Intifada: The writing was on the wall
Anyone claiming to be surprised that a third uprising is imminent has been burying their head in the sand for the last decade
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Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Intifada: The writing was on the wall
Monday, October 5, 2015
Germany and America Seeking a New Narrative
http://www.aicgs.org/issue/
October 2 , 2015
Germany and America
Seeking a New Narrative
John C. KornblumOctober 2 , 2015
Taken
as a whole, the 25 years following the fall of the Berlin Wall have in
the West been an unquestioned success. Two parts of Germany merged
hostile systems without drama or dangerous economic strain. To ensure
that nationalism will not be reborn, the former Western Europe of the
European Communities has expanded into a continent-wide Union of 28
democratic nations, some of which had not known true freedom in their
entire histories.http://www.aicgs.org/issue/germany-and-america/
German Reunification: A Job Still Unfinished
German Reunification: A Job Still Unfinished
But, when they find it hard to contribute to military operations or be tough on the Russians, admiration quickly turns to criticism. Such schizophrenic treatment recently led German Chancellor Angela Merkel to point out to voters that Germany was rapidly becoming the America of Europe.http://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/?fa=61488
Posted by:
John Kornblum
Friday, October 2, 2015 | http://carnegieeurope.eu/
After a quarter century, Germany has settled
into a stable and respectable role in Europe and the world. In recent
months, Europe’s weakness has amplified the image of Germany’s strength.
When the Federal Republic assumes a central role, its leaders are often
praised for their foresight and sense of responsibility.But, when they find it hard to contribute to military operations or be tough on the Russians, admiration quickly turns to criticism. Such schizophrenic treatment recently led German Chancellor Angela Merkel to point out to voters that Germany was rapidly becoming the America of Europe.http://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/?fa=61488
Russia versus the United States in Syria
Ivan Eland
Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Peace & Liberty, The Independent Institute
Russia versus the United States in Syria
Posted:
10/05/2015
Behind-the-Scenes Look at CRS Emergency Operations in Nepal
Behind-the-Scenes Look at CRS Emergency Operations in Nepal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOoklEc46I0
Three Strikes and You’re Out? The False Promise of Aerial Policing by James A. Russell
Three Strikes and You’re Out? The False Promise of Aerial Policing
by James A. Russell
The unlearned lessons of America’s recent failures in war took an
ominous and strange twist last week as yet another state embraced the
false promise of aerial policing in the Middle East. Russia represents
the third country in the modern era to mount an aerial
campaign to try and police the region’s politics from 10,000 feet.http://lobelog.com/three-strikes-and-youre-out-the-false-promise-of-aerial-policing/
Guest Post by Amb. Freeman: Avoiding the “Thucydides Trap” in the Indo-Pacific
Avoiding the “Thucydides Trap” in the Indo-Pacific
Intervention at the 8th Sino-US Colloquium of the
Institute for Communitarian Policy Studies,
The George Washington University
Ambassador Chas W.
Freeman, Jr. (USFS, Ret.)
Senior Fellow, the Watson Institute, Brown University
Washington, D.C. 5
October 2015
The
Indo-Pacific has emerged as the global center of economic gravity. So refocusing American attention to it makes
sense. But, even though the region’s
increased influence at the global level is not political and is only marginally
military, the "rebalance" is almost entirely military. Its economic element -- TPP -- looks like an after-thought
premised on denial of the entrenched centrality of China in the regional
supply-chain economy. And the so-called
"pivot" or "rebalance" to Asia lacks a coherent diplomatic
component.
So – not
to mince words – a focus on Asia makes sense but the way
U.S. attention is being shifted there does not.
The "rebalance" will not work.
Far from avoiding the "Thucydides trap," it walks right
into it. It is likely to be seen in
retrospect as an historic blunder that did not so much deter war as lay the
basis for it.
First, a "rebalance" aimed at
sustaining American dominance in Asia is military fantasy. It posits a perpetual American upper hand in
a contest with China to control areas adjacent to it and very far away from
America. This is a contest in which
China enjoys the inherently decisive advantages of proximity and a defensive
mission. The United States can no more
continue to control the near seas of a modernized, powerful China than
China or any other foreign nation can
hope to control the seas offshore the United States. Already, U.S. forces are being forced back to
firing positions outside the so-called "first island chain."
