Unfortunately lying became the new "American Way"... And far too many Americans have given up trying to correct that.RENDING AMERICA’S FABRIC OF LIES — IS IT POSSIBLE?
by Larry Johnson - 11 March 2023
https://sonar21.com/rending-americas-fa ... -possible/
Remember Superman’s iconic saying? “Truth, Justice and the American Way.”
The Superman character emerged in a time of innocence in the United States when there was a genuine belief that the “American Way” was understood as a commitment to truth, equal justice under the law and fighting for the little guy. Boy, were we naive.
We are now living in an age where lies are presented as “truth” and anyone who dares to speak out against those lies is accused of being either a racist or transphobic or pro-Putin. In short, a conspiracy theorist. I started thinking about this in depth in the wake of Tucker Carlson’s revelations this week about the so-called January 6th Insurrection. Before Carlson showed the actual video footage from the Capitol, the world, not just the American public, were presented with a skillfully crafted flood of propaganda that portrayed Trump supporters as violent racists who wantonly killed Capitol Hill police. That is a lie. Not a single police officer of any kind was killed by Trump supporters on January 6. Not one. Yet high ranking U.S. Government officials, such as the despicable Attorney General, Merrick Garland, continue to repeat that falsehood and no one in the mainstream media is rebutting his mendacity.
But it is not just January 6. The United States government and many of its citizens are embracing a tsunami of lies. Here are a few:
- The economy is doing swell and inflation is under control.
- Men can have babies.
- White racists represent the greatest threat to American security.
- Russia is a communist, authoritarian state.
- Wearing masks and taking vaccines prevents you from catching COVID.
- Russia meddled in the 2016 election and insured Donald Trump’s victory.
- Russia’s military is weak and performing poorly on the ground in Ukraine.
- Ukraine’s President Zelensky is on par with Winston Churchill.
- The United States has the greatest, most powerful military in the world.
When you are lying to yourself about yourself you endanger yourself. Let’s say you are five foot eight and weigh 260 pounds. Instead of admitting you are a fat slob and in danger of becoming a diabetic, you continue to eat sugar saturated food and insist you are healthy. It does not matter what you believe about yourself, biology and medical facts will catch up to you and you are not likely to have a long life.
The same principle about the adverse consequences of self-delusion apply to nation states. America, in particular, is at a precarious moment in its history and is behaving like a cocaine addict who also loves an occasional hit of fentanyl. The United States has not yet overdosed, but it is only a matter of time before its continued excesses — economically, socially and militarily — will produce a fatal crisis.
Consider the Biden Administration’s fanatical support for Ukraine. Ukraine is one of the most corrupt nation’s on earth but the Biden team, with media help, continue to portray it as a flourishing democracy. I have heard from a friend who has seen some of the CIA briefings on Ukraine that the U.S. intelligence community is insisting that Russia is running out of weapons and its troops are performing poorly. The CIA said it, so it must be true. Right?
Wrong! The war in Ukraine has exposed the uncomfortable and dangerous truth that America has lost its ability to mass produce in a timely manner artillery shells, cruise missiles and other critical military equipment. While the CIA and the Western media continue to insist that Russia is running out of rockets and missiles, Russia continues to fire an average of 20,000 artillery rounds a day (compared to only 3 to 5 thousand by Ukraine).
I understand the need to lie to the public about military plans and tactics and to protect confidential intelligence sources. But that is not what is going on now. This is different than the lies told to the American public about the war in Vietnam as it raged. At least back then there were intelligence officers in the CIA and the military who reported the truth about the enormous size of the Viet Cong guerrillas and the effectiveness of the North Vietnamese military. The politicians — Johnson and Nixon in particular — continued to lie but they faced a skeptical, and at times hostile, press. There at least was a healthy debate in the United States, although the U.S. Government went to great lengths to smear and defame anyone who insisted the war in Vietnam was wrong.
We do not have that now. The only person on the mainstream media shows speaking out about these lies is Tucker Carlson. And he is being attacked by Democrat and Republican leaders. How dare he call bullshit on bullshit?
