eraclito

viernes, 28 de julio de 2017

Watch: New Documentary Reveals Horrors Of Modern Day Slave Trade

In this two part series on the US/Philippines human trafficking epidemic, Abby Martin
recalls the history of the colonization of the Philippines and how it
has led to a dramatic rise in human trafficking of Philippine workers.

A security guard talks to imprisoned slaves inside a cell at the compound of a fishing company in Benjina, Indonesia.

Palestinian dies as Israel restricts al-Aqsa access | News | Al Jazeera

Israeli police announced for the second week running that men under the
age of 50 would be barred from al-Aqsa on Friday - when thousands of
Muslims typically flock to the site for
weekly prayers. Last night, Israeli forces stormed Al Aqsa mosque
compound firing steel-coated rubber bullets, teargas, and sound bombs
injuring more than 130 peaceful worshippers.

Nearly two weeks of civil disobedience have gripped the Palestinian territories [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]

Grenfell council 'may have committed corporate manslaughter' – Met police | UK news | The Guardian

Jonathan Cook, journalist

Guardian headline:

"Met says Grenfell Tower council 'may have committed corporate manslaughter'"

The reality (buried deep in the story):

"Anyone found guilty is liable to a fine, not imprisonment. ...

"[The police letter] says the 2007 act does not give detectives the
power to arrest any individual from the organisations under suspicion.
...

"There [has] never been a successful prosecution for corporate manslaughter. ...

"Joe Delany, who lives in a block adjoining the tower and has worked
with the Grenfell Action Group, said: ' ... it’s one thing to announce
this investigation is going on – which is totally different from a
prosecution being brought, which is completely different to a conviction
being achieved.'"

The interior of one of the flats in Grenfell Tower.
Photograph: Declan Wilkes/PA

Which Do You Trust: CNN, Or TASS?

CNN and Tass disagree on a lot that they report, and the current example
is representative of their disagreements, showing the typical
differences between CNN and Tass, even if not necessarily differences
between the two nations’ governments — though maybe that too.

CNN
has become a propaganda instrument in a US misinformation campaign
about Russia’s alleged weapons supplies to the Taliban in Afghanistan,
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.

What if Trump Ordered a Nuclear Strike on China? I’d Comply, Says Admiral - The New York Times

HONG KONG — The commander of the United States Pacific Fleet was asked a hypothetical question during a talk on Thursday in Australia: If President Trump ordered a nuclear strike on China, would he comply?

“The answer would be yes,” the commander, Adm. Scott H. Swift, replied.

Admiral Swift, who was speaking at Australian National University in Canberra, said his answer was a reflection of the principle of civilian control over the military.

“Every
member of the U.S. military has sworn an oath to defend the
Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and
domestic and to obey the officers and the president of the United States
as the commander in chief appointed over us,” he said.

Adm. Scott H. Swift, the
commander of the United States Pacific Fleet, aboard the aircraft
carrier Ronald Reagan in Brisbane, Australia, on Tuesday. He answered
questions at Australian National University in Canberra on Thursday.

Credit
Darren England/AAP, via Reuters

Global Condemnation for Turkey's Detention of Innocent Digital Security Trainers | Electronic Frontier Foundation

Along with human rights defenders, digital security trainers are still jailed in Turkey despite global condemnation.

Benjamin Netanyahu threatens to expel al-Jazeera from Israel | World news | The Guardian

“The al-Jazeera network continues to stir violence around the Temple
Mount,” Netanyahu wrote on his Facebook page in Hebrew. “I have spoken
several times to law-enforcement
authorities demanding the closure of al-Jazeera’s offices in Jerusalem.
If this does not happen because of legal interpretation, I will work to
enact the required legislation to expel al-Jazeera from Israel,” the
Israeli leader added.

An Israeli border policeman holds a stun grenade in his hand while
Palestinian teenagers pray in the street near an entrance to the al Aqsa
mosque in Jerusalem.
Photograph: Peter Beaumont for the Guardian

Amid Mounting Tenions, Israeli Settlers Storm al-Aqsa Mosque In Jerusalem

Since Friday, five Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces
across Jerusalem and the West Bank in some of the worst street violence
in the occupied territories for years.