Second, China’s neighbors want American
help to hedge against Chinese power even as they strive to reach an
accommodation to it. But the "rebalance"
does not enlist these neighbors in a coherent effort to either balance or
engage China. And it doesn't aggregate
their strength to that of the United States to either end.
If the United
States is prepared to take on the task of balancing China’s military power
pretty much by itself, why should China’s smaller neighbors make much effort to
do so? If America is prepared to go to
war with China over disputes these smaller neighbors espouse but are themselves
unprepared to address militarily, why should they seek to settle these disputes
or exercise caution in their quarrels with China? If reliance on U.S. deterrent power leaves
these neighbors with no perceived need to do anything but hang tough on
territorial claims, what alternative to coercive measures is available to
China?
The most
egregious instance of this moral hazard is the Philippines but it is apparent
in Japan and Korea as well. Today’s
intra-Asian disputes are a pointed reminder that the war Thucydides wrote about
was catalyzed by the quarrels of allies of Sparta and Athens (Megara and
Corinth), not by disputes directly between those two great powers. (Perhaps it's also relevant that the less
risk averse and more belligerent of the two was Athens, the democracy, not
Sparta, the autocracy.)
Third, the military antagonism inherent
in the "rebalance" and the inevitable Chinese counters to it skew the
overall Sino-American relationship toward zero-sum competition. This entails major opportunity costs. For example, rather than focusing on building
frameworks to serve common interests like the protection of commercial shipping
in the heavily trafficked South China Sea, the rebalance promotes the planning
of naval maneuvers, blockades, and other forms of warfare there. Rather than facilitating the peaceful
resolution of territorial disputes by the claimants, it embeds these disputes
in Sino-American rivalry and promotes their militarization. Rather than working together to reform or
replace outmoded international financial institutions and practices, it
presumes that China and America are at cross purposes. And so forth.
Some degree of
military wariness between the United States and China is both natural and
prudent but active antagonism is unnecessary and damaging to both. The U.S. and Chinese armed forces each have a
mission to sustain a peaceful order in the space between us. We need to focus on how to build and buttress
stability in the Indo-Pacific region based on the independence and territorial
integrity of its smaller states, rather than the hegemony of the United States,
China, or both.
Stability
requires a balance in the region grounded in its smaller states' prosperity and
power of self-defense, supplemented – not
replaced – by the power of the United States and/or
others, including China and Japan. It demands
an emphasis on the resolution of disputes rather than efforts to freeze them,
unresolved and ever ready to explode, through military deterrence. And it necessitates the parallel pursuit of
common interests and opportunities by the United States and China, not just efforts
by each side separately to mitigate misperceptions and avoid potential conflicts.
The Curtain Falls on a Palestinian State
The Curtain Falls on a Palestinian State
The Palestinian flag may be flying at the United Nations in New York, but there are clear signs that a Palestinian state will not get off the ground.
read more: http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.678787?utm_content=The+curtain+falls+on+a+Palestinian+state&utm_medium=hdc+Opinions&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.678787?utm_content=The+curtain+falls+on+a+Palestinian+state&utm_medium=hdc+Opinions&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
The Palestinian flag may be flying at the United Nations in New York, but there are clear signs that a Palestinian state will not get off the ground.
read more: http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.678787?utm_content=The+curtain+falls+on+a+Palestinian+state&utm_medium=hdc+Opinions&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.678787?utm_content=The+curtain+falls+on+a+Palestinian+state&utm_medium=hdc+Opinions&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Russia Sending Arms To The Kurds Battling The Islamic State
Russia Sending Arms To The Kurds Battling The Islamic State
http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2015/10/russia-sending-arms-to-kurds-battling.html
Yes, This Is A Financial Crisis – 11 TRILLION Dollars In Stock Market Wealth Was Wiped Out In The 3rd Quarter
Yes, This Is A Financial Crisis – 11 TRILLION Dollars In Stock Market Wealth Was Wiped Out In The 3rd Quarter
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/yes-this-is-a-financial-crisis-11-trillion-dollars-in-stock-market-wealth-was-wiped-out-in-the-3rd-quarter
Searching for hope on days of unconscionable tragedy
Searching for hope on days of unconscionable tragedy
The only thing that can stop the killing, that can turn desperate people from violence, that can stop the creation of new orphans, is hope. Unfortunately, it’s nowhere to be found.http://972mag.com/searching-for-hope-on-days-of-unconscionable-tragedy/112273/
Pope Francis' Homily at Opening Mass of Ordinary General Assembly of Synod on the Family
Pope Francis' Homily at Opening Mass of Ordinary General Assembly of Synod on the Family
'This is God’s dream for his beloved creation: to see it
fulfilled in the loving union between a man and a woman, rejoicing in
their shared journey, fruitful in their mutual gift of self.'
