No, dear reader, the Steem Desk is not dead! After a brief August hiatus, we are back!

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This IS the Monday Steem Desk for September 4th, 2017, coming at you from Tully's Coffee in beautiful Toyanogata, Niigata City, Japan! Let's dive in!

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(Current Steem price at Coincap.io: $1.33 USD)

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DPRK in the News: Is North Korea a Real Threat? (What I am actually watching for).

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(These are actual military recruiters working the street corners here in Niigata, Japan. Article 19 of the Japanese constitution is currently being "reinterpreted" to allow Japan's military to take offensive action. How convenient for the US to have a partner in world domination in the East. Thanks to my friend K for the photo.)

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As most of you probably already know, North Korea launched a missile directly over Japan last week. I was awakened early in the morning by the new national alert system on my iPhone, advised by the message appearing on my screen to take cover, because a missile was incoming. You can read my post about this experience here.

A few things struck me as strange about what happened that day, and about the official story reported by Japanese news media. First of all, the missile was not intercepted or destroyed, although the military ostensibly knew it was incoming. The reporters on TV that morning non-chalantly discussed a "missile flying overhead" and noted that the government had not shot it down or intercepted it.

Second, the new emergency alert system was anything but alarming. Of course when I read the message saying Missile, Missile, Take cover, I was a bit shaken up, but the initial warning tone that had woken me up was almost polite and somewhat unremarkable. The loudspeaker warnings in the street were disturbing, but there was something surreal about the whole thing, making it seem like a game.

The US news media has been amping up fears of the DPRK for years now, and the rhetoric used to report these latest missile launches has reminded me time and again of the rhetoric used by the news media and the President in 2003 to justify the invasion of Iraq (in connection with 9/11, even though none of the terrorists on board those planes were Iraqi). THIS IS WHAT I AM REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT.

I don't deny that North Korea may be a real threat, as unbelievable as that may seem, but this has all the watermarks of another media-sponsored propaganda campaign, designed to stir up public support for military intervention. I am reminded of the Gulf of Tonkin, 9/11, and the Northwoods Documents.

The media, both here and in the US, is now incessantly yammering about potential DPRK strikes on Tokyo or Guam (I would not want to be in Guam right now), and my eyes are open, hoping that no false flag event--or actual Korean attack allowed to happen by the US--happens. North Korea's National Anniversary is coming up, and news outlets in Japan (and in the states?) are dumping on the fear porn/war porn thicker than ever, it would seem.

Since the alleged missile launch (indeed, some of my friends are wondering if there even was one) I have seen a remarkable increase in police, and even military, presence on the streets and in the sky here in Niigata. My false flag sense is tingling. Of course it would make sense that after a missile launch the state would beef up security. Either way, I have to keep my family safe. I would be lying to say I am not considering a move to somewhere in the near future. Chile? Mexico? Who knows? Americans, what are your thoughts on the current tone in the media? Am I way off here?

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In lighter, more positive news, Fall is almost here.

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Bust out the pumpkin spice, white girls. Get yer goblin costumes, kids. Head to grandma's for that fantastic apple cider, and bust out your leatherbound journal. The season of leaves rustling, coffee sipping, and sitting serene and just a little bit lonely, but happy to be so, in University libraries at dusk, is here.

Wow. Yes. Sappy and romanticized, but whatever. I like fall. Looking forward to getting even more content published here on Steem as summer ends and some semblance of order/structure returns to my life. What about you, dear reader? What are your feelings, ideas, thoughts and goals for this coming Autumn?

Do let me know in the comments!

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That's it, for now! Until next time, STEEM ON!!!

(Thanks as always for reading. If you missed the last installment of the Monday Steem Desk, you can find it here.

~KafkA

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Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)