Restricted web access to The Guardian is Armywide, officials say

Click here to access article by Phillip Molnar from The Herald (Monterey County, California) 

The Army admitted Thursday to not only restricting access to The Guardian news website at the Presidio of Monterey, as reported in Thursday's Herald, but Armywide. 

Oh, but it's all a matter of good hygiene as reported by "Gordon Van Vleet, an Arizona-based spokesman for the Army Network Enterprise Technology Command". Why restrict it to only the soldiers? Shouldn't all Americans be protected from this infection of information? Hmm...maybe they are planning to. US media is already not reporting much of what is happening in the world. Isn't it wonderful that Big Brother is not only protecting us by reading our emails etc, but is concerned that we are not contaminated with the wrong information?

See also this RT report and interview with a political analyst:

MF Global and Wall Street: Whose Job Is It To Take the Keys Away

Click here to access article by Pam Martens from Wall Street on Parade. 

In one ... conversation revealed in the CFTC’s lawsuit against Corzine and O’Brien, the [MF] Global Treasurer states: “We have to tell Jon that enough is enough. We need to take the keys away from him.”

Is it really the job of an employee on Wall Street to muster an intervention against a very powerful man in order to save their customers’ funds? Isn’t it the job of Congress....

The author knows that the system isn't functioning, that there is something basically wrong with it, but she has little idea how much. I don't mean to disparage her or her comments because she and the MF Global Treasurer, are like most Americans--they haven't clue of how serious the problems really are. 

It is not merely John Corzine whose keys should be taken away, but the entire class of people who have the keys to power over the US and much of the world. To take away their keys, we must destroy the entire capitalist system that distributes the keys to power that has permitted and encouraged this rampant greed, poverty amidst islands of extreme wealth, full-spectrum surveillance of citizens, and the construction of a police state. At the same time we must use all of our creative energies to construct a new system that can sustain human and all life on a healthy planet.

Like the Wall Street employee, like Edward Snowden, like Bradley Manning , like Julian Assange, like Mark Klein, like Sibel Edmonds, etc., we must all stand up and shout, "enough is enough!". We need to take the keys away from the entire capitalist class!

Trans-Pacific Partnership and Monsanto

Click here to access article by Barbara Chicherio from Nation of Change. 

Six hundred US corporate advisors have had input into the TPP.  The draft text has not been made available to the public, press or policy makers.  The level of secrecy around this agreement is unparalleled.  The majority of Congress is being kept in the dark while representatives of US corporations are being consulted and privy to the details.

The Land of the Blind: The Illusion of Freedom in America

Click here to access article by John W. Whitehead from The Rutherford Institute.

This attorney, author, and specialist in human and civil rights provides us with some deep insights about the 99 Percent of the US--and, it is not to our credit. We have, thus far, failed to meet our responsibilities as citizens to prevent the almost yearly descent into fascism--what Whitehead identifies as the corporate state.

Through our complicity in matters large and small, we have allowed an out-of-control corporate-state apparatus to take over every element of American society. Our failure to remain informed about what is taking place in our government, to know and exercise our rights, to vocally protest, to demand accountability on the part of our government representatives, and at a minimum to care about the plight of our fellow Americans has been our downfall. Having allowed ourselves to descend into darkness, refusing to see what is really happening, happily trading the truth for false promises of security and freedom, we have allowed the police state to emerge and to flourish.

It's hard to know where this all began. Ultimately, I think it began with the class structured system of capitalism itself. But our country's fairly rapid descent into fascism, I trace to our reaction to the assassinations of John and his brother Bobbie Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and a host of other people who tried to face up to the agents of fascism and failed--largely because we failed to come to their rescue, and we failed after their assassinations to hold the agents of fascism accountable.

This conclusion of mine was strongly reinforced by a recent experience I had in the course of purchasing a used book online. The book, published in 2003, is An Act of State by attorney William Pepper. I was greatly impressed by the book which reported on the events of a civil trial: a wrongful death action brought by the King family against one of the participants of the assassination of Martin Luther King--Lloyd Jowers. This was really a trial that put the government's involvement to the test of evidence before a jury of peers in Memphis, Tennessee where King was assassinated. The trial found Jowers guilty, but more significantly it revealed that government agencies conspired to kill King and on their extensive efforts to cover it up. Meanwhile, mainstream media mostly ignored the trial, and what little coverage there was, raised as much doubts about the proceedings as they could.

When I received the book I noticed it was from an Indiana public library. I wrote to the head librarian inquiring as to why they sold such a book. She replied via email that not a single person had ever checked out the book in the six years it was in their stacks! Nobody in their community wanted to know the truth!

Now with all the whistle-blowers coming forth and risking their careers and very lives to tell us the truth about our government's crimes, it is up to the people once again to come to their support. I can only hope that the current generation of young people will rally to the call of social justice and the fight against fascism.

