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Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Faiths United Against Nuclear Weapons
Faiths United Against Nuclear Weapons
http://original.antiwar.com/julia_rainer/2014/12/29/faiths-united-against-nuclear-weapons/
http://original.antiwar.com/julia_rainer/2014/12/29/faiths-united-against-nuclear-weapons/
Pope's Message for World Day of the Sick
Pope's Message for World Day of the Sick
"Time spent with the sick is holy time. It is a way of praising God who conforms us to the image of his Son, who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'"
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-s-message-for-world-day-of-the-sick--2America's Retirement Security Crisis is Huge and Quickly Growing
America's Retirement Security Crisis is Huge and Quickly Growing
http://www.alternet.org/books/americas-retirement-security-crisis-huge-and-quickly-approaching
http://www.alternet.org/books/americas-retirement-security-crisis-huge-and-quickly-approaching
Robber barons and silicon sultans
Self-made wealth in America
Robber barons and silicon sultans
Today’s tech billionaires have a lot in common with a previous generation of capitalist titans—perhaps too much for their own good
http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21637338-todays-tech-billionaires-have-lot-common-previous-generation-capitalist?fsrc=nlw|hig|30-12-2015|NAObama's Russia fiasco By M K Bhadrakumar
Indian Punchline
http://blogs.rediff.com
December 26, 2014
http://blogs.rediff.com
December 26, 2014
Obama's Russia fiascoBy M K Bhadrakumar
The Cold-War style propaganda against Russian President Vladimir Putin in the western media may have peaked. So much garbage has been thrown at the Russian leader that the inventory must be getting depleted. But amidst all the mudslinging, Putin himself remains nonchalant, again belying the western character sketches of him that he can't take criticism. Apparently he can.
What Makes ISIS Tick?
van Eland Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Peace & Liberty, The Independent Institute
What Makes ISIS Tick?
Posted:
12/29/2014
The problem with this effort, like those of all of the other bunches of smart people convened by the U.S. government on Islamist terrorism, is that it can only go so far in criticizing its employer's polices toward the Islamic world. Since the government is at least theoretically in the employ of the public, the American people could demand a deeper analysis. However, since the 9/11 attacks, they have been hoodwinked by politicians and government officials into believing that radical Islamists attack U.S. targets essentially because inherently bad people hate inherently great people (if they had wondered at all, which the overwhelming majority haven't). This line of argument may have originated with George W. Bush's false claim that al Qaeda attacked the United States on 9/11 because of American freedoms--which Osama bin Laden vigorously denounced by asking why then he didn't attack Sweden.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ivan-eland/what-makes-isis-tick_b_6392616.html
The Victory of ‘Perception Management’
https://consortiumnews.com/
The Victory of ‘Perception Management’
December 28, 2014
Special Report:
In the 1980s, the Reagan administration pioneered “perception
management” to get the American people to “kick the Vietnam Syndrome”
and accept more U.S. interventionism, but that propaganda structure
continues to this day getting the public to buy into endless war, writes
Robert Parry.
By Robert Parry
Monday, December 29, 2014
Syria and IS
|
Summary: after four years of war Syria (excepting the Kurdish area) is roughly divided between the regime, IS, and al-Qa’ida. All are under US attack or sanctions, all are growing weaker, and no one can win. There is a minimalist UN plan for a ceasefire beginning in Aleppo, and a Russian proposal for a conference next month which could be a way to get Washington to accept that al-Asad has to be part of a settlement.
The civil war in Syria began almost four years ago with protests in January 2011 and shows no sign of ending (as we have already commented, the Lebanon civil war lasted fifteen years). About two hundred thousand people have been killed and a million wounded; over three million have fled Syria and over seven million have been displaced within Syria. Routine reports in the last week include barrel bombs dropped on IS-held areas by the Syrian air force loyal to the regime, air strikes by the US-led coalition, and executions by IS, all causing multiple casualties.http://us7.campaign-archive2.com/?u=2820afb1fbae0c99e88fb6f52&id=b6fb799be0&e=672f0b89c4
Settlements sabotaged talks, not Palestinians
For both politicians and commentators, spin is an occupational hazard. Politicians cannot function without “spinning” realities to suit their purposes thereby putting the most favourable possible interpretation on events for their own interests. Commentators may be tempted to do the same, but their proper role is to react to political spin coming at them from officials, candidates and activists.
The duty of analysts, at least theoretically, is to guide their readers towards a balanced interpretation of reality, as best they understand it. Sometimes, though, even experienced veterans can let their guard down and find themselves totally suspending disbelief and presenting spin in an uncritical manner, especially if they think it’s all in a good cause.
