Losers on Linkedin Reply

Losers on Linkedin is a troll blog that was written by Michael Draper  a wanna be Steven Spielberg Script Writer with assistance  from Sharon Weshler . The blog is absurdly very, very long , much of it incomprehensible, incredulous & unedited.Draper was repeatedly turned down by AK European Investments, part of European Investment Group for finance for one of his movie projects. .

The Blog has a very high Google Ranking as it is piggy backing on Stephen Darori's Linkedin Account Ranking and also his name recognition and branding as both Stephen Darori ( in Israel) & Stephen Drus ( out of Israel) .

Between Sep 2009 and June 2016 , the two posts in this blog have, following legal representation to Google, been removed 26 times only to have the posts reblogged almost immediately. Currently one of the Blogs has been removed by Google with the message " In response to a legal request submitted to Google, we have removed this post. If you wish, you may read more about the request at LumenDatabase.org." . Google is pursuing legal action against Draper & Weshler,

Weshler been questioned under caution, by  Israel's  Cyber & Serious Crimes Division , 6 times. Draper was first questioned in Dec 2009 in South Africa  & signed an affidavit that Weshler provided the Israeli  fantasy content of the Blog. Weshler has on more than one occasion hired a PI for lengthy periods of time to follow and photograph me  and childishly and gloatingly sent me  by email  scanned  documents his PI's obtained illegally from Israeli Government Databases. These have been given to the Police and they are pursuing criminal action against the PI and Weshler . Weshler  has repeatedly harassed my immediate family by phone.including my ex-wife who has lodged 3 police complaints against Weshler.Weshler does not deny hiring a PI..

I do  not have a Phd from Wits University & have  been on Wits Campus  for PFP, NUSAS and AIESEC  Conferences & Seminars,only. I do not believe there is such a thing as a Phd in Transfer Pricing andywhere in the world and no such degree has ever been awarded  by any South African University. .

I was born , raised and educated in Cape Town ( see http://www.Herzlia.com, Class of 74) &  the language of Apartheid , Afrikaans fluently. It was a compulsory school subject in most "white" schools until 1994. Afrikaans is a central theme of the posts.

So Draper's issue with me was that he failed to secure finance for a movie script he wrote  from European Investments that did invest in alternative investments that did include movies. I have all the European Investment correspondence with Draper . So does the South African, Israeli and Canadian Cybercrimes Unit Police.

Weshler , who is best described as an o childish, narcissistic arrogant twit issue who has used Linkedin to hide the fact that the number of jobs he has had ( and been fired from) is equivalent to the WC need of a bad case of diarrhea  . A full list is available from me ( it was compiled following investigation by the Israeli cyber police).So what is Weshler's beef with me.... well Weshler's nativity has frequently caused horrific character judgement.... ( print screens are available for everything)....
He promoted a Scammore than once ( although did not initiate them)....an example was a website that maintained thatthey had found precious metals in the "Zubelun "Area. Where is Zubelun? The territory Zebulun was allocated was at the southern end of the Galilee, with its eastern border being the Sea of Galilee, the western border being the Mediterranean Sea, the south being bordered by the Tribe of Issachar, and the north by Asher on the western side and Naphtali on the eastern . The website maintained that de Beers Mining company had endorsed it and reports were available that the area was rich with Gold, Diamonds, Platinum, Uranium and a list that went on and on. .... I engaged weshler and said the website that was looking for huge amounts of finance was fake and a scam . weshler continued to post his 'recommendation'' in a zillion groups time and time again.\

But promting scams isn't what  started his journey to become a key Nemesis  of mine. In figure of speech Nemisis is an Antonomasia.  In rhetoric, antonomasia is a kind of metonymy in which an epithet or phrase takes the place of a proper name, such as "the little corporal" for Napoleon I. Conversely, antonomasia can also be using a proper name as an archetypal name, to express a generic idea.Examples are Quisling ( traitor) , Solomon ( wise person) , Trump ( a bombastic, racist, sexist , purile autocrat), Moshes ( leader of nations),.... a Weshler   ( twit full of deception and narcissism)

Desalanation Technology as turned Zion into a Surplus Freshwater Provider.

Sorek Desalination Plant

Israel Proves the Desalination Era is Here

One of the driest countries on earth now makes more freshwater than it needs

From Ensia (find the original story here); reprinted with permission.

Ten miles south of Tel Aviv, I stand on a catwalk over two concrete reservoirs the size of football fields and watch water pour into them from a massive pipe emerging from the sand. The pipe is so large I could walk through it standing upright, were it not full of Mediterranean seawater pumped from an intake a mile offshore.

“Now, that’s a pump!” Edo Bar-Zeev shouts to me over the din of the motors, grinning with undisguised awe at the scene before us. The reservoirs beneath us contain several feet of sand through which the seawater filters before making its way to a vast metal hangar, where it is transformed into enough drinking water to supply 1.5 million people.

We are standing above the new Sorek desalination plant, the largest reverse-osmosis desal facility in the world, and we are staring at Israel’s salvation. Just a few years ago, in the depths of its worst drought in at least 900 years, Israel was running out of water. Now it has a surplus. That remarkable turnaround was accomplished through national campaigns to conserve and reuse Israel’s meager water resources, but the biggest impact came from a new wave of desalination plants.

Bar-Zeev, who recently joined Israel’s Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research after completing his postdoc work at Yale University, is an expert on biofouling, which has always been an Achilles’ heel of desalination and one of the reasons it has been considered a last resort. Desal works by pushing saltwater into membranes containing microscopic pores. The water gets through, while the larger salt molecules are left behind. But microorganisms in seawater quickly colonize the membranes and block the pores, and controlling them requires periodic costly and chemical-intensive cleaning. But Bar-Zeev and colleagues developed a chemical-free system using porous lava stone to capture the microorganisms before they reach the membranes. It’s just one of many breakthroughs in membrane technology that have made desalination much more efficient. Israel now gets 55 percent of its domestic water from desalination, and that has helped to turn one of the world’s driest countries into the unlikeliest of water giants.

Driven by necessity, Israel is learning to squeeze more out of a drop of water than any country on Earth, and much of that learning is happening at the Zuckerberg Institute, where researchers have pioneered new techniques in drip irrigation, water treatment and desalination. They have developed resilient well systems for African villages and biological digesters than can halve the water usage of most homes.

Bar-Zeev believes that Israel’s solutions can help its parched neighbors, too — and in the process, bring together old enemies in common cause.The institute’s original mission was to improve life in Israel’s bone-dry Negev Desert, but the lessons look increasingly applicable to the entire Fertile Crescent. “The Middle East is drying up,” says Osnat Gillor, a professor at the Zuckerberg Institute who studies the use of recycled wastewater on crops. “The only country that isn’t suffering acute water stress is Israel.”

That water stress has been a major factor in the turmoil tearing apart the Middle East, but Bar-Zeev believes that Israel’s solutions can help its parched neighbors, too — and in the process, bring together old enemies in common cause.

Bar-Zeev acknowledges that water will likely be a source of conflict in the Middle East in the future. “But I believe water can be a bridge, through joint ventures,” he says. “And one of those ventures is desalination.”

