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Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Pope Francis’s Introspection About Capitalism
http://www.fgfbooks.com/AllanBrownfeld/2015/Brownfeld151001.html
Papal Visit 2015 - Speeches abd Homilies
Papal Visit 2015 - Speeches & Homilie
http://www.usccb.org/about/leadership/holy-see/francis/papal-visit-2015/2015-papal-visit-speeches-homilies.cfm
The Pope, The Congress, and a Trappist Monk
The Pope, The Congress, and a Trappist Monk
http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/article/the-pope-the-congress-and-a-trappist-monk/4938/
Democrats: The party of abortion, not the party of women
BY S.E. Cupp
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/s-e-cupp-party-abortion-not-women-article-1.2378803
GENERAL AUDIENCE: On the Apostolic Visit to Cuba and the United States
GENERAL AUDIENCE: On the Apostolic Visit to Cuba and the United States
“God always wants to build bridges; we are the ones that build walls! And walls collapse, always.”
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/general-audience-on-the-apostolic-visit-to-cuba-and-the-united-states
Vatican Confirms Pope Met With Kim Davis
Vatican Confirms Pope Met With Kim Davis
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/vatican-confirms-pope-met-with-kim-davis
To Replace Boehner, Why Not Newt for Speaker?
To Replace Boehner, Why Not Newt for Speaker?
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/424812/john-boehner-replacement-newt-gingrich
The Greatest Threat to Campus Free Speech is Coming From Dianne Feinstein and her Military-Contractor Husband
CFR Daily News Brief: Reports: Russia Launches Air Strikes in Syria
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TOP OF THE AGENDA
Reports: Russia Launches Air Strikes in Syria
Russia has reportedly carried out its first air strikes (BBC) in Syria, near the western city of Homs on Wednesday. The air strikes come after the Russian parliament approved (WSJ)
a request from President Vladimir Putin to deploy armed forces abroad
and amid reports that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad formally requested (Reuters) Russian support. Separately, France's national prosecutor announced on Wednesday that it will open an inquiry (Deutsche Welle) into Assad for committing crimes against humanity.
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Is Russia Back on the World Stage?
Is Russia Back on the World Stage?
Every week, a selection of leading experts answer a new question from Judy Dempsey on the foreign and security policy challenges shaping Europe’s role in the world.http://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/?fa=61450&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonvKXNZKXonjHpfsX57uQsW6Sg38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YIGRcR0aPyQAgobGp5I5FEIQ7XYTLB2t60MWA%3D%3D
Every week, a selection of leading experts answer a new question from Judy Dempsey on the foreign and security policy challenges shaping Europe’s role in the world.http://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/?fa=61450&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonvKXNZKXonjHpfsX57uQsW6Sg38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YIGRcR0aPyQAgobGp5I5FEIQ7XYTLB2t60MWA%3D%3D
Hillary Clinton’s ‘Wicked’ Syrian Choice
https://consortiumnews.com/
By Rick Sterling
Key leaders from around the world are present at the United Nations this week to discuss critical issues; one of the most pressing is Syria. How did we get to this point with half the Syrian population (almost 12 million) displaced and under-populated but huge areas of Syria now controlled by the Islamic State (also known as ISIS), Al Qaeda (Nusra) and other fanatical fundamentalist groups?
Hillary Clinton’s 2014 book Hard Choices reveals important information about the first years of the Syrian conflict and how we got where we are today. Clinton’s account conveys the perception, priorities and bias at the top level of the Obama administration. The book describes policy differences within the administration and the common assumptions and goals which have led to the current disastrous situation.https://consortiumnews.com/2015/09/29/hillary-clintons-wicked-syrian-choice/
Hillary Clinton’s ‘Wicked’ Syrian Choice
September 29, 2015
As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton bought into the neocon/liberal-hawk agenda which spread the chaos of Iraq across Libya, Syria and now into Europe. How Clinton approached those challenges suggests that she would head down the same “regime change” path as President, Rick Sterling explains.By Rick Sterling
Key leaders from around the world are present at the United Nations this week to discuss critical issues; one of the most pressing is Syria. How did we get to this point with half the Syrian population (almost 12 million) displaced and under-populated but huge areas of Syria now controlled by the Islamic State (also known as ISIS), Al Qaeda (Nusra) and other fanatical fundamentalist groups?
Hillary Clinton’s 2014 book Hard Choices reveals important information about the first years of the Syrian conflict and how we got where we are today. Clinton’s account conveys the perception, priorities and bias at the top level of the Obama administration. The book describes policy differences within the administration and the common assumptions and goals which have led to the current disastrous situation.https://consortiumnews.com/2015/09/29/hillary-clintons-wicked-syrian-choice/
The Logic of Putin’s Syria Campaign Russia's president cuts through the Beltway groupthink in explaining his county's interests.
The Logic of Putin’s Syria Campaign
Russia's president cuts through the Beltway groupthink in explaining his county's interests.
By Leon Hadar • September 30, 2015When Vladimir Putin sat down with Charlie Rose of “60 Minutes” last Sunday, there was something refreshing about the Russian president’s encounter with the American media. A world leader discussed the Middle East by using terms of Realpolitik such as the “national interest.” There was little if any of the Wilsonian globaloney favored by members of our foreign policy establishment—Democrats and Republicans alike—who seem to share the belief that the only thing missing from the region today is American “leadership.”