Roger Cohen of The New York Times seems to have fallen into precisely this trap in his most recent op-ed, in which he essentially serves as the stenographer for Israel’s former negotiator Tzipi Livni. http://m.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/settlements-sabotaged-talks-not-palestinians
China a likely factor in North Korea cyber prowess: experts
China a likely factor in North Korea cyber prowess: experts
Beijing (AFP) Dec 26, 2014 - North Korea may be facing explosive hacking accusations, but analysts are questioning how an isolated, impoverished country with limited Internet access could wage cyber sabotage - and many experts believe China plays a role. The US has accused Pyongyang of hacking Sony Pictures, which was intimidated into initially cancelling the comedy film "The Interview" that mocks North Korean leader K ... morehttp://www.spacewar.com/reports/China_a_likely_factor_in_North_Korea_cyber_prowess_experts_999.html
New Russian military doctrine labels NATO as main threat
New Russian military doctrine labels NATO as main threat
Moscow (AFP) Dec 26, 2014 - The Kremlin on Friday branded the expansion of NATO as a fundamental threat to Russia in a revised military doctrine that dramatically reflects deteriorating relations with the West. The new document, approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin, decries the "reinforcement of NATO's offensive capacities directly on Russia's borders, and measures taken to deploy a global anti-missile defence ... morehttp://www.spacewar.com/reports/New_Russian_military_doctrine_labels_NATO_as_main_threat_999.html
Moscow (AFP) Dec 26, 2014 - The Kremlin on Friday branded the expansion of NATO as a fundamental threat to Russia in a revised military doctrine that dramatically reflects deteriorating relations with the West. The new document, approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin, decries the "reinforcement of NATO's offensive capacities directly on Russia's borders, and measures taken to deploy a global anti-missile defence ... morehttp://www.spacewar.com/reports/New_Russian_military_doctrine_labels_NATO_as_main_threat_999.html
US looks to Israel to justify torture
US looks to Israel to justify torture
When the CIA looked for legal cover for its post-9/11 torture programme, it is little surprise it looked to Israel. Washington's ally has its own Guantanamo, Camp 1391, which the Israeli Supreme Court has consistently shielded from investigation.
Footnotes in government reports are often the place where disgruntled bureaucrats leave clues. It is where bits of information that lead elsewhere are suggestively placed. Senior officials might not allow potentially controversial information into the body of a report.
In the Senate report on CIA torture there is such a footnote. Early in the report’s more than five hundred pages, footnote 51 concerns the November 26, 2001 Draft of Legal Appendix, Hostile Interrogations: Legal Consideration for CIA Officers.http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/comment/76634358-ca10-46ff-a9ba-4b99570a6a09
Afghanistan: ‘A Shocking Indictment’
Afghanistan: ‘A Shocking Indictment’
No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War Through Afghan Eyes
by Anand Gopal
Metropolitan, 304 pp., $27.00http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2014/nov/06/afghanistan-shocking-indictment/
Sunday, December 28, 2014
The REAL Santa Claus, A “Real Historical Person”
The REAL Santa Claus, A “Real Historical Person”
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-real-santa-claus/5421625
North Korean Internet, 3G mobile network 'paralyzed:' Xinhua:
North Korean Internet, 3G mobile network 'paralyzed:' Xinhua:
North
Korea's Internet and 3G mobile networks were paralyzed again on
Saturday evening, China's official Xinhua news agency reported on
Saturday, with the North Korean government blaming the United States
for systemic instability in the country's networks.
2014: The Year Propaganda Came Of Age
2014: The Year Propaganda Came Of Age
By Raúl Ilargi Meijer
I don't think Joseph Goebbels had anything on US and European media today.
We Can Conclusively Confirm North Korea Was Not Behind Sony Hack
We Can Conclusively Confirm North Korea Was Not Behind Sony Hack
By Charles C. Johnson
Sony hack was an inside job.
China to Start Payments With Russia in National Currencies on December 29
China to Start Payments With Russia in National Currencies on December 29
By Sputnik
From
December 29, China, Russia, Malaysia and New Zealand will start the
usage of national currencies in mutual transactions. Beijing hopes to
make the yuan an alternative to the US dollar in global trade.
The Cost of the U.S. Ban on Paying for Hostages
The Cost of the U.S. Ban on Paying for Hostages
By RUKMINI CALLIMACHI, New York Times, DEC. 27, 2014
GAZIANTEP,
Turkey — For a fleeting moment last year, Louai Abo Aljoud, a Syrian
journalist, made eye contact with the American hostages being held by
the Islamic State militant group.
One of dozens of prisoners inside a former potato chip factory in northern Syria,
Mr. Abo Aljoud was taken out of his cell one day and assigned to
deliver meals to fellow inmates. It was when he opened the slot to Cell
No. 2 that he first saw them — the gaunt, frightened faces of James
Foley, Steven J. Sotloff and Peter Kassig.http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/28/world/middleeast/the-cost-of-the-us-ban-on-paying-for-hostages.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
Worse than a Defeat James Meek
Worse than a Defeat
James Meek http://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n24/james-meek/worse-than-a-defeat
Billion Dollar Surveillance Blimp to Launch over Maryland
Billion Dollar Surveillance Blimp to Launch over Maryland
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/12/17/billion-dollar-surveillance-blimp-launch-maryland/
Capturing the Joy in Grief During Christmas
"One in Five Young Adults Lives in Poverty"
"One in Five Young Adults Lives in Poverty" -- The U.S. Census Bureau shows "the generation that has been dismissed as entitled and whiny is struggling with higher levels of poverty than their counterparts did in 1980," when one in seven 18-to-34-year-olds lived in poverty, The Guardian reports.
http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/one_in_five_young_adults_lives_in_poverty_20141226
"'Left, Right & Center': 2014, The Year That Was" -
"'Left, Right & Center': 2014, The Year That Was" -- Truthdig Editor-in-Chief Robert Scheer and the other "Left, Right & Center" panelists ponder the most consequential stories of 2014: the fracking revolution, the global economic slowdown, technological advances and police and race.