DRIVEN TO DESPERATION

In 2008, Israel teetered on the edge of catastrophe. A decade-long drought had scorched the Fertile Crescent, and Israel’s largest source of freshwater, the Sea of Galilee, had dropped to within inches of the “red line” at which irreversible salt infiltration would flood the lake and ruin it forever. Water restrictions were imposed, and many farmers lost a year’s crops.

Their counterparts in Syria fared much worse. As the drought intensified and the water table plunged, Syria’s farmers chased it, drilling wells 100, 200, then 500 meters (300, 700, then 1,600 feet) down in a literal race to the bottom. Eventually, the wells ran dry and Syria’s farmland collapsed in an epic dust storm. More than a million farmers joined massive shantytowns on the outskirts of Aleppo, Homs, Damascus and other cities in a futile attempt to find work and purpose.

Water is driving the entire region to desperate acts.And that, according to the authors of “Climate Change in the Fertile Crescent and Implications of the Recent Syrian Drought,” a 2015 paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was the tinder that burned Syria to the ground. “The rapidly growing urban peripheries of Syria,” they wrote, “marked by illegal settlements, overcrowding, poor infrastructure, unemployment, and crime, were neglected by the Assad government and became the heart of the developing unrest.”

Similar stories are playing out across the Middle East, where drought and agricultural collapse have produced a lost generation with no prospects and simmering resentments. Iran, Iraq and Jordan all face water catastrophes. Water is driving the entire region to desperate acts.

MORE WATER THAN NEEDS

Except Israel. Amazingly, Israel has more water than it needs. The turnaround started in 2007, when low-flow toilets and showerheads were installed nationwide and the national water authority built innovative water treatment systems that recapture 86 percent of the water that goes down the drain and use it for irrigation — vastly more than the second-most-efficient country in the world, Spain, which recycles 19 percent.

But even with those measures, Israel still needed about 1.9 billion cubic meters (2.5 billion cubic yards) of freshwater per year and was getting just 1.4 billion cubic meters (1.8 billion cubic yards) from natural sources. That 500-million-cubic-meter (650-million-cubic-yard) shortfall was why the Sea of Galilee was draining like an unplugged tub and why the country was about to lose its farms.

The country faces a previously unfathomable question: What to do with its extra water?Enter desalination. The Ashkelon plant, in 2005, provided 127 million cubic meters (166 million cubic yards) of water. Hadera, in 2009, put out another 140 million cubic meters (183 million cubic yards). And now Sorek, 150 million cubic meters (196 million cubic yards). All told, desal plants can provide some 600 million cubic meters (785 million cubic yards) of water a year, and more are on the way.

The Sea of Galilee is fuller. Israel’s farms are thriving. And the country faces a previously unfathomable question: What to do with its extra water?

WATER DIPLOMACY

Inside Sorek, 50,000 membranes enclosed in vertical white cylinders, each 4 feet high and 16 inches wide, are whirring like jet engines. The whole thing feels like a throbbing spaceship about to blast off. The cylinders contain sheets of plastic membranes wrapped around a central pipe, and the membranes are stippled with pores less than a hundredth the diameter of a human hair. Water shoots into the cylinders at a pressure of 70 atmospheres and is pushed through the membranes, while the remaining brine is returned to the sea.

Desalination used to be an expensive energy hog, but the kind of advanced technologies being employed at Sorek have been a game changer. Water produced by desalination costs just a third of what it did in the 1990s. Sorek can produce a thousand liters of drinking water for 58 cents. Israeli households pay about US$30 a month for their water — similar to households in most U.S. cities, and far less than Las Vegas (US$47) or Los Angeles (US$58).

The International Desalination Association claims that 300 million people get water from desalination, and that number is quickly rising. IDE, the Israeli company that built Ashkelon, Hadera and Sorek, recently finished the Carlsbad desalination plant in Southern California, a close cousin of its Israel plants, and it has many more in the works. Worldwide, the equivalent of six additional Sorek plants are coming online every year. The desalination era is here.

What excites Bar-Zeev the most is the opportunity for water diplomacy.What excites Bar-Zeev the most is the opportunity for water diplomacy. Israel supplies the West Bank with water, as required by the 1995 Oslo II Accords, but the Palestinians still receive far less than they need. Water has been entangled with other negotiations in the ill-fated peace process, but now that more is at hand, many observers see the opportunity to depoliticize it. Bar-Zeev has ambitious plans for a Water Knows No Boundaries conference in 2018, which will bring together water scientists from Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza for a meeting of the minds.

Even more ambitious is the US$900 million Red Sea–Dead Sea Canal, a joint venture between Israel and Jordan to build a large desalination plant on the Red Sea, where they share a border, and divide the water among Israelis, Jordanians and the Palestinians. The brine discharge from the plant will be piped 100 miles north through Jordan to replenish the Dead Sea, which has been dropping a meter per year since the two countries began diverting the only river that feeds it in the 1960s. By 2020, these old foes will be drinking from the same tap.

On the far end of the Sorek plant, Bar-Zeev and I get to share a tap as well. Branching off from the main line where the Sorek water enters the Israeli grid is a simple spigot, a paper cup dispenser beside it. I open the tap and drink cup after cup of what was the Mediterranean Sea 40 minutes ago. It tastes cold, clear and miraculous.

The contrasts couldn’t be starker. A few miles from here, water disappeared and civilization crumbled. Here, a galvanized civilization created water from nothingness. As Bar-Zeev and I drink deep, and the climate sizzles, I wonder which of these stories will be the exception, and which the rule.

Super Heroes of Zion Stephen Darori Batman, Jonty Darori ,Spiderman, Lesleigh Drus Batwoman. Kimberly Darori Superwoman,

From the left Stephen Darori  Batman, Jonty Darori ,Spiderman, Lesleigh Drus Batwoman. Kimberly Darori Superwoman, 

Rip Roaring Zionist living in Zion

I am proud to be a Rip Roaring Zionist living in Zion

I was once standing in line to board a plane at Gatwick Airport, and I found myself next to a gentleman who appeared, to my trained eye, to be an Orthodox Jew—black suit, white shirt, no tie, black hat, and beard. I turned to him and said, lightheartedly, in a mixture of English and Yiddish, “With a ‘Shayna Yid’ like you on board, I am sure we will have safe flight.” For the uninitiated, this is a Yiddish expression for a “fine, upstanding Jew.” It's a compliment.

He looked at me blankly, and I realized I had made a serious mistake. “What did you say?” he asked me. I replied that I had said that with such a fine, upstanding-looking gentleman like him on board, I was sure we’d have a safe flight. Don't ask me why I said such a stupid thing. But I did.

“No that’s not what you said,” he replied and walked away. And that was the last I saw of him.

I realized that he had heard the word Yid and had thought I was insulting him. You see, in Yiddish “a Yid” is a compliment. It is a positive, good word. But in north London soccer circles, “Yid” is a term of abuse. Supporters of Arsenal and Chelsea use it against fans of Tottenham Hotspur, regardless of whether they are Jewish or not. This poor fellow, possibly an undertaker or a member of some honorable Order, took it as an insult. It is all about context.