A Rare Speech by a Unique Political Leader

Click here to access article by Don Quijones from Raging Bull-Shit.

...just when you thought all hope was lost and the time had come to wallow neck-deep in despair, the world — and, to be fair, the human species — catches you unawares. For, as I recently learned, in 2009 the people of Uruguay elected a leader who could not possibly deviate more wildly from the standard caricature of a 21st century politician.

What a startling anomaly produced by the Uruguayan ruling class! Don't ever expect this to happen again, or especially to happen in a major country among a predatory class of capitalists. Nevertheless, it is inspiring that such a person can exist in spite of all the obstacles that must have hindered his rise in Uruguayan political circles.

Henry Kissinger: Balkanized Syria Best Possible Outcome

Click here to access article by Jurriaan Maessen from his blog ExplosiveReports. 

I think we should, in a certain sense, be grateful for people like Henry Kissinger who articulates so well the methods and designs of the New World Order, the favorite "wet dream" of globalized capitalists. It is essentially a method that uses a variety of forms of terrorism to break down a society into chaos in which competing groups are killing each other. Such societies then become vulnerable prey to the vultures of neoliberal capitalism. We have witnessed, and are now witnessing, the results of their attempts to bring their fantasy into reality. This method is referred to by several names--the "Salvador Option" (see this, this, and this) and "Somaliazation". 

Kissinger has commented previously on the desirability of breaking up dissenting nations into smaller fragments, after which the emerging chaos may facilitate their introduction into a global order. This, in essence, is the rule of divide and conquer. These recent comments by Kissinger are in step with previous statements in which he promulgates the idea that social upheaval and mass civil unrest are to be used as a means of merging nations (including, by the way, the United States) into an “international system”.

Global Power Project, Part 3: The Influence of Individuals and Family Dynasties

Click here to access article by Andrew Gavin Marshall from his blog. 

There are two statements in this essay which I find a bit troubling because it puts too much emphasis on individuals, families, and family dynasties:

• In this third part, I examine the dynastic influence wielded by prominent corporate and financial families. This is not a study of wealth, but a study of power.

• Empire does not just happen, nor, for that matter, does “capitalism.” Society is made, constructed, shaped, directed, organized and engineered.

My fundamental emphasis is, and has long been, on the system which informs the actions of people. Of course, everything is connected and individual actors do influence the system, but it is the system that is always the dominant influence. And, social-economic systems reign over many centuries. Therefore, it follows that the names of the prominent actors are really not that significant because they may be replaced tomorrow by other names. Such emphasis puts the spotlight on the actions of individuals and families and away from where it must be--on the system which enables individuals and families to obtain so much power over our lives. Their names really don't matter. They could be "Xyz" or "Abc", etc.

It is the system which transforms wealth into power. Surely that is not hard to understand. If you "own" (made possible under the rules of capitalism) a factory which is the largest employer in your community, you will automatically have substantial influence over the decisions made in that community. If you "own" a bank in that community, you may exercise even more power if that factory owner is dependent on your extension of credit to him/her. The rules of capitalism inevitably result in the concentration of wealth which, in turn, transforms itself into power. The fact that this has resulted in family dynasties of power is an inevitable result of such a system.

Individual capitalists are always seeking to combine with others to extend their power. The reason we see families rising to the top is simply because families ties are naturally the strongest basis for human association. But we see endless other combinations of individuals that seek to extend their influence in the forms of think tanks, corporate associations, ruling classes, international forums such as the G-8, Bilderberg meetings, etc.

Putting the emphasis on individuals and families could divert our energies away from changing the system by attempting to change the dominant actors within the system. This would never substantially change anything. And, we have seen far too many examples of this. Time is running out for the human race. We no longer can afford to have our attention and energies diverted once again into dead ends and away from the task of fundamental revolution. This means that we must not only remove the capitalist way of organizing society, but figure out a new system that can sustain both human nature and mother nature.

Sibel Edmonds Unplugged with James Corbett on Still-Hoover’s FBI, NSA, Whistleblowers & Much More

Click here if you wish to access the source of this fascinating and educational 1:02:54m video interview with Sibel Edmonds, FBI-whistleblower extraordinaire, posted on Boiling Frogs. (I urge you to support this extremely valuable website.)

If you want to learn how our government really functions, how it is controlled by what Corbett and Edmonds identify as a "National Security State", then you must listen to this interview. Edmonds has many details on how it works, and you will be infinitely wiser by listening to her revelations.

It has been one of my main interests in maintaining this blog to tease out any evidence I can gather from my daily perusal of websites of what I identify as a "shadow government" that lies hidden behind both the official government and what they identify as the "National Security State". Information about the shadow government is extremely hard to come by, but my long experience has located it in the core capitalist institutions of banking and finance. In this interview we learn how the latter use the National Security State to control our fake government and "democracy".

