Saturday, January 28, 2017
Friday, January 27, 2017
The Working Class and Anticapitalism
Click here to access a 55 minute interview with Canadian political economist and activist David McNally from KPFA, a listener-sponsored radio station in Berkeley, California.
McNally expresses his views on the political crisis of capitalism today and the challenges for new activist organizations that are needed to overthrow the rule of capitalists. He argues that the old cultural forms of resistance are no longer adequate given the "de-composition" of the older forms brought about by neoliberalism that began in the 1970s.
He doesn't have a recipe for the new forms except that the new forms of resistance and activism must incorporate the advances made by the social identity and multi-cultural movements: feminism, anti-racism, alternative lifestyles, etc. Thus, there is a need to build a new anti-capitalist movement that is based on new sustainable models of organization that can bring all working people together (he accurately defines what it means to be a working person).
I found his overview of the dramatic changes needed by anti-capitalist activism in today's neoliberal world particularly useful.
I have some other recommendations to add regarding future activist organizations. I believe there is the necessity to create a bottom-up authority system to replace the old hierarchical structures that capitalist organizations require, and which in the past too many activist organizations unconsciously adopted. Also I suggest that given the present prominent issue of "fake news", activists should take advantage of this by much greater collaboration in creating a truly independent media that serves working people. This latter institution, if it were successful, could furnish an energized impetus to create independent social, welfare, and educational forms free of influence from the ruling capitalist class. Then we would have a truly revolutionary movement.
McNally expresses his views on the political crisis of capitalism today and the challenges for new activist organizations that are needed to overthrow the rule of capitalists. He argues that the old cultural forms of resistance are no longer adequate given the "de-composition" of the older forms brought about by neoliberalism that began in the 1970s.
He doesn't have a recipe for the new forms except that the new forms of resistance and activism must incorporate the advances made by the social identity and multi-cultural movements: feminism, anti-racism, alternative lifestyles, etc. Thus, there is a need to build a new anti-capitalist movement that is based on new sustainable models of organization that can bring all working people together (he accurately defines what it means to be a working person).
I found his overview of the dramatic changes needed by anti-capitalist activism in today's neoliberal world particularly useful.
I have some other recommendations to add regarding future activist organizations. I believe there is the necessity to create a bottom-up authority system to replace the old hierarchical structures that capitalist organizations require, and which in the past too many activist organizations unconsciously adopted. Also I suggest that given the present prominent issue of "fake news", activists should take advantage of this by much greater collaboration in creating a truly independent media that serves working people. This latter institution, if it were successful, could furnish an energized impetus to create independent social, welfare, and educational forms free of influence from the ruling capitalist class. Then we would have a truly revolutionary movement.
The Empire Has No Clothes
Click here to access article by Paul Street from CounterPunch.
It is longstanding bipartisan U.S. ruling class doctrine that the United States is the world’s great beacon and agent of democracy, human rights, justice, and freedom. American Reality has never matched the doctrine, and it didn’t under Obama, of course, but it is especially difficult to credibly align those claims with a candidate and now a president like Trump, who has openly exhibited racist, nativist, sexist, arch-authoritarian, police-statist, Islamophobic, pro-torture, and even neo-fascist sentiments and values.I think in his description of the American image of itself, Street is referring to the sound asleep general American public. Now that they have an openly racist, sexist, sociopathic president, people have suddenly awakened and are shocked. That accounts for much of the sudden activism and protests. Well, I guess people waking up is a positive development no matter how it happens. I agree that it is necessary, but I think it is a long way from being sufficient.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
From Maverick To Lapdog: Trump Is Already Serving The Agenda Of America’s Oligarchs [article of the month]
Click here to access article by Whitney Webb from Mint Press News.
Many independent writers/bloggers have tried to unravel some major mysteries associated with the new Trump administration, and (IMHO) this article is the best to date to unravel these mysteries. You may, like me, suffer information overload with this lengthy article because it is packed full of many important links that help explain, expand on, and document Webb's assertions on the extremely perplexing phenomena about which we have been reading/viewing in recent weeks in both alternative and corporate media.
Kissinger is right about Trump when he said he had no values (see video in the post). What the war criminal Kissinger meant was that Trump was a sociopath like him, and the only values he had were the ones that all members of the capitalist ruling class have: expediency and opportunism in pursuit of profits and power.
Many independent writers/bloggers have tried to unravel some major mysteries associated with the new Trump administration, and (IMHO) this article is the best to date to unravel these mysteries. You may, like me, suffer information overload with this lengthy article because it is packed full of many important links that help explain, expand on, and document Webb's assertions on the extremely perplexing phenomena about which we have been reading/viewing in recent weeks in both alternative and corporate media.
Kissinger is right about Trump when he said he had no values (see video in the post). What the war criminal Kissinger meant was that Trump was a sociopath like him, and the only values he had were the ones that all members of the capitalist ruling class have: expediency and opportunism in pursuit of profits and power.
Revolt is the only barrier to a fascist America
Click here to access article by Chris Hedges from Truthdig.
We are entering the twilight phase of capitalism. Wealth is no longer created by producing or manufacturing. It is created by manipulating the prices of stocks and commodities and imposing a crippling debt peonage on the public. Our casino capitalism has merged with the gambling industry. The entire system is parasitic. It is designed to prey on the desperate – young men and women burdened by student loans, underpaid workers burdened by credit card debt and mortgages, towns and cities forced to borrow to maintain municipal services.And he concludes this essay with an imperative with which I very much agree.
Revolt is a political necessity. It is a moral imperative. It is a defense of the sacred. It allows us to live in truth. It alone makes hope possible.
The moment we defy power, we are victorious. The moment we stand alongside the oppressed, and accept being treated like the oppressed, we are victorious. The moment we hold up a flickering light in the darkness for others to see, we are victorious. The moment we thwart the building of a pipeline or a fracking site, we are victorious. And the moment those in power become frightened of us, we are victorious.
I do not know if we can build a better society. I do not even know if we will survive as a species. But I do know these corporate forces have us by the throat. And they have my children by the throat. I do not fight fascists because I will win. I fight fascists because they are fascists.
CNN Exclusive: Rep. Gabbard on meeting with Assad
Click here if you wish to access this 6:47m directly from The International Reporter.
US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii is interviewed by a well-trained and monitored corporate "newsman" and handles his propaganda-filled questions so deftly.
US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii is interviewed by a well-trained and monitored corporate "newsman" and handles his propaganda-filled questions so deftly.
CNN continues with the false narrative assigned to it, Tulsi Gabbard very diplomatically puts them straight without calling them outright liars. – Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard just returned from a secret trip to Syria and told Jake Tapper in a CNN Exclusive said any reconciliation would have to involve Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
China Just Issued a Nuclear Warning to Donald Trump and the United States
Click here to access article by James Holbrooks from AntiMedia.
It appears that that our Empire directors are greatly disturbed about the growing military, industrial, and economic strength of China. F. William Engdahl, Pepe Escobar, and Michael Hudson among others regard the Trump administration as representing (what might accurately be labeled as) a Rockefeller section of the US capitalist ruling class that intends to curb China's power by promoting policies to split the growing alliance between Russia and China, and increasing military and other threats against China. The Trump administration certainly furnishes evidence of this new US-led Empire strategy with phone contacts with government officials of Formosa, followed by continuing belligerent statements regarding China recently made by members of his administration as reported in this article, and the installation of THAAD missiles in the Empire's satrap of South Korea.
Missing from US corporate media coverage related to the issue of China's construction of military bases off its shore is the huge buildup of US military bases that almost surround China. Pilger in his recent film has dramatically pointed to this threat to China, and the New Internationalist cited additional evidence that suggests that the US Empire is preparing for war with China.
It appears that that our Empire directors are greatly disturbed about the growing military, industrial, and economic strength of China. F. William Engdahl, Pepe Escobar, and Michael Hudson among others regard the Trump administration as representing (what might accurately be labeled as) a Rockefeller section of the US capitalist ruling class that intends to curb China's power by promoting policies to split the growing alliance between Russia and China, and increasing military and other threats against China. The Trump administration certainly furnishes evidence of this new US-led Empire strategy with phone contacts with government officials of Formosa, followed by continuing belligerent statements regarding China recently made by members of his administration as reported in this article, and the installation of THAAD missiles in the Empire's satrap of South Korea.
Today, more than 400 American military bases encircle China with missiles, bombers, warships and, above all, nuclear weapons. From Australia north through the Pacific to Japan, Korea and across Eurasia to Afghanistan and India, the bases form, says one US strategist, ‘the perfect noose’.China is not going to be bullied or intimidated nor is Russia going to split from its alliance with China. Thus, we are entering another very dangerous period in which a nuclear war threatens everyone on the planet. We were lucky the first time in the Cuban Missile Crisis under the more cool-headed Kennedy administration, but can we expect such luck with the hot-headed belligerents in the Trump administration?
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
A Short History of Liberal Myths and Anti-Labor Politics
Click here to access article by Sam Mitrani and Chad Pearson from CounterPunch.
Although I agree with much of this article, I also have serious criticisms. The article provides rich material for political consciousness raising--and to be sure, Americans need their consciousness raised from the low level where it presently resides. This latter observation is not a criticism of ordinary Americans so much as it is evidence of the ruling class's deliberate attempt to dumb down Americans and fill their heads with false dreams and a fake history that censors most of the realities of the history of class war.
For the positive parts of the article I like much of the real history that the authors present: the necessity of worker organizing to form a strong opposition to the ruling capitalist class. I also like the authors' exposé of the insidious role of liberals and social democrats to manage this opposition on behalf of capitalist interests.
This last category is extremely important to raise the political consciousness of ordinary Americans who have been fooled and manipulated countless times by liberals and social democrats who really serve the interests of capital. This is precisely the people whom Eric London wrote about in his article entitled "Wealth distribution in the United States and the politics of the pseudo-left". (See this post and my commentary because I'm not going to repeat myself.)
