Posts that I especially recommend today: Friday, February 7, 2020

• The Psychology of Existential Risk: Moral Judgments about Human Extinction by Stefan Schubert from Practical Ethics (Oxford University). (Note: He addresses the subject of nuclear war, but, of course, much of this applies to the climate crisis.)

• Corporations as private sovereign powers: the case of Total by Alain Deneault from CADTM (Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt). (Note: The author focuses on the "French" energy corporation as an example of a transnational corporation.) He concludes his essay with this statement about his examination of the example of a transnational corporation, Total:

We need to treat Total not just as a large energy corporation, but rather as a private, multi- and transnational, private, sovereign power that serves the interests [profits] of a highly diversified shareholder base and intervenes [power] in innumerable political, cultural, social, financial, industrial and academic issues. [my insertions]

• World Conquest: The United States’ Global Military Crusade (1945- ) by Eric Waddell from Global Research (based in Canada).

• Biological Weapons: A Useful and Timely Factual Overview (Part I) by Larry Romanoff from Global Research. 

• Bats, Gene Editing and Bioweapons: Recent DARPA Experiments Raise Concerns Amid Coronavirus Outbreak by Whitney Webb from The Last American Vagabond. 

• Election Politics: From Chaos to an Emerging Political Consciousness? by Renee Parsons from Global Research. 

• Liberté, égalité… créativité? RT looks at France’s most inventive forms of protest (videos) from RT. 

• German TV Exposes the Lies That Entrapped Julian Assange by Ray McGovern from Consortium News. 

• The Syrian Russian Turksih Idlib Stand-Of – Erdogan’s Last Stand? by Ghassan Kadi from A bird's eye view of the Vineyard. 

Posts that I especially recommend today: Thursday, February 6, 2020

• Extinction Dialogues: I Agree, Except for the Part About Earth as a Ball of Ice from Guy McPherson's weblog Nature Bats Last. 

• This is NOT natural from Open Mind.

• Rosa Luxemburg and debt as an imperialist instrument by Eric Toussaint from CADTM (Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt). (Note: Toussaint quotes extensively from the writings of Luxemburg to explain how Western capitalist bankers use loans to control and oppress other countries.)

• Was the 1945 Yalta Conference a Mirage? by Michael Jabara Carley from Strategic Culture Foundation. (Note: Carley in this essay correctly argues that the Yalta Conference was a mirage because the Western capitalist powers have always been in a "cold war" (hostile relationship) with the Soviets except for a brief period during WWII. But he doesn't explain this as being a contest between ruling classes in Western capitalist nations vs the Soviet Union which did not allow capitalists. Although a very honest historian (very much like Eric Zuesse), he does not have a class or system analysis of WWII, the history of which has been re-written by mainstream Western historians (see his article entitled "History as Propaganda: Why the USSR Did Not ‘Win’ World War II"). It is essential to have a class or system analysis in order to thoroughly understand geopolitics, but one must first have a truthful history of WWII which historian Carley has.)

• Would Turkey choose US or Russia, given a choice? from the Rick Sanchez program on RT. Sanchez interviews former Pentagon official Michael Maloof about the recent "kerfuffle" between Turkey's Erdogan and Russia's Putin. (Note: Erdogan seems to be playing both sides for Turkey's or Erdogan's benefit. Also read an article entitled "Difficult ally or Eurasian enemy? Turkey in the eyes of American think tanks" from United World, and independent weblog which is based in Turkey.) 

• US Policy Vs. Iran: Apex Desperation by Tony Cartalucci from New Eastern Outlook.

Posts that I especially recommend today: Wednesday, February 5, 2020

• Surrendering at the edge of human extinction (w/ Dr. Guy McPherson) (via YouTube).

• Global Warming, Overpopulation and Social Inequality: Three Legs of Climate Crisis Monster by Gilbert Mercier from News Junkie Post.

(Note on yesterday's Iowa primary elections and online posts: As followers of my weblog know, I don't see elections in any capitalist country as legitimate. By definition a capitalist nation is controlled by the capitalist class, and they forbid any party or candidate that advocates public ownership of many significant economic enterprises. I believe a quote attributed to Emma Goldman who said "If voting could change anything, they would make it illegal." 

Here in the USA they have two political parties which are both controlled by the capitalist ruling class. The Democratic Party's handling of the primary election in Iowa is another sign that here in the USA, the center of the US/Anglo/Zionist Empire, the capitalist ruling class is starting to use rather overt methods to contrive the results of elections. 

One candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, has advocated very mild social democratic reforms to the existing system, but they cannot tolerate even that. So, the ruling class increasing has resorted to various methods to rig elections. Their recent attempt in Iowa has all the characteristics of rigging, and has furnished much material for comedy. The last two posts reflect that.

• DNC launches Shadow App to screw Bernie again in Iowa caucus (Video) by Alex Christoforou from The Duran (based in Cyprus). 

• DNC Completely Loses Public Trust In Its Primary Process On Very First Day by Caitlin Johnstone from her weblog. 

• The Circus Comes to Iowa by Kurt Nimmo from Global Research (based in Canada).

• DNC Takes Over Counting Remaining Iowa Votes from The Jimmy Dore Show. (Note: This is one of four shows he has done on this subject--so far.)

Posts that I especially recommend today: Tuesday, February 4, 2020

I apologize for the lateness of this post. It is a result of computer problems I experienced yesterday and a dental problem I experienced this morning.

• The Apocalypse Will Not Be Televised by "xraymike79" from Collapse of Industrial Civilization.

• Doomsday Clocks and Apple Watches by John Eskow from CounterPunch. (Note: This article discusses the more imminent of threats to the human species--global nuclear war implemented by the capitalist ruling classes that direct the US/Anglo/Zionist Empire.)

• Australia Is Still Burning. Will The Media Stay With The Story? from Covering Climate Now. 

• World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency by Ripple et al from BioScience.

• Plastic Meets the Road and Capitalism’s Role in Climate Change by Paul Haeder from Dissident Voice. (Note: He reports about the views of a recent visitor-speaker, Pat DeLaquil, an energy policy expert, in Newport, Oregon. I know Newport and Waldport, where Haeder lives, very well; so I was particularly interested in the recognition by DeLaquil of capitalism's role in environmental degradation. But we differ: Pat DeLaquil apparently believes that there is still time for a capitalist economy which can turn from its degradation. I do not: even if capitalism could re-position itself to safeguard the environment (with which I totally disagree)--it is too late.

• A Cold War lesson for the climate change era: Why we need a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty by Tzeporah Berman, Peter Newell, and Matthew Stilwell from Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 

• The United States of America’s Doll House: A Vast Tapestry of Lies and Illusions by Edward Curtin from his weblog Behind the Curtain. (Note: To my recollection, he never mentions capitalism as the source of our major difficulties. Thus, I assume he is a social democrat and agrees with Eric Zuesse who wrote "That’s not what capitalism was supposed to be.") 