The word “Goy” is now used almost universally in a derogatory way, even if in the Bible it is used entirely complimentarily to describe any significant nation, primarily Israelite, but non-Israelite too. Where did its negative usage come from? According to Israeli academic Amnon Raz Krakotzkin, when the Catholic censors turned their attention to the Talmud, they went looking for anything that might be offensive to Christians. Talmudic terms for non-Jews like “Ovdei Kochavim” (idol worshippers) were intended originally to refer to real idolaters. But the censors thought it was a negative code for Christians, who had effigies of Jesus and Mary in their churches. So they insisted that the printers replace such terns with the word “Goy”, which at that time was regarded as a safe, positive biblical Hebrew word. But the fact that the Christians who were oppressing the Jews preferred this word inevitably turned it into a negative one. Amazing how one often does not see the consequences of one’s actions.

Now a new fashionable term of abuse, acceptable amongst the yahoos on the Left and Islamists, is that of Zio, intended to demean Zionists. In the discovery of rabid anti-Semitism in the British Labour Party, this term has suddenly come into the open. It is a soubriquet I am proud to adopt. If people use a term to disparage my inalienable rights, well, sod them, I say. In your face.

The strange truth is that in my youth I did not want to describe myself as a Zionist. My early experiences in Israel in the 1950s were of proudly secular Zionists who hated religion in general and Judaism in particular, who associated Orthodoxy with the ghettos of Europe and desperately wanted Israel to be Torah-free. This was a new phenomenon for me. I was brought up in England to respect religion, even if you chose not to keep it. The left-wing Zionism I encountered in Israel was rooted in the late 19th century, as a political movement whose dominant ( not all of course) ideology was inspired mainly by Marxism. In my youth Marxism had already been revealed as “the god that died” or, more accurately, had betrayed all those millions of idealists who trusted in its healing powers—whereas I was brought up in Judaism, where Jews had been longing to return home and praying for Zion for thousands of years. Wanting to return home was Jewish liberation, self-determination. One did not need another word for it.

The Zionist myth that normalization would remove anti-Semitism was predicated on the belief that anti-Semitism was logical. That when faced with “normal” Jews the anti-Semites would see the error of their ways. But in the face of the blind hatred that refuses to go away, no evidence or argument can dissuade prejudice. I am hated for being a Jew regardless of whether I am a Zionist or not, and the current tsunami of anti-Israelism has drawn no distinction between Zionist and Jew. Meanwhile many secular Israelis feel more at home with like-minded international socialism than they do with Judaism. Which is fair enough, so long as I have the right to identify with those I prefer to.

I believed, and still do, that any “ism” that thought it could replace Judaism was doomed. So I did not want to describe myself as a Zionist. Yet I remained, and remain to this day, a firm believer in our need to try to take control of our own destiny (in so far as anyone can nowadays ). One can describe that, if one wants to, as Jewish nationalism. But I could never see why, other than as a historical oddity, there was any value in calling it anything other than Judaism wanting its right to self-rule.

At the same time, I could see how all nationalism had and has a lot wrong with it. most of it a relatively modern phenomenon that replaced the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Hungarian Empire, The Ottomans and sundry others. In a dream world we would not need it. But given that nationalism is the current currency of world affairs and if the Serbs and Croats and Samoans and Irish can have their own country, it seems to me that only prejudice or visceral hatred could possibly object to Jews having a state of their own and the right to protect it. All the more so given that no other states were prepared to absorb them in any significant numbers when Hitler struck. And I accept fully that objectively my nationalism ought to be no less and no more important than anyone else’s.

The attempt to differentiate between Jews, Orthodox or other, Zionist or not, is unhelpful and misleading. It provides work for bureaucrats and academics and excuses for Jew-haters. If you are walking in Jerusalem as a black suited-Charedi pacifist Jew who opposes Zionism as a secular distortion, you are just as likely to be stabbed to death as a soldier carrying a gun or to have abuse hurled at you by opponents of Israel’s existence. Current statistics show that Charedi men are far more likely to experience anti-Semitism in Europe and the USA than secular Zionists!

So, yes, I am going to call myself a unabashed unrepeated Rip Roaring Zionist and be proud of it. Because if people hate me for who I am with no attempt at nuance or understanding, it makes no difference what they call me. So it’s my way of saying “Stuff you, too.”

God Save America from Donny T. At 7.48 Hillary Clinton commits to Zion. Zion should openly commit To Hillary clinton to become the 45th President.

God Save America from Donny T. At 7.48 Hillary Clinton commits to Zion. Zion should openly commit To Hillary Clinton to become the 45th President

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omOJvwlcvRc at 7.48 Hillary Clinton commits to Zion..... she deserves your public support Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו Rather someone you know than someone one who says No to Nato . You can't always get what you want , Mick Jagger still sings but rather a diplomat and politician than a dangerous autocrat with none of the former. Hillary Clinton committed to Zion, Zion should reciprocate and commit to Hillary Clinton.and publicly so

God Save America from Donny T. At 7.48 Hillary Clinton commits to Zion. Zion should openly commit To Hillary clinton to become the 45th President.

God Save America from Donny T. At 7.48 Hillary Clinton commits to Zion. Zion should openly commit To Hillary Clinton to become the 45th President

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omOJvwlcvRc at 7.48 Hillary Clinton commits to Zion..... she deserves your public support Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו Rather someone you know than someone one who says No to Nato . You can't always get what you want , Mick Jagger still sings but rather a diplomat and politician than a dangerous autocrat with none of the former. Hillary Clinton committed to Zion, Zion should reciprocate and commit to Hillary Clinton.and publicly so

God Save America from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omOJvwlcvRc at 7.48 Hillary clinton commits to Zion..... she deserves your public support Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו Rather someone you know than someone one who says No to Nato . You can't always get what you want , Mick Jagger still sings but rather a diplomat and politician than a dangerous autocrat with none of the former. Hillary Clinton committed to Zion, Zion should reciprocate and commit to Hillary Clinton.and publicly so

God Save America from Donny T. Hillary commits to Zion at 7.48 . Zion should commit to Hillary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omOJvwlcvRc at 7.48 Hillary clinton commits to Zion..... she deserves your public support Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו Rather someone you know than someone one who says No to Nato . You can't always get what you want , Mick Jagger still sings but rather a diplomat and politician than a dangerous autocrat with none of the former. Hillary Clinton committed to Zion, Zion should reciprocate and commit to Hillary Clinton.and publicly so

God Save America from Donny T. Hillary commits to Zion at 7.48 . Zion should commit to Hillary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omOJvwlcvRc at 7.48 Hillary clinton commits to Zion..... she deserves your public support Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו Rather someone you know than someone one who says No to Nato . You can't always get what you want , Mick Jagger still sings but rather a diplomat and politician than a dangerous autocrat with none of the former. Hillary Clinton committed to Zion, Zion should reciprocate and commit to Hillary Clinton.and publicly so

Erdogan's Iron fist of Conservatism . Bump your head to the Ground . Allah Achbar watch out Zion

Erdogan's Iron fist  of Conservatism . Bump your head  to the Ground . Allah Achbar watch out Zion

 The failed military coup in Turkey was most likely the swan song of the country's secular endeavor. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan now has a firmer hold on power, despite external and internal conflicts. Israel should remain wary of taking sides.

