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The perfect storm in Turkey - corruption, conflict, conspiracy
Michael Collins
The Republic of Turkey is consumed by intense conflict, conspiracy charges, and underlying financial problems that simply won't go away. A perfect storm is brewing in Turkey. (Image-summer protests, Turkey)
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government and supporters are charged with a secret gold-for-oil deal with Iran. The deal, in violation of trade sanctions against Iran, enriched the PM's ministers and other key supporters involved (including the PM's son), according to prosecutors. The deal also involved misreporting billions of dollars in trade, which, in turn, resulted in Turkey overstating national income and understating its current account deficit.
A more ominous charge focuses on Erdogan's open support of a wealthy Saudi known for funding al Qaeda and the PM's alleged support of Al Qaeda fighters engaged against the Syrian government. Just today, we saw this headline: Turkish governor blocks police search on Syria-bound truck reportedly carrying weapons . Erdogan is a strong supporter of the Syrian rebels, assumed recipients of the weapons.
Military Madness, The TPP and The Empire
By Timothy Gatto
I spent almost 21 years in the military so it should be no surprise when I tell you that I still spend a lot of time thinking about it. What is surprising however, is that I generally have a negative view of the military, from the time I spent in it, and all that has happened since I left. It is really hard for me to adequately express my opinions about the military to people that have never served in the military and it is just as difficult to express my views to someone that did serve.
Why would I want to write about it then? It is probably because the military has been such a large part of my life, and because it is an exceptional reflection of our nation's dysfunctional political system and also our morally bankrupt foreign policy. I would like to start by examining the American people's view of the military.
Vladimir Vladimirovich and the Grey Lady
by Robert Bonomo
Bill Keller, editorialist for The NY Times and former executive editor of the paper, has recently penned a strong attack on Vladimir Putin arguing that Putin’s leadership “deliberately distances Russia from the socially and culturally liberal West”, describing the Kremlin’s policies as “laws giving official sanction to the terrorizing of gays and lesbians, the jailing of members of a punk protest group for offenses against the Russian Orthodox Church, the demonizing of Western-backed pro-democracy organizations as ‘foreign agents’, expansive new laws on treason, limits on foreign adoptions.”
Lynne Stewart Arrives Home
by Stephen Lendman
She's free at last. On New Year's day, she arrived at LaGuardia Airport. Deliverance took much too long. She's back where she belongs. She's home with loved ones, friends and supporters.
"It's just really wonderful," she said after being released. "I'm very grateful to be free. We've been waiting months and months and months."
"It's a great way to start the new year," said her husband Ralph Poynter.
She's a dedicated human rights activist. She'll work for the rights of other political prisoners. Many remain unjustly confined longterm in parallel universe hell.
Will Lebanon survive 2014? Should it?
Franklin Lamb
Beirut
Another week, another terrorist bombing. It’s beginning to look a lot like that here in Lebanon these days. Another apparent suicide bomber detonated a car rigged with explosives in the southern suburbs yesterday killing at least five people and injuring at least 77. The health ministry released a statement just a short while ago reporting that an additional 67 people were treated in hospitals for wounds and released, while 10 people remained hospitalized with more severe injuries.
Many who thought their team and its local and international supporters were invincible appear to be rethinking recent events. More are realizing that their enemies are also skilled and fearless fighters and not at all afraid to die for their religion, or related causes, and may well be growing in number as they view the results of their handiwork.
Peace Process Hypocrisy Continues
by Stephen Lendman
On January 2, John Kerry arrived in Israel. It's his 10th visit since becoming Secretary of State. He's manipulating sham peace talks.
He's doing it disgracefully. He's Israel's man in Washington. He operated the same way throughout his Senate tenure.
His conflict resolution plan is one-sided. It favors Israel. It deplores peace. So does Netanyahu. Multiple rounds of talks for years produced nothing.
Israeli settlement expansions continue. Around 1,400 new units will be announced. Netanyahu delayed doing it until Kerry returns home.