• Big Banks Admit True Fear Is Socialism from Lee Camp's Redacted Tonight show on RT (via YouTube).  

• In honour of Syrian Arab Army and allies REAL war on terror by Vanessa Beeley from Patreon.

• Pro-Israel Buttigieg backer Seth Klarman is top funder of group behind Iowa’s disastrous voting app by Max Blumenthal from The Grayzone.

• Putin Prepares To Release Iowa Caucus Results by Bernhard from his weblog Moon of Alabama. (Note: This German blogger reacts with sarcasm to US elections. We must be the laughingstock of much of the world outside of the US.)

Posts that I especially recommend today: Sunday, February 2, 2020

• Greta Is Our MLK. That’s Not Necessarily a Good Thing by Lorenzo Raymond from Diversity of Tactics. (Note: This article has illuminated an issue that has vexed me since the days of Martin Luther King. Thus, I am giving this article special recognition by posting it first. Also, it was re-posted on today's Wrong Kind of Green that has run many of Cory Morningstar's articles that exposed who the backers were of Greta--the capitalist ruling classes.)

• I Will Hold You in My Arms a Day After the War: The Fifth Newsletter (2020). By Vijay Prashad from Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. 

• Unitedly we fight against debt and all other oppressions! from CADTM (Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt). (Note: This article, and the following one, lends support for my view that advanced capitalism in our era is mainly directed by the interests of major transnational financial capitalists located in the Neo-fascist US/Anglo/Zionist Empire.)

• Empires Feed on Africa and Congo's Treasure from Abby Martin's Empire Files (via YouTube). "With the Congo being arguably the biggest prize for imperialist powers, Abby Martin is joined by Kambale Musavuli, spokesperson for Friends of the Congo, to look at Empire's role in their history and current catastrophe."

• Catastrophe is upon us – the grim view from Southern Africa by Rehad Desai from Global Ecosocialist Network.

• US deploys “usable” nuclear weapon amid continuing war threats against Iran by Bill Van Auken from World Socialist Web Site.  

• How Iran decided to bomb US bases and how Trump avoided an all-out war by Elijah J. Magnier from his weblog.

• The Primary Mechanism Of Your Oppression Is Not Hidden At All by Caitlin Johnstone from her weblog. 

• The Talented Mr. Epstein by Paul Brian from The American Conservative.

A.K. 47 - 47 Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai

Click here to access the podcasts by Kristen R. Ghodsee who is a professor of Russian and East European Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. 

She reads her selection of 47 writings of Alexandra Kollontai (occasionally interspersing explanatory comments), a Russian revolutionary author nearly a century ago. In these writings Kollontai, among other subjects, explains how even our emotional lives and social relations have been determined by societies with ruling classes (especially Episodes 8-15) after humans settled in agricultural communities. Kollontai writing nearly a hundred years ago even extrapolates into the future what these will look like in a classless socialist society. (Note: I encountered a few technical problems in this series.)

Unfortunately the Soviet Union, under constant attacks (invasions and trade embargoes) by the Western capitalist nations, soon came under the authoritarian control of Stalin after Lenin died from wounds in an assassination attempt in 1918. The socialist revolution degenerated under the rule of this dictator who surrounded himself with supporting bureaucrats which eventually became a self-serving ruling class. However, under Stalin's rule women were still better off than their Western counterparts as Ghodsee explains in another article entitled No Scrubs.

Also unfortunately, we as a species, and most others, are destined to become extinct due to the trashing of our environment by capitalist nations before a socialist society can even be realized.

Posts that I especially recommend today: Friday, January 31, 2020

Blogger's Note: Because the bigger, more imminent threat (more than the pollution of carbon) to the human species is a global nuclear war, I am forced to post many articles related to world geo-political events in what I think is now the start of the disintegration of the US/Anglo/Zionist Empire. We live in a very dangerous world.

• Human Extinction Now Imminent and Inevitable? by Robert J. Burrowes from Wall Street International Magazine.

• Britain leaves the European Union: Against nationalism, For the United Socialist States of Europe! from World Socialist Web Site.

• Brexit and the world: The risks and opportunities for non-European countries from United World (independent analysts based in Turkey).

• Did the US just concede defeat in China tech war? by David P. Goldman from Asia Times. 

• Globalization – A sneaky overview by Naresh Jotwani from A bird's eye view of the Vineyard.

• U.S in the Middle-East: Preparing for Disaster by "The Saker" (Andrei Raevsky) from The Unz Review. 

• Why we need a socialist solution to climate change by John Molyneux from Global Ecosocialist Network. (I now think it is too late for this.)

• The Merchants of Death by "FD" from The Internationalists. 

• Rewriting History of World War II Is Ominous Warning from the editors of Strategic Culture Foundation. (The victors always re-write history.)

• Nobody Sets Out To Become A War Propagandist. It Just Sort Of Happens. By Caitlin Johnstone from her weblog. 

• American Dream meets the Chinese Dream: A Nightmare on Fuyao Avenue by Dyjbas from Internationalist Communist Tendency.

• FBI probes use of Israeli firm's spyware in personal and government hacks from The New Arab. 

• Trump Is A Symptom Of A Larger Problem from The Jimmy Dore Show (via YouTube).

• Saudi, UAE trying to partition Iraq – fmr Pentagon official from RTAmerica. "The US has stopped all weapon deliveries to Iraq over security concerns, according to an Air Force spokesman. Former Pentagon official Michael Maloof weighs in."

• Erdoğan’s Outburst Against Russia Reveals Frustration by "InfoBrics" from The Duran (based in Cyprus).

Posts that I especially recommend today: Thursday, January 30, 2020

• State of the climate: How the world warmed in 2019 by Zeke Hausfather from Carbon Brief.

• Corporate Control and the Climate Meltdown from Scientists Warning (via YouTube).

• Extinction Foretold, Extinction Ignored by Guy McPherson from his weblog Nature Bats Last. 

• Hovering in Cyberspace by Edward Curtin from his weblog Behind the Curtin.

• US Announces Three New Bases in Iraq After Iraqis Demand Full Withdrawal by Alan Macleod from Mint Press News.

Posts that I especially recommend today: Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Note: Today I have been overwhelmed with articles that appear essential reading. I must eliminate some posts. This problem may be expected, and more, as the US/Anglo/Zionist Empire is threatened by disintegration.

• How Government and Media Are Prepping America for a Failed 2020 Election by Whitney Webb from Mint Press News. (I regard this as a post of the month!)

•  Moksha by Caitlin Johnstone from her weblog.

• Israel's hard-right and US Evangelicals unite for the heist of the century by Antony Loewenstein from TRT World (independent source based in Turkey).

• U.S. Demands Iraq Either Join U.S. War Against Iran or Be Destroyed by Eric Zuesse ("That’s not what capitalism was supposed to be.") from A bird's eye view of the Vineyard. 

• The FBI Has Been Lying About Seth Rich by Craig Murray (British) from his weblog. (Note: So what else is new? See my post from 2016.)