This phenomenon of co-optation is a major weapon that the ruling capitalist class has used so effectively throughout history to manage opposition by workers. That is precisely why worker organizations must develop bottom-up authority structures in their organizations to counter this weapon. But workers must have a certain level of political consciousness, an understanding of their interests, and real understanding of labor history to function effectively in a bottom-up authority system. This presents a chicken-egg type of dilemma to which I don't have a good answer. Most ordinary Americans have been thoroughly indoctrinated to follow authority figures and conditioned to distrust each other; and likewise to look to powerful leaders, people who pretend to be in-the-know, or saviors for their salvation.
Now for my negative criticisms. The authors brief outline of history was faulty in the immediate post WWII period by labeling it as a labor "golden age". They didn't mention the backlash against labor unions that occurred during that period: the Taft-Hartley Act and the purging of radical labor leaders from unions during the McCarthy period. (For a good worker history of this period, see this.) To be sure workers enjoyed increases in wages and other gains, but this was solely due to the fact that US industry was completely intact whereas most industry in other advanced economies were destroyed because of the war. (The authors vaguely alluded to this reality.)
But the most damning criticism I've saved for last. The article was laced throughout by the theme of a "balance of forces" or "balance of power". This really represented their political view of labor and goal of organized labor in relation to the ruling capitalist class. Their unstated thesis is that labor should only strive to gain a powerful position and have their own political party to counter capitalist power so that they can insure that workers' interests are served. In their own words:
Although I agree with much of this article, I also have serious criticisms. The article provides rich material for political consciousness raising--and to be sure, Americans need their consciousness raised from the low level where it presently resides. This latter observation is not a criticism of ordinary Americans so much as it is evidence of the ruling class's deliberate attempt to dumb down Americans and fill their heads with false dreams and a fake history that censors most of the realities of the history of class war.
For the positive parts of the article I like much of the real history that the authors present: the necessity of worker organizing to form a strong opposition to the ruling capitalist class. I also like the authors' exposé of the insidious role of liberals and social democrats to manage this opposition on behalf of capitalist interests.
This last category is extremely important to raise the political consciousness of ordinary Americans who have been fooled and manipulated countless times by liberals and social democrats who really serve the interests of capital. This is precisely the people whom Eric London wrote about in his article entitled "Wealth distribution in the United States and the politics of the pseudo-left". (See this post and my commentary because I'm not going to repeat myself.)
This phenomenon of co-optation is a major weapon that the ruling capitalist class has used so effectively throughout history to manage opposition by workers. That is precisely why worker organizations must develop bottom-up authority structures in their organizations to counter this weapon. But workers must have a certain level of political consciousness, an understanding of their interests, and real understanding of labor history to function effectively in a bottom-up authority system. This presents a chicken-egg type of dilemma to which I don't have a good answer. Most ordinary Americans have been thoroughly indoctrinated to follow authority figures and conditioned to distrust each other; and likewise to look to powerful leaders, people who pretend to be in-the-know, or saviors for their salvation.
Now for my negative criticisms. The authors brief outline of history was faulty in the immediate post WWII period by labeling it as a labor "golden age". They didn't mention the backlash against labor unions that occurred during that period: the Taft-Hartley Act and the purging of radical labor leaders from unions during the McCarthy period. (For a good worker history of this period, see this.) To be sure workers enjoyed increases in wages and other gains, but this was solely due to the fact that US industry was completely intact whereas most industry in other advanced economies were destroyed because of the war. (The authors vaguely alluded to this reality.)
But the most damning criticism I've saved for last. The article was laced throughout by the theme of a "balance of forces" or "balance of power". This really represented their political view of labor and goal of organized labor in relation to the ruling capitalist class. Their unstated thesis is that labor should only strive to gain a powerful position and have their own political party to counter capitalist power so that they can insure that workers' interests are served. In their own words:
That is why the working-class needs its own political organization, one that puts its interests first. We need a political party that is not limited to elections, but recognizes that the mobilization of the working-class is the only thing that can change the balance of forces in our favor. Such a party would demand, at minimum, that no company making a profit should be allowed to lay off employees, and that if there is not enough work, any remaining work must be divided with no loss in pay. It would demand that corporate subsidies and tax breaks be banned, and that the wealthy and the corporations be taxed to pay for schools and services. We realize this is far from an original proposal, but the working-class has not had a political party representing its interests since Eugene Debs’s day.Yes, indeed, it is "far from an original proposal"! The only new idea they advanced is that the Democratic Party does not serve workers' interests. But that's new?! This article is so typical of articles posted in CounterPunch. They pretend to be left-wing, but in fact they are thoroughly pro-capitalist in a mild sort of way...much like liberals and social democrats.
Monday, January 23, 2017
Trump's Infrastructure Plan: Public Investment, Private Profit
Click here if you wish to access the 15:02m interview and transcript with Michael Hudson posted on the Real News Network.
Besides what Hudson sees about Trump's infrastructure plan, he also comments about what he foresees as a Trump administration's attempt to break up the alliance between Russia and China, and Trump's attacks on the fake news outlets (corporate media).
Besides what Hudson sees about Trump's infrastructure plan, he also comments about what he foresees as a Trump administration's attempt to break up the alliance between Russia and China, and Trump's attacks on the fake news outlets (corporate media).
One Does Not Hate When One Can Despise: Derrick Jensen on Donald Trump and How We Got Here
Click here to access article by Derrick Jensen from Seven Stories Press. (This post was suggested to me by Caren and Christopher who operate a sustainable farm and teach classes in sustainable living in northwest Oregon.)
Another criticism I have is that Jensen casts too much blame on the victims of capitalism and often seems to argue that we are intrinsically all racists, women haters, and suspicious of foreigners. This is placing far too much emphasis on social identity politics and not on the ruling capitalist class's favorite method to divide and conquer us by encouraging such behaviors and attitudes.
The primary function of Democrats and Republicans alike is to take care of business. The primary function is not to take care of communities. The primary function is not to take care of the planet. The primary function is to serve the interests of the owning class, by which I mean the owners of capital, the owners of society, the owners of the politicians.I think he is a bit too negative here because I have witnessed in recent years a number of people (like Jensen himself) who are questioning capitalism as a system that is destroying not only human habitat but responsible for many other crimes against humanity. Like Jensen (see this as a prime example), many of these critics in the past have limited their target to industrial capitalism which suggests that their is another kind of capitalism that could work well if only we could reform it, but increasingly these critics (including Jensen) now blame the system itself for the ongoing assault on our lives and the environment.
We have seen over the last couple of generations a consistent ratcheting of American politics to the right, until by now our political choices have been reduced to on the one hand a moderately conservative Republican calling herself a Democrat, and on the other a strutting fascist calling himself a Republican. If we define “left” as being at minimum against capitalism, there is no functional left in this country.
Another criticism I have is that Jensen casts too much blame on the victims of capitalism and often seems to argue that we are intrinsically all racists, women haters, and suspicious of foreigners. This is placing far too much emphasis on social identity politics and not on the ruling capitalist class's favorite method to divide and conquer us by encouraging such behaviors and attitudes.
The US is profoundly and functionally racist and woman-hating, nature hating, poor hating, and based on exploiting humans and nonhumans the world over. So why should it surprise us when someone who manifests these values is elected?Still, the overall thrust of this article is very positive:
...movements emerge only through organized struggle. And someone has to do the organizing. Someone has to do the struggling. And it has to be you, and it has to be me.Caren and Christopher also recommend this encouraging piece by James Corbett entitled "Chaos Out of Order".
A doctor friend of mine always says that the first step toward cure is proper diagnosis. Diagnose the problems, and then you become the cure.
You make it right.
...we have to understand that we have been brought to this point for a reason. In order to get their new order, the powers-that-shouldn't-be had to generate this current chaos. The unprecedented levels of social, political and economic tension we are experiencing right now are part of a game plan. To reset the chess pieces, the board has to be knocked over first.Actually, in contrast to most Americans, I don't see that the Trump administration (as puppets of the capitalist puppeteers) portends a significant amount of change from the past. It might be refreshing to see them more openly and honestly (for example, see this) revealing their fascist nature which the other capitalist party often hid; and because of this, the Trump administration might generate more incentive for people to learn about what is really going on.
This presents us with a glass-half-full/glass-half-empty situation. When the game board is overturned, the would-be tyrants waste no time in getting to work, trying to arrange things to their liking.
But their control is not total. At times like this, when the glacial status quo has been liquefied and everything is in flux, we have an opportunity for true change.
Antarctic tipping points for a multi-metre sea level rise
Click here to access article by David Spratt from Climate Code Red (Australia).
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS), comprising more than two million cubic kilometres of ice, is under pressure from a warming climate, with scientists saying its break-up –– and an eventual global sea-level rise of 3–5 metres –– is not matter of if, but when.
The West Antarctic Peninsula is now the strongest-warming region on the planet, and WAIS glaciers are discharging ice at an accelerating rate....
Sunday, January 22, 2017
More Than 50 Soros-Funded Groups Partnered With Women’s March On Washington [a best post]
Click here to access article by Aaron Kesel from We Are Change.
I believe that this is a very important article in order to raise the political consciousness from a sheeple-type consciousness that appears every four years when presidential elections are held and many "progressive" people rather suddenly become involved. Such people usually get involved behind a candidate (example, Bernie Sanders) that serves to shepherd progressive types into the slaughterhouse of the Democratic Party.
In between the quadrennial election circuses, most people watch corporate TV and involve themselves superficially in front organizations (like MoveOn.org) funded by the ruling rich to keep them diverted from the real issues of class war. (I simply do not believe polls which report low public credibility of news and opinion from corporate media.) Given this scenario it is no wonder that around election time, people get so excited about issues of social identity, multiculturalism, and social welfare.