As Rose recycled all the clichés of the editorial page of the Washington Post (which he even quoted during the interview), he inquired whether the Russian leader agreed that the lack of U.S. leadership in the Middle East had helped create a “strategic vacuum,” one that Moscow was now trying to fill. Putin replied by recalling that the last time the United States had tried to project its leadership in the region—by ousting Saddam Hussein and “liberating” Iraq (he apropos also mentioned Gaddafi and Libya)—things had not turned out so well. It did indeed create a huge void, which in addition to strengthening Iran, ignited a bloody civil war that spilled over into Syria, destabilizing the entire region.http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-logic-of-putins-syria-campaign/
The Prince of Counter-Terrorism
The Prince of Counter-Terrorism
Insightful analysis by Bruce Riedel: http://www.brookings.edu/research/essays/2015/the-prince-of-counterterrorism?utm_campaign=brookings-essay&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=22457252&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--Eckc6Cgc0n5SgPoK6Lxz8XaPCDB_2HJm2YWs2eo3-y0yZ7soMZo0efU-vjWlD6XBcCoA2sBK9dAOK6ZuIyIlm0VQi1QsJfdqFX3wp9CA6ooGQvXo&_hsmi=22457252
Libya’s refugee crisis is Europe’s biggest challenge; Is partition the only answer?: Sisci
http://atimes.com/2015/09/
Libya’s refugee crisis is Europe’s biggest challenge; Is partition the only answer?: Sisci
By Francesco Sisci on September 30, 2015The ongoing crisis of Syrian refugees in the Balkans, Greece, and Hungary in recent weeks has obscured and bumped from the headlines Europe’s greatest immigration challenge — which is coming from Libya.
The problem of people fleeing Syria is bound to subside, both because Russia’s new presence along the Mediterranean coast will bar or discourage departure, and because Germany and the pope have encouraged European countries to welcome the refugees. The “allocation” of immigrants will ebb and the ones already on the old continent will be settled.
But there has been no progress in Libya, the place from which hundreds of millions of poor Africans might want to depart and attempt to land in rich Europe. In contrast, Syria might “export” only a tiny fraction of those numbers. In Libya, it’s impossible to think that any European country could successfully try to put boots on the ground, as the Russians are doing in Syria. Nor is it possible to think of settling millions (not thousands, like those from Syria so far) of Africans on the old continent. It would cripple any country, and it would forever impoverish and bleed to death Africa by depriving the region of its most daring, entrepreneurial, and intelligent people.http://atimes.com/2015/09/libya-refugee-crisis-is-europes-top-challenge-is-partition-the-only-answer-sisci/
The South China Sea Showdown: 5 Dangerous Myths
http://nationalinterest.org/
Myths about the South China Sea and related U.S.-China strategic interaction have been multiplying in Washington like fruit flies of late. There is the curious notion that China’s recent actions in the South China Sea portend a spasm of aggression spanning East Asia, spilling into the Indian Ocean and then through the Middle East, Africa and beyond. Almost as fanciful is the idea that Beijing is about to erect figurative toll barriers around the South China Sea, only admitting the ships of nations that agree to perform the infamous 磕头[kowtow]. Presumably, naval vessels requesting admittance would require either multiple prostrations or at least some very fat 红包 [red envelopes].http://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-south-china-sea-showdown-5-dangerous-myths-13970
The South China Sea Showdown: 5 Dangerous Myths
Why 'Asia's Cauldron' may only get more dangerous in the years to come.
September 29, 2015Myths about the South China Sea and related U.S.-China strategic interaction have been multiplying in Washington like fruit flies of late. There is the curious notion that China’s recent actions in the South China Sea portend a spasm of aggression spanning East Asia, spilling into the Indian Ocean and then through the Middle East, Africa and beyond. Almost as fanciful is the idea that Beijing is about to erect figurative toll barriers around the South China Sea, only admitting the ships of nations that agree to perform the infamous 磕头[kowtow]. Presumably, naval vessels requesting admittance would require either multiple prostrations or at least some very fat 红包 [red envelopes].http://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-south-china-sea-showdown-5-dangerous-myths-13970
https://consortiumnews.com/2015/09/29/obamas-self-deceit/ Obama’s Self-Deceit
https://consortiumnews.com/
By Joe Lauria
There was stunned silence in the General Assembly Hall on Monday as U.S. President Barack Obama warned leaders against falling back to pre-United Nations days, in which strong nations imposed their will by force against the weak. There was apparent disbelief as he said it was Russia and China that wanted a “return to the rules that applied for most of human history and that pre-date this institution.”https://consortiumnews.com/2015/09/29/obamas-self-deceit/
Obama’s Self-Deceit
September 29, 2015
President Obama, who has boasted of ordering military strikes on seven countries, chastised Russia and China for not abiding by the rules of international behavior, a breathtaking example of hypocrisy or self-deceit, writes Joe Lauria.By Joe Lauria
There was stunned silence in the General Assembly Hall on Monday as U.S. President Barack Obama warned leaders against falling back to pre-United Nations days, in which strong nations imposed their will by force against the weak. There was apparent disbelief as he said it was Russia and China that wanted a “return to the rules that applied for most of human history and that pre-date this institution.”https://consortiumnews.com/2015/09/29/obamas-self-deceit/
Hillary Clinton called Xi’s speech ‘shameless,’ and the Web went wild - The Washington Post
Hillary Clinton called Xi’s speech ‘shameless,’ and the Web went wild - The Washington Post "I
believe the people in the best position to judge the state of women's
issues in China are Chinese people, particularly Chinese women," Li said
at a news briefing, according to the news agency Reuters. Li's comments
garnered interesting reactions on Weibo, a popular Chinese
micro-blogging service, where some users joked about the fact that,
thanks to censorship, most Chinese people did not even know about the
"persecution" that Clinton referenced. //China really does not want a Clinton presidency..Any chance they have some incriminating emails in their possession? https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/09/28/hillary-clinton-called-xis-speech-shameless-and-the-web-went-wild/?postshare=9141443442153670&utm_source=The+Sinocism+China+Newsletter&utm_campaign=ac792623d4-Sinocism09_29_159_29_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_171f237867-ac792623d4-29615013&mc_cid=ac792623d4&mc_eid=5935182a65
International Survey Methodolo
Corruption, Pollution, Inequality Are Top Concerns in China | Pew Research Center Corrupt
Officials Seen as Top Problem; Chinese Divided on Whether Many Problems
Will Get Better or Worse; Widespread Belief that Standard of Living Has
Improved; Chinese See Traditions and Culture under Threat //methodology here http://www.pewglobal.org/international-survey-methodology/?country_select=China&utm_source=The+Sinocism+China+Newsletter&utm_campaign=ac792623d4-Sinocism09_29_159_29_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_171f237867-ac792623d4-29615013&mc_cid=ac792623d4&mc_eid=5935182a65
The Most Memorable Moment of Xi's America Trip - NYTimes.com
The Most Memorable Moment of Xi's America Trip - NYTimes.com Mr.