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-francis-homily-at-opening-mass-of-ordinary-general-assembly-of-synod-on-the-family
Pope: God's Dream for Creation Is Loving Union Between Man, Woman
Pope: God's Dream for Creation Is Loving Union Between Man, Woman
At Opening Mass of Ordinary Synod's General Assembly, Pope Reaffirms Church's Role to Defend Values, Marriage, Life
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-god-s-dream-for-creation-is-loving-union-between-man-woman
Saturday, October 3, 2015
The Destructive U.S.-Backed Campaign in Yemen
The Destructive U.S.-Backed Campaign in Yemen
by Paul R. PillarThe killing earlier this week of at least 131 civilians at a wedding party was only the latest and deadliest event in a campaign of airstrikes in Yemen by a foreign coalition led by Saudi Arabia. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) reports that during a six-month period from late March until last week (even before the incident involving the wedding) at least 2,355 civilians had been killed in the fighting in Yemen, with almost two-thirds of the deaths caused by airstrikes conducted by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab allies. The same Saudi-led coalition is maintaining a blockade of Yemen’s main seaports that has further exacerbated a humanitarian crisis in which, according to UNHCR, four out of five Yemenis require assistance.http://lobelog.com/the-destructive-u-s-backed-campaign-in-yemen/#more-31252
With One Bombing Run Russia Gets the US to Acknowledge CIA’s “Covert” Regime Change Forces
With One Bombing Run Russia Gets the US to Acknowledge CIA’s “Covert” Regime Change Forces
https://www.emptywheel.net/2015/10/01/with-one-bombing-run-russia-gets-the-us-to-identify-cias-covert-forces/
The Difference Between Makers and Manufacturers
The Difference Between Makers and Manufacturers
Fans of 3-D printers and digital design tools argue that these
technologies will transform the way we make goods. But can the “maker”
movement really produce more than iPhone covers and jewelry?
The Difference Between Makers and Manufacturers MIT Technology Review
Subject: 16 Seeds of Wisdom from Pope Francis
Subject: 16 Seeds of Wisdom from Pope Francis
http://newsletters.getresponse.com/archive/daughtersofstpaulusa/16-Seeds-of-Wisdom-from-Pope-Francis-219811103.html?e=&u=7kT4
Moments in U.S. Diplomatic History An Opportunity Lost — The 1991 Iraqi Uprising
Moments in U.S. Diplomatic History
An Opportunity Lost — The 1991 Iraqi Uprisinghttp://adst.org/2015/09/an-opportunity-lost-the-1991-iraqi-uprising/Friday, October 2, 2015
Messrs. Obama and Putin: Put Syria and Syrians First
Messrs. Obama and Putin: Put Syria and Syrians First
David C. Speedie | October 1, 2015The chill of U.S.-Russia relations has intensified over the past week, with the curt exchanges between Presidents Obama and Putin at the United Nations (their first face-to-face meeting in more than a year) over contrasting and competing strategies for ameliorating the dire situation in Syria. As with so many aspects of the current standoff between the two leaders and nations, it need not be so.
What is evident is that while the United States and Russia disagree over one "elephant in the room" aspect of resolving the Syrian crisis—the fate of President Bashar al-Assad—they share an equally obvious, self-interested resolve to de-fang and defeat the ISIL forces that now control large swathes of eastern Syria. In this regard, it is, to say the least, frustrating to look on as two world leaders snipe at each other over how this is to be accomplished. It is rather like two Neros fiddling while Rome, or in this case Damascus, burns.http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/articles_papers_reports/748
Saudi Arabia’s Yemen Gambit
Saudi Arabia’s Yemen Gambit
Neil Partrick
Saudi Arabia’s lack of clear goals in Yemen is worsening the security vacuum and potentially undermining the kingdom’s national security.
