Hello, my name is Scott Ritter. Some of you might recognize the name for my time as a UN weapons inspector in Iraq. Speaking out against the false claim case that the United States was making for war in Iraq, some of you might recognize me today for speaking out about the war in Ukraine. Either way, if you're watching this program, one of the reasons why you might know who I am is because of consortium news and Joe Luria, and their willingness to have voices like mine and others be made available both in terms of access to podcasts. And what I think is even more important is part of their writing project where they underwrite the work of a number of alternative voices who in this time when mainstream media is simply parroting the accounts of the government, we are in need of opinions that aren't shaped by money, aren't shaped by power politics, but rather shaped by the truth and a desire to know more and learn more about the problems that we face. So I'd encourage everybody to contribute to help underwrite this important project and keep alternative voices alive. You know, in this day and age of corporate media, it's very difficult for writers who don't toe the party line during a living. And you can't be a writer unless you earn a living unless you're able to pay the bills. And it's absolutely essential that outlets like consortium news exist. To provide not only a space for voices to be heard, but to allow people to earn the wages they need to continue to write. So again, if you're watching this, you know how important consortium news is, you need to contribute, you need to help Joe Luria and staff of consortium news continue this absolutely essential work.