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/left_right_center_2014_the_year_that_was_20141227
"Living on a Dollar a Day"
"Living on a Dollar a Day" -- Nearly 1.8 billion people live in extreme poverty, most barely surviving on $1 a day. A new book of photography documents the everyday lives of the world's poorest people.
http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/living_on_a_dollar_a_day_20141226
Criteria of a Sensible Grand Strategy
Criteria of a Sensible Grand Strategy
America's contemporary theory and practice of grand strategy can be summarized in the sound byte uttered in 2001 by President George W. Bush shortly after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, "You are either with us or you are with the terrorists." With the benefit of hindsight, it is now clear that Bush’s primitive conception blew back on itself to create all sorts of problems at home and abroad. It is also clear that, notwithstanding the blowback, this grand strategic outlook became even more entrenched and even intensified during the Presidential tenure of Barack Obama, as is evident in his unilateral escalation of drone attacks, the fatally-flawed Afghan Surge decision ([1] & [2]), and the foreign and domestic spying by the NSA scandal, which included tapping the cell phones of close allies like German Prime Minister Angela Merkle.
Surely, the art of grand strategy is more subtle than a primitive self-referencing assertion of a unilateral military prerogative. So, what makes up a sensible grand strategy? http://chuckspinney.blogspot.com/p/criteria-of-sensible-grand-strategy.html
Why the Secrecy on the Mh17 Investigation
Weekend Edition December 19-21, 2014
A Wider Geopolitical Agenda
Why the Secrecy on the Mh17 Investigation
by JAMES O'NEILL
On 17 July 2014 Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over the Eastern Ukraine.Although the precise circumstances were at that point unknown the western media were quick to blame Ukrainian “rebels”. The means by which MH17 was destroyed, the media alleged, was a surface to air BUK missile supplied to the “rebels” by Russia. For a host of reasons it was almost certainly not a BUK missile that caused the crash. The stage was set however, for a demonization of Russia in general as the alleged supplier of the missile, and President Vladimir Putin in particular. The relentless propaganda enforcing this view has continued unabated to this day, although the evidential foundation for the allegations remains at best remote. http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/12/19/why-the-secrecy-on-the-mh17-investigation/print
Saturday, December 27, 2014
‘Terrorism’ Hysteria over Sony Hack
‘Terrorism’ Hysteria over Sony Hack
By Paul R. Pillar
https://consortiumnews.com/2014/12/26/terrorism-hysteria-over-sony-hack/
Friday, December 26, 2014
Pope Francis Has A Somber Message For The World On Christmas
Pope Francis Has A Somber Message For The World On Christmas
http://www.businessinsider.com/pope-francis-has-a-somber-message-for-the-world-on-christmas-2014-12?nr_email_referer=1&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Business%20Insider%20Select&utm_campaign=BI%20Select%20%28Wednesday%20Friday%29%202014-12-26&utm_content=BISelect
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Christianity Is Being Wiped Out In The Middle East
http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2014/12/christianity-is-being-wiped-out-in.html
Report: Islamic State Has Converted Christian Churches Into Torture Chambers
http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2014/12/report-islamic-state-has-converted.htmlPope's Christmas Letter to Christians in Middle East
Pope's Christmas Letter to Christians in Middle East
"I do hope to have the chance to come to you in person and to visit and to comfort you"
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-s-christmas-letter-to-christians-in-middle-east
Exposing The Deception: How The US Economy "Grew" By $140 Billion As Americans Became Poorer
Exposing The Deception: How The US Economy "Grew" By $140 Billion As Americans Became Poorer
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-23/exposing-deception-how-us-economy-grew-140-billion-q3-due-data-revisions
Why Is Obama Using Flimsy Evidence to Blame North Korea for Sony Hack?
Why Is Obama Using Flimsy Evidence to Blame North Korea for Sony Hack?
http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/12/why-is-obama-using-flimsy-evidence-to-blame-north-korea-for-sony-hack/
Pope Francis' Midnight Mass Homily
Pope Francis' Midnight Mass Homily
The Christmas Hope: A To-Do List for a Better World
The Christmas Hope: A To-Do List for a Better World
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-24/christmas-hope-do-list-better-world
Sit and Listen to Handel’s ‘Messiah’
Sit and Listen to Handel’s ‘Messiah’
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/sit_and_listen_to_handels_messiah_20141225SF Fed Warns US Equity Valuations Will Be Cut In Half In Next Decade
SF Fed Warns US Equity Valuations Will Be Cut In Half In Next Decade
Christmas Is a Sad Season for the Poor
Christmas Is a Sad Season for the Poor
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1949/12/24/christmas-is-a-sad-season-for-the-poor?mbid=social_facebookChristmas in America: Growing Poverty, Unemployment and Homelessness in the World’s Richest Country
Christmas in America: Growing Poverty, Unemployment and Homelessness in the World’s Richest Country
http://www.globalresearch.ca/christmas-in-america-growing-poverty-unemployment-and-homelessness-in-the-worlds-richest-country/5421511
Guzzling in the Gulf The Monarchies Face a Threat From Within
Guzzling in the Gulf
The Monarchies Face a Threat From Within
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/142692/jim-krane/guzzling-in-the-gulf?cid=nlc-foreign_affairs_this_week-122514-guzzling_in_the_gulf_5-122514&sp_mid=47702821&sp_rid=bWljaGVsZXRrZWFybmV5QGdtYWlsLmNvbQS2
Revenge of the Ruble What the Crisis Means for Putin
Revenge of the Ruble
What the Crisis Means for Putin
By Daniel Cloud
What the Crisis Means for Putin
By Daniel Cloud
The
ruble has already lost almost half its value against the dollar this
year, and there is little doubt that Putin will end up badly wounded.