Thursday, October 1, 2015 | http://carnegieendowment.org/sada/?fa=61475&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRohuarLZKXonjHpfsX57eUuUaeg38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YQBTMN0aPyQAgobGp5I5FEIQ7XYTLB2t60MWA%3D%3D
Although the Yemen conflict looks more successful from a Sau
Saudi Arabia’s lack of clear goals in Yemen is worsening the security vacuum and potentially undermining the kingdom’s national security.
Thursday, October 1, 2015 | http://carnegieendowment.org/sada/?fa=61475&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRohuarLZKXonjHpfsX57eUuUaeg38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YQBTMN0aPyQAgobGp5I5FEIQ7XYTLB2t60MWA%3D%3D
A Top Israeli Diplomat Publicly Admits What Netanyahu Won’t
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/
A Top Israeli Diplomat Publicly Admits What Netanyahu Won’t
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/top-israeli-diplomat-publicly-admits-what-netanyahu-wont
Putin Calls Out Washington — Paul Craig Roberts
Putin Calls Out Washington — Paul Craig Roberts
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2015/10/02/putin-calls-washington-paul-craig-roberts/
WPR Articles Monday, Sept. 28, 2015 - Friday, Oct. 2, 2015
WPR Articles Monday, Sept. 28, 2015 - Friday, Oct. 2, 2015
A Year After Students Disappeared, Mexico’s Judiciary Still Weak as Ever
By: Paul Imison | Briefing
A long-awaited report
cast doubts on the official version of the disappearance of 43 Mexican
students last year, pointing to extraordinary deficiencies in the
investigation carried out by the federal government. The case’s failings
underscore the challenges facing Mexico’s justice system today.
Azerbaijan, Armenia Show No Signs of Backing Down in Nagorno-Karabakh
By: Maria Savel | Trend Lines
Violence has been on the
rise in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, as sniper attacks have
turned into mortar shellings and heavy artillery attacks. As violence
continues and Azerbaijan and Armenia stoke nationalist tendencies,
tensions haven’t been this high since the 1994 cease-fire.
Honduras Faces Uphill Battle Against Endemic Corruption
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
This week, the
Organization of American States announced that it would establish a
Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in
Honduras. In an email interview, Eric Olson, associate director of the
Wilson Center’s Latin America program, discussed Honduras’ fight against
corruption.
Afghan Women See Clouds Gather With Taliban Resurgence
By: Frida Ghitis | Column
The fall of Kunduz in
Afghanistan brought the country one step closer to the worst-case fears
of Afghans who worry about what the future might hold after American
forces leave. But it was most alarming for Afghan women, concerned about
their nightmare scenario: the return of the Taliban.
Power and the Presidency: Jokowi’s Rocky First Year in Indonesia
By: Andrew Thornley | Briefing
Over his first year in
office as president of Indonesia, the limits to Jokowi’s power and
political agenda have been repeatedly exposed by formidable oligarchs,
an entrenched and entitled bureaucracy, an army eager to reinvigorate
its relevance and a corruption-riddled justice sector.
Europe’s Grudging, but Welcome Return to U.N. Peacekeeping
By: Richard Gowan | Column
A special summit on U.N.
peacekeeping, to be hosted by President Barack Obama on Monday
afternoon, will get less attention than other issues, like Syria and the
Sustainable Development Goals, at the opening of the General Assembly.
But for a small group of security specialists, it is a rather exciting
event.
Widespread Corruption in West Africa Helps Illicit Drug Trade Grow
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
This summer, Reuters
reported on the rise in illegal drug trafficking and production in West
Africa. In an email interview, Joanne Csete, an expert on health and
human rights issues, discussed West Africa’s growing role in the global
drug market.
After the Flood: Migration Is Pakistan’s True Climate Change Challenge
By: Elana Sulakshana | Briefing
While flooding in
Pakistan this summer grabbed headlines, extreme heat actually has a
greater impact on long-term population dynamics in a country highly
vulnerable to climate change. The links between climate change and
migration are a major long-term challenge, with Pakistan just the latest
test case.
Not Even Past: Historical Revisionism and Global Politics
By: Ronald Suny | Feature
From Turkish denial of
the Armenian Genocide to Shinzo Abe’s refusal to apologize for Japan’s
WWII-era past, governments often try to gloss over or suppress the
darkest practices of the past. But in the long run, everyone benefits
from knowing as accurately as possible how the present was produced.