• The Nasty Secret Behind Aramco, ISIS and Trump in Syria by Gordon Duff from New Eastern Outlook. 

• “Shit-Life Syndrome,” Trump Voters, and Clueless Dems by Bruce E. Levine from CounterPunch. (Note: This is an archetypal example of liberal views that are frequently posted on CounterPunch. Notice the condescending view of most poor people in the USA: "shit-life syndrome". They are poor people who are surviving victims of a capitalist ruling class "education" and easily influenced by sophisticated, constant Deep State propaganda.)

• Anti-Cash-Alliance Suffers Setback in Their Home-Town New York by Norbert Häring (German) from his weblog Money and more.

These are two posts for people who have advanced knowledge of the Middle East:

• Muqtada al-Sadr, US occupation & the Iraqi Resistance from Middle East Observer. 

• Analysis of the Iranian missile strikes on Ayn Al Asad Airbase by Haider from A bird's eye view of the Vineyard.

Posts that I especially recommend today: Tuesday, January 28, 2020

• Underreported Arctic Methane Release by Stuart Scott from Scientists Warning.

• Central Bankers Go Green… Why? by Matthew Ehret from Strategic Culture Foundation.

• Climate journalism and fossil fuel ads: an unholy marriage? by Dawn Stover from Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 

• Hundreds of Thousands Protest in Iraq to Demand Ouster of US Troops from Financial Tribune (Iran).

• Calling a Coup a Coup: The State Department Ignores the Law, Again by Brett Heinz from Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR). (Because laws are passed means nothing to our evolved Neo-fascist ruling class.)

Posts that I especially recommend today: Monday, January 27, 2020

• A Defense of Climate Tragedy, or What the Scientists Got Wrong about “The Uninhabitable Earth” by Genevieve Guenther from Medium.

• Poll finds strong majority support for declaring a climate emergency by David Spratt from Renew Economy.

• Dead President Walking by USA's foremost political satirist CJ Hopkins from his weblog Consent Factory, Inc.

• The Soleimani assassination: the operation that broke the taboo by Yakup Asian from United World (an indepedent website based in Turkey.)

Posts that I especially recommend today: Saturday, January 25, 2020

• The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells from New York magazine.

• 2020 starts with the plain prospect of rising heat by Tim Radford from Climate News Central.

• Against Pacifism from The internationalists. 

• Iran is ready to attack again: Will the US forces withdraw from Iraq? by Elijah J Magnier from his weblog. 

• Aftermath: The Iran War After The Soleimani Assassination by Jim Kavanagh from The Polemicist.

• Houthis Anticipate US Assassination Attempts by Ahmed Abdulkareem from Internationalist 360°.

Posts that I especially recommend today: Friday, January 24, 2020

  

• History’s Largest Mining Operation Is About to Begin by Wil S. Hylton from The Atlantic.

• Warning: Climate change will bring major new health risks for kids by Kathleen E. Bachynski from Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

• Paris climate goals may be beyond reach by Alex Kirby from Climate News Network (Note: this is a rather conservative website on the climate crisis.)

• Press Release—IT IS NOW 100 SECONDS TO MIDNIGHT by Gayle Spinazze from Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 

• The Long History of Elite Rule: What Will It Take To End It? by Chuck Churchill from CounterPunch.

• World’s Super Rich Meet in Davos to Discuss the Climate Change Problem they Created by Alan Macleod from Mint Press News. 

• The Troubling Decline of International Law by Craig Murray (British) from his weblog. (Note: Capitalists have long bragged about their nations' fake democracies which include the rule of law. The trouble is that this class has always made the laws, organized their court systems, appointed the judges, etc. Now it seems that this rule of law is too burdensome for the ruling classes. They now opt for outright violence or the threat of violence--fascism.)

• WikiLeaks Editor: US Is Saying First Amendment Doesn’t Apply To Foreigners In Assange Case by Caitlin Johnstone from her weblog.

Posts that I especially recommend today: Thursday, January 23, 2020

• World accumulation & Planetary life, or, why capitalism will not survive until the ‘last tree is cut’ by Jason W. Moore from Radical Political Economy.

• Lack of action on climate change leads to warmest decade ever recorded by James Cogan from World Socialist Web Site.

• Busting Cold War propaganda: What China is really like from The Grayzone.

Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Danny Haiphong, a contributing editor at the Black Agenda Report, about his recent, eye-opening two-week-long trip to China.

• Immediate US withdrawal due to its violation of the agreement and Iraq sovereignty by Elijah J Magnier from his weblog. (Note: The assassination of an Iranian official visiting Iraq has led to the exposure of  the US/Anglo/Zionist Empire as an occupying force in Iraq. This combined with the US occupying oil fields in Syria and ignoring international laws has made much of the rest of the world to see the US and its Empire as outlaws (fascists.)

• The prosecution of Glenn Greenwald and the global war on free speech by James Cogan from World Socialist Web Site.

Posts that I especially recommend today: Wednesday, January 22, 2020

• The Case for Ecological Reparations: A Conversation with Jason W. Moore by Stepha Velednitsky from Edge Effects. 

• Wahrheit Macht Frei… Truth Sets You Free by Finian Cunningham from Strategic Culture Foundation.

• Washington Desperation Drives Nuclear Proliferation by Ulson Gunnar from New Eastern Outlook.  

• How a Hidden Parliamentary Session Revealed Trump’s True Motives in Iraq by Whitney Webb from Mint Press News.

• We Work, They Scam: The Art of the Con in Terminal-Stage Capitalism by William Hawes from Dissident Voice.

• Can your boss now access your private medical data? "NRS correspondent Michele Greenstein talks to Rick Sanchez about Big Tech getting between your doctor and you."

• Greta Thunberg | Averting a Climate Apocalypse | Davos 2020. "'I've been told telling people about the climate crisis is a very dangerous thing to do' Greta Thunberg speaks at Davos 2020." (Note: This is like if she were talking to a group of hardcore alcoholics that they should stop drinking.)

• Progressives Frustrated With Bernie’s Capitulation Strategy, from The Jimmy Dore Show. (Note: Memory challenged and frustrated Bernie cultists are getting angry. Sorry to have posted this video, but I couldn't help wondering about the sanity of my fellow Americans.)

Orwell’s 1984 is a paranoid piece of anti-communist propaganda [a critical review]

Click here to access article by Rainer Shea, a re-post of the article on his own website earlier in the month, and posted on The Greanville Post.

This is a contemporary expression of an old Stalinist view on George Orwell re-regurgitated by Shea, a young blogger in northern California. Yes, like Patrice Greanville, editor and founder of The Greanville Post, I too have been impressed with his knowledge of history. 