Israeli settlers inside al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. (Photo: Silwanic)

The World's Largest Humanitarian Crisis Is Basically Being Blacked Out by Western Media | Alternet

The United States of America was founded on genocide, and it appears that old habits die hard. http://www.alternet.org/…/yemen-worlds-largest-humanitarian…

Air strike on Sana'a in May 2015
Photo Credit: Ibrahem Qasim/Wikipedia

Shock: Intelligence community veterans release report showing Russia DID NOT hack the DNC

HUGE: DNC hack was carried out by INSIDE source, with Russian “evidence” inserted after the fact!
https://www.intellihub.com/intelligence-community-veterans…/

Europe is a scapegoat in the US sanctions war against Russia | OrientalReview.org

The US Congress has eventually passed the Countering America’s
Adversaries Through Sanctions Act by a nearly unanimous vote. In case
you were wondering, the deadly
adversaries of the United States are currently: ayatollahs; a baby-faced
dictator; and ... Russia. One section of the bill that pertains to
Russia is titled Countering Russian Influence (!) in Europe and Eurasia…
[ 610 more words ]

https://orientalreview.org/…/europe-scapegoat-us-sanctions…/

jueves, 27 de julio de 2017

Is the US Trying to Start a Hot War with Russia? | New Eastern Outlook

Another day, another major escalation of tensions caused by US actions.
The recent downing of a Syrian jet by a US F-18 Super Hornet, is just
the latest instalment in a series of US
provocations in Syria since Donald Trump took office in January. The
‘non-interventionist’ Commander-in-Chief has continued and expanded the
wars launched by previous US leaders, as Trump has essentially given the
military carte blanche to do whatever it wants.

Get Out of Afghanistan and Go Home

The disastrous Trump has no knowledge of military strategy or
international politics, or very much else, but even he must be able to
understand that the war in Afghanistan
is unwinnable by the forces of the corrupt, incompetent Kabul government
backed by the hated foreigners whose fifteen years of interference have
been a disaster, writes Brian Cloughley.

NATO’s New Libya Still Burning | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

In essence, NATO overthrew a unifying government in Libya, placed entire
regions of the fractured nation under the control of terrorist
organizations and opposing militant groups, and allowed the nation to
slid into chaos ever since.

The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity : The Atlantic Council: Experts on the Front Line of Disinformation

The Atlantic Council is funded by US and allied governments, along with
leaders in the military-industrial complex. Ukrainian interests also
provide the cash. Where does it go? To
lavishly fund propagandists like Michael Weiss and Eliot Higgins (and
Dmitri Alperovitch, whose company, Crowdstrike, "discovered" that the
Russians "hacked" the DNC). The purpose of the propaganda? To scare
Americans and others into supporting a new Cold War with Russia. War
propaganda pays well.

The hidden costs of “national security”, by William D. Hartung (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, July 2017)

‘You wouldn’t know it, based on the endless cries for more money coming
from the military, politicians, and the president, but these are the
best of times for the Pentagon. Spending
on the Department of Defense alone is already well in excess of half a
trillion dollars a year and counting. There are hundreds of billions of
dollars in “defense” spending that aren’t even counted in the Pentagon
budget.’

In Jerusalem, Palestinian Quest For Justice Never Fades

Jewish Voice for Peace

"Yet
today, somehow in the midst of this inferno engulfing Jerusalem, a
communal solidarity and support that cannot be fully captured in words
or photographs is on the rise. The youth
of different backgrounds, socio-economic class, and political
affiliation are standing shoulder to shoulder in the streets, women
confronting by any means available and the elderly holding their grounds
in Jerusalem while youth protest in other Palestinian cities. This is
all culminating through prayer. You hear it as it echoes in the
alleyways, above the sound of tear gas canisters, sound bombs, and
Israeli forces shouting. It is at once, moving and heartbreaking."

Mariam Barghouti

Mosul’s Bloodbath: ‘We Killed Everyone – Daesh, Men, Women, Children’ | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

Iraqi soldiers receive brutal, final order in last days of battle with
IS - Kill anything that moves. Results can be found crushed in the
rubble

Biological Annihilation on Earth Accelerating - TruePublica

In a recently published scientific study ‘Biological annihilation via the ongoing sixth mass extinction signaled by vertebrate population losses and declines’ the authors Gerardo Ceballos, Paul R. Ehrlich and Rodolfo Dirzo document the accelerating nature of this problem.

‘Earth’s sixth mass extinction is
more severe than perceived when looking exclusively at species
extinctions…. That conclusion is based on analyses of the numbers and
degrees of range contraction … using a sample of 27,600 vertebrate
species, and on a more detailed analysis documenting the population
extinctions between 1900 and 2015 in 177 mammal species.’ Their research
found that the rate of population loss in terrestrial vertebrates is
‘extremely high’ – even in ‘species of low concern’.

