: Well, but there was a democratic government. The Weimar Regime was a democratic government but-

Max Blumenthal: Who would come into power in Syria, do you think, if Assad and the whole government were overthrown? Considering that Al Qaeda is leading the armed opposition.

Jamie Raskin: Well I would not favor Al Qaeda and I presume you wouldn't favor Al Qaeda either?

Max Blumenthal: I think it's very dangerous to get up and call for regime change.

Jamie Raskin: To call for democracy around the world, that's what America is. You don't support democracy and human rights all over the world?

Max Blumenthal: What happened in Iraq?

Jamie Raskin: Why is that dangerous?

Max Blumenthal: Well look what happened in Iraq. It sounds like-

Jamie Raskin: Iraq was based on lies and propaganda by the Bush Administration. As though all these different-

Max Blumenthal: How do you know this isn't lies and propaganda to advance an agenda?

Jamie Raskin: That's why we need an independent commission, are you opposed to that?

Max Blumenthal: All the people out here are-

Jamie Raskin: Let me just ask you a question. Are you in favor of an independent commission to get to the truth or do you oppose that?

Max Blumenthal: It would be fine, but I think a lot of what we'd uncover is that you have not told the truth.

Jamie Raskin: We don't know what we'd uncover. Well that's-

Max Blumenthal: But you got up and stated certain things as facts that are clearly not true.

Jamie Raskin: Well that's why we need an independent commission, 'cause all we know right now is what leaks out of the Trump administration. Do you think the Trump administration is telling the truth about their connections with Russia, and Azerbaijan and the-

Max Blumenthal: Well, I think that Kushner-

Jamie Raskin: That's an amazing thing-

Max Blumenthal: Kushner owes-

Max Blumenthal: Hey wait a minute, I'm in the middle of an interview boss.

Max Blumenthal: Why aren't you talking?

Jamie Raskin: The politics of what you're doing.

Max Blumenthal: Okay wait a minute. Why don't you think we're talking about Saudi and Israeli influence here?

Jamie Raskin: Go and look at a speech that I made about Saudi Arabia and the human-

Max Blumenthal: And Israeli influence

Jamie Raskin: By all means, let's have the truth.

Max Blumenthal: Well why aren't you doing that here. Why aren't we talking about jobs or racism?

It's about Russia taking-

You said that Russia-

Jamie Raskin: Let's set up a debate. Let's set up a debate and we'll have debate about it.

Max Blumenthal: Do you want to do it?

Jamie Raskin: Donald Trump is the hoax, perpetrated on the Americans by the Russians.

Max Blumenthal: He got up and said that Trump is a Russian hoax.

Lauren Doney: He said there's a lot of uncertainty-

Max Blumenthal: He said that Trump is a Russian hoax and we have it on camera
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=19247
Click to expand...

Blumenthal is quoting the Washington Post as fact?

You lemmingtards must be shitting your Depends!
 
Thing1 said:
You guys just let me know when we're on the verge of invading Syria. Keep me in the loop on that one.
Click to expand...

We don't need to invade Syria to take Assad out. We can do it by supporting the rebels.

You fancy yourself as being morally consistent. To be consistent don't you need to advocate for leaving Assad in place? I've never seen you make that argument.
 
Darth Omar said:
Given how you, unfailingly, bring up Iraq at every opportunity, I just thought I'd see more outrage at your own party members who advocate taking Assad out.

Or maybe it was a little tepid and I missed it. But that makes it sound like a partisan thing.
Click to expand...
Maybe, you failed to realize Thing isn't a Democrat, therefore those persons are not his party members.
 
Darth Omar said:
We don't need to invade Syria to take Assad out. We can do it by supporting the rebels.

You fancy yourself as being morally consistent. To be consistent don't you need to advocate for leaving Assad in place? I've never seen you make that argument.
Click to expand...
or we can join forces w/Russia &maybe locals for expanding cease fires, and help lead to the end of the war.

work w/RUSSIA???!!!! OMG
 
Though the supposed experts behind PropOrNot remain unknown, the site has been granted a veneer of credibility thanks to the Washington Post, and journalists from the New York Times, including deputy Washington editor Jonathan Weissman to former Obama senior advisor Dan Pfeiffer, are hailing Timberg’s story as Pulitzer-level journalism. “Russia appears to have successfully hacked American democracy,” declared Sahil Kapur, the senior political reporter for Bloomberg. The dead-enders of Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president have also seized on PropOrNot’s claims as proof that the election was rigged, with Clinton confidant and Center For American Progress president Neera Tanden declaring, “Wake up people,” as she blasted out the Washington Post article on Russian black ops.