However, I soon became aware of his immaturity. He is like a typical 19-year-old blogger who views history as led by stereotypically good guys and bad guys, not as human beings with strengths and weaknesses, and people who make errors. He can say nothing bad about Stalinists (and often defends them--see here and here) and criticizes as "bad guys" like George Orwell who, at the risk of his life and health, went and fought against openly fascists and on the side of the democratically elected Spanish Republic in 1936 in a civil war that proved to be a dress rehearsal for WWII. Shea's citing as supporting documentation, a clearly Stalinist website (The Stalin Society), in this article is suggestive evidence that he has been coached by someone who has an old-fashioned pro-Stalinist view of the Soviet Union.

My readings regarding the Soviet Union, the anti-Bolshevik crusade led by British imperialist Winston Churchill and other capitalist cold warriors has led me to the following view on George Orwell. Orwell was influenced by his experience primarily in the Spanish Civil War as detailed by his book Homage to Catalonia. In this war he fought against the fascist forces of Germany and Italy who came to the rescue of the democratically elected Spanish Republic against the right-wing opposition. Meanwhile, the leading capitalist nations of USA, Britain, and France cynically stood by in neutrality and pretend isolationism. 

Stalin's behavior was informed by his superficial commitment to communist ideology and most of all by his authoritarian desire to maintain power which was reinforced by a nationalist view of the Soviet Union. Briefly put, this orientation led him to a visceral hatred to anyone challenging his authority and his support for the protection of the Soviet Union. Thus purges characterized his rule. When he saw the growing support by Western capitalist countries for Hitler's aggression, he supported the popular front as a first means of preventing the threat of Germany's invasion of his country. (A few years later he signed a non-aggression treaty with Germany as a means to provide time to enable the buildup of Soviet forces.) This support of Stalin's popular front policy occurred while Orwell was fighting in Spain, and led to the Soviet Union withdrawing support for the forces defending the Spanish Republic. 

However, Stalin not only withdrew support of Russian forces, but actively fought against those defending the Republic that they had previously supported. Orwell understandably could not tolerate this betrayal and especially their use of specious, self-serving propaganda to justify this betrayal. This is described graphically in his book Homage to Catalonia, and it left a deep impression upon him. Hence, his book Nineteen Eighty-Four published in 1949, and which is widely viewed by capitalist agents as an exclusive attack on the Soviet Union. But what is less popular is a view that all self-serving ruling classes can, and do, use such propaganda techniques. Orwell saw the British ruling class use such techniques to support the cynical war effort to preserve their Empire, and he merely extrapolated their advanced use in the future. Stalin and his supporters merely used these techniques to rationalize his rule and his supporters in the self-serving bureaucratic ruling class using the Communist ideology that Lenin and Trotsky had created. The reality of Stalinist rule clashed severely with this ideology.

Stalin to this day is widely popular in Russia among people who saw him as successfully defending their country. These people ascribe too much to his leadership and not enough to themselves, or rather, their ancestors who fought for their country against the fascist invaders who wanted to make them slaves of the Third Reich. Most of the captured Soviet fighters ended up as slaves put to work in Nazi weapons factories and were worked literally to death. (In 1957-58 I served in a medical unit of the US Army while stationed in Germany. A sergeant in my unit visited a cemetery associated with Bergen-Belsen prison camp, and to his surprise he didn't find many Jewish names, but mostly Russian names on graves of people who died in the concentration camp.)

The author of this article, Shea, has resurrected an old, tired debate among communists and communist-minded historians: the Trotskyists versus Stalinists. I come down on the side of Trotskyists and Leninists who foresaw that the communist revolutionary movement could not succeed in such a backward country as Russia. Rather they saw a need for revolutions in more advanced countries, especially Germany, as necessary to advance what would become an international workers movement to take power for themselves and support their interests. This did not happen largely because the nascent German ruling class of capitalists in 1919 foresaw the dangers of this movement and assassinated both Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, leaders of the Communist Revolutionary party in Germany, and ruthlessly put down the socialist movement existing in Germany after WWI.

Thus, the history of the human species reveals that this species could not overcome their DNA to protect and advance their own small groups. This defect had served their species for nearly 200,000 years which was characterized by families and clans and ruling classes instead of workers of all countries. When capitalist ruling classes arose based on the private ownership of economic property, they became obsessed with wealth and power through their exploitation both workers, who created marvelous economic benefits, and nature. These ruling classes in their ignorance and arrogance could not adapt to nature and its web of life, and like all other such species, have doomed their human species to extinction.

Posts that I especially recommend today: Tuesday, January 21, 2020

• How did climate change get so controversial? by John Cook from Skeptical Science.

• The Capitalocene and Planetary Justice by Jason W. Moore from Titanic Lifeboat Academy.

• How To Be A Mentally Sovereign Human by Caitlin Johnstone from her weblog.

Posts that I especially recommend today: Monday, January 20, 2020

• NASA, NOAA Analyses Reveal 2019 Second Warmest Year on Record from NASA.

• Australia's heat and bushfires are signs of fundamental shifts in its climate by Peter Sinclair from Yale Climate Connections. 

• Climate change “spin” as Davos gathering confronts mounting environmental and economic crisis by Nick Beams from World Socialist Web Site.

• Why 'Corporate Social Responsibility Is a Hoax by Álvaro de Regil Castilla from Climate & Capitalism. (Note: The headline offers old news, but the author goes on to argue that "Subsequently, I gradually realized that an even larger hoax is our belief that we live in democratic societies."

• Trump’s Latest Plan for Iran: Regime Disruption by Eli Lake from Bloomberg. (Note: What is significant about his argument is that some top geopolitical analysts are supporting his argument. See this and this.)

• Yes Minister Fan Fiction by Craig Murray from his weblog (British). (He satirizes British politicians regarding Britain's treatment (use of social identity politics) of Julian Assange. Murray may explain why British activists did, and are doing, so little to protest and rescue Assange.)

Posts that I especially recommend today: Sunday, January 19, 2020

• Global Warming and the Future of Investing by Eric Zuesse from The Duran (based in Cyprus). Author of the foolish statement "That’s not what capitalism was supposed to be." ends his report with a rather favorable statement about BlackRock:

As regards the letter to “CEOs,” it’s telling them to transition as fast as is reasonably possible out of fossil-fuel investments and into renewable-fuel ones, in order to become less vulnerable to the shock, when it does hit. This makes good sense: keeping the clients comfortable, while telling the CEOs: “Make major moves on this ASAP!”

If you think for a moment that capitalist ruling classes are serious about global warming, "I have a bridge to sell you" (def).

• Australia’s Fires Give Us a Glimpse of What’s Coming by Jeff Sparrow from Jacobin.

• In neoliberalism’s end, a new world’s beginning an editorial from New Frame (based in South Africa). (Note: These folks still have hope.)

• How Khalifa Haftar’s secret ties with Israel fuel chaos in Libya from TRT World (based in Turkey).

• Secret Wars, Forgotten Betrayals, Global Tyranny. Who Is Really in Charge of the U.S. Military? by Cynthia Chung from Strategic Culture Foundation (independent. international, and based in Russia).