The question is whether he will drag his country down with him, turning
Russia into a full-fledged pariah state. http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/142693/daniel-cloud/revenge-of-the-ruble?cid=nlc-foreign_affairs_this_week-122514-revenge_of_the_ruble_5-122514&sp_mid=47702821&sp_rid=bWljaGVsZXRrZWFybmV5QGdtYWlsLmNvbQS2
Leaving the West Behind Germany Looks East
Leaving the West Behind
Germany Looks East
By Hans Kundnani
Germany Looks East
By Hans Kundnani
The
Ukraine crisis has reopened old questions about Germany’s relationship
to the rest of the West, as Germany drifts away from the United States
and gravitates toward Russia and China.http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/142492/hans-kundnani%E2%80%A8/leaving-the-west-behind?cid=nlc-foreign_affairs_this_week-122514-leaving_the_west_behind_5-122514&sp_mid=47702821&sp_rid=bWljaGVsZXRrZWFybmV5QGdtYWlsLmNvbQS2
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
With Parliament Vote, Ukraine Moves Towards NATO Alliance
With Parliament Vote, Ukraine Moves Towards NATO Alliance
Russian Foreign Minister says vote 'will only escalate the confrontation'
http://commondreams.org/news/2014/12/23/parliament-vote-ukraine-moves-towards-nato-alliance
Nicaragua breaks ground on canal project
Nicaragua breaks ground on canal project
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/nicaragua-breaks-ground-canal-project-093423863.html#DDpLDbd
In Plain English: Five Reasons Why Security Experts Are Skeptical North Korea Masterminded The Sony Attack Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-security-experts-are-skeptical-that-north-korea-masterminded-the-sony-attack-2014-12#ixzz3MlrfUA7F
In Plain English: Five Reasons Why Security Experts Are Skeptical North Korea Masterminded The Sony Attack
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-security-experts-are-skeptical-that-north-korea-masterminded-the-sony-attack-2014-12?utm_source=alerts&nr_email_referer=1
Ukraine Central Bank Conned Into Swapping Its Gold For Lead Bricks
Ukraine Central Bank Conned Into Swapping Its Gold For Lead Bricks
Just when one thought the story of Ukraine and its (now non-existent) gold could not get any more surreal, it did.http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-22/ukraine-central-bank-conned-swapping-its-gold-lead-bricks
Strategic Negligence and the Sony Sideshow
Strategic Negligence and the Sony Sideshow
NAPSNet Policy Forum
Recommended Citation
Peter Hayes, "Strategic Negligence and the Sony Sideshow", NAPSNet Policy Forum, December 22, 2014, http://nautilus.org/napsnet/NAPSNet Policy Forum
Peter Hayeshttp://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-policy-forum/strategic-negligence-and-the-sony-sideshow/
From inside Putin’s parallel universe, the crisis looks bright
From inside Putin’s parallel universe, the crisis looks bright
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/5012b062-8925-11e4-9b7f-00144feabdc0.html?siteedition=intl#axzz3Mlk0RMB3
The ‘Exceptionalism’ of US Torture
The ‘Exceptionalism’ of US Torture
December 21, 2014
Americans like to think of themselves as the ultimate “good guys” and anyone who gets in their way as a “bad guy.” Under this theory of U.S. “exceptionalism,” whatever “we” do must be moral or at least morally defensible, from sponsoring coups around the world to torture, as William Blum describes.By William Blumhttp://consortiumnews.com/2014/12/21/the-exceptionalism-of-us-torture/
China's lenders are best placed to fix region's infrastructure
China's lenders are best placed to fix region's infrastructure
http://www.euro2day.gr/ftcom_en/article-ft-en/1287924/chinas-lenders-are-best-placed-to-fix-regions.html
Republicans versus the IMF - the battle continues
http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/republicans-versus-the-imf-the-battle-continues
Republicans versus the IMF - the battle continues
Global Health Ebola Update 12/23
Ebola
* How a Virus Outsmarted the World (Ebola) – ** Washington Post (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
* Nigerian virologist delivers scathing analysis of Africa's response to Ebola – ** Science Magazine (http://jhsph.us3.list-
* Inside the Ebola Wars – ** The New Yorker (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
* Why Is Guinea's Ebola Outbreak So Unusual? ** NPR (http://jhsph.us3.list-
* How a Virus Outsmarted the World (Ebola) – ** Washington Post (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
* Nigerian virologist delivers scathing analysis of Africa's response to Ebola – ** Science Magazine (http://jhsph.us3.list-
* Inside the Ebola Wars – ** The New Yorker (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
* Why Is Guinea's Ebola Outbreak So Unusual? ** NPR (http://jhsph.us3.list-
The US probably isn't behind North Korea's internet problems
The US probably isn't behind North Korea's internet problems
http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/22/7436431/the-us-probably-isnt-behind-north-koreas-internet-problems
These experts still don't buy the FBI claim that North Korea hacked Sony
These experts still don't buy the FBI claim that North Korea hacked Sony
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-these-experts-still-dont-buy-20141221-column.html
North Korea Is Experiencing a Full Internet Blackout
North Korea Is Experiencing a Full Internet Blackout
http://www.defenseone.com/threats/2014/12/north-korea-experiencing-full-internet-blackout/101883/
The Geopolitics of U.S.-Cuba Relations By George Friedman
The Geopolitics of U.S.-Cuba Relations
By George Friedman
Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro agreed to an exchange of prisoners being held on espionage charges. In addition, Washington and Havana agreed to hold discussions with the goal of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries. No agreement was reached on ending the U.S. embargo on Cuba, a step that requires congressional approval.