Until last week, it seemed that despite its constant turmoil and geopolitical upheavals, the Middle East still had some anchors of stability, including Israel, the Persian Gulf emirates, and even Turkey. But even with the strongman tactics exercised by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to cement his rule, last Friday's military coup attempt was completely unexpected.

It was believed that the Turkish military had been removed from the country's political sphere and was sworn to protect the country's secular and Western character. The army, we thought, was not part of the political body of Turkey.

These assessments proved wrong. Last week, the world learned that some forces in the Turkish army had not despaired. But without the support of the military's chief of staff and generals, those forces proved too weak to remove Erdogan from power. They underestimated the public's support for the president, and their coup failed, fading into history without leaving much of a mark.

The trivial questions that lend themselves to this situation -- why were the experts blindsided, how can one explain the failure of Turkish intelligence, and where were Erdogan's sensibilities as a leader, as he must have been aware of the disapproval his policies evoked among many in the public and the military? -- will most likely never be answered.

This, of course, will only fuel the conspiracy theory suggesting that Erdogan orchestrated the coup as an excuse to purge the military of those who oppose him. But I learned long ago that faced with a choice between conspiracy, stupidity, and inaptitude, the latter two are far more likely the explanation, simply because they are more common. A conspiracy is always the least likely scenario, even in Turkey's case.

With the coup quashed, Erdogan has a much firmer hold on power in Turkey. From a historical perspective, this is important, because it seems Islam has been able to undercut the secular revolution in Turkey in less than a century, and perhaps even root it out completely. It seems that contrary to popular belief, the secular foundations laid by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk when he founded modern Turkey on the remnants of the Ottoman Empire did not run deep enough.

While it is far too soon to speculate about the implications and ramifications of the failed coup and what they may mean for Turkey, the uprising was most likely the swan song of Ataturk's secular endeavor, especially since large parts of the military seem willing to accept the path on which Erdogan has placed Turkey. It is becoming increasingly apparent that last week was the military's last chance to oppose it.

The Turkish president's legitimacy was bolstered by the failed coup, and he is wasting no time in eliminating what is left of the opposition in the political sphere, the judiciary, and the military -- the very last body that had any real power over him.

The 2015 general elections in Turkey failed to deliver Erdogan the landslide majority he needed to change the country's constitution uninterruptedly, and half the public opposes his Islamist policies. Nevertheless, even those who disagree with Erdogan's policies prefer him over a military dictatorship.

Will Erdogan simply ignore half the Turkish people, or will he learn a lesson from last week's events and temper his steps? History indicates he is most likely to promote an "elected dictatorship" with more stringent Islamic undertones, and Turkey will become less democratic and less tolerant.

These changes will have regional effects: Turkey is a key nation in the Sunni world, and realizing its Ottoman dreams via a religious dictatorship would undoubtedly further radicalize the Middle East.

Turkey is further proof that democratic elections do not guarantee democracy, and they certainly do not guarantee the existence of an open society and a free press able to express pluralistic views.

The question of how much of a democracy Turkey really is will now bother Western decision-makers even more. Acknowledging that Turkey is not a democracy will be difficult for many countries, which have come to view Erdogan's AKP party as a democratic alternative to radical political Islam. At the time, the White House set the tone of that message to the Muslim world, and it will now have to reassess the situation.

There is a good chance that the measures taken by Erdogan following the failed coup, including mass arrests and declaring that he intends to reinstate capital punishment, will delay -- if not prevent altogether -- Turkey's integration in the European Union. True, the chances of Turkey realizing its accession bid have always been slim, but should the bid be officially suspended, it would push many old-new issues toward the surface.

For example, it is unclear whether Erdogan will continue to assist the EU in controlling the flood of refugees seeking to enter Europe. It is equally unclear whether Turkey, with the second-largest military force in NATO after the U.S. Army, will remain a key member of the North Atlantic Treaty. It is also unclear how Washington's refusal to extradite exiled Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Erdogan blames for the attempted uprising, will affect the two nations' relations.

In this respect, Erdogan's reconciliation with Russian President Vladimir Putin could not have come at a better time, as nearing the U.S. presidential elections, the Turkish leader may soon ponder the question of how much he wants to be dependent on the U.S. as his main arms supplier.

The new U.S. administration will surely be wary of the "new" Turkey, and will therefore reassess whether it remains the ideal partner to receive the state-of-the-art F-35 stealth fighter jet. Essentially, it remains to be seen whether the fact that Turkey is becoming something of an Islamic dictatorship will take a toll on the U.S.

Beyond economic, trade, and tourism ties, Russia's importance to Turkey lies with the Kurdish involvement in the civil war raging in neighboring Syria. The cooler Ankara's relations with Washington become, the easier it would be for Erdogan to convince Putin not to commit to aiding the Kurdish bid for independence.

Russia is likely to leverage that into Turkish support for a Moscow-friendly solution in Syria, assuming Erdogan would be open to the possibility. The end result would see Russia reduce its aid to the rebels in Syria, thus boosting President Bashar Assad's chances of remaining in power.

Another key issue remains Turkey's commitment to the war on the Islamic State group. This question was underscored last Saturday when, as part of its efforts to crush the uprising, Ankara blocked access to the southern Incirlik Airbase, used by NATO and the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State. Access to the airbase has since been resumed, but the possibility of future restrictions, temporary or permanent, remains, and it is clouding the future of the West's war on the jihadi terrorist group.

One must remember that Erdogan is currently dealing not only with the aftermath of the failed coup, but also with a surge in terrorist attacks, stemming from the regime's deteriorating relationship with the Kurds -- Turkish citizens for the most part -- on the one hand, and its fraying understandings with Islamic State on the other hand. Last weekend's events have left the Turkish military reeling, and at this point it is difficult to predict their impact on its ability to counter these threats.

As far as Israel is concerned, the new situation in Turkey mandates vigilance. Israel cannot be seen as taking sides in an internal Turkish conflict, and it must pursue the completion of the reconciliation deal signed between the two nations in June. This must be done with due discretion, as the process involves a Turkish leader rendered progressively less popular worldwide over his policies.

While Turkey's internal situation should not impede the issues discussed between Ankara and Jerusalem, Israel cannot afford to be perceived as a nation willing to forfeit the principles it shares with the free world, where it belongs

God Save America from Donny T....Hillary Clinton's Acceptance Speech.( starts at 7.04)

Hillary Clinton's Acceptance Speech To The Democratic Convention, ( her speech starts at 7.04)

Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic nomination for president Thursday night, delivering a speech that lays out her plan to address terror threats and create jobs.

NPR's politics team is annotating Clinton's speech below — we will continue to update tonight. Portions commented on are highlighted, followed by analysis, context and fact check in italics.

(Eds note: You can read our fact check of Donald Trump's speech at the Republican National Convention last week here.)

Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you all so so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all very, very much. Thank you for that amazing welcome. Thank you all for the great convention that we've had.

And Chelsea, thank you.

I'm so proud to be your mother and so proud of the woman you've become.

Thank you for bringing Marc into our family, and Charlotte and Aidan into the world.