Palestinians never had a legitimate peace partner. They have none now. Longtime Israeli collaborators represent them.
Jewish War Against Christmas
By Dr. Elias Akleh
Celebrating this Christmas the majority of Christians are not aware that there is a 2013-years-old brutal Judaic war against Christmas, and against all that it represents. Christianity is a total contradiction to Judaism and to the Jewish way of life. Judaism, in its present form, is a racist, elitist, supremacist, chauvinist, discriminative, vengeful, intolerant, militarily genocidal, colonialist, enslaving, criminal, hate ideology, while Christianity is a religion of love, peace, equality, forgiveness, and compassion. Christianity is the nullification of Judaism.
Judaism is extremely anti-Christian. Jewish war against Christianity has been the longest religious war ever; extending a period of two millennia and is still going on. Jesus Christ, himself, was the first victim of this war. Jewish Sanhedrin (high court) sentenced him to death and had crucified him. Yet his teachings had spread all over the world and had been adopted as the official religion of many states.
NSA's Top Hacking Unit
by Stephen Lendman
On December 29, Der Spiegel headlined "Inside TAO: Documents Reveal Top NSA Hacking Unit."
It's "considered to be (its) top secret weapon." Its covert network "infiltrates computers around the world and even intercepts shipping deliveries to plant back doors in electronics ordered by" whomever it targets.
More on this below. Snowden documents remain the gift that keeps on giving. Doing so made him a world hero. Washington calls exposing wrongdoing illegal. Lawlessness is official US policy.
Since 1993, Britain's Channel 4 broadcast an alternative Christmas message. It's an antidote to Queen Elizabeth's Royal Christmas Message.
In 1932, King George began them on radio. In 1957, Queen Elizabeth delivered the first televised broadcast. It's typical royal mumbo jumbo. Why Brits tune in they'll have to explain.
Snowden's comments are important. Orwell's warnings "are nothing compared to what we have available today," he said.
"We have sensors in our pockets that track us everywhere we go. Think about what this means for the privacy of the average person."
Terrorist Crimes Against Humanity
by Stephen Lendman
Last Sunday and Monday, Volgograd, Russia was struck twice on successive days. Suicide bombings targeted its main train station and a crowded trolly bus during morning rush hour. At least 34 died. Dozens more were injured.
Vladimir Putin broke with tradition. He delivered two New Year's eve speeches. One was in Kamchatka, Chukotka and Magadan region.
Khabarovsk was next. He addressed victims of Far East flooding. Around 40,000 people were affected. Many lost everything.
He directed Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee to increase security nationwide. He stressed doing it in Volgograd and surrounding areas.
He vowed to battle terrorists. To their "total annihilation," he said. "In the past year, we have faced problems and serious challenges, including the inhuman terror attacks in Volgograd and unprecedented disasters in the Far East."
Major Social Transformation Is a Lot Closer Than You May Realize -- How Do We Finish the Job?
By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers
It starts with winning over the hearts and minds of the American people.
The current social movement that exploded onto the national scene with the 2011 Occupy Movement is following the path of successful movements so far. The social movement in 2014 is poised to begin an exciting era of broadening and deepening the growing consensus for social and economic justice.
This week, our article for the end of 2013 focuses on where we are, i.e. at what stage of the progression of social movements do we find ourselves; and broadly outlines the next steps. Next week, our article for the new year will look more specifically at the tasks ahead for the movement in 2014 and beyond.
Successful people-powered movements follow a similar arc of development. The best description comes from Bill Moyer’s The Movement Action Plan: A Strategic Framework Describing TheEight Stages of Successful Social Movements. We believe this is essential reading for activists and include a link to it on the strategy page on Popular Resistance. Moyer expanded this 1987 article into, Doing Democracy, a book published in 2001, a year before he died. You can see a video of Bill Moyer’s last public presentation where he summarized the insights of his lifetime about how social movements grow and succeed, and about his vision of a new culture emerging through the cracks of a declining empire.
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