Now before anyone gets their dander up over this criticism, I strongly support these issues. So much progress has been made over the past 50 years on social identity issues, and many of us have benefited. But issues of social identity and multiculturalism do not significantly interfere with the rule of the capitalist class which has so many deleterious effects on our lives. In fact, our masters often use social identity issues to manipulate us. Notice how our ruling capitalist masters used guilt over racism to push Obama into the White House. Obama's obvious African-American identity was literally only skin-deep.
To counter these manipulations by agents of the ruling capitalist class, genuine alternative websites are springing up all over the web, but at the same time the rich are funding many others to mislead the people. Whether the people or the rich ruling class wins this ideological battle will depend on efforts by the people to spend far more time educating themselves on political realities related to the ongoing class war: extreme inequality, poverty, crime, never-ending wars, and climate destabilization that is being accelerated by capitalism. This article serves as a very good beginning point for "progressives" to raise their political consciousness.
Others with a more advanced understanding of class war must become more involved in a collaborative way. This means that they must examine and discard many behaviors and attitudes promoted by the extreme individualism that is fostered by the capitalist system. It is good that so many independent voices are spreading their messages over websites, but it is far more important to join their voices and resources together to wage war more effectively over our common enemy.
Too many operate their websites like companies which compete with other companies (websites) for advertising dollars. The dependence on advertising dollars must be supplanted by reader donations and subscriptions, and we the people must support genuine independent websites as best we can. We also must drop our need to appear all knowing simply because no one has a monopoly on knowing. We must be willing to criticize the views and actions of other activists and analysts and accept such criticism in a collaborative spirit.
For example, I have run about a half dozen posts from ProPublica because the articles were were good on various issues. Fake progressive sites like ProPublica do this deliberately to bait and hook people on the left to their websites in order to ultimately lead them to dead-end activist projects. I erred in posting their articles, and no one brought this to my attention! I can't believe that none of the people who follow my website did not know about the backers of ProPublica as reported in this article.
While promoting this article, I do not endorse everything that is posted on the We Are Change website. For example, I condemn an article entitled "Top Scientist Resigns Admitting Man Made Global Warming Is A Big Scam" posted a year ago on their website. Well meaning people can always make mistakes, and I don't condemn their website because of this one post.
I believe that this is a very important article in order to raise the political consciousness from a sheeple-type consciousness that appears every four years when presidential elections are held and many "progressive" people rather suddenly become involved. Such people usually get involved behind a candidate (example, Bernie Sanders) that serves to shepherd progressive types into the slaughterhouse of the Democratic Party.
In between the quadrennial election circuses, most people watch corporate TV and involve themselves superficially in front organizations (like MoveOn.org) funded by the ruling rich to keep them diverted from the real issues of class war. (I simply do not believe polls which report low public credibility of news and opinion from corporate media.) Given this scenario it is no wonder that around election time, people get so excited about issues of social identity, multiculturalism, and social welfare.
Now before anyone gets their dander up over this criticism, I strongly support these issues. So much progress has been made over the past 50 years on social identity issues, and many of us have benefited. But issues of social identity and multiculturalism do not significantly interfere with the rule of the capitalist class which has so many deleterious effects on our lives. In fact, our masters often use social identity issues to manipulate us. Notice how our ruling capitalist masters used guilt over racism to push Obama into the White House. Obama's obvious African-American identity was literally only skin-deep.
To counter these manipulations by agents of the ruling capitalist class, genuine alternative websites are springing up all over the web, but at the same time the rich are funding many others to mislead the people. Whether the people or the rich ruling class wins this ideological battle will depend on efforts by the people to spend far more time educating themselves on political realities related to the ongoing class war: extreme inequality, poverty, crime, never-ending wars, and climate destabilization that is being accelerated by capitalism. This article serves as a very good beginning point for "progressives" to raise their political consciousness.
Others with a more advanced understanding of class war must become more involved in a collaborative way. This means that they must examine and discard many behaviors and attitudes promoted by the extreme individualism that is fostered by the capitalist system. It is good that so many independent voices are spreading their messages over websites, but it is far more important to join their voices and resources together to wage war more effectively over our common enemy.
Too many operate their websites like companies which compete with other companies (websites) for advertising dollars. The dependence on advertising dollars must be supplanted by reader donations and subscriptions, and we the people must support genuine independent websites as best we can. We also must drop our need to appear all knowing simply because no one has a monopoly on knowing. We must be willing to criticize the views and actions of other activists and analysts and accept such criticism in a collaborative spirit.
For example, I have run about a half dozen posts from ProPublica because the articles were were good on various issues. Fake progressive sites like ProPublica do this deliberately to bait and hook people on the left to their websites in order to ultimately lead them to dead-end activist projects. I erred in posting their articles, and no one brought this to my attention! I can't believe that none of the people who follow my website did not know about the backers of ProPublica as reported in this article.
While promoting this article, I do not endorse everything that is posted on the We Are Change website. For example, I condemn an article entitled "Top Scientist Resigns Admitting Man Made Global Warming Is A Big Scam" posted a year ago on their website. Well meaning people can always make mistakes, and I don't condemn their website because of this one post.
Saturday, January 21, 2017
A well-kept open secret: Washington is behind India’s brutal experiment of abolishing most cash
Click here to access article by German economist Norbert Häring from his website.
I encountered this article when it was referred to by F. William Engdahl in his today's article entitled "The Sinister Agenda Behind the Washington War On Cash", and you may want to also read that article. Colin Todhunter was the first (that I know of) to report this phenomenon, and now Häring uncovers more information on the hidden role of US-led Empire agents who have been promoting digital currency in India as the first experiment in what they plan to do in other countries including the US (as Engdahl explains).
It seems that the digital transformation of India's money supply is part of the Empire's plan to dominate the world, sometimes referred to by US imperialists (like George Bush, his father, Bill Clinton, etc.) as the New World Order. Control of money (along with many other weapons such as indirect and direct military incursions, "color revolutions", financial manipulation, sanctions, etc) has been a major economic weapon (mostly in the form of petrodollars) for their dreams of world domination. Häring explains how this digital money weapon would greatly facilitate the realization of the old fascist fantasy.
I encountered this article when it was referred to by F. William Engdahl in his today's article entitled "The Sinister Agenda Behind the Washington War On Cash", and you may want to also read that article. Colin Todhunter was the first (that I know of) to report this phenomenon, and now Häring uncovers more information on the hidden role of US-led Empire agents who have been promoting digital currency in India as the first experiment in what they plan to do in other countries including the US (as Engdahl explains).
It seems that the digital transformation of India's money supply is part of the Empire's plan to dominate the world, sometimes referred to by US imperialists (like George Bush, his father, Bill Clinton, etc.) as the New World Order. Control of money (along with many other weapons such as indirect and direct military incursions, "color revolutions", financial manipulation, sanctions, etc) has been a major economic weapon (mostly in the form of petrodollars) for their dreams of world domination. Häring explains how this digital money weapon would greatly facilitate the realization of the old fascist fantasy.
The business interests of the US-companies that dominate the gobal IT business and payment systems are an important reason for the zeal of the US-government in its push to reduce cash use worldwide, but it is not the only one and might not be the most important one. Another motive is surveillance power that goes with increased use of digital payment. US-intelligence organizations and IT-companies together can survey all international payments done through banks and can monitor most of the general stream of digital data. Financial data tends to be the most important and valuable.
Even more importantly, the status of the dollar as the worlds currency of reference and the dominance of US companies in international finance provide the US government with tremendous power over all participants in the formal non-cash financial system. It can make everybody conform to American law rather than to their local or international rules.
Here's How the Trump Presidency Will Play Out
Click here to access article by Pepe Escobar from Sputnik.
I have argued that Trump's foreign policy guru Henry Kissinger's strategy to deal with the formidable Eurasia integration trio – Russia, China and Iran — is a remixed Divide and Rule; seduce Russia away from its strategic partnership with China, while keep harassing the weakest link, Iran.
In fact that's how it's already playing out – as in the outbursts of selected members of Trump's cabinet during their US Senate hearings. Factions of US Think Tankland, referring to Nixon's China policy, which was designed by Kissinger, are also excited with the possibilities of containment regarding at least one of those powers "potentially arrayed against America".
Kissinger and Dr. Zbig "Grand Chessboard" Brzezinski are the two foremost, self-described Western dalangs – puppet masters – in the geopolitical arena. In opposition to Kissinger, Obama's foreign policy mentor Brzezinski, true to his Russophobia, proposes a Divide and Rule centered on seducing China.
Rothschild Family Wealth is Five Times that of World’s Top 8 Billionaires Combined
Click here to access article by Isaac Davis from Waking Times.
Frequently lists of the world's richest fail to include the Rothchild clan as was the case in the recent report published by Oxfam International. I've often wondered why this is. Could it be that they are so powerful that their data is kept hidden? Anyway, Davis's research shows how rich they really are, and with riches come power which we read even less about from most alternative sources.
Frequently lists of the world's richest fail to include the Rothchild clan as was the case in the recent report published by Oxfam International. I've often wondered why this is. Could it be that they are so powerful that their data is kept hidden? Anyway, Davis's research shows how rich they really are, and with riches come power which we read even less about from most alternative sources.
What’s Wrong in Canada’s Halls of Power?
Click here to access article by Phil Butler from New Eastern Outlook.
Based on my four years of living in Canada, I think that Butler makes some very keen observations about Canada's rather dismal fate as a colony of the US given what Trump has declared as his agenda for US industry. Still, given Canada's subservience to the US Empire's diktats, I can't imagine that the real directors of the US (think Deep State) will allow him to go too far in hurting Canada's economy.
Based on my four years of living in Canada, I think that Butler makes some very keen observations about Canada's rather dismal fate as a colony of the US given what Trump has declared as his agenda for US industry. Still, given Canada's subservience to the US Empire's diktats, I can't imagine that the real directors of the US (think Deep State) will allow him to go too far in hurting Canada's economy.