And Bill, that conversation we started in the law library 45 years ago, it is still going strong.

You know, that conversation has lasted through good times that filled us with joy, and hard times that tested us.

And I've even gotten a few words in along the way.

On Tuesday night, I was so happy to see that my Explainer-in-Chief is still on the job.

I'm also grateful to the rest of my family and to the friends of a lifetime.

For all of you whose hard work brought us here tonight, and to those of you who joined this campaign this week. Thank you.

What a remarkable week it's been.

We heard the man from Hope, Bill Clinton.

[Bill Clinton grew up in Hope, Ark., and "The Man From Hope" is the title of a biographical film shown during the 1992 Democratic Convention. — Danielle Kurtzleben]
And the man of Hope, Barack Obama.

America is stronger because of President Obama's leadership, and I'm better because of his friendship.

We heard from our terrific vice president, the one and only Joe Biden. He spoke from his big heart about our party's commitment to working people, as only he can do.

And First Lady Michelle Obama reminded us that our children are watching, and the president we elect is going to be their president, too.

And for those of you out there who are just getting to know Tim Kaine – you will soon understand why the people of Virginia keep promoting him: from city council and mayor, to Governor, and now Senator.

And he will make the whole country proud as our Vice President.

And...I want to thank Bernie Sanders.

Bernie, Bernie, your campaign inspired millions of Americans, particularly the young people who threw their hearts and souls into our primary.

You've put economic and social justice issues front and center, where they belong.

And to all of your supporters here and around the country: I want you to know, I've heard you. Your cause is our cause.

Our country needs your ideas, energy, and passion.

That is the only way we can turn our progressive platform into real change for America.

We wrote it together – now let's go out and make it happen together.

My friends, we've come to Philadelphia – the birthplace of our nation – because what happened in this city 240 years ago still has something to teach us today.

We all know the story.

But we usually focus on how it turned out - and not enough on how close that story came to never being written at all.

When representatives from 13 unruly colonies met just down the road from here, some wanted to stick with the king. And some wanted to stick it to the king.

The revolution hung in the balance.

Then somehow, they began listening to each other, compromising, finding common purpose.

And by the time they left Philadelphia, they had begun to see themselves as one nation.

That's what made it possible to stand up to a king.

That took courage. They had courage.

Our Founders embraced the enduring truth that we are stronger together.

Now, now America is once again at a moment of reckoning.

Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart.

Bonds of trust and respect are fraying.

And just as with our founders, there are no guarantees.

It truly is up to us.

We have to decide whether we all will work together so we can all rise together.

Our country's motto is "e pluribus unum:" out of many, we are one.

Will we stay true to that motto?

Well, we heard Donald Trump's answer last week at his convention.

He wants to divide us from the rest of the world, and from each other.

He's betting that the perils of today's world will blind us to its unlimited promise.

He's taken the Republican Party a long way from "Morning in America" to "Midnight in America."

He wants us to fear the future and fear each other.

Well, you know, a great Democratic President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, came up with the perfect rebuke to Trump more than eighty years ago, during a much more perilous time: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

Now we are clear-eyed about what our country is up against.

But we are not afraid.

We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have. We will not build a wall. Instead, we will build an economy where everyone who wants a good job can get one.

And we'll build a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants who are already contributing to our economy!

We, we will not ban a religion. We will work with all Americans and our allies to fight and defeat terrorism.

There's a lot of work to do.

Too many people haven't had a pay raise since the crash.

There's too much inequality.

Too little social mobility.

Too much paralysis in Washington.

Too many threats at home and abroad.

But just look for a minute at the strengths we bring as Americans to meet these challenges.

We have the most dynamic and diverse people in the world.

We have the most tolerant and generous young people we've ever had. We have the most powerful military. The most innovative entrepreneurs. The most enduring values: freedom and equality, justice and opportunity. We should be so proud that those words are associated with us.

I have to tell you, as your Secretary of State, I went to 112 countries, when people hear those words, they hear America.

So don't let anyone tell you that our country is weak. We're not.

Don't let anyone tell you we don't have what it takes. We do.

And most of all, don't believe anyone who says, "I alone can fix it."

Yes, those were actually Donald Trump's words in Cleveland.

And they should set off alarm bells for all of us.

Really? I alone can fix it? Isn't he forgetting?

Troops on the front lines. Police officers and firefighters who run toward danger. Doctors and nurses who care for us. Teachers who change lives. Entrepreneurs who see possibilities in every problem. Mothers who lost children to violence and are building a movement to keep other kids safe.

He's forgetting every last one of us.

Americans don't say, "I alone can fix it."

We say, "We'll fix it together."

And remember, remember: Our Founders fought a revolution and wrote a Constitution so America would never be a nation where one person had all the power.

Two hundred and forty years later, we still put our faith in each other.

Look at what happened in Dallas after the assassinations of five brave police officers.

Police Chief David Brown asked the community to support his force, maybe even join them.

And you know how the community responded? Nearly 500 people applied in just 12 days.

[According to data posted on the Dallas Police Department Facebook page, 467 people applied to the department between July 8 and July 20. That's more than triple the 136 people that applied between June 8 and June 20. — Danielle Kurtzleben]
That's how Americans answer when the call for help goes out.

Twenty years ago, I wrote a book called "It Takes a Village." And a lot of people looked at the title and asked, "What the heck do you mean by that?"

This is what I mean.

None of us can raise a family, build a business, heal a community or lift a country totally alone.

America needs every one of us to lend our energy, our talents, our ambition to making our nation better and stronger.

I believe that with all my heart.

That's why "Stronger Together" is not just a lesson from our history. It's not just a slogan for our campaign. It's a guiding principle for the country we've always been and the future we're going to build.

Now, sometimes, sometimes the people at this podium are new to the national stage.

As you know, I'm not one of those people.

I've been your First Lady, served eight years as a Senator from the great State of New York.

Then I represented all of you as Secretary of State.

But my job titles only tell you what I've done.

They don't tell you why.

The truth is, through all these years of public service, the "service" part has always come easier to me than the "public" part.

I get it that some people just don't know what to make of me.

So let me tell you.

The family I'm from, well, no one had their name on big buildings.

My family were builders of a different kind. Builders in the way most American families are.

They used whatever tools they had – whatever God gave them – and whatever life in America provided – and built better lives and better futures for their kids.

My grandfather worked in the same Scranton lace mill for 50 years.

Because he believed that if he gave everything he had, his children would have a better life than he did. And he was right.

My dad, Hugh, made it to college. He played football at Penn State and enlisted in the Navy after Pearl Harbor.

When the war was over, he started his own small business, printing fabric for draperies.

I remember watching him stand for hours over silk screens.

He wanted to give my brothers and me opportunities he never had.

And he did. My mother, Dorothy, was abandoned by her parents as a young girl. She ended up on her own at 14, working as a housemaid.

She was saved by the kindness of others.

Her first grade teacher saw she had nothing to eat at lunch and brought extra food to share the entire year.

The lesson she passed on to me, years later, stuck with me: No one gets through life alone.

We have to look out for each other and lift each other up.

And she made sure I learned the words from our Methodist faith: "Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as ever you can."