In this remarkable conversation, Sibel Edmonds reflects on Russ Tice’s recent revelations to Boiling Frogs Post and The Corbett Report that the NSA has wiretapped top government officials for years. Edmonds discusses from her own experience how the FBI collects dirt on Congressman and public officials for use as political leverage. We also talk about how this scandal proves that there is no “official channel” for whistleblowers to follow when they want to expose wrongdoing because the system is being controlled from behind the scenes by the criminals in the national security establishment.

 

Syria: The Faces Behind The Terror

Click here to access article by Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich from My Catbird Seat. 

She begins by posting a 5:51m video of courageous Irish parliamentarian condemning her government's warm reception of a recent visit by Obama whom she referred to as a “war criminal” and “hypocrite of the century”. She, of course, was referring to his support of the jihadist criminals and mercenaries in Syria and other places. 

However, this independent researcher and author does us a great service by pulling back the curtain to reveal some of the real directors and their interests in driving the bloodletting in Syria. We learn that Obama and many other characters we see in the media are merely actors playing the role of "pimps" and "prostitutes" in this horrifying drama.

While Daly was quite right in censuring Obama for his criminal policies, including aiding terrorists in Syria, it is worthwhile noting that Obama is merely a willing instrument; the  faces and factors behind his handlers and the policies merit greater scrutiny and exposure.  

All the economics news that’s not fit to print

Click here to access article by David Ruccio from Real-World Economics Review Blog.

click on graph to enlarge, "esc" to return

...they [The NY Times] missed the fact that the labor share (technically, the share of income going to labor in nonfinancial corporations) continues its downward spiral since the crash of 2007-08. ...they also missed the fact that the labor share remains (after a slight uptick) lower than at any point since 1947. 







The author provides the graphs for, and a synopsis of, an excellent article, which I highly recommend, posted by David Cay Johnston on The National Memo. The latter provides the stark reality that lies behind the information that the NY Times is willing to report. 

This is one more illustration of how our nation's leading newspaper manages the news to serve the interests of the One Percent ruling class. This publication signals all the rest of the media executives on what and how to report information in their media.

The Internet as New Enclosure

Click here to access article by a workers collective at CrimethInc. Workers' Collective.

The author points to many pitfalls from the new digital technology as it becomes increasingly shaped by capitalist interests.

...as more and more of our lives become digitized, it’s important not to take it for granted that this is always for the best. Capitalism thrives by absorbing aspects of the world that were once free and then offering access to them at a price, and this price is not always exacted in dollars.

Tech Companies And Their Love Affair With NSA and CIA

Click here to access article by Wolf Richter from his blog Testosterone Pit.

Hey guys! Surveillance is good for the economy, good for jobs, and protects us! Or so our One Percent masters would have us believe.

Surveillance of billions of people around the world, grabbing their data, all their data, every last bit, where they went to dinner, who they met there, what they ate, and who they ended up spending the night with – if both have a smartphone – is hard work. But it’s the bread and butter of an entire US industry, a vibrant one that is hiring and creating jobs, with lots of startups, and with companies like Google and Facebook that are loaded with money and can buy some of these startups for eye-popping amounts, in cool laid-back places like San Francisco and Silicon Valley, or in Boston, or anywhere.

Democratic rights are at stake in fight to defend Edward Snowden

Click here to access article by Barry Grey from World Socialist Web Site.

Edward Snowden has been charged with espionage and is being denounced by American politicians and media commentators as a traitor who is spying for the enemy. But to whom is he giving information? To the American people. In the eyes of Snowden’s accusers, the enemy is the American people.

CIA rolls out ‘new and improved website’

Click here to access article from Agence France-Presse.

Hey guys! Have I got a career for you: good pay, opportunity to travel and engage in exciting adventures. Probably not a good idea if you have a conscience. On the other hand, this might be a great opportunity for activists to infiltrate a powerful ruling class terrorist organization. It's only fair: they regularly infiltrate our organizations and spy on us!

Borrowing the jargon of corporate marketing, the Central Intelligence Agency touted its new online look for job-seekers or people interested in the spy service’s origins. ....

“I encourage the public to explore the website and learn more about an American institution dedicated to protecting our country’s security,” said Brennan, known as the mastermind behind secret drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen.

In Suicide Note, Iraq War Veteran Says He Was Forced to Participate In War Crimes

Click here to access article by Rania Khalek from Dispatches from the Underclass.

In this note the soldier describes his torment and many efforts to cope with his involvement in war crimes.

“My mind is a wasteland filled with visions of incredible horror, unceasing depression, and crippling anxiety, even with all of the medications the doctors dare give....”

The directors of the Empire have demonstrated their contempt of all human life, even those of its soldiers who are forced to commit war crimes in their name.

Was Tamerlan Tsarnaev a Double Agent Recruited by the FBI?