U.N. at 70: Caught Between Accomplishments and Shortcomings
By: Ellen Laipson | Column
As world leaders begin
the annual marathon that is the U.N. General Assembly opening session,
expect the rhetoric to be both sober and soaring. The U.N. is caught
between honest assessments of its shortcomings and grandiose
pronouncements of its goals that will inspire some and irritate others.
Russia’s Syria Intervention a Blessing in Disguise for U.S.
By: Michael A. Cohen | Column
Russian President
Vladimir Putin’s military intervention in Syria has been met with a
predictable response in Washington: Putin is strong, and Barack Obama is
weak. This is neither surprising nor correct: Washington fetishizes the
mere exercise of power, even if it is dangerous and counterproductive.
Surface Calm Masks Deep Divides Ahead of Cote d’Ivoire’s Election
By: Ben Shepherd | Briefing
A presidential election
on Oct. 25 is likely to bring a second term for Cote d’Ivoire’s
president, Alassane Ouattara, who has overseen a political and economic
recovery from the dark days of post-election violence in 2010 and 2011.
The future seems bright, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Behind Drugs’ Glare, Paraguay’s Illegal Cigarette Trade Flourishes
By: Benoît Gomis, Natalia Carrillo Botero | Briefing
A marijuana seizure in
Paraguay this month was notable because it shed light on a neglected yet
pervasive problem in Latin America: cigarette smuggling. Up to 90
percent of cigarettes produced in Paraguay are smuggled out of the
country, which accounts for 11 percent of the world’s illicit cigarette
trade.
Despite Pitfalls, France Ramps Up Its Role in Syria
By: Karina Piser | Trend Lines
After previously refusing
to engage militarily in Syria, France launched air strikes against
Islamic State targets there this week, while opening a judicial inquiry
against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Some say the intervention
lacks legal basis, but the French public says more should be done.
Opposition to Austerity Not an Obstacle for Portugal PM
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
Portugal goes to the
polls Sunday, but with high voter apathy, turnout is expected to be at
its lowest since the country transitioned back to democracy in the 1970s
. In an email interview, Thomas Bruneau, the vice president of Global
Academic Professionals, discussed Portuguese politics and what is at
stake in Sunday’s election.
U.S. Must Revamp Its Approach to the ‘Battlefield of Perception’
By: Steven Metz | Column
Most security experts
believe that the top three challenges to U.S. security are violent
Islamic extremism, Russia and China. These three have different
capabilities and goals, but share one characteristic: All seem to be
beating the United States on what can be called “the battlefield of
perception.”
Guest Post: James Bovard Talking the 9/11 Coverup & Iraq War Lies with Denver's top radio host
Talking the 9/11 Coverup & Iraq War Lies with Denver's top radio host
Inbox
| x | |||||
5:13 PM (6 minutes ago)
 | ||||||
I
was interviewed yesterday by Denver's KNUS's Peter Boyles - the top
talk show host in Denver. He was amazingly well informed on the deceits
of US foreign policy in the post 9/11 era. We had fun thrashing
Bush-Obama for covering up the 28 pages of the 2002 congressional report
on the 9/11 attacks. And he stressed that the U.S. government tortured
confessions from detainees to justify the invasion of Iraq.
Here's a link to the blog post with the MP3 of the interview & a few outtake epigrams: http://jimbovard.com/blog/ *We cannot have self-government if politicians can con the nation into war. *The federal government is blindfolding the American people and dragging us into another Middle East quagmire. *The Bush admin. dropped an Iron Curtain around 9/11 & intentionally misled the American people. *The 2002 congressional report showed that federal agencies massively screwed up & paved the way to 9/11. *Walter Jones is almost a novelty – a member of Congress who learns. He has shown great courage in risking his career to stand up for what he believes in. | ||||||
Top Iraq's cleric urges global war against IS militants
Top Iraq's cleric urges global war against IS militants
Times of Oman - 4 hours ago
Baghdad: Iraq's most powerful cleric called for a global war against IS
on Friday, a day after the prime minister said he would welcome Russian
air strikes against the group on Iraqi soil. Grand Ayatollah Ali Al
Sistani, who has a huge following and ...http://timesofoman.com/article/68805/World/Middle-East/Top-Iraq's-cleric-urges-global-war-against-IS-militant-group
CFR Daily News Brief: Coalition Urges Russia to Cease Strikes on Syrian Opposition
Coalition Urges Russia to Cease Strikes on Syrian Opposition
The U.S.-led coalition against the self-proclaimed Islamic State issued a joint statement on Thursday calling on Russia to cease (Bloomberg)
its aerial campaign on armed Syrian opposition groups and to shift its
focus to Islamic State positions. The coalition, which includes France,
Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UK, claimed that Russian
strikes are also hitting civilians (Al Jazeera) and risk fueling extremism. The Russian defense ministry said its bombardments destroyed (WSJ)
Islamic State command posts, a communications hub, and a weapons cache.
