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Western ‘Mainstream’ Extremism: Distortion, Fabrication and Falsification in the Financial Press
James Petras
Introduction
With the collapse of the Communist countries in the 1990’s and their conversion to capitalism, followed by the advent of neo-liberal regimes throughout most of Latin America, Asia, Europe and North America, the imperial regimes in the US and EU have established a new political spectrum, in which the standards of acceptability narrowed and the definition of adversaries expanded. Over the past quarter century, the US and EU turned their focus from systemic adversaries (anti-capitalist and anti-imperial states and movements) to attacking capitalist regimes, which (1) had adopted nationalist, re-distributive and Keynesian policies; (2) had opposed military interventions, coups and bases; (3) had aligned with non-Western capitalist powers; (4) had opposed Zionist colonization of Palestine and Gulf State-financed Islamist terrorists; (5) and had refuse to follow the financial agendas dictated by Wall Street and the City of London investment houses, speculators and vulture funds.
Israel Imprisoning Palestinian Children Uncharged
by Stephen Lendman
Israeli viciousness is unrestrained, young children treated as brutally as adults. On October 19, soldiers lawlessly abducted three Palestinian children from their homes pre-dawn. They’re being held uncharged for at least six months, an unprecedented move in East Jerusalem according to human rights groups.
Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCIP) accountability program director Ayed Abu Eqtaish expressed outrage, saying:
“We are deeply disturbed that Israeli authorities have approved the detention of these three boys without charge or trial. Administrative detention must never be used as a substitute for criminal prosecution where there is insufficient evidence to obtain a conviction.”
“We believe this is unprecedented by Israeli authorities to put children from East Jerusalem under administrative detention. It’s part and parcel of the ideology and policies of Israeli authorities to suppress the Palestinian people who are living there.”
Abducted were Fadi Hasan Abassi, Kathem Mahmound Sbaih and Mohammad Saleh Ghaith (all aged 17). They’ve undergone brutal interrogations amounting to torture - accused without formal charges lodged of stone-throwing, accusations they deny, no evidence proving them. Automatic guilt by accusation for Palestinians suffices. The three youths are indefinitely detained. Israel can hold them interminably. if it wishes - uncharged and untried.
America’s $43 Million Afghan Gas Station
by Stephen Lendman
Remember earlier reports about $7,600 coffee makers, $640 toilet seats, $436 dollar hammers and numerous other US military items, including hugely overpriced weapons systems, some for ones never used or don’t work.
The Pentagon is a notorious sinkhole of waste, fraud and abuse. Trillions of dollars are unaccounted for. Oversight is entirely lacking. America’s war machine does what it pleases.
Since 1996, the Defense Department was never held accountable for over $8.5 trillion. Sweetheart deals, bribes and kickbacks are commonplace. So is routine over-billing.
DOD has a virtual blank check. Operations are rife with waste and fraud. Abuses go undiscovered for years, accountability entirely absent. Defense contractors cash in hugely - at taxpayers expense.
Exposed by Wikileaks: The US Empire According to Itself
Robert J. Burrowes
For many people, it is easier, safer and more comfortable to live in a world of delusion, particularly when this delusion requires no effort to seek out and understand truths that might prove unpalatable. If the delusion is one that is reinforced by the persistent promulgation of elite propaganda, then the idea of questioning the delusion might not even arise.
Since the publication of vast troves of official documents by Wikileaks, however, knowledge of deeper geopolitical realities has exited the select world of progressive academia, exemplified by scholars such as Noam Chomsky, with its enthusiastic but relatively limited audience in activist circles, to become more readily and widely available.
In the book 'The Wikileaks Files: The World According to US Empire' http://www.versobooks.com/books/1931-the-wikileaks-files which has just been published, we are taken on a journey to understand just how the world works if we read the 'top secret' correspondence of those who regard themselves as our masters. Following a thoughtful contextual introduction by Julian Assange, our journey is guided by eighteen first-rate scholars who carefully explain the significance of a range of Wikileaks-released documents in relation to the region of the world in which they specialize.
