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Wednesday, August 31, 2016

The Awful Gospel of the Cross


The Awful Gospel of the Cross


http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/homily/the-awful-gospel-of-the-cross/1011/

Details

This week's Gospel contains one of the greatest challenges Jesus ever offered to his disciples: "If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." Here Christ is emphasizing the great spiritual principle of detachment. In order to live healthy spiritual lives we must love Christ most of all, with everything else finding its meaning in relation to God.

Mass Readings

Reading 1 - Wisdom 9:13-18
Psalm - Psalms 90:3-17
Reading 2 - Philemon 1:9-17
Gospel - Luke 14:25-33

WOF 038: Why Mother Teresa is a Saint

WOF 038: Why Mother Teresa is a Saint



http://wordonfireshow.com/episode38/

Alert: Stories on Doug Band, Bill Clinton shoeshine boy, about to blow | Washington Babylon

Alert: Stories on Doug Band, Bill Clinton shoeshine boy, about to blow | Washington Babylon

Some Democrats Press Clinton to End Ties to Foundation - WSJ

Some Democrats Press Clinton to End Ties to Foundation - WSJ

The New York Times just made it harder for Hillary Clinton to explain away the Clinton Foundation - The Washington Post

The New York Times just made it harder for Hillary Clinton to explain away the Clinton Foundation - The Washington Post

When Putin Bailed Out Obama

https://consortiumnews.com/2016/08/31/when-putin-bailed-out-obama/

When Putin Bailed Out Obama

Exclusive: As pressure again builds on President Obama to attack Syria and press a new Cold War with Russia, the extraordinary events of three years ago after a sarin attack near Damascus are worth revisiting, says ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern.

By Ray McGovern

How Racism Has Shaped Welfare Policy in the US Since 1935

How Racism Has Shaped Welfare Policy in the US Since 1935


http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/37419-how-racism-has-shaped-welfare-policy-in-the-us-since-1935

Glenn Greenwald: Obama Has Bombed Seven Nations, but Clinton Claims He Has Not Been Militaristic Enough

Glenn Greenwald: Obama Has Bombed Seven Nations, but Clinton Claims He Has Not Been Militaristic Enough


http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/37439-glenn-greenwald-obama-has-bombed-seven-nations-but-clinton-claims-he-has-not-been-militaristic-enough

How France Sets the Rules for Discussions About Racism, Terrorism and Islam

How France Sets the Rules for Discussions About Racism, Terrorism and Islam


http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/37425-how-france-sets-the-rules-for-discussions-about-racism-terrorism-and-islam

Why the TPP and TTIP Trade Deals May Now Be Dead in the Water

Why the TPP and TTIP Trade Deals May Now Be Dead in the Water


http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/37430-why-the-tpp-and-ttip-trade-deals-may-now-be-dead-in-the-water

Burkini Bans, New Atheism and State Worship: Noam Chomsky on Religion in Politics

Burkini Bans, New Atheism and State Worship: Noam Chomsky on Religion in Politics


http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/37424-burkini-bans-new-atheism-and-state-worship-noam-chomsky-on-religion-in-politics
 

WPR Articles Aug. 25 — Aug. 31

Why the West Shouldn’t Overreact to Turkey and Russia’s Reset

By: Iyad Dakka | Briefing
Turkey and Russia are patching up their troubled relationship, and both Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin could use their rapprochement as a bargaining chip against the West, and the U.S. in particular. But while it’s true that Turkey is changing under Erdogan, its geopolitical realities are not.

From Trump to ISIS, How Emotion Increasingly Drives Political Behavior

By: Judah Grunstein | Column
Is the world going crazy? Or alternatively, are insane people at the helm, driving major global events? Whether discussing Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump or so-called lone-wolf terrorists, the question of mental sanity has increasingly crept into public discourse on global affairs.

Ethiopia’s Regime Prioritizes Power Over Reform as Ethnic Protests Continue

By: William Davison | Briefing
In Ethiopia’s two largest ethnic regions, anti-government rallies turned into a bloodbath in early August as security forces again used live ammunition against protesters. The sustained discontent is a major challenge to Ethiopia’s government, as ethnic majorities like the Oromo assert their rights.

The Moral Case Against Celebrating World Peace

By: Richard Gowan | Column
Would you be happy to live in a world in which 80 percent of the population enjoys more or less peaceful conditions, but the remaining 20 percent are condemned to live with a worsening spiral of war and suffering? This is a useful question, because it is a rough description of the actual world we live in.

Across Latin America, State Institutions Are Co-Opted to Bolster Those in Power

By: Tatiana Benavides-Santos | Briefing
Nicaragua moved closer to one-party rule last month, when its electoral council unseated 28 opposition lawmakers, effectively handing full control of the legislature to President Daniel Ortega’s party. Across Latin America, nominally democratic state institutions have been used to legitimize autocratic behavior.

Short-Lived Syria Bombing Run Exposes Iran and Russia’s Awkward Partnership

By: Frida Ghitis | Column
When Russia announced last week that it had started launching bombing raids into Syria from a base inside Iran, the news produced a remarkable reaction, simultaneously angering both the United States and much of Iran. The episode highlighted just how complex and fragile new Russia-Iran ties are.

Will Ghani and Abdullah’s Rivalry Bring Down Afghanistan’s Unity Government?

By: Colin Cookman | Briefing
With the two-year anniversary of Afghanistan’s national unity government approaching in September, long-simmering tensions between President Ashraf Ghani and the country’s chief executive, Abdullah Abdullah, have broken out into the open. A complicated power-sharing game shows little sign of being resolved soon.

Societal Changes Needed for Gender Equality in Italy

By: The Editors | Trend Lines
After several women were murdered earlier this month in Italy, the government has allocated $13 million for a plan to combat violence against women and an additional $14 million to fight human trafficking. In an email interview, Annalisa Rosselli discusses women’s rights in Italy.

The West Faces a New Cold War With Democracy Under Threat Again

By: Jack A. Goldstone | Briefing
Just 25 years after winning the Cold War, the United States is facing a very different world than the one many had expected, with terrorism around the globe, major geostrategic conflicts and, perhaps most dismaying, the decline or even collapse of democratic governance in allies such as Thailand and Turkey.

A Political Divide Over Islamic Law Could Undo Malaysia’s Social Fabric

By: David Hutt | Feature
In May, a Malaysian opposition party successfully tabled a bill to introduce “hudud,” or strict Islamic criminal codes, in the state of Kelantan. But Malaysia isn’t 100 percent Muslim, and the bill has sparked a tense debate about the country’s non-Muslim minority, hardening partisan fault lines.