• Ayn Rand with Prof. Lisa Duggan from Chris Hedges' show "On Contact" from RT via YouTube. 

On the show this week, Chris Hedges, discusses the outsized influence of the writer, Ayn Rand, on America’s business and financial elite with New York University professor and author, Lisa Duggan.

 Duggan’s new book is entitled “Mean Girl: Ayn Rand and the Culture of Greed.” 

• How America Became Capitalist - book review by Dominic Alexander from Counterfire (Britain).

• MAJOR: 16 U.S soldiers killed in Iranian strikes on al-Asad base in Iraq by Joaquin Flores from Fort Russ News (apparently based in Belgrade, Serbia).

Posts that I especially recommend today: Friday, January 17, 2020

• How climate change influenced Australia's unprecedented fires by Dana Nuccitelli from Yale Climate Connections.

• Lords of Food from Maize.

• No Crisis gone to waste: IMF celebrates signs of approaching global financial crisis by Joaquin Flores from Fort Russ News.

• Trump’s Feeble Phase 1 China-US Trade Deal by Jack Rasmus from his weblog.

• How a Hidden Parliamentary Session Revealed Trump’s True Motives in Iraq by Whitney Webb from Mint Press News. 

Posts that I especially recommend today: Friday, January 17, 2020

• The Rumbling Methane Enigma by Robert Hunziker from CounterPunch.

• Could Humans Go Extinct Within Years? from Arctic News.

• Climate crisis dominates the top risks in World Economic Forum report ahead of Davos by Rachel Koning Beals, News Editor at Market Watch. 

• Critique of Capitalism – Dr. Marguerite Mendell from Post-Capitalist Possibilities. (Note: Dr. Mendell still has hope.)

• Battle of the Ages to stop Eurasian integration by Pepe Escobar from Asia Times. 

• America’s Long History of Meddling in Russia by Ted Rall from CounterPunch. (Note: This cartoonist misses the larger historical fact that the USA and its secret "intelligence" subversive services has meddled in most countries of the world since WWII while building the US/Anglo/Zionist Empire.)

Posts that I especially recommend today: Thursday, January 16, 2020

• Climate explained: why some people still think climate change isn’t real from The Conversation. (Note: The article's explanation is especially true of capitalist societies organized to promote the wealth and power of these ruling classes.)

• The Australian firestorms: portents of a planetary future by Andrew Glikson from Arctic News. 

• Murdoch under fire over climate ‘denial’ stance from Asia Times.

• Critique of Capitalism – Jason W. Moore, a 9:39m video featuring Moore via YouTube.

• Why Iraq is contemplating buying long-range Russian air defence missiles by Paul Iddon from The New Arab.

• Reading Sun Tzu in Tehran by Alastair Crooke from Strategic Culture Foundation. 

• JPMorgan’s Historic Earnings Confirm that Fed Loans Are Subsidizing Profits on Wall Street by Pam Martens and Russ Martens from Wall Street on Parade. (Note: With the economy overwhelming controlled by major corporations, most especially financial institutions, I don't see why people are surprised by the latter serving their own interests. The Fed, which is privately owned by major banks which, in turn, are owned by major capitalists, is in control of our currency and the issuing of loans to themselves. The fact that the law regarding the Fed states that the institution should serve the needs of the nation is another illustration of how laws are made to camouflage the dominance of major capitalists.)

• Capitalism in America: How a Dismal Decimal is Robbing Americans Blind by Jon Hellevig from A bird's eye view of the Vineyard. 

• US War of Terror Continues: Assassinating Iran's Top Anti-ISIS General by Tony Cartalucci from his weblog Land Destroyer Report.

• BBC chiefs deny propaganda role as papers reveal links to intelligence services by Steve Sweeney from the Morning Star (British newspaper).

Posts that I especially recommend today: Wednesday, January 15, 2020

• King Tides and Who’s King of the Hill? by Paul Haeder from Dissident Voice. (Note: I visited Waldport, Oregon, a small town on the Pacific coast, many times while living in Eugene, OR to visit a friend. It sounds like Haeder like myself is becoming pessimistic about American culture shaped by advanced capitalism and its ability to cope with global warming which is so obvious to the inhabitants of Waldport.) 

Yep, we were sleeping when all the psy-ops, info-wars, algorithmic predictive shit came barreling into our lives. And complicit in the entire colonization of our minds, bodies, hearts, souls, futures and fates by a Brave New World corporate SOP and a big brother government. 

• World pulling back from petrodollar: Russia, China — Saudis next? "'Boom Bust' host Christy Ai joins Rick Sanchez [of RT America via YouTube] to discuss the US dollar and its exclusive relationship with oil and how it is traded."

• Slaveship Earth & the World-Historical: Imagination in the Age of Climate Crisis (Pdf) by Jason W. Moore from Pews News. (Note: You will need to have a Pdf reader on your device to access the article.)

Posts that I especially recommend today: Tueday, January 14, 2020

• Iraq is the Next battleground by Elijah J Magnier from his weblog.

• The Long Planned U.S. Assassinations In Iraq Will Increase Its Political Chaos by Bernhard (based in Germany) from his weblog Moon of Alabama.

• How long will you stay complicit? A Question for UK, Canada, France, and Germany by Tom Winter from Fort Russ News. 

• Dylan Howard on Epstein's rich and powerful friends from RT America via YouTube.

• Military campaign pushes forward – Erdogan’s imperial ambitions threaten Libya (this is a followup news item posted yesterday) from Fort Russ News. 

• How the chicken nugget became the true symbol of our era by Raj Patel and Jason W Moore from The Guardian.

An explanation of why I will be emphasizing more posts on the destruction of our Earth's habitat

The lies and confusing information supplied by Western media corporations are becoming overwhelming particularly since the murder of Qassem Suleimani, the beloved anti-terrorist general of Iran. Media corporations are now piling lies upon lies to protect their agenda to crush any opposition to the US/Anglo/Zionist world that they serve. I with many others in alternative media have tried (largely in vain) to alert citizens of countries that are ruled by their self-serving capitalist ruling classes to expose these lies. I with only a handful of others have tried to explain what they are doing is logically and inevitably derived from the capitalist system.

I've tried to explain that this Empire was rooted in the outcome of WWII which left the USA relatively undamaged. WWII started as result of support by Western capitalist ruling class for fascist Germany and its aims to counter Bolshevism in the Soviet Union, but the British Empire soon became threatened by the monster that they had co-created. The US capitalist ruling class foresaw their opportunity to establish their own capitalist empire by supporting the British. Later international Jewry associated with the fascist Zionist Movement also joined this embryonic empire after they took over Palestine thanks to the British. Zionist Israel were allowed to join the Empire after demonstrating their fealty and support of Empire objectives in the Middle East.