Xi eventually entered, smiled and shook hands with the first row,
starting with Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, which is banned
in China. For the photo, Mr. Xi planted himself next to Virginia M.
Rometty, the head of IBM. A podium was rolled out, and Mr. Xi spoke for
about six minutes, then left. That photo op turned out to be the most
sensational moment of the trip, a 10-minute session that illustrated the
raw power of the Chinese leader and the huge market he controls.
Afterward, even Timothy D. Cook, Apple's chief executive, said he was
impressed. “Did you feel the room shake?” he said, with a smile.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/reporters-notebook/xi-jinping-visit/china-tech-market?smid=tw-share&utm_source=The+Sinocism+China+Newsletter&utm_campaign=ac792623d4-Sinocism09_29_159_29_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_171f237867-ac792623d4-29615013&mc_cid=ac792623d4&mc_eid=5935182a65
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/reporters-notebook/xi-jinping-visit/china-tech-market?smid=tw-share&utm_source=The+Sinocism+China+Newsletter&utm_campaign=ac792623d4-Sinocism09_29_159_29_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_171f237867-ac792623d4-29615013&mc_cid=ac792623d4&mc_eid=5935182a65
Chinese Official Faults U.S. Internet Security Policy - The New York Times
Chinese Official Faults U.S. Internet Security Policy - The New York Times In
prepared remarks on Tuesday, Hao Yeli, the former deputy head of the
Fourth Department of the People’s Liberation Army General Staff
Department — which is responsible for the Chinese military’s offensive
electronic warfare — said the United States had double standards with
online surveillance and that the uncertainty behind the origin of
digital attacks makes it difficult to apply traditional rules of
engagement to the Internet. Ms. Hao’s speech punctured some of the
cautious optimism analysts had expressed about last week’s agreement
between the United States and China, which was intended to rein in
hacking theft of intellectual property and create international
standards for “appropriate conduct in cyberspace.” Speaking at an
Internet security conference in Beijing that also featured a former
National Security Agency director, Keith B. Alexander, Ms. Hao’s
position was inimical to that generally favored by American politicians. // 中美网安高层对话2015中国互联网安全大会_国际新闻_
Anti-WASP tropes in the ‘NYT’
Anti-WASP tropes in the ‘NYT’
By Philip WeissDavid Brooks goes in for stereotype against WASPs as inhibited while Marissa Rothkopf calls them "lockjaw" -- casual prejudice in the New York Times that would never be tolerated against Jews
Read in browser »http://mondoweiss.net/2015/09/anti-wasp-tropes?utm_source=Mondoweiss+List&utm_campaign=43994a74f9-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b86bace129-43994a74f9-398529985
Three Exceptional Facts About America
http://www.tomdispatch.com/
Three Exceptional Facts About America
It’s Safe to Be Paranoid in the U.S.
By Tom Engelhardt
Given the cluttered landscape of the last 14 years, can you even faintly remember the moment when the Berlin Wall came down, the Cold War ended in a stunned silence of shock and triumph in Washington, Eastern Europe was freed, Germany unified, and the Soviet Union vanished from the face of the Earth? At that epochal moment, six centuries of imperial rivalries ended. Only one mighty power was left.
There hadn’t been a moment like it in historical memory: a single “hyperpower” with a military force beyond compare looming over a planet without rivals. Under the circumstances, what couldn’t Washington hope for? The eternal domination of the Middle East and all that oil? A planetary Pax Americana for generations to come? Why not? After all, not even the Romans and the British at the height of their empires had experienced a world quite like this one.http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176050/tomgram%3A_engelhardt%2C_the_superpower_as_victim/#more
Three Exceptional Facts About America
It’s Safe to Be Paranoid in the U.S.
By Tom Engelhardt
Given the cluttered landscape of the last 14 years, can you even faintly remember the moment when the Berlin Wall came down, the Cold War ended in a stunned silence of shock and triumph in Washington, Eastern Europe was freed, Germany unified, and the Soviet Union vanished from the face of the Earth? At that epochal moment, six centuries of imperial rivalries ended. Only one mighty power was left.