Syria Reveals the Limits of Ad Hoc Coalitions and Alliances of Convenience

By: Ellen Laipson | Column
Syria’s crisis is now generating new insights into the fault lines and even falsehoods of international cooperation. Diplomatic efforts to find some minimal common ground to tamp down the war have repeatedly fallen short. It reminds us that old-fashioned, formal alliances have more meaning than ad hoc coalitions.

With Economic Growth, Paraguayans Press Cartes to Fight Crime and Corruption

By: The Editors | Trend Lines
Earlier this month, hundreds of people marched in Paraguay’s capital, demanding the resignation of President Horacio Cartes and denouncing widespread government corruption. In an email interview, Mercedes Hoffay and Christopher Sabatini discuss Cartes’ leadership and politics in Paraguay.

Jeff Cavins 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time


The Great Adventure

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

by Jeff Cavins
Watch the Video

Jeff Cavins reflects on the readings for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time.
First Reading: Wisdom 9:13
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14-17
Second Reading: Philemon 9-10, 12-17
Gospel: Luke 14:25-33
Join the Discussion →

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm#inbox/156e12695e255b38

Apple’s Tax Game Is Hurting Economic Growth


Apple’s Tax Game Is Hurting Economic Growth

Parking billions overseas lowers tax bills, but it can also damage economies.

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602269/apples-tax-game-is-hurting-economic-growth/?set=602270&utm_source=MIT+TR+Newsletters&utm_campaign=6e47ddca84-The_Download_August_31_A_B_C_From_name_8_31_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-6e47ddca84-153856085&goal=0_997ed6f472-6e47ddca84-153856085&mc_cid=6e47ddca84&mc_eid=e25735476a

Europe's 'unfair' Apple tax ruling sparks US anger

Europe's 'unfair' Apple tax ruling sparks US anger


http://www.bbc.com/news/business-37226101?utm_source=MIT+TR+Newsletters&utm_campaign=6e47ddca84-The_Download_August_31_A_B_C_From_name_8_31_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-6e47ddca84-153856085&goal=0_997ed6f472-6e47ddca84-153856085&mc_cid=6e47ddca84&mc_eid=e25735476a

Silicon Valley outraged by Apple tax bill: 'Europe is changing rules retroactively'


Silicon Valley outraged by Apple tax bill: 'Europe is changing rules retroactively'

European commission called unfair in move some say could affect tech industry’s future – but others argue Apple shouldn’t just ‘enrich the 1%’

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/30/apple-eu-tax-bill-silicon-valley-response?utm_source=MIT+TR+Newsletters&utm_campaign=6e47ddca84-The_Download_August_31_A_B_C_From_name_8_31_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-6e47ddca84-153856085&goal=0_997ed6f472-6e47ddca84-153856085&mc_cid=6e47ddca84&mc_eid=e25735476a

August 30, 2016 A Message to the Apple Community in Europe


August 30, 2016 A Message to the Apple Community in Europe

Thirty-six years ago, long before introducing iPhone, iPod or even the Mac, Steve Jobs established Apple’s first operations in Europe. At the time, the company knew that in order to serve customers in Europe, it would need a base there. So, in October 1980, Apple opened a factory in Cork, Ireland with 60 employees.
At the time, Cork was suffering from high unemployment and extremely low economic investment. But Apple’s leaders saw a community rich with talent, and one they believed could accommodate growth if the company was fortunate enough to succeed.
We have operated continuously in Cork ever since, even through periods of uncertainty about our own business, and today we employ nearly 6,000 people across Ireland. The vast majority are still in Cork — including some of the very first employees — now performing a wide variety of functions as part of Apple’s global footprint. Countless multinational companies followed Apple by investing in Cork, and today the local economy is stronger than ever.
Steve Jobs visits Apple’s new facility in Cork, October 1980.
The success which has propelled Apple’s growth in Cork comes from innovative products that delight our customers. It has helped create and sustain more than 1.5 million jobs across Europe — jobs at Apple, jobs for hundreds of thousands of creative app developers who thrive on the App Store, and jobs with manufacturers and other suppliers. Countless small and medium-size companies depend on Apple, and we are proud to support them.
As responsible corporate citizens, we are also proud of our contributions to local economies across Europe, and to communities everywhere. As our business has grown over the years, we have become the largest taxpayer in Ireland, the largest taxpayer in the United States, and the largest taxpayer in the world.
Over the years, we received guidance from Irish tax authorities on how to comply correctly with Irish tax law — the same kind of guidance available to any company doing business there. In Ireland and in every country where we operate, Apple follows the law and we pay all the taxes we owe.
The European Commission has launched an effort to rewrite Apple’s history in Europe, ignore Ireland’s tax laws and upend the international tax system in the process. The opinion issued on August 30th alleges that Ireland gave Apple a special deal on our taxes. This claim has no basis in fact or in law. We never asked for, nor did we receive, any special deals. We now find ourselves in the unusual position of being ordered to retroactively pay additional taxes to a government that says we don't owe them any more than we've already paid.
The Commission’s move is unprecedented and it has serious, wide-reaching implications. It is effectively proposing to replace Irish tax laws with a view of what the Commission thinks the law should have been. This would strike a devastating blow to the sovereignty of EU member states over their own tax matters, and to the principle of certainty of law in Europe. Ireland has said they plan to appeal the Commission’s ruling and Apple will do the same. We are confident that the Commission’s order will be reversed.
At its root, the Commission’s case is not about how much Apple pays in taxes. It is about which government collects the money.
Taxes for multinational companies are complex, yet a fundamental principle is recognized around the world: A company’s profits should be taxed in the country where the value is created. Apple, Ireland and the United States all agree on this principle.
In Apple’s case, nearly all of our research and development takes place in California, so the vast majority of our profits are taxed in the United States. European companies doing business in the U.S. are taxed according to the same principle. But the Commission is now calling to retroactively change those rules.
Beyond the obvious targeting of Apple, the most profound and harmful effect of this ruling will be on investment and job creation in Europe. Using the Commission’s theory, every company in Ireland and across Europe is suddenly at risk of being subjected to taxes under laws that never existed.
Apple has long supported international tax reform with the objectives of simplicity and clarity. We believe these changes should come about through the proper legislative process, in which proposals are discussed among the leaders and citizens of the affected countries. And as with any new laws, they should be applied going forward — not retroactively.
We are committed to Ireland and we plan to continue investing there, growing and serving our customers with the same level of passion and commitment. We firmly believe that the facts and the established legal principles upon which the EU was founded will ultimately prevail.
Tim Cook

