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Trump’s Praise for Putin’s Moral High Ground Exposed Obama’s Vindictiveness
Stephen Lendman
In response to Obama’s new sanctions on Russia, illegal by any standard, Trump praised how Putin handled his action, tweeting “(g)reat move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart.”
A follow-up related tweet said “Russians are playing #CNN and @NBCNews for such fools…they don’t have a clue! @FoxNews totally gets it.”
Senior Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway called Obama’s new sanctions “a political response” at the behest of “Team Hillary,” aiming to “box in…Trump” because he favors improved relations with Russia, getting along with Putin, both leaders cooperating in combating terrorism - anathema to neocon infested Washington.
Obama’s 11th hour action in the waning days of his deplorable presidency was based on fabricated claims of Russian US election hacking.
Laurence Fink: The Trillion-Dollar Deadhead
: James Petras
“The secret of great fortunes without apparent cause is a crime forgotten, for it was properly done.” H. Balzac
Among the current crop of Wall Street financiers, Laurence “Larry” Fink has received the greatest number of awards and plaudits. He is the CEO and Chairman of Black Rock (BR), the world’s largest multinational investment management corporation. By 2016, BR had over $5 trillion dollars under management with over 12,000 employees in 70 offices in 30 countries serving clients in 100 countries.
Fink has dominated Wall Street. He holds more assets than his biggest established competitors, because he had the political power to direct the enormous Washington bailout of Wall Street in 2009. He helped shape Hillary Clinton’s emerging Treasury Department team and policies, anticipating her presidential victory. Under a President Hillary Clinton, Fink’s political control would have matched his global economic empire. According to the Economist, Aladdin, the BlackRock electronic subsidiary, monitors 7% of the world’s 225 trillion dollar financial assets.
In the mass media and among the economic elite, Fink is a genius, a self-made empire builder, who has succeeded because he picks the winners and dumps the losers. He is a life-long Democratic Party contributor, although he works with and through both parties and a variety of high ranking government officials and financial CEO’s.
As head of the most influential financial institution in the world, with institutional investors comprising over 65% of its assets, Laurence Fink controls the economic lives of many millions of pensioners, workers, employees and managers. Having risen to the pinnacle of financial power, he wields enormous political influence in shaping fundamental economic decisions. Fink’s economic empire is well-known: the financial elite and business publications are awed by his successes.
Obama Authorizes New Illegal Sanctions on Russia
Stephen Lendman
Imposition of sanctions is illegal without Security Council authorization. Countries imposing them unilaterally or complicit with other nations do so illegitimately.
Multiple rounds of US and EU sanctions on Russia have no legal standing. On December 20, a Treasury Department press release announced new ones on “seven individuals and eight entities under two Executive Orders…related to Russia and Ukraine, and identified two vessels as blocked property.”
The Treasury falsely accused Russia of occupying Crimea and continuing aggression in Ukraine, lied about US meeting its obligations under Minsk agreements, and absurdly claimed it acted to support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Thousands of US Communities with Lead-Poisoned Water
Stephen Lendman
A December 19 Reuters “Off the Charts” report said “examination of lead testing results across the country found almost 3,000 areas with poisoning rates far higher than in” Flint, MI.
“Yet many of these lead hotspots are receiving little attention or funding” - showing shocking contempt for the health and welfare of millions of Americans.
Lead poisoning isn’t confined to Flint. It’s not even one of the most dangerous US hot spots. According to information obtained by Reuters, “nearly 3,000 areas with recently recorded lead poisoning rates (have) at least double those in Flint during the peak of that city’s contamination crisis.”
Julian Assange on Hillary and Trump
Stephen Lendman
Assange is a political refugee, given asylum by Ecuador in its London embassy since 2012 - unable to leave because of fabricated rape charges, fearing arrest and extradition to America.
A sealed indictment disgracefully charges him with spying under the long ago outdated 1917 Espionage Act. He’s a conduit, not a spy, involved with others, publishing leaked material they’re given, what everyone deserves to know.
The same miscarriage of justice got Chelsea Manning imprisoned for 35 years for exposing US war crimes the Pentagon wants suppressed.