It was a modest agreement, striking only because there was any agreement at all. U.S.-Cuba relations had been frozen for decades, with neither side prepared to make significant concessions or even first moves. The cause was partly the domestic politics of each country that made it easier to leave the relationship frozen. On the American side, a coalition of Cuban-Americans, conservatives and human rights advocates decrying Cuba's record of human rights violations blocked the effort. On the Cuban side, enmity with the United States plays a pivotal role in legitimizing the communist regime. Not only was the government born out of opposition to American imperialism, but Havana also uses the ongoing U.S. embargo to explain Cuban economic failures. There was no external pressure compelling either side to accommodate the other, and there were substantial internal reasons to let the situation stay as it is.
The Cubans are now under some pressure to shift their policies. They have managed to survive the fall of the Soviet Union with some difficulty. They now face a more immediate problem: uncertainty in Venezuela. Caracas supplies oil to Cuba at deeply discounted prices. It is hard to tell just how close Cuba's economy is to the edge, but there is no question that Venezuelan oil makes a significant difference. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government is facing mounting unrest over economic failures. If the Venezuelan government falls, Cuba would lose one of its structural supports. Venezuela's fate is far from certain, but Cuba must face the possibility of a worst-case scenario and shape openings. Opening to the United States makes sense in terms of regime preservation.
The U.S. reason for the shift is less clear.
Read more »http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/geopolitics-us-cuba-relations#axzz3MePjLMku
Monday, December 22, 2014
Demographics - Why The Great Recession Started (And Won't End Anytime Soon)
Demographics - Why The Great Recession Started (And Won't End Anytime Soon)
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-22/demographics-why-great-recession-started-and-wont-end-anytime-soon
Controversial Israeli Novella Finally Hits the U.S.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Controversial Israeli Novella Finally Hits the U.S.
‘Khirbet Khizeh,’ about the forceful evacuation of a Palestinian village by Israeli soldiers, is reaching U.S. readers almost 65 years after the book first stirred controversy in Israelhttp://www.wsj.com/articles/controversial-israeli-novella-finally-hits-the-u-s-1418223919
Hysteria Over North Korean Hacking Is Unwarranted
Ivan Eland
Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Peace & Liberty, The Independent Institute
In the latest exaggerated media frenzy over a news story, the
North Korean hacking of Sony Pictures' computers has been called
"cyberterrorism" against "who we are" as a country." First, "terrorism"
is word that should probably be retired from public usage, because no
one, including academics, can agree on what it means. The term is
overused and abused by governments (and thus the lapdog media),
including the United States, to describe usually groups, but sometimes
countries, that they don't like. For example, Syrian dictator Bashar
al-Assad, whose country is on the U.S. list of nations who sponsor
terrorism, regularly describes rebels trying to overthrow him as
"terrorists" (some are even more brutal than he is, but others may not
be). The United States gives Assad that label because he provides
support for Hezbollah and Hamas, organizations that are on the U.S. list
of terrorist groups, primarily for their actions against Israel. If a
working definition of terrorism is deliberately killing civilians to
generate public pressure on their government to change political course,
then these groups sometimes use terror techniques and sometimes do not
-- when they try to kill Israeli soldiers or win public support by
providing services or aid to the people they govern. Of course, some
academics shy away from this definition, because it might implicate
their own governments.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ivan-eland/hysteria-over-north-korea_b_6366480.html
Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Peace & Liberty, The Independent Institute
Hysteria Over North Korean Hacking Is Unwarranted
Posted:
12/22/2014 | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
How CIA Torture Has Spread Like a Wildfire Throughout the US Military
http://www.alternet.org/how-
How CIA Torture Has Spread Like a Wildfire Throughout the US Military
The Bush officials' lies about CIA torture will haunt us in years to come, says filmmaker Alex Gibney.
December 22, 2014 |
The U.S. Senate summary of the report on
the Central Intelligence Agency’s post-9/11 torture program runs 500
pages. It is filled with grisly details on the waterboarding, sexual
assault, sleep deprivation and death threats that the CIA subjected
detainees to.
But there’s a lot the report does not
cover--like how members of the U.S. military also tortured prisoners in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Two States in One Space" / "Two States, One Holy Land"
"Two States in One Space" / "Two States, One Holy Land"
Jerusalem-based IPCRI
(formerly “Israel Palestine Center for Research and Information”, now rebranded
as “Israel Palestine Creative Regional Initiatives”) has today circulated a
message reading: “This has been quite a busy couple of months for us. We have
successfully unveiled our Two States in One Space research. On
the 27th of November we had over 200 Israelis and Palestinians who attended our
event at the Ambassador Hotel in Jerusalem. We gave out over 200 copies of the
book and are busy distributing it further to decision makers in Palestine,
Israel and in the international community. If you haven’t yet, please do have a
look at the animated video we created to explain the concept. Sharing it with
your networks will expand the reach of this novel idea.”