Apple Owes $14.5 Billion in Back Taxes to Ireland, E.U. Says

Apple Owes $14.5 Billion in Back Taxes to Ireland, E.U. Says


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/31/technology/apple-tax-eu-ireland.html?ribbon-ad-idx=4&rref=technology&module=Ribbon&version&_r=1&utm_source=MIT+TR+Newsletters&utm_campaign=6e47ddca84-The_Download_August_31_A_B_C_From_name_8_31_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-6e47ddca84-153856085&goal=0_997ed6f472-6e47ddca84-153856085&mc_cid=6e47ddca84&mc_eid=e25735476a

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

U.S. Gov't. Says It's No Longer Against Al Qaeda

U.S. Gov't. Says It's No Longer Against Al Qaeda

Saudi Backed Holocaust Uncovered in Iraq | Veterans Today

Saudi Backed Holocaust Uncovered in Iraq | Veterans Today

Major Cities All Over America Have Become Infested With Opioid Addicts And Extremely Violent Gangs

Major Cities All Over America Have Become Infested With Opioid Addicts And Extremely Violent Gangs

Turkey’s split with US should be good news for Arabs

Turkey’s split with US should be good news for Arabs

There are now serious doubts about how long Turkey will remain in NATO.



http://www.thearabweekly.com/?wrid=13

Commentary

Commentary

Another Donor Email Seeking Another Favor; Huma Worries The "Problem Is She Keeps Emailing HRC Directly" | Zero Hedge

Another Donor Email Seeking Another Favor; Huma Worries The "Problem Is She Keeps Emailing HRC Directly" | Zero Hedge

Obamacare's Economic Assumptions Collapse | RealClearPolitics

Obamacare's Economic Assumptions Collapse | RealClearPolitics

Poverty solutions almost absent as a presidential campaign issue | National Catholic Reporter

Poverty solutions almost absent as a presidential campaign issue | National Catholic Reporter

Apologists, Catechists, Theologians: Wake Up! | Word On Fire

Apologists, Catechists, Theologians: Wake Up! | Word On Fire

New U.S. Policy: Kill the Kurds | Alternet

New U.S. Policy: Kill the Kurds | Alternet

Obama Admits 10,000 Syrian Refugees: This Is Where They Are Headed | Zero Hedge

Obama Admits 10,000 Syrian Refugees: This Is Where They Are Headed | Zero Hedge

FBI Recovers 30 Benghazi Emails Deleted By Hillary

FBI Recovers 30 Benghazi Emails Deleted By Hillary


http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-08-30/fbi-recovers-30-benghazi-emails-deleted-hillary

Saudi Arabia Has Funded 20% Of Hillary's Presidential Campaign, Saudi Crown Prince Claims | Zero Hedge

Saudi Arabia Has Funded 20% Of Hillary's Presidential Campaign, Saudi Crown Prince Claims | Zero Hedge

Thomas Malthus & Economic Scarcity: Armageddon Is Always Nigh | National Review

Thomas Malthus & Economic Scarcity: Armageddon Is Always Nigh | National Review

Ghassan’s Prediction and the Emerging New Palestinian Reality

http://lobelog.com/ghassans-prediction-and-the-emerging-new-palestinian-reality/#more-35568

Ghassan’s Prediction and the Emerging New Palestinian Reality

by James J. Zogby
During the past year, I’ve had the pleasure of receiving visits from Ayman Odeh, Ahmad Tibi, and most recently Basel Ghattas—as they passed through Washington. All are Palestinian citizens of Israel. And all are Members of the Israeli Knesset, part of the Joint Arab List that won a record 13 seats in the last Israeli election. It was a delight to sit with them and learn from them not only about the difficulties they face, but the progress they have made.
I have written about how I first became attached to the Arab community in Israel. It was the insightful Palestinian novelist, Ghassan Kanafani who caused me to divert my doctoral dissertation research from the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon to the Palestinian Arabs who remained in their homes after Israel was created in 1948. He gave me two reasons. While much had already been written about the refugees, there was an absence of good literature about the Palestinians “inside” and, he said, they are the most promising component group of the Palestinian people since they have been forged like steel in the hearth of Israel. Facing enormous difficulties, they have developed a uniquely progressive identity and, he believed, the day would come when they would be in a position to provide real visionary leadership for the entire Palestinian people.
My meetings with Odeh, Tibi, and Ghattas have given me the sense that Ghassan may have been right. These are remarkable individuals, part of a larger movement that has faced down the increasingly repressive, ultra-nationalist Israeli government while defending their rights and securing their political role.http://lobelog.com/ghassans-prediction-and-the-emerging-new-palestinian-reality/#more-35568

The Political Economy of Sectarianism in the Gulf

The Political Economy of Sectarianism in the Gulf


http://carnegieendowment.org/2016/08/29/political-economy-of-sectarianism-in-gulf-pub-64410?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiT1dRd1pXRTNOVEk1TTJWaSIsInQiOiJCNmNGem80RGJYY29HNEV0eGRPcHVtRXJlYU1Rb0RDVlF2enB0Q1lpMVwvMGxCNlM2OExBREtEQ0ZlbFhrREZXMCtaa29tV1wvb2d3Q0lHTlJoUmVGakRlZTd2S08zWkN6c0RkNG5lSGVSOFY0PSJ9

Update from Ukraine


Update from Ukraine

http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/studio/multimedia/20160818b/index.html

The Narrow Gate | Word On Fire

The Narrow Gate | Word On Fire

Humility, Queen of the Virtues | Word On Fire

Humility, Queen of the Virtues | Word On Fire

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, a Tale of Grace

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, a Tale of Grace


http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/article/ben-hur-a-tale-of-the-christ-a-tale-of-grace/5244/

Clinton Foundation key to giving Putin 20% of US uranium | Alternative

Clinton Foundation key to giving Putin 20% of US uranium | Alternative

"The Americans Give Us Nothing": France Effectively Kills TTIP, Calls For End To Negotiations | Zero Hedge

"The Americans Give Us Nothing": France Effectively Kills TTIP, Calls For End To Negotiations | Zero Hedge

