It takes seven hours to traverse the 100 kilometers that separate San Cristóbal and the Morelia caracol. The caravan (containing thirty cars and trucks) left late and advanced at a tortoise pace. Around 2:00 am, we arrived at the caracol, and a maze of buildings that house the institutions of the autonomous region, made up of three municipalities, twelve regions, and dozens of communities governed by the Good Government Board.In August the author attended "La Escuelita", or Little School, arranged for people in other lands to come to Chiapas and learn about the new society that the Zapatistas are creating. This is a report on his visit and his observations about the new society.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
The art of building a new world: Freedom according to the Zapatistas
Click here to access article by Raúl Zibechi from Americas Program.
One week of protests: what’s going on in Romania?
Click here to access article by Grecu Cristian-Dan from Reflections on a Revolution.
In the last couple of years, people from Romania forgot that they had a voice, that they had power, that they could change something. Many accepted the current situation of poverty and corruption, and forgot that they could unite and fight together. But Chevron and RMGC (the Roşia Montană Gold Corporation, which is the Romanian arm of the Canadian mining corporation) with the complicity of the state obliged us to wake up!
Monday, September 9, 2013
Is The United States Going To Go To War With Syria Over A Natural Gas Pipeline?
Click here to access article by Michael Snyder from MND.
The author presents considerable evidence that this is, indeed, the case. But, is this reason so surprising given the history of the US? Read General Butler's book entitled War is a Racket on how he saw his career:
Now the Empire is threatening another war in the Middle East and pretending that it is for humanitarian reasons while it is actually over pipelines which are essential conduits for control of energy in their competition with Russian and Chinese capitalists. To sell the public on these wars, they must always justify them using humanitarian or security reasons. The latest form of this old ploy is now being used again to fool the American people.
The author presents considerable evidence that this is, indeed, the case. But, is this reason so surprising given the history of the US? Read General Butler's book entitled War is a Racket on how he saw his career:
I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.If you had read independent historical sources, you would know that both world wars in the 20th century were primarily over which capitalist empire ruled the world: Anglo-American or German. As we know, the Anglo-American capitalists won and they have continued fooling the American people about their wars with some of the more recent wars being the Gulf of Tonkin incident and the Vietnam War, the Kuwaiti incubators and the first Gulf War, the Racak massacre and the war in Kosovo, Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and the second Gulf War, and threats of a humanitarian nature to the people of Libya and the Libyan war).
Now the Empire is threatening another war in the Middle East and pretending that it is for humanitarian reasons while it is actually over pipelines which are essential conduits for control of energy in their competition with Russian and Chinese capitalists. To sell the public on these wars, they must always justify them using humanitarian or security reasons. The latest form of this old ploy is now being used again to fool the American people.
Dogs of War Slaver over Syria, Powder keg for Disaster
Click here if you wish to access the source of this interview from RT via YouTube.
At 4:25m into the interview Galloway refers to an attack on a Christian community called Maaloula in Syria by Al Qaeda affiliated rebels. One can find more information on this from Al Akhbar here.
At 4:25m into the interview Galloway refers to an attack on a Christian community called Maaloula in Syria by Al Qaeda affiliated rebels. One can find more information on this from Al Akhbar here.
Preparations for regional war
Click here to access article by Thierry Meyssan from VoltaireNet.
Both the United States and France are busy with preparations for the bombing of Syria, although such action corresponds to no strategic objective for either state. Russia and the Axis of Resistance are therefore preparing their riposte. The major difficulty consists in transforming this aggression into a regional war while avoiding the Third, (and final?) World War. Whatever happens, if they engage in war, the Western world will have to deal with a long and wide-ranging conflict like nothing they’ve experienced since Vietnam.
An Interview with Naomi Klein on the Climate Crisis
Click here to access article from Earth Island Journal.
The author of No Logo and The Shock Doctrine discusses her upcoming book on climate change. She sees some promising changes in the fight against climate chaos.
The author of No Logo and The Shock Doctrine discusses her upcoming book on climate change. She sees some promising changes in the fight against climate chaos.
Right now it’s under the radar, but I’m following it quite closely.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Depravity Redefined: Selling US Slaughter in Syria
Click here to access article by Tony Cartalucci from Land Destroyer Report.
The corporate interests driving the United States, its resources, and policy, have invoked dead children in the latest and grisliest propaganda campaign yet, directed at the American public to build support for an otherwise unjustified and universally unwanted war with Syria.