In their sample, comprising nearly
half of known vertebrate species, 32% (8,851 out of 27,600) are
decreasing; that is, they have decreased in population size and range.
In the 177 mammals for which they had detailed data, all had lost 30% or
more of their geographic ranges and more than 40% of the species had
experienced severe population declines. Their data revealed that ‘beyond
global species extinctions Earth is experiencing a huge episode of
population declines and extirpations, which will have negative cascading
consequences on ecosystem functioning and services vital to sustaining
civilization. We describe this as a “biological annihilation” to
highlight the current magnitude of Earth’s ongoing sixth major
extinction event.’

By Robert J. Burrowes: Human
beings are now waging war against life itself as we continue to destroy
not just individual lives, local populations and entire species in vast
numbers but also destroy the ecological systems that make life on Earth
possible. By doing this we are
now accelerating the sixth mass extinction event in Earth’s history and
virtually eliminating any prospect of human survival.

L’Europe en retard d’une guerre industrielle, par Jean-Michel Quatrepoint (Le Monde diplomatique, juin 2017)

À Washington, le Congrès a voté le renforcement des sanctions contre la
Russie et, dans une moindre mesure, contre l’Iran. Cette décision
américaine, prise unilatéralement, ne
s’imposera pas moins aux entreprises européennes, en vertu de
l’extraterritorialité de la loi américaine. En juin dernier, Jean-Michel
Quatrepoint analysait les mécanismes conduisant à ce chantage et
pointait du doigt les myopies européenne et française.

Greece: A (Basket) Case Study In Savage Globalization

As Greeks look inward, they see a country that produces nothing of value
and is inferior to the rest of the world - despite evidence to the
contrary. The country has been mentally colonized, with outside powers
convincing the Greeks that they can do no better.

SPAIN AGAINST THE CATALONIA NATION --- Spanish police 'violating rights' of government officials in interrogations, Catalan executive warns

Spanish police 'violating rights' of government officials in interrogations, Catalan executive warns

The Catalan Government has accused the Spanish Guardia Civil of
"violating rights" of high-ranking officials during a series of
interviews related to the October 1 independence referendum ➡ https://goo.gl/3Mz7H6

Will the CIA Obey a Trump Order to Stop Funding Terrorists? | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

We are in a critical period where the enemies of Syria, including the
CIA, may create a false flag incident to provoke and justify a direct
intervention by the US, France, and
others. Even if that does not happen, the pro-war elites clearly hope to
use Kurdish forces to split off eastern Syria and install a puppet
government.

Was the “Russian Hack” an Inside Job? Intelligence Vets Challenge the Forensic “Evidence” | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

Forensic studies of “Russian hacking” into Democratic National Committee
computers last year reveal that on July 5, 2016, data was leaked (not
hacked) by a person with physical access to DNC computers, and then
doctored to incriminate Russia.

Director
of National Intelligence James Clapper (right) talks with President
Barack Obama in the Oval Office, with John Brennan and other national
security aides present. (Photo credit: Office of Director of National
Intelligence)

America’s “Train and Equip” Program in Syria: When Was Financing Actually Stopped? | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

It follows from the same 2015 article, citing documents obtained from
none other than Edward Snowden, that “at $1 billion, Syria-related
operations account for about $1 of every
$15 in the CIA’s overall budget”. Incidentally, at a ratio of 1:15,
CNN, of course coupled with the usual anti-Russian overtones, described
the funding of the “CIA program in Syria” as “small”.

Iraq Military’s Human Rights Abuses Draw Few US Complaints

The US is staying dangerously silent.

Rabbis protesting Israel restriction on Al-Aqsa [Rabbi Weiss] - YouTube

Neturei Karta International

Rabbis protesting Israel restriction on Al-Aqsa [Rabbi Weiss]

On July 24, 2017 Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss from Neturei Karta International speaking during a demonstration
in front of the United Nations in New York City. The demonstration took
place during a Security Council meeting regarding recent Israeli
restrictions on the Temple Mount [Al-Aqsa] which has caused escalation
of violence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB0xRnG_BOs - #SaveAlAqsa

Le leurre des 99 %, par Serge Halimi (Le Monde diplomatique, août 2017)

À 100 °C, l’eau bout, c’est certain. Mais mieux vaut ne pas attendre que
la vie des sociétés se plie aux lois de la physique. Certes, 1% de la
population s’attribue la majorité des
richesses produites sur Terre ; cela ne fait pas pour autant des 99 %
qui restent un groupe social solidaire, encore moins une force politique
en ébullition.