Google Hides Popular Hillary Clinton Health Searches - Breitbart

Google Hides Popular Hillary Clinton Health Searches - Breitbart

My Drowning City Is a Harbinger of Climate Slums to Come | The Nation

My Drowning City Is a Harbinger of Climate Slums to Come | The Nation

Punishing the Poor: Welfare Reform and Its Democratic Apologists | Common Dreams | Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community

Punishing the Poor: Welfare Reform and Its Democratic Apologists | Common Dreams | Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community

America's wars take uneven toll, study finds



http://phys.org/news/2016-08-america-wars-uneven-toll.html

Japan’s ‘Hail Mary’ at Fukushima Daiichi: An Underground Ice Wall - The New York Times

Japan’s ‘Hail Mary’ at Fukushima Daiichi: An Underground Ice Wall - The New York Times

Department of Homeland Security Has Surprise for Bernie Supporters at DNC Lawsuit Hearing

Department of Homeland Security Has Surprise for Bernie Supporters at DNC Lawsuit Hearing

Judge orders State to review, turn over Abedin-related documents - POLITICO

Judge orders State to review, turn over Abedin-related documents - POLITICO

Truthdig - It Takes a Ruling-Class Village to Staff the White House

Truthdig - It Takes a Ruling-Class Village to Staff the White House

The Big Problem With The Trans-Pacific Partnership’s Super Court That We’re Not Talking About

The Big Problem With The Trans-Pacific Partnership’s Super Court That We’re Not Talking About

Financiers will use it to bet on lawsuits, while taxpayers foot the bill. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/isds-lawsuit-financing-tpp_us_57c48e40e4b09cd22d91f660

Major Insurers to G20 Nations: Stop Wasting Time, Phase-Out Fossil Fuel Subsidies by 2020

Major Insurers to G20 Nations: Stop Wasting Time, Phase-Out Fossil Fuel Subsidies by 2020



http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2016/08/major-insurers-to-g20-nations-stop-wasting-time-phase-out-fossil-fuel-subsidies-by-2020.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NakedCapitalism+%28naked+capitalism%29

Syria: Their War, Not Ours


Syria: Their War, Not Ours

http://buchanan.org/blog/syria-war-not-125582

‘Everything that we have done since 9/11 is wrong’ — the worldview of Major Todd Pierce (Retired)

‘Everything that we have done since 9/11 is wrong’ — the worldview of Major Todd Pierce (Retired) - See more at: http://mondoweiss.net/2016/08/everything-worldview-retired/#sthash.1dcn5z6B.dpuf


http://mondoweiss.net/2016/08/everything-worldview-retired/

The United States Should Withdraw from NATO


The United States Should Withdraw from NATO


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-fein/the-united-states-should_b_11762584.html

Monday, August 29, 2016

60 Lawmakers Seek Delay of Billion Dollar Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia


60 Lawmakers Seek Delay of Billion Dollar Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia
BY JOHN HUDSON
AUGUST 29, 2016 

In a sign that frustration is growing in Congress over Saudi Arabia, a bipartisan group of 60 lawmakers have signed a letter seeking to delay the Obama administration’s planned sale of $1.15 billion in arms and military equipment to Riyadh.

The letter, addressed to President Barack Obama, cites the growing number of civilian casualties in Yemen caused by the Saudi-led military coalition, and the Obama administration’s failure to reign in its Arab ally.

“This military campaign has had a deeply troubling impact on civilians,” wrote the lawmakers in a draft obtained by Foreign Policy. “Just in the last several days, a Saudi airstrike on a school in Yemen killed 10 children – some as young as 6-years-old – and a Saudi airstrike on an MSF hospital in Yemen killed 11 people.”

The missive is expected to be sent to the White House on Tuesday.http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/08/29/60-lawmakers-seek-delay-of-billion-dollar-arms-sale-to-saudi/

"I’ve Never Seen Anything Like This Before" - The Housing Markets In The Hamptons, Aspen And Miami Are All Crashing | Zero Hedge

"I’ve Never Seen Anything Like This Before" - The Housing Markets In The Hamptons, Aspen And Miami Are All Crashing | Zero Hedge

Articles: Hillary Gets (More Than) a Little Help from Her Media Friends

Articles: Hillary Gets (More Than) a Little Help from Her Media Friends

Noam Chomsky: How Obama Has Ushered in 'a New Era of International Terrorism' | Alternet

Noam Chomsky: How Obama Has Ushered in 'a New Era of International Terrorism' | Alternet

"It May Take A Massive Program, Large Enough To Shock Taxpayers" - The Jackson Hole Post-Mortem | Zero Hedge

"It May Take A Massive Program, Large Enough To Shock Taxpayers" - The Jackson Hole Post-Mortem | Zero Hedge

"If This Does Not Disqualify Hillary For The Presidency, It's Hard To Know What Will" | Zero Hedge

"If This Does Not Disqualify Hillary For The Presidency, It's Hard To Know What Will" | Zero Hedge

What Life Will Be Like After An Economic Collapse | Zero Hedge

What Life Will Be Like After An Economic Collapse | Zero Hedge

America The Debt Pig: We Are A ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Society – And ‘Pay Later’ Is Rapidly Approaching

America The Debt Pig: We Are A ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Society – And ‘Pay Later’ Is Rapidly Approaching

Obama Will Leave $20 Trillion Debt Crisis For Clinton Or Trump | Zero Hedge

Obama Will Leave $20 Trillion Debt Crisis For Clinton Or Trump | Zero Hedge

Can the Clintons Break Their Habit? | RealClearPolitics

Can the Clintons Break Their Habit? | RealClearPolitics

Gene Wilder, Comedy Legend of a Generation, Dead at 83 - The Daily Beast

Gene Wilder, Comedy Legend of a Generation, Dead at 83 - The Daily Beast

HuffPo "Revoked Publishing Access" Of Journalist After 'Hillary Health' Story: "It's Orwellian...I'm Scared" | Zero Hedge

HuffPo "Revoked Publishing Access" Of Journalist After 'Hillary Health' Story: "It's Orwellian...I'm Scared" | Zero Hedge

Glenn Greenwald: Regardless of Trump, Journalists Must Do Their Homework and Investigate Clinton (from @Truthdig)

Glenn Greenwald: Regardless of Trump, Journalists Must Do Their Homework and Investigate Clinton (from @Truthdig): Donald Trump has become “such a kind of dangerous presence on the American landscape that a lot of people have become afraid of doing their jobs and scrutinizing his opponent,” the Intercept co-founder told “Democracy Now!”
- 2016/08/29

BREAKING - IRS Launches Massive Investigation Into Hillary Clinton, Dems Panic

BREAKING - IRS Launches Massive Investigation Into Hillary Clinton, Dems Panic

EXCLUSIVE: IRS launches investigation of Clinton Foundation | BizPac Review

EXCLUSIVE: IRS launches investigation of Clinton Foundation | BizPac Review

Did President Obama Threaten National Security in Negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership?