The Senate's Syria Resolution Has a Huge Secret Giveaway to the President
Click here to access article by Garrett Epps from The Atlantic.
The Obama administration has claimed that Obama has the authority to attack Syria based on the 1973 War Powers Act even without Congressional approval. This is clearly false. However, this article specifically focuses on the evolution of this false interpretation of war making powers of the president from the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) that congress passed after the 9/11 event. The latest attempt to strengthen the powers of the executive branch is revealed by Epps in the resolution just passed by the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. This is another lie compounding all the other lies in relation to Syria that a faction of the shadow government is using to justify the Obama administration's commitment to attack Syria.
The Obama administration has claimed that Obama has the authority to attack Syria based on the 1973 War Powers Act even without Congressional approval. This is clearly false. However, this article specifically focuses on the evolution of this false interpretation of war making powers of the president from the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) that congress passed after the 9/11 event. The latest attempt to strengthen the powers of the executive branch is revealed by Epps in the resolution just passed by the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. This is another lie compounding all the other lies in relation to Syria that a faction of the shadow government is using to justify the Obama administration's commitment to attack Syria.
Though Congress plays at narrowing Obama's authority, the draft authorization could actually give him and future presidents sweeping new powers to intervene overseas.For another take on this evolution toward dictatorship, read Mickey Z's article which compares the Empire's management of a crisis (for Empire directors the crisis was a democratically elected socialist government!) located in Chile in 1973 with that of present day Syria.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Inside view of militias fighting for the Syrian regime
Click here if you wish to access posting from CBS News.
While viewing CBS news coverage last night, I was stunned into disbelief of what I was watching. I thought possibly I had misunderstood it because I wasn't initially fully concentrating on what was being presented. So, I checked the segment online, and sure enough, I had understood it.
The 2:29m segment reports on a local Syrian militia who are residents supported by their communities to fight against the rebels. They receive Syrian government support with arms and other equipment and a salary which many decline to accept being totally committed to protecting their country. These Syrians are essentially portrayed as freedom fighters! View the video:
Then I saw reported on CNN some coverage about a dramatic picture on the front page of the NY Times of Syrian rebels executing captured Syrian soldiers. Such mainstream media coverage represents an abrupt about-face to the constant theme of anti-Syrian government propaganda in the past several months.
Earlier in the afternoon I received an email from my local Congressman asking my views about Obama's proposed attack on Syria. Believe me, I am not any kind of friend of this congressman. He was polling all of his constituents on his email list. This is the first time that a congressman or senator in my 55 years of adulthood ever asked me for my opinion on anything.
I cite these three incidents as evidence of a deep split in our ruling class, a split more serious than I have ever discovered before in my examination of US history. I'm not sure what is happening here, but the split appears to be roughly composed of two ruling class factions as delineated by Webster Tarpley in this article last November.
Roughly they divide into what is often referred to as "hard power" and "soft power" advocates. The former are heavily represented in the military-industrial complex, Zionists, and other rogue elements identified by Tarpley; while soft power advocates in their international policies prefer to use financial incentives and threats to promote Empire rule, and domestically to preserve the facade of "democratic" rule as they promote their capitalist agendas. But now in contrast with his position in 2007, we see Obama proclaiming that he has the right to attack Syria without Congressional approval.
But this divide among the ruling class over the issue of Syria is anything but clear. It appears to me that the Obama administration and the soft power advocates are trying to head off the influence of the hard power advocates with this proposed strike on Syria. Not wanting to be outflanked, the hard power advocates are playing "hard-to-get" possibly trying to discredit the soft power advocates. This duplicitous strategy might be a preparation for a conservative victory in the next elections, and after that, an all-out campaign to create a fascist regime that would promote more aggressive agendas of world domination abroad and a police state at home.
While viewing CBS news coverage last night, I was stunned into disbelief of what I was watching. I thought possibly I had misunderstood it because I wasn't initially fully concentrating on what was being presented. So, I checked the segment online, and sure enough, I had understood it.
The 2:29m segment reports on a local Syrian militia who are residents supported by their communities to fight against the rebels. They receive Syrian government support with arms and other equipment and a salary which many decline to accept being totally committed to protecting their country. These Syrians are essentially portrayed as freedom fighters! View the video:
Then I saw reported on CNN some coverage about a dramatic picture on the front page of the NY Times of Syrian rebels executing captured Syrian soldiers. Such mainstream media coverage represents an abrupt about-face to the constant theme of anti-Syrian government propaganda in the past several months.