100,000 Pages of Chemical Industry Secrets Gathered Dust in an Oregon Barn for Decades — Until Now

The library of documents “lays out a 40-year history of deceit and
collusion involving the chemical industry and the regulatory agencies
that were supposed to be protecting human health and the environment.”

United Nations News Centre - In Mosul and beyond, sustained efforts needed to support millions of displaced Iraqis – UN official

Witnessing “complete devastation” in districts of Mosul, a senior United
Nations relief official visiting Iraq lauded the massive humanitarian
effort under way while indicating that the crisis is “far from over,”
including for millions of Iraqis displaced throughout the country.

Families fleeing from Yarmouk neighbourhood in western Mosul, Iraq. Photo: OCHA/Themba Linden

Israel pushing Palestinians to violence with Temple Mount blockade & settler crimes – US State Dept. — RT News

'Extremist Israelis, including settlers, continued to conduct acts of violence' - US State Dept report

Palestinians clash with Israeli security forces outside Jerusalem's Old city June 21, 2017 © Ronen Zvulun / Reuters

How could the UK-US trade deal affect your food? – Q&A | Environment | The Guardian

What's all the fuss about chlorinated chicken? And other questions about the food Brexit…

Genetically Engineered Destruction: The Hidden Agenda of Genetic Manipulation | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

F. WILLIAM ENGDAHL: This skillfully researched book focuses on how a
small socio-political American elite seeks to establish control over the
very basis of human survival: the provision of our daily bread.

CATALONIA

Spanish government vows to challenge in court the Catalan reform of allowing single reading of bills in Parliament ➡http://catalannews.com/…/parliament-set-to-fast-track-refer…

SPAIN AGAINST THE CATALONIA NATION --- Spanish Guardia Civil questions two Government officials about referendum | VilaWeb

Spanish Guardia Civil questions two Government officials about referendum | VilaWeb

" The legal pressure on the Catalan government over its intention to
hold an independence referendum on October 1 continued on Wednesday,
when two officials were questioned by Spanish Guardia Civil officers at
the Travessera de Gràcia police station in Barcelona. Joaquim Nin,
Secretary General of the Minister of the Presidency, and Jordi Graells,
Managing Director of the Citizen Information Office, were asked to give
witness statements for a lawsuit in Barcelona, confirmed police sources,
although they did not specify which court case. However, it was
confirmed that the statements are part of the investigation into alleged
illegal activity on behalf of the Catalan government, known as the
‘Vidal case’. "

<<< http://www.vilaweb.cat/…/spanish-guardia-civil-questions-t…/

miércoles, 26 de julio de 2017

CEO pay remains high relative to the pay of typical workers and high-wage earners | Economic Policy Institute

" New report by Economic Policy Institute found in 2016 CEOs in
America’s largest firms made an average of $15.6 million in
compensation, or 271 times the annual average pay of the typical worker.
"

Armies of cyber-troops are organized to shape and manipulate public opinion -- Society's Child -- Sott.net

Over time, the primary mode for organizing cyber troops has gone from
involving military units that experiment with manipulating public
opinion over social media networks to strategic communication firms that
take contracts from governments for social media campaigns.

The Computational Propaganda Research Project (COMPROP)
investigates the interaction of algorithms, automation and politics.
This work includes analysis of how tools like social media bots are used
to manipulate public opinion by amplifying or repressing political
content, disinformation, hate speech, junk or fake news.

How to Build a Global Movement to End Mass Killing - Truthdig

" Resistance is not futile. "

Stock Market Instability? Zero Times Anything Is Still Zero! | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

BILL HOLTER: We live in a world where the casinos themselves are broke
but still functioning while they can still obtain credit. It will not
matter whether you won or lost if you
have not left the casino when the lights go out. The only way to truly
win is to cash your chips in and fully exit the casino with real money
in hand…

How Media Spread CIA’s Sectarian, Anti-Iran ‘Mideast Cold War’ Narrative | FAIR

" Vox's 10-minute film, titled “The Middle East’s Cold War, Explained,”
is a textbook example of how US government propaganda pervades
corporate media. With the help of a
former senior government official and CIA analyst, the Vox video
articulates a commonplace pro-US, anti-Iran narrative that portrays the
violent conflicts in the Middle East as sectarian proxy wars between
Iran and Saudi Arabia.