Moscow says its air strikes in Syria could last three to four months.
Separately, Lebanese sources said that hundreds of Iranian troops have arrived (Reuters) in Syria to back a Syrian government ground offensive.
ANALYSIS
"Given the diminution of Russian influence in the Middle East with the fall of the Soviet Union, Putin sees an interest in reestablishing such influence wherever possible
in the region. Syria is a case in point. But Putin should be wary of
what he hopes for. Russian military intervention in Syria could have the
unintended consequence of making radical Islamist groups focus on
Russia as a prime enemy and target of retaliation," says Edward P.
Djerejian in a CFR Interview.
"The Middle East today is indeed undergoing an unprecedented transition beset by collapse of state power,
rise of extremist ideologies, and the probable proliferation of nuclear
technologies. Iran is in many ways contributing to all of the region’s
maladies. Just because Iran is part of the problem does not mean it can
contribute to a solution," writes CFR's Ray Takeyh in an Expert Brief.
"It will be Moscow and Tehran, Assad’s sole outside protectors,
that manage this transition, if there is one—and there won’t be
transition unless these same managers determine that the ‘new leader’
can protect their interests more securely than Assad can. Syria
represents Russia’s only toehold in the Middle East and Iran’s gateway
to interests further westward in the region (especially Hezbollah). Both
powers regard ISIS as a threat not because it unleashes chaos on the
Syrian people (Assad does plenty of that) but because it threatens their
own interests in the region," writes Fred Kaplan in Slate.
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As Palestine’s flag is raised at U.N., Abbas dumps Oslo security obligations
As Palestine’s flag is raised at U.N., Abbas dumps Oslo security obligations
By Annie RobbinsYesterday was a big day for Palestine in New York, as its flag was ceremoniously raised to a packed crowd in the U.N.'s Rose Garden in New York City. And Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he was dumping his obligations to coordinate security with Israel for the occupation, as laid out in the Oslo accords.
Read in browser »http://mondoweiss.net/2015/10/palestines-security-obligations?utm_source=Mondoweiss+List&utm_campaign=32968a3957-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b86bace129-32968a3957-398529985
Netanyahu’s 44 seconds of silence at UN are being widely mocked — ‘pathetic,’ ‘creepy’
Netanyahu’s 44 seconds of silence at UN are being widely mocked — ‘pathetic,’ ‘creepy’
By Philip Weiss and Adam HorowitzNetanyahu sneered at the world for 44 seconds of canned silence at the UN General Assembly today, assailing the silence over Iranian threats . . . and the world laughed.
Read in browser »http://mondoweiss.net/2015/10/netanyahus-silence-pathetic?utm_source=Mondoweiss+List&utm_campaign=32968a3957-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b86bace129-32968a3957-398529985
Volcanoes, asteroid wiped out dinosaurs: study
Volcanoes, asteroid wiped out dinosaurs: study
Miami (AFP) Oct 1, 2015 - A massive asteroid strike 66 million years ago triggered a string of potent volcanic eruptions that spelled doom for the dinosaurs, US researchers said Thursday. Just what led to the demise of the dinosaurs is often debated among scientists, and the latest findings in the journal Science suggest that both events are to blame, not one or the other. Scientists studied the Deccan Traps lava ... morehttp://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Volcanoes_asteroid_wiped_out_dinosaurs_study_999.html
Miami (AFP) Oct 1, 2015 - A massive asteroid strike 66 million years ago triggered a string of potent volcanic eruptions that spelled doom for the dinosaurs, US researchers said Thursday. Just what led to the demise of the dinosaurs is often debated among scientists, and the latest findings in the journal Science suggest that both events are to blame, not one or the other. Scientists studied the Deccan Traps lava ... morehttp://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Volcanoes_asteroid_wiped_out_dinosaurs_study_999.html
Should the TPP Address Corruption? If So, How?
