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Latin America: The Aborted Neo-Liberal Offensive
James Petras
Introduction
Pundits and commentators on the Left and Right are pronouncing ‘the end of the progressive cycle in Latin America’. They cite the recent presidential elections:
1. Argentina, where hard-right Mauricio Macri was elected;
2. Brazil, where President Dilma Rousseff has appointed a neo-liberal ‘Chicago Boy’ economist, Joaquin Levy, as Finance Minister and launched an IMF-style regressive structural adjustment policy designed to reduce social expenditures and attract financial speculators; and
3. Venezuela, where Washington channeled millions of dollars to far-right parties, as well as violent extra-parliamentary and paramilitary groups, to destabilize the center-left Maduro government; right-wing Democratic Unity Coalition (MUD) won the legislative elections in December 2015 with more than 2:1 margin over the Chavista Venezuelan United Socialist Party (PSUV).
Hyping Fear
by Stephen Lendman
Most people believe the hype and Big Lies government officials and media scoundrels tell them. Propaganda rages because it works.
It’s used to enlist support for policies harming public welfare and safety, including endless wars of aggression against invented enemies, as well as crackdowns on fundamental freedoms - eroding en route to disappearing altogether on the phony pretext of creating greater security. A previous article explained the chance of being struck by lightning is much greater than becoming a terrorist attack victim.
Death by auto accident, preventable diseases, violence at home by one family member against another, alcoholism or excessive use of harmful legal drugs is infinitely higher - facts ignored to hype fear of homeland terrorism.
US Airstrikes in Syria Killing Civilians, not ISIS Fighters
by Stephen Lendman
America has a notorious record of indiscriminately killing civilians in all its wars of aggression - from aerial attacks and ground operations, including special ops.
Since US warplanes began bombing Syrian infrastructure and government targets last year on the phony pretext of combating ISIS, nearly a thousand civilian deaths were reported, likely many more ignored or forgotten in the fog of war.
A September UN report alone said the US-led coalition’s continued “airstrikes against ISIL in Syria on a near-daily basis with reports of some 865 people killed, including 50 civilians, in Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Hasakeh, Idlib and Raqqa since strikes began” in September 2014.
Retired US Army Col. Douglas MacGregor called Washington’s campaign completely unsuccessful from the standpoint of destroying ISIS, but it’s an enormous success story for ISIS. It is actually helping the Sunni Islamists recruit new people - more than a thousand every month from across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
The Only Way to End Israel’s War on Palestine
by Stephen Lendman
The only way is through sustained, unrelenting, committed resistance, never quitting no matter how tough the struggle.
Palestinians will never be free without ending occupation harshness, along with finally holding Israel accountable for decades of high crimes.
Longterm persistence is vital. The cost in human lives, pain and suffering is small compared to permanent enslavement - slow death, endless persecution at the hands of a ruthless occupier, a monster devouring its victims. Key also is ending US military and other aid, billions of dollars annually, as well as the latest weapons and technology, American taxpayers funding a ruthless killing machine.
Venezuelan Opposition Fails to Win Super-Majority
by Stephen Lendman
In Sunday National Assembly elections, Chavismo suffered a humbling defeat - short of disaster. Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) fascists fell short of their goal.
On its web site, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) said MUD won 107 seats to the ruling socialist coalition Great Patriotic Pole’s (GPP) 55 - a 64.07% to 32.93 majority. Indigenous seats comprise another 1.80% of the 167 legislative body, its representatives elected solely by members of their communities.
Results for two remaining seats remain unreported as this is written - likely too close to call so perhaps recounts are being conducted before winning candidates are announced.
A previous article explained the following: A super-majority 112 or more seats would let MUD dismiss Supreme Court judges and enact constitutional changes, ending or greatly compromising social justice provisions.
