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Obama Plans Full-Scale War on Syria
by Stephen Lendman
He exceeds the worst of George Bush. He's currently waging multiple direct and proxy wars. He's insatiable.
He's a war criminal multiple times over. He's got lots more killing and destruction in mind. His agenda prioritizes war on humanity. He lusts for conquest.
He wants unchallenged US dominance. Millions of lost lives don't matter. They're a small price to pay. He's got lots to answer for.
Survival's up for grabs on his watch. Dismissive Americans don't understand. Perhaps they don't care. They're letting him get away with mass murder.
Daniel McGowan: Victimized by US Injustice
by Stephen Lendman
He's an environmental/animal rights activist. A previous article discussed him. He was victimized by "green scare."
It refers to legal and extralegal government actions against animal liberation and environmental activists.
In October 2001, the USA Patriot Act created the federal crime of "domestic terrorism." It applies to US citizens and aliens.
It was used against McGowan. It was done disgracefully. He's no terrorist. He was unjustly charged with multiple criminal counts. They included:
"unlawfully and willfully caus(ing) and aid(ing), abett(ing), counsel(ing), command(ing), induc(ing), and procur(ing) the malicious damaging and destroying, by means of fire and an explosive, of a building and other real and personal property used in interstate commerce and used in activities affecting interstate commerce, namely, a building and its contents located at Superior Lumber Company (Oregon)."
Snowden Wins Whistleblower Award
by Stephen Lendman
In America, he's a wanted man. He's a fugitive. He's a world hero. He connected the dots for millions. He told people what they need to know.
Doing the right thing is its own reward. Transparency International Germany gave him its Whistleblower Award. He's "(t)his year's winner," it said.
In 1999, it was established. It's sponsored by the Association of German Scientists (VDW) and the German branch of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA).
He'll receive 3,300 euros (about $4,400). He's seeking Russian asylum. Since June 23, he's been in Moscow limbo. He's living in Sheremetyevo Airport's transit zone.
He awaits provisional documents to enter Russia. They're expected soon. Perhaps today. He'll be allowed to travel freely.
PROLOGUES: Conversations on the Arts, Politics and Science Between a Russian and an American (Honored Guests Included!)
Part One
With Gary Corseri and Victor Postnikov
Corseri: Hello Victor. …I believe it is about 1 month since our last electronic exchanges. Much has happened!
Referring to your note about the Russian/American anthology of poetry that looms ahead for you... and, especially, your comment that "the poets of both cultures should be conversing with one another," and certainly not forgetting your comment that you would be "delighted" if we were to work on such a project together (as I would be), I want to run a certain idea past you now.
In the past couple of weeks, tensions between the US and Russia have been much in the news here--first, concerning divergent approaches and alliances regarding Syria, the G-8 meeting, etc. Following that, even more news of tensions relating to the spying case of Edward Snowden, statements made by Obama and Kerry here and Putin and Lavrov there.
Brazil: Extractive Capitalism and the Great Leap Backward
James Petras
Introduction
Brazil has witnessed one of the world’s most striking socio-economic reversals in modern history: from a dynamic nationalist industrializing to a primary export economy. Between the mid 1930’s to the mid 1980’s, Brazil averaged nearly 10% growth in its manufacturing sector largely based on state interventionist policies, subsidizing, protecting and regulating the growth of national public and private enterprises. Changes in the ‘balance’ between national and foreign (imperial) capital began to take place following the military coup of 1964 and accelerated after the return of electoral politics in the mid-1980’s. The election of neo-liberal politicians, especially with the election of the Cardoso regime in the mid-1990’s, had a devastating impact on the strategic sectors of the national economy: wholesale privatization was accompanied by the denationalization of the commanding heights of the economy and the deregulation of capital markets.[1] Cardoso’s regime set the stage for the massive flow of foreign capital into the agro-mineral, finance, insurance and real estate sectors. The rise in interest rates as demanded by the IMF and World Bank and the speculative market in real estate raised the costs of industrial production. Cardoso’s lowered tariffs ended industrial subsidies and opened the door to industrial imports. These neo-liberal policies led to the relative and absolute decline of industrial production.[2]
Caving to White House Pressure... Livni Squeals, Kerry Deals and the EU Picks Up the Tab
by FRANKLIN LAMB
Beirut.
