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Eric Zuesse
The origin of jihadism is prohibited from being reported truthfully — this truth is prohibited by all of the Establishment ‘press,’ including almost all ‘alternative news’ sites — in the West, because it challenges all of the “sensitive” buttons (all of the bigotries, to put the matter in plain terms); and, though this fact (the Establishment’s bigotries, and its hypocrisy to preserve and protect their bigotries even while condemning those of other people) will prevent almost all of the news-media that I send this to from publishing it, nothing prevents me from writing it; so, here it is (in whatever media are gutsy enough to publish this Western cultural and political samizdat):
by Stephen Lendman
What motivates thousands of young men and some women to leave peaceful environs for conflict zones where the risk of death or serious injury is high?
Certainly not hoped for monetary gain for most. Is it mainly ideology? Yet religious extremism doesn’t automatically indicate a predisposition to violence. Most often it’s expressed peacefully.
Perhaps it’s anger at political systems doing nothing to help them. So they’re willing to fight and die for something better. French economist Thomas Piketty believes extreme Middle East and European social inequality is the key driver. Maybe youths vulnerable to mind manipulation is a factor. The Internet is an effective recruiting tool to attract people to a cause - for good or ill.
by Stephen Lendman
State Department spokesman Admiral John Kirby’s year in review “Official Blog” comments focus on reinventing history.
He turned truth on its head, claiming “the United States helped change the world for the better” in 2015 - “across a range of issues…vital to ensur(e) the safety, security and prosperity of the American people.”
It’s hard taking rubbish he wrote seriously, substituting fiction for facts, suppressing most important ones, inventing claims to justify nonexistent US successes, ignoring America’s endless war on humanity at home and abroad - causing more global misery over a longer duration than any previous regime in history. Claiming America reestablished diplomatic relations with Cuba, Kirby failed to explain its imperial objectives - to return the island state to colonial status, exploit its people and resources under officials it controls, the same dirty scheme it has in mind for all independent nations.
by Stephen Lendman
Washington bears full responsibility for the Middle East’s longstanding nightmare, partnered with rogue Israeli, NATO and Arab regimes. Call it the curse of oil - Iraq Exhibit A.
From America’s orchestrated Iran/Iraq war to Operation Desert Storm, to years of genocidal sanctions, to Operation Iraqi Freedom, to ongoing out-of-control raging violence and chaos, its imperial madness destroyed the cradle of civilization, replacing it with endless dystopian harshness - one of history’s greatest crimes, accountability nowhere in sight.
Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II and Obama committed high crimes against peace. Millions of Iraqis suffered and died from September 1980 to the present.
Millions today endure unspeakable misery - living in an endless war zone, security and stability entirely absent. The curse of US created and supported ISIS haunts them.
by Stephen Lendman
Erdogan heads a fascist police state. As a valued NATO member, Washington ignores his domestic crimes, uses its regime to advance its imperial objectives.
On Thursday on return from Saudi Arabia, he was asked if a presidential system is compatible with Turkey’s unitary structure.
“There are examples around the world,” he said, including earlier in “Hitler’s Germany,” citing the Nazi regime perhaps as his ideal way to run Turkey, saying he wants things more streamlined for more effective decision-making - code language for wanting iron-fisted rule, all challengers and critics eliminated.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu lied, saying “(w)hat is right for Turkey is to adopt the presidential system” - with a phony democratic facade, he stopped short of explaining.
Eric Zuesse
A standard technique by the aristocracy and its agents is to pretend that the existing government is too progressive, that it’s pandering to the masses, not doing the ‘right’ thing, which the ‘superior’ people know that it ought to be doing — and which, coincidentally, will boost the wealth of the rich (and this wealth will then trickle down to everybody, as aristocrats routinely promise will happen). Here’s an example of it:
On December 10th, the far-right Rosemary Righter (“Righter” is her actual name, not merely her ideology), of Rupert Murdoch’s London Times, presented an opinion-piece in America’s Politico (which itself derives from Republican Joe Albritton’s now-defunct Washington DC conservative newspaper the Star), titled, “NATO’s ‘Obama problem’: The alliance is hamstrung by the least Atlanticist president since World War II.”
by Stephen Lendman
Obama exhibits con man duplicity in his role as a convenient imperial front man - selected for this reason, serving wealth and power interests exclusively.
The reliable Saker calls him “exceptionally weak and even clueless.” He performs the role assigned him, his public actions and comments carefully scripted - an agenda based on deceit and contempt for fundamental rights everyone deserves.
A shameless NYT New Year’s eve editorial headlined “Obama’s Trickle of Mercy,” saying he commuted scores of mostly illicit drug related sentences on grounds of “justice and fairness” - along with pardoning two individuals for financial crimes.
On the one hand, Times editors called his actions “drops in very large bucket.” A “few dozen grants” ignore “9,000 applications for commutations that have not been acted on.”
by Stephen Lendman
In 2011, US-led NATO ravaged and destroyed Africa’s most prosperous country - Jamahiriya “government of the popular masses by themselves for themselves.”
“(T)he People (served) as president” through democratic committees and congresses - polar opposite America’s sham system, run exclusively by and for powerful monied interests.
Gaddafi shared his nation’s oil wealth with all Libyans, providing generous rights and benefits ordinary Americans can’t imagine. His independence marked him for regime change. Libya today is a cauldron of endless violence and chaos, a testimony to the kind of dystopian harshness following US interventions.
by Stephen Lendman
Russia’s military is a formidable force to be reckoned with, matching America’s best at a small fraction of the cost, using its resources judiciously, prompting US Air Forces in Europe commander General Frank Forenc to call its qualitative and quantitative capability “alarming.”
Its competency is exceptional, using powerful state-of-the-art weapons with precision accuracy, including from hundreds of miles away.
They’re able to launch them from aerial, ground, sea and subsurface locations, maybe space, with ability to destroy what’s aimed at.
Pentagon commanders are forced to admit respect, perhaps with second thoughts on ever confronting a force equalling or exceeding its own capability.
Russia’s effective Syrian anti-terrorism enters its fourth month this week, devastating ISIS positions, facilities, operations and personnel - Putin proving his longterm commitment to combat a common scourge. He wants ISIS and other takfiri terrorists groups battled abroad, preventing them from gaining a foothold on Russian territory, his main reason for getting involved, intent on staying the course, no matter the duration.
by Stephen Lendman
Palestinians are suffering, not celebrating new year festivities. State-sponsored terror haunts them throughout the holiday period and all other times of year without respite.
Daily reports are grim. Palestine’s Health Ministry reported 142 Palestinians extrajudicially killed since October 1, including 27 children and seven women, perhaps several others before midnight December 31 - many more in the new year.
Israel’s killing machine never rests. Over 15,600 Palestinians were injured, around 10,000 others harmed from toxic tear gas inhalation, thousands from live fire, thousands more arbitrarily arrested. Police state viciousness continues round-the-clock daily without letup.
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