The fourth largest country in the world by land area, Canada’s true potential is not even close to being tapped. A nation of only 36 million people, the country probably should have emerged as a major power decades ago. Instead the hapless politicians set in place there just tag along, and they don’t even do a good job of that. Canada’s national debt of just over $800 billion is not even all that bad compared to the US, and European nations. Still the leadership there trudges along doing foreign policy like a satrap. It is inconceivable for me that the world’s most educated country can appoint the dumbest leaders on the planet. The only country that can actually beat Russia at ice hockey cannot even chart its own course and best interests?
Canada-Russia relations and trade were put on hold after the Ukraine crisis, to the detriment of both nations.
Friday, January 20, 2017
Wealth distribution in the United States and the politics of the pseudo-left
Click here to access article by Eric London from World Socialist Web Site.
This writer carves out an important strata in our capitalist structured society known as the upper middle class, a class consisting of about 9% of Americans who lie just below the 1% rich ruling class. These people are identified by sociologists as the upper middle class. London shows how this particular class plays such an important role for the ruling 1%. Malcolm X graphically described the role played by the middle class to a largely African-American audience with a metaphor drawn from an historical context of American slavery that is relevant here: the difference between field negroes and house negroes, or the difference between most workers and a special subset of workers who identify with the ruling capitalist class.
London zeros in on the critical role played by the upper middle class (business executives, academics, successful attorneys, professionals, trade union executives and trust fund beneficiaries) in supporting the ruling 1%, and specifically how they have used identity politics (aka "multiculturalism") to successfully divert attention and energies away from class-based political activism. Likewise this class have obscured their own role in perpetuating identity politics by pretending to be left oriented activists. His research shows that this upper-middle class loves and serves their capitalist masters so well and that they have been richly rewarded for their efforts--unlike those classes of workers below them. London concludes his analysis with this political lesson:
This writer carves out an important strata in our capitalist structured society known as the upper middle class, a class consisting of about 9% of Americans who lie just below the 1% rich ruling class. These people are identified by sociologists as the upper middle class. London shows how this particular class plays such an important role for the ruling 1%. Malcolm X graphically described the role played by the middle class to a largely African-American audience with a metaphor drawn from an historical context of American slavery that is relevant here: the difference between field negroes and house negroes, or the difference between most workers and a special subset of workers who identify with the ruling capitalist class.
London zeros in on the critical role played by the upper middle class (business executives, academics, successful attorneys, professionals, trade union executives and trust fund beneficiaries) in supporting the ruling 1%, and specifically how they have used identity politics (aka "multiculturalism") to successfully divert attention and energies away from class-based political activism. Likewise this class have obscured their own role in perpetuating identity politics by pretending to be left oriented activists. His research shows that this upper-middle class loves and serves their capitalist masters so well and that they have been richly rewarded for their efforts--unlike those classes of workers below them. London concludes his analysis with this political lesson:
The working class comprises the vast majority of the world’s 7 billion inhabitants and produces all of the world’s wealth. It possesses immense potential power. But it can advance its own interests only if it is armed with an anticapitalist and socialist program based on the class struggle. In advancing the slogan for a party of the 99 percent, the pseudo-left is perpetrating a fraud aimed at preventing the development of such a struggle and preserving the capitalist system.
The Dying Days of Liberalism
Click here to access article by Max Forte from Zero Anthropology (Canada).
This is a rather lengthy article and I haven't had time to read all of it. I am posting it because I found a lot of important insights contained in it. Here are some:
This is a rather lengthy article and I haven't had time to read all of it. I am posting it because I found a lot of important insights contained in it. Here are some:
Liberal [capitalist] democracy has been reduced to a shell, more a name than a fact that deserves the name. For many years, liberalism has been liberal authoritarianism or post-liberalism or neoliberalism, with a high elitist disdain for democracy and a fear of the masses everywhere. Promises of inclusion, fairness, and welfare, were replaced by sensitive-sounding rhetorical tricks and tokenism. Moral narcissism, virtue signalling, identity politics, and building patchwork quilts of diversity were the order of the day. Protests were encouraged abroad, against target nations, in the name of democracy promotion—but at home, protests were shut down by an always more militarized police. Nations around the world were lectured about transparency and accountability, but at home it was all about mass surveillance, domestic espionage, and a crackdown on whistleblowers. Liberal leaders claimed to be upholders of peace and order, while multiplying the number of wars.
Why Readers Shouldn’t Trust Staff Reporters
Click here to access article by Eric Zuesse from The Unz Review.
Journalism — especially about important matters — is not a profession. It’s a calling. Or else, if it’s not a calling, then it is public relations; it is propaganda, “PR” — done for the purpose of receiving pay, not really for the purpose of conveying truth. But propaganda isn’t journalism at all. It’s not merely fake ‘news’; it is fake ‘journalism’. Corporate-owned ‘news’ is that, but so too is government-owned ‘news’. That’s the problem: journalism, as it exists, isn’t what people think it is, and expect it to be. What is called “journalism” is actually now just a branch of the PR profession, and doesn’t deserve to be trusted more than that.This historian-writer does well until he tries to come up with a solution. He essentially argues that "there is no alternative" and he uses empty, incorrect concepts like "aristocracy" instead of capitalist ruling class. Maybe he, too, is one of those upper middle class academics who is so well paid and taken care of by the ruling class, that he avoids offending them too much by throwing in such meaningless terms.
In order to be a staff journalist, one must adhere to the propaganda-aims of the individual(s) (the employer) who control(s) the given ‘news’ medium.
The aristocracy controls both Parties. And the government. And the press.What is so hard to understand about independent alternative media that is funded by the people? What is so hard to understand about revolutionary activism?
And that’s the problem. Nobody has figured out a solution for it. And America’s press won’t allow even its existence to be published. So, the public cannot understand why they cannot understand.
What can be done to solve this problem that the press hide from the public? Might there be a way for some members of the press to become part of the solution, and no longer part of the problem? Would that even be possible? If not, then how can the public ever come to understand what the problem is?
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Trump vs. the CIA
Click here to access article by Paul Craig Roberts from his blog.
Traditional conservative capitalists like Roberts, Pat Buchanan, and Ron Paul often get exposure in the abundant liberal websites because of their criticisms of the reigning neoliberal capitalists. I, too, have posted some of Roberts's articles also because some of them really expose the contradictions, weaknesses, and immorality of the current neoliberal ruling class. So I would like to take time today to expose what these traditional critics are all about, and they are definitely not all about any kind of social justice that followers of this website believe in.
These people had their day in the ruling class that runs our country roughly from the Gilded Age of robber barons to the end of WWII. After that they were gradually replaced by imperial minded power seekers which combined the interests of major capitalists who had foreign holdings, imperialist-oriented military generals, and the many secret and unaccountable secrets services like the CIA, NSA, etc. This was referred to as the "military-industrial complex" that drew most attention (frequently by liberals) after President Eisenhower uttered a few sentences in his departing speech.
After the disaster of the Vietnam War a more globalized and sophisticated capitalist ruling class took power under the Reagan administration which combined elements of imperial minded power seekers, transnational capitalists, and Zionists. Their ideology became known as neoliberalism--the advanced form of classic liberalism which was the original ideology of capitalism. The concentration of capital brought about by the earlier nation-based industrialism under private ownership gave way after WWII to a more international ruling class composed primarily of capitalists from the old British Empire and US capitalists, and secondarily of those who grew rich and powerful in other NATO countries. I identify this group as "neoconservatives". They and traditional liberals have combined to be the main force behind the project (neoliberalism) of a US-led Empire which sought (and seeks) to eliminate national barriers to international commerce to facilitate their exploitation of labor and raw materials throughout the world. Traditional conservatives like Roberts, Pat Buchanan, and Ron Paul (aka "old fashioned conservatives") have resented the takeover by this new international capitalist class.
Thus, we should not be deceived by their criticisms of this new neoliberal capitalist class and think that they have the interests of ordinary people at heart. They often tend to be racist, opposed to any kind of social serves, anti-union, and pro-corporate. Notice in this article by Roberts that he takes much umbrage at Lazare's criticism of Trump.
The best explanation of this old fashioned capitalist political faction is one provided by Shamus Cooke in article entitled "The Danger of Right-Wing Populism". Thus, I urge you to read Cooke's article so that you are not deceived by these "right wing populists" who are essentially old-fashioned capitalists.
Thus I think you can dismiss these "right wing populists"--they are "has-beens". Instead concentrate on the bigger, important picture as argued by F. William Engdahl whose analysis gives a much sounder explanation of the current antagonisms between the neoliberals led by the CIA and media (that combination is not coincidental) and those capitalists allied with Trump. With Trump's cabinet so full of Goldman Sachs people, I don't think that neoliberals have much to worry about. To paraphrase a quote attributed to Lenin, I think Trump is merely a very useful idiot for one faction of the ruling class. The current split appears to be merely conflicts over strategy to promote the US-led Empire's domination of the world. The CIA faction wants to continue with their hostile actions against Russia, while the Trump faction see his administration as a useful vehicle to split Russia from China.
However, during the Trump administration we should be concerned with, and oppose, the administration's likely efforts to privatize education, to favor cutbacks to social and medical services, and to promote attacks on minorities. Non of these administration efforts will ever be seriously attacked by Paul Craig Roberts and associates.
Traditional conservative capitalists like Roberts, Pat Buchanan, and Ron Paul often get exposure in the abundant liberal websites because of their criticisms of the reigning neoliberal capitalists. I, too, have posted some of Roberts's articles also because some of them really expose the contradictions, weaknesses, and immorality of the current neoliberal ruling class. So I would like to take time today to expose what these traditional critics are all about, and they are definitely not all about any kind of social justice that followers of this website believe in.