There hadn’t been a moment like it in historical memory: a single “hyperpower” with a military force beyond compare looming over a planet without rivals. Under the circumstances, what couldn’t Washington hope for? The eternal domination of the Middle East and all that oil? A planetary Pax Americana for generations to come? Why not? After all, not even the Romans and the British at the height of their empires had experienced a world quite like this one.http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176050/tomgram%3A_engelhardt%2C_the_superpower_as_victim/#more
Putin’s Judo Move in Syria
Putin’s Judo Move in Syria
September 29, 2015 | https://consortiumnews.com/
Exclusive:
Official Washington loves to hate Russian President Putin, especially
when he obstructs a neocon “regime change” scheme, with that animus now
focused on Putin’s concern that overthrowing Syria’s government would
risk a disastrous victory by the Islamic State and Al Qaeda, says Daniel
Lazare.By Daniel Lazare
After delivering arms to Bashar al-Assad’s besieged government in Syria and meeting with the leaders of Turkey, Israel and Palestine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has again made headlines by negotiating an agreement with Iraq, Iran and Syria to share intelligence about the growing threat from the Islamic State.https://consortiumnews.com/2015/09/29/putins-judo-move-in-syria/
Donald Trump Backs Russia, Iran Efforts to Fight Islamic State in Middle East
http://www.newsweek.com/
Donald Trump Backs Russia, Iran Efforts to Fight Islamic State in Middle East
By
Reuters
9/29/15
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Leading Republican U.S. presidential
candidate Donald Trump on Tuesday said he supported Russian efforts to
fight Islamic State militants in the Middle East, including Syria.
Asked whether he backed those like Russia who supported Syrian President Bashar al Assad or those who see him as the source of Syria's current crisis, Trump told NBC's "Today" program: "I side with the group that says 'if Russia wants to go and fight ISIS, you should let them,' as opposed to saying 'we're jealous, we don't want you to do that.'"http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-backs-russia-iran-efforts-fight-islamic-state-middle-east-378124
Asked whether he backed those like Russia who supported Syrian President Bashar al Assad or those who see him as the source of Syria's current crisis, Trump told NBC's "Today" program: "I side with the group that says 'if Russia wants to go and fight ISIS, you should let them,' as opposed to saying 'we're jealous, we don't want you to do that.'"http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-backs-russia-iran-efforts-fight-islamic-state-middle-east-378124
Will Russia’s move ruin Erdogan’s plan for Syria?
http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2015/09/notes-on-syria-29-september-2015.html#comments
Will Russia’s move ruin Erdogan’s plan for Syria?
Kadri Gursel | September 28 2105 | http://www.al-monitor.com/Tuesday, September 29, 2015
The Shadow of Peter Fell on America Last Week
The Shadow of Peter Fell on America Last Week
"In Pope Francis, the Bishop of Rome, Peter is still among us"
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/the-shadow-of-peter-fell-on-america-last-week--2
Pope Francis Helps Inspire Boehner to Quit: Bernie Says Departure Hurts Progressives
Pope Francis Helps Inspire Boehner to Quit: Bernie Says Departure Hurts Progressives
http://ringoffireradio.com/2015/09/boehner-says-pope-francis-inspired-him-to-quit-his-departure-will-hurt-progressiv/
An urgent plea from Pope Francis: Help Syria’s Christians survive the cold
An urgent plea from Pope Francis:
Help Syria’s Christians survive the cold
http://www.cnewa.org/donations.aspx?ID=2423&sitecode=HQ&pageno=1
Help Syria’s Christians survive the cold
http://www.cnewa.org/donations.aspx?ID=2423&sitecode=HQ&pageno=1
Iraq liaising with Russia, Iran and Syria against ISIL
Iraq liaising with Russia, Iran and Syria against ISIL
Iraq says its military officials are engaged in intelligence and security cooperation with all three nations in Baghdad.
27 Sep 2015 | http://www.aljazeera.com/news/A statement from the Iraqi military's joint operations command on Saturday said the cooperation had come "with increased Russian concern about the presence of thousands of terrorists from Russia undertaking criminal acts with [ISIL]".
The move comes as at the same time Russia has stepped up its military involvement in Syria in recent weeks, while pressing for Damascus to be included in international efforts to fight ISIL, a demand Washington rejects. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/iraq-liaising-russia-iran-syria-isil-150927032744633.html
Reality is messy for US Catholic families
Reality is messy for US Catholic families
http://ncronline.org/news/people/reality-messy-us-catholic-families
Three Exceptional Facts About America
Three Exceptional Facts About America
It’s Safe to Be Paranoid in the U.S.
By Tom Engelhardt
Given the cluttered landscape of the last 14 years, can you even faintly remember the moment when the Berlin Wall came down, the Cold War ended in a stunned silence of shock and triumph in Washington, Eastern Europe was freed, Germany unified, and the Soviet Union vanished from the face of the Earth? At that epochal moment, six centuries of imperial rivalries ended. Only one mighty power was left.
There hadn’t been a moment like it in historical memory: a single “hyperpower” with a military force beyond compare looming over a planet without rivals. Under the circumstances, what couldn’t Washington hope for? The eternal domination of the Middle East and all that oil? A planetary Pax Americana for generations to come? Why not? After all, not even the Romans and the British at the height of their empires had experienced a world quite like this one.