Dean Baker, Truthout: TPP proponents are arguing that the deal's rejection by Congress would jeopardize ties between the US and Asia. The claim is that if Congress is not prepared to approve the TPP, then countries like Japan and South Korea will no longer be able to rely on defense commitments.

Obama’s Imperial Mideast Policy Unravels

Obama’s Imperial Mideast Policy Unravels

Exclusive: President Obama’s Mideast policy is such a confusing mess that he is now supporting Turkey’s invasion of northern Syria although it’s primary target is not ISIS but another U.S. ally, the Kurds, explains Daniel Lazare.
By Daniel Lazare
In the 1930s, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain appeased his enemies. Today, U.S. President Barack Obama appeases his friends.
Barack the Appeaser is the key to unlocking the mysteries of U.S. policy in the Middle East and beyond. Confusing to begin with, U.S. actions reached new heights of absurdity last week when the Obama administration abandoned its long-standing Kurdish allies with virtually no notice and announced that it was backing a Turkish thrust into northern Syria instead.
Although the Turks claimed to be targeting ISIS (also known as Islamic State, IS, ISIL, and Daesh), it was plain from the outset that the real aim was to counter an offensive that had carried Kurdish forces some 20 miles west of the Euphrates River and put them in a position to control nearly the entire Syrian-Turkish border.
But there was a problem. Not only had the U.S. approved the same Kurdish offensive, but it had provided arms, money, and air support plus military advice in the form of some 250 US Special Operations forces embedded among members of the Kurdish militia known as the YPG.https://consortiumnews.com/2016/08/29/obamas-imperial-mideast-policy-unravels/

Germany, Poland and France to revive Weimar Triangle to bolster confidence in European Union


Germany, Poland and France to revive Weimar Triangle to bolster confidence in European Union



http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-29/germany-poland-and-france-revive-weimar-to-bolster-eu-confidence/7793386

Iraq asks Saudi Arabia to remove ambassador - BBC News

Iraq asks Saudi Arabia to remove ambassador - BBC News

Ancient Egyptians’ 4,000-year-old strategy for dealing with an “argumentative superior”

 MOVE OVER MACHIAVELLI

Ancient Egyptians’ 4,000-year-old strategy for dealing with an “argumentative superior”


http://qz.com/767291/writings-from-ancient-egypt-by-toby-wilkinson-ancient-egyptians-4000-year-old-strategy-for-dealing-with-an-argumentative-superior/

The Bear's Lair: The Sovietization of the global economy | True Blue Will Never Stain

The Bear's Lair: The Sovietization of the global economy | True Blue Will Never Stain

American Pravda: Alexander Cockburn and the British Spies - The Unz Review

American Pravda: Alexander Cockburn and the British Spies - The Unz Review

Ascension Press: Christ Spans the Centuries in Eucharistic Miracles: Buenos Aires & Lanciano

Christ Spans the Centuries in Eucharistic Miracles: Buenos Aires & Lanciano

by Michael Ruszala
In the Gospels, Jesus typically requires an act of faith – something difficult—from anyone asking for healing. In the age of the Church, Jesus likewise asks of everyone a difficult act of faith—belief that at the command of the priest, bread and wine changes substance into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. It is as much a stumbling block today as it was for the crowds to whom Jesus proclaimed, “the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:51). But the faith Jesus demanded of them was not unreasonable. He provided the crowds with a miracle—the multiplication of the loaves and fish—and many others as well throughout his ministry. Likewise, Jesus has continued to provide miracles now and then to show that faith in the Eucharist is defendable.
1_miracolo
Every Eucharist can be said to be miraculous in that it brings God’s power above nature. But not every Eucharist is miraculous in the full meaning of the term—namely power above nature that is clearly open to our five senses as such. Typically, God’s power is behind the veil. The bread and wine that has become the Body and Blood of Jesus still taste, smell, and feel like bread and wine.
However, there have been times when the Eucharist has been miraculous in the full meaning of the term.

The Miracle in Lanciano, Italy

In the eighth century in the Italian town of Lanciano on the Adriatic coast, a Basilian monk-priest was celebrating Mass at the monastery church of St. Lengonius. This priest, however, was having doubts about Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist. At the words of Consecration, the Host in his hands turned visibly into flesh and the consecrated wine turned visibly into blood. The faithful present were overcome with wonder and awe and spread the news of the miracle far and wide. The relics of the miracle were preserved by the Basilian fathers and then the Benedictines, and they are still on display at the Church of St. Francis in Lanciano. Over 1,200 years later, the flesh, in the shape of a Communion Host, and coagulated droplets of blood from the Chalice are still in tact. Typically, flesh and blood or bread and wine disintegrate rather quickly.
Scientific examination of the relics in 1971 yielded even more insight into the miracle, in addition to showing it to be beyond natural explanation. Dr. Odoardo Linoli, a professor having specializations in anatomy, pathological histology, chemistry, and clinical microscopy, examined the relics that year with the assistance of Dr. Ruggero Bertelli, an anatomical expert. Dr. Linoli made the following discoveries: the flesh was real human flesh from the heart—a cross section including the myocardium, the endocardium, the vagus nerve, and left ventricle. It contained true human blood, of the AB variety, which is much more common in the middle east than it is in Italy—and the same as found on the Shroud of Turin. The chemicals found in the blood should have very quickly disintegrated, but instead lasted over 1,200 years. No preservatives were found. Dr. Linoli and Dr. Bertelli published their findings in an Italian medical journal in 1971.
The spiritual significance of the flesh being heart tissue, with the anatomical structures as discovered, is that this part of the flesh is responsible for pumping the lifeblood of the body, much like Christ in the Eucharist pours his life and grace into the Church and the soul to bring them to life. We might think of the prayer later revealed by Jesus to St. Faustina:
O blood and water, which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in you.
It is interesting to note that St. Lengonius, the patron of the church in which the miracle took place and who is said to have been from this town, was the Roman centurion traditionally thought to be the soldier who thrust a lance into Jesus’ side (as in John’s Gospel) but then testified, in the Synoptic accounts, “Truly this man was the son of God!” (Mark 15:39). The town Lanciano, meaning ‘lance,’ was later named after him.