These people had their day in the ruling class that runs our country roughly from the Gilded Age of robber barons to the end of WWII. After that they were gradually replaced by imperial minded power seekers which combined the interests of major capitalists who had foreign holdings, imperialist-oriented military generals, and the many secret and unaccountable secrets services like the CIA, NSA, etc. This was referred to as the "military-industrial complex" that drew most attention (frequently by liberals) after President Eisenhower uttered a few sentences in his departing speech.
In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes.I think Ike said these things because he had a lot of guilt about the rapid growth of the military-industrial complex and associated secret services during his years as president. My reading of his background suggests that he grew up in very ordinary circumstances where religion and respect for authority was pronounced. His military career reinforced this respect for authorities, and when he became president he loved to hobnob (hang out) with major power figures from Wall Street. Frequently this occurred on golf courses which is a favorite ruling class sport. Thus I think he was so much in awe of these authority figures that he failed to check the growth of their anti-democratic institutions.
After the disaster of the Vietnam War a more globalized and sophisticated capitalist ruling class took power under the Reagan administration which combined elements of imperial minded power seekers, transnational capitalists, and Zionists. Their ideology became known as neoliberalism--the advanced form of classic liberalism which was the original ideology of capitalism. The concentration of capital brought about by the earlier nation-based industrialism under private ownership gave way after WWII to a more international ruling class composed primarily of capitalists from the old British Empire and US capitalists, and secondarily of those who grew rich and powerful in other NATO countries. I identify this group as "neoconservatives". They and traditional liberals have combined to be the main force behind the project (neoliberalism) of a US-led Empire which sought (and seeks) to eliminate national barriers to international commerce to facilitate their exploitation of labor and raw materials throughout the world. Traditional conservatives like Roberts, Pat Buchanan, and Ron Paul (aka "old fashioned conservatives") have resented the takeover by this new international capitalist class.
Thus, we should not be deceived by their criticisms of this new neoliberal capitalist class and think that they have the interests of ordinary people at heart. They often tend to be racist, opposed to any kind of social serves, anti-union, and pro-corporate. Notice in this article by Roberts that he takes much umbrage at Lazare's criticism of Trump.
Trump is a rightwing blowhard whose absurd babblings about Saudi Arabia, Iran and Yemen reveal a man who is dangerously ignorant about how the world works. But he has managed to seize on one or two semi-good ideas over the years. One is that Obama administration’s confrontational policies toward Russia are a recipe for disaster, while another is that toppling Syria’s Bashar al-Assad with Al Qaeda and ISIS still up and about will only hasten their march on Damascus.Roberts's attack on Lazare's article is a rather subtle indication that Roberts sees Trump as an ally, a "fellow (capitalist) traveler". That is precisely why Roberts attacks his views in this post. The reason why his defense of Trump is rather subtle is because he has been posing as a critic of the actions of the current ruling capitalist class, and as such, has enjoyed a wide following among liberal-left circles who hate Trump.
The best explanation of this old fashioned capitalist political faction is one provided by Shamus Cooke in article entitled "The Danger of Right-Wing Populism". Thus, I urge you to read Cooke's article so that you are not deceived by these "right wing populists" who are essentially old-fashioned capitalists.
Thus I think you can dismiss these "right wing populists"--they are "has-beens". Instead concentrate on the bigger, important picture as argued by F. William Engdahl whose analysis gives a much sounder explanation of the current antagonisms between the neoliberals led by the CIA and media (that combination is not coincidental) and those capitalists allied with Trump. With Trump's cabinet so full of Goldman Sachs people, I don't think that neoliberals have much to worry about. To paraphrase a quote attributed to Lenin, I think Trump is merely a very useful idiot for one faction of the ruling class. The current split appears to be merely conflicts over strategy to promote the US-led Empire's domination of the world. The CIA faction wants to continue with their hostile actions against Russia, while the Trump faction see his administration as a useful vehicle to split Russia from China.
However, during the Trump administration we should be concerned with, and oppose, the administration's likely efforts to privatize education, to favor cutbacks to social and medical services, and to promote attacks on minorities. Non of these administration efforts will ever be seriously attacked by Paul Craig Roberts and associates.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Regime Change Comes Home: The CIA’s Overt Threats against Trump
Click here to access article by James Petras from his blog.
It's clear that the faction that aligns itself behind the CIA, other secret, unaccountable "intelligence" services, and corporate media have been trying their best to undermine President-Elect Trump from becoming president. But it should not surprise because the CIA has been manipulating elections, and other criminal acts such as assassinating leaders in other countries since WWII.
This is the fascist element is often present in what is known as bourgeois (or capitalist) democracy in most of the world. Fascism is always latent in most capitalist democracies simply because a system that favors one (tiny) class is always exploitative and thus unstable. When that instability becomes marked, then the capitalists will resort to lawless and/or violent means to secure their rule.
It's clear that the faction that aligns itself behind the CIA, other secret, unaccountable "intelligence" services, and corporate media have been trying their best to undermine President-Elect Trump from becoming president. But it should not surprise because the CIA has been manipulating elections, and other criminal acts such as assassinating leaders in other countries since WWII.
This is the fascist element is often present in what is known as bourgeois (or capitalist) democracy in most of the world. Fascism is always latent in most capitalist democracies simply because a system that favors one (tiny) class is always exploitative and thus unstable. When that instability becomes marked, then the capitalists will resort to lawless and/or violent means to secure their rule.
The norms of US capitalist democracy include the election of presidential candidates through competitive elections, unimpeded by force and violence by the permanent institutions of the state. Voter manipulation has occurred during the recent elections, as in the case of the John F. Kennedy victory in 1960 and the George W. Bush victory over ‘Al’ Gore in 2000.
But despite the dubious electoral outcomes in these cases, the ‘defeated’ candidate conceded and sought via legislation, judicial rulings, lobbying and peaceful protests to register their opposition.
These norms are no longer operative.
Pharma Money Reaches Guideline Writers, Patient Groups, Even Doctors on Twitter
Click here to access article by Charles Ornstein from Pro Publica.
The rest of the story is about how pharmaceutical corporations purchase influence over our representatives in Congress and the executive branch in order to insure that they vote for their corporate interests. For this part of the unwritten story, we have to go to Open Secrets:
Top 20 Recipients (included on the list were candidates for offices)
Pharmaceuticals / Health Products: Top Recipients
My own Sen. Murray (from Washington state) who is touted as a very liberal Democratic senator is fifth on the list. Hillary raked in by far the most money because she was once a sure candidate for the White House.
It is clear that our masters in the capitalist ruling class not only purchase influence among our health providers, but also the government that passes laws related to our health care.
The long arm of the pharmaceutical industry continues to pervade practically every area of medicine, reaching those who write guidelines that shape doctors’ practices, patient advocacy organizations, letter writers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and even oncologists on Twitter, according to a series of papers on money and influence published today in JAMA Internal Medicine.Ornstein doesn't present even half of the story of how medical care and low cost access to prescription drugs are influenced by pharmaceutical corporations with their tons of money. This is another illustration of how money that is concentrated in the hands of a few people can exercise so much power over only one sector, but a very important sector, of our lives.
The findings of the papers provide further evidence showing how conflicts of interest help shape health care....
The rest of the story is about how pharmaceutical corporations purchase influence over our representatives in Congress and the executive branch in order to insure that they vote for their corporate interests. For this part of the unwritten story, we have to go to Open Secrets:
Top 20 Recipients (included on the list were candidates for offices)
Pharmaceuticals / Health Products: Top Recipients
| Rank | Candidate | Office | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clinton, Hillary (D) | $2,028,353 | |
| 2 | Ryan, Paul (R-WI) | House | $390,574 |
| 3 | Burr, Richard (R-NC) | Senate | $380,115 |
| 4 | Paulsen, Erik (R-MN) | House | $347,350 |
| 5 | Murray, Patty (D-WA) | Senate | $333,444 |
| 6 | McCarthy, Kevin (R-CA) | House | $323,650 |
| 7 | Sanders, Bernie (D) | Senate | $309,575 |
| 8 | Shimkus, John M (R-IL) | House | $301,240 |
| 9 | Blunt, Roy (R-MO) | Senate | $294,284 |
| 10 | Portman, Rob (R-OH) | Senate | $287,900 |
| 11 | Pallone, Frank Jr (D-NJ) | House | $269,376 |
| 12 | Schumer, Charles E (D-NY) | Senate | $264,361 |
| 13 | Bennet, Michael F (D-CO) | Senate | $263,417 |
| 14 | Cruz, Ted (R-TX) | Senate | $257,288 |
| 15 | Rubio, Marco (R-FL) | Senate | $255,424 |
| 16 | Toomey, Pat (R-PA) | Senate | $250,740 |
| 17 | Brady, Kevin (R-TX) | House | $246,751 |
| 18 | Tiberi, Patrick J (R-OH) | House | $240,504 |
| 19 | Upton, Fred (R-MI) | House | $228,700 |
| 20 | Trump, Donald (R) | $225,906 |
My own Sen. Murray (from Washington state) who is touted as a very liberal Democratic senator is fifth on the list. Hillary raked in by far the most money because she was once a sure candidate for the White House.
It is clear that our masters in the capitalist ruling class not only purchase influence among our health providers, but also the government that passes laws related to our health care.
Capitalism’s Greatest Weapon Is the Propaganda Used on Its Own People
by guest writer Caren Black for Surviving Capitalism.
Of all the bovine poo being slung about as the 20th approaches, we should not allow one item to pass unridiculed, even though it’s already done its work.
Never missing an opportunity to misdirect the public, the MSM managed to slip one past people. (For example, see this.) Amid the recent bogus “hacking” claims lay another more sinister and misleading claim that will sit in people’s brains as their concept of “US intelligence”.
By obliquely entering the number 17 - not as the story, but as a support of the story - this lie makes it look like 17 buildings filled with offices and intelligence worker-geeks had difficulty uncovering evil-doers over the course of the campaign year.