Pentagon Blames Russia for Its Airstrikes on Syria’s Military
by Stephen Lendman
A previous article explained Syria’s Foreign Ministry reported US-led warplanes bombed its army camp in Deir ez Zor province - killing three soldiers, injuring 13 others, as well as destroying three armored vehicles, four military vehicles, an arms and ammunition depot, as well as 23mm and 14.5mm machine guns.
The Pentagon denied being caught red-handed in its latest attempt to push back on Russia’s effective intervention against ISIS and other terrorists groups in Syria.
It blamed Moscow for its provocative aggression. An unnamed Pentagon spokesman lied, claiming it’s “certain” a Russian warplane carried out the attack. “We’ve got a radar track showing a Backfire bomber flying directly over the town that the Syrians named a few minutes before the first claims that we killed some Syrian troops.”
Who knows what Washington has or doesn’t have. It’s “certain” it bore full responsibility for the incident. Russian airstrikes are directed solely against ISIS and other terrorist groups with pinpoint accuracy, shown by photographic evidence each time.
TRUMPeting Against Muslim Immigrants
by Stephen Lendman
Trump is one of 14 Republican presidential aspirants - fascist lunatics representing America’s dark side.
They’re in lockstep with their Democrat opponents, supporting endless wars of aggression, corporate interests over popular ones, Israel’s killing machine, and harsh crackdowns on nonbelievers.
It’s hard deciding who’s more over-the-top and dangerous to world peace than others. For sure, Trump is the most outrageously outspoken.
On Monday, he called for a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering America. With ideology this extreme, imagine the horrors he’ll unleash if elected president, a nightmare too extreme to tolerate.”
He’s more than dangerous. He’s hugely offensive, stupid and ideologically racist, saying “(i)t is obvious the hatred (among Muslims) is beyond comprehension.”
Ukraine’s Nazi Government Tries to Sell Stolen Art
Eric Zuesse
On December 7th, the Netherlands Times headlined “Ukrainian Secret Service Accused of Trading in Stolen Dutch Paintings,” and Janene Pieters reported that, "Members of the Ukrainian secret service SBU played a role in trying to trade the paintings stolen from the Westfries Museum in 2005, stolen art expert Arthur Brand revealed in the press conference about the stolen paintings in the museum on Monday. ... On Monday morning the museum announced that the 24 stolen paintings were traced to a Ukrainian militia, which is trying to sell them for a large amount of money. The museum called in Brand to help negotiate for the return of the paintings after attempts through the international police organization Interpol failed.” Both the thieves and the marketers are so highly placed that Interpol refuses to become involved. So: the Museum is appealing to the public for help.
Obama’s Oval Office Rant
by Stephen Lendman
Demagoguery and Big Lies mark Obama’s speeches and remarks. Nothing he says is credible.
On Sunday, his third Oval Office address since taking office in January 2009 was much like everything he says, reflecting his contempt for rule of law principles, fundamental freedoms and humanity.
He used the San Bernardino incident to hype a nonexistent terrorist threat. The only ones Americans need fear are state-sponsored.
He lied claiming US “(i)ntelligence and law enforcement agencies have disrupted countless plots here and overseas and worked around the clock to keep us safe.”Fact: Post-9/11, Washington declared war on Islam at home and abroad. One country after another was ravaged and destroyed.
Obama Hypes Nonexistent Homeland ISIS Terrorist Threat
by Stephen Lendman
Fear-mongering is longstanding US practice to enlist public support for imperial wars and crackdowns on fundamental freedoms.
Rogue states operate this way. Most people are fooled every time, Obama a world-class con man, a serial liar, hyping nonexistent threats.
A Friday FBI statement said it “will investigate (Wednesday’s) San Bernardino shootings as (a) terrorist act,” carried out by Syed Farook and his wife Tashfeed Malik, killed by police following the incident, unable to explain their motive.
FBI Director James Comey said “(t)his is now a federal terrorism investigation…(It) developed indications of radicalization by the killers and of the potential inspiration by foreign terrorist organizations” - despite no evidence linking them to an organized terrorist group.
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