The propaganda, unfortunately, is persuading a large number of Americans that Russia and China and Iran and North Korea are our enemies and must be stopped and, most disturbing, that we have the military means to do so. I was chatting with a retired Army NCO the other day. This man held a high position in the Defense Intelligence Agency after retiring from the Army. He told me, “the Russian army is terrible and they are losing.” When I tried to explain why that was not true by offering some facts that are in the public domain, he cut off the conversation and refused to discuss it anymore. I wish I could say this was an isolated incident but it is not.
I suppose it is like having a friend who is addicted to narcotics or alcohol and is headed towards a tragic end. Logic and reason do not work. That person or that country has to hit rock bottom and come to the realization that a change is needed.
The news this week that China is brokering a rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia is a watershed moment of America’s fading influence in the Middle East and the emergence of a new international order that will be outside of its control. The United States, emerging from World War II virtually unscathed, grew accustomed to setting the international agenda and coercing other nations to conform to our will. Those days are over and most Americans do not comprehend the import of these changes.
National leaders lying to themselves and their subjects is not new. Romania’s longtime communist dictator, Nicolae Ceaușescu, learned the hard way. So too did Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein and Ngo Diem. America is still in the throes of the Superman myth. We still believe we can leap tall buildings in a single bound. However, NASA can no longer put together a space ship that reliably and safely transports U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station. We need the Russians or Elon Musk to do that.
When I was a 14 year old teenager (that was more than 50 years ago) I read William Shirer’s, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. It made a lasting impression; especially the portion of the book describing The Final Solution. I remember asking myself why the people of Germany did not see threat the NAZI system presented to them and the world. Why didn’t they do something to stop it? Now, I think I understand. The German people were deluged with lies and, rather than push back and demand truth, succumbed to those lies. I fear that same dynamic is at play now in the United States and in Europe. At some point, the lies will come crashing down.
Empire of Lies
Empire of Lies
Re: Empire of Lies
Why comment?...The 10 Rules of Propaganda
BY BRIAN MAHER - MARCH 9, 2023
https://dailyreckoning.com/the-10-rules-of-propaganda/
Lord Arthur Ponsonby was a British diplomat and politician, dates 1871–1946.
This keen and cagey fellow pinpointed 10 rules of propaganda. They are these:
1. We don’t want war, we are only defending ourselves.
2. The other guy is solely responsible for this war.
3. Our adversary’s leader is evil and looks evil.
4. We are defending a noble purpose, not special interest.
5. The enemy is purposefully causing atrocities; we only commit mistakes.
6. The enemy is using unlawful weapons.
7. We have very little losses, the enemy is losing big.
8. Intellectuals and artists support our cause.
9. Our cause is sacred.
10. Those who doubt our propaganda are traitors.
Just Look at the News
A daily scan of the newswires calls to mind three or more of these propaganda rules. On some days, six or seven. On others still, all 10.
We refer specifically to the conflict presently arage in the eastern European nation of Ukraine.
Let us now consider these rules. We will not take up each of them since some rules relate closely to others. We will instead weld these together. To proceed…
1. We don’t want war, we are only defending ourselves.
2. The other guy is solely responsible for this war.
On how many occasions have you read or heard condemnations of Mr. Putin’s “unprovoked” act of aggression?
To phrase it differently, when has it not been described as unprovoked?
Yet a man can argue very persuasively that Mr. Putin’s war was indeed provoked.
The Russian autocrat warned on several occasions that NATO expansion into Ukraine was a “red line.”
Russia would not abide the NATO dagger pressing against its vitals (parts of Ukraine actually lie east of Moscow).
Yet the NATO alliance had announced its intentions to incorporate Ukraine — despite Vladimir’s moans and grimaces.
A de Facto NATO Member
It is true that no formal offer of membership has come. Yet for years the United States and its NATO allies were arming and training Ukrainian forces.
Why do you think these Ukrainian forces have performed so excellently?
Some have in fact referred to Ukraine as a de facto NATO member. It has merely been awaiting the de jure formality of actual membership.
You may argue that Mr. Putin’s invasion was unjustified. You may argue that it was unnecessary. Your editor himself has maintained these very points.
Yet you cannot argue that it was unprovoked.
Putin’s Evil!
3. Our adversary’s leader is evil and looks evil.
9. Our cause is sacred.
Here is a very condensed sample of headlines regarding the blackened state of Mr. Putin’s soul:
“Vladimir Putin — ‘Evil on the Level of Joseph Stalin’”
“Yes, Putin Is Evil”
“Putin Is Evil, Not Mentally Ill, a Psychological Explanation”
“’Terrifying’ Putin Driven by ‘Evil Forces,’ Says ECB’s Christine Lagarde”
“How Vladimir Putin Became Evil”
And is this not the very face of evil?