By mentioning 17 agencies, how many worker-geeks could that be? If each building has 1000 workers, then maybe 17,000 people couldn’t uncover the evil-doers? Well, that’s bad, but those evil-doers are crafty! So, the story is bought, swallowed whole and digested. Done.
Using only a computer search, the material I encountered doesn't begin to describe our vast intelligence sector, and most of it didn't include private contractors like Booz Allen Hamilton that Edward Snowden worked for. And, for those who might be radical enough to doubt, a simple search with your friendly government ally, Google, will get you back into the fold: see this, and this.
For a much more in-depth material on our "intelligence" complex, some six and a half years ago Dana Priest and William Arkin with a staff of 20 journalists published Top Secret America, Parts I, II, and III in the Washington Post (before Bezos bought it). Here's an excerpt:
Often when fighting our capitalist global owners, it’s just as important to refute the embedded lies than the outright ones.
Of all the bovine poo being slung about as the 20th approaches, we should not allow one item to pass unridiculed, even though it’s already done its work.
Never missing an opportunity to misdirect the public, the MSM managed to slip one past people. (For example, see this.) Amid the recent bogus “hacking” claims lay another more sinister and misleading claim that will sit in people’s brains as their concept of “US intelligence”.
By obliquely entering the number 17 - not as the story, but as a support of the story - this lie makes it look like 17 buildings filled with offices and intelligence worker-geeks had difficulty uncovering evil-doers over the course of the campaign year.
By mentioning 17 agencies, how many worker-geeks could that be? If each building has 1000 workers, then maybe 17,000 people couldn’t uncover the evil-doers? Well, that’s bad, but those evil-doers are crafty! So, the story is bought, swallowed whole and digested. Done.
Using only a computer search, the material I encountered doesn't begin to describe our vast intelligence sector, and most of it didn't include private contractors like Booz Allen Hamilton that Edward Snowden worked for. And, for those who might be radical enough to doubt, a simple search with your friendly government ally, Google, will get you back into the fold: see this, and this.
For a much more in-depth material on our "intelligence" complex, some six and a half years ago Dana Priest and William Arkin with a staff of 20 journalists published Top Secret America, Parts I, II, and III in the Washington Post (before Bezos bought it). Here's an excerpt:
* Some 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies work on programs related to counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence in about 10,000 locations across the United States.Now we have close to 1 million worker geeks who, over the course of 12 months, couldn’t find a traceable hack in emails which they themselves were collecting and monitoring – with the ability (according to William Binney and Ray McGovern who had long careers in NSA and CIA) to “identify both sender and recipient of any and all data crossing the network.” Oh, really? Well, maybe that makes MSM's story even less believable. Maybe that puts the whole story right up there with the 19 kids with utility knives who outsmarted the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, NORAD, the Pentagon, ….
* An estimated 854,000 people, nearly 1.5 times as many people as live in Washington, D.C., hold top-secret security clearances.
* In Washington and the surrounding area, 33 building complexes for top-secret intelligence work are under construction or have been built since September 2001. Together they occupy the equivalent of almost three Pentagons or 22 U.S. Capitol buildings - about 17 million square feet of space.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Obscene Inequality: Eight men’s wealth equals half the world
Click here to access article adapted from Oxfam International and posted on Climate & Capitalism.
Eight men own the same wealth as the 3.6 billion people who make up the poorest half of humanity, according to a new report published by Oxfam today to mark the annual meeting of political and business leaders in Davos.Oxfam’s report, ‘An economy for the 99 percent’, shows that the gap between rich and poor is far greater than had been feared.
Website Claims To Pay Anti-Trump Protesters $2,500K A Month and $50 An Hour
Click here to access article by Aaron Kesel from We Are Change.
It appears that protestors, like terrorists in Syria, can be bought by our capitalist masters.
It appears that protestors, like terrorists in Syria, can be bought by our capitalist masters.
...the website was recently registered, according to a who.is search, yet the organization claims to be the largest private grassroots support organization in the United States. The second anomaly is the website was registered anonymously, and there is no background to this website, to determine it’s validity.
Although rumors were running rampant on 4chan that this site is financed by George Soros, there is no proof to back this claim that came to light. So it’s unclear if the website is legitimate, or a fraud that someone created for attention, or to just troll the internet.
Martin Luther King’s Death Disappears Down the Memory Hole. “He Was Assassinated by a U.S. Government Conspiracy”
Click here to access article by Edward Curtin from Global Research.
As Martin Luther King’s birthday is celebrated with a national holiday, his death day disappears down the memory hole. Across the country – in response to the King Holiday and Service Act passed by Congress and signed by Bill Clinton in 1994 – people will be encouraged to make the day one of service (from Latin, servus = slave). Etymological irony aside, such service does not include King’s commitment to protesting a decadent system of racial and economic injustice or non-violently resisting the warfare state that is the United States. Government sponsored service is cultural neo-liberalism at its finest.He goes on to argue that the holiday is being transformed into a day of service, meaning a day of unpaid service instead of honoring a man who heroically resisted the police and other capitalist authorities who tried to continue racist practices and to promote racism in order to divide Americans.
A Foreign Nation Did Interfere in a US Election: in 1980
Click here to access article by Wayne Madsen from Strategic Culture Foundation.
Well, to be more specific and accurate, a foreign nation was used by a section of our ruling class to interfere in the 1980 election to swing it for the Zionist infiltrated Republican party and their puppet-candidate and super salesman/grade B Hollywood actor, Ronald Reagan. The event was another illustration of managed fake elections, along with fake news, that are constantly used in the capitalist ruling class's ersatz democracy to insure their interests of profit and power--not our interests of peace, equality, and sustainability.
Well, to be more specific and accurate, a foreign nation was used by a section of our ruling class to interfere in the 1980 election to swing it for the Zionist infiltrated Republican party and their puppet-candidate and super salesman/grade B Hollywood actor, Ronald Reagan. The event was another illustration of managed fake elections, along with fake news, that are constantly used in the capitalist ruling class's ersatz democracy to insure their interests of profit and power--not our interests of peace, equality, and sustainability.
In 1980, Democratic President Jimmy Carter, running for re-election under the cloud of the U.S. embassy in Tehran having been seized by radical Iranian students and 52 members of its staff being held hostage, was trying desperately to pull off an "October Surprise" to salvage his presidency. Unbeknownst to Carter, the campaign of his Republican rival, Ronald Reagan, had secretly negotiated an «arms-for-no-hostages» deal with the Ayatollah Khomeini’s regime in Iran.
In return for the shipment of embargoed military items, including spare parts for Iran’s U.S.-supplied F-14 Tomcat fighter planes and Phoenix air-to-air missiles for the planes, before the November 4 election, the Reagan team was promised by the Iranians that Tehran would hold the hostages until after the November election. Upon Reagan’s defeat of Carter, Iran held true to its promise and did not release the American hostages until noon Eastern Standard Time on January 20, 1981, the very moment Reagan raised his hand to take the presidential oath of office.
Monday, January 16, 2017
From Obama to Trump: The Failure of Passive Revolution [a must read article]
Click here to access article by sociology Professor William I. Robinson posted on TeleSur.
I regard Robinson as one of the most astute analysts of political-social events in today's world. He has a solid understanding of history from a class-based leftist perspective.
He begins his analysis by delineating various aspects of what he refers to as the "passive revolution" that occurred under the Obama administration:
I think he accurately describes the significance of Trump's victory.
I also like his advice about fighting back against the latest iteration of ruling class strategy, Trumpism, and for the interests of working people.
I regard Robinson as one of the most astute analysts of political-social events in today's world. He has a solid understanding of history from a class-based leftist perspective.
He begins his analysis by delineating various aspects of what he refers to as the "passive revolution" that occurred under the Obama administration:
The Italian socialist Antonio Gramsci developed the concept of passive revolution to refer to efforts by dominant groups to bring about mild change from above in order to defuse mobilization from below for more far-reaching transformation. Integral to passive revolution is the cooptation of leadership from below and the integration of that leadership into the dominant project.I am not enamored of this term although I agree with much of it. There is nothing revolutionary about it. It is simply the capitalist ruling class's attempt to pacify and delude the public into accepting its hegemonic role and to pretend to be serving the public while actually serving its own tiny class interests. People like Obama and Bernie Sanders for varying reasons are rather easily co-opted into serving the ruling class's liberal wing to pacify the general public. The ruling capitalist class loves to divert people's attention from the class war onto other subjects like terrorism, the drug problems, and identity politics.
I think he accurately describes the significance of Trump's victory.
Trumpism’s far-right agenda – contrary to superficial interpretations – constitutes a deepening, not a reversal, of the program of capitalist globalization pursued by the Obama administration and every U.S. administration since Ronald Reagan. The crisis of global capitalism has become more acute in the face of economic stagnation and the rise of anti-globalization populism on both the left and the right of the political spectrum. Trumpism does not represent a break with capitalist globalization, but rather the recomposition of political forces and ideological discourse as the crisis deepens and as international tensions reach new depths.And, I think he places "Trumpism" in a correct historical context:
Whether in its 20th or its emerging 21st century variants, fascism is, above all, a response to deep structural crises of capitalism, such as that of the 1930s and the one that began with the financial meltdown of 2008. I have been writing for the past decade about the rise of 21st century fascist currents in the context of the new global capitalism. One key difference between 20th century fascism and 21st century fascism is that the former involved the fusion of national capital with reactionary and repressive political power, whereas the latter involves the fusion of transnational capital with reactionary political power. Trumpism is not a departure from but an incarnation of the emerging dictatorship of the transnational capitalist class.There is so much substance included in this article. I recommend listening to his remarks in the early 2015 interview (16:40m) in which he addresses questions about the history of the OAS in the context of neoliberalist agenda, the differing US strategies toward Venezuela versus Cuba, and his expectations about the OAS summit of April of 2015. (If you have difficulty viewing this on your computer that uses a Firefox browser, I might be of assistance. The other videos are not very important.)