So, I went to work for the Children's Defense Fund, going door-to-door in New Bedford, Massachusetts on behalf of children with disabilities who were denied the chance to go to school.

I remember meeting a young girl in a wheelchair on the small back porch of her house.

She told me how badly she wanted to go to school – it just didn't seem possible in those days.

And I couldn't stop thinking of my mother and what she'd gone through as a child.

It became clear to me that simply caring is not enough.

To drive real progress, you have to change both hearts and laws.

You need both understanding and action.

So we gathered facts. We built a coalition. And our work helped convince Congress to ensure access to education for all students with disabilities.

It's a big idea, isn't it?

Every kid with a disability has the right to go to school.

A country where the economy works for everyone, not just those at the top.

Where you can get a good job and send your kids to a good school, no matter what zip code you live in.

A country where all our children can dream, and those dreams are within reach.

Where families are strong, communities are safe, and yes, where love trumps hate.

That's the country we're fighting for.

That's the future we're working toward.

And so, my friends, it is with humility, determination and boundless confidence in
America's promise that I accept your nomination for President of the United States!

Now, sometimes, sometimes the people at this podium are new to the national stage.

As you know, I'm not one of those people.

I've been your First Lady, served eight years as a Senator from the great State of New York.

Then I represented all of you as Secretary of State.

But my job titles only tell you what I've done.

They don't tell you why.

The truth is, through all these years of public service, the "service" part has always come easier to me than the "public" part.

I get it that some people just don't know what to make of me.

So let me tell you.

The family I'm from, well, no one had their name on big buildings.

My family were builders of a different kind.

Builders in the way most American families are.

They used whatever tools they had – whatever God gave them – and whatever life in America
provided – and built better lives and better futures for their kids.

My grandfather worked in the same Scranton lace mill for 50 years.

Because he believed that if he gave everything he had, his children would have a better life than he did.

And he was right.

My dad, Hugh, made it to college. He played football at Penn State and enlisted in the Navy after Pearl Harbor.

When the war was over, he started his own small business, printing fabric for draperies.

I remember watching him stand for hours over silk screens.

He wanted to give my brothers and me opportunities he never had.

And he did. My mother, Dorothy, was abandoned by her parents as a young girl. She
ended up on her own at 14, working as a housemaid.

She was saved by the kindness of others.

Her first grade teacher saw she had nothing to eat at lunch and brought extra food to share the entire year.

The lesson she passed on to me, years later, stuck with me: No one gets through life alone.

We have to look out for each other and lift each other up.

And she made sure I learned the words from our Methodist faith: "Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as ever you can."

So, I went to work for the Children's Defense Fund, going door-to-door in New Bedford, Massachusetts on behalf of children with disabilities who were denied the chance to go to school.

I remember meeting a young girl in a wheelchair on the small back porch of her house.

She told me how badly she wanted to go to school – it just didn't seem possible in those days.

And I couldn't stop thinking of my mother and what she'd gone through as a child.

It became clear to me that simply caring is not enough.

To drive real progress, you have to change both hearts and laws.

You need both understanding and action.

So we gathered facts. We built a coalition. And our work helped convince Congress to ensure access to education for all students with disabilities.

It's a big idea, isn't it?

Every kid with a disability has the right to go to school.

I remember meeting a young girl in a wheelchair on the small back porch of her house.

She told me how badly she wanted to go to school – it just didn't seem possible in those days.

And I couldn't stop thinking of my mother and what she'd gone through as a child.

It became clear to me that simply caring is not enough.

To drive real progress, you have to change both hearts and laws.

You need both understanding and action.

So we gathered facts. We built a coalition. And our work helped convince Congress to ensure access to education for all students with disabilities.

It's a big idea, isn't it?

Every kid with a disability has the right to go to school.

But how, how do you make an idea like that real? You do it step-by-step, year-by-year, sometimes even door-by-door.

My heart just swelled when I saw Anastasia Somoza representing millions of young people on this stage – because we changed our law to make sure she got an education.

So it's true. I sweat the details of policy – whether we're talking about the exact level of lead in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan, the number of mental health facilities in Iowa, or the cost of your prescription drugs.

Because it's not just a detail if it's your kid - if it's your family.

It's a big deal. And it should be a big deal to your president, too.

After the four days of this convention, you've seen some of the people who've inspired me.

People who let me into their lives, and became a part of mine.

People like Ryan Moore and Lauren Manning.

They told their stories Tuesday night.

I first met Ryan as a seven-year old.

He was wearing a full body brace that must have weighed forty pounds, because I leaned over to lift him up.

Children like Ryan kept me going when our plan for universal health care failed and kept me working with leaders of both parties to help create the Children's Health Insurance Program that covers 8 million kids in our country.

Lauren Manning, who stood here with such grace and power, was gravely injured on 9/11.

It was the thought of her, and Debbie St. John who you saw in the movie, and John Dolan and Joe Sweeney, and all the victims and survivors, that kept me working as hard as I could in the Senate on behalf of 9/11 families, and our first responders who got sick from their time at Ground Zero.

I was thinking of Lauren, Debbie and all the others ten years later in the White House Situation Room when President Obama made the courageous decision that finally brought Osama bin Laden to justice.

And in this campaign, I've met many more people who motivate me to keep fighting for change.

And, with your help, I will carry all of your voices and stories with me to the White House.

And you heard, you heard from, from Republicans and Independents who are supporting our campaign. Well, I will be a President for Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, for the struggling, the striving the successful, for all those who vote for me and for those who don't. For all Americans together.

Tonight, tonight we've reached a milestone in our nation's march toward a more perfect union: the first time that a major party has nominated a woman for President.

Standing here, standing here as my mother's daughter, and my daughter's mother, I'm so happy this day has come.

I'm happy for grandmothers and little girls and everyone in between.

I'm happy for boys and men, too – because when any barrier falls in America, it clears the way for everyone. After all, when there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit.

So let's keep going, let's keep going until every one of the 161 million women and girls across America has the opportunity she deserves to have.

But even more important than the history we make tonight, is the history we will write together in the years ahead.

Let's begin with what we're going to do to help working people in our country get ahead and stay ahead.

Now, I don't think President Obama and Vice President Biden get the credit they deserve for saving us from the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes.

Our economy is so much stronger than when they took office. Nearly 15 million new private-sector jobs. Twenty million more Americans with health insurance. And an auto industry that just had its best year ever.

[The jobs gain figure Clinton cites is from the trough, which came about a year after President Obama took office. The insurance figure includes those who gained coverage through new insurance exchanges, expansion of Medicaid, and changes in the private insurance market that allow young adults to stay on their parents' plan. U.S. auto sales hit 17.5 million last year, an all-time high. — Scott Horsley]
Now that's real progress, but none of us can be satisfied with the status quo. Not by a long shot.

We're still facing deep-seated problems that developed long before the recession and have stayed with us through the recovery.

I've gone around our country talking to working families. And I've heard from many who feel like the economy sure isn't working for them.

Some of you are frustrated – even furious.

And you know what? You're right.

It's not yet working the way it should.

Americans are willing to work – and work hard.

But right now, an awful lot of people feel there is less and less respect for the work they do.

And less respect for them, period.