Now, leap a quarter of a century to the present and note the rising tide of paranoia in this country and the litany of predictions of doom and disaster. Consider the extremity of fear and gloom in the party of Ronald “It’s Morning Again in America” Reagan in what are called “debates” among its presidential candidates, and it’s hard not to imagine that we aren't at the precipice of the decline and fall of just about everything. The American Century? So much sawdust on the floor of history.
If, however, you look at the country that its top politicians can now hardly mention without defensively wielding the words “exceptional” or “indispensable,” the truly exceptional thing is this: as a great power, the United States still stands alone on planet Earth and Americans can exhibit all the paranoia they want in remarkable safety and security.
Here, then, are three exceptional facts of our moment.
Exceptional Fact #1: Failure Is Success, or the U.S. Remains the Sole Superpower
If you were to isolate the single most striking, if little discussed, aspect of American foreign policy in the first 15 years of this century, it might be that Washington’s inability to apply its power successfully just about anywhere confirms that very power; in other words, failure is a marker of success. Let me explain.http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176050/tomgram%3A_engelhardt%2C_the_superpower_as_victim/#more
Click here to read more of this dispatch.
It’s Safe to Be Paranoid in the U.S.
By Tom Engelhardt
Given the cluttered landscape of the last 14 years, can you even faintly remember the moment when the Berlin Wall came down, the Cold War ended in a stunned silence of shock and triumph in Washington, Eastern Europe was freed, Germany unified, and the Soviet Union vanished from the face of the Earth? At that epochal moment, six centuries of imperial rivalries ended. Only one mighty power was left.
There hadn’t been a moment like it in historical memory: a single “hyperpower” with a military force beyond compare looming over a planet without rivals. Under the circumstances, what couldn’t Washington hope for? The eternal domination of the Middle East and all that oil? A planetary Pax Americana for generations to come? Why not? After all, not even the Romans and the British at the height of their empires had experienced a world quite like this one.
Now, leap a quarter of a century to the present and note the rising tide of paranoia in this country and the litany of predictions of doom and disaster. Consider the extremity of fear and gloom in the party of Ronald “It’s Morning Again in America” Reagan in what are called “debates” among its presidential candidates, and it’s hard not to imagine that we aren't at the precipice of the decline and fall of just about everything. The American Century? So much sawdust on the floor of history.
If, however, you look at the country that its top politicians can now hardly mention without defensively wielding the words “exceptional” or “indispensable,” the truly exceptional thing is this: as a great power, the United States still stands alone on planet Earth and Americans can exhibit all the paranoia they want in remarkable safety and security.
Here, then, are three exceptional facts of our moment.
Exceptional Fact #1: Failure Is Success, or the U.S. Remains the Sole Superpower
If you were to isolate the single most striking, if little discussed, aspect of American foreign policy in the first 15 years of this century, it might be that Washington’s inability to apply its power successfully just about anywhere confirms that very power; in other words, failure is a marker of success. Let me explain.http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176050/tomgram%3A_engelhardt%2C_the_superpower_as_victim/#more
Click here to read more of this dispatch.
Exclusive Interview: Charles Koch On How To Save America
Exclusive Interview: Charles Koch On How To Save America
http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielfisher/2015/09/29/exclusive-interview-charles-koch-on-saving-america/
Islamic State Wants Enough Nuclear Weapons To Launch A 'Religious Cleansing' That Will Claim Hundreds Of Millions Of Lives
Islamic State Wants Enough Nuclear Weapons To Launch A 'Religious Cleansing' That Will Claim Hundreds Of Millions Of Lives
http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2015/09/islamic-state-wants-enough-nuclear.html
The Root of Pope Francis’s Appeal Among Secular Sustainability Seekers
The Root of Pope Francis’s Appeal Among Secular Sustainability Seekers
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/26/the-root-of-pope-franciss-appeal-among-secular-sustainability-seekers/?_r=0
The Way to Help the Poor
The Way to Help the Poor
Money and good intentions are not enough to fight poverty effectively. We also need data about what works and what doesn't
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-way-to-help-the-poor/
Monday, September 28, 2015
The Power of False Narrative
The Power of False Narrative
September 28, 2015
Exclusive: “Strategic communications” or Stratcom, a propaganda/psy-op technique that treats information as a “soft power” weapon to wield against adversaries, is a new catch phrase in an Official Washington obsessed with the clout that comes from spinning false narratives, reports Robert Parry.By Robert Parryhttps://consortiumnews.com/2015/09/28/the-power-of-false-narrative/
Iran's president bashed the 'inhumane Zionist entity’ at the UN in New York
Iran's president bashed the 'inhumane Zionist entity’ at the UN in New York
http://www.businessinsider.com/irans-president-bashed-the-inhumane-zionist-entity-at-the-un-in-new-york-2015-9?nr_email_referer=1&utm_content=emailshare&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Triggermail&utm_campaign=BI%20Select%20Mondays%202015-09-28&utm_term=Business%20Insider%20Select
Pope's Address to Bishops From Around the World Attending Meeting of Families
Pope's Address to Bishops From Around the World Attending Meeting of Families
"We might well ask whether in our pastoral ministry we are
ready to “waste” time with families. Whether we are ready to be present
to them, sharing their difficulties and joys"
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-s-address-to-bishops-from-around-the-world-attending-meeting-of-families
America's Global Military Bases Actually Undermine National Security. Here's How.By David Vine
| America's Global Military Bases Actually Undermine National Security. Here's How. By David Vine | |
 | America's
sprawling global footprint encourages military confrontation, makes
host countries into targets, and costs taxpayers a fortune. - http://www. |
The Collapse of Saudi Arabia is InevitableBy Nafeez Ahmed
| The Collapse of Saudi Arabia is Inevitable By Nafeez Ahmed | |
 | Saudi
Arabia is on the brink of a perfect storm of interconnected challenges
that, if history is anything to judge by, will be the monarchy's
undoing well within the next decade. - http://www. |
=======
Russian President Vladimir Putin Speaks At UNVideo and Transcript
| Russian President Vladimir Putin Speaks At UN Video and Transcript | |
 | 'Do you realize what you've done?' President Putin . - http://www. |
US President Obama Addresses UNVideo and Transcript
| US President Obama Addresses UN Video and Transcript | |