A petition urging Obama to commute her sentence to time served exceeded its goal of 100,000 signatures, my name among them.
Assange faces brutalizing treatment like Manning if extradited to America. In an interview with Italy’s la Repubblica broadsheet, he blasted Hillary, largely withheld judgment on Trump while expressing guarded hope for change.
A Stinging Moscow Christmas Message to Washington
Stephen Lendman
Russia admitted the futility of dealing with Obama and neocons infesting his regime, hoping for normalized bilateral relations once Trump takes over - mutual cooperation instead of current US hostility.
On Christmas eve, its Foreign Ministry blasted Obama as follows:
“The second in the past three days extension of US sanctions against Russia at a time when the bloody tragedies in Ankara and Berlin should rally all reasonable people in the fight against the terrorist threat is evidence that Washington has completely lost its grip on reality.”
Comment: Russia wants nothing more to do with Washington while Obama remains president - what should have happened long ago instead of wasting time on futile diplomacy accomplishing nothing positive.
Trump Sweeps 304 of 306 GOP Electors, Hillary Loses 5
Stephen Lendman
It’s all over but the postmortems. The campaign to dump Trump fizzled. The only surprise was Hillary losing five elector votes.
Commenting on why he rejected her, Hawaii Democrat elector said “(t)hey can call me faithless, but the point is if we don’t think someone’s qualified - and Hillary Clinton I do not feel is qualified.”
Four Washington state Democrat electors dumped her. Three others in Colorado, Maine and Minnesota unsuccessfully tried switching their votes from her.
For the first time in US history, more than one elector defected. Trump swept all GOP delegates except two in Texas. One voted for Ron Paul.
Obama Authorizes New Illegal Sanctions on Russia
Stephen Lendman
Imposition of sanctions is illegal without Security Council authorization. Countries imposing them unilaterally or complicit with other nations do so illegitimately.
Multiple rounds of US and EU sanctions on Russia have no legal standing. On December 20, a Treasury Department press release announced new ones on “seven individuals and eight entities under two Executive Orders…related to Russia and Ukraine, and identified two vessels as blocked property.”
The Treasury falsely accused Russia of occupying Crimea and continuing aggression in Ukraine, lied about US meeting its obligations under Minsk agreements, and absurdly claimed it acted to support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Moscow will respond asymmetrically at a time and way of its choosing. It has no idea what “next hostile moves” may be coming before Obama leaves office.
Thousands of US Communities with Lead-Poisoned Water
Stephen Lendman
A December 19 Reuters “Off the Charts” report said “examination of lead testing results across the country found almost 3,000 areas with poisoning rates far higher than in” Flint, MI.
“Yet many of these lead hotspots are receiving little attention or funding” - showing shocking contempt for the health and welfare of millions of Americans.
Lead poisoning isn’t confined to Flint. It’s not even one of the most dangerous US hot spots. According to information obtained by Reuters, “nearly 3,000 areas with recently recorded lead poisoning rates (have) at least double those in Flint during the peak of that city’s contamination crisis.”
“And more than 1,100 of these communities had a rate of elevated blood tests at least four times higher.”
Neocon John McCain Blames Putin and Assad for US War Crimes in Syria
Stephen Lendman
McCain is part of the neocon lunatic fringe infesting Washington, a criminal gang waging war on humanity.
Syria is one of many countries America raped, massacring hundreds of thousands, displacing millions, their well-being destroyed, victims of US imperial viciousness.
Aleppo’s liberation is just cause for celebratory joy everywhere among people supporting peace and stability worldwide.
In a neocon Washington Post op-ed, McCain called it a “tragedy,” saying the city “has fallen to regime forces of Bashar al-Assad.”
He recited a litany of Big Lies, portraying liberation from the scourge of US-supported terrorists as aggressive conquest - ignoring Obama’s war, waged for imperial dominance and exploitation, using imported ISIS and other takfiri terrorists as American foot soldiers.
He praised the al-Qaeda-linked, Soros supported, White Helmet butchers, shamelessly calling them “intrepid…rescue workers.”
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