Democrats, we are the party of working people.

But we haven't done a good enough job showing we get what you're going through, and we're going to do something to help.

So tonight I want to tell you tonight how we will empower Americans to live better lives.

My primary mission as President will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States.

From my first day in office to my last, especially in places that for too long have been left out and left behind.

From our inner cities to our small towns, from Indian Country to Coal Country.

From communities ravaged by addiction to regions hollowed out by plant closures.

And here's what I believe.

I believe America thrives when the middle class thrives.

I believe that our economy isn't working the way it should because our democracy isn't working the way it should.

Now that's real progress, but none of us can be satisfied with the status quo. Not by a long shot.

We're still facing deep-seated problems that developed long before the recession and have stayed with us through the recovery.

I've gone around our country talking to working families. And I've heard from many who feel like the economy sure isn't working for them.

Some of you are frustrated – even furious.

And you know what? You're right.

It's not yet working the way it should.

Americans are willing to work – and work hard.

But right now, an awful lot of people feel there is less and less respect for the work they do.

And less respect for them, period.

Democrats, we are the party of working people.

But we haven't done a good enough job showing we get what you're going through,

and we're going to do something to help.

So tonight I want to tell you tonight how we will empower Americans to live better lives.

My primary mission as President will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States.

From my first day in office to my last, especially in places that for too long have been left out and left behind.

From our inner cities to our small towns, from Indian Country to Coal Country.

From communities ravaged by addiction to regions hollowed out by plant closures.

And here's what I believe.

I believe America thrives when the middle class thrives.

I believe that our economy isn't working the way it should because our democracy isn't working the way it should.

That's why we need to appoint Supreme Court justices who will get money out of politics and expand voting rights, not restrict them.

[With this over-simplified phrase, Clinton is effectively calling for court-mandated public financing, which is extremely unlikely — Peter Overby]
And if necessary, we will pass a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.

[Passing a constitutional amendment would likely be really, really, really hard in the current political climate of gridlock. Proposing one requires either a two-thirds vote of the House or Senate or a constitutional convention, which two-thirds of the states would have to call for, according to the National Archives. To be ratified, it requires 38 of the 50 states to approve it. — Danielle Kurtzleben]
[And not even advocates of this one can agree on language that avoids other First Amendment issues. — Peter Overby]
I believe American corporations that have gotten so much from our country should be just as patriotic in return.

Many of them are. But too many aren't.

It's wrong to take tax breaks with one hand and give out pink slips with the other.

And I believe Wall Street can never, ever be allowed to wreck Main Street again.

And I believe in science. I believe climate change is real and that we can save our planet while creating millions of good-paying clean energy jobs.

I believe that when we have millions of hardworking immigrants contributing to our economy, it would be self-defeating and inhumane to try to kick them out.

Comprehensive immigration reform will grow our economy and keep families together - and it's the right thing to do.

[The Congressional Budget Office projected the immigration bill passed by the Senate in 2013 would boost the economy and reduce the federal deficit, while slightly reducing wages. — Scott Horsley]
So, whatever party you belong to, or if you belong to no party at all, if you share these beliefs, this is your campaign.

If you believe that companies should share profits with their workers, not pad executive bonuses, join us.

If you believe the minimum wage should be a living wage, and no one working full time should have to raise their children in poverty, join us.

If you believe that every man, woman and child in America has the right to affordable health care, join us.

If you believe that we should say "no" to unfair trade deals, that we should stand up to China, that we should support our steelworkers and autoworkers and homegrown manufacturers, then join us.

If you believe we should expand Social Security and protect a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions, then join us.

And yes, yes if you believe that your working mother, wife, sister, or daughter deserves equal pay, join us.

That's how we're going to sure this economy works for everyone, not just those at the top.

Now, you didn't hear any of this, did you, from Donald Trump at his convention.

He spoke for 70-odd minutes – and I do mean odd.

And he offered zero solutions. But we already know he doesn't believe these things.

No wonder he doesn't like talking about his plans.

You might have noticed, I love talking about mine.

In my first hundred days, we will work with both parties to pass the biggest investment in new, good-paying jobs since World War II.

Jobs in manufacturing, clean energy, technology and innovation, small business, and infrastructure.

If we invest in infrastructure now, we'll not only create jobs today, but lay the foundation for the jobs of the future.

And we will also transform the way we prepare our young people for those jobs.

Bernie Sanders and I will work together to make college tuition-free for the middle class and debt-free for all!

[Clinton originally had a "debt-free" college plan, which was designed to ensure that people could attend college without taking out loans; that meant the student had to work and that the family would contribute what they could. But in July, she moved further in her primary rival Bernie Sanders' direction, proposing that college tuition at public universities for students from families making $125,000 or less (a threshold that would be phased in) would be free. — Danielle Kurtzleben]
We will also, we will also liberate millions of people who already have student debt.

It's just not right that Donald Trump can ignore his debts, and students and families can't refinance their debts.

And something we don't say often enough: Sure, college is crucial, but a four-year degree should not be the only path to a good job.

[The income gap between high school and college grads is bigger for millennials than it was for Generation Xers, Baby Boomers, and the Silent Generation, according to a 2014 Pew Research Center report. — Danielle Kurtzleben]
We will help more people learn a skill or practice a trade and make a good living doing it.

We will give small businesses like my dad's a boost. Make it easier to get credit. Way too many dreams die in the parking lots of banks.

In America, if you can dream it, you should be able to build it.

And we will help you balance family and work. And you know what, if fighting for affordable childcare and paid family leave is playing the "woman card," then deal me in.

Now, here's the other thing, we're not only going to make all these investments, we're going to pay for every single one of them.

And here's how: Wall Street, corporations, and the super-rich are going to start paying their fair share of taxes.

This is not because we resent success, because when more than 90 percent of the gains have gone to the top 1 percent, that's where the money is, and we are going to follow the money.

And if companies take tax breaks and then ship jobs overseas, we'll make them pay us back. And we'll put that money to work where it belongs, creating jobs here at home!

Now, now I imagine some of you are sitting at home thinking, well that all sounds pretty good.

But how are you going to get it done? How are you going to break through the gridlock in Washington? Well, look at my record. I've worked across the aisle to pass laws and treaties and to launch new programs that help millions of people. And if you give me the chance, that's ex what I'll do as President.

But then I also imagine people are thinking out there, but Trump, he's a businessman. He must know something about the economy.

Well, let's take a closer look.

In Atlantic City, 60 miles from here, you will find contractors and small businesses who lost everything because Donald Trump refused to pay his bills.

Now, remember what the president said last night: "Don't boo, vote." People who did the work and needed the money, and didn't get it – not because he couldn't pay them, but because he wouldn't pay them. He just stiffed them.

[True. Specifically, she's referring to the losses suffered by contractors on the Taj Mahal casino. The Associated Press found that Trump owed $70 million to 253 contractors when the casino opened. After the casino filed for bankruptcy about a year later, many contractors got just 33 percent of what they were owed. As a result some went out of business.
It's unclear if Trump could have paid those bills, as Clinton argued. He was deeply over-leveraged on the project, with extensive debt, and both his corporate and personal finances were in relatively poor shape at the time. — Matt Katz, WNYC]
And you know that sales pitch he's making to be president? Put your faith in him – and you'll win big? That's the same sales pitch he made to all those small businesses. Then Trump walked away, and left working people holding the bag.