Earlier in the afternoon I received an email from my local Congressman asking my views about Obama's proposed attack on Syria. Believe me, I am not any kind of friend of this congressman. He was polling all of his constituents on his email list. This is the first time that a congressman or senator in my 55 years of adulthood ever asked me for my opinion on anything.
I cite these three incidents as evidence of a deep split in our ruling class, a split more serious than I have ever discovered before in my examination of US history. I'm not sure what is happening here, but the split appears to be roughly composed of two ruling class factions as delineated by Webster Tarpley in this article last November.
Roughly they divide into what is often referred to as "hard power" and "soft power" advocates. The former are heavily represented in the military-industrial complex, Zionists, and other rogue elements identified by Tarpley; while soft power advocates in their international policies prefer to use financial incentives and threats to promote Empire rule, and domestically to preserve the facade of "democratic" rule as they promote their capitalist agendas. But now in contrast with his position in 2007, we see Obama proclaiming that he has the right to attack Syria without Congressional approval.
But this divide among the ruling class over the issue of Syria is anything but clear. It appears to me that the Obama administration and the soft power advocates are trying to head off the influence of the hard power advocates with this proposed strike on Syria. Not wanting to be outflanked, the hard power advocates are playing "hard-to-get" possibly trying to discredit the soft power advocates. This duplicitous strategy might be a preparation for a conservative victory in the next elections, and after that, an all-out campaign to create a fascist regime that would promote more aggressive agendas of world domination abroad and a police state at home.
Obama’s Politics of War and US Public Opinion: The Great Divergence
Click here to access article by James Petras from his blog.
This retired sociology professor provides his views on the Obama administrations push for an attack on Syria. As the headline indicates, he explores the implications of the gulf between the government's position and that of the American people. He appears to be far more optimistic about the outcome than I am.
This retired sociology professor provides his views on the Obama administrations push for an attack on Syria. As the headline indicates, he explores the implications of the gulf between the government's position and that of the American people. He appears to be far more optimistic about the outcome than I am.
Profound and lasting divisions between rulers and ruled accompanied by unending and onerous hardships at a time when our people lack redress in petition and protest, sooner or later, will lead the American people to demand his impeachment. A trial via judicial procedures, condemnation according to judge and jury and incarceration for multiple and grave violations of the constitutional order will ensue.Executives, usurping the rights of the American people at the service of empire and their collaborators with traitorous intent ,will not pass with impunity.
Friday, September 6, 2013
The Making of the Indebted State
Click here to access article by Jérôme E. Roos from Reflections on a Revolution.
Identifying two types of money (commodity money and credit money) and two associated forms of power (purchasing power and structural power), it [the article] tries to show how the neoliberal move towards privately created credit money has endowed global finance with unprecedented structural power, rendering states increasingly dependent on private banks to maintain the process of capital accumulation. The paper concludes that the making of the indebted state under neoliberalism has brought about an unraveling of state sovereignty and political representation, and hence poses a major challenge to traditional democratic processes.Although the moderate-in-length article is written for an academic publication, it is written in easily understood English. After reading it you will gain a much greater understanding of phrases like "state's structural dependence on finance capital" and the assertion that:
The tail of finance, then, is increasingly wagging the financial watchdog of the state – and the principal mechanism through which it does so is through debt....
Militarizing America's Police Forces
Click here to access article by Jim Hightower from Uncommon Thought Journal.
The author points out what appears to be a comical move by small town police departments to acquire military grade weapons because...well, everyone else is doing it, and there might be domestic terrorists out there!
I don't mean to downplay the author's seriousness about this issue--he, as a political critic, just uses a humorous style with a touch of sarcasm to get his points across. Sometimes one must mix deadly serious events with a "spoonful" of humor in order to help the awful tasting medicine go down.
The serious aspect of this is that this is becoming a common practice among police departments all across the US. Meanwhile, our ruling class operatives and their corporate media propagandists are continuing to manufacture "terrorist" incidents and sowing distrust among our fellow Americans by any means necessary.
Because their designs to turn every human endeavor and natural resource into a commodity and to promote wars abroad to satisfy their addiction to profit and power, their propaganda messages which always attempt to hide their nefarious designs are becoming more and more unconvincing to the general public. A current example are the outrageous lies coming from the executive branch of government and corporate media to justify the attack on Syria. Thus, they must protect their addictive habits through the use, or the threat of use, of instruments of overwhelming violence against their own subjects.
Remember, we are in the age of globalized capitalism. Boundaries mean nothing to them except to control the movement of workers. Potential, and actual enemies are everywhere.
