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France’s Macron Wins Parliament Majority by Default
Stephen Lendman
He’s far from a popular choice, his May 7 election dubious at best. As president, he assures disturbing continuity, not badly needed constructive change.
In first round parliamentary voting, his La Republique En March (LREM) party got 32% support, turnout less than 50%, a dismal showing.
LREM winning a runoff 361-seat majority of parliamentary seats (out of 577) was achieved by default - turnout only 43%. Support for LREM candidates was achieved because of mass opposition to alternative choices.
Unfairly calling Marine Le Pen’s National Front fascist cost her a chance to become France’s president, perhaps with majority parliament support.
LREM’s legislative control assures continued dirty business as usual. Former Rothschild banker/economy minister Macron is a neoliberal reactionary, an establishment president, not a popular one.
EU Hypocrisy
Stephen Lendman
European countries subordinate their sovereign independence to Washington.
It’s what the CIA’s formation of the EU was all about, including economic powerhouse Germany, occupied by numerous US military bases - over 70 years after WW II ended.
Things on the continent are exacerbated by eurozone tyranny - 19 EU nations surrendering their monetary and fiscal sovereignty to Brussels, Berlin and Washington.
In response to Senate members passing legislation imposing new sanctions on Russia, notably targeting its energy and financial sectors, Germany hypocritically criticized the move, along with France and Austria - for actions against Moscow harming their economic interests.
Neocon Mike Pence Bashes Venezuelan Democracy
Stephen Lendman
Jimmy Carter calls Venezuela’s electoral process the world’s best. It’s a model democracy struggling in the face of US economic and political war.
It shames America’s sham process - a democracy in name only, rogue state governance by any standard, waging war on humanity at home and abroad.
Pence is a deplorable character, part of Washington’s lunatic fringe, a right-wing extremist, representing undemocratic US governance, humanity’s greatest scourge. On Thursday, at the Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America in Miami, he disgracefully lashed out at Venezuela, saying:
“We need only look to the nation…to see what happens when democracy is undermined. That once-rich nation’s collapse into authoritarianism has pushed it into poverty and caused untold suffering for the Venezuelan people.”
Congress Must Not Wait-The Chance to Restore Glass-Steagall Is Now
by Nancy Spannaus
June 16, 2017-Eighty-four years ago today, President Franklin Roosevelt capped off a marathon 100-day session of Congress with the signing of the Glass-Steagall Banking Bill. That bill, which was actively promoted by some powerful Wall Street bankers as well as the general public, was specifically aimed at providing for "the safer and more effective use of the assets of banks to regulate interbank control, [and to] prevent the undue diversion of funds into speculative operations." It worked to prevent a systemic banking crisis for 66 years, until a bipartisan Congressional majority overturned its major features in 1999.
Ten years after the devastating Crash of 2007-8, the time is overripe for reinstituting this key element of a sound banking system. All the signs of a new major debt implosion are available to those willing to face facts, and a broad base of support for taking action to protect the commercial banking system from the collapse of the speculative bubble has been built up. That base includes big bankers, labor unions, academics, and others. This support even resulted in the inclusion of planks for Glass-Steagall in both the Democratic Party and Republican Party platforms for the 2016 Presidential election.
Killer Cops in America
Stephen Lendman
Getting away with murder in America is simple. Become a cop. Wear a badge. Carry a gun.
Repeatedly nationwide, in large and small cities, urban and rural communities, killer cops routinely get away with murder. Rare exceptions prove the rule.
Inner city minority communities are virtual war zones. Police kill over 1,000 victims annually, mostly Black and Latino male youths.
On July 6, 2016, Falcon Heights, MN police officer Jeronimo Yanez fatally shot Philadro Castile after pulling him over for “driving while Black,” according to his mother. Over a 13-year period, he was stopped by police at least 49 times over nothing or at most infractions too minor to matter - targeted for his race, not wrongdoing.
Latin America in Search of an Alternative
James Petras
“You can’t build socialism with dollar signs in your eyes”
Fidel Castro
Introduction
Many experts and commentators describe the political process in Latin America as one of ‘alternating right and left governments’. Journalists focus on the abrupt regime changes from democratic to authoritarian; from neo-liberal to progressive programs; and from oligarchs to populists.
The financial media present the ‘right’s’ socially regressive policies and strategies as ‘reforms’, a euphemism for the re-concentration of wealth, profits and property into the hands of foreign and domestic oligarchs.
Leftwing intellectuals and journalists paint an image of socio-economic transformations under Latin America’s ‘left’ regimes where ‘the people’ take power, income is redistributed and growth flourishes.
The rise and demise of left and right regimes are typically attributed to ‘economic mismanagement, social crisis, political manipulation and erroneous strategic policies’.
Orthodox economists, under the presumption that greater profits ‘create’ the foundation for long-term stability and growth, prescribe a series of ‘structural reforms’. ‘Structures’ refer to measures and institutions, which strengthen the organization of the governing elite and their socio-economic backers.
Media Disinformation on Monday Russian Street Protests
Stephen Lendman
Relatively small numbers turned out, a few thousand in Moscow, many fewer in most other Russian cities.
CBS News erroneously said “tens of thousands” protested Monday on Russian streets. Other media hype was similar.
Reuters headlined “Anti-Kremlin protesters fill Russian streets, Putin critic Navalny jailed.” More on him below.
The neocon/CIA-connected Washington Post published a photo, showing police restraining a youthful protester on the ground, a few comments alone discussing it, no article. CNN headlined “Russia’s anti-corruption protests explained” - explaining nothing, anti-Russian propaganda substituting for legitimate commentary.
America’s Forever War Strategy
Stephen Lendman
America is unique among history’s warrior states - prioritizing endless wars, not ending them to achieve a new era of peace and stability.
The notion is anathema to the nation’s military, industrial, and scoundrel media establishment. Wars are waged for power and profits, no other reasons.
All post-WW II US wars were and continue to be acts of naked aggression against nations threatening no one - raping and destroying them, the human cost incalculable, the villainy unprecedented.
Throughout its history, America has been perpetually at war at home and/or abroad, never a time of peace and stability - a shocking indictment of its abhorrent agenda, the nation a democracy in name only.
Corbyn Teaches To Embrace Change We Need
Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers
The shocking election result in the United Kingdom – the Conservatives losing their majority and the creation of a hung Parliament; and Jeremy Corbyn being more successful than any recent Labor candidate – cutting a 20 point Theresa May lead down to a near tie – gives hope to many that the global shift to the right, fueled by the failures of governments to meet the basic needs of their population and growing economic insecurity, may be ending.
Corbyn is a lifelong activist whose message and actions have been consistent. He presented a platform directed at ending austerity and the wealth divide and was openly anti-war. There are a lot of lessons for the Labor Party in the UK from this election but there are also lessons for people in the United States. We review what happened and consider the possibilities for creating transformative change in the United States.
Putin’s Annual Marathon Press Conference
Stephen Lendman
Annually he spends hours answering questions submitted in advance, by categories from millions submitted worldwide, focusing on vital issues - a candidly forthright tour de force unmatched by any Western leaders, notably no US one.
Commenting on Russia’s economy, Putin was upbeat, saying recession ended, growth resumed, GDP “rising for three quarters in a row.”
He’s taking measures to improve living standards for poor Russians, still suffering from Boris Yeltsin’s post-Soviet neoliberal shock therapy, aided by recession conditions now easing.
He called anti-Russian sanctions beneficial, enabling the country to become more self-reliant and self-sufficient, along developing stronger ties with China and other countries.
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