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Western media and the War Machine
by Phil Greaves
It is now well over two years since the Syrian conflict began. I for one, will no longer give credibility to the falsehood that this brutal conflict simply aroused itself from the Syrian Government’s oppression of peaceful protest. There were many peaceful protests in Syria, there was, and still is a widespread call for reform and change within the Syrian government. No doubt, there was also brutal oppression. But the critical element that has been dutifully removed from the narrative by our subservient western media: is the fact that radical Sunni militia (Some affiliated with “the west’s biggest enemy” Al Qaeda no less.) were attacking the Syrian Arab Army from day one. Those attacks greatly intensified; as US/Gulf propagated “opposition” elements conflated the two separate dynamics for their own political benefit.
Pakistan: Honest People in Corrupt Politics
Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja
To understand political power right, and derive it from its original, we must consider what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions, and persons as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man. …a law of nature to govern it, which obliges everyone: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions (John Locke, Two Treatises on Government, ed. Peter Laslett. Cambridge University Press, 2000).
Only Ten Percent of Citizens Support Military Involvement in Syria
by Michael Collins
The citizens of this country are in no mood to see U.S. military involvement in Syria. Of course, it has already begun. Consultation, secret assistance, and money given for "communications" (which allows other money for weapons) all contribute to the military effort. For months, Hillary Clinton demanded that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad leave the country. He hasn't cooperated. What does the toughest guy on the block do when you won't cooperate?
It's time for Syria to take a serious beat down. Others need to see how things are done. This will make things much easier when Hillary is (s)elected in 2016. She can simply issue edicts and mandates from the White House and sovereign nations will obey without question. The job of president is stressful enough. Maximum Leader Hillary won't need push back from any quarter, including domestic dissent. (Is there a drone in your future?)
There's just one problem. Citizens are not cooperating. Look at these polling numbers from Reuters-Ipsos (May 1). A huge majority opposes U.S. military involvement when asked a general question - 10% favor - 61% opposed. When given the choice of a yes for involvement if the Syrian government uses chemical weapons, there is still a majority opposed to intervention - 27% favor - 44% opposed.
But we know how this will work out.
Communications Giants in Good Hands with Tom Wheeler
by Stephen Lendman
Obama's expected to pick Tom Wheeler as new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman. More on him below.
In March, former FCC chairman Julius Genachowski stepped down. At the time, Free Press.net president Craig Aaron said the following:
"When Julius Genachowski took office, there were high hopes that he would use his powerful position to promote the public interest."
"But instead of acting as the people's champion, he’s catered to corporate interests. His tenure has been marked by wavering and caving rather than the strong leadership so needed at this crucial agency." "Though President Obama promised his FCC chairman would not continue the Bush administration’s failed media ownership policies, Genachowski offered the exact same broken ideas that Bush's two chairmen pushed."
Putting People and the Planet Before Profits
By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers
This past week of economic news reveals both the ruthlessness of big finance capitalism on people and the planet and that people are working for alternative, more just and sustainable, solutions.
At the top of the list is more research on austerity. The Reinhart and Rogoff study relied on by advocates of austerity was proven to be false, so now we know that austerity does not work in practice or in theory. Furthermore, new research shows something even worse – austerity is killing people in the US and Europe. For example, HIV/AIDS has increased by 200% in Greece since 2011. There are also malaria outbreaks, shortages of essential medicines, loss of access to healthcare (5 million people in the US), an epidemic of drug abuse, one million cases of depression and 10,000 suicides since the recession.
Though Congress members are providing more money to end the flight delays that affect them and other wealthy travelers, they are not doing anything about lost unemployment, closure of Head Start programs, people lacking housing assistance and healthcare or cuts to meals on wheels. These choices are being made by the political elites that run the country for the elites of the country.
Tiptoeing Toward War on Syria
by Stephen Lendman
Events in Syria resemble the run-up to Obama's Libya war. Victims are called aggressors. Pretexts are created for intervention.
Washington appears headed for more war. Lack of public support doesn't matter. A New York Times/CBS poll showed 62% of respondents don't believe America has a "responsibility" to intervene.
A new Pew survey at best found lukewarm support. Asked how Washington should respond if Assad used chemical weapons, 45% supported intervention while 31% opposed. Another 25% had no opinion.
Americans remain largely indifferent. Only 18% of Pew respondents said they follow Syrian events closely. The Times/CBS poll registered 10%. Apathy gives Obama more leverage. Expect him to take full advantage.
Goliath Squashes David - Facebook Spikes Activist Ad
Michael Collins
I respect entrepreneurs who build something from nothing, particularly the vast class of entrepreneurs in the United States who build small businesses and smaller medium sized firms. They are the backbone of any employment growth we have with very little help from the government(s). It's all Wall Street and very little Main Street. (Image: Creative Commons)
It is natural and probably correct most of the time to impute great skills and intelligence to entrepreneurs who start out with nothing and build huge companies. The accomplishments of Gates and Jobs are works of genius, undeniably (regardless of what you think of the brand). But occasionally, someone makes it big who also happens to be a moron.
For whatever reason, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has some group supporting the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. When CREDO ran their ad with Zuckerberg's image (creative commons) in the ad, it was pulled for lack of proper permissions. (See Think Progress)
This is where the "moron" part comes in.
Institutionalized Spying on Americans
by Stephen Lendman
Big Brother no longer is fiction. It hasn't been for some time. It's official US policy. According to ACLU's Technology and Liberty Program director Barry Steinhardt:
"Given the capabilities of today's technology, the only thing protecting us from a full-fledged surveillance society are the legal and political institutions we have inherited as Americans."
"Unfortunately, the September 11 attacks have led some to embrace the fallacy that weakening the Constitution will strengthen America."
Manufactured national security threats matter more than fundamental freedoms. Domestic spying is institutionalized.
Anyone can be monitored for any reason or none at all. Privacy rights are lost. Patriot Act legislation authorized unchecked government surveillance powers.
What's Ahead for Syria?
by Stephen Lendman
Syria's being systematically destroyed. Washington planned doing so years ago. Sovereign independence isn't tolerated. It's longstanding US policy.
Numerous states learned the hard way. Syria is America's latest victim. It's falsely blamed for Washington's war. The pattern by now is familiar.
Ravaging the world one country at a time or in multiples is policy. Terrorism is what they do, not us. Reasons for imperial wars are suppressed.
Wealth, power, privileged and unchallenged dominance alone matter. Sacrificing human lives and freedoms are small prices to pay. Regime change is prioritized. False pretexts facilitate intervention. Media propaganda glorifies war. It's done in the name of peace. Propaganda wars precede hot ones. Managed news misinformation enlists public support.
How the Boston Bombings May Change the World for the Worse!
James Petras
The relation between the suspected Boston Marathon bombers and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) and the Boston Police (BP) is a point of contention and controversy.
The FBI, at first, claimed no knowledge of the bombing suspects but later was forced to admit having received at least two sets of intelligence reports, one from Russian officials and another from the CIA, identifying one of the suspected bombers, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, as a potential security threat -linked to a Chechen terrorist organization. Testimony from Tsarnaev’s mother and father indicates that the FBI was active in following, harassing and interrogating the suspect before the bombing. Despite general directives from the US Departments of Justice and Homeland Security mandating US security to aggressively pursue ‘Islamist terrorists’, the FBI claims to have made no effort to follow-up on the Russian and CIA security alerts, especially after Tamerlan Tsarnaev returned from Russian state of Dagestan last year where he allegedly met six times with a known Chechen terrorist, Gadzhimurad Dolgatov, in a fundamentalist Salafi mosque.
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