The author points out what appears to be a comical move by small town police departments to acquire military grade weapons because...well, everyone else is doing it, and there might be domestic terrorists out there!
I don't mean to downplay the author's seriousness about this issue--he, as a political critic, just uses a humorous style with a touch of sarcasm to get his points across. Sometimes one must mix deadly serious events with a "spoonful" of humor in order to help the awful tasting medicine go down.
The serious aspect of this is that this is becoming a common practice among police departments all across the US. Meanwhile, our ruling class operatives and their corporate media propagandists are continuing to manufacture "terrorist" incidents and sowing distrust among our fellow Americans by any means necessary.
Because their designs to turn every human endeavor and natural resource into a commodity and to promote wars abroad to satisfy their addiction to profit and power, their propaganda messages which always attempt to hide their nefarious designs are becoming more and more unconvincing to the general public. A current example are the outrageous lies coming from the executive branch of government and corporate media to justify the attack on Syria. Thus, they must protect their addictive habits through the use, or the threat of use, of instruments of overwhelming violence against their own subjects.
Remember, we are in the age of globalized capitalism. Boundaries mean nothing to them except to control the movement of workers. Potential, and actual enemies are everywhere.
Ecuador: The Rights of Nature Threatened in Yasuní National Park
Click here to access article by Marc Becker from Upside Down World.
Global capitalist's insatiable desire for energy and other resources to produce objects for first world consumers and thereby extract profits is destroying indigenous communities all over the world. While Ecuador's president has been hailed as a hero by liberal environmentalists, his version of "green capitalism" is a sham like all the others. This, and many other similar stories, demonstrate that once you buy into the logic of capitalism, you cannot have unconditional human rights or a sustainable environment.
Global capitalist's insatiable desire for energy and other resources to produce objects for first world consumers and thereby extract profits is destroying indigenous communities all over the world. While Ecuador's president has been hailed as a hero by liberal environmentalists, his version of "green capitalism" is a sham like all the others. This, and many other similar stories, demonstrate that once you buy into the logic of capitalism, you cannot have unconditional human rights or a sustainable environment.
Leftist opponents repeatedly charged that Correa had failed to make a fundamental break from a capitalist logic of resource extraction. Sociologist Jorge León Trujillo states that he never understood how the commodification of the environment, as would happen with the Yasuní initiative, could be considered a revolutionary proposal.See similar examples of neoliberal attacks on indigenous people going on now in Africa and Indonesia here and here.
The economic proposals that Correa pursues are not unlike those that the conservative economist Hernando de Soto in neighboring Peru has long advocated. At best, for leftists Correa’s approach appeared to be one of green capitalism that was quickly discarded when it no longer provided the expected economic returns.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
US Planned Syrian Civilian Catastrophe Since 2007
Click here to access article by Tony Cartalucci from Land Destroyer Report.
This blogger has put together an excellent summary of events leading up to the proposed US attack on Syria that has stirred up the present international crisis. There are so many factors that have contributed to this crisis and one cannot expect anyone person to provide them.
Others to consider are Escobar's "pipelineistan" thesis, Engdahl's view of the Saudi kingdom's independent role, and the ever cunning ploys by Israeli leaders and their US Zionist supporters to establish their own hegemony over the Middle East (see this, this, this, this, and this).
The dilemma for Empire directors is the lack of public and international support, and actually a lot of strong opposition. Because of the recent revelations of US spying on foreign governments in addition to this naked commitment to an act of aggression, the reputation and credibility of Empire officials is at an all time low. By making such a strong commitment to the attack on Syria, it appears that Empire directors have painted themselves into a corner. Needless to say, the situation is extremely dangerous.
So, the situation begs some questions: have these directors lost their nerve and are hysterically trying to asset control in Syria? or because they command so much military/police police power, have they now succumbed to megalomania by depending solely on their instruments of violence regardless of world and public opinion?
This blogger has put together an excellent summary of events leading up to the proposed US attack on Syria that has stirred up the present international crisis. There are so many factors that have contributed to this crisis and one cannot expect anyone person to provide them.
Others to consider are Escobar's "pipelineistan" thesis, Engdahl's view of the Saudi kingdom's independent role, and the ever cunning ploys by Israeli leaders and their US Zionist supporters to establish their own hegemony over the Middle East (see this, this, this, this, and this).