Is Putin Really Evil?
Yet how do these demonologists know if the man is evil? Have they looked under the hood… and glanced his soul?
Perhaps the man is psychologically impaired. Perhaps he goes by a different morality. Perhaps he is simply misguided.
Or perhaps he simply believes his nation is under threat and that his invasion is justified.
No — not justified — necessary.
We would not claim that he is an especially congenial fellow. We would not claim that he is “nice.”
But evil? That we are not prepared to say.
Yet we are prepared to say — and will say — that for the past year propaganda has enjoyed a very brisk circulation.
Evil on the level of Joseph Stalin, as the one headline screamed? This is the work of the propagandist.
No Special Interest?
4. We are defending a noble purpose, not special interest.
Defending Ukraine may certainly qualify as a “noble purpose.” We do not contend otherwise.
Yet there are several arms manufacturers who presently drive an excellent trade.
They must replace all the armaments that have been dispatched to — and continue to be dispatched to — Ukraine.
Are they not a special interest?
Meantime, our spies inform us that a disturbing portion of monies parading under the banner of “Ukrainian aid” has been diverted to the pockets of Ukrainian oligarchs.
We would sort these oligarchs into the category of “special interest.”
“We Don’t Do Those Things”
5. The enemy is purposefully causing atrocities; we only commit mistakes.
We are told that Russia’s calendar of sins is endless. These hellcats are shooting projectiles into apartment buildings, hospitals, schools, churches.
Yet we are likewise told that Russia suffers from an acute ammunition lack. Why would these Russians waste valuable ammunition on these valueless targets?
Perhaps such targets were struck by accident. It is war and incidents as these are nearly inevitable.
Perhaps even Ukrainian forces struck some of these structures unintentionally.
We recall one instance in which a Russian missile struck very near the Polish border, murdering two. As chance would have it the “Russian missile” was an erring Ukrainian air defense missile.
Perhaps Ukrainian forces fired upon Russian forces from these sites. Russians would be justified to return the fire.
Reports of Russian massacring of civilians proliferate widely. Yet closer examination reveals that at least some of these claims are of very dubious validity.
We would be stunned and gobsmacked if atrocities of various sorts have not occurred — perpetrated by both sides.
It is, after all, war. And war is the very negation of civilization.
Yet there is little to no evidence that atrocities are official Russian policy.
That, we hazard to say, is propaganda.
He’s Using Chemical Weapons!
6. The enemy is using unlawful weapons.
“Kyiv Claims Russia Used Banned Chemical Weapon”
“Russia’s Tear Gas Bombings in Ukraine May Be First Step in Dangerous Chemical Escalation”
“Ukraine’s Battlefield Is Haunted by Putin’s Chemical Weapons Legacy”
We assigned our spies the case. They inform us there exists no evidence of Russian chemical weapons use.
Videos have circulated — however — of Ukrainian soldiers preparing chemical weapons for battlefield use. Other videos circulate of Russian soldiers gagging on these chemical agents.
We cannot confirm their trueness.
270,000 Russian Casualties?
7. We have very little losses, the enemy is losing big.
Source after source cites claims of unspeakable Russian deaths and woundings. Figures of 270,000 Russian casualties have been proposed.
Yet the original invasion force consisted only of 190,000 men. Are they all — plus 80,000 others — dead or injured?
The British Broadcasting Corporation decided to so some spade work. They attempted to discern the true number of Russian fatalities. This they did by poring through death notices, funeral announcements, social media and other venues.
What did they discover?
They could only identify the names of 16,071 confirmed Russian fatalities. They concede the possibility that they are undercounting the butcher’s bill by as much as 40%.
In all, BBC places Russia’s total irretrievable losses (wounded, killed or missing people) at some 144,500.
These figures nonetheless place the actual casualty roster — both killings and woundings — far below the mainstream telling.
We are loathe to employ the word “only” when discussing deaths and woundings. It is a morbid affair. Each man is a unique human creature crafted in the image of his creator.
Yet the BBC’s sleuthing indicates strongly that Russian casualty figures are extravagantly exaggerated.
