We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Friday, March 25, 2016

BRICS Under Attack: Soft Coup in Brazil, US Proxies Move Against ANC in South Africa

Click here if you wish to access the introduction and video discussion directly from YouTube.

My preference for posts is not audio presentations but posted writings in which links can be provided to evidence to back up major points of more independent observers and analysts. However audio transmission is becoming more popular with people on the go who use various small computer devices to listen to such productions. As I've argued before, no one is infallible in interpreting information and observations, but there are some who consistently support the values of social justice and can be relied upon to make their best efforts to present accurate factual evidence and well-balanced analysis. One such person, I believe, is Eric Draitser.
Eric Draitser of http://StopImperialism.org appears on CPR Sunday with broadcaster Don DeBar to discuss the Empire's moves to undermine BRICS. Draitser provides detailed analysis of the individuals and groups behind the protest movement in Brazil, noting that powerful right wing, neoliberal forces are bankrolling the movement to remove the democratically elected left wing government of Dilma Rousseff and the Workers' Party. He also discusses the nature of the protests in South Africa and the powerful players co-opting the movement in the interests of the Empire. Finally, the conversation touches on potential outcomes of this clear offensive by Wall Street and the US establishment, and potential counter-measures by BRICS nations. All this and more in this wide-ranging discussion.
If you do not have time to listen to the entire 55 minute discussion, I especially recommend the first 32 minutes when he discusses what is happening in Brazil and South Africa in particular and the BRICS countries in general. Then for some of his comments that contrast US neoliberal policies with that of China's "win-win" investment policies, I recommend listening from 43:00m to 47:15m.