Should the TPP Address Corruption? If So, How?
http://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2015/10/02/should-the-tpp-address-corruption-if-so-how/
2015's biggest data breaches: CVS, Anthem, IRS, and worse
http://www.zdnet.com/pictures/worst-largest-security-data-breaches-2015/2015's biggest data breaches: CVS, Anthem, IRS, and worse
The Week With IPS 10/2
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Honduran Fishing Village Says Adios to Candles and Dirty Energy
Thelma MejÃa
A small fishing village on the Caribbean coast of Honduras has become an
example to be followed in renewable energies, after replacing candles
and dirty costly energy based on fossil fuels with hydropower from a
mini-dam, while reforesting the river basin.
They now have round-the-clock electric ...
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As the Mediterranean Refugee Crisis Endures, International Morality Ebbs
Arlene Chang
As the world suffers its biggest upheaval of human mobility, with 60
million people forced to desert their homes or countries due to
persecution, armed conflicts, starvation and hunger that are a veritable
danger to their lives, the response from the international community
has been rather ...
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Men Start to Make Women’s Struggles Their Own in Argentina
Fabiana Frayssinet
The meeting was about gender equality, but for once there were more men
than women. It marked a watershed in the struggle in Argentina to make
the commitment to equality more than just “a women’s thing.”
The Buenos Aires meeting was organised by the Men for Equality (HxI)
network, which emerged ...
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Learning from Korea’s ‘Saemaul Undong’ to Achieve SDGs
Aruna Dutt and Valentina Ieri
More than 3.3 billion people live in rural areas around the world. Rural
development is therefore of vital significance if the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development – “a plan of action for people, planet and
prosperity” – is to become reality.
A day after world leaders unanimously adopted 17 ...
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Africa Must Depend Less on Development Aid, Says New Study
Thalif Deen
As the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reach their targeted
date by the end of December, one of the lingering questions has long
remained unanswered – at least, until now.
Why did most African nations make progress in some, but failed to reach
their targets in most others?
A new ...
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Electoral Revolution in Brazil Aimed at Neutralising Corporate Influence
Mario Osava
From now on, elections in Brazil will be more democratic, without
corporate interference, which had become decisive and corruptive. A Sep.
17 Supreme Court ruling declared unconstitutional articles of the
elections act that allow corporate donations to election campaigns.
The 8-3 verdict came in ...
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Opinion: We Can Overcome Poverty and Hunger by 2030
Jomo Kwame Sundaram
Over three quarters of the extreme poor in the world live in the
countryside. Reducing rural poverty will therefore require significantly
higher rural incomes. Since most rural incomes are related to
agriculture, raising agricultural productivity can help raise rural
incomes all round.
In the ...
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Iran's nuclear deal and the regional countries
Farhang Jahanpour
Although some regional countries initially opposed the nuclear deal
between Iran and the P5+1 (the United States, Russia, China, United
Kingdom, France and Germany), once the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action (JCPOA) was signed by the two sides in July 2015, practically all
regional countries ...
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Opinion: India, Where Have All the Women Gone?
N Chandra Mohan
Women account for less than half of India’s population but their
participation in the workforce is way below that of men. They account
for 27 per cent of the workforce. If – and it is a big if – their number
were to increase to the same level as men in the workforce, the
country’s output of good ...
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Mexican Government Depends More and More on Private Business Partners
Emilio Godoy
The Mexican government has increasingly turned to public–private
partnerships (PPPs) to build infrastructure in the energy industry and
other areas. But critics say this system operates under a cloak of
opacity and is plagued by the discretional use of funds.
As the 2013 energy reform, which ...
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Pope’s Outspoken Views Rattle U.S. Conservatives but Not U.N.
Thalif Deen
Pope Francis’ outspoken views on some of the politically-charged hot
button issues – including refugees, migration, human rights, climate
change, Iran’s nuclear deal, U.S.-Cuban relations and the global arms
trade – have touched a raw nerve in the United States.
And most of these crucial and ...
