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The Demise of Incumbents: Resurgence of the Far Right and the Absence of the Consequential Left
James Petras
Introduction
Incumbent politicians and parties, both center-left and right, have suffered serious defeats in recent elections. The principal beneficiary has been the extreme right. Nowhere did the ‘consequential left’ register a victory, although in a few instances it marginally increased its vote. The one major exception has been Turkey, where the incumbent Erdogan regime scored a ‘victory’ on November 1, 2015 by resorting to widespread violence during the general election campaign to intimidate and silence his opposition after having suffered a sharp (and surprise) defeat five months earlier in June 2015 when secular civil groups, leftists and Kurdish linked parties upset Erdogan’S parliamentary majority. During the recent campaign, Erdogan resumed bombing of Kurdish regions, both inside Turkey and across the border in Syria and Iraq. He shut down opposition newspapers and TV stations, and imprisoned hundreds of secular, leftist activists. Scores of opposition party regional offices were firebombed and wrecked. Most ominously, Erdogan and Turkish intelligence operatives have been implicated in the horrific massacre of scores of opposition peace marchers, leftists, trade unionists and Kurdish political party activists in the capital Ankara on October 10 and elsewhere. In other words, Erdogan prevented the electoral decline of his incumbent right-wing regime through terror, purges and mob violence. Washington and the EU promptly congratulated the Erdogan regime for its blood-stained ‘victory’.
Stoking Fear of Flying to Russia
by Stephen Lendman
It’s way too early to know why Russian Kolavia Metrojet Flight 7K9268 crashed 23 minutes after takeoff from Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt en route to St. Petersburg, Russia - killing all passengers and crew members.
At least weeks are needed to examine the crash site and evaluate black box information, vital to understand what happened. A definitive assessment will likely take months, including reconstructing the aircraft from its shattered parts Comments now making headlines are pure speculation - irresponsible until at least early investigative results are known. Russia’s assessment will be definitive.
U.S. Prepares War Against Russia in Syrian Battlefield
Eric Zuesse
On Tuesday November 3rd, U.S. Defense Department spokesperson Laura Seal told The Daily Beast that twelve F-15C air-to-air combat planes are being sent to the Incirlik Turkey Air Base for deployment in Syria against Russia’s Su-30 air-to-air combat planes. Neither the F-15C nor the Su-30 can destroy ground-targets, only air-targets — enemy planes.
In other words: U.S. President Barack Obama is telling Russian President Vladimir Putin that unless Putin is willing to go to war against the United States, he must stop what he’s now doing in Syria. Obama is saying this in the only language whose meaning cannot be denied or misinterpreted: sending in counter-force to specifically what Russia has already sent into Syria.
If it were not the case that both the F-15C and the Su-30 are equipped only for air-to-air-combat, then the meaning of Obama’s move here wouldn’t be so clear and unambiguous. Ms. Seal made her point even clearer by volunteering to tell The Daily Beast’s reporter David Axe, “I didn’t say it wasn’t about Russia.” Axe then commented in his article, that this statement of hers “hinted at its [the deployment’s] true purpose.” But one would need to be a fool in order to deny it. The only real question here is why Obama has made this decision, which is quite likely to be fateful. So: that’s the subject: Why did he do this?
House Adopts Anti-Palestinian Resolution
Stephen Lendman
Hardline racists infest Washington. On Tuesday, a one-sided bipartisan non-binding House resolution with 71 co-sponsors was adopted by voice vote, no opposition registered.
The entire process on an issue this sensitive took 30 minutes, no debate needed. Rubber-stamp approval sufficed, more proof showing Palestinians are on their own, sustained resistance their only recourse. Changing the deplorable status quo is impossible any other way.
Neocon Republican House Foreign Affairs chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen introduced the measure - a notorious extremist, anti-freedom supporter, one-sidedly for Israeli tyranny against Palestinians’ rights.
AIPAC applauded the resolution, (e)xpressing concern over anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement within the Palestinian Authority.” Its statement “condemning the recent wave of Palestinian terrorism in Israel.”
Mindless Proposed Solutions to End Violence in Palestine
by Stephen Lendman
US officials, other Western ones, Israelis, Jordan, Ban Ki-moon and longtime Judas Mahmoud Abbas pretend wanting to resolve ongoing violence responsibly.