Deplorable Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Speeches
by Stephen Lendman
Rabin was a career Israeli warrior before serving twice as prime minister - from June 1974 to April 1977, then a second term from July 1992 until his November 4, 1995 assassination.
As Chief of General Staff, he was in charge of Israel’s June 1967 Six-Day War of aggression - premeditated, planned months in advance, falsely claimed to be fought in self-defense.
He may have ordered the June 8, 1967 USS Liberty attack - a clearly identified American intelligence gathering ship in international waters, killing 34 crew members, wounding 171 others, causing major vessel damage, failing to sink it as intended. Lyndon Johnson took no action against this heinous act.
Russia Beating America’s Dirty Game in Syria
by Stephen Lendman
Syria’s war isn’t civil. Obama launched it in March 2011 to accomplish what Washington achieved in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya - mass slaughter, vast destruction, utter chaos, unspeakable human misery, replacing their independent governments with US-installed puppets, and preventing democratic rule.
After over four-and-a-half years of conflict, Assad remains overwhelmingly popular, he’s still in office, and with Russian air power his military is on the offensive, regaining lost territory, slow-going but moving in the right direction. Wars aren’t won overnight, especially when the adversary is America, using ISIS and other takfiri terrorists as proxy foot soldiers, giving them air support, bombing Syrian infrastructure and other government targets.
Chilling Video Shows Israeli Soldier Assassinating a Wounded Palestinian
by Stephen Lendman
The self-styled world’s most moral army is a mobilized gang of assassins, ignoring fundamental rule of law principles, operating by their own exclusively, killing and brutalizing ruthlessly.
On October 31, the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) showed video evidence of an Israeli soldier assassinating 23-year-old Jabal Johar as he lay wounded, bleeding, helpless on the ground.
Two days before the incident, Amnesty International said “Israeli forces have carried out a series of unlawful killings of Palestinians using intentional lethal force without justification.”
NYT Editors Support US Hegemony over Chinese Waters
by Stephen Lendman
The Times is a voice of empire, ignoring international, constitutional and US statute laws, one-sidedly supporting America’s hegemonic aim for unchallenged global dominance - no matter the cost in endless carnage and human suffering.
On October 30, its editors headlined “America Challenges Beijing’s Ambitions in the South China Sea,” offensively saying US policy “consider(s) freedom of navigation a vital national interest,” ignoring the Pentagon saying its warships will enter Chinese waters freely - a dangerous provocation risking direct confrontation.
Russian Airliner Crash: Phony ISIS Claim of Responsibility
by Stephen Lendman
On October 31, Kolavia Metrojet (commercial airliner) Flight 7K9268 crashed 23 minutes after takeoff from Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, heading for St. Petersburg, Russia - killing all 217 passengers and seven crew members aboard, including 25 children.
News reports called the crash the worst aviation disaster in Russian history. Putin declared Sunday a day of mourning for its victims.
A criminal investigation began by searching operator Kogalymavia’s offices, checking for possible violations of Russian airliner safety standards. A separate investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash, most likely a technical failure. Russia’s Air Transport won’t speculate on what happened until more is known - including decoding the recovered black boxes, containing invaluable information.
Syria’s ‘Monument Citizens’ taking risks saving the future of our past
Franklin Lamb
Damascus
Increasing numbers of Syria’s women and men, considered by this observer as this war-torn country’s ‘Monument Citizens’ have recently expanded the scope and range of cultural heritage site protection and preservation on behalf of humanity.
In addition to documenting heritage site damage through 3-D photography at the scene, many reconstruction projects are also underway. A few have been nearly restored including in Lattakia al Mahalbeh Castle, in Old Homs, and nearby Crac des Chavaliers, the 11th Century Crusader Castle, al Khawabi Castle , Tartous, Al Omari Mosque, Bosra, Tell Mozan, Al Hassakeh and the Citadels of Salah ad-Din, Masyaf, and the Damascus Citadel to mention a few.
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