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Thursday, October 1, 2015
Why Iran Is Aiding Syria
https://consortiumnews.com/
By Gareth Porterhttps://consortiumnews.com/2015/09/30/why-iran-is-aiding-syria/
Why Iran Is Aiding Syria
September 30, 2015
In spinning another propaganda theme, Official Washington is putting out the storyline that Iran is supporting Syria only to appease hardliners in Tehran, but the reality is that top Iranian leaders agree that a victory by the Islamic State or Al Qaeda must be prevented, writes Gareth Porter at Middle East Eye.By Gareth Porterhttps://consortiumnews.com/2015/09/30/why-iran-is-aiding-syria/
Trumpocrisy The Donald’s Finances and the Art of Ignoring Conflicts and Contradictions
Trumpocrisy
The Donald’s Finances and the Art of Ignoring Conflicts and Contradictions
By Nomi Prins
The 2016 election campaign is certainly a billionaire’s playground when it comes to “establishment candidates” like Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush who cater to mega-donors and use their money to try to rally party bases. The only genuine exception to the rule this time around has been Bernie Sanders, who has built a solid grassroots following and funding machine, while shunning what he calls “the billionaire class” that fuels the super PACs.
Donald Trump, like Ross Perot back in the 1992 and 1996 elections, has played quite a different trick on the money-saturated American political system. He has removed the billionaire as middleman between citizen plebeians and political elites, and created a true .00001% candidate, because he’s... well, a financial elite unto himself, however conveniently posed as the country’s straight-talking “everyman.”
Despite his I-can-buy-but-can’t-be-bought swagger, Trump’s persona has been carefully constructed to deflect even the most obvious questions of conflict of interest that his wealth and deal-making history should bring up. He claims that he would govern (or dictate) as he is, no apologies or bullshit. But would he?
Click here to read more of this dispatch.
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176051/tomgram%3A_nomi_prins%2C_how_trump_became_trump_and_what_that_means_for_the_rest_of_us/#more
U.S. Navy orders nuclear reactor components
U.S. Navy orders nuclear reactor components
Lynchburg, Va. (UPI) Sep 29, 2015 - BWX Technologies Inc. is to manufacture components for nuclear reactors aboard U.S. Navy submarines and aircraft carriers under $34.5 million in new contracts. The majority of the work by BWXT Nuclear Operations Group - it has already begun at company facilities in Virginia, Indiana and Ohio - will be conducted over the next two years. BWX Technologies said about $9.4 million o ... morehttp://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_Navy_orders_nuclear_reactor_components_999.html
Lynchburg, Va. (UPI) Sep 29, 2015 - BWX Technologies Inc. is to manufacture components for nuclear reactors aboard U.S. Navy submarines and aircraft carriers under $34.5 million in new contracts. The majority of the work by BWXT Nuclear Operations Group - it has already begun at company facilities in Virginia, Indiana and Ohio - will be conducted over the next two years. BWX Technologies said about $9.4 million o ... morehttp://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_Navy_orders_nuclear_reactor_components_999.html
Adrift: Brazil’s Crisis of Confidence
Adrift: Brazil’s Crisis of Confidence
Corruption alone does not explain Brazil’s economic malaise.
By Mark S. Langevin, October 1, 2015 | http://www.theglobalist.com/Takeaways
- President Dilma Rousseff’s approval ratings hit rock bottom at 7% in recent opinion polls.
- Corruption alone does not explain Brazil’s economic malaise.
- Brazilians’ tax burden grew from 25% of GDP in 1991 to more than 35% by 2014.
- The public sector appropriated some 45% of Brazil’s per capita economic growth.
- Much of Brazil’s increased spending was devoted to education and health programs.
- The average retirement age in Brazil is lower than nearly every developed country. http://www.theglobalist.com/brazil-crisis-of-confidence-politics/
Pope, Xi visits: Signs of changing times for US
Pope, Xi visits: Signs of changing times for US
Perhaps the time has come for Republicans to stop bashing Latinos and Chinese
http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/pope-xi-visits-signs-of-changing-times-for-us
Now the truth emerges: how the US fuelled the rise of Isis in Syria and Iraq Seumas Milne Seumas Milne
Now the truth emerges: how the US fuelled the rise of Isis in Syria and Iraq
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/03/us-isis-syria-iraq
An overview of the conflict in Yemen, in maps
“Far from reaching a tidy conclusion,” the conflict is War in”growing, if anything, more complicated by the day,” the EUCFR writes. “Rather than being a single conflict, the unrest in Yemen is a mosaic of multifaceted regional, local and international power struggles, emanating from both recent and long-past events.”
[Click here to read the full report from the EUCFR]
[Click here to download and read the full report from the EUCFR as a .PDF file]
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