On the one hand, they ignore its root cause - longstanding occupation harshness, collectively punishing an entire population, including lawlessly blockading Gaza for political, not security reasons, waging three premeditated wars of aggression on entrapped people since December 2008.
On the other, only violence affecting Israelis matter, Palestinians maliciously called terrorists. They’re blamed for their own victimization.
Since Israel unleashed conflict on October 1, Abbas did nothing to help his beleaguered people - remaining largely silent, his few comments either meaningless, duplicitous or hugely offensive.
His Wednesday address to the UN Human Rights Council asked for international help - what he refuses to provide himself, collaborating with Israel against his own people, targeting them with PA security forces.
Deciphering Ideological Labels
Eric Zuesse
On October 29th, France24 bannered “Sarkozy to meet Putin as French right looks to Russia,” and promulgated, as is often done, a widespread misconception about ideology: that everything the “right” does is conservative, and everything the “left” does is progressive or perhaps (depending upon what “liberal” means, if it means something) liberal. A deeper understanding of what is “progressive” versus what is “conservative,” is needed, because progressivism is really nothing else than a support for democracy (which is “progress”), and conservatism is nothing else than a support for dictatorship (which is regress, and which is the only type of government that even existed in the world to any significant extent, until the American Revolution in 1776. The American Revolution — the overthrow of the aristocracy (which happened to be Britain’s aristocracy) — actually introduced democracy into the world. America was born when colonialism here died, and that was British colonialism over the American colonies. The “divine right of kings” ended and the modern world began on that occasion in this land.
Palestinians Courageously Resisting Israeli Tyranny
Stephen Lendman
Israel continues attacking defenseless Palestinians with weapons of war, short of tanks, artillery and F-16s, maybe coming, daily deaths reported, scores of others injured and arrested day after day with no letup, some seriously hurt.
On November 4, Maan News said Hamas and Islamic Jihad warned of “new methods of resistance” if Israeli brutal force continues.
Representatives from both groups said they’ll join the Intifada if Israeli occupation troops keep assassinating Palestinians. Islamic Jihad leader Khalid al-Batsh said “Al-Quds Brigades and al-Qassam Brigades won’t accept it that only one side bleeds. (Israeli) crimes won’t…stop the Intifada. (They’ll) pay a heavy toll for executions…conduct(ed) in the field.”
Israel’s Dirty War on Palestine
by Stephen Lendman
Deplorable Western and Israeli media reports one-sidedly portray Palestinians as knife wielding terrorists. The Times of Israel disgracefully highlighted a “stabbing intifada.”
US media feature alleged stabbing incidents without evidence. Sources are always Israeli officials. Palestinian voices are largely shut out.
Nothing is said about decades of suffocating occupation, endless Israeli high crimes against peace, Zionist zealots and fascists running things - the most ruthless coalition regime in its history. Daily bloodshed in Palestine continues, flagrant violations against defenseless civilians. Palestinians are being lethally shot and injured, bludgeoned, mass arrested, imprisoned and tortured for wanting to live free.
US Provocation in Chinese Waters
by Stephen Lendman
Imagine the following scenario. One or more Chinese warships sail provocatively into US Gulf of Mexico waters, or perhaps off its West Coast - after being warned by Pentagon and administration officials not to.
Washington would interdict the vessel, perhaps consider its intrusion a casus belli - with full US media support.
Here’s today’s reality. In mid-October, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said: “Make no mistake, the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as we do around the world, and the South China Sea is not and will not be an exception,” code language for laws are what Washington says they are, regardless of their precise meaning.
Irresponsibly Calling Russia America’s Greatest Threat
by Stephen Lendman
Shameless fear-mongering along with bashing independent countries and their leaders is longstanding US practice. Russophobia rages out-of-control in America. Propaganda substitutes for hard truths.
How many times have we heard US officials and go-along media irresponsibly accuse Putin of “Russian aggression,” “hybrid” or non-traditional warfare, “cyberwar,” invading Ukraine using (nonexistent) “little green men,” and engaging in other destabilizing, hostile acts.
Obama earlier called ebola, Russia and ISIS America’s greatest threats, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter saying Moscow is a “very, very significant threat,” and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Joseph (“Fighting Joe”) Dunford calling Russia’s “behavior…alarming…an existential threat.” Big Lies repeated ad nauseam get most people to believe them. Propaganda wars rage because they work. America is the greatest threat to world peace and stability, Russia its best hope to avoid the ravages of catastrophic global war, with weapons able to end life on earth.
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