 | Obama Issues Strong Condemnation of Russia in UN Speech. - http://www. |
Vladimir Putin 60 Minutes Interview Video and Transcript
| Vladimir Putin 60 Minutes Interview Video and Transcript | |
 | "There
is no other solution to the Syrian crisis than strengthening the
effective government structures and rendering them help in fighting
terrorism." http://www. |
Syria Crisis: Russia Puts Troops on the Ground in the Fight Against IsisBy Robert Fisk
| Syria Crisis: Russia Puts Troops on the Ground in the Fight Against Isis By Robert Fisk | |||
 | Uniformed
Russian soldiers are now guarding checkpoints on roads around three
military bases on the Syrian Mediterranean coast as Moscow plans its
first attacks on the enemies of President Bashar al-Assad. - http://www. | ||
Taking greater role, China leader pledges $2 bln to poor
Taking greater role, China leader pledges $2 bln to poor
United Nations, United States (AFP) Sept 26, 2015 - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday pledged $2 billion for a new development fund for poor countries on a UN visit showcasing Beijing's growing global role. Xi's announcement, made in his first address to the United Nations, follows longstanding criticism from the United States and other developed countries that China has not taken responsibilities in line with its aspirations for a gre ... morehttp://www.terradaily.com/reports/Taking_greater_role_China_leader_pledges_2_bln_to_poor_999.html
United Nations, United States (AFP) Sept 26, 2015 - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday pledged $2 billion for a new development fund for poor countries on a UN visit showcasing Beijing's growing global role. Xi's announcement, made in his first address to the United Nations, follows longstanding criticism from the United States and other developed countries that China has not taken responsibilities in line with its aspirations for a gre ... morehttp://www.terradaily.com/reports/Taking_greater_role_China_leader_pledges_2_bln_to_poor_999.html
Saudi royal calls for regime change in Riyadh
http://www.theguardian.com/
A senior Saudi prince has launched an unprecedented call for change
in the country’s leadership, as it faces its biggest challenge in years
in the form of war, plummeting oil prices and criticism of its
management of Mecca, scene of last week’s hajj tragedy.
The prince, one of the grandsons of the state’s founder, Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, has told the Guardian that there is disquiet among the royal family – and among the wider public – at the leadership of King Salman, who acceded the throne in January.http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/28/saudi-royal-calls-regime-change-letters-leadership-king-salman
Saudi royal calls for regime change in Riyadh
Plea by grandson of state’s founder comes as falling oil prices, war
in Yemen and loss of faith in authority buffet leadership of King Salman
The prince, one of the grandsons of the state’s founder, Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, has told the Guardian that there is disquiet among the royal family – and among the wider public – at the leadership of King Salman, who acceded the throne in January.http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/28/saudi-royal-calls-regime-change-letters-leadership-king-salman
Pope Francis to Congress: Arms industry 'drenched in blood'
Pope Francis to Congress: Arms industry 'drenched in blood'
Washington (UPI) Sep 24, 2015 - Pope Francis received a surprising standing ovation when he called for an end to the arms trade during his address to Congress on Thursday. The pontiff became the first pope to address Congress following his arrival to the United States, which also marks his papal visit to the country. He is seen as a revolutionary figure in the Vatican and the Catholic faith, having taken comparatively ... more http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Pope_Francis_to_Congress_Arms_industry_drenched_in_blood_999.html
Washington (UPI) Sep 24, 2015 - Pope Francis received a surprising standing ovation when he called for an end to the arms trade during his address to Congress on Thursday. The pontiff became the first pope to address Congress following his arrival to the United States, which also marks his papal visit to the country. He is seen as a revolutionary figure in the Vatican and the Catholic faith, having taken comparatively ... more http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Pope_Francis_to_Congress_Arms_industry_drenched_in_blood_999.html
Iraq steps up anti-IS coordination with Iran, Syria, Russia
Iraq steps up anti-IS coordination with Iran, Syria, Russia
Baghdad (AFP) Sept 27, 2015 - Iraq, Russia, Iran and Syria have agreed to set up an intelligence committee in Baghdad, the government said Sunday, a further sign of Moscow's growing role in the region's conflict. Baghdad said the cell would help harmonise often competing efforts in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, although Washington objected to Syria's role. "It's a committee coordinating bet ... morehttp://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iraq_steps_up_anti-IS_coordination_with_Iran_Syria_Russia_999.html
Baghdad (AFP) Sept 27, 2015 - Iraq, Russia, Iran and Syria have agreed to set up an intelligence committee in Baghdad, the government said Sunday, a further sign of Moscow's growing role in the region's conflict. Baghdad said the cell would help harmonise often competing efforts in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, although Washington objected to Syria's role. "It's a committee coordinating bet ... morehttp://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iraq_steps_up_anti-IS_coordination_with_Iran_Syria_Russia_999.html
Obama, Xi make climate vow but clash on rights, islands
Obama, Xi make climate vow but clash on rights, islands
Washington (AFP) Sept 26, 2015 - US President Barack Obama and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping vowed to fight global warming and halt commercial cybertheft on Friday, but exchanged sharp words on human rights and territorial disputes. At an extraordinary joint news conference, Obama chided China on its treatment of dissidents and insisted hacking attacks on US firms must stop, even as he thanked Xi for his commitment on clim ... morehttp://www.spacewar.com/reports/Obama_Xi_make_climate_vow_but_clash_on_rights_islands_999.html
Washington (AFP) Sept 26, 2015 - US President Barack Obama and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping vowed to fight global warming and halt commercial cybertheft on Friday, but exchanged sharp words on human rights and territorial disputes. At an extraordinary joint news conference, Obama chided China on its treatment of dissidents and insisted hacking attacks on US firms must stop, even as he thanked Xi for his commitment on clim ... morehttp://www.spacewar.com/reports/Obama_Xi_make_climate_vow_but_clash_on_rights_islands_999.html
The Battle For Crimea Part 2
The Battle For Crimea Part 2
If the Ukrainian activists had not started
their recent trade blockade against Crimea, the Kremlin spin doctors
would have had to invent it. In Russia the anesthetic effect of the
“Crimea is Ours” slogan has been steadily wearing off and the topic of
Donbas has started to lose popularity with the public.