Trumpism and the sharp turn to the extreme right is the logical progression of the political system in the face of the crisis of global capitalism.
I also like his advice about fighting back against the latest iteration of ruling class strategy, Trumpism, and for the interests of working people.
Fake News: The Latest Weapon in Information Space
Click here to access article by Tony Cartalucci from New Eastern Outlook.
In any struggle, adaptation is required. With Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms joining the so-called war on “fake news,” those who seek to maintain the rise of the alternative media and a balance of power across information space must identify the special interests driving this agenda, as well as various means to undermine and overcome it.Because Facebook (which I don't use) has joined the directors of the US Empire to spy on you and to limit what you read as real or significant news and opinion, it is urgent that activists find another means of sharing information among each other. Cartalucci presents another alternative (which I have not yet used) in the form of Freenet.
Geopolitically, a successful, widely used, and disruptive P2P social networking platform that undermines or entirely breaks Facebook’s control over social media evens the playing field and allows individuals and states to once again get their side of the story out to the public on equal footing to the “fact checkers” seeking to combat “fake news” on Facebook, Twitter, and other centralized platforms dominated by Western tech-giants.
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Former Newspaper Editor Who Exposed CIA Found Dead
Click here to access article by Baxter Dmitry from YourNewsWire. (additional link added 7:30 AM Seattle time.)
I was wondering how long he would last after the widespread publications of his book and RT video (linked to in the article). See what Sen. Schumer says about the CIA.
I was wondering how long he would last after the widespread publications of his book and RT video (linked to in the article). See what Sen. Schumer says about the CIA.
Ulfkotte was an editor at Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, one of the largest newspapers in Germany, when he published Bought Journalists, the bestselling book that cost him his job and perhaps his life.
He was 56. German media, who were banned from reporting on his work in recent years, are reporting he died of “heart failure”.
Acknowledging that his life was under threat, Ulfkotte explained that he was in a better position that most journalists to expose the truth because he didn’t have any children who could be threatened.
Trump Recruits Another Goldman Sachs Bankster
Click here to access article by Kurt Nimmo from Another Day in the Empire.
I guess the moral of this story is...the more things change, the more they stay the same (under capitalist rule).
I guess the moral of this story is...the more things change, the more they stay the same (under capitalist rule).
How is the anti-establishment establishment supposed to fulfill its promise to restore the economy if its top people are former banksters and hedge fund managers?
How are guys associated with a firm that packaged and sold toxic securities while betting they would fail and screw over investors good for America? How in the hell are they anti-establishment?
The Radical Left in the Age of Trump
Click here to access this brief article which points to a gathering of leftists by Bruce from Planning Beyond Capitalism.
The world capitalist system is in its worst crisis. As this election shows, along with the elections in Europe, centrist politics is also in its worst crisis. Yet here in the US the left has been fragmented for at least 45 years. Now more than ever, the economic and political crisis requires a united radical left. A well-respected comrade of ours has organized a public meeting in NYC on February 5th to discuss how the radical left can be a force. Please check Insurgent Notes for updates.
Details in Insurgent Notes
Letter From Mexico
Click here to access article from Insurgent Notes.
The 20% rise in gas prices in Mexico has resulted in widespread turmoil among the populace.
The 20% rise in gas prices in Mexico has resulted in widespread turmoil among the populace.
Editor’s Note [editor of Insurgent Notes]: We recently sent a couple of articles on Mexico from the Financial Times to our Mexico correspondent to check their accuracy. The following is his reply.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Why Ridiculous Official Propaganda Still Works
Click here to access article by C J Hopkins from CounterPunch.
Chief among the common misconceptions about the way official propaganda works is the notion that its goal is to deceive the public into believing things that are not “the truth” (that Trump is a Russian agent, for example, or that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction, or that the terrorists hate us for our freedom, et cetera). However, while official propagandists are definitely pleased if anyone actually believes whatever lies they are selling, deception is not their primary aim.
The primary aim of official propaganda is to generate an “official narrative” that can be mindlessly repeated by the ruling classes and those who support and identify with them. This official narrative does not have to make sense, or to stand up to any sort of serious scrutiny. Its factualness is not the point. The point is to draw a Maginot line, a defensive ideological boundary, between “the truth” as defined by the ruling classes and any other “truth” that contradicts their narrative.
The Scheme to Take Down Trump
Click here to access article by Daniel Lazare from ConsortiumNews.
The corrosive and subversive spy services, aka "intelligence" services in the US and Britain, appear to be coordinated in the goal of bringing down the presidency of Donald Trump (see also this report). Lazare analyses the latest "leak" which was reported by a former British spy and distributed widely to US government officials by US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, a known liar to Congress. It was distributed so widely by Clapper that Lazare suspects that it was done to insure that it would be leaked to the media.
(For another piece of investigative reporting regarding this incident, I recommend an article entitled "Former MI6 Spy Paid By Jeb Bush Super PAC To Create Fake Trump Report".)
The corrosive and subversive spy services, aka "intelligence" services in the US and Britain, appear to be coordinated in the goal of bringing down the presidency of Donald Trump (see also this report). Lazare analyses the latest "leak" which was reported by a former British spy and distributed widely to US government officials by US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, a known liar to Congress. It was distributed so widely by Clapper that Lazare suspects that it was done to insure that it would be leaked to the media.
Trump is a rightwing blowhard whose absurd babblings about Saudi Arabia, Iran and Yemen reveal a man who is dangerously ignorant about how the world works. But he has managed to seize on one or two semi-good ideas over the years. One is that Obama administration’s confrontational policies toward Russia are a recipe for disaster, while another is that toppling Syria’s Bashar al-Assad with Al Qaeda and ISIS still up and about will only hasten their march on Damascus.Although it should seem wonderful to see dissension among the capitalist ruling class, I would be much more comfortable if anti-capitalist forces were more effectively organized to take advantage of their squabbles.
Both views are perfectly sensible. But because Washington’s endlessly bellicose foreign-policy establishment is wedded to the opposite, it sees them as high treason.
(For another piece of investigative reporting regarding this incident, I recommend an article entitled "Former MI6 Spy Paid By Jeb Bush Super PAC To Create Fake Trump Report".)
AfD youth leader: ‘Russia is no threat to Europe’
Click here to access a transcript of an interview with Markus Frohnmaier, a German activist and leader of a protest movement. Posted on Free West Media.
(For more information about this military exercise and concerns about possible continuing threats to Russia under the Trump administration based on statements issued by his cabinet nominees, listen to Luke Rudkowski, founder of We Are Change website.)
Mr. Frohnmaier: Ships unloaded US tanks, self-propelled howitzers and hundreds of other fighting vehicles in the northern German port of Bremerhaven, that are to be moved into Eastern Europe to bolster NATO’s deterrence against “possible Russian aggression” as media reports show. German mainstream politicians and media are welcoming this operation, but you are not. Why?Frohnmaier is referring to what NATO officials call "Atlantic Resolve". Here are some images of the deployment of US armor, other weapons, and troops in Europe.
Frohnmaier: I don’t even agree with the justification of this operation. There is no “possible Russian aggression” against Europe. Moscow didn’t make any move which would justify such a massive military reaction by NATO. The arrival of US war materiel in Europe is a sign of confrontation.
(For more information about this military exercise and concerns about possible continuing threats to Russia under the Trump administration based on statements issued by his cabinet nominees, listen to Luke Rudkowski, founder of We Are Change website.)
 |
| Trained to obey, not educated to think, by ruling class |
Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions: What is BDS?
Click here to access article by Hilary Aked from Al Jazeera.
This article will give you basic information about the boycott movement (BDS).
For more specific information about how to participate in BDS, check out this link.
This article will give you basic information about the boycott movement (BDS).
For more specific information about how to participate in BDS, check out this link.
Friday, January 13, 2017
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii reports on her contact with Donald Trump
The following is an interview of Tulsi Gabbard on (of all places) Fox TV! (A must watch)
This Iraqi veteran and now Congresswoman tells of her discussion with Trump and about her views regarding the Syrian conflict.
This Iraqi veteran and now Congresswoman tells of her discussion with Trump and about her views regarding the Syrian conflict.
Syria and the US: More Truths Emerge
Click here to access article by James ONeill from New Eastern Outlook.
1) The first is the release of the report into the investigation by the US Central Command based in Qatar on 29 November 2016.
2) At the beginning of 2017 Wikileaks released the audio of a meeting that Kerry had with members of the Syrian Opposition on 22 September 2016 at the Dutch UN Mission. This was less than a week after the Deir ez-Zor bombing.
Unfortunately, he doesn't provide a link to this fascinating audio recording, and I was sure that I had posted it on my website, but apparently I didn't. Here is the full Wikileaks recording that was first released on December 30, 2016:
If you haven't listened to it already on other posts, I urge you to do so. Some key sections are the following:
On 17 September 2016 aircraft of the so-called ‘coalition’, led by the United States, bombed Syrian Army troop positions at Deir Ez-Zor. Aircraft from the United States, United Kingdom, Denmark and Australia took part in the attack. Between 62 and 90 (reports vary) Syrian troops were killed and more than 100 injured. The attack allowed ISIS forces to take control of what was a vital area protecting the airport.This Australian attorney includes this incident and two additional recent pieces of evidence to make sense out of the conflict in Syria, in which the US has played such a key role, to reveal more truths about the conflict. The two recent pieces of evidence are:
At the time, the attack was labeled a “mistake”.
1) The first is the release of the report into the investigation by the US Central Command based in Qatar on 29 November 2016.
2) At the beginning of 2017 Wikileaks released the audio of a meeting that Kerry had with members of the Syrian Opposition on 22 September 2016 at the Dutch UN Mission. This was less than a week after the Deir ez-Zor bombing.