A link to IPCRI’s
four-minute animated video explaining the concept is transmitted
below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODlNGc1zeZw
North Korea loses Internet days after Barack Obama vows revenge over Sony hacks
North Korea loses Internet days after Barack Obama vows revenge over Sony hacks
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/12/22/north-korea-loses-internet-days-after-barack-obama-vows-revenge-over-sony-hacks/
Japan And China Won't Blame North Korea For The Sony Hack
Japan And China Won't Blame North Korea For The Sony Hack
http://www.businessinsider.com/r-china-condemns-cyberattacks-but-does-not-mention-north-korea-2014-12?utm_source=alerts&nr_email_referer=1
China Is Not Condemning North Korea Over The Sony Hack
China Is Not Condemning North Korea Over The Sony Hack
Judges aren't cogs in the occupation, they're the oil keeping it going
http://972mag.com/judges-
By Haggai Matar
|Published December 22, 2014Judges aren't cogs in the occupation, they're the oil keeping it going
A
new report maps out the two separate legal systems in the occupied
territories — one for Jews and one for Arabs. At a launch event for the
report, senior jurists showed up and argued it’s not their fault
whatsoever. Former Supreme Court Justice Dalia Dorner asked: What can we
do? The answer: A lot.
(Translated from Hebrew by Ofer Neiman)http://972mag.com/judges-arent-cogs-in-the-occupation-theyre-the-oil-keeping-it-going/100325/
Global Health Ebola Update 12/22
EBOLA
The IMF Impact on Health Care
International Monetary Fund (IMF) policies might have played a role in weakening health systems in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, argue the authors of a commentary in the Lancet Global Health.
The authors reviewed IMF policies, sifting through archives of IMF lending agreements between 1990-2014, to back their argument that IMF economic policies required recipient governments to adopt policies that could have emphasized short-term economic objectives over health care investment.
** The Lancet Global Health (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
Approaching 20,000 Cases: The WHO reported a total of 19,031 Ebola cases in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea, and 7373 deaths, as of December 19.
** WHO (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
Related: Ebola response in rural Sierra Leone not yet rapid enough – ** Reuters (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
Related: Liberia Holds Senate Vote Amid Ebola Fears – ** Associated Press (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
Related: U.N.'s Ebola mission should be closed once battle won – ** Reuters (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
The IMF Impact on Health Care
International Monetary Fund (IMF) policies might have played a role in weakening health systems in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, argue the authors of a commentary in the Lancet Global Health.
The authors reviewed IMF policies, sifting through archives of IMF lending agreements between 1990-2014, to back their argument that IMF economic policies required recipient governments to adopt policies that could have emphasized short-term economic objectives over health care investment.
** The Lancet Global Health (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
Approaching 20,000 Cases: The WHO reported a total of 19,031 Ebola cases in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea, and 7373 deaths, as of December 19.
** WHO (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
Related: Ebola response in rural Sierra Leone not yet rapid enough – ** Reuters (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
Related: Liberia Holds Senate Vote Amid Ebola Fears – ** Associated Press (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
Related: U.N.'s Ebola mission should be closed once battle won – ** Reuters (http://jhsph.us3.list-manage.
WaPo Reports on Vladimir Putin's Economic Miracle in Russia
WaPo Reports on Vladimir Putin's Economic Miracle in Russia
http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/wapo-reports-on-vladimir-putins-economic-miracle-in-russia
China Offers Russia Help With Currency Swap Suggestion
China Offers Russia Help With Currency Swap Suggestion
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-22/china-offers-russia-help-with-suggestion-of-wider-currency-swap.html
Forget the Sony Hack, This Could Be the Biggest Cyber Attack of 2015
Forget the Sony Hack, This Could Be the Biggest Cyber Attack of 2015
http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2014/12/forget-sony-hack-could-be-he-biggest-cyber-attack-2015/101727/?oref=defenseone_today_nl
Wars' Cost to U.S. Since the Sept. 11 2001: $1.6 Trillion
Wars' Cost to U.S. Since the Sept. 11 2001: $1.6 Trillion :
A
June cost-of-war assessment by Neta Crawford, a political science
professor at Boston University, put the potential total cost of the
Iraq and Afghanistan wars and assistance to Pakistan since 2001 at $4.4
trillion, including $316 billion in interest costs and $1 trillion
through 2054 for veterans care.
Tea Partiers Are Right: Jeb Is a RINO By Matt Taibbi
Tea Partiers Are Right: Jeb Is a RINO
By Matt Taibbi
Apparently, the American political establishment isn't just afraid of new ideas, it's afraid of new people.
Russia Will Be Able To Overcome Economic Problems - Chinese Foreign Minister
Russia Will Be Able To Overcome Economic Problems - Chinese Foreign Minister
By TASS
"If the Russian side needs it, we shall offer all possible support we may have," the foreign minister said.
Rewriting Syria’s War
Rewriting Syria’s War
An influential, unpublished report looks to radically revise notions of how to achieve peace in this war-torn country.- By David KennerDavid Kenner is the Middle East editor for Foreign Policy.
- December 18, 2014 | http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/
12/18/syria-assad-ceasefires- surrender-nir-rosen-hd-centre- report/
The author, former journalist Nir Rosen, is a researcher with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD Centre), a Geneva-based conflict mediation organization. Rosen’s report is 55 pages long, single-spaced, including both his own analysis and extensive quotes from Syrian officials about their views of the conflict. In it, he argues that the armed opposition has become hopelessly radicalized, while the Assad regime is nonsectarian in nature. The only way out of the conflict, he says, is through U.N.-brokered “local cease-fires” between the armed opposition and the regime, which would pave the way for an end to the bloodshed and the emergence of local institutions, though at the cost of abandoning efforts to force President Bashar al-Assad from power in the near future.