He also talks a big game about putting America First. Well please explain what part of America First leads him to make Trump ties in China, not Colorado. Trump suits in Mexico, not Michigan. Trump furniture in Turkey, not Ohio. Trump picture frames in India, not Wisconsin.

Donald Trump says he wants to make America great again – well, he could start by actually making things in America again.

Now, the choice we face in this election is just as stark when it comes to our national security.

You know, anyone, anyone reading the news can see the threats and turbulence we face.

From Baghdad to Kabul, to Nice and Paris and Brussels, from San Bernardino to Orlando, we're dealing with determined enemies that must be defeated.

So, it's no wonder that people are anxious and looking for reassurance. Looking for steady leadership, wanting a leader who understands we are stronger when we work with our allies around the world and care for our veterans here at home. Keeping our nation safe and honoring the people who do that work will be my highest priority.

I'm proud that we put a lid on Iran's nuclear program without firing a single shot – now we have to enforce it, and we must keep supporting Israel's security.

[Experts believe the agreement has lengthened the time Iran would need to develop a nuclear bomb from weeks or months to at least a year. However, the deal has had little effect on Iran's non-nuclear trouble-making elsewhere in the region. — Scott Horsley]
I'm proud that we shaped a global climate agreement – now we have to hold every country accountable to their commitments, including ourselves.

And I'm proud to stand by our allies in NATO against any threat they face, including from Russia.

I've laid out my strategy for defeating ISIS. We will strike their sanctuaries from the air, and support local forces taking them out on the ground. We will surge our intelligence so that we detect and prevent attacks before they happen.

We will disrupt their efforts online to reach and radicalize young people in our country.

It won't be easy or quick, but make no mistake – we will prevail.

Now Donald Trump, Donald Trump says, and this is a quote, "I know more about ISIS than the generals do." No, Donald, you don't.

He thinks, he thinks that he knows more than our military because he claimed our armed forces are "a disaster."

Well, I've had the privilege to work closely with our troops and our veterans for many years, including as a senator on the Armed Services Committee and I know how wrong he is. Our military is a national treasure.

We entrust our commander-in-chief to make the hardest decisions our nation faces, decisions about war and peace, life and death.

A president should respect the men and women who risk their lives to serve our country – including Captain Khan and the sons of Tim Kaine and Mike Pence, both Marines.

So just ask yourself: Do you really think Donald Trump has the temperament to be Commander-in-Chief?

Donald Trump can't even handle the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign.

He loses his cool at the slightest provocation. When he's gotten a tough question from a reporter. When he's challenged in a debate. When he sees a protestor at a rally.

Imagine, if you dare, imagine, imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons.

I can't put it, I can't put it any better than Jackie Kennedy did after the Cuban Missile Crisis. She said that what worried President Kennedy during that very dangerous time was that a war might be started – not by big men with self-control and restraint, but by little men – the ones moved by fear and pride.

America's strength doesn't come from lashing out. It relies on smarts, judgment, cool resolve, and the precise and strategic application of power. And that's the kind of Commander-in-Chief I pledge to be.

And if we're serious about keeping our country safe, we also can't afford to have a President who's in the pocket of the gun lobby.

I'm not here to repeal the second Amendment. I'm not here to take away your guns.

I just don't want you to be shot by someone who shouldn't have a gun in the first place.

We will work tirelessly with responsible gun owners to pass common-sense reforms and keep guns out of the hands of criminals, terrorists and all others who would do us harm.

You know, for decades, people have said this issue was too hard to solve and the politics too hot to touch.

But I ask you: how can we just stand by and do nothing?

You heard, you saw, family members of people killed by gun violence on this stage.

You heard, you saw, family members of police officers killed in the line of duty because they were outgunned by criminals.

I refuse to believe we can't find common ground here.

We have to heal the divides in our country.

Not just on guns. But on race. Immigration. And more.

And that starts with listening, listening to each other. Trying, as best we can, to walk in each other's shoes.

So let's put ourselves in the shoes of young black and Latino men and women who face the effects of systemic racism, and are made to feel like their lives are disposable.

Let's put ourselves in the shoes of police officers, kissing their kids and spouses goodbye every day, heading off to do a dangerous and necessary job.

We will reform our criminal justice system from end-to-end and rebuild trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

And we will defend, we will defend all our rights – civil rights, human rights and voting rights, women's rights and workers' rights, LGBT rights and the rights of people with disabilities!

And we will stand up against mean and divisive rhetoric wherever it comes from.

You know, for the past year, many people made the mistake of laughing off Donald Trump's comments – excusing him as an entertainer just putting on a show.

They thought he couldn't possibly mean all the horrible things he says – like when he called women "pigs." Or said that an American judge couldn't be fair because of his Mexican heritage.

Or when he mocks and mimics a reporter with a disability.

Or insults prisoners of war like John McCain –a true hero and patriot who deserves our respect.

Now at first, at first, I admit, I couldn't believe he meant it either.

It was just too hard to fathom – that someone who wants to lead our nation could say those things. Could be like that.

But here's the sad truth: There is no other Donald Trump. This is it.

And in the end, it comes down to what Donald Trump doesn't get: that America is great – because America is good.

So enough with the bigotry and bombast. Donald Trump's not offering real change.

He's offering empty promises. And what are we offering? A bold agenda to improve the lives of people across our country - to keep you safe, to get you good jobs, and to give your kids the opportunities they deserve.

The choice is clear, my friends.

Every generation of Americans has come together to make our country freer, fairer, and stronger.

None of us ever have or can do it alone.

I know that at a time when so much seems to be pulling us apart, it can be hard to imagine how we'll ever pull together.

But I'm here to tell you tonight – progress is possible.

I know, I know because I've seen it in the lives of people across America who get knocked down and get right back up.

And I know it, I know it from my own life. More than a few times, I've had to pick myself up and get back in the game.

Like so much else in my life, I got this from my mother too. She never let me back down from any challenge. When I tried to hide from a neighborhood bully, she literally blocked the door. "Go back out there," she said.

And she was right. You have to stand up to bullies.

You have to keep working to make things better, even when the odds are long and the opposition is fierce.

We lost our mother a few years ago, but I miss her every day. And I still hear her voice urging me to keep working, keep fighting for right, no matter what.

That's what we need to do together as a nation.

Though "we may not live to see the glory," as the song from the musical Hamilton goes, "let us gladly join the fight."

Let our legacy be about "planting seeds in a garden you never get to see."

That's why we're here...not just in this hall, but on this Earth.

The Founders showed us that.

And so have many others since.

They were drawn together by love of country, and the selfless passion to build something better for all who follow.

That is the story of America. And we begin a new chapter tonight.

Yes, the world is watching what we do.

Yes, America's destiny is ours to choose.

So let's be stronger together, my fellow Americans.

Let's look to the future with courage and confidence.

Let's build a better tomorrow for our beloved children and our beloved country.

And when we do, America will be greater than ever.

Thank you and may God bless you and the United States of America!