The Miracle in Buenos Aires

While one might think that Eucharistic miracles like this only took place long ago, this is not the case. While there have, in fact, been many Eucharistic miracles, one particular miracle that took place in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, at St. Mary Church in 1996 bears a striking resemblance to the miracle of Lanciano. A communicant discarded their Consecrated Host in the back of the church rather than consume it, perhaps because it had fallen on the ground. One of the faithful found the discarded Host on a candlestick holder, and reported it to the priest, Fr. Alejandro Pezet, who took the usual measures to reverently return the Host to nature. He retrieved the Host, placed it in the Tabernacle submerged in a container of water so that the Host, which was likely not safe to consume, would dissolve. So long as the accidents of the Consecrated bread and wine remain, so does the Real Presence of Christ, but the Presence is withdrawn when the accidents naturally dissipate.
Fr. Pezet returned after six days to retrieve the water into which the Host should have dissolved, so that it could be returned to nature. Instead, what he found was bleeding flesh, which had expanded in size from that of the Host. He reported the phenomenon to Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires—the future Pope Francis—who advised him to have professional photos taken and to keep silence on the matter until further advised. Fr. Pezet did so, but several years later, the flesh and blood were still in good condition. So in 1999, Archbishop Bergoglio authorized Dr. Ricardo Castanon to have the flesh and blood analyzed. Dr. Castanon is a former atheist who converted to Catholicism because of prior encounters with miraculous phenomena that he was called upon to analyze.
Dr. Castanon found Dr. Fredereic Zugiba of New York, a highly respected cardiologist, forensic pathologist, and biochemist known for his expertise in determining cause of death, and had the sample sent to him for analysis without telling him where it had come from or what it was thought to be. Dr. Zugiba examined the sample and concluded that it was tissue from the human heart (myocardium of the left ventricle) and that the blood was type AB human blood from the same body. Furthermore, based on the large presence of many blood cells which cannot typically survive after death, he concluded that the person from whom the sample was taken likely suffered traumatic blows to the chest and may even have been alive when the heart tissue was removed. The cells even appeared to be pulsing as if in a live person. Dr. Zugiba said to Dr. Castanon, “How did you take out the heart of a dead man and took [sic] it alive to me to my New York lab?”
Only after giving this analysis, Dr. Zugiba was told the source of the sample: a consecrated Eucharistic Host. Dr. Castanon then contacted Dr. Linoli, who had analyzed the samples from the miracle of Lanciano, to compare the results. They matched exactly. Dr. Linoli and Dr. Castanon are also convinced that the flesh and blood found in the Eucharistic miracles in Buenos Aires and in Lanciano—and also the blood from the Shroud of Turin—are miraculous in origin and are from the same person of middle eastern descent—namely, Jesus Christ.
Eucharistic miracles, though not part of the Church’s public revelation binding on all the faithful, are gifts from God that lift the veil for us with regard to the unswerving Catholic belief in the Real Presence of Christ in every Eucharist. Jesus gives himself as the lifeblood of our souls and of the Church. His Body and his Blood are now ours, as with a family bloodline. As St. Joan of Arc said, “About Jesus Christ and the Church, I simply know they are just one thing and we shouldn’t complicate the matter.”

Foundation Tapped Chelsea Clinton Friend’s Firm to Manage Endowment - WSJ

Foundation Tapped Chelsea Clinton Friend’s Firm to Manage Endowment - WSJ

Putting the Clinton Foundation in Context: Corruption Plain on the Face of It – Medium

Putting the Clinton Foundation in Context: Corruption Plain on the Face of It – Medium

Years of Fed Missteps Fueled Disillusion With the Economy and Washington - WSJ

Years of Fed Missteps Fueled Disillusion With the Economy and Washington - WSJ

Oil Booms Leave the Poor in the Dark | naked capitalism

Oil Booms Leave the Poor in the Dark | naked capitalism

Framing Votes for TPP as the Surrender of National Sovereignty (i.e., Treason)

 

Framing Votes for TPP as the Surrender of National Sovereignty (i.e., Treason)

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2016/08/framing-votes-tpp-surrender-national-overeignty-treason.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NakedCapitalism+%28naked+capitalism%29

Banks are preparing for an ‘economic nuclear winter'


https://nz.finance.yahoo.com/news/banks-preparing-economic-nuclear-winter-052654347.html

Trump campaign benefits from criticism of trade imbalances


The headline is misleading.  The argument in this article (which appears in today's FT) has major implications beyond the current election campaign.  Among these, cooperative labor-management relations in Germany and Japan minimized layoffs as a response to market pressures, forcing companies there to seek efficiency by investing in automation, thus raising productivity at home.  Antagonistic American labor-management relations (amply reflected in current ratios of pay for CEOs to pay for workers) made layoffs and offshoring to places with cheaper labor more attractive to U.S. corporate management than trading capital for labor by investing in automation to raise productivity at home. In other words, rather than seeking efficiency to compete, U.S. companies sought lower labor costs overseas.  Other factors, like tax structures, exacerbated this trend.  The result: high employment in manufacturing in Germany and Japan by work forces accustomed to robotics contrasted with major losses in manufacturing jobs and a workforce not retrained to rely on robotics here in the United States.  Or at least these seem to me to be some of the inferences one might draw from Mr. Ross's argument.

Trump campaign benefits from criticism of trade imbalances

The fall in productivity and stagnant wages have been allowed to happen, writes Wilbur Ross
by: Wilbur Ross
https://www.ft.com/content/ec200c7a-6920-11e6-a0b1-d87a9fea034f

‘We are probably one of the last generations of Homo sapiens’ — Yuval Noah Harari | KurzweilAI

‘We are probably one of the last generations of Homo sapiens’ — Yuval Noah Harari | KurzweilAI

Donald Trump has a massive Catholic problem - The Washington Post

Donald Trump has a massive Catholic problem - The Washington Post

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Democratic Pundits Downplay Serious Ethical Issues Raised by the Clinton Foundation

Democratic Pundits Downplay Serious Ethical Issues Raised by the Clinton Foundation

The Farce That Is FOIA: The State Department Stonewalled The Associated Press For Three Years On Foundation Donor Story

The Farce That Is FOIA: The State Department Stonewalled The Associated Press For Three Years On Foundation Donor Story


https://jonathanturley.org/2016/08/25/the-farce-that-is-foia-the-state-department-stonewalled-the-associated-press-for-three-years-on-foundation-donor-story/

Advice to Students New and Old

Advice to Students New and Old


http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/article/advice-to-students-new-and-old/5253/

Ending the suffering in Syria?