It was reportedly a hectic and intense past weekend in Washington and London according to an emailed report from a Capitol Hill source, as the Obama and Cameron administrations tracked down and button-holed the leaders of the 28 European Union delegations gathering in Brussels to finally vote on whether Hezbollah’s ‘military wing’ should be sanctioned, by labeling it a “terrorist” organization. Several conversations took peace between Israel’s Tzipi Livni and the US State Department.
As of last Thursday (7/18/13) the project was by no means a done deal and only 17 EU members could be counted on “to do the right thing “as this observers contact explained. So 11 votes had to me nailed down fast and less than an hour before the EU vote, the last two EU hold-outs reluctantly went along.
Appalling Israeli Gulag Prison Conditions
by Stephen Lendman
Israel's gulag is one of the world's worst. On July 9, 16 human rights organizations headlined "RE: European Parliament Fact-Finding Mission on Palestinian Political Prisoners." They include:
Addameer Prisoners’ Support and Human Rights Association
Aldameer Association for Human Rights
Al Haq
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
Arab Association for Human Rights
Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minorities in Israel
Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights
Israel Terrorizes 5-Year-Old Palestinian Boy
by Stephen Lendman
Societies are perhaps best judged by how they treat prisoners, the elderly, their most disadvantaged and children.
Israel fails on all counts. On July 9, perhaps it reached a new low. Seven IDF soldiers and an officer terrorized a 5-year old boy. They threatened him and his parents.
They handcuffed and blindfolded his father. They handed the boy over to police. They wrongfully accused him of stone-throwing. Many other children face similar charges.
Guilt by accusation is policy. Justice is a four-letter word. Fines, detention or longer-term imprisonment follow. More on the latest incident below.
Defence for Children International (DCI)/Palestine "is a national section of the international non-government child rights organisation and movement."It "promot(es) and protect(s) the rights of Palestinian children." It does so according to international law principles. Each year, about 700 West Bank children are arrested, detained, interrogated, terrorized, and prosecuted in Israeli military courts. DCI lawyers represent 30 - 40% of them.
They're treated like adults. According to DCI, Israel operates "almost completely devoid of international scrutiny.
Collateral Damage: QE3 and the Shadow Banking System
by Ellen Brown
Rather than expanding the money supply, quantitative easing (QE) has actually caused it to shrink by sucking up the collateral needed by the shadow banking system to create credit. The “failure” of QE has prompted the Bank for International Settlements to urge the Fed to shirk its mandate to pursue full employment, but the sort of QE that could fulfill that mandate has not yet been tried.
Ben Bernanke’s May 29th speech signaling the beginning of the end of QE3 provoked a “taper tantrum” that wiped about $3 trillion from global equity markets – this from the mere suggestion that the Fed would moderate its pace of asset purchases, and that if the economy continues to improve, it might stop QE3 altogether by mid-2014. The Fed is currently buying $85 billion in US Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities per month.
The Fed Chairman then went into damage control mode, assuring investors that the central bank would “continue to implement highly accommodative monetary policy” (meaning interest rates would not change) and that tapering was contingent on conditions that look unlikely this year. The only thing now likely to be tapered in 2013 is the Fed’s growth forecast.
More Evidence of Fake Israeli/Palestinian Peace Talks
by Stephen Lendman
There's plenty already. More builds a stronger case. Previous articles explained. Israeli/Palestinian peace talks were stillborn from inception. They began decades ago. This time's no different.
Managed news misinformation substitutes for truth and full disclosure. Facts trump propaganda. Palestinians are on their own. Their legitimate government's excluded from talks.
Imagine holding them with one side denied participation. Imagine a sham process. It's planned. It's baked in the cake. The outcome's predictable. Failure and betrayal define it.
Israeli hardliners run things. They deplore peace and stability. They won't tolerate it. Netanyahu plans to prevent it. Doing so advances Israel's agenda.
It prioritizes greater Middle East control. It includes expanded territories. It involves continued militarized occupation. It means no peace for our time.
Netanyahu's using stealth tactics. He wants a national referendum. He's expediting legislation. He wants Israelis deciding up or down on what affects Palestinians.
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