Posted by:
Andrei Kolesnikov
Gazeta.ru |
Monday, September 28, 2015 | http://carnegie.ru/
The Russian propaganda machine was forced to supplement those issues with a bit of Syrian drama and an exciting corruption scandal with the arrest of the governor of Komi Republic.
But it seems that acts of stupidity and emotional outbursts can recharge a spent cartridge. Thanks to the new Ukrainian blockade, Crimea is again a besieged fortress to be defended with military valor and patriotic fervor. The Russian government has won another chance to whip up “Crimea is Ours” sentiments. In Crimea itself residents get to sport a popular T-shirt featuring Nikita Khrushchev and Vladimir Putin and the captions “Surrendered Crimea” and “Took back Crimea.”
Given the lack of reliable electoral and polling data, it is hard to
measure the level of support for Russia and its president on the
peninsula. The problem is not really that Crimea has accepted Russia, it
is more that Russia has not fully accepted Crimea. http://carnegie.ru/eurasiaoutlook/?fa=61415&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonva3NZKXonjHpfsX57uQsW6Sg38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YIERMV0aPyQAgobGp5I5FEIQ7XYTLB2t60MWA%3D%3D
CFR Daily News Brief: Obama and Putin to Meet on Syria, Ukraine
|
TOP OF THE AGENDA
Obama and Putin to Meet on Syria, Ukraine
U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet (NBC)
on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Monday for the first
time in almost a year. The two leaders are expected to discuss the
ongoing conflicts in Syria and Ukraine. The sit-down comes amid reports
of a possible international "contact group" (Guardian) to aim to resolve the Syrian crisis, concerns over a Russian military buildup in Syria, and an agreement (WSJ)
on intelligence sharing and security cooperation between Iraq, Iran,
Russia, and Syria to counter the self-proclaimed Islamic State.
Meanwhile, Obama, Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani are among the leaders scheduled to address (UNGA) the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday.
| |
|
Transcript of Charlie Rose interview of Vladimir Putin
Transcript of Charlie Rose interview of Vladimir Putin
http://kremlin.ru/events/
September 27, 2015
Interview to American TV channel CBS and PBS
Vladimir Putin gave an interview to American journalist Charlie Rose in the run-up to his address at the UN General Assembly's 70th session.
Full text of the interview will be published on September 29.
CHARLIE ROSE: You will speak to the United Nations in a much-anticipated address on Monday. It will be the first time you have been there in a number of years. What will you say to the UN, to America, to the world?http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/50380
During Pope's Visit, We Got Distracted From Important Policy Changes
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
While the American media was enamored by the charismatic
pope's "historic" visit to the United States (I seem to remember popes
have visited before), more important earthly developments occurred. The
leaders of the next two most powerful countries in the world (after the
United States) did or were scheduled to meet with President Obama, and
the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives announced his
resignation--all with important implications for U.S. policy. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ivan-eland/reality-and-symbolism-in_b_8207500.html
Ivan Eland
Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Peace & Liberty, The Independent Institute
Reality and Symbolism in Public Affairs
Posted:
09/28/2015
America's Biggest Enemy Is Neither China nor Russia -- It's Us
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
For
half a century after World War II, the United States pursued one of
world history's most successful national strategies: it nurtured the
economic and institutional rebuilding of Europe and Japan, the
development of other countries, especially in Asia, and bonded them
economically, while protecting this strategy with superior military
force. Beginning with the Marshall Plan, Presidents Truman and
Eisenhower fashioned this bipartisan strategy, limiting military
expenditure whenever it threatened resources for the core economic
strategy, and all presidents through Clinton pursued it, the latter with
particular vigor. This strategy defeated the Soviet Union, which also
had a powerful military and a powerful ideology (however perverted the
practice), but gave nearly exclusive priority to the military. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-h-overholt/america-enemy-china-russia_b_8170624.html?utm_hp_ref=world
William H. Overholt
Senior Research Fellow, Harvard Asia Center
America's Biggest Enemy Is Neither China nor Russia -- It's Us
Posted:
09/24/2015
Syria: The Equation Changes As Germany Joins Russia And Iran to Catalyze Change Of Strategy
Syria: The Equation Changes As Germany Joins Russia And Iran to Catalyze Change Of Strategy
Will the U.S. government catch up to Russia, China, Iran and Germany as they shape a new global consensus on Syria?