One of the weapons promulgated by the US ruling class throughout their growing Empire, the nations of which pretended to be democracies, was the systematic use of advanced propaganda methods to persuade their populations to go along with their class ambitions to accumulate wealth and power throughout the world. Logically the Empire pursued policies of containment and roll-back of the Soviet Union and any nation that were attracted to socialist ideas, that is, the public ownership of any significant enterprises. The empire builders with their secret services gradually took over control of all media and entertainment corporations, every other institution including even educational institutions to install fake versions of history and contemporary affairs. The people of the Empire, particularly in the USA, have been saturated so long with capitalist and Empire propaganda that they have been thoroughly indoctrinated to believe in a fake version of their geopolitical world.

With the rise of China, Russia, and Iran and associated countries, who insist on a multi-lateral world, all of which have more mixed economies, the Empire has in past few years experienced dramatic setbacks. The Empire and its ruling capitalist classes are severely threatened by this situation, and their obsession with unimpeded capitalism under their control has brought the world into numerous crises. Added to these crises is contradictory position of capitalism with the health of our Earth's habitat that can support human and many other species. Because the rising countries are devoted to raising the standard of living of their inhabitants, they understandably have mixed feelings about this destruction of the planets ecosystem and their contributions to such destruction by the use of fossil fuels. This, I believe, is a brief description of where we are today.

All of the preceding commentary is supplied to explain why I am overwhelmed with the task of countering the incessant and pervasive propaganda that has led to a warped consciousness of most citizens living in the Empire. Although feel inadequate to free people's consciousness from the Empire's propaganda regarding their political opponents, in future posts I will concentrate more on our understanding of our terminal existence as a species due to the capitalist system's assault on the ecosystem of our planet Earth. 

I will continue to post articles countering only the most outrageous lies. But I advise my readers to follow posts on my recommend list of websites (at the right) to correct the lies, and I recommend following RT (for American readers, I advise following Rich Sanchez news) for more current news of the world.

Posts that I especially recommend today: Monday, January 13, 2020

• Breakfeast with Blackrock & Co. translated and posted on German economist Norbert Häring's weblog. (Note: there is every reason to believe that some members of the major asset management giants are also members of the highly secretive Deep State, the directors of the US/Anglo/Zionist Empire.)

Jens Berger, editor of the popular progressive German Website "NachDenkSeiten", has just published an eye-opening book on the power of the three asset management giants BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street (in German). I have been allowed to publish the first chapter as an appetizer, which translates as "Breakfeast with BlackRock & Co." 

• The former Head of Turkey’s Military Intelligence: a turning point for the Middle East by Elif İlhamoğlu from United World (independent website based in Turkey).

• The Tenuous Deployment of US Troops in Iraq by Abdul Rahman from Internationalist 360°. 

• Heads of Libya's warring sides in Russia for talks from Al Jazeera (based in Qatar). 

• Understanding France’s General Strike in the Context of the Yellow Vests and Global Class Warfare from Radical Education Department. 

• USA: Overview of Auto Workers' Strike by Internationalist Workers’ Group and posted on Libcom. 

• Under US pressure, social media companies censor critical content and suspend Venezuelan, Iranian, and Syrian accounts by Ben Norton from The Grayzone.

• World War III by CJ Hopkins, master political satirist, from his website Consent Factory. (Note: Caitlin Johnstone's effort in her latest article is entering the competition.) 

• Unearthing the Capitalocene: Towards a Reparations Ecology by Jason W. Moore and
  Raj Patel from Roar. (Note: We learn from sociologists from their article written in 2017 that the climate crisis is caused by capitalism. But all evidence by the majority of climate scientists suggests that this was written before the extinction of our human and most other species became inevitable.)

Posts that I especially recommend today: Sunday, January 12, 2020

• So The US Is Invading Iraq Again by Caitlin Johnstone from her weblog.

• CNN Video of U.S. Airbase Ruins: Iran entirely destroys Airbase – ‘Unimaginable damage!’ by Joaquin Flores from Fort Russ News. 

• Will Qassem Soleimani's Letter Reach Its Destination? by Onur Sinan Güzaltan from United World (independent based in Turkey).

• Syrian Pres. Adviser: Assad & Putin surprise meeting part of Axis response to Soleimani’s killing from Middle East Observer (sourced from Al-Mayadeen TV in Arabic and translated).

• The Fed Protects Gamblers at the Expense of the Economy by Ellen Brown from TruthDig. 

• How Arctic Ocean Blue Ocean State Will Crush Humanity Like a Bug by climate scientist Paul Beckwith from his weblog.

• Debunked Australian Bushfire Conspiracy Theories Were Pushed by Alex Jones, Murdoch Media by Justin Mikulka from Desmog.

• Death to the Jackals by Alberto Tundo from Maize. 

Posts that I especially recommend today: Saturday, January 11, 2020

• Iran: Ukrainian plane brought down 'due to human error' from PressTV (Iran).

• Iranian Armed Forces Say They Inadvertently Shot Down The Ukrainian Plane - Updated by Bernhard from Moon of Alabama.

• Iraqi PM asks US to begin withdrawal process in Iraq from Al-Masdar Al-'Arabi ("The Arab Source", based in Lebanon). 

• France strikes: nurses, teachers and lawyers join pension protests by Angelique Chrisafis from Defend Democracy Press.

• Cabin Porn from Maize.

See if you have the stomach to read today's articles: Friday, January 10, 2020

• The Deeper Story Behind the Assassination of Soleimani by Federico Pieraccini from Strategic Culture Foundation.

• A New Middle East “made in Iran” is about to be born by Elijah J Magnier from his weblog.

• The Democrats pass Pelosi’s phony antiwar resolution by Patrick Martin from World Socialist Web Site. 

• “Trump Didn’t Get the Message!” Iran’s Military, Iraqi Militia Pledge More Retaliation! from A bird's eye view of the Vineyard.

• Iran’s Hero has Fallen, and Now the World is an Even More Dangerous Place by Andre Vltchek from New Eastern Outlook. 

• Why Trump's Iran Conflict Cannot Be Stopped Or Unwound from The Jimmy Dore Show.

• Iran’s IRGC Aerospace Chief on US casualties/damages/future retaliation steps posted on Middle East Observer. 

• VIDEO – American Soldiers Heard in Tape of Iran’s Retaliation by Joaquin Flores from Fort Russ News.

• Strikes Paralyze France for Fifth Consecutive Week from Fort Russ News.

• ‘Deathly silent’: Ecologist describes Australian wildfires’ devastating aftermath by Dyani Lewis from Nature. 

• As the World Burns, the Powerful Go on Holiday by Kenn Orphan from CounterPunch.

• Ice-free Arctic Ocean allowed ancient carbon leaks by Tim Radford from Climate News Network.