In
order to do so, the film grossly downplays US involvement in the region,
treating Saudi Arabia as though it acts independently of the US. It
also fails to ever mention Israel, totally removing one of the most
important players in the Middle East from its “Cold War” narrative. "

Kensington and Chelsea: "BBC confirms council operated a policy of social cleansing" - TruePublica

The west London council was
responsible for Grenfell Tower, in which more than 80 people died a
terrible death on June 14. Decades of deregulation (including the
trashing of building and fire regulations) and the use of combustible
cladding and insulation to cut costs turned the building—home to more
than 500 people—into a death trap.

Working class residents have accused the council of “social
cleansing.” Some have even suggested that so hostile is the council—the
wealthiest borough in London—to workers and the poor that they would not
be surprised if the fire was an attempt by the super-rich to drive
“undesirable” residents out of the area.

Kensington and Chelsea: "BBC confirms council operated a policy of social cleansing"

By Julie Hyland wsws.org: UK: Kensington and Chelsea Council struck deals to avoid building affordable housing. Kensington
and Chelsea Council struck deals with property developers to allow them
to avoid the requirement to build “affordable accommodation” supposedly
meant for the working class.

Crimes et réformes aux Philippines, par François-Xavier Bonnet (Le Monde diplomatique, mai 2017)

L’année 2016 a été marquée par l’élection aux Philippines du président
Rodrigo Duterte. Son programme de lutte contre les stupéfiants et la
criminalité a capté l’attention des
médias internationaux en raison des milliers de morts qu’il provoque.
Mais, paradoxalement, le nouvel homme fort de Manille veut aussi mettre
en œuvre de nombreuses réformes sociales, économiques et politiques.

The Secrets of the Syrian War: the Israeli Factor

In the last few days Israel has picked up the pace of its shelling and
bombardment of Syrian government troop positions in the border zone of
the Quneitra province. This suggests that Israel may have decided to
make a «last-ditch effort» to influence the outcome of the Syrian civil
war.

Bolivia's President Declares 'Total Independence' from World Bank, IMF

This is good news.

India-China War of Words Becomes More Critical

The month-long military standoff on the border near Sikkim may be about
to enter the home stretch this weekend, as Beijing draws its 'red line'.

« Deutschland 83 », le réveil allemand, par Pierre Rimbert (Le Monde diplomatique, août 2017)

Longtemps les fans de séries se sont couchés de bonne heure quand une
production allemande s’imposait dans le salon. S’exposer durablement au
visage blafard de l’inspecteur Derrick
(1974-1998) provoquait des symptômes dépressifs dans les nombreux pays
qui importaient les enquêtes filandreuses de ce Columbo teuton. C’est
cet univers un peu figé que le réalisateur et producteur Nico Hofmann
dépoussière et propulse dans l’ère du capitalisme audiovisuel global.

Honduran Police Fire Tear Gas, Water Cannon at Student Protest | News | teleSUR English

Around 400 heavily-armed riot police arrived on the scene to clear the
avenue, throwing tear gas and using a water cannon tank against the
protesters.

Riot police throw tear gas at protesting students in Honduras, July 25, 107. | Photo: EFE

A "work in progress" list of all the ISIS affiliated terrorist groups and their current status

The tangled web of ISIS affiliated terrorism...

Pat Buchanan asks: "Are America’s wars just and moral?"

Are America’s wars just and moral?

martes, 25 de julio de 2017

Learning to Love Perpetual War – Consortiumnews

The transformation of the Democratic Party into the perpetual war
party – accelerated by the Russia-gate hysteria – is personified by Rep.
Barbara Lee who voted against the “war on terror” resolution in 2001, as Norman Solomon explains.

https://consortiumnews.com/…/learning-to-love-perpetual-war/

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-California

Pitching the ‘Forever War’ in Afghanistan – Consortiumnews

Exclusive:
Rather than rethink U.S. policy in the Mideast, particularly the
entangling alliances with Israel and Saudi Arabia, Official Washington
pushes schemes to perpetuate the “forever war” in Afghanistan, writes
James W Carden.

https://consortiumnews.com/…/pitching-the-forever-war-in-a…/

U.S. Marines leaving a compound at night in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. (Defense Department photo)