The report came out of meetings Rosen held with U.S. officials and analysts in Washington, and was an attempt to answer questions posed to him during those discussions. When finished, he sent it to officials at the State Department and the National Security Council, including senior director Robert Malley, where it was distributed among Syria policy groups. The HD Centre, meanwhile, produced an 11-page version of Rosen’s report that contained the same policy proposals, but omitted the quotations from regime officials and many of the sweeping statements about the nature of the armed opposition and the Assad regime. http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/12/18/syria-assad-ceasefires-surrender-nir-rosen-hd-centre-report/
Analysis: After Havana, is Tehran next?
http://www.i24news.tv/en/
One man who became part of this history-in-the-making was Alan Gross, an American-Jewish aid worker who was released last week, after serving five years in Cuban prison, as part of the diplomatic deal between Washington and Havana that created the conditions for the American-Cuban détente (Another American held by Cuba was also released in exchange for the American release of three Cuban spies).
Gross, 65, a resident of suburban Washington, was arrested while working as an international aid contractor to improve Internet service and set up an intranet for Cuban Jewish communities. He was charged by the Cuban government with spying and sentenced to a 15-year jail term.http://www.i24news.tv/en/mobile#content/55130
By Leon Hadar
December 21st 2014 - 10:19amAnalysis: After Havana, is Tehran next?
Many of the reasons Obama stated for changing course on Cuba could probably apply to Iran
History was made last week when President Barack Obama announced
major changes in American policy towards the neighboring island nation
of Cuba, closing what was one of the last chapters of the Cold War.One man who became part of this history-in-the-making was Alan Gross, an American-Jewish aid worker who was released last week, after serving five years in Cuban prison, as part of the diplomatic deal between Washington and Havana that created the conditions for the American-Cuban détente (Another American held by Cuba was also released in exchange for the American release of three Cuban spies).
Gross, 65, a resident of suburban Washington, was arrested while working as an international aid contractor to improve Internet service and set up an intranet for Cuban Jewish communities. He was charged by the Cuban government with spying and sentenced to a 15-year jail term.http://www.i24news.tv/en/mobile#content/55130
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Jews vs. Palestinians, landowners vs. trespassers
Jews vs. Palestinians, landowners vs. trespassers
Israeli security forces have descended over and over again on Ali Moussa’s family compound in the West Bank and demolished the houses he built. Across the way the settlement of Efrat expands, unchecked.
By Gideon Levy and Alex Levac 20/12/14The numbers speak for themselves: four demolitions, six razed houses, one husband, two wives, 17 children, 17 grandchildren.
The story behind the numbers: Ali Moussa, a farmer who lives in the West Bank, has clung stubbornly to his land for more than 30 years. Repeatedly, forces of the Civil Administration, Israel’s governing body in the occupied territories, have demolished the houses Moussa has built. Repeatedly, he has rebuilt them. His applications for a construction permit have been ignored, but this is his home, this is his family’s land.
The compound of Moussa’s ramshackle dwellings lies on a hill overlooking the valley through which Highway 60, linking Jerusalem and Bethlehem and Hebron, passes. On the hill across the valley rise the homes that are part of one of the unchecked expansions of the settlement of Efrat. They are a lot less legal than Moussa’s houses – the land does not legally belong to the settlers – but they, of course, are not under threat of demolition at the hands of the Civil Administration. Those dwellings are inhabited by Jews.http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/twilight-zone/.premium-1.632547
Rewriting Syria’s War
Rewriting Syria’s War
An influential, unpublished report looks to radically revise notions of how to achieve peace in this war-torn country.- By David KennerDavid Kenner is the Middle East editor for Foreign Policy.
- December 18, 2014 | http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/
12/18/syria-assad-ceasefires- surrender-nir-rosen-hd-centre- report/
The author, former journalist Nir Rosen, is a researcher with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD Centre), a Geneva-based conflict mediation organization. Rosen’s report is 55 pages long, single-spaced, including both his own analysis and extensive quotes from Syrian officials about their views of the conflict. In it, he argues that the armed opposition has become hopelessly radicalized, while the Assad regime is nonsectarian in nature. The only way out of the conflict, he says, is through U.N.-brokered “local cease-fires” between the armed opposition and the regime, which would pave the way for an end to the bloodshed and the emergence of local institutions, though at the cost of abandoning efforts to force President Bashar al-Assad from power in the near future.http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/12/18/syria-assad-ceasefires-surrender-nir-rosen-hd-centre-report/
Analysis: After Havana, is Tehran next?
By Leon Hadar
December 21st 2014 - 10:19amAnalysis: After Havana, is Tehran next?
Many of the reasons Obama stated for changing course on Cuba could probably apply to Iran
History was made last week when President Barack Obama announced
major changes in American policy towards the neighboring island nation
of Cuba, closing what was one of the last chapters of the Cold War.One man who became part of this history-in-the-making was Alan Gross, an American-Jewish aid worker who was released last week, after serving five years in Cuban prison, as part of the diplomatic deal between Washington and Havana that created the conditions for the American-Cuban détente (Another American held by Cuba was also released in exchange for the American release of three Cuban spies).