As the US/Anglo/Zionist Empire crumbles, we will see increasing chaos

By Ron Horn

The recent assassination of Suleiman, a beloved leader of Iran, by the US continues the desperate coping by the Empire confronted by its own disintegration. There are so many indications that the capitalist Empire is threatened by a myriad of problems. Among these are the European countries which are seeking and implementing cheaper Russian energy and lucrative trade with China, the indebtedness and the problematic economy of the US as depicted by numerous honest articles on the internet (see, for example, Wall Street on Parade), the ongoing conflicts between the Deep State and the Trump administration, the continuing subversion of Bolivia by US agents, the revelations of fake reports by US commanders in Afghanistan as reported by The Washington Post, the ongoing imprisonment and torture of truth-tellers (Assange and Manning), extreme weather events, etc. 

Things could very easily spiral into a nuclear war conflagration. Even if we avert this nightmarish scenario, the Earth's habitat that supports our human species and most others is being destroyed by capitalist ruling classes and their obsession with profits and power.

While enduring all this, most Americans are firming sticking their heads in the sand by mostly believing what their told by media corporations (I include so-called public media corporations like PBS and NPR) and diverting their attention to sport events. In the days ahead we shall see increasing chaos in our lives.   

How the U.S. Created the Cold War (A re-post of an error ridden commentary on 12/22/2019)

(Note on this commentary: I feel it is necessary to re-post an important article and my commentary which I posted on 12/22/2019--since corrected--that included inappropriate links and a confusing explanation. On that date I inadvertently found a link to another version on his article posted on Washington's Blog (Sept. 9, 2019) that was also posted on Strategic Culture Foundation earlier in May. The latter article edited out some of his statements about capitalism which are included in this post.)

How the US Created the Cold War

Click here to access article by Eric Zuesse from Washington's Blog.

Unfortunately, the false history of WWII has been written by the ruling classes of the current US/Anglo/Zionist Empire through their well-paid propaganda agents throughout institutions of the Empire. In contrast, Zuesse offers a valuable source of the real truth, but his insights are limited by his social-democratic political orientation. 

This article (not the article posted in Strategic Culture Foundation) cleared up a number of questions I had about Eric Zuesse, the author. I have written several (at least) commentaries complaining about his use of the feudal term "aristocracy" instead of "ruling class" in his numerous articles. I saw this as reflecting his indoctrination in capitalist views mostly influenced by many years of education in US schools that he obviously had experienced. I was not wrong. In this article he clearly defines himself as a "progressive" by which he means his commitment to social democracy, a subset of capitalist ideologies, as illustrated by what has existed in the Scandinavian countries particularly after WWII when they had elaborate social welfare programs constructed on top of capitalist economies. Also, he is an admirer of FDR who saw the necessity of more elaborate welfare programs to preserve capitalism through the Great Depression. I gathered this from several paragraphs in the article such as:

Even other parts of that post-FDR system, such as the IMF, have served as siphons from publics around the world into the bank-accounts of the U.S. aristocracy and of its allied aristocracies. That’s not what capitalism was supposed to be. [Really?]

 And another quote:

Those weren’t “socialist” countries; they were dictatorial socialist (i.e., communist) countries, as opposed to democratic socialist (i.e., progressive) countries such as in Scandinavia — the proper term for what the Soviet alliance was is “communist,” not “socialist” — and there was a very big difference between the Scandinavian countries, versus the communist countries (though the U.S. regime wants to slur one by the other so as to sucker fools against democratic socialism — progressivism).

In other words, his "progressivism" is social democratic. He evidently believes that capitalism could be compatible with a sustainable Earth and that it could remain peaceful and just in spite of abundant contrary evidence throughout the relatively short history of capitalism.

Of further interest to me was a link in this article that brought me to an article in a publication that is followed by a section of the ruling class. This was published in Foreign Policy and entitled "The Bomb Didn’t Beat Japan … Stalin Did" that added a great deal of clarity regarding the use of atomic bombs on Japan as well as the budding Empire's intentions toward the Soviet Union.

Zuesse's contributions to the geopolitical realities of our world are essential, but what isn't essential is his left-liberal views (capitalism can be reformed, his use of "aristocracy" instead of "ruling class", etc.) about these realities.

Posts that I especially recommend today: Tuesday, January 7, 2020

• US cannot afford conflict with China by Elif İlhamoğlu from United World (based in Turkey). (Note: This is based on an article appearing in Foreign Affairs, a publication of the Council on Foreign Relations which I believe is the primary secretive organ of the US Deep State. As such, it is very important, but it does not necessarily represent the Council as a whole. It represents the thinking of at least a section of the Council.)

• Blowback From The Soleimani Assassination Increases As Iraq Reveals How Trump Tried To Steal Its Oil by Bernhard from his weblog Moon of Alabama.

• Soleimani assassination only one of many (and not the most consequential) US acts of war against Iran by Stephen Gowans from his weblog. (Note: I can't agree with Gowans that the recent assassination of the beloved Iranian leader is not the "most consequential", but he does remind of us of the longtime aggressive acts against Iran conducted by the US government and the CIA.)

• Lies, the Bethlehem Doctrine, and the Illegal Murder of Soleimani by Craig Murray from his weblog. 

• In Redux of Iraq War Run Up, Media Cheers on Assassination of Soleimani by Alan Macleod from Mint Press News. (Note: I can't agree that corporate media was uniform in its approval of the assassination. What I saw is the core of the ruling class--Council on Foreign Relations and their media, the NY Times, Washington Post, etc, and the Democratic Party--as reporting this event as narrowly tied to Trump thereby adding fuel to their drive of ousting Trump. To be sure, they always falsely painted Suleimani as a prime terrorist who is guilty of many deaths.) 

• On The Idiotic Partisan Debate Over Regime Change In Iran Or Syria by Caitlin Johnstone from her weblog. 

• BREAKING: U.S Announces Movement out of Iraq – Trump Threatens Sanctions from Fort Russ News.

Posts that I especially recommend today: Monday, January 6, 2020

Trump seems to be "losing his marbles"--maybe as a result of the Deep State's impeachment proceedings--as reflected in his assassination of Iran's number two beloved leader while he was visiting Iraq as illustrated by his recent threats toward both Iraq and Iran.

• Trump threatens Iraq with ‘very big sanctions’ unless it pays back BILLIONS for an airbase if US troops are forced to withdraw from RTAmerica.

• Trump Doubles Down on Iran Warning, Says US to Strike Back 'Perhaps in a Disproportionate Manner' from Sputnik News.

Informed commentaries on the assassination of Suleiman:

• Fragmentation in the Axis of Resistance led to Soleimani’s death by Elijah J Magnier from his weblog. 

• The Assassination of Gen. Qasem Soleimani by Gary Leupp from CounterPunch.

• In photos: Anti-war protests held across the U.S. and the world by Rebecca Falconer from Axios.

• US Empire’s Passion For Iraqi Democracy Magically Disappears by Caitlin Johnstone from her weblog. 

• Iraqi PM reveals Soleimani was on peace mission when assassinated, exploding Trump’s lie of ‘imminent attacks’ by Max Blumenthal from The Grayzone.

And the growing climate crisis:

• US banned climate from UK trade talks by Jean Blaylock by Jean Blaylock from ISDS (Investor-State Dispute Settlement).