The dilemma for Empire directors is the lack of public and international support, and actually a lot of strong opposition. Because of the recent revelations of US spying on foreign governments in addition to this naked commitment to an act of aggression, the reputation and credibility of Empire officials is at an all time low. By making such a strong commitment to the attack on Syria, it appears that Empire directors have painted themselves into a corner. Needless to say, the situation is extremely dangerous.
So, the situation begs some questions: have these directors lost their nerve and are hysterically trying to asset control in Syria? or because they command so much military/police police power, have they now succumbed to megalomania by depending solely on their instruments of violence regardless of world and public opinion?
Making the World Safe for Banksters: Syria in the Cross-hairs
Click here to access article by Ellen Hodgson Brown from Dissident Voice.
This author sees banking elites behind the Empire's plan to attack Syria.
This author sees banking elites behind the Empire's plan to attack Syria.
America’s Deadliest Export: Democracy
Click here to access article by Sean Ledwith from CounterFire (Britain).
Ledwith provides a review of a recently published book by William Blum, a former US State Department employee who resigned in 1967 over his opposition to the Vietnam War. Since then, unlike so many anti-Vietnam War activists, Blum has never ceased his opposition and his activism against the US Empire and its ruling capitalist class's insane drive to rule the world while pretending to be promoting "democracy" and "human rights".
Ledwith provides a review of a recently published book by William Blum, a former US State Department employee who resigned in 1967 over his opposition to the Vietnam War. Since then, unlike so many anti-Vietnam War activists, Blum has never ceased his opposition and his activism against the US Empire and its ruling capitalist class's insane drive to rule the world while pretending to be promoting "democracy" and "human rights".
His viewpoint is that such is that ideological iron grip the US ruling class has over its population that many of them might as well have been in a coma when it comes to political awareness. As he puts it, ‘the American government has pulled off what must surely rank as one of the most outstanding feats of propaganda and indoctrination in all of history’.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
US: The indispensable (bombing) nation
Click here to access article by Pepe Escobar from OpEd News.
...the Empire of Chaos is now totally out of control.
Syrians In Ghouta Claim Saudi-Supplied Rebels Behind Chemical Attack
Click here to access article by Dale Gavlak and Yahya Ababneh from Mint Press News.
Rebels and local residents in Ghouta accuse Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan of providing chemical weapons to an al-Qaida linked rebel group.
Faking It: How the Media Manipulates the World into War
Click here if you wish to access the transcript for this 14:15m video report from Global Research TV.
Syria and “Conspiracy Theories”: It is a Conspiracy
Click here to access article by Felicity Arbuthnot from Global Research.
This re-published piece from last year is now very timely given the imminent attack on Syria promised by the public relations officer of the Empire (Obama). Having posted the article last year, I again examined it and once again found it to be an excellent example of investigative reporting using primary and other excellent sources such as the 1997 document from the US Army War College. Although she sourced the document to Information Clearing House, I've found the primary source at the War College (Strategic Studies Institute). I also noticed that one piece of documentation, the second YouTube video (ref. #6), has since been removed from YouTube.
Above all, this article illustrates once again the obvious, on-going conspiracies engaged in by ruling class operatives. Like shit, conspiracies happen!
I was recently reminded of this phenomenon in the US where all allegations of government/ruling class conspiracies are labeled in mainstream media as merely "conspiracy theories", that is, smeared with contempt as a kind of folklore, not to be taken seriously, and automatically discredited. In a conversation with an acquaintance, he regarded some solid article I referred to as a "conspiracy theory". Such is the insidiously powerful influence of major media to shape the thinking of the American people.
This re-published piece from last year is now very timely given the imminent attack on Syria promised by the public relations officer of the Empire (Obama). Having posted the article last year, I again examined it and once again found it to be an excellent example of investigative reporting using primary and other excellent sources such as the 1997 document from the US Army War College. Although she sourced the document to Information Clearing House, I've found the primary source at the War College (Strategic Studies Institute). I also noticed that one piece of documentation, the second YouTube video (ref. #6), has since been removed from YouTube.
Above all, this article illustrates once again the obvious, on-going conspiracies engaged in by ruling class operatives. Like shit, conspiracies happen!
I was recently reminded of this phenomenon in the US where all allegations of government/ruling class conspiracies are labeled in mainstream media as merely "conspiracy theories", that is, smeared with contempt as a kind of folklore, not to be taken seriously, and automatically discredited. In a conversation with an acquaintance, he regarded some solid article I referred to as a "conspiracy theory". Such is the insidiously powerful influence of major media to shape the thinking of the American people.
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