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Washington and Brussels: Running in Reverse
James Petras
Washington and Brussels’ response to foreign affairs challenges, as they face their own political and economic disasters and decline, has been to impose economic sanctions, boycotts and issue increasingly reckless military threats against rival nations. The ruling and main opposition parties in the US and EU have taken over the major media, turning ‘news programs’ into propaganda campaigns promoting violent power grabs (‘regime change’) and self-defeating trade wars.
Washington’s belligerency amounts to merely pounding on empty oil drums on behalf of the US oil giants. Overt hostility prepares for trade wars, military confrontations and possible regional conflagrations . . . where the US and EU will likely face even greater defeats.
Economic warfare is designed to impoverish nations and create a pretext for sowing internal discord and sabotage, especially through buying political candidates, organizing street mobs and recruiting military vassals.
Tillerson Calls for Regime Change in Venezuela
Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)
In January, before his confirmation as secretary of state, Tillerson said he’d work with US Latin American allies to replace what he called the “incompetent and dysfunctional” (democratically elected) Maduro government.
“I would urge close cooperation with our friends in the hemisphere, particularly Venezuela’s neighbors Brazil and Colombia, as well as multilateral bodies such as the OAS, to seek a negotiated transition to (un)democratic rule in Venezuela,” he blustered.
He’s been hostile toward the country for years, earlier losing a World Bank arbitration battle over its nationalization of ExxonMobil assets when he was CEO, the company at the time offered fair compensation.
He called for working with OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro, “invoking the Inter-American Democratic Charter to promote the normalization of the situation in Venezuela and restore (pre-Bolivarian) (un)democratic institutions.”
Trump Signs Controversial Sanctions Bill
Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)
On August 2, a White House statement by Trump on signing the “Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364),” illegally imposing sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, said the following:
“I favor tough measures to punish and deter bad behavior by the rogue regimes in Tehran and Pyongyang.”
“I also support making clear that America will not tolerate interference in our democratic process, and that we will side with our allies and friends against Russian subversion and destabilization.”
“That is why, since taking office, I have enacted tough new sanctions on Iran and North Korea, and shored up existing sanctions on Russia.”
In signing the measure, he called it “significantly flawed,” including “clearly unconstitutional provisions,” encroaching on presidential authority to negotiate, “driv(ing) China, Russia and North Korea much closer together,” along with antagonizing EU allies.
Tony Blair an Unindicted War Criminal
Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)
Britain is complicit in virtually all US wars of aggression, a special partnership in high crimes.
In July 2002, the notorious “Downing Street memo” was leaked, later publicly revealed, its authenticity never challenged.
Secret Washington/UK collusion was exposed. So-called intelligence claiming justification for war on Iraq was cooked to fit already agreed on policy.
Smoking gun evidence proved it. Bush, Blair and others around them lied. They falsified evidence for war on Iraq. So-called WMDs didn’t exist.
Then Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz later was asked why fictitious WMDs became a casus belli. “It was the only thing we could all agree on,” he said.
Blair’s so-called 2003 “Dodgy Dossier” included more incriminating evidence. Dr. David Kelly’s death followed proof he revealed about sexing up the document to justify unjustifiable war on Iraq.
Venezuela’s Constituent Assembly Elections
Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)
On Sunday, Venezuelans elected 545 Constituent Assembly members - tasked with revising or rewriting the nation’s constitution.
The aim is restoring order after months of street violence - a US-orchestrated plot to replace Venezuelan democracy with fascist tyranny, complicit with internal dark forces, wanting the country returned to its bad old days, destroying Bolivarian social justice in the process.
According to National Electoral Council President Tibisay Lucena, turnout was 41.53% - 8,089,320 Venezuelans voting, many more than pre-election estimates. Opposition elements called for boycotting the election.
Global Polling: Which Nations Are Happiest? Unhappiest?
Eric Zuesse
Results have recently been published from surveys of 68,759 people in 69 countries around the world during 2016 by WIN/Gallup International, which organization had asked each of these scientifically sampled persons:
“In general, do you personally feel very happy, happy, neither happy nor unhappy, unhappy, or very unhappy about your life?”
The resulting raw percentages were posted online at "WIN/Gallup International’s 40th Annual Global End of Year Survey”, but the nations weren’t ranked there; W/G’s report is more like a data-dump than like a report.
So, based upon their numbers, I have here actually ranked the 69 nations, from the happiest, to the unhappiest, according to WIN/Gallup’s own calculations of “Net happiness,” which are their study’s bottom-line figures for each nation. WIN/Gallup says that “Net happiness (happy minus unhappy) globally is +59%,” and this indicates that the world’s average person is happy with his/her life, but not very happy with it. That’s good performance, but not terrific, worldwide.
Russia Irresponsibly Blamed for Everything
Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)
Sino/Russian unity is a vital deterrent to America’s rage for global dominance.
The world community should join them in opposing US imperial madness, confronting it responsibly. Humanity’s survival depends on it.
According to the neocon/CIA-connected Washington Post, Vladimir Putin is on a collision course with Washington, irresponsibly blaming him for launching a new Cold War.
Trump Illegally Sanctions Venezuela’s President
Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)
Washington consistently and illegally meddles in the internal affairs of other countries - a flagrant international law violation.
On Monday, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) unjustifiably sanctioned democratically elected Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro - following Sunday’s constitutionally permitted Constituent Assembly elections.
Elected members are tasked with revising or rewriting the nation’s constitution, aiming to promote dialogue and restore order - above all serving all Venezuelans equitably, a notion Washington fundamentally opposes.
Assad on Syria’s Struggle Against Western Imperialism
Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)
Endless war in Syria is all about US-led aggression, Assad the target, regime change the objective.
Partnered with its rogue allies, Washington wants pro-Western puppet governance replacing Syrian sovereign independence, what the imperial conflict is all about.
There’s nothing civil about it. Syria was invaded by US-supported ISIS and other terrorist groups. Endless conflict continues because America wants war, not peace.
Russia’s September 2015 intervention at the request of Assad was an important turning point, changing the dynamic on the ground, saving Syria from certain defeat, partitioning, and greater harm to its people than already.
Senate Rejects Scaled Down Obamacare Repeal
Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)
Overnight Thursday, GOP Senators failed to repeal parts of Obamacare (ACA) - a cynical scheme to get something passed, conference with House leaders to agree on weakening ACA, a step toward repealing and replacing it.
The measure was defeated by a 51 - 49 margin. Provisions of so-called “skinny” legislation included:
Repealing the individual and employer mandates Suspending Obamacare’s tax on medical devices for three years
Defunding Planned Parenthood for a year
No longer requiring healthcare plans to include maternity care, prescription drugs and other minimum benefits
Expanding tax-sheltered health savings accounts, largely benefitting high-net-worth households
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