• Global heating drives daily weather change by Tim Radford from Climate News Network. 

Posts that I especially recommend today: Sunday, January 5, 2020

• What comes next after the US Assassination of Qassem Soleimani? The Options. By Elijah J Magnier from his weblog.

• Thousands of Iranians flock to streets of Ahvaz to attend Qassem Soleimani’s funeral: video supplied by Al-Masdar Al-'Arabi (The Arab Source) based in Beirut, Lebanon.

• Iraqi parliament calls for expulsion of foreign troops from Al Jazeera. (Note with my emphasis: "Parliament resolutions, unlike laws, are non-binding and the move would require new legislation to cancel the existing agreement."

• Soleimani murder SITREP: Funeral and Vote – IRAQI VOTE UPDATE IS IN – U.S. MUST OUT from A bird's eye view of the Vineyard. 

• Iraqi Parliament Expels Foreign Militaries From Iraq by Bernhard from his weblog Moon of Alabama (based in Germany). Quotes from the article:

Parliament voted on a five-point action plan that would require the Iraqi government to end the presence of foreign troops in the country, and withdraw its request for assistance from the anti-ISIS global coalition. This would require new legislation to cancel the existing agreement.

Parliament also called on the government to ban the use of Iraqi airspace by any foreign power.

The Iraqi foreign minister has been directed to head to the UN to lodge an official complaint against the US strike.

Posts that I especially recommend today: Saturday, January 4, 2020

With the killing of a high ranking Iran official while visiting Iraq is a signal that the US/Anglo/Zionist Empire is now baring its fascist claws for all to see. Only diehard and thoroughly indoctrinated Americans and their sycophants across the world will be blind from seeing what the last capitalist empire is made of. No, not democracy or the rule of law, but the fascist style of mafia gangsters that capitalists have become. It appears that our capitalist masters have decided to use violence against their resisting enemies to prolong their rule and have abandoned their quest to overcome the more powerful environmental threats of nature. They know something that most of us do not: they cannot defeat nature. But it's a pity that we will go down with them.

These are today's posts mostly about our descent into the gangster world:

• US starts the Raging Twenties declaring war on Iran by Pepe Escobar from Asia Times.

• The murder of Qassem Soleimani and assassination as state policy by Bill Van Auken from World Socialist Web Site.

• OPCW leaks expose ‘criminal’ Syria cover-up — and US media is silent by Aaron Maté from The Grayzone. 

• Ruling class bereft of answers while catastrophic fires escalate across Australia by James Cogan from World Socialist Web Site.

• Few countries on track to meet Paris climate goals by Sarah Kennedy from Yale Climate Connections.

Are you sure you want to read today's posts? If you do, these are my recommendations for today: Friday, January 3, 2020

Iranian crisis:  (I don't know where, but in one of the many articles I read refers to an Iraqi group by the name of Kataeb Hezbollah. Michelle Greenstein explains (from RT) what she knows about this group.)

• US assassinates top Iranian general as 4,000 troops readied for Iraq intervention by Bill Van Auken from World Socialist Web Site.

• U.S. Will Come To Regret Its Assassination of Qassim Soleimani by Bernhard from Moon of Alabama.  

• Iran says US crossed ‘red lines’ by assassinating Qassem Soleimani from Al-Masdar Al-‘Arabi (The Arab Source). 

• US Assassination Of Top Iranian Military Official May Ignite World War by Caitlin Johnstone from her weblog. (You should know what PMF refers to.)

• Fear of a Major Mideast War by Joe Lauria from Consortium News.

• Angry Iranians rally in huge numbers to call for revenge from PressTV (Iran). 

• Iran Leader vows 'harsh revenge' following assassination of Gen. Soleimani from PressTV (Iran).

• Irreplaceable General: Will war in the Middle East follow the death of Soleimani? from United World (based in Turkey). 

Other posts that may interest you:

• Turkish Parliament Approves Invasion of Libya from Internationalist 360°.

• Libya: The Battle for Tripoli Enters its Final Days originally from Al Arab but translated and posted on Internationalist 360°.

• The Crisis in Mediterranean from Defend Democracy Press. 

• How the US was hoist by its own petard in Iraq and the wishful thinking of its thinktanks. By Elijah J Magnier from his weblog.

• The Dangers of Privatized Intelligence by Joyce Nelson CounterPunch.

• Why Is Wall Street the Only Industry in America With Access to the Fed’s Endless Money Machine? by Pam Martens and Russ Martens from their weblog Wall Street on Parade.  

• Assange and Manning: The Slow Execution of the Voices of Freedom by Massoud Nayeri from Global Research. 

• ‘US is torturing Chelsea Manning’: Top UN official says her treatment is ‘cruel and degrading’ from RT.

• Chelsea Manning should be a hero – Galloway on UN support for Whistleblower a 7:12m video from RT. 

Capitalism's ongoing degradation of our home planet Earth:

• ‘Insect apocalypse’ poses risk to all life on Earth, conservationists warn by Damian Carrington from Defend Democracy Press.

• Australia’s Angry Summer: This Is What Climate Change Looks Like from Defend Democracy Press. 

• Atlantic current could falter before 2100 by Tim Radford from Climate News Network. (This conservative website always underestimates the acceleration of climatic events, in my opinion.)

Two posts by Stephen Gowans that I especially recommend today: Thursday, January 2, 2020

I consider Gowans to be one of a handful of top geopolitical analysts in today's world. Here are two very recent posts by him:

• Washington’s Xinjiang smear

• Kim Jong Un: Until the US shows it’s interested in peace, North Korea will continue to build strategic weapons

Posts that I especially recommend today: Wednesday, January 1, 2020

• Full-Spectrum Fubar by Paul Edwards from CounterPunch.

• These Charts Show Why the Fed Is Still in a Panic Over the Repo Loan Market by Pam Martens and Russ Martens from their weblog Wall Street on Parade.

• Putin Reminds the West: Those Who Ignore History Are Doomed to Repeat it by Matthew Ehret from Strategic Culture Foundation. (Note: Putin's understanding of history is absolutely correct.)

• The Left is Dying Because it’s Turned Into a Bonfire of Vanities by Australian Umair Haque from Eudaimonics. (Note: I think Patrice Greanville, editor, is absolutely correct in his note prefacing the re-posted article in The Greanville Post.)

• Climate crisis: 11,000 scientists warn of ‘untold suffering’ from Defend Democracy Press. 

• Allseas will not resume work on Nord Stream II project. Germany miffed, but will do nothing. Gazprom subsidiary will finish it. A translated re-post originally from Deutsche Welle, a mainstream German publication, on Fort Russ News.

Examples of what I think are "grasping at straws" in the US/Anglo/Zionist Empire:

• Bank of England unveils climate stress test by Kieran Cooke from Climate News Network. 

• The super-cool materials that send heat to space by XiaoZhi Lim from Nature.