It is in keeping to Propaganda Rule no. 7.
8. Intellectuals and artists support our cause.
How many intellectuals and artists boast Twitter accounts bearing an image of the Ukrainian flag?
They are nearly beyond count.
10. Those who doubt our propaganda are traitors.
Your patriotic editor has been labeled traitorous on many, many occasions — by readers and colleagues alike.
The Propaganda War
Does Russia transmit its own propaganda? We are certain that it does.
Upon reflection we must amend the prior statement — we suspect strongly that Russia transmits its own propaganda. We cannot be certain.
That is because none of it is allowed in. It is all censored out by the Western press. They have erected a great cordon walling off Russian propaganda.
How else does one explain the universal media claims of Ukrainian righteousness and Russian evil? Of Ukrainian brio and Russian incompetence? Of Ukrainian victory and Russian defeat?
We will merely state that we have been privy to… conflicting… reports.
Yet we are aware that by posting the 10 Rules of Propaganda… we will be accused ourself of distributing propaganda — Russian propaganda.
We plead nolo contendere… comrade.
Re: Empire of Lies
My reply in red:
Sertorio wrote: ↑Sun Mar 12, 2023 1:39 amSo that means he admits that he posted Russian propaganda.The 10 Rules of Propaganda
BY BRIAN MAHER - MARCH 9, 2023
https://dailyreckoning.com/the-10-rules-of-propaganda/
Lord Arthur Ponsonby was a British diplomat and politician, dates 1871–1946.
This keen and cagey fellow pinpointed 10 rules of propaganda. They are these:
1. We don’t want war, we are only defending ourselves.
2. The other guy is solely responsible for this war.
3. Our adversary’s leader is evil and looks evil.
4. We are defending a noble purpose, not special interest.
5. The enemy is purposefully causing atrocities; we only commit mistakes.
6. The enemy is using unlawful weapons.
7. We have very little losses, the enemy is losing big.
8. Intellectuals and artists support our cause.
9. Our cause is sacred.
10. Those who doubt our propaganda are traitors.
Just Look at the News
A daily scan of the newswires calls to mind three or more of these propaganda rules. On some days, six or seven. On others still, all 10.
We refer specifically to the conflict presently arage in the eastern European nation of Ukraine.
Let us now consider these rules. We will not take up each of them since some rules relate closely to others. We will instead weld these together. To proceed…
1. We don’t want war, we are only defending ourselves.
2. The other guy is solely responsible for this war.
On how many occasions have you read or heard condemnations of Mr. Putin’s “unprovoked” act of aggression?
many times because it’s true. It’s Putin who is claiming self defence and making this excuse.
To phrase it differently, when has it not been described as unprovoked?
Yet a man can argue very persuasively that Mr. Putin’s war was indeed provoked.
The Russian autocrat warned on several occasions that NATO expansion into Ukraine was a “red line.”
Then Putin’s quarrel is with NATO and not Ukraine. Did Ukraine invade Russia? No. Did NATO invade Russia? No. So it’s unprovoked.
Russia would not abide the NATO dagger pressing against its vitals (parts of Ukraine actually lie east of Moscow).
Yet the NATO alliance had announced its intentions to incorporate Ukraine — despite Vladimir’s grimaces.
Some countries welcomed the idea but Ukraine was rejected. Membership requires all members to agree.
A de Facto NATO Member
It is true that no formal offer of membership has come. Yet for years the United States and its NATO allies were arming and training Ukrainian forces.
Why do you think these Ukrainian forces have performed so excellently?
Some have in fact referred to Ukraine as a de facto NATO member. It has merely been awaiting the de jure formality of actual membership.
if Ukraine is a member, de facto or de june, NATO troops would be now fighting in Ukraine.
You may argue that Mr. Putin’s invasion was unjustified. You may argue that it was unnecessary. Your editor himself has maintained these very points.
Yet you cannot argue that it was unprovoked.
Yes it was because Ukraine did not attack Russia.
Putin’s Evil!
3. Our adversary’s leader is evil and looks evil.
9. Our cause is sacred.
Here is a very condensed sample of headlines regarding the blackened state of Mr. Putin’s soul:
“Vladimir Putin — ‘Evil on the Level of Joseph Stalin’”
“Yes, Putin Is Evil”
“Putin Is Evil, Not Mentally Ill, a Psychological Explanation”
“’Terrifying’ Putin Driven by ‘Evil Forces,’ Says ECB’s Christine Lagarde”
“How Vladimir Putin Became Evil”
And is this not the very face of evil?