Ending the suffering in Syria?

http://justworldeducational.org/2016/08/ending-suffering-syria/

Donald Trump in the Bayou

Donald Trump in the Bayou
The Tea Party, a Sinkhole in Louisiana, and the Contradictions of American Political Life
By Arlie Russell Hochschild
[This essay has been adapted from Arlie Hochschild’s new book, Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right (The New Press), which will be published on September 6th.]
Sometimes you have to go a long, long way to discover truths that are distinctly close to home. Over the last five years, I’ve done just that -- left my home in iconically liberal Berkeley, California, and traveled to the bayous of Tea Party Louisiana to find another America that, as Donald Trump’s presidential bid has made all too clear, couldn’t be closer to home for us all. From those travels, let me offer a kind of real-life parable about a man I came to admire who sums up many of the contradictions of our distinctly Trumpian world.
So come along with me now, as I turn right on Gumbo Street, left on Jambalaya, pass Sauce Piquant Lane, and scattering a cluster of feral cats, park on Crawfish Street, opposite a yellow wooden home by the edge of waters issuing into Bayou Corne, Louisiana. The street is deserted, lawns are high, and branches of Satsuma and grapefruit trees hang low with unpicked fruit. Walking toward me along his driveway is Mike Schaff, a tall, powerfully built, balding man in an orange-and-red striped T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. He’s wearing tan-rimmed glasses and giving a friendly wave.
Click here to read more of this dispatch.
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176181/tomgram%3A_arlie_hochschild%2C_trumping_environmentalism/#more

Thanks to the EU's bungling, Russia will inevitably win in Ukraine

Thanks to the EU's bungling, Russia will inevitably win in Ukraine


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/27/thanks-to-the-eus-bungling-russia-will-inevitably-win-in-ukraine/

Racial rhetoric: Demeaning to both Trump and Clinton



Racial rhetoric: Demeaning to both Trump and Clinton

by Allan C. Brownfeld -
Those on both the left and right are doing the nation great harm by sewing divisions along racial and ethnic lines
WASHINGTON, August 27, 2016 – The latest racial attacks by both Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton demeans both candidates and their campaigns, while further dividing society.
Trump has called Clinton a “bigot” while Clinton has connected Trump with the Ku Klux Klan.
Extremist groups on both sides welcome such divisions.
Both campaigns, unfortunately, have been associating themselves with divisive elements in our society. http://www.commdiginews.com/politics-2/election-2016/racial-rhetoric-demeaning-to-both-trump-and-clinton-70037/#UT1zxp4KFSbGiK6s.03

Dov Waxman: “Israel is becoming a divisive issue in American politics”


Dov Waxman: “Israel is becoming a divisive issue in American politics”


http://lobelog.com/dov-waxman-israel-is-becoming-a-divisive-issue-in-american-politics/

Hillary-Putin Uranium Deal: How Long Will Media Ignore It?


Hillary-Putin Uranium Deal: How Long Will Media Ignore It?

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/23947-hillary-putin-uranium-deal-how-long-will-media-ignore-it

New ISIS video shows handgun and shotgun executions of Iraqi soldiers

New Daesh / ISIS propaganda film.  Gruesome, includes multiple executions of prisoners and day and night battle scenes.  Meant to terrify.  Don't watch it if you have a weak stomach.  In Arabic, set to music with singing.  http://heavy.com/news/2016/08/new-isis-islamic-state-daesh-amaq-amaaq-news-pictures-videos-the-land-of-epic-battles-2-wilayat-dayala-iraq-iraqi-soldier-execution-corpse-desecration-shia-full-uncensored-youtube-video/

Former Bush adviser Wolfowitz to vote for Clinton - Spiegel



Former Bush adviser Wolfowitz to vote for Clinton - Spiegel

http://www.aol.com/article/2016/08/26/former-bush-adviser-wolfowitz-to-vote-for-clinton-spiegel/21459626/

Is U.S. Prepared To Sacrifice Los Angeles For Taipei? The Extraordinary Danger Of Foreign Military Commitments

Is U.S. Prepared To Sacrifice Los Angeles For Taipei? The Extraordinary Danger Of Foreign Military Commitments


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/doug-bandow/is-us-prepared-to-sacrifi_b_11722228.html

Saving Face in Tehran

http://lobelog.com/saving-face-in-tehran/#more-35549

Saving Face in Tehran

by Paul R. Pillar
Well, that didn’t last long, did it? Barely a week after the announcement that Russian warplanes were using a base in Iran to launch airstrikes in Syria, Iran withdrew its permission to use the base. This development underscores how the Russian use of the base did not indicate some new “alliance”, as much commentary suggested. Iranian officials were not using that term. As I wrote after the announcement, Russians and Iranians were still not buddies. Use of the base was instead an instance of how two countries that are at least as much adversaries as allies nonetheless can find areas of practical cooperation based on parallel interests. Mark Katz provides a good summary of the many troubles in the Russian-Iranian relationship that extend from czarist times through the Soviet era to events of this year. http://lobelog.com/saving-face-in-tehran/#more-35549

Forget Hillary the hawk: How a Clinton foreign policy is likely to play out

Forget Hillary the hawk: How a Clinton foreign policy is likely to play out

Hugh White
It seems that Trump’s lousy polling and chaotic campaign mean Clinton will win in November. Most assume we can then relax: we know Hillary Clinton from her time at State, and she will be reassuringly orthodox – more orthodox indeed than Barack Obama. US foreign policy will be back to ‘normal’: a strong military, robust alliances, free trade and decisive interventions wherever the US-led global order is challenged.
Well, maybe, but don’t bet on it. Predictions of the kind I’m about to make are inherently fallible, but there do seem good reasons to question our confidence here. The 2016 Presidential campaign has changed the landscape of US politics in ways that will resonate long after November, and impose big new pressures and constraints on Clinton’s approach to many issues, including foreign policy. We can see how these pressures will work if we put ourselves in Clinton’s shoes and reflect on what will most likely be her top priority from the moment she becomes President: re-election for a second term in 2020. http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/2016/08/26/Forget-Hillary-the-hawk-How-a-Clinton-foreign-policy-is-likely-to-play-out.aspx

Are the Clintons Israeli Agents?