Unfortunately, he doesn't provide a link to this fascinating audio recording, and I was sure that I had posted it on my website, but apparently I didn't. Here is the full Wikileaks recording that was first released on December 30, 2016:
If you haven't listened to it already on other posts, I urge you to do so. Some key sections are the following:
1) 3:48 - 4:01 Kerry admits that opposition and extremists are aligned.Also Mint Press News give a good summary of the significance of the recording.
Kerry: "Nusra and Daesh both make it hard because you have this extreme element and unfortunately some of the opposition has already chosen to work with them"
2) 22:29 - 23:51 Opposition Rep defends Nusra.
The rebel representative is angry that Sunnis (Al Nusra/ISIS) will be bombed in the ceasefire while Hezbollah and the Iranian/Iraqi militias are not. Kerry has to explain that Nusra/Daesh have attacked the U.S. and are our enemies while Hezbollah has not and has not even been active against Israel.
3) 26:09 - 26:55
“And we know that this was growing, we were watching, we saw that DAESH (ISIS) was growing in strength, and we thought Assad was threatened,” Kerry said during the meeting.
“(We) thought, however,” he continued to say, “We could probably manage that Assad might then negotiate, but instead of negotiating he got Putin to support him.”
Indignity of not-work?
Click here to access article by economist David Ruccio from Real-World Economics Review Blog.
Mainstream economists and economic commentators continue to invoke the so-called “dignity of work” to criticize the idea of a universal basic income.Quite to the contrary. Working for employers is subjecting oneself to the indignity of a wage-slave by working for bosses (masters) who have essentially complete control over you while at work; and increasingly nowadays for middle managers with the introduction of cellphone technology to their jobs, this kind of relationship often extends beyond normal work hours.
It’s an argument I’ve dealt with before (e.g., here and here). As I see it, there’s nothing necessarily dignified about most people being forced to have the freedom to sell their ability to work to a tiny group of employers. The idea may be intrinsic to capitalism—but that doesn’t mean it contributes to the dignity of people who work for a living, especially when they have no control over how they work or what they produce when they work.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Teaching Homeland Security
Click here to access a 53 minute interview with Professor Nicole Nguyen broadcast over KPFA, a listener sponsored radio station in Berkeley, California.
According to Nicole Nguyen, national security-related agencies and companies are drawing young people into a mindset of militarism and war via their involvement in homeland security programs, which have been established in dozens of public schools in the U.S. Nguyen did ethnographic work at one such high school; she reveals what the students are taught and what values and beliefs they are encouraged to adopt.I found this interview quite disturbing. Nguyen describes what many poorer school districts are faced with: inadequate funding for education and increasing pressure to focus on jobs to keep their students in school until they graduate. To make up for the lack of funding, many school districts are seduced by grants that are available from the Dept. of Homeland Security to fund curricula that promotes strong militaristic values, distorted ideas about terrorism, stereotypes about the Middle East, racist hyper-masculine conditioning, and the necessity of imperialist wars. Teachers at these schools are also assigned surveillance responsibilities to identify students who might be inclined toward terrorism.
Are We Losing Both Truth and Reality?
Click here if wish to access these word by Rowan Wolf directly from Uncommon Thought Journal.
There are facts, there are truths, and there are facts and truths that may make us feel certain things--things that call on us to demand that these truths be addressed. However, many do not like uncomfortable truths, and grifters are aware of that. So they tell lies and they identify scapegoats, and direct the rage of the people so that they feel powerful--so powerful that they don't want truths, even when they know they are hearing lies. And these people slip into the land of unreality, the cult of personality, and may be lost. The real challenge is to not lose the nation in the same sink hole.
MSNBC Unbelievably Equates FAKE NEWS With Climate Science!
from the Jimmy Dore show via YouTube.
Instead of posting rational, evidence-based posts and commentaries supported by links from credible sources, I sometimes want to issue curse-laden rants like this. But Dore does it much better than I can.
Instead of posting rational, evidence-based posts and commentaries supported by links from credible sources, I sometimes want to issue curse-laden rants like this. But Dore does it much better than I can.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
The Real Threat Is ‘Telling The Truth’: Abby Martin Responds To Accusations Of Influencing Election 2016
Click here to access article by Kit O'Connell and the 7:30m interview on RT with Abby Martin (embedded below) posted on Mint Press News.
On Friday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence [ODNI] published a declassified version of “Background to ‘Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections’: The Analytic Process and Cyber Incident Attribution,” a report which purports to document Russia’s alleged interference in the election.Referring to the ODNI report she remarked (around 5:15m in the RT interview):
Despite the report’s technical-sounding title, a sizable portion of the document is concerned not with cyber attacks, but with unfavorable coverage of the U.S. government and American politics broadcast on RT, the Russian state-owned news network that has been a target of repeated U.S. government threats. The report specifically highlights Martin’s show, “Breaking the Set,” which ran on RT....
What this report really is saying, Anya, is that telling the truth, reporting on issues that affect Americans and their communities, is the threat.Their argument, which Martin clarifies, is without any kind of legitimacy, but telling the truth is a major threat to the Empire's actions and the ruling capitalist class in the US. That is precisely why they don't want anyone anywhere in the media telling the truth. That is why they are going after alternative media. Keep telling the truth, Abby, because telling the truth has become a revolutionary act necessary (although not sufficient) to overthrow the rule of capitalism.
Protests in Mexico Push Country to Brink of Revolution and Nobody’s Talking About It
Click here to access article by Nick Bernabe from Anti-Media.
To be more specific, US corporate media are not covering it honestly.
To be more specific, US corporate media are not covering it honestly.
Much like the U.S., the Mexican government is susceptible to corporate influence. It just so happens that the most influential corporate entities in Mexico are drug cartels — and it’s hard for the government to reign in entities that fund and infiltrate it. Similar to the phenomenon of “regulatory capture,” the Mexican government is at least partially funded and co-opted by drug cartels. This festering problem is an underlying factor in the current civil unrest in Mexico.
Could Turkey swing over to the Russian camp?
Click here to access article by Thierry Meyssan from VoltaireNet (France).
Meyssan explains the critical importance of Turkey to remain affiliated with the US Empire and a participating member of the Empire's army known as NATO, but this has been threatened by the recent apparent attempt by the US to engineer a coup against Erdogan, the president of Turkey. Meyssan reports on major efforts led by the Assistant Secretary of State, Ziocon Victoria Nuland, to keep Turkey in NATO.
Meyssan explains the critical importance of Turkey to remain affiliated with the US Empire and a participating member of the Empire's army known as NATO, but this has been threatened by the recent apparent attempt by the US to engineer a coup against Erdogan, the president of Turkey. Meyssan reports on major efforts led by the Assistant Secretary of State, Ziocon Victoria Nuland, to keep Turkey in NATO.
Seen from Washington, a possible exit by Turkey from NATO, or at least from the Integrated Military Command of the Atlantic Alliance, has the imperialist faction of Power in a cold sweat. In terms of numbers, the Turkish army is in fact the second NATO power after the United States. ....
This is the source of the neo-conservative "forcing" [major effort] aimed at bringing Turkey back into the "course of History" (meaning that of the "New American Century"). [my suggested translation]It will be interesting to see if these efforts by the Ziocons continue after Trump's administration is in place. Meyssan thinks they will continue because of the their major influence in the Deep State that really controls Empire policies.
ISIS, Al-Qaeda And The U.S. Airforce Wage War On Syria's Public Utilities
Click here to access article by Bernhard from Moon of Alabama.
It must be remembered that the US Empire has a history of supporting terrorist paramilitaries and armies to crush their opponents: the Contras in Nicaragua, paramilitaries in Colombia and El Salvador, anti-Castro Cubans in their attempted invasion of Cuba ("Bay of Pigs"), etc.
There is a campaign underway to destroy Syria's public utilities. Al-Qaeda, ISIS and the U.S. airforce are involved. Their action is coordinated.Bernhard reveals some of the history behind the Empire's terrorist army called ISIS to crush Assad's government in Syria.
That is an outrageous statement? No such coordination would ever happen?
It must be remembered that the US Empire has a history of supporting terrorist paramilitaries and armies to crush their opponents: the Contras in Nicaragua, paramilitaries in Colombia and El Salvador, anti-Castro Cubans in their attempted invasion of Cuba ("Bay of Pigs"), etc.
3 Realities You Aren’t Being Told About Afghanistan
Click here to access article by Ulson Gunnar from New Eastern Outlook.
Based on a recent report by General John Nicholson, US commander of US armed forces in Afghanistan, Gunnar found mostly disinformation. But the disinformation actually helped him to deduce three truths or realities about our presence in that country.
1. "Stronger Afghan Military" Still Requires Years More of US Hand-Holding
2. US Taxpayers Will Pay Twice for Afghanistan’s Ineffectual Military
3. The US is not Fighting Terrorism in Afghanistan
Gunnar ends his analysis with this conclusion:
Based on a recent report by General John Nicholson, US commander of US armed forces in Afghanistan, Gunnar found mostly disinformation. But the disinformation actually helped him to deduce three truths or realities about our presence in that country.
1. "Stronger Afghan Military" Still Requires Years More of US Hand-Holding
2. US Taxpayers Will Pay Twice for Afghanistan’s Ineffectual Military
3. The US is not Fighting Terrorism in Afghanistan
Gunnar ends his analysis with this conclusion:
[Corporate media] Coverage of America's ongoing presence in Afghanistan has dwindled within the US and European media specifically because the alleged narrative underpinning the occupation has diverged so drastically from reality. Over the next year, for those who carefully follow the conflict, the US will continue manufacturing excuses to remain in the country while it focuses on both negotiating with the Taliban and attempting to diminish them politically and militarily.And to pay for this never-ending occupation of Afghanistan (as well as other imperialist adventures), we ordinary people in the US will experience more cutbacks to social, medical services, educational services, and infrastructure spending.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)