Is Putin Really Evil?
Yet how do these demonologists know if the man is evil? Have they looked under the hood… and glanced his soul?
By looking at what he is doing and have done.
Perhaps the man is psychologically impaired. Perhaps he goes by a different morality. Perhaps he is simply misguided.
Or perhaps he simply believes his nation is under threat and that his invasion is justified.
No — not justified — necessary.
We would not claim that he is an especially congenial fellow. We would not claim that he is “nice.”
But evil? That we are not prepared to say.
Yet we are prepared to say — and will say — that for the past year propaganda has enjoyed a very brisk circulation.
Evil on the level of Joseph Stalin, as the one headline screamed? This is the work of the propagandist.
No Special Interest?
4. We are defending a noble purpose, not special interest.
Defending Ukraine may certainly qualify as a “noble purpose.” We do not contend otherwise.
Glad you think so too. We are defending the principle that large powerful countries cannot alter borders by war.
Yet there are several arms manufacturers who presently drive an excellent trade.
They must replace all the armaments that have been dispatched to — and continue to be dispatched to — Ukraine.
Are they not a special interest?
Meantime, our spies inform us that a disturbing portion of monies parading under the banner of “Ukrainian aid” has been diverted to the pockets of Ukrainian oligarchs.
That would be difficult. Aid mostly comes in the form of weapons and ammo. The oligarchs can’t cash in unless they can sell. How to sell HIMARS and tanks without the Allies finding out?
We would sort these oligarchs into the category of “special interest.”
“We Don’t Do Those Things”
5. The enemy is purposefully causing atrocities; we only commit mistakes.
We are told that Russia’s calendar of sins is endless. These hellcats are shooting projectiles into apartment buildings, hospitals, schools, churches.
Yet we are likewise told that Russia suffers from an acute ammunition lack. Why would these Russians waste valuable ammunition on these valueless targets?
Perhaps such targets were struck by accident. It is war and incidents as these are nearly inevitable.
Perhaps even Ukrainian forces struck some of these structures unintentionally.
We recall one instance in which a Russian missile struck very near the Polish border, murdering two. As chance would have it the “Russian missile” was an erring Ukrainian air defense missile.
Perhaps Ukrainian forces fired upon Russian forces from these sites. Russians would be justified to return the fire.
Reports of Russian massacring of civilians proliferate widely. Yet closer examination reveals that at least some of these claims are of very dubious validity.
We would be stunned and gobsmacked if atrocities of various sorts have not occurred — perpetrated by both sides.
It is, after all, war. And war is the very negation of civilization.
Yet there is little to no evidence that atrocities are official Russian policy.
That, we hazard to say, is propaganda.
He’s Using Chemical Weapons!
6. The enemy is using unlawful weapons.
“Kyiv Claims Russia Used Banned Chemical Weapon”
“Russia’s Tear Gas Bombings in Ukraine May Be First Step in Dangerous Chemical Escalation”
“Ukraine’s Battlefield Is Haunted by Putin’s Chemical Weapons Legacy”
We assigned our spies the case. They inform us there exists no evidence of Russian chemical weapons use.
Videos have circulated — however — of Ukrainian soldiers preparing chemical weapons for battlefield use. Other videos circulate of Russian soldiers gagging on these chemical agents.
I don’t recall any main stream media accusing g Russia of using wmd in Ukraine.
We cannot confirm their trueness.
270,000 Russian Casualties?
7. We have very little losses, the enemy is losing big.
Source after source cites claims of unspeakable Russian deaths and woundings. Figures of 270,000 Russian casualties have been proposed.
Yet the original invasion force consisted only of 190,000 men. Are they all — plus 80,000 others — dead or injured?
The British Broadcasting Corporation decided to so some spade work. They attempted to discern the true number of Russian fatalities. This they did by poring through death notices, funeral announcements, social media and other venues.
What did they discover?
They could only identify the names of 16,071 confirmed Russian fatalities. They concede the possibility that they are undercounting the butcher’s bill by as much as 40%.