By Kenneth Courtis, September 28, 2015 | http://www.theglobalist.com/Takeaways
- German Chancellor Angela Merkel acknowledged that Western policy of Syria has been a failure.
- Germany is now saying that refusing to involve Assad in any negotiations is futile.
- Washington is now scrambling to catch up with this broadening international consensus on Syria.
- US policy in Syria has delivered anything but stability and peace in the region.
- The situation in Iraq is not exactly an advertisement of the plans Western powers have for Syria.
- Turkey's government, under Erdogan, has played far from an innocent role in the broadening chaos. http://www.theglobalist.com/syria-crisis-united-states-middle-east/
Russia reaffirms Assad support and takes initiative on 'contact group' talks
Russia reaffirms Assad support and takes initiative on 'contact group' talks
Group could meet by October, says Russia’s deputy foreign minister, as Putin and Obama prepare for UN meeting
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/27/putin-russia-syria-assad-propaganda-gangster?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign&utm_term=*Mideast%20Brief
Iraq agrees to share intelligence with Russia, Iran and Syria
Iraq agrees to share intelligence with Russia, Iran and Syria
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/27/middleeast/iraq-russia-iran-syria-intelligence-deal/
The Great Game Comes to Syria
The Great Game Comes to Syria
By John McLaughlin
Published in OZY, September 28, 2015 |
Nature abhors a vacuum, but Vladimir Putin really loves one. The Russian president clearly sensed a big power void in Syria, where the civil war has intensified and where the United States has neither committed ground forces nor devised a compelling strategy to settle the conflict or defeat the Islamic State. Although the Islamic State has rampaged through Iraq, its HQs is in Syria.
Nature abhors a vacuum, but Vladimir Putin really loves one. The Russian president clearly sensed a big power void in Syria, where the civil war has intensified and where the United States has neither committed ground forces nor devised a compelling strategy to settle the conflict or defeat the Islamic State. Although the Islamic State has rampaged through Iraq, its HQs is in Syria.
Into
that vacuum, Putin over the last several weeks sent a substantial force
of tanks, armored personnel carriers, air defense systems and upwards
of two dozen combat aircraft. Russia is also building enough housing for
2,000 people, US officials have said.
What to make of Russia’s muscling into the wartorn country? For Putin,
there are essentially five reasons, moving from the broadly strategic to
purely tactical.http://www.ozy.com/pov/the-great-game-comes-to-syria/64940
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Pope's Homily at Conclusion of World Meeting of Families
Pope's Homily at Conclusion of World Meeting of Families
"Love is shown by little things, by attention to small daily
signs which make us feel at home. Faith grows when it is lived and
shaped by love. That is why our families, our homes, are true domestic
churches"
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-s-homily-at-conclusion-of-world-meeting-of-families
Russia is Back. Get Used to it.
http://lobelog.com/russia-is-
This coming Monday, President Barack Obama will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the UN General Assembly, their first meeting in 15 months. This will be no ordinary occasion, given Russian aggression in Ukraine, the West’s sanctions, and a lot of bad blood between the United States and the Russian Federation. Maybe the two leaders will be able to agree on some process for trying to deal with these very real mutual problems. Or maybe they will just talk past one another. Obviously, the world’s eyes will be on each twitch of the two men’s eyebrows. What follows does not recommend a course of action for dealing with Russia-in-Syria. Rather it will make the case that, after nearly a quarter century of Russia being a second-rate power, its interests and ambitions must again be taken into account, even when we oppose them.
Russia’s seizure of Crimea and its continued military action, direct and indirect, against other parts of Ukraine have now been joined by significant Russian military deployments to Syria. Other than the short conflict with Georgia in 2008, these are the first major Russian military ventures since the breakup of the Soviet Union, nearly a quarter century ago. For the West and particularly the United States, Russian behavior under President V. V. Putin is posing major challenges. But just how serious they will be and what should be done beyond steps already taken are questions still to be answered.http://lobelog.com/russia-is-back-get-used-to-it/#more-31190
Russia is Back. Get Used to it.
by Robert E. HunterThis coming Monday, President Barack Obama will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the UN General Assembly, their first meeting in 15 months. This will be no ordinary occasion, given Russian aggression in Ukraine, the West’s sanctions, and a lot of bad blood between the United States and the Russian Federation. Maybe the two leaders will be able to agree on some process for trying to deal with these very real mutual problems. Or maybe they will just talk past one another. Obviously, the world’s eyes will be on each twitch of the two men’s eyebrows. What follows does not recommend a course of action for dealing with Russia-in-Syria. Rather it will make the case that, after nearly a quarter century of Russia being a second-rate power, its interests and ambitions must again be taken into account, even when we oppose them.
Russia’s seizure of Crimea and its continued military action, direct and indirect, against other parts of Ukraine have now been joined by significant Russian military deployments to Syria. Other than the short conflict with Georgia in 2008, these are the first major Russian military ventures since the breakup of the Soviet Union, nearly a quarter century ago. For the West and particularly the United States, Russian behavior under President V. V. Putin is posing major challenges. But just how serious they will be and what should be done beyond steps already taken are questions still to be answered.http://lobelog.com/russia-is-back-get-used-to-it/#more-31190
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