The US Wants China's Help After The Sony Hack, But It's Complicated Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/sony-hack-us-may-seek-chinese-help-reining-north-korean-cyberattacks-1764062#ixzz3MYZbs7dB
The US Wants China's Help After The Sony Hack, But It's Complicated
http://www.businessinsider.com/us-wants-chinas-help-after-the-sony-hack-but-its-complicated-2014-12?utm_source=alerts&nr_email_referer=1
Obama Does Not Consider The Sony Hack An Act Of War
Obama Does Not Consider The Sony Hack An Act Of War
http://www.businessinsider.com/r-obama-does-not-consider-sony-hack-an-act-of-war-cnn-interview-2014-12?utm_source=alerts&nr_email_referer=1
North Korea To US : There Will Be Serious Consequences If You Don't Work With Us On Sony Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-us-hacking-accusations-are-groundless-slander-2014-12#ixzz3MYZ7hvBq
North Korea To US : There Will Be Serious Consequences If You Don't Work With Us On Sony
http://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-us-hacking-accusations-are-groundless-slander-2014-12?utm_source=alerts&nr_email_referer=1
The FBI told their story about North Korea attacking Sony. Before we retaliate, read what they didn’t tell you.
The FBI told their story about North Korea attacking Sony. Before we retaliate, read what they didn’t tell you.
http://fabiusmaximus.com/2014/12/20/rebuttal-holes-fbi-north-korea-sony-attack-74873/
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Russian Roulette: Taxpayers Could Be on the Hook for Trillions in Oil Derivatives
Russian Roulette: Taxpayers Could Be on the Hook for Trillions in Oil Derivatives
http://www.globalresearch.ca/russian-roulette-taxpayers-could-be-on-the-hook-for-trillions-in-oil-derivatives/5420960
Do Black Lives Really Matter to Liberals? By Tom Trinko
Do Black Lives Really Matter to Liberals?
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2014/12/do_black_lives_really_matter_to_liberals.html
Judge Rules Obama's Abuse Of Executive Orders Is "Unconstitutional"
Judge Rules Obama's Abuse Of Executive Orders Is "Unconstitutional"
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-20/judge-rules-obamas-abuse-executive-orders-unconstitutional
America, nation of torturers: Stop saying “this isn’t who we are” — here’s the real truth
America, nation of torturers: Stop saying “this isn’t who we are” — here’s the real truth
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/12/america-nation-torturers-stop-saying-isnt-heres-real-truth.html
Gaza: One War, One Family. Five Children, Four Dead
Unsurprisingly, this story does not seem to have appeared in the U.S. edition of Newsweek.
Gaza: One War, One Family. Five Children, Four Dead
In a house in Rafah in southern Gaza, near
the Egyptian border, Nabil Siyam, aged 34, slowly lays out pictures of
his family. He only has one arm, the other was blown off by an Israeli
bomb during the summer war. The pictures show his wife, Shireen, and
their children – Mustafa, 9, Ghaida, a girl aged 8, Abdul Rahman, 6,
Badruddin, 5 and Dalal, also a girl, aged nine months. All but Badruddin
were killed by the same bomb; the little boy lost a kidney and now
plays on his father’s lap. Also killed were two of Nabil’s brothers, two
of his brothers’ wives and three of their children, who lived in this
house.
http://www.newsweek.com/2014/12/19/gaza-one-war-one-family-five-children-four-dead-290987.html
Giving the Torturers a Pass
http://consortiumnews.com/
By Marjorie Cohn
Reading the 499-page torture report just released by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence was a disgusting experience. Even after many years of writing books and articles about the Bush torture policy, I was unprepared for the atrocious pattern of crimes our government committed against other human beings in our name.
One of the most hideous techniques the CIA plied on detainees was called “rectal rehydration” or “rectal feeding” without medical necessity – a sanitized description of rape by a foreign object. A concoction of pureed “hummus, pasta with sauce, nuts and raisins” was forced into the rectum of one detainee. Another was subjected to “rectal rehydration” to establish the interrogator’s “total control over the detainee.” This constitutes illegal, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and a humiliating outrage upon personal dignity.
Several detainees were waterboarded, a technique whereby water is poured into the nose and mouth to cause the victim to think he’s drowning. One detainee in CIA custody was tortured on the waterboard 183 times; another was waterboarded 83 times. Waterboarding has long been considered torture, which is a war crime. Indeed, the United States hanged Japanese military leaders for the war crime of torture after World War II.
Giving the Torturers a Pass
December 16, 2014
During Watergate, senior U.S. officials went to jail for lying and obstructing justice. Many politicians have gone to prison for taking bribes and for corruption. But it’s somehow unthinkable to prosecute Bush administration officials implicated in torture and murder, an attitude that Marjorie Cohn rejects.By Marjorie Cohn
Reading the 499-page torture report just released by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence was a disgusting experience. Even after many years of writing books and articles about the Bush torture policy, I was unprepared for the atrocious pattern of crimes our government committed against other human beings in our name.
One of the most hideous techniques the CIA plied on detainees was called “rectal rehydration” or “rectal feeding” without medical necessity – a sanitized description of rape by a foreign object. A concoction of pureed “hummus, pasta with sauce, nuts and raisins” was forced into the rectum of one detainee. Another was subjected to “rectal rehydration” to establish the interrogator’s “total control over the detainee.” This constitutes illegal, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and a humiliating outrage upon personal dignity.
Several detainees were waterboarded, a technique whereby water is poured into the nose and mouth to cause the victim to think he’s drowning. One detainee in CIA custody was tortured on the waterboard 183 times; another was waterboarded 83 times. Waterboarding has long been considered torture, which is a war crime. Indeed, the United States hanged Japanese military leaders for the war crime of torture after World War II.
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