Are the Clintons Israeli Agents?
Man who "ran the CIA" offers an entirely new perspective


• August 23, 2016 | http://www.unz.com/article/are-the-clintons-israeli-agents/

Saudis and extremism: ‘Both the arsonists and the firefighters’

Saudis and extremism: ‘Both the arsonists and the firefighters’


http://warincontext.org/2016/08/26/saudis-and-extremism-both-the-arsonists-and-the-firefighters/

The High Cost of American Hubris


The High Cost of American Hubris

Americans have paid a very high price for the Establishment’s imperial ambitions, a price passing a breaking point in blood and money, a problem that must be addressed with realism and humility, explains Natylie Baldwin.

By Natylie Baldwin
Although renowned political scientist John Mearsheimer does not consider himself to be an isolationist – a term which has acquired a negative connotation since WWII – his definition is illuminating as much for clarifying what the term does not mean as for what it does.
In America Unhinged, Mearsheimer writes: “Isolationism rests on the assumption that no region of the world outside of the Western Hemisphere is of vital strategic importance to the United States. Isolationists do not argue that America has no interests in the wider world, just that they are not important enough to justify deploying military force to defend them. They are fully in favor of engaging with the rest of the world economically as well as diplomatically, but they view all foreign wars as unnecessary.” https://consortiumnews.com/2016/08/26/the-high-cost-of-american-hubris/

The Dumbed-Down New York Times

The Dumbed-Down New York Times

Exclusive: A New York Times columnist writes Americans are so “dumbed-down” that they don’t know that Russia “invaded” Ukraine two years ago, but that “invasion” was mostly in the minds of Times editors and other propagandists, says Robert Parry.

By Robert Parry
In a column mocking the political ignorance of the “dumbed-down” American people and lamenting the death of “objective fact,” New York Times columnist Timothy Egan shows why so many Americans have lost faith in the supposedly just-the-facts-ma’am mainstream media.
Egan states as flat fact, “If more than 16 percent of Americans could locate Ukraine on a map, it would have been a Really Big Deal when Trump said that Russia was not going to invade it — two years after they had, in fact, invaded it.” https://consortiumnews.com/2016/08/27/the-dumbed-down-new-york-times/

Seriously, What Orthodox Women Wear to the Beach Is No Different From a Burkini

Seriously, What Orthodox Women Wear to the Beach Is No Different From a Burkini



http://forward.com/sisterhood/348382/seriously-what-orthodox-women-wear-to-the-beach-is-no-different-from-a-burk/?utm_source=Email%20Article&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Email%20Article

Syria’s Paradox: Why the War Only Ever Seems to Get Worse

Syria’s Paradox: Why the War
Only Ever Seems to Get Worse

Experts on civil wars say there are several reasons Syria is
“a really, really tough case” that defies historical parallels.


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/27/world/middleeast/syria-civil-war-why-get-worse.html?ref=world&_r=0

Ray McGovern talks to RT International


Ray McGovern talks to RT International

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1qFUFCaXVE&feature=youtu.be

Israeli think tank: Don’t destroy ISIS; it’s a “useful tool” against Iran, Hezbollah, Syria



Tuesday, Aug 23, 2016

Israeli think tank: Don’t destroy ISIS; it’s a “useful tool” against Iran, Hezbollah, Syria

Head of a right-wing think tank says the existence of ISIS serves a "strategic purpose" in the West's interests

Ben Norton
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/23/israeli-think-tank-dont-destroy-isis-its-a-useful-tool-against-iran-hezbollah-syria/

Seriously, What Orthodox Women Wear to the Beach Is No Different From a Burkini

Seriously, What Orthodox Women Wear to the Beach Is No Different From a Burkini


http://forward.com/sisterhood/348382/seriously-what-orthodox-women-wear-to-the-beach-is-no-different-from-a-burk/?utm_source=Email%20Article&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Email%20Article

Friday, August 26, 2016

Washington’s Tightrope Act in Syria


Washington’s Tightrope Act in Syria

President Barack Obama's administration is trying to stay on the good side of both Turkey and Syria's Kurds, even as its two partners are increasingly at each others' throats.

http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/08/25/washingtons-tightrope-act-in-syria/?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWXpWbFpqTTRPVGRqTVRreCIsInQiOiJ5dUNcL2U5R1VFdTFYVkdJNE1sVWw2RTdoNWlhQkZYMXZibEVrSUtGUm9rbE1MZUZRY1B3Q1hBVVhxbUpRSFJ0M3lNcDJYbEx6UUpadjBKY3l4WUlaNUppREhzVkI1cUdnQjU3Sk1KMXgxb2M9In0%3D

WPR Articles Aug. 22 — Aug. 26


WPR Articles Aug. 22 — Aug. 26

As President, Clinton Would Face Hard Choices About U.N. Peacekeeping

By: Richard Gowan | Column
If Hillary Clinton is elected president of the United States, fixing the failings of United Nations peacekeeping operations is unlikely to be one of her foreign policy priorities. But the next administration is likely to find that crises involving blue helmets have a habit of creeping up its agenda.

Nepal Faces More Political Bickering and Power Grabs Under Dahal

By: Anuradha Sharma | Briefing
Earlier this month, Nepal’s parliament elected Pushpa Kamal Dahal as its new prime minister. The former Maoist guerrilla leader first held the country’s top job in 2008. Dahal is unlikely to bring political stability to a country still reeling from the 2015 earthquake and an ongoing fight over a new constitution.

Africa’s Next President for Life? Bongo Eyes Another Election Win in Gabon

By: Alex Thurston | Briefing
Small, oil-rich Gabon will vote for president on Aug. 27. A victory for incumbent Ali Bongo Ondimba, whose father was president of Gabon for more than 40 years, would reinforce patterns of dynastic succession in small African countries that are ostensibly democracies, but in reality autocracies.

Short-Lived Syria Bombing Run Exposes Iran and Russia’s Awkward Partnership

By: Frida Ghitis | Column
When Russia announced last week that it had started launching bombing raids into Syria from a base inside Iran, the news produced a remarkable reaction, simultaneously angering both the United States and much of Iran. The episode highlighted just how complex and fragile new Russia-Iran ties are.

Will Ghani and Abdullah’s Rivalry Bring Down Afghanistan’s Unity Government?

By: Colin Cookman | Briefing
With the two-year anniversary of Afghanistan’s national unity government approaching in September, long-simmering tensions between President Ashraf Ghani and the country’s chief executive, Abdullah Abdullah, have broken out into the open. A complicated power-sharing game shows little sign of being resolved soon.