PropOrNot’s malicious agenda is clearly spelled out on its website. While denying McCarthyite intentions, the group is openly attempting to compel “formal investigations by the U.S. government, because the kind of folks who make propaganda for brutal authoritarian oligarchies are often involved in a wide range of bad business.” The group also seeks to brand major progressive politics sites (and a number of prominent right-wing opinion outlets) as “‘gray’ fake-media propaganda outlets” influenced or directly operated by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). It can then compel Facebook and Google to ban them, denying them the ad revenue they rely on to survive.

Though PropOrNot’s hidden authors claim, “we do not reach our conclusions lightly,” the group’s methodology leaves more than enough room to smear an outlet on political grounds. Among the criteria PropOrNot identifies as clear signs of Russian propaganda are, “Support for policies like Brexit, and the breakup of the EU and Eurozone” and, “Opposition to Ukrainian resistance to Russia and Syrian resistance to Assad.”

By these standards, any outlet that raises the alarm about the considerable presence of extreme right-wing elements among the post-Maidan Ukrainian government or that questions the Western- and Saudi-funded campaign for regime change in Syria can be designated a Russia dupe or a paid agent of the FSB. Indeed, while admitting that they have no idea whether any of the outlets they blacklisted are being paid by Russian intelligence or are even aware they are spreading Russian propaganda, PropOrNot’s authors concluded that any outlets that have met their highly politicized criteria “have effectively become tools of the Russian intelligence services, and are worthy of further investigation.”

Among the most ironic characteristics of PropOrNot is its claim to be defending journalistic integrity, a rigorous adherence to the facts, and most of all, a sense of political levity. In fact, the group’s own literature reflects a deeply paranoid view of Russia and the outside world. According to PropOrNot’s website, Russia is staging a hostile takeover of America’s alternative online media environment “in order to Make Russia Great Again (as a new ‘Eurasian’ empire stretching from Dublin to Vladisvostok), on the other. That means preserving Russian allies like Bashar al-Assad in Syria, breaking up the ‘globalist’ EU, NATO, and US-aligned trade and defense organizations, and getting countries to join ‘Eurasianist’ Russian equivalents… Or else.”

The message is clear: Stamp out the websites blacklisted by PropOrNot,or submit to the malevolent influence of Putin’s “new global empire.”

Among the websites listed by PropOrNot as “allies” are a number of groups funded by the U.S. government or NATO. They include InterpreterMag, an anti-Russian media monitoring blog funded through Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, an arm of the U.S. government, which is edited by the hardline neoconservative Michael Weiss. Polygraph Fact Check, another project of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty aimed at Russian misinformation, is listed as an “ally.” So is Bellingcat, the crowdsourced military analysis blog run by Elliot Higgins through the Atlantic Council, which receives funding from the U.S. State Department, various Gulf monarchies and the weapons industry. (Bellingcat is directly funded by Google, according to Higgins.)

Unfortunately for PropOrNot’s mysterious authors, an alliance requires the consent of all parties involved. Alerted to his designation on the website, Bellingcat’s Higgins immediately disavowed it: “Just want to note I hadn’t heard of Propornot before the WP piece and never gave permission to them to call Bellingcat ‘allies,'” he wrote.

As scrutiny of PropOrNot increases, its credibility is rapidly unraveling. But that has not stopped Beltway media wiseguys and Democratic political operatives from hyping its claims. Fake news and Russian propaganda have become the great post-election moral panic, a creeping Sharia-style conspiracy theory for shell-shocked liberals. Hoping to punish the dark foreign forces they blame for rigging the election, many of these insiders have latched onto a McCarthyite campaign that calls for government investigations of a wide array of alternative media outlets. In this case, the medicine might be worse than the disease.
 
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