In all, BBC places Russia’s total irretrievable losses (wounded, killed or missing people) at some 144,500.
These figures nonetheless place the actual casualty roster — both killings and woundings — far below the mainstream telling.
isn’t the bbc mainstream media too. Neither side gives any casualty figures. So we don’t know the actual number. Far better to look at the map to see who is winning.
We are loathe to employ the word “only” when discussing deaths and woundings. It is a morbid affair. Each man is a unique human creature crafted in the image of his creator.
Yet the BBC’s sleuthing indicates strongly that Russian casualty figures are extravagantly exaggerated.
It is in keeping to Propaganda Rule no. 7.
8. Intellectuals and artists support our cause.
How many intellectuals and artists boast Twitter accounts bearing an image of the Ukrainian flag?
They are nearly beyond count.
10. Those who doubt our propaganda are traitors.
Your patriotic editor has been labeled traitorous on many, many occasions — by readers and colleagues alike.
The Propaganda War
Does Russia transmit its own propaganda? We are certain that it does.
yes, Russian media is controlled by the Kremlin. Western media is owned by private businessmen. They have an interest in maintaining credibility.
Upon reflection we must amend the prior statement — we suspect strongly that Russia transmits its own propaganda. We cannot be certain.
That is because none of it is allowed in. It is all censored out by the Western press. They have erected a great cordon walling off Russian propaganda.
How else does one explain the universal media claims of Ukrainian righteousness and Russian evil? Of Ukrainian brio and Russian incompetence? Of Ukrainian victory and Russian defeat?
We will merely state that we have been privy to… conflicting… reports.
Yet we are aware that by posting the 10 Rules of Propaganda… we will be accused ourself of distributing propaganda — Russian propaganda.
We plead nolo contendere… comrade.
Why comment?...
The Imp 
Re: Empire of Lies
Let's look at just this one aspect for a moment:- The United States has the greatest, most powerful military in the world.
https://asiatimes.com/2023/03/us-lacks- ... ter-china/This month, Forbes reported that China had overtaken the US in developing new types of explosives, notably its version of CL-20, an explosive developed in the 1980s, which is 40% more potent than RDX or HMX and widely used in US munitions since World War I
I'm not a midwit, I'm a demiderp. Says so on the certificate which I just bought.....'>....
Re: Empire of Lies
Do you assume that this Asia Times article can be believed?lzzrdgrrl wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 8:00 pmLet's look at just this one aspect for a moment:- The United States has the greatest, most powerful military in the world.
https://asiatimes.com/2023/03/us-lacks- ... ter-china/This month, Forbes reported that China had overtaken the US in developing new types of explosives, notably its version of CL-20, an explosive developed in the 1980s, which is 40% more potent than RDX or HMX and widely used in US munitions since World War I
Could it be that the author has been fed Chinese propaganda? Employed by a power unfriendly towards the United States? That his impartiality might be feigned? All for the sake of spreading disinformation?
I smelled a rat when I scanned the bottyon of the article and found no accreditation for its author By GABRIEL HONRADA.
So I did a wee bit of Google research and this is what I found:
Gabriel Joel Honrada. Assistant Lecturer and PhD Student at People's Friendship University of Russia.
Now Izzrdgrrl, do you smell a rat?
Re: Empire of Lies
Do you ever believe anyone who contradicts you, who doesn't say what you want to hear?...neverfail wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 11:32 pmDo you assume that this Asia Times article can be believed?lzzrdgrrl wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 8:00 pmLet's look at just this one aspect for a moment:- The United States has the greatest, most powerful military in the world.
https://asiatimes.com/2023/03/us-lacks- ... ter-china/This month, Forbes reported that China had overtaken the US in developing new types of explosives, notably its version of CL-20, an explosive developed in the 1980s, which is 40% more potent than RDX or HMX and widely used in US munitions since World War I
Could it be that the author has been fed Chinese propaganda? Employed by a power unfriendly towards the United States? That his impartiality might be feigned? All for the sake of spreading disinformation?
I smelled a rat when I scanned the bottyon of the article and found no accreditation for its author By GABRIEL HONRADA.
So I did a wee bit of Google research and this is what I found:
Gabriel Joel Honrada. Assistant Lecturer and PhD Student at People's Friendship University of Russia.
Now Izzrdgrrl, do you smell a rat?