Click here to access article by Peter Dale Scott posted on WhoWhatWhy.

I have followed the writings of this Canadian author for more than 40 years. He is a former diplomat and professor of English at the U. of California (Berkeley). He has made a second career writing about, and exposing, the many subversive actions of US secret services. I regard his writing material as a completely reliable source of information and analysis.

In addition to presenting a number of puzzling facts about the older Tsarnaev brother, I think the most valuable section is the last quarter where he describes the methods used by the FBI to recruit informants and patsy "terrorists". 

All the evidence suggests to me that Tamerlan was not a double-agent, he was recruited like so many Muslims to be set up in a "terrorist" event. 

Such events accomplish two purposes: the demonization of Muslims and the justification for eliminating more civil rights and increasing surveillance of Americans--in other words, the construction of a police state. It seems to me that our One Percent masters, in this age of instant global communications, no longer trust their control over media, the movie industry, and educational institutions to keep us in ignorance. They now have to use fear.

Battlefield Indonesia: resistance to corporate destruction

Click here to access article by Peter Storm from Reflections on a Revolution (Netherlands).

Price rises are provoking revolt in yet another country. This time, it is Indonesia, the price hike concerns fuel, and the revolt takes the form of rallies and strike action. The unfolding events in Indonesia can be seen as just a new round in a series of workers’ struggles for better living standards, against a state and a capitalist class that tries to make profits by keeping wages as low as possible, by destroying the forest and undermining the livelihoods of the people.

Meanwhile, German protestors are joining the continuing protests in Turkey.

G8 debates

Click here to access article by Thierry Meyssan from VoltaireNet. 

The author's report on the recent summit of most of the biggest capitalist powers (the G8 does not include China, Brazil, or India) provides some interesting perspectives on their rivalries in relation to major issues.

The unsinkable G8, meeting in Lough Erne [Northern Ireland], was an opportunity to contrast the views of the United States on the one hand, France and the United Kingdom on the other hand, and finally Russia, under the astonished eyes of the other participants. Views on world equilibrium in general and Syria in particular were aired. The economy was also discussed in order to lift the veil of secrecy shrouding the boards of offshore companies. 

However, the G8, like most other such international forums, is really all about carving up the world between Western powers (NATO) and the rest of the capitalist countries to achieve hegemony over the exploitation of resources, labor, and markets to the benefit of their respective ruling classes.

Via Campesina and the Fight for Seeds

Click here to access article by Salena Tramel from Common Dreams.

The article reports on Via Campesina's continuing fight against "Monsanto laws", and their efforts to preserve farmer's sovereignty over seeds.

With the Green Revolution came a promise to end hunger through so-called miracle seeds. Instead, it ushered in seed property rights, domination and even criminalization of small-scale farmers, and waves of transnational corporate control of agriculture. Under “Monsanto Laws,” more specifically known as UPOV 91, patents prohibit farm-saved seeds and peasant seeds for which multinational corporations have filed patents. 

Citizen reaction to the privatization of water

Click here to access article by Konstantinos Peris from New Compass (Norway).

People in this major Greek city are fighting back against the Greek state occupied by neoliberal banking figures who want to sell off public assets to private corporations.

Except being a public good, access to water is a fundamental human right recognized by the United Nations. Water providers aren’t privatized as easily as other public companies....

Post PRISM: Encrypted communications boom after NSA leaks

Click here if you wish to access source of this 4:09m video from RT via YouTube.

U.S. Promises Smooth Transfer of Quagmire from Afghanistan to Syria

Click here to access article by Andy Borowitz from The New Yorker.

Even this publication, which serves mostly the One Percent, can't resist providing a cynical satire of the Empire's actions in Syria.

Capitalism, Democracy, and Elections

Click here to access article by Richard D. Wolff from MRZine. 

Capitalists love to describe their governments as "democratic". But, are they really? In this article the author provides us with a quick dissection of capitalists' version of democracy, finds essential pieces missing and others of dubious quality for them to qualify as a real democracies.

Capitalism and real democracy never had much to do with one another.

Propaganda Reporting - Kerry's Failure in Qatar

Click here to access article by Bernhard from Moon of Alabama.

When the Empire crawls in bed with medieval regimes to pursue its interests, things can get rather messy as the author points out with well documented, and embarrassing (to Empire directors) evidence. However, Empire directors have no problem in preventing the embarrassing details from coming to the attention of its citizens: they simply direct their media managers to avoid any direct coverage of the messy details. Actually, I doubt that such directions are needed. Corporate media executives usually have already been trained to know what information to report and how to cover it. 

Obama: Network Spying Is Serious Human Rights Abuse

Click here to access article by Bernhard from his blog Moon of Alabama.

The author posts a juicy quote by Obama illustrating his hypocrisy and those of his One Percent handlers.